| (c) | any liens for current crews' wages and salvage and liens incurred in the ordinary course of trading the Vessel up to an aggregate amount at any time not exceeding $1,000,000. |
"Poseidon Principles" means the financial industry framework for assessing and disclosing the climate alignment of ship finance portfolios published in June 2019 as the same may be amended or replaced (to reflect changes in applicable law or regulation or the introduction of or changes to mandatory requirements of the International Maritime Organization) from time to time.
"Prohibited Person" means any person that (a) is, or is, directly or indirectly, owned or controlled (as such terms are defined by the relevant Sanctions Authority) by, or acting on behalf of, one or more persons or entities on any list of designated or restricted persons or entities maintained by a Sanctions Authority; (b) is resident in or incorporated under the laws of a Sanctioned Country; or (c) is otherwise the target or subject of Sanctions.
"Quotation Day" means, in relation to any period for which an interest rate is to be determined, two US Government Securities Business Days before the first day of that period (unless market practice differs in the relevant syndicated loan market, in which case the Quotation Day will be determined by the Agent in accordance with that market practice (and if quotations would normally be given on more than one day, the Quotation Day will be the last of those days)).
"Receiver" means a receiver or receiver and manager or administrative receiver of the whole or any part of the Charged Property.
"Reference Rate" means, in relation to the Loan:
| (a) | the applicable Term SOFR as of the Quotation Day and for a period equal in length to the Interest Period of the Loan; or |
| (b) | as otherwise determined pursuant to Clause 9.1 (Absence of Quotations), |
and if, in either case, that rate is less than zero, the Reference Rate shall be deemed to be zero.
"Related Fund" in relation to a fund (the "first fund"), means a fund which is managed or advised by the same investment manager or investment adviser as the first fund or, if it is managed by a different investment manager or investment adviser, a fund whose investment manager or investment adviser is an Affiliate of the investment manager or investment adviser of the first fund.
"Relevant Documents" means the Finance Documents, any Charters, the Management Agreements and each Security Party's constitutional documents.
"Relevant Jurisdiction" means, in relation to a Security Party:
| (a) | its Original Jurisdiction; |
| (b) | any jurisdiction where any asset subject to or intended to be subject to a Security Document to be executed by it is situated; |
| (c) | any jurisdiction where it conducts its business; and |
| (d) | the jurisdiction whose laws govern the perfection of any of the Security Documents entered into by it. |
"Relevant Percentage" means one hundred and thirty five per cent (135%).
"Repayment Date" means the date for payment of any Repayment Instalment in accordance with Clause 5 (Repayment).
"Repayment Instalment" means any instalment of the Loan to be repaid by the Borrower under Clause 5 (Repayment).
"Repeating Representations" means each of the representations set out in Clause 18.1.1 (Status) to Clause 18.1.6 (Governing law and enforcement), Clause 18.1.10 (No default) to Clause 18.1.19 (Pari passu ranking) and Clauses 18.1.24 (Money Laundering) and 18.1.25 (Sanctions).
"Representative" means any delegate, agent, manager, administrator, nominee, attorney, trustee or custodian.
"Requisition Compensation" means all compensation or other money which may from time to time be payable to the Borrower as a result of the Vessel being requisitioned for title or in any other way compulsorily acquired (other than by way of requisition for hire).
"Retention Account" means the bank account held in the name of the Borrower with the Account Holder and designated "DHT TIGER - Retention Account".
"Sanctions " means any economic, financial or trade sanctions laws, regulations, embargoes or other restrictive measures adopted, administered, enacted or enforced by: (a) the United States of America; (b) the United Nations; (c) the European Union (or any of its member states); (d) the United Kingdom; or (e) the respective institutions and agencies of any of the foregoing including the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury (“OFAC”), the United States Department of State, the United States Department of Commerce, the French Treasury and His Majesty’s Treasury (each a “Sanctions Authority”)
“Sanctioned Country” means any country or territory which is, or whose government is, the target of country wide or territory wide Sanctions.
"Secured Parties" means each Finance Party from time to time party to this Agreement and any Receiver or Delegate.
"
Security Cover Ratio"
means x 100% where:
A = the Fair Market Value of the Vessel; and
B = the amount of the Loan then outstanding and the amount certified by the Swap Provider to be the amount which would be payable by the Borrower to the Swap Provider under the Master Agreement if an Early Termination Date were to occur at that time.
"Security Documents" means the Guarantee, the Share Pledges, the Mortgages, the Assignments, the Account Security Deed, the Master Agreement Proceeds Charge, the Managers' Undertakings, each New Security Document and any other Credit Support Documents or (where the context permits) any one or more of them, and any other agreement or document which may at any time be executed by any person as security for the payment of all or any part of the Indebtedness and "Security Document" means any one of them.
"Security Parties" means the Borrower, the Guarantor, the Managers, any other Credit Support Provider, and any other person who may at any time during the Facility Period be liable for, or provide security for, all or any part of the Indebtedness, and "Security Party" means any one of them.
"Share Pledges" means the charge of the issued share capital of the Borrower referred to in Clause 16.1(b) (Security Documents).
"SMC" means a valid safety management certificate issued for the Vessel by or on behalf of the Administration under paragraph 13.7 of the ISM Code.
"SOFR" means the secured overnight financing rate (SOFR) administered by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (or any other person which takes over the administration of that rate) published (before any correction, recalculation or republication by the administrator) by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (or any other person which takes over the publication of that rate).
"Statement of Compliance" means a statement of compliance related to fuel oil consumption pursuant to regulations 6.6 and 6.7 of Annex VI.
"Subsidiary" means a subsidiary within the meaning of section 1159 of the Companies Act 2006.
"Tax" means any tax, levy, impost, duty or other charge or withholding of a similar nature (including any penalty or interest payable in connection with any failure to pay or any delay in paying any of the same).
"Technical Manager" means Goodwood Ship Management Pte. Ltd., a company incorporated under the laws of Singapore with its registered office at 20 Science Park Road, #02-34/36 Tele Tech ParkSingapore 117674 or any Subsidiary of the Guarantor.
"Term SOFR" means the term SOFR reference rate administered by CME Group Benchmark Administration Limited (or any other person which takes over the administration of that rate) for the relevant period published (before any correction, recalculation or republication by the administrator) by CME Group Benchmark Administration Limited (or any other person which takes over the publication of that rate).
"Termination Date" means the earlier to occur of (i) the date falling seventy-two (72) months after the Effective Date and (ii) 16 December 2028.
"Total Commitments" means the aggregate of the Commitments.
"Total Interest Bearing Debt" means all interest bearing debt of the Guarantor as shown in the latest published audited consolidated balance sheet or the latest published interim consolidated balance sheet of the Guarantor as delivered pursuant to Clause 19.1 (Financial statements).
"Total Loss" means:
| (a) | an actual, constructive, arranged, agreed or compromised total loss of the Vessel; or |
| (b) | the requisition for title or compulsory acquisition of the Vessel by any government or other competent authority (other than by way of requisition for hire); or |
| (c) | the capture, seizure, arrest, detention, hijacking, theft, condemnation as prize, confiscation or forfeiture of the Vessel (not falling within (b)), unless the Vessel is released and returned to the possession of the Borrower within six months after the capture, seizure, arrest, detention, hijacking, theft, condemnation as prize, confiscation or forfeiture in question. |
"Total Loss Date" means:
| (a) | in the case of an actual Total Loss of the Vessel, the date on which it occurred or, if that is unknown, the date when the Vessel was last heard of; |
| (b) | in the case of a constructive, compromised, agreed or arranged Total Loss of the Vessel, the earlier of: (i) the date on which a notice of abandonment is given to the insurers (provided a claim for total loss is admitted by such insurers) or, if such insurers do not forthwith admit such a claim, at the date at which either a Total Loss is subsequently admitted by the insurers or a Total Loss is subsequently adjudged by a competent court of law or arbitration panel to have occurred or, if earlier, the date falling six (6) months after notice of abandonment of the Vessel was given to the insurers; and (ii) the date of compromise, arrangement or agreement made by or on behalf of the Borrower with the Vessel's insurers in which the insurers agree to treat the Vessel as a Total Loss; or |
| (c) | in the case of any other type of Total Loss, on the date (or the most likely date) on which it appears to the Agent from the evidence available to it that the event constituting the Total Loss occurred. |
"Transfer Certificate" means a certificate substantially in the form set out in Schedule 3 (Form of Transfer Certificate) or any other form agreed between the Agent and the Borrower.
"Transfer Date" means, in relation to an assignment or a transfer, the later of:
| (a) | the proposed Transfer Date specified in the relevant Assignment Agreement or Transfer Certificate; and |
| (b) | the date on which the Agent executes the relevant Assignment Agreement or Transfer Certificate. |
"Treasury Transaction" means any derivative transaction entered into in connection with protection against or benefit from fluctuation in any rate or price.
"Trust Property" means:
| (a) | all benefits derived by the Security Agent from Clause 16 (Security and Application of Moneys); and |
| (b) | all benefits arising under (including, without limitation, all proceeds of the enforcement of) each of the Security Documents, |
with the exception of any benefits arising solely for the benefit of the Security Agent.
"Unpaid Sum" means any sum due and payable but unpaid by any Security Party under the Finance Documents.
"US" means the United States of America.
"US Government Securities Business Day" means any day other than:
| (a) | a Saturday or a Sunday; and |
| (b) | a day on which the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (or any successor organisation) recommends that the fixed income departments of its members be closed for the entire day for purposes of trading in US Government securities. |
"US Tax Obligor" means:
| (a) | a Security Party which is resident for tax purposes in the US; or |
| (b) | a Security Party same or all of whose payments under the Finance Documents are from sources within the US for US federal income tax purposes. |
"Value Adjusted Tangible Net Worth" means Value Adjusted Total Assets, less the value of all liabilities and intangible assets as determined by GAAP.
"Value Adjusted Total Assets" means the total book value of all the assets of the Guarantor as shown in the latest published audited consolidated balance sheet or the latest published interim consolidated balance sheet of the Guarantor as delivered pursuant to Clause 19.1 (Financial statements) which would, in accordance with GAAP, be classified as assets of the Guarantor, adjusted with any Excess Values.
"VAT" means:
| (a) | any tax imposed in compliance with the Council Directive of 28 November 2006 on the common system of value added tax (EC Directive 2006/112); and |
| (b) | any other tax of a similar nature, whether imposed in a member state of the European Union in substitution for, or levied in addition to, such tax referred to in (a), or imposed elsewhere. |
"Vessel" means the 300,000 dwt VLCC named "DHT Tiger" currently registered under Hong Kong flag in the name of the Borrower and having IMO number (9733959).
"Working Capital" means, on any date, Current Assets less Current Liabilities.
Unless a contrary indication appears, any reference in this Agreement to:
| (a) | any "Lender", any "Borrower", the "Guarantor", the "Agent", the "Swap Provider", any "Secured Party", the "Security Agent", any "Finance Party" or any "Party" shall be construed so as to include its successors in title, permitted assignees and permitted transferees; |
| (b) | "assets" includes present and future properties, revenues and rights of every description; |
| (c) | a "Finance Document", a "Security Document", a "Relevant Document" or any other document is a reference to that Finance Document, Security Document, Relevant Document or other document as amended, novated, supplemented, extended or restated from time to time; |
| (d) | a "group of Lenders" includes all the Lenders; |
| (e) | "indebtedness" includes any obligation (whether incurred as principal or as surety) for the payment or repayment of money, whether present or future, actual or contingent; |
| (f) | a "person" includes any individual, firm, company, corporation, government, state or agency of a state or any association, trust, joint venture, consortium or partnership or other entity (whether or not having separate legal personality); |
| (g) | a "regulation" includes any regulation, rule, official directive, request or guideline (whether or not having the force of law) of any governmental, intergovernmental or supranational body, agency, department or of any regulatory, self-regulatory or other authority or organisation; |
| (h) | a provision of law is a reference to that provision as amended or re-enacted from time to time; and |
| (i) | a time of day (unless otherwise specified) is a reference to London time. |
Section, Clause and Schedule headings are for ease of reference only.
Unless a contrary indication appears, a term used in any other Finance Document or in any notice given under or in connection with any Finance Document has the same meaning in that Finance Document or notice as in this Agreement.
A Default (other than an Event of Default) is "continuing" if it has not been remedied or waived and an Event of Default is "continuing" if it has not been waived.
1.6 | Currency symbols and definitions |
"$", "USD" and "dollars" denote the lawful currency of the United States of America.
A person who is not a Party has no right under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 (the "Third Parties Act") to enforce or to enjoy the benefit of any term of this Agreement.
This Agreement supersedes the terms and conditions contained in any correspondence relating to the subject matter of this Agreement exchanged between any Finance Party and the Borrower or their representatives before the Effective Date.
Subject to the terms of this Agreement, the Lenders agree to make available to the Borrower a term loan comprising the Existing Indebtedness and the Additional Advance, such amounts together being in aggregate, a principal amount not exceeding the Maximum Loan Amount.
2.2 | Finance Parties' rights and obligations |
2.2.1 | The obligations of each Finance Party under the Finance Documents are several. Failure by a Finance Party to perform its obligations under the Finance Documents does not affect the obligations of any other Party under the Finance Documents. No Finance Party is responsible for the obligations of any other Finance Party under the Finance Documents. |
2.2.2 | The rights of each Finance Party under or in connection with the Finance Documents are separate and independent rights and any debt arising under the Finance Documents to a Finance Party from a Security Party shall be a separate and independent debt. |
2.2.3 | A Finance Party may, except as otherwise stated in the Finance Documents, separately enforce its rights under the Finance Documents. |
The Borrower shall apply the Loan for the purpose referred to in Preliminary (B).
No Finance Party is bound to monitor or verify the application of any amount borrowed under this Agreement.
SECTION 3 | LOAN UTILISATION |
As at the Effective Date, except for the Additional Advance, and subject to the Agent having issued the Effective Date Notice, the Loan under this Agreement is (and shall be deemed, as at the Effective Date, to be) fully drawn by the Borrower in an amount equal to the Existing Indebtedness and is no longer available for utilisation
4.1 | Delivery of a Drawdown Request |
Following the Effective Date, the Borrower may request the Additional Advance to be advanced by delivery to the Agent of a duly completed Drawdown Request not more than fifteen and not fewer than two Business Days before the proposed Drawdown Date.
4.2 | Completion of a Drawdown Request |
A Drawdown Request is irrevocable and will not be regarded as having been duly completed unless:
4.2.1 | it is signed by an authorised signatory of the Borrower; |
4.2.2 | the proposed Drawdown Date is a Business Day within the Availability Period; and |
4.2.3 | the proposed Interest Period complies with Clause 8 (Interest Periods). |
4.3 | Lenders' participation |
4.3.1 | Subject to Clauses 2 (The Loan) and 3 (Purpose) of this Agreement and clause 3 (Conditions Precedent) 0f the 2022 Amending and Restating Agreement, each Lender shall make its participation in the Additional Advance available by the Drawdown Date through its Facility Office. |
4.3.2 | The amount of each Lender's participation in the Additional Advance will be equal to the proportion borne by its Commitment to the Total Commitments. |
4.4 | Cancellation of Additional Advance |
To the extent that the Additional Advance is unutilised at the end of the Availability Period, the amount of the Total Commitments shall be reduced by the amount of the Additional Advance and such amount so reduced shall be cancelled.
SECTION 4 | REPAYMENT, PREPAYMENT AND CANCELLATION |
5.1 | Consolidation of the Additional Advance |
Following the advance of the Additional Advance, on and from the Drawdown Date, repayment of the Additional Advance shall be consolidated with the remainder of the Loan such that Repayment Dates for the Additional Advance and for the remainder of the Loan shall run concurrently.
The Borrower agrees to repay the Loan to the Agent for the account of the Lenders by equal consecutive quarterly instalments each in the sum of USD625,000.00 with the first such instalment falling due on the date which is three calendar months after the Effective Date and with subsequent instalments falling due at consecutive intervals of three calendar months thereafter with the final instalment and the Balloon Amount falling due on the Termination Date.
The Borrower may not reborrow any part of the Loan which is repaid or prepaid.
6. | ILLEGALITY, PREPAYMENT AND CANCELLATION |
If it becomes unlawful in any jurisdiction for a Lender to perform any of its obligations as contemplated by this Agreement or to fund or maintain its participation in the Loan or it becomes unlawful for any Affiliate of a Lender for that Lender to do so:
| (a) | that Lender shall promptly notify the Agent upon becoming aware of that event; |
| (b) | upon the Agent notifying the Borrower in writing, the Commitment of that Lender will be immediately cancelled; and |
| (c) | the Borrower shall repay (i) that Lender's participation in the Loan on the last day of its current Interest Period or, if earlier, the date specified by that Lender in the notice delivered to the Agent and notified by the Agent to the Borrower (being no earlier than the last day of any applicable grace period permitted by law) and (ii) any amounts then due and payable under the Master Agreement as a result of such repayment and in this regard the Swap Provider shall close out the relevant Treasury Transaction in relation to the portion of the Loan which is repaid and advise the Borrower of the amounts so due and payable. |
6.2 | Voluntary prepayment of the Loan |
The Borrower may prepay the whole or any part of the Loan (but, if in part, being an amount that reduces the Loan by an amount which is an integral multiple of $1,000,000 subject as follows:
| (a) | they give the Agent not less than ten (10) Business Days' (or such shorter period as the Majority Lenders may agree) prior notice; |
| (b) | they pay to the Agent any amounts due and payable as specified in Clause 6.6 (Restrictions) and, any amounts then due and payable under the Master Agreement as a result of such voluntary prepayment and in this regard the Swap Provider shall close out the relevant Treasury Transaction in relation to the portion of the Loan which is prepaid and advise the Borrower of the amounts so due and payable; and |
| (c) | any prepayment under this Clause 6.2 shall be applied in prepayment of the remaining Repayment Instalments and the Balloon Amount on a pro rata basis. |
6.3 | Right of cancellation and prepayment in relation to a single Lender |
| (a) | any sum payable to any Lender by the Borrower is required to be increased under Clause 11.2(b) (Tax gross-up); or |
| (b) | any Lender claims indemnification from the Borrower under Clause 11.3 (Tax indemnity) or Clause 12.1 (Increased costs), |
the Borrower may, whilst the circumstance giving rise to the requirement for that increase or indemnification continues, give the Agent notice of cancellation of the Commitment(s) of that Lender and their intention to procure the repayment of that Lender's participation in the Loan.
6.3.2 | On receipt of a notice referred to in Clause 6.3.1 in relation to a Lender, the Commitment(s) of that Lender shall immediately be reduced to zero. |
6.3.3 | On the last day of the Interest Period in respect of the Loan which ends after the Borrower has given notice under Clause 6.3.1 in relation to a Lender (or, if earlier, the date specified by the Borrower in that notice), the Borrower shall repay (i) that Lender's participation in the Loan together with all interest and other amounts accrued under the Finance Documents and (ii) any amounts then due and payable under the Master Agreement as a result of such repayment and in this regard the Swap Provider shall close out the relevant Treasury Transaction in relation to the portion of the Loan which is repaid and advise the Borrower of the amounts so due and payable. |
6.4 | Mandatory prepayment on sale or Total Loss |
If the Vessel is sold by the Borrower or becomes a Total Loss, the Borrower shall, simultaneously with the completion of any such sale or on the earlier of the date falling 120 days after the relevant Total Loss Date and the date on which the proceeds of the Total Loss are realised, prepay the whole of the Loan then outstanding together with any amounts due and payable under the Master Agreement as a result of such mandatory prepayment and in this regard the Swap Provider will close out the relevant Treasury Transaction.
6.5 | Right of cancellation in relation to a Defaulting Lender |
If any Lender becomes a Defaulting Lender, the Borrower may, at any time whilst the Lender continues to be a Defaulting Lender, give the Agent 5 Business Days' notice of cancellation of the Commitment of that Lender. On that notice becoming effective, the Commitment of the Defaulting Lender shall immediately be reduced to zero. The Agent shall as soon as practicable after receipt of that notice notify all the Lenders.
6.6.1 | Any notice of prepayment or cancellation given under this Clause 6 shall be irrevocable and, unless a contrary indication appears in this Agreement, shall specify the date or dates upon which the relevant prepayment or cancellation is to be made and the amount of that prepayment or cancellation. |
6.6.2 | Any prepayment under this Agreement shall be made together with accrued interest on the amount prepaid and, subject to any Break Costs and subject to Clause 6.2 (Voluntary prepayment of the Loan) and Clause 6.4 (Mandatory prepayment on sale or Total Loss), without premium or penalty. |
6.6.3 | The Borrower shall not repay, prepay or cancel all or any part of the Loan except at the times and in the manner expressly provided for in this Agreement. |
6.6.4 | No amount of the Total Commitments cancelled under this Agreement may be subsequently reinstated. |
6.6.5 | If the Agent receives a notice under this Clause 6 it shall promptly forward a copy of that notice to the Borrower or the affected Lender, as appropriate. |
For the avoidance of doubt, where pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, a Lender’s participation in the Loan is entirely prepaid or its Commitments cancelled in full or where a Lender ceases to be a Lender including, without limitation, pursuant to Clause 6.5 (Defaulting Lender), then that Lender (including another branch of that Lender) or its Affiliate (if also a Swap Provider) may terminate its Master Agreement.
SECTION 5 | COSTS OF UTILISATION |
7.1 | Calculation of interest |
Subject to Clause 7.5, the rate of interest on the Loan for each Interest Period is the percentage rate per annum which is the aggregate of the applicable:
The Borrower shall pay accrued interest on the Loan on the last day of each Interest Period (and, if the Interest Period is longer than three months, on the dates falling at three monthly intervals after the first day of the Interest Period).
7.3.1 | If the Borrower fails to pay any amount payable by them under a Finance Document on its due date, interest shall accrue on the overdue amount from the due date up to the date of actual payment (both before and after judgment) at a rate which is two per cent per annum higher than the rate which would have been payable if the overdue amount had, during the period of non-payment, constituted a Loan in the currency of the overdue amount for successive Interest Periods, each of a duration selected by the Agent. Any interest accruing under this Clause 7.3 shall be immediately payable by the Borrower on demand by the Agent. |
7.3.2 | Default interest (if unpaid) arising on an overdue amount will be compounded with the overdue amount at the end of each Interest Period applicable to that overdue amount but will remain immediately due and payable. |
7.4 | Notification of rates of interest |
The Agent shall promptly notify the relevant Lenders and the Borrower in writing of the determination of a rate of interest under this Agreement.
The Agent shall promptly notify the Borrower of each Funding Rate relating to a Loan.
