Borrower hereby acknowledges and agrees that it has no defense, counterclaim, offset, cross-complaint, claim or demand of any kind of nature whatsoever that can be asserted to reduce or eliminate all or any part of its liability to repay the Obligations or to seek affirmative relief or damages of any kind or nature from Lender which are known to it as of the date hereof.  Borrower hereby voluntarily and knowingly releases and forever discharges Lender and each of its respective predecessors, agents, employees, affiliates, successors and assigns (collectively, the “ Released Parties ”) from all known claims, demands, actions, causes of action, damages, costs, expenses and liabilities whatsoever, anticipated or unanticipated, suspected or unsuspected, fixed, contingent or conditional, at law or in equity, in any case originating in whole or in part on or before the date this Amendment be comes effective that Borrower may now or hereafter have against the Released Parties, if any, irrespective of whether any such claims arise out of contract, tort, violation of law or regulations, or otherwise, and that arise from any ex tension of credit made under the Credit Agreement , the exercise of any rights and remedies under the Credit Agreement or any other Loan Document, and/or the negotiation for and execution of this Amendment, including, without limitation, any contracting for, charging, taking, reserving, collecting or receiving interest in excess of the highest lawful rate applicable.