EX-10.10 27 y27246exv10w10.htm EX-10.10: GUARANTEE AND COLLATERAL AGREEMENT EX-10.10
 

Exhibit 10.10
EXECUTION COPY
 
GUARANTEE AND COLLATERAL AGREEMENT
dated as of
November 1, 2006,
among
BUFFETS, INC.,
BUFFETS HOLDINGS, INC.,
the Subsidiaries of BUFFETS, INC.
from time to time party hereto,
and
CREDIT SUISSE,
as Collateral Agent
 
[CS&M Ref No. 5865-466]


 

 

Table of Contents
         
    Page  
ARTICLE I
       
 
       
SECTION 1.01. Credit Agreement
    1  
SECTION 1.02. Other Defined Terms
    1  
 
       
ARTICLE II
       
 
       
SECTION 2.01. Guarantee
    5  
SECTION 2.02. Guarantee of Payment
    6  
SECTION 2.03. No Limitations, Etc.
    6  
SECTION 2.04. Reinstatement
    7  
SECTION 2.05. Agreement To Pay; Subrogation
    7  
SECTION 2.06. Information
    7  
 
       
ARTICLE III
       
 
       
SECTION 3.01. Pledge
    7  
SECTION 3.02. Delivery of the Pledged Collateral
    8  
SECTION 3.03. Representations, Warranties and Covenants
    9  
SECTION 3.04. Certification of Limited Liability Company and Limited Partnership Interests
    9  
SECTION 3.05. Registration in Nominee Name; Denominations
    11  
SECTION 3.06. Voting Rights; Dividends and Interest, etc
    11  
 
       
ARTICLE IV
       
 
       
SECTION 4.01. Security Interest
    13  
SECTION 4.02. Representations and Warranties
    15  
SECTION 4.03. Covenants
    17  
SECTION 4.04. Other Actions
    20  
SECTION 4.05. Covenants regarding Patent, Trademark and Copyright Collateral
    22  
 
       
ARTICLE V
       
 
       
SECTION 5.01. Remedies upon Default
    24  
SECTION 5.02. Application of Proceeds
    26  
SECTION 5.03. Grant of License to Use Intellectual Property
    26  
SECTION 5.04. Securities Act, etc.
    27  


 

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    Page  
ARTICLE VI
       
 
       
SECTION 6.01. Indemnity and Subrogation
    28  
SECTION 6.02. Contribution and Subrogation
    28  
SECTION 6.03. Subordination
    28  
 
       
ARTICLE VII
       
 
       
SECTION 7.01. Notices
    29  
SECTION 7.02. Security Interest Absolute
    29  
SECTION 7.03. Survival of Agreement
    29  
SECTION 7.04. Binding Effect; Several Agreement
    29  
SECTION 7.05. Successors and Assigns
    30  
SECTION 7.06. Collateral Agent’s Fees and Expenses; Indemnification
    30  
SECTION 7.07. Collateral Agent Appointed Attorney-in-Fact
    31  
SECTION 7.08. Applicable Law
    31  
SECTION 7.09. Waivers; Amendment
    31  
SECTION 7.10. WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL
    32  
SECTION 7.11. Severability
    32  
SECTION 7.12. Counterparts
    33  
SECTION 7.13. Headings
    33  
SECTION 7.14 Jurisdiction; Consent to Service of Process
    33  
SECTION 7.15. Termination or Release
    33  
SECTION 7.16. Additional Grantors
    34  
SECTION 7.17. Right of Setoff
    35  
Schedules
Schedule I Subsidiary Guarantors
Schedule II Equity Interests; Pledged Debt Securities
Schedule III Intellectual Property
Exhibits
Exhibit A Form of Supplement
Exhibit B Form of Perfection Certificate


 

 

     GUARANTEE AND COLLATERAL AGREEMENT dated as of November 1, 2006, among BUFFETS, INC., a Minnesota corporation (the “Borrower”), BUFFETS HOLDINGS, INC., a Delaware corporation (“Holdings”), the Subsidiaries of the Borrower identified herein and CREDIT SUISSE (“Credit Suisse”), as collateral agent (in such capacity, the “Collateral Agent”).
          Reference is made to the Credit Agreement dated as of November 1, 2006 (as amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Credit Agreement”), among the Borrower, Holdings, the lenders from time to time party thereto (the “Lenders”) and Credit Suisse, as administrative agent (in such capacity, the “Administrative Agent”) and Collateral Agent. The Lenders and the Issuing Bank (such term and each other capitalized term used but not defined in this preliminary statement having the meaning given or ascribed to it in Article I) have agreed to extend credit to the Borrower pursuant to, and upon the terms and conditions specified in, the Credit Agreement. The obligations of the Lenders and the Issuing Bank to extend credit to the Borrower are conditioned upon, among other things, the execution and delivery of this Agreement by Holdings, the Borrower and the Subsidiary Guarantors. Holdings and the Subsidiary Guarantors are affiliates of the Borrower, will derive substantial benefits from the extension of credit to the Borrower pursuant to the Credit Agreement and are willing to execute and deliver this Agreement in order to induce the Lenders and the Issuing Bank to extend such credit. Accordingly, the parties hereto agree as follows:
ARTICLE I
Definitions
          SECTION 1.01. Credit Agreement. (a) Capitalized terms used in this Agreement and not otherwise defined herein have the meanings specified in the Credit Agreement. All terms defined in the New York UCC (as defined herein) and not defined in this Agreement have the meanings specified therein; all references to the Uniform Commercial Code shall mean the New York UCC; the term “instrument” shall have the meaning specified in Article 9 of the New York UCC.
          (b) The rules of construction specified in Section 1.02 of the Credit Agreement also apply to this Agreement.
          SECTION 1.02. Other Defined Terms. As used in this Agreement, the following terms have the meanings specified below:
          “Account Debtor” means any person who is or who may become obligated to any Grantor under, with respect to or on account of an Account.


 

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          “Accounts Receivable” shall mean all Accounts and all right, title and interest in any returned goods, together with all rights, titles, securities and guarantees with respect thereto, including any rights to stoppage in transit, replevin, reclamation and resales, and all related security interests, liens and pledges, whether voluntary or involuntary, in each case whether now existing or owned or hereafter arising or acquired.
          “Article 9 Collateral” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 4.01.
          “Collateral” means Article 9 Collateral and Pledged Collateral.
          “Copyright License” means any written agreement, now or hereafter in effect, granting any right to any Grantor under any copyright now or hereafter owned by any third party, and all rights of such Grantor under any such agreement.
          “Copyrights” means all of the following now owned or hereafter acquired by any Grantor: (a) all copyright rights in any work subject to the copyright laws of the United States or any other country, whether as author, assignee, transferee or otherwise, and (b) all registrations and applications for registration of any such copyright in the United States or any other country, including registrations, recordings, supplemental registrations and pending applications for registration in the United States Copyright Office (or any successor office or any similar office in any other country), including those listed on Schedule III.
          “Credit Agreement” has the meaning assigned to such term in the preliminary statement of this Agreement.
          “Equity Interests” means shares of capital stock, partnership interests, membership interests in a limited liability company, beneficial interests in a trust or other equity interests in any person, or any obligations convertible into or exchangeable for, or giving any person a right, option or warrant to acquire such equity interests or such convertible or exchangeable obligations.
          “General Intangibles” means all choses in action and causes of action and all other intangible personal property of any Grantor of every kind and nature (other than Accounts) now owned or hereafter acquired by any Grantor, including all rights and interests in partnerships, limited partnerships, limited liability companies and other unincorporated entities, corporate or other business records, indemnification claims, contract rights (including rights under leases, whether entered into as lessor or lessee, Hedging Agreements and other agreements), Intellectual Property, goodwill, registrations, franchises, tax refund claims and any letter of credit, guarantee, claim, security interest or other security held by or granted to any Grantor to secure payment by an Account Debtor of any of the Accounts.
          “Grantors” means Holdings, the Borrower and the Subsidiary Guarantors.
          “Guarantors” means Holdings and the Subsidiary Guarantors.


 

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          “Intellectual Property” means all intellectual and similar property of any Grantor of every kind and nature now owned or hereafter acquired by any Grantor, including inventions, designs, Patents, Copyrights, Licenses, Trademarks, trade secrets, confidential or proprietary technical and business information, know-how, show-how or other data or information, software and databases and all embodiments or fixations thereof and related documentation, registrations and franchises, and all additions, improvements and accessions to, and books and records describing or used in connection with, any of the foregoing.
          “License” means any Patent License, Trademark License, Copyright License or other license or sublicense agreement to any Intellectual Property or to intellectual property now owned or hereafter acquired by third parties to which any Grantor is a party, including those material Licenses listed on Schedule III.
          “Loan Document Obligations” means (a) the due and punctual payment of (i) the principal of and interest (including interest accruing during the pendency of any bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership or other similar proceeding, regardless of whether allowed or allowable in such proceeding) on the Loans, when and as due, whether at maturity, by acceleration, upon one or more dates set for prepayment or otherwise, (ii) each payment required to be made by the Borrower under the Credit Agreement in respect of any Letter of Credit, when and as due, including payments in respect of reimbursement of disbursements, interest thereon and obligations to provide cash collateral, and (iii) all other monetary obligations of the Borrower to any of the Secured Parties under the Credit Agreement and each of the other Loan Documents, including fees, costs, expenses and indemnities, whether primary, secondary, direct, contingent, fixed or otherwise (including monetary obligations incurred during the pendency of any bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership or other similar proceeding, regardless of whether allowed or allowable in such proceeding), (b) the due and punctual performance of all other obligations of the Borrower under or pursuant to the Credit Agreement and each of the other Loan Documents, and (c) the due and punctual payment and performance of all the obligations of each other Loan Party under or pursuant to this Agreement and each of the other Loan Documents.
          “New York UCC” means the Uniform Commercial Code as from time to time in effect in the State of New York.
          “Obligations” means (a) the Loan Document Obligations and (b) the due and punctual payment and performance of all obligations of each Loan Party under each Hedging Agreement that (i) is in effect on the Closing Date with a counterparty that is the Administrative Agent, a Lender or an Affiliate of the Administrative Agent or a Lender as of the Closing Date or (ii) is entered into after the Closing Date with any counterparty that is a Lender, the Administrative Agent or an Affiliate of a Lender or the Administrative Agent at the time such Hedging Agreement is entered into.
          “Patent License” means any written agreement, now or hereafter in effect, granting to any Grantor any right to make, use or sell any invention on which a patent,


 

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now or hereafter owned by any third party, is in existence, and all rights of any Grantor under any such agreement.
          “Patents” means all of the following now owned or hereafter acquired by any Grantor: (a) all letters patent of the United States or the equivalent thereof in any other country, all registrations and recordings thereof, and all applications for letters patent of the United States or the equivalent thereof in any other country, including registrations, recordings and pending applications in the United States Patent and Trademark Office (or any successor or any similar offices in any other country), including those listed on Schedule III, and (b) all reissues, continuations, divisions, continuations-in-part, renewals or extensions thereof, and the inventions disclosed or claimed therein, including the right to make, use and/or sell the inventions disclosed or claimed therein.
          “Perfection Certificate” means a certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit B, completed and supplemented with the schedules and attachments contemplated thereby, and duly executed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower.
          “Pledged Collateral” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 3.01.
          “Pledged Debt Securities” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 3.01.
          “Pledged Securities” means any promissory notes, stock certificates or other securities now or hereafter included in the Pledged Collateral, including all certificates, instruments or other documents representing or evidencing any Pledged Collateral.
          “Pledged Stock” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 3.01.
          “Proceeds” has the meaning specified in Section 9-102 of the New York UCC.
          “Secured Parties” means (a) the Lenders, (b) the Administrative Agent, (c) the Collateral Agent, (d) the Issuing Bank, (e) each counterparty to any Hedging Agreement with a Loan Party that either (i) is in effect on the Closing Date if such counterparty is the Administrative Agent, a Lender or an Affiliate of the Administrative Agent or a Lender as of the Closing Date or (ii) is entered into after the Closing Date if such counterparty is a Lender, the Administrative Agent or an Affiliate of a Lender or the Administrative Agent at the time such Hedging Agreement is entered into, (f) the beneficiaries of each indemnification obligation undertaken by any Loan Party under any Loan Document and (g) the permitted successors and assigns of each of the foregoing.
          “Security Interest” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 4.01.


 

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          “Subsidiary Guarantors” means (a) the Subsidiaries identified on Schedule I and (b) each other Subsidiary that becomes a party to this Agreement as a Subsidiary Guarantor after the Closing Date.
          “Trademark License” means any written agreement, now or hereafter in effect, granting to any Grantor any right to use any trademark now or hereafter owned by any third party, and all rights of any Grantor under any such agreement.
          “Trademarks” means all of the following now owned or hereafter acquired by any Grantor: (a) all trademarks, service marks, trade names, corporate names, company names, business names, fictitious business names, trade styles, trade dress, logos, other source or business identifiers, designs and general intangibles of like nature, now existing or hereafter adopted or acquired, all registrations and recordings thereof, and all registration and recording applications filed in connection therewith, including registrations and registration applications in the United States Patent and Trademark Office (or any successor office) or any similar offices in any State of the United States or any other country or any political subdivision thereof, and all extensions or renewals thereof, including those listed on Schedule III, (b) all goodwill associated therewith or symbolized thereby and (c) all other similar assets, rights and interests that uniquely reflect or embody such goodwill.
          “Unfunded Advances/Participations” shall mean (a) with respect to the Administrative Agent, the aggregate amount, if any (i) made available to the Borrower on the assumption that each Lender has made its portion of the applicable Borrowing available to the Administrative Agent as contemplated by Section 2.02(d) of the Credit Agreement and (ii) with respect to which a corresponding amount shall not in fact have been returned to the Administrative Agent by the Borrower or made available to the Administrative Agent by any such Lender, (b) with respect to the Swingline Lender, the aggregate amount, if any, of participations in respect of any outstanding Swingline Loan that shall not have been funded by the Revolving Credit Lenders in accordance with Section 2.22(e) of the Credit Agreement and (c) with respect to any Issuing Bank, the aggregate amount, if any, of participations in respect of any outstanding L/C Disbursement that shall not have been funded (i) by the Revolving Credit Lenders in accordance with Sections 2.23(d) and 2.02(f) of the Credit Agreement or (ii) with Credit-Linked Deposits in accordance with Sections 2.23(d) and 2.02(g) of the Credit Agreement.
ARTICLE II
Guarantee
          SECTION 2.01. Guarantee. Each Guarantor unconditionally guarantees, jointly with the other Guarantors and severally, as a primary obligor and not merely as a surety, the due and punctual payment and performance of the Obligations. Each of the Guarantors further agrees that the Obligations may be extended or renewed, in whole or in part, without notice to or further assent from it, and that it will remain bound upon its


