EX-3.1 2 c88352exv3w1.htm EXHIBIT 3.1 Exhibit 3.1
Exhibit 3.1
SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED
AGREEMENT OF LIMITED PARTNERSHIP
OF
ENERGY TRANSFER PARTNERS, L.P.

 

 


 

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
         
    Page  
 
       
ARTICLE I DEFINITIONS
    2  
 
       
1.1 Definitions
    2  
1.2 Construction
    19  
 
       
ARTICLE II ORGANIZATION
    19  
 
       
2.1 Formation
    19  
2.2 Name
    19  
2.3 Registered Office; Registered Agent; Principal Office; Other Offices
    19  
2.4 Purpose and Business
    20  
2.5 Powers
    20  
2.6 Power of Attorney
    20  
2.7 Term
    21  
2.8 Title to Partnership Assets
    22  
 
       
ARTICLE III RIGHTS OF LIMITED PARTNERS
    22  
 
       
3.1 Limitation of Liability
    22  
3.2 Management of Business
    22  
3.3 Outside Activities of the Limited Partners
    23  
3.4 Rights of Limited Partners
    23  
 
       
ARTICLE IV CERTIFICATES; RECORD HOLDERS; TRANSFER OF PARTNERSHIP INTERESTS; REDEMPTION OF PARTNERSHIP INTERESTS
    24  
 
       
4.1 Certificates
    24  
4.2 Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Certificates
    24  
4.3 Record Holders
    25  
4.4 Transfer Generally
    25  
4.5 Registration and Transfer of Units
    26  
4.6 Transfer of a General Partner’s General Partner Interest
    27  
4.7 Transfer of Incentive Distribution Rights
    27  
4.8 Restrictions on Transfers
    28  
4.9 Citizenship Certificates; Non-citizen Assignees;
    29  
4.10 Redemption of Partnership Interests of Non-citizen Assignees
    29  
 
       
ARTICLE V CAPITAL CONTRIBUTIONS AND ISSUANCE OF PARTNERSHIP INTERESTS
    30  
 
       
5.1 Organizational Contributions
    30  
5.2 Contributions by General Partner
    31  
5.3 Contributions by Initial Limited Partners
    31  
5.4 Interest and Withdrawal
    32  
5.5 Capital Accounts
    32  
5.6 Issuances of Additional Partnership Securities
    35  
5.7 Limited Preemptive Right
    36  
5.8 Splits and Combination
    36  
5.9 Fully Paid and Non-Assessable Nature of Limited Partner Partnership Interests
    37  

 

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
         
    Page  
 
       
ARTICLE VI ALLOCATIONS AND DISTRIBUTIONS
    37  
 
       
6.1 Allocations for Capital Account Purposes
    37  
6.2 Allocations for Tax Purposes
    45  
6.3 Requirement and Characterization of Distributions; Distributions to Record Holders
    47  
6.4 Distributions of Available Cash from Operating Surplus
    48  
6.5 Distributions of Available Cash from Capital Surplus
    49  
6.6 Adjustment of Minimum Quarterly Distribution and Target Distribution Levels
    50  
6.7 Special Provisions Relating to the Holders of Incentive Distribution Rights
    50  
6.8 Entity-Level Taxation
    50  
 
       
ARTICLE VII MANAGEMENT AND OPERATION OF BUSINESS
    51  
 
       
7.1 Management
    51  
7.2 Certificate of Limited Partnership
    53  
7.3 Restrictions on General Partner’s Authority
    53  
7.4 Reimbursement of the General Partner
    54  
7.5 Outside Activities
    55  
7.6 Loans from the General Partner; Loans or Contributions from the Partnership; Contracts with Affiliates; Certain Restrictions on the General Partner
    56  
7.7 Indemnification
    57  
7.8 Liability of Indemnitees
    59  
7.9 Resolution of Conflicts of Interest
    59  
7.10 Other Matters Concerning the General Partner
    61  
7.11 Intentionally Deleted
    61  
7.12 Purchase or Sale of Units
    61  
7.13 Registration Rights of the General Partner and its Affiliates
    62  
7.14 Reliance by Third Parties
    64  
 
       
ARTICLE VIII BOOKS, RECORDS, ACCOUNTING AND REPORTS
    64  
 
       
8.1 Records and Accounting
    64  
8.2 Fiscal Year
    65  
8.3 Reports
    65  
 
       
ARTICLE IX TAX MATTERS
    65  
 
       
9.1 Tax Returns and Information
    65  
9.2 Tax Elections
    65  
9.3 Tax Controversies
    66  
9.4 Withholding
    66  

 

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
         
    Page  
 
       
ARTICLE X ADMISSION OF PARTNERS
    66  
 
10.1 Admission of Initial Limited Partners
    66  
10.2 Admission of Substituted Limited Partner
    67  
10.3 Admission of Successor General Partner
    67  
10.4 Admission of Additional Limited Partners
    67  
10.5 Amendment of Agreement and Certificate of Limited Partnership
    68  
 
       
ARTICLE XI WITHDRAWAL OR REMOVAL OF PARTNERS
    68  
 
11.1 Withdrawal of the General Partner
    68  
11.2 Removal of the General Partner
    69  
11.3 Interest of Departing Partner and Successor General Partner
    70  
11.4 Withdrawal of Limited Partners
    71  
 
       
ARTICLE XII DISSOLUTION AND LIQUIDATION
    71  
 
12.1 Dissolution
    71  
12.2 Continuation of the Business of the Partnership After Dissolution
    72  
12.3 Liquidator
    73  
12.4 Liquidation
    73  
12.5 Cancellation of Certificate of Limited Partnership
    74  
12.6 Return of Contributions
    74  
12.7 Waiver of Partition
    74  
12.8 Capital Account Restoration
    74  
 
       
ARTICLE XIII AMENDMENT OF PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT; MEETINGS; RECORD DATE
    75  
 
       
13.1 Amendment to be Adopted Solely by the General Partner
    75  
13.2 Amendment Procedures
    76  
13.3 Amendment Requirements
    76  
13.4 Special Meetings
    77  
13.5 Notice of a Meeting
    78  
13.6 Record Date
    78  
13.7 Adjournment
    78  
13.8 Waiver of Notice; Approval of Meeting; Approval of Minutes
    78  
13.9 Quorum
    79  
13.10 Conduct of a Meeting
    79  
13.11 Action Without a Meeting
    80  
13.12 Voting and Other Rights
    80  
 
       
ARTICLE XIV MERGER
    81  
 
       
14.1 Authority
    81  
14.2 Procedure for Merger or Consolidation
    81  
14.3 Approval by Unitholders of Merger or Consolidation
    82  
14.4 Certificate of Merger
    82  
14.5 Effect of Merger
    82  

 

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
         
    Page  
 
       
ARTICLE XV RIGHT TO ACQUIRE UNITS
    83  
 
       
15.1 Right to Acquire Limited Partner Interests
    83  
 
       
ARTICLE XVI GENERAL PROVISIONS
    85  
 
       
16.1 Addresses and Notices
    85  
16.2 Further Action
    85  
16.3 Binding Effect
    85  
16.4 Integration
    86  
16.5 Creditors
    86  
16.6 Waiver
    86  
16.7 Counterparts
    86  
16.8 Applicable Law
    86  
16.9 Invalidity of Provisions
    86  
16.10 Consent of Partners
    87  

 

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SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED AGREEMENT OF LIMITED PARTNERSHIP
OF
ENERGY TRANSFER PARTNERS, L.P.
THIS SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED AGREEMENT OF LIMITED PARTNERSHIP OF ENERGY TRANSFER PARTNERS, L.P. dated as of July 28, 2009, is entered into by Energy Transfer Partners GP, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership, as the General Partner, on behalf of itself and the Limited Partners of the Partnership.
RECITALS
WHEREAS, the General Partner and Limited Partners entered into the Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. (formerly named Heritage Propane Partners, L.P.) on June 27, 1996 (the “First Amended and Restated Agreement”); and
WHEREAS, the General Partner, in accordance with Section 13.1 of the First Amended and Restated Agreement, made Amendments Nos. 1 through 12 to the First Amended and Restated Agreement; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to 13.1(d) of the First Amended and Restated Agreement, the General Partner, on behalf of the Partnership, has determined in its discretion to amend and restate the First Amended and Restated Agreement in its entirety to reflect Amendments Nos. 1 through 12, to the extent still applicable; and
WHEREAS, Section 13.1(d) of the First Amended and Restated Agreement provides that the General Partner, without the approval of the Limited Partners, may amend any provision of the First Amended and Restated Agreement to reflect a change that, in the discretion of the General Partner, does not adversely affect the Limited Partners in any material respect; and
WHEREAS, the General Partner, on behalf of the Partnership, has determined in its discretion that amending and restating the First Amended and Restated Agreement to reflect Amendments Nos. 1 through 12, to the extent still applicable, and the amendment of other provisions of the First Amended and Restated Agreement, as amended by Amendments Nos. 1 through 12 thereto, as reflected herein, does not adversely affect the Limited Partners in any material respect;

 

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NOW, THEREFORE, pursuant to Section 13.1(d) of the First Amended and Restated Agreement, as amended by Amendments Nos. 1 through 12 thereto, in consideration of the covenants, conditions and agreements contained herein, the First Amended and Restated Agreement is hereby amended and restated in its entirety as follows:
ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS
1.1 Definitions
The following definitions shall be for all purposes, unless otherwise clearly indicated to the contrary, applied to the terms used in this Agreement.
“Acquisition” means any transaction in which any Group Member acquires (through an asset acquisition, merger, stock acquisition or other form of investment) control over all or a portion of the assets, properties or business of another Person for the purpose of increasing the operating capacity or revenues of the Partnership Group from the operating capacity or revenues of the Partnership Group existing immediately prior to such transaction.
“Additional Book Basis” means the portion of any remaining Carrying Value of an Adjusted Property that is attributable to positive adjustments made to such Carrying Value as a result of Book-Up Events. For purposes of determining the extent to which Carrying Value constitutes Additional Book Basis:
(i) Any negative adjustment made to the Carrying Value of an Adjusted Property as a result of either a Book-Down Event or a Book-Up Event shall first be deemed to offset or decrease that portion of the Carrying Value of such Adjusted Property that is attributable to any prior positive adjustments made thereto pursuant to a Book-Up Event or Book-Down Event.
(ii) If Carrying Value that constitutes Additional Book Basis is reduced as a result of a Book-Down Event and the Carrying Value of other property is increased as a result of such Book-Down Event, an allocable portion of any such increase in Carrying Value shall be treated as Additional Book Basis; provided that the amount treated as Additional Book Basis pursuant hereto as a result of such Book-Down Event shall not exceed the amount by which the Aggregate Remaining Net Positive Adjustments after such Book-Down Event exceeds the remaining Additional Book Basis attributable to all of the Partnership’s Adjusted Property after such Book-Down Event (determined without regard to the application of this clause (ii) to such Book-Down Event).
“Additional Book Basis Derivative Items” means any Book Basis Derivative Items that are computed with reference to Additional Book Basis. To the extent that the Additional Book Basis attributable to all of the Partnership’s Adjusted Property as of the beginning of any taxable period exceeds the Aggregate Remaining Net Positive Adjustments as of the beginning of such period (the “Excess Additional Book Basis”), the Additional Book Basis Derivative Items for such period shall be reduced by the amount that bears the same ratio to the amount of Additional Book Basis Derivative Items determined without regard to this sentence as the Excess Additional Book Basis bears to the Additional Book Basis as of the beginning of such period.
“Additional Limited Partner” means a Person admitted to the Partnership as a Limited Partner pursuant to Section 10.4 and who is shown as such on the books and records of the Partnership.

 

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“Adjusted Capital Account” means the Capital Account maintained for each Partner as of the end of each fiscal year of the Partnership, (a) increased by any amounts that such Partner is obligated to restore under the standards set by Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(c) (or is deemed obligated to restore under Treasury Regulation Sections 1.704-2(g) and 1.704-2 (i)(5)) and (b) decreased by (i) the amount of all losses and deductions that, as of the end of such fiscal year, are reasonably expected to be allocated to such Partner in subsequent years under Sections 704(e)(2) and 706(d) of the Code and Treasury Regulation Section 1.751-1(b)(2)(ii), and (ii) the amount of all distributions that, as of the end of such fiscal year, are reasonably expected to be made to such Partner in subsequent years in accordance with the terms of this Agreement or otherwise to the extent they exceed offsetting increases to such Partner’s Capital Account that are reasonably expected to occur during (or prior to) the year in which such distributions are reasonably expected to be made (other than increases as a result of a minimum gain chargeback pursuant to Section 6.1(d)(i) or 6.1(d)(ii)). The foregoing definition of Adjusted Capital Account is intended to comply with the provisions of Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(d) and shall be interpreted consistently therewith. The “Adjusted Capital Account” of a Partner in respect of a general partner interest, a Common Unit, or an Incentive Distribution Right or any other specified interest in the Partnership shall be the amount which such Adjusted Capital Account would be if such general partner interest, Common Unit, Incentive Distribution Right or other interest in the Partnership were the only interest in the Partnership held by a Partner from and after the date on which such general partner interest, Common Unit, Incentive Distribution Right or other interest was first issued.
“Adjusted Operating Surplus” means, with respect to any period, Operating Surplus generated during such period (a) less (i) any net increase in working capital borrowings during such period and (ii) any net reduction in cash reserves for Operating Expenditures during such period not relating to an Operating Expenditure made during such period, and (b) plus (i) any net decrease in working capital borrowings during such period and (ii) any net increase in cash reserves for Operating Expenditures during such period required by any debt instrument for the repayment of principal, interest or premium. Adjusted Operating Surplus does not include that portion of Operating Surplus included in clause (a)(i) of the definition of Operating Surplus.
“Adjusted Property” means any property the Carrying Value of which has been adjusted pursuant to Section 5.5(d)(i) or 5.5(d)(ii). Once an Adjusted Property is deemed distributed by, and recontributed to, the Partnership for federal income tax purposes upon a termination thereof pursuant to Section 708 of the Code, such property shall thereafter constitute a Contributed Property until the Carrying Value of such property is subsequently adjusted pursuant to Section 5.5(d)(i) or 5.5(d)(ii).
“Affiliate” means, with respect to any Person, any other Person that directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries controls, is controlled by or is under common control with, the Person in question. As used herein, the term “control” means the possession, direct or indirect, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of a Person, whether through ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise.
“Aggregate Remaining Net Positive Adjustments” means, as of the end of any taxable period, the sum of the Remaining Net Positive Adjustments of all the Partners.

 

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“Agreed Allocation” means any allocation, other than a Required Allocation, of an item of income, gain, loss or deduction pursuant to the provisions of Section 6.1, including, without limitation, a Curative Allocation (if appropriate to the context in which the term “Agreed Allocation” is used).
“Agreed Value” of any Contributed Property means the fair market value of such property or other consideration at the time of contribution and in the case of an Adjusted Property, the fair market value of such Adjusted Property on the date of the revaluation event as described in Section 5.5(d)(1), in both cases as determined by the General Partner using such reasonable method of valuation as it may adopt; provided, however, that the Agreed Value of any property deemed contributed to the Partnership for federal income tax purposes upon termination and reconstitution thereof pursuant to Section 708 of the Code shall be determined in accordance with Section 5.5(c)(i). Subject to Section 5.5(c)(i), the General Partner shall, in its discretion, use such method as it deems reasonable and appropriate to allocate the aggregate Agreed Value of Adjusted Properties or Contributed Properties contributed to the Partnership in a single or integrated transaction among each separate property on a basis proportional to the fair market value of each such property.
“Agreement” means this Second Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Energy Transfer Partners, L.P., as it may be amended, supplemented or restated from time to time.
“Assignee” means a Non-citizen Assignee or a Person to whom one or more Units have been transferred in a manner permitted under this Agreement and who has executed and delivered a Transfer Application as required by this Agreement, but who has not been admitted as a Substituted Limited Partner.
“Associate” means, when used to indicate a relationship with any Person, (a) any corporation or organization of which such Person is a director, officer or partner or is, directly or indirectly, the owner of 20% or more of any class of voting stock or other voting interest; (b) any trust or other estate in which such Person has at least a 20% beneficial interest or as to which such Person serves as trustee or in a similar fiduciary capacity; and (c) any relative or spouse of such Person, or any relative of such spouse, who has the same principal residence as such Person.
“Audit Committee” means a committee of the Board of Directors of the General Partner composed entirely of two or more directors who are neither officers nor employees of the General Partner or officers, directors or employees of any Affiliate of the General Partner.
“Available Cash,” means, with respect to any Quarter ending prior to the Liquidation Date,
(a) the sum of (i) all cash and cash equivalents of the Partnership Group on hand at the end of such Quarter, and (ii) all additional cash and cash equivalents of the Partnership Group on hand immediately prior to the date of the distribution of Available Cash with respect to such Quarter resulting from borrowings for working capital purposes made subsequent to the end of such Quarter, less

 

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(b) the amount of any cash reserves that is necessary or appropriate in the reasonable discretion of the General Partner to (i) provide for the proper conduct of the business of the Partnership Group (including reserves for future capital expenditures) subsequent to such Quarter, (ii) comply with applicable, law or any loan agreement, security agreement, mortgage, debt instrument or other agreement or obligation to which any member of the Partnership Group is a party or by which it is bound or its assets are subject or (iii) provide funds for distributions under Section 6.4 or 6.5 in respect of any one or more of the next four Quarters; provided, however, that the General Partner may not establish cash reserves pursuant to (iii) above if the effect of such reserves would be that the Partnership is unable to distribute the Minimum Quarterly Distribution on all Common Units with respect to such Quarter; and, provided further, that disbursements made by a Group Member or cash reserves established, increased or reduced after the end of such Quarter but on or before the date of determination of Available Cash with respect to such Quarter shall be deemed to have been made, established, increased or reduced, for purposes of determining Available Cash, within such Quarter if the General Partner so determines.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, “Available Cash” with respect to the Quarter in which the Liquidation Date occurs and any subsequent Quarter shall equal zero.
“Book Basis Derivative Items” means any item of income, deduction, gain, or loss that is computed with reference to the Carrying Value of an Adjusted Property (e.g., depreciation, depletion, or gain or loss with respect to an Adjusted Property).
“Book-Down Event” means an event which triggers a negative adjustment to the Capital Accounts of the Partners pursuant to Section 5.5(d).
“Book-Tax Disparity” means with respect to any item of Contributed Property or Adjusted Property, as of the date of any determination, the difference between the Carrying Value of such Contributed Property or Adjusted Property and the adjusted basis thereof for federal income tax purposes as of such date. A Partner’s share of the Partnership’s Book-Tax Disparities in all of its Contributed Property and Adjusted Property will be reflected by the difference between such Partner’s Capital Account balance as maintained pursuant to Section 5.5 and the hypothetical balance of such Partner’s Capital Account computed as if it had been maintained strictly in accordance with federal income tax accounting principles.
“Book-Up Event” means an event which triggers a positive adjustment to the Capital Accounts of the Partners pursuant to Section 5.5(d).
“Business Day” means Monday through Friday of each week, except that a legal holiday recognized as such by the government of the United States of America or the states of New York or Texas shall not be regarded as a Business Day.
“Calendar Year Taxpayer” means a taxpayer whose taxable year for federal income purposes ends on December 31.

 

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“Capital Account” means the capital account maintained for a Partner pursuant to Section 5.5. The “Capital Account” of a Partner in respect of a general partner interest, a Common Unit, an Incentive Distribution Right or any other Partnership Interest shall be the amount which such Capital Account would be if such general partner interest, Common Unit, Incentive Distribution Right, or other Partnership Interest were the only interest in the Partnership held by a Partner from and after the date on which such general partner interest, Common Unit, Incentive Distribution Right or other Partnership Interest was first issued.
“Capital Contribution” means any cash, cash equivalents or the Net Agreed Value of Contributed Property that a Partner contributes to the Partnership pursuant to this Agreement.
“Capital Improvements” means (a) additions or improvements to the capital assets owned by any Group Member or (b) the acquisition of existing or the construction of new capital assets (including retail distribution outlets, propane tanks, pipeline systems, storage facilities, appliance showrooms, training facilities and related assets), made to increase the operating capacity of the Partnership Group from the operating capacity of the Partnership Group existing immediately prior to such addition, improvement, acquisition or construction.
“Capital Surplus” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 6.3(a).
“Carrying Value” means (a) with respect to a Contributed Property or Adjusted Property, the Agreed Value of such property reduced (but not below zero) by all depreciation, amortization and cost recovery deductions charged to the Partners’ and Assignees’ Capital Accounts in respect of such Contributed Property, and (b) with respect to any other Partnership property, the adjusted basis of such property for federal income tax purposes, all as of the time of determination ; provided that the Carrying Value of any property shall be adjusted from time to time in accordance with Sections 5.5(d)(i) and 5.5(d)(ii) and to reflect changes, additions or other adjustments to the Carrying Value for dispositions and acquisitions of Partnership properties, as deemed appropriate by the General Partner.
“Cause” means a court of competent jurisdiction has entered a final, non-appealable judgment finding the General Partner liable for actual fraud, gross negligence or willful or wanton misconduct in its capacity as general partner of the Partnership.
“Certificate” means a certificate, substantially in the form of Exhibit A to this Agreement or in such other form as may be adopted by the General Partner in its discretion, issued by the Partnership evidencing ownership of one or more Common Units or a certificate, in such form as may be adopted by the General Partner in its discretion, issued by the Partnership evidencing ownership of one or more other Partnership Interests.
“Certificate of Limited Partnership” means the Certificate of Limited Partnership of the Partnership filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware as referenced in Section 2.1, as such Certificate of Limited Partnership may be amended, supplemented or restated from time to time.
“Citizenship Certification” means a properly completed certificate in such form as may be specified by the General Partner by which an Assignee or a Limited Partner certifies that he (and if he is a nominee holding for the account of another Person, that to the best of his knowledge such other Person) is an Eligible Citizen.

 

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“Claim” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 7.9(e).
“Class E Percentage” with respect to the Class E Units for any date of determination shall be equal to 11.1% multiplied by the quotient obtained by dividing (A) the number of Class E Units Outstanding on such date by (B) 8,853,832.
“Class E Unit” means a Unit representing a fractional part of the Partnership Interests of all Limited Partners and Assignees and of the General Partner (exclusive of its interest as holder of the general partner interest and the Incentive Distribution Rights) and having the rights and obligations specified with respect to Class E Units in this Agreement.
“Closing Date” means the first date on which Common Units were sold by the Partnership to the Underwriters pursuant to the provisions of the Underwriting Agreement.
“Closing Price” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 15.1(a).
“Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended and in effect from time to time. Any reference herein to a specific section or sections of the Code shall be deemed to include a reference to any corresponding provision of future law.
“Combined Interest” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 11.3(a).
“Commission” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Common Unit” means a Unit representing a fractional part of the Partnership Interests of all Limited Partners and Assignees and of the General Partner (exclusive of its interest as holder of the general partner interest and the Incentive Distribution Rights) and having the rights and obligations specified with respect to Common Units in this Agreement.
“Conflicts Committee” means either the Audit Committee or a committee of the Board of Directors of the General Partner composed entirely of two or more directors who are not (a) security holders, officers or employees of the General Partner, (b) officers, directors or employees of any Affiliate of the General Partner or (c) holders of any ownership interest in the Partnership other than Common Units, and who also meet the independence standards required to serve on an audit committee of a board of directors established by the Securities Exchange Act and the rules of regulations of the Commission thereunder by the National Securities Exchange on which the Common Units are listed or admitted for trading.
“Contributed Property” means each property or other asset, in such form as may be permitted by the Delaware Act, but excluding cash, contributed to the Partnership (or deemed contributed to the Partnership on termination and reconstitution thereof pursuant to Section 708 of the Code). Once the Carrying Value of a Contributed Property is adjusted pursuant to Section 5.5(d), such property shall no longer constitute a Contributed Property, but shall be deemed an Adjusted Property.
“Contribution and Conveyance Agreement” means that certain Contribution, Conveyance and Assumption Agreement, dated as of the Closing Date, among the General Partner, the Partnership, the Operating Partnership and certain other parties, together with the additional conveyance documents and instruments contemplated or referenced thereunder.

 

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“Curative Allocation” means any allocation of an item of income, gain, deduction, loss or credit pursuant to the provisions of Section 6.1(d)(xi).
“Current Market Price” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 15.1(a).
“Delaware Act” means the Delaware Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act, 6 Del C. §17-101, et seq., as amended, supplemented or restated from time to time, and any successor to such statute.
“Departing Partner” means a former General Partner from and after the effective date of any withdrawal or removal of such former General Partner pursuant to Section 11.1 or 11.2.
Disposed of Adjusted Property” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 6.1(d)(xii)(B).
“Economic Risk of Loss” has the meaning set forth in Treasury Regulation Section 1.752-2(a).
“Eligible Citizen” means a Person qualified to own interests in real property in jurisdictions in which any Group Member does business or proposes to do business from time to time, and whose status as a Limited Partner or Assignee does not or would not subject such Group Member to a significant risk of cancellation or forfeiture of any of its properties or any interest therein.
“Event of Withdrawal” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 11.1(a).
“First Amended and Restated Agreement” has the meaning assigned to such term in the recitals.
“First Liquidation Target Amount” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 6.1(c)(i)(D).
“First Target Distribution” means $0.275 per Unit per Quarter, subject to adjustment in accordance with Sections 6.6 and 6.9.
“General Partner” means Energy Transfer Partners GP, L.P., and its successors and permitted assigns as general partner of the Partnership.
“General Partner Interest” means the ownership interest of the General Partner in the Partnership (in its capacity as a general partner without reference to any Units or the Incentive Distribution Rights held by it) and includes any and all benefits to which the General Partner is entitled as provided in this Agreement, together with all obligations of the General Partner to comply with the terms and provisions of this Agreement.

 

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“Gross Liability Value” means, with respect to any Liability of the Partnership described in Treasury Regulation Section 1.752-7(b)(3)(i), the amount of cash that a willing assignor would pay to a willing assignee to assume such Liability in an arm’s-length transaction. The Gross Liability Value of each Liability of the Partnership described in Treasury Regulation Section 1.752-7(b)(3)(i) shall be adjusted at such times as provided in this Agreement for an adjustment to Carrying Values.
“Group” means a Person that with or through any of its Affiliates or Associates has any agreement, arrangement or understanding for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting (except voting pursuant to a revocable proxy or consent given to such Person in response to a proxy or consent solicitation made to 10 or more Persons) or disposing of any Partnership Securities with any other Person that beneficially owns, or whose Affiliates or Associates beneficially own, directly or indirectly, Partnership Securities.
“Group Member” means a member of the Partnership Group.
“HHI” means Heritage Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and any successors thereto.
“HHI Distributions” has the meaning set forth in Section 6.3(e)(i).
“HHI Items” has the meaning set forth in Section 6.2(b)(i).
“Holder” as used in Section 7.13, has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 7.13(a).
“HOLP” means Heritage Operating, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership.
“HOLP Partnership Agreement” means the Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of HOLP, as it may be amended, supplemented or restated from time to time.
“Incentive Distribution Right” means a non-voting limited partner Partnership Interest issued to the General Partner in connection with the transfer of its assets to the Partnership pursuant to Section 5.2, which Partnership Interest shall confer upon the holder thereof only the rights and obligations specifically provided in this Agreement with respect to Incentive Distribution Rights (and no other rights otherwise available to or other obligations of holders of a Partnership Interest).
“Incentive Distributions” means any amount of cash distributed to the holders of the Incentive Distribution Rights pursuant to Sections 6.4(a)(iii), (iv) and (v).
“Indemnified Persons” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 7.13(c).
“Indemnitee” means (a) the General Partner, any Departing Partner and any Person who is or was an Affiliate of the General Partner or any Departing Partner, (b) any Person who is or was a director, officer, employee, agent or trustee of the Partnership, the Operating Partnership or any other Subsidiary, (c) any Person who is or was an officer, director, employee, agent or trustee of the General Partner or any Departing Partner or any such Affiliate, (d) any Person who is or was serving at the request of the General Partner or any Departing Partner or any such Affiliate as a director, officer, employee, partner, agent, fiduciary or trustee of another Person; provided, that a Person shall not be an Indemnitee by reason of providing, on a fee-for-services basis, trustee, fiduciary or custodial services.

