COLLATERAL AGREEMENT Dated as of January 7, 2015, among VERSO PAPER HOLDINGS LLC, as Company, each other PLEDGOR identified herein, and WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as Collateral Agent

Exhibit 10.1

EXECUTION VERSION

COLLATERAL AGREEMENT

Dated as of January 7, 2015,

among

VERSO PAPER HOLDINGS LLC,

as Company,

each other PLEDGOR identified herein,

and

WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,

as Collateral Agent

TABLE OF CONTENTS


		Page

ARTICLE 1 DEFINITIONS			1

Section 1.01.	Indenture		1

Section 1.02.	Other Defined Terms		2

ARTICLE 2 RESERVED			7

ARTICLE 3 PLEDGE OF SECURITIES			7

Section 3.01.	Pledge		7

Section 3.02.	Delivery of the Pledged Collateral		9

Section 3.03.	Representations, Warranties and Covenants		9

Section 3.04.	Registration in Nominee Name; Denominations		11

Section 3.05.	Voting Rights; Dividends and Interest, Etc.		12

ARTICLE 4 SECURITY INTERESTS IN OTHER PERSONAL PROPERTY			14

Section 4.01.	Security Interest		14

Section 4.02.	Representations and Warranties		16

Section 4.03.	Covenants		19

Section 4.04.	Other Actions		22

Section 4.05.	Covenants Regarding Patent, Trademark and Copyright Collateral		23

ARTICLE 5 REMEDIES			24

Section 5.01.	Remedies Upon Default		24

Section 5.02.	Application of Proceeds		26

Section 5.03.	Securities Act, Etc.		27

ARTICLE 6 RESERVED			28

ARTICLE 7 MISCELLANEOUS			28

Section 7.01.	Notices		28

Section 7.02.	Security Interest Absolute		28

Section 7.03.	Limitation by Law		28



Section 7.04.	Binding Effect; Several Agreement	28

Section 7.05.	Successors and Assigns	29

Section 7.06.	Collateral Agent’s Fees and Expenses; Indemnification	29

Section 7.07.	Collateral Agent Appointed Attorney-in-Fact	30

Section 7.08.	GOVERNING LAW	30

Section 7.09.	Waivers; Amendment	30

Section 7.10.	WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL	31

Section 7.11.	Severability	31

Section 7.12.	Counterparts	32

Section 7.13.	Headings	32

Section 7.14.	Jurisdiction; Consent to Service Of Process	32

Section 7.15.	Termination or Release	32

Section 7.16.	Additional Subsidiaries	33

Section 7.17.	Right of Set-off	33

Section 7.18.	Intercreditor Agreements	34

Section 7.19	Indenture Governs	34

Schedules

Schedule I	Subsidiary Parties
Schedule II	Debt Securities
Schedule III	Intellectual Property
Schedule IV	Filing Jurisdictions
Schedule V	Commercial Tort Claims
Schedule VI	Matters Relating to Accounts and Inventory

Exhibits

Exhibit I	Form of Supplement to the Collateral Agreement
Exhibit II	Form of Acknowledgement and Consent

COLLATERAL AGREEMENT dated as of January 7, 2015 (this “Agreement”), among VERSO PAPER HOLDINGS LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Company”), each Subsidiary of the Company identified on Schedule I or otherwise identified herein as a party (each, a “Subsidiary Party”), and Wilmington Trust, National Association, as collateral agent (in such capacity, together with any successor collateral agent, the “Collateral Agent”) for the Secured Parties (as defined below).

Reference is made to the Indenture, dated as of January 7, 2015 (as amended, restated, amended and restated, supplemented, waived or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Indenture”), among the Company, Verso Paper Inc., a Delaware corporation, (“Finance Co.”, and together with the Company, the “Issuers”), the Subsidiary Parties, and Wilmington Trust, National Association, as trustee (the “Trustee). The Guarantors have guaranteed the Obligations of the Company under the Indenture and the Securities. Each Pledgor is entering into this Agreement in order to induce the Holders to purchase the Securities and to secure the Note Obligations.

From time to time after the date hereof, the Company may, subject to the terms and conditions of the Indenture, incur Additional Securities issued under the Indenture, which when incurred would be equally and ratably secured with the Note Obligations.

Pursuant to Section 7.18 below, this Agreement shall be subject to the terms and conditions of the Intercreditor Agreements (as defined below) in all respects.

Accordingly, the parties hereto hereby agree as follows:

ARTICLE 1

DEFINITIONS

Section 1.01. Indenture. (a) Capitalized terms used in this Agreement and not otherwise defined herein have the respective meanings assigned thereto in the Indenture. All terms defined in the New York UCC (as defined herein) and not defined in this Agreement have the meanings specified therein. The term “instrument” shall have the meaning specified in Article 9 of the New York UCC.

(b) The definitions set forth or referred to in Section 1.02 shall apply equally to both 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.” All references herein to Articles, Sections, Exhibits and Schedules shall be deemed references to Articles and Sections of, and Exhibits and Schedules to, this Agreement unless the context shall otherwise require. Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, any reference in this Agreement to any Note Document shall mean such document as amended, restated, amended and restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time.

Section 1.02. Other Defined Terms. As used in this Agreement, the following terms have the meanings specified below:

“Account Debtor” means any person who is or who may become obligated to any Pledgor under, with respect to or on account of an Account, Chattel Paper, General Intangibles, Instruments or Investment Property.

“Article 9 Collateral” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 4.01.

“Bucksport Co-Gen Assets” means all right, title and interest of Verso Bucksport LLC in, to and under the Amended and Restated Co-Owners Ownership, Operating & Mutual Sales Agreement dated as of July 27, 1999, by and between Champion International Corporation and Bucksport Energy LLC (as the same may be amended from time to time on terms, taken as a whole, not materially adverse to the holders of the Note Obligations, in the good faith determination of the Company), including without limitation any ownership interests as tenants in common in the property rights established pursuant thereto.

“CFC” shall mean a “controlled foreign corporation” within the meaning of section 957(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time and the regulations promulgated and rulings issued thereunder.

“CFC Holding Company” shall mean any Subsidiary of the Company that (i) is a disregarded entity or partnership for U.S. Federal income tax purposes and (ii) owns one or more CFCs, either directly or indirectly through other entities that are disregarded entities or partnerships for U.S. Federal income tax purposes, and all such entities have no material assets (excluding equity interests in each other) other than equity interests of such CFCs.

“Closing Date” means the Issue Date as defined in the Indenture.

“Collateral” means Article 9 Collateral and Pledged Collateral.

“Company” has the meaning specified in the preamble.

“Control” shall mean the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of a person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise, and “Controlling” and “Controlled” shall have meanings correlative thereto.

“Control Agreement” means a deposit account control agreement, a securities account control agreement or a commodity account control agreement, as applicable, enabling the Collateral Agent to obtain “control” (within the meaning of the New York UCC) of any such accounts, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Collateral Agent.

“Copyright License” means any written agreement, now or hereafter in effect, granting any right to any Pledgor under any Copyright now or hereafter owned by any third party, and all rights of any Pledgor under any such agreement (including, without limitation, any such rights that such Pledgor has the right to license).

“Copyrights” means all of the following now owned or hereafter acquired by any Pledgor: (a) all copyright rights in any work subject to the copyright laws of the United States or any other country, whether as author, assignee, transferee or otherwise, (b) all registrations and applications for registration of any such Copyright in the United States or any other country, including registrations, supplemental registrations and pending applications for registration in the United States Copyright Office and the right to obtain all renewals thereof, including those listed on Schedule III, (c) all claims for, and rights to xxx for, past or future infringements of any of the foregoing and (d) all income, royalties, damages and payments now or hereafter due and payable with respect to any of the foregoing, including damages and payments for past or future infringement thereof.

“Equity Interests” of any person shall mean any and all shares, interests, rights to purchase or otherwise acquire, warrants, options, participations or other equivalents of or interests in (however designated) equity or ownership of such person, including any preferred stock, any limited or general partnership interest and any limited liability company membership interest, and any securities or other rights or interests convertible into or exchangeable for any of the foregoing.

“Excluded Minority Interests” means any Equity Interests owned by Verso Paper LLC in each of (a) Androscoggin Reservoir Company and (b) Gulf Island Pond Oxygenation Project, provided that such Equity Interests shall constitute Excluded Minority Interests only for so long as they are subject to an enforceable contractual obligation (including, for this purpose, rights of first refusal) restricting the grant of a security interest therein.

“Federal Securities Laws” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 5.03.

“Foreign Pledge Agreement” shall mean a pledge agreement with respect to the Pledged Collateral that constitutes Equity Interests of a “first-tier” Foreign Subsidiary, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Collateral Agent.

“Finance Co.” has the meaning specified in the preamble.

“Governmental Authority” shall mean any federal, state, local or foreign court or governmental agency, authority, instrumentality or regulatory or legislative body.

“General Intangibles” means all “General Intangibles” as defined in the New York UCC, including all choses in action and causes of action and all other intangible personal property of any Pledgor of every kind and nature (other than Accounts) now owned or hereafter acquired by any Pledgor, including corporate or other business records, indemnification claims, contract rights (including rights under leases, whether entered into as lessor or lessee, Swap Agreements and other agreements), Intellectual Property (but excluding “intent-to-use” applications for trademark or service xxxx registrations filed pursuant to Section 1(b) of the Xxxxxx Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1051, unless and until an Amendment to Allege Use or a Statement of Use under Sections 1(c) and 1(d) of Xxxxxx Act has been filed, to extent that, and solely during the period for which,

any assignment of an “intent-to-use” application prior to such filing would violate the Xxxxxx Act), goodwill, registrations, franchises, tax refund claims and any guarantee, claim, security interest or other security held by or granted to any Pledgor to secure payment by an Account Debtor of any of the Accounts.

“Holdings” means Verso Paper Finance Holdings LLC, a Delaware limited liability company.

“Indenture” has the meaning specified in the preamble.

“Intellectual Property” means all intellectual property of every kind and nature now owned or hereafter acquired by any Pledgor, including, inventions, designs, Patents, Copyrights, Trademarks, Patent Licenses, Copyright Licenses, Trademark Licenses, trade secrets, domain names, confidential or proprietary technical and business information, know-how, show-how or other data or information and all related documentation.

“Intellectual Property Security Agreement” means a security agreement in the form hereof or a short form hereof, in each case, which form shall be reasonably acceptable to the Collateral Agent.

“Intercreditor Agreements” means, collectively, the Senior Lien Intercreditor Agreement, the First-Priority Intercreditor Agreement, the First-Lien Intercreditor Agreement, the Junior Lien Intercreditor Agreement and any other successor or future intercreditor agreements.

“IP Agreements” means all material Copyright Licenses, Patent Licenses, Trademark Licenses, and all other agreements, permits, consents, orders and franchises relating to the license, development, use or disclosure of any material Intellectual Property to which a Pledgor, now or hereafter, is a party or a beneficiary, including, without limitation, the agreements set forth on Schedule III hereto.

“Issuers” has the meaning specified in the preamble.

“Letter of Credit” means a letter of credit issued under any Credit Agreement.

“Material Adverse Effect” shall mean a material adverse effect (i) on the business, property, operations or condition of Holdings, the Company and their respective Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or (ii) the validity or enforceability of any of the material Note Documents or the rights and remedies of the Secured Parties thereunder.

“New York UCC” means the Uniform Commercial Code as from time to time in effect in the State of New York.

“Note Documents” means this Agreement, the Indenture, the Securities, the Intercreditor Agreements, the Guarantees and the Security Documents.

“Note Obligations” means the Obligations of the Issuers and any other obligor under the Indenture or any of the other Note Documents, including any Guarantor, to pay

principal, premium, if any, and interest (including any interest accruing after the commencement of bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings) when due and payable, and all other amounts due or to become due under or in connection with the Note Documents and the performance of all other Obligations of the Issuers and the Guarantors to the Trustee and the holders of Securities under Note Documents, according to the respective terms thereof.