7.5.1 | Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Clause 7 and subject to the terms of this Clause 7.5, the Borrower shall have the option to enter into one or more Treasury Transactions under the Master Agreement to hedge their interest rate risk in respect of all or any part of the Loan by means of a fixed floating interest rate swap. If the Borrower wishes to exercise such option they shall notify the Agent and the Swap Provider in writing not less than five (5) Business Days (or such shorter period as the Agent and the Swap Provider may agree) prior to the end of the current Interest Period applicable to the Loan of their desire to exercise such option and of the amount of the Loan which the Borrower wishes such Treasury Transaction to apply to. The Swap Provider shall enter into one or more Treasury Transactions with the Borrower pursuant to the Master Agreement to hedge the interest rate risk for the Loan or part thereof specified by the Borrower. Where the Swap Provider enters into one or more Treasury Transactions pursuant to the Master Agreement under this Clause, the terms and conditions of each Treasury Transaction will be specified in a Confirmation sent by the Swap Provider to the Borrower in relation to the Loan or part thereof that the Borrower wish the fixed rate to apply to. The Master Agreement shall be for a term ending on the Termination Date. |
7.5.2 | Neither the Swap Provider nor the Borrower may terminate or close out any Treasury Transaction under the Master Agreement (in whole or in part) except: |
| (a) | in accordance with Clauses 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4 or 6.7 above; |
| (b) | in the case of termination or closing out by a Swap Provider, if the Agent serves notice under Clause 22.2 (Acceleration) or, having served notice under Clause 22.2 (Acceleration), makes a demand or in case of enforcement of any Security in accordance with its terms; or |
| (c) | in the case of termination or closing out by a Swap Provider: |
| (i) | upon the occurrence of an event described in Clause 22.1.6 (Insolvency) or Clause 22.1.7 (Insolvency proceedings) of this Agreement; or |
| (ii) | in case of non-payment by the Borrower of any amount due and payable under the relevant Master Agreement (subject to any applicable grace period provided for under the Master Agreement). |
7.5.3 | If the Swap Provider or the Borrower terminates or closes out a Treasury Transaction in respect of the Master Agreement (in whole or in part) in accordance with this clause, it shall promptly notify the Agent of that termination or close out; |
7.5.4 | If the Swap Provider is entitled to terminate or close out any Treasury Transaction in respect of the Master Agreement under Clause 7.5.2 above, the Swap Provider shall promptly terminate or close out such transaction following a request to do so by the Security Agent; |
7.5.5 | The Swap Provider may only suspend making payments under a Treasury Transaction in respect of the Master Agreement if the Borrower is in breach of its payment obligations under any transaction in respect of that Master Agreement. |
7.5.6 | The Swap Provider consents to, and acknowledges notice of, the charging or assigning by way of security by the Borrower pursuant to the Master Agreement Proceeds Charge of its rights under the Master Agreement to which it is party in favour of the Security Agent; |
7.5.7 | Any such charging or assigning by way of security under any relevant Master Agreement Proceeds Charge is without prejudice to, and after giving effect to, the operation of any set-off or payment or close-out netting in respect of any amounts owing under any Master Agreement |
7.5.8 | The Security Agent shall not be liable for the performance of the Borrower's obligations under a Master Agreement. |
7.5.9 | Save pursuant to the Master Agreement Proceeds Charge, the Borrower shall not assign any of its rights or transfer any of its rights or obligations under a Master Agreement without the consent of the Security Agent. |
7.5.10 | For the avoidance of any doubt and notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, the Swap Provider is not under any obligation to enter into any Master Agreement with the Borrower and any Swap Provider may decide in its sole and absolute discretion to enter into or not enter into any Master Agreement with the Borrower. |
8.1 | Selection of Interest Periods |
The Borrower may select in a written notice to the Agent the duration of an Interest Period for the Loan subject as follows:
| (a) | each notice is irrevocable and must be delivered to the Agent by the Borrower not later than 11.00 a.m. on the Quotation Day; |
| (b) | if the Borrower fails to give a notice in accordance with Clause 8.1(a), the relevant Interest Period will, subject to Clauses 8.2 (Interest Periods to meet Repayment Dates) and 8.3 (Non-Business Days), be three months; |
| (c) | subject to this Clause 8, the Borrower may select an Interest Period of (i) three months or any other period agreed between the Borrower and the Agent (acting on the instructions of all the Lenders) or (ii) less than one month if necessary to ensure that the Loan has an Interest Period ending on a Repayment Date; and |
| (d) | an Interest Period shall not extend beyond the Termination Date; |
| (e) | the first Interest Period in respect of the Loan shall start on the Effective Date and shall end on the date falling three months thereafter; |
| (f) | the first Interest Period in respect of the Additional Advance shall start on the Drawdown Date and shall be consolidated with, and shall end on the same date as, the current Interest Period for the remainder of the Loan and thereafter all Interest Periods shall run concurrently; and |
| (g) | each Interest Period (other than the first Interest Period and the first Interest Period in respect of the Additional Advance) in respect of the Loan shall start on the last day of the preceding Interest Period and end on the date which numerically corresponds to the Effective Date or the last day of the preceding Interest Period in the relevant calendar month except that, if there is no numerically corresponding date in that calendar month, the Interest Period shall end on the last Business Day in that month. |
8.2 | Interest Periods to meet Repayment Dates |
If an Interest Period will expire after the next Repayment Date in respect of the Loan, there shall be a separate Interest Period for a part of the Loan equal to the Repayment Instalment due on that next Repayment Date and that separate Interest Period shall expire on that next Repayment Date.
If an Interest Period would otherwise end on a day which is not a Business Day, that Interest Period will instead end on the next Business Day in that calendar month (if there is one) or the preceding Business Day (if there is not).
9. | CHANGES TO THE CALCULATION OF INTEREST |
| (a) | Interpolated Term SOFR: If no Term SOFR is available for the Interest Period of a Loan, the applicable Reference Rate shall be the Interpolated Term SOFR for a period equal in length to the Interest Period of that Loan. |
| (b) | Central Bank Rate: If no Term SOFR is available for the Interest Period of a Loan and it is not possible to calculate the Interpolated Term SOFR, the applicable Reference Rate shall be the percentage rate per annum which is the aggregate of (i) the arithmetic mean of the Central Bank Rate for the days in the Interest Period of the Loan, provided that the Central Bank Rate applicable to the day falling five (5) days prior to the last day of the relevant Interest Period shall be deemed to be the Central Bank Rate for the final five (5) days of that Interest Period and (ii) the applicable Central Bank Rate Adjustment. |
9.2 | Interest Calculation if no Term SOFR or Central Bank Rate |
If Clause 9.1(b) applies but no Central Bank Rate is available for the purpose of calculating the Reference Rate, Clause 9.4 (Cost of funds) shall apply to the Loan for the relevant Interest Period.
If before close of business in London on the Quotation Day for the relevant Interest Period the Agent receives notifications from a Lender or Lenders (whose participations in the Loan exceed 50% per cent. of the Loan) that its cost of funds relating to its participation in that Loan would be in excess of the Market Disruption Rate then Clause 9.4 (Cost of funds) shall apply to that Loan for the relevant Interest Period.
| (a) | If this Clause 9.4 applies, the rate of interest on each Lender's share of the Loan for the relevant Interest Period shall be the percentage rate per annum which is the sum of: |
| (i) | the applicable Margin; and |
| (ii) | the rate notified to the Agent by that Lender as soon as practicable and in any event within 2 Business Days of the first day of that Interest Period (or, if earlier, on the date falling 2 Business Days before the date on which interest is due to be paid in respect of that Interest Period), to be that which expresses as a percentage rate per annum its cost of funds relating to its participation in that Loan. |
| (b) | If this Clause 9.4 applies and the Agent or the Borrower so requires, the Agent and the Borrower shall enter into negotiations (for a period of not more than thirty days) with a view to agreeing a substitute basis for determining the rate of interest. |
| (c) | Any alternative basis agreed pursuant to paragraph (b) above shall, with the prior consent of all the Lenders and the Borrower, be binding on all Parties. |
9.4.1 | If an alternative basis is not agreed pursuant to paragraph (b) above, the Borrower shall have the option to (i) prepay the relevant Commitment together with Break Costs and the remaining Repayment Instalments in respect of the Loan and the Balloon Amount shall each be reduced pro rata or (ii) continue to pay interest calculated under Clause 9.3 (Cost of funds). |
9.5.1 | The Borrower shall, within three Business Days of demand by a Finance Party, pay to that Finance Party its Break Costs attributable to all or any part of the Loan or Unpaid Sum being paid by the Borrower on a day prior to the last day of an Interest Period for the Loan or Unpaid Sum. |
9.5.2 | Each Lender shall, as soon as reasonably practicable after a demand by the Agent, provide a certificate confirming the amount of its Break Costs for any Interest Period in which they become or may become payable. |
The Borrower shall pay to the Agent (for the account of the Lenders in proportion to their Commitments) an upfront fee on the Effective Date in the amount agreed in the Fee Letter.
SECTION 6 | ADDITIONAL PAYMENT OBLIGATIONS |
11. | TAX GROSS UP AND INDEMNITIES |
In this Agreement:
"Protected Party" means a Finance Party which is or will be subject to any liability or required to make any payment for or on account of Tax in relation to a sum received or receivable (or any sum deemed for the purposes of Tax to be received or receivable) under a Finance Document.
"Tax Credit" means a credit against, relief or remission for, or repayment of any Tax.
"Tax Deduction" means a deduction or withholding for or on account of Tax from a payment under a Finance Document, other than a FATCA Deduction.
"Tax Payment" means either the increase in a payment made by a Security Party to a Finance Party under Clause 11.2 (Tax gross-up) or a payment under Clause 11.3 (Tax indemnity).
Unless a contrary indication appears, in this Clause 11 a reference to "determines" or "determined" means a determination made in the absolute discretion of the person making the determination.
The Borrower shall (and shall procure that each other Security Party shall) make all payments to be made by it without any Tax Deduction, unless a Tax Deduction is required by law, subject as follows:
| (a) | the Borrower shall promptly upon becoming aware that it or any other Security Party must make a Tax Deduction (or that there is any change in the rate or the basis of a Tax Deduction) notify the Agent accordingly. Similarly, a Lender shall notify the Agent on becoming so aware in respect of a payment payable to that Lender. If the Agent receives such notification from a Lender it shall notify the Borrower and any such other Security Party in writing; |
| (b) | if a Tax Deduction is required by law to be made by the Borrower or any other Security Party, the amount of the payment due from the Borrower or that other Security Party shall be increased to an amount which (after making any Tax Deduction) leaves an amount equal to the payment which would have been due if no Tax Deduction had been required; |
| (c) | if the Borrower or any other Security Party is required to make a Tax Deduction, the Borrower shall (and shall procure that such other Security Party shall) make that Tax Deduction and any payment required in connection with that Tax Deduction within the time allowed and in the minimum amount required by law; |
| (d) | within 30 days of making either a Tax Deduction or any payment required in connection with that Tax Deduction, the Borrower making that Tax Deduction shall (and shall procure that such other Security Party shall) deliver to the Agent for the Finance Party entitled to the payment evidence satisfactory to that Finance Party that the Tax Deduction has been made or (as applicable) any appropriate payment paid to the relevant taxing authority; |
| (e) | The Agent and the Lenders shall cooperate with the Borrower and the Guarantor to the extent that it is reasonable to do so to complete any procedural formalities necessary for the Borrower or the Guarantor to make payments to the Lenders without a Tax Deduction. |
11.3.1 | The Borrower shall (within three Business Days of demand by the Agent) pay to a Protected Party an amount equal to the loss, liability or cost which that Protected Party determines will be or has been (directly or indirectly) suffered for or on account of Tax by that Protected Party in respect of a Finance Document. |
11.3.2 | Clause 11.3.1 shall not apply: |
| (a) | with respect to any Tax assessed on a Finance Party: |
| (i) | under the law of the jurisdiction in which that Finance Party is incorporated or, if different, the jurisdiction (or jurisdictions) in which that Finance Party is treated as resident for tax purposes; or |
| (ii) | under the law of the jurisdiction in which that Finance Party's Facility Office is located in respect of amounts received or receivable in that jurisdiction, |
if that Tax is imposed on or calculated by reference to the net income received or receivable (but not any sum deemed to be received or receivable) by that Finance Party; or
| (b) | to the extent a loss, liability or cost: |
| (i) | is compensated for by an increased payment under Clause 11.2 (Tax gross-up); or |
| (ii) | relates to a FATCA Deduction required to be made by a Party. |
11.3.3 | A Protected Party making, or intending to make a claim under Clause 11.3.1 shall promptly notify the Agent of the event which will give, or has given, rise to the claim, following which the Agent shall notify the Borrower in writing. |
11.3.4 | A Protected Party shall, on receiving a payment from the Borrower under this Clause 11.3, notify the Agent. |
If the Borrower or any other Security Party makes a Tax Payment and the relevant Finance Party determines that:
| (a) | a Tax Credit is attributable to an increased payment of which that Tax Payment forms part, to that Tax Payment or to a Tax Deduction in consequence of which that Tax Payment was required; and |
| (b) | that Finance Party has obtained and utilised that Tax Credit, |
that Finance Party shall pay an amount to the Borrower or to that other Security Party which that Finance Party determines will leave it (after that payment) in the same after-Tax position as it would have been in had the Tax Payment not been made by the Borrower or that other Security Party.
The Borrower shall pay and, within three Business Days of demand, indemnify each Finance Party against any cost, loss or liability that Finance Party incurs in relation to all stamp duty, registration and other similar Taxes payable in respect of any Finance Document.
11.6.1 | All amounts expressed to be payable under a Finance Document by any Party or any Security Party to a Finance Party which (in whole or in part) constitute the consideration for any supply for VAT purposes are deemed to be exclusive of any VAT which is chargeable on that supply, and accordingly, subject to Clause 11.6.2, if VAT is or becomes chargeable on any supply made by any Finance Party to any Party or any Security Party under a Finance Document and such Finance Party is required to account to the relevant tax authority for the VAT, that Party or Security Party must pay to such Finance Party (in addition to and at the same time as paying any other consideration for such supply) an amount equal to the amount of the VAT (and such Finance Party must promptly provide an appropriate VAT invoice to the Borrower). |
11.6.2 | If VAT is or becomes chargeable on any supply made by any Finance Party (the "Supplier") to any other Finance Party (the "Recipient") under a Finance Document, and any Party other than the Recipient (the "Relevant Party") is required by the terms of any Finance Document to pay an amount equal to the consideration for that supply to the Supplier (rather than being required to reimburse or indemnify the Recipient in respect of that consideration): |
| (a) | (where the Supplier is the person required to account to the relevant tax authority for the VAT) the Relevant Party must also pay to the Supplier (at the same time as paying that amount) an additional amount equal to the amount of the VAT. The Recipient must (where this Clause 11.6.2(a) applies) promptly pay to the Relevant Party an amount equal to any credit or repayment the Recipient receives from the relevant tax authority which the Recipient reasonably determines relates to the VAT chargeable on that supply; and |
| (b) | (where the Recipient is the person required to account to the relevant tax authority for the VAT) the Relevant Party must promptly, following demand from the Recipient, pay to the Recipient an amount equal to the VAT chargeable on that supply but only to the extent that the Recipient reasonably determines that it is not entitled to credit or repayment from the relevant tax authority in respect of that VAT. |
11.6.3 | Where a Finance Document requires any Party to reimburse or indemnify a Finance Party for any cost or expense, that Party shall reimburse or indemnify (as the case may be) such Finance Party for the full amount of such cost or expense, including such part thereof as represents VAT, save to the extent that such Finance Party reasonably determines that it is entitled to credit or repayment in respect of such VAT from the relevant tax authority. |
11.6.4 | Any reference in this Clause 11.6 to any Party shall, at any time when such Party is treated as a member of a group for VAT purposes, include (where appropriate and unless the context otherwise requires) a reference to the representative member of such group at such time (the term "representative member" to have the same meaning as in the Value Added Tax Act 1994). |
11.6.5 | In relation to any supply made by a Finance Party to any Party under a Finance Document, if reasonably requested by such Finance Party, that Party must promptly provide such Finance Party with details of that Party's VAT registration and such other information as is reasonably requested in connection with such Finance Party's VAT reporting requirements in relation to such supply. |
11.7.1 | Subject to Clause 11.7.3, each Party shall, within ten Business Days of a reasonable request by another Party: |
| (a) | confirm to that other Party whether it is: |
| (i) | a FATCA Exempt Party; or |
| (ii) | not a FATCA Exempt Party; |
| (b) | supply to that other Party such forms, documentation and other information relating to its status under FATCA as that other Party reasonably requests for the purposes of that other Party's compliance with FATCA; and |
| (c) | supply to that other Party such forms, documentation and other information relating to its status as that other Party reasonably requests for the purposes of that other Party's compliance with any other law, regulation, or exchange of information regime. |
11.7.2 | If a Party confirms to another Party pursuant to Clause 11.7.l(a)(i) that it is a FATCA Exempt Party and it subsequently becomes aware that it is not or has ceased to be a FATCA Exempt Party, that Party shall notify that other Party reasonably promptly. |
11.7.3 | Clause 11.7.1 shall not oblige any Finance Party to do anything, and Clause 11.7.l(c) shall not oblige any other Party to do anything, which would or might in its reasonable opinion constitute a breach of: |
| (a) | any law or regulation; |
| (b) | any fiduciary duty; or |
| (c) | any duty of confidentiality. |
11.7.4 | If a Party fails to confirm whether or not it is a FATCA Exempt Party or to supply forms, documentation or other information requested in accordance with Clause 11.7.l(a) or 12.7.l(b) (including, for the avoidance of doubt, where Clause 11.7.3 applies), then such Party shall be treated for the purposes of the Finance Documents (and payments under them) as if it is not a FATCA Exempt Party until such time as the Party in question provides the requested confirmation, forms, documentation or other information. |
11.8.1 | Each Party may make any FATCA Deduction it is required to make by FATCA, and any payment required in connection with that FATCA Deduction, and no Party shall be required to increase any payment in respect of which it makes such a FATCA Deduction or otherwise compensate the recipient of the payment for that FATCA Deduction. |
11.8.2 | Each Party shall promptly, upon becoming aware that it must make a FATCA Deduction (or that there is any change in the rate or the basis of such FATCA Deduction) notify the Party to whom it is making the payment and, in addition, shall notify the Borrower and the Agent in writing and the Agent shall notify the other Finance Parties. |
Subject to Clause 12.3 (Exceptions) the Borrower shall, within three Business Days of a demand by the Agent, pay to the Agent for the account of a Finance Party the amount of any Increased Costs incurred by that Finance Party or any of its Affiliates as a result of (i) the introduction of or any change in (or in the interpretation, administration or application of) any law or regulation or (ii) compliance with any law or regulation or any request from or requirement of any central bank or other fiscal, monetary or other authority made after the Effective Date (including Basel Ill and any other which relates to capital adequacy or liquidity controls or which affects the manner in which that Finance Party allocates capital resources to obligations under this Agreement and/or the Master Agreement).
In this Agreement "Increased Costs" means:
| (a) | a reduction in the rate of return from the Loan or on a Finance Party's (or its Affiliate's) overall capital; |
| (b) | an additional or increased cost; or |
| (c) | a reduction of any amount due and payable under any Finance Document, |
which is incurred or suffered by a Finance Party or any of its Affiliates to the extent that it is attributable to that Finance Party having entered into any Finance Document or funding or performing its obligations under any Finance Document.
In this Agreement "Basel III" means:
| (a) | the agreements on capital requirements, a leverage ratio and liquidity standards contained in "Basel Ill: A global regulatory framework for more resilient banks and banking systems", "Basel Ill: International framework for liquidity risk measurement, standards and monitoring" and "Guidance for national authorities operating the countercyclical capital buffer" published by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision in December 2010, each as amended, supplemented or restated; |
| (b) | the rules for global systemically important banks contained in "Global systemically important banks: assessment methodology and the additional loss absorbency requirement - Rules text" published by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision in November 2011, as amended, supplemented or restated; and |
| (c) | any further guidance or standards published by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision relating to "Basel Ill". |
12.2 | Increased cost claims |
12.2.1 | A Finance Party intending to make a claim pursuant to Clause 12.1 (Increased costs) shall notify the Agent of the event giving rise to the claim, following which the Agent shall promptly notify the Borrower in writing. |
12.2.2 | Each Finance Party shall, as soon as practicable after a demand by the Agent, provide a certificate confirming the amount of its Increased Costs. |
Clause 12.1 (Increased costs) does not apply to the extent any Increased Cost is:
| (a) | attributable to a Tax Deduction required by law to be made by the Borrower; |
| (b) | attributable to a FATCA Deduction required to be made by a Party; |
| (c) | compensated for by Clause 11.3 (Tax indemnity) (or would have been compensated for under Clause 11.3 but was not so compensated solely because any of the exclusions in Clause 11.3 applied); |
| (d) | attributable to the wilful breach by the relevant Finance Party or its Affiliates of any law or regulation; or |
| (e) | attributable to the implementation or application of or compliance with the "International Convergence of Capital Measurement and Capital Standards, a Revised Framework" published by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision in June 2004 in the form existing on the Effective Date (but excluding any amendment arising out of Basel III) ("Basel Il") or any other law or regulation which implements Basel Il (whether such implementation, application or compliance is by a government, regulator, Finance Party or any of its Affiliates). |
In this Clause 12.3, a reference to a "Tax Deduction" has the same meaning given to the term in Clause 11.1 (Definitions).
13.1.1 | If any sum due from the Borrower or the Guarantor under the Finance Documents (a "Sum"), or any order, judgment or award given or made in relation to a Sum, has to be converted from the currency (the "First Currency") in which that Sum is payable into another currency (the "Second Currency") for the purpose of: |
| (a) | making or filing a claim or proof against the Borrower or the Guarantor (as the case may be), or |
| (b) | obtaining or enforcing an order, judgment or award in relation to any litigation or arbitration proceedings, |
the Borrower or the Guarantor (as the case may be) shall as an independent obligation, within three Business Days of written demand, indemnify each Finance Party to whom that Sum is due against any cost, loss or liability arising out of or as a result of the conversion including any discrepancy between (a) the rate of exchange used to convert that Sum from the First Currency into the Second Currency and (b) the rate or rates of exchange available to that Finance Party at the time of its receipt of that Sum.
13.1.2 | The Borrower and the Guarantor waives any right it may have in any jurisdiction to pay any amount under the Finance Documents in a currency or currency unit other than that in which it is expressed to be payable. |
13.2.1 | The Borrower shall, within five Business Days of written demand, indemnify each Finance Party against any duly documented cost, loss or liability incurred by that Finance Party as a result of: |
| (a) | the occurrence of any Event of Default which is continuing; |
| (b) | a failure by the Borrower to pay any amount due under a Finance Document on its due date, including without limitation, any cost, loss or liability arising as a result of Clause 27 (Sharing among the Finance Parties); |
| (c) | funding, or making arrangements to fund, the Loan following the Effective Date but the Loan not being funded by reason of the operation of any one or more of the provisions of this Agreement (other than by reason of default or negligence by a Finance Party alone); or |
| (d) | the Loan (or part of the Loan) not being prepaid in accordance with a notice of prepayment given by the Borrower. |
13.2.2 | The Borrower shall promptly indemnify each Finance Party, each Affiliate of a Finance Party and each officer or employee of a Finance Party or its Affiliate (each such person for the purposes of this Clause 13.2 an "Indemnified Person") against any and all duly documented cost, loss or liability reasonably incurred by that Indemnified Person pursuant to or in connection with any litigation, arbitration or administrative proceedings or regulatory enquiry, in connection with or arising out of the entry into and the transactions contemplated by the Finance Documents, having the benefit of any Encumbrance constituted by the Finance Documents or which relates to the condition or operation of, or any incident occurring in relation to, the Vessel, unless such cost, loss or liability is caused by the gross negligence or wilful misconduct of that Indemnified Person. |
13.2.3 | Subject to any limitations set out in Clause 13.2.2, the indemnity in that Clause shall cover any duly documented cost, loss or liability reasonably incurred by each Indemnified Person in any jurisdiction: |
| (a) | arising or asserted under or in connection with any law relating to safety at sea, the ISM Code, any Environmental Law or any Sanctions; or |
| (b) | in connection with any Environmental Claim. |
13.3 | Indemnity to the Agent |
The Borrower shall promptly indemnify the Agent against:
| (a) | any cost, loss or liability incurred by the Agent (acting reasonably) as a result of: |
| (i) | investigating any event which it reasonably believes is a Default; or |
| (ii) | acting or relying on any notice, request or instruction which it reasonably believes to be genuine, correct and appropriately authorised; or |
| (iii) | instructing lawyers, accountants, tax advisers, surveyors or other professional advisers or experts as permitted under this Agreement; and |
| (b) | any cost, loss or liability incurred by the Agent (otherwise than by reason of the Agent's gross negligence or wilful misconduct) in acting as Agent under the Finance Documents. |
13.4 | Indemnity to the Security Agent |
The Borrower and the Guarantor shall promptly indemnify the Security Agent and every Receiver and Delegate against any duly documented cost, loss or liability incurred by any of them as a result of:
| (a) | any failure by the Borrower to comply with their obligations under Clause 15 (Costs and Expenses); |
| (b) | acting or relying on any notice, request or instruction which it reasonably believes to be genuine, correct and appropriately authorised; |
| (c) | the taking, holding, protection or enforcement of the Security Documents; |
| (d) | the exercise of any of the rights, powers, discretions, authorities and remedies vested in the Security Agent and each Receiver and Delegate by the Finance Documents or by law; |
| (e) | any default by any Security Party in the performance of any of the obligations expressed to be assumed by it in the Finance Documents; or |
| (f) | acting as Security Agent, Receiver or Delegate under the Finance Documents or which otherwise relates to any of the Charged Property (otherwise, in each case, than by reason of the relevant Security Agent's, Receiver's or Delegate's gross negligence or wilful misconduct). |
The indemnities contained in this Agreement shall survive repayment of the Loan.
