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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of Earliest Event Reported): May 23, 2024
VERTEX ENERGY, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Nevada |
001-11476 |
94-3439569 |
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation) |
(Commission File Number) |
(IRS Employer
Identification No.) |
1331 Gemini Street
Suite 250
Houston, Texas |
77058 |
(Address of principal executive offices) |
(Zip Code) |
Registrant’s
telephone number, including area code: (866) 660-8156
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under
any of the following provisions:
☐ |
Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) |
|
|
☐ |
Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) |
|
|
☐ |
Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) |
|
|
☐ |
Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class |
Trading Symbol(s) |
Name of each exchange on which registered |
Common
Stock,
$0.001 Par Value Per Share |
VTNR |
The NASDAQ
Stock Market LLC
(Nasdaq Capital Market) |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405
of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company ☐
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Item 1.01 |
Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement. |
On June 3, 2024, Vertex
Refining Alabama LLC (“Vertex Refining”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Vertex Energy, Inc. (the “Company”,
“we” and “us”), the Company, substantially all of the subsidiaries of the Company (the “Subsidiary
Guarantors”), Macquarie Energy North America Trading Inc. (“Macquarie”), and Cantor Fitzgerald Securities,
as administrative agent and collateral agent (the “Agent”) under the Loan Agreement (defined below), entered
into a Second Amended and Restated Intercreditor Agreement (the “A&R Intercreditor Agreement”) pursuant
to which the references to the RD Supply and Offtake Agreement Documents (as defined below), were removed from the agreement. The intercreditor
arrangement may limit our ability to amend the Loan Agreement, the Supply and Offtake Agreement (defined below) and related agreements,
provides for certain restrictions on the exercise of remedies (through “standstill” and access periods) and governs
certain creditor rights in bankruptcy proceedings relating to grantors.
On
June 11, 2024, Vertex Refining and Macquarie, entered into a Limited Consent (the “Macquarie Limited Consent”), in
connection with that certain Supply and Offtake Agreement, dated as of April 1, 2022, between Vertex Refining and Macquarie (as amended
from time to time, the “Supply and Offtake Agreement”). Pursuant to the Macquarie Limited Consent, Macquarie provided
a limited consent to allow Vertex Refining to have unrestricted cash of less than $25 million, but not less than $15 million, for any
period of not more than three consecutive business days, without triggering an event of default under the Supply and Offtake Agreement,
through June 18, 2024. The Macquarie Limited Consent also provides that it would be a breach of the Supply and Offtake Agreement if unrestricted
cash is less than $25 million as of June 18, 2024.
.
Also
on June 11, 2024, Vertex Refining, the Company, the Subsidiary Guarantors, the Agent, and the lenders party to the Loan Agreement (defined
below)(the “Lenders”), entered into a Limited Consent (the “Lender Limited Consent”), in connection
with that certain Loan and Security Agreement, dated as of April 1, 2022, between Vertex Refining, the Company, the Subsidiary Guarantors,
the Agent and the Lenders (as amended from time to time, the “Loan Agreement”). Pursuant to the Lender Limited Consent,
the Lenders consented to the Company, Vertex Refining and the Subsidiary Guarantors, collectively having unrestricted cash of less than
$25 million, but not less than $15 million, in each case, for any period of not more than three consecutive business days prior to June
18, 2024.
The
foregoing description of the A&R Intercreditor Agreement, Macquarie Limited Consent and the Lender Limited Consent does not purport
to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the A&R Intercreditor Agreement, Macquarie Limited
Consent and the Lender Limited Consent, which are filed as Exhibits 10.1, 10.2 and 10.3 to this Current Report
on Form 8-K, and are incorporated into this Item 1.01 by reference in its entirety.
Item 8.01 Other Events.
On May 23, 2024, Vertex Refining,
the Company, the Subsidiary Guarantors, the Agent and the Lenders, entered into a Limited Consent and Waiver (the “May 23rd Waiver”),
in connection with the Loan Agreement, pursuant to which the Lenders consented to the termination of that certain supply and offtake agreement
dated May 26, 2024, between Vertex Refining, Macquarie, the Company and Vertex Renewables Alabama LLC (“Vertex Renewables”),
a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company (as amended from time to time, the “RD Supply and Offtake Agreement”) and
certain other Transaction Documents (as defined in the RD Supply and Offtake Agreement)(collectively, the “RD Supply and Offtake
Agreement Documents”); the Company maintaining a certain designated bank account after the termination of the RD Supply and
Offtake Agreement Documents; and the waiver of a technical event of default under the Loan Agreement, which had occurred as result of
the termination of the RD Supply and Offtake Agreement Documents on May 23, 2024.
On May 24, 2024, Vertex Refining,
the Company, the Subsidiary Guarantors, the Agent and the Lenders, entered into a Limited Consent and Partial Lien Release (the “May
24th Consent”), in connection with the Loan Agreement, pursuant to which the Lenders consented to (1) release of the Agent’s
lien certain assets of Vertex Renewables; (2) entry into a Security Agreement with Idemitsu Apollo Renewable Corporation (“Idemitsu”);
and (3) to the extent not otherwise permitted by the loan documents, undertake certain transactions with Idemitsu, which May 24th Consent
was to expire on June 17, 2024.
On June 3, 2024, the Company,
Vertex Refining, the Subsidiary Guarantors, the Agent and the Lenders entered into an Omnibus Amendment and Waiver (the “Omnibus
Amendment”), in connection with the Loan Agreement and the May 24th Consent, pursuant to which the Lenders agreed to amend certain
defined terms set forth in the May 24th Consent, extend the expiration date of the May 24th Waiver to July 8, 2024, clarify
the release of certain security interests over Idemitsu collateral, and to clarify certain definitions set forth in the Loan Agreement,
including in connection with the A&R Intercreditor Agreement.
The
foregoing description of the May 23rd Waiver, May 24th Consent and the Omnibus Amendment, does not purport to be complete and is qualified
in its entirety by reference to the full text of the May 23rd Waiver, May 24th Consent and the Omnibus Amendment, which are filed as Exhibits
10.4, 10.5 and 10.6 to this Current Report on Form 8-K, and are incorporated into this Item 8.01 by
reference in its entirety.
Item 9.01 |
Financial Statements and Exhibits. |
Exhibit No. |
|
Description |
10.1*+ |
|
Second Amended and Restated Intercreditor Agreement originally dated as of April 1, 2022, and as amended and restated as of May 26, 2023 and June 3, 2024, among Cantor Fitzgerald Securities, as the Term Loan Agent, Macquarie Energy North America Trading Inc., as the Intermediation Facility Secured Party, Vertex Refining Alabama LLC, as the Company, and the other acknowledging affiliates party thereto |
10.2* |
|
Limited Consent dated June 11, 2024, between Vertex Refining Alabama LLC and Macquarie Energy North America Trading Inc. |
10.3* |
|
Limited Consent dated June 11, 2024, by and among Vertex Refining Alabama LLC, Vertex Energy, Inc., the subsidiaries of Vertex Energy, Inc., party thereto, Cantor Fitzgerald Securities, as agent under the Loan Agreement and the Lenders party thereto |
10.4* |
|
Limited Consent and Waiver dated May 23, 2024, by and among Vertex Refining Alabama LLC, Vertex Energy, Inc., the subsidiaries of Vertex Energy, Inc., party thereto, Cantor Fitzgerald Securities, as agent under the Loan Agreement and the Lenders party thereto |
10.5* |
|
Limited Consent and Partial Lien Release dated May 24, 2024, by and among Vertex Refining Alabama LLC, Vertex Energy, Inc., the subsidiaries of Vertex Energy, Inc., party thereto, Cantor Fitzgerald Securities, as agent under the Loan Agreement and the Lenders party thereto |
10.6*+ |
|
Omnibus Amendment and Waiver dated June 3, 2024, by and among Vertex Refining Alabama LLC, Vertex Energy, Inc., the subsidiaries of Vertex Energy, Inc., party thereto, Cantor Fitzgerald Securities, as agent under the Loan Agreement and the Lenders party thereto |
104 |
|
|
Inline XBRL for the cover page of this Current Report on Form 8-K |
+ Certain schedules, annexes and similar attachments
have been omitted pursuant to Item 601(a)(5) of Regulation S-K. A copy of any omitted schedule or exhibit will be furnished supplementally
to the Securities and Exchange Commission upon request; provided, however that Vertex Energy, Inc. may request confidential treatment
pursuant to Rule 24b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, for any schedule or exhibit so furnished.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto
duly authorized.
|
VERTEX ENERGY, INC. |
|
|
Date: June 17, 2024 |
By: |
/s/ Chris Carlson |
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|
Chris Carlson |
|
|
Chief Financial Officer |
VERTEX ENERGY, INC. 8-K
EXHIBIT 10.1
SECOND
AMENDED AND RESTATED INTERCREDITOR AGREEMENT
originally
dated as of April 1, 2022, as amended and restated as of May 26, 2023, and as
further amended and restated June 3, 2024
INTERCREDITOR
AGREEMENT |
dated
as of April 1, 2022 |
among |
CANTOR
FITZGERALD SECURITIES, |
as
the Term Loan Agent, |
MACQUARIE
ENERGY NORTH AMERICA TRADING INC., |
as
the Intermediation Facility Secured Party, |
VERTEX
REFINING ALABAMA LLC,
as
the Company |
and |
THE
OTHER ACKNOWLEDGING AFFILIATES PARTY HERETO |
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE
ARTICLE
1 |
|
DEFINITIONS |
|
1 |
|
|
|
Section 1.01. |
UCC Definitions |
1 |
Section 1.02. |
Definitions |
1 |
Section 1.03. |
Terms Generally |
13 |
|
|
|
ARTICLE
2 |
|
LIEN PRIORITIES |
13 |
|
|
Section 2.01. |
Lien Priorities |
13 |
Section 2.02. |
Nature of Obligations |
15 |
Section 2.03. |
Additional Liens |
15 |
Section 2.04. |
[Reserved] |
16 |
Section 2.05. |
Delivery of Termination Date
Notices |
16 |
Section 2.06. |
Reinstatement |
16 |
|
|
|
ARTICLE 3 |
|
ENFORCEMENT RIGHTS |
16 |
|
|
Section 3.01. |
Exclusive Enforcement |
16 |
Section 3.02. |
Standstill and Waivers |
17 |
Section 3.03. |
[Reserved] |
18 |
Section 3.04. |
Cooperation with respect to
Collateral |
18 |
Section 3.05. |
[Reserved.] |
22 |
Section 3.06. |
[Reserved] |
22 |
Section 3.07. |
Actions Upon Breach |
22 |
Section 3.08. |
Proceeds of Business Interruption
Insurance |
22 |
|
|
|
ARTICLE 4 |
|
APPLICATION OF PROCEEDS OF COLLATERAL;
DISPOSITIONS AND RELEASES OF COLLATERAL; INSPECTION AND INSURANCE |
23 |
|
|
Section 4.01. |
Application of Proceeds; Turnover
Provisions |
23 |
|
|
|
ARTICLE 5 |
INSOLVENCY PROCEEDINGS |
24 |
Section 5.01. |
Filing of Motions |
24 |
Section 5.02. |
Financing Matters |
25 |
Section 5.03. |
[Reserved] |
26 |
Section 5.04. |
Adequate Protection |
26 |
Section 5.05. |
Avoidance Issues |
27 |
Section 5.06. |
Asset Dispositions in an Insolvency
Proceeding |
28 |
Section 5.07. |
[Reserved] |
28 |
Section 5.08. |
Plans of Reorganization |
29 |
Section 5.09. |
Other Matters |
29 |
Section 5.10. |
No Waiver of Rights of First Priority
Secured Parties |
29 |
Section 5.11. |
Effectiveness in Insolvency
Proceedings |
29 |
Section 5.12. |
Section 1111 of the
Bankruptcy Code |
30 |
|
|
|
ARTICLE 6 |
|
MATTERS RELATING TO FINANCE
DOCUMENTS |
30 |
|
|
Section 6.01. |
Amendments to Finance Documents |
30 |
Section 6.02. |
Consents |
30 |
|
|
|
ARTICLE 7 |
|
RELIANCE; WAIVERS; ETC |
31 |
|
|
Section 7.01. |
Reliance |
31 |
Section 7.02. |
No Warranties or Liability |
31 |
Section 7.03. |
No Waivers |
31 |
Section 7.04. |
Obligations Unconditional |
31 |
|
|
|
ARTICLE 8 |
|
MISCELLANEOUS |
32 |
|
|
Section 8.01. |
Conflicts |
32 |
Section 8.02. |
Continuing Nature of Provisions |
32 |
Section 8.03. |
Amendments; Waivers |
32 |
Section 8.04. |
Information Concerning Financial Condition
of the Company and the Other Grantors |
32 |
Section 8.05. |
Additional Grantors |
32 |
Section 8.06. |
GOVERNING LAW; JURISDICTION; CONSENT TO SERVICE
OF PROCESS |
33 |
Section 8.07. |
WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL |
33 |
Section 8.08. |
Notices |
34 |
Section 8.09. |
Successors and Assigns |
35 |
Section 8.10. |
Headings |
35 |
Section 8.11. |
Further Assurances |
35 |
Section 8.12. |
Subrogation |
36 |
Section 8.13. |
Severability |
36 |
Section 8.14. |
Counterparts;Integration;
Effectiveness |
36 |
Section 8.15. |
Provisions Solely to Define Relative
Rights |
36 |
Section 8.16. |
No Third Party Beneficiaries |
36 |
Section 8.17. |
Concerning the Term Loan
Agent |
36 |
|
|
|
ARTICLE 9 |
|
AGREEMENTS WITH RESPECT TO
INTERMEDIATION TITLE PROPERTY |
37 |
|
|
Section 9.01. |
Turnover |
37 |
Section 9.02. |
UCC Notices |
37 |
Section 9.03. |
Further Assurances with Respect to
Intermediation Title Property |
37 |
Section 9.04. |
Additional Understanding and Agreements with
Respect to Intermediation Title
Property |
37 |
Section 9.05. |
Additional Understanding and Agreements of
the Term Loan Agent |
38 |
Annex I |
– |
[Reserved] |
|
|
|
|
|
Annex II |
– |
Provisions for Finance Documents |
|
|
|
|
|
Annex III |
– |
Joinder Agreement |
|
Article
I. SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED INTERCREDITOR
AGREEMENT
This
SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED INTERCREDITOR AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”), originally dated as of April 1,
2022, amended and restated as of May 26, 2023 and as further amended and restated as of June 3, 2024 by and among Cantor
Fitzgerald Securities, as collateral agent (in such capacity, with its successors and assigns, the “Term Loan
Agent”) for the Term Loan Secured Parties, Macquarie Energy North America Trading Inc., in its capacity as
intermediator under the Intermediation Facility Documents (in such capacity, with its successor and assigns, the
“Intermediation Facility Secured Party”), Vertex Refining Alabama LLC, a Delaware limited liability
company (the “Company” or “Grantor”), and each of the other companies appearing on the
signature pages hereto (collectively, the “Acknowledging Affiliates”).
WHEREAS,
the Company is a borrower under the Term Loan Agreement, pursuant to which the lenders party thereto have made and/or will make
term loans to the Company on the terms and conditions set forth therein; and
WHEREAS,
the Company has or will become a party to the Intermediation Agreement, which provide certain arrangements for (i) the provision
of intermediation services by the Intermediation Facility Secured Party to the Company and (ii) certain other transactions between
the Intermediation Facility Secured Party and the Company related thereto; and
WHEREAS,
the Grantors, including the Company, have granted, or will grant, Liens on certain of their respective assets (i) to the Term
Loan Agent pursuant to the Term Loan Collateral Documents to secure the Term Loan Obligations and (ii) to the Intermediation Facility
Secured Party pursuant to the Intermediation Facility Documents to secure the Intermediation Facility Obligations; and
WHEREAS,
it is the desire of the parties hereto to set forth their respective rights and priorities with respect to the Collateral;
NOW,
THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and the mutual covenants herein contained and other good and valuable consideration,
the existence and sufficiency of which is expressly recognized by all of the parties hereto, the parties agree as follows:
ARTICLE
1
DEFINITIONS
Section
1.01. UCC Definitions. Unless otherwise defined herein, the following terms are used herein as defined in the Uniform Commercial
Code: Accounts, Chattel Paper, Commercial Tort Claims, Commodities Account, Deposit Account, Documents, Electronic Chattel Paper,
Equipment, Financial Assets, Fixtures, General Intangibles, Instruments, Investment Property, Letter-of-Credit Rights, Letters
of Credit, Money, Payment Intangibles, Proceeds, Records, Securities Account, Security Entitlements, and Supporting Obligations.
Section
1.02. Definitions. The following terms, as used herein, have the following meanings:
“Access
Period” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.04(b)(iii).
“Acknowledging
Affiliates” has the meaning set forth in the introductory paragraph of this Agreement.
“Adequate
Protection Liens” means any Liens granted in any Insolvency Proceeding to any Secured Party as adequate protection for
the value of the Liens securing the Secured Obligations held by such Secured Party.
“Affiliate”
means, with respect to any Person, any Person that owns or Controls such Person, any Person that Controls or is Controlled by
or is under common Control with such Person or each of such Person’s senior executive officers, directors, members or partners.
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, no Secured Party (nor any of their Affiliates), shall be an Affiliate of any Grantor
or of any Subsidiary of any Grantor.
“Applicable
Law” means, as to any Person, all applicable laws of any Governmental Authority binding upon such Person or to which
such a Person is subject.
“Bankruptcy
Code” means (x) Title 11 of the United States Code entitled “Bankruptcy,” as now and hereafter in effect,
or any successor statute, or (y) equivalent legislation in any jurisdiction applicable to the Grantors.
“BTCs”
means Biodiesel Blender’s Tax Credits.
“Business
Interruption Insurance Percentage” shall mean, as of any date of determination, (i) with respect to the Intermediation
Facility Secured Parties, the percentage determined by dividing the Intermediation Facility Secured Parties’ respective
Intermediation Facility Obligations outstanding after the Intermediation Facility Secured Parties have marshalled, taken, liquidated
and exhausted all remedies and recoveries available to such Intermediation Facility Secured Parties from any other Intermediation
Facility Priority Collateral and any insurance rights owned or held by the Intermediation Facility Secured Parties in their own
name covering such Collateral in accordance with Section 3.08 hereof to the Intermediation Facility Obligations under the respective
Intermediation Facility Documents, by the sum of such Intermediation Facility Obligations, plus the outstanding Term Loan Obligations,
in each case, as of the time of the occurrence of the event giving rise to the payment of business interruption insurance; and
(ii) with respect to the Term Loan Secured Parties, the difference between 100% and the percentage determined in item (i) of this
definition.
“Cash
Equivalents” means, as to any Person: (a) securities issued or directly and guaranteed or insured by the United
States or any agency or instrumentality thereof having maturities of not more than twelve (12) months from the date of
acquisition; (b) securities issued by any state of the United States or any political subdivision of any such state or any
public instrumentality thereof having maturities of not more than twelve (12) months from the date of acquisition and having
one of the two highest ratings from either Standard & Poor’s, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., or
Moody’s Investors Service, Inc.; (c) certificates of deposit, denominated solely in U.S. Dollars, maturing within 180
days after the date of acquisition, issued by any commercial bank organized under the laws of the United States or any state
thereof or the District of Columbia or that is a U.S. subsidiary of a foreign commercial bank; in each of the foregoing
cases, solely to the extent that: (i) such commercial bank’s short-term commercial paper is rated at least A-1 or the
equivalent by Standard & Poor’s, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., or at least P-1 or the equivalent
thereof by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (any such commercial bank, an “Approved Bank”); or (ii)
the par amount of all certificates of deposit acquired from such commercial bank are fully insured by the Federal Deposit
Insurance Corporation; or (d) commercial paper issued by any Approved Bank (or by the parent company thereof), in each case
maturing not more than twelve months after the date of the acquisition thereof.
“Catalyst
Assets” means any catalyst assets and inventory constituting catalyst, precious metals assets and precious metals inventory
and all additions, accessions and all rights related thereto.
“CFP”
means any current or future U.S. federal, state, regional or local renewable or clean transportation fuel program, other than
the RFS Program, the LCFS, and the OCFP.
“CFP
Credits” means credits generated and traded under the relevant CFP.
“Class”
refers to the determination in relation to any particular Type of Collateral: (i) with respect to any Secured Obligations and
(ii) with respect to any Secured Party.
“Collateral”
means, collectively, the Intermediation Facility Priority Collateral and the Term Loan Priority Collateral.
“Company”
has the meaning set forth in the introductory paragraph of this Agreement.
“Conforming
Renewable Product” means a renewable diesel that (i) is produced from one hundred percent (100%) Renewable Biomass and
no portion of which is produced from non-renewable feedstock, including petroleum products; (ii) meets the Renewable Product Specifications,
and (iii) is eligible to generate a valid RIN with a D Code of 4 under the RFS Program.
“Control”
means the ability to directly or indirectly vote more than thirty percent (30%) of the outstanding voting stock of any Person.
“Controlled” shall have the correlative meaning thereto.
“Controlling
Term Loan Agent” means the collateral agent under the replacement Term Loan Agreement (if any) holding the largest outstanding
principal amount of Term Loan Obligations then outstanding.
“Copyrights”
means any and all copyright rights in the United States (whether registered or unregistered and whether published or unpublished),
copyright applications, copyright registrations and like protections in each work or authorship and derivative work thereof, together
with any and all (i) rights and privileges arising under Applicable Law with respect thereto and (ii) renewals and extensions
thereof.
“Debtor
Relief Laws” means the Bankruptcy Code, and all other liquidation, conservatorship, bankruptcy, assignment for the
benefit of creditors, moratorium, rearrangement, receivership, insolvency, reorganization, or similar debtor relief laws of
the United States or other applicable jurisdictions from time to time in effect and affecting the rights of creditors
generally.
“DIP
Financing” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.02(a).
“Discharge
of Intermediation Facility Obligations” means both of the following have occurred: (a) the Intermediation Agreement
has been terminated including all commitments for further purchases of inventory thereunder, either (i) at the expiration or deemed
expiration of its stated term, (ii) by mutual written agreement by the parties thereto or (iii) otherwise in accordance with the
Intermediation Agreement, and (b) payment has been made in full in cash of all Intermediation Facility Obligations (including
all “termination amounts” or “settlement amounts”, if any) that are due and payable or otherwise accrued
and owing in connection with any such termination of the Intermediation Agreement (other than those that constitute Unasserted
Contingent Obligations).
“Discharge
of Term Loan Obligations” means that both of the following have occurred (a) the Term Loan Agreement has been
terminated including all commitments for further extensions of credit thereunder, either (i) at the expiration or deemed
expiration of its stated term, (ii) by mutual written agreement by the parties thereto or (iii) otherwise in accordance with
the Term Loan Agreement, and (b) payment has been made in full in cash of all Term Loan Obligations (including all regular
and/or default interest, premiums, fees, expenses, and indemnities if any that are due and payable or otherwise accrued and
owing in connection with the termination of the Term Loan Agreement (other than those that constitute Unasserted Contingent
Obligations)).
“Enforcement
Action” means, with respect to any Class of Secured Obligations, the exercise of any rights and remedies with respect
to any Collateral securing such obligations or the commencement or prosecution of enforcement of any of the rights and remedies
under the Finance Documents of such Class, or Applicable Law, in each case, with respect to any Collateral, including the exercise
of any rights of set-off or recoupment, and the exercise of any rights or remedies of a secured creditor under the Uniform Commercial
Code, the Bankruptcy Code or other similar creditors’ rights, bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar laws of
any applicable jurisdiction.
“Environmental
Attributes” means any and all attributes, credits, benefits, emission reductions, offsets, and allowances, howsoever
entitled, attributable to the characteristics, production, use or combustion of renewable diesel or its displacement or reduction
in the use of transportation fuel, but only to the extent that any of the foregoing is generated, produced and verified through
and in compliance with the RFS Program, the LCFS, the OCFP, and any other applicable CFP. For sake of clarity, Environmental Attributes
(i) to the extent verified, includes RINs, BTCs, LCFS Credits, OCFP Credits, and CFP Credits, and (ii) excludes any federal or
state tax credits, development credits, or similar incentives (other than any BTCs, which, for the avoidance of doubt, shall be
included in the definition of “Environmental Attributes”).
“Equity
Interests” mean 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, and any option, warrant, convertible debt or other right
entitling the holder thereof to purchase or otherwise acquire any such equity interest.
“Event
of Default” means an “Event of Default” or “Termination Event”, as applicable, in each case,
as defined in the applicable First Priority Documents or any corresponding definition thereunder.
“Finance
Document” means any of the Intermediation Facility Documents or the Term Loan Documents, as applicable.
“First
Amendment and Restatement Date” means May 26, 2023.
“First
Priority Documents” means, with respect to any Type of Collateral, the relevant Finance Documents governing the First
Priority Obligations.
“First
Priority Lien” means any Lien on any Type of Collateral securing any First Priority Obligation.
“First
Priority Obligations” means, at any time of determination, (i) with respect to the Intermediation Facility Priority
Collateral, all Intermediation Facility Obligations and (ii) with respect to the Term Loan Priority Collateral, all Term Loan
Obligations.
“First
Priority Obligations Payment Date” means (i) with respect to the Intermediation Facility Priority Collateral, the Intermediation
Facility Termination Date and (ii) with respect to the Term Loan Priority Collateral, the Term Loan Termination Date.
“First
Priority Representative” means, at any time of determination, with respect to any Type of Collateral, the applicable
Representative for the holders of the First Priority Obligations with respect to such Collateral.
“First
Priority Secured Parties” means, with respect to any Type of Collateral, the relevant First Priority Representative
and the holders of such First Priority Obligations.
“Governmental
Authority” means the government of the United States of America, any other nation or any political subdivision thereof,
whether state or local, and any agency, authority, instrumentality, regulatory body, court, central bank or other entity exercising
executive, legislative, judicial, taxing, regulatory or administrative functions of or pertaining to any government (including
any supernational bodies such as the European Union, the European Central Bank or the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development.
“Grantor”
means the Company and each other Person that has granted (or may have from time to time hereafter grant) a Lien on any assets
that constitute Collateral.
“Hydrocarbon
Credit Support” means, as of any time, all Inventory constituting or consisting of “Hydrocarbons” (as defined
in the Intermediation Agreement ) then owned or at any time hereafter acquired by the Company, that is located at a Company Storage
Location (as defined in the Intermediation Facility Documents); provided that “Hydrocarbon Credit Support”
shall not include any Excluded Property (as defined in the Intermediation Facility Security Documents) or any Catalyst Assets.
“Indebtedness”
means and includes all obligations and liabilities that constitute “Indebtedness” under and as defined in the Term
Loan Agreement or “Transaction Obligations” under and as defined in the Intermediation Agreement, as applicable.
“Independent
Amount Letter” means the independent amount letter entered into between the Company and the Intermediation Facility
Secured Party in connection with the Intermediation Agreement, as may be amended from time to time.
“Insolvency
Proceeding” shall mean any of the following: (a) the filing by any Grantor of a voluntary petition in bankruptcy under
any state, federal or foreign Debtor Relief Law (including the Bankruptcy Code) or a petition to take advantage of any receivership
or insolvency laws, including any petition seeking the dissolution, winding up, total liquidation, reorganization, composition,
arrangement, adjustment or readjustment or other relief of such Grantor, such Grantor’s debts or such Grantor’s assets
or the appointment of a trustee, receiver, liquidator, custodian or similar official for such Grantor or a material part of such
Grantor’s property; (b) the appointment of a receiver, liquidator, trustee, custodian or other similar official for such
Grantor or all or a material part of such Grantor’s assets; (c) the filing of any petition against such Grantor under any
state, federal or foreign Debtor Relief Law (including the Bankruptcy Code) or other receivership or insolvency law, including
any petition seeking the dissolution, winding up, total liquidation, reorganization, composition, arrangement, adjustment or readjustment
or other relief of such Grantor, such Grantor’s debts or such Grantor’s assets or the appointment of a trustee, receiver,
liquidator, custodian or similar official for such Grantor or a material part of such Grantor’s property; (d) the general
assignment by such Grantor for the benefit of creditors or any other marshaling of the assets and liabilities of such Grantor;
or (e) any other case or proceeding of any type or nature in which substantially all claims of creditors of the Grantors are determined
and any payment or distribution is or may be made on account of such claims.
“Intellectual
Property” means all of a Person’s right, title, and interest in and to the following: Copyrights, Trademarks and
Patents (including registrations and applications therefor prior to granting, and whether or not filed, recorded or issued); domain
names; all trade secrets and related rights, including without limitation rights to unpatented inventions, know-how and manuals;
all design rights; claims for damages by way of past, present and future infringement of any of the rights included above; all
amendments, renewals and extensions of any Copyrights, Trademarks or Patents; all licenses or other rights to use any of the foregoing
and all license fees and royalties arising from such use; and all proceeds and products of the foregoing.