“Obligations” means any principal, interest, penalties, fees, indemnifications, reimbursements (including, without limitation, reimbursement obligations with respect to letters of credit and bankers’ acceptances), damages and other liabilities payable under the documentation governing any Indebtedness; provided that Obligations with respect to the Securities shall not include fees or indemnifications in favor of the Trustee and other third parties other than the holders of the Securities.

“Patent License” means any written agreement, now or hereafter in effect, granting to any Pledgor any right to make, use or sell any invention covered by a Patent, now or hereafter owned by any third party (including, without limitation, any such rights that such Pledgor has the right to license).

“Patents” means all of the following now owned or hereafter acquired by any Pledgor: (a) all letters patent of the United States or the equivalent thereof in any other country or jurisdiction, including those listed on Schedule III, and all applications for letters patent of the United States or the equivalent thereof in any other country or jurisdiction, including those listed on Schedule III, (b) all provisionals, reissues, extensions, continuations, divisions, continuations-in-part, reexaminations or revisions thereof, and the inventions disclosed or claimed therein, including the right to make, use, import and/or sell the inventions disclosed or claimed therein, (c) all claims for, and rights to xxx for, past or future infringements of any of the foregoing and (d) all income, royalties, damages and payments now or hereafter due and payable with respect to any of the foregoing, including damages and payments for past or future infringement thereof.

“person” shall mean any natural person, corporation, business trust, joint venture, association, company, partnership, limited liability company or government, individual or family trusts, or any agency or political subdivision thereof.

“Pledged Collateral” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 3.01.

“Pledged Debt Securities” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 3.01.

“Pledged Securities” means any promissory notes, stock certificates or other certificated securities now or hereafter included in the Pledged Collateral, including all certificates, instruments or other documents representing or evidencing any Pledged Collateral.

“Pledged Stock” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 3.01.

“Pledgor” shall mean each Issuer and each Subsidiary Party.

“Real Property Collateral” means the property subject to a Lien securing the Note Obligations pursuant to a Mortgage and includes, for the avoidance of doubt, any “Trust Property” referred to in any Mortgage.

“Rule 3-16 Excluded Collateral” has the meaning specified in Section 3.01.

“SEC” means the Securities and Exchange Commission, or any Governmental Authority succeeding to any of its principal functions.

“Secured Parties” means (a) the Collateral Agent, (b) the holders of the Securities and any other Note Obligations, (c) the Trustee and (c) the successors and permitted assigns of each of the foregoing.

“Security Interest” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 4.01.

“Subsidiary” means, with respect to any person (herein referred to as the “parent”), any corporation, partnership, association or other business entity (a) of which securities or other ownership interests representing more than 50% of the equity or more than 50% of the ordinary voting power or more than 50% of the general partnership interests are, at the time any determination is being made, directly or indirectly, owned, Controlled or held, or (b) that is, at the time any determination is made, otherwise Controlled, by the parent or one or more subsidiaries of the parent or by the parent and one or more subsidiaries of the parent. Unless the context otherwise requires, “Subsidiary” means a Subsidiary of the Company.

“Subsidiary Party” has the meaning assigned to such term in the preliminary statement of this Agreement, and any Subsidiary that becomes a party hereto pursuant to Section 7.16.

“Swap Agreement” shall mean any agreement with respect to any swap, forward, future or derivative transaction or option or similar agreement involving, or settled by reference to, one or more rates, currencies, commodities, equity or debt instruments or securities, or economic, financial or pricing indices or measures of economic, financial or pricing risk or value or any similar transaction or any combination of these transactions; provided, that no phantom stock or similar plan providing for payments only on account of services provided by current or former directors, officers, employees or consultants of Holdings, the Company or any of the Subsidiaries shall be a Swap Agreement.

“Trademark License” means any written agreement, now or hereafter in effect, granting to any Pledgor any right to use any Trademark now or hereafter owned by any third party (including, without limitation, any such rights that such Pledgor has the right to license).

“Trademarks” means all of the following now owned or hereafter acquired by any Pledgor: (a) all trademarks, service marks, corporate names, company names, business names, fictitious business names, trade styles, trade dress, logos, other source or business identifiers, designs and general intangibles of like nature, now existing or hereafter adopted or acquired, all registrations thereof (if any), and all registration and

recording applications filed in connection therewith, including registrations and registration applications in the United States Patent and Trademark Office or any similar offices in any State of the United States or any other country or any political subdivision thereof (except for “intent-to-use” applications for trademark or service xxxx registrations filed pursuant to Section 1(b) of the Xxxxxx Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1051, unless and until an Amendment to Allege Use or a Statement of Use under Sections 1(c) and 1(d) of Xxxxxx Act has been filed, to extent that, and solely during the period for which, any assignment of an “intent-to-use” application prior to such filing would violate the Xxxxxx Act), and all renewals thereof, including those listed on Schedule III, (b) all goodwill associated therewith or symbolized thereby, (c) all claims for, and rights to xxx for, past or future infringements of any of the foregoing and (d) all income, royalties, damages and payments now or hereafter due and payable with respect to any of the foregoing, including damages and payments for past or future infringement thereof.

“Trustee” has the meaning specified in the preamble.

ARTICLE 2

RESERVED

ARTICLE 3

PLEDGE OF SECURITIES

Section 3.01. Pledge. As security for the payment or performance, as the case may be, in full of its Note Obligations, each Pledgor hereby assigns and pledges to the Collateral Agent, its successors and permitted assigns, for the ratable benefit of the Secured Parties, and hereby grants to the Collateral Agent, its successors and permitted assigns, for the ratable benefit of the Secured Parties, a security interest in all of such Pledgor’s right, title and interest in, to and under (a) the Equity Interests directly owned by it (including those listed on Schedule II) and any other Equity Interests obtained in the future by such Pledgor and any certificates representing all such Equity Interests (the “Pledged Stock”); provided that the Pledged Stock shall not include (i) (A) more than 65% of the issued and outstanding voting Equity Interests of any “first tier” Foreign Subsidiary directly owned by such Pledgor, (B) more than 65% of the issued and outstanding voting Equity Interests of any “first tier” CFC Holding Company directly owned by such Pledgor, (C) any issued and outstanding Equity Interest of any Foreign Subsidiary that is not a “first tier” Foreign Subsidiary, and (D) any issued and outstanding Equity Interests of any CFC Holding Company that is not a “first tier” CFC Holding Company, (ii) to the extent applicable law requires that a Subsidiary of such Pledgor issue directors’ qualifying shares, such shares or nominee or other similar shares, (iii) any Equity Interests of a Subsidiary to the extent that, as of the Closing Date, and for so long as, such a pledge of such Equity Interests would violate applicable law or an enforceable contractual obligation binding on or relating to such Equity Interests, or (iv) any Equity Interests of a person that is not directly or indirectly a Subsidiary, as to which Article 4 shall apply; (b)(i) the debt obligations listed opposite the name of such Pledgor on Schedule II, (ii) any debt securities in the future issued to

such Pledgor having, in the case of each instance of debt securities, an aggregate principal amount in excess of $5.0 million, and (iii) the certificates, promissory notes and any other instruments, if any, evidencing such debt securities (the “Pledged Debt Securities”); (c) subject to Section 3.05 hereof, all payments of principal or interest, dividends, cash, instruments and other property from time to time received, receivable or otherwise distributed in respect of, in exchange for or upon the conversion of, and all other proceeds received in respect of, the securities referred to in clauses (a) and (b) above; (d) subject to Section 3.05 hereof, all rights and privileges of such Pledgor with respect to the securities and other property referred to in clauses (a), (b) and (c) above; and (e) all proceeds of any of the foregoing (the items referred to in clauses (a) through (c) above being collectively referred to as the “Pledged Collateral”).

TO HAVE AND TO HOLD the Pledged Collateral, together with all right, title, interest, powers, privileges and preferences pertaining or incidental thereto, unto the Collateral Agent, its successors and permitted assigns, for the ratable benefit of the Secured Parties, forever; subject, however, to the terms, covenants and conditions hereinafter set forth.

Notwithstanding anything else contained in this Agreement in the event that Rule 3-16 of Regulation S-X under the United States Securities Act of 1933 would require (or is replaced with another rule or regulation, or any other law, rule or regulation is adopted, which would require) (such law, rule or regulation, as amended or replaced with another rule or regulation, “Rule 3-16”) the filing with the SEC of separate financial statements of any Subsidiary of the Company due to the fact that a security interest in such Subsidiary’s Equity Interests or other securities has been granted hereunder as security for the payment or performance of the Note Obligations, then, solely to the extent securing the Note Obligations, the Lien granted pursuant to this Agreement or any other Security Document in such Equity Interests (the “Rule 3-16 Excluded Collateral”) shall not secure, or constitute “Collateral” with respect to the Note Obligations solely to the extent necessary and only for so long as required to cause the Company and its Subsidiaries to not be subject to such requirement. In such event, the Collateral Agent may and (at the written request and expense of the Company) shall take actions, without the consent of any Secured Party, to the extent necessary to evidence such exclusion from the Lien granted hereunder in favor of the Collateral Agent of the Rule 3-16 Excluded Collateral solely with respect to the Note Obligations; provided that the Collateral Agent shall not be required to take any such action unless the Company shall have delivered to the Collateral Agent, together with such written request, a certificate of a Officer of the Company certifying that such action is permitted by the Note Documents, and any such action taken by the Collateral Agent shall be without recourse to or warranty by the Collateral Agent. In the event that Rule 3-16 is amended, modified or interpreted by the SEC to permit (or is replaced with another rule or regulation, or any other law, rule or regulation is adopted, which would permit) any Rule 3-16 Excluded Collateral to secure the Note Obligations in excess of the amount then pledged without the filing with the SEC (or any other Governmental Authority) of separate financial statements for such Subsidiary of the Company, then the Equity Interest of such Subsidiary will automatically be deemed to be a part of the Collateral for the Note Obligations, to the extent otherwise required by this Agreement.

Section 3.02. Delivery of the Pledged Collateral. (a) Each Pledgor agrees promptly to deliver or cause to be delivered to the Collateral Agent, for the ratable benefit of the Secured Parties, any and all Pledged Securities to the extent such Pledged Securities, in the case of promissory notes or other instruments evidencing Indebtedness, are required to be delivered pursuant to paragraph (b) of this Section 3.02.

(b) Each Pledgor will cause any Indebtedness for borrowed money having an aggregate principal amount in excess of $5.0 million (other than (i) intercompany current liabilities incurred in the ordinary course of business in connection with the cash management operations and intercompany sales of Holdings, the Company and its Subsidiaries or (ii) to the extent that a pledge of such promissory note or instrument would violate applicable law) owed to such Pledgor by any person to be evidenced by a duly executed promissory note that is pledged and delivered to the Collateral Agent, for the ratable benefit of the Secured Parties, pursuant to the terms hereof. To the extent any such promissory note is a demand note, each Pledgor party thereto agrees, if requested by the Collateral Agent, to immediately demand payment thereunder upon an Event of Default specified under Sections 6.01(a), (b), (e), (f), or (g) of the Indenture, unless such demand would not be commercially reasonable or would otherwise expose Pledgor to liability to the maker.

(c) Upon delivery to the Collateral Agent, (i) any Pledged Securities required to be delivered pursuant to the foregoing paragraphs (a) and (b) of this Section 3.02 shall be accompanied by stock powers or note powers, as applicable, duly executed in blank or other instruments of transfer reasonably satisfactory to the Collateral Agent and by such other instruments and documents as the Collateral Agent may reasonably request and (ii) all other property composing part of the Pledged Collateral delivered pursuant to the terms of this Agreement shall be accompanied to the extent necessary to perfect the security interest in or allow realization on the Pledged Collateral by proper instruments of assignment duly executed by the applicable Pledgor and such other instruments or documents (including issuer acknowledgments in respect of uncertificated securities in the form of Exhibit II hereto) as the Collateral Agent may reasonably request. Each delivery of Pledged Securities shall be accompanied by a schedule describing the securities, which schedule shall be attached hereto as Schedule II (or a supplement to Schedule II, as applicable) and made a part hereof; provided that failure to attach any such schedule hereto shall not affect the validity of such pledge of such Pledged Securities. Each schedule so delivered shall supplement any prior schedules so delivered.