14. | MITIGATION BY THE LENDERS |
Each Finance Party shall, in consultation with the Borrower, take all reasonable steps to mitigate any circumstances which arise and which would result in all or any part of the Loan ceasing to be available or any amount becoming payable under or pursuant to any of Clause 6.1 (Illegality), Clause 11 (Tax Gross Up and Indemnities) or Clause 12 (Increased Costs) including (but not limited to) transferring its rights and obligations under the Finance Documents to another Affiliate or Facility Office. The above does not in any way limit the obligations of any Security Party under the Finance Documents.
14.2 | Limitation of liability |
The Borrower shall promptly indemnify each Finance Party for all costs and expenses duly documented and reasonably incurred by that Finance Party as a result of steps taken by it under Clause 14.1 (Mitigation). A Finance Party is not obliged to take any steps under Clause 14.1 if, in its opinion (acting reasonably), to do so might be prejudicial to it.
The Borrower shall promptly on demand pay the Agent and the Security Agent the amount of all costs and expenses (including legal fees) duly documented and reasonably incurred by any of them (and, in the case of the Security Agent, by any Receiver or Delegate) in connection with:
| (a) | the negotiation, preparation, printing, execution, syndication and perfection of this Agreement and any other documents referred to in this Agreement; |
| (b) | the negotiation, preparation, printing, execution and perfection of any other Finance Documents executed after the Effective Date; |
| (c) | any other document which may at any time be required by a Finance Party to give effect to any Finance Document or which a Finance Party is entitled to call for or obtain under any Finance Document (including, without limitation, any valuation of the Vessel); and |
| (d) | any discharge, release or reassignment of any of the Security Documents. |
If (a) a Security Party requests an amendment, waiver or consent or (b) an amendment is required under Clause 28.11 (Change of currency), the Borrower shall, within three Business Days of demand, reimburse each of the Agent and the Security Agent for the amount of all costs and expenses (including legal fees) duly documented and reasonably incurred by the Agent and the Security Agent (and, in the case of the Security Agent, by any Receiver or Delegate) in responding to, evaluating, negotiating or complying with that request or requirement.
15.3 | Enforcement and preservation costs |
The Borrower shall, within three Business Days of written demand, pay to each Finance Party and each other Secured Party the amount of all costs and expenses (including legal fees) incurred by that Finance Party in connection with the enforcement of, or the preservation of any rights under, any Finance Document and any proceedings instituted by or against the Security Agent as a consequence of taking or holding the Security Documents or enforcing those rights including (without limitation) any losses, costs and expenses which that Finance Party or other Secured Party may from time to time sustain, incur or become liable for by reason of that Finance Party or other Secured Party being mortgagee of the Vessel and/or a lender to the Borrower, or by reason of that Finance Party or other Secured Party being deemed by any court or authority to be an operator or controller, or in any way concerned in the operation or control, of the Vessel.
The Borrower shall, within three Business Days of written demand, pay to each Finance Party and each other Secured Party the amount of all sums which that Finance Party or other Secured Party may pay or become actually or contingently liable for on account of the Borrower in connection with the Vessel (whether alone or jointly or jointly and severally with any other person) including (without limitation) all sums which that Finance Party or other Secured Party may pay or guarantees which it may give in respect of the Insurances, any expenses incurred by that Finance Party or other Secured Party in connection with the maintenance or repair of the Vessel or in discharging any lien, bond or other claim relating in any way to the Vessel, and any sums which that Finance Party or other Secured Party may pay or guarantees which it may give to procure the release of the Vessel from arrest or detention.
SECTION 7 | SECURITY AND APPLICATION OF MONEYS |
16. | SECURITY DOCUMENTS AND APPLICATION OF MONEYS |
As security for the payment of the Indebtedness, the Borrower shall execute and deliver to the Security Agent or cause to be executed and delivered to the Security Agent the following documents in such forms and containing such terms and conditions as the Security Agent shall require:
| (a) | a guarantee and indemnity from the Guarantor; |
| (b) | first and second priority charges of all the issued shares of the Borrower; |
| (c) | first and second preferred and/or priority statutory mortgages over the Vessel together, if applicable with collateral deeds of covenants; |
| (d) | first and second priority deeds of assignment of the Insurances, Earnings, any Charters and Requisition Compensation of the Vessel from the Borrower; |
| (e) | the Managers' Undertakings; |
| (f) | a first and second priority account security deed in respect of all amounts from time to time standing to the credit of the Accounts; and |
| (g) | a first priority deed of charge over the Master Agreement Proceeds. |
16.2 | Earnings and Retention Account |
The Borrower shall maintain the Accounts with the Account Holder for the duration of the Facility Period free of Encumbrances and rights of set off other than those created by or under the Finance Documents.
16.3 | Earnings and minimum balance |
The Borrower shall procure that all Earnings in respect of the Vessel and any Requisition Compensation are credited to the Earnings Account. Throughout the Facility Period commencing on the Effective Date the Borrower shall maintain a minimum balance on the Earnings Account of five hundred thousand Dollars ($500,000).
16.4 | Transfers to Retention Account |
On the day in each calendar month during the Facility Period which numerically corresponds to the Effective Date (or, if there is no such day, on the last Business Day of that month), the Borrower shall procure that there is transferred from the Earnings Account to the Retention Account:
| (a) | one-third of the amount of the Repayment Instalment in respect of the Loan due on the next Repayment Date (which shall be deemed to be the day for that transfer if that day is a Repayment Date); and |
| (b) | the amount of interest in respect of the Loan due on the next Interest Payment Date (which shall be deemed to be the day for that transfer if that day is an Interest Payment Date) divided by the number of months between the last Interest Payment Date (or, if none, the Effective Date in respect of the Loan) and that next Interest Payment Date; and |
| (c) | one-third of any liabilities due under the Master Agreement (other than any payment as a result of termination or closing out) on the next Repayment Date, |
and the Borrower irrevocably authorises the Security Agent to instruct the Account Holder to make those transfers.
16.5 | Additional payments to Retention Account |
If for any reason the amount standing to the credit of an Earnings Account is insufficient to make any transfer to the Retention Account required by Clause 16.4 (Transfers to Retention Account), the Borrower shall, without demand, procure that there is credited to the Retention Account, on the date on which the relevant amount would have been transferred from the Earnings Account, an amount equal to the amount of the shortfall.
16.6 | Application of Retention Account |
The Borrower shall procure that there is transferred from the Retention Account to the Agent for the account of the Lenders:
| (a) | on each Repayment Date in respect of the Loan, the amount of the Repayment Instalment then due; |
| (b) | on each Interest Payment Date in respect of the Loan, the amount of interest then due; and |
| (c) | on each Repayment Date, the amount of any liabilities then due under the Master Agreement other than any payment as a result of termination or closing out, |
and the Borrower irrevocably authorises the Security Agent to instruct the Account Holder to make those transfers.
16.7 | Borrower's obligations not affected |
If for any reason the amount standing to the credit of the Retention Account is insufficient to pay any Repayment Instalment or to make any payment of interest when due, the Borrower's obligation to pay that Repayment Instalment or to make that payment of interest shall not be affected.
Any amount remaining to the credit of the Earnings Account following the making of any transfers required by Clause 16.4 (Transfers to Retention Account) shall (unless an Event of Default is continuing) be released to or to the order of the Borrower.
16.9 | Restriction on withdrawal |
During the Facility Period no sum may be withdrawn from the Accounts (except in accordance with this Clause 16) without the prior written consent of the Security Agent (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld if no Event of Default has occurred). The Accounts shall not be overdrawn.
16.10 | Relocation of Accounts |
On and at any time after the occurrence of a Default which is continuing, the Security Agent may without the consent of the Borrower instruct the Account Holder to relocate any or all of the Accounts to any other branch of the Account Holder, without prejudice to the continued application of this Clause 16 and the rights of the Finance Parties under the Finance Documents.
16.11 | Access to information |
The Borrower agrees that the Security Agent (and its nominees) may from time to time during the Facility Period review the records held by the Account Holder (whether in written or electronic form) in relation to the Accounts, and irrevocably waive any right of confidentiality which may exist in relation to those records.
Without prejudice to the rights of the Security Agent under Clause 16.11 (Access to information), the Borrower shall procure that the Account Holder provides to the Security Agent, no less frequently than each calendar month during the Facility Period, written statements of account showing all entries made to the credit and debit of each of the Accounts during the immediately preceding calendar month.
16.13 | Application after acceleration |
From and after the giving of notice to the Borrower by the Agent under Clause 22.2 (Acceleration), the Borrower shall procure that all sums from time to time standing to the credit of any of the Accounts are immediately transferred to the Security Agent or any Receiver or Delegate for application in accordance with Clause 16 .14 (Application of moneys by Security Agent) and the Borrower irrevocably authorises the Security Agent to instruct the Account Holder to make those transfers.
16.14 | Application of moneys by Security Agent |
The Borrower and the Finance Parties irrevocably authorise the Security Agent or any Receiver or Delegate to apply all moneys which it receives and is entitled to receive:
| (a) | pursuant to a sale or other disposition of the Vessel or any right, title or interest in the Vessel; or |
| (b) | by way of payment of any sum in respect of the Insurances, Earnings or Requisition Compensation; or |
| (c) | by way of transfer of any sum from any of the Accounts; or |
| (d) | otherwise under or in connection with any Security Document, |
in or towards satisfaction of the Indebtedness in the following order:
| (a) | first, any unpaid fees, costs, expenses and default interest due to the Agent and the Security Agent (and, in the case of the Security Agent, to any Receiver or Delegate) under all or any of the Finance Documents, such application to be apportioned between the Agent and the Security Agent pro rata to the aggregate amount of such items due to each of them; |
| (b) | second, any unpaid fees, costs, expenses (including any sums paid by the Lenders under Clause 25.10 (Indemnity)) of the Lenders due under this Agreement, such application to be apportioned between the Lenders pro rata to the aggregate amount of such items due to each of them; |
| (c) | third, any accrued but unpaid default interest due to the Lenders under this Agreement, such application to be apportioned between the Lenders pro rata to the aggregate amount of such default interest due to each of them; |
| (d) | fourth, any other accrued but unpaid interest due to the Lenders under this Agreement, such application to be apportioned between the Lenders pro rata to the aggregate amount of such interest due to each of them; |
| (e) | fifth, any principal of the Loan due and payable but unpaid under this Agreement, such application to be apportioned between the Lenders pro rata to the aggregate amount of such principal due to each of them; and |
| (f) | sixth, any other sum due and payable to any Finance Party but unpaid under all or any of the Finance Documents, such application to be apportioned between the Finance Parties pro rata to the aggregate amount of any such sum due to each of them; |
Provided that any part of the Indebtedness arising out of the Master Agreement shall be satisfied on a pari passu basis (i) as to any periodical payment (not being payments as a result of termination or closing out) due under the Master Agreement with interest on the Loan and (ii) as to any payment due under the Master Agreement as a result of termination or closing out with any repayment of the principal of the Loan; and
Provided that the balance (if any) of the moneys received shall be paid to the Security Parties from whom or from whose assets those sums were received or recovered or to any other person entitled to them.
16.15 | Retention on account |
Moneys to be applied by the Security Agent or any Receiver or Delegate under Clause 16.14 (Application of moneys by Security Agent) shall be applied as soon as practicable after the relevant moneys are received by it, or otherwise become available to it, save that (without prejudice to any other provisions contained in any of the Security Documents) the Security Agent or any Receiver or Delegate may retain any such moneys by crediting them to a suspense account for so long and in such manner as the Security Agent or such Receiver or Delegate may from time to time determine with a view to preserving the rights of the Finance Parties or any of them to prove for the whole of the Indebtedness (or any relevant part) against the Borrower or any of them or any other person liable.
16.16.1 | If at any time the Security Cover Ratio is less than the Relevant Percentage (the "VTL Coverage"), the Borrower shall, within 10 Business Days of the Agent's request, at the Borrower's option: |
| (a) | pay to the Security Agent or to its nominee a cash deposit in dollars in the amount of the shortfall (with the value of such deposit to be the face amount of the deposit) to be secured in favour of the Security Agent as additional security for the payment of the Indebtedness; or |
| (b) | give to the Security Agent other additional security in amount and form acceptable to the Security Agent in its discretion (with the value of such additional security to be determined conclusively by appropriate advisers appointed by the Agent (in the case of other charged assets) and determined by the Agent in its discretion (in all other cases)); or |
| (c) | prepay the Loan in the amount of the shortfall to ensure that the Security Cover Ratio is at least equal to or more than the Relevant Percentage. |
16.16.2 | Clauses 5.2 (Reborrowing), 6.2(c) (Voluntary prepayment of the Loan) and 6.6 (Restrictions) shall apply, mutatis mutandis, to any prepayment made under this Clause 16.16 and the value of any additional security provided shall be determined by the Agent as specified in Clause 16.16.1(a) and Clause 16.16.1(b). The cost of any such valuations or determinations shall be borne by the Borrower. |
16.16.3 | The VTL Coverage shall be tested quarterly throughout the Facility Period on the basis of one Vessel valuation, prepared by an Approved Shipbroker and to be delivered by no later than 10 days after the end of each fiscal quarter of the Borrower's financial year . Save as provided for in Schedule 1 para 5 of the 2022 Amending and Restating Agreement, the Borrower shall deliver to the Agent at its own cost and expense the valuation required to evidence the Fair Market Value together with each Compliance Certificate delivered to the Agent under Clause 19.2.1. |
16.16.4 | If, at any time after the Borrower has provided additional security in accordance with the Agent's request under this Clause 16.16, the Agent shall determine when testing compliance with the VTL Coverage that all or any part of that additional security may be released without resulting in a shortfall in the VTL Coverage, then, provided that no Default is continuing, the Security Agent shall effect a release of all or any part of that additional security in accordance with the Agent's instructions, but this shall be without prejudice to the Agent's right to make a further request under this Clause 16.16 should the value of the remaining security subsequently merit it. |
17. | GUARANTEE AND INDEMNITY |
17.1 | Guarantee and indemnity |
The Guarantor irrevocably and unconditionally:
| (a) | guarantees to each Finance Party punctual performance by each other Security Party of all that Security Party's obligations under the Finance Documents; |
| (b) | undertakes with each Finance Party that whenever another Security Party does not pay any amount when due under or in connection with any Finance Document, the Guarantor shall immediately on demand pay that amount as if it was the principal obligor; and |
| (c) | agrees with each Finance Party that if any obligation guaranteed by it is or becomes unenforceable, invalid or illegal, it will, as an independent and primary obligation, indemnify that Finance Party immediately on demand against any cost, loss or liability it incurs as a result of a Security Party not paying any amount which would, but for such unenforceability, invalidity or illegality, have been payable by it under any Finance Document on the date when it would have been due. The amount payable by the Guarantor under this indemnity will not exceed the amount it would have had to pay under this Clause 17 if the amount claimed had been recoverable on the basis of a guarantee. |
This guarantee is a continuing guarantee and will extend to the ultimate balance of sums payable by any Security Party under the Finance Documents, regardless of any intermediate payment or discharge in whole or in part.
If any discharge, release or arrangement (whether in respect of the obligations of any Security Party or any security for those obligations or otherwise) is made by a Finance Party in whole or in part on the basis of any payment, security or other disposition which is avoided or must be restored in insolvency, liquidation, administration or otherwise, without limitation, then the liability of the Guarantor under this Clause 17 will continue or be reinstated as if the discharge, release or arrangement had not occurred.
The obligations of the Guarantor under this Clause 17 will not be affected by an act, omission, matter or thing which, but for this Clause 17.4, would reduce, release or prejudice any of its obligations under this Clause 17 (without limitation and whether or not known to it or any Finance Party) including:
| (a) | any time, waiver or consent granted to, or composition with, any Security Party or other person; |
| (b) | the release of any other Security Party or any other person under the terms of any composition or arrangement with any creditor of any Security Party or any other member of the Group; |
| (c) | the taking, variation, compromise, exchange, renewal or release of, or refusal or neglect to perfect, take up or enforce, any rights against, or security over assets of, any Security Party or other person or any non-presentation or non-observance of any formality or other requirement in respect of any instrument or any failure to realise the full value of any security; |
| (d) | any incapacity or lack of power, authority or legal personality of or dissolution or change in the members or status of a Security Party or any other person; |
| (e) | any amendment, novation, supplement, extension restatement (however fundamental and whether or not more onerous) or replacement of a Finance Document or any other document or security including, without limitation, any change in the purpose of, any extension of or increase in any facility or the addition of any new facility under any Finance Document or other document or security; |
| (f) | any unenforceability, illegality or invalidity of any obligation of any person under any Finance Document or any other document or security; or |
| (g) | any insolvency or similar proceedings. |
Without prejudice to the generality of Clause 17.4 (Waiver of defences), the Guarantor expressly confirms that it intends that this guarantee shall extend from time to time to any (however fundamental) variation, increase, extension or addition of or to any of the Finance Documents and/or any facility or amount made available under any of the Finance Documents for the purposes of or in connection with any of the following: business acquisitions of any nature; increasing working capital; enabling investor distributions to be made; carrying out restructurings; refinancing existing facilities; refinancing any other indebtedness; making facilities available to new Borrower; any other variation or extension of the purposes for which any such facility or amount might be made available from time to time; and any fees, costs and/or expenses associated with any of the foregoing.
The Guarantor waives any right it may have of first requiring any Finance Party (or any trustee or agent on its behalf) to proceed against or enforce any other rights or security or claim payment from any person before claiming from the Guarantor under this Clause 17. This waiver applies irrespective of any law or any provision of a Finance Document to the contrary.
Until all amounts which may be or become payable by the Security Parties under or in connection with the Finance Documents have been irrevocably paid in full, each Finance Party (or any trustee or agent on its behalf) may:
| (a) | refrain from applying or enforcing any other moneys, security or rights held or received by that Finance Party (or any trustee or agent on its behalf) in respect of those amounts, or apply and enforce the same in such manner and order as it sees fit (whether against those amounts or otherwise) and the Guarantor shall not be entitled to the benefit of the same; and |
| (b) | hold in an interest-bearing suspense account any moneys received from the Guarantor or on account of the Guarantor's liability under this Clause 17. |
17.8 | Deferral of Guarantor's rights |
17.8.1 | Until all amounts which may be or become payable by the Security Parties under or in connection with the Finance Documents have been irrevocably paid in full and unless the Agent otherwise directs, the Guarantor will not exercise any rights which it may have by reason of performance by it of its obligations under the Finance Documents or by reason of any amount being payable, or liability arising, under this Clause 17: |
| (a) | to be indemnified by a Security Party; |
| (b) | to claim any contribution from any other guarantor of any Security Party's obligations under the Finance Documents; |
| (c) | to take the benefit (in whole or in part and whether by way of subrogation or otherwise) of any rights of the Finance Parties under the Finance Documents or of any other guarantee or security taken pursuant to, or in connection with, the Finance Documents by any Finance Party; |
| (d) | to bring legal or other proceedings for an order requiring any Security Party to make any payment, or perform any obligation, in respect of which the Guarantor has given a guarantee, undertaking or indemnity under Clause 17.1 (Guarantee and indemnity); |
| (e) | to exercise any right of set-off against any Security Party; and/or |
| (f) | to claim or prove as a creditor of any Security Party in competition with any Finance Party. |
17.8.2 | If the Guarantor receives any benefit, payment or distribution in relation to such rights it shall hold that benefit, payment or distribution to the extent necessary to enable all amounts which may be or become payable to the Finance Parties by the Security Parties under or in connection with the Finance Documents to be repaid in full on trust for the Finance Parties and shall promptly pay or transfer the same to the Agent or as the Agent may direct for application in accordance with Clause 28 (Payment mechanics). |
This guarantee is in addition to and is not in any way prejudiced by any other guarantee or security now or subsequently held by any Finance Party.
SECTION 8 | REPRESENTATIONS, UNDERTAKINGS AND EVENTS OF DEFAULT |
The Borrower and the Guarantor makes the representations and warranties set out in this Clause 18 to each Finance Party.
Each of the Security Parties:
| (a) | is a limited liability corporation, duly incorporated and validly existing under the law of its jurisdiction of incorporation; |
| (b) | has the power to own its assets and carry on its business as it is being conducted; and |
| (c) | has not established a place of business in England nor (other than the Borrower) registered as a non-Hong Kong company under Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622 of the Laws of Hong Kong). |
18.1.2 | Binding obligations |
Subject to the Legal Reservations:
| (a) | the obligations expressed to be assumed by each of the Security Parties in each of the Relevant Documents to which it is a party are legal, valid, binding and enforceable obligations; and |
| (b) | (without limiting the generality of Clause 18.1.2(a)) each Security Document to which it is a party creates the security interests which that Security Document purports to create and those security interests are valid and effective. |
18.1.3 | Non-conflict with other obligations |
The entry into and performance by each of the Security Parties of, and the transactions contemplated by, the Relevant Documents do not conflict with:
| (a) | any law or regulation applicable to such Security Party; |
| (b) | the constitutional documents of such Security Party or of any other member of the Group; or |
| (c) | any agreement or instrument binding upon such Security Party or any other member of the Group or any of such Security Party's or any other member of the Group's assets or constitute a default or termination event (however described) under any such agreement or instrument. |
18.1.4 | Power and authority |
| (a) | Each of the Security Parties has the power to enter into, perform and deliver, and has taken all necessary action to authorise its entry into, performance and delivery of, the Relevant Documents to which it is or will be a party and the transactions contemplated by those Relevant Documents. |
| (b) | No limit on the powers of any Security Party will be exceeded as a result of the borrowing, grant of security or giving of guarantees or indemnities contemplated by the Relevant Documents to which it is a party. |
18.1.5 | Validity and admissibility in evidence |
All Authorisations required or desirable:
| (a) | to enable each of the Security Parties lawfully to enter into, exercise its rights and comply with its obligations in the Relevant Documents to which it is a party or to enable each Finance Party to enforce and exercise all its rights under the Relevant Documents; and |
| (b) | to make the Relevant Documents to which any Security Party is a party admissible in evidence in its Relevant Jurisdictions, |
have been obtained or effected and are in full force and effect, with the exception only of the registrations referred to in Parts II of Schedule 1 (Conditions Subsequent) of the 2022 Amending and Restating Agreement.
18.1.6 | Governing law and enforcement |
| (a) | The choice of governing law of any Finance Document will be recognised and enforced in the Relevant Jurisdictions of each relevant Security Party. |
| (b) | Any judgment obtained in relation to any Finance Document in the jurisdiction of the governing law of that Finance Document will be recognised and enforced in the Relevant Jurisdictions of each relevant Security Party. |
No corporate action, legal proceeding or other procedure or step described in Clause 22.1.7 (Insolvency proceedings) or creditors' process described in Clause 22.1.8 (Creditors' process) has been taken or, to the knowledge of any Borrower or the Guarantor, threatened in relation to a Security Party or any other member of the Group; and none of the circumstances described in Clause 22.1.6 (Insolvency) applies to a Security Party or any other member of the Group.