 

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guarantee notwithstanding any extension or renewal of any Obligation. Each of the Guarantors waives presentment to, demand of payment from and protest to the Borrower or any other Loan Party of any of the Obligations, and also waives notice of acceptance of its guarantee and notice of protest for nonpayment.
          SECTION 2.02. Guarantee of Payment. Each of the Guarantors further agrees that its guarantee hereunder constitutes a guarantee of payment when due and not of collection, and waives any right to require that any resort be had by the Collateral Agent or any other Secured Party to any security held for the payment of the Obligations or to any balance of any deposit account or credit on the books of the Collateral Agent or any other Secured Party in favor of the Borrower or any other person.
          SECTION 2.03. No Limitations, Etc. (a) Except for termination of a Guarantor’s obligations hereunder as expressly provided in Section 7.15, the obligations of each Guarantor hereunder shall not be subject to any reduction, limitation, impairment or termination for any reason, including any claim of waiver, release, surrender, alteration or compromise, and shall not be subject to any defense (other than a defense of payment) or setoff, counterclaim, recoupment or termination whatsoever by reason of the invalidity, illegality or unenforceability of the Obligations or otherwise. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the obligations of each Guarantor hereunder shall not be discharged or impaired or otherwise affected by (i) the failure of the Collateral Agent or any other Secured Party to assert any claim or demand or to enforce any right or remedy under the provisions of any Loan Document or otherwise; (ii) any rescission, waiver, amendment or modification of, or any release from any of the terms or provisions of, any Loan Document or any other agreement, including with respect to any other Guarantor under this Agreement; (iii) the release of, or any impairment of or failure to perfect any Lien on or security interest in, any security held by the Collateral Agent or any other Secured Party for the Obligations or any of them; (iv) any default, failure or delay, wilful or otherwise, in the performance of the Obligations; or (v) any other act or omission that may or might in any manner or to any extent vary the risk of any Guarantor or otherwise operate as a discharge of any Guarantor as a matter of law or equity (other than the payment in full in cash of all the Obligations). Each Guarantor expressly authorizes the Collateral Agent to take and hold security for the payment and performance of the Obligations, to exchange, waive or release any or all such security (with or without consideration), to enforce or apply such security and direct the order and manner of any sale thereof in its sole discretion or to release or substitute any one or more other guarantors or obligors upon or in respect of the Obligations, all without affecting the obligations of any Guarantor hereunder.
          (b) To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, each Guarantor waives any defense based on or arising out of any defense of the Borrower or any other Loan Party or the unenforceability of the Obligations or any part thereof from any cause, or the cessation from any cause of the liability of the Borrower or any other Loan Party, other than the payment in full in cash of all the Obligations. The Collateral Agent and the other Secured Parties may, at their election, foreclose on any security held by one or more of them by one or more judicial or nonjudicial sales, accept an assignment of any such security in lieu of foreclosure, compromise or adjust any part of the Obligations,


 

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make any other accommodation with the Borrower or any other Loan Party or exercise any other right or remedy available to them against the Borrower or any other Loan Party, without affecting or impairing in any way the liability of any Guarantor hereunder except to the extent the Obligations have been fully and paid in full in cash. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, each Guarantor waives any defense arising out of any such election even though such election operates, pursuant to applicable law, to impair or to extinguish any right of reimbursement or subrogation or other right or remedy of such Guarantor against the Borrower or any other Loan Party, as the case may be, or any security.
          SECTION 2.04. Reinstatement. Each of the Guarantors agrees that its guarantee hereunder shall continue to be effective or be reinstated, as the case may be, if at any time payment, or any part thereof, of any Obligation is rescinded or must otherwise be restored by the Collateral Agent or any other Secured Party upon the bankruptcy or reorganization of the Borrower, any other Loan Party or otherwise.
          SECTION 2.05. Agreement To Pay; Subrogation. In furtherance of the foregoing and not in limitation of any other right that the Collateral Agent or any other Secured Party has at law or in equity against any Guarantor by virtue hereof, upon the failure of the Borrower or any other Loan Party to pay any Obligation when and as the same shall become due, whether at maturity, by acceleration, after notice of prepayment or otherwise, each Guarantor hereby promises to and will forthwith pay, or cause to be paid, to the Collateral Agent for distribution to the applicable Secured Parties in cash the amount of such unpaid Obligation. Upon payment by any Guarantor of any sums to the Collateral Agent as provided above, all rights of such Guarantor against the Borrower or any other Guarantor arising as a result thereof by way of right of subrogation, contribution, reimbursement, indemnity or otherwise shall in all respects be subject to Article VI.
          SECTION 2.06. Information. Each Guarantor assumes all responsibility for being and keeping itself informed of the Borrower’s and each other Loan Party’s financial condition and assets and of all other circumstances bearing upon the risk of nonpayment of the Obligations and the nature, scope and extent of the risks that such Guarantor assumes and incurs hereunder, and agrees that neither the Collateral Agent nor any other Secured Party will have any duty to advise such Guarantor of information known to it or any of them regarding such circumstances or risks.
ARTICLE III
Pledge of Securities
          SECTION 3.01. Pledge. As security for the payment or performance, as the case may be, in full of the Obligations, each Grantor hereby grants and pledges to the Collateral Agent, its successors and assigns, for the ratable benefit of the Secured Parties, and hereby grants to the Collateral Agent, its successors and assigns, for the ratable benefit of the Secured Parties, a security interest in, all of such Grantor’s right, title and


 

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interest in, to and under (a)(i) the Equity Interests owned by it on the date hereof (including all such Equity Interests listed on Schedule II) (other than the Equity Interests of any Inactive Subsidiary), (ii) any other Equity Interests obtained in the future by such Grantor and (iii) the certificates representing all such Equity Interests (all the foregoing collectively referred to herein as the “Pledged Stock”); provided that the Pledged Stock shall not include (i) more than 65% of the issued and outstanding voting Equity Interests and 100% of the issued and outstanding shares of nonvoting Equity Interests (if any) of any Foreign Subsidiary or (ii) any Equity Interests of any Foreign Subsidiary owned by a Foreign Subsidiary; (b)(i) the debt securities held by such Grantor on the date hereof (including all such debt securities listed opposite the name of such Grantor on Schedule II), (ii) any debt securities in the future issued to such Grantor and (iii) the promissory notes and any other instruments evidencing such debt securities (all the foregoing collectively referred to herein as the “Pledged Debt Securities”); (c) all other property that may be delivered to and held by the Collateral Agent pursuant to the terms of this Section 3.01; (d) subject to Section 3.06, all payments of principal or interest, dividends, cash, instruments and other property from time to time received, receivable or otherwise distributed in respect of, in exchange for or upon the conversion of, and all other Proceeds received in respect of, the securities referred to in clauses (a) and (b) above; (e) subject to Section 3.06, all rights and privileges of such Grantor with respect to the securities and other property referred to in clauses (a), (b), (c) and (d) above; and (f) all Proceeds of any of the foregoing (the items referred to in clauses (a) through (f) above being collectively referred to as the “Pledged Collateral”).
          TO HAVE AND TO HOLD the Pledged Collateral, together with all right, title, interest, powers, privileges and preferences pertaining or incidental thereto, unto the Collateral Agent, its successors and assigns, for the ratable benefit of the Secured Parties, forever; subject, however, to the terms, covenants and conditions hereinafter set forth.
          SECTION 3.02. Delivery of the Pledged Collateral. (a) Each Grantor agrees promptly to deliver or cause to be delivered to the Collateral Agent any and all certificates, instruments or other documents representing or evidencing Pledged Securities (other than certificates, instruments or other documents representing or evidencing Pledged Debt Securities with a face amount less than $200,000 acquired after the date hereof).
          (b) Each Grantor will cause any Indebtedness for borrowed money in excess of $400,000 owed to such Grantor by the Borrower or any Subsidiary to be evidenced by a duly executed promissory note that is pledged and delivered to the Collateral Agent pursuant to the terms hereof; provided that in the event that such Indebtedness owed to such Grantor shall exceed $2,000,000 in the aggregate the foregoing $400,000 limitation shall no longer apply.
          (c) Upon delivery to the Collateral Agent, (i) any certificate, instrument or document representing or evidencing Pledged Securities shall be accompanied by undated stock powers duly executed in blank or other undated instruments of transfer reasonably satisfactory to the Collateral Agent and duly executed in blank and by such other instruments and documents as the Collateral Agent may reasonably request and


 

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(ii) all other property comprising part of the Pledged Collateral shall be accompanied by proper instruments of assignment duly executed by the applicable Grantor and such other instruments or documents as the Collateral Agent may reasonably request. Each delivery of Pledged Securities shall be accompanied by a schedule describing the applicable securities, which schedule shall be attached hereto as Schedule II and made a part hereof; provided that failure to attach any such schedule hereto shall not affect the validity of such pledge of such Pledged Securities. Each schedule so delivered shall supplement any prior schedules so delivered.
          SECTION 3.03. Representations, Warranties and Covenants. The Grantors jointly and severally represent, warrant and covenant to and with the Collateral Agent, for the benefit of the Secured Parties, that:
     (a) As of the date hereof, Schedule II correctly sets forth the percentage of the issued and outstanding shares of each class of the Equity Interests of the issuer thereof represented by such Pledged Stock and includes all Equity Interests, debt securities and promissory notes required to be pledged hereunder;
     (b) the Pledged Stock and, to the best of each Grantor’s knowledge, the Pledged Debt Securities have been duly and validly authorized and issued by the issuers thereof and (i) in the case of Pledged Stock, are fully paid and nonassessable and (ii) in the case of Pledged Debt Securities, to the best of each Grantor’s knowledge, are legal, valid and binding obligations of the issuers thereof;
     (c) except for the security interests granted hereunder (or otherwise permitted under the Credit Agreement), each of the Grantors (i) is and, subject to any transfers made in compliance with the Credit Agreement, will continue to be the direct owner, beneficially and of record, of the Pledged Securities indicated on Schedule II as owned by such Grantor, (ii) holds the same free and clear of all Liens (other than Liens expressly permitted pursuant to Section 6.02 of the Credit Agreement), (iii) will make no assignment, pledge, hypothecation or transfer of, or create or permit to exist any security interest in or other Lien on, the Pledged Collateral, other than Liens created by this Agreement and transfers made in compliance with the Credit Agreement, and (iv) subject to Section 3.06, will cause any and all Pledged Collateral (other than Pledged Debt Securities with a face amount less than $200,000 acquired after the date hereof), whether for value paid by the Grantor or otherwise, to be forthwith deposited with the Collateral Agent and pledged or assigned hereunder;
     (d) except for restrictions and limitations imposed by the Loan Documents or securities laws generally, as of the date hereof, the Pledged Collateral is and will continue to be freely transferable and assignable, and none of the Pledged Collateral is or will be subject to any option, right of first refusal, shareholders agreement, charter or by-law provisions or contractual restriction of any nature that might prohibit, impair, delay or otherwise affect the pledge of such Pledged


 

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Collateral hereunder, the sale or disposition thereof pursuant hereto or the exercise by the Collateral Agent of rights and remedies hereunder;
     (e) each of the Grantors (i) has the power and authority to pledge the Pledged Collateral pledged by it hereunder in the manner hereby done or contemplated and (ii) will defend its title or interest thereto or therein against any and all Liens (other than the Lien created by this Agreement or Liens expressly permitted pursuant to Section 6.02 of the Credit Agreement or any other Loan Document), however arising, of all persons whomsoever;
     (f) no consent or approval of any Governmental Authority, any securities exchange or any other person was or is necessary to the validity of the pledge effected hereby (other than such as have been obtained and are in full force and effect);
     (g) by virtue of the execution and delivery by the Grantors of this Agreement, when any Pledged Securities are delivered to the Collateral Agent in accordance with this Agreement, the Collateral Agent will obtain a legal, valid and perfected first priority lien upon and security interest in such Pledged Securities as security for the payment and performance of the Obligations; and
     (h) the pledge effected hereby is effective to vest in the Collateral Agent, for the ratable benefit of the Secured Parties, the rights of the Collateral Agent in the Pledged Collateral as set forth herein.
          SECTION 3.04. Certification of Limited Liability Company and Limited Partnership Interests. (a) Each Grantor acknowledges and agrees that (i) each interest in any limited liability company or limited partnership controlled by such Grantor, pledged hereunder and represented by a certificate shall be a “security” within the meaning of Article 8 of the New York UCC and shall be governed by Article 8 of the New York UCC and (ii) each such interest shall at all times hereafter be represented by a certificate.
          (b) Each Grantor further acknowledges and agrees that (i) each interest in any limited liability company or limited partnership controlled by such Grantor, pledged hereunder and not represented by a certificate shall not be a “security” within the meaning of Article 8 of the New York UCC and shall not be governed by Article 8 of the New York UCC, (ii) such Grantor has not elected, and shall at no time elect, to treat any such interest as a “security” within the meaning of Article 8 of the New York UCC or issue any certificate representing such interest and (iii) the charter documents of any such limited liability company or limited partnership (A) do not, and shall not, prohibit any such interest from being pledged and (B) shall not be amended, supplemented or otherwise modified in a manner materially adverse to the Collateral Agent without the prior written consent of the Collateral Agent, unless (y) such Grantor provides prior written notification to the Collateral Agent of such election and immediately delivers any such certificate to the Collateral Agent pursuant to the terms hereof or (z) the Collateral Agent has otherwise perfected its Security Interest in such interest.