Section 3.03. Representations, Warranties and Covenants. The Pledgors, jointly and severally, represent, warrant and covenant to and with the Collateral Agent, for the ratable benefit of the Secured Parties, that:

(a) Schedule II correctly sets forth the percentage of the issued and outstanding shares of each class of Equity Interests of the issuer thereof represented by such Pledged Stock and includes all Equity Interests, debt securities and promissory notes or instruments evidencing Indebtedness required to be (i) pledged in order to satisfy the requirements of the Note Documents, or (ii) delivered pursuant to Section 3.02(b);

(b) the Pledged Stock and the Pledged Debt Securities (solely with respect to Pledged Debt Securities issued by a person that is not a Subsidiary of Holdings or an Affiliate of any such Subsidiary, to the best of each Pledgor’s knowledge) have been duly and validly authorized and issued by the issuers thereof and (i) in the case of Pledged Stock, are fully paid and nonassessable (other than with respect to Pledged Stock consisting of membership interests of limited liability companies to the extent provided in Sections 18-502 and 18-607 of the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act) and (ii) in the case of Pledged Debt Securities (solely with respect to Pledged Debt Securities issued by a person that is not a Subsidiary of Holdings or an Affiliate of any such subsidiary, to the best of each Pledgor’s knowledge) are legal, valid and binding obligations of the issuers thereof, subject to the effects of bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally, general equitable principles (whether considered in a proceeding at law or in equity) and an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing;

(c) except for the security interests granted hereunder, each Pledgor (i) is and, subject to any transfers made in compliance with the Note Documents, will continue to be the direct owner, beneficially and of record, of the Pledged Securities indicated on Schedule II as owned by such Pledgor, (ii) holds the same free and clear of all Liens, other than Permitted Liens, (iii) will make no assignment, pledge, hypothecation or transfer of, or create or permit to exist any security interest in or other Lien on, the Pledged Collateral, other than pursuant to a transaction permitted by the Note Documents and other than Permitted Liens and (iv) subject to the rights of such Pledgor under the Note Documents to dispose of Pledged Collateral, will use commercially reasonable efforts to defend its title or interest hereto or therein against any and all Liens (other than Permitted Liens), however arising, of all persons;

(d) other than as set forth in the Credit Agreement or the schedules thereto, and except for restrictions and limitations imposed by the Notes Documents or securities laws generally or otherwise permitted to exist pursuant to the terms of the Notes Documents, the Pledged Stock (other than partnership interests) is and will continue to be freely transferable and assignable, and none of the Pledged Stock is or will be subject to any option, right of first refusal, shareholders agreement, charter or by-law provisions or contractual restriction of any nature that might prohibit, impair, delay or otherwise affect the pledge of such Pledged Stock hereunder, the sale or disposition thereof pursuant hereto or the exercise by the Collateral Agent of rights and remedies hereunder;

(e) each Pledgor has the power and authority to pledge the Pledged Collateral pledged by it hereunder in the manner hereby done or contemplated;

(f) no action, consent or approval of, registration or filing with or any other action by any Governmental Authority is or will be required in connection with the perfection or maintenance of the Liens created hereunder or the exercise by the Trustee or any Secured Party of its rights hereunder or the remedies in respect of the Collateral, except for (a) the filing of Uniform Commercial Code financing statements, (b) filings with the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the United States Copyright

Office and comparable offices in foreign jurisdictions and equivalent filings in foreign jurisdictions, (c) such actions, consents, approvals, registrations and filings as have been made or obtained and are in full force and effect and (d) such actions, consents, approvals, registrations and filings the failure of which to be obtained or made would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect;

(g) by virtue of the execution and delivery by the Pledgors of this Agreement and the Foreign Pledge Agreements, when any Pledged Securities (including Pledged Stock of any Domestic Subsidiary or any foreign stock covered by a Foreign Pledge Agreement) are delivered to the Collateral Agent, for the ratable benefit of the Secured Parties, in accordance with this Agreement and a financing statement covering such Pledge Securities is filed in the appropriate filing office, the Collateral Agent will obtain, for the ratable benefit of the Secured Parties, a legal, valid and perfected lien upon and security interest in such Pledged Securities under the New York UCC, subject only to Liens permitted under the Note Documents, as security for the payment and performance of the Note Obligations;

(h) each Pledgor that is an issuer of the Pledged Collateral confirms that it has received notice of the security interest granted hereunder;

(i) except as otherwise provided on Schedule II, as of the Closing Date, none of the Equity Interests in limited liability companies or partnerships that is pledged by the Pledgors hereunder constitutes a security under Section 8-103 of the New York UCC or the corresponding code or statute of any other applicable jurisdiction; and

(j) the Pledgors shall not amend, or permit to be amended, the limited liability company agreement (or operating agreement or similar agreement) or partnership agreement of any Subsidiary of any Issuer whose Equity Interests are, or are required to be, Collateral in a manner to cause such Equity Interests to constitute a security under Section 8-103 of the New York UCC or the corresponding code or statute of any other applicable jurisdiction unless such Loan Party shall have first delivered 10 days written notice to the Collateral Agent and shall have taken all actions contemplated hereby and as otherwise reasonably required by the Collateral Agent to maintain the security interest of the Collateral Agent therein as a valid, perfected, first priority security interest.

Section 3.04. Registration in Nominee Name; Denominations. The Collateral Agent, on behalf of the Secured Parties, shall have the right (in its sole and absolute discretion) to hold the Pledged Securities in the name of the applicable Pledgor, endorsed or assigned in blank or in favor of the Collateral Agent or, if an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, in its own name as pledgee or the name of its nominee (as pledgee or as sub-agent). Each Pledgor will promptly give to the Collateral Agent copies of any notices or other communications received by it with respect to Pledged Securities registered in the name of such Pledgor. If an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, the Collateral Agent shall have the right to exchange the certificates representing Pledged Securities for certificates of smaller or larger denominations for any purpose consistent with this Agreement. Each Pledgor shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause any Subsidiary that is not a party to this Agreement to comply with a request by the Collateral Agent, pursuant to this Section 3.04, to exchange certificates representing Pledged Securities of such Subsidiary for certificates of smaller or larger denominations.

Section 3.05. Voting Rights; Dividends and Interest, Etc. (a) Unless and until an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing and the Collateral Agent shall have given notice to the relevant Pledgors of the Collateral Agent’s intention to exercise its rights hereunder:

(i) Each Pledgor shall be entitled to exercise any and all voting and/or other consensual rights and powers inuring to an owner of Pledged Collateral or any part thereof for any purpose consistent with the terms of this Agreement and the Note Documents; provided, that, except as permitted under the Note Documents, such rights and powers shall not be exercised in any manner that could materially and adversely affect the rights inuring to a holder of any Pledged Collateral, the rights and remedies of any of the Collateral Agent or the other Secured Parties under any Note Document or the ability of the Secured Parties to exercise the same.

(ii) The Collateral Agent shall promptly execute and deliver to each Pledgor, or cause to be executed and delivered to such Pledgor, all such proxies, powers of attorney and other instruments as such Pledgor may reasonably request for the purpose of enabling such Pledgor to exercise the voting and/or consensual rights and powers it is entitled to exercise pursuant to subparagraph (i) above.

(iii) Each Pledgor shall be entitled to receive and retain any and all dividends, interest, principal and other distributions paid on or distributed in respect of the Pledged Collateral to the extent and only to the extent that such dividends, interest, principal and other distributions are permitted by, and otherwise paid or distributed in accordance with, the terms and conditions of the Note Documents and applicable laws; provided, that (A) any noncash dividends, interest, principal or other distributions, payments or other consideration in respect thereof, including any rights to receive the same to the extent not so distributed or paid, that would constitute Pledged Securities, whether resulting from a subdivision, combination or reclassification of the outstanding Equity Interests of the issuer of any Pledged Securities, received in exchange for Pledged Securities or any part thereof, or in redemption thereof, as a result of any merger, consolidation, acquisition or other exchange of assets to which such issuer may be a party or otherwise or (B) any non-cash dividends and other distributions paid or payable in respect of any Pledged Securities that would constitute Pledged Securities in connection with a partial or total liquidation or dissolution or in connection with a reduction of capital, capital surplus or paid in surplus, shall be and become part of the Pledged Collateral, and, if received by any Pledgor, shall not be commingled by such Pledgor with any of its other funds or property but shall be held separate and apart therefrom, shall be held in trust for the benefit of the Collateral Agent, for the ratable benefit of the Secured Parties, and shall be forthwith delivered to the Collateral Agent, for the ratable benefit of the Secured Parties, in the same form as so received (endorsed in a manner reasonably satisfactory to the Collateral Agent).

(b) Upon the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default and after notice by the Collateral Agent to the Company of the Collateral Agent’s intention to exercise its rights hereunder, all rights of any Pledgor to dividends, interest, principal or other distributions that such Pledgor is authorized to receive pursuant to paragraph (a)(iii) of this Section 3.05 shall cease, and all such rights shall thereupon become vested, for the ratable benefit of the Secured Parties, in the Collateral Agent which shall have the sole and exclusive right and authority to receive and retain such dividends, interest, principal or other distributions; provided, however, that even after the occurrence of an Event of Default, any Pledgor may continue to exercise dividend and distribution rights solely to the extent permitted under subclause (xii) and subclause (xiii) of Section 4.04(b) of the Indenture, and not otherwise prohibited by any Note Documents. All dividends, interest, principal or other distributions received by any Pledgor contrary to the provisions of this Section 3.05 shall not be commingled by such Pledgor with any of its other funds or property but shall be held separate and apart therefrom, shall be held in trust for the benefit of the Collateral Agent, for the ratable benefit of the Secured Parties, and shall be forthwith delivered to the Collateral Agent, for the ratable benefit of the Secured Parties, in the same form as so received (endorsed in a manner reasonably satisfactory to the Collateral Agent). Any and all money and other property paid over to or received by the Collateral Agent pursuant to the provisions of this paragraph (b) shall be retained by the Collateral Agent in an account to be established by the Collateral Agent upon receipt of such money or other property and shall be applied in accordance with the provisions of Section 5.02 hereof. After all Events of Default have been cured or waived and the Company has delivered to the Collateral Agent a certificate to that effect, the Collateral Agent shall promptly release to each Pledgor (without interest) all dividends, interest, principal or other distributions that such Pledgor would otherwise be permitted to retain pursuant to the terms of paragraph (a)(iii) of this Section 3.05 and that remain in such account.

(c) Upon the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default and after notice by the Collateral Agent to the Company of the Collateral Agent’s intention to exercise its rights hereunder, all rights of any Pledgor to exercise the voting and/or consensual rights and powers it is entitled to exercise pursuant to paragraph (a)(i) of this Section 3.05, and the obligations of the Collateral Agent under paragraph (a)(ii) of this Section 3.05, shall cease, and all such rights shall thereupon become vested in the Collateral Agent, for the ratable benefit of the Secured Parties, which shall have the sole and exclusive right and authority to exercise such voting and consensual rights and powers; provided that the Collateral Agent shall have the right from time to time following and during the continuance of an Event of Default to permit the Pledgors to exercise such rights. After all Events of Default have been cured or waived and the Company has delivered to the Collateral Agent a certificate to that effect, each Pledgor shall have the right to exercise the voting and/or consensual rights and powers that such Pledgor would otherwise be entitled to exercise pursuant to the terms of paragraph (a)(i) above.