18.1.8 | No filing or stamp taxes |
Under the laws of the Relevant Jurisdictions of each relevant Security Party it is not necessary that the Finance Documents be filed, recorded or enrolled with any court or other authority in any of those jurisdictions or that any stamp, registration, notarial or similar tax or fees be paid on or in relation to the Finance Documents or the transactions contemplated by the Finance Documents except registration of each Mortgage at the Ships Registry where title to the relevant Vessel is registered in the ownership of the relevant Borrower and payment of associated fees which registrations, filings, taxes and fees will be made and paid promptly after the date of the relevant Finance Document.
None of the Security Parties is required under the law of its jurisdiction of incorporation to make any deduction for or on account of Tax from any payment it may make under any Finance Document.
| (a) | No Event of Default and, on the Effective Date and on the Drawdown Date, no Default is continuing or is reasonably likely to result from the advance of the Loan or the entry into, the performance of, or any transaction contemplated by, any of the Relevant Documents. |
| (b) | No other event or circumstance is outstanding which constitutes (or, with the expiry of a grace period, the giving of notice, the making of any determination or any combination of any of the foregoing, would constitute) a default or termination event (howsoever described) under any other agreement or instrument which is binding on any of the Security Parties or any other member of the Group or to which its assets are subject which has or is likely to have a Material Adverse Effect. |
18.1.11 | No misleading information |
| (a) | Any factual information provided by any Security Party was true and accurate in all material respects as at the date the information is expressed to be given. |
| (b) | Any financial projection or forecast provided by Security Party has been prepared on the basis of recent historical information and on the basis of reasonable assumptions and was fair (as at the date of the relevant report or document containing the projection or forecast) and arrived at after careful consideration. |
| (c) | All material information provided to a Finance Party by or on behalf of any of the Security Parties or any other member of the Group on or before the Effective Date and not superseded before that date is accurate and not misleading in any material respect and all projections provided to any Finance Party on or before the Effective Date have been prepared in good faith on the basis of assumptions which were reasonable at the time at which they were prepared and supplied; and |
| (d) | All other written information provided by any of the Security Parties or any other member of the Group (including its advisers) to a Finance Party was true, complete and accurate in all material respects as at the date it was provided and is not misleading in any respect. |
18.1.12 | Financial statements |
| (a) | The Original Financial Statements were prepared in accordance with GAAP consistently applied. |
| (b) | The Original Financial Statements fairly represent the Guarantor's financial condition and results of operations for the relevant financial quarter. |
| (c) | There has been no material adverse change in any Security Party's assets, business or financial condition (or the assets, business or consolidated financial condition of the Guarantor, in the case of the Guarantor since the date of the Original Financial Statements. |
| (d) | The Guarantor's most recent financial statements delivered pursuant to Clause 19.1 (Financial statements): |
| (i) | have been prepared in accordance with GAAP as applied to the Original Financial Statements; and |
| (ii) | give a true and fair view of (if audited) or fairly represent (if unaudited) its consolidated financial condition as at the end of, and consolidated results of operations for, the period to which they relate. |
| (e) | Since the date of the most recent financial statements delivered pursuant to Clause 19.1 (Financial statements) there has been no material adverse change in the business, assets or financial condition of any of the Security Parties or any other member of the Group. |
18.1.13 | No proceedings pending or threatened |
No litigation, arbitration or administrative proceedings of or before any court, arbitral body or agency which, if adversely determined, are likely to have a Material Adverse Effect have (to the best of its knowledge and belief) been started or threatened against any of the Security Parties or any other member of the Group.
None of the Security Parties or any other member of the Group has breached any law or regulation which breach has or is likely to have a Material Adverse Effect.
18.1.15 | Environmental laws |
| (a) | Each of the Security Parties is in compliance with Clause 21.3 (Environmental compliance) and to the best of its knowledge and belief (having made due and careful enquiry) no circumstances have occurred which would prevent such compliance in a manner or to an extent which has or is likely to have a Material Adverse Effect. |
| (b) | No Environmental Claim has been commenced or (to the best of its knowledge and belief (having made due and careful enquiry)) is threatened against any of the Security Parties where that claim has or is likely, if determined against that Security Party, to have a Material Adverse Effect. |
| (a) | None of the Security Parties is materially overdue in the filing of any Tax returns or is overdue in the payment of any amount in respect of Tax of $1,000,000 (or its equivalent in any other currency) or more. |
| (b) | To the best of its knowledge and belief, no claims or investigations are being, or are likely to be, made or conducted against any of the Security Parties with respect to Taxes such that a liability of, or claim against, any of the Security Parties of $1,000,000 (or its equivalent in any other currency) or more is likely to arise. |
| (c) | Each of the Security Parties is resident for Tax purposes only in its Original Jurisdiction unless the Agent have received notification in writing to the contrary from any such Security Party. |
18.1.17 | Anti-corruption law |
Each of the Security Parties and each Affiliate of any of them has conducted its businesses in compliance with applicable anti-corruption laws and has instituted and maintained policies and procedures designed to achieve compliance with such laws.
| (a) | No Encumbrance exists over all or any of the Charged Property save for Permitted Encumbrances. |
| (b) | The Borrower has no Financial Indebtedness outstanding other than as permitted by this Agreement. |
18.1.19 | Pari passu ranking |
The payment obligations of each of the Security Parties under the Finance Documents to which it is a party rank at least pari passu with the claims of all its other unsecured and unsubordinated creditors, except for obligations mandatorily preferred by law applying to companies generally.
18.1.20 | No adverse consequences |
| (a) | It is not necessary under the laws of the Relevant Jurisdictions of any of the Security Parties: |
| (i) | in order to enable any Finance Party to enforce its rights under any Finance Document; or |
| (ii) | by reason of the execution of any Finance Document or the performance by it of its obligations under any Finance Document, |
that any Finance Party should be licensed, qualified or otherwise entitled to carry on business in any of the Relevant Jurisdictions of any of the Security Parties.
| (b) | No Finance Party is or will be deemed to be resident, domiciled or carrying on business in any of the Relevant Jurisdictions of any of the Security Parties by reason only of the execution, performance and/or enforcement of any Finance Document. |
18.1.21 | Disclosure of material facts |
No Borrower is aware of any material facts or circumstances which have not been disclosed to the Agent and which might, if disclosed, have adversely affected the decision of a person considering whether or not to make loan facilities of the nature contemplated by this Agreement available to the Borrower.
18.1.22 | Completeness of Relevant Documents |
The copies of any Relevant Documents provided or to be provided by the Borrower to the Agent on the Effective Date are, or will be, true and accurate copies of the originals and represent, or will represent, the full agreement between the parties to those Relevant Documents in relation to the subject matter of those Relevant Documents and there are no commissions, rebates, premiums or other payments due or to become due in connection with the subject matter of those Relevant Documents other than in the ordinary course of business or as disclosed to, and approved in writing by, the Agent.
No Security Party or any of its assets is immune to any legal action or proceeding.
Any borrowing by the Borrower under this Agreement, and the performance of its obligations under this Agreement and under the other Finance Documents, will be for its own account and will not involve any breach by it of any law or regulatory measure relating to "money laundering" as defined in Article 1 of the Directive (2005/EC/60) of the European Parliament and of the Council of the European Communities.
As regards Sanctions:
| (a) | None of the Security Parties or any Affiliate of any of them, or any of their respective officers, directors or, to their knowledge, any of their employees, agents or affiliates is a Prohibited Person. |
| (b) | Each of the Security Parties and each Affiliate of any of them is in compliance with all Sanctions. |
Each Repeating Representation is deemed to be repeated by the Borrower and the Guarantor by reference to the facts and circumstances then existing on the Effective Date, the date of the Drawdown Request, on the Drawdown Date, on the first day of each Interest Period and on the date for delivery for each Compliance Certificate referred to in Clause 19.2 (Compliance Certificate).
19. | INFORMATION UNDERTAKINGS |
The undertakings in this Clause 19 remain in force for the duration of the Facility Period.
The Guarantor shall supply to the Agent by email for distribution to all of the Lenders:
| (a) | as soon as the same become available, but in any event within 120 days after the end of each of its financial years its audited consolidated financial statements for that financial year; and |
| (b) | as soon as the same become available, but in any event within 90 days after the end of each fiscal quarter during each of its financial years, its unaudited quarterly financial statements (comprising unaudited quarterly consolidated income statements and quarterly consolidated balance sheets) for that fiscal quarter; and |
| (c) | as soon as the same become available, but in any event within 90 days after the end of each of its financial years its consolidated financial projections for, at least, the subsequent financial year. |
19.2 | Compliance Certificate |
19.2.1 | The Guarantor shall supply to the Agent, with each set of its annual financial statements delivered pursuant to Clause 19.1(a) (Financial statements) and each set of its quarterly financial statements delivered pursuant to Clause 19.1(b) (Financial statements), a Compliance Certificate (including supporting schedules) setting out (in reasonable detail) computations as to compliance with Clause 20 (Financial Covenants) as at the date as at which those financial statements were drawn up. |
19.2.2 | Each Compliance Certificate shall be signed by the Authorised Officers of the Guarantor. |
19.3 | Requirements as to financial statements |
Each set of financial statements delivered by the Borrower under Clause 19.1 (Financial statements):
| (a) | shall be certified by an Authorised Officer of the Guarantor as giving a true and fair view of (in the case of annual financial statements), or fairly representing (in other cases), its financial condition as at the date as at which those financial statements were drawn up; |
| (b) | shall be prepared using GAAP, accounting practices and financial reference periods consistent with those applied in the preparation of the Original Financial Statements unless, in relation to any set of financial statements, it notifies the Agent that there has been a change in GAAP, the accounting practices or reference periods and its auditors deliver to the Agent: |
| (i) | a description of any change necessary for those financial statements to reflect the GAAP, accounting practices and reference periods upon which the Original Financial Statements were prepared; and |
| (ii) | sufficient information, in form and substance as may be required by the Agent, to enable the Agent to determine whether Clause 20 (Financial Covenants) has been complied with and make an accurate comparison between the financial position indicated in those financial statements and the Original Financial Statements. |
Any reference in this Agreement to those financial statements shall be construed as a reference to those financial statements as adjusted to reflect the basis upon which the Original Financial Statements were prepared.
19.4 | Information: miscellaneous |
The Borrower shall supply to the Agent by email (for distribution to all the Lenders):
| (a) | if the Agent so requests, at the same time as they are dispatched copies of all documents dispatched by the Borrower to its shareholders generally (or any class of them) or dispatched by the Borrower or any other Security Party to its creditors generally (or any class of them); |
| (b) | promptly upon becoming aware of them, the details of any litigation, arbitration or administrative proceedings which are current, threatened or pending against any Security Party and which, if adversely determined, are likely to have a Material Adverse Effect; |
| (c) | promptly, such information as the Security Agent may require about the Charged Property and compliance of the Security Parties with the terms of any Security Documents including without limitation cash flow analyses and details of the operating costs of either Vessel; and |
| (d) | promptly on request, such further information regarding the financial condition, assets and operations of any Security Party (including any requested amplification or explanation of any item in the financial statements, budgets or other material provided by any Security Party under this Agreement and an up to date copy of its shareholders' register (or equivalent in its Original Jurisdiction)) as any Finance Party through the Agent may reasonably request. |
19.5 | Notification of default |
19.5.1 | The Borrower and the Guarantor shall notify the Agent of any Default (and the steps, if any, being taken to remedy it) promptly upon becoming aware of its occurrence. |
19.5.2 | Promptly upon a request by the Agent, the Borrower shall supply to the Agent a certificate signed by its Authorised Officers on its behalf certifying that no Default is continuing (or if a Default is continuing, specifying the Default and the steps, if any, being taken to remedy it). |
19.6 | "Know your customer" checks |
| (a) | the introduction of or any change in (or in the interpretation, administration or application of) any law or regulation made after the Effective Date; |
| (b) | any change in the status of a Security Party after the Effective Date; or |
| (c) | a proposed assignment or transfer by a Lender of any of its rights and obligations under this Agreement to a party that is not a Lender prior to such assignment or transfer, |
obliges the Agent or any Lender (or, in the case of Clause 19.6.1(c), any prospective new Lender) to comply with "know your customer" or similar identification procedures in circumstances where the necessary information is not already available to it, the Borrower shall promptly upon the request of the Agent or any Lender supply, or procure the supply of, such documentation and other evidence as is requested by the Agent (for itself or on behalf of any Lender) or any Lender (for itself or, in the case of the event described in Clause 19.6.1(c), on behalf of any prospective new Lender) in order for the Agent, such Lender or, in the case of the event described in Clause 19.6.1(c), any prospective new 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 pursuant to the transactions contemplated in the Finance Documents.
19.6.2 | Each Lender shall promptly upon the request of the Agent supply, or procure the supply of, such documentation and other evidence as is requested by the Agent (for itself) in order for the Agent 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 pursuant to the transactions contemplated in the Finance Documents. |
19.7.1 | The Borrower shall, upon the request of a Lender and at the cost of the Borrower on or before the 31st July in each calendar year supply or procure the supply to the Agent of all information necessary in order for the Lender to comply with its obligations under the Poseidon Principles in respect of the preceding year, including, without limitation, all ship fuel oil consumption data required to be collected and reported in accordance with Regulation 22A of Annex IV and any Statement of Compliance, in each case relating to the Vessel for the preceding calendar year and each Lender shall at any time have the right to obtain such information from third parties, provided always that no Lender shall publicly disclose such information with the identity of the Vessel without the prior written consent of the Borrower. For the avoidance of doubt, such information shall be "Confidential Information" under this Agreement, but the Borrower acknowledges that, in accordance with the Poseidon Principles, such information will form part of the information published regarding the portfolio climate alignment by each Lender being a signatory to the Poseidon Principles. |
The Guarantor shall on a consolidated basis, maintain at all times throughout the Facility Period:
| (a) | Minimum Liquidity: consolidated Cash and Cash Equivalents of at least the higher of (i) $30,000,000 and (ii) six per cent (6 %) of the Total Interest Bearing Debt; and |
| (b) | Minimum Net Worth: a Value Adjusted Tangible Net Worth of at least $300,000,000; and |
| (c) | Minimum Equity Ratio: an Equity Ratio of the Guarantor of not less than twenty five per cent (25%); and |
| (d) | Minimum Working Capital: a Working Capital for the Guarantor greater than zero. |
The financial covenants set out in Clause 20.1 shall be calculated on the Guarantor's consolidated figures and in accordance with GAAP tested (i) on a quarterly basis by reference to each of its financial statements delivered pursuant to Clause 19.1 (Financial statements) (whether audited or un-audited) and each Compliance Certificate delivered pursuant to Clause 19.2 (Compliance Certificate) and (ii) at such other times reasonably requested by the Agent (provided always that there should not be more than an aggregate of four testings in any calendar year except where an Event of Default has occurred which is continuing) by reference to such documentation as is then available or made available in accordance with Clause 19.4 (Information: miscellaneous) and presented to the Agent in form and substance satisfactory to the Majority Lenders.
20.3 | Most favoured lender status |
| (a) | If at any time, the Guarantor or the Borrower shall agree to (or amend, or modify) any financial covenant with any of its other creditors and such financial covenant is not contained in this Agreement and/or would be more beneficial to the Finance Parties than any analogous financial covenant contained in this Agreement, then: |
| (i) | the Guarantor shall promptly inform the Agent thereof in reasonable detail; |
| (ii) | such additional financial covenant shall be deemed incorporated mutatis mutandis by reference into this Agreement, effective as of the date when such additional financial covenant became effective between the Guarantor and/or the Borrower and its other creditor(s); and |
| (iii) | the Security Parties shall enter into any additional agreement, amendment or addendum to this Agreement as requested by the Agent in order to evidence the incorporation of such additional financial covenant. |
| (b) | Any additional financial covenant incorporated into this Agreement shall: |
| (i) | remain unchanged in this Agreement notwithstanding any waiver of such additional financial covenant by any other creditor(s); |
| (ii) | be deemed automatically amended in this Agreement to reflect any subsequent amendments made to such additional financial covenant with such other creditor(s); and |
| (iii) | be deemed deleted from this Agreement at such time as such additional financial covenant is deleted or otherwise removed from the agreement between the relevant Security Party and its other creditor(s). |
The undertakings in this Clause 21 remain in force for the duration of the Facility Period.
The Borrower and the Guarantor shall promptly:
| (a) | obtain, comply with and do all that is necessary to maintain in full force and effect; and |
| (b) | supply certified copies to the Agent of, |
any Authorisation required under any law or regulation of a Relevant Jurisdiction to:
| (i) | enable any Security Party to perform its obligations under the Finance Documents to which it is a party; |
| (ii) | ensure the legality, validity, enforceability or admissibility in evidence of any Finance Document; and |
| (iii) | enable any Security Party to carry on its business where failure to do so has or is likely to have a Material Adverse Effect. |
21.2.1 | The Borrower and the Guarantor shall comply (and shall procure that each other Security Party, each other member of the Group and each Affiliate of any of them shall comply), in all respects with all laws to which it may be subject, if (except as regards Sanctions, to which Clause 21.2.2 applies, and anti-corruption laws, to which Clause 21.5 applies) failure so to comply has or is likely to have a Material Adverse Effect. |
21.2.2 | The Borrower and the Guarantor shall comply (and shall procure that each other Security Party, each other member of the Group and each Affiliate of any of them shall comply) in all respects with all Sanctions. |
21.3 | Environmental compliance |
The Borrower and the Guarantor shall:
| (a) | comply with all Environmental Laws; |
| (b) | obtain, maintain and ensure compliance with all requisite Environmental Approvals; and |
| (c) | implement procedures to monitor compliance with and to prevent liability under any Environmental Law, |
where failure to do so has or is likely to have a Material Adverse Effect.
The Borrower and the Guarantor shall promptly upon becoming aware of the same, inform the Agent in writing of:
| (a) | any Environmental Claim against any of the Security Parties which is current, pending or threatened; and |
| (b) | any facts or circumstances which are likely to result in any Environmental Claim being commenced or threatened against any of the Security Parties, |
where the claim, if determined against that Security Party, has or is likely to have a Material Adverse Effect.
21.5.1 | The Borrower and the Guarantor shall not (and shall procure that no other Security Party will) directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the Loan for any purpose which would breach the Bribery Act 2010, the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 or other similar legislation in other jurisdictions. |
21.5.2 | The Borrower and the Guarantor shall (and shall procure that each other Security Party shall): |
| (a) | conduct its businesses in compliance with applicable anti-corruption laws; and |
| (b) | maintain policies and procedures designed to promote and achieve compliance with such laws. |
The Borrower and the Guarantor shall not:
(a) | directly or indirectly, use any of the proceeds of the Loan or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any person to finance or facilitate any activity or transaction with a Prohibited Person or in a Sanctioned Country or in any other manner that would cause any party hereto to be in breach of any Sanctions; |
(b) | fund any payment under the Loan from proceeds derived, directly or indirectly, from any activity or transaction with a Prohibited Person or in a Sanctioned Country or which would otherwise cause any party hereto to be in breach of any Sanctions. |
(c) | use the Vessel for the benefit of a Prohibited Person, including, but not limited to selling, chartering or leasing to a Prohibited Person, in trading to or from a Sanctioned Country, in any manner contrary to Sanctions or in any manner that creates a risk that the Vessel will become the subject of Sanctions. |
21.6.1 | The Borrower and the Guarantor shall (and shall procure that each other Security Party shall) pay and discharge all Taxes imposed upon it or its assets within the time period allowed without incurring penalties unless and only to the extent that: |
| (a) | such payment is being contested in good faith; |
| (c) | adequate reserves are being maintained for those Taxes and the costs required to contest them which have been disclosed in its latest financial statements delivered to the Agent under Clause 19.1 (Financial statements); and |
| (d) | such payment can be lawfully withheld. |
21.6.2 | Neither either Borrower nor the Guarantor may change its residence for Tax purposes. |
21.7 | Evidence of good standing |
The Borrower will from time to time if requested by the Agent provide the Agent with evidence in form and substance satisfactory to the Agent that the Security Parties and all corporate shareholders of any of the Security Parties remain in good standing.
The Borrower and the Guarantor shall ensure that at all times any unsecured and unsubordinated claims of a Finance Party against it under the Finance Documents rank at least pari passu with the claims of all its other unsecured and unsubordinated creditors except those creditors whose claims are mandatorily preferred by laws of general application to companies.
21.9.1 | The Borrower will not create nor permit to subsist any Encumbrance over any of its assets and the Guarantor shall not create or permit to subsist any Encumbrance over any of its assets which are the subject of a Security Document. |
21.9.2 | The Borrower will not: |
| (a) | sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of any of its assets on terms whereby they are or may be leased to or re-acquired by a Security Party; |
| (b) | sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of any of its receivables on recourse terms; |
| (c) | enter into any arrangement under which money or the benefit of a bank or other account may be applied, set-off or made subject to a combination of accounts; or |
| (d) | enter into any other preferential arrangement having a similar effect, |
in circumstances where the arrangement or transaction is entered into primarily as a method of raising Financial Indebtedness or of financing the acquisition of an asset.
21.9.3 | Clauses 21.9.1 and 21.9.2 do not apply to any Encumbrance, which is a Permitted Encumbrance. |
The Borrower will not enter into a single transaction or a series of transactions (whether related or not) and whether voluntary or involuntary to sell, lease, transfer or otherwise dispose of any asset.
The Borrower will not enter into any transaction with any person except on arm's length terms and for full market value.
Neither the Borrower nor the Guarantor will enter into any amalgamation, demerger, merger, consolidation or corporate reconstruction.
Neither the Borrower nor the Guarantor will make any substantial change to the general nature of its business from that carried on at the Effective Date.
The Borrower will not engage in any business other than the ownership, operation, chartering and management of its Vessel and the Guarantor will not engage in any business other than owning, operating, and managing tankers.
The Borrower will not acquire a company or any shares or securities or a business or undertaking (or, in each case, any interest in any of them) or incorporate a company.
21.16 | No change of ownership |
The Borrower shall not permit any change in its shareholding (being 100% directly or indirectly owned and controlled by the Guarantor at the Effective Date) without the prior written consent of the Agent (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld).
21.17 | Executive Management |
The Guarantor shall ensure that there is no change in the executive management of any of the Security Parties as at the Effective Date without the prior written consent of the Agent (not to be unreasonably withheld).
The Borrower shall not enter into any bareboat charter nor any Charter without the prior written consent of the Agent (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld). If the Agent so requests, the Borrower and/or, as the case may be, any bareboat charterer which has been approved by the Agent will promptly deliver to the Agent on or prior to the date of its entry into any such Acceptable Charter or other Charter or, as the case may be and if approved by the Agent, bareboat charter, a duly executed specific assignment of any Acceptable Charter or other Charter or, as the case may be, bareboat charter, (in form and substance acceptable to the Agent in its sole discretion) together with such legal opinions as the Agent may require. The Borrower will not terminate, cancel, novate, amend or supplement any Charter or, as the case may be, bareboat charter, in any material respect, nor assign such Charter or bareboat charter to any other person without the prior written consent (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld) of the Agent (acting on the instructions of the Majority Lenders).
The Borrower shall not incur or allow to remain outstanding any Financial Indebtedness (except for (i) the Loan (ii) Treasury Transactions entered into under the Master Agreement pursuant to Clause 7.5 or (iii) any liability to the Guarantor or any of its Subsidiaries which is fully subordinated to the Loan on terms and conditions acceptable to the Agent).
21.20 | No substantial liabilities |
The Borrower shall not incur any liability to any third party which is in the Agent's reasonable opinion of a substantial nature except for Treasury Transactions entered into under the Master Agreement pursuant to Clause 7.5.
The Borrower shall not be a creditor in respect of any Financial Indebtedness except for Treasury Transactions entered into under the Master Agreement pursuant to Clause 7.5.