 

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“Initial Common Units” means the Common Units sold in the Initial Offering.
“Initial Limited Partners” means the General Partner (with respect to the Incentive Distribution Rights received by it pursuant to Section 5.2) and the Underwriters, in each case upon being admitted to the Partnership in accordance with Section 10.1.
“Initial Offering” means the initial offering and sale of Common Units to the public, as described in the Registration Statement.
“Initial Unit Price” means (a) with respect to the Common Units, the initial public offering price per Common Unit at which the Underwriters offered the Common Units to the public for sale as set forth on the cover page of the prospectus included as part of the Registration Statement and first issued at or after the time the Registration Statement first became effective or (b) with respect to any other class or series of Units, the price per Unit at which such class or series of Units is initially sold by the Partnership, as determined by the General Partner, in each case adjusted as the General Partner determines to be appropriate to give effect to any distribution, subdivision or combination of Units.
“Interim Capital Transactions” means the following transactions if they occur prior to the Liquidation Date: (a) borrowings, refinancings or refundings of indebtedness and sales of debt securities (other than for working capital purposes and other than for items purchased on open account in the ordinary course of business) by any Group Member, (b) sales of equity interests by any Group Member (including Initial Common Units sold to the Underwriters pursuant to the exercise of the Over-allotment Option); and (c) sales or other voluntary or involuntary dispositions of any assets of any Group Member other than (x) sales or other dispositions of inventory in the ordinary course of business, (y) sales or other dispositions of other current assets, including receivables and accounts in the ordinary course of business, and (z) sales or other dispositions of assets as part of normal retirements or replacements.
“Issue Price” means the price at which a Unit is purchased from the Partnership, after taking into account any sales commission or underwriting discount charged to the Partnership.
“Limited Partner” means, unless the context otherwise requires, (a) the Organizational Limited Partner, each Initial Limited Partner, each Substituted Limited Partner, each Additional Limited Partner, any Partner upon the change of its status from General Partner to Limited Partner pursuant to Section 11.3 or (b) solely for purposes of Articles V, VI, VII and IX and Sections 12.3 and 12.4, each Assignee.
“Liquidation Date” means (a) in the case of an event giving rise to the dissolution of the Partnership of the type described in clauses (a) and (b) of the first sentence of Section 12.2, the date on which the applicable time period during which the holders of Outstanding Units have the right to elect to reconstitute the Partnership and continue its business has expired without such an election being made, and (b) in the case of any other event giving rise to the dissolution of the Partnership, the date on which such event occurs.

 

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“Liquidator” means one or more Persons selected by the General Partner to perform the functions described in Section 12.3.
“Merger Agreement” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 14.1.
“Minimum Quarterly Distribution” means $0.25 per Unit per Quarter subject to adjustment in accordance with Sections 6.6 and 6.9.
“National Securities Exchange” means an exchange registered with the Commission under Section 6(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, supplemented or restated from time to time, and any successor to such statute.
“Net Agreed Value” means, (a) in the case of any Contributed Property, the Agreed Value of such property reduced by any liabilities either assumed by the Partnership upon such contribution or to which such property is subject when contributed, and (b) in the case of any property distributed to a Partner or Assignee by the Partnership, the Partnership’s Carrying Value of such property (as adjusted pursuant to Section 5.5(d)(ii)) at the time such property is distributed, reduced by any indebtedness either assumed by such Partner or Assignee upon such distribution or to which such property is subject at the time of distribution, in either case, as determined under Section 752 of the Code.
“Net Income” means, for any taxable year, the excess, if any, of the Partnership’s items of income and gain (other than those items taken into account in the computation of Net Termination Gain or Net Termination Loss) for such taxable year over the Partnership’s items of loss and deduction (other than those items taken into account in the computation of Net Termination Gain or Net Termination Loss) for such taxable year. The items included in the calculation of Net Income shall be determined in accordance with Section 5.5(b) and shall not include any items specially allocated under Section 6.1(d); provided that the determination of the items that have been specially allocated under Section 6.1(d) shall be made without regard to any reversal of such items under Section 6.1(d)(xii).
“Net Loss” means, for any taxable year, the excess, if any, of the Partnership’s items of loss and deduction (other than those items taken into account in the computation of Net Termination Gain or Net Termination Loss) for such taxable year over the Partnership’s items of income and gain (other than those items taken into account in the computation of Net Termination Gain or Net Termination Loss) for such taxable year. The items included in the calculation of Net Loss shall be determined in accordance with Section 5.5(b) and shall not include any items specially allocated under Section 6.1(d); provided that the determination of the items that have been specially allocated under Section 6.1(d) shall be made without regard to any reversal of such items under Section 6.1(d)(xii).
“Net Positive Adjustments” means, with respect to any Partner, the excess, if any, of the total positive adjustments over the total negative adjustments made to the Capital Account of such Partner pursuant to Book-Up Events and Book-Down Events.

 

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“Net Termination Gain” means, for any taxable year, the sum, if positive, of all items of income, gain, loss or deduction recognized by the Partnership (a) after the Liquidation Date or (b) upon the sale, exchange or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Partnership Group, taken as a whole, in a single transaction or a series of related transactions (excluding any disposition to a member of the Partnership Group). The items included in the determination of Net Termination Gain shall be determined in accordance with Section 5.5(b) and shall not include any items of income, gain or loss specially allocated under Section 6.1(d).
“Net Termination Loss” means, for any taxable year, the sum, if negative, of all items of income, gain, loss or deduction recognized by the Partnership (a) after the Liquidation Date or (b) upon the sale, exchange or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Partnership Group, taken as a whole, in a single transaction or a series of related transactions (excluding any disposition to a member of the Partnership Group). The items included in the determination of Net Termination Loss shall be determined in accordance with Section 5.5(b) and shall not include any items of income, gain or loss specially allocated under Section 6.1(d).
“Non-citizen Assignee” means a Person whom the General Partner has determined in its discretion does not constitute an Eligible Citizen and as to whose Partnership Interest the General Partner has become the Substituted Limited Partner, pursuant to Section 4.9.
“Nonrecourse Built-in Gain” means with respect to any Contributed Properties or Adjusted Properties that are subject to a mortgage or pledge securing a Nonrecourse Liability, the amount of any taxable gain that would be allocated to the Partners pursuant to Sections 6.2(b)(i)(A), 6.2(b)(ii)(A) and 6.2(b)(iii) if such properties were disposed of in a taxable transaction in full satisfaction of such liabilities and for no other consideration.
“Nonrecourse Deductions” means any and all items of loss, deduction or expenditure (including any expenditure described in Section 705(a)(2)(B) of the Code) that, in accordance with the principles of Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-2(b), are attributable to a Nonrecourse Liability.
“Nonrecourse Liability” has the meaning set forth in Treasury Regulation Section 1.752-1(a)(2) or Treasury Regulation Section 1.752-7.
“Notice of Election to Purchase” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 15.1(b) hereof.
“Operating Expenditures” means all Partnership Group expenditures, including, but not limited to, taxes, reimbursements of the General Partner, debt service payments, and capital expenditures, subject to the following:
(a) Payments (including prepayments) of principal of and premium on indebtedness shall not be an Operating Expenditure if the payment is (i) required in connection with the sale or other disposition of assets or (ii) made in connection with the refinancing or refunding of indebtedness with the proceeds from new indebtedness or from the sale of equity interests. For purposes of the foregoing, at the election and in the reasonable discretion of the General Partner, any payment of principal or premium shall be deemed to be refunded or refinanced by any indebtedness incurred or to be incurred by the Partnership Group within 180 days before or after such payment to the extent of the principal amount of such indebtedness.

 

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(b) Operating Expenditures shall not include (i) capital expenditures made for Acquisitions or for Capital Improvements, (ii) payment of transaction expenses relating to Interim Capital Transactions or (iii) distributions to Partners. Where capital expenditures are made in part for Acquisitions or for Capital Improvements and in part for other purposes, the General Partner’s good faith allocation between the amounts paid for each shall be conclusive.
“Operating Partnership” means Heritage ETC, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership, and any successors thereto.
“Operating Partnership Agreement” means the Agreement of Limited Partnership of the Operating Partnership, as it may be amended, supplemented or restated from time to time.
“Operating Surplus” means, with respect to any period ending prior to the Liquidation Date, on a cumulative basis and without duplication,
(a) the sum of (i) $10 million plus all cash and cash equivalents of the Partnership Group on hand as of the close of business on the Closing Date, (ii) all cash receipts of the Partnership Group for the period beginning on the Closing Date and ending with the last day of such period, other than cash receipts from Interim Capital Transactions (except to the extent specified in Section 6.5) and (iii) all cash receipts of the Partnership Group after the end of such period but on or before the date of determination of Operating Surplus with respect to such period resulting from borrowings for working capital purposes, less
(b) the sum of (i) Operating Expenditures for the period beginning on the Closing Date and ending with the last day of such period and (ii) the amount of cash reserves that is necessary or advisable in the reasonable discretion of the General Partner to provide funds for future Operating Expenditures, provided, however, that disbursements made (including contributions to a Group Member or disbursements on behalf of a Group Member) or cash reserves established, increased or reduced after the end of such period but on or before the date of determination of Available Cash with respect to such period shall be deemed to have been made, established, increased or reduced for purposes of determining Operating Surplus, within such period if the General Partner so determines.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, “Operating Surplus” with respect to the Quarter in which the Liquidation Date occurs and any subsequent Quarter shall equal zero.
“Opinion of Counsel” means a written opinion of counsel (who may be regular counsel to the Partnership or the General Partner or any of their Affiliates) acceptable to the General Partner in its reasonable discretion.
“Option Closing Date” has the meaning assigned to such term in the Underwriting Agreement.

 

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“Organizational Limited Partner” means James E. Bertelsmeyer in his capacity as the organizational limited partner of the Partnership pursuant to the First Amended and Restated Agreement.
“Outstanding” means, with respect to Partnership Securities, all Partnership Securities that are issued by the Partnership and reflected as Outstanding on the Partnership’s books and records as of the date of determination; provided, however, that if at any time any Person or Group (other than the General Partner or its Affiliates) beneficially owns 20% or more of any Outstanding Partnership Securities of any class then Outstanding, all Partnership Securities owned by such Person or Group shall not be voted on any matter and shall not be considered to be Outstanding when sending notices of a meeting of Limited Partners to vote on any matter (unless otherwise required by law), calculating required votes, determining the presence of a quorum or for other similar purposes under this Agreement, except that such Common Units shall be considered to be Outstanding for purposes of Section 11.1(b)(iv)(such Common Units shall not, however, be treated as a separate class of Partnership Securities for purposes of this Agreement).
“Over-allotment Option” means the over-allotment option granted to the Underwriters by the Partnership pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement.
“Partner Nonrecourse Debt” has the meaning set forth in Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-2(b)(4).
“Partner Nonrecourse Debt Minimum Gain” has the meaning set forth in Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-2(i)(2).
“Partner Nonrecourse Deductions” means any and all items of loss, deduction or expenditure (including, without limitation, any expenditure described in Section 705(a)(2)(B) of the Code) that, in accordance with the principles of Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-2(i), are attributable to a Partner Nonrecourse Debt.
“Partners” means the General Partner, the Limited Partners and the holders of Common Units and Incentive Distribution Rights.
“Partnership” means Energy Transfer Partners, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership, and any successors thereto.
“Partnership Group” means the Partnership, the Operating Partnership and any Subsidiary of either such entity, treated as a single consolidated entity.
“Partnership Interest” means an interest in the Partnership, which shall include general partner interests, Common Units, Incentive Distribution Rights and other Partnership Securities, or a combination thereof or interest therein, as the case may be.
“Partnership Minimum Gain” means that amount determined hi accordance with the principles of Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-2(d).

 

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“Partnership Security” means any class or series of Unit, any option, right, warrant or appreciation rights relating thereto, or any other type of equity interest that the Partnership may lawfully issue, or any unsecured or secured debt obligation of the Partnership that is convertible into any class or series of equity interests of the Partnership.
“Percentage Interest” means as of any date of determination (a) as to the General Partner with respect to its General Partner Interest, the product obtained by dividing (i) the Capital Account balance of the General Partner by (ii) the aggregate Capital Account balances of all Limited Partners and the General Partner, (b) as to any Unitholder or Assignee holding Units, the product of (i) 100% less the percentages applicable to paragraphs (a) and (c) multiplied by (ii) the quotient of the number of Units held by such Unitholder or Assignee divided by the total number of all Outstanding Units, and (c) as to the holders of additional Partnership Securities issued by the Partnership in accordance with Section 5.6, the percentage established as a part of such issuance. The Percentage Interest with respect to an Incentive Distribution Right shall at all times be zero.
“Person” means an individual or a corporation, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, trust, unincorporated organization, association, government agency or political subdivision thereof or other entity.
“Pro Rata” means (a) when modifying Units or any class thereof, apportioned equally among all designated Units in accordance with their relative Percentage Interests, (b) when modifying Partners, Unitholders and Assignees, in accordance with their respective Percentage Interests and (c) when modifying holders of Incentive Distribution Rights, apportioned equally among all holders of Incentive Distribution Rights in accordance with the relative number of Incentive Distribution Rights held by each such holder.
“Purchase Date” means the date determined by the General Partner as the date for purchase of all Outstanding Units (other than Units owned by the General Partner and its Affiliates) pursuant to Article XV.
“Quarter” means, unless the context otherwise requires, a fiscal quarter of the Partnership.
“Recapture Income” means any gain recognized by the Partnership (computed without regard to any adjustment required by Sections 734 or 743 of the Code) upon the disposition of any property or asset of the Partnership, which gain is characterized as ordinary income because it represents the recapture of deductions previously taken with respect to such property or asset.
“Record Date” means the date established by the General Partner for determining (a) the identity of the Record Holders entitled to notice of, or to vote at, any meeting of Limited Partners or entitled to vote by ballot or give approval of Partnership action in writing without a meeting or entitled to exercise rights in respect of any lawful action of Limited Partners or (b) the identity of Record Holders entitled to receive any report or distribution or participate in any offer.

 

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“Record Holder” means the Person in whose name a Common Unit is registered on the books of the Transfer Agent as of the opening of business on a particular Business Day, or with respect to a holder of a general partner interest, an Incentive Distribution Right or other Partnership Interest, the Person in whose name such general partner interest, Incentive Distribution Right or other Partnership Interest is registered on the books which the General Partner has caused to be kept as of the opening of business on such Business Day.
“Redeemable Interests” means any Partnership Interests for which a redemption notice has been given, and has not been withdrawn, pursuant to Section 4.10.
“Registration Statement” means the Registration Statement on Form S-1 (Registration No. 333-4018) as it has been or as it may be amended or supplemented from time to time, filed by the Partnership with the Commission under the Securities Act to register the offering and sale of the Common Units in the Initial Offering.
“Remaining Net Positive Adjustments” means as of the end of any taxable period, (i) with respect to the Unitholders holding Common Units, the excess of (a) the Net Positive Adjustments of the Unitholders holding Common Units as of the end of such period over (b) the sum of those Partners’ Share of Additional Book Basis Derivative Items for each prior taxable period, (ii) with respect to the General Partner, the excess of (a) the Net Positive Adjustments of the General Partner as of the end of such period over (b) the sum of the General Partner’s Share of Additional Book Basis Derivative Items for each prior taxable period, and (iii) with respect to the holders of Incentive Distribution Rights, the excess of (a) the Net Positive Adjustments of the holders of Incentive Distribution Rights as of the end of such period over (b) the sum of the Share of Additional Book Basis Derivative Items of the holders of the Incentive Distribution Rights for each prior taxable period.
“Required Allocations” means (a) any limitation imposed on any allocation of Net Losses or Net Termination Losses under Section 6.1(b) or 6.1(c)(ii) and (b) any allocation of an item of income, gain, loss or deduction pursuant to Section 6.1(d)(i), 6.1(d)(ii), 6.1(d)(iv), 6.1(d)(vii) or 6.1(d)(ix).
“Residual Gain” or “Residual Loss” means any item of gain or loss, as the case may be, of the Partnership recognized for federal income tax purposes resulting from a sale, exchange or other disposition of a Contributed Property or Adjusted Property, to the extent such item of gain or loss is not allocated pursuant to Section 6.2(b)(i)(A) or 6.2(b)(ii)(A), respectively, to eliminate Book-Tax Disparities.
“Second Liquidation Target Amount” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 6.1(c)(i)(E).
“Second Target Distribution” means $0.3175 per Unit per Quarter, subject to adjustment in accordance with Sections 6.6 and 6.9.
“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, supplemented or restated from time to time and any successor to such statute.
“Securities Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, supplemented or restated from time to time and any successor to such statute.

 

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“Share of Additional Book Basis Derivative Items” means in connection with any allocation of Additional Book Basis Derivative Items for any taxable period, (i) with respect to the Limited Partners holding Common Units, the amount that bears the same ratio to such Additional Book Basis Derivative Items as such Limited Partner’s Remaining Net Positive Adjustments as of the end of such period bears to the Aggregate Remaining Net Positive Adjustments as of that time, (ii) with respect to the General Partner, the amount that bears the same ratio to such Additional Book Basis Derivative Items as the General Partner’s Remaining Net Positive Adjustments as of the end of such period bears to the Aggregate Remaining Net Positive Adjustment as of that time, and (iii) with respect to the Partners holding Incentive Distribution Rights, the amount that bears the same ratio to such Additional Book Basis Derivative Items as the Remaining Net Positive Adjustments of the Partners holding the Incentive Distribution Rights as of the end of such period bears to the Aggregate Remaining Net Positive Adjustments as of that time.
“Special Approval” means approval by a majority of the members of the Conflicts Committee.
“Subsidiary” means, with respect to any Person, (a) a corporation of which more than 50% of the voting power of shares entitled (without regard to the occurrence of any contingency) to vote in the election of directors or other governing body of such corporation is owned, directly or indirectly, at the date of determination, by such Person, by one or more Subsidiaries of such Person or a combination thereof, (b) a partnership (whether general or limited) in which such Person or a Subsidiary of such Person is, at the date of determination, a general or limited partner of such partnership, but only if more than 50% of the partnership interests of such partnership (considering all of the partnership interests of the partnership as a single class) is owned, directly or indirectly, at the date of determination, by such Person, by one or more Subsidiaries of such Person, or a combination thereof, or (c) any other Person (other than a corporation or a partnership) in which such Person, one or more Subsidiaries of such Person, or a combination thereof, directly or indirectly, at the date of determination, has (i) at least a majority ownership interest or (ii) the power to elect or direct the election of a majority of the directors or other governing body of such Person.
“Substituted Limited Partner” means a Person who is admitted as a Limited Partner to the Partnership pursuant to Section 10.2 in place of and with all the rights of a Limited Partner and who is shown as a Limited Partner on the books and records of the Partnership.
“Surviving Business Entity” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 14.2(b).
“Third Target Distribution” means $0.4125 per Unit per Quarter, subject to adjustment in accordance with Sections 6.6 and 6.9.
“Trading Day” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 15.1(a).
“Transfer” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 4.4(a).

 

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“Transfer Agent” means such bank, trust company or other Person (including the General Partner or one of its Affiliates) as shall be appointed from time to time by the Partnership to act as registrar and transfer agent for the Units.
“Transfer Application” means an application and agreement for transfer of Units in the form set forth on the back of a Certificate or in a form substantially to the same effect in a separate instrument.
“Underwriter” means each Person named as an underwriter in Schedule I to the Underwriting Agreement who purchased Common Units pursuant thereto.
“Underwriting Agreement” means the Underwriting Agreement dated June 25, 1996, among the Underwriters, the Partnership and certain other parties, providing for the purchase of Common Units by such Underwriters.
“Unit” means a Partnership Interest of a Limited Partner or Assignee in the Partnership and shall include Common Units and Class E Units, but shall not include (x) the general partner interest in the Partnership or (y) Incentive Distribution Rights.
“Unitholders” means the holders of Common Units and Class E Units.
“Unit Majority” means at least a majority of the Outstanding Units (excluding the Class E Units in respect of matters in which the holders of the Class E Units are not entitled to a vote).
“Unpaid MQD” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 6.1(c)(i)(B).
“Unrealized Gain” attributable to any item of Partnership property means, as of any date of determination, the excess, if any, of (a) the fair market value of such property as of such date (as determined under Section 5.5(d)) over (b) the Carrying Value of such property as of such date (prior to any adjustment to be made pursuant to Section 5.5(d) as of such date).
“Unrealized Loss” attributable to any item of Partnership property means, as of any date of determination, the excess, if any, of (a) the Carrying Value of such property as of such date (prior to any adjustment to be made pursuant to Section 5.5(d) as of such date) over (b) the fair market value of such property as of such date (as determined under Section 5.5(d)).
“Unrecovered Capital” means at any time, with respect to a Unit, the Initial Unit Price less the sum of all distributions constituting Capital Surplus theretofore made in respect of an Initial Common Unit and any distributions of cash (or the Net Agreed Value of any distributions in kind) in connection with the dissolution and liquidation of the Partnership theretofore made in respect of an Initial Common Unit, adjusted as the General Partner determines to be appropriate to give effect to any distribution, subdivision or combination of such Units.
“U.S. GAAP” means United States generally accepted accounting principles consistently applied.
“Withdrawal Opinion of Counsel” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 11.1(b).

 

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1.2 Construction
Unless the context requires otherwise: (a) any pronoun used in this Agreement shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine or neuter forms, and the singular form of nouns, pronouns and verbs shall include the plural and vice versa; (b) references to Articles and Sections refer to Articles and Sections of this Agreement; and (c) “include” or “includes” means includes, without limitation, and “including” means including, without limitation.
ARTICLE II
ORGANIZATION
2.1 Formation
The General Partner and the Organizational Limited Partner have previously formed the Partnership as a limited partnership pursuant to the provisions of the Delaware Act and hereby amend and restate the original Agreement of Limited Partnership of Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. in its entirety. This amendment and restatement shall become effective on the date of this Agreement. Except as expressly provided to the contrary in this Agreement, the rights and obligations of the Partners and the administration, dissolution and termination of the Partnership shall be governed by the Delaware Act. All Partnership Interests shall constitute personal property of the owner thereof for all purposes.
2.2 Name
The name of the Partnership shall be “Energy Transfer Partners, L.P.” The Partnership’s business may be conducted under any other name or names deemed necessary or appropriate by the General Partner in its sole discretion, including the name of the General Partner. The words “Limited Partnership,” “L.P.,” “Ltd.” or similar words or letters shall be included in the Partnership’s name where necessary for the purpose of complying with the laws of any jurisdiction that so requires. The General Partner in its discretion may change the name of the Partnership at any time and from time to time and shall notify the Limited Partners of such change in the next regular communication to the Limited Partners.
2.3 Registered Office; Registered Agent; Principal Office; Other Offices
Unless and until changed by the General Partner, the registered office of the Partnership in the State of Delaware shall be located at 1209 Orange Street, New Castle County, Wilmington, Delaware 19801, and the registered agent for service of process on the Partnership in the State of Delaware at such registered office shall be CT Corporation System. The principal office of the Partnership shall be located at 3738 Oak Lawn Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75219 or such other place as the General Partner may from time to time designate by notice to the Limited Partners. The Partnership may maintain offices at such other place or places within or outside the State of Delaware as the General Partner deems necessary or appropriate. The address of the General Partner shall be 3738 Oak Lawn Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75219 or such other place as the General Partner may from time to time designate by notice to the Limited Partners.

 

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2.4 Purpose and Business
The purpose and nature of the business to be conducted by the Partnership shall be to (a) serve as a limited partner in the Operating Partnership and, in connection therewith, to exercise all the rights and powers conferred upon the Partnership as a limited partner in the Operating Partnership pursuant to the Operating Partnership Agreement or otherwise, (b) engage directly in, or enter into or form any corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company or other arrangement to engage indirectly in, any business activity that the Operating Partnership is permitted to engage in by the Operating Partnership Agreement and, in connection therewith, to exercise all of the rights and powers conferred upon the Partnership pursuant to the agreements relating to such business activity, (c) engage directly in, or to enter into or form any corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company or other arrangement to engage indirectly in, any business activity that is approved by the General Partner and which lawfully may be conducted by a limited partnership organized pursuant to the Delaware Act and, in connection therewith, to exercise all of the rights and powers conferred upon the Partnership pursuant to the agreements relating to such business activity, and (d) do anything necessary or appropriate to the foregoing, including the making of capital contributions or loans to a Group Member. The General Partner has no obligation or duty to the Partnership, the Limited Partners, or the Assignees to propose or approve, and in its discretion may decline to propose or approve, the conduct by the Partnership of any business.
2.5 Powers
The Partnership shall be empowered to do any and all acts and things necessary, appropriate, proper, advisable, incidental to or convenient for the furtherance and accomplishment of the purposes and business described in Section 2.4 and for the protection and benefit of the Partnership.
2.6 Power of Attorney
(a) Each Limited Partner and each Assignee hereby constitutes and appoints the General Partner and, if a Liquidator shall have been selected pursuant to Section 12.3, the Liquidator, severally (and any successor to the Liquidator by merger, transfer, assignment, election or otherwise) and each of their authorized officers and attorneys-in-fact, as the case may be, with full power of substitution, as his true and lawful agent and attorney-in-fact, with full power and authority in his name, place and stead, to:
(i) execute, swear to, acknowledge, deliver, file and record in the appropriate public offices (A) all certificates, documents and other instruments (including this Agreement and the Certificate of Limited Partnership and all amendments or restatements hereof or thereof) that the General Partner or the Liquidator deems necessary or appropriate to form, qualify or continue the existence or qualification of the Partnership as a limited partnership (or a partnership in which the limited partners have limited liability) in the State of Delaware and in all other jurisdictions in which the Partnership may conduct business or own property; (B) all certificates, documents and other instruments that the General Partner or the Liquidator deems necessary or appropriate to reflect, in accordance with its terms, any amendment, change, modification or restatement of this Agreement; (C) all certificates, documents and other instruments (including conveyances and a certificate of cancellation) that the General Partner or the Liquidator deems necessary or appropriate to reflect the dissolution and liquidation of the Partnership pursuant to the terms of this Agreement; (D) all certificates, documents and other instruments relating to the admission, withdrawal, removal or substitution of any Partner pursuant to, or other events described in, Article IV, X, XI or XII; (E) all certificates, documents and other instruments relating to the determination of the rights, preferences and privileges of any class or series of Partnership Securities issued pursuant to Section 5.6; and (F) all certificates, documents and other instruments (including agreements and a certificate of merger) relating to a merger or consolidation of the Partnership pursuant to Article XIV; and

 

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(ii) execute, swear to, acknowledge, deliver, file and record all ballots, consents, approvals, waivers, certificates, documents and other instruments necessary or appropriate, in the discretion of the General Partner or the Liquidator, to make, evidence, give, confirm or ratify any vote, consent, approval, agreement or other action that is made or given by the Partners hereunder or is consistent with the terms of this Agreement or is necessary or appropriate, in the discretion of the General Partner or the Liquidator, to effectuate the terms or intent of this Agreement; provided, that when required by Section 13.3 or any other provision of this Agreement that establishes a percentage of the Limited Partners or of the Limited Partners of any class or series required to take any action, the General Partner and the Liquidator may exercise the power of attorney made in this Section 2.6(a)(ii) only after the necessary vote, consent or approval of the Limited Partners or of the Limited Partners of such class or series, as applicable.
Nothing contained in this Section 2.6(a) shall be construed as authorizing the General Partner to amend this Agreement except in accordance with Article XIII or as may be otherwise expressly provided for in this Agreement.
(b) The foregoing power of attorney is hereby declared to be irrevocable and a power coupled with an interest, and it shall survive and, to the maximum extent permitted by law, not be affected by the subsequent death, incompetency, disability, incapacity, dissolution, bankruptcy or termination of any Limited Partner or Assignee and the transfer of all or any portion of such Limited Partner’s or Assignee’s Partnership Interest and shall extend to such Limited Partner’s or Assignee’s heirs, successors, assigns and personal representatives. Each such Limited Partner or Assignee hereby agrees to be bound by any representation made by the General Partner or the Liquidator acting in good faith pursuant to such power of attorney; and each such Limited Partner or Assignee, to the maximum extent permitted by law, hereby waives any and all defenses that may be available to contest, negate or disaffirm the action of the General Partner or the Liquidator taken in good faith under such power of attorney. Each Limited Partner or Assignee shall execute and deliver to the General Partner or the Liquidator, within 15 days after receipt of the request therefor, such further designation, powers of attorney and other instruments as the General Partner or the Liquidator deems necessary to effectuate this Agreement and the purposes of the Partnership.
2.7 Term
The Partnership commenced upon the filing of the Certificate of Limited Partnership in accordance with the Delaware Act and shall continue in existence until the close of Partnership business on September 30, 2085 or until the earlier termination of the Partnership in accordance with the provisions of Article XII.