ARTICLE 4

SECURITY INTERESTS IN OTHER PERSONAL PROPERTY

Section 4.01. Security Interest. (a) As security for the payment or performance when due (whether at the stated maturity, by acceleration or otherwise), as the case may be, in full of its Note Obligations, each Pledgor hereby assigns and pledges to the Collateral Agent, its successors and permitted assigns, for the ratable benefit of the Secured Parties, and hereby grants to the Collateral Agent, its successors and permitted assigns, for the ratable benefit of the Secured Parties, a security interest (the “Security Interest”) in all right, title and interest in or to any and all of the following assets and properties now owned or at any time hereafter acquired by such Pledgor or in which such Pledgor now has or at any time in the future may acquire any right, title or interest (collectively, the “Article 9 Collateral”):

(i) all Accounts;

(ii) all Chattel Paper;

(iii) all cash and Deposit Accounts;

(iv) all Documents;

(v) all Equipment;

(vi) all General Intangibles;

(vii) all Instruments;

(viii) all Inventory;

(ix) all Investment Property;

(x) all Letter of Credit Rights;

(xi) all Commercial Tort Claims;

(xii) (1) Securities Accounts, (2) Financial Assets credited to Securities Accounts or Deposit Accounts from time to time and all Security Entitlements in respect thereof, (3) all cash held any Securities Account or Deposit Account and all other money in the possession of the Collateral Agent;

(xiii) all timber to be cut;

(xiv) all other personal property not otherwise described above (except for property specifically excluded from any defined term used in any of the foregoing clauses);

(xv) all books and records pertaining to the Article 9 Collateral; and

(xvi) to the extent not otherwise included, all proceeds, Supporting Obligations and products of any and all of the foregoing and all collateral security and guarantees given by any person with respect to any of the foregoing.

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, this Agreement shall not constitute a grant of a security interest in (A) any vehicle covered by a certificate of title or ownership, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, (B) (i) the Bucksport Co-Gen Assets, (ii) the Excluded Minority Interests, (iii) any Equity Interests acquired after the Closing Date in a person that is not a Subsidiary if, and to the extent that, and for so long as, a grant of a security interest in such Equity Interests would violate applicable law or an enforceable contractual obligation binding on or relating to such Equity Interests (if such obligation existed at the time of acquisition of such Equity Interests and was not created or made binding on such Equity Interests in contemplation of or in connection with the acquisition of such Equity Interests), and (iv) any assets acquired after the Closing Date to the extent that, and for so long as, granting a security interest in such assets would violate an enforceable contractual obligation binding on such assets that existed at the time of acquisition thereof and was not created or made binding on such assets in contemplation or in connection with the acquisition of such assets (except in the case of assets acquired with Indebtedness pursuant to Section 4.03(b)(iv) of the Indenture or any equivalent exception in any other Note Document that is secured by a Permitted Lien), (C) any (x) property excluded from the definition of Pledged Collateral by virtue of the proviso to Section 3.01 hereof (other than Section 3.01(a)(iv)) and (y) Rule 3-16 Collateral solely to the extent and with respect to the obligations described in the last paragraph of Section 3.01, (D) any Letter of Credit Rights to the extent any Pledgor is required by applicable law to apply the proceeds of a drawing of such Letter of Credit for a specified purpose, or (E) any Pledgor’s right, title or interest in any license, contract or agreement to which such Pledgor is a party or any of its right, title or interest thereunder to the extent, but only to the extent, that such a grant would, under the terms of such license, contract or agreement, result in a breach of the terms of, or constitute a default under, or result in the abandonment, invalidation or unenforceability of, any license, contract or agreement to which such Pledgor is a party (other than to the extent that any such term would be rendered ineffective pursuant to Section 9-406, 9-407, 9-408 or 9-409 of the New York UCC or any other applicable law (including, without limitation, Title 11 of the United States Code) or principles of equity); provided, that immediately upon the ineffectiveness, lapse or termination of any such provision, the Collateral shall include, and such Pledgor shall be deemed to have granted a security interest in, all such rights and interests as if such provision had never been in effect.

(b) Each Pledgor hereby irrevocably authorizes the Collateral Agent at any time and from time to time to file in any relevant jurisdiction any financing statements (including fixture filings and filings with respect to timber to be cut) with respect to the Article 9 Collateral or any part thereof and amendments thereto that contain the information required by Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code of each applicable jurisdiction for the filing of any financing statement or amendment, including (i) whether such Pledgor is an organization, the type of organization and any organizational identification number issued to such Pledgor, (ii) in the case of a financing statement filed

as a fixture filing, a sufficient description of the real property to which such Article 9 Collateral relates and (iii) a description of collateral that describes such property in any other manner as the Collateral Agent may reasonably determine is necessary or advisable to ensure the perfection of the security interest in the Article 9 Collateral granted under this Agreement, including describing such property as “all assets” or “all property.” Each Pledgor agrees to provide such information to the Collateral Agent promptly upon request, including providing within 30 days of any reasonable request therefor legal descriptions of real property (other than real property subject to a Mortgage) on which timber to be cut of such Pledgor is located.

The Collateral Agent is further authorized to file with the United States Patent and Trademark Office or United States Copyright Office (or any successor office) such documents as may be reasonably necessary or advisable for the purpose of perfecting, confirming, continuing, enforcing or protecting the Security Interest granted by each Pledgor, without the signature of any Pledgor, and naming any Pledgor or the Pledgors as debtors and the Collateral Agent as secured party. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, no Pledgor shall be required to take any action under the laws of any jurisdiction other than the United States (or any political subdivision thereof) and its territories and possessions for the purpose of perfecting the Security Interest in any Article 9 Collateral of such Pledgor constituting Patents, Trademarks or Copyrights.

(c) The Security Interest is granted as security only and shall not subject the Collateral Agent or any other Secured Party to, or in any way alter or modify, any obligation or liability of any Pledgor with respect to or arising out of the Article 9 Collateral.

(d) The Pledgors shall enter into Control Agreements as may be required by the Indenture.

Section 4.02. Representations and Warranties. The Pledgors jointly and severally represent and warrant to the Collateral Agent and the Secured Parties that:

(a) Each Pledgor has good and valid rights in and title to the Article 9 Collateral with respect to which it has purported to grant a Security Interest hereunder and has full power and authority to grant to the Collateral Agent the Security Interest in such Article 9 Collateral pursuant hereto and to execute, deliver and perform its obligations in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, without the consent or approval of any other person other than any consent or approval that has been obtained and is in full force and effect or has otherwise been disclosed herein or in the Indenture.

(b) The information set forth in the Schedules attached hereto is correct and complete, in all material respects, as of the Closing Date. The Uniform Commercial Code financing statements (including fixture filings, as applicable) or other appropriate filings, recordings or registrations containing a description of the Article 9 Collateral that have been prepared by the Collateral Agent for filing in each governmental, municipal or other office specified in Schedule IV (or specified by notice from the Company to the Collateral Agent after the Closing Date in the case of filings,

recordings or registrations required by Section 4.16 of the Indenture or corresponding provisions of any other Note Documents) and in each relevant governmental, municipal or other office pertaining to real property for which a legal description is provided pursuant to Section 4.01(b) constitute all the filings, recordings and registrations (except to the extent that filings are required to be made in the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the United States Copyright Office, or any similar office in any other jurisdiction, in order to perfect the Security Interest in Article 9 Collateral consisting of United States Patents, United States registered Trademarks and United States registered Copyrights) that are necessary to publish notice of and protect the validity of and to establish a legal, valid and perfected security interest in favor of the Collateral Agent (for the ratable benefit of the Secured Parties) in respect of all Article 9 Collateral in which the Security Interest may be perfected by filing, recording or registration in the United States (or any political subdivision thereof) and its territories and possessions, and no further or subsequent filing, refiling, recording, rerecording, registration or reregistration is necessary in any such jurisdiction, except as provided under applicable law with respect to the filing of continuation statements or amendments. Each Pledgor represents and warrants that a fully executed Intellectual Property Security Agreement containing a description of all Article 9 Collateral consisting of Intellectual Property with respect to United States Patents (and Patents for which United States applications are pending), United States registered Trademarks (and Trademarks for which United States registration applications are pending) and United States registered Copyrights (and Copyrights for which United States registration applications are pending) has been delivered to the Collateral Agent for recording with the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the United States Copyright Office pursuant to 35 U.S.C. § 261, 15 U.S.C. § 1060 or 17 U.S.C. § 205 and the regulations thereunder, as applicable, and reasonably requested by the Collateral Agent, to protect the validity of and to establish a legal, valid and perfected security interest in favor of the Collateral Agent, for the ratable benefit of the Secured Parties, in respect of all Article 9 Collateral consisting of such Intellectual Property in which a security interest may be perfected by recording with the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the United States Copyright Office, and no further or subsequent filing, refiling, recording, rerecording, registration or reregistration is necessary (other than the Uniform Commercial Code financing statements referred to above, and other than such actions as are necessary to perfect the Security Interest with respect to any Article 0 Xxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxx xx Xxxxxx Xxxxxx Patents, Trademarks and Copyrights (or registration or application for registration thereof) acquired or developed after the date hereof).

(c) The Security Interest constitutes (i) a legal and valid security interest in all the Article 9 Collateral securing the payment and performance of the Note Obligations, (ii) subject to the filings described in Section 4.02(b), a perfected security interest in all Article 9 Collateral in which a security interest may be perfected by filing, recording or registering a financing statement or analogous document in the United States (or any political subdivision thereof) and its territories and possessions pursuant to the Uniform Commercial Code or other applicable law in such jurisdictions and (iii) a security interest that shall be perfected in all Article 9 Collateral in which a security interest may be perfected upon the receipt and recording of the Intellectual Property Security Agreement with the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the United States Copyright Office, as applicable. The Security Interest is and shall be prior to any other Lien on any of the Article 9 Collateral other than Permitted Liens.

(d) The Article 9 Collateral is owned by the Pledgors free and clear of any Lien, other than Permitted Liens. None of the Pledgors has filed or consented to the filing of (i) any financing statement or analogous document under the Uniform Commercial Code or any other applicable laws covering any Article 9 Collateral, (ii) any assignment in which any Pledgor assigns any Article 9 Collateral or any security agreement or similar instrument covering any Article 9 Collateral with the United States Patent and Trademark Office or the United States Copyright Office or (iii) any assignment in which any Pledgor assigns any Article 9 Collateral or any security agreement or similar instrument covering any Article 9 Collateral with any foreign governmental, municipal or other office, which financing statement or analogous document, assignment, security agreement or similar instrument is still in effect, except, in each case, for Permitted Liens.

(e) None of the Pledgors holds any Commercial Tort Claim individually in excess of $5.0 million as of the Closing Date except as indicated on Schedule V.

(f) Except as set forth in Schedule VI, as of the Closing Date, all Accounts have been originated by the Pledgors and all Inventory has been produced or acquired by the Pledgors in the ordinary course of business.

(g) As to itself and its Article 9 Collateral consisting of Intellectual Property (the “Intellectual Property Collateral”), to the best of each Pledgor’s knowledge:

(i) The Intellectual Property Collateral set forth on Schedule III includes all of the material Patents, Trademarks, Copyrights and IP Agreements owned by such Pledgor as of the date hereof.

(ii) The Intellectual Property Collateral is subsisting and, to the best of such Pledgor’s knowledge, has not been adjudged invalid or unenforceable in whole or part (except for office actions issued in the ordinary course by the United States Patent and Trademark Office or any similar office in any foreign jurisdiction), and to the best of such Pledgor’s knowledge, is valid and enforceable, except as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Such Pledgor is not aware of any uses of any item of Intellectual Property Collateral that would be expected to lead to such item becoming invalid or unenforceable, except as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(iii) Such Pledgor has made or performed all commercially reasonable acts, including without limitation filings, recordings and payment of all required fees and taxes, required to maintain and protect its interest in each and every item of Intellectual Property Collateral in full force and effect in the United

States and such Pledgor has used proper statutory notice in connection with its use of each Patent, Trademark and Copyright in the Intellectual Property Collateral, in each case, except to the extent that the failure to do so would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(iv) With respect to each IP Agreement, the absence, termination or violation of which would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect: (A) such Pledgor has not received any notice of termination or cancellation under such IP Agreement; (B) such Pledgor has not received any notice of a breach or default under such IP Agreement, which breach or default has not been cured or waived; and (C) to the knowledge of such Pledgor, neither such Pledgor nor any other party to such IP Agreement is in breach or default thereof in any material respect, and no event has occurred that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute such a breach or default or permit termination, modification or acceleration under such IP Agreement.