“Intermediation
Agreement” means the Supply and Offtake Agreement entered into between the Company and the Intermediation Facility Secured
Party on April 1, 2022 in relation to, amongst other matters, the sale and purchase of “Crude Oil” and “Products”
(each as defined in the Intermediation Agreement), as amended from time to time.
“Intermediation
Cash Collateral” means the “Independent Amount” (as defined in the Independent Amount Letter).
“Intermediation
Facility Documents” means the Intermediation Agreement, the Intermediation Facility Guaranty, the Intermediation
Facility Parent Guaranty, the Independent Amount Letter and the other “Transaction Documents” (as defined in the
Intermediation Agreement as amended from time to time in accordance herewith) and each of the other agreements, documents and
instruments providing for or evidencing any other Intermediation Facility Obligations, and any other document or instrument
executed or delivered at any time in connection with any Intermediation Facility Obligations, including any intercreditor or
joinder agreement among holders of Intermediation Facility Obligations, to the extent such are effective at the relevant
time, as each may be amended or modified from time to time in accordance with this Agreement.
“Intermediation
Facility Guaranty” means that certain unsecured Guaranty, dated on or around the First Amendment and Restatement Date,
made by Renewables Company in favor of the Intermediation Facility Secured Party with respect to the Guaranteed Obligations (as
defined therein).
“Intermediation
Facility Obligations” means all obligations of every nature of the Company under the Intermediation Facility Documents,
the Parent under the Intermediation Facility Parent Guaranty and the Renewables Company under the Intermediation Facility Guaranty,
including obligations to purchase Inventory, repay principal, pay interest (including default interest accruing pursuant to the
terms of the applicable Intermediation Facility Document), fees (including prepayment fees), Post-Petition Interest, costs, expenses,
indemnities or otherwise (including all fees and disbursements of counsel to the Intermediation Facility Secured Parties or any
other holder of Intermediation Facility Obligations that, in each case, are required to be paid or reimbursed by the Company pursuant
to the terms of any such Intermediation Facility Document, Parent pursuant to the Intermediation Facility Parent Guaranty or Renewables
Company pursuant to the Intermediation Facility Guaranty), in each case, whether fixed or contingent, whether direct or indirect,
whether due or to become due and whether now existing or hereafter incurred, but for the avoidance of doubt, excluding all Term
Loan Bank Product Obligations under any Intermediation Facility Documents.
“Intermediation
Facility Parent Guaranty” means that certain unsecured Guaranty, dated as of April 1, 2022, made by Parent in favor
of the Intermediation Facility Secured Party with respect to the Guaranteed Obligations (as defined therein).
“Intermediation
Facility Priority Collateral” means all of the following assets of the Company with respect to which a Lien is granted
as security for the Intermediation Facility Obligations in each case whether tangible or intangible: (a) all Inventory subject
to or intended to be sold as Intermediation Title Property under the Intermediation Facility Documents; (b) all Inventory constituting
Hydrocarbon Credit Support; (c) the Intermediation Facility Secured Parties’ Business Interruption Insurance Percentage
of the proceeds of business interruption insurance policies (subject in all respects to Section 3.08); and (d) all Proceeds of
(including other proceeds of insurance with respect to the foregoing), and Supporting Obligations (including Letter-of-Credit
Rights) with respect to, any of the foregoing.
“Intermediation
Facility Representative” means, initially, the Intermediation Facility Secured Party as set forth in the
introductory paragraph of this Agreement or, from and after the date of any Refinancing in full or replacement of the
Intermediation Agreement (or entry into any other permitted Intermediation Agreement), the Person(s) identified as the
intermediation facility representative under such replacement or additional Intermediation Agreement; provided that
the Intermediation Agreement (or any other of the Transaction Documents (as defined in the Intermediation Agreement)) in
effect on April 1, 2022, as amended, modified or waived, shall not constitute a “replacement” Intermediation
Agreement.
“Intermediation
Facility Secured Parties” means the Intermediation Facility Secured Party and all other holders of the Intermediation
Facility Obligations.
“Intermediation
Facility Security Documents” means, individually or collectively, as context requires, all “Lien Documents”
(under and as defined in the Intermediation Agreement) or other agreements which grant or transfer for security executed and delivered
by any Grantor creating (or purporting to create) a Lien upon Intermediation Facility Priority Collateral in favor of the Intermediation
Facility Secured Party or contains any right for remedies or enforcement in favor of the Intermediation Facility Secured Party
involving Collateral, in each case, as amended, restated, amended and restated, modified, renewed, restated or replaced, in whole
or in part, from time to time.
“Intermediation
Facility Termination Date” means the first date on which the Discharge of Intermediation Facility Obligations in respect
of the applicable Intermediation Facility Documents shall have occurred. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if at any time substantially
concurrently with or after any Intermediation Facility Termination Date has occurred, any Grantor enters into any Intermediation
Facility Document evidencing any Intermediation Facility Obligations permitted hereby, then such Intermediation Facility Termination
Date shall automatically be deemed to not have occurred for all purposes of this Agreement, and the obligations under such Intermediation
Facility Document shall automatically be treated as “Intermediation Facility Obligations” for all purposes of this
Agreement, including for purposes of the Lien priorities and rights in respect of Collateral set forth herein.
“Intermediation
Title Property” means the volumes of Inventory that are owned or under contract to be acquired and owned by the Intermediation
Facility Secured Parties and held in any of the “Included Storage Locations” (as defined in the Intermediation Agreement)
pursuant to the Intermediation Agreement.
“Inventory”
means any and all inventory of any Grantor, including (i) crude oil, refined products, sulfur or other hydrocarbon inventory
of the Grantors (including hydrocarbons in storage, in transit, in process or in pipelines of the Refinery), Renewable
Feedstock and refined product (including Renewable Biomass), (ii) Renewable Product, (iii) Environmental Attributes, (iv)
RINs and (v) all other property or assets included within the scope of the definition of “Inventory” as such term
is defined in the UCC but excluding Catalyst Assets which are not intended to be Intermediation Facility Priority
Collateral.
“LCFS”
means the California Low Carbon Fuel Standard as set forth in Section 95484 of Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations,
as amended or supplemented.
“LCFS
Credits” means a Credit as defined in the LCFS Regulations.
“LCFS
Regulations” means the regulations, orders, decrees and standards issued by a Governmental Authority implementing or
otherwise applicable to the LCFS as set forth in 17 CCR § 95480 et seq. and each successor regulation.
“License
Expiration Date” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.04(c).
“Lien”
means any pledge, bailment, lease, mortgage, deed of trust (or similar instrument), hypothecation, conditional sales and title
retention agreement, charge, claim, encumbrance or other lien in favor of any Person.
“Mortgage”
means each of the mortgages and deeds of trust made by any Grantor to secure any Secured Obligations or under which rights or
remedies with respect to any such Lien are governed.
“Non-Conforming
Renewable Product” means a renewable diesel that (i) is produced from one hundred percent (100%) Renewable Biomass and
no portion of which is produced from non-renewable feedstock, including petroleum products; and (ii) does not meet the Renewable
Product Specifications.
“OCFP”
means the Oregon Clean Fuels Program as set forth in Oregon Administrative Rules 340-253-0060(4) and each successor regulation.
“OCFP
Credits” means a credit as defined in the OCFP Regulations.
“OCFP
Regulations” mean the regulations, orders, decrees and standards issued by a Governmental Authority implementing or
otherwise applicable to the OCFP.
“Parent”
means Vertex Energy, Inc., a Nevada corporation.
“Patents”
means all issued patents, patent applications and like protections including without limitation rights and privileges arising
under Applicable Law with respect thereto (in the United States), inventions, improvements, divisions, continuations, renewals,
reissues, extensions and continuations-in-part of the same.
“Person”
means any natural person, corporation, limited liability company, trust, joint venture, association, company, partnership, Governmental
Authority or other entity.
“Post-Petition
Interest” means any interest or entitlement to fees or expenses or other charges that accrues after the commencement
of any Insolvency Proceeding, whether or not such interest, fees, expenses or other charges are allowed or allowable against the
Parent, the Company or any of its affiliates under the Finance Documents in such Insolvency Proceeding.
“Re-Characterization”
means the actual or purported re-characterization by any court, arbitrator or Governmental Authority re-characterizing all or
part of the transactions contemplated by any Intermediation Agreement (whether as a financing transaction or otherwise) in such
manner as to give any Grantor rights, title or interest in any Intermediation Title Property or otherwise purport to include any
Intermediation Title Property in the debtor’s estate of any Grantor. “Re-Characterized” shall have a
correlative meaning.
“Real
Property” means, at any time, any of the real property owned or leased by any Grantor.
“Recovery”
has the meaning set forth in Section 5.05.
“Refinance”
means, in respect of any indebtedness or other obligation, to refinance, extend, renew, defease, supplement, restructure, replace,
refund or repay, or to issue other indebtedness or obligation in exchange or replacement for such indebtedness or obligation,
in whole or in part, whether with the same or different lenders, arrangers, agents or buyers. “Refinanced”
and “Refinancing” shall have correlative meanings.
“Refinery”
means that certain facility acquired by the Company, located at Mobile, Alabama consisting of petroleum processing equipment and
related facilities.
“Renewable
Biomass” has the meaning set forth in 42 U.S.C. § 7545(o)(I).
“Renewable
Feedstock” means all renewable feedstocks, including Renewable Biomass.
“Renewable
Product” means all Conforming Renewable Product or Non-Conforming Renewable Product.
“Renewable
Product Specifications” means (i) the requirements and specifications for fuels and fuel additives established by the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Part 79 of Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations; (ii) the requirements and specifications
established by the California Air Resources Board in Sections 2281, 2282, and 2284 of Title 13 of the California Code of Regulations;
(iii) the requirements and specifications of American Society of Testing and Materials specification D 975; and (iv) all requirements
under Applicable Law governing the production and composition of renewable diesel sold and used as vehicle fuel, including those
imposed by any Governmental Authority and under any CFP.
“Renewables
Company” means Vertex Renewables Alabama LLC, a Delaware limited liability company.
“Representatives”
means the Intermediation Facility Representative or the Term Loan Agent, as applicable.
“RFS
Program” means the renewable fuel program and policies established section 211(o) of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. §
7545(o)) as implemented by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under Subpart M of Part 80 of Title 40 of the Code of Federal
Regulations.
“RIN”
means renewable identification number, which is the serial number assigned to a batch of biofuel for the purpose of tracking biofuel
production, use and trading as required by the RFS Program.
“Second
Amendment and Restatement Date” means June 3, 2024.
“Secured
Obligations” means the Intermediation Facility Obligations and the Term Loan Obligations.
“Secured
Parties” means the Intermediation Facility Secured Parties and the Term Loan Secured Parties.
“Security
Document” means any of the Intermediation Facility Security Documents and the Term Loan Collateral Documents.
“Subsidiary”
means any Person that is an entity of which a majority of the outstanding capital stock, membership interests, partnership interests
or other equity interests entitled to vote for the election of directors, managers or the equivalent is owned by Parent directly
or indirectly through Subsidiaries including any Subsidiary formed after April 1, 2022. Unless otherwise specified, all references
herein to a “Subsidiary” or to “Subsidiaries” shall refer to a Subsidiary or Subsidiaries
of the Parent.
“Supporting
Obligations” means all supporting obligations, as such term is defined in Section 9-102 of the New York UCC.
“Term
Loan Agent” means, initially, the Term Loan Agent as set forth in the introductory paragraph of this Agreement or, from
and after the date of any Refinancing in full or replacement of the Term Loan Agreement, the Person identified as the collateral
agent under such replacement Term Loan Agreement or, if there is more than one replacement Term Loan Agreement outstanding at
any time, the Controlling Term Loan Agent; provided that the Term Loan Agreement in effect on April 1, 2022, as amended,
modified or waived, shall not constitute a “replacement” Term Loan Agreement.
“Term
Loan Agreement” means (i) that certain Loan and Security Agreement, dated as of April 1, 2022, among the Parent,
Company, the other guarantors party thereto, the lenders party thereto and the Term Loan Agent, as amended, restated, amended
and restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time after April 1, 2022 in accordance with this Agreement and
(ii) any credit agreement, loan agreement, note agreement, promissory note, indenture or other agreement or instrument
evidencing or governing the terms of any Indebtedness or other financial accommodation incurred or provided in connection
with any Refinancing of Indebtedness thereunder.
“Term
Loan Bank Product Obligations” shall mean all “Bank Product Obligations” (as defined in the Term Loan Agreement)
arising under Secured Bank Product Agreements and Secured Hedge Agreements (each as defined in the Term Loan Agreement); provided
that Term Loan Bank Product Obligations shall not include any Intermediation Facility Obligations (including, without limitation,
any Transaction Obligations and Related Hedges (in each case, under and as defined under the Intermediation Agreement (as in effect
on April 1, 2022)) under any Intermediation Facility Document, including, without limitation, by virtue of setoff or indemnification
rights under any such Intermediation Facility Documents).
“Term
Loan Collateral Documents” means the “Collateral Documents” as defined in the Term Loan Agreement or any
corresponding definition thereunder.
“Term
Loan Documents” means the Term Loan Agreement, the Term Loan Collateral Documents and any other “Loan Documents”
(as defined in the Term Loan Agreement or any corresponding definition thereunder), other than this Agreement.
“Term
Loan Obligations” means all “Secured Obligations” as defined in the Term Loan Agreement or any corresponding
definition thereunder.
“Term
Loan Priority Collateral” means all of the assets and property of any Grantor whether real, personal or mixed, to
which a Lien has been granted as security for the Term Loan Priority Collateral that does not constitute Intermediation
Facility Priority Collateral, and including, for the avoidance of doubt, all of the following: (a) all Equipment, all Real
Property and interests therein (including both fee and leasehold interests) and all fixtures including all buildings,
terminals, storage tanks, refining and other facilities, pipelines, pipeline rights, loading racks, rail spurs and loading
facilities; (b) all Intellectual Property; (c) all cash, Cash Equivalents, checks and other negotiable Instruments, funds and
other evidences of payment and all Financial Assets, in each case, held on deposit therein and credited thereto, all Security
Entitlements arising therefrom; which for the avoidance of doubt, includes all cash and Cash Equivalents in any Deposit
Account of the Company or Renewables Company; (d) all Equity Interests; (e) all Commercial Tort Claims; (f) all Accounts,
Payment Intangibles and any other rights arising thereunder; (g) all Payments Intangibles that represent tax refunds in
respect of or otherwise related to real property or Fixtures or other extraordinary receipts of any kind; (h) all other
General Intangibles, all Investment Property, all Documents, all Instruments (including all promissory notes), all Chattel
Paper (including Electronic Chattel Paper) and all Letter-of-Credit Rights; (i) all other assets not constituting
Intermediation Facility Priority Collateral, including for the avoidance of doubt, all Inventory of each Grantor other than
the Company; (j) all Proceeds, including all insurance proceeds, including for the avoidance of doubt, the Term Loan Secured
Parties’ Business Interruption Insurance Percentage of proceeds of all business interruption insurance policies or
Proceeds of any of the foregoing and all collateral security guarantees, Supporting Obligations or other credit support given
by any Person with respect to any of the foregoing; and (k) all books and records relating to any of the
foregoing.
“Term
Loan Required Lenders” means the “Required Lenders” as defined in the Term Loan Agreement or any corresponding
definition thereunder.
“Term
Loan Secured Parties” means the Term Loan Agent and all other holders of the Term Loan Obligations.
“Term
Loan Termination Date” means the first date on which the Discharge of Term Loan Obligations shall have occurred. For
the avoidance of doubt, a Refinancing of the Term Loan Obligations shall not give rise to the Term Loan Termination Date unless
the terms thereof expressly so provide with reference to this Agreement.
“Termination
Date” means any of the Intermediation Facility Termination Date and the Term Loan Termination Date, as applicable.
“Trademarks”
means any and all trademark and service mark rights, whether registered or not, applications to register and registrations of
the same and like protections (whether filed with the USPTO or any similar offices in any State of the United States), and the
entire goodwill of the business of the Grantor connected with and symbolized by such trademarks, together with any and all (i)
rights and privileges arising under Applicable Law, (ii) extensions and renewals thereof and (iii) rights corresponding thereto
throughout the world.
“Type”
when used to describe any Collateral, refers to whether such Collateral is Intermediation Facility Priority Collateral or Term
Loan Priority Collateral.
“Unasserted
Contingent Obligations” means, at any time, with respect to any Class of Secured Obligations, Secured Obligations
of such Class for taxes, costs, indemnifications, reimbursements, damages and other liabilities (excluding (i) the principal
of, and interest and premium (if any) on, and fees and expenses relating to, any Secured Obligation of such Class and (ii)
contingent reimbursement obligations in respect of amounts that may be drawn under outstanding letters of credit) in respect
of which no assertion of liability (whether oral or written) and no claim or demand for payment (whether oral or written) has
been made (and, in the case of Secured Obligations of such Class for indemnification, no notice for indemnification has been
issued by the indemnitee) at such time.
“Uniform
Commercial Code” or “UCC” means the Uniform Commercial Code as in effect from time to time in the
State of New York or, when the laws of any other jurisdiction govern the perfection or enforcement of any Lien, the Uniform Commercial
Code of such jurisdiction.
“United
States” means the United States of America.
Section
1.03. Terms Generally. The definitions of terms herein shall apply equally to the singular and plural forms of the terms
defined. Whenever the context may require, any pronoun shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine and neuter forms. The
words “include”, “includes” and “including” shall be deemed to be followed by the phrase “without
limitation”. The word “will” shall be construed to have the same meaning and effect as the word “shall”.
Unless the context requires otherwise (a) any definition of or reference to any agreement, instrument or other document herein
shall be construed as referring to such agreement, instrument or other document as from time to time amended, supplemented, modified,
restated, replaced, refinanced, extended, renewed or restructured (subject to any restrictions on such supplements, amendments,
modifications, replacements, refinancings, extensions, renewals, restatements or restructurings set forth herein), (b) any reference
herein to any Person shall be construed to include such Person’s successors and permitted assigns, (c) the words “herein”,
“hereof” and “hereunder”, and words of similar import, shall be construed to refer to this Agreement in
its entirety and not to any particular provision hereof, (d) all references herein to Articles, Sections, Exhibits and Schedules
shall be construed to refer to Articles and Sections of, and Exhibits and Schedules to, this Agreement, (e) the words “asset”
and “property” shall be construed to have the same meaning and effect and to refer to any and all tangible and intangible
assets and properties, including cash, securities, accounts and contract rights, (f) references to any law shall include all statutory
and regulatory provisions consolidating, amending, replacing, supplementing or interpreting such law (including by succession
of comparable successor laws), and (g) in the computation of periods of time from a specified date to a later specified date,
the word “from” means “from and including”; the words “to” and “until” each mean
“to but excluding”; and the word “through” means “to and including”.
ARTICLE
2
LIEN PRIORITIES
Section
2.01. Lien Priorities.
(a) Each
Representative hereby (i) acknowledges that the Grantors (x) have granted or will grant Liens on the Collateral in favor of
the Term Loan Agent (for the benefit of itself and/or the other Term Loan Secured Parties) to secure the Term Loan
Obligations and (y) have granted or will grant Liens on the Collateral in favor of the Intermediation Facility Secured
Parties to secure the Intermediation Facility Obligations. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein or any Finance
Document, any and all Liens now existing or hereafter created or arising, regardless of how or when acquired, whether by
grant, statute, operation of law, subrogation or otherwise, are expressly, and shall remain, junior in priority, operation
and effect to any and all First Priority Liens now existing or hereafter created or arising, notwithstanding (i) the date,
time, method, manner or order of grant, attachment, or perfection of any Liens granted to any Secured Party in respect of all
or any portion of the Collateral, (ii) the order or time of filing or recordation of any document or instrument for
perfecting the Liens in favor of any Secured Party in any Collateral, (iii) any provision of the UCC, any other applicable
law or any of the Finance Documents, (iv) whether the Liens securing any of the Secured Obligations are valid, enforceable,
void, avoidable, subordinated, disputed, or allowed, (v) whether any Term Loan Agent or Intermediation Facility Secured
Party, in each case directly or through agents, has control over all or any portion of the Collateral, (vi) any defect or
deficiencies in, or non-perfection or alleged or purported defect or deficiency in any of the foregoing (including any
failure to perfect or lapse in perfection), setting aside, Re-Characterization, or avoidance (including as a
fraudulent conveyance or otherwise) of, any Lien, or (vii) the fact that any such First Priority Liens are (x) subordinated
to any Lien securing any obligation of any Grantor or (y) otherwise subordinated, voided, avoided, invalidated or lapsed in
any manner.
(b) No Secured Party shall object to or contest, or support any other Person in contesting or objecting to, in any proceeding (including
any Insolvency Proceeding), the validity, extent, perfection, priority or enforceability of any Lien on the Collateral granted
to any other Secured Party to secure any Secured Obligations. No Secured Party shall take, or cause to be taken, any action the
purpose of which is to make any other Lien pari passu with or senior to the First Priority Lien. Nothing in this Section
2.01(b) shall be construed to prevent or impair the rights of any party hereto to enforce the terms of this Agreement, or
in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, any of the Finance Documents, or to prohibit any Secured Party from exercising
any rights expressly granted to it under this Agreement.
(c) Notwithstanding any failure by any Secured Party to perfect any Lien on the Collateral securing Secured Obligations or any avoidance,
setting aside, Re-Characterization, invalidation or subordination by any third party or court of competent jurisdiction of the
security interests in the Collateral granted to such Secured Party to secure any Secured Obligations, the priority and rights
as among the Secured Parties with respect to the Collateral shall be as set forth herein.
(d) Nothing
in this Agreement shall affect the right of (i) any Secured Party to receive payments of interest, principal and other
required amounts in respect of their respective Secured Obligations, unless the payment or receipt of amounts or performance
thereof is expressly prohibited by this Agreement or any of the Finance Documents pursuant to which it is acting as a Secured
Party, (ii) the Intermediation Facility Secured Parties to (A) require performance from the Company pursuant to the
Intermediation Facility Documents or from Parent pursuant to the Intermediation Facility Parent Guaranty or from the
Renewables Company pursuant to the Intermediation Facility Guaranty or (B) terminate the commitments and/or other
arrangements under the Intermediation Facility Documents in accordance therewith, in each case of this clause (ii) unless
such performance or termination and/or other arrangements is expressly prohibited by this Agreement or any of the
Intermediation Facility Documents, or (iii) the Term Loan Agent (or any other Term Loan Secured Party) to (A) require
performance from the Company, Parent and Acknowledging Affiliates pursuant to the Term Loan Documents or (B) terminate the
commitments and/or other arrangements under the Term Loan Documents in accordance therewith, in each case of this clause
(iii) unless such performance or termination and/or other arrangements is expressly prohibited by this Agreement or any of
the Term Loan Documents
Section
2.02. Nature of Obligations.
(a) The Term Loan Agent, for and on behalf of itself and the other Term Loan Secured Parties, expressly acknowledges and agrees that,
subject to the limitations set forth in this Agreement and the applicable Intermediation Facility Documents, (i) certain of the
Intermediation Facility Obligations are revolving in nature and that the amount thereof that may be outstanding at any time, or
from time to time, may be increased or reduced and subsequently reborrowed, as applicable, (ii) the terms of such Intermediation
Facility Obligations may be modified, supplemented, renewed, restructured, replaced, refinanced, extended or otherwise amended
from time to time, and that the aggregate amount of the Intermediation Facility Obligations may be increased, replaced, renewed,
extended, restructured or refinanced, in each such event, without notice to or consent by the Secured Parties and (iii) all Intermediation
Facility Priority Collateral received by the Intermediation Facility Secured Parties may be applied, reversed, reapplied and credited
or reborrowed, in whole or in part, to the Intermediation Facility Obligations at any time, in each case, without affecting the
provisions hereof. The Lien priorities provided in Section 2.01 shall not be altered or otherwise affected by any such amendment,
modification, supplement, extension, repayment, reborrowing, increase, replacement, renewal, restructuring, application, reversal,
restatement or refinancing of or waiver, consent or accommodation with respect to, any Intermediation Facility Obligations, or
any portion thereof, to the extent in compliance with the terms of this Agreement.
(b) The Intermediation Facility Representative for itself and the other Intermediation Facility Secured Parties, expressly acknowledges
and agrees that, subject to the limitations set forth in this Agreement and the applicable Term Loan Documents, (i) the terms
of the Term Loan Obligations may be modified, supplemented, renewed, restructured, replaced, refinanced, extended or otherwise
amended from time to time, and that the aggregate amount of the Term Loan Obligations may be replaced, renewed, extended, restructured
or refinanced, in each event, without notice to or consent by the Secured Parties (except to the extent required under Article
6) and (ii) all Term Loan Priority Collateral received by the Term Loan Agent may be applied, reversed, reapplied, reborrowed
or credited in whole or in part, to the Term Loan Obligations in accordance with the Term Loan Agreement at any time, in each
case, without affecting the provisions hereof. The Lien priorities provided in Section 2.01 shall not be altered or otherwise
affected by any such amendment, modification, supplement, extension, repayment, reborrowing, increase, replacement, renewal, restructuring,
application, reversal, restatement or refinancing of or waiver, consent or accommodation with respect to, any Term Loan Obligations,
or any portion thereof, to the extent in compliance with the terms of this Agreement.
Section
2.03. Additional Liens. The Term Loan Agent and the Intermediation Facility Representative each agree that it will
not assert Liens on the other Secured Party’s Type of Collateral and that there is not intended to be shared Collateral
other than business interruption insurance policies and the proceeds thereof which are subject to Section 3.08. The
Term Loan Agent additionally agrees that it will not assert Liens on the Intermediation Title Property.
Section
2.04. [Reserved].
Section
2.05. Delivery of Termination Date Notices. Upon the occurrence of the Termination Date in respect of any Class of Secured
Obligations, the Representative in respect of such Class of Secured Obligations shall deliver a written notice to the Representatives
of the other Classes of Secured Obligations then outstanding stating that such Termination Date has occurred.
Section
2.06. Reinstatement. To the extent any payment with respect to any First Priority Obligation (whether by or on behalf of
any Grantor, as proceeds of security, enforcement of any right of setoff or otherwise) is declared to be avoided as a fraudulent
conveyance, fraudulent transfer, or a preference in any respect, set aside or required to be paid to a debtor in possession or
any trustee appointed therefor, any other Secured Party, receiver or similar Person, then the obligation or part thereof originally
intended to be satisfied shall, for the purposes of this Agreement and the rights and obligations of the First Priority Secured
Parties and the other Secured Parties, be deemed to be reinstated and outstanding as if such payment, or payments, have not occurred
and the terms and conditions of this Article 2 shall be fully applicable thereto until all such First Priority Obligations shall
again have been paid in full in cash. To the extent any payment with respect to any Secured Obligation other than the First Priority
Obligations (whether by or on behalf of any Grantor, as proceeds of security, enforcement of any right or setoff or otherwise)
is declared to be avoided as a fraudulent conveyance, fraudulent transfer, or a preference in any respect, set aside or required
to be paid to a debtor in possession or any trustee appointed therefor, any First Priority Secured Party, receiver or similar
Person, then the obligation or part thereof originally intended to be satisfied shall, for the purposes of this Agreement and
the rights and obligations of the First Priority Secured Parties and the other Secured Parties, be deemed to be reinstated and
outstanding as if such payment, or payments, have not occurred.
ARTICLE
3
ENFORCEMENT RIGHTS
Section
3.01. Exclusive Enforcement.
With
respect to each Type of Collateral, until the First Priority Obligations Payment Date, whether or not an Insolvency Proceeding
has been commenced by or against any Grantor, the First Priority Representative (on behalf of itself and the other First Priority
Secured Parties) shall have the exclusive right to take and continue (or refrain from taking or continuing) any Enforcement Action
with respect to such Collateral in accordance with the applicable First Priority Documents, without any consultation with or consent
of any other Secured Parties with respect to such Collateral. With respect to each Type of Collateral, upon the occurrence and
during the continuance of an Event of Default (and subject to the provisions of the First Priority Documents), the First Priority
Representative (on behalf of itself and the other First Priority Secured Party) may take and continue any Enforcement Action with
respect to the applicable First Priority Obligations and such Collateral.