 

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2.8 Title to Partnership Assets
Title to Partnership assets, whether real, personal or mixed and whether tangible or intangible, shall be deemed to be owned by the Partnership as an entity, and no Partner or Assignee, individually or collectively, shall have any ownership interest in such Partnership assets or any portion thereof. Title to any or all of the Partnership assets may be held in the name of the Partnership, the General Partner, one or more of its Affiliates or one or more nominees, as the General Partner may determine. The General Partner hereby declares and warrants that any Partnership assets for which record title is held in the name of the General Partner or one or more of its Affiliates or one or more nominees shall be held by the General Partner or such Affiliate or nominee for the use and benefit of the Partnership in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement; provided, however, that the General Partner shall use reasonable efforts to cause record title to such assets (other than those assets in respect of which the General Partner determines that the expense and difficulty of conveyancing makes transfer of record title to the Partnership impracticable) to be vested in the Partnership as soon as reasonably practicable; provided, further, that, prior to the withdrawal or removal of the General Partner or as soon thereafter as practicable, the General Partner shall use reasonable efforts to effect the transfer of record title to the Partnership and, prior to any such transfer, will provide for the use of such assets in a manner satisfactory to the General Partner. All Partnership assets shall be recorded as the property of the Partnership in its books and records, irrespective of the name in which record title to such Partnership assets is held.
ARTICLE III
RIGHTS OF LIMITED PARTNERS
3.1 Limitation of Liability
The Limited Partners and the Assignees shall have no liability under this Agreement except as expressly provided in this Agreement or the Delaware Act.
3.2 Management of Business
No Limited Partner or Assignee (other than the General Partner or any of its Affiliates or any officer, director, employee, partner, agent or trustee of the General Partner or any of its Affiliates, or any director, employee or agent of a Group Member, in its capacity as such, if such Person shall also be a Limited Partner or Assignee) shall participate in the operation, management or control (within the meaning of the Delaware Act) of the Partnership’s business, transact any business in the Partnership’s name or have the power to sign documents for or otherwise bind the Partnership. Any action taken by any Affiliate of the General Partner or any officer, director, employee, partner, agent or trustee of the General Partner or any of its Affiliates, or any director, employee or agent of a Group Member, in its capacity as such, shall not be deemed to be participation in the control of the business of the Partnership by a limited partner of the Partnership (within the meaning of Section 17-303(a) of the Delaware Act) and shall not affect, impair or eliminate the limitations on the liability of the Limited Partners or Assignees under this Agreement.

 

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3.3 Outside Activities of the Limited Partners
Subject to the provisions of Section 7.5, which shall continue to be applicable to the Persons referred to therein, regardless of whether such Persons shall also be Limited Partners or Assignees, any Limited Partner or Assignee shall be entitled to and may have business interests and engage in business activities in addition to those relating to the Partnership, including business interests and activities in direct competition with the Partnership Group. Neither the Partnership nor any of the other Partners or Assignees shall have any rights by virtue of this Agreement in any business ventures of any Limited Partner or Assignee.
3.4 Rights of Limited Partners
(a) In addition to other rights provided by this Agreement or by applicable law, and except as limited by Section 3.4(b), each Limited Partner shall have the right, for a purpose reasonably related to such Limited Partner’s interest as a limited partner in the Partnership, upon reasonable written demand and at such Limited Partner’s own expense:
(i) to obtain true and full information regarding the status of the business and financial condition of the Partnership;
(ii) promptly after becoming available, to obtain a copy of the Partnership’s federal, state and local tax returns for each year;
(iii) to have furnished to him a current list of the name and last known business, residence or mailing address of each Partner;
(iv) to have furnished to him a copy of this Agreement and the Certificate of Limited Partnership and all amendments thereto, together with a copy of the executed copies of all powers of attorney pursuant to which this Agreement, the Certificate of Limited Partnership and all amendments thereto have been executed;
(v) to obtain true and full information regarding the amount of cash and a description and statement of the Net Agreed Value of any other Capital Contribution by each Partner and which each Partner has agreed to contribute in the future, and the date on which each became a Partner; and
(vi) to obtain such other information regarding the affairs of the Partnership as is just and reasonable.
(b) The General Partner may keep confidential from the Limited Partners and Assignees, for such period of time as the General Partner deems reasonable, (i) any information that the General Partner reasonably believes to be in the nature of trade secrets or (ii) other information the disclosure of which the General Partner in good faith believes (A) is not in the best interests of the Partnership Group, (B) could damage the Partnership Group or (C) that any Group Member is required by law or by agreement with any third party to keep confidential (other than agreements with Affiliates the primary purpose of which is to circumvent the obligations set forth in this Section 3.4).

 

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ARTICLE IV
CERTIFICATES; RECORD HOLDERS; TRANSFER OF
PARTNERSHIP INTERESTS; REDEMPTION OF
PARTNERSHIP INTERESTS
4.1 Certificates
Upon the Partnership’s issuance of Common Units to any Person, the Partnership shall issue one or more Certificates in the name of such Person evidencing the number of such Units being so issued. In addition, (a) upon the General Partner’s request, the Partnership shall issue to it one or more Certificates in the General Partner’s name evidencing its interests in the Partnership and (b) upon the request of any Person owning Incentive Distribution Rights or any other Partnership Securities other than Common Units, the Partnership shall issue to such Person one or more certificates evidencing such Incentive Distribution Rights or any other Partnership Securities other than Common Units. Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the Partnership by the General Partner. No Common Unit Certificate shall be valid for any purpose until it has been countersigned by the Transfer Agent; provided, however, the Units may be certificated or uncertificated as provided in the Delaware Act; provided, further, that if the General Partner elects to issue Common Units in global form, the Common Unit Certificates shall be valid upon receipt of a certificate from the Transfer Agent certifying that the Common Units have been duly registered in accordance with the directions of the Partnership.
4.2 Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Certificates
(a) If any mutilated Certificate is surrendered to the Transfer Agent, the General Partner on behalf of the Partnership shall execute, and the Transfer Agent shall countersign and deliver in exchange therefor, a new Certificate evidencing the same number of Units as the Certificate so surrendered.
(b) The General Partner shall execute, and the Transfer Agent shall countersign and deliver a new Certificate in place of any Certificate previously issued, or issue uncertificated Common Units, if the Record Holder of the Certificate:
(i) makes proof by affidavit, in form and substance satisfactory to the Partnership, that a previously issued Certificate has been lost, destroyed or stolen;
(ii) requests the issuance of a new Certificate or the issuance of uncertificated Units before the Partnership has notice that the Certificate has been acquired by a purchaser for value in good faith and without notice of an adverse claim;

 

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(iii) if requested by the Partnership, delivers to the Partnership a bond, in form and substance satisfactory to the Partnership, with surety or sureties and with fixed or open penalty as the Partnership may reasonably direct, in its sole discretion, to indemnify the Partnership, the Partners, the General Partner and the Transfer Agent against any claim that may be made on account of the alleged loss, destruction or theft of the Certificate; and
(iv) satisfies any other reasonable requirements imposed by the Partnership.
If a Limited Partner or Assignee fails to notify the Partnership within a reasonable time after he has notice of the loss, destruction or theft of a Certificate, and a transfer of the Units represented by the Certificate is registered before the Partnership, the General Partner or the Transfer Agent receives such notification, the Limited Partner or Assignee shall be precluded from making any claim against the Partnership, the General Partner and the Transfer Agent for such transfer or for a new Certificate or uncertificated Units.
(c) As a condition to the issuance of any new Certificate or uncertificated Units under this Section 4.2, the Partnership may require the payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in relation thereto and any other expenses (including the fees and expenses of the Transfer Agent) reasonably connected therewith.
4.3 Record Holders
The Partnership shall be entitled to recognize the Record Holder as the Partner or Assignee with respect to any Partnership Interest and, accordingly, shall not be bound to recognize any equitable or other claim to or interest in such Partnership Interest on the part of any other Person, regardless of whether the Partnership shall have actual or other notice thereof, except as otherwise provided by law or any applicable rule, regulation, guideline or requirement of any National Securities Exchange on which the Units are listed for trading. Without limiting the foregoing, when a Person (such as a broker, dealer, bank, trust company or clearing corporation or an agent of any of the foregoing) is acting as nominee, agent or in some other representative capacity for another Person in acquiring and/or holding Units, as between the Partnership on the one hand, and such other Persons on the other, such representative Person (a) shall be the Partner or Assignee (as the case may be) of record and beneficially, (b) must execute and deliver a Transfer Application and (c) shall be bound by this Agreement and shall have the rights and obligations of a Partner or Assignee (as the case may be) hereunder and as, and to the extent, provided for herein.
4.4 Transfer Generally
(a) The term “transfer,” when used in this Agreement with respect to a Partnership Interest, shall be deemed to refer to a transaction by which the General Partner assigns its Partnership Interest as a general partner in the Partnership to another Person, by which the holder of a Unit assigns such Unit to another Person who is or becomes a Partner or an Assignee, by which the holder of an Incentive Distribution Right assigns such Partnership Interest to, another Person, and includes a sale, assignment, gift, pledge, encumbrance, hypothecation, mortgage, exchange or any other disposition by law or otherwise.

 

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(b) No Partnership Interest shall be transferred, in whole or in part, except in accordance with the terms and conditions, set forth in this Article IV. Any transfer or purported transfer of a Partnership Interest not made in accordance with this Article IV shall be null and void.
(c) Nothing contained in this Agreement shall be construed to prevent a disposition by any shareholder of the General Partner of any or all of the issued and outstanding capital stock of the General Partner.
4.5 Registration and Transfer of Units
(a) The General Partner shall keep or cause to be kept on behalf of the Partnership a register in which, subject to such reasonable regulations as it may prescribe and subject to the provisions of Section 4.5(b), the General Partner will provide for the registration and transfer of Units. The Transfer Agent is hereby appointed registrar and transfer agent for the purpose of registering Common Units and transfers of such Common Units as herein provided. The Partnership shall not recognize transfers of Certificates representing Units unless such transfers are effected in the manner described in this Section 4.5. Upon surrender for registration of transfer of any Units evidenced by a Certificate, and subject to the provisions of Section 4.5(b), the appropriate officers of the General Partner on behalf of the Partnership shall execute, and in the case of Common Units, the Transfer Agent shall countersign and deliver, in the name of the holder or the designated transferee or transferees, as required pursuant to the holder’s instructions, one or more new Certificates evidencing the same aggregate number of Units as was evidenced by the Certificate so surrendered.
(b) Except as otherwise provided in Section 4.9, the Partnership shall not recognize any transfer of Units until the Certificates evidencing such Units are surrendered for registration of transfer and such Certificates are accompanied by a Transfer Application duly executed by the transferee (or the transferee’s attorney-in-fact duly authorized in writing). No charge shall be imposed by the Partnership for such transfer; provided, that as a condition to the issuance of any new Certificate under this Section 4.5, the Partnership may require the payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed with respect thereto.
(c) Upon the proper transfer instructions from the registered owner of uncertificated Common Units, such uncertificated Common Units shall be cancelled, issuance of new equivalent uncertificated Common Units or Certificates shall be made to the holder of Common Units entitled thereto and the transaction shall be recorded upon the books of the Partnership.
(d) Units may be transferred only in the manner described in this Section 4.5. The transfer of any Units and the admission of any new Partner shall not constitute an amendment to this Agreement.
(e) Until admitted as a Substituted Limited Partner pursuant to Section 10.2, the Record Holder of a Unit shall be an Assignee in respect of such Unit. Limited Partners may include custodians, nominees or any other individual or entity in its own or any representative capacity.

 

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(f) A transferee who has completed and delivered a Transfer Application shall be deemed to have (i) requested admission as a Substituted Limited Partner, (ii) agreed to comply with and be bound by and to have executed this Agreement, (iii) represented and warranted that such transferee has the right, power and authority and, if an individual, the capacity to enter into this Agreement, (iv) granted the powers of attorney set forth in this Agreement and (v) given the consents and approvals and made the waivers contained in this Agreement.
(g) The General Partner shall have the right at any time to transfer its Common Units to one or more Persons.
4.6 Transfer of a General Partner’s General Partner Interest
No transfer by the General Partner of all or any part of its Partnership Interest as general partner in the Partnership to another Person shall be permitted unless (i) the transferee agrees to assume the rights and duties of the General Partner under this Agreement and the HOLP Partnership Agreement, if at such time the General Partner is the general partner of HOLP, and to be bound by the provisions of this Agreement and the HOLP Partnership Agreement, if at such time the General Partner is the general partner of HOLP, (ii) the Partnership receives an Opinion of Counsel that such transfer would not result in the loss of limited liability of any Limited Partner or of any limited partner of HOLP, if at such time HOLP is a Group Member, or cause the Partnership or HOLP, if at such time HOLP is a Group Member, to be treated as an association taxable as a corporation or otherwise to be taxed as an entity for federal income tax purposes (to the extent not already so treated or taxed) and (iii) such transferee also agrees to purchase all (or the appropriate portion thereof, if applicable) of the partnership interest of the General Partner as the general partner of each other Group Member. In the case of a transfer pursuant to and in compliance with this Section 4.6, the transferee or successor (as the case may be) shall, subject to compliance with the terms of Section 10.3, be admitted to the Partnership as a General Partner immediately prior to the transfer of the Partnership Interest, and the business of the Partnership shall continue without dissolution.
4.7 Transfer of Incentive Distribution Rights
A holder of Incentive Distribution Rights may transfer any or all of the Incentive Distribution Rights held by such holder, without any consent of the Unitholders, to (a) one or more of its Affiliates (including, without limitation, if such holder is an individual, (i) any family members or relatives of such holder, (ii) any trusts created for the benefit of such holder or any of the persons described in clauses (i) and (iii) in the event of the incompetence or death of such holder or any of the persons described in clause (i), such person’s estate executor, administrator, committee, representative or beneficiaries) or (b) one or more Persons in connection with (i) the merger or consolidation of such holder of Incentive Distribution Rights with or into another Person or (ii) the transfer by such holder of all or substantially all of its assets to another Person. Any other transfer of the Incentive Distribution Rights shall require the prior approval of holders of at least a Unit Majority. The General Partner shall have the authority (but shall not be required) to adopt such reasonable restrictions on the transfer of Incentive Distribution Rights and requirements for registering the transfer of Incentive Distribution Rights as the General Partner, in its sole discretion, shall determine are necessary or appropriate.

 

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4.8 Restrictions on Transfers
(a) Notwithstanding the other provisions of this Article IV, no transfer of any Partnership Interest shall be made if such transfer would (i) violate the then applicable federal or state securities laws or rules and regulations of the Commission, any state securities commission or any other governmental authorities with jurisdiction over such transfer, (ii) terminate the existence or qualification of the Partnership or the Operating Partnership under the laws of the jurisdiction of its formation, or (iii) cause the Partnership or the Operating Partnership to be treated as an association taxable as a corporation or otherwise to be taxed as an entity for federal income tax purposes (to the extent not already so treated or taxed).
(b) The General Partner may impose restrictions on the transfer of Partnership Interests if a subsequent Opinion of Counsel determines that such restrictions are necessary to avoid a significant risk of the Partnership or the Operating Partnership becoming taxable as a corporation or otherwise to be taxed as an entity for federal income tax purposes. The restrictions may be imposed by making such amendments to this Agreement as the General Partner may determine to be necessary or appropriate to impose such restrictions; provided, however, that any amendment that the General Partner believes, in the exercise of its reasonable discretion, could result in the delisting or suspension of trading of any class of Units on the principal National Securities Exchange on which such class of Units is then traded must be approved, prior to such amendment being effected, by the holders of at least a majority of the Outstanding Units of such class.
(c) No transfer of Units will be recorded or otherwise recognized by the Partnership unless and until the transferee has delivered a properly executed Transfer Application to the General Partner in which the transferee certifies that he, and if the transferee is nominee holding for the account of another Person, that to the best of his knowledge such other Person, is a Calendar Year Taxpayer. A transferee of a Unit who is not a Calendar Year Taxpayer will only have the right to resell his interest, will not be recorded as a Limited Partner in the Partnership and will not share in any rights, benefits or burdens as a Limited Partner in the Partnership.
(d) Nothing contained in this Article IV, or elsewhere in this Agreement, shall preclude the settlement of any transactions involving Partnership Interests entered into through the facilities of any National Securities Exchange on which such Partnership Interests are listed for trading.

 

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4.9 Citizenship Certificates; Non-citizen Assignees;
(a) If any Group Member is or becomes subject to any federal, state or local law or regulation that, in the reasonable determination of the General Partner, creates a substantial risk of cancellation or forfeiture of any property in which the Group Member has an interest based on the nationality, citizenship or other related status of a Partner or Assignee, the General Partner may request any Partner or Assignee to furnish to the General Partner, within 30 days after receipt of such request, an executed Citizenship Certification or such other information concerning his nationality, citizenship or other related status (or, if the Partner or Assignee is a nominee holding for the account of another Person, the nationality, citizenship or other related status of such Person) as the General Partner may request. If a Partner or Assignee fails to furnish to the General Partner within the aforementioned 30-day period such Citizenship Certification or other requested information or if upon receipt of such Citizenship Certification or other requested information the General Partner determines, with advice of counsel, that a Partner or Assignee is not an Eligible Citizen, the Partnership Interests owned by such Partner or Assignee shall be subject to redemption in accordance with the provisions of Section 4.10. In addition, the General Partner may require that the status of any such Partner or Assignee be changed to that of a Non-citizen Assignee and, thereupon, the General Partner shall be substituted for such Non-citizen Assignee as the Partner in respect of his Units.
(b) The General Partner shall, in exercising voting rights in respect of Units held by it on behalf of Non-citizen Assignees, distribute the votes in the same ratios as the votes of Partners (including without limitation the General Partner) in respect of Units other than those of Non-citizen Assignees are cast, either for, against or abstaining as to the matter.
(c) At any time after he can and does certify that he has become an Eligible Citizen, a Non-citizen Assignee may, upon application to the General Partner, request admission as a Substituted Limited Partner with respect to any Units of such Non-citizen Assignee not redeemed pursuant to Section 4.10, and upon his admission pursuant to Section 10.2, the General Partner shall cease to be deemed to be the Limited Partner in respect of the Non-citizen Assignee’s Units.
4.10 Redemption of Partnership Interests of Non-citizen Assignees
(a) If at any time a Partner or Assignee fails to furnish a Citizenship Certification or other information requested within the 30-day period specified in Section 4.9(a), or if upon receipt of such Citizenship Certification or other information the General Partner determines, with the advice of counsel, that a Partner or Assignee is not an Eligible Citizen, the Partnership may, unless the Partner or Assignee establishes to the satisfaction of the General Partner that such Partner or Assignee is an Eligible Citizen or has transferred his Partnership Interests to a Person who is an Eligible Citizen and who furnishes a Citizenship Certification to the General Partner prior to the date fixed for redemption as provided below, redeem the Partnership Interest of such Partner or Assignee as follows:
(i) The General Partner shall, not later than the 30th day before the date fixed for redemption, give notice of redemption to the Partner or Assignee, at his last address designated on the records of the Partnership or the Transfer Agent, by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid. The notice shall be deemed to have been given when so mailed. The notice shall specify the Redeemable Interests or, if uncertificated, upon receipt of evidence satisfactory to the General Partner of the ownership of the Redeemable Interests, the date fixed for redemption, the place of payment, that payment of the redemption price will be made upon surrender of the Certificate evidencing the Redeemable Interests and that on and after the date fixed for redemption no further allocations or distributions to which the Partner or Assignee would otherwise be entitled in respect of the Redeemable Interests will accrue or be made.

 

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(ii) The aggregate redemption price for Redeemable Interests shall be an amount equal to the Current Market Price (the date of determination of which shall be the date fixed for redemption) of Partnership Interests of the class to be so redeemed multiplied by the number of Partnership Interests of each such class included among the Redeemable Interests. The redemption price shall be paid, in the discretion of the General Partner, in cash or by delivery of a promissory note of the Partnership in the principal amount of the redemption price, bearing interest at the rate of 10% annually and payable in three equal annual installments of principal together with accrued interest, commencing one year after the redemption date.
(iii) Upon surrender by or on behalf of the Partner or Assignee, at the place specified in the notice of redemption, of (x) if certificated, the Certificate evidencing the Redeemable Interests, duly endorsed in blank or accompanied by an assignment duly executed in blank, or (y) if uncertificated, upon receipt of evidence satisfactory to the General Partner of the ownership of the Redeemable Interests, the Partner or Assignee or his duly authorized representative shall be entitled to receive the payment therefor.
(iv) After the redemption date, Redeemable Interests shall no longer constitute issued and Outstanding Partnership Interests.
(b) The provisions of this Section 4.10 shall also be applicable to Partnership Interests held by a Partner or Assignee as nominee of a Person determined to be other than an Eligible Citizen.
(c) Nothing in this Section 4.10 shall prevent the recipient of a notice of redemption from transferring his Partnership Interests before the redemption date if such transfer is otherwise permitted under this Agreement. Upon receipt of notice of such a transfer, the General Partner shall withdraw the notice of redemption, provided the transferee of such Partnership Interests certifies to the satisfaction of the General Partner in a Citizen Certification delivered in connection with the Transfer Application that he is an Eligible Citizen. If the transferee fails to make such certification, such redemption shall be effected from the transferee on the original redemption date.
ARTICLE V
CAPITAL CONTRIBUTIONS AND ISSUANCE OF PARTNERSHIP INTERESTS
5.1 Organizational Contributions
In connection with the formation of the Partnership under the Delaware Act, the General Partner made an initial Capital Contribution to the Partnership in the amount of $10.00, for an interest in the Partnership and has been admitted as the General Partner of the Partnership, and the Organizational Limited Partner made an initial Capital Contribution to the Partnership in the amount of $990.00 for an interest in the Partnership and was admitted as a Limited Partner of the Partnership. As of the Closing Date, the interest of the Organizational Limited Partner was redeemed as provided in the Contribution and Conveyance Agreement; the initial Capital Contributions of each Partner was refunded; and the Organizational Limited Partner ceased to be a Limited Partner of the Partnership.

 

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5.2 Contributions by General Partner
(a) On the Closing Date and pursuant to the Contribution and Conveyance Agreement, the General Partner contributed to the Partnership, as a Capital Contribution, a limited partner interest in the Operating Partnership in exchange for (i) the continuation of its Partnership Interest as general partner of the Partnership, subject to all of the rights, privileges and duties of the General Partner under this Agreement, (ii) 3,702,943 subordinated units (which subordinated units were subsequently converted into an equal number of Common Units) and (iii) all of the Incentive Distribution Rights.
(b) Upon the issuance of any additional Units by the Partnership, the General Partner may make, but is not obligated to make, additional Capital Contributions up to an amount equal to the product obtained by multiplying (i) the quotient determined by dividing (x) the General Partner’s Percentage Interest immediately prior to the issuance of any additional Units by the Partnership by (y) the sum of 100% less the General Partner’s Percentage Interest immediately prior to the issuance of any additional Units by the Partnership, times (ii) the amount contributed to the Partnership by the Limited Partners in exchange for such additional Units. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence and except as set forth in Article XII, the General Partner shall not be obligated to make any additional Capital Contributions to the Partnership.
5.3 Contributions by Initial Limited Partners
(a) On the Closing Date and pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, each Underwriter contributed to the Partnership cash in an amount equal to the Issue Price per Initial Common Unit, multiplied by the number of Common Units specified in the Underwriting Agreement to be purchased by such Underwriter at the “Closing Date,” as such term was defined in the Underwriting Agreement. In exchange for such Capital Contributions by the Underwriters, the Partnership issued Common Units to each Underwriter on whose behalf such Capital Contribution was made in an amount equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (i) the cash contribution to the Partnership by or on behalf of such Underwriter by (ii) the Issue Price per Initial Common Unit.
(b) Upon the exercise of the Over-allotment Option, each Underwriter contributed to the Partnership cash in an amount equal to the Issue Price per Initial Common Unit, multiplied by the number of Common Units specified in the Underwriting Agreement purchased by such Underwriter at the Option Closing Date. In exchange for such Capital Contributions by the Underwriters, the Partnership issued Common Units to each Underwriter on whose behalf such Capital Contribution was made in an amount equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (i) the cash contributions to the Partnership by or on behalf of such Underwriter by (ii) the Issue Price per Initial Common Unit.
(c) No Limited Partner Partnership Interests were issued or issuable as of or at the Closing Date other than (i) the Common Units issuable pursuant to subparagraph (a) hereof in aggregate number equal to 4,025,000 and (ii) the “Optional Units” as such term was defined in the Underwriting Agreement in aggregate number up to 603,750 issuable upon exercise of the Over-allotment Option pursuant to subparagraph (b) hereof, (iii) the 3,702,943 subordinated units issuable to the General Partner (which subordinated units were subsequently converted into an equal number of Common Units), and (iv) the Incentive Distribution Rights issuable to the General Partner pursuant to Section 5.2 hereof.

 

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5.4 Interest and Withdrawal
No interest shall be paid by the Partnership on Capital Contributions. No Partner or Assignee shall be entitled to the withdrawal or return of its Capital Contribution, except to the extent, if any, that distributions made pursuant to this Agreement or upon termination of the Partnership may be considered as such by law and then only to the extent provided for in this Agreement. Except to the extent expressly provided in this Agreement, no Partner or Assignee shall have priority over any other Partner or Assignee either as to the return of Capital Contributions or as to profits, losses or distributions. Any such return shall be a compromise to which all Partners and Assignees agree within the meaning of 17-502 (b) of the Delaware Act.
5.5 Capital Accounts
(a) The Partnership shall maintain for each Partner (or a beneficial owner of Partnership Interests held by a nominee in any case in which the nominee has furnished the identity of such owner to the Partnership in accordance with Section 6031(c) of the Code or any other method acceptable to the General Partner in its sole discretion) owning a Partnership Interest a separate Capital Account with respect to such Partnership Interest in accordance with the rules of Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv). Such Capital Account shall be increased by (i) the amount of all Capital Contributions made to the Partnership with respect to such Partnership Interest pursuant to this Agreement and (ii) all items of Partnership income and gain (including, without limitation, income and gain exempt from tax) computed in accordance with Section 5.5(b) and allocated with respect to such Partnership Interest pursuant to Section 6.1, and decreased by (x) the amount of cash or Net Agreed Value of all actual and deemed distributions of cash or property made with respect to such Partnership Interest pursuant to this Agreement and (y) all items of Partnership deduction and loss computed in accordance with Section 5.5(b) and allocated with respect to such Partnership Interest pursuant to Section 6.1.
(b) For purposes of computing the amount of any item of income, gain, loss or deduction which is to be allocated pursuant to Article VI and is to be reflected in the Partners’ Capital Accounts, the determination, recognition and classification of any such item shall be the same as its determination, recognition and classification for federal income tax purposes (including, without limitation, any method of depreciation, cost recovery or amortization used for that purpose), provided, that:
(i) Solely for purposes of this Section 5.5, the Partnership shall be treated as owning directly its proportionate share (as determined by the General Partner based upon the provisions of the respective Group Members’ governing, organizational or similar documents) of all property owned by (x) any Group Member that is classified as a partnership for federal income tax purposes and (y) any other partnership, limited liability company, unincorporated business or other entity classified as a partnership for federal income tax purposes of which a Group Member is, directly or indirectly, a partner.