 

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          SECTION 3.05. Registration in Nominee Name; Denominations. Upon the occurrence and continuance of an Event of Default, the Collateral Agent, on behalf of the Secured Parties, shall have the right (in its sole and absolute discretion) to hold the Pledged Securities in its own name as pledgee, the name of its nominee (as pledgee or as sub-agent) or the name of the applicable Grantor, endorsed or assigned in blank or in favor of the Collateral Agent. Each Grantor will promptly give to the Collateral Agent copies of any material notices or other communications received by it with respect to Pledged Securities registered in the name of such Grantor. Upon the occurrence and continuance of an Event of Default, the Collateral Agent shall at all times have the right to exchange the certificates representing Pledged Securities for certificates of smaller or larger denominations for any purpose consistent with this Agreement.
          SECTION 3.06. Voting Rights; Dividends and Interest, etc. (a) Unless and until an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing and the Collateral Agent shall have given the Grantors notice of its intent to exercise its rights under this Agreement (which notice shall be deemed to have been given immediately upon the occurrence of an Event of Default under paragraph (g) or (h) of Article VII of the Credit Agreement):
     (i) Each Grantor shall be entitled to exercise any and all voting and/or other consensual rights and powers inuring to an owner of Pledged Securities or any part thereof for any purpose consistent with the terms of this Agreement, the Credit Agreement and the other Loan Documents; provided that such rights and powers shall not be exercised in any manner that could materially and adversely affect the rights inuring to a holder of any Pledged Securities or the rights and remedies of any of the Collateral Agent or the other Secured Parties under this Agreement or the Credit Agreement or any other Loan Document or the ability of the Secured Parties to exercise the same.
     (ii) The Collateral Agent shall execute and deliver to each Grantor, or cause to be executed and delivered to such Grantor, all such proxies, powers of attorney and other instruments as such Grantor may reasonably request for the purpose of enabling such Grantor to exercise the voting and/or consensual rights and powers it is entitled to exercise pursuant to subparagraph (i) above.
     (iii) Each Grantor shall be entitled to receive and retain any and all dividends, interest, principal and other distributions paid on or distributed in respect of the Pledged Securities to the extent and only to the extent that such dividends, interest, principal and other distributions are permitted by, and otherwise paid or distributed in accordance with, the terms and conditions of the Credit Agreement, the other Loan Documents and applicable laws; provided that any noncash dividends, interest, principal or other distributions that would constitute Pledged Stock or Pledged Debt Securities, whether resulting from a subdivision, combination or reclassification of the outstanding Equity Interests of the issuer of any Pledged Securities or received in exchange for Pledged Securities or any part thereof, or in redemption thereof, or as a result of any merger, consolidation, acquisition or other exchange of assets to which such


 

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issuer may be a party or otherwise, shall be and become part of the Pledged Collateral, and, if received by any Grantor, shall not be commingled by such Grantor with any of its other funds or property but shall be held separate and apart therefrom, shall be held in trust for the ratable benefit of the Secured Parties and shall be forthwith delivered to the Collateral Agent in the same form as so received (with any necessary endorsement or instrument of assignment). This paragraph (iii) shall not apply to dividends by or among the Borrower, the Guarantors and any Subsidiaries only of property subject to a perfected security interest under this Agreement; provided that the Borrower notifies the Collateral Agent in writing, specifically referring to this Section 3.06 at the time of such dividend and takes any actions the Collateral Agent reasonably specifies to ensure the continuance of its perfected security interest in such property under this Agreement.
          (b) Upon the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default, after the Collateral Agent shall have notified (or shall be deemed to have notified pursuant to Section 3.06(a)) the Grantors of its intent to exercise its rights under paragraph (a)(iii) of this Section 3.06, then all rights of any Grantor to dividends, interest, principal or other distributions that such Grantor is authorized to receive pursuant to paragraph (a)(iii) of this Section 3.06 shall cease, and all such rights shall thereupon become vested in the Collateral Agent, which shall have the sole and exclusive right and authority to receive and retain such dividends, interest, principal or other distributions. All dividends, interest, principal or other distributions received by any Grantor contrary to the provisions of this Section 3.06 shall be held in trust for the benefit of the Collateral Agent, shall be segregated from other property or funds of such Grantor and shall be forthwith delivered to the Collateral Agent upon demand in the same form as so received (with any necessary endorsement or instrument of assignment). Any and all money and other property paid over to or received by the Collateral Agent pursuant to the provisions of this paragraph (b) shall be retained by the Collateral Agent in an account to be established by the Collateral Agent upon receipt of such money or other property and shall be applied in accordance with the provisions of Section 5.02. After all Events of Default have been cured or waived and the applicable Grantor or Grantors have delivered to the Administrative Agent certificates to that effect, the Collateral Agent shall, promptly after all such Events of Default have been cured or waived, repay to each applicable Grantor (without interest) all dividends, interest, principal or other distributions that such Grantor would otherwise be permitted to retain pursuant to the terms of paragraph (a)(iii) of this Section 3.06 and that remain in such account.
          (c) Upon the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default, after the Collateral Agent shall have notified (or shall be deemed to have notified pursuant to Section 3.06(a)) the Grantors of its intent to exercise its rights under paragraph (a)(i) of this Section 3.06, then all rights of any Grantor to exercise the voting and consensual rights and powers it is entitled to exercise pursuant to paragraph (a)(i) of this Section 3.06, and the obligations of the Collateral Agent under paragraph (a)(ii) of this Section 3.06, shall cease, and all such rights shall thereupon become vested in the Collateral Agent, which shall have the sole and exclusive right and authority to exercise such voting and consensual rights and powers; provided that, unless otherwise directed


 

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by the Required Lenders, the Collateral Agent shall have the right from time to time following and during the continuance of an Event of Default to permit the Grantors to exercise such rights.
          (d) Any notice given by the Collateral Agent to the Grantors exercising its rights under paragraph (a) of this Section 3.06 (i) may be given by telephone if promptly confirmed in writing, (ii) may be given to one or more of the Grantors at the same or different times and (iii) may suspend the rights of the Grantors under paragraph (a)(i) or paragraph (a)(iii) in part without suspending all such rights (as specified by the Collateral Agent in its sole and absolute discretion) and without waiving or otherwise affecting the Collateral Agent’s rights to give additional notices from time to time suspending other rights so long as an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing.
ARTICLE IV
Security Interests in Personal Property
          SECTION 4.01. Security Interest. (a) As security for the payment or performance, as the case may be, in full of the Obligations, each Grantor hereby grants and pledges to the Collateral Agent, its successors and assigns, for the ratable benefit of the Secured Parties, and hereby grants to the Collateral Agent, its successors and assigns, for the ratable benefit of the Secured Parties, a security interest (the “Security Interest”), in all right, title or interest in or to any and all of the following assets and properties now owned or at any time hereafter acquired by such Grantor or in which such Grantor now has or at any time in the future may acquire any right, title or interest (collectively, the “Article 9 Collateral”):
  (i)   all Accounts;
 
  (ii)   all Chattel Paper;
 
  (iii)   all cash and Deposit Accounts;
 
  (iv)   all Documents;
 
  (v)   all Equipment;
 
  (vi)   all General Intangibles; provided that the grant of the Security Interest hereunder shall not include any application for a Trademark that would be deemed invalidated, canceled or abandoned due to the grant and/or enforcement of such Security Interest unless and until such time that the grant and/or enforcement of the Security Interest will not affect the status or validity of such Trademark;
 
  (vii)   all Instruments;


 

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  (viii)   all Inventory;
 
  (ix)   all Investment Property;
 
  (x)   all Letter-of-credit rights;
 
  (xi)   all commercial tort claims;
 
  (xii)   all books and records pertaining to the Article 9 Collateral; and
     (xiii) to the extent not otherwise included, all Proceeds and products of any and all of the foregoing and all collateral security and guarantees given by any person with respect to any of the foregoing; provided that the foregoing shall not include any asset that such Grantor now has or at any time in the future may acquire the right, title or interest of which is (i) the subject of a capital lease (as determined in accordance with GAAP) and (ii) legally or beneficially owned by a person other than a Grantor.
          (b) Each Grantor hereby irrevocably authorizes the Collateral Agent at any time and from time to time to file in any relevant jurisdiction any initial financing statements (including fixture filings) with respect to the Article 9 Collateral or any part thereof and amendments thereto that (i) indicate the Article 9 Collateral as “all assets” of such Grantor or words of similar effect, and (ii) contain the information required by Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code of each applicable jurisdiction for the filing of any financing statement or amendment, including (A) whether such Grantor is an organization, the type of organization and any organizational identification number issued to such Grantor and (B) in the case of a financing statement filed as a fixture filing, a sufficient description of the real property to which such Article 9 Collateral relates. Each Grantor agrees to provide such information to the Collateral Agent promptly upon request.
          Each Grantor also ratifies its authorization for the Collateral Agent to file in any relevant jurisdiction any initial financing statements or amendments thereto if filed prior to the date hereof.
          The Collateral Agent is further authorized to file with the United States Patent and Trademark Office or United States Copyright Office (or any successor office or any similar office in any other country) such documents as may be necessary or advisable for the purpose of perfecting, confirming, continuing, enforcing or protecting the Security Interest granted by each Grantor, without the signature of any Grantor, and naming any Grantor or the Grantors as debtors and the Collateral Agent as secured party.
          (c) The Security Interest is granted as security only and shall not subject the Collateral Agent or any other Secured Party to, or in any way alter or modify, any obligation or liability of any Grantor with respect to or arising out of the Article 9 Collateral.


 

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          SECTION 4.02. Representations and Warranties. The Grantors jointly and severally represent and warrant to the Collateral Agent and the Secured Parties that:
     (a) To the best of each Grantor’s knowledge, each Grantor has good and valid rights in and title to the Article 9 Collateral with respect to which it has purported to grant a Security Interest hereunder and has full power and authority to grant to the Collateral Agent, for the ratable benefit of the Secured Parties, the Security Interest in such Article 9 Collateral pursuant hereto and to execute, deliver and perform its obligations in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, without the consent or approval of any other person other than any consent or approval that has been obtained.
     (b) The Perfection Certificate has been duly prepared, completed and executed and the information set forth therein, including (x) the exact legal name of each Grantor and (y) the jurisdiction of organization of each Grantor, is correct and complete in all material respects (except that the information referred to in the preceding clauses (x) and (y) shall not be subject to such materiality qualifier) as of the Closing Date. Uniform Commercial Code financing statements (including fixture filings, as applicable) or other appropriate filings, recordings or registrations containing a description of the Article 9 Collateral (the “UCC Filings”) have been prepared by the Collateral Agent based upon the information provided to the Administrative Agent and the Secured Parties in the Perfection Certificate for filing in each governmental, municipal or other office specified in Section 2 to the Perfection Certificate (or specified by notice from the Borrower to the Administrative Agent after the Closing Date in the case of filings, recordings or registrations required by Section 5.06 or 5.09 of the Credit Agreement), which are all the filings, recordings and registrations (other than filings that may be required to be made in the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the United States Copyright Office in order to perfect the Security Interest in Article 9 Collateral consisting of United States Patents, Trademarks and Copyrights) that are necessary as of the Closing Date to publish notice of and protect the validity of and to establish a legal, valid and perfected security interest in favor of the Collateral Agent (for the ratable benefit of the Secured Parties) in respect of all Article 9 Collateral in which the Security Interest may be perfected by filing, recording or registration in the United States (or any political subdivision thereof) and its territories and possessions, and no further or subsequent filing, refiling, recording, rerecording, registration or reregistration is necessary in any such jurisdiction, except as provided under applicable law with respect to the filing of continuation statements. Each Grantor represents and warrants that a fully executed agreement in the form hereof (or a fully executed short form agreement in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Collateral Agent), and containing a description of all Article 9 Collateral consisting of Intellectual Property with respect to United States Patents and United States registered Trademarks (and Trademarks for which United States registration applications are pending) and United States registered Copyrights has been delivered to the Collateral Agent for recording by the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the United States Copyright Office pursuant to


 

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35 U.S.C. § 261, 15 U.S.C. § 1060 or 17 U.S.C. § 205 and the regulations thereunder, as applicable, and otherwise as may be required pursuant to the laws of any other necessary jurisdiction, to protect the validity of and to establish a legal, valid and perfected security interest in favor of the Collateral Agent (for the ratable benefit of the Secured Parties) in respect of all Article 9 Collateral consisting of Patents, Trademarks and Copyrights in which a security interest may be perfected by filing, recording or registration in the United States (or any political subdivision thereof) and its territories and possessions, or in any other necessary jurisdiction, and no further or subsequent filing, refiling, recording, rerecording, registration or reregistration is necessary (other than the UCC Filings and such actions as are necessary to perfect the Security Interest with respect to any Article 9 Collateral consisting of Patents, Trademarks and Copyrights (or registration or application for registration thereof) acquired or developed after the date hereof).
     (c) The Security Interest constitutes (i) a legal and valid security interest in all the Article 9 Collateral securing the payment and performance of the Obligations, (ii) subject to the filings described in Section 4.02(b), a perfected security interest in all Article 9 Collateral in which a security interest may be perfected by filing, recording or registering a financing statement or analogous document in the United States (or any political subdivision thereof) and its territories and possessions pursuant to the Uniform Commercial Code or other applicable law in such jurisdictions and (iii) a security interest that shall be perfected in all Article 9 Collateral in which a security interest may be perfected upon the receipt and recording of this Agreement with the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the United States Copyright Office, as applicable. The Security Interest is and shall be prior to any other Lien on any of the Article 9 Collateral, other than Liens expressly permitted to be prior to the Security Interest pursuant to Section 6.02 of the Credit Agreement.
     (d) The Article 9 Collateral is owned by the Grantors free and clear of any Lien, except for Liens expressly permitted pursuant to Section 6.02 of the Credit Agreement. None of the Grantors has filed or consented to the filing on or after the date hereof of (i) any financing statement or analogous document under the Uniform Commercial Code or any other applicable laws covering any Article 9 Collateral, (ii) any assignment in which any Grantor assigns any Collateral or any security agreement or similar instrument covering any Article 9 Collateral with the United States Patent and Trademark Office or the United States Copyright Office or (iii) any assignment in which any Grantor assigns any Article 9 Collateral or any security agreement or similar instrument covering any Article 9 Collateral with any foreign governmental, municipal or other office, which financing statement or analogous document, assignment, security agreement or similar instrument is still in effect, except, in each case, for Liens expressly permitted pursuant to Section 6.02 of the Credit Agreement. None of the Grantors hold any commercial tort claim as of the date hereof except as indicated on the Perfection Certificate.