21.22 | No guarantees or indemnities |
The Borrower shall not incur or allow to remain outstanding any guarantee in respect of any obligation of any person.
The Guarantor and the Borrower may:
| (a) | pay dividends (or make any other distributions to its shareholders), or |
| (b) | buy-back its own common stock; or |
| (c) | enter into any derivative transactions having the same effect as a distribution; |
however only to the extent that:
| (i) | no Default is continuing or would result from the proposed transaction, and |
| (ii) | after giving effect to such transaction, the Guarantor and its Subsidiaries remain in full compliance with the provisions of this Agreement (including those set out in Clause 20 (Financial Covenants). |
21.24 | Inspection of records |
The Borrower and the Guarantor will permit the inspection of its financial records and accounts from time to time (but limited to once a year unless an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing) by the Agent or its nominee.
21.25 | No change in Relevant Documents |
Neither any Borrower nor the Guarantor will in a material respect amend, vary, novate, supplement, supersede, waive or terminate any term of, any of the Relevant Documents which are not Finance Documents, or any other document delivered to the Agent pursuant to clause 3.1 (Conditions Precedent) or clause 3.3 (Conditions Subsequent) of the 2022 Amending and Restating Agreement.
21.26.1 | The Borrower and the Guarantor shall procure that each other Security Party shall promptly do all such acts or execute all such documents (including assignments, transfers, mortgages, charges, notices and instructions) as the Security Agent may specify (and in such form as the Security Agent may require in favour of the Security Agent or its nominee(s)): |
| (a) | to perfect any Encumbrance created or intended to be created under or evidenced by the Security Documents (which may include the execution of a mortgage, charge, assignment or other Encumbrance over all or any of the assets which are, or are intended to be, the subject of the Security Documents) or for the exercise of any rights, powers and remedies of the Security Agent or the Finance Parties provided by or pursuant to the Finance Documents or by law; |
| (b) | to confer on the Security Agent or confer on the Finance Parties an Encumbrance over any property and assets of the Borrower or that other Security Party as located in any jurisdiction equivalent or similar to the Encumbrance intended to be conferred by or pursuant to the Security Documents; and/or |
| (c) | to facilitate the realisation of the assets which are, or are intended to be, the subject of the Security Documents. |
21.26.2 | The Borrower and the Guarantor shall (and shall procure that each other Security Party shall) take all such action as is available to it (including making all filings and registrations) as may be necessary for the purpose of the creation, perfection, protection or maintenance of any Encumbrance conferred or intended to be conferred on the Security Agent or the Finance Parties by or pursuant to the Finance Documents. |
21.27 | No dealings with Master Agreement |
The Borrower shall not assign, novate or encumber or in any other way transfer any of its rights or obligations under the Master Agreement except pursuant to the Master Agreement Proceeds Charge, nor enter into any interest rate exchange or hedging agreement with anyone other than the Swap Provider.
21.28 | Change of place of business and registration as non-Hong Kong company |
No Security Party shall without the consent of the Agent establish a place of business in England or (other than the Borrower) register as a non-Hong Kong company under Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622 of the Laws of Hong Kong).
Each of the events or circumstances set out in this Clause 22.1 is an Event of Default.
A Security Party does not pay on the due date any amount payable by it under a Finance Document at the place at and in the currency in which it is expressed to be payable unless:
| (a) | its failure to pay is caused by: |
| (i) | administrative or technical error; or |
| (ii) | a Disruption Event; and |
| (b) | payment is made within three Business Days of its due date. |
22.1.2 | Other specific obligations |
| (a) | Any requirement of Clause 20 (Financial Covenants) is not satisfied provided that no Event of Default shall occur under this Clause 22.1.3(a) if the failure to comply is remedied within five Business Days of the earlier of (i) the Agent giving notice to the Borrower and (ii) the Borrower or the Guarantor becoming aware of the failure to comply. |
| (b) | A Security Party does not comply with any obligation in a Finance Document relating to the Insurances or with Clause 16.16 (Additional security). |
| (a) | A Security Party does not comply with any provision of a Finance Document (other than those referred to in Clause 22.1.1 (Non-payment) and Clause 22.1.2 (Other specific obligations). |
| (b) | No Event of Default under this Clause 22.1.3 will occur if the failure to comply is capable of remedy and is remedied within ten Business Days of the earlier of (i) the Agent giving notice to the Borrower and (ii) the Borrower becoming aware of the failure to comply. |
Any representation or statement made or deemed to be repeated by a Security Party in any Finance Document or any other document delivered by or on behalf of a Security Party under or in connection with any Finance Document is or proves to have been incorrect or misleading in any material respect when made or deemed to be made.
Any Financial Indebtedness of the Borrower or the Guarantor (including in its capacity as a Credit Support Provider):
| (a) | is not paid when due nor within any originally applicable grace period; or |
| (b) | is declared to be, or otherwise becomes, due and payable prior to its specified maturity as a result of an event of default (however described); or |
| (c) | is capable of being declared by a creditor to be due and payable prior to its specified maturity as a result an event of default (howsoever described). |
No Event of Default will occur under this Clause 22.1.5 if the aggregate amount of Financial Indebtedness or commitment for Financial Indebtedness falling within (a) to (c) is less than $1,000,000 in respect of the Borrower and $5,000,000 in respect of the Guarantor (or its equivalent in any other currency or currencies).
| (a) | A Security Party is unable or admits inability to pay its debts as they fall due, suspends making payments on any of its debts, or, by reason of actual or anticipated financial difficulties, commences negotiations with one or more of its creditors with a view to rescheduling any of its indebtedness. |
| (b) | The value of the assets of a Security Party is less than its liabilities (taking into account contingent and prospective liabilities). |
| (c) | A moratorium is declared in respect of any indebtedness of a Security Party. If a moratorium occurs, the ending of the moratorium will not remedy any Event of Default caused by that moratorium. |
22.1.7 | Insolvency proceedings |
Any corporate action, legal proceedings or other procedure or step is taken for:
| (a) | the suspension of payments, a moratorium of any indebtedness, winding-up, dissolution, administration, bankruptcy or reorganisation (by way of voluntary arrangement, scheme of arrangement or otherwise) of a Security Party; |
| (b) | a composition, compromise, assignment or arrangement with any creditor of a Security Party; |
| (c) | the appointment of a liquidator, receiver, administrative receiver, administrator, compulsory manager, or trustee or other similar officer in respect of a Security Party or any of its assets; or |
| (d) | enforcement of any Encumbrance over any assets of a Security Party, |
or any analogous procedure or step is taken in any jurisdiction.
This Clause 22.1.7 shall not apply to any winding-up petition which is frivolous or vexatious and is discharged, stayed or dismissed within 30 days of commencement.
Any expropriation, attachment, sequestration, distress or execution affects any asset or assets of a Security Party having an aggregate value of $1,000,000 and is not discharged within 30 days.
22.1.9 | Unlawfulness and invalidity |
| (a) | It is or becomes unlawful for a Security Party to perform any of its obligations under the Finance Documents or any Encumbrance created or expressed to be created or evidenced by the Security Documents ceases to be effective. |
| (b) | Any obligation or obligations of any Security Party under any Finance Documents are not (subject to the Legal Reservations) or cease to be legal, valid, binding or enforceable and the cessation individually or cumulatively materially and adversely affects the interests of the Lenders under the Finance Documents. |
| (c) | Any Finance Document ceases to be in full force and effect or any Encumbrance created or expressed to be created or evidenced by the Security Documents ceases to be legal, valid, binding, enforceable or effective or is alleged by a party to it (other than a Finance Party) to be ineffective. |
22.1.10 | Cessation of business |
A Security Party ceases, or threatens to cease, to carry on all or a substantial part of its business.
22.1.11 | Change in ownership or control of the Borrower |
There is any change in the beneficial ownership or control of the Borrower from that advised to the Agent by the Borrower at the Effective Date (namely, being 100% directly or indirectly owned and controlled by the Guarantor).
The authority or ability of a Security Party to conduct its business is limited or wholly or substantially curtailed by any seizure, expropriation, nationalisation, intervention, restriction or other action by or on behalf of any governmental, regulatory or other authority or other person in relation to a Security Party or any of its assets.
22.1.13 | Repudiation and rescission of agreements |
| (a) | A Security Party rescinds or repudiates a Finance Document or evidences an intention to rescind or repudiate a Finance Document. |
| (b) | Subject to Clause 22.1.13(c), any party to any of the Relevant Documents that is not a Finance Document rescinds or repudiates that Relevant Document in whole or in part where to do so has or is, in the opinion of the Majority Lenders, likely to have a Material Adverse Effect. |
| (c) | Any of the Management Agreements is terminated, cancelled or otherwise ceases to remain in full force and effect at any time prior to its contractual expiry date and is not immediately replaced by a similar agreement in form and substance satisfactory to the Majority Lenders. |
22.1.14 | Conditions subsequent |
Any of the conditions referred to in Clause 3.3 (conditions subsequent) of the 2022 Amending and Restating Agreement is not satisfied (or waived by the Agent) in writing within the time required by the Agent.
22.1.15 | Revocation or modification of Authorisation |
Any Authorisation of any governmental, judicial or other public body or authority which is now, or which at any time during the Facility Period becomes, necessary to enable any of the Security Parties to comply with any of their obligations under any Relevant Document is not obtained, is revoked, suspended, withdrawn or withheld, or is modified in a manner which is likely to have a Material Adverse Effect.
The Vessel suffers a Total Loss or is otherwise destroyed or abandoned, except that a Total Loss (which term shall for the purposes of the remainder of this Clause 22.1.16 include an event similar to a Total Loss in relation to any other vessel) shall not be an Event of Default if:
| (a) | the Vessel is insured in accordance with the Security Documents and a claim for Total Loss is available under the terms of the relevant insurances; and |
| (b) | no insurer has refused to meet or has disputed the claim for Total Loss and it is not apparent to the Agent in its discretion that any such refusal or dispute is likely to occur; and |
| (c) | payment of all insurance proceeds in respect of the Total Loss is made in full to the Security Agent within 120 days of the occurrence of the casualty giving rise to the Total Loss in question or such longer period as the Agent may in its discretion agree. |
22.1.17 | Challenge to registration |
The registration of the Vessel or a Mortgage is contested or becomes void or voidable or liable to cancellation or termination, or the validity or priority of a Mortgage is contested.
The country of registration of the Vessel becomes involved in war (whether or not declared) or civil war or is occupied by any other power and the Agent in its discretion considers that, as a result, the security conferred by any of the Security Documents is materially prejudiced.
22.1.19 | Master Agreement termination |
A notice is given by the Swap Provider under section 6(a) of the Master Agreement, or by any person under section 6(b)(iv) of the Master Agreement, in either case designating an Early Termination Date for the purpose of the Master Agreement, or the Master Agreement is for any other reason terminated, cancelled, suspended, rescinded, revoked or otherwise ceases to remain in full force and effect.
22.1.20 | Notice of determination |
The Guarantor gives notice to the Security Agent to determine any obligations under the Guarantee.
Any litigation, arbitration, administrative, governmental, regulatory or other investigations, proceedings or disputes are commenced or threatened in relation to the Relevant Documents or the transactions contemplated in the Relevant Documents or against a Security Party or its assets which have or are likely to have a Material Adverse Effect.
22.1.22 | Material adverse change |
Any event or circumstance occurs which the Majority Lenders believe has or is likely to have a Material Adverse Effect.
| (a) | Any of the Security Parties or any Affiliate of any of them becomes a Prohibited Person or becomes owned or controlled by, or acts directly or indirectly on behalf of, a Prohibited Person or any of such persons becomes the owner or controller of a Prohibited Person. |
| (b) | Any breach of article 21.5.3 (Sanctions). |
| (c) | Any of the Security Parties, any other member of the Group or any Affiliate of any of them is not in compliance with all Sanctions. |
22.1.24 | Shareholding in Guarantor |
Any investor or group of investors acts in concert to gain ownership or control of more than thirty three and one third per cent (33½%) of shares in the Guarantor.
On and at any time after the occurrence of an Event of Default which is continuing the Agent may, and shall if so directed by the Majority Lenders:
| (a) | by notice to the Borrower cancel the Total Commitments, at which time they shall immediately be cancelled; |
| (b) | by notice to the Borrower declare that the Loan, together with accrued interest, and all other amounts accrued or outstanding under the Finance Documents are immediately due and payable, at which time they shall become immediately due and payable; |
| (c) | by notice to the Borrower declare that the Loan is payable on demand, at which time it shall immediately become payable on demand by the Agent on the instructions of the Majority Lenders; and/or |
| (d) | exercise or direct the Security Agent to exercise any or all of its rights, remedies, powers or discretions under the Finance Documents. |
SECTION 9 | CHANGES TO PARTIES |
23. | CHANGES TO THE LENDERS |
23.1 | Assignments and transfers by the Lenders |
| (a) | Subject to this Clause 23, a Lender (the "Existing Lender") may: |
| (i) | assign any of its rights; or |
| (ii) | transfer by novation any of its rights and obligations, |
under any Finance Document to another bank or financial institution or to a trust, fund or other entity which is regularly engaged in or established for the purpose of making, purchasing or investing in loans, securities or other financial assets (including, without limitation a member of the European System of Central Banks) (the "New Lender").
| (b) | Any assignment or transfer shall be in a minimum amount of $10,000,000. |
| (c) | Subject to Clause 23.1 (d) below, the consent of the Guarantor is required for an assignment or transfer by an Existing Lender (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed) and provided that the Guarantor's consent shall be deemed to have been given on the expiry of five (5) Business Days after the relevant Lender has requested the Guarantor's consent in writing unless the Guarantor has expressly refused its consent within such five (5) Business Day period. |
| (d) | The consent of the Guarantor shall not be required for an assignment or transfer by an Existing Lender where the assignment or transfer is: |
| (i) | to another Lender or an Affiliate or a related fund of a Lender; |
| (ii) | to a reputable shipping bank which has a minimum rating of "BBB" at Standard & Poor or "Baa" at Moody's; |
| (iii) | to a Central Bank, Federal Reserve or to another state-owned entity; |
| (iv) | to any sub-participant where the Existing Lender retains all its obligations in respect of the transferred, assigned or participated amounts; or |
| (v) | made at a time when an Event of Default is continuing or a Sanctions Event has occurred. |
In the case of (d)(i) to (d)(v) above an Existing Lender may freely proceed with any such transfer or assignment.
23.2 | Conditions of assignment or transfer |
23.2.1 | An assignment will only be effective on: |
| (a) | receipt by the Agent of written confirmation from the New Lender (in form and substance satisfactory to the Agent) that the New Lender will assume the same obligations to the other Finance Parties as it would have been under if it was an Original Lender; and |
| (b) | performance by the Agent of all necessary "know your customer" or other similar checks under all applicable laws and regulations in relation to such assignment to a New Lender, the completion of which the Agent shall promptly notify to the Existing Lender and the New Lender. |
23.2.2 | A transfer will only be effective if the procedure set out in Clause 23.5 (Procedure for transfer) is complied with. |
| (a) | a Lender assigns or transfers any of its rights or obligations under the Finance Documents or changes its Facility Office; and |
| (b) | as a result of circumstances existing at the date the assignment, transfer or change occurs, the Borrower would be obliged to make a payment to the New Lender or Lender acting through its new Facility Office under Clause 11 (Tax Gross Up and Indemnities) or Clause 12 (Increased Costs), |
then the New Lender or Lender acting through its new Facility Office is only entitled to receive payment under those Clauses to the same extent as the Existing Lender or Lender acting through its previous Facility Office would have been if the assignment, transfer or change had not occurred.
23.2.4 | Each New Lender confirms, for the avoidance of doubt, that the Agent has authority to execute on its behalf any amendment or waiver that has been approved by or on behalf of the requisite Lender or Lenders in accordance with this Agreement on or prior to the date on which the transfer or assignment becomes effective in accordance with this Agreement and that it is bound by that decision to the same extent as the Existing Lender would have been had it remained a Lender. |
23.3 | Assignment or transfer fee |
Unless the Agent otherwise agrees and excluding an assignment or transfer (i) to an Affiliate of a Lender or (ii) to a Related Fund, the New Lender shall, on the date upon which an assignment or transfer takes effect, pay to the Agent (for its own account) a fee of $5,000.
23.4 | Limitation of responsibility of Existing Lenders |
23.4.1 | Unless expressly agreed to the contrary, an Existing Lender makes no representation or warranty and assumes no responsibility to a New Lender for: |
| (a) | the legality, validity, effectiveness, adequacy or enforceability of the Relevant Documents or any other documents; |
| (b) | the financial condition of any Security Party; |
| (c) | the performance and observance by any Security Party of its obligations under the Relevant Documents or any other documents; or |
| (d) | the accuracy of any statements (whether written or oral) made in or in connection with any of the Relevant Documents or any other document, |
and any representations or warranties implied by law are excluded.
23.4.2 | Each New Lender confirms to the Existing Lender and the other Finance Parties that it: |
| (a) | has made (and shall continue to make) its own independent investigation and assessment of the financial condition and affairs of each Security Party and its related entities in connection with its participation in this Agreement and has not relied exclusively on any information provided to it by the Existing Lender in connection with any of the Relevant Documents; and |
| (b) | will continue to make its own independent appraisal of the creditworthiness of each Security Party and its related entities whilst any amount is or may be outstanding under the Finance Documents or any Commitment is in force. |
23.4.3 | Nothing in any Finance Document obliges an Existing Lender to: |
| (a) | accept a re-transfer or re-assignment from a New Lender of any of the rights and obligations assigned or transferred under this Clause 23; or |
| (b) | support any losses directly or indirectly incurred by the New Lender by reason of the non-performance by any Security Party of its obligations under the Relevant Documents or otherwise. |
23.5 | Procedure for transfer |
23.5.1 | Subject to the conditions set out in Clause 23.2 (Conditions of assignment or transfer) a transfer is effected in accordance with Clause 23.5.3 when the Agent executes an otherwise duly completed Transfer Certificate delivered to it by the Existing Lender and the New Lender. The Agent shall, subject to Clause 23.2.l(b), as soon as reasonably practicable after receipt by it of a duly completed Transfer Certificate appearing on its face to comply with the terms of this Agreement and delivered in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, execute that Transfer Certificate. |
23.5.2 | The Agent shall only be obliged to execute a Transfer Certificate delivered to it by the Existing Lender and the New Lender once it is satisfied it has complied with all necessary "know your customer" or other similar checks under all applicable laws and regulations in relation to the transfer to such New Lender. |
23.5.3 | Subject to Clause 23.9 (Pro rata interest settlement), on the Transfer Date: |
| (a) | to the extent that in the Transfer Certificate the Existing Lender seeks to transfer by novation its rights and obligations under the Finance Documents the Borrower and the Guarantor and the Existing Lender shall be released from further obligations towards one another under the Finance Documents and their respective rights against one another shall be cancelled (being the "Discharged Rights and Obligations"); |
| (b) | the Borrower and the Guarantor and the New Lender shall assume obligations towards one another and/or acquire rights against one another which differ from the Discharged Rights and Obligations only insofar as the Borrower and the Guarantor and the New Lender have assumed and/or acquired the same in place of the Borrower and the Guarantor and the Existing Lender; |
| (c) | the Agent, the Security Agent, the New Lender and other Lenders shall acquire the same rights and assume the same obligations between themselves as they would have acquired and assumed had the New Lender been an Original Lender with the rights and/or obligations acquired or assumed by it as a result of the transfer and to that extent the Agent, the Security Agent and the Existing Lender shall each be released from further obligations to each other under this Agreement; and |
| (d) | the New Lender shall become a Party as a "Lender". |
23.6 | Procedure for assignment |
23.6.1 | Subject to the conditions set out in Clause 23.2 (Conditions of assignment or transfer) an assignment may be effected in accordance with Clause 23.6.3 when the Agent executes an otherwise duly completed Assignment Agreement delivered to it by the Existing Lender and the New Lender. The Agent shall, subject to Clause 23.6.2, as soon as reasonably practicable after receipt by it of a duly completed Assignment Agreement appearing on its face to comply with the terms of this Agreement and delivered in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, execute that Assignment Agreement. |
23.6.2 | The Agent shall only be obliged to execute an Assignment Agreement delivered to it by the Existing Lender and the New Lender once it is satisfied it has complied with all necessary "know your customer" or similar checks under all applicable laws and regulations in relation to the assignment to such New Lender. |
23.6.3 | Subject to Clause 23.9 (Pro rata interest settlement), on the Transfer Date: |
| (a) | the Existing Lender will assign absolutely to the New Lender its rights under the Finance Documents and in respect of any Encumbrance created or expressed to be created or evidenced by the Security Documents and expressed to be the subject of the assignment in the Assignment Agreement; |
| (b) | the Existing Lender will be released from the obligations (the "Relevant Obligations") expressed to be the subject of the release in the Assignment Agreement (and any corresponding obligations by which it is bound in respect of any Encumbrance created or expressed to be created or evidenced by the Security Documents); and |
| (c) | the New Lender shall become a Party as a "Lender" and will be bound by obligations equivalent to the Relevant Obligations. |
23.6.4 | Lenders may utilise procedures other than those set out in this Clause 23.6 to assign their rights under the Finance Documents (but not, without the consent of the relevant Security Party or unless in accordance with Clause 23.5 (Procedure for transfer), to obtain a release by that Security Party from the obligations owed to that Security Party by the Lenders nor the assumption of equivalent obligations by a New Lender) provided that they comply with the conditions set out in Clause 23.2 (Conditions of assignment or transfer). |
23.7 | Copy of Transfer Certificate or Assignment Agreement to Borrower |
The Agent shall, as soon as reasonably practicable after it has executed a Transfer Certificate or an Assignment Agreement, send to the Borrower a copy of that Transfer Certificate or Assignment Agreement.
23.8 | Security over Lenders' rights |
In addition to the other rights provided to Lenders under this Clause 23, each Lender may without consulting with or obtaining consent from any Security Party, at any time charge, assign or otherwise create Encumbrances in or over (whether by way of collateral or otherwise) all or any of its rights under any Finance Document to secure obligations of that Lender including, without limitation:
23.8.1 | any charge, assignment or other Encumbrance to secure obligations to a federal reserve or central bank; and |
23.8.2 | in the case of any Lender which is a fund, any charge, assignment or other Encumbrance granted to any holders (or trustee or representatives of holders) of obligations owed, or securities issued, by that Lender as security for those obligations or securities, |
except that no such charge, assignment or Encumbrance shall:
| (a) | release a Lender from any of its obligations under the Finance Documents or substitute the beneficiary of the relevant charge, assignment or Encumbrance for the Lender as a party to any of the Finance Documents; or |
| (b) | require any payments to be made by a Security Party other than or in excess of, or grant to any person any more extensive rights than, those required to be made or granted to the relevant Lender under the Finance Documents. |
23.9 | Pro rata interest settlement |
23.9.1 | If the Agent has notified the Lenders that it is able to distribute interest payments on a "pro rata basis" to Existing Lenders and New Lenders then (in respect of any transfer pursuant to Clause 23.5 (Procedure for transfer) or any assignment pursuant to Clause 23.6 (Procedure for assignment) the Transfer Date of which is after the date of such notification and is not on the last day of an Interest Period): |
| (a) | any interest or fees in respect of the relevant participation which are expressed to accrue by reference to the lapse of time shall continue to accrue in favour of the Existing Lender up to but excluding the Transfer Date ("Accrued Amounts") and shall become due and payable to the Existing Lender (without further interest accruing on them) on the last day of the current Interest Period (or, if the Interest Period is longer than three months, on the next of the dates which falls at three monthly intervals after the first day of that Interest Period); and |
| (b) | the rights assigned or transferred by the Existing Lender will not include the right to the Accrued Amounts, so that, for the avoidance of doubt: |
| (i) | when the Accrued Amounts become payable, those Accrued Amounts will be payable to the Existing Lender; and |
| (ii) | the amount payable to the New Lender on that date will be the amount which would, but for the application of this Clause 23.9, have been payable to it on that date, but after deduction of the Accrued Amounts. |
23.9.2 | In this Clause 23.9 references to "Interest Period" shall be construed to include a reference to any other period for accrual of fees. |
24. | NO CHANGES TO THE SECURITY PARTIES |
24.1 | No assignment or transfer by Security Parties |
No Security Party may assign any of its rights or transfer any of its rights or obligations under the Finance Documents.