(v) Except as to matters that would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect, no Pledgor or Intellectual Property Collateral is subject to any outstanding consent, settlement, decree, order, injunction, judgment or ruling restricting the use of any Intellectual Property Collateral or that would impair the validity or enforceability of such Intellectual Property Collateral.

Section 4.03. Covenants. (a) Each Pledgor agrees to provide at least 10 days’ prior written notice to Collateral Agent of any change (i) in its corporate or organization name, (ii) in its identity or type of organization or corporate structure, (iii) in its Federal Taxpayer Identification Number or organizational identification number or (iv) in its “location” (determined as provided in the Uniform Commercial Code Section 9-307). Each Pledgor agrees promptly to provide the Collateral Agent with certified organizational documents reflecting any of the changes described in the immediately preceding sentence. Each Pledgor agrees not to effect or permit any change referred to in the first sentence of this paragraph (a) unless all filings have been made, or will have been made within any applicable statutory period, under the Uniform Commercial Code or otherwise that are required in order for the Collateral Agent to continue at all times following such change to have a valid, legal and perfected first priority security interest in all the Article 9 Collateral, for the ratable benefit of the Secured Parties. Each Pledgor agrees promptly to notify the Collateral Agent if any material portion of the Article 9 Collateral owned or held by such Pledgor is damaged or destroyed.

(b) Subject to the rights of such Pledgor under the Note Documents to dispose of Collateral, each Pledgor shall, at its own expense, use commercially reasonable efforts to defend title to the Article 9 Collateral against all persons and to defend the Security Interest of the Collateral Agent, for the ratable benefit of the Secured Parties, in the Article 9 Collateral and the priority thereof against any Lien that is not a Permitted Lien.

(c) Each Pledgor agrees, at its own expense, to execute, acknowledge, deliver and cause to be duly filed all such further instruments and documents and take all such actions as the Collateral Agent may from time to time reasonably request to better assure, preserve, protect and perfect the Security Interest and the rights and remedies created hereby, including the payment of any fees and taxes required in connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement and the granting of the Security Interest and the filing of any financing statements (including fixture filings) or other documents in connection herewith or therewith. If any amount payable under or in connection with any of the Article 9 Collateral that is in excess of $5.0 million shall be or become evidenced by any promissory note or other instrument, such note or instrument shall be promptly pledged and delivered to the Collateral Agent, for the ratable benefit of the Secured Parties, duly endorsed in a manner reasonably satisfactory to the Collateral Agent.

Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, each Pledgor hereby authorizes the Collateral Agent, with prompt notice thereof to the Pledgors, to supplement this Agreement by supplementing Schedule III or adding additional schedules hereto to specifically identify any asset or item that may constitute material Copyrights, Patents, Trademarks, Copyright Licenses, Patent Licenses or Trademark Licenses; provided that any Pledgor shall have the right, exercisable within 30 days after the Company has been notified by the Collateral Agent of the specific identification of such Article 9 Collateral, to advise the Collateral Agent in writing of any inaccuracy of the representations and warranties made by such Pledgor hereunder with respect to such Article 9 Collateral. Each Pledgor agrees that it will use its commercially reasonable efforts to take such action as shall be necessary in order that all representations and warranties hereunder shall be true and correct with respect to such Article 9 Collateral within 30 days after the date it has been notified by the Collateral Agent of the specific identification of such Article 9 Collateral.

(d) After the occurrence of an Event of Default and during the continuance thereof, the Collateral Agent shall have the right to verify under reasonable procedures the validity, amount, quality, quantity, value, condition and status of, or any other matter relating to, the Article 9 Collateral, including, in the case of Accounts or Article 9 Collateral in the possession of any third person, by contacting Account Debtors or the third person possessing such Article 9 Collateral for the purpose of making such a verification. The Collateral Agent shall have the right to share any information it gains from such inspection or verification with any Secured Party.

(e) At its option, the Collateral Agent may discharge past due taxes, assessments, charges, fees, Liens, security interests or other encumbrances at any time levied or placed on the Article 9 Collateral and not a Permitted Lien, and may pay for the maintenance and preservation of the Article 9 Collateral to the extent any Pledgor fails to do so as required by the Note Documents or this Agreement, and each Pledgor jointly and severally agrees to reimburse the Collateral Agent on demand for any reasonable payment made or any reasonable expense incurred by the Collateral Agent pursuant to the foregoing authorization; provided, however, that nothing in this Section 4.03(e) shall be interpreted as excusing any Pledgor from the performance of, or imposing any obligation on the Collateral Agent or any Secured Party to cure or perform, any covenants or other promises of any Pledgor with respect to taxes, assessments, charges, fees, Liens, security interests or other encumbrances and maintenance as set forth herein or in the other Note Documents.

(f) Each Pledgor (rather than the Collateral Agent or any Secured Party) shall remain liable for the observance and performance of all the conditions and obligations to be observed and performed by it under each contract, agreement or instrument relating to the Article 9 Collateral and each Pledgor jointly and severally agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Collateral Agent and the Secured Parties from and against any and all liability for such performance.

(g) None of the Pledgors shall make or permit to be made an assignment, pledge or hypothecation of the Article 9 Collateral or shall grant any other Lien in respect of the Article 9 Collateral, except as permitted by the Note Documents and the other provisions hereof. None of the Pledgors shall make or permit to be made any transfer of the Article 9 Collateral and each Pledgor shall remain at all times in possession of the Article 9 Collateral owned by it, except as permitted by the Note Documents and the other provisions hereof.

(h) None of the Pledgors will, without the Collateral Agent’s prior written consent (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld), grant any extension of the time of payment of any Accounts included in the Article 9 Collateral, compromise, compound or settle the same for less than the full amount thereof, release, wholly or partly, any person liable for the payment thereof or allow any credit or discount whatsoever thereon, other than extensions, credits, discounts, compromises or settlements granted or made in the ordinary course of business and consistent with prudent business practices or as otherwise permitted under the Note Documents.

(i) Each Pledgor irrevocably makes, constitutes and appoints the Collateral Agent (and all officers, employees or agents designated by the Collateral Agent) as such Pledgor’s true and lawful agent (and attorney-in-fact) for the purpose, during the continuance of an Event of Default, of making, settling and adjusting claims in respect of Article 9 Collateral under policies of insurance, endorsing the name of such Pledgor on any check, draft, instrument or other item of payment for the proceeds of such policies of insurance and for making all determinations and decisions with respect thereto. In the event that any Pledgor at any time or times shall fail to obtain or maintain any of the policies of insurance required hereby or to pay any premium in whole or part relating thereto, the Collateral Agent may, without waiving or releasing any obligation or liability of the Pledgors hereunder or any Event of Default, in its sole discretion, obtain and maintain such policies of insurance and pay such premium and take any other actions with respect thereto as the Collateral Agent reasonably deems advisable. All sums disbursed by the Collateral Agent in connection with this Section 4.03(i), including reasonable attorneys’ fees, court costs, expenses and other charges relating thereto, shall be payable, upon demand, by the Pledgors to the Collateral Agent and shall be additional Obligations secured hereby.

Section 4.04. Other Actions. In order to further ensure the attachment, perfection and priority of, and the ability of the Collateral Agent to enforce, for the ratable benefit of the Secured Parties, the Collateral Agent’s security interest in the Article 9 Collateral, each Pledgor agrees, in each case at such Pledgor’s own expense, to take the following actions with respect to the following Article 9 Collateral:

(a) Instruments and Tangible Chattel Paper. If any Pledgor shall at any time hold or acquire any Instrument (other than checks received and processed in the ordinary course of business) or Tangible Chattel Paper evidencing an amount in excess of $5.0 million, such Pledgor shall forthwith endorse, assign and deliver the same to the Collateral Agent, accompanied by such instruments of transfer or assignment duly executed in blank as the Collateral Agent may from time to time reasonably request.

(b) Investment Property. Except to the extent otherwise provided in Article 3, if any Pledgor shall at any time hold or acquire any Certificated Security constituting Pledged Collateral or Article 9 Collateral, such Pledgor shall forthwith endorse, assign and deliver the same to the Collateral Agent, accompanied by such instruments of transfer or assignment duly executed in blank as the Collateral Agent may from time to time reasonably specify. If any security of a domestic issuer now owned or hereafter acquired by any Pledgor is uncertificated and is issued to such Pledgor or its nominee directly by the issuer thereof, such Pledgor shall promptly notify the Collateral Agent of such uncertificated securities and (i) upon the Collateral Agent’s reasonable request or (ii) upon the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default, such Pledgor shall either (x) cause the issuer thereof to execute and deliver to the Collateral Agent an issuer acknowledgement in respect of such uncertificated securities in the form of Exhibit II hereto or (y) cause the issuer to register the Collateral Agent as the registered owner of such security. If any security or other Investment Property, whether certificated or uncertificated, representing an Equity Interest in a third party and having a fair market value in excess of $5.0 million now or hereafter acquired by any Pledgor is held by such Pledgor or its nominee through a securities intermediary or commodity intermediary, such Pledgor shall promptly notify the Collateral Agent thereof and, at the Collateral Agent’s request and option, pursuant to a Control Agreement in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Collateral Agent, either (A) cause such securities intermediary or commodity intermediary, as applicable, to agree, in the case of a securities intermediary, to comply with entitlement orders or other instructions from the Collateral Agent to such securities intermediary as to such securities or other Investment Property or, in the case of a commodity intermediary, to apply any value distributed on account of any commodity contract as directed by the Collateral Agent to such commodity intermediary, in each case without further consent of any Pledgor or such nominee, or (B) in the case of Financial Assets or other Investment Property held through a securities intermediary, arrange for the Collateral Agent to become the entitlement holder with respect to such Investment Property, for the ratable benefit of the Secured Parties, with such Pledgor being permitted, only with the consent of the Collateral Agent, to exercise rights to withdraw or otherwise deal with such Investment Property. The Collateral Agent agrees with each of the Pledgors that the Collateral Agent shall not give any such entitlement orders or instructions or directions to any such issuer, securities intermediary or commodity intermediary, and shall not withhold its consent to the exercise of any withdrawal or

dealing rights by any Pledgor, unless an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing or, after giving effect to any such withdrawal or dealing rights, would occur. The provisions of this paragraph (b) shall not apply to any Financial Assets credited to a Securities Account for which the Collateral Agent is the securities intermediary.

(c) Commercial Tort Claims. If any Pledgor shall at any time hold or acquire a Commercial Tort Claim in an amount reasonably estimated to exceed $5.0 million, such Pledgor shall promptly notify the Collateral Agent thereof in a writing signed by such Pledgor, including a summary description of such claim, and grant to the Collateral Agent in writing a security interest therein and in the proceeds thereof, all under the terms and provisions of this Agreement, with such writing to be in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Collateral Agent.

Section 4.05. Covenants Regarding Patent, Trademark and Copyright Collateral. Except as permitted by the Note Documents: (a) Each Pledgor agrees that it will not knowingly do any act or omit to do any act (and will exercise commercially reasonable efforts to prevent its licensees from doing any act or omitting to do any act) whereby any Patent that is material to the normal conduct of such Pledgor’s business may become prematurely invalidated, abandoned, lapsed or dedicated to the public, and agrees that it shall take commercially reasonable steps with respect to any material products covered by any such Patent as necessary and sufficient to establish and preserve its rights under applicable patent laws.