 

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          SECTION 4.03. Covenants. (a) Each Grantor agrees to maintain, at its own cost and expense, such complete and accurate records with respect to the Article 9 Collateral owned by it as is consistent with its current practices and in accordance with such prudent and standard practices used in industries that are the same as or similar to those in which such Grantor is engaged, but in any event to include complete accounting records indicating all payments and proceeds received with respect to any part of the Article 9 Collateral, and, at such time or times as the Collateral Agent may reasonably request (but not more often than two times each year unless an Event of Default is continuing), promptly to prepare and deliver to the Collateral Agent a duly certified schedule or schedules in form and detail reasonably satisfactory to the Collateral Agent showing the identity, amount and location of any and all Article 9 Collateral.
          (b) Each Grantor shall, at its own expense, take any and all actions necessary to defend title to the Article 9 Collateral (other than any Article 9 Collateral consisting of a Patent, Trademark or Copyright which shall be governed by the provisions of Section 4.05(g) hereof or any other immaterial Intellectual Property) against all persons and to defend the Security Interest of the Collateral Agent in the Article 9 Collateral and the priority thereof against any Lien not expressly permitted pursuant to Section 6.02 of the Credit Agreement.
          (c) Each Grantor agrees, at its own expense, to execute, acknowledge, deliver and cause to be duly filed all such further instruments and documents and take all such actions as the Collateral Agent may from time to time reasonably request to better assure, obtain, preserve, protect and perfect the Security Interest and the rights and remedies created hereby, including the payment of any reasonable fees and Taxes required in connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement, the granting of the Security Interest and the filing of any financing or continuation statements (including fixture filings) or other documents in connection herewith or therewith. If any amount payable to any Grantor under or in connection with any of the Article 9 Collateral shall be or become evidenced by any promissory note or other instrument in excess of $400,000, such note or instrument shall be promptly pledged and delivered to the Collateral Agent, duly endorsed in a manner satisfactory to the Collateral Agent; provided that promissory notes or instruments evidencing advances permitted under Section 6.04(e) of the Credit Agreement will not be required to be so pledged.
          Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, each Grantor hereby authorizes the Collateral Agent, with prompt notice thereof to the Grantors, to supplement this Agreement by supplementing Schedule III or adding additional schedules hereto to specifically identify any asset or item that may constitute Copyrights, material Licenses, Patents or Trademarks; provided that any Grantor shall have the right, exercisable within 10 days after it has been notified by the Collateral Agent of the specific identification of such Collateral, to advise the Collateral Agent in writing of any material inaccuracy of the representations and warranties made by such Grantor hereunder with respect to such Collateral. Each Grantor agrees that it will use commercially reasonable efforts to take such action as shall be necessary in order that all representations and warranties hereunder shall be true and correct in all material respects


 

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with respect to such Collateral within 30 days after the date it has been notified by the Collateral Agent of the specific identification of such Collateral.
          (d) The Collateral Agent and such persons as the Collateral Agent may reasonably designate shall have the right, at the Grantors’ own cost and expense, to inspect the Article 9 Collateral, all records related thereto (and to make extracts and copies from such records) and the premises upon which any of the Article 9 Collateral is located, to discuss the Grantors’ affairs with the officers of the Grantors and their independent accountants and to verify under reasonable procedures, in accordance with Section 5.03 of the Credit Agreement, the existence, validity, amount, quality, quantity, value, condition and status of, or any other matter relating to, the Article 9 Collateral, including, in the case of Accounts or other Article 9 Collateral in the possession of any third person (after the occurrence and continuation of a Default), by contacting Account Debtors or the third person possessing such Article 9 Collateral for the purpose of making such a verification. The Collateral Agent shall have the absolute right to share any information it gains from such inspection or verification with any Secured Party.
          (e) At its option, the Collateral Agent may discharge past due Taxes, assessments, charges, fees, Liens, security interests or other encumbrances at any time levied or placed on the Article 9 Collateral and not expressly permitted pursuant to Section 6.02 of the Credit Agreement, and may pay for the maintenance and preservation of the Article 9 Collateral to the extent any Grantor fails to do so as required by the Credit Agreement or this Agreement, and each Grantor jointly and severally agrees to reimburse the Collateral Agent on demand for any payment made or any expense incurred by the Collateral Agent pursuant to the foregoing authorization; provided, however, that nothing in this paragraph shall be interpreted as excusing any Grantor from the performance of, or imposing any obligation on the Collateral Agent or any Secured Party to cure or perform, any covenants or other promises of any Grantor with respect to Taxes, assessments, charges, fees, Liens, security interests or other encumbrances and maintenance as set forth herein or in the other Loan Documents.
          (f) If at any time any Grantor shall take a security interest in any material property of an Account Debtor or any other person to secure payment and performance of an Account, such Grantor shall promptly assign such security interest to the Collateral Agent for the ratable benefit of the Secured Parties. Such assignment need not be filed of public record unless necessary to continue the perfected status of the security interest against creditors of and transferees from the Account Debtor or other person granting the security interest.
          (g) Each Grantor shall remain liable to observe and perform all the conditions and obligations to be observed and performed by it under each contract, agreement or instrument relating to the Article 9 Collateral, all in accordance with the terms and conditions thereof, and each Grantor jointly and severally agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Collateral Agent and the Secured Parties from and against any and all liability for such performance.


 

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          (h) None of the Grantors shall make or permit to be made an assignment, pledge or hypothecation of the Article 9 Collateral or shall grant any other Lien in respect of the Article 9 Collateral, except as expressly permitted by Section 6.02 of the Credit Agreement. None of the Grantors shall make or permit to be made any transfer of the Article 9 Collateral and each Grantor shall remain at all times in possession or otherwise in control of the Article 9 Collateral owned by it, except that (i) Inventory may be sold in the ordinary course of business and (ii) unless and until the Collateral Agent shall notify the Grantors that an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing and that during the continuance thereof the Grantors shall not sell, convey, lease, assign, transfer or otherwise dispose of any Article 9 Collateral (which notice may be given by telephone if promptly confirmed in writing), the Grantors may use and dispose of the Article 9 Collateral in any lawful manner not inconsistent with the provisions of this Agreement, the Credit Agreement or any other Loan Document. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, each Grantor agrees that it shall not permit any Inventory in excess of $500,000 to be in the possession or control of any warehouseman, bailee, agent or processor at any time unless such warehouseman, bailee, agent or processor shall have been notified of the Security Interest and shall have acknowledged in writing, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Collateral Agent, that such bailee or processor holds the Inventory for the benefit of the Collateral Agent subject to the Security Interest and shall act upon the instructions of the Collateral Agent without further consent from the Grantor, and that such warehouseman, agent, bailee or processor further agrees to waive and release any Lien held by it with respect to such Inventory, whether arising by operation of law or otherwise.
          (i) None of the Grantors will, without the Collateral Agent’s prior written consent, grant any extension of the time of payment of any Accounts included in the Article 9 Collateral, compromise, compound or settle the same for less than the full amount thereof, release, wholly or partly, any person liable for the payment thereof or allow any credit or discount whatsoever thereon, other than extensions, credits, discounts, compromises, compoundings or settlements granted or made in the ordinary course of business and consistent with its current practices and in accordance with such prudent and standard practice used in industries that are the same as or similar to those in which such Grantor is engaged.
          (j) The Grantors, at their own expense, shall maintain or cause to be maintained insurance covering physical loss or damage to the Inventory and Equipment in accordance with the requirements set forth in Section 5.02 of the Credit Agreement. Each Grantor irrevocably makes, constitutes and appoints the Collateral Agent (and all officers, employees or agents designated by the Collateral Agent) as such Grantor’s true and lawful agent (and attorney-in-fact) for the purpose, upon the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default, of making, settling and adjusting claims in respect of Article 9 Collateral under policies of insurance, endorsing the name of such Grantor on any check, draft, instrument or other item of payment for the proceeds of such policies of insurance and for making all determinations and decisions with respect thereto. In the event that any Grantor at any time or times shall fail to obtain or maintain any of the policies of insurance required hereby or under the Credit Agreement or to pay any premium in whole or part relating thereto, the Collateral Agent may, without waiving


 

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or releasing any obligation or liability of the Grantors hereunder or any Event of Default, in its sole discretion, obtain and maintain such policies of insurance and pay such premium and take any other actions with respect thereto as the Collateral Agent deems advisable. All sums disbursed by the Collateral Agent in connection with this paragraph, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, court costs, expenses and other charges relating thereto, shall be payable, upon demand, by the Grantors to the Collateral Agent and shall be additional Obligations secured hereby.
          (k) Each Grantor shall maintain, in form and manner reasonably satisfactory to the Collateral Agent, records of its Chattel Paper and its books, records and documents evidencing or pertaining thereto.
          SECTION 4.04. Other Actions. In order to further insure the attachment, perfection and priority of, and the ability of the Collateral Agent to enforce, the Security Interest in the Article 9 Collateral, each Grantor agrees, in each case at such Grantor’s own expense, to take the following actions with respect to the following Article 9 Collateral:
     (a) Instruments. If any Grantor shall at any time hold or acquire any Instruments with a value in excess of $200,000, such Grantor shall forthwith endorse, assign and deliver the same to the Collateral Agent, accompanied by such undated instruments of endorsement, transfer or assignment duly executed in blank as the Collateral Agent may from time to time specify.
     (b) Deposit Accounts. For each deposit account that any Grantor at any time opens or maintains, such Grantor shall, at the Collateral Agent’s request upon the occurrence and during the continuance of a Default or an Event of Default, either (i) cause the depositary bank to agree to comply at any time with instructions from the Collateral Agent to such depositary bank directing the disposition of funds from time to time credited to such deposit account, without further consent of such Grantor or any other person, pursuant to an agreement in form reasonably satisfactory to the Collateral Agent, or (ii) arrange for the Collateral Agent to become the customer of the depositary bank with respect to the deposit account, with the Grantor being permitted, only with the consent of the Collateral Agent, to exercise rights to withdraw funds from such deposit account. The Collateral Agent agrees with each Grantor that the Collateral Agent shall not give any such instructions or withhold any withdrawal rights from any Grantor, unless an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, or, after giving effect to any withdrawal, would occur. The provisions of this paragraph shall not apply to (A) any deposit account for which any Grantor, the depositary bank and the Collateral Agent have entered into a cash collateral agreement specially negotiated among such Grantor, the depositary bank and the Collateral Agent for the specific purpose set forth therein and (B) deposit accounts for which the Collateral Agent is the depositary.
     (c) Investment Property. Except to the extent otherwise provided in Article III, if any Grantor shall at any time hold or acquire any certificated


 

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securities, such Grantor shall forthwith endorse, assign and deliver the same to the Collateral Agent, accompanied by such undated instruments of transfer or assignment duly executed in blank as the Collateral Agent may from time to time specify. If any securities now or hereafter acquired by any Grantor are uncertificated and are issued to such Grantor or its nominee directly by the issuer thereof, such Grantor shall immediately notify the Collateral Agent thereof and, at the Collateral Agent’s request and option, pursuant to an agreement in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Collateral Agent, either (a) cause the issuer to agree to comply with instructions from the Collateral Agent as to such securities, without further consent of any Grantor or such nominee, or (b) arrange for the Collateral Agent to become the registered owner of the securities. If any securities, whether certificated or uncertificated, or other investment property with a value in excess of $200,000 now or hereafter acquired by any Grantor are held by such Grantor or its nominee through a securities intermediary or commodity intermediary, such Grantor shall immediately notify the Collateral Agent thereof and, at the Collateral Agent’s request and option, pursuant to an agreement in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Collateral Agent, either (i) cause such securities intermediary or (as the case may be) commodity intermediary to agree to comply with entitlement orders or other instructions from the Collateral Agent to such securities intermediary as to such securities or other investment property, or (as the case may be) to apply any value distributed on account of any commodity contract as directed by the Collateral Agent to such commodity intermediary, in each case without further consent of any Grantor or such nominee, or (ii) in the case of “financial assets” (within the meaning of Article 8 of the New York UCC and governed by Article 8 of the New York UCC) or other Investment Property held through a securities intermediary, arrange for the Collateral Agent to become the entitlement holder with respect to such investment property, with the Grantor being permitted, only with the consent of the Collateral Agent, to exercise rights to withdraw or otherwise deal with such investment property. The Collateral Agent agrees with each of the Grantors that the Collateral Agent shall not give any such entitlement orders or instructions or directions to any such issuer, securities intermediary or commodity intermediary, and shall not withhold its consent to the exercise of any withdrawal or dealing rights by any Grantor, unless an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, or, after giving effect to any such investment and withdrawal rights would occur. The provisions of this paragraph shall not apply to any financial assets credited to a securities account for which the Collateral Agent is the securities intermediary.
     (d) Electronic Chattel Paper and Transferable Records. If any Grantor at any time holds or acquires an interest in any electronic chattel paper or any “transferable record,” with a value in excess of $400,000 as that term is defined in Section 201 of the Federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, or in Section 16 of the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act as in effect in any relevant jurisdiction, such Grantor shall promptly notify the Collateral Agent thereof and, at the request of the Collateral Agent, shall take such action as the Collateral Agent may reasonably request to vest in the Collateral Agent control under New York UCC Section 9-105 of such electronic


 

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chattel paper or control under Section 201 of the Federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act or, as the case may be, Section 16 of the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act, as so in effect in such jurisdiction, of such transferable record. The Collateral Agent agrees with such Grantor that the Collateral Agent will arrange, pursuant to procedures reasonably satisfactory to the Collateral Agent and so long as such procedures will not result in the Collateral Agent’s loss of control, for the Grantor to make alterations to the electronic chattel paper or transferable record permitted under UCC Section 9-105 or, as the case may be, Section 201 of the Federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act or Section 16 of the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act for a party in control to allow without loss of control, unless an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing or would occur after taking into account any action by such Grantor with respect to such electronic chattel paper or transferable record.
     (e) Letter-of-credit Rights. If any Grantor is at any time a beneficiary under a letter of credit with a value in excess of $1,000,000 now or hereafter issued in favor of such Grantor, such Grantor shall promptly notify the Collateral Agent thereof and, at the request and option of the Collateral Agent, such Grantor shall, pursuant to an agreement in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Collateral Agent, either (i) arrange for the issuer and any confirmer of such letter of credit to consent to an assignment to the Collateral Agent of the proceeds of any drawing under the letter of credit or (ii) arrange for the Collateral Agent to become the transferee beneficiary of the letter of credit, with the Collateral Agent agreeing, in each case, that the proceeds of any drawing under the letter of credit are to be paid to the applicable Grantor unless an Event of Default has occurred or is continuing.
     (f) Commercial Tort Claims. If any Grantor shall at any time hold or acquire a commercial tort claim in an amount reasonably estimated to exceed $400,000, the Grantor shall promptly notify the Collateral Agent thereof in a writing signed by such Grantor including a summary description of such claim and grant to the Collateral Agent, for the ratable benefit of the Secured Parties, in such writing a security interest therein and in the proceeds thereof, all upon the terms of this Agreement, with such writing to be in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Collateral Agent.
          SECTION 4.05. Covenants regarding Patent, Trademark and Copyright Collateral. (a) Each Grantor agrees that it will not, and will use its commercially reasonable efforts to not permit any of its licensees to, do any act, or omit to do any act, whereby any Patent that is material to the conduct of such Grantor’s business may become invalidated or dedicated to the public domain, and agrees that it shall continue to mark any products covered by a Patent with the relevant patent number as necessary and sufficient to establish and preserve its maximum rights under applicable patent laws.
          (b) Each Grantor (either itself or through its licensees or its sublicensees) will, for each Trademark material to the conduct of such Grantor’s business, (i) maintain


 