SECTION 10 | THE FINANCE PARTIES |
25. | ROLE OF THE AGENT AND THE SECURITY AGENT |
25.1 | Appointment of the Agent |
25.1.1 | Each of the Lenders appoints the Agent to act as its agent under and in connection with the Finance Documents and each of the Lenders and the Agent appoints the Security Agent to act as its security agent for the purpose of the Security Documents. |
25.1.2 | Each of the Lenders authorises the Agent and each of the Lenders and the Agent authorises the Security Agent to perform the duties, obligations and responsibilities and to exercise the rights, powers, authorities and discretions specifically given to the Agent or the Security Agent (as the case may be) under or in connection with the Finance Documents together with any other incidental rights, powers, authorities and discretions. |
25.1.3 | The Swap Provider appoints the Security Agent to act as its security agent for the purpose of the Security Documents and authorises the Security Agent to exercise the rights, powers, authorities and discretions specifically given to the Security Agent under or in connection with the Security Documents together with any other incidental rights, powers, authorities and discretions. |
25.1.4 | Except in Clause 25.13 (Replacement of the Agent) or where the context otherwise requires, references in this Clause 25 to the "Agent" shall mean the Agent and the Security Agent individually and collectively and references in this Clause 25 to the "Finance Documents" or to any "Finance Document" shall not include the Master Agreement. |
| (a) | unless a contrary indication appears in a Finance Document, exercise or refrain from exercising any right, power, authority or discretion vested in it as Agent in accordance with any instructions given to it by: |
| (i) | all Lenders if the relevant Finance Document stipulates the matter is an all Lender decision; and |
| (ii) | in all other cases, the Majority Lenders; and |
| (b) | not be liable for any act (or omission) if it acts (or refrains from acting) in accordance with Clause 25.2.1(a). |
25.2.2 | The Agent shall be entitled to request instructions, or clarification of any instruction, from the Majority Lenders (or, if the relevant Finance Document stipulates the matter is a decision for any other Lender or group of Lenders, from that Lender or group of Lenders) as to whether, and in what manner, it should exercise or refrain from exercising any right, power, authority or discretion and the Agent may refrain from acting unless and until it receives any such instructions or clarification that it has requested. |
25.2.3 | Save in the case of decisions stipulated to be a matter for any other Lender or group of Lenders under the relevant Finance Document and unless a contrary indication appears in a Finance Document, any instructions given to the Agent by the Majority Lenders shall override any conflicting instructions given by any other Parties and will be binding on all Finance Parties. |
25.2.4 | The Agent may refrain from acting in accordance with any instructions of any Lender or group of Lenders until it has received any indemnification and/or security that it may in its discretion require (which may be greater in extent than that contained in the Finance Documents and which may include payment in advance) for any east, loss or liability which it may incur in complying with those instructions. |
25.2.5 | In the absence of instructions, the Agent may act (or refrain from acting) as it considers to be in the best interest of the Lenders. |
25.2.6 | The Agent is not authorised to act on behalf of a Lender (without first obtaining that Lender's consent) in any legal or arbitration proceedings relating to any Finance Document. This Clause 25.2.6 shall not apply to any legal or arbitration proceeding relating to the perfection, preservation or protection of rights under the Finance Documents or the enforcement of the Finance Documents. |
25.3.1 | The Agent's duties under the Finance Documents are solely mechanical and administrative in nature. |
25.3.2 | Subject to Clause 25.3.3, the Agent shall promptly forward to a Party the original or a copy of any document which is delivered to the Agent for that Party by any other Party. |
25.3.3 | Without prejudice to Clause 23.7 (Copy of Transfer Certificate or Assignment Agreement to Borrower), Clause 25.3.2 shall not apply to any Transfer Certificate or any Assignment Agreement. |
25.3.4 | Except where a Finance Document specifically provides otherwise, the Agent is not obliged to review or check the adequacy, accuracy or completeness of any document it forwards to another Party. |
25.3.5 | If the Agent receives notice from a Party referring to this Agreement, describing a Default and stating that the circumstance described is a Default, it shall promptly notify the Finance Parties. |
25.3.6 | If the Agent is aware of the non-payment of any principal, interest, commitment fee or other fee payable to a Finance Party (other than the Agent or the Security Agent) under this Agreement it shall promptly notify the other Finance Parties. |
25.3.7 | The Agent shall have only those duties, obligations and responsibilities expressly specified in the Finance Documents to which it is expressed to be a party (and no others shall be implied). |
25.4.1 | Subject to Clause 25.11 (Trust) which relates to the Security Agent only, nothing in any Finance Document constitutes the Agent as a trustee or fiduciary of any other person. |
25.4.2 | The Agent shall not be bound to account to any Lender for any sum or the profit element of any sum received by it for its own account. |
25.5 | Business with Security Parties and the Group |
The Agent may accept deposits from, lend money to and generally engage in any kind of banking or other business with either Borrower, any other Security Party or its Affiliate and any other member of the Group.
25.6 | Rights and discretions of the Agent |
| (a) | rely on any representation, communication, notice or document believed by it to be genuine, correct and appropriately authorised; |
| (i) | any instructions received by it from the Majority Lenders, any Lenders or any group of Lenders are duly given in accordance with the terms of the Finance Documents; and |
| (ii) | unless it has received notice of revocation, that those instructions have not been revoked; and |
| (iii) | rely on a certificate from any person: |
| (A) | as to any matter of fact or circumstance which might reasonably be expected to be within the knowledge of that person; or |
| (B) | to the effect that such person approves of any particular dealing, transaction, step, action or thing, |
as sufficient evidence that that is the case and, in the case of (A), may assume the truth and accuracy of that certificate.
25.6.2 | The Agent may assume (unless it has received notice to the contrary in its capacity as agent for the Lenders or security agent for the Finance Parties (as the case may be)) that: |
| (a) | no Default has occurred (unless it has actual knowledge of a Default arising under Clause 22.1 (Events of Default)); |
| (b) | any right, power, authority or discretion vested in any Party or the Majority Lenders has not been exercised; and |
| (c) | any notice or request made by the Borrower (other than a Drawdown Request) is made on behalf of and with the consent and knowledge of all the Security Parties. |
25.6.3 | The Agent may engage and pay for the advice or services of any lawyers, accountants, surveyors or other experts. |
25.6.4 | Without prejudice to the generality of Clause 25.6.3 or Clause 25.6.5, the Agent may at any time engage and pay for the services of any lawyers to act as independent counsel to the Agent (and so separate from any lawyers instructed by the Lenders) if the Agent in its opinion deems this to be desirable. |
25.6.5 | The Agent may rely on the advice or services of any lawyers, accountants, tax advisers, surveyors or other professional advisers or experts (whether obtained by the Agent or by any other Party) and shall not be liable for any damages, costs or losses to any person, any diminution in value or any liability whatsoever arising as a result of its so relying. |
25.6.6 | The Agent may act in relation to the Finance Documents through its officers, employees and agents and the Agent shall not: |
| (a) | be liable for any error of judgment made by any such person; or |
| (b) | be bound to supervise, or be in any way responsible for any loss incurred by reason of misconduct, omission or default on the part, of any such person, |
unless such error or such loss was directly caused by the Agent's gross negligence or wilful misconduct.
25.6.7 | Unless a Finance Document expressly provides otherwise the Agent may disclose to any other Party any information it believes it has received as agent under this Agreement. |
25.6.8 | Without prejudice to the generality of Clause 25.6.7, the Agent: |
| (b) | on the written request of the Borrower or the Majority Lenders shall, as soon as reasonably practicable, disclose, |
the identity of a Defaulting Lender to the Borrower and to the other Finance Parties.
25.6.9 | Notwithstanding any other prov1s1on of any Finance Document to the contrary, the Agent is not obliged to do or omit to do anything if it would or might in its opinion constitute a breach of any law or regulation or a breach of a fiduciary duty or duty of confidentiality. |
25.6.10 | The Agent is not obliged to disclose to any Finance Party any details of the rate notified to the Agent by any Lender or the identity of any such Lender for the purpose of Clause 9.2 (Market Disruption). |
25.6.11 | Notwithstanding any provision of any Finance Document to the contrary, the Agent is not obliged to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of its duties, obligations or responsibilities or the exercise of any right, power, authority or discretion if it has grounds for believing the repayment of such funds or adequate indemnity against, or security for, such risk or liability is not assured to it. |
25.7 | Responsibility for documentation |
The Agent is not responsible or liable for:
| (a) | the adequacy, accuracy and/or completeness of any information (whether oral or written) supplied by the Agent, a Security Party or any other person given in or in connection with any Relevant Document or the transactions contemplated in the Relevant Documents; or |
| (b) | the legality, validity, effectiveness, adequacy or enforceability of any Relevant Document or any other agreement, arrangement or document entered into, made or executed in anticipation of or in connection with any Relevant Document; or |
| (c) | any determination as to whether any information provided or to be provided to any Finance Party is non-public information the use of which may be regulated or prohibited by applicable law or regulation relating to insider dealing or otherwise. |
The Agent shall not be bound to enquire:
| (a) | whether or not any Default has occurred; |
| (b) | as to the performance, default or any breach by any Party of its obligations under any Finance Document; or |
| (c) | whether any other event specified in any Finance Document has occurred. |
25.9 | Exclusion of liability |
25.9.1 | Without limiting Clause 25.9.2 (and without prejudice to any other provision of any Finance Document excluding or limiting the liability of the Agent) the Agent shall not be liable for: |
| (a) | any damages, costs or losses to any person, any diminution in value, or any liability whatsoever arising as a result of taking or not taking any action under or in connection with any Finance Document or any Encumbrance created or expressed to be created or evidenced by the Security Documents, unless directly caused by its gross negligence or wilful misconduct; |
| (b) | exercising, or not exercising, any right, power, authority or discretion given to it by, or in connection with, any Finance Document, any Encumbrance created or expressed to be created or evidenced by the Security Documents or any other agreement, arrangement or document entered into, made or executed in anticipation of, under or in connection with, any Finance Document or any Encumbrance created or expressed to be created or evidenced by the Security Documents; |
| (c) | any shortfall which arises on the enforcement or realisation of the Trust Property; or |
| (d) | without prejudice to the generality of Clauses 25.9.l(a), 25.9.l(b) and 25.9.l(c), any damages, costs or losses to any person, any diminution in value or any liability whatsoever arising as a result of: |
| (i) | any act, event or circumstance not reasonably within its control; or |
| (ii) | the general risks of investment in, or the holding of assets in, any jurisdiction, |
including (in each case and without limitation) such damages, costs, losses, diminution in value or liability arising as a result of: nationalisation, expropriation or other governmental actions; any regulation, currency restriction, devaluation or fluctuation; market conditions affecting the execution or settlement of transactions or the value of assets (including any Disruption Event); breakdown, failure or malfunction of any third party transport, telecommunications, computer services or systems; natural disasters or acts of God; war, terrorism, insurrection or revolution; or strikes or industrial action.
25.9.2 | No Party (other than the Agent) may take any proceedings against any officer, employee or agent of the Agent in respect of any claim it might have against the Agent or in respect of any act or omission of any kind by that officer, employee or agent in relation to any Relevant Document and any officer, employee or agent of the Agent may rely on this Clause. |
25.9.3 | The Agent will not be liable for any delay (or any related consequences) in crediting an account with an amount required under the Finance Documents to be paid by the Agent if the Agent has taken all necessary steps as soon as reasonably practicable to comply with the regulations or operating procedures of any recognised clearing or settlement system used by the Agent for that purpose. |
25.9.4 | Nothing in this Agreement shall oblige the Agent to carry out: |
| (a) | any "know your customer" or other checks in relation to any person; |
| (b) | any check on the extent to which any transaction contemplated by this Agreement might be unlawful for any Lender, |
on behalf of any Lender and each Lender confirms to the Agent that it is solely responsible for any such checks it is required to carry out and that it may not rely on any statement in relation to such checks made by the Agent.
25.9.5 | Without prejudice to any prov1s1on of any Finance Document excluding or limiting the Agent's liability, any liability of the Agent arising under or in connection with any Finance Document or any Encumbrance created or expressed to be created or evidenced by the Security Documents shall be limited to the amount of actual loss which has been finally judicially determined to have been suffered (as determined by reference to the date of default of the Agent or, if later, the date on which the loss arises as a result of such default) but without reference to any special conditions or circumstances known to the Agent at any time which increase the amount of that loss. In no event shall the Agent be liable for any loss of profits, goodwill, reputation, business opportunity or anticipated saving, or for special, punitive, indirect or consequential damages, whether or not the Agent has been advised of the possibility of such loss or damages. |
25.10 | Lenders' indemnity to the Agent |
25.10.1 | Each Lender shall (in proportion to its share of the Total Commitments or, if the Total Commitments are then zero, to its share of the Total Commitments immediately prior to their reduction to zero) indemnify the Agent and every Receiver and Delegate, within three Business Days of demand, against any cost, loss or liability incurred by any of them (otherwise than by reason of the relevant Agent's, Receiver's or Delegate's gross negligence or wilful misconduct) in acting as Agent, Receiver or Delegate under, or exercising any authority conferred under, the Finance Documents (unless the relevant Agent, Receiver or Delegate has been reimbursed by a Security Party pursuant toa Finance Document). |
25.10.2 | Subject to Clause 25.10.3, the Borrower shall immediately on demand reimburse any Lender for any payment that Lender makes to the Agent pursuant to Clause 25.10.1 |
25.10.3 | Clause 25.10.2 shall not apply to the extent that the indemnity payment in respect of which the Lender claims reimbursement relates to a liability of the Agent to a Security Party. |
The Security Agent agrees and declares, and each of the other Finance Parties acknowledges, that, subject to the terms and conditions of this Clause 25.11, the Security Agent holds the Trust Property on trust for the Finance Parties absolutely. Each of the other Finance Parties agrees that the obligations, rights and benefits vested in the Security Agent shall be performed and exercised in accordance with this Clause 25.11. The Security Agent shall have the benefit of all of the provisions of this Agreement benefiting it in its capacity as security agent for the Finance Parties, and all the powers and discretions conferred on trustees by the Trustee Act 1925 (to the extent not inconsistent with this Agreement). In addition:
| (a) | the Security Agent and any Delegate may indemnify itself or himself out of the Trust Property against all liabilities, costs, fees, damages, charges, losses and expenses sustained or incurred by it or him in relation to the taking or holding of any of the Trust Property or in connection with the exercise or purported exercise of the rights, trusts, powers and discretions vested in the Security Agent or any Delegate by or pursuant to the Security Documents or in respect of anything else done or omitted to be done in any way relating to the Security Documents; |
| (b) | the other Finance Parties acknowledge that the Security Agent shall be under no obligation to insure any property nor to require any other person to insure any property and shall not be responsible for any loss which may be suffered by any person as a result of the lack or insufficiency of any insurance; |
| (c) | the Finance Parties agree that the perpetuity period applicable to the trusts declared by this Agreement shall be the period of 125 years from the Effective Date; |
| (d) | the Security Agent shall not be liable for any failure, omission, or defect in perfecting the security constituted or created by any Finance Document including, without limitation, any failure to register the same in accordance with the provisions of any of the documents of title of any Security Party to any of the assets thereby charged or effect or procure registration of or otherwise protect the security created by any Security Document under any registration laws in any jurisdiction and may accept without enquiry such title as any Security Party may have to any asset; |
| (e) | the Security Agent shall not be under any obligation to hold any title deed, Finance Document or any other documents in connection with the Finance Documents or any other documents in connection with the property charged by any Finance Document or any other such security in its own possession or to take any steps to protect or preserve the same, and may permit any Security Party to retain all such title deeds, Finance Documents and other documents in its possession; and |
| (f) | save as otherwise provided in the Finance Documents, all moneys which under the trusts therein contained are received by the Security Agent may be invested in the name of or under the control of the Security Agent in any investment for the time being authorised by English law for the investment by trustees of trust money or in any other investments which may be selected by the Security Agent, and the same may be placed on deposit in the name of or under the control of the Security Agent at such bank or institution (including the Security Agent) and upon such terms as the Security Agent may think fit. |
The provisions of Part I of the Trustee Act 2000 shall not apply to the Security Agent or the Trust Property.
25.12 | Resignation of the Agent |
25.12.1 | The Agent may resign and appoint one of its Affiliates as successor by giving notice to the other Finance Parties and the Borrower. |
25.12.2 | Alternatively the Agent may resign by giving 30 days' notice to the other Finance Parties and the Borrower, in which case the Majority Lenders (after consultation with the Borrower) may appoint a successor Agent. |
25.12.3 | If the Majority Lenders have not appointed a successor Agent in accordance with Clause 25.12.2 within 20 days after notice of resignation was given, the retiring Agent (after consultation with the Borrower) may appoint a successor Agent. |
25.12.4 | If the Agent wishes to resign because it has concluded that it is no longer appropriate for it to remain as agent and the Agent is entitled to appoint a successor Agent under Clause 26.12.3, the Agent may (if it concludes that it is necessary to do so in order to persuade the proposed successor Agent to become a party to this Agreement as Agent) agree with the proposed successor Agent amendments to this Clause 25 consistent with then current market practice for the appointment and protection of corporate trustees together with any reasonable amendments to the agency fee payable under this Agreement which are consistent with the successor Agent's normal fee rates and those amendments will bind the Parties. |
25.12.5 | The retiring Agent shall, make available to the successor Agent such documents and records and provide such assistance as the successor Agent may reasonably request for the purposes of performing its functions as Agent under the Finance Documents. The Guarantor shall, within three Business Days of demand, reimburse the retiring Agent for the amount of all costs and expenses (including legal fees) properly incurred by it in making available such documents and records and providing such assistance. |
25.12.6 | The Agent's resignation notice shall only take effect upon the appointment of a successor and (in the case of the Security Agent) the transfer of all the Trust Property to that successor. |
25.12.7 | Upon the appointment of a successor, the retiring Agent shall be discharged from any further obligation in respect of the Finance Documents (other than its obligations under Clause 25.12.5) but shall remain entitled to the benefit of Clause 13.3 (Indemnity to the Agent) and this Clause 25 (and any agency fees for the account of the retiring Agent shall cease to accrue from (and shall be payable on) that date). Any successor and each of the other Parties shall have the same rights and obligations amongst themselves as they would have had if such successor had been an original Party. |
25.12.8 | The Agent shall resign in accordance with Clause 25.12.2 (and, to the extent applicable, shall use reasonable endeavours to appoint a successor Agent pursuant to Clause 25.12.3) if on or after the date which is three months before the earliest FATCA Application Date relating to any payment to the Agent under the Finance Documents, either: |
| (a) | the Agent fails to respond toa request under Clause 11.7 (FATCA information) and the Guarantor or a Lender reasonably believes that the Agent will not be (or will have ceased to be) a FATCA Exempt Party on or after that FATCA Application Date; |
| (b) | the information supplied by the Agent pursuant to Clause 11.7 (FATCA information) indicates that the Agent will not be (or will have ceased to be) a FATCA Exempt Party on or after that FATCA Application Date; or |
| (c) | the Agent notifies the Borrower and the Lenders in writing that the Agent will not be (or will have ceased to be) a FATCA Exempt Party on or after that FATCA Application Date; |
and (in each case) the Guarantor or a Lender reasonably believes that a Party will be required to make a FATCA Deduction that would not be required if the Agent were a FATCA Exempt Party, and the Guarantor or that Lender, by notice to the Agent, requires it to resign.
25.13 | Replacement of the Agent |
25.13.1 | After consultation with the Borrower, the Majority Lenders may, by giving 30 days' notice to the Agent (or, at any time the Agent is an Impaired Agent, by giving any shorter notice determined by the Majority lenders) replace the Agent by appointing a successor Agent. |
25.13.2 | The retiring Agent shall (at its own cost if it is an Impaired Agent and otherwise at the expense of the Lenders) make available to the successor Agent such documents and records and provide such assistance as the successor Agent may reasonably request for the purposes of performing its function as Agent under the Finance Documents. |
25.13.3 | The appointment of the successor Agent shall take effect on the date specified in the notice from the Majority Lenders to the retiring Agent. As from this date, the retiring Agent shall be discharged from any further obligation in respect of the Finance Documents (other than its obligations under Clause 25.13.2 but shall remain entitled to the benefit of Clause 13.3 (Indemnity to the Agent) and this Clause 25 (and any agency fees for the account of the retiring Agent shall cease to accrue from (and shall be payable on) that date). |
25.13.4 | Any successor Agent and each of the other Parties shall have the same rights and obligations amongst themselves as they would have had if such successor had been an original Party. |
25.14.1 | In acting as agent for the Finance Parties, the Agent shall be regarded as acting through its agency division which shall be treated as a separate entity from any other of its divisions or departments. |
25.14.2 | If information is received by another division or department of the Agent, it may be treated as confidential to that division or department and the Agent shall not be deemed to have notice of it. |
25.15 | Relationship with the Lenders |
25.15.1 | Subject to Clause 23.9 (Pro rata interest settlement), the Agent may treat the person shown in its records as Lender at the opening of business (in the place of the Agent's principal office as notified to the Finance Parties from time to time) as the Lender acting through its Facility Office: |
| (a) | entitled to or liable for any payment due under any Finance Document on that day; and |
| (b) | entitled to receive and act upon any notice, request, document or communication or make any decision or determination under any Finance Document made or delivered on that day, |
unless it has received not less than five Business Days' prior notice from that Lender to the contrary in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.
25.15.2 | Any Lender may by notice to the Agent appoint a person to receive on its behalf all notices, communications, information and documents to be made or dispatched to that Lender under the Finance Documents. Such notice shall contain the address, fax number and (where communication by electronic mail or other electronic means is permitted under Clause 30.6 (Electronic communication)) electronic mail address and/or any other information required to enable the sending and receipt of information by that means (and, in each case, the department or officer, if any, for whose attention communication is to be made) and be treated as a notification of a substitute address, fax number, electronic mail address, department and officer by that Lender for the purposes of Clause 30.2 (Addresses) and Clause 30.6.1(b) (Electronic communication) and the Agent shall be entitled to treat such person as the person entitled to receive all such notices, communications, information and documents as though that person were that Lender. |
25.16 | Credit appraisal by the Lenders |
Without affecting the responsibility of any Security Party for information supplied by it or on its behalf in connection with any Relevant Document, each Lender confirms to the Agent that it has been, and will continue to be, solely responsible for making its own independent appraisal and investigation of all risks arising under or in connection with any Relevant Document including but not limited to:
| (a) | the financial condition, status and nature of each Security Party; |
| (b) | the legality, validity, effectiveness, adequacy or enforceability of any Relevant Document and any other agreement, arrangement or document entered into, made or executed in anticipation of, under or in connection with any Relevant Document; |
| (c) | whether that Lender has recourse, and the nature and extent of that recourse, against any Party or any of its respective assets under or in connection with any Relevant Document, the transactions contemplated by the Relevant Document or any other agreement, arrangement or document entered into, made or executed in anticipation of under or in connection with any Relevant Document; and |
| (d) | the right or title of any person in or to, or the value or sufficiency of any part of the Charged Property, the priority of any Encumbrance created or expressed to be created or evidenced by the Security Documents or the existence of any Encumbrance affecting the Charged Property. |
25.17 | Deduction from amounts payable by the Agent |
If any Party owes an amount to the Agent under the Finance Documents the Agent may, after giving notice to that Party, deduct an amount not exceeding that amount from any payment to that Party which the Agent would otherwise be obliged to make under the Finance Documents and apply the amount deducted in or towards satisfaction of the amount owed. For the purposes of the Finance Documents that Party shall be regarded as having received any amount so deducted.
