AGREEMENT OF THE PARTIES The language used in this Agreement will be deemed to be the language chosen by the parties hereto to express their mutual intent, and no rule of strict construction will be applied against any party hereto. Neither Executive nor the Company shall be entitled to any presumption in connection with any determination made hereunder in connection with any arbitration, judicial or administrative proceeding relating to or arising under this Agreement.
Bank Product Providers Each Bank Product Provider in its capacity as such shall be deemed a third party beneficiary hereof and of the provisions of the other Loan Documents for purposes of any reference in a Loan Document to the parties for whom Agent is acting. Agent hereby agrees to act as agent for such Bank Product Providers and, by virtue of entering into a Bank Product Agreement, the applicable Bank Product Provider shall be automatically deemed to have appointed Agent as its agent and to have accepted the benefits of the Loan Documents. It is understood and agreed that the rights and benefits of each Bank Product Provider under the Loan Documents consist exclusively of such Bank Product Provider’s being a beneficiary of the Liens and security interests (and, if applicable, guarantees) granted to Agent and the right to share in payments and collections out of the Collateral as more fully set forth herein. In addition, each Bank Product Provider, by virtue of entering into a Bank Product Agreement, shall be automatically deemed to have agreed that Agent shall have the right, but shall have no obligation, to establish, maintain, relax, or release reserves in respect of the Bank Product Obligations and that if reserves are established there is no obligation on the part of Agent to determine or insure whether the amount of any such reserve is appropriate or not. In connection with any such distribution of payments or proceeds of Collateral, Agent shall be entitled to assume no amounts are due or owing to any Bank Product Provider unless such Bank Product Provider has provided a written certification (setting forth a reasonably detailed calculation) to Agent as to the amounts that are due and owing to it and such written certification is received by Agent a reasonable period of time prior to the making of such distribution. Agent shall have no obligation to calculate the amount due and payable with respect to any Bank Products, but may rely upon the written certification of the amount due and payable from the applicable Bank Product Provider. In the absence of an updated certification, Agent shall be entitled to assume that the amount due and payable to the applicable Bank Product Provider is the amount last certified to Agent by such Bank Product Provider as being due and payable (less any distributions made to such Bank Product Provider on account thereof). Borrowers may obtain Bank Products from any Bank Product Provider, although Borrowers are not required to do so. Each Borrower acknowledges and agrees that no Bank Product Provider has committed to provide any Bank Products and that the providing of Bank Products by any Bank Product Provider is in the sole and absolute discretion of such Bank Product Provider. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement or any other Loan Document, no provider or holder of any Bank Product shall have any voting or approval rights hereunder (or be deemed a Lender) solely by virtue of its status as the provider or holder of such agreements or products or the Obligations owing thereunder, nor shall the consent of any such provider or holder be required (other than in their capacities as Lenders, to the extent applicable) for any matter hereunder or under any of the other Loan Documents, including as to any matter relating to the Collateral or the release of Collateral or Guarantors.
Concerning the Collateral Agent (a) Lenders acknowledge and agree that (i) the duties, responsibilities and obligations of the Collateral Agent shall be limited to those expressly set forth in this Agreement and no duties, responsibilities or obligations shall be inferred or implied, (ii) the Collateral Agent shall not be responsible for any of the agreements referred to or described herein, or for determining or compelling compliance therewith, (iii) this Article VII shall constitute the entire agreement of the parties with respect to the subject matter and supersedes all prior oral or written agreements in regard thereto, (iv) the Collateral Agent shall not be required to expend or risk any of its own funds or otherwise incur any financial or other liability in the performance of any of its duties hereunder, and (v) the Collateral Agent shall not be obligated to take any legal or other action hereunder which might in its judgment involve or cause it to incur any expense or additional liability unless it shall have been furnished with acceptable indemnification. Except as expressly set forth herein, Lenders shall have and retain the sole power and authority to exercise any and all powers and rights with respect to the Collateral. The Collateral Agent may earn compensation in the form of short-term interest (“float”) on items like uncashed distribution checks (from the date issued until the date cashed), funds that the Collateral Agent is directed not to invest, deposits awaiting investment direction or received too late to be invested overnight in previously directed investments. (b) The Collateral Agent shall be under no duty to afford the assets in the Collateral any greater degree of care than it gives its own similar property. The Collateral Agent shall not be liable for any damage, loss