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such Trademark in full force free from any claim of abandonment or invalidity for non-use, (ii) maintain the quality of products and services offered under such Trademark, (iii) display such Trademark with notice of Federal or foreign registration to the extent required under applicable law and (iv) not knowingly use or knowingly permit the use of such Trademark in violation of any third party rights.
          (c) Each Grantor (either itself or through its licensees or sublicensees) will, for each work covered by a material Copyright, continue to publish, reproduce, display, adopt and distribute the work with appropriate copyright notice as required under applicable copyright laws.
          (d) Each Grantor shall notify the Collateral Agent immediately if it knows or has reason to know that any Patent, Trademark or Copyright material to the conduct of its business may become abandoned, lost or dedicated to the public, or of any material adverse determination or development (including the institution of, or any such material determination or development in, any proceeding in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, United States Copyright Office or any court or similar office of any country) regarding such Grantor’s ownership of any material Patent, Trademark or Copyright, its right to register the same, or its right to keep and maintain the same.
          (e) In the event any Grantor, either itself or through any agent, employee, licensee or designee, files an application for any Patent, Trademark or Copyright (or for the registration of any Trademark or Copyright) with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, United States Copyright Office or any office or agency in any political subdivision of the United States or in any other country or any political subdivision thereof, it shall promptly inform the Collateral Agent, and, upon request of the Collateral Agent, execute and deliver any and all agreements, instruments, documents and papers as the Collateral Agent may reasonably request to evidence the Security Interest in such Patent, Trademark or Copyright, and each Grantor hereby appoints the Collateral Agent as its attorney-in-fact to execute and file such writings for the foregoing purposes, all acts of such attorney being hereby ratified and confirmed; such power, being coupled with an interest, is irrevocable.
          (f) Each Grantor will take all necessary steps that it deems appropriate under the circumstances and are consistent with such Grantor’s prior practice, if reasonable, in any proceeding before the United States Patent and Trademark Office, United States Copyright Office or any office or agency in any political subdivision of the United States or in any other country or any political subdivision thereof, to maintain and pursue each material application relating to the Patents, Trademarks and/or Copyrights (and to obtain the relevant grant or registration) and to maintain each issued Patent and each registration of the Trademarks and Copyrights that is material to the conduct of any Grantor’s business, including timely filings of applications for renewal, affidavits of use and payment of maintenance fees, and, if consistent with good business judgment, to initiate opposition, interference and cancelation proceedings against third parties.
          (g) In the event that any Grantor has reason to believe that any Article 9 Collateral consisting of a Patent, Trademark or Copyright material to the conduct of any


 

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Grantor’s business has been or is about to be infringed, misappropriated or diluted by a third party, such Grantor promptly shall notify the Collateral Agent and shall, if consistent with reasonable business judgment, promptly sue for infringement, misappropriation or dilution and to recover any and all damages for such infringement, misappropriation or dilution, and take such other actions as are appropriate under the circumstances to protect such Article 9 Collateral. Such Grantor may discontinue or settle any such suit or other action if the Grantor deems such discontinuance or settlement to be appropriate in its reasonable business judgment.
          (h) Upon the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default, each Grantor shall, at the request of the Collateral Agent, use its reasonable best efforts to obtain all requisite consents or approvals by the licensor of each Copyright License, Patent License or Trademark License, and each other material License, to effect the assignment of all such Grantor’s right, title and interest thereunder to the Collateral Agent, for the ratable benefit of the Secured Parties, or its designee.
ARTICLE V
Remedies
          SECTION 5.01. Remedies upon Default. Upon the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default, each Grantor agrees to deliver each item of Collateral to the Collateral Agent on demand, and it is agreed that the Collateral Agent shall have the right to take any of or all the following actions at the same or different times: (a) with respect to any Article 9 Collateral consisting of Intellectual Property, on demand, to cause the Security Interest to become an assignment, transfer and conveyance of any of or all such Article 9 Collateral by the applicable Grantors to the Collateral Agent, or to license or sublicense, whether general, special or otherwise, and whether on an exclusive or nonexclusive basis, any such Article 9 Collateral throughout the world on such terms and conditions and in such manner as the Collateral Agent shall determine (other than in violation of any then-existing licensing arrangements to the extent that waivers cannot be obtained), and (b) with or without legal process and with or without prior notice or demand for performance, to take possession of the Article 9 Collateral and without liability for trespass to enter any premises where the Article 9 Collateral may be located for the purpose of taking possession of or removing the Article 9 Collateral and, generally, to exercise any and all rights afforded to a secured party under the Uniform Commercial Code or other applicable law. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, each Grantor agrees that the Collateral Agent shall have the right, subject to the mandatory requirements of applicable law, to sell or otherwise dispose of all or any part of the Collateral at a public or private sale or at any broker’s board or on any securities exchange, for cash, upon credit or for future delivery as the Collateral Agent shall deem appropriate. The Collateral Agent shall be authorized at any such sale (if it deems it advisable to do so) to restrict the prospective bidders or purchasers to persons who will represent and agree that they are purchasing the Collateral for their own account for investment and not with a view to the distribution or sale thereof, and upon consummation of any such sale the Collateral Agent shall have the right to assign,


 

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transfer and deliver to the purchaser or purchasers thereof the Collateral so sold. Each such purchaser at any such sale shall hold the property sold absolutely, free from any claim or right on the part of any Grantor, and the Grantors hereby waive (to the extent permitted by law) all rights of redemption, stay and appraisal which such Grantor now has or may at any time in the future have under any rule of law or statute now existing or hereafter enacted.
          The Collateral Agent shall give the applicable Grantors 10 days’ written notice (which each Grantor agrees is reasonable notice within the meaning of Section 9-611 of the New York UCC or its equivalent in other jurisdictions) of the Collateral Agent’s intention to make any sale of Collateral. Such notice, in the case of a public sale, shall state the time and place for such sale and, in the case of a sale at a broker’s board or on a securities exchange, shall state the board or exchange at which such sale is to be made and the day on which the Collateral, or portion thereof, will first be offered for sale at such board or exchange. Any such public sale shall be held at such time or times within ordinary business hours and at such place or places as the Collateral Agent may fix and state in the notice (if any) of such sale. At any such sale, the Collateral, or portion thereof, to be sold may be sold in one lot as an entirety or in separate parcels, as the Collateral Agent may (in its sole and absolute discretion) determine. The Collateral Agent shall not be obligated to make any sale of any Collateral if it shall determine not to do so, regardless of the fact that notice of sale of such Collateral shall have been given. The Collateral Agent may, without notice or publication, adjourn any public or private sale or cause the same to be adjourned from time to time by announcement at the time and place fixed for sale, and such sale may, without further notice, be made at the time and place to which the same was so adjourned. In case any sale of all or any part of the Collateral is made on credit or for future delivery, the Collateral so sold may be retained by the Collateral Agent until the sale price is paid by the purchaser or purchasers thereof, but the Collateral Agent shall not incur any liability in case any such purchaser or purchasers shall fail to take up and pay for the Collateral so sold and, in case of any such failure, such Collateral may be sold again upon like notice. At any public (or, to the extent permitted by law, private) sale made pursuant to this Agreement, any Secured Party may bid for or purchase, free (to the extent permitted by law) from any right of redemption, stay, valuation or appraisal on the part of any Grantor (all said rights being also hereby waived and released to the extent permitted by law), the Collateral or any part thereof offered for sale and may make payment on account thereof by using any claim then due and payable to such Secured Party from any Grantor as a credit against the purchase price, and such Secured Party may, upon compliance with the terms of sale, hold, retain and dispose of such property without further accountability to any Grantor therefor. For purposes hereof, a written agreement to purchase the Collateral or any portion thereof shall be treated as a sale thereof; the Collateral Agent shall be free to carry out such sale pursuant to such agreement and no Grantor shall be entitled to the return of the Collateral or any portion thereof subject thereto, notwithstanding the fact that after the Collateral Agent shall have entered into such an agreement all Events of Default shall have been remedied and the Obligations paid in full. As an alternative to exercising the power of sale herein conferred upon it, the Collateral Agent may proceed by a suit or suits at law or in equity to foreclose this Agreement and to sell the Collateral or any portion thereof pursuant to a


 

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judgment or decree of a court or courts having competent jurisdiction or pursuant to a proceeding by a court-appointed receiver. Any sale pursuant to the provisions of this Section 5.01 shall be deemed to conform to the commercially reasonable standards as provided in Section 9-610(b) of the New York UCC or its equivalent in other jurisdictions.
          SECTION 5.02. Application of Proceeds. The Collateral Agent shall apply the proceeds of any collection, sale, foreclosure or other realization upon any Collateral, including any Collateral consisting of cash, as follows:
     FIRST, to the payment of all costs and expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent or the Collateral Agent (in their respective capacities as such hereunder or under any other Loan Document) in connection with such collection, sale, foreclosure or realization or otherwise in connection with this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any of the Obligations, including all court costs and the reasonable fees and expenses of its agents and legal counsel, the repayment of all advances made by the Administrative Agent and/or the Collateral Agent hereunder or under any other Loan Document on behalf of any Grantor and any other reasonable costs or expenses incurred in connection with the exercise of any right or remedy hereunder or under any other Loan Document;
     SECOND, to the payment in full of Unfunded Advances/Participations (the amounts so applied to be distributed between or among the Administrative Agent, the Swingline Lender and any Issuing Bank pro rata in accordance with the amounts of Unfunded Advances/Participations owed to them on the date of any such distribution);
     THIRD, to the payment in full of the Obligations (the amounts so applied to be distributed among the Secured Parties pro rata in accordance with the amounts of the Obligations owed to them on the date of any such distribution); and
     FOURTH, to the Grantors, their successors or assigns, or as a court of competent jurisdiction may otherwise direct.
The Collateral Agent shall have absolute discretion as to the time of application of any such proceeds, moneys or balances in accordance with this Agreement. Upon any sale of Collateral by the Collateral Agent (including pursuant to a power of sale granted by statute or under a judicial proceeding), the receipt of the Collateral Agent or of the officer making the sale shall be a sufficient discharge to the purchaser or purchasers of the Collateral so sold and such purchaser or purchasers shall not be obligated to see to the application of any part of the purchase money paid over to the Collateral Agent or such officer or be answerable in any way for the misapplication thereof.
          SECTION 5.03. Grant of License to Use Intellectual Property. For the purpose of enabling the Collateral Agent to exercise rights and remedies under this Agreement at such time as the Collateral Agent shall be lawfully entitled to exercise such


 

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rights and remedies, each Grantor hereby grants to the Collateral Agent a nonexclusive license (exercisable without payment of royalty or other compensation to the Grantors) to use, license or sublicense (provided that the quality and nature of the goods and/or services with which the Collateral Agent and its sublicensees uses the Intellectual Property shall be of such standards and quality such that the value, reputation and goodwill and enforceability of the Intellectual Property is not diminished in any material respect) any of the Article 9 Collateral consisting of Intellectual Property now owned or hereafter acquired by such Grantor, and wherever the same may be located, and including in such license reasonable access to all media in which any of the licensed items may be recorded or stored and to all computer software and programs used for the compilation or printout thereof. The use of such license by the Collateral Agent shall be exercised, at the option of the Collateral Agent, only upon the occurrence and during the continuation of an Event of Default; provided that any license, sublicense or other transaction entered into by the Collateral Agent in accordance herewith shall be binding upon the Grantors notwithstanding any subsequent cure of an Event of Default.
          SECTION 5.04. Securities Act, etc. In view of the position of the Grantors in relation to the Pledged Collateral, or because of other current or future circumstances, a question may arise under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as now or hereafter in effect, or any similar statute hereafter enacted analogous in purpose or effect (such Act and any such similar statute as from time to time in effect being called the “Federal Securities Laws”) with respect to any disposition of the Pledged Collateral permitted hereunder. Each Grantor understands that compliance with the Federal Securities Laws might very strictly limit the course of conduct of the Collateral Agent if the Collateral Agent were to attempt to dispose of all or any part of the Pledged Collateral, and might also limit the extent to which or the manner in which any subsequent transferee of any Pledged Collateral could dispose of the same. Similarly, there may be other legal restrictions or limitations affecting the Collateral Agent in any attempt to dispose of all or part of the Pledged Collateral under applicable Blue Sky or other state securities laws or similar laws analogous in purpose or effect. Each Grantor recognizes that in light of such restrictions and limitations the Collateral Agent may, with respect to any sale of the Pledged Collateral, limit the purchasers to those who will agree, among other things, to acquire such Pledged Collateral for their own account, for investment, and not with a view to the distribution or resale thereof. Each Grantor acknowledges and agrees that in light of such restrictions and limitations, the Collateral Agent, in its sole and absolute discretion (a) may proceed to make such a sale whether or not a registration statement for the purpose of registering such Pledged Collateral or part thereof shall have been filed under the Federal Securities Laws and (b) may approach and negotiate with a limited number of potential purchasers (including a single potential purchaser) to effect such sale. Each Grantor acknowledges and agrees that any such sale might result in prices and other terms less favorable to the seller than if such sale were a public sale without such restrictions. In the event of any such sale, the Collateral Agent shall incur no responsibility or liability for selling all or any part of the Pledged Collateral at a price that the Collateral Agent, in its sole and absolute discretion, may in good faith deem reasonable under the circumstances, notwithstanding the possibility that a substantially higher price might have been realized if the sale were deferred until after registration as aforesaid or if more than a limited number of purchasers (or a single


 

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purchaser) were approached. The provisions of this Section 5.04 will apply notwithstanding the existence of a public or private market upon which the quotations or sales prices may exceed substantially the price at which the Collateral Agent sells.
ARTICLE VI
Indemnity, Subrogation and Subordination
          SECTION 6.01. Indemnity and Subrogation. In addition to all such rights of indemnity and subrogation as the Guarantors may have under applicable law (but subject to Section 6.03), the Borrower agrees that (a) in the event a payment shall be made by any Guarantor under this Agreement, the Borrower shall indemnify such Guarantor for the full amount of such payment and such Guarantor shall be subrogated to the rights of the person to whom such payment shall have been made to the extent of such payment and (b) in the event any assets of any Guarantor shall be sold pursuant to any Security Document to satisfy in whole or in part a claim of any Secured Party, the Borrower shall indemnify such Guarantor in an amount equal to the greater of the book value or the fair market value of the assets so sold.
          SECTION 6.02. Contribution and Subrogation. Each Guarantor (a “Contributing Guarantor”) agrees (subject to Section 6.03) that, in the event a payment shall be made by any other Guarantor hereunder in respect of any Obligation or assets of any other Guarantor shall be sold pursuant to any Security Document to satisfy any Obligation owed to any Secured Party and such other Guarantor (the “Claiming Guarantor”) shall not have been fully indemnified by the Borrower as provided in Section 6.01, the Contributing Guarantor shall indemnify the Claiming Guarantor in an amount equal to the amount of such payment or the greater of the book value or the fair market value of such assets, as the case may be, in each case multiplied by a fraction of which the numerator shall be the net worth of the Contributing Guarantor on the date hereof and the denominator shall be the aggregate net worth of all the Guarantors on the date hereof (or, in the case of any Guarantor becoming a party hereto pursuant to Section 7.16, the date of the Supplement hereto executed and delivered by such Guarantor). Any Contributing Guarantor making any payment to a Claiming Guarantor pursuant to this Section 6.02 shall be subrogated to the rights of such Claiming Guarantor under Section 6.01 to the extent of such payment.
          SECTION 6.03. Subordination. (a) Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, all rights of the Guarantors under Sections 6.01 and 6.02 and all other rights of indemnity, contribution or subrogation under applicable law or otherwise shall be fully subordinated to the payment in full in cash of the Obligations. No failure on the part of the Borrower or any Guarantor to make the payments required by Sections 6.01 and 6.02 (or any other payments required under applicable law or otherwise) shall in any respect limit the obligations and liabilities of any Guarantor with respect to its obligations hereunder, and each Guarantor shall remain liable for the full amount of the obligations of such Guarantor hereunder.