26. | CONDUCT OF BUSINESS BY THE FINANCE PARTIES |
No provision of this Agreement will:
| (a) | interfere with the right of any Finance Party to arrange its affairs (tax or otherwise) in whatever manner it thinks fit; |
| (b) | oblige any Finance Party to investigate or claim any credit, relief, rem1ss1on or repayment available to it or the extent, order and manner of any claim; or |
| (c) | oblige any Finance Party to disclose any information relating to its affairs (tax or otherwise) or any computations in respect of Tax. |
27. | SHARING AMONG THE FINANCE PARTIES |
27.1 | Payments to Finance Parties |
If a Finance Party (a "Recovering Finance Party") receives or recovers any amount from a Security Party other than in accordance with Clause 28 (Payment Mechanics) (a "Recovered Amount") and applies that amount to a payment due under the Finance Documents then:
| (a) | the Recovering Finance Party shall, within three Business Days, notify details of the receipt or recovery, to the Agent; |
| (b) | the Agent shall determine whether the receipt or recovery is in excess of the amount the Recovering Finance Party would have been paid had the receipt or recovery been received or made by the Agent and distributed in accordance with Clause 28 (Payment Mechanics), without taking account of any Tax which would be imposed on the Agent in relation to the receipt, recovery or distribution; and |
| (c) | the Recovering Finance Party shall, within three Business Days of demand by the Agent, pay to the Agent an amount (the "Sharing Payment") equal to such receipt or recovery less any amount which the Agent determines may be retained by the Recovering Finance Party as its share of any payment to be made, in accordance with Clause 28.6 (Partial payments). |
27.2 | Redistribution of payments |
The Agent shall treat the Sharing Payment as if it had been paid by the relevant Security Party and distribute it between the Finance Parties (other than the Recovering Finance Party) (the "Sharing Finance Parties") in accordance with Clause 28.6 (Partial payments) towards the obligations of that Security Party to the Sharing Finance Parties.
27.3 | Recovering Finance Party's rights |
On a distribution by the Agent under Clause 27.2 (Redistribution of payments) of a payment received by a Recovering Finance Party from a Security Party, as between the relevant Security Party and the Recovering Finance Party, an amount of the Recovered Amount equal to the Sharing Payment will be treated as not having been paid by that Security Party.
27.4 | Reversal of redistribution |
If any part of the Sharing Payment received or recovered by a Recovering Finance Party becomes repayable and is repaid by that Recovering Finance Party, then:
27.4.1 | each Sharing Finance Party shall, upon request of the Agent, pay to the Agent for the account of that Recovering Finance Party an amount equal to the appropriate part of its share of the Sharing Payment (together with an amount as is necessary to reimburse that Recovering Finance Party for its proportion of any interest on the Sharing Payment which that Recovering Finance Party is required to pay) (the "Redistributed Amount"); and |
27.4.2 | as between the relevant Security Party and each relevant Sharing Finance Party, an amount equal to the relevant Redistributed Amount will be treated as not having been paid by that Security Party. |
27.5.1 | This Clause 27 shall not apply to the extent that the Recovering Finance Party would not, after making any payment pursuant to this Clause, have a valid and enforceable claim against the relevant Security Party. |
27.5.2 | A Recovering Finance Party is not obliged to share with any other Finance Party any amount which the Recovering Finance Party has received or recovered as a result of taking legal or arbitration proceedings, if: |
| (a) | it notified that other Finance Party of the legal or arbitration proceedings; and |
| (b) | that other Finance Party had an opportunity to participate in those legal or arbitration proceedings but did not do so as soon as reasonably practicable having received notice and did not take separate legal or arbitration proceedings. |
28.1 | Payments to the Agent |
28.1.1 | On each date on which a Security Party or a Lender is required to make a payment under a Finance Document (other than the Master Agreement), that Security Party or that Lender shall make the same available to the Agent for value on the due date at the time and in such funds specified by the Agent as being customary at the time for settlement of transactions in the relevant currency in the place of payment. |
28.1.2 | Payment shall be made to such account in the principal financial centre of the country of that currency with such bank as the Agent specifies. |
28.2 | Distributions by the Agent |
Each payment received by the Agent under the Finance Documents for another Party shall, subject to Clause 28.3 (Distributions toa Security Party) and Clause 28.4 (Clawback and pre-funding) be made available by the Agent as soon as practicable after receipt to the Party entitled to receive payment in accordance with this Agreement (in the case of a Lender, for the account of its Facility Office), to such account as that Party may notify to the Agent by not less than five Business Days' notice with a bank specified by that Party in the principal financial centre of the country of that currency.
28.3 | Distributions to a Security Party |
The Agent may (with the consent of a Security Party or in accordance with Clause 29 (Set-Off)) apply any amount received by it for that Security Party in or towards payment (on the date and in the currency and funds of receipt) of any amount due from that Security Party under the Finance Documents or in or towards purchase of any amount of any currency to be so applied.
28.4 | Clawback and pre-funding |
28.4.1 | Where a sum is to be paid to the Agent under the Finance Documents for another Party, the Agent is not obliged to pay that sum to that other Party (or to enter into or perform any related exchange contract) until it has been able to establish to its satisfaction that it has actually received that sum. |
28.4.2 | Unless Clause 28.4.3 applies, if the Agent pays an amount to another Party and it proves to be the case that the Agent had not actually received that amount, then the Party to whom that amount (or the proceeds of any related exchange contract) was paid by the Agent shall on demand refund the same to the Agent together with interest on that amount from the date of payment to the date of receipt by the Agent, calculated by the Agent to reflect its cost of funds. |
28.4.3 | If the Agent has notified the Lenders that it is willing to make available amounts for the account of the Borrower before receiving funds from the Lenders then if and to the extent that the Agent does so but it proves to be the case that it does not then receive funds from a Lender in respect of a sum which it paid to the Borrower: |
| (a) | the Agent shall notify the Borrower of that Lender's identity and the Borrower to whom that sum was made available shall on demand refund it to the Agent; and |
| (b) | the Lender by whom those funds should have been made available or, if that Lender fails to do so, the Borrower to whom that sum was made available, shall on demand pay to the Agent the amount (as certified by the Agent) which will indemnify the Agent against any funding cost incurred by it as a result of paying out that sum before receiving those funds from that Lender. |
28.5.1 | If, at any time, the Agent becomes an Impaired Agent, a Security Party or a Lender which is required to make a payment under the Finance Documents to the Agent in accordance with Clause 28.1 (Payments to the Agent) may instead either: |
| (a) | pay that amount direct to the required recipient(s); or |
| (b) | if in its absolute discretion it considers that it is not reasonably practicable to pay that amount direct to the required recipient(s), pay that amount or the relevant part of that amount to an interest- bearing account held with an Acceptable Bank in relation to which no Insolvency Event has occurred and is continuing, in the name of the Security Party or the Lender making the payment (the "Paying Party") and designated as a trust account for the benefit of the Party or Parties beneficially entitled to that payment under the Finance Documents (the "Recipient Party" or "Recipient Parties"). |
In each case such payments must be made on the due date for payment under the Finance Documents.
28.5.2 | All interest accrued on the amount standing to the credit of the trust account shall be for the benefit of the Recipient Party or the Recipient Parties pro rata to their respective entitlements. |
28.5.3 | A Party which has made a payment in accordance with this Clause 28.5 shall be discharged of the relevant payment obligation under the Finance Documents and shall not take any credit risk with respect to the amounts standing to the credit of the trust account. |
28.5.4 | Promptly upon the appointment of a successor Agent in accordance with Clause 25.13 (Replacement of the Agent), each Paying Party shall (other than to the extent that that Party has given an instruction pursuant to Clause 28.5.5) give all requisite instructions to the bank with whom the trust account is held to transfer the amount (together with any accrued interest) to the successor Agent for distribution to the relevant Recipient Party or Recipient Parties in accordance with Clause 28.2 (Distributions by the Agent). |
28.5.5 | A Paying Party shall, promptly upon request by a Recipient Party and to the extent: |
| (a) | that it has not given an instruction pursuant to Clause 28.5.4; and |
| (b) | that it has been provided with the necessary information by that Recipient Party, |
give all requisite instructions to the bank with whom the trust account is held to transfer the relevant amount (together with any accrued interest) to that Recipient Party.
28.6.1 | If the Agent receives a payment that is insufficient to discharge all the amounts then due and payable by a Security Party under the Finance Documents (other than the Master Agreement), the Agent shall apply that payment towards the obligations of that Security Party under the Finance Documents (other than the Master Agreement) in the following order: |
| (a) | first, in or towards payment pro rata of any unpaid fees, costs and expenses of the Agent or the Security Agent under the Finance Documents; |
| (b) | secondly, in or towards payment pro rata of any accrued interest, fee or commission due but unpaid under this Agreement; |
| (c) | thirdly, in or towards payment pro rata of any principal due but unpaid under this Agreement; and |
| (d) | fourthly, in or towards payment pro rata of any other sum due but unpaid under the Finance Documents. |
28.6.2 | The Agent shall, if so directed by the Majority Lenders, vary the order set out in Clauses 28.6.1(b) to 28.6.1(d). |
28.6.3 | Clauses 28.6.1 and 28.6.2 will override any appropriation made by a Security Party. |
28.7 | No set-off by Security Parties |
All payments to be made by a Security Party under the Finance Documents shall be calculated and be made without (and free and clear of any deduction for) set-off or counterclaim.
28.8.1 | Any payment which is due to be made on a day that is not a Business Day shall be made on the next Business Day in the same calendar month (if there is one) or the preceding Business Day (if there is not). |
28.8.2 | During any extension of the due date for payment of any principal or Unpaid Sum under this Agreement interest is payable on the principal or Unpaid Sum at the rate payable on the original due date. |
28.9.1 | Subject to Clauses 28.9.2 to 28.9.5, dollars is the currency of account and payment for any sum due from a Security Party under any Finance Document. |
28.9.2 | A repayment or payment of all or part of the Loan or an Unpaid Sum shall be made in the currency in which the Loan or Unpaid Sum is denominated on its due date. |
28.9.3 | Each payment of interest shall be made in the currency in which the sum in respect of which the interest is payable was denominated when that interest accrued. |
28.9.4 | Each payment in respect of costs, expenses or Taxes shall be made in the currency in which the costs, expenses or Taxes are incurred. |
28.9.5 | Any amount expressed to be payable in a currency other than dollars shall be paid in that other currency. |
The Agent shall open and maintain on its books- a control account in the name of the Borrower showing the advance of the Loan and the computation and payment of interest and all other sums due under this Agreement. The Borrower's obligation to repay the Loan and to pay interest and all other sums due under this Agreement shall be evidenced by the entries from time to time made in the control account opened and maintained under this Clause 28.10 and those entries will, in the absence of manifest error, be conclusive and binding.
28.11.1 | Unless otherwise prohibited by law, if more than one currency or currency unit are at the same time recognised by the central bank of any country as the lawful currency of that country, then: |
| (a) | any reference in the Finance Documents to, and any obligations arising under the Finance Documents in, the currency of that country shall be translated into, or paid in, the currency or currency unit of that country designated by the Agent (after consultation with the Borrower); and |
| (b) | any translation from one currency or currency unit to another shall be at the official rate of exchange recognised by the central bank for the conversion of that currency or currency unit into the other, rounded up or down by the Agent. |
28.11.2 | If a change in any currency of a country occurs, this Agreement will, to the extent the Agent (and after consultation with the Borrower) specifies to be necessary, be amended to comply with any generally accepted conventions and market practice in the Relevant Interbank Market and otherwise to reflect the change in currency. |
A Finance Party may set off any matured obligation due from a Security Party under the Finance Documents (to the extent beneficially owned by that Finance Party) against any matured obligation owed by that Finance Party to that Security Party, regardless of the place of payment, booking branch or currency of either obligation. If the obligations are in different currencies, the Finance Party may convert either obligation at a market rate of exchange in its usual course of business for the purpose of the set-off.
29.2 | Master Agreement rights |
The rights conferred on the Swap Provider by this Clause 29 shall be in addition to, and without prejudice to or limitation of, the rights of netting and set off conferred on the Swap Provider by the Master Agreement.
30.1 | Communications in writing |
Any communication to be made under or in connection with the Finance Documents shall be made in writing and, unless otherwise stated, may be made by fax or letter.
The address and fax number (and the department or officer, if any, for whose attention the communication is to be made) of each Party for any communication or document to be made or delivered under or in connection with the Finance Documents is:
| (a) | in the case of the Borrower, that identified with its name below on the signature page; |
| (b) | in the case of the Guarantor, that identified with its name below on the signature page; |
| (c) | in the case of each Lender, that notified in writing to the Agent on or prior to the date on which it becomes a Party; |
| (d) | in the case of the Swap Provider, that identified with its name below on the signature page; and |
| (e) | in the case of the Agent or the Security Agent, that identified with its name below on the signature page, |
or any substitute address, fax number, or department or officer as the Party may notify to the Agent (or the Agent may notify to the other Parties, if a change is made by the Agent) by not less than five Business Days' notice.
30.3.1 | Any communication or document made or delivered by one Party to another under or in connection with the Finance Documents will only be effective: |
| (a) | if by way of email, when actually received in readable form; or |
| (b) | if by way of letter, when it has been left at the relevant address or five Business Days after being deposited in the post postage prepaid in an envelope addressed to it at that address; |
and, if a particular department or officer is specified as part of its address details provided under Clause 30.2 (Addresses), if addressed to that department or officer.
30.3.2 | Any communication or document to be made or delivered to the Agent or the Security Agent will be effective only when actually received by the Agent or the Security Agent and then only if it is expressly marked for the attention of the department or officer identified with the Agent's or the Security Agent's signature below (or any substitute department or officer as the Agent or the Security Agent shall specify for this purpose). |
30.3.3 | All notices from or to a Security Party (save in respect of the Master Agreement) shall be sent through the Agent. |
30.3.4 | Any communication or document which becomes effective, in accordance with this Clause 30.3, after 5.00 p.m. in the place of receipt shall be deemed only to become effective on the following day. |
30.4 | Notification of address and email address |
Promptly upon changing its address or email address, the Agent shall notify the other Parties.
30.5 | Communication when Agent is Impaired Agent |
If the Agent is an Impaired Agent the Parties may, instead of communicating with each other through the Agent, communicate with each other directly and (while the Agent is an Impaired Agent) all the provisions of the Finance Documents which require communications to be made or notices to be given to or by the Agent shall be varied so that communications may be made and notices given to or by the relevant Parties directly. This provision shall not operate after a replacement Agent has been appointed.
30.6 | Electronic communication |
30.6.1 | Any communication to be made between any two Parties under or in connection with the Finance Documents may be made by electronic mail or other electronic means to the extent that those two Parties agree that, unless and until notified to the contrary, this is to be an accepted form of communication and if those two Parties: |
| (a) | notify each other in writing of their electronic mail address and/or any other information required to enable the sending and receipt of information by that means; and |
| (b) | notify each other of any change to their address or any other such information supplied by them by not less than five Business Days' notice. |
30.6.2 | Any electronic communication made between those two Parties will be effective only when actually received in readable form and in the case of any electronic communication made by a Party to the Agent or the Security Agent only if it is addressed in such a manner as the Agent or the Security Agent shall specify for this purpose. |
30.6.3 | Any electronic communication which becomes effective, in accordance with Clause 30.6.2, after 5.00 p.m. in the place of receipt shall be deemed only to become effective on the following day. |
Any notice given under or in connection with any Finance Document must be in English. All other documents provided under or in connection with any Finance Document must be:
| (b) | if not in English, and if so required by the Agent, accompanied by a certified English translation and, in this case, the English translation will prevail unless the document is a constitutional, statutory or other official document. |
31. | CALCULATIONS AND CERTIFICATES |
In any litigation or arbitration proceedings arising out of or in connection with a Finance Document, the entries made in the accounts maintained by the Agent are prima facie evidence of the matters to which they relate.
31.2 | Certificates and determinations |
Any certification or determination by the Agent of a rate or amount under any Finance Document is, in the absence of manifest error, conclusive evidence of the matters to which it relates.
Any interest, commission or fee accruing under a Finance Document will accrue from day to day and is calculated on the basis of the actual number of days elapsed and a year of 360 days or, in any case where the practice in the Relevant Interbank Market differs, in accordance with that market practice.
If, at any time, any provision of the Finance Documents is or becomes illegal, invalid or unenforceable in any respect under any law of any jurisdiction, neither the legality, validity or enforceability of the remaining provisions nor the legality, validity or enforceability of such provision under the law of any other jurisdiction will in any way be affected or impaired.
No failure to exercise, nor any delay in exercising, on the part of any Finance Party or Secured Party, any right or remedy under a Finance Document shall operate as a waiver of any such right or remedy or constitute an election to affirm any Finance Document. No election to affirm any Finance Document on the part of any Finance Party or Secured Party shall be effective unless it is in writing. No single or partial exercise of any right or remedy shall prevent any further or other exercise or the exercise of any other right or remedy. The rights and remedies provided in this Agreement are cumulative and not exclusive of any rights or remedies provided by law.
34. | AMENDMENTS AND WAIVERS |
34.1.1 | Subject to Clause 34.2 (Exceptions) any term of the Finance Documents (other than the Master Agreement) may be amended or waived only with the consent of the Majority Lenders and the Borrower and any such amendment or waiver will be binding on all Parties. |
34.1.2 | The Agent may effect, on behalf of any Finance Party, any amendment or waiver permitted by this Clause 34. |
34.1.3 | Without prejudice to the generality of Clauses 25.6.3, 25.6.4 and 25.6.5 (Rights and discretions of the Agent), the Agent may engage, pay for and rely on the services of lawyers in determining the consent level required for and effecting any amendment, waiver or consent under this Agreement. |
34.2.1 | An amendment, waiver or (in the case of a Security Document) a consent of, or in relation to, any term of any Finance Document that has the effect of changing or which relates to: |
| (a) | the definition of "Majority Lenders" in Clause 1.1 (Definitions); |
| (b) | an extension to the date of payment of any amount under the Finance Documents; |
| (c) | a reduction in the Margin or a reduction in the amount of any payment of principal, interest, fees or commission payable; |
| (d) | a change in currency of payment of any amount under the Finance Documents; |
| (e) | an increase in any Commitment, an extension of the Availability Period or any requirement that a cancellation of Commitments reduces the Commitments of the Lenders rateably; |
| (f) | a change to the Borrower or a change to the Guarantor; |
| (g) | any provision which expressly requires the consent of all the Lenders; |
| (h) | Clause 2.2 (Finance Parties' rights and obligations), Clause 23 (Changes to the Lenders), this Clause 34, Clause 39 (Governing Law) or Clause 40.1 (Jurisdiction of English courts); |
| (i) | (other than as expressly permitted by the provisions of any Finance Document) the nature or scope of: |
| (ii) | the Charged Property; or |
| (iii) | the manner in which the proceeds of enforcement of the Security Documents are distributed; or |
| (j) | the release of any Guarantee or of any Encumbrance created or expressed to be created or evidenced by the Security Documents unless permitted under this Agreement or any other Finance Document or relating to a sale or disposal of an asset which is the subject of any Encumbrance created or expressed to be created or evidenced by the Security Documents where such sale or disposal is expressly permitted under this Agreement or any other Finance Document; |
shall not be made, or given, without the prior consent of all the Lenders.
34.3.1 | An amendment or waiver which relates to the rights or obligations of the Agent or the Security Agent (each in their capacity as such) may not be effected without the consent of the Agent or the Security Agent as the case may be. |
34.3.2 | An amendment or waiver to a Finance Document that has the effect of amending or waiving the rights or obligations of the Swap Provider may not be effected without the prior written consent of the Swap Provider. |
If:
| (a) | any Defaulting Lender fails to respond to a request for a consent, waiver, amendment of or in relation to any term of any Finance Document or any other vote of Lenders under the terms of this Agreement within a period agreed by the Agent after consultation with the Borrower; or |
| (b) | any Lender which is not a Defaulting Lender fails to respond to such a request (other than an amendment, waiver or consent referred to in Clauses 34.2.1(b), 34.2.1(c) and 34.2.1(e) (Exceptions)) or other or such a vote within a period agreed by the Agent after consultation with the Borrower, then: |
| (i) | its Commitment(s) shall not be included for the purpose of calculating the Total Commitments when ascertaining whether any relevant percentage (including, for the avoidance of doubt, unanimity) of Total Commitments has been obtained to approve that request; and |
| (ii) | its status as a Lender shall be disregarded for the purpose of ascertaining whether the agreement of any specified group of Lenders has been obtained to approve that request. |
34.5 | Changes to reference rates |
| (a) | Subject to Clause 34.3 (Other exceptions), if a Published Rate Replacement Event has occurred in relation to any Published Rate any amendment or waiver which relates to: |
| (i) | providing for the use of a Replacement Reference Rate in place of that Published Rate; and |
| (A) | aligning any provision of any Finance Document to the use of that Replacement Reference Rate; |
| (B) | enabling that Replacement Reference Rate to be used for the calculation of interest under this Agreement (including, without limitation, any consequential changes required to enable that Replacement Reference Rate to be used for the purposes of this Agreement); |
| (C) | implementing market conventions applicable to that Replacement Reference Rate; |
| (D) | providing for appropriate fallback (and market disruption) provisions for that Replacement Reference Rate; or |
| (E) | adjusting the pricing to reduce or eliminate, to the extent reasonably practicable, any transfer of economic value from one Party to another as a result of the application of that Replacement Reference Rate (and if any adjustment or method for calculating any adjustment has been formally designated, nominated or recommended by the Relevant Nominating Body, the adjustment shall be determined on the basis of that designation, nomination or recommendation), |
may be made with the consent of the Agent (acting on the instructions of the Majority Lenders) and the Obligors.
| (b) | If any Lender fails to respond to a request for an amendment or waiver described in paragraph (a) above within 20 Business Days (or such longer time period in relation to any request which the Borrower and the Agent may agree) of that request being made: |
| (i) | its Commitment(s) shall not be included for the purpose of calculating the Total Commitments under the relevant Facility when ascertaining whether any relevant percentage of Total Commitments has been obtained to approve that request; and |
| (ii) | its status as a Lender shall be disregarded for the purpose of ascertaining whether the agreement of any specified group of Lenders has been obtained to approve that request. |
"Published Rate" means:
| (b) | the Term SOFR for any Quoted Tenor. |
"Published Rate Replacement Event" means, in relation to a Published Rate:
| (a) | the methodology, formula or other means of determining that Published Rate has, in the opinion of the Majority Lenders and the Obligors, materially changed; |
| (A) | the administrator of that Published Rate or its supervisor publicly announces that such administrator is insolvent; or |
| (B) | information is published in any order, decree, notice, petition or filing, however described, of or filed with a court, tribunal, exchange, regulatory authority or similar administrative, regulatory or judicial body which reasonably confirms that the administrator of that Published Rate is insolvent, |
provided that, in each case, at that time, there is no successor administrator to continue to provide that Published Rate;
| (ii) | the administrator of that Published Rate publicly announces that it has ceased or will cease to provide that Published Rate permanently or indefinitely and, at that time, there is no successor administrator to continue to provide that Published Rate; |
| (iii) | the supervisor of the administrator of that Published Rate publicly announces that such Published Rate has been or will be permanently or indefinitely discontinued; or |
| (iv) | the administrator of that Published Rate or its supervisor announces that that Published Rate may no longer be used; or |
| (c) | the administrator of that Published Rate (or the administrator of an interest rate which is a constituent element of that Published Rate) determines that that Published Rate should be calculated in accordance with its reduced submissions or other contingency or fallback policies or arrangements and either: |
| (i) | the circumstance(s) or event(s) leading to such determination are not (in the opinion of the Majority Lenders and the Obligors) temporary; or |
| (ii) | that Published Rate is calculated in accordance with any such policy or arrangement for a period no less than 20 days; or |
| (d) | in the opinion of the Majority Lenders and the Obligors, that Published Rate is otherwise no longer appropriate for the purposes of calculating interest under this Agreement. |
"Quoted Tenor" means, in relation to Term SOFR, any period for which that rate is customarily displayed on the relevant page or screen of an information service.