(b) Each Pledgor will, and will use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause its licensees or its sublicensees to, for each material Trademark necessary to the normal conduct of such Pledgor’s business, (i) maintain such Trademark in full force free from any adjudication of abandonment or invalidity for non-use, (ii) maintain the quality of products and services offered under such Trademark, (iii) display such Trademark with notice of federal or foreign registration or claim of trademark or service xxxx as required under applicable law and (iv) not knowingly use or knowingly permit its licensees’ use of such Trademark in violation of any third-party rights.

(c) Each Pledgor will, and will use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause its licensees or its sublicensees to, for each work covered by a material Copyright necessary to the normal conduct of such Pledgor’s business that it publishes, displays and distributes, use a copyright notice as provided by applicable copyright laws.

(d) Each Pledgor shall notify the Collateral Agent promptly if it knows that any Patent, Trademark or Copyright material to the normal conduct of such Pledgor’s business may imminently become abandoned, lapsed or dedicated to the public, or of any materially adverse determination or development, excluding office actions and similar determinations or developments in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, United States Copyright Office, any court or any similar office of any country, regarding such Pledgor’s ownership of any such material Patent, Trademark or Copyright or its right to register or to maintain the same.

(e) Each Pledgor, either itself or through any agent, employee, licensee or designee, shall (i) inform the Collateral Agent on an annual basis of each application by itself, or through any agent, employee, licensee or designee, for any Patent with the United States Patent and Trademark Office and each registration of any Trademark or Copyright with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the United States Copyright Office or any comparable office or agency in any other country filed during the preceding twelve-month period, and (ii) upon the reasonable request of the Collateral Agent, execute and deliver any and all agreements, instruments, documents and papers as the Collateral Agent may reasonably request to evidence the Collateral Agent’s security interest in such Patent, Trademark or Copyright.

(f) Each Pledgor shall exercise its reasonable business judgment consistent with the practice in any proceeding before the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the United States Copyright Office or any comparable office or agency in any other country with respect to maintaining and pursuing each application relating to any Patent, Trademark and/or Copyright (and obtaining the relevant grant or registration) material to the normal conduct of such Pledgor’s business and to maintain each issued Patent and (ii) the registrations of each Trademark and each Copyright that is material to the normal conduct of such Pledgor’s business, including, when applicable and necessary in such Pledgor’s reasonable business judgment, timely filings of applications for renewal, affidavits of use, affidavits of incontestability and payment of maintenance fees, and, if any Pledgor believes necessary in its reasonable business judgment, to initiate opposition, interference and cancellation proceedings against third parties.

(g) In the event that any Pledgor knows or has reason to know that any Article 9 Collateral consisting of a Patent, Trademark or Copyright material to the normal conduct of its business has been or is about to be materially infringed, misappropriated or diluted by a third party, such Pledgor shall promptly notify the Collateral Agent and shall, if such Pledgor deems it necessary in its reasonable business judgment, promptly xxx and recover any and all damages, and take such other actions as are reasonably appropriate under the circumstances.

ARTICLE 5

REMEDIES

Section 5.01. Remedies Upon Default. Upon the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default, each Pledgor agrees to deliver each item of Collateral to the Collateral Agent on demand, and it is agreed that the Collateral Agent shall have the right to take any of or all the following actions at the same or different times: (a) with respect to any Article 9 Collateral consisting of Intellectual Property, on demand, to cause the Security Interest to become an assignment, transfer and conveyance of any of or all such Article 9 Collateral by the applicable Pledgors to the Collateral Agent or to license or sublicense, whether general, special or otherwise, and whether on an exclusive or a nonexclusive basis, any such Article 9 Collateral throughout the world on such terms and conditions and in such manner as the Collateral Agent shall determine (other than in violation of any then-existing licensing arrangements to the extent that waivers thereunder cannot be obtained with the use of commercially reasonable efforts, which each Pledgor

hereby agrees to use) and (b) with or without legal process and with or without prior notice or demand for performance, to take possession of the Article 9 Collateral and without liability for trespass to the applicable Pledgor to enter any premises where the Article 9 Collateral may be located for the purpose of taking possession of or removing the Article 9 Collateral and, generally, to exercise any and all rights afforded to a secured party under the applicable Uniform Commercial Code or other applicable law. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, each Pledgor agrees that the Collateral Agent shall have the right, subject to the mandatory requirements of applicable law, to sell or otherwise dispose of all or any part of the Collateral at a public or private sale or at any broker’s board or on any securities exchange, for cash, upon credit or for future delivery as the Collateral Agent shall deem appropriate. The Collateral Agent shall be authorized in connection with any sale of a security (if it deems it advisable to do so) pursuant to the foregoing to restrict the prospective bidders or purchasers to persons who represent and agree that they are purchasing such security for their own account, for investment, and not with a view to the distribution or sale thereof. Upon consummation of any such sale of Collateral pursuant to this Section 5.01 the Collateral Agent shall have the right to assign, transfer and deliver to the purchaser or purchasers thereof the Collateral so sold. Each such purchaser at any such sale shall hold the property sold absolutely, free from any claim or right on the part of any Pledgor, and each Pledgor hereby waives and releases (to the extent permitted by law) all rights of redemption, stay, valuation and appraisal that such Pledgor now has or may at any time in the future have under any rule of law or statute now existing or hereafter enacted.

The Collateral Agent shall, except in the case of Collateral that is perishable or threatens to decline speedily in value or is of a type customarily sold on a recognized market, give the applicable Pledgors 10 Business Days’ written notice (which each Pledgor agrees is reasonable notice within the meaning of Section 9-611 of the New York UCC or its equivalent in other jurisdictions) of the Collateral Agent’s intention to make any sale of Collateral. Such notice, in the case of a public sale, shall state the time and place for such sale and, in the case of a sale at a broker’s board or on a securities exchange, shall state the board or exchange at which such sale is to be made and the day on which the Collateral, or portion thereof, will first be offered for sale at such board or exchange. Any such public sale shall be held at such time or times within ordinary business hours and at such place or places as the Collateral Agent may fix and state in the notice (if any) of such sale. At any such sale, the Collateral, or the portion thereof, to be sold may be sold in one lot as an entirety or in separate parcels, as the Collateral Agent may (in its sole and absolute discretion) determine. The Collateral Agent shall not be obligated to make any sale of any Collateral if it shall determine not to do so, regardless of the fact that notice of sale of such Collateral shall have been given. The Collateral Agent may, without notice or publication, adjourn any public or private sale or cause the same to be adjourned from time to time by announcement at the time and place fixed for sale, and such sale may, without further notice, be made at the time and place to which the same was so adjourned. In the case of any sale of all or any part of the Collateral made on credit or for future delivery, the Collateral so sold may be retained by the Collateral Agent until the sale price is paid by the purchaser or purchasers thereof, but the Collateral Agent shall not incur any liability in the event that any such purchaser or purchasers shall fail to take up and pay for the Collateral so sold and, in the case of any such failure, such

Collateral may be sold again upon notice given in accordance with provisions above. At any public (or, to the extent permitted by law, private) sale made pursuant to this Section 5.01, any Secured Party may bid for or purchase for cash, free (to the extent permitted by law) from any right of redemption, stay, valuation or appraisal on the part of any Pledgor (all such rights being also hereby waived and released to the extent permitted by law), the Collateral or any part thereof offered for sale and such Secured Party may, upon compliance with the terms of sale, hold, retain and dispose of such property in accordance with Section 5.02 hereof without further accountability to any Pledgor therefor. For purposes hereof, a written agreement to purchase the Collateral or any portion thereof shall be treated as a sale thereof; the Collateral Agent shall be free to carry out such sale pursuant to such agreement and no Pledgor shall be entitled to the return of the Collateral or any portion thereof subject thereto, notwithstanding the fact that after the Collateral Agent shall have entered into such an agreement all Events of Default shall have been remedied and the Note Obligations paid in full. As an alternative to exercising the power of sale herein conferred upon it, the Collateral Agent may proceed by a suit or suits at law or in equity to foreclose this Agreement and to sell the Collateral or any portion thereof pursuant to a judgment or decree of a court or courts having competent jurisdiction or pursuant to a proceeding by a court-appointed receiver. Any sale pursuant to the provisions of this shall be deemed to conform to the commercially reasonable standards as provided in Section 9-610(b) of the New York UCC or its equivalent in other jurisdictions.

For the avoidance of doubt, with respect to Real Property Collateral, the remedies set forth in the Mortgages applicable to such Real Property Collateral shall control and the foregoing provisions of this Section shall apply to such Real Property Collateral only to the extent permitted by applicable law and the provisions of any applicable Mortgage or other document.

Section 5.02. Application of Proceeds.

The Collateral Agent shall promptly apply the proceeds, moneys or balances of any collection or sale of Collateral, as well as any Collateral consisting of cash, as follows:

FIRST, to the payment of all costs and expenses incurred by the Collateral Agent in connection with such collection or sale or otherwise in connection with this Agreement, any Note Document or any of the Note Obligations, including without limitation all court costs and the fees and expenses of agents and legal counsel for the Collateral Agent, the repayment of all advances made by the Collateral Agent hereunder or under any Note Document on behalf of any Pledgor, any other costs or expenses incurred in connection with the exercise of any right or remedy hereunder or under any other Note Document, and all other fees, indemnities and other amounts owing or reimbursable to the Collateral Agent under any Note Document in its capacity as such;

SECOND, to the payment in full of the Note Obligations (the amounts so applied to be (i) allocated between principal (or equivalent) and interest in the absolute discretion of the Collateral Agent and (ii) distributed among the Secured Parties pro rata in accordance with the respective amounts of the Note Obligations owed to them on the date of any such distribution; and

THIRD, to the Pledgors, their successors or assigns, or as a court of competent jurisdiction may otherwise direct.

The Collateral Agent shall have absolute discretion as to the time of application of any such proceeds, moneys or balances in accordance with this Agreement. Upon any sale of Collateral by the Collateral Agent (including pursuant to a power of sale granted by statute or under a judicial proceeding), the receipt of the purchase money by the Collateral Agent or of the officer making the sale shall be a sufficient discharge to the purchaser or purchasers of the Collateral so sold and such purchaser or purchasers shall not be obligated to see to the application of any part of the purchase money paid over to the Collateral Agent or such officer or be answerable in any way for the misapplication thereof.

Section 5.03. Securities Act, Etc. In view of the position of the Pledgors in relation to the Pledged Collateral, or because of other current or future circumstances, a question may arise under the Securities Act of 1933, as now or hereafter in effect, or any similar federal statute hereafter enacted analogous in purpose or effect (such Act and any such similar statute as from time to time in effect being called the “Federal Securities Laws”) with respect to any disposition of the Pledged Collateral permitted hereunder. Each Pledgor understands that compliance with the Federal Securities Laws might very strictly limit the course of conduct of the Collateral Agent if the Collateral Agent were to attempt to dispose of all or any part of the Pledged Collateral, and might also limit the extent to which or the manner in which any subsequent transferee of any Pledged Collateral could dispose of the same. Similarly, there may be other legal restrictions or limitations affecting the Collateral Agent in any attempt to dispose of all or part of the Pledged Collateral under applicable Blue Sky or other state securities laws or similar laws analogous in purpose or effect. Each Pledgor acknowledges and agrees that in light of such restrictions and limitations, the Collateral Agent, in its sole and absolute discretion, (a) may proceed to make such a sale whether or not a registration statement for the purpose of registering such Pledged Collateral or part thereof shall have been filed under the Federal Securities Laws or, to the extent applicable, Blue Sky or other state securities laws and (b) may approach and negotiate with a single potential purchaser to effect such sale. Each Pledgor acknowledges and agrees that any such sale might result in prices and other terms less favorable to the seller than if such sale were a public sale without such restrictions. In the event of any such sale, the Collateral Agent shall incur no responsibility or liability for selling all or any part of the Pledged Collateral at a price that the Collateral Agent, in its sole and absolute discretion, may in good xxxxx xxxx reasonable under the circumstances, notwithstanding the possibility that a substantially higher price might have been realized if the sale were deferred until after registration as aforesaid or if more than a single purchaser were approached. The provisions of this Section 5.03 will apply notwithstanding the existence of a public or private market upon which the quotations or sales prices may exceed substantially the price at which the Collateral Agent sells.