 

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(ii) All fees and other expenses incurred by the Partnership to promote the sale of (or to sell) a Partnership Interest that can neither be deducted nor amortized under Section 709 of the Code, if any, shall, for purposes of Capital Account maintenance, be treated as an item of deduction at the time such fees and other expenses are incurred and shall be allocated among the Partners pursuant to Section 6.1. To the extent an adjustment to the adjusted tax basis of any Partnership asset pursuant to Section 734(b) or 743(b) of the Code is required, pursuant to Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(m) to be taken into account in determining Capital Accounts, the amount of such adjustment in the Capital Accounts shall be treated as an item of gain or loss.
(iii) Except as otherwise provided in Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(m), the computation of all items of income, gain, loss and deduction shall be made without regard to any election under Section 754 of the Code which may be made by the Partnership and, as to those items described in Section 705(a)(1)(B) or 705(a)(2)(B) of the Code, without regard to the fact that such items are not includable in gross income or are neither currently deductible nor capitalized for federal income tax purposes.
(iv) Any income, gain or loss attributable to the taxable disposition of any Partnership property shall be determined as if the adjusted basis of such property as of such date of disposition were equal in amount to the Partnership’s Carrying Value with respect to such property as of such date.
(v) In accordance with the requirements of Section 704(b) of the Code, any deductions for depreciation, cost recovery or amortization attributable to any Contributed Property shall be determined as if the adjusted basis of such property on the date it was acquired by the Partnership were equal to the Agreed Value of such property. Upon an adjustment pursuant to Section 5.5(d) to the Carrying Value of any Partnership property subject to depreciation, cost recovery or amortization, any further deductions for such depreciation, cost recovery or amortization attributable to such property shall be determined under the rules prescribed by Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-3(d)(2).
(vi) If the Partnership’s adjusted basis in a depreciable or cost recovery property is reduced for federal income tax purposes pursuant to Section 48(q)(1) or 48(q)(3) of the Code, the amount of such reduction shall, solely for purposes hereof, be deemed to be an additional depreciation or cost recovery deduction in the year such property is placed in service and shall be allocated among the Partners pursuant to Section 6.1. Any restoration of such basis pursuant to Section 48(q)(2) of the Code shall, to the extent possible, be allocated in the same manner to the Partners to whom such deemed deduction was allocated.
(vii) In the event the Gross Liability Value of any Liability of the Partnership described in Treasury Regulation Section 1.752-7(b)(3)(i) is adjusted as required by this Agreement, the amount of such adjustment shall be treated as an item of loss (if the adjustment increases the Carrying Value of such Liability of the Partnership) or an item of gain (if the adjustment decreases the Carrying Value of such Liability of the Partnership) and shall be taken into account for purposes of computing Net Income or Net Loss.

 

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(c) (i) A transferee of a Partnership Interest shall succeed to a pro rata portion of the Capital Account of the transferor relating to the Partnership Interest so transferred; provided, however, that, if the transfer causes a termination of the Partnership under Section 708(b)(1)(B) of the Code, the Partnership’s properties and liabilities shall be deemed (i) to have been distributed in liquidation of the Partnership to the Partners (including any transferee of a Partnership Interest that is a party to the transfer causing such termination) pursuant to Section 12.4 (after adjusting the balance of the Capital Accounts of the Partners as provided in Section 5.5(d)(ii)) and recontributed by such Partners in reconstitution of the Partnership or (ii) to be treated as mandated by Treasury Regulations issued pursuant to Sections 708 and 704 of the Code as amended. Any such deemed contribution and distribution shall be treated as an actual contribution and distribution for purposes of this Section 5.5. In such event, the Carrying Values of the Partnership properties shall be adjusted immediately prior to such deemed contribution and distribution pursuant to Section 5.5(d)(ii) and such Carrying Values shall then constitute the Agreed Values of such properties upon such deemed contribution to the new Partnership. The Capital Accounts of such new Partnership shall be maintained in accordance with the principles of this Section 5.5.
(d)
(i) In accordance with Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(f), on an issuance of additional Units for cash or Contributed Property, the issuance of Units as consideration for the provision of services or the conversion of the General Partner’s Combined Interest to Common Units pursuant to Section 11.3(b), the Capital Accounts of all Partners and the Carrying Value of each Partnership property immediately prior to such issuance shall be adjusted upward or downward to reflect any Unrealized Gain or Unrealized Loss attributable to such Partnership property, as if such Unrealized Gain or Unrealized Loss had been recognized on an actual sale of each such property for an amount equal to its fair market value immediately prior to such issuance and had been allocated to the Partners at such time pursuant to Section 6.1(c) in the same manner as any item of gain or loss actually recognized following an event giving rise to the liquidation of the Partnership would have been allocated. In determining such Unrealized Gain or Unrealized Loss, the aggregate cash amount and fair market value of all Partnership assets (including, without limitation, cash or cash equivalents) immediately prior to the issuance of additional Units shall be determined by the General Partner using such reasonable method of valuation as it may adopt; provided, however, that the General Partner, in arriving at such valuation, must take fully into account the fair market value of the Partnership Interests of all Partners at such time. The General Partner shall allocate such aggregate value among the assets of the Partnership (in such manner as it determines in its discretion to be reasonable) to arrive at a fair market value for individual properties.

 

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(ii) In accordance with Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(f), immediately prior to any actual or deemed distribution to a Partner of any Partnership property (other than a distribution of cash that is not in redemption or retirement of a Partnership Interest), the Capital Accounts of all Partners and the Carrying Value of all Partnership property shall be adjusted upward or downward to reflect any Unrealized Gain or Unrealized Loss attributable to such Partnership property, as if such Unrealized Gain or Unrealized Loss had been recognized on an actual sale of each such property immediately prior to such distribution for an amount equal to its fair market value, and had been allocated to the Partners, at such time, pursuant to Section 6.1(c) in the same manner as any gain or loss actually recognized following an event giving rise to the liquidation of the Partnership would have been allocated. In determining such Unrealized Gain or Unrealized Loss the aggregate cash amount and fair market value of all Partnership assets (including, without limitation, cash or cash equivalents) immediately prior to a distribution shall (A) in the case of an actual distribution that is not made pursuant to Section 12.4 or in the case of a deemed distribution, be determined and allocated in the same manner as that provided in Section 5.5(d)(i) or (B) in the case of a liquidating distribution pursuant to Section 12.4, be determined and allocated by the Liquidator using such method of valuation as it may adopt.
5.6 Issuances of Additional Partnership Securities
(a) The Partnership may issue additional Partnership Securities for any Partnership purpose at any time and from time to time to such Persons for such consideration and on such terms and conditions as shall be established by the General Partner in its sole discretion, all without the approval of any Limited Partners.
(b) Each additional Partnership Security authorized to be issued by the Partnership pursuant to Section 5.6(a) may be issued in one or more classes, or one or more series of any such classes, with such designations, preferences, rights, powers and duties (which may be senior to existing classes and series of Partnership Securities), as shall be fixed by the General Partner in the exercise of its sole discretion, including (i) the right to share Partnership profits and losses or items thereof; (ii) the right to share in Partnership distributions; (iii) the rights upon dissolution and liquidation of the Partnership; (iv) whether, and the terms and conditions upon which, the Partnership may redeem the Partnership Security; (v) whether such Partnership Security is issued with the privilege of conversion or exchange and, if so, the terms and conditions of such conversion or exchange; (vi) the terms and conditions upon which each Partnership Security will be issued, evidenced by certificates and assigned or transferred; and (vii) the right, if any, of each such Partnership Security to vote on Partnership matters, including matters relating to the relative rights, preferences and privileges of such Partnership Security.
(c) The General Partner is hereby authorized and directed to take all actions that it deems necessary or appropriate in connection with (i) each issuance of Partnership Securities pursuant to this Section 5.6, (ii) the conversion of a general partner interest into Units pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, (iii) the admission of Additional Limited Partners and (iv) all additional issuances of Partnership Securities. The General Partner is further authorized and directed to specify the relative rights, powers and duties of the holders of the Units or other Partnership Securities being so issued. The General Partner shall do all things necessary to comply with the Delaware Act and is authorized and directed to do all things it deems to be necessary or advisable in connection with any future issuance of Partnership Securities or in connection with the conversion of a general partner interest into Units pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, including compliance with any statute, rule, regulation or guideline of any federal, state or other governmental agency or any National Securities Exchange on which the Units or other Partnership Securities are listed for trading.
(d) No fractional Units shall be issued by the Partnership.

 

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5.7 Limited Preemptive Right
Except as provided in this Section 5.7 and Section 5.2, no Person shall have any preemptive, preferential or other similar right with respect to the issuance of any Partnership Security, whether unissued, held in the treasury or hereafter created. The General Partner shall have the right, which it may from time to time assign in whole or in part to any of its Affiliates, to purchase Partnership Securities from the Partnership whenever, and on the same terms that, the Partnership issues Partnership Securities to Persons other than the General Partner and its Affiliates, to the extent necessary to maintain the Percentage Interests of the General Partner and its Affiliates equal to that which existed immediately prior to the issuance of such Partnership Securities.
5.8 Splits and Combination
(a) Subject to Sections 5.8(d), 6.6 and 6.9 (dealing with adjustments of distribution levels), the Partnership may make a Pro Rata distribution of Partnership Securities to all Record Holders or may effect a subdivision or combination of Partnership Securities so long as, after any such event, each Partner shall have the same Percentage Interest in the Partnership as before such event, and any amounts calculated on a per Unit basis or stated as a number of Units are proportionately adjusted retroactive to the beginning of the Partnership.
(b) Whenever such a distribution, subdivision or combination of Partnership Securities is declared, the General Partner shall select a Record Date as of which the distribution, subdivision or combination shall be effective and shall send notice thereof at least 20 days prior to such Record Date to each Record Holder as of a date not less than 10 days prior to the date of such notice. The General Partner also may cause a firm of independent public accountants selected by it to calculate the number of Partnership Securities to be held by each Record Holder after giving effect to such distribution, subdivision or combination. The General Partner shall be entitled to rely on any certificate provided by such firm as conclusive evidence of the accuracy of such calculation.
(c) Promptly following any such distribution, subdivision or combination, the Partnership may issue Certificates or uncertificated Partnership Securities to the Record Holders of Partnership Securities as of the applicable Record Date representing the new number of Partnership Securities held by such Record Holders, or the General Partner may adopt such other procedures as it may deem appropriate to reflect such changes. If any such combination results in a smaller total number of Partnership Securities Outstanding, the Partnership shall require, as a condition to the delivery to a Record Holder of such new Certificate or uncertificated Partnership Securities, the surrender of any Certificate held by such Record Holder immediately prior to such Record Date.
(d) The Partnership shall not issue fractional Units upon any distribution, subdivision or combination of Units. If a distribution, subdivision or combination of Units would result in the issuance of fractional Units but for the provisions of Section 5.6(d) and this Section 5.8(d), each fractional Unit shall be rounded to the nearest whole Unit (and a 0.5 Unit shall be rounded to the next higher Unit).

 

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5.9 Fully Paid and Non-Assessable Nature of Limited Partner Partnership Interests
(a) All Limited Partner Partnership Interests issued pursuant to, and in accordance with the requirements of, this Article V shall be fully paid and non-assessable Limited Partner Partnership Interests in the Partnership, except as such non-assessability may be affected by Section 17-607 and Section 17-804 of the Delaware Act and any successor or other applicable provisions of the Delaware Act.
ARTICLE VI
ALLOCATIONS AND DISTRIBUTIONS
6.1 Allocations for Capital Account Purposes
For purposes of maintaining the Capital Accounts and in determining the rights of the Partners among themselves, the Partnership’s items of income, gain, loss and deduction (computed in accordance with Section 5.5(b)) shall be allocated among the Partners in each taxable year (or portion thereof) as provided herein below.
(a) Net Income, After giving effect to the special allocations set forth in Section 6.1(d), Net Income for each taxable year and all items of income, gain, loss and deduction taken into account in computing Net Income for such taxable year shall be allocated as follows:
(i) First, 100% to the General Partner until the aggregate Net Income allocated to the General Partner pursuant to this Section 6.1(a)(i) for the current taxable year and all previous taxable years is equal to the aggregate Net Losses allocated to the General Partner pursuant to Section 6.1(b)(iii) for all previous taxable years;
(ii) Second, 100% to the General Partner and the Unitholders, in accordance with their respective Percentage Interests, until the aggregate Net Income allocated to such Partners pursuant to this Section 6.1(a)(ii) for the current taxable year and all previous taxable years is equal to the aggregate Net Losses allocated to such Partners pursuant to Section 6.1(b)(ii) for all previous taxable years; and
(iii) Third, the balance, if any, 100% to the General Partner and the Unitholders in accordance with their respective Percentage Interests. The Class E Percentage of any Net Income to be allocated to the Unitholders pursuant to this Section shall be allocated to the Class E Units and the remaining portion of such Net Income shall be allocated to the Unitholders (other than the holders of Class E Units) in proportion to their relative Percentage Interests; provided, that the amount of Net Income allocated to each Class E Unit for each taxable year shall not exceed the product of (A) the aggregate cash amount distributed to such Class E Unit pursuant to this Article VI for such taxable year, multiplied by (B) the quotient obtained by dividing (I) the Partnership’s Net Income allocated to the Unitholders (including the holders of the Class E Units) for such taxable year by (II) the aggregate cash amount distributed (excluding HHI Distributions) to the Unitholders (including the holders of Class E Units) pursuant to this Article VI for such taxable year.

 

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(b) Net Losses. After giving effect to the special allocations set forth in Section 6.1 (d), Net Losses for each taxable period and all items of income, gain, loss and deduction taken into account in computing Net Losses for such taxable period shall be allocated as follows:
(i) First, 100% to the General Partner and the Unitholders, in accordance with their respective Percentage Interests, until the aggregate Net Losses allocated pursuant to this Section 6.1(b)(i) for the current taxable year and all previous taxable years is equal to the aggregate Net Income allocated to such Partners pursuant to Section 6.1(a)(iii) for all previous taxable years, provided that the Net Losses shall not be allocated pursuant to this Section 6.1(b)(i) to the extent that such allocation would cause any Unitholder to have a deficit balance in its Adjusted Capital Account at the end of such taxable year (or increase any existing deficit balance in its Adjusted Capital Account);
(ii) Second, 100% to the General Partner and the Unitholders in accordance with their respective Percentage Interests; provided, that Net Losses shall not be allocated pursuant to this Section 6.1(b)(ii) to the extent that such allocation would cause any Unitholder to have a deficit balance in its Adjusted Capital Account at the end of such taxable year (or increase any existing deficit balance in its Adjusted Capital Account). The Class E Percentage of any Net Losses to be allocated to the Unitholders pursuant to this Section 6.1(b)(ii) shall be allocated to the Class E Units and the remaining portion of such Net Losses shall be allocated to the Unitholders (other than the holders of Class E Units) in proportion to their relative Percentage Interests; provided, that Net Losses shall not be allocated pursuant to this Section 6.1(b)(ii) to the extent that such allocation would cause any Unitholder to have a deficit balance in its Adjusted Capital Account at the end of such taxable year (or increase any existing deficit balance in its Adjusted Capital Account); and
(iii) Third, the balance, if any, 100% to the General Partner.
(c) Net Termination Gains and Losses. After giving effect to the special allocations set forth in Section 6.1(d), all items of income, gain, loss and deduction taken into account in computing Net Termination Gain or Net Termination Loss for such taxable period shall be allocated in the same manner as such Net Termination Gain or Net Termination Loss is allocated hereunder. All allocations under this Section 6.1(c) shall be made after Capital Account balances have been adjusted by all other allocations provided under this Section 6.1 and after all distributions of Available Cash provided under Sections 6.4 and 6.5 have been made; provided, however, that solely for purposes of this Section 6.1(c), Capital Accounts shall not be adjusted for distributions made pursuant to Section 12.4.

 

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(i) If a Net Termination Gain is recognized (or deemed recognized pursuant to Section 5.5(d)) such Net Termination Gain shall be allocated among the Partners in the following manner (and the Capital Accounts of the Partners shall be increased by the amount so allocated in each of the following subclauses, in the order listed, before an allocation is made pursuant to the next succeeding subclause):
(A) First, to each Partner having a deficit balance in its Capital Account, in the proportion that such deficit balance bears to the total deficit balances hi the Capital Accounts of all Partners, until each such Partner has been allocated Net Termination Gain equal to any such deficit balance in its Capital Account;
(B) Second, (x) to the General Partner in accordance with its Percentage Interest and (y) to all Unitholders, Pro Rata, a percentage equal to 100% less the percentage applicable to subclause (x) of this clause (B), until the Capital Account in respect of each Common Unit then Outstanding is equal to the sum of (1) its Unrecovered Capital plus (2) the Minimum Quarterly Distribution for the Quarter during which the Liquidation Date occurs, reduced by any distribution pursuant to Section 6.4(a)(i) with respect to such Common Unit for such Quarter (the amount determined pursuant to this clause (2) is hereinafter defined as the “Unpaid MQD”);
(C) Third, (x) to the General Partner in accordance with its Percentage Interest and (y) to all Unitholders, Pro Rata, a percentage equal to 100% less the percentage applicable to subclause (x) of this clause (C), until the Capital Account in respect of each Common Unit then Outstanding is equal to the sum of (1) its Unrecovered Capital, plus (2) the Unpaid MQD, plus (3) the excess of (aa) the First Target Distribution less the Minimum Quarterly Distribution for each Quarter of the Partnership’s existence over (bb) the cumulative per Unit amount of any distributions of Operating Surplus that was distributed pursuant to Section 6.4(a)(ii) (the sum of (1) plus (2) plus (3) is hereinafter defined as the “First Liquidation Target Amount”);
(D) Fourth, (x) to the General Partner in accordance with its Percentage Interest, (y) 13% to the holders of the Incentive Distribution Rights, Pro Rata, and (z)to all Unitholders, Pro Rata, a percentage equal to 100% less the percentages applicable to subclauses (x) and (y) of this clause (D), until the Capital Account in respect of each Common Unit then Outstanding is equal to the sum of (1) the First Liquidation Target Amount, plus (2) the excess of (aa) the Second Target Distribution less the First Target Distribution for each Quarter of the Partnership’s existence over (bb) the cumulative per Unit amount of any distributions of Operating Surplus that was distributed pursuant to Section 6.4(a)(iii) (the sum of (1) plus (2) is hereinafter defined as the “Second Liquidation Target Amount”);

 

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(E) Fifth, (x) to the General Partner in accordance with its Percentage Interest, (y) 23% to the holders of the Incentive Distribution Rights, Pro Rata, and (z) to all Unitholders, Pro Rata, a percentage equal to 100% less the percentages applicable to subclauses (x) and (y) of this clause (E),until the Capital Account in respect of each Common Unit then Outstanding is equal to the sum of (1) the Second Liquidation Target Amount, plus (2) the excess of (aa) the Third Target Distribution less the Second Target Distribution for each Quarter of the Partnership’s existence over (bb) the cumulative per Unit amount of any distributions of Operating Surplus that was distributed pursuant to Section 6.4(a)(iv); and
(F) Finally, any remaining amount (x) to the General Partner in accordance with its Percentage Interest, (y) 48% to the holders of the Incentive Distribution Rights, Pro Rata, and (z) to all Unitholders, Pro Rata, a percentage equal to 100% less the percentages applicable to subclauses (x) and (y) of this clause (F),.
For the purposes of allocating Net Termination Gain pursuant to this Section 6.1(c)(i), notwithstanding the foregoing, the Class E Units shall not be allocated more than 1% of the aggregate amount of any Net Termination Gain.
(ii) If a Net Termination Loss is recognized (or deemed recognized pursuant to Section 5.5(d)), such Net Termination Loss shall be allocated among the Partners in the following manner:
(A) First, (x) to the General Partner and all Unitholders in accordance with their Percentage Interests until the Capital Account in respect of each Unit then Outstanding has been reduced to zero; and
(B) Second, the balance, if any, 100% to the General Partner.
(d) Special Allocations. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section 6.1, the following special allocations shall be made for such taxable period:
(i) Partnership Minimum Gain Chargeback. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section 6.1, if there is a net decrease in Partnership Minimum Gain during any Partnership taxable period, each Partner shall be allocated items of Partnership income and gain for such period (and, if necessary, subsequent periods) in the manner and amounts provided in Treasury Regulation Sections 1.704-2(f)(6), 1.704-2(g)(2) and 1.704-2(j)(2)(i), or any successor provision. For purposes of this Section 6.1(d), each Partner’s Adjusted Capital Account balance shall be determined, and the allocation of income or gain required hereunder shall be effected, prior to the application of any other allocations pursuant to this Section 6.1(d) with respect to such taxable period (other than an allocation pursuant to Sections 6.1(d)(vi) and 6.1(d)(vii)). This Section 6.1(d)(i) is intended to comply with the Partnership Minimum Gain chargeback requirement in Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-2(f) and shall be interpreted consistently therewith.

 

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(ii) Chargeback of Partner Nonrecourse Debt Minimum Gain. Notwithstanding the other provisions of this Section 6.1 (other than Section 6.1(d)(i)), except as provided in Treasury Regulation Section l.704-2(i)(4), if there is a net decrease in Partner Nonrecourse Debt Minimum Gain during any Partnership taxable period, any Partner with a share of Partner Nonrecourse Debt Minimum Gain at the beginning of such taxable period shall be allocated items of Partnership income and gain for such period (and, if necessary, subsequent periods) in the manner and amounts provided in Treasury Regulation Sections 1.704-2(i)(4) and 1.704-2(j)(2)(ii), or any successor provisions. For purposes of this Section 6.1(d), each Partner’s Adjusted Capital Account balance shall be determined, and the allocation of income or gain required hereunder shall be effected, prior to the application of any other allocations pursuant to this Section 6.1(d), other than Section 6.1(d)(i) and other than an allocation pursuant to Sections 6.1(d)(vi) and 6.1(d)(vii), with respect to such taxable period. This Section 6.1(d)(ii) is intended to comply with the chargeback of items of income and gain requirement in Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-2(i)(4) and shall be interpreted consistently therewith.
(iii) Priority Allocations.
(A) If the amount of cash or the Net Agreed Value of any property distributed (except cash or property distributed pursuant to Section 12.4) to any Unitholder with respect to its Units for a taxable year is greater (on a per Unit basis) than the amount of cash or the Net Agreed Value of property distributed to the other Unitholders with respect to their Units (on a per Unit basis), then (1) each Unitholder receiving such greater cash or property distribution shall be allocated gross income in an amount equal to the product of (aa) the amount by which the distribution (on a per Unit basis) to such Unitholder exceeds the distribution (on a per Unit basis) to the Unitholders receiving the smallest distribution and (bb) the number of Units owned by the Unitholder receiving the greater distribution; and (2) the General Partner shall be allocated gross income and gain in an aggregate amount equal to the product obtained by multiplying (aa) the quotient determined by dividing (x) the General Partner’s Percentage Interest at the time in which the greater cash or property distribution occurs by (y) the sum of 100 less the General Partner’s Percentage Interest at the time in which the greater cash or property distribution occurs times (bb) the sum of the amounts allocated in clause (1) above.
(B) After the application of Section 6.1 (d)(iii)(A), all or any portion of the remaining items of Partnership gross income or gain for the taxable period, if any, shall be allocated (1) to the holders of Incentive Distribution Rights, Pro Rata, until the aggregate amount of such items allocated to the holders of Incentive Distribution Rights pursuant to this Section 6.1(d)(iii)(B) for the current taxable year and all previous taxable years is equal to the cumulative amount of all Incentive Distributions made to the holders of Incentive Distribution Rights from the Closing Date to a date 45 days after the end of the current taxable year; and (2) to the General Partner an amount equal to the product of (aa) an amount equal to the quotient determined by dividing (x) the General Partner’s Percentage Interest by (y) the sum of 100 less the General Partner’s Percentage Interest times (bb) the sum of the amounts allocated in clause (1) above.

 

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(iv) Qualified Income Offset. In the event any Partner unexpectedly receives any adjustments, allocations or distributions described in Treasury Regulation Sections 1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(d)(4), 1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(d)(5), or 1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(d)(6), items of Partnership gross income and gain shall be specially allocated to such Partner in an amount and manner sufficient to eliminate, to the extent required by the Treasury Regulations promulgated under Section 704(b) of the Code, the deficit balance, if any, in its Adjusted Capital Account created by such adjustments, allocations or distributions as quickly as possible unless such deficit balance is otherwise eliminated pursuant to Section 6.1(d)(i) or (ii).
(v) Gross Income Allocations. In the event any Partner has a deficit balance in its Capital Account at the end of any Partnership taxable period in excess of the sum of (A) the amount such Partner is required to restore pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement and (B) the amount such Partner is deemed obligated to restore pursuant to Treasury Regulation Sections 1.704-2(g) and 1.704-2(i)(5), such Partner shall be specially allocated items of Partnership gross income and gain in the amount of such excess as quickly as possible; provided, that an allocation pursuant to this Section 6.1 (d)(v) shall be made only if and to the extent that such Partner would have a deficit balance in its Capital Account as adjusted after all other allocations provided for in this Section 6.1 have been tentatively made as if this Section 6.1(d)(v) were not in this Agreement.
(vi) Nonrecourse Deductions. Nonrecourse Deductions for any taxable period shall be allocated to the Partners in accordance with their respective Percentage Interests. If the General Partner determines in its good faith discretion that the Partnership’s Nonrecourse Deductions must be allocated in a different ratio to satisfy the safe harbor requirements of the Treasury Regulations promulgated under Section 704(b) of the Code, the General Partner is authorized, upon notice to the other Partners, to revise the prescribed ratio to the numerically closest ratio that does satisfy such requirements.
(vii) Partner Nonrecourse Deductions. Partner Nonrecourse Deductions, for any taxable period shall be allocated 100% to the Partner that bears the Economic Risk of Loss with respect to the Partner Nonrecourse Debt to which such Partner Nonrecourse Deductions are attributable in accordance with Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-2(i). If more than one Partner bears the Economic Risk of Loss with respect to a Partner Nonrecourse Debt, such Partner Nonrecourse Deductions attributable thereto shall be allocated between or among such Partners in accordance with the ratios in which they share such Economic Risk of Loss.
(viii) Nonrecourse Liabilities. For purposes of Treasury Regulation Section 1.752-3(a)(3), the Partners agree that Nonrecourse Liabilities of the Partnership in excess of the sum of (A) the amount of Partnership Minimum Gain and (B) the total amount of Nonrecourse Built-in Gain shall be allocated among the Partners in accordance with their respective Percentage Interests.

 

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(ix) Code Section 754 Adjustments. To the extent an adjustment to the adjusted tax basis of any Partnership asset pursuant to Section 734(b) or 743(b) of the Code is required, pursuant to Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(m), to be taken into account in determining Capital Accounts, the amount of such adjustment to the Capital Accounts shall be treated as an item of gain (if the adjustment increases the basis of the asset) or loss (if the adjustment decreases such basis), and such item of gain or loss shall be specially allocated to the Partners in a manner consistent with the manner in which their Capital Accounts are required to be adjusted pursuant to such Section of the Treasury Regulations.
(x) Intentionally Deleted.
(xi) Curative Allocation.
(A) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section 6.1, other than the Required Allocations, the Required Allocations shall be taken into account in making the Agreed Allocations so that, to the extent possible, the net amount of items of gross income, gain, loss and deduction allocated to each Partner pursuant to the Required Allocations and the Agreed Allocations, together, shall be equal to the net amount of such items that would have been allocated to each such Partner under the Agreed Allocations had the Required Allocations and the related Curative Allocation not otherwise been provided in this Section 6.1. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, Required Allocations relating to (1) Nonrecourse Deductions shall not be taken into account except to the extent that there has been a decrease in Partnership Minimum Gain and (2) Partner Nonrecourse Deductions shall not be taken into account except to the extent that there has been a decrease in Partner Nonrecourse Debt Minimum Gain. Allocations pursuant to this Section 6.1(d)(xi)(A) shall only be made with respect to Required Allocations to the extent the General Partner reasonably determines that such allocations will otherwise be inconsistent with the economic agreement among the Partners. Further, allocations pursuant to this Section 6.1(d)(xi)(A) shall be deferred with respect to allocations pursuant to clauses (1) and (2) hereof to the extent the General Partner reasonably determines that such allocations are likely to be offset by subsequent Required Allocations.
(B) The General Partner shall have reasonable discretion, with respect to each taxable period, to (1) apply the provisions of Section 6.1(d)(xi)(A) in whatever order is most likely to minimize the economic distortions that might otherwise result from the Required Allocations, and (2) divide all allocations pursuant to Section 6.1(d)(xi)(A) among the Partners in a manner that is likely to minimize such economic distortions.