Section
3.02. Standstill and Waivers.
(a) With respect to each Type of Collateral, the other Representatives, on behalf of itself and the other Secured Parties, agrees,
for the benefit of the First Priority Representative and each other First Priority Secured Party, that it will not (i) oppose,
object to, interfere with, hinder or delay, in any manner, whether by judicial proceedings (including the filing of an Insolvency
Proceeding) or otherwise, any foreclosure, sale, lease, exchange, transfer or other disposition of such Type of Collateral pursuant
to an Enforcement Action or any other Enforcement Action with respect to Collateral taken by or on behalf of the First Priority
Representative or any other First Priority Secured Party or (ii) take any action that is otherwise prohibited under this Agreement;
(b) With respect to each Type of Collateral, each Representative, on behalf of itself and the other Secured Parties, agrees, for the
benefit of the First Priority Representative and each other First Priority Secured Party, that until the First Priority Obligations
Payment Date, they have no right to (x) direct the First Priority Representative or any other First Priority Secured Party to
take any Enforcement Action with respect to such Collateral or (y) consent or object to the taking by the First Priority Representative
or any other First Priority Secured Party of any Enforcement Action with respect to such Collateral or to the timing or manner
thereof (or, to the extent they may have any such right described in this clause (b) as a junior lien creditor, they hereby irrevocably
waive such right) regardless of whether any action or failure to act by or on behalf of the First Priority Representative or First
Priority Secured Parties is adverse to the interest of the other Secured Parties;
(c) With respect to each Type of Collateral, each Representative, on behalf of itself and the other Secured Parties, agrees, for the
benefit of the First Priority Representative and each other First Priority Secured Party, that until the First Priority Obligations
Payment Date, it will not institute any suit or other proceeding or assert in any suit, Insolvency Proceeding or other proceeding
any claim against the First Priority Representative or any other First Priority Secured Party seeking damages from or other relief
by way of specific performance, instructions or otherwise, with respect to, and none of the First Priority Representative nor
any other First Priority Secured Party shall be liable for, any action taken or omitted to be taken by the First Priority Representative
or any First Priority Secured Party with respect to such Collateral or pursuant to the First Priority Documents; provided that
nothing in this Section 3.02(c) shall be construed to prevent or limit any party hereto from instituting any such suit or other
proceeding to enforce the terms of this Agreement;
(d) With respect to each Type of Collateral, each Representative, on behalf of itself and the other Secured Parties, agrees, for the
benefit of the First Priority Representative and each other First Priority Secured Party, that until the First Priority Obligations
Payment Date it will not take any Enforcement Action with respect to such Collateral;
(e) With respect to each Type of Collateral, each Representative, on behalf of itself and the other Secured Parties, agrees, for the
benefit of the First Priority Representative and each other First Priority Secured Party, that until the First Priority Obligations
Payment Date they will not commence judicial or nonjudicial foreclosure proceedings with respect to, seek to have a trustee, receiver,
liquidator or similar official appointed for or over, attempt any action to take possession of, exercise any right, remedy or
power with respect to, or otherwise take any action to enforce their interest in or realize upon, such Collateral; and
(f) With respect to each Type of Collateral, each Representative, on behalf of itself and the other Secured Parties, agrees, for the
benefit of the First Priority Representative and each other First Priority Secured Party, that until the First Priority Obligations
Payment Date, they will not seek, and hereby waive any right, to have such Collateral or any part thereof marshaled upon any foreclosure
or other disposition of such Collateral.
Section
3.03. [Reserved].
Section
3.04. Cooperation with respect to Collateral.
(a) Access to Information. If any Representative takes actual possession of any documentation of a Grantor in accordance with
the terms and conditions of the applicable Finance Documents (whether such documentation is in the form of a writing or is stored
in any data equipment or data record in the physical possession of such Representative), then upon request of any other Representatives
and reasonable advance notice, such Representative will permit such other Representative or its representative to inspect and
copy such documentation if and to the extent such other Representative certifies to such Representative that:
(i) such documentation contains or may contain information necessary or appropriate, in the good faith opinion of the Representative,
to the enforcement of the Representative’s Liens upon any Collateral; and
(ii) such Representative is entitled to receive and use such information under applicable law and the applicable Finance Documents
and, in doing so, will comply with all obligations imposed by law or contract in respect of the disclosure, or use of such information
(including any applicable confidentiality restrictions).
(b) Access by Intermediation Facility Secured Party to Property to Process and Sell Inventory constituting Intermediation Facility
Priority Collateral or Intermediation Title Property.
(i) In
the event the Term Loan Agent shall acquire control or possession of any of the Term Loan Priority Collateral or shall,
through the exercise of remedies under the Term Loan Priority Collateral Documents or otherwise, sell any of the Term Loan
Priority Collateral to any third party purchaser (“Third Party Purchaser”), the Term Loan Agent shall, to
the extent permitted by law, permit the Intermediation Facility Representative (or shall require as a condition of such sale
to the Third Party Purchaser that the Third Party Purchaser agree to permit the Intermediation Facility Representative), at
the Intermediation Facility Representative’s option: (i) to enter any of the premises of any Grantor (or Third Party
Purchaser) constituting such Term Loan Priority Collateral under such control or possession (or sold to a Third Party
Purchaser) in order to inspect, remove or take any action with respect to the Intermediation Facility Priority Collateral or
Intermediation Title Property or to enforce the Intermediation Facility Representative’s rights or remedies with respect
thereto, including, but not limited to, the removal of Intermediation Facility Priority Collateral and/or Intermediation
Title Property and the examination and duplication of any property (to the extent not Intermediation Facility Priority
Collateral or Intermediation Title Property) under such control or possession (or sold to a Third Party Purchaser) consisting
of books and records of any Grantor related to the Intermediation Facility Priority Collateral and/or the Intermediation
Title Property; (ii) to use such property for the purpose of manufacturing or processing raw materials or
work-in-process into finished inventory; and (iii) to use any of the property under such control or possession (or sold to a
Third Party Purchaser) consisting of computers or other data processing equipment related to the storage or processing of
records, documents or files pertaining to the Intermediation Facility Priority Collateral or the Intermediation Title
Property and to use any of the property under such control or possession (or sold to a Third Party Purchaser) consisting of
other equipment to handle, deal with or dispose of any (A) Intermediation Facility Priority Collateral pursuant to the
Intermediation Facility Representative’s rights or remedies as set forth in the Intermediation Facility Security Documents,
the Uniform Commercial Code of any applicable jurisdiction and other applicable law; or (B) Intermediation Title Property.
Such use by the Intermediation Facility Representative of such property shall not be on an exclusive basis.
(ii) The Intermediation Facility Representative, for itself and on behalf of the other Intermediation Facility Secured Parties, hereby
acknowledges that, during the period any Intermediation Facility Priority Collateral or Intermediation Title Property shall be
under control or possession of the Term Loan Agent, the Term Loan Agent shall not be obligated to take any action to protect or
to procure insurance with respect to such Intermediation Facility Priority Collateral or Intermediation Title Property, it being
understood that the Term Loan Agent shall not have any responsibility for loss or damage to the Intermediation Facility Priority
Collateral or Intermediation Title Property (other than as a result of the gross negligence or willful misconduct of the Term
Loan Agent or its agents (as applicable), as determined by a final non-appealable judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction)
and that all the risk of loss or damage to the Intermediation Facility Priority Collateral or the Intermediation Title Property
shall remain with the Intermediation Facility Secured Parties; provided, that, to the extent insurance obtained by the
Term Loan Agent provides coverage for risks relating to access to or use of any Intermediation Facility Priority Collateral or
Intermediation Title Property, the Intermediation Facility Representative will be made an additional named insured or a loss payee
(as applicable) thereunder.
(iii)
The rights of the Intermediation Facility Representative set forth in clauses (i) and (ii)
above shall continue until the later of (x) 180 days after the date on which the Intermediation Facility Representative
receives written notice from the Term Loan Agent that the Term Loan Agent has control or possession of the Term Loan Priority
Collateral at issue and (y) the sale or other disposition of such Term Loan Priority Collateral by the Term Loan Agent or the
Term Loan Secured Parties (such period, the “Access Period”). The Access Period shall be tolled during the
pendency of any Insolvency Proceeding of any Grantor or other proceedings pursuant to which the Intermediation Facility
Representative or the other Intermediation Facility Secured Parties are effectively stayed from enforcing their rights
against the Intermediation Facility Priority Collateral or the Intermediation Title Property. In no event shall any Term Loan
Secured Parties take any action to interfere with, limit or restrict the rights of the Intermediation Facility Representative
or any other Intermediation Facility Secured Parties or the exercise of such rights by the Intermediation Facility
Representative or any other Intermediation Facility Secured Party to have access to or to use any of such Collateral pursuant
to this Section 3.04(b) prior to the expiration of such period.
(iv) During the period of actual occupation, use and/or control by the Intermediation Facility Representative (or its employees,
agents, advisers and representatives) of any parcel or item of Term Loan Priority Collateral (constituting Real Property
subject to a Mortgage), the Intermediation Facility Representative shall (v) use the Term Loan Priority Collateral in
accordance with applicable law, (w) insure for damage to property and liability to persons, including property and liability
insurance for the benefit of the Term Loan Secured Parties, (x) pay any utility, rental, lease or similar charges and
payments owed to third parties that accrue during, or that arise as a result of, such use and/or control to the extent not
paid for by the Grantors, (y) indemnify each Term Loan Secured Party from any claim, loss, damage, cost or liability arising
from the Intermediation Facility Representative’s or any other Intermediation Facility Secured Party’s use of the
Term Loan Priority Collateral (except for those arising from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of such Term Loan
Secured Party), and (z) be obligated to repair at their expense any physical damage to such Term Loan Priority Collateral
resulting from such occupancy, use or control, and to leave such Term Loan Priority Collateral in substantially the same
condition as it was at the commencement of such occupancy, use or control, ordinary wear and tear excepted. Notwithstanding
the foregoing, (i) in no event shall the Intermediation Facility Representative or any other Intermediation Facility Secured
Party have any liability to the Term Loan Secured Parties pursuant to this Section 3.04(b) as a result of any condition
(including any environmental condition, claim or liability) on or with respect to the Term Loan Priority Collateral existing
prior to the date of the exercise by the Intermediation Facility Representative of its rights under this Section 3.04(b) and
(ii) the Intermediation Facility Representative shall have no duty or liability to maintain the Term Loan Priority Collateral
in a condition or manner better than that in which it was maintained prior to the use thereof by the Intermediation Facility
Representative or any other Intermediation Facility Secured Party, or for any diminution in the value of the Term Loan
Priority Collateral that results from ordinary wear and tear resulting from the use of the Term Loan Priority Collateral by
the Intermediation Facility Secured Parties in the manner and for the time periods specified under this Section 3.04(b).
Notwithstanding the rights granted in this Section 3.04(b), the Intermediation Facility Secured Parties shall cooperate with
the Term Loan Secured Parties in connection with any efforts made by the Term Loan Secured Parties to sell any Term
Loan Priority Collateral or otherwise exercise their rights and remedies with respect thereto, including, without limitation,
the right to commence foreclosure of the Term Loan Priority Collateral or show the Term Loan Priority Collateral to
prospective purchasers and to ready the Term Loan Priority Collateral for sale. The rights of the Intermediation Facility
Secured Parties under this Section 3.04(b) shall automatically cease to apply to any Term Loan Priority Collateral from and
after the date, if any, on which such Term Loan Priority Collateral is no longer physically located on any property subject
to a Mortgage. No Representative nor any Secured Parties shall be responsible for perfecting or maintaining the perfection of
Liens with respect to the Collateral for the benefit of the other Representatives or Secured Parties.
(c) License.
The Term Loan Agent, on behalf of the Term Loan Secured Parties, hereby irrevocably grants the Intermediation Facility
Secured Party a non-exclusive worldwide license to or right to use, to the maximum extent permitted by applicable
law, exercisable without payment of royalty or other compensation, any of the Intellectual Property now or hereafter owned
by, licensed to, or otherwise exclusively used by the Grantors in order for the Intermediation Facility Secured Parties to
purchase, use, market, repossess, possess, store, assemble, manufacture, process, sell, transfer, distribute or otherwise
dispose of any asset included in the Intermediation Facility Priority Collateral or the Intermediation Title Property in
connection with the liquidation, disposition, foreclosure or realization upon the Intermediation Facility Priority Collateral
and the Intermediation Title Property in accordance with the terms of the Intermediation Facility Documents, in each case of
the foregoing, in connection with an Enforcement Action with respect to such Intermediation Facility Priority Collateral or
Intermediation Title Property; provided that such license shall expire on the earlier of (i) the Intermediation
Facility Termination Date, (ii) in each case, the expiration of the Access Period and (iii) with respect to the
Intermediation Facility Secured Parties only, the date that all or substantially all of the Intermediation Facility Priority
Collateral or the Intermediation Title Property, in each case, has been liquidated, disposed of, foreclosed on or realized
upon in full (the “License Expiration Date”); provided, further that the Intermediation Facility
Representative exercising such rights and the Secured Parties represented by each of the foregoing shall be subject to the
same obligations set forth in clauses Section 3.04(b)(ii) through Section 3.04(b)(iv) above. The Term Loan Agent agrees
that any of the Intellectual Property constituting Term Loan Priority Collateral that is sold, transferred or otherwise
disposed of (whether pursuant to an Enforcement Action or otherwise) prior to the License Expiration Date shall be subject to
the rights of the Intermediation Facility Secured Party as set forth in this Section 3.04.
(d) Grantor and Acknowledging Affiliate Consent.
(i) The Company and the Acknowledging Affiliates consent to the performance by the Term Loan Agent of the obligations set forth in
this Section 3.04 and acknowledge and agree that neither the Term Loan Agent nor any other Term Loan Secured Party, shall ever
be liable for any action taken or omitted by the Intermediation Facility Representative or any other Intermediation Facility Secured
Party or any of their respective officers, employees, agents successors or assigns in connection therewith or incidental thereto
or in consequence thereof, including any improper use or disclosure of any proprietary information or other Intellectual Property
by the Intermediation Facility Secured Parties or their officers, employees, agents, successors or assigns or any other damage
to or misuse or loss of any property of the Grantors as a result of any action taken or omitted by the Intermediation Facility
Secured Parties or any of their officers, employees, agents, successors or assigns.
(ii) The
Company and the Acknowledging Affiliates consent to the performance by the Intermediation Facility Secured Parties of the
obligations set forth in this Section 3.04 and acknowledge and agree that the Intermediation Facility Secured Parties shall
not be accountable or liable for any action taken or omitted by the Term Loan Agent or any holder of Term Loan Obligations or
any of their respective officers, employees, agents successors or assigns in connection therewith or incidental thereto or in
consequence thereof, including any improper use or disclosure of any proprietary information or other Intellectual Property
by the Term Loan Agent, Term Loan Secured Party or any of their respective officers, employees, agents, successors or assigns
or any other damage to or misuse or loss of any property of the Grantors as a result of any action taken or omitted by the
Term Loan Agent or any holder of Term Loan Obligations or its officers, employees, agents, successors or assigns.
Section
3.05. [Reserved.]
Section
3.06. [Reserved].
Section
3.07. Actions Upon Breach. With respect to each Type of Collateral, if any Secured Party (or any agent or other representative
thereof) other than the First Priority Secured Parties with respect to such Type of Collateral in any way takes, attempts to or
threatens to take any action with respect to such Type of Collateral (including any attempt to enforce any remedy on such Collateral,
whether pursuant to the terms hereof or any other Finance Document or otherwise) in violation of this Agreement, or fails to take
any action required by this Agreement, any First Priority Secured Party (in its or their own name or in the name of any Grantor)
may obtain relief against such other Secured Party or agent or other representative thereof by injunction, specific performance
and/or other appropriate equitable relief, including interposing as a defense or dilatory plea the making of this Agreement, it
being understood and agreed by the other Representatives on behalf of each other Secured Party that (i) the damages of the First
Priority Secured Parties from its actions may at that time be difficult to ascertain and may be irreparable, and (ii) each such
other Secured Party waives any defense that any Grantor and/or the First Priority Secured Parties cannot demonstrate damage and/or
be made whole by the awarding of damages.
Section
3.08. Proceeds of Business Interruption Insurance. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement or any Intermediation
Facility Documents, with respect to any and all proceeds of business interruption insurance constituting Intermediation Facility
Priority Collateral, the Intermediation Facility Secured Parties shall be required to marshall, take, liquidate and exhaust all
remedies and recoveries available to such Intermediation Facility Secured Parties with respect to (x) all other categories of
Intermediation Facility Priority Collateral and (y) all insurance owned and held in the name of the Intermediation Facility Representative
and/or the Intermediation Facility Secured Parties with respect to the Intermediation Facility Priority Collateral prior to receiving
any recovery with respect to such proceeds of business interruption insurance with respect to Intermediation Facility Priority
Collateral maintained by the Company as required by Section 17.1(b) of the Intermediation Agreement and such policy shall be the
secondary policy with respect to Intermediation Facility Priority Collateral.
ARTICLE
4
APPLICATION
OF PROCEEDS OF COLLATERAL; DISPOSITIONS AND RELEASES OF COLLATERAL; INSPECTION AND INSURANCE
Section
4.01. Application of Proceeds; Turnover Provisions.
(a) All proceeds of the Intermediation Facility Priority Collateral resulting from any Enforcement Action, and whether or not pursuant
to any Insolvency Proceeding, and any distribution made in respect of Intermediation Facility Priority Collateral in any Insolvency
Proceeding with respect to any Grantor, but subject in all respects to the conditions and limitations set forth in Section 3.08,
shall be distributed as follows:
first,
to the Intermediation Facility Representative for the payment in full in cash of all out of pocket fees, costs, indemnities and
expenses (including reasonable and documented attorney’s fees and disbursements) of the Intermediation Facility Representative
(in such capacity) in connection with any such Enforcement Action or protection of its rights under any Intermediation Facility
Document or otherwise by reason of the occurrence of a default thereunder;
second,
to the Intermediation Facility Secured Parties for the payment in full in cash of the Intermediation Facility Obligations not
paid pursuant to clause first above in accordance with the Intermediation Facility Documents;
finally,
to the relevant Grantor, or as a court of competent jurisdiction may direct.
If any Enforcement Action with respect to the
Intermediation Facility Priority Collateral produces non-cash proceeds, then such non-cash proceeds shall be held by the
Intermediation Facility Representative and, at such time as such non-cash proceeds are monetized, shall be applied as set
forth above.
(b) All proceeds of the Term Loan Priority Collateral resulting from any Enforcement Action, and whether or not pursuant to an Insolvency
Proceeding, and any distribution made in respect of Term Loan Priority Collateral in any Insolvency Proceeding with respect to
any Grantor, shall be distributed as follows:
first,
to the Term Loan Agent, for the payment in full in cash out of pocket fees, costs, indemnities and expenses (including reasonable
and documented attorney’s fees and disbursements) of the Term Loan Agent (in such capacity) in connection with any such
Enforcement Action or protection of its rights under the Term Loan Documents or otherwise by reason of the occurrence of a default
thereunder;
second,
to the Term Loan Agent for the payment in full in cash of the Term Loan Obligations not paid pursuant to clause first above
in accordance with the Term Loan Documents to be further paid in accordance with the provisions of the Term Loan Agreement;
finally,
to the relevant Grantor, or as a court of competent jurisdiction may direct.
If
any Enforcement Action with respect to the Term Loan Priority Collateral produces non-cash proceeds, then such non-cash proceeds
shall be held by the Term Loan Agent and, at such time as such non-cash proceeds are monetized, shall be applied as set forth
above.
(c) With
respect to each Type of Collateral, until the occurrence of the First Priority Obligations Payment Date, no Secured Party
other than the First Priority Secured Party with respect to such Collateral may accept any such Type of Collateral, including
any such Collateral constituting proceeds, in satisfaction, in whole or in part, of its Secured Obligations in violation of
Section 3.08, 4.01(a) or 4.01(b). Any Type of Collateral received by any such other Secured Party that is not permitted to be
received pursuant to the preceding sentence shall be segregated and held in trust and promptly turned over to the First
Priority Representative to be applied in accordance with Section 3.08, 4.01(a) or 4.01(b), as the case may be, in the same
form as received, with any necessary endorsements, and each Secured Party hereby authorizes the First Priority Representative
to make any such endorsements as agent for such other Representative (which authorization, being coupled with an interest, is
irrevocable until the First Priority Obligations Payment Date). Upon the turnover of such Type of Collateral as contemplated
by the immediately preceding sentence, the other Secured Obligations purported to be satisfied by the payment of such Type of
Collateral shall be immediately reinstated in full as though such payment had never occurred.
(d) In connection with any asset sale by a Grantor that includes both Intermediation Facility Priority Collateral and Term Loan
Priority Collateral (unless otherwise agreed by both the Intermediation Facility Representative and the Term Loan Agent and
as provided by Section 3.08), such proceeds thereof shall be allocated as follows: (i) proceeds attributable to
Intermediation Facility Priority Collateral shall be allocated to the Intermediation Facility Priority Collateral and (ii)
all proceeds attributable to Term Loan Priority Collateral shall be allocated to the Term Loan Priority
Collateral.
(e) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, any Term Loan Document or any Intermediation Facility Document,
each Grantor and the Intermediation Facility Representative, agrees that prior to the receipt of any notice of an Enforcement
Action from the Intermediation Facility Representative, the Term Loan Agent is hereby permitted to treat all cash, Cash Equivalents,
Money, collections and payments deposited in any deposit account subject to a deposit account control agreement or similar agreements
(the “Term Loan Deposit Accounts”) in favor of the Term Loan Agent or otherwise received by the Term Loan Agent
as Term Loan Priority Collateral. For the avoidance of doubt, the Term Loan Agent hereby agrees that if the Term Loan Deposit
Accounts contain any cash, Cash Equivalents or Money, which constitutes proceeds of the Intermediation Facility Priority Collateral,
then, upon obtaining knowledge or notice from the Intermediation Facility Representative or any Grantor that such cash, Cash Equivalents
or Money constitutes proceeds of the Intermediation Facility Priority Collateral the Term Loan Agent shall (x) hold such proceeds
in trust for the Intermediation Facility Representative and turn over such proceeds to the Company to be applied to the Intermediation
Facility Obligations or reinvested, in each case, in accordance with the Intermediation Agreement to the extent required or (y)
if an Event of Default (as defined in the Intermediation Agreement) has occurred and is continuing, hold such proceeds in trust
for the Intermediation Facility Representative and turn over such proceeds to the Intermediation Facility Representative as soon
as practicable in accordance with Section 4.01(c).
ARTICLE
5
INSOLVENCY PROCEEDINGS
Section
5.01. Filing of Motions. No Secured Party shall, in or in connection with any Insolvency
Proceeding, file any pleadings or motions, take any position at any hearing or proceeding of any nature, or otherwise take
any action whatsoever, in each case to challenge, contest or otherwise object to the scope, validity, enforceability,
perfection or priority of any Liens held by any other Secured Party on account of Secured Obligations, the value or
allowability of any claims (including any claims for Post-Petition Interest) of any other Secured Party under Section 506(a)
of the Bankruptcy Code or otherwise, or assert or support any claim for costs or expenses of preserving or disposing of any
Collateral under Section 506(c) of the Bankruptcy Code or any similar provision of any other Debtor Relief Law, and no
Secured Party shall support any other Person doing any of the foregoing.
Section
5.02. Financing Matters.
(a) With
respect to each Type of Collateral, prior to the First Priority Obligations Payment Date, if any Grantor becomes subject to
any Insolvency Proceeding, and if the First Priority Representative (acting at the direction of the requisite First Priority
Secured Parties) consents to the use of such Type of Collateral (for the avoidance of doubt, including to the use of cash
collateral) by any Grantor during any Insolvency Proceeding or provides financing to any Grantor under the Bankruptcy Code or
consents to the provision of such financing to any Grantor by any third party to be secured (pari or senior to the First
Priority Obligations on such Type of Collateral at the option of such First Priority Secured Parties) at least in part by
such Type of Collateral (and, if also secured by the other Type of Collateral, secured only by Liens on such other Collateral
that are junior to the Liens on such Collateral securing the First Priority Obligations on such other Type of Collateral)
(any such financing, whether provided by the First Priority Secured Parties or any third party, being referred therein as a
“DIP Financing”), then the other Representatives agrees, on behalf of itself and the other Secured
Parties, that each such Secured Party (i) will be deemed to have consented to, will raise no objection to, and will not
support any other Person objecting to, the use of such Collateral or to such DIP Financing, (ii) shall only request or accept
adequate protection in connection with the use of such Collateral or such DIP Financing as permitted by Section 5.04, (iii)
to the extent the Liens on the Collateral securing any First Priority Obligations are subordinated or pari passu with such
DIP Financing, will subordinate (and will be deemed hereunder to have subordinated) the other Liens and any Adequate
Protection Liens provided in respect thereof, (A) to the Liens on such Collateral securing the DIP Financing (and all
obligations relating thereto) on the same terms and conditions as the First Priority Liens on such Collateral are
subordinated, if applicable, thereto (and such subordination will not alter in any manner the terms of this Agreement),
(B) to any adequate protection, including Adequate Protection Liens, provided to the First Priority Secured Parties with
respect to such Collateral and (C) to any customary “carve-out” from such Collateral for professional and United
States Trustee fees agreed to by the First Priority Representative (or the other First Priority Secured Parties) and, if not
the First Priority Secured Parties, the Person providing such DIP Financing, as applicable, (iv) that any notice of such
events found to be adequate by the court presiding over the Insolvency Proceeding shall be adequate notice, (v) that such DIP
Financing does not compel any Grantor to seek confirmation of any specific plan of reorganization for which all or
substantially all of the materials terms are set forth in the court order authorizing such DIP Financing or the accompanying
financing documentation, or as may be acceptable to the First Priority Representative (each, acting at the direction of the
respective requisite Secured Parties), (vi) will not oppose or object to the exercise by the First Priority Representative
and the First Priority Secured Parties of the right to “credit bid” any of the First Priority Obligations
pursuant to Section 363(k) of the Bankruptcy Code or other applicable law (or the amount of such credit bid), (vii) will not
seek to “credit bid” any of its Secured Obligations other than its First Priority Obligations pursuant to Section
363(k) of the Bankruptcy Code or other applicable law, without providing for payment in full in cash of the First Priority
Obligations upon the closing of such credit bid, and (viii) and will not propose, seek and/or support confirmation of any
plan of reorganization to which the First Priority Representative and the First Priority Secured Parties have not consented
in writing unless such plan provides for payment in full in cash of the First Priority Obligations. All Liens granted to the
Intermediation Facility Secured Party or Term Loan Agent in any Insolvency Proceeding, whether as adequate protection or
otherwise, are intended by the parties to be and shall be deemed to be subject to the Lien priority and the other terms
and conditions of this Agreement. For clarity, (i) none of the Term Loan Agent nor the Term Loan Secured Parties shall seek
to “prime” the Lien of the Intermediation Facility Secured Party on the Intermediation Facility Priority
Collateral or request, seek or receive a Lien on the Intermediation Facility Priority Collateral pursuant to Section 364(d)
of the Bankruptcy Code, and (ii) the Intermediation Facility Secured Party shall not seek to “prime” the Liens of
the Term Loan Agent and the Term Loan Secured Parties on the Term Loan Priority Collateral or request, seek or receive a Lien
on the Term Loan Priority Collateral pursuant to Section 364(d) of the Bankruptcy Code.
(b) Notwithstanding the foregoing, the provisions of Section 5.02(a) permitting the provision of DIP Financing to be secured by Collateral
to the extent the amount of such DIP Financing does not exceed the sum of (i) the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the
applicable First Priority Obligations as of the date of commencement of any such Insolvency Proceeding (the “Petition
Date”) plus (ii) an amount equal to 10% of the applicable First Priority Obligations as of the Petition Date. For purposes
of this clause (b), the “principal amount” of all First Priority Obligations shall refer to the aggregate amount of
all monetary payment obligations that are First Priority Obligations as of such date.
Section
5.03. [Reserved].