 

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          (b) Each of the Borrower and the Subsidiary Guarantors hereby agrees that all Indebtedness and other monetary obligations owed by it to the Borrower or any Subsidiary shall be fully subordinated to the payment in full in cash of the Obligations.
ARTICLE VII
Miscellaneous
          SECTION 7.01. Notices. All communications and notices hereunder shall (except as otherwise expressly permitted herein) be in writing and given as provided in Section 9.01 of the Credit Agreement. All communications and notices hereunder to any Subsidiary Guarantor shall be given to it in care of the Borrower as provided in Section 9.01 of the Credit Agreement.
          SECTION 7.02. Security Interest Absolute. All rights of the Collateral Agent hereunder, the Security Interest, the grant of a security interest in the Pledged Collateral and all obligations of each Grantor hereunder shall be absolute and unconditional irrespective of (a) any lack of validity or enforceability of the Credit Agreement, any other Loan Document, any agreement with respect to any of the Obligations or any other agreement or instrument relating to any of the foregoing, (b) any change in the time, manner or place of payment of, or in any other term of, all or any of the Obligations, or any other amendment or waiver of or any consent to any departure from the Credit Agreement, any other Loan Document or any other agreement or instrument, (c) any exchange, release or non-perfection of any Lien on other collateral, or any release or amendment or waiver of or consent under or departure from any guarantee, securing or guaranteeing all or any of the Obligations, or (d) any other circumstance that might otherwise constitute a defense available to, or a discharge of, any Grantor in respect of the Obligations or this Agreement.
          SECTION 7.03. Survival of Agreement. All covenants, agreements, representations and warranties made by the Loan Parties in the Loan Documents and in the certificates or other instruments prepared or delivered in connection with or pursuant to this Agreement or any other Loan Document shall be considered to have been relied upon by the Lenders and the Issuing Bank and shall survive the execution and delivery of the Loan Documents and the making of any Loans and issuance of any Letters of Credit, regardless of any investigation made by any Lender or Issuing Bank or on their behalf and notwithstanding that the Collateral Agent, the any Issuing Bank or any Lender may have had notice or knowledge of any Default or incorrect representation or warranty at the time any credit is extended under the Credit Agreement, and shall continue in full force and effect as long as the principal of or any accrued interest on any Loan or any fee or any other amount payable under any Loan Document is outstanding and unpaid or the Aggregate L/C Exposure does not equal zero and so long as the Commitments have not expired or terminated.
          SECTION 7.04. Binding Effect; Several Agreement. This Agreement shall become effective as to any Loan Party when a counterpart hereof executed on behalf


 

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of such Loan Party shall have been delivered to the Collateral Agent and a counterpart hereof shall have been executed on behalf of the Collateral Agent, and thereafter shall be binding upon such Loan Party and the Collateral Agent and their respective permitted successors and assigns, and shall inure to the benefit of such Loan Party, the Collateral Agent and the other Secured Parties and their respective successors and assigns, except that no Loan Party shall have the right to assign or transfer its rights or obligations hereunder or any interest herein or in the Collateral (and any such assignment or transfer shall be void) except as expressly contemplated by this Agreement or the Credit Agreement. This Agreement shall be construed as a separate agreement with respect to each Loan Party and may be amended, modified, supplemented, waived or released with respect to any Loan Party without the approval of any other Loan Party and without affecting the obligations of any other Loan Party hereunder.
          SECTION 7.05. Successors and Assigns. Whenever in this Agreement any of the parties hereto is referred to, such reference shall be deemed to include the permitted successors and assigns of such party; and all covenants, promises and agreements by or on behalf of any Grantor or the Collateral Agent that are contained in this Agreement shall bind and inure to the benefit of their respective successors and assigns.
          SECTION 7.06. Collateral Agent’s Fees and Expenses; Indemnification. (a) The parties hereto agree that the Collateral Agent shall be entitled to reimbursement of its expenses incurred hereunder as provided in Section 9.05 of the Credit Agreement.
          (b) Without limitation of its indemnification obligations under the other Loan Documents, each Grantor jointly and severally agrees to indemnify the Collateral Agent and the other Indemnitees (as defined in Section 9.05 of the Credit Agreement) against, and hold each Indemnitee harmless from, any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities and related expenses, including reasonable counsel fees, charges and disbursements, incurred by or asserted against any Indemnitee arising out of, in connection with, or as a result of, the execution, delivery or performance of this Agreement or any agreement or instrument contemplated hereby or any claim, litigation, investigation or proceeding relating to any of the foregoing agreement or instrument contemplated hereby, or to the Collateral, whether or not any Indemnitee is a party thereto; provided that such indemnity shall not, as to any Indemnitee, be available to the extent that such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or related expenses are determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by final and nonappealable judgment to have resulted from the gross negligence or wilful misconduct of such Indemnitee.
          (c) Any such amounts payable as provided hereunder shall be additional Obligations secured hereby and by the other Security Documents. The provisions of this Section 7.06 shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of the termination of this Agreement or any other Loan Document, the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, the repayment of any of the Obligations, the invalidity or unenforceability of any term or provision of this Agreement or any other Loan Document, or any investigation made by or on behalf of the Collateral Agent or any other Secured Party. All amounts due under this Section 7.06 shall be payable on written


 

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demand therefor and shall bear interest, on and from the date of demand, at the rate specified in Section 2.06 of the Credit Agreement.
          SECTION 7.07. Collateral Agent Appointed Attorney-in-Fact. Each Grantor hereby appoints the Collateral Agent the attorney-in-fact of such Grantor for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this Agreement and taking any action and executing any instrument that the Collateral Agent may deem necessary or advisable to accomplish the purposes hereof, which appointment is irrevocable and coupled with an interest. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Collateral Agent shall have the right, upon the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default, with full power of substitution either in the Collateral Agent’s name or in the name of such Grantor (a) to receive, endorse, assign and/or deliver any and all notes, acceptances, checks, drafts, money orders or other evidences of payment relating to the Collateral or any part thereof; (b) to demand, collect, receive payment of, give receipt for and give discharges and releases of all or any of the Collateral; (c) to sign the name of any Grantor on any invoice or bill of lading relating to any of the Collateral; (d) to send verifications of Accounts Receivable to any Account Debtor; (e) to commence and prosecute any and all suits, actions or proceedings at law or in equity in any court of competent jurisdiction to collect or otherwise realize on all or any of the Collateral or to enforce any rights in respect of any Collateral; (f) to settle, compromise, compound, adjust or defend any actions, suits or proceedings relating to all or any of the Collateral; (g) to notify, or to require any Grantor to notify, Account Debtors to make payment directly to the Collateral Agent; and (h) to use, sell, assign, transfer, pledge, make any agreement with respect to or otherwise deal with all or any of the Collateral, and to do all other acts and things necessary to carry out the purposes of this Agreement, as fully and completely as though the Collateral Agent were the absolute owner of the Collateral for all purposes; provided, that nothing herein contained shall be construed as requiring or obligating the Collateral Agent to make any commitment or to make any inquiry as to the nature or sufficiency of any payment received by the Collateral Agent, or to present or file any claim or notice, or to take any action with respect to the Collateral or any part thereof or the moneys due or to become due in respect thereof or any property covered thereby. The Collateral Agent and the other Secured Parties shall be accountable only for amounts actually received as a result of the exercise of the powers granted to them herein, and neither they nor their officers, directors, employees or agents shall be responsible to any Grantor for any act or failure to act hereunder, except for their own gross negligence or wilful misconduct. The Collateral Agent agrees not to exercise the power of attorney provided for in this Section 7.07 unless an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing.
          SECTION 7.08. Applicable Law. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH AND GOVERNED BY THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
          SECTION 7.09. Waivers; Amendment. (a) No failure or delay by the Collateral Agent, the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank or any Lender in exercising any right or power hereunder or under any other Loan Document shall operate as a waiver hereof or thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise of any such right or power, or any abandonment or discontinuance of steps to enforce such a right or power,


 

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preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right or power. The rights and remedies of the Collateral Agent, the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Bank and the Lenders hereunder and under the other Loan Documents are cumulative and are not exclusive of any rights or remedies that they would otherwise have. No waiver of any provision of any Loan Document or consent to any departure by any Loan Party therefrom shall in any event be effective unless the same shall be permitted by paragraph (b) of this Section, and then such waiver or consent shall be effective only in the specific instance and for the purpose for which given. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the making of a Loan or issuance of a Letter of Credit shall not be construed as a waiver of any Default, regardless of whether the Collateral Agent, any Lender or any Issuing Bank may have had notice or knowledge of such Default at the time. No notice or demand on any Loan Party in any case shall entitle any Loan Party to any other or further notice or demand in similar or other circumstances.
          (b) Neither this Agreement nor any provision hereof may be waived, amended or modified except pursuant to an agreement or agreements in writing entered into by the Collateral Agent and the Loan Party or Loan Parties with respect to which such waiver, amendment or modification is to apply, subject to any consent required in accordance with Section 9.08 of the Credit Agreement.
          SECTION 7.10. WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL. EACH PARTY HERETO HEREBY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN RESPECT OF ANY LITIGATION DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF, UNDER OR IN CONNECTION WITH THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OF THE OTHER LOAN DOCUMENTS. EACH PARTY HERETO (A) CERTIFIES THAT NO REPRESENTATIVE, AGENT OR ATTORNEY OF ANY OTHER PARTY HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, THAT SUCH OTHER PARTY WOULD NOT, IN THE EVENT OF LITIGATION, SEEK TO ENFORCE THE FOREGOING WAIVER AND (B) ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IT AND THE OTHER PARTIES HERETO HAVE BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT AND THE OTHER LOAN DOCUMENTS, AS APPLICABLE, BY, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE MUTUAL WAIVERS AND CERTIFICATIONS IN THIS SECTION 7.10.
          SECTION 7.11. Severability. In the event any one or more of the provisions contained in this Agreement or in any other Loan Document should be held invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions contained herein and therein shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby (it being understood that the invalidity of a particular provision in a particular jurisdiction shall not in and of itself affect the validity of such provision in any other jurisdiction). The parties shall endeavor in good-faith negotiations to replace the invalid, illegal or unenforceable provisions with valid provisions the economic effect of which comes as close as possible to that of the invalid, illegal or unenforceable provisions..


 

33

          SECTION 7.12. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in counterparts (and by different parties hereto on different counterparts), each of which shall constitute an original but all of which when taken together shall constitute a single contract, and shall become effective as provided in Section 7.04. Delivery of an executed signature page to this Agreement by facsimile or e-mail transmission shall be as effective as delivery of a manually signed counterpart of this Agreement.
          SECTION 7.13. Headings. Article and Section headings and the Table of Contents used herein are for convenience of reference only, are not part of this Agreement and are not to affect the construction of, or to be taken into consideration in interpreting, this Agreement.
          SECTION 7.14 Jurisdiction; Consent to Service of Process. (a) Each of the Loan Parties hereby irrevocably and unconditionally submits, for itself and its property, to the nonexclusive jurisdiction of any New York State court or Federal court of the United States of America, sitting in New York City, and any appellate court from any thereof, in any action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or any other Loan Document, or for recognition or enforcement of any judgment, and each of the Loan Parties hereto hereby irrevocably and unconditionally agrees that all claims in respect of any such action or proceeding may be heard and determined in such New York State or, to the extent permitted by law, in such Federal court. Each of the Loan Parties hereto agrees that a final judgment in any such action or proceeding shall be conclusive and may be enforced in other jurisdictions by suit on the judgment or in any other manner provided by law. Nothing in this Agreement or any other Loan Document shall affect any right that the Collateral Agent, the Administrative Agent, any Issuing Bank or any Lender may otherwise have to bring any action or proceeding relating to this Agreement or any other Loan Document against any Loan Party or its properties in the courts of any jurisdiction.
          (b) Each of the Loan Parties hereby irrevocably and unconditionally waives, to the fullest extent it may legally and effectively do so, any objection which it may now or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or any other Loan Document in any court referred to in paragraph (a) of this Section. Each of the Loan Parties hereto hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the defense of an inconvenient forum to the maintenance of such action or proceeding in any such court.
          (c) Each Loan Party to this Agreement irrevocably consents to service of process in the manner provided for notices in Section 7.01. Nothing in this Agreement or any other Loan Document will affect the right of any party to this Agreement to serve process in any other manner permitted by law.
          SECTION 7.15. Termination or Release. (a) This Agreement, the Guarantees, the Security Interest, the pledge of the Pledged Collateral and all other security interests granted hereby shall terminate when all the Loan Document Obligations (other than (i) wholly contingent indemnification obligations or (ii) compensation obligations with respect to increased costs or reductions in amounts received or


 

34

receivable or reductions in return on capital pursuant to Section 2.14(d) of the Credit Agreement) then due and owing have been paid in full in cash and the Lenders have no further commitment to lend under the Credit Agreement, the Aggregate L/C Exposure has been reduced to zero and the Issuing Bank has no further obligations to issue Letters of Credit under the Credit Agreement.
          (b) A Subsidiary Guarantor shall automatically be released from its obligations hereunder and the Security Interest in the Collateral of such Subsidiary Guarantor shall be automatically released upon the consummation of any transaction permitted by the Credit Agreement as a result of which such Subsidiary Guarantor ceases to be a Subsidiary of the Borrower; provided that the Required Lenders shall have consented to such transaction (to the extent required by the Credit Agreement) and the terms of such consent did not provide otherwise.
          (c) Upon any sale or other transfer by any Grantor of any Collateral that is permitted under the Credit Agreement to any person that is not the Borrower or a Guarantor, or, upon the effectiveness of any written consent to the release of the Security Interest granted hereby in any Collateral pursuant to Section 9.08 of the Credit Agreement, the Security Interest in such Collateral shall be automatically released.
          (d) All Collateral owned by Tahoe Joe’s (to the extent applicable), as the case may be, held under this Agreement shall be released from the Liens created thereunder, in each case without representation, warranty or recourse of any nature in accordance with the provisions of (and subject to the satisfaction of the conditions precedent specified in) Section 9.17 of the Credit Agreement. Upon the release of Collateral owned by Tahoe Joe’s pursuant to the immediately preceding sentence, Tahoe Joe’s shall automatically be released from its guarantee hereunder and cease to be a Subsidiary Guarantor.
          (e) In connection with any termination or release pursuant to paragraph (a), (b), (c) or (d) the Collateral Agent shall execute and deliver to any Grantor, at such Grantor’s expense, all documents that such Grantor shall reasonably request to evidence such termination or release. Any execution and delivery of documents pursuant to this Section 7.15 shall be without recourse to or representation or warranty by the Collateral Agent or any Secured Party. Without limiting the provisions of Section 7.06, the Borrower shall reimburse the Collateral Agent upon demand for all costs and expenses, including the fees, charges and disbursements of counsel, incurred by it in connection with any action contemplated by this Section 7.15.
          SECTION 7.16. Additional Grantors. Pursuant to Section 5.09 of the Credit Agreement, each Domestic Subsidiary of a Loan Party (other than any Inactive Subsidiary) that was not in existence or not a Subsidiary on the date of the Credit Agreement, that ceases to be an Inactive Subsidiary after the date of this Agreement is required to enter in this Agreement as a Subsidiary Guarantor and a Grantor upon becoming such a Subsidiary (or ceasing to be an Inactive Subsidiary). Upon execution and delivery by the Collateral Agent and a Domestic Subsidiary of an instrument in the form of Exhibit A hereto, such Domestic Subsidiary shall become a Subsidiary Guarantor