ARTICLE 6

RESERVED

ARTICLE 7

MISCELLANEOUS

Section 7.01. Notices. All communications and notices hereunder (including communications and notices to the Collateral Agent) shall (except as otherwise permitted or provided herein) be in writing and given as provided in Section 13.02 of the Indenture. All communications and notices hereunder to any Subsidiary Party shall be given to it in care of the Company, with such notice to be given as provided in Section 13.02 of the Indenture. Any such notice and other communication shall be deemed to be given or made at such time as set forth in the Indenture. Any party hereto may change its notice details by notice to the other parties hereto.

Section 7.02. Security Interest Absolute. All rights of the Collateral Agent hereunder, the Security Interest in the Article 9 Collateral, the security interest in the Pledged Collateral and all obligations of each Pledgor hereunder shall be absolute and unconditional irrespective of (a) any lack of validity or enforceability of any Note Document, any agreement with respect to any of the Note Obligations or any other agreement or instrument relating to any of the foregoing, (b) any change in the time, manner or place of payment of, or in any other term of, all or any of the Note Obligations, or any other amendment or waiver of or any consent to any departure from any Note Document or any other agreement or instrument, (c) any exchange, release or non-perfection of any Lien on other collateral, or any release or amendment or waiver of or consent under or departure from any guarantee, securing or guaranteeing all or any of the Note Obligations or (d) any other circumstance that might otherwise constitute a defense available to, or a discharge of, any Pledgor in respect of the Note Obligations or this Agreement (other than a defense of payment or performance).

Section 7.03. Limitation by Law. All rights, remedies and powers provided in this Agreement may be exercised only to the extent that the exercise thereof does not violate any applicable provision of law, and all the provisions of this Agreement are intended to be subject to all applicable mandatory provisions of law that may be controlling and to be limited to the extent necessary so that they shall not render this Agreement invalid, unenforceable, in whole or in part, or not entitled to be recorded, registered or filed under the provisions of any applicable law.

Section 7.04. Binding Effect; Several Agreement. This Agreement shall become effective as to any party to this Agreement when a counterpart hereof executed on behalf of such party shall have been delivered to the Collateral Agent and a counterpart hereof shall have been executed on behalf of the Collateral Agent, and thereafter shall be binding upon such party and the Collateral Agent and their respective permitted

successors and assigns, and shall inure to the benefit of such party, the Collateral Agent and the other Secured Parties and their respective permitted successors and assigns, except that no party shall have the right to assign or transfer its rights or obligations hereunder or any interest herein or in the Collateral (and any such assignment or transfer shall be void) except as expressly contemplated by this Agreement or the Note Documents. This Agreement shall be construed as a separate agreement with respect to each party and may be amended, modified, supplemented, waived or released with respect to any party without the approval of any other party and without affecting the obligations of any other party hereunder.

Section 7.05. Successors and Assigns. Whenever in this Agreement any of the parties hereto is referred to, such reference shall be deemed to include the permitted successors and assigns of such party; and all covenants, promises and agreements by or on behalf of any Pledgor or the Collateral Agent that are contained in this Agreement shall bind and inure to the benefit of their respective permitted successors and assigns; provided that no Pledgor may assign, transfer or delegate any of its rights or obligations under this Agreement without the prior written consent of the Collateral Agent.

Section 7.06. Collateral Agent’s Fees and Expenses; Indemnification. (a) The parties hereto agree that the Collateral Agent shall be entitled to reimbursement of its expenses incurred hereunder as provided in the Note Documents.

(b) Without limitation of its indemnification obligations under the other Note Documents, each Pledgor jointly and severally agrees to indemnify the Collateral Agent and each other Secured Party and their Affiliates and their respective directors, Collateral Agents, officers, employees, agents and advisors (each, an “Indemnitee”) against, and hold each Indemnitee harmless from, any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities and related expenses, including reasonable counsel fees, charges and disbursements, incurred by or asserted against any Indemnitee arising out of, in connection with, or as a result of, (i) the execution, delivery or performance of this Agreement or any other Note Document or any agreement or instrument contemplated hereby or thereby, the performance by the parties hereto and thereto of their respective obligations thereunder or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, (ii) the use of proceeds of Securities or other Note Obligations or (iii) any claim, litigation, investigation or proceeding relating to any of the foregoing, or to the Collateral, whether or not any Indemnitee is a party thereto; provided that such indemnity shall not, as to any Indemnitee, be available to the extent that such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or related expenses are determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by final and nonappealable judgment to have resulted from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of such Indemnitee.

(c) Any such amounts payable as provided hereunder shall be additional Obligations secured hereby and by the other Note Documents. The provisions of this Section 7.06 shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of the termination of this Agreement or any other Note Document, the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, the repayment of any of the Obligations, the invalidity or unenforceability of any term or provision of this Agreement or any other Note Document, or any investigation made by or on behalf of the Collateral Agent or any other Secured Party. All amounts due under this Section 7.06 shall be payable on written demand therefor.

Section 7.07. Collateral Agent Appointed Attorney-in-Fact. Each Pledgor hereby appoints the Collateral Agent the attorney-in-fact of such Pledgor for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this Agreement and taking any action and executing any instrument that the Collateral Agent may deem necessary or advisable to accomplish the purposes hereof, which appointment is irrevocable and coupled with an interest. The Collateral Agent shall have the right, upon the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default, with full power of substitution either in the Collateral Agent’s name or in the name of such Pledgor, (a) to receive, endorse, assign or deliver any and all notes, acceptances, checks, drafts, money orders or other evidences of payment relating to the Collateral or any part thereof, (b) to demand, collect, receive payment of, give receipt for and give discharges and releases of all or any of the Collateral; (c) to ask for, demand, xxx for, collect, receive and give acquittance for any and all moneys due or to become due under and by virtue of any Collateral; (d) to sign the name of any Pledgor on any invoice or xxxx of lading relating to any of the Collateral; (e) to send verifications of Accounts to any Account Debtor; (f) to commence and prosecute any and all suits, actions or proceedings at law or in equity in any court of competent jurisdiction to collect or otherwise realize on all or any of the Collateral or to enforce any rights in respect of any Collateral; (g) to settle, compromise, compound, adjust or defend any actions, suits or proceedings relating to all or any of the Collateral; (h) to notify, or to require any Pledgor to notify, Account Debtors to make payment directly to the Collateral Agent; and (i) to use, sell, assign, transfer, pledge, make any agreement with respect to or otherwise deal with all or any of the Collateral, and to do all other acts and things necessary to carry out the purposes of this Agreement, as fully and completely as though the Collateral Agent were the absolute owner of the Collateral for all purposes; provided that nothing herein contained shall be construed as requiring or obligating the Collateral Agent to make any commitment or to make any inquiry as to the nature or sufficiency of any payment received by the Collateral Agent, or to present or file any claim or notice, or to take any action with respect to the Collateral or any part thereof or the moneys due or to become due in respect thereof or any property covered thereby. The Collateral Agent and the other Secured Parties shall be accountable only for amounts actually received as a result of the exercise of the powers granted to them herein, and neither they nor their officers, directors, employees or agents shall be responsible to any Pledgor for any act or failure to act hereunder, except for their own gross negligence or willful misconduct.

Section 7.08. GOVERNING LAW. THIS AGREEMENT AND THE RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF THE PARTIES UNDER THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH AND GOVERNED BY THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

Section 7.09. Waivers; Amendment. (a) No failure or delay by the Collateral Agent, or any Secured Party in exercising any right, power or remedy hereunder or under any other Note Document shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise of any such right, power or remedy, or any abandonment or discontinuance of

steps to enforce such a right, power or remedy, preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, power or remedy. The rights, powers and remedies of the Collateral Agent and the Secured Parties hereunder and under the other Note Documents are cumulative and are not exclusive of any rights, powers or remedies that they would otherwise have. No waiver of any provision of this Agreement or consent to any departure by any Secured Party therefrom shall in any event be effective unless the same shall be permitted by paragraph (b) of this Section 7.09, and then such waiver or consent shall be effective only in the specific instance and for the purpose for which given. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the making of a Loan or the issuance of a Letter of Credit or other extension of credit shall not be construed as a waiver of any Default or Event of Default, regardless of whether the Collateral Agent, any Lender, any Issuing Bank or any other Secured Party may have had notice or knowledge of such Default or Event of Default at the time. No notice or demand on any Pledgor in any case shall entitle any Pledgor to any other or further notice or demand in similar or other circumstances.

(b) Neither this Agreement nor any provision hereof may be waived, amended or modified except pursuant to an agreement or agreements in writing entered into by the Collateral Agent and the Pledgor or Pledgors with respect to which such waiver, amendment or modification is to apply. For the avoidance of doubt, the Collateral Agent shall have no obligation to execute and deliver any amendment, supplement, modification or waiver to this Agreement which affects its own rights, duties, immunities or indemnities under this Agreement or under the other Note Documents. In signing such amendment, supplement, modification or waiver, the Collateral Agent shall be entitled to receive indemnity satisfactory to it and in all cases shall be provided with, and shall be fully protected in relying in good faith upon, (i) a certificate of an Officer of the Company and (ii) an opinion of counsel to the Company stating that the execution of such document is authorized or permitted hereunder.

Section 7.10. WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL. EACH PARTY HERETO HEREBY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN RESPECT OF ANY LITIGATION DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF, UNDER OR IN CONNECTION WITH THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER SECURITY DOCUMENT. EACH PARTY HERETO (A) CERTIFIES THAT NO REPRESENTATIVE, AGENT OR ATTORNEY OF ANY OTHER PARTY HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, THAT SUCH OTHER PARTY WOULD NOT, IN THE EVENT OF LITIGATION, SEEK TO ENFORCE THE FOREGOING WAIVER AND (B) ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IT AND THE OTHER PARTIES HERETO HAVE BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT BY, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE MUTUAL WAIVERS AND CERTIFICATIONS IN THIS SECTION 7.10.

Section 7.11. Severability. In the event any one or more of the provisions contained in this Agreement or in any other Security Document should be held invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions contained herein and therein shall not in any way be affected or

impaired thereby. The parties shall endeavor in good-faith negotiations to replace the invalid, illegal or unenforceable provisions with valid provisions the economic effect of which comes as close as possible to that of the invalid, illegal or unenforceable provisions.

Section 7.12. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall constitute an original but all of which when taken together shall constitute but one contract, and shall become effective as provided in Section 7.04 hereof. Delivery of an executed counterpart to this Agreement by facsimile transmission shall be as effective as delivery of a manually signed original.

Section 7.13. Headings. Article and Section headings and the Table of Contents used herein are for convenience of reference only, are not part of this Agreement and are not to affect the construction of, or to be taken into consideration in interpreting, this Agreement.

Section 7.14. Jurisdiction; Consent to Service Of Process. (a) Each party to this Agreement hereby irrevocably and unconditionally submits, for itself and its property, to the nonexclusive jurisdiction of any New York State court or federal court of the United States of America sitting in New York City, and any appellate court from any thereof, in any action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or any other Security Documents, 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 may 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 the Collateral Agent, or any Secured Party may otherwise have to bring any action or proceeding relating to this Agreement or any other Note Documents or Security Documents against any Pledgor, or its properties, in the courts of any jurisdiction.

(b) Each party to this Agreement hereby irrevocably and unconditionally waives, to the fullest extent it may legally and effectively do so, any objection which it may now or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or any other Security Documents in any New York State or federal court. 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.