 

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(xii) Corrective and Other Allocations. In the event of any allocation of Additional Book Basis Derivative Items or any Book-Down Event or any recognition of a Net Termination Loss, the following rules shall apply:
(A) Except as provided in Section 6.1(d)(xii)(B), in the case of any allocation of Additional Book Basis Derivative Items (other than an allocation of Unrealized Gain or Unrealized Loss treated as recognized under Section 5.5(d) hereof) with respect to any Partnership property, the General Partner shall allocate such Additional Book Basis Derivative Items (1) to (aa) the holders of Incentive Distribution Rights and (bb) the General Partner in the same manner that Unrealized Gain or Unrealized Loss attributable to such property would be allocated if treated as recognized pursuant to Section 5.5(d)(i) or Section 5.5(d)(ii) and (2) to all Unitholders, Pro Rata, to the extent that the Unrealized Gain or Unrealized Loss attributable to such property would be allocated to any Unitholders if treated as recognized pursuant to Section 5.5(d)(i) or Section 5.5(d)(ii).
(B) In the case of any allocation of Additional Book Basis Derivative Items (other than an allocation of Unrealized Gain or Unrealized Loss treated as recognized under Section 5.5(d) hereof or an allocation of Net Termination Gain or Net Termination Loss pursuant to Section 6.1(c) hereof) as a result of a sale or other taxable disposition of any Partnership asset that is an Adjusted Property including, for this purpose, any inventory (“Disposed of Adjusted Property”), the General Partner shall allocate (1) additional items of income and gain (aa) away from the holders of Incentive Distribution Rights and the General Partner and (bb) to the Unitholders, or (2) additional items of deduction and loss (aa) away from the Unitholders and (bb) to the holders of Incentive Distribution Rights and the General Partner, to the extent that the Additional Book Basis Derivative Items allocated to the Unitholders exceed their Share of Additional Book Basis Derivative Items with respect to such Disposed of Adjusted Property. For this purpose, the Unitholders shall be treated as being allocated Additional Book Basis Derivative Items to the extent that such Additional Book Basis Derivative Items have reduced the amount of income that would otherwise have been allocated to the Unitholders under this Agreement (e.g., Additional Book Basis Derivative Items taken into account in computing cost of goods sold would reduce the amount of book income otherwise available for allocation among the Partners). Any allocation made pursuant to this Section 6.1(d)(xii)(B) shall be made after all of the other Agreed Allocations have been made as if this Section 6.1(d)(xii) were not in this Agreement and, to the extent necessary, shall require the reallocation of items that have been allocated pursuant to such other Agreed Allocations.
(C) In the case of any negative adjustments to the Capital Accounts of the Partners resulting from a Book-Down Event or from the recognition of a Net Termination Loss, such negative adjustment (1) shall first be allocated, to the extent of the Aggregate Remaining Net Positive Adjustments, in such a manner, as reasonably determined by the General Partner, that to the extent possible the aggregate Capital Accounts of the Partners will equal the amount that would have been the Capital Account balance of the Partners if no prior Book-Up Events had occurred, and (2) any negative adjustment in excess of the Aggregate Remaining Net Positive Adjustments shall be allocated pursuant to Section 6.1(c) hereof.

 

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(D) In making the allocations required under this Section 6.1(d)(xii), the General Partner, in its sole discretion, may apply whatever conventions or other methodology it deems reasonable to satisfy the purpose of this Section 6.1(d)(xii).
(xiii) Class E and HHI Allocations.
(A) The Class E Units shall not be entitled to receive any allocation of any item of Partnership income, gain, loss, deduction or credit attributable to the Partnership’s ownership of HHI (the “HHI Items”), and such HHI Items (which shall not be included in the computation of Net Income, Net Loss, Net Termination Gain or Net Termination Loss for any taxable year while any Class E Units remain Outstanding) shall instead be specifically allocated to the General Partner in an amount equal to the General Partner’s Percentage Interest of such HHI Items and the remainder to the Unitholders (other than the holders of Class E Units) Pro Rata.
(B) For the purposes of effectuating the intent of Section 6.1(a)(iii), Section 6.1(c) and Section 6.1(d)(xiii), the General Partner shall have sole discretion to make special allocations of items of Partnership gross income, gain, loss or deductions among the General Partner and the Unitholders as it deems reasonable.
6.2 Allocations for Tax Purposes
(a) Except as otherwise provided herein, for federal income tax purposes, each item of income, gain, loss and deduction shall be allocated among the Partners in the same manner as its correlative item of “book” income, gain, loss or deduction is allocated pursuant to Section 6.1.
(b) In an attempt to eliminate Book-Tax Disparities attributable to a Contributed Property or Adjusted Property, items of income, gain, loss, depreciation, amortization and cost recovery deductions shall be allocated for federal income tax purposes among the Partners as follows:
(i) (A) In the case of a Contributed Property, such items attributable thereto shall be allocated among the Partners in the manner provided under Section 704(c) of the Code that takes into account the variation between the Agreed Value of such property and its adjusted basis at the time of contribution; and (B) any item of Residual Gain or Residual Loss attributable to a Contributed Property shall be allocated among the Partners hi the same manner as its correlative item of “book” gain or loss is allocated pursuant to Section 6.1.
(ii) (A) In the case of an Adjusted Property, such items shall (1) first, be allocated among the Partners in a manner consistent with the principles of Section 704(c) of the Code to take into account the Unrealized Gain or Unrealized Loss attributable to such property and the allocations thereof pursuant to Section 5.5(d)(i) or (ii), and (2) second, in the event such property was originally a Contributed Property, be allocated among the Partners in a manner consistent with Section 6.2(b)(i)(A); and (B) any item of Residual Gain or Residual Loss attributable to an Adjusted Property shall be allocated among the Partners in the same manner as its correlative item of “book” gain or loss is allocated pursuant to Section 6.1.
(iii) The General Partner shall apply the principles of Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-3(d) to eliminate Book-Tax Disparities.

 

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(c) For the proper administration of the Partnership and for the preservation of uniformity of the Units (or any class or classes thereof), the General Partner shall have sole discretion to (i) adopt such conventions as it deems appropriate in determining the amount of depreciation, amortization and cost recovery deductions; (ii) make special allocations for federal income tax purposes of income (including, without limitation, gross income) or deductions; and (iii) amend the provisions of this Agreement as appropriate (x) to reflect the proposal or promulgation of Treasury Regulations under Section 704(b) or Section 704(c) of the Code or (y) otherwise to preserve or achieve uniformity of the Units (or any class or classes thereof). The General Partner may adopt such conventions, make such allocations and make such amendments to this Agreement as provided in this Section 6.2(c) only if such conventions, allocations or amendments would not have a material adverse effect on the Partners, the holders of any class or classes of Units issued and Outstanding or the Partnership, and if such allocations are consistent with the principles of Section 704 of the Code.
(d) The General Partner in its discretion may determine to depreciate or amortize the portion of an adjustment under Section 743(b) of the Code attributable to unrealized appreciation in any Adjusted Property (to the extent of the unamortized Book-Tax Disparity) using a predetermined rate derived from the depreciation or amortization method and useful life applied to the unamortized Book-Tax Disparity of such property, despite any inconsistency of such approach with Treasury Regulation Section 1.167(c)-1(a)(6) or the legislative history of Section 197 of the Code. If the General Partner determines that such reporting position cannot reasonably be taken, the General Partner may adopt depreciation and amortization conventions under which all purchasers acquiring Units in the same month would receive depreciation and amortization deductions, based upon the same applicable rate as if they had purchased a direct interest in the Partnership’s property. If the General Partner chooses not to utilize such aggregate method, the General Partner may use any other reasonable depreciation and amortization conventions to preserve the uniformity of the intrinsic tax characteristics of any Units that would not have a material adverse effect on the Limited Partners or the Record Holders of any class or classes of Units.
(e) In accordance with Treasury Regulation Sections 1.1245-1(e) and 1.1250-1(f), any gain allocated to the Partners upon the sale or other taxable disposition of any Partnership asset shall, to the extent possible, after taking into account other required allocations of gain pursuant to this Section 6.2, be characterized as Recapture Income in the same proportions and to the same extent as such Partners (or their predecessors in interest) have been allocated any deductions directly or indirectly giving rise to the treatment of such gains as Recapture Income.

 

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(f) All items of income, gain, loss, deduction and credit recognized by the Partnership for federal income tax purposes and allocated to the Partners in accordance with the provisions hereof shall be determined without regard to any election under Section 754 of the Code which may be made by the Partnership; provided, however, that such allocations, once made, shall be adjusted as necessary or appropriate to take into account those adjustments permitted or required by Sections 734 and 743 of the Code.
(g) Each item of Partnership income, gain, loss and deduction attributable to a transferred general partner interest or to transferred Units or Incentive Distribution Rights, shall for federal income tax purposes, be determined on an annual basis and prorated on a monthly basis and shall be allocated to the Partners as of the opening of the New York Stock Exchange on the first Business Day of each month; provided, however, that (i) if the Over-allotment Option is not exercised, such items for the period beginning on the Closing Date and ending on the last day of the month in which the Closing Date occurs shall be allocated to Partners as of the opening of the New York Stock Exchange on the first Business Day of the next succeeding month or (ii) if the Over-allotment Option is exercised, such items for the period beginning on the Closing Date and ending on the last day of the month in which the Option Closing Date occurs shall be allocated to the Partners as of the opening of the New York Stock Exchange on the first Business Day of the next succeeding month; and provided, further, that gain or loss on a sale or other disposition of any assets of the Partnership or any other extraordinary item of income or loss realized and recognized other than in the ordinary course of business, as determined by the General Partner, shall be allocated to the Partners as of the opening of the New York Stock Exchange on the first Business Day of the month in which such gain or loss is recognized for federal income tax purposes. The General Partner may revise, alter or otherwise modify such methods of allocation as it determines necessary, to the extent permitted or required by Section 706 of the Code and the regulations or rulings promulgated thereunder.
(h) Allocations that would otherwise be made to a Limited Partner under the provisions of this Article VI shall instead be made to the beneficial owner of Units held by a nominee in any case in which the nominee has furnished the identity of such owner to the Partnership in accordance with Section 6031(c) of the Code or any other method acceptable to the General Partner in its sole discretion.
6.3 Requirement and Characterization of Distributions; Distributions to Record Holders
(a) Within 45 days following the end of each Quarter, an amount equal to 100% of Available Cash with respect to such Quarter shall, subject to Section 17-607 of the Delaware Act, be distributed in accordance with this Article VI by the Partnership to the Partners as of the Record Date selected by the General Partner in its reasonable discretion. The General Partner shall be entitled, prior to the close of a Quarter, to declare the amount of the distribution of Available Cash for such Quarter based upon a good faith estimate of the amount of Available Cash for such Quarter, provided that the amount of cash actually distributed by the Partnership for such Quarter does not exceed the amount of Available Cash for such Quarter. All amounts of Available Cash distributed by the Partnership on any date from any source shall be deemed to be Operating Surplus until the sum of all amounts of Available Cash theretofore distributed by the Partnership to the Partners pursuant to Section 6.4 equals the Operating Surplus from the Closing Date through the close of the immediately preceding Quarter. Any remaining amounts of Available Cash distributed by the Partnership on such date shall, except as otherwise provided in Section 6.5, be deemed to be “Capital Surplus.” All distributions required to be made under this Agreement shall be made subject to Section 17-607 of the Delaware Act.

 

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(b) In the event of the dissolution and liquidation of the Partnership, all receipts received during or after the Quarter in which the Liquidation Date occurs, other than from borrowings described in (a)(ii) of the definition of Available Cash, shall be applied and distributed solely in accordance with, and subject to the terms and conditions of, Section 12.4.
(c) The General Partner shall have the discretion to treat taxes paid by the Partnership on behalf of, or amounts withheld with respect to, all or less than all of the Partners, as a distribution of Available Cash to such Partners.
(d) Each distribution in respect of a Partnership Interest shall be paid by the Partnership, directly or through the Transfer Agent or through any other Person or agent, only to the Record Holder of such Partnership Interest as of the Record Date set for such distribution. Such payment shall constitute full payment and satisfaction of the Partnership’s liability in respect of such payment, regardless of any claim of any Person who may have an interest in such payment by reason of an assignment or otherwise.
(e) Distributions to Class E Unitholders shall be made as follows:
(i) For each taxable year, no portion of any Partnership cash distribution attributable to any distribution or dividend received by the Partnership from HHI or the proceeds of any sale of the capital stock of HHI (such Partnership distributions, the “HHI Distributions”) shall be distributed to the Class E Units.
(ii) The Class E Units shall be entitled to receive the Class E Percentage of the portion of any Partnership distributions (other than HHI Distributions) to be made to the Unitholders pursuant to this Article VI and the remaining portion of the Available Cash to be distributed shall be made to the Unitholders (other than the holders of Class E Units) in proportion to their relative Percentage Interests; provided, that the aggregate Partnership distributions made pursuant to this Article VI to each Class E Unit in respect of each fiscal year shall not exceed $1.41 (which may, at the General Partner’s discretion, be split equally among the four Quarters of each fiscal year).
6.4 Distributions of Available Cash from Operating Surplus
(a) Available Cash with respect to any Quarter that is deemed to be Operating Surplus pursuant to the provisions of Section 6.3 or 6.5, subject to Section 17-607 of the Delaware Act, shall be distributed as follows, except as otherwise required by Section 6.3(e) or Section 5.6(b) in respect of additional Partnership Securities issued pursuant thereto:
(i) First, (A) to the General Partner in accordance with its Percentage Interest and (B) to all Unitholders, Pro Rata, a percentage equal to 100% less the percentage applicable to subclause (A) of this clause (i), until there has been distributed in respect of each Unit then Outstanding an amount equal to the Minimum Quarterly Distribution for such Quarter;

 

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(ii) Second, (A) to the General Partner in accordance with its Percentage Interest and (B) to all Unitholders, Pro Rata, a percentage equal to 100% less the percentage applicable to subclause (A) of this clause (ii), until there has been distributed in respect of each Unit then Outstanding an amount equal to the excess of the First Target Distribution over the Minimum Quarterly Distribution for such Quarter;
(iii) Third, (A) to the General Partner in accordance with its Percentage Interest; (B) 13% to the holders of the Incentive Distribution Rights, Pro Rata; and (C) to all Unitholders, Pro Rata, a percentage equal to 100% less the sum of the percentages applicable to subclauses (A) and (B) of this clause (iii), until there has been distributed in respect of each Unit then Outstanding an amount equal to the excess of the Second Target Distribution over the First Target Distribution for such Quarter;
(iv) Fourth, (A) to the General Partner in accordance with its Percentage Interest; (B) 23% to the holders of the Incentive Distribution Rights, Pro Rata; and (C) to all Unitholders, Pro Rata, a percentage equal to 100% less the sum of the percentages applicable to subclause (A) and (B) of this clause (iv), until there has been distributed in respect of each Unit then Outstanding an amount equal to the excess of the Third Target Distribution over the Second Target Distribution for such Quarter; and
(v) Thereafter, (A) to the General Partner in accordance with its Percentage Interest; (B) 48% to the holders of the Incentive Distribution Rights, Pro Rata; and (C) to all Unitholders, Pro Rata, a percentage equal to 100% less the sum of the percentages applicable to subclauses (A) and (B) of this clause (v);
provided, however, if the Minimum Quarterly Distribution, the First Target Distribution, the Second Target Distribution and the Third Target Distribution have been reduced to zero pursuant to the second sentence of Section 6.6(a), the distribution of Available Cash that is deemed to be Operating Surplus with respect to any Quarter will be made solely in accordance with Section 6.4(a)(v).
6.5 Distributions of Available Cash from Capital Surplus
Available Cash that is deemed to be Capital Surplus pursuant to the provisions of Section 6.3 shall, subject to Section 17-607 of the Delaware Act, be distributed, unless the provisions of Section 6.3 require otherwise, to the General Partner in accordance with its Percentage Interest and to all Unitholders, Pro Rata, in accordance with a percentage equal to 100% less the Percentage Interest applicable to the General Partner, until a hypothetical holder of a Common Unit acquired on the Closing Date has received with respect to such Common Unit, during the period since the Closing Date through such date, distributions of Available Cash that are deemed to be Capital Surplus in an aggregate amount equal to the Initial Unit Price. Thereafter, all Available Cash shall be distributed as if it were Operating Surplus and shall be distributed in accordance with Section 6.4.

 

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6.6 Adjustment of Minimum Quarterly Distribution and Target Distribution Levels
(a) The Minimum Quarterly Distribution, First Target Distribution, Second Target Distribution, and Third Target Distribution shall be proportionately adjusted in the event of any distribution, combination or subdivision (whether effected by a distribution payable in Units or otherwise) of Units or other Partnership Securities in accordance with Section 5.10. In the event of a distribution of Available Cash that is deemed to be from Capital Surplus, the then applicable Minimum Quarterly Distribution, First Target Distribution, Second Target Distribution and Third Target Distribution shall be adjusted proportionately downward to equal the product obtained by multiplying the otherwise applicable Minimum Quarterly Distribution, First Target Distribution, Second Target Distribution and Third Target Distribution, as the case may be, by a fraction of which the numerator is the Unrecovered Capital of the Common Units immediately after giving effect to such distribution and of which the denominator is the Unrecovered Capital of the Common Units immediately prior to giving effect to such distribution.
(b) The Minimum Quarterly Distribution, First Target Distribution, Second Target Distribution and Third Target Distribution shall also be subject to adjustment pursuant to Section 6.8.
6.7 Special Provisions Relating to the Holders of Incentive Distribution Rights
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth in this Agreement, the holders of the Incentive Distribution Rights (a) shall (i) possess the rights and obligations provided in this Agreement with respect to a Limited Partner pursuant to Articles III and VII and (ii) have a Capital Account as a Partner pursuant to Section 5.5 and all other provisions related thereto and (b) shall not (i) be entitled to vote on any matters requiring the approval or vote of the holders of Outstanding Units, (ii) be entitled to any distributions other than as provided in Sections 6.4(a)(iii), (iv) and (v), and 12.4 or (iii) be allocated items of income, gain, loss or deduction other than as specified in this Article VI.
6.8 Entity-Level Taxation
If legislation is enacted or the interpretation of existing language is modified by the relevant governmental authority which causes the Partnership or the Operating Partnership to be treated, as an association taxable as a corporation or otherwise subjects the Partnership or the Operating Partnership to entity-level taxation for federal income tax purposes, the then applicable Minimum Quarterly Distribution, First Target Distribution, Second Target Distribution and Third Target Distribution shall be adjusted to equal the product obtained by multiplying (a) the amount thereof by (b) one minus the sum of (i) the highest marginal federal corporate (or other entity, as applicable) income tax rate of the Partnership for the taxable year of the Partnership in which such Quarter occurs (expressed as a percentage) plus (ii) the effective overall state and local income tax rate (expressed as a percentage) applicable to the Partnership for the calendar year next preceding the calendar year in which such Quarter occurs (after taking into account the benefit of any deduction allowable for federal income tax purposes with respect to the payment of state and local income taxes), but only to the extent of the increase in such rates resulting from such legislation or interpretation. Such effective overall state and local income tax rate shall be determined for the taxable year next preceding the first taxable year during which the Partnership or the Operating Partnership is taxable for federal income tax purposes as an association taxable as a corporation or is otherwise subject to entity-level taxation by determining such rate as if the Partnership or the Operating Partnership had been subject to such state and local taxes during such preceding taxable year.

 

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ARTICLE VII
MANAGEMENT AND OPERATION OF BUSINESS
7.1 Management
(a) The General Partner shall conduct, direct and manage all activities of the Partnership. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement, all management powers over the business and affairs of the Partnership shall be exclusively vested in the General Partner, and no Limited Partner or Assignee shall have any management power over the business and affairs of the Partnership. In addition to the powers now or hereafter granted a general partner of a limited partnership under applicable law or which are granted to the General Partner under any other provision of this Agreement, the General Partner, subject to Section 7.3, shall have full power and authority to do all things and on such terms as it, in its sole discretion, may deem necessary or appropriate to conduct the business of the Partnership, to exercise all powers set forth in Section 2.5 and to effectuate the purposes set forth in Section 2.4, including the following:
(i) the making of any expenditures, the lending or borrowing of money, the assumption or guarantee of, or other contracting for, indebtedness and other liabilities, the issuance of evidences of indebtedness and the incurring of any other obligations;
(ii) the making of tax, regulatory and other filings, or rendering of periodic or other reports to governmental or other agencies having jurisdiction over the business or assets of the Partnership;
(iii) the acquisition, disposition, mortgage, pledge, encumbrance, hypothecation or exchange of any or all of the assets of the Partnership or the merger or other combination of the Partnership with or into another Person (the matters described in this clause (iii) being subject, however, to any prior approval that may be required by Section 7.3);
(iv) the use of the assets of the Partnership (including cash on hand) for any purpose consistent with the terms of this Agreement, including the financing of the conduct of the operations of the Partnership Group, the lending of funds to other Persons (including the Operating Partnership), the repayment of obligations of the Partnership and the Operating Partnership and the making of capital contributions to any member of the Partnership Group;
(v) the negotiation, execution and performance of any contracts, conveyances or other instruments (including instruments that limit the liability of the Partnership under contractual arrangements to all or particular assets of the Partnership, with the other party to the contract to have no recourse against the General Partner or its assets other than its interest in the Partnership, even if same results in the terms of the transaction being less favorable to the Partnership than would otherwise be the case);

 

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(vi) the distribution of Partnership cash;
(vii) the selection and dismissal, of employees (including employees having titles such as “president,” “vice president,” “secretary” and “treasurer”) and agents, outside attorneys, accountants, consultants and contractors and the determination of their compensation and other terms of employment or hiring;
(viii) the maintenance of such insurance for the benefit of the Partnership Group and the Partners as it deems necessary or appropriate;
(ix) the formation of, or acquisition of an interest in, and the contribution of property and the making of loans to, any further limited or general partnerships, joint ventures, corporations or other relationships (including the acquisition of interests in, and the contributions of property to, the Operating Partnership from time to time);
(x) the control of any matters affecting the rights and obligations of the Partnership, including the bringing and defending of actions at law or in equity and otherwise engaging in the conduct of litigation and the incurring of legal expense and the settlement of claims and litigation;
(xi) the indemnification of any Person against liabilities and contingencies to the extent permitted by law;
(xii) the entering into of listing agreements with any National Securities Exchange and the delisting of some or all of the Units from, or requesting that trading be suspended on, any such exchange (subject to any prior approval that may be required under Section 4.8);
(xiii) the purchase, sale or other acquisition or disposition of Units, or the issuance of additional Units or other Partnership Securities; and
(xiv) the undertaking of any action in connection with the Partnership’s participation in the Operating Partnership as the limited partner.
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the Operating Partnership Agreement, the Delaware Act or any applicable law, rule or regulation, each of the Partners and Assignees and each other Person who may acquire an interest in Units hereby (i) approves, ratifies and confirms the execution, delivery and performance by the parties thereto of the Operating Partnership Agreement, the Underwriting Agreement, the Conveyance and Contribution Agreement, the agreements and other documents filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement, and the other agreements described in or filed as a part of the Registration Statement; (ii) agrees that the General Partner (on its own or through any officer of the Partnership) is authorized to execute, deliver and perform the agreements referred to in clause (i) of this sentence and the other agreements, acts, transactions and matters described in or contemplated by the Registration Statement on behalf of the Partnership without any further act, approval or vote of the Partners or the Assignees or the other Persons who may acquire an interest in Units; and (iii) agrees that the execution, delivery or performance by the General Partner, any Group Member or any Affiliate of any of them, of this Agreement or any agreement authorized or permitted under this Agreement (including the exercise by the General Partner or any Affiliate of the General Partner of the rights accorded pursuant to Article XV), shall not constitute a breach by the General Partner of any duty that the General Partner may owe the Partnership or the Limited Partners or the Assignees or any other Persons under this Agreement (or any other agreements) or of any duty stated or implied by law or equity.

 

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7.2 Certificate of Limited Partnership
The General Partner has caused the Certificate of Limited Partnership to be filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware as required by the Delaware Act and shall use all reasonable efforts to cause to be filed such other certificates or documents as may be determined by the General Partner in its sole discretion to be reasonable and necessary or appropriate for the formation, continuation, qualification and operation of a limited partnership (or a partnership in which the limited partners have limited liability) in the State of Delaware or any other state in which the Partnership may elect to do business or own property. To the extent that such action is determined by the General Partner in its sole discretion to be reasonable and necessary or appropriate, the General Partner shall file amendments to and restatements of the Certificate of Limited Partnership and do all things to maintain the Partnership as a limited partnership (or a partnership or other entity in which the limited partners have limited liability) under the laws of the State of Delaware or of any other state .in which the Partnership may elect to do business or own property. Subject to the terms of Section 3.4(a), the General Partner shall not be required, before or after filing, to deliver or mail a copy of the Certificate of Limited Partnership, any qualification document or any amendment thereto to any Limited Partner or Assignee.
7.3 Restrictions on General Partner’s Authority
(a) The General Partner may not, without written approval of the specific act by holders of all of the outstanding Units or by other written instrument executed and delivered by all of the Outstanding Units subsequent to the date of this Agreement, take any action in contravention of this Agreement, including, except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, (i) committing any act that would make it impossible to carry on the ordinary business of the Partnership; (ii) possessing Partnership property, or assigning any rights in specific Partnership property, for other than a Partnership purpose; (iii) admitting a Person as a Partner; (iv) amending this Agreement in any manner, or (v) transferring its interest as general partner of the Partnership.
(b) Except as provided in Articles XII and XIV, the General Partner may not sell, exchange or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of the Partnership’s assets in a single transaction or a series of related transactions or approve on behalf of the Partnership the sale, exchange or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Operating Partnership, without the approval of holders of at least a Unit Majority; provided however that this provision shall not preclude or limit the General Partner’s ability to mortgage, pledge, hypothecate or grant a security interest in all or substantially all of the assets of the Partnership or Operating Partnership and shall not apply to any forced sale of any or all of the assets of the Partnership or Operating Partnership pursuant to the foreclosure of, or other realization upon, any such encumbrance. Without the approval of holders of at least a Unit Majority, the General Partner shall not, on behalf of the Partnership, (i) consent to any amendment to the Operating Partnership Agreement or, except as expressly permitted by Section 7.9(d), take any action permitted to be taken by a partner of the Operating Partnership, in either case, that would have a material adverse effect on the Partnership as a partner of the Operating Partnership or (ii) except as permitted under Sections 4.6, 11.1 and 11.2, elect or cause the Partnership to elect a successor general partner of the Operating Partnership.

 

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7.4 Reimbursement of the General Partner
(a) Except as provided in this Section 7.4 and elsewhere in this Agreement, the General Partner shall not be compensated for its services as general partner of any Group Member.
(b) The General Partner shall be reimbursed on a monthly basis, or such other reasonable basis as the General Partner may determine in its sole discretion, for (i) all direct and indirect expenses it incurs or payments it makes on behalf of the Partnership, (including salary, bonus, incentive compensation and other amounts paid to any Person including Affiliates of the General Partner to perform services for the Partnership or for the General Partner in the discharge of its duties to the Partnership), and (ii) all other necessary or appropriate expenses allocable to the Partnership or otherwise reasonably incurred by the General Partner in connection with operating the Partnership’s business (including expenses allocated to the General Partner by its Affiliates). The General Partner shall determine the expenses that are allocable to the Partnership in any reasonable manner determined by the General Partner in its sole discretion. Reimbursements pursuant to this Section 7.4 shall be in addition to any reimbursement to the General Partner as a result of indemnification pursuant to Section 7.7.
(c) Subject to Section 5.6, the General Partner, in its sole discretion and without the approval of the Limited Partners (who shall have no right to vote in respect thereof), may propose and adopt on behalf of the Partnership employee benefit plans, employee programs and employee practices (including plans, programs and practices involving the issuance of Units or options to purchase Units), or cause the Partnership to issue Partnership Securities, in connection with, pursuant to any employee benefit plan, employee program or employee practice maintained or sponsored by the General Partner or any of its Affiliates, in each case for the benefit of employees of the General Partner, any Group Member or any Affiliate, or any of them, in respect of services performed, directly or indirectly, for the benefit of the Partnership Group. The Partnership agrees to issue and sell to the General Partner or any of its Affiliates any Units or other Partnership Securities that the General Partner or such Affiliate is obligated to provide to any employees pursuant to any such employee benefit plans, employee programs or employee practices. Expenses incurred by the General Partner in connection with any such plans, programs and practices (including the net cost to the General Partner or such Affiliate of Units or other Partnership Securities purchased by the General Partner or such Affiliate from the Partnership to fulfill options or awards under such plans, programs arid practices) shall be reimbursed in accordance with Section 7.4(b). Any and all obligations of the General Partner under any employee benefit plans, employee programs or employee practices adopted by the General Partner as permitted by this Section 7.4(c) shall constitute obligations of the General Partner hereunder and shall be assumed by any successor General Partner approved pursuant to Section 11.1 or 11.2 or the transferee of or successor to all of the General Partner’s Partnership Interest as a general partner in the Partnership pursuant to Section 4.6.

