Exhibit 10.1
EXECUTION COPY
EXCHANGE AGREEMENT
among
GKK CAPITAL LP,
GRAMERCY INVESTMENT QRS CORP.,
TABERNA CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC,
TABERNA PREFERRED FUNDING II, LTD.,
TABERNA PREFERRED FUNDING V, LTD.,
TABERNA PREFERRED FUNDING VII, LTD.
and
TABERNA PREFERRED FUNDING VIII, LTD.
Dated as of October 15, 2009
EXCHANGE AGREEMENT
THIS EXCHANGE
AGREEMENT , dated as of
October 15, 2009 (this “ Agreement ”), is
entered into by and among GKK CAPITAL LP, a Delaware limited
partnership (the “ Company ”), GRAMERCY
INVESTMENT QRS CORP., a Delaware corporation (“ QRS
”), TABERNA CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC, a Delaware limited
liability company (“ Taberna ”), TABERNA
PREFERRED FUNDING II, LTD. (“ Taberna II ”),
TABERNA PREFERRED FUNDING V, LTD. (“ Taberna V
”), TABERNA PREFERRED FUNDING VII, LTD. (“
Taberna VII ”) and TABERNA PREFERRED FUNDING
VIII, LTD. (“ Taberna VIII ”, and together with
Taberna II, Taberna V and Taberna VII, collectively, the “
Holders ”).
RECITALS:
A.
Reference is made to that certain Junior Subordinated Indenture,
dated as of January 30, 2009, between the Company and The Bank
of New York Mellon Trust Company, National Association (“
BNYM ”), as Trustee (the “ Trustee
”), as amended by that certain Supplemental Indenture, dated
as of October 14, 2009 (collectively, the “
Indenture ”), pursuant to which the Company issued,
inter alia, the following junior subordinated notes (collectively,
the “ Gramercy Notes ”):
(i) Junior Subordinated Note
due 2035 in the original principal amount of $37,500,000 issued by
the Company to Taberna II (“ Note 1
”).
(ii) Junior Subordinated Note
due 2035 in the original principal amount of $25,000,000 issued by
the Company to Taberna V (“ Note 4
”).
(iii) Junior Subordinated Note
due 2035 in the original principal amount of $10,000,000 issued by
the Company to Taberna VII (“ Note 5
”).
(iv) Junior Subordinated Note
due 2035 in the original principal amount of $25,000,000 issued by
the Company to Taberna VIII (“ Note 6
”).
B.
QRS is the owner of certain CRE CDO notes from GKKRE 2005-1, GKKRE
2006-1 and GKKRE 2007-1 set forth on Schedule I hereto (the
“ Replacement Securities ”).
C.
On the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this
Agreement, the Company, QRS, Taberna and the Holders have agreed to
exchange the Gramercy Notes for the Replacement
Securities.
NOW, THEREFORE
, in consideration of the mutual
agreements and subject to the terms and conditions herein set
forth, the parties hereto agree as follows:
1.
Definitions .
“ Bankruptcy Code
” means the Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1978, 11 U.S.C.
§§101 et seq., as amended.
“ Benefit Plan ”
means an “employee benefit plan” (as defined in ERISA)
that is subject to Title I of ERISA, a “plan” as
defined in Section 4975 of the Code or any entity whose assets
include (for purposes of U.S. Department of Labor Regulations
Section 2510.3-101 or otherwise for purposes of Title I of
ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code) the assets of any such
“employee benefit plan” or
“plan.”
“ BNYM ” has the
meaning set forth in the Recitals.
“ CDO Trustee ”
has the meaning set forth in Section 2(b)(i).
“ Closing Date ”
has the meaning set forth in Section 2(b).
“ Closing Room ”
has the meaning set forth in Section 2(b).
“ Code ” means
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the
rules and regulations promulgated under it.
“ Company ” has
the meaning set forth in the introductory paragraph
hereof.
“ Company Counsel
” has the meaning set forth in Section 3(b).
“ Equity Interests
” means with respect to any Person (a) if such Person is
a partnership, the partnership interests (general or limited) in a
partnership, (b) if such Person is a limited liability
company, the membership interests in a limited liability company
and (c) if such Person is a corporation, the shares or stock
interests (both common stock and preferred stock) in a
corporation.
“ ERISA ” means
the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended,
and the rules and regulations promulgated under it.
“ Exchange ” has
the meaning set forth in Section 2(b).
“ Exchange Act ”
has the meaning set forth in Section 4(i).
“ Governmental Entities
” has the meaning set forth in Section 4(n).
“ Gramercy Notes
” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
“ Holders ” has
the meaning set forth in the introductory paragraph
hereof.
“ Indemnified Party
” has the meaning set forth in Section 9(a).
“ Indemnified Parties
” shall have the correlative meaning.
“ Indenture ” has
the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
“ Investment Company
Act ” has the meaning set forth in
Section 4(i).
“ Lien ” has the
meaning set forth in Section 4(n).
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“ Material Adverse
Effect ” means a material adverse effect on the condition
(financial or otherwise), earnings, business, liabilities or assets
of the Company, QRS or any of their respective subsidiaries taken
as a whole.