Section 7.15. Termination or Release. (a) This Agreement, the pledges made herein, the Security Interest and all other security interests granted hereby shall terminate when all the Note Obligations (other than contingent indemnity or expense reimbursement obligations in respect of which no claim has been made) have been defeased in accordance with its terms and any other requirements set forth in the Note Documents then effective are satisfied.

(b) The Liens securing the Note Obligations will be released in whole or in part, as provided in Section 11.04 of the Indenture.

(c) A Subsidiary Party shall automatically be released from its obligations hereunder and the security interests in the Collateral of such Subsidiary Party shall be automatically released if such Subsidiary Party is released from its guarantee pursuant to Section 11.04 of the Indenture.

(d) Upon any sale or other transfer by any Pledgor of any Collateral that is permitted under the Note Documents (to the extent the release of such Collateral following such sale is permitted by the Note Documents), or upon the effectiveness of any written consent to the release of the security interest granted hereby in any Collateral pursuant to the Note Documents, the security interest in such Collateral shall be automatically released.

(e) In connection with any termination or release pursuant to paragraph (a), (b) or (c) of this Section 7.15, the Collateral Agent shall execute and deliver to any Pledgor, at such Pledgor’s expense, all documents that such Pledgor shall reasonably request to evidence such termination or release (including, without limitation, Uniform Commercial Code termination statements) and will duly assign and transfer to such Pledgor such of the Pledged Collateral that may be in the possession of the Collateral Agent and has not theretofore been sold or otherwise applied or released pursuant to this Agreement; provided, that the Collateral Agent shall not be required to take any action under this Section 7.15(e) unless such Pledgor shall have delivered to the Collateral Agent together with such request, which may be incorporated into such request, (i) a reasonably detailed description of the Collateral, which in any event shall be sufficient to effect the appropriate termination or release without affecting any other Collateral, and (ii) a certificate of a Officer of the Company or such Pledgor certifying that the transaction giving rise to such termination or release is permitted by the Note Documents and was consummated in compliance with the Note Documents. Any execution and delivery of documents pursuant to this Section 7.15 shall be without recourse to or warranty by the Collateral Agent.

Section 7.16. Additional Subsidiaries. Upon execution and delivery by the Collateral Agent and any Subsidiary that is required to become a party hereto by any Note Document of an instrument in the form of Exhibit I hereto, such Subsidiary shall become a Subsidiary Party hereunder with the same force and effect as if originally named as a Subsidiary Party herein. The execution and delivery of any such instrument shall not require the consent of any other party to this Agreement. The rights and obligations of each party to this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding the addition of any new party to this Agreement.

Section 7.17. Right of Set-off. If an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, each Secured Party is hereby authorized at any time and from time to time, to the fullest extent permitted by law, to set-off and apply any and all deposits (general or special, time or demand, provisional or final) at any time held and other indebtedness at any time owing by such Secured Party to or for the credit or the account of any party to

this Agreement against any of and all the obligations of such party now or hereafter existing under this Agreement owed to such Secured Party, irrespective of whether or not Secured Party shall have made any demand under this Agreement and although such obligations may be unmatured. The rights of each Secured Party under this Section 7.17 are in addition to other rights and remedies (including other rights of set-off) that such Secured Party may have.

Section 7.18. Intercreditor Agreements. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Liens and security interests granted to the Collateral Agent pursuant to this Agreement and the exercise of any right or remedy by the Collateral Agent hereunder, in each case, with respect to the Collateral are subject to the limitations and provisions of the Intercreditor Agreements. In the event of any conflict between the terms of the Intercreditor Agreements and the terms of this Agreement with respect to the Collateral, the terms of the applicable Intercreditor Agreement shall govern and control. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, prior to the Discharge (as defined in the Senior Lien Intercreditor Agreement) of the ABL Facility Obligations (as defined in the Senior Lien Intercreditor Agreement) and the First-Lien Revolving Facility Obligations (as defined in the Senior Lien Intercreditor Agreement), as applicable, (i) no Pledgor shall be required to act or refrain from acting with respect to any ABL Priority Collateral (as defined in the First-Priority Intercreditor Agreement) if compliance by such Pledgor with such requirement would result in a breach of or constitute a default under the Senior Lien Intercreditor Agreement, (ii) no Pledgor shall be required to act or refrain from acting with respect to any Shared Perfected Collateral (as defined in the First-Priority Intercreditor Agreement) if compliance by such Pledgor with such requirement would result in a breach of or constitute a default under the First-Priority Intercreditor Agreement), and (iii) the requirements of this Agreement to deliver any Collateral and any certificates, instruments or documents in relation thereto to the Collateral Agent shall be deemed satisfied by delivery of such Collateral and such certificates, instruments or documents in relation thereto to the Possessory Collateral Agent (as defined in the Senior Lien Intercreditor Agreement).

Section 7.19. Indenture Governs. In the event of any conflict between the Indenture and any Security Document (including this Agreement), the terms and provisions of the Indenture shall control.

[Signature Page Follows]

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have duly executed this Agreement as of the day and year first above written.


VERSO PAPER HOLDINGS LLC VERSO PAPER LLC VERSO PAPER INC. VERSO ANDROSCOGGIN LLC VERSO BUCKSPORT LLC VERSO SARTELL LLC VERSO QUINNESEC REP HOLDING INC. VERSO QUINNESEC LLC VERSO MAINE ENERGY LLC VERSO FIBER FARM LLC NEXTIER SOLUTIONS CORPORATION NEWPAGE HOLDINGS INC.

By:		/s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx
Name:		Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx
Title:		Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

[Signature Page – Notes Collateral Agreement]


WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as Collateral Agent

By:		/s/ Xxxx Xxxxxxxxx
Name:		Xxxx Xxxxxxxxx
Title:		Vice President

[Signature Page – Notes Collateral Agreement]

Exhibit I

to Collateral Agreement

SUPPLEMENT NO. dated as of (this “Supplement”), to the Collateral Agreement dated as of January 7, 2015 (the “Collateral Agreement”), among VERSO PAPER HOLDINGS LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Company”) each Subsidiary of the Company identified on Schedule I or otherwise identified therein as a party (each, a “Subsidiary Party”), and Wilmington Trust, National Association, as collateral agent (in such capacity, together with any successor collateral agent, the “Collateral Agent”) for the Secured Parties (as defined therein).

Section 7.16 of the Collateral Agreement provides that additional Subsidiaries may become Subsidiary Parties under the Collateral Agreement by execution and delivery of an instrument in the form of this Supplement. The undersigned Subsidiary (the “New Subsidiary”) is executing this Supplement to become a Subsidiary Party under the Collateral Agreement in order to induce the Secured Parties to make or continue extensions of credit.

Accordingly, the Collateral Agent and the New Subsidiary agree as follows:

SECTION 1. In accordance with Section 7.16 of the Collateral Agreement, the New Subsidiary by its signature below becomes a Subsidiary Party and a Pledgor under the Collateral Agreement with the same force and effect as if originally named therein as a Subsidiary Party and a Pledgor, and the New Subsidiary hereby (a) agrees to all the terms and provisions of the Collateral Agreement applicable to it as a Subsidiary Party and a Pledgor thereunder and (b) represents and warrants that the representations and warranties made by it as a Pledgor thereunder are true and correct, in all material respects, on and as of the date hereof. In furtherance of the foregoing, the New Subsidiary, as security for the payment and performance in full of the Note Obligations (as defined in the Collateral Agreement), does hereby create and grant to the Collateral Agent, for the ratable benefit of the Secured Parties, a security interest in and Lien on all the New Subsidiary’s right, title and interest in and to the Collateral (as defined in the Collateral Agreement) of the New Subsidiary. Each reference to a “Subsidiary Party” or a “Pledgor” in the Collateral Agreement shall be deemed to include the New Subsidiary. The Collateral Agreement is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

SECTION 2. The New Subsidiary represents and warrants to the Collateral Agent and the other Secured Parties that this Supplement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by it and constitutes its legal, valid and binding obligation, enforceable against it in accordance with its terms, subject to (i) the effects of bankruptcy, insolvency, moratorium, reorganization, fraudulent conveyance or other similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally, (ii) general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law) and (iii) implied covenants of good faith and fair dealing.

I-1

SECTION 3. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall constitute an original but all of which when taken together shall constitute but one contract. This Supplement shall become effective when (a) the Collateral Agent shall have received a counterpart of this Supplement that bears the signature of the New Subsidiary and (b) the Collateral Agent has executed a counterpart hereof.

SECTION 4. The New Subsidiary hereby represents and warrants that (a) set forth on Schedule I attached hereto is a true and correct schedule of all the Pledged Securities of the New Subsidiary as of the date hereof, (b) set forth on Schedule II attached hereto is a true and correct schedule of all of the material Patents, Trademarks and Copyrights of the New Subsidiary as of the date hereof, (c) set forth on Schedule III attached hereto is a true and correct schedule of all Commercial Tort Claims of the New Subsidiary individually in excess of $5.0 million as of the date hereof and (d) set forth under its signature hereto, is the true and correct legal name of the New Subsidiary, its jurisdiction of formation and the location of its chief executive office.

SECTION 5. Except as expressly supplemented hereby, the Collateral Agreement shall remain in full force and effect.

SECTION 6. THIS SUPPLEMENT AND THE RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF THE PARTIES UNDER THIS SUPPLEMENT SHALL BE CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH AND GOVERNED BY THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

SECTION 7. In the event any one or more of the provisions contained in this Supplement should be held invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions contained herein and in the Collateral Agreement shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby. The parties shall endeavor in good-faith negotiations to replace the invalid, illegal or unenforceable provisions with valid provisions the economic effect of which comes as close as possible to that of the invalid, illegal or unenforceable provisions.

SECTION 8. All communications and notices hereunder shall be in writing and given as provided in Section 7.01 of the Collateral Agreement.

SECTION 9. The New Subsidiary agrees to reimburse the Collateral Agent for its reasonable out-of-pocket expenses in connection with this Supplement, including the reasonable fees, disbursements and other charges of counsel for the Collateral Agent.

I-2

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the New Subsidiary and the Collateral Agent have duly executed this Supplement to the Collateral Agreement as of the day and year first above written.


[Name of New Subsidiary]

By:
Name: Title:


Legal Name: Jurisdiction of Formation: Location of Chief Executive Office: WILMINGTON TRUST, National Association, as Collateral Agent

By:
Name: Title:

Schedule I

to Supplement No. to the

Collateral Agreement

Pledged Securities of the New Subsidiary

EQUITY INTERESTS


Number of Issuer Certificate		Registered Owner		Number and Class of Equity Interest		Percentage of Equity Interests

DEBT SECURITIES


Issuer		Principal Amount		Date of Note		Maturity Date

I-2

Schedule II

to Supplement No. to the

Collateral Agreement

PATENTS, TRADEMARKS AND COPYRIGHTS

I-3

Schedule III

to Supplement No. to the

Collateral Agreement

COMMERCIAL TORT CLAIMS

I-4

Exhibit II

to Collateral Agreement

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND CONSENT

[DATE]

The undersigned hereby acknowledges receipt of a copy of the Collateral Agreement dated as of January 7, 2015 (the “Agreement”), made by the Pledgors parties thereto for the benefit of Wilmington Trust, National Association, as Collateral Agent. The undersigned agrees for the benefit of the Collateral Agent and the Secured Parties as follows:

The undersigned acknowledges that its Equity Interests (as defined in the Agreement) have been pledged pursuant to the terms of the Agreement and will comply with all actions that may be required of it pursuant to Section 3.05 and 4.04(b) of the Agreement.

[Signature on the following page]

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has duly executed this acknowledgement and consent as of the date first written above.


[NAME OF ISSUER]

By:
Name: Title:

Address for Notices:

Fax

Document Metadata

Table of Contents

COLLATERAL AGREEMENT Dated as of January 7, 2015, among VERSO PAPER HOLDINGS LLC, as Company, each other PLEDGOR identified herein, and WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as Collateral Agent

Document Metadata