 

35

and a Grantor hereunder with the same force and effect as if originally named as a Subsidiary Guarantor and a Grantor herein. The execution and delivery of any such instrument shall not require the consent of any other Loan Party hereunder. The rights and obligations of each Subsidiary Guarantor hereunder shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding the addition of any new Loan Party as a party to this Agreement.
          SECTION 7.17. Right of Setoff. If an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, each Secured Party is hereby authorized at any time and from time to time, to the fullest extent permitted by law, to set off and apply any and all Collateral (including any deposits (general or special, time or demand, provisional or final)) at any time held and other obligations at any time owing by such Secured Party or Affiliate to or for the credit or the account of any Grantor against any and all of the obligations of such Grantor now or hereafter existing under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents held by such Secured Party, irrespective of whether or not such Secured Party shall have made any demand under this Agreement or any other Loan Document and although such obligations may be unmatured. The rights of each Secured Party under this Section are in addition to other rights and remedies (including other rights of setoff) which such Secured Party may have.
[Remainder of page intentionally left blank]


 

36

          IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have duly executed this Agreement as of the day and year first above written.
             
    BUFFETS, INC.,    
 
           
 
  by:   /s/ R. Michael Andrews, Jr.
 
   
    Name: R. Michael Andrews, Jr.    
    Title: Chief Executive Officer    
 
           
    BUFFETS HOLDINGS, INC.,    
 
           
 
  by:   /s/ R. Michael Andrews, Jr.
 
   
    Name: R. Michael Andrews, Jr.    
    Title: Chief Executive Officer    
 
           
    HOMETOWN BUFFET, INC.,    
 
           
 
  by:   /s/ H. Thomas Mitchell
 
   
    Name: H. Thomas Mitchell    
    Title: Secretary    
 
           
    OCB PURCHASING CO.,    
 
           
 
  by:   /s/ H. Thomas Mitchell
 
   
    Name: H. Thomas Mitchell    
    Title: Secretary    
 
           
    OCB RESTAURANT COMPANY, LLC,    
 
           
 
  by:   /s/ H. Thomas Mitchell
 
   
    Name: H. Thomas Mitchell    
    Title: Manager/Secretary    
 
           
    BUFFETS LEASING COMPANY, LLC,    
 
           
 
  by:   /s/ H. Thomas Mitchell
 
   
    Name: H. Thomas Mitchell    
    Title: Manager/Secretary    


 

37

             
    RYAN’S RESTAURANT GROUP, INC.,    
 
           
 
  by:   /s/ H. Thomas Mitchell
 
   
    Name: H. Thomas Mitchell    
    Title: Secretary    
 
           
    HOMETOWN LEASING COMPANY, LLC,    
 
           
 
  by:   /s/ H. Thomas Mitchell
 
   
    Name: H. Thomas Mitchell    
    Title: Manager/Secretary    
 
           
    OCB LEASING COMPANY, LLC,    
 
           
 
  by:   /s/ H. Thomas Mitchell
 
   
    Name: H. Thomas Mitchell    
    Title: Manager/Secretary    
 
           
    FIRE MOUNTAIN RESTAURANTS, LLC,    
 
           
 
  by:   /s/ H. Thomas Mitchell
 
   
    Name: H. Thomas Mitchell    
    Title: Manager/Secretary    
 
           
    BIG R PROCUREMENT COMPANY, LLC,    
 
           
 
  by:   /s/ H. Thomas Mitchell
 
   
    Name: H. Thomas Mitchell    
    Title: Manager/Secretary    
 
           
    TAHOE JOE’S, INC.,    
 
 
  by:   /s/ R. Michael Andrews, Jr.
 
   
    Name: R. Michael Andrews, Jr.    
    Title: Chief Executive Officer    
 
           
    TAHOE JOE’S LEASING COMPANY, LLC,    
 
           
 
  by:   /s/ R. Michael Andrews, Jr.
 
   
    Name: R. Michael Andrews, Jr.    
    Title: Chief Manager    


 

38

             
    CREDIT SUISSE, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH,    
    as Collateral Agent,    
 
           
 
  by:   /s/ Robert Hetu
 
   
    Name: Robert Hetu    
    Title: Managing Director    
 
           
 
  by:   /s/ Denise L. Alvarez
 
   
    Name: Denise L. Alvarez    
    Title: Associate    


 

 

GUARANTEE AND COLLATERAL AGREEMENT
SCHEDULE I
SUBSIDIARY GUARANTORS
1.   HomeTown Buffet, Inc.
 
2.   OCB Purchasing Co.
 
3.   OCB Restaurant Company, LLC
 
4.   Buffets Leasing Company, LLC
 
5.   Ryan’s Restaurant Group, Inc.
 
6.   HomeTown Leasing Company, LLC
 
7.   OCB Leasing Company, LLC
 
8.   Fire Mountain Restaurants, LLC
 
9.   Big R Procurement Company, LLC
 
10.   Tahoe Joe’s, Inc.
 
11.   Tahoe Joe’s Leasing Company, LLC

 


 

 41
GUARANTEE AND COLLATERAL AGREEMENT
SCHEDULE II
CAPITAL STOCK; DEBT SECURITIES
Part A – Capital Stock
                     
            Stock        
        Class of   Certificate   No. of    
        Stock (if   No. (if   Shares (if   Percentage
Pledgor   Issuer   applicable)   applicable)   applicable)   Ownership
Buffets Holdings, Inc.
  Buffets, Inc.   Common   3   100   100%
 
                   
Buffets, Inc.
  HomeTown Buffet, Inc.   Common   2   100   100%
 
                   
Buffets, Inc.
  OCB Purchasing Co.   Common   1   100   100%
 
                   
Buffets, Inc.
  Ryan’s Restaurant Group, Inc.   Common   100,000   100   100%
 
                   
HomeTown Buffet, Inc.
  Tahoe Joe’s, Inc.   Common   3   800   100%
Part B – Membership Interest
                 
        Stock        
        Certificate        
        No. (if   No. of   Percentage
Pledgor   Issuer   applicable)   Units   Ownership
Buffets, Inc.
  OCB Restaurant Company, LLC   01   100   100%
 
               
Buffets, Inc.
  Buffets Leasing Company, LLC   N/A   N/A   100%
 
               
HomeTown Buffet,Inc.
  HomeTown Leasing Company, LLC   N/A   N/A   100%

 


 

 42
                 
        Stock        
        Certificate        
        No. (if   No. of   Percentage
Pledgor   Issuer   applicable)   Units   Ownership
OCB Restaurant, LLC
  OCB Leasing Company, LLC   N/A   N/A   100%
 
               
Ryan’s Restaurant Group, Inc.
  Fire Mountain Restaurants, LLC   N/A   N/A   100%
 
               
Ryan’s Restaurant, Group, Inc.
  Big R Procurement Company, LLC   N/A   N/A   100%
 
               
Tahoe Joe’s Inc.
  Tahoe Joe’s Leasing Company, LLC   N/A   N/A   100%
Part C – Pledged Debt Securities
1.   Promissory note of Mark Faircloth dated July 12, 2001 in favor of Buffets, Inc. in the principal amount of $150,807.28.
 
2.   Promissory note of Carlton A. Hargrave, Inc. dated April 11, 1995 in favor of HomeTown Buffet, Inc. in the principal amount of $200,000.00.
 
3.   Intercompany Promissory Note of Ryan’s Restaurant Group, Inc. dated November 1, 2006 in favor of Buffets, Inc. in the principal amount of $149,800,000.00.

 


 

GUARANTEE AND COLLATERAL AGREEMENT
SCHEDULE III
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
TRADEMARKS
BUFFETS, INC.
                     
    Application       Registration   Registration
Mark   Number   File Date   Number   Date
OLD COUNTRY BUFFET
  73/489350   7/11/84     1343558     6/18/85
 
                   
OLD COUNTRY BUFFET &
Design
  73/592818   4/11/86     1423419     12/30/86
 
                   
SALADBRATION! (Stylized)
  73/741752   7/11/88     1529087     3/7/89
 
                   
OLD COUNTRY BUFFET
(Stylized)
  74/574462   9/16/94     2048119     3/25/97
 
                   
OLD COUNTRY BUFFET and Design (Diamond)
  74/574504   9/16/94     2051196     4/8/97
 
                   
OLD COUNTRY BUFFET and Design (W/ Rectangle)
  74/574759   9/16/94     2051197     4/8/97
 
                   
OLD COUNTRY BUFFET and Design (Stack w/ Diamond)
  75/091977   4/12/96     2149716     4/7/98
 
                   
HOMETOWN BUFFET
  76/241460   4/16/01     2617451     9/10/2002
 
                   
HOMETOWN BUFFET
  78/442222
Suspended
  6/28/2004            
 
                   
HOMETOWN BUFFET (Plate)
  78/442218
Suspended
  6/28/2004            
 
                   
HOMETOWN BUFFET (Plate and Fork)
  78/159153   8/29/2002     2861377     7/6/2004
 
                   
WHAT’S ON YOUR PLATE?
  75/481414   5/7/98     2315605     2/8/00
 
                   
COUNTRY ROADHOUSE
BUFFET & GRILL
  75/471143   4/21/98     2322380     2/22/00
 
                   
DESSERT CENTRAL
  75/682653   4/14/99     2411371     12/5/00
 
                   
SOUP‘NSALAD UNLIMITED
  75/817832   10/7/99     2420299     1/9/01
 
                   
SPOON TENDER
  76/047450   6/12/00            
 
                   
COUNTRY BUFFET
  78/433864   6/11/2004     2987516     8/23/2005
 
                   
HOMESTYLE. YOUR STYLE
  78/452905   7/19/2004     2997774     6/23/1992
 
                   
HOMETOWN
  78/442232
Suspended
  6/28/2004            
 
                   
PLATE/ FORK DESIGN
  78/159170   8/29/2002     2890167     9/28/2004

 


 

 44
TRADEMARKS
HOMETOWN BUFFET, INC.
                 
    Application       Registration   Registration
Mark   Number   File Date   Number   Date
HOMETOWN
  74/179018   6/24/91   1696669   6/23/92
 
               
GRANNY’S BUFFET & Design
  75/128614   6/17/96   2123023   12/23/97
TRADEMARKS
RYAN’S RESTAURANT GROUP, INC.
                 
    Application       Registration   Registration
Mark   Number   File Date   Number   Date
RYAN’S FAMILY STEAKHOUSE
  73/181030   8/4/1978   1149189   3/24/1981
 
               
RYAN’S FAMILY STEAKHOUSE Design
  73/656667   4/22/1987   1467753   12/1/1987
 
               
“R” Design
  73/181065   8/4/1978   1182501   12/15/1981
 
               
MEGA BAR
  73/615869   8/21/1986   1458801   9/22/1987
 
               
RYAN’S and Design
  74/106749   10/15/1990   1707396   8/11/1992
 
               
SENSIBLE CHOICES
  75/024935   11/28/1995   2204197   11/17/1998
 
               
FIRE MOUNTAIN
  76/101888   8/2/2000   2580030   6/11/2002
 
               
FIRE MOUNTAIN HOT OFF THE GRILL! and Design
  77/001548   9/18/2006        
 
               
FIRE MOUNTAIN
  77/001526   9/18/2006        
 
               
RYAN’S Stylized
  242659   9/6/1995   601541 (Mexico)   2/25/1999
 
               
RYAN’S FAMILY STEAKHOUSE Stylized
  242658   9/6/1995   536059 (Mexico)   11/18/1996

 


 

 45
TRADEMARKS
TAHOE JOE’S, INC.
                 
    Application       Registration   Registration
Mark   Number   File Date   Number   Date
JOE’S STEAK
  78/923475   7/6/2006        
 
               
NEVADA CHEESECAKE
  78/923545   7/6/2006        
 
               
RAILROAD CAMP SHRIMP
  78/923463   7/6/2006        
 
               
TAHOE JOE’S & Design
  75/197501   11/13/1996   2114109   11/18/1997
 
               
TAHOE JOE’S
  78/506762   10/27/2004   3040908   1/10/2006
 
               
TAHOE JOE’S FAMOUS STEAKHOUSE & Design
  78/507006   10/27/2004   3045530   1/17/2006

 


 

 46
TRADEMARK LICENSES
1.   Trademark License Agreement, dated as of August 1, 2006, between OCB Restaurant Company, LLC and North’s Restaurants, Inc.

 


 

 47
COPYRIGHTS
BUFFETS, INC.
             
Reg/Serial   Title/Mark   DPUB   DREG
TX-3-215-670
  Old Country Buffet manager’s   10/31/91   12/20/91
 
  guide I: hospitality area hourly        
 
  training.        
 
           
VA-917-581
  Old Country Buffet: OC Bee   11/15/98   12/18/98
 
           
Vau497900
  Bee Costume       4/24/00
COPYRIGHT LICENSES
1.   Lawson’s Master Terms and Conditions Agreement, dated March 27, 2001, between Ryan’s Restaurant Group, Inc. and Lawson Associates, Inc.
 
2.   NCC Agreement, dated January 20, 2006, between Ryan’s Restaurant Group, Inc. and National Computer Corporation, Inc.
 