 

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7.5 Outside Activities
(a) After the Closing Date, the General Partner, for so long as it is the general partner of the Partnership (i) agrees that its sole business will be to act as a general partner of the Partnership, the Operating Partnership, and any other partnership of which the Partnership or the Operating Partnership is, directly or indirectly, a partner and to undertake activities that are ancillary or related thereto (including being a limited partner in the partnership), (ii) shall not engage in any business or activity or incur any debts or liabilities except in connection with or incidental to (A) its performance as general partner of one or more Group Members or as described in or contemplated by the Registration Statement or (B) the acquiring, owning or disposing of debt or equity securities in any Group Member and (ii) shall not, and shall cause its Affiliates (other than a Group Member) not to, engage in the retail sale of propane to end users in the continental United States.
(b) Except as restricted by Sections 7.5(a), each Indemnitee shall have the right to engage in businesses of every type and description and other activities for profit and to engage in and possess an interest in other business ventures of any and every type or description, whether in businesses engaged in or anticipated to be engaged in by any Group Member, independently or with others, including business interests and activities in direct competition with the business and activities of any Group Member, and none of the same shall constitute a breach of this Agreement or any duty express or implied by law to any Group Member or any Partner or Assignee. Neither any Group Member, any Limited Partner nor any other Person shall have any rights by virtue of this Agreement, the Operating Partnership Agreement or the partnership relationship established hereby or thereby in any business ventures of any Group Member or Indemnitee.
(c) Subject to the terms of Section 7.5(a) and (b), but otherwise notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, (i) the engaging in competitive activities by any Indemnitees (other than the General Partner) in accordance with the provisions of this Section 7.5 is hereby approved by the Partnership and all Partners, (ii) it shall be deemed not to be a breach of the General Partner’s fiduciary duty or any other obligation of any type whatsoever of the General Partner for any Group Member or any Indemnitee (other than the General Partner) to engage in such business interests and activities in preference to or to the exclusion of the Partnership and (iii) none of the General Partner, any Group Member or any Indemnitee shall have any obligation to present business opportunities to the Partnership, any other Group Member or any Indemnitee.
(d) The General Partner and any of its Affiliates may acquire Units or other Partnership Securities in addition to those acquired on the Closing Date and, except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, shall be entitled to exercise all rights of an Assignee or Limited Partner, as applicable, relating to such Units or Partnership Securities.
(e) The term “Affiliates” when used in Section 7.5 with respect to the General Partner shall not include any Group Member or any Subsidiary of the Group Member.

 

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7.6  
Loans from the General Partner; Loans or Contributions from the Partnership; Contracts with Affiliates; Certain Restrictions on the General Partner
(a) The General Partner or any Affiliate thereof may lend to any Group Member, and any Group Member may borrow from the General Partner or any of its Affiliates, funds needed or desired by the Group Member for such periods of time and in such amounts as the General Partner may determine; provided, however, that in any such case the lending party may not charge the borrowing party interest at a rate greater than the rate that would be charged the borrowing party or impose terms less favorable to the borrowing party; if than would be charged or imposed on the borrowing party by unrelated lenders on comparable loans made on an arm’s-length basis (without reference to the lending party’s financial abilities or guarantees). The borrowing party shall reimburse the lending party for any costs (other than any additional interest costs) incurred by the lending party in connection with the borrowing of such funds. For purposes of this Section 7.6(a) and Section 7.6(b), the term “Group Member” shall include any Affiliate of a Group Member that is controlled by the Group Member. No Group Member may lend funds to the General Partner or any of its Affiliates (other than another Group Member).
(b) The Partnership may lend or contribute to any Group Member and any Group Member, may borrow from the Partnership, funds on terms and conditions established in the sole discretion of the General Partner; provided, however, that the Partnership may not charge the Group Member interest at a rate less than the rate that would be charged to the Group Member (without reference to the General Partner’s financial abilities or guarantees) by unrelated lenders on comparable loans. The foregoing authority shall be exercised by the General Partner in its sole discretion and shall not create any right or benefit in favor of any Group Member or any other Person.
(c) The General Partner may itself, or may enter into an agreement with any of its Affiliates to, render services to a Group Member or to the General Partner in the discharge of its duties as general partner of the Partnership. Any services rendered to a Group Member by the General Partner or any of its Affiliates shall be on terms that are fair and reasonable to the Partnership; provided, however, that the requirements of this Section 7.6(c) shall be deemed satisfied as to (i) any transaction approved by Special Approval, (ii) any transaction, the terms of which are no less favorable to the Partnership Group than those generally being provided to or available from unrelated third parties or (iii) any transaction that, taking into account the totality of the relationships between the parties involved (including other transactions that may be particularly favorable or advantageous to the Partnership Group), is equitable to the Partnership Group. The provisions of Section 7.4 shall apply to the rendering of services described in this Section 7.6(c).
(d) The Partnership Group may transfer assets to joint ventures, other partnerships, corporations, limited liability companies or other business entities in which it is or thereby becomes a participant upon such terms and subject to such conditions as are consistent with this Agreement and applicable law.

 

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(e) Neither the General Partner nor any of its Affiliates shall sell, transfer or convey any property to, or purchase any property from the Partnership, directly or indirectly, except pursuant to transactions that are fair and reasonable to the Partnership; provided, however, that the requirements of this Section 7.6(e) shall be deemed to be satisfied as to (i) the transactions effected pursuant to Sections 5.2 and 5.3, the Conveyance and Contribution Agreement and any other transactions described in or contemplated by the Registration Statement, (ii) any transaction approved by Special Approval, (iii) any transaction, the terms of which are no less favorable to the Partnership than those generally being provided to or available from unrelated third parties, or (iv) any transaction that, taking into account the totality of the relationships between the parties involved (including other transactions that may be particularly favorable or advantageous to the Partnership), is equitable to the Partnership. With respect to any contribution of assets to the Partnership in exchange for Units, the Audit Committee, in determining whether the appropriate number of Units are being issued, may take into account, among other things, the fair market value of the assets, the liquidated and contingent liabilities assumed, the tax basis in the assets, the extent to which tax-only allocations to the transferor will protect the existing partners of the Partnership against a low tax basis, and such other factors as the Audit Committee deems relevant under the circumstances.
(f) The General Partner and its Affiliates will have no obligation to permit any Group Member to use any facilities or assets of the General Partner and its Affiliates, except ,as may be provided in contracts entered into from time to time specifically dealing with such use, nor shall there be any obligation on the part of the General Partner or its Affiliates to enter into such contracts.
(g) Without limitation of Sections 7.6(a) through 7.6(f), and notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, the existence of the conflicts of interest described in the Registration Statement are hereby approved by all Partners.
7.7 Indemnification
(a) To the fullest extent permitted by law but subject to the limitations expressly provided in this Agreement, all Indemnitees shall be indemnified and held harmless by the Partnership from and against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities, joint or several, expenses (including legal fees and expenses), judgments, fines, penalties, interest, settlements or other amounts arising from any and all claims, demands, actions, suits or proceedings, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, in which any Indemnitee may be involved, or is threatened to be involved, as a party or otherwise, by reason of its status as an Indemnitee, provided, that in each case the Indemnitee acted in good faith and hi a manner that such Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in, or (in the case of a Person other than the General Partner) not opposed to, the best interests of the Partnership and, with respect to any criminal proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe its conduct was unlawful; provided, further, no indemnification pursuant to this Section 7.7 shall be available to the General Partner with respect to its obligations incurred pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement or the Conveyance and Contribution Agreement (other than obligations incurred by the General Partner on behalf of the Partnership or the Operating Partnership). The termination of any action, suit or proceeding by judgment, order, settlement, conviction or upon a plea of nolo contendere, or its equivalent, shall not create a presumption that the Indemnitee acted in a manner contrary to that specified above. Any indemnification pursuant to this Section 7.7 shall be made only out of the assets of the Partnership, it being agreed that the General Partner shall not be personally liable for such indemnification and shall have no obligation to contribute or loan any monies or property to the Partnership to enable it to effectuate such indemnification.

 

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(b) To the fullest extent permitted by law, expenses (including legal fees and expenses) incurred by an Indemnitee who is indemnified pursuant to Section 7.7(a) in defending any claim, demand, action, suit or proceeding shall, from time to time, be advanced by the Partnership prior to the final disposition of such claim, demand, action, suit or proceeding upon receipt by the Partnership of any undertaking by or on behalf of the Indemnitee to repay such amount if it shall be determined that the Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified as authorized in this Section 7.7.
(c) The indemnification provided by this Section 7.7 shall be in addition, to any other rights to which an Indemnitee may be entitled under any agreement, pursuant to any vote of the holders of Outstanding Units, as a matter of law or otherwise, both as to actions in the Indemnitee’s capacity as an Indemnitee and as to actions in any other capacity (including any capacity under the Underwriting Agreement), and shall continue as to an Indemnitee who has ceased to serve in such capacity and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, successors, assigns and administrators of the Indemnitee.
(d) The Partnership may purchase and maintain (or reimburse the General Partner or its Affiliates for the cost of) insurance, on behalf of the General Partner, its Affiliates and such other Persons as the General Partner shall determine, against any liability that may be asserted against or expense that may be incurred by such Person in connection with the Partnership’s activities or such Person’s activities on behalf of the Partnership, regardless of whether the Partnership would have the power to indemnify such Person against such liability under the provisions of this Agreement.
(e) For purposes of this Section 7.7, the Partnership shall be deemed to have requested an Indemnitee to serve as fiduciary of an employee benefit plan whenever the performance by it of its duties to the Partnership also imposes duties on; or otherwise involves services by, it to the plan or participants or beneficiaries of the plan; excise taxes assessed on an Indemnitee with respect to an employee benefit plan pursuant to applicable law shall constitute “fines” within the meaning of Section 7.7(a); and action taken or omitted by it with respect to any employee benefit plan in the performance of its duties for a purpose reasonably believed by it to be in the interest of the participants and beneficiaries of the plan shall be deemed to be for a purpose which is in, or not opposed to, the best interests of the Partnership.
(f) In no event may an Indemnitee subject the Limited Partners to personal liability by reason of the indemnification provisions set forth in this Agreement.
(g) An Indemnitee shall not be denied indemnification in whole or in part under this Section 7.7 because the Indemnitee had an interest in the transaction with respect to which the indemnification applies if the transaction was otherwise permitted by the terms of this Agreement.

 

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(h) The provisions of this Section 7.7 are for the benefit of the Indemnitees, their heirs, successors, assigns and administrators and shall not be deemed to create any rights for the benefit of any other Persons.
(i) No amendment, modification or repeal of this Section 7.7 or any provision hereof shall in any manner terminate, reduce or impair the right of any past, present or future Indemnitee to be indemnified by the Partnership, nor the obligations of the Partnership to indemnify any such Indemnitee under and in accordance with the provisions of this Section 7.7 as in effect immediately prior to such amendment, modification or repeal with respect to claims arising from or relating to matters occurring, in whole or in part, prior to such amendment, modification or repeal, regardless of when such claims may arise or be asserted.
7.8 Liability of Indemnitees
(a) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth in this Agreement, no Indemnitee shall be liable for monetary damages to the Partnership, the Limited Partners, the Assignees or any other Persons who have acquired interests in the Units, for losses sustained or liabilities incurred as a result of any act or omission if such Indemnitee acted in good faith.
(b) Subject to its obligations and duties as General Partner set forth in Section 7.1(a), the General Partner may exercise any of the powers granted to it by this Agreement and perform any of the duties imposed upon it hereunder either directly or by or through its agents, and the General Partner shall not be responsible for any misconduct or negligence on the part of any such agent appointed by the General Partner in good faith.
(c) Any amendment, modification or repeal of this Section 7.8 or any provision hereof shall be prospective only and shall not in any way affect the limitations on the liability to the Partnership, the Limited Partners, the General Partner, and the Partnership’s and General Partner’s directors, officers and employees under this Section 7.8 as in effect immediately prior to such amendment, modification or repeal with respect to claims arising from or relating to matters occurring, in whole or in part, prior to such amendment, modification or repeal, regardless of when such claims may arise or be asserted.
7.9 Resolution of Conflicts of Interest.
(a) Unless otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement, whenever a potential conflict of interest exists or arises between the General Partner or any of its Affiliates, on the one hand, and the Partnership, any Group Member, any Partner or any Assignee, on the other, any resolution or course of action by the General Partner or its Affiliates in respect of such conflict of interest shall be permitted and deemed approved by all Partners, and shall not constitute a breach of this Agreement, of any agreement contemplated herein or therein, or of any duty stated or implied by law or equity, if the resolution or course of action is, or by operation of this Agreement is deemed to be, fair and reasonable to the Partnership. The General Partner shall be authorized but not required in connection with its resolution of such conflict of interest to seek Special Approval of such resolution. Any conflict of interest and any resolution of such conflict of interest shall be conclusively deemed fair and reasonable to the Partnership if such conflict of interest or resolution is (i) approved by Special Approval (as long as the

 

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material facts known to the General Partner or any of its Affiliates regarding any proposed transaction were disclosed to the Conflicts Committee at the time it gave its approval), (ii) on terms no less favorable to the Partnership than those generally being provided to or available from unrelated third parties or (iii) fair to the Partnership, taking into account the totality of the relationships between the parties involved (including other transactions that may be particularly favorable or advantageous to the Partnership). The General Partner may also adopt a resolution or course of action that has not received Special Approval. The General Partner (including the Conflicts Committee in connection with Special Approval) shall be authorized in connection with its determination of what is “fair and reasonable” to the Partnership and in connection with its resolution of any conflict of interest to consider (A) the relative interests of any party to such conflict, agreement, transaction or situation and the benefits and burdens relating to such interest; (B) any customary or accepted industry practices and any customary or historical dealings with a particular Person; (C) any applicable generally accepted accounting practices or principles; and (D) such additional factors as the General Partner (including the Conflicts Committee) determines in its sole discretion to be relevant, reasonable or appropriate under the circumstances. Nothing contained in this Agreement, however, is intended to nor shall it be construed to require the General Partner (including the Conflicts Committee) to consider the interests of any Person other than the Partnership. In the absence of bad faith by the General Partner, the resolution, action or terms so made, taken or provided by the General Partner with respect to such matter shall not constitute a breach of this Agreement or any other agreement contemplated herein or a breach of any standard of care or duty imposed herein or therein or, to the extent permitted by law, under the Delaware Act or any other law, rule or regulation.
(b) Whenever this Agreement or any other agreement contemplated hereby provides that the General Partner or any of its Affiliates is permitted or required to make a decision (i) in its “sole discretion” or “discretion,” that it deems “necessary or appropriate” or “necessary or advisable” or under a grant of similar authority or latitude, except as otherwise provided herein, the General Partner or such Affiliate shall be entitled to consider only such interests and factors as it desires and shall have no duty or obligation to give any consideration to any interest of, or factors affecting, the Partnership, any Group Member, any Limited Partner or any Assignee, (ii) it may make such decision in its sole discretion (regardless of whether there is a reference to “sole discretion” or “discretion”) unless another express standard is provided for, or (iii) in “good faith” or under another express standard, the General Partner or such Affiliate shall act under such express standard and shall not be subject to any other or different standards imposed by this Agreement, any other agreement contemplates hereby or under the Delaware Act or any other Law, rule or regulation. In addition, any actions taken by the General Partner or such Affiliate consistent with the standards of “reasonable discretion” set forth in the definitions of Available Cash or Operating Surplus shall not constitute a breach of any duty of the General Partner to the Partnership or the Limited Partners. The General Partner shall have no duty, express or implied, to sell or otherwise dispose of any asset of the Partnership Group other than in the ordinary course of business. No borrowing by any Group Member or the approval thereof by the General Partner shall be deemed to constitute a breach of any duty of the General Partner to the Partnership or the Limited Partners by reason of the fact that the purpose or effect of such borrowing is directly or indirectly to enable distributions to the General Partner or its Affiliates (including in their capacities as Limited Partners) to exceed the total amount distributed to all partners.

 

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(c) Whenever a particular transaction, arrangement or resolution of a conflict of interest is required under this Agreement to be “fair and reasonable” to any Person, the fair and reasonable nature of such transaction, arrangement or resolution shall be considered in the context of all similar or related transactions.
(d) The Unitholders hereby authorize the General Partner, on behalf of the Partnership as a partner of a Group Member, to approve of actions by the general partner of such Group Member similar to those actions permitted to be taken by the General Partner pursuant to this Section 7.9.
7.10 Other Matters Concerning the General Partner
(a) The General Partner may rely and shall be protected in acting or refraining from acting upon any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, consent, order, bond, debenture or other paper or document believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper party or parties.
(b) The General Partner may consult with legal counsel, accountants, appraisers, management consultants, investment bankers and other consultants and advisers selected by it, and any act taken or omitted to be taken in reliance upon the opinion (including an Opinion of Counsel) of such Persons as to matters that the General Partner reasonably believes to be within such Person’s professional or expert competence shall be conclusively presumed to have been done or omitted in good faith and in accordance with such opinion.
(c) The General Partner shall have the right, in respect of any of its powers or obligations hereunder, to act through any of its duly authorized officers, a duly appointed attorney or attorneys-in-fact or the duly authorized officers of the Partnership.
(d) Any standard of care and duty imposed by this Agreement or under the Delaware Act or any applicable law, rule or regulation shall be modified, waived or limited, to the extent permitted by law, as required to permit the General Partner to act under this Agreement or any other agreement contemplated by this Agreement and to make any decision pursuant to the authority prescribed in this Agreement, so long as such action is reasonably believed by the General Partner to be in, or not inconsistent with, the best interests of the Partnership.
7.11 Intentionally Deleted
7.12 Purchase or Sale of Units
The General Partner may cause the Partnership to purchase or otherwise acquire Units. As long as Units are held by any Group Member, such Units shall not be considered outstanding for any purpose, except as otherwise provided herein. The preceding sentence shall not apply to Common Units or Class E Units held directly by any Group Member (i) if such Common Units or Class E Units were held by the entity at the time such entity became a Group Member, or (ii) if such Common Units or Class E Units were converted into or from Common Units or Class E Units held by the entity at the time such entity became a Group Member. The General Partner or any Affiliate of the General Partner may also purchase or otherwise acquire and sell or otherwise dispose of Units for its own account, subject to the provisions of Articles IV and X.

 

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7.13 Registration Rights of the General Partner and its Affiliates
(a) If (i) the General Partner or any Affiliate of the General Partner (including for purposes of this Section 7.13, any Person that is an Affiliate of the General Partner at the date hereof notwithstanding that it may later cease to be an Affiliate of the General Partner) holds Units or other Partnership Securities that it desires to sell and (ii) Rule 144 of the Securities Act (or any successor rule or regulation to Rule 144) or another exemption from registration is not available to enable such holder of Units (the “Holder”) to dispose of the number of Units or other securities it desires to sell at the time it desires to do so without registration under the Securities Act, then upon the request of the General Partner or any of its Affiliates, the Partnership shall file with the Commission as promptly as practicable after receiving such request, and use all reasonable efforts to cause to become effective and remain effective for a period of not less than six months following its effective date or such shorter period as shall terminate when all Units or other Partnership Securities covered by such registration statement have been sold, a registration statement under the Securities Act registering the offering and sale of the number of Units or other securities specified by the Holder; provided, however, that the Partnership shall not be required to effect more than three registrations pursuant to this Section 7.13 (a); and provided further, however, that if the Audit Committee determines in its good faith judgment that a postponement of the requested registration for up to six months would be in the best interests of the Partnership and its Partners due to a pending transaction, investigation or other event, the filing of such registration statement or the effectiveness thereof may be deferred for up to six months, but not thereafter. In connection with any registration pursuant to the immediately preceding sentence, the Partnership shall promptly prepare and file (x) such documents as may be necessary to register or qualify the securities subject to such registration under the securities laws of such states as the Holder shall reasonably request; provided, however, that no such qualification shall be required in any jurisdiction where, as a result thereof, the Partnership would become subject to general service of process or to taxation or qualification to do business as a foreign corporation or partnership doing business in such jurisdiction solely as a result of such registration, and (y) such documents as may be necessary to apply for listing or to list the securities subject to such registration on such National Securities Exchange as the Holder shall reasonably request, and do any and all other acts and things that may reasonably be necessary or advisable to enable the Holder to consummate a public sale of such Units in such states. Except as set forth in Section 7.12(c), all costs and expenses of any such registration and offering (other than the underwriting discounts and commissions) shall be paid by the Partnership, without reimbursement by the Holder.
(b) If the Partnership shall at any time propose to file a registration statement under the Securities Act for an offering of equity securities of the Partnership for cash (other than an offering relating solely to an employee benefit plan), the Partnership shall use all reasonable efforts to include such number or amount of securities held by the Holder in such registration statement as the Holder shall request. If the proposed offering pursuant to this Section 7.13(b) shall be an underwritten offering, then, in the event that the managing underwriter or managing underwriters of such offering advise the Partnership and the Holder in writing that in their opinion the inclusion of all or some of the Holder’s securities would adversely and materially affect the success of the offering, the Partnership shall include in such offering only that number or amount, if any, of securities held by the Holder which, in the opinion of the managing underwriter or managing underwriters, will not so adversely and materially affect the offering. Except as set forth in Section 7.13(c), all costs and expenses of any such registration and offering (other than the underwriting discounts and commissions) shall be paid by the Partnership, without reimbursement by the Holder.

 

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(c) If underwriters are engaged in connection with any registration referred to in this Section 7.13, the Partnership shall provide indemnification, representations, covenants, opinions and other assurance to the underwriters in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to such underwriters. Further, in addition to and not in limitation of the Partnership’s obligation under Section 7.7, the Partnership shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, indemnify and hold harmless the Holder, its officers, directors and each Person who controls the Holder (within the meaning of the Securities Act) and any agent thereof (collectively, “Indemnified Persons”) against any losses, claims, demands, actions, causes of action, assessments, damages, liabilities (joint or several), costs and expenses (including interest, penalties and reasonable attorneys’ fees and disbursements), resulting to, imposed upon, or incurred by the Indemnified Persons, directly or indirectly, under the Securities Act or otherwise (hereinafter referred to in this Section 7.13(c) as a “claim” and in the plural as “claims”) based upon, arising out of or resulting from any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in any registration statement under which any Units were registered under the Securities Act or any state securities or Blue Sky laws, in any preliminary prospectus (if used prior to the effective date of such registration statement), or in any summary or final prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto (if used during the period the Partnership is required to keep the registration statement current), or arising out of, based upon or resulting from the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements made therein not misleading; provided, however, that the Partnership shall not be liable to any Indemnified Person to the extent that any such claim arises out of, is based upon or results from an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in such registration statement, such preliminary, summary or final prospectus or such amendment or supplement, in reliance upon and hi conformity with written information furnished to the Partnership by or on behalf of such Indemnified Person specifically for use in the preparation thereof.
(d) The provisions of Section 7.13(a) and 7.13(b) shall continue to be applicable with respect to the General Partner (and any of the General Partner’s Affiliates) after it ceases to be a Partner of the Partnership, during a period of two years subsequent to the effective date of such cessation and for so long thereafter as is required for the Holder to sell all of the Units or other Partnership Securities with respect to which it has requested during such two-year period inclusion in a registration statement otherwise filed or that a registration statement be filed; provided, however, that the Partnership shall not be required to file successive registration statements covering the same securities for which registration was demanded during such two-year period. The provisions of Section 7.13(c) shall continue in effect thereafter.
(e) Any request to register Partnership Securities pursuant to this Section 7.13 shall (i) specify the Partnership Securities intended to be offered and sold by the Person making the request, (ii) express such Person’s present intent to offer such shares for distribution, (iii) describe the nature or method of the proposed offer and sale of Partnership Securities, and (iv) contain the undertaking of such Person to provide all such information and materials and take all action as may be required in order to permit the Partnership to comply with all applicable requirements in connection with the registration of such Partnership Securities.

 

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7.14 Reliance by Third Parties
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, any Person dealing with the Partnership shall be entitled to assume that the General Partner and any officer of the General Partner authorized by the General Partner to act on behalf of and in the name of Partnership has full power and authority to encumber, sell or otherwise use in any manner any and all assets of the Partnership and to enter into any authorized contracts on behalf of the Partnership, and such Person shall be entitled to deal with the General Partner or any such officer as if it were the Partnership’s sole party in interest, both legally and beneficially. Each Limited Partner hereby waives any and all defenses or other remedies that may be available against such Person to contest, negate or disaffirm any action of the General Partner or any such officer in connection with any such dealing. In no event shall any Person dealing with the General Partner or any such officer or its representatives be obligated to ascertain that the terms of the Agreement have been complied with or to inquire into the necessity or expedience of any act or action of the General Partner or any such officer or its representatives. Each and every certificate, document or other instrument executed on behalf of the Partnership by the General Partner or its representatives shall be conclusive evidence in favor of any and every Person relying thereon or claiming thereunder that (a) at the time of the execution and delivery of such certificate, document or instrument, this Agreement was in full force and effect, (b) the Person executing and delivering such certificate, document or instrument was duly authorized and empowered to do so for and on behalf of the Partnership and (c) such certificate, document or instrument was duly executed and delivered in accordance with the terms and provisions of this Agreement and is binding upon the Partnership.
ARTICLE VIII
BOOKS, RECORDS, ACCOUNTING AND REPORTS
8.1 Records and Accounting
The General Partner shall keep or cause to be kept at the principal office of the Partnership appropriate books and records with respect to the Partnership’s business, including all books and records necessary to provide to the Unitholders any information required to be provided pursuant to Section 3.4(a). Any books and records maintained by or on behalf of the Partnership in the regular course of its business, including the record of the Record Holders and Assignees of Units or other Partnership Securities, books of account and records of Partnership proceedings, may be kept on, or be in the form of, computer disks, hard drives, punch cards, magnetic tape, photographs, micrographics or any other information storage device; provided, that the books and records so maintained are convertible into clearly legible written form within a reasonable period of time. The books of the Partnership shall be maintained, for financial reporting purposes, on an accrual basis in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

 

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8.2 Fiscal Year
The fiscal year of the Partnership shall be from January 1 to December 31.
8.3 Reports
(a) As soon as practicable, but in no event later than 120 days after the close of each fiscal year of the Partnership, the General Partner shall cause to be mailed or furnished to each Record Holder of a Unit as of a date selected by the General Partner in its discretion, an annual report containing financial statements of the Partnership for such fiscal year of the Partnership, presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP, including a balance sheet and statements of operations, Partnership equity and cash flows, such statements to be audited by a firm of independent public accountants selected by the General Partner.
(b) As soon as practicable, but in no event later than 90 days after the close of each Quarter except the last Quarter of each year, the General Partner shall cause to be mailed or furnished to each Record Holder of a Unit, as of a date selected by the General Partner in its discretion, a report containing unaudited financial statements of the Partnership and such other information as may be required by applicable law, regulation or rule of any National Securities Exchange on which the Units are listed for trading, or as the General Partner determines to be necessary or appropriate.
ARTICLE IX
TAX MATTERS
9.1 Tax Returns and Information
The Partnership shall timely file all returns of the Partnership that are required for federal, state and local income tax purposes on the basis of the accrual method and a taxable year ending on December 31. The tax information reasonably required by Record Holders for federal and state income tax reporting purposes with respect to a taxable year shall be furnished to them within 90 days of the close of the calendar year in which the Partnership’s taxable year ends. The classification, realization and recognition of income, gain, losses and deductions and other items shall be on the accrual method of accounting for federal income tax purposes.
9.2 Tax Elections
(a) The Partnership shall make the ejection under Section 754 of the Code in accordance with applicable regulations thereunder, subject to the reservation of the right to seek to revoke any such election upon the General Partner’s determination that such revocation is in the best interests of the Unitholders. Notwithstanding any other provision herein contained, for the purposes of computing the adjustments under Section 743(b) of the Code, the General Partner shall be authorized (but not required) to adopt a convention whereby the price paid by a transferee of Units will be deemed to be the lowest quoted closing price of the Units on any National Securities Exchange on which such Units are traded during the calendar month in which such transfer is deemed to occur pursuant to Section 6.2(g) without regard to the actual price paid by such transferee.

