Section 37: Financing Conditions1. The financing of an acquisition or leveraged buyout shall be subject to the following conditions:(a) The lender shall conduct a thorough due diligence process on the borrower and the target company to determine their creditworthiness and ability to repay the loan.(b) The lender shall require the borrower to provide collateral or security for the loan, which may include assets of the target company or personal guarantees from the borrower’s shareholders.(c) The lender shall require the borrower to maintain certain financial ratios and covenants during the term of the loan, including debt-to-equity ratios, interest coverage ratios, and minimum liquidity requirements.(d) The lender shall have the right to monitor the borrower’s financial performance and take corrective action if necessary, including accelerating the loan or declaring a default.2. The financing conditions set forth in this section are intended to protect the interests of the lender and ensure that the borrower is able to repay the loan in a timely manner. Failure to comply with these conditions may result in penalties, default, or legal action by the lender.
Section 37 of the financing conditions for an acquisition or leveraged buyout outlines the requirements that lenders must follow to ensure that they are lending to creditworthy borrowers who can repay their loans. The section includes four conditions that must be met for financing to be approved, including due diligence, collateral requirements, financial ratios and covenants, and monitoring of financial performance.
The first condition requires the lender to conduct a thorough due diligence process on both the borrower and the target company. This process involves a detailed analysis of the borrower’s financial history, creditworthiness, and ability to repay the loan. The lender must also evaluate the target company’s financial performance, market position, and growth potential to determine its ability to generate cash flow to repay the loan.
The second condition requires the borrower to provide collateral or security for the loan. This may include assets of the target company or personal guarantees from the borrower’s shareholders. The purpose of this requirement is to provide the lender with a source of repayment in case the borrower defaults on the loan.
The third condition requires the borrower to maintain certain financial ratios and covenants during the term of the loan. These ratios and covenants include debt-to-equity ratios, interest coverage ratios, and minimum liquidity requirements. The purpose of these requirements is to ensure that the borrower has sufficient financial resources to meet its debt obligations and avoid default.
The fourth condition gives the lender the right to monitor the borrower’s financial performance and take corrective action if necessary. This may include accelerating the loan or declaring a default if the borrower fails to meet its financial obligations.
There are several related case laws and judgments that have addressed financing conditions similar to those outlined in Section 37. One such case is EMI Group Ltd v O&H Q1 Ltd [2016] EWHC 529 (Ch), which involved a dispute over financing conditions for a leveraged buyout. The court found that the lender had breached its duty to act in good faith by imposing unreasonable financial covenants on the borrower.
Another relevant case is Re Mariner Health Ltd [2004] EWHC 2316 (Ch), which involved a dispute over the interpretation of financial covenants in a loan agreement. The court found that the borrower had breached its obligations under the agreement by failing to maintain sufficient liquidity and debt-to-equity ratios.
Overall, Section 37 of the financing conditions for an acquisition or leveraged buyout is designed to protect the interests of lenders and ensure that borrowers are able to repay their loans. Lenders must conduct thorough due diligence, require collateral or security, maintain financial ratios and covenants, and monitor financial performance to ensure that they are lending to creditworthy borrowers. Failure to comply with these conditions may result in penalties, default, or legal action by the lender.