Section
5.04. Adequate Protection. With respect to each Type of Collateral, each Representative, on behalf
of itself and the other respective Secured Parties, agrees that none of them shall object to, contest, or support any other
Person objecting to or contesting, (i) any request by the First Priority Representative or any other First Priority Secured
Party for adequate protection with respect to their First Priority Liens in such Collateral, including, without limitation,
in the form of Adequate Protection Liens, superpriority claims, interest, fees, expenses or other amounts or (ii) any
objection by the First Priority Representative or any other First Priority Secured Party to any motion, relief, action or
proceeding based on a claim of a lack of adequate protection with respect to such Type of Collateral or (iii) the payment of
interest, fees, expenses or other amounts to the First Priority Representative or any other First Priority Secured Party
under section 506(b) of the Bankruptcy Code or otherwise with respect to such Type of Collateral. Notwithstanding anything
contained in this Agreement, in any Insolvency Proceeding, the Representative and the other Secured Parties with respect to
each Type of Collateral, may seek, support, accept or retain adequate protection solely in the form of (v) only if the First
Priority Secured Parties are granted an Adequate Protection Lien on additional or replacement collateral (whether consisting
of existing or future assets) as adequate protection for the value of their First Priority Liens in connection with any DIP
Financing secured by such Collateral or any use of such Collateral, an Adequate Protection Lien on such additional or
replacement collateral, subordinated to any Liens of the First Priority Secured Parties on such additional or replacement
collateral, (w) only if the First Priority Secured Parties are granted superpriority claims (other than any superpriority
claims granted to First Priority Secured Parties providing DIP Financing on account of obligations with respect to such DIP
Financing), superpriority claims junior in all respects to the superpriority claims granted to the First Priority Secured
Parties, (x) payment of the fees and expenses of the other Secured Parties, (y) any form of adequate protection that is
consistent with the priorities set forth in this Agreement and (z) non-monetary adequate protection that is
customarily provided in an Insolvency Proceeding, including, without limitation, the provision of information and the ability
to monitor such Type of Collateral. With respect to each Type of Collateral, in the event any Secured Party receives adequate
protection for its Liens on such Collateral in the form of Adequate Protection Liens on additional or replacement collateral
(whether consisting of existing or future assets), then the Representative, on behalf of itself and the other Secured
Parties, (i) consents to the First Priority Representative having a senior Adequate Protection Lien on such additional or
replacement collateral as adequate protection for the First Priority Liens on such Collateral and agrees that any such
Adequate Protection Liens granted to the other Secured Parties on additional or replacement collateral shall be subordinated
to the Liens on such additional or replacement collateral securing the First Priority Obligations and any DIP Financing (and
all obligations relating thereto) and any Adequate Protection Liens on such replacement or additional collateral granted to
the First Priority Secured Parties, with such subordination to be on the same terms that the other Liens on such Collateral
are subordinated to the First Priority Liens under this Agreement and (ii) agrees that, if the court in the Insolvency
Proceeding does not grant the First Priority Secured Parties a senior Adequate Protection Lien on such additional collateral,
then the other Secured Parties shall be deemed to hold and have held their Adequate Protection Lien on such additional
collateral for the benefit of the First Priority Secured Parties (and each such Lien so deemed to have been held shall be
subject in all respects to the provisions of this Agreement, including without limitation the Lien priority provisions set
forth in Section 2.01) and until the First Priority Obligations Payment Date, any distributions in respect of such additional
collateral received by the other Secured Parties shall be segregated and held in trust and promptly turned over to the First
Priority Representative to repay the First Priority Obligations; provided that, in each case, any Lien granted on any
additional or replacement collateral shall be subject to this Agreement with its priority based on the Type of
Collateral hereunder. Upon the turnover of such distributions as contemplated by the immediately preceding sentence, the
other Secured Obligations purported to be satisfied by such distributions shall be immediately reinstated in full as though
such payment had never occurred.
Section
5.05. Avoidance Issues.
With
respect to each Type of Collateral, if any First Priority Secured Party is required in any Insolvency Proceeding or
otherwise to disgorge, turn over or otherwise pay to the estate of any Grantor, because such amount was avoided or ordered to
be paid or disgorged for any reason, including because it was found to be a fraudulent or preferential transfer, any amount
(a “Recovery”), whether received as proceeds of security, enforcement of any right of set-off, recoupment,
or otherwise, then the First Priority Obligations shall be reinstated to the extent of such Recovery and deemed to be
outstanding as if such payment had not occurred, and the First Priority Obligations Payment Date shall be deemed not to have
occurred for all purposes hereunder. If this Agreement shall have been terminated prior to such Recovery, this Agreement
shall be reinstated in full force and effect, and each such prior termination shall not diminish, release, discharge, impair
or otherwise affect the obligations of the parties hereto with respect to such Recovery. The Secured Parties (other than the
First Priority Secured Parties) with respect to each Type of Collateral agree that none of them shall be entitled to benefit
from any avoidance action affecting or otherwise relating to any distribution or allocation with respect to Collateral made
in accordance with this Agreement, whether by preference or otherwise, it being understood and agreed that the benefit of
such avoidance action otherwise allocable to them shall instead be allocated and turned over for application in accordance
with the priorities set forth in this Agreement.
Section
5.06. Asset Dispositions in an Insolvency Proceeding.
(a) With
respect to each Type of Collateral, each Representative, on behalf of itself and the other Secured Parties, without limiting
any rights under Section 3.01, agrees that, until the First Priority Obligations Payment Date, they will not contest,
protest or object (or support any other Person in contesting, protesting or objecting) to, will not request adequate
protection in connection with, and will be deemed to have consented pursuant to Section 363(f) of the Bankruptcy Code or any
similar provision of any other Debtor Relief Law to, any sale or disposition of any such Collateral free and clear of their
Liens on or other interests in such Collateral under Section 363 or Section 1129 of the Bankruptcy Code or any similar
provision of any other Debtor Relief Law (and to any proposed bid protections, sale procedures, retention of professionals in
connection with such sale or disposition and other similar matters related to such sale or disposition) if the First Priority
Representative consents in writing to the sale or disposition, in each case so long as (i) either (A) pursuant to court
order, all First Priority Liens attach to the proceeds of the sale or disposition for application in accordance with the
distribution and allocation provisions of Section 4.01 (it being understood and agreed that such proceeds may not be
sufficient to effect the occurrence of the First Priority Obligations Payment Date), or (B) the proceeds of the sale or
disposition of such Collateral received by First Priority Representative in excess of those necessary to achieve the
occurrence of the First Priority Obligations Payment Date, are distributed in accordance with this Agreement, the UCC and
applicable law, and (ii) the rights of each Representative and Secured Parties to credit bid on such Collateral in any such
sale or disposition in accordance with Section 5.06(b) are not impaired; provided that the cash component of
such bid must be sufficient to, and must, cause the First Priority Obligations Payment Date to occur immediately upon the
closing of any resulting sale or disposition.
(b) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, each Secured Party shall expressly have the right to bid
or credit bid any of its Secured Obligations for or purchase the Collateral at any public, private or judicial foreclosure or
sale of any Collateral (including a “partial credit bid”) or in an Insolvency Proceeding or otherwise; provided
that any such credit bid or partial credit bid of the Secured Obligations (other than the First Priority Obligations) must
provide for the payment in full in cash of the First Priority Obligations on closing of any resulting disposition (to the extent
then outstanding).
(c) If a single sale or disposition of Collateral includes both Intermediation Facility Priority Collateral and Term Loan Priority
Collateral, the allocation of proceeds shall be as provided in Section 4.01(d). If the parties are unable after negotiating
in good faith to agree on the allocation of the purchase price between the Intermediation Facility Priority Collateral and the
Term Loan Priority Collateral, either party may apply to the court in such Insolvency Proceeding to make a determination of such
allocation, and the court’s determination, once final and non-appealable, shall be binding upon the parties.
Section
5.07. [Reserved].
Section
5.08. Plans of Reorganization.
(a) With respect to each Type of Collateral, if the claims of the First Priority Secured Parties and the claims held by the other
Secured Parties constitute only one secured claim pursuant to any plan of reorganization or similar dispositive restructuring
plan proposed in an Insolvency Proceeding (rather than separate classes of secured claims subject to the relative Lien priorities
set forth in this Agreement), notwithstanding the objection to, and vote against, such plan by such Secured Parties in accordance
with Section 5.07, no Secured Party other than the First Priority Secured Parties (whether in the capacity of a secured or an
unsecured creditor) shall support or vote in favor of such plan of reorganization or similar dispositive restructuring plan unless
such plan (i) pays off, in cash in full, all First Priority Obligations or (ii) is supported by the First Priority Representative.
With respect to each Type of Collateral, each Representative (other than the First Priority Representative), on behalf of itself
and the other applicable Secured Parties, further agrees that no such Secured Party (whether in the capacity of a secured or an
unsecured creditor) shall propose, support or vote in favor of any plan of reorganization or similar dispositive restructuring
plan that (i) is inconsistent with the priorities and other provisions of this Agreement or (ii) without the consent of the First
Priority Representative or the support of the requisite First Priority Secured Parties in accordance with Section 1126(c) of the
Bankruptcy Code, does not pay off, in cash in full, all First Priority Obligations on the effective date of such plan.
(b) With respect to each Type of Collateral, if, in any Insolvency Proceeding, debt obligations of the reorganized debtor secured
by Liens upon any property of the reorganized debtor are distributed pursuant to a plan of reorganization or similar dispositive
restructuring plan, on account of any Secured Obligations, then, to the extent the debt obligations distributed on account of
the Secured Obligations are secured by Liens upon the same property, the provisions of this Agreement will survive the distribution
of such debt obligations pursuant to such plan and will apply with like effect to the Liens securing such debt obligations
Section
5.09. Other Matters. With respect to each Type of Collateral, to the extent that any Representative or any other Secured
Party other than the First Priority Representative or any other First Priority Secured Party has or acquires rights under Section
363 or Section 364 of the Bankruptcy Code with respect to any of such Type of Collateral, each Representative agrees, on behalf
of itself and the other Secured Parties, not to assert any of such rights in violation of this Agreement; provided that if requested
by the First Priority Representative, the other Representative shall timely exercise such rights in the manner requested by the
other Representative, including any rights to payments in respect of such rights.
Section
5.10. No Waiver of Rights of First Priority Secured Parties. With respect to each Type of Collateral, nothing contained
herein shall prohibit or in any way limit the First Priority Representative or any other First Priority Secured Party from objecting
in any Insolvency Proceeding or otherwise to any action taken by any other Secured Party in respect of the Collateral, other than
any action taken by such other Secured Party that is expressly permitted by this Agreement.
Section
5.11. Effectiveness in Insolvency Proceedings. This Agreement, which the parties hereto expressly acknowledge
is a “subordination agreement” under Section 510(a) of the Bankruptcy Code, shall be effective before, during and
after the commencement of an Insolvency Proceeding. All references in this Agreement to any Grantor shall include such
Grantor as a debtor-in-possession and any receiver or trustee for such Grantor in any Insolvency Proceeding, and the rights
and obligations hereunder of the Secured Parties with respect to each Type of Collateral shall be fully enforceable as
between such parties regardless of the pendency of Insolvency Proceedings or any related limitations on the enforcement of
this Agreement against any Grantor.
Section
5.12. Section 1111 of the Bankruptcy Code. Until the First Priority Obligations Payment Date, no Representative nor any
Secured Party (other than the First Priority Representative and the First Priority Secured Parties) shall seek to exercise any
rights under Section 1111(b) of the Bankruptcy Code or any similar provision under any Debtor Relief Law. All rights of First
Priority Secured Parties to exercise any rights under Section 1111(b) of the Bankruptcy Code or any similar provision of any other
Debtor Relief Law, if any, are reserved and unaltered by this Agreement.
ARTICLE
6
MATTERS
RELATING TO FINANCE DOCUMENTS
Section
6.01. Amendments to Finance Documents.
(a) The Finance Documents may be amended, amended and restated, supplemented, modified, refinanced, replaced, renewed, extended or
restructured from time to time in accordance with their terms, and the Indebtedness thereunder may be Refinanced; provided,
however, that no such amendment, amendment and restatement, supplement, modification, replacement, renewal, extension,
restructuring or Refinancing shall (it being understood and agreed that any DIP Financing under Section 5.02 shall not be subject
to the terms of this Article 6), without the consent of the Intermediation Facility Secured Parties and the Term Loan Required
Lenders, (i) contravene any provision of this Agreement (provided, that if the Intermediation Facility Termination Date
shall have occurred, the consent of the Intermediation Facility Secured Parties shall not be required, and if the Term Loan Termination
Date shall have occurred, the consent of the Term Loan Required Lenders shall not be required); provided further that,
in the case of a Refinancing, the holders of the Indebtedness resulting from such Refinancing, or a duly authorized agent on their
behalf, agree in writing to be bound by the terms of this Agreement, (ii) [reserved], (iii) [reserved], (iv) [reserved], (v) change
(to an earlier date) the scheduled maturity date (as defined in the Term Loan Agreement), (vi) make the conditions to permit prepayments
more restrictive and (vii) converting revolving loans to term loans.
(b) Each of the Grantors and the Representatives agrees that each of the Term Loan Documents and the Intermediation Facility Security
Documents shall contain the applicable provisions set forth on Annex II hereto, or similar provisions approved by the Representatives,
which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed.
Section
6.02. Consents. The Term Loan Agent, the Intermediation Facility Secured Party, the Company and the Acknowledging Affiliates
each hereby consent to (i) the entry into and performance of the Intermediation Facility Documents and the transactions thereunder
and (ii) the entry into and performance of the Term Loan Documents and transactions thereunder.
ARTICLE
7
RELIANCE; WAIVERS; ETC.
Section
7.01. Reliance. The First Priority Documents with respect to each Type of Collateral are deemed to have been executed and
delivered, and all extensions of credit thereunder are deemed to have been made or incurred, in reliance upon this Agreement.
With respect to each Type of Collateral, the Representative, on behalf of it itself and the other applicable Secured Parties,
expressly waives all notice of the acceptance of and reliance on this Agreement by the other Secured Parties.
Section
7.02. No Warranties or Liability. The First Priority Representative with respect to each Type of Collateral acknowledges
and agrees that it has not made any express or implied representation or warranty including with respect to the execution, validity,
legality, completeness, collectability or enforceability of any First Priority Document or the ownership of any Type of Collateral.
Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement and the First Priority Representative with respect to each Type of Collateral will
be entitled to manage and supervise their respective extensions of credit to any Grantor in accordance with law and their usual
practices, modified from time to time as they deem appropriate.
Section
7.03. No Waivers. No right or benefit of any party hereunder shall at any time in any way be prejudiced or impaired by
any act or failure to act on the part of such party or any other party hereto or by any noncompliance by any Grantor with the
terms and conditions of any of the Finance Documents. Until the First Priority Obligations Payment Date the other Secured Parties
agree not to assert and hereby waive, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any right to demand, request, plead or otherwise
assert or otherwise claim the benefit of, any appraisal, valuation or other similar right that may otherwise be available under
applicable law with respect to the Collateral or any other similar rights a junior secured creditor may have under applicable
law.
Section
7.04. Obligations Unconditional. All rights, interests, agreements and obligations of the Intermediation Facility Representative,
the Intermediation Facility Secured Parties and the Term Loan Agent and the Term Loan Secured Parties, respectively, hereunder
shall remain in full force and effect irrespective of:
(a) any lack of validity or enforceability of any First Priority Document and regardless of whether the Liens of the First Priority
Secured Parties are not perfected or are voidable for any reason;
(b) any change in the time, manner or place of payment of, or in any other terms of, all or any of the First Priority Obligations,
or any amendment or waiver or other modification, including any increase in the amount thereof or any refinancing, whether by
course of conduct or otherwise, of the terms of any First Priority Document;
(c) any exchange, release or lack of perfection of any Lien on any Type of Collateral or any other asset, or any amendment, waiver
or other modification, whether in writing or by course of conduct or otherwise, of all or any of the First Priority Obligations
or any guarantee thereof;
(d) the commencement of any Insolvency Proceeding in respect of any Grantor; or
(e) any other circumstances which otherwise might constitute a defense available to, or a discharge of, any Grantor in respect of
any Secured Obligation or of any Secured Party (other than the applicable First Priority Secured Party) in respect of this Agreement.
ARTICLE
8
MISCELLANEOUS
Section
8.01. Conflicts. Except as otherwise provided herein, in the event of any conflict between the provisions of this Agreement
and the provisions of any First Priority Document, the provisions of this Agreement shall govern.
Section
8.02. Continuing Nature of Provisions. This Agreement shall continue to be effective, and shall not be revocable by any
party hereto, until the First Priority Obligations Payment Date shall have occurred with respect to each Type of Collateral. This
is a continuing agreement and the First Priority Secured Parties may continue, at any time and without notice to the other parties
hereto, to extend credit and other financial accommodations, lend monies and provide indebtedness to, or for the benefit of, any
Grantor on the faith hereof.
Section
8.03. Amendments; Waivers. No amendment or modification of any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be effective unless
the same shall be in writing and signed by each of the Intermediation Facility Representative and the Term Loan Agent, and, in
the case of amendments or modifications that adversely affect the rights, duties or obligations of the Company and the other Grantors,
the Company and the other Grantors.
Section
8.04. Information Concerning Financial Condition of the Company and the Other Grantors. With respect to each Type of Collateral,
the First Priority Representative, on behalf of itself and the other First Priority Secured Parties, hereby agree that each Secured
Party assumes responsibility for keeping itself informed of the financial condition of the relevant Grantors and all other circumstances
bearing upon the risk of nonpayment of the First Priority Obligations. With respect to each Type of Collateral, the Secured Parties,
and the Representatives, on behalf of itself and the other Secured Parties, hereby agree that no party shall have any duty to
advise any other party of information known to it regarding such condition or any such circumstances. In the event any Secured
Party, in its sole discretion, undertakes at any time or from time to time to provide any information to any other Secured Party,
it shall be under no obligation (a) to provide any such information to such other party or any other party on any subsequent occasion,
(b) to undertake any investigation or (c) to disclose any other information.
Section
8.05. Additional Grantors. The Company agrees that, if any Subsidiary of the Parent owns any assets that
would constitute Intermediation Facility Priority Collateral after the Second Amendment and Restatement Date, it will
promptly cause such Subsidiary to become a Grantor hereto by executing and delivering an instrument in the form of Annex III.
The Grantors agree that, if any Person shall become a Subsidiary of the Parent that is not required to become a Grantor under
the foregoing sentence after the Second Amendment and Restatement Date (including the Renewables Company), it will promptly
cause such Subsidiary to become an Acknowledging Affiliate. Whether or not such instrument is executed and delivered, such
Person shall be bound as a Grantor hereunder with the same force and effect as if originally named as a Grantor herein. The
execution and delivery of such instrument shall not require the consent of any other party hereunder and will be acknowledged
by the Representatives. The rights and obligations of each Grantor hereunder shall remain in full force and effect
notwithstanding the addition of any new Grantor as a party to this Agreement.
Section
8.06. GOVERNING LAW; JURISDICTION; CONSENT TO SERVICE OF PROCESS.
(a) THIS AGREEMENT AND THE RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF THE PARTIES UNDER THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED AND INTERPRETED
IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAW OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
(b) Each party hereto hereby irrevocably and unconditionally submits, for itself and its property, to the exclusive jurisdiction of
the Supreme Court of the State of New York sitting in New York County and of the United States District Court of the Southern
District of New York, and any appellate court from any thereof, in any action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this
Agreement, or for recognition or enforcement of any judgment, and each of the parties hereto hereby irrevocably and unconditionally
agrees that all claims in respect of any such action or proceeding will be heard and determined in such New York State or, to
the extent permitted by law, in such Federal court. Each of the parties hereto agrees that a final judgment in any such action
or proceeding shall be conclusive and may be enforced in other jurisdictions by suit on the judgment or in any other manner provided
by law. Nothing in this Agreement shall affect any right that any party may otherwise have to bring any action or proceeding relating
to this Agreement against any other party or their respective properties in the courts of any jurisdiction.
(c) Each party hereto hereby irrevocably and unconditionally waives, to the fullest extent it may legally and effectively do so, any
objection which it may now or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating
to this Agreement in any court referred to in Section 8.06(b). Each of the parties hereto hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest
extent permitted by law, the defense of an inconvenient forum to the maintenance of such action or proceeding in any such court.
(d) Each party to this Agreement irrevocably consents to service of process in the manner provided for notices in Section 8.08. Nothing
in this Agreement will affect the right of any party to this Agreement to serve process in any other manner permitted by law.
Section
8.07. WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL. EACH PARTY HERETO HEREBY IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY WAIVE TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL ACTION
OR PROCEEDING RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER FINANCE DOCUMENT AND FOR ANY COUNTERCLAIM THEREIN OR RELATED THERETO.
Section
8.08. Notices.
(a) Unless otherwise specifically provided herein, any notice or other communication herein required or permitted to be given shall
be in writing and shall be delivered by hand or overnight courier service, mailed by certified or registered mail or sent by telecopy,
as follows:
(i) If to a Grantor:
Vertex
Refining Alabama LLC
1331
Gemini, #250
Houston,
Texas 77058
Attention: Ben Cowart, President
E-mail: XXXXXXXXXXXX
with
a copy to (which shall not constitute notice):
Bracewell
LLP
31
W. 52nd Street, Suite 1900
New
York, NY 10019-6118
Attention:
Brian Rogers
Email:
brian.rogers@bracewell.com
(ii) If to Cantor Fitzgerald Securities, as Term Loan Agent:
Cantor
Fitzgerald Securities, as Agent
110
East 59th Street
New
York, NY 10022
Attn:
R. Yeh/Contract Management (Vertex)
E-mail:
XXXXXXXXXXXX; XXXXXXXXXXXX with a copy to:
900
West Trade Street, Suite #725
Charlotte,
NC 28202
Attn:
Bobbie Young
Email:
BYoung@cantor.com
With
a copy to (which shall not constitute notice):
Shipman
& Goodwin LLP
One Constitution Plaza
Hartford, CT 06103
Attention:
Nate Plotkin
Email:
nplotkin@goodwin.com
Sidley
Austin LLP
787
7th Avenue
New
York, NY 10019
Attention:
Leslie Plaskon and Michele Nudelman
Email: lplaskon@sidley.com; mnudelman@sidley.com
(iii) If to Macquarie Energy North America Trading Inc., as Intermediation Facility Representative:
All
Legal Notices:
Macquarie
Energy North America Trading Inc.
500
Dallas Street, Suite 3300
Houston,
Texas 77002
Attn:
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Deal
Management:
500
Dallas Street, Suite 3300
Houston,
Texas 77002
Attn:
US Deal Management Team
Email:
XXXXXXXXXXXX
(iv) If to the Lenders:
with
a copy to:
Sidley
Austin LLP
787
7th Avenue
New
York, NY 10019
Attention:
Leslie Plaskon, Michele Nudelman
Email:
lplaskon@sidley.com; mnudelman@sidley.com
(b) The parties hereto may, in their discretion, agree to accept notices and other communications to it hereunder by electronic communications
pursuant to procedures approved by it; provided that approval of such procedures may be limited to particular notices or
communications. All notices hereunder shall be deemed to have been given when received at the address, electronic mail, or telecopy
set forth above.
Section
8.09. Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of each of the parties hereto
and each of the Secured Parties and their respective successors and permitted assigns, and nothing herein is intended, or shall
be construed to give, any other Person any right, remedy or claim under, to or in respect of this Agreement, any Collateral or
any Type thereof or any Intermediation Title Property. All references to any Grantor shall include any Grantor as debtor-in-possession
and any receiver or trustee for such Grantor in any Insolvency Proceeding.
Section
8.10. Headings. Section headings used herein are for convenience of reference only, are not part of this Agreement and
shall not affect the construction of, or be taken into consideration in interpreting, this Agreement.
Section
8.11. Further Assurances. The First Priority Representative, on behalf of itself and the First Priority Secured
Parties, and the Company agree that each of them shall take (and, in the case of the Company, shall cause the other Grantors
to take) such further action and shall execute and deliver such additional documents and instruments (in recordable form, if
requested) as the First Priority Representative may reasonably request, at the expense of the Grantors, to effectuate the
terms of and the Lien priorities contemplated by this Agreement.
Section
8.12. Subrogation. With respect to the value of any payments or distributions in cash, property or other assets that any
Representative pays over to the First Priority Secured Parties under the terms of this Agreement, the other junior Secured Parties
shall be subrogated to the rights of the First Priority Secured Parties; provided, that, the other Representatives hereby agrees
not to assert or enforce any such rights of subrogation it may acquire as a result of any payment hereunder until the First Priority
Obligations Payment Date has occurred. The Company acknowledges and agrees that the value of any payments or distributions in
cash, property or other assets so paid over shall not reduce any of the payor’s Secured Obligations.
Section
8.13. Severability. Any provision of this Agreement held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall,
as to such jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability without affecting the
validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions hereof; and the invalidity of a particular provision in a particular
jurisdiction shall not invalidate such provision in any other jurisdiction.
Section
8.14. Counterparts; Integration; Effectiveness. 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. Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page of this Agreement by telecopy or electronic transmission
(e.g., “pdf” file) shall be effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart of this Agreement. This Agreement
shall become effective when it shall have been executed by each party hereto.
Section
8.15. Provisions Solely to Define Relative Rights. The provisions of this Agreement are and are intended solely for the
purpose of defining the relative rights of the Intermediation Facility Secured Party on the one hand, and the Term Loan Agent
and the Term Loan Secured Parties, on the other hand, with respect to the Collateral and the Intermediation Facility Secured Party,
on the on the one hand, and the Term Loan Agent and the Term Loan Secured Parties, on the other hand, with respect to the Intermediation
Title Property and Intermediation Facility Priority Collateral. Nothing in this Agreement shall create vary or modify the rights
or duties of the Term Loan Secured Parties, inter se, under the Term Loan Documents or the rights or duties of the Intermediation
Facility Secured Parties under the Intermediation Facility Documents. Except with respect to liability for breach of an obligation
under this Agreement, no Representative shall have any liability to any other party hereto relating to this Agreement or the matters
contemplated hereby.
Section
8.16. No Third Party Beneficiaries. This Agreement and the rights and benefits hereof shall inure to the benefit of each
of the parties hereto and its respective successors and assigns and shall inure to the benefit of and bind each of First Priority
Secured Parties and the other Secured Parties. Subject to Section 8.03, in no event shall any Grantor be a party to or a third
party beneficiary of this Agreement.
Section
8.17. Concerning the Term Loan Agent. Except as expressly set forth herein, the Term Loan Agent shall not have any
duties or obligations in respect of any of the Collateral, all of such duties and obligations, if any, being subject to and
governed by the applicable Term Loan Documents. To the extent that it does not supersede or contradict any of the terms set
forth in this Agreement, it is understood and agreed that Cantor Fitzgerald Securities is entering into this Agreement in its
capacity as collateral agent under the Term Loan Agreement and the provisions of the Term Loan Agreement applicable to Cantor
Fitzgerald Securities as collateral agent thereunder (including its rights, privileges, immunities and indemnities) shall
also apply to Cantor Fitzgerald Securities as Term Loan Agent hereunder.
ARTICLE
9
AGREEMENTS
WITH RESPECT TO INTERMEDIATION TITLE PROPERTY
Section
9.01. Turnover. Unless and until the Discharge of Intermediation Facility Obligations, in the event that any of the Term
Loan Agent or the Term Loan Secured Parties now or hereafter obtains possession of any Intermediation Title Property and is actually
aware thereof, such Person shall immediately deliver to the Intermediation Facility Representative (or as the Intermediation Facility
Representative may reasonably direct), at the expense of the Grantors, such Intermediation Title Property in whatever form possessed
by the Term Loan Agent or the Term Loan Secured Parties (and until delivered to the Intermediation Facility Representative such
Intermediation Title Property shall be held in trust for the Intermediation Facility Representative for itself and for the benefit
of the other Intermediation Facility Secured Parties).
Section
9.02. UCC Notices. In the event that any party hereto shall be required by the UCC or any other applicable law to give
notice to the other of an intended disposition of Intermediation Title Property or Collateral, respectively, such notice shall
be given in accordance with Section 8.08 hereof and ten (10) days’ notice shall be deemed to be commercially reasonable.
Section
9.03. Further Assurances with Respect to Intermediation Title Property. Each of the Intermediation Facility Representative
and the Term Loan Agent agrees to take such actions as may be reasonably requested by the other party, whether before, during
or after an exercise by any Intermediation Facility Secured Party of any rights or remedies with respect to any Intermediation
Title Property, in order to effectuate the terms and Lien priorities hereof and to otherwise give effect to the provisions of
this Agreement including, without limitation, to the extent that such party has the ability to do so, to allow access to and removal
of their respective assets and collateral.
Section
9.04. Additional Understanding and Agreements with Respect to Intermediation Title Property. Each of the parties hereto
agrees that:
(a) nothing
in this Agreement impairs or otherwise adversely affects any rights or remedies (including any netting, right of set-off or
recoupment under any of the Intermediation Facility Documents) that the Intermediation Facility Secured Parties may have with
respect to that Intermediation Title Property; provided that in no event shall (x) any Intermediation Facility Obligations
whether by netting, right of set-off, recoupment or assertion of any claims whatsoever, including by any Affiliate of any
Intermediation Facility Secured Parties be added to the Term Loan Obligations or (y) any Term Loan Obligations whether by
netting, right of set-off, recoupment or assertion of any claims whatsoever, including by any Affiliate of any Intermediation
Facility Secured Parties be permitted to be asserted against the Intermediation Facility Priority Collateral;
(b) nothing in this Agreement is intended to impair or shall impair the obligations of the Company or any other Grantor, which obligations
are absolute and unconditional, to pay the Intermediation Facility Obligations and the Term Loan Obligations as and when the same
shall become due and payable in accordance with their terms (after giving effect to any netting, rights of set-off or recoupment
under the Intermediation Facility Documents); provided that in no event shall (x) any Intermediation Facility Obligations whether
by netting, rights of set-off, recoupment, or assertion of any claims whatsoever, including by any Affiliate of any Intermediation
Facility Secured Parties be added in the Term Loan Obligations or (y) any Term Loan Obligations whether by netting, rights of
set-off, recoupment or assertion of any claims whatsoever, including by any Affiliate of any Intermediation Facility Secured Parties
be permitted to be asserted against the Intermediation Facility Priority Collateral; and
(c) for the avoidance of doubt, the Intermediation Facility Secured Party shall be entitled to sell Intermediation Facility Priority
Collateral and Intermediation Title Property free and clear of all Liens of the Term Loan Agent.