"Relevant Nominating Body" means any applicable central bank, regulator or other supervisory authority or a group of them, or any working group or committee sponsored or chaired by, or constituted at the request of, any of them or the Financial Stability Board.
"Replacement Reference Rate" means a reference rate which is:
| (a) | formally designated, nominated or recommended as the replacement for a Published Rate by: |
| (i) | the administrator of that Published Rate (provided that the market or economic reality that such reference rate measures is the same as that measured by that Published Rate); or |
| (ii) | any Relevant Nominating Body, |
and if replacements have, at the relevant time, been formally designated, nominated or recommended under both paragraphs, the "Replacement Reference Rate" will be the replacement under paragraph (ii) above;
| (b) | in the opinion of the Majority Lenders and the Obligors, generally accepted in the international or any relevant domestic syndicated loan markets as the appropriate successor to a Published Rate; or |
| (c) | in the opinion of the Majority Lenders and the Obligors, an appropriate successor to a Published Rate. |
35.1 | Confidential Information |
Each Finance Party agrees to keep all Confidential Information confidential and not to disclose it to anyone, save to the extent permitted by Clause 35.2 (Disclosure of Confidential Information), and to ensure that all Confidential Information is protected with security measures and a degree of care that would apply to its own confidential information.
35.2 | Disclosure of Confidential Information |
Any Finance Party may disclose:
35.2.1 | to any of its Affiliates and Related Funds and any of its or their officers, directors, employees, professional advisers, auditors, partners and Representatives such Confidential Information as that Finance Party shall consider appropriate if any person to whom the Confidential Information is to be given pursuant to this Clause 35.2.1 is informed in writing of its confidential nature and that some or all of such Confidential Information may be price-sensitive information except that there shall be no such requirement to so inform if the recipient is subject to professional obligations to maintain the confidentiality of the information or is otherwise bound by requirements of confidentiality in relation to the Confidential Information; |
| (a) | to (or through) whom it assigns or transfers (or may potentially assign or transfer) all or any of its rights and/or obligations under one or more Finance Documents or which succeeds (or which may potentially succeed) it as Agent or Security Agent and, in each case, to any of that person's Affiliates, Related Funds, Representatives and professional advisers; |
| (b) | with (or through) whom it enters into (or may potentially enter into), whether directly or indirectly, any sub-participation in relation to, or any other transaction under which payments are to be made or may be made by reference to, one or more Finance Documents and/or one or more Security Parties and to any of that person's Affiliates, Related Funds, Representatives and professional advisers; |
| (c) | appointed by any Finance Party or by a person to whom Clause 35.2.2(a) or 35.2.2(b) applies to receive communications, notices, information or documents delivered pursuant to the Finance Documents on its behalf (including, without limitation, any person appointed under Clause 25.15.2 (Relationship with the Lenders)); |
| (d) | who invests in or otherwise finances (or may potentially invest in or otherwise finance), directly or indirectly, any transaction referred to in Clause 35.2.2(a) or 35.2.2(b); |
| (e) | to whom information is required or requested to be disclosed by any court of competent jurisdiction or any governmental, banking, taxation or other regulatory authority or similar body, the rules of any relevant stock exchange or pursuant to any applicable law or regulation; |
| (f) | to whom information is required to be disclosed in connection with, and for the purposes of, any litigation, arbitration, administrative or other investigations, proceedings or disputes; |
| (g) | to whom or for whose benefit that Finance Party charges, assigns or otherwise creates Security (or may do so) pursuant to Clause 23.8 (Security over Lenders' rights); |
| (i) | with the consent of the Borrower; |
in each case, such Confidential Information as that Finance Party shall consider appropriate if:
| (i) | in relation to Clauses 35.2.2(a), 35.2.2(b) and 35.2.2(c), the person to whom the Confidential Information is to be given has entered into a Confidentiality Undertaking except that there shall be no requirement for a Confidentiality Undertaking if the recipient is a professional adviser and is subject to professional obligations to maintain the confidentiality of the Confidential Information; |
| (ii) | in relation to Clause 35.2.2(d), the person to whom the Confidential Information is to be given has entered into a Confidentiality Undertaking or is otherwise bound by requirements of confidentiality in relation to the Confidential Information they receive and is informed that some or all of such Confidential Information may be price-sensitive information; |
| (iii) | in relation to Clauses 35.2.2(e), 35.2.2(f) and 35.2.2(g), the person to whom the Confidential Information is to be given is informed of its confidential nature and that some or all of such Confidential Information may be price- sensitive information except that there shall be no requirement to so inform if, in the reasonable opinion of that Finance Party, it is not practicable so to do in the circumstances; and |
35.2.3 | to any person appointed by that Finance Party or by a person to whom Clause 35.2.2(a) or 35.2.2(b) applies to provide administration or settlement services in respect of one or more of the Finance Documents including without limitation, in relation to the trading of participations in respect of the Finance Documents, such Confidential Information as may be required to be disclosed to enable such service provider to provide any of the services referred to in this Clause 35.2.3 if the service provider to whom the Confidential Information is to be given has entered into a Confidentiality Undertaking; and |
35.2.4 | to any rating agency (including its professional advisers) such Confidential Information as may be required to be disclosed to enable such rating agency to carry out its normal rating activities in relation to the Finance Documents and/or the Security Parties and/or the Group if the rating agency to whom the Confidential Information is to be given is informed of its confidential nature and that same or all of such Confidential Information may be price- sensitive information. Any Lender may also disclose the size and term of the Loan and the name of each of the Security Parties to any investor or a potential investor in a securitisation (or similar transaction of broadly equivalent economic effect) of that Lender's rights or obligations under the Finance Documents. |
This Clause 35 constitutes the entire agreement between the Parties in relation to the obligations of the Finance Parties under the Finance Documents regarding Confidential Information and supersedes any previous agreement, whether express or implied, regarding Confidential Information.
Each of the Finance Parties acknowledges that same or all of the Confidential Information is or may be price-sensitive information and that the use of such information may be regulated or prohibited by applicable legislation including securities law relating to insider dealing and market abuse and each of the Finance Parties undertakes not to use any Confidential Information for any unlawful purpose.
35.5 | Notification of disclosure |
Each of the Finance Parties agrees (to the extent permitted by law and regulation) to inform the Borrower:
| (a) | of the circumstances of any disclosure of Confidential Information made pursuant to Clause 35.2.2(e) (Disclosure of Confidential Information) except where such disclosure is made to any of the persons referred to in that Clause during the ordinary course of its supervisory or regulatory function; and |
| (b) | upon becoming aware that Confidential Information has been disclosed in breach of this Clause 35. |
35.6 | Continuing obligations |
The obligations in this Clause 35 are continuing and, in particular, shall survive and remain binding on each Finance Party for a period of 12 months from the earlier of:
| (a) | the date on which all amounts payable by the Security Parties under or in connection with the Finance Documents have been paid in full and the Loan has been cancelled or otherwise ceases to be available; and |
| (b) | the date on which such Finance Party otherwise ceases to be a Finance Party. |
Each Finance Document may be executed in any number of counterparts, and this has the same effect as if the signatures on the counterparts were on a single copy of the Finance Document.
Until the Indebtedness has been unconditionally and irrevocably paid and discharged in full, the Borrower agrees that it shall not, by virtue of any payment made under this Agreement on account of the Indebtedness or by virtue of any enforcement by a Finance Party of its rights under this Agreement or by virtue of any relationship between, or transaction involving, the Borrower or any other Security Party:
| (a) | exercise any rights of subrogation in relation to any rights, security or moneys held or received or receivable by a Finance Party or any other person; or |
| (b) | exercise any right of contribution from any other Borrower or any other Security Party under any Finance Document; or |
| (c) | exercise any right of set-off or counterclaim against any other Borrower or any other Security Party; or |
| (d) | receive, claim or have the benefit of any payment, distribution, security or indemnity from any other Borrower or any other Security Party; or |
| (e) | unless so directed by the Agent (when the Borrower will prove in accordance with such directions), claim as a creditor of any other Borrower or any other Security Party in competition with any Finance Party |
and the Borrower shall hold in trust for the Finance Parties and forthwith pay or transfer (as appropriate) to the Agent any such payment (including an amount equal to any such set-off), distribution or benefit of such security, indemnity or claim in fact received by it.
38.1 | Contractual Recognition of Bail-In |
38.1.1 | Notwithstanding any other term of any Finance Document or any other agreement, arrangement or understanding between the Parties, each Party acknowledges and accepts that any liability of any Party to any other Party under or in connection with the Finance Documents may be subject to Bail-In Action by the relevant Resolution Authority and acknowledges and accepts to be bound by the effect of: |
| (a) | any Bail-In Action in relation to any such liability, including (without limitation): |
| (i) | a reduction, in full or in part, in the principal amount, or outstanding amount due (including any accrued but unpaid interest) in respect of any such liability; |
| (ii) | a conversion of all, or part of, any such liability into shares or other instruments of ownership that may be issued to, or conferred on, it; and |
| (iii) | a cancellation of any such liability; and |
| (b) | a variation of any term of any Finance Document to the extent necessary to give effect to any Bail-In Action in relation to any such liability. |
In this clause 38:
"Article 55 BRRD" means Article 55 of Directive 2014/59/EU establishing a framework for the recovery and resolution of credit institutions and investment firms;
"Bail-In Action" means the exercise of any Write-down and Conversion Powers;
"Bail-In Legislation" means:
| (a) | in relation to an EEA Member Country which has implemented, or which at any time implements, Article 55 BRRD, the relevant implementing law or regulation as described in the EU Bail-In Legislation Schedule from time to time; |
| (b) | in relation to the United Kingdom, the UK Bail-In Legislation; and |
| (c) | in relation to any state other than such an EEA Member Country and the United Kingdom, any analogous law or regulation from time to time which requires contractual recognition of any Write-down and Conversion Powers contained in that law or regulation; |
"EEA Member Country" means any member state of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway;
"EU Bail-In Legislation Schedule" means the document described as such and published by the Loan Market Association (or any successor person) from time to time;
"Resolution Authority" means any body which has authority to exercise any Write-down and Conversion Powers;
"UK Bail-In Legislation" means Part I of the United Kingdom Banking Act 2009 and any other law or regulation applicable in the United Kingdom relating to the resolution of unsound or failing banks, investment firms or other financial institutions or their affiliates (otherwise than through liquidation, administration or other insolvency proceedings); and
"Write-down and Conversion Powers" means:
| (a) | in relation to any Bail-In Legislation described in the EU Bail-In Legislation Schedule from time to time, the powers described as such in relation to that Bail-In Legislation in the EU Bail-In Legislation Schedule; |
| (b) | in relation to the UK Bail-In Legislation, any powers under that UK Bail-In Legislation to cancel, transfer or dilute shares issued by a person that is a bank or investment firm or other financial institution or affiliate of a bank, investment firm or other financial institution, to cancel, reduce, modify or change the form of a liability of such a person or any contract or instrument under which that liability arises, to convert all or part of that liability into shares, securities or obligations of that person or any other person, to provide that any such contract or instrument is to have effect as if a right had been exercised under it or to suspend any obligation in respect of that liability or any of the powers under that UK Bail-In Legislation that are related to or ancillary to any of those powers; and |
| (c) | in relation to any other applicable Bail-In Legislation: |
| (i) | any powers under that Bail-In Legislation to cancel, transfer or dilute shares issued by a person that is a bank or investment firm or other financial institution or affiliate of a bank, investment firm or other financial institution, to cancel, reduce, modify or change the form of a liability of such a person or any contract or instrument under which that liability arises, to convert all or part of that liability into shares, securities or obligations of that person or any other person, to provide that any such contract or instrument is to have effect as if a right had been exercised under it or to suspend any obligation in respect of that liability or any of the powers under that Bail-In Legislation that are related to or ancillary to any of those powers; and |
| (ii) | any similar or analogous powers under that Bail-In Legislation. |
SECTION 12 | GOVERNING LAW AND ENFORCEMENT |
This Agreement and any non-contractual obligations arising out of or in connection with it are governed by English law.
40.1 | Jurisdiction of English courts |
40.1.1 | The courts of England have exclusive jurisdiction to settle any dispute arising out of or in connection with this Agreement (including a dispute relating to the existence, validity or termination of this Agreement or any non-contractual obligation arising out of or in connection with this Agreement) (a "Dispute"). Each Party agrees that the courts of England are the most appropriate and convenient courts to settle Disputes and accordingly no Party will argue to the contrary. |
40.1.2 | This Clause 40.1 is for the benefit of the Finance Parties only. As a result, no Finance Party shall be prevented from taking proceedings relating to a Dispute in any other courts with jurisdiction. To the extent allowed by law, any Finance Party may take concurrent proceedings in any number of jurisdictions. |
40.2.1 | Without prejudice to any other mode of service allowed under any relevant law, the Borrower and the Guarantor: |
| (a) | irrevocably appoints Wikborg Rein UK Limited of 30 Cannon Street, London, EC4M 6XH, England as its agent for service of process in relation to any proceedings before the English courts in connection with any Finance Document; and |
| (b) | agrees that failure by a process agent to notify the Borrower or the Guarantor (as the case may be) of the process will not invalidate the proceedings concerned. |
40.2.2 | If any person appointed as an agent for service of process is unable for any reason to act as agent for service of process or terminates its appointment as agent for service of process, the Borrower or the Guarantor (as the case may be) must immediately (and in any event within five days of such event taking place) appoint another agent on terms acceptable to the Agent. Failing this, the Agent may appoint another agent for this purpose. |
This Agreement has been entered into on the date stated at the beginning of this Agreement.
Schedule 1
THE ORIGINAL LENDERS
| Name and address of Original Lender |
| Commitment |
| Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank 12, place des Etats-Unis CS 70052 92547 Montrouge Cedex France |
| $37,500,000 |
Schedule 2 FORM OF DRAWDOWN REQUEST
DRAWDOWN REQUEST
To: | Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank |
Dated:
Dear Sirs
DHT Tiger Limited - $37,500,000 Loan Agreement dated [ ] 2022 (the "Agreement")
We refer to the Agreement. This is a Drawdown Request. Terms defined in the Agreement have the same meaning in this Drawdown Request unless given a different meaning in this Drawdown Request.
We wish to draw the Additional Advance on the following terms:
Proposed Drawdown Date: | [ ] (or, if that is not a Business Day, the next Business Day) |
| |
Currency of Drawing: | dollars |
| |
Amount: | [ ] |
| |
Interest Period: | [3 months] |
We confirm that each condition specified in Clause 3.2 of the 2022 Amending and Restating Agreement (Further conditions precedent) is satisfied on the date of this Drawdown Request.
The proceeds of the Additional Advance should be paid to [TBC]
This Drawdown Request is irrevocable.
Yours faithfully |
|
| |
authorised signatory for |
DHT Tiger Limited |
Schedule 3 FORM OF TRANSFER CERTIFICATE
To: | Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank as Agent and as Security Agent] |
From: | [The Existing Lender] (the "Existing Lender") and [The New Lender] (the "New Lender") |
Dated:
DHT Tiger Limited– $37,500,000 Loan Agreement dated [ ] 2022 (the "Loan Agreement")
1. | We refer to the Loan Agreement. This agreement (the "Agreement") shall take effect as a Transfer Certificate for the purposes of the Loan Agreement. Terms defined in the Loan Agreement have the same meaning in this Agreement unless given a different meaning in this Agreement. |
2. | We refer to Clause 23.5 (Procedure for transfer) of the Loan Agreement: |
| (a) | The Existing Lender and the New Lender agree to the Existing Lender transferring to the New Lender by novation and in accordance with Clause 23.5 (Procedure for transfer) all of the Existing Lender's rights and obligations under the Loan Agreement and the other Finance Documents which relate to that portion of the Existing Lender's Commitment(s) and participations in the Loan under the Loan Agreement as specified in the Schedule. |
| (b) | The proposed Transfer Date is [ ]. |
| (c) | The Facility Office and address, fax number and attention details for notices of the New Lender for the purposes of Clause 30.2 (Addresses) are set out in the Schedule. |
3. | The New Lender expressly acknowledges the limitations on the Existing Lender's obligations set out in Clause 23.4.1(c) (Limitation of responsibility of Existing Lenders). |
4. | This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts and this has the same effect as if the signatures on the counterparts were on a single copy of this Agreement. |
5. | This Agreement and any non-contractual obligations arising out of or in connection with it are governed by English law. |
6. | This Agreement has been entered into on the date stated at the beginning of this Agreement. |
Note: | The execution of this Transfer Certificate may not transfer a proportionate share of the Existing Lender's interest in any Encumbrance created or expressed to be created or evidenced by the Security Documents in all jurisdictions. It is the responsibility of the New Lender to ascertain whether any other documents or other formalities are required to perfect a transfer of such a share in any jurisdiction and, if so, to arrange for execution of those documents and completion of those formalities. |
The Schedule
Commitment/rights and obligations to be transferred
[insert relevant details]
[Facility Office address, fax number and attention details for notices and account details for payments,]
[Existing Lender]
| [New Lender] |
|
|
By:
| By:
|
This Agreement is accepted as a Transfer Certificate for the purposes of the Loan Agreement by the Agent and the Transfer Date is confirmed as [ ].
Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank
By:
Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank
By:
Schedule 4
FORM OF COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE
To: | Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank |
Dated:
Dear Sirs
DHT Tiger Limited– $37,500,000 Loan Agreement dated [ ] 2022 (the "Agreement")
1. | We refer to the Agreement. This is a Compliance Certificate. Terms defined in the Agreement have the same meaning when used in this Compliance Certificate unless given a different meaning in this Compliance Certificate. |
2. | We confirm that on a consolidated basis for the Guarantor: |
| (a) | the Guarantor's consolidated Cash and Cash Equivalent is $[ ] being higher than (i) $30,000,000 and (ii) six per cent (6%) of the Total Interest Bearing Debt as per the attached calculations; and |
| (b) | the Guarantor's Value Adjusted Tangible Net Worth is $[ ] being higher than $300,000,000 as per the attached calculations; and |
| (c) | the Equity Ratio of the Guarantor is [ ]% being not less than twenty five per cent (25%) as per the attached calculations; and |
| (d) | the Working Capital of the Guarantor is $[ ] and is therefore greater than zero as per the attached calculations. |
3. | Attached is one valuation in respect of the Vessel from an Approved Shipbroker which evidence a Fair Market Value of $[] therefore the Security Cover Ratio of at least [135]% is satisfied. |
4. | Attached is one valuation from an Approved Shipbroker evidencing the fair market value of all the vessels currently in the Guarantor's fleet. |
5. | [We confirm that no Default is continuing.]1 |
Signed: |
|
| [ |
|
|
|
|
| Director/Chief Financial Officer |
| Director |
| Of |
| of |
| DHT Holdings, Inc. |
| DHT Holdings, Inc. |
* If this statement cannot be made, the certificate should identify any Default that is continuing and the steps, if any, being taken to remedy it.
Signatures
The Borrower |
|
|
|
DHT Tiger Limited | ) |
| ) |
By: | ) |
Title: Attorney in fact | ) |
Address: Haakon VII's gate 1, POB 2039 | ) |
Vika, 0125 Oslo, Norway | ) |
| |
Email: lch@dhtankers.com | ) |
Department/Officer: | ) |
| |
The Guarantor | |
| |
DHT Holdings, Inc. | ) |
| ) |
By: | ) |
Title: Attorney in fact | ) |
Address: Haakon VII's gate 1, POB 2039 | ) |
Vika, 0125 Oslo, Norway | ) |
| |
Email: lch@dhtankers.com | ) |
Department/Officer: | ) |
The Agent | |
| |
Crédit Agricole Corporate and | ) |
Investment Bank | ) |
By: | ) |
Title: Attorney in fact | ) |
Address: 12, place des Etats-Unis, CS 70052, | ) |
92547 Montrouge Cedex, France | ) |
Attention: | Clémentine COSTIL / Romy ROUSSEL / Ludovic TRAVERT |
Phone: | +33(0)1.41.89.90.47/+33(0)1.41.89.06.12/+33(0)1.41.89.15.51 |
Email: | clementine.costil@ca-cib.com / romy.roussel@ca-cib.com / ludovic.travert@ca-cib.com |
Security Agent | |
| |
Crédit Agricole Corporate and | ) |
Investment Bank | ) |
By: | ) |
Title: Attorney in fact | ) |
Address: 12, place des Etats-Unis, CS 70052,
| ) |
92547 Montrouge Cedex, France | ) |
| ) |
Attention: | Clémentine COSTIL / Romy ROUSSEL / Ludovic TRAVERT |
Phone: | +33(0)1.41.89.90.47/+33(0)1.41.89.06.12/+33(0)1.41.89.15.51 |
Email: | clementine.costil@ca-cib.com / romy.roussel@ca-cib.com / ludovic.travert@ca-cib.com |
The Original Lenders | |
| |
Crédit Agricole Corporate and | ) |
Investment Bank | ) |
By: | ) |
Title: Attorney in fact | |
Attention: | Mathieu GAGNEZ / Anne-Laure ORANGE |
Phone: | 33 (0)1.41.89.12.07 / +33 (0)1.41.89.10.65 |
Email: | mathieu.gagnez@ca-cib.com / anne-laure.orange@ca-cib.com |
The Swap Provider | |
| |
CréditAgricole Corporate and | ) |
Investment Bank | ) |
By: | ) |
Title: Attorney in fact | ) |
Address: 12, place des Etats-Unis, CS 70052,
| ) |
92547 Montrouge Cedex, France | ) |
| ) |
SIGNATURE PAGE
OBLIGORS | |
| |
For and on behalf of | |
DHT TIGER LIMTIED | |
(as Borrower) | |
| |
By: | /s/ Jonathan C Page | |
Name: Jonathan C Page | |
Title: Attorney in fact | |
| |
For and on behalf of | |
DHT HOLDINGS, INC. | |
(as Guarantor) | |
| |
By: | /s/ Jonathan C Page | |
Name: Jonathan C Page | |
Title: Attorney in fact | |
FINANCE PARTIES |
|
For and on behalf of |
CRÉDIT AGRICOLE CORPORATE AND INVESTMENT BANK |
(as Agent) |
|
By:
| /s/ Anne-Laure Orange | | By:
| /s/ Mathieu Gagnez | |
Name: Anne-Laure Orange | | Name: Mathieu Gagnez |
Title: Attorney in fact | | Title: Attorney in fact |
For and on behalf of |
CRÉDIT AGRICOLE CORPORATE AND INVESTMENT BANK |
|
|
By:
| /s/ Anne-Laure Orange | | By:
| /s/ Mathieu Gagnez | |
Name: Anne-Laure Orange | | Name: Mathieu Gagnez |
Title: Attorney in fact | | Title: Attorney in fact |
For and on behalf of |
CRÉDIT AGRICOLE CORPORATE AND INVESTMENT BANK |
|
|
By:
| /s/ Anne-Laure Orange | | By:
| /s/ Mathieu Gagnez | |
Name: Anne-Laure Orange | | Name: Mathieu Gagnez |
Title: Attorney in fact | | Title: Attorney in fact |
For and on behalf of |
CRÉDIT AGRICOLE CORPORATE AND INVESTMENT BANK |
|
|
By:
| /s/ Michel Recio | | By:
| /s/ Thomas Roudie | |
Name: Michel Recio | | Name: Thomas Roudie |
Title: Attorney in fact | | Title: Attorney in fact |