 

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(b) The Partnership shall elect to deduct expenses incurred in organizing the Partnership ratably over a sixty-month period as provided in Section 709 of the Code.
(c) Except as otherwise provided herein, the General Partner shall determine whether the Partnership should make any other elections permitted by the Code.
9.3 Tax Controversies
Subject to the provisions hereof, the General Partner is designated as the Tax Matters Partner (as denned in the Code) and is authorized and required to represent the Partnership (at the Partnership’s expense) in connection with all examinations of the Partnership’s affairs by tax authorities, including resulting administrative and judicial proceedings, and to expend Partnership funds for professional services and costs associated therewith. Each Partner agrees to cooperate with the General Partner and to do or refrain from doing any or all things reasonably required by the General Partner to conduct such proceedings.
9.4 Withholding
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the General Partner is authorized to take any action that it determines in its discretion to be necessary or appropriate to cause the Partnership and the Operating Partnership to comply with any withholding requirements established under the Code or any other federal, state or local law including, without limitation, pursuant to Sections 1441, 1442, 1445 and 1446 of the Code. To the extent that the Partnership is required or elects to withhold and pay over to any taxing authority any amount resulting from the allocation or distribution of income to any Partner or Assignee (including, without limitation, by reason of Section 1446 of the Code), the amount withheld may be treated as a distribution of cash pursuant to Section 6.3 in the amount of such withholding from such Partner.
ARTICLE X
ADMISSION OF PARTNERS
10.1 Admission of Initial Limited Partners
Upon the issuance by the Partnership of Common Units to the Underwriters as described in Section 5.3 in connection with the Initial Offering and the execution by each Underwriter of a Transfer Application, the General Partner admitted the Underwriters to the Partnership as Initial Limited Partners in respect of the Common Units purchased by them.

 

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10.2 Admission of Substituted Limited Partner
By transfer of a Unit in accordance with Article IV, the transferor shall be deemed to have given the transferee the right to seek admission as a Substituted Limited Partner subject to the conditions of, and in the manner permitted under, this Agreement. A transferor of a Certificate shall, however, only have the authority to convey to a purchaser or other transferee who does not execute and deliver a Transfer Application (a) the right to negotiate such Certificate to a purchaser or other transferee and (b) the right to transfer the right to request admission as a Substituted Limited Partner to such purchaser or other transferee in respect of the transferred Units. Each transferee of a Unit (including any nominee holder or an agent acquiring such Unit for the account of another Person) who executes and delivers a Transfer Application shall, by virtue of such execution and delivery, be an Assignee and be deemed to have applied to become a Substituted Limited Partner with respect to the Units so transferred to such Person. Such Assignee shall become a Substituted Limited Partner (x) at such time as the General Partner consents thereto, which consent may be given or withheld in the General Partner’s discretion, and (y) when any such admission is shown on the books and records of the Partnership. If such consent is withheld, such transferee shall be an Assignee. An Assignee shall have an interest in the Partnership equivalent to that of a Limited Partner with respect to allocations and distributions, including liquidating distributions, of the Partnership. With respect to voting rights attributable to Units that are held by Assignees, the General Partner shall be deemed to be the Limited Partner with respect thereto and shall, in exercising the voting rights in respect of such Units on any matter, vote such Units at the written direction of the Assignee who is the Record Holder of such Units. If no such written direction is received, such Units will not be voted. An Assignee shall have no other rights of a Limited Partner.
10.3 Admission of Successor General Partner
A successor General Partner approved pursuant to Section 11.1 or 11.2 or the transferee of or successor to all of the General Partner’s Partnership Interest as general partner in the Partnership pursuant to Section 4.6 who is proposed to be admitted as a successor General Partner shall be admitted to the Partnership as the General Partner, effective immediately prior to the withdrawal or removal of the General Partner pursuant to Section 11.1 or 11.2 or the transfer of the General Partner’s Partnership Interest as a general partner in the Partnership pursuant to Section 4.6, provided, however, that no such successor shall be admitted to the Partnership until compliance with the terms of Section 4.6 has occurred and such successor has executed and delivered such other documents or instruments as may be required to effect such admission. Any such successor shall, subject to the terms hereof, carry on the business of the Partnership and the Operating Partnership without dissolution.
10.4 Admission of Additional Limited Partners
(a) A Person (other than the General Partner, an Initial Limited Partner or a Substituted Limited Partner) who makes a Capital Contribution to the Partnership in accordance with this Agreement shall be admitted to the Partnership as an Additional Limited Partner only upon furnishing to the General Partner (i) evidence of acceptance in form satisfactory to the General Partner of all of the terms and conditions of this Agreement, including the power of attorney granted in Section 2.6, and (ii) such other documents or instruments as may be required in the discretion of the General Partner to effect such Person’s admission as an Additional Limited Partner.
(b) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 10.4, no Person shall be admitted as an Additional Limited Partner without the consent of the General Partner, which consent may be given or withheld in the General Partner’s discretion. The admission of any Person as an Additional Limited Partner shall become effective on the date upon which the name of such Person is recorded as such in the books and records of the Partnership, following the consent of the General Partner to such admission.

 

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10.5 Amendment of Agreement and Certificate of Limited Partnership
To effect the admission to the Partnership of any Partner, the General Partner shall take all steps necessary and appropriate under the Delaware Act to amend the records of the Partnership to reflect such admission and, if necessary, to prepare as soon as practicable an amendment to this Agreement and, if required by law, the General Partner shall prepare and file an amendment to the Certificate of Limited Partnership, and the General Partner may for this purpose, among others, exercise the power of attorney granted pursuant to Section 2.6.
ARTICLE XI
WITHDRAWAL OR REMOVAL OF PARTNERS
11.1 Withdrawal of the General Partner
(a) The General Partner shall be deemed to have withdrawn from the Partnership upon the occurrence of any one of the following events (each such event herein referred to as an “Event of Withdrawal”);
(i) the General Partner voluntarily withdraws from the Partnership by giving written notice to the other Partners (and it shall be deemed that the General Partner has withdrawn pursuant to this Section 11.1(a)(i) if the General Partner voluntarily withdraws as general partner of the Operating Partnership);
(ii) the General Partner transfers all of its rights as General Partner pursuant to Section 4.6;
(iii) the General Partner is removed pursuant to Section 11.2;
(iv) the General Partner (A) makes a general assignment for the benefit of creditors; (B) files a voluntary bankruptcy petition for relief under Chapter 7 of the United States Bankruptcy Code; (C) files a petition or answer seeking for itself a liquidation, dissolution or similar relief (but not a reorganization) under any law; (D) files an answer or other pleading admitting or failing to contest the material allegations of a petition filed against the General Partner in a proceeding of the type described in clauses (A)-(C) of this Section 11.1(a)(iv); or (E) seeks, consents to or acquiesces in the appointment of a trustee (but not a debtor in possession), receiver or liquidator of the General Partner or of all or any substantial part of its properties;
(v) a final and non-appealable order of relief under Chapter 7 of the United States Bankruptcy Code is entered by a court with appropriate jurisdiction pursuant to a voluntary or involuntary petition by or against the General Partner; or
(vi) (A) in the event the General Partner is a corporation, a certificate of dissolution or its equivalent is filed for the General Partner, or 90 days expire after the date of notice to the General Partner of revocation of its charter without a reinstatement of its charter, under the laws of its state of incorporation; or (B) in the event the General Partner is a partnership, the dissolution and commencement of winding up of the General Partner; (C) in the event the General Partner is acting in such capacity by virtue of being a trustee of a trust, the termination of the trust; (D) in the event the General Partner is a natural person, his death or adjudication of incompetency; and (E) otherwise hi the event of the termination of the General Partner.

 

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If an Event of Withdrawal specified in Section 11.1(a)(iv), (v) or (vi)(A), (B), (C) or (E) occurs, the withdrawing General Partner shall give notice to the Limited Partners within 30 days after such occurrence. The Partners hereby agree that only the Events of Withdrawal described in this Section 11.1 shall result in the withdrawal of the General Partner from the Partnership.
(b) Withdrawal of the General Partner from the Partnership upon the occurrence of an Event of Withdrawal shall not constitute a breach of this Agreement under the following circumstances: (i) at any time the General Partner voluntarily withdraws by giving at least 90 days’ advance notice to the Unitholders, such withdrawal to take effect on the date specified in such notice; or (ii) at any time that the General Partner ceases to be the General Partner pursuant to Section 11.1(a)(ii) or is removed pursuant to Section 11.2. The withdrawal of the General Partner from the Partnership upon the occurrence of an Event of Withdrawal shall also constitute the withdrawal of the General Partner as general partner of the other Group Members. If the General Partner gives a notice of withdrawal pursuant to Section 11.1(a)(i), the holders of a Unit Majority, may, prior to the effective date of such withdrawal, elect a successor General Partner. The Person so elected as successor General Partner shall automatically become the “successor general partner of the other Group Members. If, prior to the effective date of the General Partner’s withdrawal, a successor is not selected by the Unitholders as provided herein or the Partnership does not receive a Withdrawal Opinion of Counsel, the Partnership shall be dissolved in accordance with Section 12.1. Any successor General Partner elected in accordance with the terms of this Section 11.1 shall be subject to the provisions of Section 10.3.
11.2 Removal of the General Partner
The General Partner may be removed if such removal is approved by the Unitholders holding at least 662/3% of the Outstanding Units (including Units held by the General Partner and its Affiliates). Any such action by such holders for removal of the General Partner must also provide for the election of a successor General Partner by the Unitholders holding at least a Unit Majority (including Units held by the General Partner and its Affiliates). Such removal shall be effective immediately following the admission of a successor General Partner pursuant to Section 10.3. The removal of the General Partner shall also automatically constitute the removal of the General Partner as general partner of the other Group Members. If a Person is elected as a successor General Partner in accordance with the terms of this Section 11.2, such Person shall, upon admission pursuant to Section 10.3, automatically become the successor general partner of the other Group Members. The right of the holders of Outstanding Units to remove the General Partner shall not exist or be exercised unless the Partnership has received an opinion opining as to the matters covered by a Withdrawal Opinion of Counsel. Any successor General Partner elected in accordance with the terms of this Section 11.2 shall be subject to the provisions of Section 10.3.

 

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11.3 Interest of Departing Partner and Successor General Partner
(a) In the event of (i) withdrawal of the General Partner under circumstances where such withdrawal does not violate this Agreement or (ii) removal of the General Partner by the holders of Outstanding Units under circumstances where Cause does not exist, if a successor General Partner is elected in accordance with the terms of Section 11.1 or 11.2, the Departing Partner shall have the option exercisable prior to the effective date of the departure of such Departing Partner to require its successor to purchase its Partnership Interest as a general partner in the Partnership and its partnership interest as the general partner in the other Group Members and its Incentive Distribution Rights (collectively, the “Combined Interest”) in exchange, for an amount in cash equal to the fair market value of such Combined Interest, such amount to be determined and payable as of .the effective date of its departure. If the General Partner is removed by the Unitholders under circumstances where Cause exists or if the General Partner withdraws under circumstances where such withdrawal violates this Agreement, and if a successor General Partner is elected in accordance with the terms of Section 11.1 or 11.2, such successor shall have the option, exercisable prior to the effective date of the departure of such Departing Partner, to purchase the Combined Interest of the Departing Partner for such fair market value of such Combined Interest. In either event, the Departing Partner shall be entitled to receive all reimbursements due such Departing Partner pursuant to Section 7.4, including any employee-related liabilities (including severance liabilities), incurred in connection with the termination of any employees employed by the General Partner for the benefit of the Partnership or the other Group Members.
For purposes of this Section 11.3(a), the fair market value of the Departing Partner’s Combined Interest shall be determined by agreement between the Departing Partner and its successor or, failing agreement within 30 days after the effective date of such Departing Partner’s departure, by an independent investment banking firm or other independent expert selected by the Departing Partner and its successor, which, in turn, may rely on other experts, and the determination of which shall be conclusive as to such matter. If such parties cannot agree upon one independent investment banking firm or other independent expert within 45 days after the effective date of such departure, then the Departing Partner shall designate an independent investment banking firm or other independent expert, the Departing Partner’s successor shall designate an independent investment banking firm or other independent expert, and such firms or experts shall mutually select a third independent investment banking firm or independent expert; which third independent investment banking firm or other independent expert shall determine the fair market value of the Combined Interest. In making its determination, such third independent investment banking firm or other independent expert may consider the then current trading price of Units on any National Securities Exchange on which Units are then listed, the value of the Partnership’s assets, the rights and obligations of the General Partner and other factors it may deem relevant.
(b) If the Combined Interest is not purchased in the manner set forth in Section 11.3(a), the Departing Partner shall become a Limited Partner and the Departing Partner’s Combined Interest shall be converted into Common Units pursuant to a valuation made by an investment banking firm or other independent expert selected pursuant to Section 11.3(a), without reduction in such Partnership Interest (but subject to proportionate dilution by reason of the admission of its successor). Any successor General Partner shall indemnify the Departing Partner as to all debts and liabilities of the Partnership arising on or after the date on which the Departing Partner becomes a Limited Partner. For purposes of this Agreement, conversion of the General Partner’s Combined Interest to Common Units will be characterized as if the General Partner contributed its Combined Interest to the Partnership in exchange for the newly issued Common Units.

 

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(c) If a successor General Partner is elected in accordance with the terms of Section 11.1 or 11.2 and the option described in Section 11.3(a) is not exercised by the party entitled to do so, the successor General Partner shall, at the effective date of its admission to the Partnership, contribute to the Partnership cash in an amount equal to the product of the Percentage Interest of the Departing Partner as a general partner in the Partnership and the Net Agreed Value of the Partnership’s assets on such date. In such event, such successor General Partner shall, subject to the following sentence, be entitled to such Percentage Interest of all Partnership allocations and distributions and any other allocations and distributions to which the Departing Partner was entitled. In addition, the successor General Partner shall cause this Agreement to be amended to reflect that, from and after the date of such successor General Partner’s admission, the successor General Partner’s interest in all Partnership distributions and allocations shall be its Percentage Interest.
11.4 Withdrawal of Limited Partners
No Limited Partner shall have any right to withdraw from the Partnership; provided, however, that when a transferee of a Limited Partner’s Units or Incentive Distribution Rights becomes a Record Holder of the Units or Incentive Distribution Rights so transferred, such transferring Limited Partner shall cease to be a Limited Partner with respect to the Units or Incentive Distribution Rights so transferred.
ARTICLE XII
DISSOLUTION AND LIQUIDATION
12.1 Dissolution
The Partnership shall not be dissolved by the admission of Substituted Limited Partners or Additional Limited Partners or by the admission of a successor General Partner in accordance with the terms of this Agreement. Upon the removal or withdrawal of the General Partner, if a successor General Partner is elected pursuant to Section 11.1 or 11.2, the Partnership shall not be dissolved and such successor General Partner shall continue the business of the Partnership. The Partnership shall dissolve, and (subject to Section 12.2) its affairs shall be wound up, upon:
(a) the expiration of its term as provided in Section 2.7;
(b) an Event of Withdrawal of the General Partner as provided in Section 11.1(a) (other than Section 11.1(a)(ii)), unless a successor is elected and an Opinion of Counsel is received as provided in Section 11.1(b) or 11.2 and such successor is admitted to the Partnership pursuant to Section 10.3;

 

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(c) an election to dissolve the Partnership by the General Partner that is approved by the holders of a Unit Majority;
(d) entry of a decree of judicial dissolution of the Partnership pursuant to the provisions of the Delaware Act; or
(e) the sale of all or substantially all of the assets and properties of the Partnership Group.
12.2 Continuation of the Business of the Partnership After Dissolution
Upon (a) dissolution of the Partnership following an Event of Withdrawal caused by the withdrawal or removal of the General Partner as provided in Section 11.1(a)(i) or (iii) and the failure of the Partners to select a successor to such Departing Partner pursuant to Section 11.1 or 11.2, then within 90 days thereafter, or (b) dissolution of the Partnership upon an event constituting an Event of Withdrawal as defined in Section 11.1(a)(iv), (v) or (vi), then, to the maximum extent permitted by law, within 180 days thereafter, the holders of a Unit Majority may elect to reconstitute the Partnership and continue its business on the same terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement by forming a new limited partnership on terms identical to those set forth in this Agreement and having as the successor general partner a Person approved by the holders of a Unit Majority. Unless such an election is made within the applicable time period as set forth above, the Partnership shall conduct only activities necessary to wind up its affairs. If such an election is so made, then:
(i) the reconstituted Partnership shall continue until the end of the term set forth in Section 2.7 unless earlier dissolved in accordance with this Article XII;
(ii) if the successor General Partner is not the former General Partner, then the interest of the former General Partner shall be treated in the manner provided in Section 11.3; and
(iii) all necessary steps shall be taken to cancel this Agreement and the Certificate of Limited Partnership, and to enter into and, as necessary, to file a new partnership agreement and certificate of limited partnership, and the successor general partner may for this purpose exercise the powers of attorney granted the General Partner pursuant to Section 2.6; provided, that the right of the holders of a Unit Majority to approve a successor General Partner and to reconstitute and to continue the business of the Partnership shall not exist and may not be exercised unless the Partnership has received an Opinion of Counsel that (x) the exercise of the right would not result in the loss of limited liability of any Limited Partner and (y) neither the Partnership, the reconstituted limited partnership nor the Operating Partnership would be treated as an association taxable as a corporation or otherwise be taxable as an entity for federal income tax purposes upon the exercise of such right to continue.

 

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12.3 Liquidator
Upon dissolution of the Partnership, unless the Partnership is continued under an election to reconstitute and continue the Partnership pursuant to Section 12.2, the General Partner shall select one or more Persons to act as Liquidator, The Liquidator (if other than the General Partner) shall be entitled to receive such compensation for its services as may be approved by holders of at least a majority of the Outstanding Common Units. The Liquidator (if other than the General Partner) shall agree not to resign at any time without 15 days’ prior notice and may be removed at any time, with or without cause, by notice of removal approved by holders of at least a majority of the Outstanding Common Units. Upon dissolution, removal or resignation of the Liquidator, a successor and substitute Liquidator (who shall have and succeed to all rights, powers and duties of the original Liquidator) shall within 30 days thereafter be approved by holders of at least a majority of the Outstanding Common Units. The right to approve a successor or substitute Liquidator in the manner provided herein shall be deemed to refer also to any such successor or substitute Liquidator approved in the manner herein provided. Except as expressly provided in this Article XII, the Liquidator approved in the manner provided herein shall have and may exercise, without further authorization or consent of any of the parties hereto, all of the powers conferred upon the General Partner under the terms of this Agreement (but subject to all of the applicable limitations, contractual and otherwise, upon the exercise of such powers, other than the limitation on sale set forth in Section 7.3(b)) to the extent necessary or desirable in the good faith judgment of the Liquidator to carry out the duties and functions of the Liquidator hereunder for and during such period of time as shall be reasonably required in the good faith judgment of the Liquidator to complete the winding up and liquidation of the Partnership as provided for herein.
12.4 Liquidation
The Liquidator shall proceed to dispose of the assets of the Partnership, discharge its liabilities, and otherwise wind up its affairs in such manner and over such period as the Liquidator determines to be in the best interest of the Partners, subject to Section 17-804 of the Delaware Act and the following:
(a) Disposition of Assets. The assets may be disposed of by public or private sale or by distribution in kind to one or more Partners on such terms as the Liquidator and such Partner or Partners may agree. If any property is distributed in kind, the Partner receiving the property shall be deemed for purposes of Section 12.4(c) to have received cash equal to its fair market value; and contemporaneously therewith, appropriate cash distributions must be made to the other Partners. The Liquidator may, in its absolute discretion, defer liquidation or distribution of the Partnership’s assets for a reasonable time if it determines that an immediate sale of all or some of the Partnership’s assets would be impractical or would cause undue loss to the partners. The Liquidator may, in its absolute discretion, distribute the Partnership’s assets, in whole or in part, in kind if it determines that a sale would be impractical or would cause undue loss to the partners.
(b) Discharge of Liabilities. Liabilities of the Partnership include amounts owed to Partners otherwise than in respect of their distribution rights under Article VI. With respect to any liability that is contingent or is otherwise not yet due and payable, the Liquidator shall either settle such claim for such amount as it thinks appropriate or establish a reserve of cash or other assets to provide for its payment. When paid, any unused portion of the reserve shall be distributed as additional liquidation proceeds.

 

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(c) Liquidation Distributions. All property and all cash in excess of that required to discharge liabilities as provided in Section 12.4(b) shall be distributed to the Partners in accordance with, and to the extent of, the positive balances in their respective Capital Accounts, as determined after taking into account all Capital Account adjustments (other than those made by reason of distributions pursuant to this Section 12.4(c)) for the taxable year of the Partnership during which the liquidation of the Partnership occurs (with such date of occurrence being determined pursuant to Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(g)), and such distribution shall be made by the end of such taxable year (or, if later, within 90 days after said date of such occurrence).
12.5 Cancellation of Certificate of Limited Partnership
Upon the completion of the distribution of Partnership cash and property as provided in Section 12.4 in connection with the liquidation of the Partnership, the Partnership shall be terminated and the Certificate of Limited Partnership and all qualifications of the Partnership as a foreign limited partnership in jurisdictions other than the State of Delaware shall be canceled and such other actions as may be necessary to terminate the Partnership shall be taken.
12.6 Return of Contributions
The General Partner shall not be personally liable for, and shall have no obligation to contribute or loan any monies or property to the Partnership to enable it to effectuate, the return of the Capital Contributions of the Limited Partners or Unitholders, or any portion thereof, it being expressly understood that any such return shall be made solely from Partnership assets.
12.7 Waiver of Partition
To the maximum extent permitted by law, each Partner hereby waives any right to partition of the Partnership property.
12.8 Capital Account Restoration
No Limited Partner shall have any obligation to restore any negative balance in its Capital Account upon liquidation of the Partnership. The General Partner shall be obligated to restore any negative balance in its Capital Account upon liquidation of its interest in the Partnership by the end of the taxable year of the Partnership during which such liquidation occurs, or, if later, within 90 days after the date of such liquidation.

 

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ARTICLE XIII
AMENDMENT OF PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT; MEETINGS; RECORD DATE
13.1 Amendment to be Adopted Solely by the General Partner
Each Partner agrees that the General Partner, without the approval of any Partner or Assignee, may amend any provision of this Agreement to execute, swear to, acknowledge, deliver, file and record whatever documents may be required in connection therewith, to reflect:
(a) a change in the name of the Partnership, the location of the principal place of business of the Partnership, the registered agent of the Partnership or the registered office of the Partnership;
(b) admission, substitution, withdrawal or removal of Partners in accordance with this Agreement;
(c) a change that, in the sole discretion of the General Partner, is necessary or advisable to qualify or continue the qualification of the Partnership as a limited partnership or a partnership in which the Limited Partners have limited liability under the laws of any state or to ensure that the Partnership and the Operating Partnership will not be treated as an association taxable as a corporation or otherwise taxed as an entity for federal income tax purposes;
(d) a change that, in the discretion of the General Partner, (i) does not adversely affect the Unitholders in any material respect, (ii) is necessary or advisable to (A) satisfy any requirements, conditions or guidelines contained in any opinion, directive, order, ruling or regulation of any federal or state agency or judicial authority or contained in any federal or state statute (including the Delaware Act) or (B) facilitate the trading of the Units (including the division of any class or classes of Outstanding Units into different classes to facilitate uniformity of tax consequences within such classes of Units) or comply with any rule, regulation, guideline or requirement of any National Securities Exchange on which the Units are or will be listed for trading, compliance with any of which the General Partner determines in its discretion to be in the best interests of the Partnership and the Unitholders, (iii) is necessary or advisable in connection with action taken by the General Partner pursuant to Section 5.10, or (iv) is required to effect the intent expressed in the Registration Statement or the intent of the provisions of this Agreement or is otherwise contemplated by this Agreement;
(e) a change in the fiscal year or taxable year of the Partnership and any changes that, in the discretion of the General Partner, are necessary or advisable as a result of a change in the fiscal year or taxable year of the Partnership including, if the General Partner shall so determine, a change in the definition of “Quarter” and the dates on which distributions are to be made by the Partnership;
(f) an amendment that is necessary, in the Opinion of Counsel, to prevent the Partnership, or the General Partner or its directors, officers, trustees or agents from in any manner being subjected to the provisions of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, or “plan asset” regulations adopted under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, regardless of whether such are substantially similar to plan asset regulations currently applied or proposed by the United States Department of Labor,

 

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(g) an amendment that, in the discretion of the General Partner, is necessary or advisable in connection with the authorization of issuance of any class or series of Partnership Securities pursuant to Section 5.6;
(h) any amendment expressly permitted in this Agreement to be made by the General Partner acting alone;
(i) an amendment effected, necessitated or contemplated by a Merger Agreement approved in accordance with Section 14.3;
(j) an amendment that, in the discretion of the General Partner, is necessary or advisable to reflect, account for and deal with appropriately the formation by the Partnership of, or investment by the Partnership in, any corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company or other entity other than the Operating Partnership, in connection with the conduct by the Partnership of activities permitted by the terms of Section 2.4;
(k) a merger or conveyance pursuant to Section 14.3(d); or
(l) any other amendments substantially similar to the foregoing.
13.2 Amendment Procedures
Except as provided in Sections 13.1 and 13.3, all amendments to this Agreement shall be made in accordance with the following requirements. Amendments to this Agreement may be proposed only by or with the consent of the General Partner which consent may be given or withheld in its sole discretion. A proposed amendment shall be effective upon its approval by the holders of at least a Unit Majority, unless a greater or different percentage is required under this Agreement or by Delaware law. Each proposed amendment that requires the approval of the holders of a specified percentage of Outstanding Units shall be set forth in a writing that contains the text of the proposed amendment. If such an amendment is proposed, the General Partner shall seek the written approval of the requisite percentage of Outstanding Units or call a meeting of the Unitholders to consider and vote on such proposed amendment. The General Partner shall notify all Record Holders upon final adoption of any such proposed amendments.
13.3 Amendment Requirements
(a) Notwithstanding the provisions of Sections 13.1 and 13.2, no provision of this Agreement that establishes a percentage of Outstanding Units required to take any action shall be amended, altered, changed, repealed or rescinded in any respect that would have the effect of reducing such voting percentage unless such amendment is approved by the written consent or the affirmative vote of holders of Outstanding Units whose aggregate Outstanding Units constitute not less than the voting requirement sought to be reduced.
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of Sections 13.1 and 13.2, no amendment to this Agreement may (i) enlarge the obligations of any Limited Partner without its consent, unless such shall be deemed to have occurred as a result of an amendment approved pursuant to Section 13.3(c), (ii) enlarge the obligations of, restrict in any way any action by or rights of, or reduce in any way the amounts distributable, reimbursable or otherwise payable to the General Partner or any of its Affiliates without its consent, which may be given or withheld in its sole discretion, (iii) change Section 12.1(a) or (c), or (iv) change the term of the Partnership or, except as set forth in Section 12.1(c), give any Person the right to dissolve the Partnership.

 

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(c) Except as provided in Section 14.3, and except as otherwise provided, and without limitation of the General Partner’s authority to adopt amendments to this Agreement as contemplated in Section 13.1, any amendment that would have a material adverse effect on the rights or preferences of any class of Partnership Interests in relation to other classes of Partnership Interests must be approved by the holders of not less than a majority of the Partnership Interests of the class affected.
(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, except for amendments pursuant to Section 7.3 or 13.1 and except as otherwise provided by Section 14.3(b), no amendments shall become effective without the approval of the holders of at least 90% of the Outstanding Common Units unless the Partnership obtains an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that such amendment will not affect the limited liability of any Limited Partner under applicable law.
(e) Except as provided in Section 13.1, this Section 13.3 shall only be amended with the approval of the holders of at least 90% of the Outstanding Units.
13.4 Special Meetings
All acts of Unitholders to be taken pursuant to this Agreement shall be taken in the manner provided in this Article XIII. Special meetings of the Unitholders may be called by the General Partner or by Unitholders owning 20% or more of the Outstanding Units of .the class or classes for which a meeting is proposed. Unitholders shall call a special meeting by delivering to the General Partner one or more requests in writing stating that the signing Unitholders wish to call a special meeting and indicating the general or specific purposes for which the special meeting is to be called. Within 60 days after receipt of such a call from Unitholders or within such greater time as may be reasonably necessary for the Partnership to comply with any statutes, rules, regulations, listing agreements or similar requirements governing the holding of a meeting or the solicitation of proxies for use at such a meeting, the General Partner shall send a notice of the meeting to the Unitholders either directly or indirectly through the Transfer Agent. A meeting shall be held at a time and place determined by the General Partner on a date not less than 10 days nor more than 60 days after the mailing of notice of the meeting. Unitholders shall not vote on matters that would cause the Limited Partners to be deemed to be taking part in the management and control of the business and affairs of the Partnership so as to jeopardize the Unitholders’ limited liability under the Delaware Act or the law of any other state in which the Partnership is qualified to do business.