Section
9.05. Additional Understanding and Agreements of the Term Loan Agent. Notwithstanding any rights or remedies (if any) available
under the Term Loan Documents, any related documents, the UCC, other applicable law or otherwise, the Term Loan Agent (on behalf
of itself and the other Term Loan Secured Parties) shall not:
(a) contest, protest or object to, or support any other person in contesting, protesting or objecting to, in any proceeding or action
(including any bankruptcy, insolvency or liquidation proceeding) the Intermediation Facility Secured Parties’ title to or
ownership of, or other rights in, all or any part of the Intermediation Title Property;
(b) directly or indirectly, exercise or seek to exercise any rights or remedies with respect to any of the Intermediation Title Property
or institute any action or proceeding with respect to such rights or remedies, including any action to foreclose, execute, levy,
collect on, take possession or control of, sell or otherwise realize upon any of the Intermediation Title Property (and to the
extent the Term Loan Agent receives proceeds of any such actions, the Term Loan Agent shall hold such proceeds in trust for the
Intermediation Facility Secured Party and promptly pay over such proceeds to the Intermediation Facility Secured Party in the
form received with all necessary endorsements); or
(c) contest, protest or object to, or support any other person in contesting, protesting or objecting to, in any proceeding or action
(including any bankruptcy, insolvency or liquidation proceeding) any proceeding or action brought by or on behalf of the Intermediation
Facility Secured Parties to execute, levy, collect on, take possession or control of, sell or otherwise realize upon any of the
Intermediation Title Property, or any other exercise by or on behalf of the Intermediation Facility Secured Parties of any rights
and remedies relating to, the Intermediation Title Property under the Intermediation Facility Documents, the UCC, other applicable
law or otherwise.
[SIGNATURE
PAGES FOLLOW]
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the date first written above.
COMPANY: |
VERTEX REFINING ALABAMA LLC
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By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
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ACKNOWLEDGING AFFILIATES: |
VERTEX ENERGY, INC. |
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By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
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VERTEX ENERGY OPERATING, LLC |
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By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
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VERTEX REFINING, LA, LLC |
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By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
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VERTEX RECOVERY MANAGEMENT, LLC |
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By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
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[Signature
Page to Second Amended and Restated Intercreditor Agreement]
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VERTEX REFINING NV, LLC |
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By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
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VERTEX SPLITTER CORPORATION |
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By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Title: |
Director |
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VERTEX REFINING MYRTLE GROVE LLC |
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By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
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CRYSTAL ENERGY, LLC |
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By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Title: |
President |
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VERTEX ACQUISITION SUB, LLC |
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By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
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BANGO OIL LLC |
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By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
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[Signature
Page to Second Amended and Restated Intercreditor Agreement]
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CEDAR MARINE TERMINALS, L.P. |
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By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
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CROSSROAD CARRIERS, L.P. |
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By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
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VERTEX RECOVERY, L.P. |
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By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
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H&H OIL, L.P. |
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By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
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[Signature
Page to Second Amended and Restated Intercreditor Agreement]
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VERTEX II GP, LLC |
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By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
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TENSILE-MYRTLE GROVE ACQUISITION CORPORATION |
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By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Title: |
President and Chairman of the Board |
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VERTEX MERGER SUB, LLC |
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By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
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VERTEX RENEWABLES LLC |
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By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
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VERTEX RENEWABLES ALABAMA LLC |
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By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
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[Signature
Page to Second Amended and Restated Intercreditor Agreement]
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CANTOR FITZGERALD SECURITIES, |
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as
Term Loan Agent |
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By: |
/s/ James
Buccola |
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Name: |
James Buccola |
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Title: |
Head of Fixed Income |
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[Signature
Page to Second Amended and Restated Intercreditor Agreement]
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MACQUARIE ENERGY NORTH AMERICA TRADING INC., |
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as Intermediation Facility Secured Party |
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By: |
/s/ Brian Houstoun |
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Name: |
/s/ Brian Houstoun |
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Title: |
Senior Managing Director |
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By: |
/s/
Travis McCullough |
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Name: |
Travis McCullough |
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Title: |
Division Director |
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[Signature
Page to Second Amended and Restated Intercreditor Agreement]
VERTEX ENERGY, INC. 8-K
EXHIBIT 10.2
LIMITED CONSENT
THIS LIMITED CONSENT
(this “Limited Consent”) is made as of June 11, 2024, by and among Vertex Refining Alabama LLC, a Delaware limited
liability company (the “Company”) and Macquarie Energy North America Trading Inc. (“Macquarie”).
Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms in the Supply and Offtake
Agreement (as defined below).
W I T N E S S E T H
WHEREAS, reference
is made to that certain Supply and Offtake Agreement, dated as of April 1, 2022 (as amended from time to time, the “Supply
and Offtake Agreement”) by and between Macquarie and the Company;
WHEREAS, notwithstanding
Section 19.5 of the Supply and Offtake Agreement, the Company has requested that Macquarie consent to permitting the Unrestricted Cash
of the Company to be less than $25,000,000, but not less than $15,000,00, in each case, for any period of more than three (3) consecutive
Business Days prior to June 18, 2024, in accordance with the terms contained in this Limited Consent (the “Specified Consent”);
WHEREAS, upon the
terms and conditions set forth herein, Macquarie has agreed to provide the Specified Consent, subject to the terms and conditions of this
Limited Consent.
NOW, THEREFORE,
in consideration of the foregoing, the parties hereto agree as follows:
1.
Limited Consent.
| (a) | In reliance upon the representations and warranties of the Company set forth
in Section 3 and covenant of the Company set forth in Section 4 below, Macquarie hereby provides the Specified Consent. After giving
effect to this Limited Consent, the Unrestricted Cash of the Company may be less than $25,000,000, but not less than $15,000,00, for any
period of more than three (3) consecutive Business Days without triggering an Event of Default under Section 19.5 of the Supply and Offtake
Agreement. For the avoidance of doubt, this is a one-time Limited Consent, which may not be extended, and shall expire on June 18, 2024
and if a breach of the Minimum Liquidity Test (determined by reference to the $25,000,000 lower limit) is continuing on June 18, 2024
it shall constitute an Event of Default. |
| (b) | The foregoing is a limited consent. Except as expressly set forth in this
Limited Consent, nothing in this Limited Consent shall constitute a modification or alteration of the terms, conditions or covenants of
the Supply and Offtake Agreement or any other Transaction Document, or a waiver of any other terms or provisions thereof, and the Supply
and Offtake Agreement and the other Transaction Documents shall remain unchanged and shall continue in full force and effect, in each
case as amended hereby. |
2.
Conditions Precedent. The satisfaction (or waiver in writing by Macquarie) of each of the
following shall constitute conditions precedent to the effectiveness of this Limited Consent (the date on which all such conditions precedent
are either satisfied or waived, being the “Consent Effective Date”):
| (a) | Macquarie shall have received this Limited Consent, duly executed by the
parties hereto; and |
| (b) | Macquarie shall have received an amendment or consent with respect to the
Existing Financing Agreement to permit the Consolidated Liquidity (as defined therein) to be not less than $15,000,000 on terms (including
with respect to time period) no less restrictive than those provided in Section 1 hereto. |
3.
Representations and Warranties. In order to induce Macquarie to enter into this Limited Consent,
the Company hereby represents and warrants to Macquarie that:
| (a) | each of the representations and warranties made to Macquarie under the Supply and Offtake Agreement
and all of the other Transaction Documents are true and correct in all material respects (except that such materiality qualifier shall
not be applicable to any representations and warranties that already are qualified or modified as to “materiality” or “Material
Adverse Effect” in the text thereof, which representations and warranties are true and correct in all respects subject to such qualification)
on and as of the date hereof (after giving effect to this Limited Consent) except to the extent that such representations and warranties
specifically relate to an earlier date, in which case such representations and warranties were true and correct in all material respects
(except that such materiality qualifier shall not be applicable to any representations or warranties that already are qualified or modified
as to “materiality” or “Material Adverse Effect” in the text thereof, which representations and warranties shall
be true and correct in all respects subject to such qualification) on and as of such earlier date; |
| (b) | on and immediately prior to the date hereof, no Default or Event of Default will have occurred and
be continuing, and immediately after giving effect to this Limited Consent, no Default or Event of Default will have occurred and be continuing;
and |
| (c) | on and immediately prior to the date hereof and immediately after giving effect to this Limited Consent,
the Company is not Insolvent; and |
| (d) | this Limited Consent has been duly executed and delivered by the Company; and |
| (e) | this Limited Consent constitutes the legal, valid and binding obligation of the Company enforceable
against the Company in accordance with its terms, subject to the effect of any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or moratorium
or similar laws relating to or affecting the rights of creditors generally and subject to general principles of equity (regardless of
whether enforcement is sought in a proceeding at law or in equity). |
4.
Covenant. In order to induce Macquarie to enter into this Limited Consent, the Company hereby
covenants to Macquarie that, no later than 6 p.m. ET on each Business Day that this Limited Consent is in effect, it will provide to Macquarie
with its end-of-day cash balance.
5.
GOVERNING LAW; JURISDICTION; WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL PROVISIONS. THIS LIMITED CONSENT SHALL BE
SUBJECT TO THE PROVISIONS REGARDING GOVERNING LAW, JURISDICTION, AND WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL SET FORTH IN SECTION 26 OF THE SUPPLY AND OFFTAKE
AGREEMENT, AND SUCH PROVISIONS ARE INCORPORATED HEREIN BY THIS REFERENCE, MUTATIS MUTANDIS.
6.
Amendments. This Limited Consent cannot be altered, amended, changed or modified in any respect
except in accordance with Section 31 of the Supply and Offtake Agreement.
7.
Counterparts. This Limited Consent and any notices delivered under this Limited Consent may
be executed by means of (i) an electronic signature that complies with the Federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce
Act, the New York State Electronic Signatures and Records Act or any other similar state laws based on the Uniform Electronic Transactions
Act; (ii) an original manual signature; or (iii) a faxed, scanned, or photocopied manual signature. Each electronic signature or faxed,
scanned, or photocopied manual signature shall for all purposes have the same validity, legal effect, and admissibility in evidence as
an original manual signature. The words “execution,” “execute”, “signed,” “signature,”
and words of like import in or related to any document to be signed in connection with this Limited Consent and the transactions contemplated
hereby shall be deemed to include electronic signatures or the keeping of records in electronic form, each of which shall be of the same
legal effect, validity or enforceability as a manually executed signature or the use of a paper-based recordkeeping system, as the case
may be, to the extent and as provided for in any Applicable Law, including the Federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce
Act, the New York State Electronic Signatures and Records Act, or any other similar state laws based on the Uniform Electronic Transactions
Act. This Limited Consent may be executed in any number of counterparts, and it is not necessary that the signatures of all parties hereto
be contained on any one counterpart hereof, each counterpart will be deemed to be an original, and all together shall constitute one and
the same document.
8.
Effect on Transaction Documents.
| (a) | The Supply and Offtake Agreement, as modified hereby, and each of the other
Transaction Documents shall be and remain in full force and effect in accordance with their respective terms and hereby are ratified and
confirmed in all respects. The execution, delivery, and performance of this Limited Consent shall not operate, except as expressly set
forth herein, as a modification or waiver of any right, power, or remedy of Macquarie under the Supply and Offtake Agreement or any other
Transaction Document. Except for the amendments to the Supply and Offtake Agreement expressly set forth herein, the Supply and Offtake
Agreement and the other Transaction Documents shall remain unchanged and in full force and effect. |
| (b) | Upon and after the effectiveness of this Limited Consent, each reference
in the Supply and Offtake Agreement to “this Agreement”, “hereunder”, “herein”, “hereof”
or words of like import referring to the Supply and Offtake Agreement, and each reference in the other Transaction Documents to “the
Supply and Offtake Agreement”, “thereunder”, “therein”, “thereof” or words of like import referring
to the Supply and Offtake Agreement, shall mean and be a reference to the Supply and Offtake Agreement as modified hereby. |
| (c) | To the extent that any of the terms and conditions in any of the Transaction
Documents shall contradict or be in conflict with any of the terms or conditions of the Supply and Offtake Agreement, after giving effect
to this Limited Consent, such terms and conditions are hereby deemed modified or amended accordingly to reflect the terms and conditions
of the Supply and Offtake Agreement as modified or amended hereby. |
| (d) | This Limited Consent is a Transaction Document. |
9.
Reaffirmation of Obligations. The Company hereby acknowledges and agrees that all terms, covenants,
conditions and provisions of the Transaction Documents (including, without limitation, each Collateral Document) continue in full force
and effect, are herein reaffirmed in their entirety and remain unaffected and unchanged, except to the extent expressly set forth in this
Limited Consent. Neither this Limited Consent nor the execution and delivery of this Limited Consent by Macquarie shall constitute a novation
or renewal of the Supply and Offtake Agreement or any of the Transaction Documents. This Limited Consent, except to the extent expressly
set forth herein, is not intended to and shall not be deemed or construed to create or constitute a waiver, release, or relinquishment
of, and shall not affect, the liens, security interests and rights, remedies and interests under the Transaction Documents, all of which
are hereby ratified, confirmed, renewed and extended in all respects.
[Signature Pages to Follow]
EXECUTION PAGES
Executed by MACQUARIE ENERGY NORTH AMERICA TRADING INC. acting by: |
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/s/ Brian Houstoun |
and |
/s/ Travis McCullogh |
Name: Brian Houstoun |
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Name: Travis McCullough |
Title: Senior Managing Director |
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Title: Division Director |
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Executed by VERTEX REFINING ALABAMA LLC acting by: |
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/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Name: Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Title: President and Chief Executive Officer |
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VERTEX ENERGY, INC. 8-K
EXHIBIT 10.3
LIMITED CONSENT
THIS LIMITED CONSENT
(this “Limited Consent”) is made as of June 11, 2024, by and among Vertex Refining Alabama LLC, a Delaware limited
liability company (the “Borrower”), Vertex Energy, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Parent”),
each of Parent’s direct and indirect Subsidiaries listed on the signature pages hereto other than Excluded Subsidiaries (collectively,
the “Subsidiary Guarantors” and each, individually, a “Subsidiary Guarantor”; the
Subsidiary Guarantors, together with Parent, each a “Guarantor” and collectively, the “Guarantors”),
Cantor Fitzgerald Securities, as administrative agent and collateral agent (the “Agent”) under the Loan Agreement,
and the Lenders (as such terms are defined below) party hereto, which for the avoidance of doubt, constitute at least the Required Lenders.
Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms in the Loan Agreement (as
defined below).
W I T N E S S E T H
WHEREAS, reference
is made to that certain Loan and Security Agreement, dated as of April 1, 2022 (as amended by that certain Amendment Number One to Loan
and Security Agreement, dated as of May 26, 2022, that certain Amendment Number Two to Loan and Security Agreement, dated as of September
30, 2022, that certain Amendment Number Three to Loan and Security Agreement, dated as of January 8, 2023, that certain Amendment Number
Four and Consent and Waiver to Loan and Security Agreement, dated as of May 26, 2023, that certain Amendment Number Five to Loan and Security
Agreement, dated as of December 28, 2023, as modified by that certain Limited Consent, dated as of March 22, 2024, as modified by that
certain Limited Consent, dated as of March 28, 2024, as modified by that certain Limited Consent and Waiver, dated as of May 23, 2024,
as modified by that certain Limited Consent and Partial Release, dated as of May 24, 2024, as modified by that certain Omnibus Amendment
and Waiver, dated as of June 3, 2024 (the “Omnibus Amendment”), and as may be further amended from time to time,
the “Loan Agreement”), by and among the Borrower, the Parent, the Guarantors from time to time party thereto,
the Lenders from time to time party thereto and the Agent;
WHEREAS, notwithstanding
Section 7.19 of the Loan Agreement, the Loan Parties have requested that the Agent and the Required Lenders consent to permitting the
Consolidated Liquidity to be less than $25,000,000, but not less than $15,000,00, in each case, for any period of more than three (3)
consecutive Business Days prior to June 18, 2024, in accordance with the terms contained in this Limited Consent (the “Specified
Consent”);
WHEREAS, upon the
terms and conditions set forth herein, the Agent and the Lenders comprising the Required Lenders have agreed to provide the Specified
Consent, subject to the terms and conditions of this Limited Consent.
NOW, THEREFORE,
in consideration of the foregoing, the parties hereto agree as follows:
1.
Limited Consent.
| (a) | In reliance upon the representations and warranties of each Loan Party set
forth in Section 3 below, Agent and each Lender under the Loan Agreement party hereto, constituting the Required Lenders, hereby
provides the Specified Consent. After giving effect to this Limited Consent, the Consolidated Liquidity may be less than $25,000,000,
but not less than $15,000,00, for any period of more than three (3) consecutive Business Days without triggering a Default under the Loan
Agreement. For the avoidance of doubt, this is a one-time Limited Consent, which may not be extended, and shall expire on June 18, 2024. |
| (b) | The foregoing is a limited consent. Except as expressly set forth in this
Limited Consent, nothing in this Limited Consent shall constitute a modification or alteration of the terms, conditions or covenants of
the Loan Agreement or any other Loan Document, or a waiver of any other terms or provisions thereof, and the Loan Agreement and the other
Loan Documents shall remain unchanged and shall continue in full force and effect, in each case as amended hereby. |
2.
Conditions Precedent. The satisfaction (or waiver in writing by Agent (at the direction of
the Required Lenders) or the Required Lenders) of each of the following shall constitute conditions precedent to the effectiveness of
this Limited Consent (the date on which all such conditions precedent are either satisfied or waived, being the “Consent Effective
Date”):
| (a) | The Agent and the Lenders, which constitute at least the Required Lenders,
shall have received this Limited Consent, duly executed by the parties hereto; and |
| (b) | The Agent shall have received an amendment or consent with respect to the
Intermediation Agreement to lower the Minimum Liquidity Requirement (as defined therein) to $15,000,000 on terms (including with respect
to time period) no less restrictive than those provided in Section 1 hereto. |
For purposes of determining compliance with
the conditions specified in this Section 2, each Lender that has signed this Limited Consent shall be deemed to have consented
to, approved or accepted or to be satisfied with, each document or other matter required hereunder to be consented to or approved by or
acceptable or satisfactory to a Lender unless the Agent shall have received notice from such Lender prior to the proposed Consent Effective
Date specifying its objection thereto.
3.
Representations and Warranties. In order to induce Agent and the Lenders to enter into this
Limited Consent, Parent and Borrower each hereby represents and warrants to Agent and the Lenders that:
| (a) | each of the representations and warranties made to Agent and Lenders under the Loan Agreement and
all of the other Loan Documents are true and correct in all material respects (except that such materiality qualifier shall not be applicable
to any representations and warranties that already are qualified or modified as to “materiality” or “Material Adverse
Effect” in the text thereof, which representations and warranties are true and correct in all respects subject to such qualification)
on and as of the date hereof (after giving effect to this Limited Consent) except to the extent that such representations and warranties
specifically relate to an earlier date, in which case such representations and warranties were true and correct in all material respects
(except that such materiality qualifier shall not be applicable to any representations or warranties that already are qualified or modified
as to “materiality” or “Material Adverse Effect” in the text thereof, which representations and warranties shall
be true and correct in all respects subject to such qualification) on and as of such earlier date; |
| (b) | on and immediately prior to the date hereof, no Default or Event of Default will have occurred and
be continuing, and immediately after giving effect to this Limited Consent, no Default or Event of Default will have occurred and be continuing;
and |
| (c) | on and immediately prior to the date hereof and immediately after giving effect to this Limited Consent,
the Loan Parties, individually and collectively, are not Insolvent; and |
| (d) | this Limited Consent has been duly executed and delivered by each Loan Party party hereto; and |
| (e) | represents and warrants that this Limited Consent constitutes the legal, valid and binding obligation
of each Loan Party party thereto enforceable against such Loan Party in accordance with its respective terms, subject to the effect of
any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or moratorium or similar laws relating to or affecting the rights of creditors generally
and subject to general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforcement is sought in a proceeding at law or in equity). |
4.
Post-Closing Obligations. Notwithstanding Section 7(b) the Omnibus Amendment whereby it was
required that Agent and each Lender were to have been reimbursed for all Lender Expenses on or prior to June 7, 2024, the parties hereto
covenant and agree that on or prior to June 18, 2024, Agent and each Lender shall have been reimbursed for all Lender Expenses invoiced
prior to the date hereof required to be paid pursuant to Section 2.5 and Section 10.3 of the Loan Agreement incurred through the Consent
Effective Date (including, without limitation, attorneys’ fees and expenses related to the preparation, negotiation, execution,
delivery of this Limited Consent, the Omnibus Amendment, the Idemitsu Transaction Documents, the A&R Intercreditor Agreement and any
documents and instruments relating hereto). Failure to comply with this Section 4 shall constitute an immediate Event of Default
under the Loan Agreement.
5.
GOVERNING LAW; JURISDICTION; WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL PROVISIONS. THIS LIMITED CONSENT SHALL BE
SUBJECT TO THE PROVISIONS REGARDING GOVERNING LAW, JURISDICTION, AND WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL SET FORTH IN SECTION 14.14 OF THE LOAN AGREEMENT,
AND SUCH PROVISIONS ARE INCORPORATED HEREIN BY THIS REFERENCE, MUTATIS MUTANDIS.
6.
Amendments. This Limited Consent cannot be altered, amended, changed or modified in any respect
except in accordance with Section 14.4 of the Loan Agreement.
7.
Counterparts. This Limited Consent and any notices delivered under this Limited Consent may
be executed by means of (i) an electronic signature that complies with the Federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce
Act, the New York State Electronic Signatures and Records Act or any other similar state laws based on the Uniform Electronic Transactions
Act; (ii) an original manual signature; or (iii) a faxed, scanned, or photocopied manual signature. Each electronic signature or faxed,
scanned, or photocopied manual signature shall for all purposes have the same validity, legal effect, and admissibility in evidence as
an original manual signature. The words “execution,” “execute”, “signed,” “signature,”
and words of like import in or related to any document to be signed in connection with this Limited Consent and the transactions contemplated
hereby shall be deemed to include electronic signatures or the keeping of records in electronic form, each of which shall be of the same
legal effect, validity or enforceability as a manually executed signature or the use of a paper-based recordkeeping system, as the case
may be, to the extent and as provided for in any Applicable Law, including the Federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce
Act, the New York State Electronic Signatures and Records Act, or any other similar state laws based on the Uniform Electronic Transactions
Act. This Limited Consent may be executed in any number of counterparts, and it is not necessary that the signatures of all parties hereto
be contained on any one counterpart hereof, each counterpart will be deemed to be an original, and all together shall constitute one and
the same document.
8.
Effect on Loan Documents.
| (a) | The Loan Agreement, as modified hereby, and each of the other Loan Documents
shall be and remain in full force and effect in accordance with their respective terms and hereby are ratified and confirmed in all respects.
The execution, delivery, and performance of this Limited Consent shall not operate, except as expressly set forth herein, as a modification
or waiver of any right, power, or remedy of Agent or any Lender under the Loan Agreement or any other Loan Document. Except for the amendments
to the Loan Agreement expressly set forth herein, the Loan Agreement and the other Loan Documents shall remain unchanged and in full force
and effect. |
| (b) | Upon and after the effectiveness of this Limited Consent, each reference
in the Loan Agreement to “this Agreement”, “hereunder”, “herein”, “hereof” or words of
like import referring to the Loan Agreement, and each reference in the other Loan Documents to “the Loan Agreement”, “thereunder”,
“therein”, “thereof” or words of like import referring to the Loan Agreement, shall mean and be a reference to
the Loan Agreement as modified hereby. |
| (c) | To the extent that any of the terms and conditions in any of the Loan Documents
shall contradict or be in conflict with any of the terms or conditions of the Loan Agreement, after giving effect to this Limited Consent,
such terms and conditions are hereby deemed modified or amended accordingly to reflect the terms and conditions of the Loan Agreement
as modified or amended hereby. |
| (d) | This Limited Consent is a Loan Document. |
9.
Reaffirmation of Obligations. The Loan Parties hereby acknowledge and agree that all terms,
covenants, conditions and provisions of the Loan Documents (including, without limitation, each Collateral Document) continue in full
force and effect, are herein reaffirmed in their entirety and remain unaffected and unchanged, except to the extent expressly set forth
in this Limited Consent. Neither this Limited Consent nor the execution and delivery of this Limited Consent by Agent, the Lenders and
the Loan Parties hereto shall constitute a novation or renewal of the Term Loan or the Indebtedness or any of the Loan Documents. This
Limited Consent, except to the extent expressly set forth herein, is not intended to and shall not be deemed or construed to create or
constitute a waiver, release, or relinquishment of, and shall not affect, the liens, security interests and rights, remedies and interests
under the Loan Documents, all of which are hereby ratified, confirmed, renewed and extended in all respects.
10.
Agent. The Agent has executed this Limited Consent as directed under and in accordance with
the Loan Agreement and will perform this Limited Consent solely in its capacity as Agent hereunder, and not individually. In performing
under this Limited Consent, the Agent shall have all rights, protections, immunities and indemnities granted to it under the Loan Agreement.
Subject to the terms of the Loan Agreement, the Agent shall have no obligation to perform or exercise any discretionary act. Each of the
undersigned Lenders hereby directs and consents to the Agent’s execution of this Limited Consent.
[Signature Pages to Follow]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the
parties hereto has executed this Limited Consent as of the date and year first above written.
