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Mulligan clauses meaning

What does Mulligan clauses mean?
Mulligan clauses are provisions in loan agreements that give a borrower one “free” breach of a financial covenant: a single failure of a maintenance test (for example, leverage, interest cover or loan‑to‑value) does not trigger an Event of Default. An Event of Default, with acceleration and enforcement rights, only arises if the same covenant is breached again on the next scheduled testing date (i.e. two consecutive test dates). This is a market term used in UK and Irish banking and finance practice (often in LMA‑based facilities), not a concept defined in legislation or case law. Usage and effect are broadly consistent across England & Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland, although terminology for remedies may vary. Key features typically include: application only to financial maintenance covenants; exclusion of payment, insolvency and other “hard” defaults; conditions such as timely delivery of compliance certificates and no other continuing default; and bespoke interaction with equity cure rights. If the covenant is met at the next test date, the mulligan protection usually resets. Practically, mulligan clauses reduce technical default risk from quarter‑end volatility and provide limited headroom, while preserving lenders’ rights to act on repeat breaches or unrelated Events of Default. Lenders price and covenant packages accordingly.
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View the related Practice Notes about Mulligan clauses

PRACTICE NOTES
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PRACTICE NOTES
Comprehensive glossary of UK restructuring and insolvency terms, covering Companies Act schemes, Part 26A plans, IA 1986 processes, and cross‑border concepts including COMI, UNCITRAL and assimilated EU rules.

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PRACTICE NOTES
UK Banking, Finance, Capital Markets, Derivatives and Insolvency Law Glossary including Islamic finance

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