or injury resulting from any action taken or omitted in the absence of gross negligence or willful misconduct, as adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdiction or the Collateral Agent’s taking of any action in violation of this Agreement. (c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Article VII, the Collateral Agent shall not be liable (i) for any indirect, incidental, consequential, punitive or special losses or damages, regardless of the form of action and whether or not any such losses or damages were foreseeable or contemplated, (ii) for the acts or omissions of any nominees, correspondents, designees, agents, subagents or sub-custodians, or (iii) for the investment or reinvestment of any assets in the Account, or any liquidation of such investment or reinvestment, executed in accordance with the terms of the Agreement, including, without limitation, any liability for any delays (not resulting from its gross negligence or willful misconduct as adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdiction or the Collateral Agent’s taking of any action in violation of this Agreement) in the investment or reinvestment of the Collateral, any loss of interest incident to any such delays, or any loss or penalty as a result of the liquidation of any investment before its stated maturity date. (d) All instructions and notices required under this appointment shall be delivered to the Collateral Agent in writing. (e) Notwithstanding anything else to the contrary herein or in any other agreement, any reference to any discretionary action by, consent, designation, specification, requirement or approval of, notice, request or other communication from, or other direction given or action to be undertaken or to be (or not to be) suffered or omitted by the Collateral Agent or to any election, decision, opinion, acceptance, use of judgment, expression of satisfaction or other exercise of discretion, rights or remedies to be made (or not to be made) by the Collateral Agent, it is understood that in all cases the Collateral Agent shall be fully justified in failing or refusing to take any such action if it shall not have received such written instruction, advice or concurrence of Majority Lenders as it deems appropriate. This provision is intended solely for the benefit of the Collateral Agent and its successors and permitted assigns and is not intended to and will not entitle the other parties hereto to any defense, claim or counterclaim, or confer any rights or benefits on any party hereto. (f) The Collateral Agent acknowledges that it has, independently and without reliance upon any other secured party and based on such documents and information as it has deemed appropriate, made its own credit analysis and decision to enter into to this Agreement. The Collateral Agent also acknowledges that it will, independently and without reliance upon any other secured party and based on such documents and information as it shall from time to time deem appropriate, make its own credit analysis and decision as to whether it will continue to be party to this Agreement.
Parties Independent The parties are and will at all times remain independent of each other and are not and will not represent themselves to be the agent, joint venturer, partner or employee of the other. No representations will be made or acts taken by either party which could establish or imply any apparent relationship of agency, joint venture, partnership or employment and neither party will be bound in any manner whatsoever by any agreements, warranties or representations made by the other party to any other person or entity, nor with respect to any other action of the other party.
Defense of Agent’s and Lenders’ Interests Until (a) payment and performance in full of all of the Obligations and (b) termination of this Agreement, Agent’s interests in the Collateral shall continue in full force and effect. During such period no Borrower shall, without Agent’s prior written consent, pledge, sell (except Inventory in the Ordinary Course of Business and Equipment to the extent permitted in Section 4.3 hereof), assign, transfer, create or suffer to exist a Lien upon or encumber or allow or suffer to be encumbered in any way except for Permitted Encumbrances, any part of the Collateral. Each Borrower shall defend Agent’s interests in the Collateral against any and all Persons whatsoever. At any time following demand by Agent for payment of all Obligations, Agent shall have the right to take possession of the indicia of the Collateral and the Collateral in whatever physical form contained, including: labels, stationery, documents, instruments and advertising materials. If Agent exercises this right to take possession of the Collateral, Borrowers shall, upon demand, assemble it in the best manner possible and make it available to Agent at a place reasonably convenient to Agent. In addition, with respect to all Collateral, Agent and Lenders shall be entitled to all of the rights and remedies set forth herein and further provided by the Uniform Commercial Code or other Applicable Law. Each Borrower shall, and Agent may, at its option, instruct all suppliers, carriers, forwarders, warehousers or others receiving or holding cash, checks, Inventory, documents or instruments in which Agent holds a security interest to deliver same to Agent and/or subject to Agent’s order and if they shall come into any Borrower’s possession, they, and each of them, shall be held by such Borrower in trust as Agent’s trustee, and such Borrower will immediately deliver them to Agent in their original form together with any necessary endorsement.