PARENT: |
VERTEX ENERGY, INC., |
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a Nevada corporation |
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By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
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BORROWER: |
VERTEX REFINING ALABAMA LLC, |
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a Delaware limited liability company |
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By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
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SUBSIDIARY GUARANTORS: |
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VERTEX REFINING TEXAS LLC, |
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a Texas limited liability company |
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By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
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VERTEX MARINE FUEL SERVICES LLC, |
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a Delaware limited liability company |
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By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
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VERTEX ENERGY OPERATING, LLC, |
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a Texas limited liability company |
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By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
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[Signature Page to Limited Consent]
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VERTEX REFINING LA, LLC, |
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a Louisiana limited liability company |
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By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
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HPRM LLC, |
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a Delaware limited liability company |
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By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Title: |
Director, President and Chief Executive Officer |
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TENSILE-HEARTLAND ACQUISITION CORPORATION, |
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a Delaware corporation |
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By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Title: |
Director, President and Chief Executive Officer |
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VERTEX RECOVERY MANAGEMENT, LLC, |
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a Texas limited liability company |
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By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
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VERTEX REFINING NV, LLC, |
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a Nevada limited liability company |
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By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
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VERTEX SPLITTER CORPORATION, |
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a Delaware corporation |
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By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Title: |
Director |
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[Signature Page to Limited Consent]
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VERTEX REFINING MYRTLE GROVE LLC, |
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a Delaware limited liability company |
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By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
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CRYSTAL ENERGY, LLC, |
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an Alabama limited liability company |
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By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Title: |
President |
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VERTEX ACQUISITION SUB, LLC, |
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a Nevada limited liability company |
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By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
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BANGO OIL LLC, |
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a Nevada limited liability company |
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By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
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CEDAR MARINE TERMINALS, LP, |
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a Texas limited partnership |
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By: Vertex II GP, its General Partner |
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By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
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[Signature Page to Limited Consent]
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CROSSROAD CARRIERS, L.P., |
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a Texas limited partnership |
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By: Vertex II GP, its General Partner |
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By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
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VERTEX RECOVERY, L.P., |
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a Texas limited partnership |
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By: Vertex II GP, its General Partner |
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By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
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H & H OIL, L. P., |
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a Texas limited partnership |
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By: Vertex II GP, its General Partner |
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By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
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VERTEX II GP, LLC, |
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a Nevada limited liability company |
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By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
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TENSILE-MYRTLE GROVE ACQUISITION CORPORATION, |
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a Delaware corporation |
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By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Title: |
President and Chairman of the Board |
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[Signature Page to Limited Consent]
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VERTEX MERGER SUB, LLC, |
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a California limited liability company |
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By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
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VERTEX RENEWABLES LLC, |
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a Delaware limited liability company |
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By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
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VERTEX RENEWABLES ALABAMA LLC, |
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a Delaware limited liability company |
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By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
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Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
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[Signature Page to Limited Consent]
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LENDERS: |
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WHITEBOX MULTI-STRATEGY PARTNERS, LP |
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By: |
/s/ Andrew Thau |
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Name: Andrew Thau |
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Title: Managing Director |
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WHITEBOX RELATIVE VALUE PARTNERS, LP |
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By: |
/s/ Andrew Thau |
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Name: Andrew Thau |
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Title: Managing Director |
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WHITEBOX GT FUND, LP |
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By: |
/s/ Andrew Thau |
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Name: Andrew Thau |
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Title: Managing Director |
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PANDORA SELECT PARTNERS, LP |
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By: |
/s/ Andrew Thau |
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Name: Andrew Thau |
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Title: Managing Director |
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[Signature Page to Limited Consent]
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HIGHBRIDGE TACTICAL CREDIT MASTER FUND, L.P. |
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By: |
Highbridge Capital Management, LLC,
as Trading Manager and not in its individual capacity |
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By: |
/s/ Steve Ardovini |
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Name: Steve Ardovini |
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Title: Authorized Signatory |
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HIGHBRIDGE TACTICAL CREDIT INSTITUTIONAL FUND, LTD. |
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By: |
Highbridge Capital Management, LLC,
as Trading Manager and not in its individual capacity |
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By: |
/s/ Steve Ardovini |
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Name: Steve Ardovini |
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Title: Authorized Signatory |
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HIGHBRIDGE SCF II LOAN SVP, L.P. |
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By: |
Highbridge Capital Management, LLC,
as Trading Manager and not in its individual capacity |
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By: |
/s/ Steve Ardovini |
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Name: Steve Ardovini |
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Title: Authorized Signatory |
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1992 MASTER FUND CO-INVEST SPC – SERIES 4 SEGREGATED PORTFOLIO |
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By: |
Highbridge Capital Management, LLC,
as Trading Manager and not in its individual capacity |
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By: |
/s/ Steve Ardovini |
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Name: Steve Ardovini |
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Title: Authorized Signatory |
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[Signature Page to Limited Consent]
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BLACKROCK DIVERSIFIED PRIVATE DEBT FUND MASTER LP |
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By: |
BlackRock Financial Management, Inc., its manager |
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By: |
/s/ Zach Viders |
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Name: Zach Viders |
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Title: Authorized Signatory |
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GCO II AGGREGATOR 6 L.P. |
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By: |
BlackRock Financial Management, Inc., its manager |
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By: |
/s/ Zach Viders |
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Name: Zach Viders |
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Title: Authorized Signatory |
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GCO II AGGREGATOR 2 L.P. |
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By: |
BlackRock Financial Management, Inc., its manager |
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By: |
/s/ Zach Viders |
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Name: Zach Viders |
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Title: Authorized Signatory |
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[Signature Page to Limited Consent]
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CHAMBERS ENERGY CAPITAL IV, LP |
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By: |
CEC Fund IV GP, LLC, its general partner |
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By: |
/s/ Robert Hendricks |
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Name: Robert Hendricks |
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Title: Partner |
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[Signature Page to Limited Consent]
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CROWDOUT CAPITAL LLC |
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By: |
/s/ Brian Gilmore |
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Name: Brian Gilmore |
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Title: Managing Member |
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CROWDOUT CREDIT OPPORTUNITIES FUND LLC |
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By: |
/s/ Brian Gilmore |
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Name: Brian Gilmore |
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Title: Managing Member |
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[Signature Page to Limited Consent]
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AGENT: |
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CANTOR FITZGERALD SECURITIES |
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By: |
/s/ James Buccola |
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Name: James Buccola |
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Title: Head of Fixed Income |
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[Signature Page to Limited Consent]
VERTEX ENERGY, INC. 8-K
EXHIBIT 10.4
LIMITED
CONSENT AND WAIVER
THIS
LIMITED CONSENT AND WAIVER (this “Limited Consent”) is made as of May 23, 2024, by and among Vertex
Refining Alabama LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Borrower”), Vertex Energy, Inc., a
Nevada corporation (the “Parent”), each of Parent’s direct and indirect Subsidiaries listed on
the signature pages hereto other than Excluded Subsidiaries (collectively, the “Subsidiary Guarantors”
and each, individually, a “Subsidiary Guarantor”; the Subsidiary Guarantors, together with Parent, each
a “Guarantor” and collectively, the “Guarantors”), Cantor Fitzgerald Securities,
as administrative agent and collateral agent (the “Agent”) under the Loan Agreement, and the Lenders
(as such terms are defined below) party hereto. Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined herein shall have the
meanings ascribed to such terms in the Loan Agreement (as defined below).
W
I T N E S S E T H
WHEREAS,
reference is made to (x) that certain Loan and Security Agreement, dated as of April 1, 2022 (as amended by that certain Amendment
Number One to Loan and Security Agreement, dated as of May 26, 2022, that certain Amendment Number Two to Loan and Security Agreement,
dated as of September 30, 2022, that certain Amendment Number Three to Loan and Security Agreement, dated as of January 8, 2023,
that certain Amendment Number Four and Consent and Waiver to Loan and Security Agreement, dated as of May 26, 2023, that certain
Amendment Number Five to Loan and Security Agreement, dated as of December 28, 2023, as modified by that certain Limited Consent
dated as of March 22, 2024, as modified by that certain Limited Consent dated as of March 28, 2024, and as may be further amended
from time to time, the “Loan Agreement”), by and among the Borrower, the Parent, the Guarantors from
time to time party thereto, the Lenders from time to time party thereto and the Agent and (y) that certain Termination and Release
Agreement, dated as of May 23, 2024, by and among the parties thereto including certain of the Loan Parties relating to the termination
of the Renewables Intermediation Facility (the “Termination Agreement”);
WHEREAS,
notwithstanding Section 8.12 of the Loan Agreement, the Loan Parties have requested that the Agent and the Required Lenders consent
to (1) the termination of the Renewables Intermediation Facility Documents, in accordance with the terms contained in this Limited
Consent and (2) the Loan Parties maintaining the Macquarie BONY Account after the termination of the Renewables Intermediation
Facility Documents even though it no longer qualifies as an Excluded Account and is not in compliance with Section 7.11 of the
Loan Agreement so long as they comply with the covenant in Section 5 hereof (collectively, the “Specified Consent”);
WHEREAS,
an Event of Default has occurred under Section 8.12 of the Loan Agreement as a result of the occurrence of a termination event
under the Intermediation Facility disclosed by Parent in its Form 8-K filed May 22, 2024 (the “Specified Event of
Default”);
WHEREAS,
upon the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Agent and the Lenders comprising the Required Lenders have agreed to provide
the Specified Consent and to waive the Specified Event of Default, in each case, subject to the terms and conditions of this Limited
Consent.
NOW,
THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing, the parties hereto agree as follows:
| (a) | In
reliance upon the representations and warranties of each Loan Party set forth in Section
4 below, Agent and each Lender under the Loan Agreement party hereto, constituting
the Required Lenders, hereby provides the Specified Consent by consenting to the termination of the Renewables Intermediation
Facility on or about the date hereof and subject to compliance with Section 5 below, the maintenance of the Macquarie BONY Account.
After giving effect to this Limited Consent, the termination event with respect to the Renewables Intermediation Facility shall
not constitute a Default under the Loan Agreement. |
| (b) | The
foregoing is a limited consent. Except as expressly set forth in this Limited Consent,
including Section 2 below, nothing in this Limited Consent shall constitute a modification
or alteration of the terms, conditions or covenants of the Loan Agreement or any other
Loan Document, or a waiver of any other terms or provisions thereof, and the Loan Agreement
and the other Loan Documents shall remain unchanged and shall continue in full force
and effect, in each case as amended hereby. |
2. | Limited
Waiver under the Loan Agreement. |
| (a) | Limited
Waiver of Specified Event of Default. Notwithstanding the provisions of the Loan
Agreement to the contrary, the Lenders party hereto (which, for the avoidance of doubt,
constitute the Required Lenders) hereby waive, on a one-time basis, the Specified Event
of Default. |
| (b) | Effectiveness
of Limited Waiver. The waiver in Section 2(a) hereof shall be effective only to the
extent specifically set forth herein and shall not (i) be construed as a waiver of any
breach, Default or Event of Default other than as specifically waived herein nor as a
waiver of any breach, Default or Event of Default of which the Lenders have not been
informed by the Loan Parties, (ii) affect the right of the Lenders to demand compliance
by the Loan Parties with all terms and conditions of the Loan Documents, except as specifically
waived by this Limited Consent, (iii) be deemed a waiver of any transaction or future
action on the part of the Loan Parties requiring the Lenders’ or the Required Lenders’
consent (as applicable) or approval under the Loan Documents, (iv) except as waived hereby,
be deemed or construed to be a waiver or release of, or a limitation upon, the Agent’s
or the Lenders’ exercise of any rights or remedies under the Loan Agreement or
any other Loan Document, whether arising as a consequence of any Default or Event of
Default (other than as specifically waived herein) whether now existing or otherwise,
all such rights and remedies hereby being expressly reserved, or (v) establish a custom
or course of dealing or conduct between the Agent and the Lenders, on the one hand, and
the Borrower or any other Loan Party on the other hand. |
3. Conditions
Precedent. The satisfaction (or waiver in writing by Agent (at the direction of the Required Lenders) or the Required Lenders)
of each of the following shall constitute conditions precedent to the effectiveness of this Limited Consent (the date on which
all such conditions precedent are either satisfied or waived, being the “Consent Effective Date”):
| (a) | The
Agent and the Lenders shall have received this Limited Consent, duly executed by the
parties hereto; and |
| (b) | The
Borrower shall have reimbursed the Agent for all reasonable and documented fees, costs
and expenses incurred through the Consent Effective Date (including, without limitation,
attorneys’ fees and expenses related to the preparation, negotiation, execution,
delivery of this Limited Consent). |
For
purposes of determining compliance with the conditions specified in this Section 3, each Lender that has signed this Limited
Consent shall be deemed to have consented to, approved or accepted or to be satisfied with, each document or other matter required
hereunder to be consented to or approved by or acceptable or satisfactory to a Lender unless the Agent shall have received notice
from such Lender prior to the proposed Consent Effective Date specifying its objection thereto.
4. Representations
and Warranties. In order to induce Agent and the Lenders to enter into this Limited Consent, Parent and Borrower each hereby
represents and warrants to Agent and the Lenders that:
(a) each
of the representations and warranties made to Agent and Lenders under the Loan Agreement and all of the other Loan Documents are
true and correct in all material respects (except that such materiality qualifier shall not be applicable to any representations
and warranties that already are qualified or modified as to “materiality” or “Material Adverse Effect”
in the text thereof, which representations and warranties are true and correct in all respects subject to such qualification)
on and as of the date hereof (after giving effect to this Limited Consent) except to the extent that such representations and
warranties specifically relate to an earlier date, in which case such representations and warranties were true and correct in
all material respects (except that such materiality qualifier shall not be applicable to any representations or warranties that
already are qualified or modified as to “materiality” or “Material Adverse Effect” in the text thereof,
which representations and warranties shall be true and correct in all respects subject to such qualification) on and as of such
earlier date;
(b) on
and immediately prior to the date hereof, no Default or Event of Default will have occurred and be continuing, other than the
Specified Event of Default, and immediately after giving effect to this Limited Consent, no Default or Event of Default will have
occurred and be continuing; and
(c) on
and immediately prior to the date hereof and immediately after giving effect to this Limited Consent, the Loan Parties, individually
and collectively, are not Insolvent; and
(d) this
Limited Consent has been duly executed and delivered by each Loan Party party hereto; and
(e) represents
and warrants that this Limited Consent constitutes the legal, valid and binding obligation of each Loan Party party thereto enforceable
against such Loan Party in accordance with its respective terms, subject to the effect of any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency,
reorganization or moratorium or similar laws relating to or affecting the rights of creditors generally and subject to general
principles of equity (regardless of whether enforcement is sought in a proceeding at law or in equity).
5. | Additional
Covenants of the Borrower. |
Upon
the occurrence of the Renewables Early Termination Date (as defined in the Termination Agreement as in effect on the date hereof)
the Loan Parties shall take one of the following actions within 2 Business Days of such date: (a) ensure that the Macquarie BONY
Account complies with clause (d) of the definition of Excluded Account when aggregated with all other Excluded Accounts under
such clause (d), (b) ensure that all amounts from the Macquarie BONY Account are removed and begin the process with Bank of New
York to close such account or (c) that the Company is electing to retain such Deposit Account and that it will no longer constitute
an Excluded Account. If the Loan Parties make the election described under clauses (a) or (b), the Loan Parties agree that any
proceeds removed from the Macquarie BONY Account
shall be deposited in a Deposit Account subject to a Control Agreement and if the Loan Parties make the election described under
clause (c), the Loan Parties shall cause the Macquarie BONY Account to become subject to a Control Agreement in favor of the Term
Agent within 15 days of Renewables Early Termination Date (as defined in the Termination Agreement as in effect on the date hereof)
(or such later date as the Agent may agree upon Required Lenders direction (which direction and extension may be by e-mail));
provided further that the Loan Parties shall maintain the Macquarie BONY Account within the dollar thresholds of the Excluded
Account definition and in compliance with Section 7.11 of the Credit Agreement until such Control Agreement is effective. It is
acknowledged and agreed by the Loan Parties that non-compliance with this Section 5 absent a waiver or extension shall constitute
an immediate Event of Default.
6. GOVERNING
LAW; JURISDICTION; WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL PROVISIONS. THIS LIMITED CONSENT SHALL BE SUBJECT TO THE PROVISIONS REGARDING GOVERNING
LAW, JURISDICTION, AND WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL SET FORTH IN SECTION 14.14 OF THE LOAN AGREEMENT, AND SUCH PROVISIONS ARE INCORPORATED
HEREIN BY THIS REFERENCE, MUTATIS MUTANDIS.
7. Amendments.
This Limited Consent cannot be altered, amended, changed or modified in any respect except in accordance with Section 14.4 of
the Loan Agreement.
8. Counterparts.
This Limited Consent and any notices delivered under this Limited Consent may be executed by means of (i) an electronic signature
that complies with the Federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, the New York State Electronic Signatures
and Records Act or any other similar state laws based on the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act; (ii) an original manual signature;
or (iii) a faxed, scanned, or photocopied manual signature. Each electronic signature or faxed, scanned, or photocopied manual
signature shall for all purposes have the same validity, legal effect, and admissibility in evidence as an original manual signature.
The words “execution,” “execute”, “signed,” “signature,” and words of like import
in or related to any document to be signed in connection with this Limited Consent and the transactions contemplated hereby shall
be deemed to include electronic signatures or the keeping of records in electronic form, each of which shall be of the same legal
effect, validity or enforceability as a manually executed signature or the use of a paper-based recordkeeping system, as the case
may be, to the extent and as provided for in any Applicable Law, including the Federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National
Commerce Act, the New York State Electronic Signatures and Records Act, or any other similar state laws based on the Uniform Electronic
Transactions Act. This Limited Consent may be executed in any number of counterparts, and it is not necessary that the signatures
of all parties hereto be contained on any one counterpart hereof, each counterpart will be deemed to be an original, and all together
shall constitute one and the same document.
9. | Effect
on Loan Documents. |
| (a) | The
Loan Agreement, as modified hereby, and each of the other Loan Documents shall be and
remain in full force and effect in accordance with their respective terms and hereby
are ratified and confirmed in all respects. The execution, delivery, and performance
of this Limited Consent shall not operate, except as expressly set forth herein, as a
modification or waiver of any right, power, or remedy of Agent or any Lender under the
Loan Agreement or any other Loan Document. Except for the amendments to the Loan Agreement
expressly set forth herein, the Loan Agreement and the other Loan Documents shall remain
unchanged and in full force and effect. |
| (b) | Upon
and after the effectiveness of this Limited Consent, each reference in the Loan Agreement
to “this Agreement”, “hereunder”, “herein”, “hereof”
or words of like import referring to the Loan Agreement, and each reference in the other
Loan Documents to “the Loan Agreement”, “thereunder”, “therein”,
“thereof” or words of like import referring to the Loan Agreement, shall
mean and be a reference to the Loan Agreement as modified hereby. |
| (c) | To
the extent that any of the terms and conditions in any of the Loan Documents shall contradict
or be in conflict with any of the terms or conditions of the Loan Agreement, after giving
effect to this Limited Consent, such terms and conditions are hereby deemed modified
or amended accordingly to reflect the terms and conditions of the Loan Agreement as modified
or amended hereby. |
| (d) | This
Limited Consent is a Loan Document. |
10. Reaffirmation
of Obligations. The Loan Parties hereby acknowledge and agree that all terms, covenants, conditions and provisions of the
Loan Documents (including, without limitation, each Collateral Document) continue in full force and effect, are herein reaffirmed
in their entirety and remain unaffected and unchanged, except to the extent expressly set forth in this Limited Consent. Neither
this Limited Consent nor the execution and delivery of this Limited Consent by Agent, the Lenders and the Loan Parties hereto
shall constitute a novation or renewal of the Term Loan or the Indebtedness or any of the Loan Documents. This Limited Consent,
except to the extent expressly set forth herein, is not intended to and shall not be deemed or construed to create or constitute
a waiver, release, or relinquishment of, and shall not affect, the liens, security interests and rights, remedies and interests
under the Loan Documents, all of which are hereby ratified, confirmed, renewed and extended in all respects.
11. Agent.
The Agent has executed this Limited Consent as directed under and in accordance with the Loan Agreement and will perform this
Limited Consent solely in its capacity as Agent hereunder, and not individually. In performing under this Limited Consent, the
Agent shall have all rights, protections, immunities and indemnities granted to it under the Loan Agreement. Subject to the terms
of the Loan Agreement, the Agent shall have no obligation to perform or exercise any discretionary act. Each of the undersigned
Lenders hereby directs and consents to the Agent’s execution of this Limited Consent.
[Signature
Pages to Follow]
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the parties hereto has executed this Limited Consent as of the date and year first above written.
PARENT: |
VERTEX ENERGY, INC., |
|
a Nevada corporation |
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
|
|
|
BORROWER: |
VERTEX REFINING ALABAMA LLC, |
|
a Delaware limited liability company |
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
SUBSIDIARY GUARANTORS:
|
VERTEX REFINING TEXAS LLC, |
|
a Texas limited liability company |
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
|
|
|
|
VERTEX MARINE FUEL SERVICES LLC, |
|
a Delaware limited liability company |
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
|
|
|
|
VERTEX ENERGY OPERATING, LLC, |
|
a Texas limited liability company |
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
[Signature page to Limited Consent]
|
|
|
|
VERTEX REFINING LA, LLC, |
|
a Louisiana limited liability company |
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
|
|
|
|
HPRM LLC, |
|
a Delaware limited liability company |
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Title: |
Director, President and Chief Executive Officer |
|
|
|
|
TENSILE-HEARTLAND ACQUISITION CORPORATION, |
|
a Delaware corporation |
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Title: |
Director, President and Chief Executive Officer |
|
|
|
|
VERTEX RECOVERY MANAGEMENT, LLC, |
|
a Texas limited liability company |
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
|
|
|
|
VERTEX REFINING NV, LLC, |
|
a Nevada limited liability company |
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
|
|
|
|
VERTEX SPLITTER CORPORATION, |
|
a Delaware corporation |
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Title: |
Director |
[Signature
page to Limited Consent]
|
|
|
|
VERTEX REFINING MYRTLE GROVE LLC, |
|
a Delaware limited liability company |
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
|
|
|
|
CRYSTAL ENERGY, LLC, |
|
an Alabama limited liability company |
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Title: |
President |
|
|
|
|
VERTEX ACQUISITION SUB, LLC, |
|
a Nevada limited liability company |
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
|
|
|
|
BANGO OIL LLC, |
|
a Nevada limited liability company |
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
|
|
|
|
CEDAR MARINE TERMINALS, LP, |
|
a Texas limited partnership |
|
|
|
|
By: Vertex II GP, its General Partner |
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
[Signature
page to Limited Consent]
|
CROSSROAD CARRIERS, L.P., |
|
a Texas limited partnership |
|
|
|
|
By: Vertex II GP, its General Partner |
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
|
|
|
|
VERTEX RECOVERY, L.P., |
|
a Texas limited partnership |
|
|
|
|
By: Vertex II GP, its General Partner |
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
|
|
|
|
H & H OIL, L. P., |
|
a Texas limited partnership |
|
|
|
|
By: Vertex II GP, its General Partner |
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
|
|
|
|
VERTEX II GP, LLC, |
|
a Nevada limited liability company |
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
|
|
|
|
TENSILE-MYRTLE GROVE ACQUISITION CORPORATION, |
|
a Delaware corporation |
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Title: |
President and Chairman of the Board |
[Signature
page to Limited Consent]
|
|
|
|
VERTEX MERGER SUB, LLC, |
|
a California limited liability company |
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
|
|
|
|
VERTEX RENEWABLES LLC, |
|
a Delaware limited liability company |
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
|
|
|
|
VERTEX RENEWABLES ALABAMA LLC, |
|
a Delaware limited liability company |
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
[Signature
Page to Limited Consent]
|
|
|
|
|
LENDERS: |
|
|
|
WHITEBOX MULTI-STRATEGY PARTNERS, LP |
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Andrew Thau |
|
|
Name: |
Andrew Thau |
|
|
Title: |
Managing Director |
|
|
|
|
|
WHITEBOX RELATIVE VALUE PARTNERS, LP |
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Andrew Thau |
|
|
Name: |
Andrew Thau |
|
|
Title: |
Managing Director |
|
|
|
|
|
WHITEBOX GT FUND, LP |
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Andrew Thau |
|
|
Name: |
Andrew Thau |
|
|
Title: |
Managing Director |
|
|
|
|
|
PANDORA SELECT PARTNERS, LP |
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Andrew Thau |
|
|
Name: |
Andrew Thau |
|
|
Title: |
Managing Director |
[Signature
Page to Limited Consent]
HIGHBRIDGE TACTICAL CREDIT MASTER FUND, L.P. |
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
Highbridge Capital Management, LLC, |
|
|
as Trading Manager and not in its individual capacity |
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Steve Ardovini |
|
|
Name: |
Steve Ardovini |
|
|
Title: |
Authorized Signatory |
|
|
|
|
|
HIGHBRIDGE TACTICAL CREDIT INSTITUTIONAL FUND, LTD. |
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
Highbridge Capital Management, LLC, |
|
|
as Trading Manager and not in its individual capacity |
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Steve Ardovini |
|
|
Name: |
Steve Ardovini |
|
|
Title: |
Authorized Signatory |
|
|
|
|
|
HIGHBRIDGE SCF II LOAN SVP, L.P. |
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
Highbridge Capital Management, LLC, |
|
|
as Trading Manager and not in its individual capacity |
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Steve Ardovini |
|
|
Name: |
Steve Ardovini |
|
|
Title: |
Authorized Signatory |
|
|
|
|
|
1992 MASTER FUND CO-INVEST SPC – SERIES 4 SEGREGATED PORTFOLIO |
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
Highbridge Capital Management, LLC, |
|
|
as Trading Manager and not in its individual capacity |
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Steve Ardovini |
|
|
Name: |
Steve Ardovini |
|
|
Title: |
Authorized Signatory |
|
[Signature
Page to Limited Consent]
|
BLACKROCK DIVERSIFIED PRIVATE DEBT FUND MASTER LP |
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
BlackRock Financial Management, Inc.,
its manager |
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Zach Viders |
|
|
Name: |
Zach Viders |
|
|
Title: |
Authorized Signatory |
|
|
|
|
|
GCO II AGGREGATOR 6 L.P. |
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
BlackRock Financial Management, Inc.,
its manager |
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Zach Viders |
|
|
Name: |
Zach Viders |
|
|
Title: |
Authorized Signatory |
|
|
|
|
|
GCO II AGGREGATOR 2 L.P. |
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
BlackRock Financial Management, Inc.,
its manager |
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Zach Viders |
|
|
Name: |
Zach Viders |
|
|
Title: |
Authorized Signatory |
[Signature
Page to Limited Consent]
|
CHAMBERS ENERGY CAPITAL IV, LP |
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
CEC Fund IV GP, LLC, its general partner |
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Robert Hendricks |
|
|
Name: |
Robert Hendricks |
|
|
Title: |
Partner |
[Signature
Page to Limited Consent]
|
CROWDOUT CAPITAL LLC |
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Brian Gilmore |
|
|
Name: |
Brian Gilmore |
|
|
Title: |
Managing Member |
|
|
|
|
|
CROWDOUT CREDIT OPPORTUNITIES FUND LLC |
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Brian Gilmore |
|
|
Name: |
Brian Gilmore |
|
|
Title: |
Managing Member |
[Signature
page to Limited Consent]
|
|
|
|
|
AGENT: |
|
|
|
|
|
CANTOR FITZGERALD SECURITIES |
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Ryan Yeh |
|
|
Name: |
Ryan Yeh |
|
|
Title: |
Assistant General Counsel |
[Signature
Page to Limited Consent]
|
|
|
|
|
AGENT: |
|
|
|
|
|
CANTOR FITZGERALD SECURITIES |
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ James Buccola |
|
|
Name: |
James Buccola |
|
|
Head of Fixed Income |
[Signature
page to Limited Consent]
VERTEX ENERGY, INC. 8-K
EXHIBIT
10.5
LIMITED
CONSENT AND PARTIAL LIEN RELEASE
THIS
LIMITED CONSENT AND PARTIAL LIEN RELEASE (this “Limited Consent”) is made as of May 24, 2024, by
and among Vertex Refining Alabama LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Borrower”), Vertex
Energy, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Parent”), each of Parent’s direct and indirect Subsidiaries
listed on the signature pages hereto other than Excluded Subsidiaries (collectively, the “Subsidiary Guarantors”
and each, individually, a “Subsidiary Guarantor”; the Subsidiary Guarantors, together with Parent, each
a “Guarantor” and collectively, the “Guarantors”), Cantor Fitzgerald Securities,
as administrative agent and collateral agent (the “Agent”) under the Loan Agreement, and the Lenders
(as such terms are defined below) party hereto. Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined herein shall have the
meanings ascribed to such terms in the Loan Agreement (as defined below).
W
I T N E S S E T H
WHEREAS,
reference is made to (w) that certain Loan and Security Agreement, dated as of April 1, 2022 (as amended by that certain Amendment
Number One to Loan and Security Agreement, dated as of May 26, 2022, that certain Amendment Number Two to Loan and Security Agreement,
dated as of September 30, 2022, that certain Amendment Number Three to Loan and Security Agreement, dated as of January 8, 2023,
that certain Amendment Number Four and Consent and Waiver to Loan and Security Agreement, dated as of May 26, 2023, that certain
Amendment Number Five to Loan and Security Agreement, dated as of December 28, 2023, as modified by that certain Limited Consent
dated as of March 22, 2024, as modified by that certain Limited Consent dated as of March 28, 2024, and as may be further amended
from time to time, the “Loan Agreement”), by and among the Borrower, the Parent, the Guarantors from
time to time party thereto, the Lenders from time to time party thereto and the Agent, (x) the Idemitsu Product Offtake Agreement,
as amended on May 30, 2023 by the parties thereto (the “Idemitsu Agreement”), (y) that certain Security
Agreement, dated May 24, 2024, by and among Vertex Renewables Alabama LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Vertex
Renewables”) and Idemitsu Apollo Renewable Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Idemitsu Security
Agreement”) and (z) the Sales Agreements (as defined in the Idemitsu Security Agreement) (the “Sales
Agreements”, and together with the Idemitsu Agreement and the Idemitsu Security Agreement, the “Idemitsu
Transaction Documents”, in each case, as in effect on the date hereof without further amendment; provided that additional
Sales Agreements after the date hereof may be consented to by the Required Lenders (which consent may be by e-mail) and shall
thereafter constitute Idemitsu Transaction Documents);
WHEREAS,
the Loan Parties have requested that the Agent and the Required Lenders consent to (1) release of the Agent’s Lien on the
following assets of Vertex Renewables: (a) Inventory constituting Renewable Feedstock and Renewable Product and any blendstocks,
additives, or similar goods used in the production of Renewable Product, (b) all Documents issued in respect of any Inventory
or Goods described in clause (a), (c) all Environmental Attributes solely to the extent generated from Inventory or Goods described
in clause (a); (d) all Regulatory Credits, including but not limited to RINs, in each case, associated with such Renewable Product
and certified by the Grantor as and when such Renewable Product is produced upstream by the renewable diesel unit at the Refinery
from Renewable Feedstock; (e) all Proceeds of, Supporting Obligations (including, without limitation, Letter-of-Credit Rights)
with respect to, and Rights to Payment arising out of, any of the foregoing (specifically excluding proceeds of business interruption
insurance); and (f) all books, records and other written, electronic or other documentation in whatever form maintained now or
hereafter, in each case of clauses (a) through (f), to the extent and in the amounts that the foregoing have been purchased under
the Idemitsu Transaction Documents (the items described in the foregoing clauses (a) through (f), the “Idemitsu Collateral”),
(2) entry into the Idemitsu Security Agreement and the Liens to be granted thereunder and (3) to the extent not otherwise permitted
by the Loan Documents, undertaking the transactions contemplated in the Idemitsu Transaction Documents (the “Idemitsu
Transactions” and collectively clauses (1) through (3), the “Specified Consents”);
WHEREAS,
upon the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Agent and the Lenders comprising the Required Lenders have agreed to provide
the Specified Consent subject to the terms and conditions of this Limited Consent.