“ Note 1 ” has
the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
“ Note 4 ” has
the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
“ Note 5 ” has
the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
“ Note 6 ” has
the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
“ Operative Documents
” means this Agreement and the Replacement
Securities.
“ Person ” means
a legal person, including any individual, corporation, estate,
partnership, joint venture, association, joint stock company,
company, limited liability company, trust, unincorporated
association or government, or any agency or political subdivision
thereof, or any other entity of whatever nature.
“ QRS ” has the
meaning set forth in the introductory paragraph hereof.
“ Regulation D ”
has the meaning set forth in Section 4(g).
“ Repayment Event
” has the meaning set forth in Section 4(n).
“ Replacement
Securities ” has the meaning set forth in the
Recitals.
“ Rule 144A(d)(3)
” has the meaning set forth in Section 4(i).
“ Securities Act
” means the Securities Act of 1933, 15 U.S.C. §§77a
et seq., as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated
under it.
“ Taberna ” has
the meaning set forth in the introductory paragraph
hereof.
“ Taberna II ”
has the meaning set forth in the introductory paragraph
hereof.
“ Taberna V ” has
the meaning set forth in the introductory paragraph
hereof.
“ Taberna VII ”
has the meaning set forth in the introductory paragraph
hereof.
“ Taberna VIII ”
has the meaning set forth in the introductory paragraph
hereof.
“ Taberna Transferred
Rights ” means any and all of the Holders’ right,
title, and interest in, to and under the Gramercy Notes, together
with the following:
(i)
the Indenture;
(ii)
all amounts payable to the Holders under the Gramercy Notes or the
Indenture, excluding, however, amounts payable on account of
interest for the period
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commencing on the most recent
interest payment date under the Gramercy Notes and continuing
through and including the Closing Date;
(iii)
all claims (including “claims” as defined in Bankruptcy
Code §101(5)), suits, causes of action, and any other right of
the Holders, whether known or unknown, against the Company, QRS or
any of their respective affiliates, agents, representatives,
contractors, advisors, or any other entity that in any way is based
upon, arises out of or is related to any of the foregoing,
including all claims (including contract claims, tort claims,
malpractice claims, and claims under any law governing the exchange
of, purchase and sale of, or indentures for, securities), suits,
causes of action, and any other right of the Holders against any
attorney, accountant, financial advisor, or other entity arising
under or in connection with the Gramercy Notes or the Indenture or
the transactions related thereto or contemplated
thereby;
(iv)
all cash, securities, or other property, and all setoffs and
recoupments, to be received, applied, or effected by or for the
account of the Holders under the Gramercy Notes, other than fees,
costs and expenses payable to Taberna or the Holders hereunder and
all cash, securities, interest, dividends, and other property that
may be exchanged for, or distributed or collected with respect to,
any of the foregoing; and
(v)
all proceeds of the foregoing.
“ Trustee ” has
the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
2.
Exchange of the Gramercy Notes for the Replacement
Securities.
(a)
QRS agrees to deliver the Replacement Securities to the Holders and
has requested that the Holders accept such Replacement Securities
in exchange for the Gramercy Notes, and the Holders hereby accept
the Replacement Securities in exchange for the Gramercy Notes upon
the terms and conditions set forth herein.
(b)
The closing of the exchange contemplated herein shall occur at the
offices of Dechert LLP in New York, New York (the “
Closing Room ”), or such other place as the parties
hereto and the Trustee shall agree, at 11:00 a.m. New York
time, on October 15, 2009 or such later date as the parties
may agree (such date and time of delivery the “ Closing
Date ”). The parties hereto hereby agree that the
exchange (the “ Exchange ”) will occur in
accordance with the following requirements:
(i)
Taberna (as collateral manager for each of the Holders) shall have
delivered issuer orders instructing each trustee (in each such
capacity, a “ CDO Trustee ”) under the
applicable indenture pursuant to which such CDO Trustee serves as
trustee for the holder of the Gramercy Notes to exchange the
applicable Gramercy Notes for the applicable Replacement Securities
and to deliver the applicable Gramercy Notes to the Trustee for
reissuance in the name of the Company.
(ii)
The Gramercy Notes shall have been delivered to the Closing Room,
copies of which shall have previously been made available for
inspection, if so requested.
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(iii)
QRS shall have transferred the Replacement Securities to each
applicable CDO Trustee via the Depository Trust Company to hold for
the benefit of each Holder as set forth in Schedule II
.
(iv)
The Trustee shall have obtained the Gramercy Notes and shall, upon
receipt of all necessary transfer documentation, promptly
thereafter, reissue them in the name of the Company.
(v)
Simultaneously with the occurrence of the events described in
subsections (iii) and (iv) hereof, (A) the Holders
of the Gramercy Notes irrevocably transfer, assign, grant and
convey the related Taberna Transferred Rights to the Company and
the Company accepts the Gramercy Notes and the Taberna Transferred
Rights and (B) each Holder shall be entitled to all of the
rights, title and interest of a Holder of the Replacement
Securities, in accordance with their respective ownership
interests, under the terms of the Replacement Securities and any
other Operative Document.
(vi)
Taberna shall have paid to the Trustee all of such party’s
legal fees, costs and other expenses in connection with the
Exchange, and the Company shall have paid all other accr