3.   Progressive Enterprise Wide Software License Agreement, dated October 30, 2001, between Ryan’s Restaurant Group, Inc. and Progressive Software, Inc.
[End of Schedule III]

 


 

Exhibit A to the Guarantee
and Collateral Agreement
     SUPPLEMENT NO. [] (this “Supplement”)dated as of [], to the Guarantee and Collateral Agreement dated as of November 1, 2006 (the “Guarantee and Collateral Agreement”), among BUFFETS, INC., a Minnesota corporation (the “Borrower”), BUFFETS HOLDINGS, INC., a Delaware corporation (“Holdings”), each Subsidiary of the Borrower from time to time party thereto (each such subsidiary individually a “Subsidiary Guarantor” and collectively, the “Subsidiary Guarantors”; the Subsidiary Guarantors, Holdings and the Borrower are referred to collectively herein as the “Grantors”) and CREDIT SUISSE, (together with its affiliates, “Credit Suisse”), as collateral agent (in such capacity, the “Collateral Agent”) for the Secured Parties (as defined therein).
          A. Reference is made to the Credit Agreement dated as of November 1, 2006 (as amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Credit Agreement”), among the Borrower, Holdings, the lenders from time to time party thereto (the “Lenders”) and Credit Suisse, as administrative agent for the Lenders and as Collateral Agent.
          B. Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings assigned to such terms in the Credit Agreement or the Guarantee and Collateral Agreement referred to therein, as applicable.
          C. The Grantors have entered into the Guarantee and Collateral Agreement in order to induce the Lenders to make Loans and the Issuing Bank to issue Letters of Credit. Section 7.16 of the Guarantee and Collateral Agreement provides that additional Domestic Subsidiaries of the Loan Parties may become Subsidiary Guarantors and Grantors under the Guarantee and Collateral Agreement by execution and delivery of an instrument in the form of this Supplement. The undersigned Subsidiary (the “New Subsidiary”) is executing this Supplement in accordance with the requirements of the Credit Agreement to become a Subsidiary Guarantor and a Grantor under the Guarantee and Collateral Agreement in order to induce the Lenders to make additional Loans and the Issuing Bank to issue additional Letters of Credit and as consideration for Loans previously made and Letters of Credit previously issued.
          Accordingly, the Collateral Agent and the New Subsidiary agree as follows:
          SECTION 1. In accordance with Section 7.16 of the Guarantee and Collateral Agreement, the New Subsidiary by its signature below becomes a Grantor and Subsidiary Guarantor under the Guarantee and Collateral Agreement with the same force and effect as if originally named therein as a Grantor and Subsidiary Guarantor and the

 


 

New Subsidiary hereby (a) agrees to all the terms and provisions of the Guarantee and Collateral Agreement applicable to it as a Grantor and Subsidiary Guarantor thereunder and (b) represents and warrants that the representations and warranties made by it as a Grantor and Subsidiary Guarantor thereunder are true and correct in all material respects on and as of the date hereof. In furtherance of the foregoing, the New Subsidiary, (a) unconditionally guarantees, jointly with the other Guarantors and severally, as a primary obligor and not merely as a surety, the due and punctual payment and performance of the Obligations and (b) as security for the payment and performance in full of the Obligations (as defined in the Guarantee and Collateral Agreement), does hereby create and grant to the Collateral Agent, its successors and assigns, for the ratable benefit of the Secured Parties, their successors and assigns, a security interest in and lien on all of the New Subsidiary’s right, title and interest in and to the Collateral (as defined in the Guarantee and Collateral Agreement) of the New Subsidiary. Each reference to a “Grantor” or a “Subsidiary Guarantor” in the Guarantee and Collateral Agreement shall be deemed to include the New Subsidiary. The Guarantee and Collateral Agreement is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
          SECTION 2. The New Subsidiary represents and warrants to the Collateral Agent and the other Secured Parties that this Supplement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by it and constitutes its legal, valid and binding obligation, enforceable against it in accordance with its terms.
          SECTION 3. This Supplement may be executed in counterparts (and by different parties hereto on different counterparts), each of which shall constitute an original, but all of which when taken together shall constitute a single contract. This Supplement shall become effective when the Collateral Agent shall have received counterparts of this Supplement that, when taken together, bear the signatures of the New Subsidiary and the Collateral Agent. Delivery of an executed signature page to this Supplement by facsimile transmission shall be as effective as delivery of a manually signed counterpart of this Supplement.
          SECTION 4. The New Subsidiary hereby represents and warrants that (a) set forth on Schedule I attached hereto is a true and correct schedule of the information, with respect to such New Subsidiary, required by the Perfection Certificate attached as Exhibit B to the Guarantee and Collateral Agreement and (b) set forth under its signature hereto, is the true and correct legal name of the New Subsidiary and its jurisdiction of organization.
          SECTION 5. Except as expressly supplemented hereby, the Guarantee and Collateral Agreement shall remain in full force and effect.
          SECTION 6. THIS SUPPLEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
          SECTION 7. In case any one or more of the provisions contained in this Supplement should be held invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, the validity,

 


 

legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions contained herein and in the Guarantee and Collateral Agreement shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby (it being understood that the invalidity of a particular provision in a particular jurisdiction shall not in and of itself affect the validity of such provision in any other jurisdiction). The parties hereto shall endeavor in good-faith negotiations to replace the invalid, illegal or unenforceable provisions with valid provisions the economic effect of which comes as close as possible to that of the invalid, illegal or unenforceable provisions.
          SECTION 8. All communications and notices hereunder shall (except as otherwise expressly permitted by the Guarantee and Collateral Agreement) be in writing and given as provided in Section 7.01 of the Guarantee and Collateral Agreement. All communications and notices hereunder to the New Subsidiary shall be given to it in care of the Borrower as provided in Section 9.01 of the Credit Agreement.
          SECTION 9. The New Subsidiary agrees to reimburse the Collateral Agent for its reasonable out-of-pocket expenses in connection with this Supplement, including the reasonable fees, other charges and disbursements of counsel for the Collateral Agent.
[Remainder of page intentionally left blank]

 


 

          IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the New Subsidiary and the Collateral Agent have duly executed this Supplement to the Guarantee and Collateral Agreement as of the day and year first above written.
                 
 
               
    [NAME OF NEW SUBSIDIARY],    
 
               
 
      by        
 
               
 
          Name:    
 
          Title:    
 
          Address:    
 
          Legal Name:    
 
          Jurisdiction of Formation:    
 
               
    CREDIT SUISSE, CAYMAN ISLANDS    
    BRANCH, as Collateral Agent,    
 
               
 
      by        
 
               
 
          Name:    
 
          Title:    
 
               
 
      by        
 
               
 
          Name:    
 
          Title:    

 


 

Schedule I to
Supplement No. [] to the
Guarantee and
Collateral Agreement
Collateral of the New Subsidiary
[Follow format of Perfection Certificate attached as
Exhibit B to the Guarantee and Collateral Agreement.]

 


 

Exhibit B to the Guarantee
and Collateral Agreement
FORM OF PERFECTION CERTIFICATE
PERFECTION CERTIFICATE
     Reference is made to the Credit Agreement (as amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Credit Agreement”) dated as of [•], 2006 among Buffets, Inc., a Minnesota corporation (the “Borrower”), Buffets Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Holdings” and, together with the Borrower and the Subsidiary Guarantors, the “Grantors”), the lenders from time to time party thereto and Credit Suisse, as administrative agent (in such capacity, the “Administrative Agent”) and as collateral agent. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein have the meanings set forth in either the Credit Agreement or the Guarantee and Collateral Agreement referred to therein, as applicable.
     The undersigned Responsible Officers of Holdings and the Borrower hereby certify to the Administrative Agent and each other Secured Party as follows:
1. Names. (a) The exact legal name of each Grantor, as such name appears in its respective certificate of formation, is as follows:
Exact Legal Name of Each Grantor
     (b) Set forth below is each other legal name each Grantor has had in the past five years, together with the date of the relevant change:
         
    Other Legal Name in Past 5   Date of Name
Grantor   Years   Change
         
     (c) Except as set forth in Schedule 1 hereto and other than in connection with the Transactions, no Grantor has changed its identity or corporate structure in any way within

 


 

 7
the past five years. Changes in identity or corporate structure would include mergers, consolidations and acquisitions, as well as any change in the form, nature or jurisdiction of organization. If any such change has occurred, include in Schedule 1 the information required by Sections 1 and 2 of this certificate as to each acquiree or constituent party to a merger or consolidation.
     (d) Set forth below is the Organizational Identification Number, if any, issued by the jurisdiction of formation of each Grantor that is a registered organization:
     
Grantor   Organizational Identification Number
     
     (e) Set forth below is the Federal Taxpayer Identification Number of each Grantor1:
     
Grantor   Federal Taxpayer Identification Number
     
2. Current Locations. (a) The chief executive office of each Grantor is located at the address set forth opposite its name below:
             
Grantor   Mailing Address   County   State
             
 
1   Only necessary for filing in North Dakota and South Dakota.

 


 

 8
     (b) Set forth below opposite the name of each Grantor are all locations where such Grantor maintains any books or records relating to any Accounts Receivable (with each location at which chattel paper, if any, is kept being indicated by an “*”):
             
Grantor   Mailing Address   County   State
             
     (c) The jurisdiction of formation of each Grantor that is a registered organization is set forth opposite its name below:
     
Grantor   Jurisdiction
     
     (d) Set forth below is a list of all real property held by each Grantor, whether owned or leased (other than such properties to be sold in the Sale-Leaseback Transaction or that are otherwise held pursuant to a leasehold mortgage), the name of the Grantor that owns or leases said property and the fair market value apportioned to each site:
             
Address   Owned/Leased   Entity   Value
             
     (e) Set forth below opposite the name of each Grantor are the names and addresses of all Persons other than such Grantor that have possession of any of the Collateral of such Grantor:

 


 

 9
             
Grantor   Mailing Address   County   State
             
3. Unusual Transactions. All Accounts have been originated by the Grantors and all Inventory has been acquired by the Grantors in the ordinary course of business.
4. File Search Reports. File search reports have been obtained from each Uniform Commercial Code filing office identified with respect to such Grantor in Section 2 hereof, and such search reports reflect no liens against any of the Collateral other than those permitted under the Credit Agreement.
5. UCC Filings. Financing statements in substantially the form of Schedule 5 hereto have been prepared for filing in the proper Uniform Commercial Code filing office in the jurisdiction in which each Grantor is located and, to the extent any of the collateral is comprised of fixtures, timber to be cut or as extracted collateral from the wellhead or minehead, in the proper local jurisdiction, in each case as set forth with respect to such Grantor in Section 2 hereof.
6. Schedule of Filings. Attached hereto as Schedule 6 is a schedule setting forth, with respect to the filings described in Section 5 above, each filing and the filing office in which such filing is to be made.
7. Stock Ownership and other Equity Interests. Attached hereto as Schedule 7 is a true and correct list of all the issued and outstanding stock, partnership interests, limited liability company membership interests or other Equity Interests held by, directly or indirectly, Holdings, the Borrower or any Subsidiary and the record and beneficial owners of such stock, partnership interests, membership interests or other Equity Interests. Also set forth on Schedule 7 is each equity investment held by, directly or indirectly, Holdings, the Borrower or any Subsidiary that represents 50% or less of the Equity Interests of the entity in which such investment was made.
8. Debt Instruments. Attached hereto as Schedule 8 is a true and correct list of all promissory notes and other evidence of indebtedness held by Holdings, the Borrower and each Subsidiary that are required to be pledged under the Guarantee and Collateral Agreement, including all intercompany notes between Holdings and any subsidiary of Holdings and any subsidiary of Holdings and any other such subsidiary.
9. Deposit Accounts. Attached hereto as Schedule 9 is a true and correct list of deposit accounts, brokerage accounts or securities investment accounts maintained by any

 


 

 10
Grantor, including the name and address of the depositary institution, the type of account, and the account number.
10. Securities Accounts. Attached hereto as Schedule 10 is a true and correct list of securities accounts maintained by each Grantor, including the name and address of the intermediary institution, the type of account and the account number.
11. Advances. Attached hereto as Schedule 11 is (a) a true and correct list of all advances made by Holdings to any subsidiary of Holdings or made by any subsidiary of Holdings to Holdings or to any other subsidiary of Holdings (other than those identified on Schedule 8), which advances will be on and after the date hereof evidenced by one or more intercompany notes pledged to the Administrative Agent under the Guarantee and Collateral Agreement and (b) a true and correct list of all unpaid intercompany transfers of goods sold and delivered by or to any Grantor.
12. Mortgage Filings. Attached hereto as Schedule 12 is a schedule setting forth, with respect to each mortgaged property other than such properties to be sold in the Sale-Leaseback Transaction or that are otherwise held pursuant to a leasehold mortgage, (a) the exact name of the person that owns such property as such name appears in its certificate of incorporation or other organizational document, (b) if different from the name identified pursuant to clause (a), the exact name of the current record owner of such property reflected in the records of the filing office for such property identified pursuant to the following clause and (c) the filing office in which a mortgage with respect to such property must be filed or recorded in order for the Administrative Agent to obtain a perfected security interest therein.
13. Intellectual Property. Attached hereto as Schedule 13A in proper form for filing with the United States Patent and Trademark Office is a schedule setting forth all of each Grantor’s Patents, Patent Licenses, Trademarks and Trademark Licenses, including the name of the registered owner, the registration number and the expiration date of each Patent, Patent License, Trademark and Trademark License owned by any Grantor. Attached hereto as Schedule 13B in proper form for filing with the United States Copyright Office is a schedule setting forth all of each Grantor’s Copyrights and Copyright Licenses, including the name of the registered owner, the registration number and the expiration date of each Copyright or Copyright License owned by any Grantor.
14. Commercial Tort Claims. Attached hereto as Schedule 14 is a true and correct list of commercial tort claims in excess of $500,000 held by any Grantor, including a brief description thereof.

 


 

 11
          IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have duly executed this certificate on this [] day of [], 2006.
             
 
           
    BUFFETS, INC.,    
 
           
 
  by        
 
           
 
      Name:    
 
      Title:    
 
           
    BUFFETS HOLDINGS, INC.,    
 
           
 
  by        
 
           
 
      Name:    
 
      Title:    

 


 

SCHEDULE 1
Changes in Identity or Corporate Structure Within Past Five Years

 


 

SCHEDULE 5
UCC Financing Statements

 


 

SCHEDULE 6
UCC Filings and Filing Offices

 


 

SCHEDULE 7
Stock Ownership and Other Equity Interests

 


 

SCHEDULE 8
Debt Instruments

 


 

SCHEDULE 9
Deposit Accounts

 


 

SCHEDULE 10
Securities Accounts

 


 

SCHEDULE 11
Advances

 


 

SCHEDULE 12
Mortgage Filings

 


 

SCHEDULE 13A
Patents, Patent Licenses, Trademarks and Trademark Licenses

 


 

SCHEDULE 13B
Copyrights and Copyright Licenses

 


 

SCHEDULE 14
Commercial Tort Claims