NOW,
THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing, the parties hereto agree as follows:
| (a) | In
reliance upon the representations and warranties of each Loan Party set forth in Section
4 below and the conditions to the Limited Consent set forth in paragraph (c) below,
Agent and each Lender under the Loan Agreement party hereto, constituting the Required
Lenders, hereby provide the Specified Consents. After giving effect to this Limited Consent,
(i) subject to the conditions in paragraph (c), the Idemitsu Transactions shall not constitute
a Default under the Loan Agreement and (ii) the Idemitsu Transaction Documents shall
constitute a Material Contract under the Loan Agreement. |
| (b) | The
foregoing is a limited consent. Except as expressly set forth in this Limited Consent,
nothing in this Limited Consent shall constitute a modification or alteration of the
terms, conditions or covenants of the Loan Agreement or any other Loan Document, or a
waiver of any other terms or provisions thereof, and the Loan Agreement and the other
Loan Documents shall remain unchanged and shall continue in full force and effect, in
each case as amended hereby. |
| (c) | This
Limited Consent shall be subject to compliance with the following conditions on an ongoing
basis: |
| (i) | This
Limited Consent shall automatically expire June 17, 2024 (or such later date as the Agent
may agree upon Required Lenders direction (which direction and extension may be by e-mail));
provided however it is understood and agreed that any Idemitsu Collateral subject to
a Collateral Release prior to such date shall remain released and that the Lien on such
Idemitsu Collateral shall remain permitted; provided further that to the extent any Idemitsu
Collateral is repurchased by Vertex after the Idemitsu Transactions have unwound then
such assets constitute Collateral and shall be subject to the Agent’s Lien. |
| (ii) | All
amounts owed or owing, including fees and charges by Vertex under the Idemitsu Transaction
Documents at any time shall not exceed $20,000,000 (or such larger amount as the Agent
may agree upon Required Lenders direction (which direction and increase may be by e-mail)). |
2. Lien Release. In reliance upon the representations and warranties of each Loan Party set forth in Section 4 below and direction
of the Lenders set forth in Section 10 below and without independent investigation and subject to the conditions set forth
in Section 3 below being satisfied as well as the consummation of the Idemitsu Transactions with respect to such Idemnitsu Collateral,
the Agent (for itself and for and on behalf of each of the Lenders):
| (a) | acknowledges
that the Agent’s security interests, liens and rights in the Idemitsu Collateral
shall be deemed released pursuant to clause (3) of the second paragraph of Section 4.1
and Section 12.12(a)(ii) of the Loan Agreement, following the consummation of the Idemitsu
Transactions, and that the Idemitsu Collateral shall not constitute Collateral under
and as defined in the Loan Documents after such time (the “Collateral Release”);
and |
| (b) | authorizes
the filing by Sidley Austin LLP of UCC-3 amendments releasing the Idemitsu Collateral
from existing financing statements) in form to be agreed by the Required Lenders (or
their counsel) and Idemitsu (the “UCC-3 Release”). |
3. Conditions
Precedent. The satisfaction (or waiver in writing by Agent (at the direction of the Required Lenders) or the Required Lenders)
of each of the following shall constitute conditions precedent to the effectiveness of this Limited Consent (the date on which
all such conditions precedent are either satisfied or waived, being the “Consent Effective Date”):
| (a) | The
Agent and the Lenders shall have received this Limited Consent, duly executed by the
parties hereto; and |
| (b) | The
Borrower shall have reimbursed the Agent for all reasonable and documented fees, costs
and expenses incurred through the Consent Effective Date (including, without limitation,
attorneys’ fees and expenses related to the preparation, negotiation, execution,
delivery of this Limited Consent). |
For
purposes of determining compliance with the conditions specified in this Section 3, each Lender that has signed this Limited
Consent shall be deemed to have consented to, approved or accepted or to be satisfied with, each document or other matter required
hereunder to be consented to or approved by or acceptable or satisfactory to a Lender unless the Agent shall have received notice
from such Lender prior to the proposed Consent Effective Date specifying its objection thereto.
4. Representations
and Warranties. In order to induce Agent and the Lenders to enter into this Limited Consent, Parent and Borrower each hereby
represents and warrants to Agent and the Lenders that:
(a) each
of the representations and warranties made to Agent and Lenders under the Loan Agreement and all of the other Loan Documents are
true and correct in all material respects (except that such materiality qualifier shall not be applicable to any representations
and warranties that already are qualified or modified as to “materiality” or “Material Adverse Effect”
in the text thereof, which representations and warranties are true and correct in all respects subject to such qualification)
on and as of the date hereof (after giving effect to this Limited Consent) except to the extent that such representations and
warranties specifically relate to an earlier date, in which case such representations and warranties were true and correct in
all material respects (except that such materiality qualifier shall not be applicable to any representations or warranties that
already are qualified or modified as to “materiality” or “Material Adverse Effect” in the text thereof,
which representations and warranties shall be true and correct in all respects subject to such qualification) on and as of such
earlier date;
(b) on
and immediately prior to the date hereof and immediately after giving effect to this Limited Consent, no Default or Event of Default
will have occurred and be continuing; and
(c) on
and immediately prior to the date hereof and immediately after giving effect to this Limited Consent, the Loan Parties, individually
and collectively, are not Insolvent; and
(d) this
Limited Consent has been duly executed and delivered by each Loan Party party hereto; and
(e) represents
and warrants that this Limited Consent constitutes the legal, valid and binding obligation of each Loan Party party thereto enforceable
against such Loan Party in accordance with its respective terms, subject to the effect of any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency,
reorganization or moratorium or similar laws relating to or affecting the rights of creditors generally and subject to general
principles of equity (regardless of whether enforcement is sought in a proceeding at law or in equity).
5. GOVERNING
LAW; JURISDICTION; WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL PROVISIONS. THIS LIMITED CONSENT SHALL BE SUBJECT TO THE PROVISIONS REGARDING GOVERNING
LAW, JURISDICTION, AND WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL SET FORTH IN SECTION 14.14 OF THE LOAN AGREEMENT, AND SUCH PROVISIONS ARE INCORPORATED
HEREIN BY THIS REFERENCE, MUTATIS MUTANDIS.
6. Amendments.
This Limited Consent cannot be altered, amended, changed or modified in any respect except in accordance with Section 14.4 of
the Loan Agreement.
7. Counterparts.
This Limited Consent and any notices delivered under this Limited Consent may be executed by means of (i) an electronic signature
that complies with the Federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, the New York State Electronic Signatures
and Records Act or any other similar state laws based on the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act; (ii) an original manual signature;
or (iii) a faxed, scanned, or photocopied manual signature. Each electronic signature or faxed, scanned, or photocopied manual
signature shall for all purposes have the same validity, legal effect, and admissibility in evidence as an original manual signature.
The words “execution,” “execute”, “signed,” “signature,” and words of like import
in or related to any document to be signed in connection with this Limited Consent and the transactions contemplated hereby shall
be deemed to include electronic signatures or the keeping of records in electronic form, each of which shall be of the same legal
effect, validity or enforceability as a manually executed signature or the use of a paper-based recordkeeping system, as the case
may be, to the extent and as provided for in any Applicable Law, including the Federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National
Commerce Act, the New York State Electronic Signatures and Records Act, or any other similar state laws based on the Uniform Electronic
Transactions Act. This Limited Consent may be executed in any number of counterparts, and it is not necessary that the signatures
of all parties hereto be contained on any one counterpart hereof, each counterpart will be deemed to be an original, and all together
shall constitute one and the same document.
| 8. | Effect
on Loan Documents. |
| (a) | The
Loan Agreement, as modified hereby, and each of the other Loan Documents shall be and
remain in full force and effect in accordance with their respective terms and hereby
are ratified and confirmed in all respects. The execution, delivery, and performance
of this Limited Consent shall not operate, except as expressly set forth herein, as a
modification or waiver of any right, power, or remedy of Agent or any Lender under the
Loan Agreement or any other Loan Document. Except for the amendments to the Loan Agreement
expressly set forth herein, the Loan Agreement and the other Loan Documents shall remain
unchanged and in full force and effect. |
| (b) | Upon
and after the effectiveness of this Limited Consent, each reference in the Loan Agreement
to “this Agreement”, “hereunder”, “herein”, “hereof”
or words of like import referring to the Loan Agreement, and each reference in the other
Loan Documents to “the Loan Agreement”, “thereunder”, “therein”,
“thereof” or words of like import referring to the Loan Agreement, shall
mean and be a reference to the Loan Agreement as modified hereby. |
| (c) | To
the extent that any of the terms and conditions in any of the Loan Documents shall contradict
or be in conflict with any of the terms or conditions of the Loan Agreement, after giving
effect to this Limited Consent, such terms and conditions are hereby deemed modified
or amended accordingly to reflect the terms and conditions of the Loan Agreement as modified
or amended hereby. |
| (d) | This
Limited Consent is a Loan Document. |
9. Reaffirmation
of Obligations. The Loan Parties hereby acknowledge and agree that all terms, covenants, conditions and provisions of the
Loan Documents (including, without limitation, each Collateral Document) continue in full force and effect, are herein reaffirmed
in their entirety and remain unaffected and unchanged, except to the extent expressly set forth in this Limited Consent. Neither
this Limited Consent nor the execution and delivery of this Limited Consent by Agent, the Lenders and the Loan Parties hereto
shall constitute a novation or renewal of the Term Loan or the Indebtedness or any of the Loan Documents. This Limited Consent,
except to the extent expressly set forth herein, is not intended to and shall not be deemed or construed to create or constitute
a waiver, release, or relinquishment of, and shall not affect, the liens, security interests and rights, remedies and interests
under the Loan Documents, all of which are hereby ratified, confirmed, renewed and extended in all respects.
10. Agent.
The Agent has executed this Limited Consent as directed under and in accordance with the Loan Agreement and will perform this
Limited Consent solely in its capacity as Agent hereunder, and not individually. In performing under this Limited Consent, the
Agent shall have all rights, protections, immunities and indemnities granted to it under the Loan Agreement. Subject to the terms
of the Loan Agreement, the Agent shall have no obligation to perform or exercise any discretionary act. Each of the undersigned
Lenders hereby directs and consents to the Agent’s execution of this Limited Consent, and the authorization of Collateral
Release and the filing of the UCC-3 Release.
[Signature
Pages to Follow]
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the parties hereto has executed this Limited Consent as of the date and year first above written.
PARENT: |
VERTEX ENERGY, INC., |
|
|
a Nevada corporation |
|
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
|
Title: |
President and Chief Executive
Officer |
|
BORROWER: |
VERTEX REFINING ALABAMA LLC, |
|
|
a Delaware limited liability company |
|
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
|
Title: |
President and Chief Executive
Officer |
|
SUBSIDIARY GUARANTORS: |
|
|
|
VERTEX REFINING TEXAS LLC, |
|
|
a Texas limited liability company |
|
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
|
Title: |
President and Chief Executive
Officer |
|
|
VERTEX MARINE FUEL SERVICES LLC, |
|
|
a Delaware limited liability company |
|
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
|
Title: |
President and Chief Executive
Officer |
|
|
VERTEX ENERGY OPERATING, LLC, |
|
|
a Texas limited liability company |
|
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
|
Title: |
President and Chief Executive
Officer |
|
[Signature
page to Limited Consent]
|
VERTEX REFINING LA, LLC, |
|
|
a Louisiana limited liability company |
|
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
|
Title: |
President and Chief Executive
Officer |
|
|
HPRM LLC, |
|
|
a Delaware limited liability company |
|
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin
P. Cowart |
|
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
|
Title: |
Director, President and
Chief Executive Officer |
|
|
TENSILE-HEARTLAND ACQUISITION CORPORATION, |
|
|
a Delaware corporation |
|
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
|
Title: |
Director, President and
Chief Executive Officer |
|
|
VERTEX RECOVERY MANAGEMENT, LLC, |
|
|
a Texas limited liability company |
|
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
|
Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
|
|
VERTEX REFINING NV, LLC, |
|
|
a Nevada limited liability company |
|
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
|
Title: |
President and Chief Executive
Officer |
|
|
VERTEX SPLITTER CORPORATION, |
|
|
a Delaware corporation |
|
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
|
Title: |
Director |
|
[Signature
page to Limited Consent]
|
VERTEX REFINING MYRTLE GROVE LLC, |
|
|
a Delaware limited liability company |
|
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
|
Title: |
President and Chief Executive
Officer |
|
|
CRYSTAL ENERGY, LLC, |
|
|
an Alabama limited liability company |
|
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
|
Title: |
President |
|
|
VERTEX ACQUISITION SUB, LLC, |
|
|
a Nevada limited liability company |
|
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
|
Title: |
President and Chief Executive
Officer |
|
|
BANGO OIL LLC, |
|
|
a Nevada limited liability company |
|
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
|
Title: |
President and Chief Executive
Officer |
|
|
CEDAR MARINE TERMINALS, LP, |
|
|
a Texas limited partnership |
|
|
|
|
|
By: Vertex II GP, its General Partner |
|
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
|
Title: |
President and Chief Executive
Officer |
|
[Signature
page to Limited Consent]
|
CROSSROAD CARRIERS, L.P., |
|
|
a Texas limited partnership |
|
|
|
|
|
By: Vertex II GP, its General Partner |
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
|
Title: |
President and Chief Executive
Officer |
|
|
VERTEX RECOVERY, L.P., |
|
|
a Texas limited partnership |
|
|
|
|
|
By: Vertex II GP, its General Partner |
|
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
|
Title: |
President and Chief Executive
Officer |
|
|
H & H OIL, L. P., |
|
|
a Texas limited partnership |
|
|
|
|
|
By: Vertex II GP, its General Partner |
|
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
|
Title: |
President and Chief Executive
Officer |
|
|
VERTEX II GP, LLC, |
|
|
a Nevada limited liability company |
|
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
|
Title: |
President and Chief Executive
Officer |
|
|
TENSILE-MYRTLE GROVE ACQUISITION CORPORATION, |
|
|
a Delaware corporation |
|
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
|
Title: |
President and Chairman of the Board |
|
[Signature
page to Limited Consent]
|
VERTEX MERGER SUB, LLC, |
|
|
a California limited liability company |
|
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
|
Title: |
President and Chief Executive
Officer |
|
|
VERTEX RENEWABLES LLC, |
|
|
a Delaware limited liability company |
|
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
|
Title: |
President and Chief Executive
Officer |
|
|
VERTEX RENEWABLES ALABAMA LLC, |
|
|
a Delaware limited liability company |
|
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
|
Title: |
President and Chief Executive
Officer |
|
[Signature
page to Limited Consent]
|
LENDERS: |
|
|
|
|
|
WHITEBOX MULTI-STRATEGY PARTNERS, LP |
|
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Andrew
Thau |
|
|
|
Name: |
Andrew Thau |
|
|
|
Title: |
Managing Director |
|
|
WHITEBOX RELATIVE VALUE PARTNERS, LP |
|
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Andrew
Thau |
|
|
|
Name: |
Andrew Thau |
|
|
|
Title: |
Managing Director |
|
|
WHITEBOX GT FUND, LP |
|
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Andrew
Thau |
|
|
|
Name: |
Andrew Thau |
|
|
|
Title: |
Managing Director |
|
|
PANDORA SELECT PARTNERS, LP |
|
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Andrew
Thau |
|
|
|
Name: |
Andrew Thau |
|
|
|
Title: |
Managing Director |
|
[Signature
Page to Limited Consent]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
HIGHBRIDGE TACTICAL CREDIT MASTER FUND, L.P. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
Highbridge Capital Management, LLC, |
|
|
as Trading Manager and not in its individual capacity |
|
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Steve
Ardovini |
|
|
|
|
Name: |
Steve Ardovini |
|
|
|
|
Title: |
Authorized Signatory |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
HIGHBRIDGE TACTICAL CREDIT INSTITUTIONAL FUND, LTD. |
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
Highbridge Capital Management, LLC, |
|
|
as Trading Manager and not in its individual capacity |
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Steve
Ardovini |
|
|
|
Name: |
Steve Ardovini |
|
|
Title: |
Authorized Signatory |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
HIGHBRIDGE SCF II LOAN SVP, L.P. |
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
Highbridge Capital Management, LLC, |
|
|
as Trading Manager and not in its individual capacity |
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Steve
Ardovini |
|
|
|
Name: |
Steve Ardovini |
|
|
Title: |
Authorized Signatory |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1992 MASTER FUND CO-INVEST SPC – SERIES 4 SEGREGATED PORTFOLIO |
|
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
Highbridge Capital Management, LLC, |
|
|
as Trading Manager and not in its individual capacity |
|
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Steve
Ardovini |
|
|
|
|
Name: |
Steve Ardovini |
|
|
|
|
Title: |
Authorized Signatory |
|
|
[Signature
Page to Limited Consent]
|
BLACKROCK DIVERSIFIED PRIVATE DEBT FUND MASTER
LP |
|
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
BlackRock Financial Management, Inc., |
|
|
|
its manager |
|
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Zach
Viders |
|
|
|
Name: |
Zach Viders |
|
|
|
Title: |
Authorized Signatory |
|
|
GCO II AGGREGATOR 6 L.P. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
BlackRock Financial Management, Inc., |
|
|
|
its manager |
|
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Zach
Viders |
|
|
|
Name: |
Zach Viders |
|
|
|
Title: |
Authorized Signatory |
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GCO II AGGREGATOR 2 L.P. |
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By: |
BlackRock Financial Management, Inc., |
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its manager |
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By: |
/s/ Zach
Viders |
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Name: |
Zach Viders |
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Title: |
Authorized Signatory |
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[Signature
Page to Limited Consent]
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CHAMBERS ENERGY CAPITAL IV, LP |
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By: |
CEC Fund IV GP, LLC, its general partner |
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By: |
/s/ Robert
Hendricks |
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Name: |
Robert Hendricks |
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Title: |
Partner |
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[Signature
Page to Limited Consent]
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CROWDOUT CAPITAL LLC |
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By: |
/s/ Brian
Gilmore |
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Name: |
Brian Gilmore |
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Title: |
Managing Member |
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CROWDOUT CREDIT OPPORTUNITIES FUND LLC |
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By: |
/s/ Brian
Gilmore |
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Name: |
Brian Gilmore |
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Title: |
Managing Member |
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[Signature
page to Limited Consent]
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AGENT: |
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CANTOR FITZGERALD SECURITIES |
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By: |
/s/ James
Buccola |
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Name: |
James Buccola |
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Title: |
Head of Fixed Income |
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[Signature
page to Limited Consent]
VERTEX ENERGY, INC. 8-K
EXHIBIT 10.6
OMNIBUS
AMENDMENT AND WAIVER
THIS OMNIBUS AMENDMENT AND WAIVER (this “Omnibus Amendment”),
dated as of June 3, 2024, is entered into by and among Vertex Energy, Inc., a Nevada corporation (“Parent”),
Vertex Refining Alabama LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Borrower”), each of Parent’s direct
and indirect Subsidiaries listed on the signature pages hereto other than Excluded Subsidiaries (collectively, the “Subsidiary
Guarantors” and each, individually, a “Subsidiary Guarantor”; the Subsidiary Guarantors, together
with Parent, each a “Guarantor” and collectively, the “Guarantors”), Cantor Fitzgerald Securities
(“Cantor”), as administrative agent and collateral agent for the Lenders (“Agent”), and
the Lenders (as defined below) party hereto.
W I T N E S S E T H
WHEREAS,
reference is made to (x) that certain Loan and Security Agreement, dated as of April 1, 2022 (as amended by that certain Amendment
Number One to Loan and Security Agreement, dated as of May 26, 2022, that certain Amendment Number Two to Loan and Security Agreement,
dated as of September 30, 2022, that certain Amendment Number Three to Loan and Security Agreement, dated as of January 8, 2023,
that certain Amendment Number Four and Consent and Waiver to Loan and Security Agreement, dated as of May 26, 2023, that certain
Amendment Number Five to Loan and Security Agreement, dated as of December 28, 2023, as modified by that certain Limited Consent,
dated as of March 22, 2024, as modified by that certain Limited Consent, dated as of March 28, 2024 (the “March Consent”),
as modified by that certain Limited Consent, dated as of May 23, 2024, and as further modified by the May 24 Consent (as defined
below), and as may be further amended from time to time, the “Loan Agreement”), by and among the Borrower,
the Parent, the Guarantors from time to time party thereto, the Lenders from time to time party thereto and the Agent and (y)
that certain Limited Consent and Partial Lien Release, dated as of May 24, 2024, by and among the Borrower, the Parent, the Guarantors
party thereto, the Lenders party thereto and the Agent (the “May 24 Consent”);
WHEREAS,
upon the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Agent and the Lenders comprising the Required Lenders have agreed to certain
amendments to the May 24 Consent to: amend and restate the Sales Agreements constituting Idemitsu Transaction Documents as of
the date hereof as reflected on Schedule 1 hereto to include the New Trades (as defined on Schedule 1);
WHEREAS,
Borrower has requested that Agent and Lenders consent to certain amendments to that certain Security Agreement, dated as of May
24, 2024, by and among Vertex Renewables Alabama LLC and Idemitsu (the “Security Agreement”), in such substantially
final form as delivered to the Lenders on the date hereof or with such other changes approved by the Lenders (the “Specified
Consent”);
WHEREAS,
upon the terms and conditions set forth herein, Agent and Lenders (which, for the avoidance of doubt, constitute the Required
Lenders) have agreed to provide the Specified Consent and confirm the release of the Idemitsu Collateral with respect to the New
Trades;
WHEREAS,
Parent, Borrower, the Subsidiary Guarantors, Agent and Macquarie Energy North America Trading Inc. (“Macquarie”)
are parties to that certain Intercreditor Agreement, dated as of April 1, 2022, as amended and restated on May 26, 2023 (the “Existing
Intercreditor Agreement”);
WHEREAS,
the Agent has been notified pursuant to Section 2.05 of the Existing Intercreditor Agreement that the Renewables Intermediation
Facility (as defined therein) has been terminated, and, in connection with such termination, the parties thereto have agreed to
amend and restate the Existing Intercreditor Agreement in substantially the form attached to this Omnibus Amendment as Exhibit
A (the “A&R Intercreditor Agreement”);
WHEREAS,
upon the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Agent and Lenders (which, for the avoidance of doubt, constitute the Required
Lenders) have agreed to consent to amend and restate the Existing Intercreditor Agreement; and
NOW,
THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and the mutual covenants herein contained, and for other good and valuable consideration,
the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereby agree as follows:
1. Defined Terms. All initially capitalized terms used herein (including the preamble and recitals hereof) without definition
shall have the meanings ascribed thereto in Section 1.1 of the Loan Agreement, as amended by this Amendment or, if not defined
therein, in the May 24 Consent.
| (a) | Interpretation
of the May 24 Consent. |
| A. | Capitalized
terms used in the May 24 Consent including as amended and restated herein shall be interpreted
to have the meaning in this Omnibus Amendment or in the Loan Agreement after giving effect
to this Omnibus Amendment. |
| B. | All
uses of the term “Idemitsu Transactions” and the “Idemitsu Transaction
Documents” in the May 24 Consent including as amended and restated herein shall
be interpreted to include the New Trades and the Sales Agreements constituting the New
Trades, respectively. |
| (b) | Amendment
and Restatement of the May 24 Consent. For convenience of reference only, amendments
to existing provisions of the May 24 Consent have been set off in bold
and underlined or strikethrough
text, which shall not affect the interpretation of this Omnibus Amendment. |
| A. | The
definition of “Idemitsu Collateral” in the May 24 Consent and as used throughout
this Omnibus Amendment (including as amended and restated below) is hereby (x) acknowledged
to include assets constituting Idemitsu Collateral related to the New Trades and (y)
amended and restated in its entirety as follows: |
““Idemitsu
Collateral” means the following assets of Vertex Renewables to the extent and in the amounts purchased under the Idemitsu
Transaction Documents: (a) Inventory constituting Renewable Feedstock and Renewable Product and any blendstocks, additives, or
similar goods used in the production of Renewable Product; (b) all Documents issued in respect of any Inventory or Goods described
in clause (a); (c) all Environmental Attributes solely to the extent generated from Inventory or Goods described in clause (a);
(d) all Regulatory Credits, including but not limited to RINs, in each case, associated with such Renewable Product and certified
by the Grantor Vertex Renewables
as and when such Renewable Product is produced upstream by the renewable diesel unit at the Mobile
Refinery from Renewable Feedstock; (e) all Proceeds of, Supporting Obligations (including, without limitation,
Letter-of-Credit Rights) with respect to, and Rights to Payment arising out of, any of the foregoing (specifically excluding proceeds
of business interruption insurance); and (f) all books, records and other written, electronic or other documentation in whatever
form maintained now or hereafter related to the foregoing; provided for purposes of the Lien
permitted to be granted pursuant to the Specified Consents to Idemitsu, which, for the avoidance of doubt, shall constitute a
Permitted Lien under the Loan Agreement, only and not the Collateral Release, (i) clause (d) above shall also include Vertex Renewable’s
EMTS Account subject to Section 2(c) of the May 24 Consent (or any section in an intercreditor agreement between the Agent and
Idemitsu which supersedes such provision) and (ii) clause (e) above shall also include casualty and property insurance proceeds
subject to Section 2(d) of the May 24 Consent (or any section in an intercreditor agreement between the Agent and Idemitsu which
supersedes such provision).”
| B. | Sections
1 and 2 of the May 24 Consent is hereby amended and restated with the following: |
| (a) | In
reliance upon the representations and warranties of each Loan Party set forth in Section
4 below of
the May 24 Consent and Section 6 of the Omnibus Amendment and the conditions
to the Limited Consent set forth in paragraph (1)(c) belowof
the May 24 Consent, Agent and each Lender under the Loan Agreement party
hereto, constituting the Required Lenders, hereby provide the Specified Consents (including
the Sales Agreements constituting the New Trades). After giving effect
to this Limited Consent, (i) subject to the conditions in paragraph (c) below, the Idemitsu
Transactions shall not constitute a Default under the Loan Agreement and (ii) the Idemitsu
Transaction Documents shall constitute a Material Contract under the Loan Agreement. |
| (b) | The
foregoing is a limited consent. Except as expressly set forth in this Limited Consent,
nothing in this Limited Consent shall constitute a modification or alteration of the
terms, conditions or covenants of the Loan Agreement or any other Loan Document, or a
waiver of any other terms or provisions thereof, and the Loan Agreement and the other
Loan Documents shall remain unchanged and shall continue in full force and effect, in
each case as amended hereby. |
| (c) | This
Limited Consent shall be subject to compliance with the following conditions on an ongoing
basis: |
| i. | This
Limited Consent shall automatically expire on June 17,
2024 July 8, 2024 (or
such later date as the Agent may agree upon Required Lenders direction (which direction
and extension may be by e-mail)); provided however it is understood and agreed that any
Idemitsu Collateral subject to a Collateral Release prior to such date shall remain released
and that the Lien on such Idemitsu Collateral shall remain permitted; provided further
that to the extent any Idemitsu Collateral is repurchased by Vertex Renewables or
any other Loan Party or affiliate thereof after the Idemitsu Transactions
have unwound and the obligations thereunder have been
satisfied (which in any event shall be subject to the cap in clause (ii) below) then
to the extent such assets constituted
Collateral (prior to the date hereof
or would constitute Collateral to the extent hereafter acquired) the grant under the
Loan Agreement with respect to such assets is hereby reaffirmed and such assets
shall be subject to the Agent’s Lien and the
Borrower shall promptly take such actions as shall be necessary to reaffirm and reinstate
a perfected security interest in favor of the Agent. |
| ii. | All
amounts owed or owing, including fees and charges by Vertex under the Idemitsu Transaction
Documents (such amount, the “Idemitsu Obligations”)
at any time shall not exceed $20,000,000$30,000,000
(or such larger amount as the Agent may agree upon Required Lenders direction
(which direction and increase may be by e-mail)) (such
maximum amount, the “Idemitsu Obligation Cap”). |
| iii. | Vertex
Renewables and the other Loan Parties shall not use Vertex Renewables’ EMTS Account
for any purpose other than to hold Idemitsu Collateral for the duration of this Limited
Consent. |
2.
Lien Release. In reliance upon the representations and warranties of each Loan Party set forth in Section 4 below of the May 24 Consent and Section 6 of the Omnibus Amendment and
direction of the Lenders set forth in Section 10 below and without independent investigation and subject to the conditions set
forth in Section 3 below being satisfied as well as the consummation of the Idemitsu Transactions with respect to such Idemitsu
Collateral, the Agent (for itself and for and on behalf of each of the Lenders):
(a) acknowledges that the Agent’s security interests, liens and rights in the Idemitsu Collateral shall be deemed released pursuant
to clause (3) of the second paragraph of Section 4.1 and Section 12.12(a)(ii) of the Loan Agreement, following the consummation
of the Idemitsu Transactions, and that the Idemitsu Collateral shall not constitute Collateral under and as defined in the Loan
Documents after such time (the “Collateral Release”);
(b) authorizes the filing by Sidley Austin LLP of UCC-3 amendments releasing the Idemitsu Collateral (as
defined in Section 2(b)A. of the Omnibus Amendment) from existing financing statements) in form to be agreed by
the Required Lenders (or their counsel) and Idemitsu (the “UCC-3 Release”); and
(c) acknowledges that (i) the Agent’s security interests, liens and rights in the Idemitsu Collateral that is not subject
to the Collateral Release will remain in full force and effect and that Idemitsu will also have a security interest, lien and
rights in such Collateral and that the priority of the security interests, liens and rights in favor of the Agent and Idemitsu
shall be as follows: (x) with respect to Vertex Renewable’s EMTS Account, Idemitsu shall have priority over all security
interest, lien and right of the Agent, and the Agent hereby subordinates such security interest, lien and rights, in the EMTS
Account to the extent that any Regulatory Credits generated from Inventory or Goods that are to be transferred to Idemitsu pursuant
to a Sales Agreement and (y) with respect to property and casualty insurance proceeds (1) to the extent (I) such proceeds arise
solely from or are related to Idemitsu Collateral described in clauses (a) through (d) of the definition thereof or (II) such
proceeds are sufficient to cover the losses associated with the value of the Idemitsu Collateral and the Collateral affected by
such casualty event, Idemitsu shall have priority over all security interest, lien and right of the Agent, and the Agent hereby
releases such security interest, lien and rights, in such property and casualty insurance proceeds related to the loss of such
Idemitsu Collateral and shall turn over such proceeds to Idemitsu, and (2) to the extent that a casualty loss affects both Idemitsu
Collateral and Collateral and casualty and property insurance proceeds are insufficient to cover the losses associated with the
value of the Idemitsu Collateral and the Collateral affected by such casualty event, Idemitsu and the Agent shall share in such
proceeds on a pari passu and pro rata basis (based on the percentage determined by dividing the outstanding Idemitsu Obligations
(subject to the Idemitsu Obligation Cap and as set forth in a certificate delivered by Idemitsu to the Agent) by
the sum of the outstanding Idemitsu Obligations (subject to the Idemitsu Obligation Cap) plus the outstanding Obligations) and
the Agent is hereby directed to turn over proceeds received to Idemitsu in accordance with the foregoing and (ii) Idemitsu shall
be and is expressly made a third party beneficiary of this Section 2 and shall be entitled to enforce each of the terms set forth
herein as if a party hereto.
For
the avoidance of doubt, prior to the receipt of any notice of an Enforcement Action or casualty event involving the Idemitsu Collateral
from Idemitsu, the Agent is hereby permitted to treat all cash, Cash Equivalents, Money, collections and payments deposited in
any deposit account subject to a deposit account control agreement or similar agreements in favor of the Agent (such accounts
“Control Accounts”) or otherwise received by the Agent as Collateral. The Agent hereby agrees that if the Control
Accounts contain any cash, Cash Equivalents or Money, which constitutes proceeds of the Idemitsu Collateral, then, upon obtaining
knowledge or notice from Idemitsu or Vertex Renewables that such cash, Cash Equivalents or Money constitutes proceeds of the Idemitsu
Collateral then the Agent shall hold such proceeds in trust for Idemitsu and turn over such proceeds to the Vertex Renewables
to be applied to the Idemitsu Obligations (subject to the Idemitsu Obligations Cap).”
| (c) | Amendments
to the Credit Agreement. |
| A. | The
definition of “A&R Intercreditor Agreement” shall be amended and restated
as follows: |
““A&R
Intercreditor Agreement” means that certain Intercreditor Agreement, dated as of the Closing Date, as amended and restated
as of the Fourth Amendment Effective Date and as further amended and restated as of June 3, 2024, by and between the Agent, the
Intermediation Facility Agent, and acknowledged by the Loan Parties.”
| B. | The
following definitions and each definition included in Annex I are hereby added to the
Loan Agreement in alphabetical order: |
““Idemitsu”
means Idemitsu Apollo Renewable Corporation, a Delaware corporation.”
““Omnibus Amendment” means
that certain Omnibus Amendment and Waiver, dated as of June 3, 2024, by and among Parent, Borrower, the other Subsidiary Guarantors,
Agent and the Lenders.”
| (d) | Amendment
and Restatement of the Existing Intercreditor Agreement. Subject to the satisfaction
(or waiver in writing by the Lenders) of the conditions precedent set forth in Section
5 hereof, the Agent is directed by the Lenders party hereto, constituting
the Required Lenders, to execute and deliver the A&R Intercreditor Agreement, as attached as Exhibit A hereto. |
3. Consent. In reliance upon the representations and warranties of each Loan Party set forth in Section 6 below, Agent
(at the direction of the Required Lenders) and the undersigned Lenders, constituting the Required Lenders under the Loan Agreement,
hereby consent to the Specified Consent. The foregoing is a limited consent. Except as expressly set forth in this Omnibus Amendment,
nothing in this Section 3 shall constitute a modification or alteration of the terms, conditions or covenants of the Loan
Agreement or any other Loan Document, or a waiver of any other terms or provisions thereof, and the Loan Agreement and the other
Loan Documents shall remain unchanged and shall continue in full force and effect, in each case as amended hereby.
| (a) | Notwithstanding
the provisions of the Loan Agreement to the contrary, the Lenders party hereto (which,
for the avoidance of doubt, constitute the Supermajority Lenders) hereby waive the March
2024 Mandatory Prepayment (as defined in the March Consent). |
| (b) | Effectiveness
of Limited Waiver. This waiver shall be effective only to the extent specifically
set forth herein and shall not (i) be construed as a waiver of any breach, Default or
Event of Default other than as specifically waived herein nor as a waiver of any breach,
Default or Event of Default of which the Lenders have not been informed by the Loan Parties,
(ii) affect the right of the Lenders to demand compliance by the Loan Parties with all
terms and conditions of the Loan Documents, except as specifically waived by this Omnibus
Amendment, (iii) be deemed a waiver of any transaction or future action on the part of
the Loan Parties requiring the Lenders’, the Supermajority Lenders’ or the
Required Lenders’ consent (as applicable) or approval under the Loan Documents,
(iv) except as waived hereby, be deemed or construed to be a waiver or release of, or
a limitation upon, the Agent’s or the Lenders’ exercise of any rights or
remedies under the Loan Agreement or any other Loan Document, whether arising as a consequence
of any Default or Event of Default (other than as specifically waived herein) whether
now existing or otherwise, all such rights and remedies hereby being expressly reserved,
or (v) establish a custom or course of dealing or conduct between the Agent and the Lenders,
on the one hand, and the Borrower or any other Loan Party on the other hand. |
5. Conditions Precedent to Amendment. The satisfaction (or waiver in writing by Agent (at the direction of the Required Lenders)
or the Required Lenders) of each of the following shall constitute conditions precedent to the effectiveness of this Omnibus Amendment
(the date on which all such conditions precedent are either satisfied or waived, being the “Omnibus Amendment Effective
Date”):
(a) The
Agent and the Lenders shall have received this Omnibus Amendment, duly executed by the parties hereto; and
(b) The
Agent shall have received a notice pursuant to Section 2.05 of the Existing Intercreditor Agreement from Macquarie Energy North
America Trading Inc., in its capacity as Renewables Intermediation Facility Secured Party under the Existing Intercreditor Agreement
that the Termination Date (as defined in the Existing Intercreditor Agreement) has occurred with respect to the Renewables Intermediation
Facility Obligations.
For
purposes of determining compliance with the conditions specified in this Section 5, each Lender that has signed this Omnibus
Amendment shall be deemed to have consented to, approved or accepted or to be satisfied with, each document or other matter required
hereunder to be consented to or approved by or acceptable or satisfactory to a Lender unless the Agent shall have received notice
from such Lender prior to the proposed Omnibus Amendment Effective Date specifying its objection thereto.
6. Representations and Warranties. In order to induce Agent and the Lenders to enter into this Omnibus Amendment, Parent and
Borrower each hereby represents and warrants to Agent and the Lenders that:
(a) each of the representations and warranties made to Agent and Lenders under the Loan Agreement and all of the other Loan Documents
are true and correct in all material respects (except that such materiality qualifier shall not be applicable to any representations
and warranties that already are qualified or modified as to “materiality” or “Material Adverse Effect”
in the text thereof, which representations and warranties are true and correct in all respects subject to such qualification)
on and as of the date hereof (after giving effect to this Omnibus Amendment) except to the extent that such representations and
warranties specifically relate to an earlier date, in which case such representations and warranties were true and correct in
all material respects (except that such materiality qualifier shall not be applicable to any representations or warranties that
already are qualified or modified as to “materiality” or “Material Adverse Effect” in the text thereof,
which representations and warranties shall be true and correct in all respects subject to such qualification) on and as of such
earlier date;
(b) on and immediately prior to the date hereof and immediately after giving effect to this Omnibus Amendment, no Default or Event
of Default will have occurred and be continuing; and
(c) on and immediately prior to the date hereof and immediately after giving effect to this Omnibus Amendment, the Loan Parties, individually
and collectively, are not Insolvent; and
(d) this Omnibus Amendment has been duly executed and delivered by each Loan Party party hereto; and
(e) represents and warrants that this Omnibus Amendment constitutes the legal, valid and binding obligation of each Loan Party party
thereto enforceable against such Loan Party in accordance with its respective terms, subject to the effect of any applicable bankruptcy,
insolvency, reorganization or moratorium or similar laws relating to or affecting the rights of creditors generally and subject
to general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforcement is sought in a proceeding at law or in equity).
| 7. | Post-Closing
Obligations. |
| (a) | On
or prior to June 14, 2024 (or such later date as the Agent may agree upon Required Lenders
direction (which direction and extension may be by e-mail) such date and any extension
thereof, the “ICA Requirement Date”), the Loan Parties shall use commercially
reasonable efforts to cause Idemitsu to agree to an intercreditor agreement with the
Agent, in form and substance acceptable to the Required Lenders and Agent in their sole
discretion, which intercreditor agreement shall address, among other things, shared collateral,
access to the real property constituting the Collateral of the Lenders to access the
Idemitsu Collateral, enforcement rights, as well as bankruptcy and debtor-in-possession
financing terms. Failure to comply with this Section 7(a) shall constitute an immediate
Event of Default under the Loan Agreement unless the ICA Requirement Date is extended
as permitted therein or the requirement is waived by Supermajority Lenders. |
| (b) | On
or prior to June 7, 2024, Agent and each Lender shall have been reimbursed for all Lender
Expenses invoiced prior to the date hereof required to be paid pursuant to Section 2.5
and Section 10.3 of the Loan Agreement incurred through the Omnibus Amendment Effective
Date (including, without limitation, attorneys’ fees and expenses related to the
preparation, negotiation, execution, delivery of this Omnibus Amendment, the Idemitsu
Transaction Documents, the A&R Intercreditor Agreement and any documents and instruments
relating hereto). |
8. GOVERNING LAW; JURISDICTION; WAIVER OF JURY
TRIAL PROVISIONS. THIS OMNIBUS AMENDMENT SHALL BE SUBJECT TO THE PROVISIONS REGARDING GOVERNING LAW, JURISDICTION, AND WAIVER
OF JURY TRIAL SET FORTH IN SECTION 14.14 OF THE LOAN AGREEMENT, AND SUCH PROVISIONS ARE INCORPORATED HEREIN BY THIS REFERENCE,
MUTATIS MUTANDIS.
9. Amendments. This Omnibus Amendment cannot be altered, amended, changed or modified in any respect except in accordance
with Section 14.4 of the Loan Agreement.
10. Counterparts.
This Omnibus Amendment and any notices delivered under this Omnibus Amendment may be executed by means of (i) an electronic
signature that complies with the Federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, the New York State
Electronic Signatures and Records Act or any other similar state laws based on the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act; (ii)
an original manual signature; or (iii) a faxed, scanned, or photocopied manual signature. Each electronic signature or faxed,
scanned, or photocopied manual signature shall for all purposes have the same validity, legal effect, and admissibility in
evidence as an original manual signature. The words “execution,” “execute”, “signed,”
“signature,” and words of like import in or related to any document to be signed in connection with this Omnibus
Amendment and the transactions contemplated hereby shall be deemed to include electronic signatures or the keeping of records
in electronic form, each of which shall be of the same legal effect, validity or enforceability as a manually executed
signature or the use of a paper-based recordkeeping system, as the case may be, to the extent and as provided for in any
Applicable Law, including the Federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, the New York State
Electronic Signatures and Records Act, or any other similar state laws based on the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act. This
Omnibus Amendment may be executed in any number of counterparts, and it is not necessary that the signatures of all parties
hereto be contained on any one counterpart hereof, each counterpart will be deemed to be an original, and all together shall
constitute one and the same document.
| 11. | Effect
on Loan Documents. |
(a) The Loan Agreement, as modified hereby, and each of the other Loan Documents shall be and remain in full force and effect in accordance
with their respective terms and hereby are ratified and confirmed in all respects. The execution, delivery, and performance of
this Omnibus Amendment shall not operate, except as expressly set forth herein, as a modification or waiver of any right, power,
or remedy of Agent or any Lender under the Loan Agreement or any other Loan Document. Except for the amendments to the Loan Agreement
expressly set forth herein, the Loan Agreement and the other Loan Documents shall remain unchanged and in full force and effect.
(b) Upon and after the effectiveness of this Omnibus Amendment, each reference in the Loan Agreement to “this Agreement”,
“hereunder”, “herein”, “hereof” or words of like import referring to the Loan Agreement, and
each reference in the other Loan Documents to “the Loan Agreement”, “thereunder”, “therein”,
“thereof” or words of like import referring to the Loan Agreement, shall mean and be a reference to the Loan Agreement
as modified hereby. Upon and after the effectiveness of this Omnibus Amendment, each reference in the A&R Intercreditor Agreement
to “this Agreement”, “hereunder”, “herein”, “hereof” or words of like import referring
to the A&R Intercreditor Agreement, and each reference in the other Loan Documents to “the Intercreditor Agreement”,
“the A&R Intercreditor Agreement”, “thereunder”, “therein”, “thereof” or words
of like import referring to the A&R Intercreditor Agreement, shall mean and be a reference to the A&R Intercreditor Agreement
as modified hereby.
(c) Upon and after the effectiveness of this Omnibus Amendment, each reference in the other Loan Documents to “the May 24 Consent”,
“thereunder”, “therein”, “thereof” or words of like import referring to the May 24 Consent,
shall mean and be a reference to the May 24 Consent as modified hereby.
(d) To
the extent that any of the terms and conditions in any of the Loan Documents shall contradict or be in conflict with any of the
terms or conditions of the Loan Agreement, after giving effect to this Omnibus Amendment, such terms and conditions are hereby
deemed modified or amended accordingly to reflect the terms and conditions of the Loan Agreement as modified or amended hereby.
(e) This
Omnibus Amendment is a Loan Document.
12. Reaffirmation
of Obligations. The Loan Parties hereby acknowledge and agree that all terms, covenants, conditions and provisions of the
Loan Documents (including, without limitation, each Collateral Document) continue in full force and effect, are herein reaffirmed
in their entirety and remain unaffected and unchanged, except to the extent expressly set forth in this Omnibus Amendment. Neither
this Omnibus Amendment nor the execution and delivery of this Omnibus Amendment by Agent, the Lenders and the Loan Parties hereto
shall constitute a novation or renewal of the Term Loan or the Indebtedness or any of the Loan Documents. This Omnibus Amendment,
except to the extent expressly set forth herein, is not intended to and shall not be deemed or construed to create or constitute
a waiver, release, or relinquishment of, and shall not affect, the liens, security interests and rights, remedies and interests
under the Loan Documents, all of which are hereby ratified, confirmed, renewed and extended in all respects.
13. Agent. The Agent has executed this Omnibus Amendment and the A&R Intercreditor Agreement as directed under and in accordance
with the Loan Agreement and will perform this Omnibus Amendment and the A&R Intercreditor Agreement solely in its capacity
as Agent hereunder, and not individually. In performing under this Omnibus Amendment and the A&R Intercreditor Agreement,
the Agent shall have all rights, protections, immunities and indemnities granted to it under the Loan Agreement. Subject to the
terms of the Loan Agreement, the Agent shall have no obligation to perform or exercise any discretionary act. Each of the undersigned
Lenders hereby directs and consents to the Agent’s execution of this Omnibus Amendment and the A&R Intercreditor Agreement,
and the authorization of Collateral Release and the filing of the UCC-3 Release.
[Signature
pages follow]
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have entered into this Amendment as of the date first above written.
PARENT: |
VERTEX ENERGY, INC., |
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a Nevada corporation |
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
|
|
BORROWER: |
VERTEX REFINING ALABAMA LLC, |
|
a Delaware limited liability company |
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
|
|
|
SUBSIDIARY GUARANTORS: |
VERTEX REFINING TEXAS LLC, |
|
a Texas limited liability company |
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
|
|
|
|
VERTEX MARINE FUEL SERVICES LLC, |
|
a Delaware limited liability company |
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
|
|
|
|
VERTEX ENERGY OPERATING, LLC, |
|
a Texas limited liability company |
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
[Signature
Page to Omnibus Amendment]
|
VERTEX REFINING LA, LLC, |
|
a Louisiana limited liability company |
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
|
|
|
|
HPRM LLC, |
|
a Delaware limited liability company |
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Title: |
Director, President and Chief Executive Officer |
|
|
|
|
TENSILE-HEARTLAND ACQUISITION
CORPORATION, |
|
a Delaware corporation |
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Title: |
Director, President and Chief Executive Officer |
|
|
|
|
VERTEX RECOVERY MANAGEMENT, LLC, |
|
a Texas limited liability company |
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
|
|
|
|
VERTEX REFINING NV, LLC, |
|
a Nevada limited liability company |
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
|
|
|
|
VERTEX SPLITTER CORPORATION, |
|
a Delaware corporation |
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Title: |
Director |
[Signature
Page to Omnibus Amendment]
|
VERTEX REFINING MYRTLE GROVE
LLC, |
|
a Delaware limited liability company |
|
|
|
|
By: |
|
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
|
|
|
|
CRYSTAL ENERGY, LLC, |
|
an Alabama limited liability company |
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Title: |
President |
|
|
|
|
VERTEX ACQUISITION SUB, LLC, |
|
a Nevada limited liability company |
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
|
|
|
|
BANGO OIL LLC, |
|
a Nevada limited liability company |
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
|
|
|
CEDAR MARINE TERMINALS, LP, |
|
a Texas limited partnership |
|
|
|
|
By: Vertex II GP, its General Partner |
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
[Signature
page to Omnibus Amendment]
|
CROSSROAD CARRIERS, L.P., |
|
a Texas limited partnership |
|
|
|
By:
Vertex II GP, its General Partner |
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
|
|
|
|
VERTEX RECOVERY, L.P., |
|
a Texas limited partnership |
|
|
|
By:
Vertex II GP, its General Partner |
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
H
& H OIL, L. P., |
|
a Texas limited partnership |
|
|
|
By: Vertex II GP, its General Partner |
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
|
|
|
|
VERTEX II GP, LLC, |
|
a Nevada limited liability company |
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
|
|
|
|
TENSILE-MYRTLE GROVE ACQUISITION CORPORATION, |
|
a Delaware corporation |
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Title: |
President and Chairman of the Board |
[Signature
Page to Omnibus Amendment]
|
VERTEX MERGER SUB, LLC, |
|
a California limited liability company |
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
|
|
|
|
VERTEX RENEWABLES LLC, |
|
a Delaware limited liability company |
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
|
|
|
|
VERTEX RENEWABLES ALABAMA LLC, |
|
a Delaware limited liability company |
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Name: |
Benjamin P. Cowart |
|
Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
[Signature
Page to Omnibus Amendment]
|
LENDERS: |
|
|
|
WHITEBOX MULTI-STRATEGY PARTNERS,
LP |
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Andrew Thau |
|
|
Name: |
Andrew Thau |
|
|
Title: |
Managing Director |
|
|
|
|
|
WHITEBOX RELATIVE VALUE PARTNERS,
LP |
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Andrew Thau |
|
|
Name: |
Andrew Thau |
|
|
Title: |
Managing Director |
|
|
|
|
|
WHITEBOX GT FUND, LP |
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Andrew Thau |
|
|
Name: |
Andrew Thau |
|
|
Title: |
Managing Director |
|
|
|
|
|
PANDORA SELECT PARTNERS, LP |
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Andrew Thau |
|
|
Name: |
Andrew Thau |
|
|
Title: |
Managing Director |
[Signature
Page to Omnibus Amendment]
|
|
|
|
|
|
HIGHBRIDGE TACTICAL CREDIT MASTER
FUND, L.P. |
|
|
|
|
By: |
Highbridge Capital Management, LLC, |
|
|
as Trading Manager and not in its
individual capacity |
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Steve Ardovini |
|
|
Name: |
Steve Ardovini |
|
|
Title: |
Authorized Signatory |
|
|
|
|
HIGHBRIDGE TACTICAL CREDIT INSTITUTIONAL
FUND, LTD. |
|
|
|
By: |
Highbridge Capital Management, LLC, |
|
|
as Trading Manager and not in its
individual capacity |
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Steve Ardovini |
|
|
|
Name: |
Steve Ardovini |
|
|
Title: |
Authorized Signatory |
|
|
|
|
HIGHBRIDGE SCF II LOAN SVP, L.P. |
|
|
|
|
By: |
Highbridge Capital Management, LLC, |
|
|
as Trading Manager and not in its
individual capacity |
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Steve Ardovini |
|
|
|
Name: |
Steve Ardovini |
|
|
Title: |
Authorized Signatory |
|
|
|
1992 MASTER FUND CO-INVEST SPC
– SERIES 4 SEGREGATED PORTFOLIO |
|
|
|
By: |
Highbridge Capital Management, LLC, |
|
|
as Trading Manager and not in its
individual capacity |
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Steve Ardovini |
|
|
Name: |
Steve Ardovini |
|
|
Title: |
Authorized Signatory |
[Signature
Page to Omnibus Amendment]
|
BLACKROCK DIVERSIFIED PRIVATE
DEBT FUND MASTER LP |
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
BlackRock Financial Management,
Inc., |
|
|
its manager |
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Zach Viders |
|
|
Name: |
Zach Viders |
|
|
Title: |
Authorized Signatory |
|
|
|
|
|
GCO II AGGREGATOR 6 L.P. |
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
BlackRock Financial Management,
Inc., |
|
|
its manager |
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Zach Viders |
|
|
Name: |
Zach Viders |
|
|
Title: |
Authorized Signatory |
|
|
|
|
|
GCO II AGGREGATOR 2 L.P. |
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
BlackRock Financial Management,
Inc., |
|
|
its manager |
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Zach Viders |
|
|
Name: |
Zach Viders |
|
|
Title: |
Authorized Signatory |
[Signature
Page to Omnibus Amendment]
|
CHAMBERS ENERGY CAPITAL IV, LP |
|
|
|
|
By: |
CEC
Fund IV GP, LLC, its general partner |
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Robert Hendricks |
|
|
Name: |
Robert Hendricks |
|
|
Title: |
Partner |
[Signature
Page to Omnibus Amendment]
|
CROWDOUT CAPITAL LLC |
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Brian Gilmore |
|
|
Name: |
Brian Gilmore |
|
|
Title: |
Managing Member |
|
|
|
|
|
CROWDOUT CREDIT OPPORTUNITIES
FUND LLC |
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Brian Gilmore |
|
|
Name: |
Brian Gilmore |
|
|
Title: |
Managing Member |
[Signature
Page to Omnibus Amendment]
|
AGENT: |
|
|
|
|
|
CANTOR FITZGERALD SECURITIES |
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ James Buccola |
|
|
Name: |
James Buccola |
|
|
Title: |
Head of Fixed Income |
[Signature
Page to Omnibus Amendment]
ANNEX
I
DEFINED
TERMS
“CARB”
means the California Air Resources Board.
“EMTS”
means the EPA Moderated Transaction System, as defined in 40 C.F.R. §80.1401 and regulated under the RFS Program.
“EMTS
Account” means Vertex Renewables’ EPA Moderated Transaction System Account for RINs maintained in the name of
Vertex Renewables with EMTS, with identifier number 2215.
“Environmental
Attributes” means any and all credits, benefits, emission reductions, offsets and allowances, howsoever entitled, attributable
to the production, sale, combustion or other use of Renewable Products, or their displacement or reduction in the use of conventional
energy generation, greenhouse gas emissions, pollutants or transportation fuel, heating oil or jet fuel (“GHG Attributes”),
including, without limitation, (i) any Regulatory Credits and (ii) Fuel Tax Credits.
“Fuel
Tax Credits” mean the tax credits, and the rights to claim such tax credits, available for producing, blending or using
Renewable Product available under applicable law, including, but not limited to tax credits available under Sections 40A, 40B,
45Z and 6426 of Title 26 of the U.S. Code.
“Low
Carbon Fuel Standard” or “LCFS” means the regulations, orders, decrees and standards issued by CARB
or other applicable governmental authority implementing or otherwise applicable to the Low Carbon Fuel Standard set forth in the
California Code of Regulations at Title 17, §§ 95480 et seq., and each successor regulation, as may be subsequently
amended, supplemented or restated from time to time.
“Regulatory
Credits” mean any all current and future credits, benefits, air quality credits, renewable fuel credits, renewable energy
credits and certificates, emission reductions, offsets and allowances on the GHG Attributes, including, without limitation, RINs
under the RFS Program, renewable energy certificates and credits under the LCFS and other state and provincial low carbon fuel
programs such as LCFS credits.
“Renewable
Feedstock” means one or more renewable biomass feedstocks used for the production of Renewable Fuels and sold by Idemitsu
to Vertex Renewables pursuant to a Sales Agreement, but excluding for all purposes any and all industrial waste and any feedstocks
that are non-merchantable, have no commercial value or do not, and upon further blending and processing by Vertex Renewables
cannot, otherwise meet both the requirements of the RFS Program and the Low Carbon Fuel Standard, including as relates to and
as applicable to the relevant Environmental Attribute.
“Renewable
Fuels” means (a) Renewable Fuels (as defined in the RFS Program), and (b) transportation fuels that satisfy the applicable
Low Carbon Fuel Standard and other state and provincial low carbon fuel programs.
“Renewable
Product” means any of the finished and unfinished Renewable Fuels that satisfy the requirements of the RFS Program,
the Low Carbon Fuel Standard or other state and provincial low carbon fuel programs, including, without limitation, any associated
Environmental Attributes, but excluding for all purposes any products that were produced without intent to comply with the requirements
of the RFS Program, Low Carbon Fuel Standard or other state and provincial low carbon fuel programs and are non-merchantable
or have no commercial value.
“Rights
to Payment” means any and all of Vertex Renewables’ Accounts arising in connection with the sale of Renewable
Fuels and Renewable Product solely arising from obligations under the Sales Agreements and any and all of Vertex Renewables’
rights and claims to the payment or receipt of money or other forms of consideration of any kind arising in connection with the
sale of Renewable Fuels and Renewable Product solely arising from obligations under the Sales Agreements.
EXHIBIT
A
A&R INTERCREDITOR AGREEMENT
v3.24.1.1.u2
Cover
|
May 23, 2024 |
Cover [Abstract] |
|
Document Type |
8-K
|
Amendment Flag |
false
|
Document Period End Date |
May 23, 2024
|
Entity File Number |
001-11476
|
Entity Registrant Name |
VERTEX ENERGY, INC.
|
Entity Central Index Key |
0000890447
|
Entity Tax Identification Number |
94-3439569
|
Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code |
NV
|
Entity Address, Address Line One |
1331 Gemini Street
|
Entity Address, Address Line Two |
Suite 250
|
Entity Address, City or Town |
Houston
|
Entity Address, State or Province |
TX
|
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code |
77058
|
City Area Code |
(866)
|
Local Phone Number |
660-8156
|
Written Communications |
false
|
Soliciting Material |
false
|
Pre-commencement Tender Offer |
false
|
Pre-commencement Issuer Tender Offer |
false
|
Title of 12(b) Security |
Common
Stock,
|
Trading Symbol |
VTNR
|
Security Exchange Name |
NASDAQ
|
Entity Emerging Growth Company |
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- DefinitionBoolean flag that is true when the Form 8-K filing is intended to satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant as written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act.
+ ReferencesReference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Securities Act -Number 230 -Section 425
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Grafico Azioni Vertex Energy (NASDAQ:VTNR)
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Da Ott 2024 a Nov 2024
Grafico Azioni Vertex Energy (NASDAQ:VTNR)
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Da Nov 2023 a Nov 2024