 

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13.5 Notice of a Meeting
Notice of a meeting called pursuant to Section 13.4 shall be given to the Record Holders in writing by mail or other means of written communication in accordance with Section 16.1. The notice shall be deemed to have been given at the time when deposited in the mail or sent by other means of written communication.
13.6 Record Date
For purposes of determining the Unitholders entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of the Unitholders or to give approvals without a meeting as provided in Section 13.11, the General Partner may set a Record Date, which shall not be less than 10 nor more than 60 days before (a) the date of the meeting (unless such requirement conflicts with any rule, regulation, guideline or requirement of any National Securities Exchange on which the Units are listed for trading, in which case the rule, regulation, guideline or requirement of such exchange shall govern) or (b) in the event that approvals are sought without a meeting, the date by which Unitholders are requested in writing by the General Partner to give such approvals.
13.7 Adjournment
When a meeting is adjourned to another time or place, notice need not be given of the adjourned meeting and a new Record Date need not be fixed, if the time and place thereof are announced at the meeting at which the adjournment is taken, unless such adjournment shall be for more than 45 days. At the adjourned meeting, the Partnership may transact any business which might have been transacted at the original meeting. If the adjournment is for more than 45 days or if a new Record Date is fixed for the adjourned meeting, a notice of the adjourned meeting shall be given in accordance with this Article XIII.
13.8 Waiver of Notice; Approval of Meeting; Approval of Minutes
The transactions of any meeting of Unitholders, however called and noticed, and whenever held, shall be as valid as if occurred at a meeting duly held after regular call and notice, if a quorum is present either in person or by proxy, and if, either before or after the meeting, Unitholders representing such quorum who were present in person or by proxy and entitled to vote, sign a written waiver of notice or an approval of the holding of the meeting or an approval of the minutes thereof. All waivers and approvals shall be filed with the Partnership records or made a part of the minutes of the meeting. Attendance of a Unitholder at a meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice of the meeting, except when the Unitholder does not approve, at the beginning of the meeting, of “the transaction of any business because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened; and except that attendance at a meeting is not a waiver of any right to disapprove the consideration of matters required to be included in the notice of the meeting, but not so included, if the disapproval is expressly made at the meeting.

 

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13.9 Quorum
The holders of a majority of the Outstanding Units of the class or classes for which a meeting has been called represented in person or by proxy shall constitute a quorum at a meeting of Unitholders of such class or classes unless any such action by the Unitholders requires approval by holders of a greater percentage of such Units, in which case the quorum shall be such greater percentage. At any meeting of the Unitholders duly called and held in accordance with this Agreement at which a quorum is present, the act of Unitholders holding Outstanding Units that in the aggregate represent a majority of the Outstanding Units entitled to vote and be present in person or by proxy at such meeting shall be deemed to constitute the act of all Unitholders, unless a greater or different percentage is required with respect to such action under the provisions of this Agreement, in which case the act of the Unitholders holding Outstanding Units that in the aggregate represent at least such greater or different percentage shall be required. The Unitholders present at a duly called or held meeting at which a quorum is present may continue to transact business until adjournment, notwithstanding the withdrawal of enough Unitholders to leave less than a quorum, if any action taken (other than adjournment) is approved by the required percentage of Outstanding Units specified in this Agreement. In the absence of a quorum any meeting of Unitholders may be adjourned from time to time by the affirmative vote of holders of at least a majority of the Outstanding Units represented either in person or by proxy, but no other business may be transacted, except as provided in Section 13.7.
13.10 Conduct of a Meeting
The General Partner shall have full power and authority concerning the manner of conducting any meeting of the Unitholders or solicitation of approvals in writing, including the determination of Persons entitled to vote, the existence of a quorum, the satisfaction of the requirements of Section 13.4, the conduct of voting, the validity and effect of any proxies and the determination of any controversies, votes or challenges arising in connection with or during the meeting or voting. The General Partner shall designate a Person to serve as chairman of any meeting and shall further designate a Person to take the minutes of any meeting. All minutes shall be kept with the records of the Partnership maintained by the General Partner. The General Partner may make such other regulations consistent with applicable law and this Agreement as it may deem advisable concerning the conduct of any meeting of the Unitholders or solicitation of approvals in writing, including regulations in regard to the appointment of proxies, the appointment and duties of inspectors of votes and approvals, the submission and examination of proxies and other evidence of the right to vote, and the revocation of approvals in writing.

 

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13.11 Action Without a Meeting
If authorized by the General Partner, any action that may be taken at a meeting of the Unitholders may be taken without a meeting if an approval in writing setting forth the action so taken is signed by Unitholders owning not less than the minimum percentage of the Outstanding Units that would be necessary to authorize or take such action at a meeting at which all the Unitholders were present and voted (unless such provision conflicts with any rule, regulation, guideline or requirement of any National Securities Exchange on which the Units are listed for trading, in which case the rule, regulation, guideline or requirement of such exchange shall govern). Prompt notice of the taking of action without a meeting shall be given to the Unitholders who have not approved in writing. The General Partner may specify that any written ballot submitted to Unitholders for the purpose of taking any action without a meeting shall be returned to the Partnership within the time period, which shall be not less than 20 days, specified by the General Partner. If a ballot returned to the Partnership does not vote all of the Units held by the Unitholders the Partnership shall be deemed to have failed to receive a ballot for the Units that were not voted. If approval of the taking of any action by the Unitholders is solicited by any Person other than by or on behalf of the General Partner, the written approvals shall have no force and effect unless and until (a), they are deposited with the Partnership in care of the General Partner, (b) approvals sufficient to take the action proposed are dated as of a date not more than 90 days prior to the date sufficient approvals are deposited with the Partnership and (c) an Opinion of Counsel is delivered to the .General Partner to the effect that the exercise of such right and the action proposed to be taken with respect to any particular matter (i) will not cause the Limited Partners to be deemed to be taking part in the management and control of the business and affairs of the Partnership so as to jeopardize the Limited Partners’ limited liability, and (ii) is otherwise permissible under the state statutes then governing the rights, duties and liabilities of the Partnership and the Partners.
13.12 Voting and Other Rights
(a) Only those Record Holders of the Units on the Record Date set pursuant to Section 13.6 (and also subject to the limitations contained in the definition of “Outstanding”) shall be entitled to notice of, and to vote at, a meeting of Limited Partners or to act with respect to matters as to which the holders of the Outstanding Units have the right to vote or to act. All references in this Agreement to votes of, or other acts that may be taken by, the Outstanding Units shall be deemed to be references to the votes or acts of the Record Holders of such Outstanding Units.
(b) With respect to Units that are held for a Person’s account by another Person (such as a broker, dealer, bank, trust company or clearing corporation, or an agent of any of the foregoing), in whose name such Units are registered, such other Person shall, in exercising the voting rights in respect of such Units on any matter, and unless the arrangement between such Persons provides otherwise, vote such Units in favor of, and at the direction of, the Person who is the beneficial owner, and the Partnership shall be entitled to assume it is so acting without further inquiry. The provisions of this Section 13.12(b) (as well as all other provisions of this Agreement) are subject to the provisions of Section 4.3.
(c) Notwithstanding any provision contained herein to the contrary, the Class E Units shall not have any voting rights except to the extent that the Delaware Act gives the Class E Units a vote as a class on any matter. With respect to any matter on which the Class E Units are entitled a vote, each Class E Unit will be entitled to one vote on such matter.

 

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ARTICLE XIV
MERGER
14.1 Authority
The Partnership may merge or consolidate with one or more corporations, limited liability companies, business trusts or associations, real estate investment trusts, common law trusts or unincorporated businesses, including a general partnership or limited partnership, formed under the laws of the State of Delaware or any other state of the United States of America, pursuant to a written agreement of merger or consolidation (“Merger Agreement”) in accordance with this Article XIV.
14.2 Procedure for Merger or Consolidation
Merger or consolidation of the Partnership pursuant to this Article XIV requires the prior approval of the General Partner. If the General Partner shall determine, in the exercise of its discretion, to consent to the merger or consolidation, the General Partner shall approve the Merger Agreement, which shall set forth:
(a) The names and jurisdictions of formation or organization of each of the business entities proposing to merge or consolidate;
(b) The name and jurisdictions of formation or organization of the business entity that is to survive the proposed merger or consolidation (the “Surviving Business Entity”);
(c) The terms and conditions of the proposed merger or consolidation;
(d) The manner and basis of exchanging or converting the equity securities of each constituent business entity for, or into, cash, property or general or limited partner interests, rights, securities or obligations of the Surviving Business Entity, and (i) if any general or limited partner interests, securities or rights of any constituent business entity are not to be exchanged or converted solely for, or into, cash, property or general or limited partner interests, rights, securities or obligations of the Surviving Business Entity, the cash, property or general or limited partner interests, rights, securities or obligations of any limited partnership, corporation, trust or other entity (other than the Surviving Business Entity) which the holders of such general or limited partner interests, securities or rights are to receive in exchange for, or upon conversion of their general or limited partner interests, securities or rights, and (ii) in the case of securities represented by certificates, upon the surrender of such certificates, which cash, property or general or limited partner interests, rights, securities or obligations of the Surviving Business Entity or any general or limited partnership, corporation, trust or other entity (other than the Surviving Business Entity), or evidences thereof, are to be delivered;
(e) A statement of any changes in the constituent documents or the adoption of new constituent documents (the articles or certificate of incorporation, articles of trust, declaration of trust, certificate or agreement of limited partnership or other similar charter or governing document) of the Surviving Business Entity to be effected by such merger or consolidation;
(f) The effective time of the merger, which may be the date of the filing of the certificate of merger pursuant to Section 14.4 or a later date specified in or determinable in accordance with the Merger Agreement (provided, that if the effective time of the merger is to be later than the date of the filing of the certificate of merger, the effective time shall be fixed no later than the time of the filing of the certificate of merger and stated therein); and
(g) Such other provisions with respect to the proposed merger or consolidation as are deemed necessary or appropriate by the General Partner.

 

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14.3 Approval by Unitholders of Merger or Consolidation
(a) Except as provided in Section 14.3(d), the General Partner, upon its approval of the Merger Agreement, shall direct that the Merger Agreement be submitted to a vote of Limited Partners, whether at a special meeting or by written consent, in either case in accordance with the requirements of Article XIII. A copy or a summary of the Merger Agreement shall be included in or enclosed with the notice of a special meeting or the written consent.
(b) Except as provided in Section 14.3(d), the Merger Agreement shall be approved upon receiving the affirmative vote or consent of the holders of a Unit Majority unless the Merger Agreement contains any provision that, if contained in an amendment to this Agreement, the provisions of this Agreement or the Delaware Act would require the vote or consent of a greater percentage of the Outstanding Units or of any class of Unitholders, in which case such greater percentage vote or consent shall be required for approval of the Merger Agreement.
(c) Except as provided in Section 14.3(d), after such approval by vote or consent of the Unitholders, and at any time prior to the filing of the certificate of merger pursuant to Section 14.4, the merger or consolidation may be abandoned pursuant to provisions therefor, if any, set forth in the Merger Agreement.
(d) Notwithstanding anything else contained in this Article XIV or in this Agreement, the General Partner is permitted, in its discretion, without Unitholder approval, to merge the Partnership or any Group Member into, or convey all of the Partnership’s assets to, another limited liability entity which shall be newly formed and shall have no assets, liabilities or operations at the time of such Merger other than those it receives from the Partnership or other Group Member if (i) the General Partner has received an Opinion of Counsel that the merger or conveyance, as the case may be, would not result in the loss of the limited liability of any Limited Partner or any limited partner in the Operating Partnership or cause the Partnership or Operating Partnership to be treated as an association taxable as a corporation or otherwise to be taxed as an entity for federal income tax purposes (to the extent not previously treated as such), (ii) the sole purpose of such merger or conveyance is to effect a mere change in the legal form of the Partnership into another limited liability entity and (iii) the governing instruments of the new entity provide the Limited Partners and the General Partner with the same rights and obligations as are herein contained.
14.4 Certificate of Merger
Upon the required approval by the General Partner and the Unitholders of a Merger Agreement, a certificate of merger shall be executed and filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware in conformity with the requirements of the Delaware Act.
14.5 Effect of Merger
(a) At the effective time of the certificate of merger:
(i) all of the rights, privileges and powers of each of the business entities that has merged or consolidated, and all property, real, personal and mixed, and all debts due to any of those business entities and all other things and causes of action belonging to .each of those business entities shall be vested in the Surviving Business Entity and after the merger or consolidation shall be the property of the Surviving Business Entity to the extent they were of each constituent business entity;
(ii) the title to any real property vested by deed or otherwise in any of those constituent business entities shall not revert and is not in any way impaired because of the merger or consolidation;

 

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(iii) all rights of creditors and all liens on or security interests in property of any of those constituent business entities shall be preserved unimpaired; and
(iv) all debts, liabilities and duties of those constituent business entities shall attach to the Surviving Business Entity, and may be enforced against it to the same extent as if the debts, liabilities and duties had been incurred or contracted by it.
(b) A merger or consolidation effected pursuant to this Article shall not be deemed to result in a transfer or assignment of assets or liabilities from one entity to another.
ARTICLE XV
RIGHT TO ACQUIRE UNITS
15.1 Right to Acquire Limited Partner Interests
(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, if at any time not more than 20% of the total limited partner interests of any class then Outstanding are held by Persons other than the General Partner and its Affiliates, the General Partner shall then have the right, which right it may assign and transfer in whole or in part to the Partnership or any Affiliate of the General Partner, exercisable in its sole discretion, to purchase all, but not less than all, of such limited partner interests of such class then Outstanding held by Persons other than the General Partner and its Affiliates, at the greater of (x) the Current Market Price as of the date three days prior to the date that the notice described in Section 15.1(b) is mailed and (y) the highest price paid by the General Partner or any of its Affiliates for any such limited partner interest of such class purchased during the 90-day period preceding the date that the notice described in Section 15.1(b) is mailed. As used in this Agreement, (i) “Current Market Price” as of any date of any class of limited partner interests listed or admitted to trading on any National Securities Exchange means the average of the daily Closing Prices (as hereinafter defined) per limited partner interest of such class for the 20 consecutive Trading Days (as hereinafter defined) immediately prior to such date; (ii) “Closing Price” for any day means the last sale price on such day, regular way, or in case no such sale takes place on such day, the average of the closing bid and asked prices on such day, regular way, in either case as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed or admitted for trading on the principal National Securities Exchange on which such limited partner interests of such class are listed or admitted to trading or, if such limited partner interests of such class are not listed or admitted to trading on any National Securities Exchange, the last quoted price on such day or, if not so quoted, the average of the high bid and low asked prices on such day b the over-the-counter market or such other system then in use, or, if on any such day such limited partner interests of such class are not quoted by any such organization, the average of the closing bid and asked prices on such day as furnished by a professional market maker making a market in such limited partner interests of such class selected by the General Partner, or if on any such day no market maker is making a market in such limited partner interests of such class, the fair value of such limited partner interests on such day as determined reasonably and in good faith by the General Partner, and (iii) “Trading Day” means a day on which the principal National Securities Exchange on which such limited partner interests of any class are listed or admitted to trading is open for the transaction of business or, if limited partner interests of a class are not listed or admitted to trading on any National Securities Exchange, a day on which banking institutions in New York City generally are open.

 

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(b) If the General Partner, any Affiliate of the General Partner or the Partnership elects to exercise the right to purchase limited partner interests granted pursuant to Section 154(a), the General Partner shall deliver to the Transfer Agent notice of such election to purchase (the “Notice of Election to Purchase”) and shall cause the Transfer Agent to mail a copy bf such Notice of Election to Purchase to the Record Holders of limited partner interests of such class (as of a Record Date selected by the General Partner) at least 10, but not more than 60, days prior to the Purchase Date. Such Notice of Election to Purchase shall also be published for a period of at. least three consecutive days in at least two daily newspapers of general circulation printed in the English language and published in the Borough of Manhattan, New York. The Notice of Election to Purchase shall specify the Purchase Date and the price (determined in accordance with Section 15.1(a)) at which limited partner interests will be purchased and state that the General Partner, its Affiliate or the Partnership, as the case may be, elects to purchase such limited partner interests, upon surrender, of Certificates representing such limited partner interests in exchange for payment, at such office or offices of the Transfer Agent as the Transfer Agent may specify, or as may be required by any National Securities Exchange on which such limited partner interests are listed or admitted to trading. Any such Notice of Election to Purchase mailed to a Record Holder of limited partner interests at his address as reflected in the records of the Transfer Agent shall be conclusively presumed to have been given regardless of whether the owner receives such notice. On or prior to the Purchase Date, the General Partner, its Affiliate or the Partnership, as the case may be, shall deposit with the Transfer Agent cash hi an amount sufficient to pay the aggregate purchase price of all of such limited partner, interests to be purchased in accordance with this Section 15.1. If the Notice of Election to Purchase shall have been duly given as aforesaid at least 10 days prior to the Purchase Date, and if on or prior to the Purchase Date the deposit described in the preceding sentence has been made for the benefit of the holders of limited partner interests subject to purchase as provided herein, then from and after the Purchase Date, notwithstanding that any Certificate shall not have been surrendered for purchase, all rights of the holders of such limited partner interests (including any rights pursuant to Articles IV, V, VI, and XII) shall thereupon cease, except the right to receive the purchase price (determined in accordance .with Section 15.1(a)) for limited partner interests therefor, without interest, upon surrender to the Transfer Agent of the Certificates representing such limited partner interests, and such limited partner interests shall thereupon be deemed to be transferred to the General Partner, its Affiliate or the Partnership, as the case may be, on the record books of the Transfer Agent and the Partnership, and the General Partner or any Affiliate of the General Partner, or the Partnership, as the case may be, shall be deemed to be the owner of all such limited partner interests from and after the Purchase Date and shall have all rights as the owner of such limited partner interests (including all rights as owner of such limited partner interests pursuant to Articles IV, V, VI and XII).
(c) At any time from and after the Purchase Date, a holder of an Outstanding limited partner interest subject to purchase as provided in this Section 15.1 may surrender his Certificate evidencing such limited partner interest to the Transfer Agent in exchange for payment of the amount described in Section 15.1(a), therefor, without interest thereon.

 

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ARTICLE XVI
GENERAL PROVISIONS
16.1 Addresses and Notices
Any notice, demand, request, report or proxy materials required or permitted to be given or made to a Partner or Assignee under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed given or made when delivered in person or when sent by first class United States mail or by other means of written communication to the Partner or Assignee at the address described below. Any notice, payment or report to be given or made to a Partner or Assignee hereunder shall be deemed conclusively to have been given or made, and the obligation to give such notice or report or to make such payment shall be deemed conclusively to have been fully satisfied, upon sending of such notice, payment or report to the Record Holder of such Unit or Incentive Distribution Right at his address as shown on the records of the Transfer Agent or as otherwise shown on the records of the Partnership, regardless of any claim of any Person who may have an interest in such Unit or Incentive Distribution Right or the Partnership Interest of a General Partner by reason of any assignment or otherwise. An affidavit or certificate of making of any notice, payment or report in accordance with the provisions of this Section 16.1 executed by the General Partner, the Transfer Agent or the mailing organization shall be prima facie evidence of the giving or making of such notice, payment or report. If any notice, payment or report addressed to a Record Holder at the address of such Record Holder appearing on the books and records of the Transfer Agent or the Partnership is returned by the United States Post Office marked to indicate that the United States Postal Service is unable to deliver it, such notice, payment or report and any subsequent notices, payments and reports shall be deemed to have been duly given or made without further mailing (until such time as such Record Holder or another Person notifies the Transfer Agent or the Partnership of a change in his address) if they are available for the Partner or Assignee at the principal office of the Partnership for a period of one year from the date of the giving or making of such notice, payment or, report to the other Partners and Assignees. Any notice to the Partnership shall be deemed given if received by the General Partner at the principal office of the Partnership designated pursuant to Section 2.3. The General Partner may rely and shall be protected in relying on any notice or other document from a Partner, Assignee or other Person if believed by it to be genuine.
16.2 Further Action
The parties shall execute and deliver all documents, provide all information and take or refrain from taking action as may be necessary or appropriate to achieve the purposes of this Agreement.
16.3 Binding Effect
This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their heirs, executors, administrators, successors, legal representatives and permitted assigns.

 

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16.4 Integration
This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement among the parties hereto pertaining to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings pertaining thereto.
16.5 Creditors
None of the provisions of this Agreement shall be for the benefit of, or shall be enforceable by, any creditor of the Partnership.
16.6 Waiver
No failure by any party to insist upon the strict performance of any covenant, duty, agreement or condition of this Agreement or to exercise any right or remedy consequent upon a breach thereof shall constitute waiver of any such breach of any other covenant, duty, agreement or condition.
16.7 Counterparts
This Agreement may be executed in counterparts, all of which together shall constitute an agreement binding on all the parties hereto, notwithstanding that all such parties are not signatories to the original or the same counterpart. Each party shall become bound by this Agreement immediately upon affixing its signature hereto or, hi the case of a Person acquiring a Unit, upon accepting the certificate evidencing such Unit or executing and delivering a Transfer Application as herein described, independently of the signature of any other party.
16.8 Applicable Law
This Agreement, shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to the principles of conflicts of law.
16.9 Invalidity of Provisions
If any provision of this Agreement is or becomes invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions contained herein shall not be affected thereby.

 

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16.10 Consent of Partners
Each Partner hereby expressly consents and agrees that, whenever in this Agreement it is specified that an action may be taken upon the affirmative vote or consent of less than all of the Partners, such action may be so taken upon the concurrence of less than all of the Partners and each Partner shall be bound by the results of such action.

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the date first writ above.
         
    GENERAL PARTNER:
 
       
    ENERGY TRANSFER PARTNERS GP, L.P.
 
       
 
  By:   Energy Transfer Partners, L.L.C.,
Its general partner
 
       
 
  By:   /s/ Martin Salinas, Jr.
 
       
        Name: Martin Salinas, Jr.
        Title:   Chief Financial Officer
 
       
    LIMITED PARTNERS
 
       
    All Limited Partners now and hereafter admitted as Limited Partners of the Partnership, pursuant to powers of attorney now and hereafter executed in favor of, and granted and delivered to the General Partner.
 
       
    By: Energy Transfer Partners, L.L.C., the general partner of Energy Transfer Partners GP, L.P., the General Partner, as attorney-in-fact for all Limited Partners pursuant to the Power of Attorney granted pursuant to Section 2.6 of this Agreement.
 
       
 
  By:   /s/ Martin Salinas, Jr.
 
       
 
    Name: Martin Salinas, Jr.
 
    Title:   Chief Financial Officer

 

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Exhibit A to the Second Amended and
Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of
Energy Transfer Partners, L.P.
Certificate Evidencing Common Units
Representing Limited Partner Interests
Energy Transfer Partners, L.P.
No.            Common Units
In accordance with Section 4.1 of the Second Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Energy Transfer Partners, L.P., as amended, supplemented or restated from time to time (the “Partnership Agreement”), Energy Transfer Partners, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (the “Partnership”), hereby certifies that (the “Holder”) is the registered owner of  _____  Common Units representing limited partner interests in the Partnership (the “Common Units”,) transferable on the books of the Partnership, in person or by duly authorized attorney, upon surrender of this Certificate properly endorsed and accompanied by a properly executed application for transfer of the Common Units represented by this Certificate. The rights, preferences and limitations of the Common Units are set, forth in, and this Certificate and the Common Units represented hereby are issued and shall in all respects be subject to the terms and provisions of, the Partnership Agreement. Copies of the Partnership Agreement are on file at, and will be furnished without charge on delivery of written request to the Partnership at, the principal office of the Partnership located at 3738 Oak Lawn Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75219. Capitalized terms used herein but not defined shall have the meaning given them in the Partnership Agreement.
The Holder, by accepting this Certificate, is deemed to have (i) requested admission as, and agreed to become, a Limited Partner and to have agreed to comply with and be bound by and to have executed the Partnership Agreement, (ii) represented and warranted that the Holder has all right, power and authority and, if an individual, the capacity necessary to enter into the Partnership Agreement, (iii) granted the powers of attorney provided for in the Partnership Agreement and (iv) made the waivers and given the consents and approvals contained in the Partnership Agreement.

 

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This Certificate shall not be valid for any purpose unless it has been countersigned and registered by the Transfer Agent and Registrar.
             
Dated:      Energy Transfer Partners, L.P.
 
           
 
        By:  Energy Transfer Partners GP, L.P.,
          its General Partner
 
           
        By:  Energy Transfer Partners, L.L.C.,
Countersigned and Registered by:     its general partner
 
           
 
      By:      
       
As Transfer Agent and Registrar      Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
 
           
By: 
      By:    
 
       
 
Authorized Signature      Secretary

 

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[Reverse of Certificate]
ABBREVIATIONS
The following abbreviations, when used in the inscription on the face of this Certificate, shall be construed as follows according to applicable laws or regulations:
         
TEN COM —
  as tenants in common   UNIF GIFT MIN ACT —
TEN ENT —
  as tenants by the entireties                                            Custodian                                         
JT TEN —
  as joint tenants with right of survivorship and not as tenants in common   (Cust)                                                                           (Minor)
under Uniform Gifts to Minors Act
 
       
 
      State
Additional abbreviations, though not in the above list, may also be used.
ASSIGNMENT OF COMMON UNITS
in
ENERGY TRANSFER PARTNERS, L.P.
IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING INVESTOR RESPONSIBILITIES
DUE TO TAX SHELTER STATUS OF ENERGY TRANSFER PARTNERS, L.P.
You have acquired an interest in Energy Transfer Partners, L.P., 3738 Oak Lawn Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75219 whose taxpayer identification number is 73-1493906. The Internal Revenue Service has issued Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. the following tax shelter registration number                     .
YOU MUST REPORT THIS REGISTRATION NUMBER TO THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE IF YOU CLAIM ANY DEDUCTION, LOSS, CREDIT, OR OTHER TAX BENEFIT OR REPORT ANY INCOME BY REASON OF YOUR INVESTMENT IN ENERGY TRANSFER PARTNERS, L.P.
You must report the registration number as well as the name and taxpayer identification number of ENERGY TRANSFER PARTNERS, L.P. on Form 8271. FORM 8271 MUST BE ATTACHED TO THE RETURN ON WHICH YOU CLAIM THE DEDUCTION, LOSS, CREDIT, OR OTHER TAX BENEFIT OR REPORT ANY INCOME BY REASON OF YOUR INVESTMENT IN ENERGY TRANSFER PARTNERS, L.P.
If you transfer your interest in Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. to another person, you are required by the Internal Revenue Service to keep a list containing (a) that person’s name, address and taxpayer identification number, (b) the date on which you transferred the interest and (c) the name, address and tax shelter registration number of Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. If you do not want to keep such a list, you must (1) send the information specified above to the Partnership, which will keep the list for this tax shelter, and (2) give a copy of this notice to the person to whom you transfer your interest. Your failure to comply with any of the above-described responsibilities could result in the imposition of a penalty under Section 6707(b) or 6708 (a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, unless such failure is shown to be due to reasonable cause.

 

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ISSUANCE OF A REGISTRATION NUMBER DOES NOT INDICATE THAT THIS INVESTMENT OR THE CLAIMED TAX BENEFITS HAVE BEEN REVIEWED, EXAMINED, OR APPROVED BY THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE.
FOR VALUE RECEIVED,                                          hereby assigns, conveys, sells and transfers unto                                                             
     
 
   
Please print or typewrite name and address of Assignee
  Please insert Social Security or other identifying number of Assignee
                                         Common Units representing limited partner interests evidenced by this Certificate, subject to the Partnership Agreement, and does hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint                                          as its attorney-in-fact with full power of substitution to transfer the same on the books of Energy Transfer Partners, L.P.
     
Date:                                         
  NOTE: The signature to any endorsement hereon must correspond with the name as written upon the face of this Certificate in every particular, without alteration, enlargement or change.
 
   
SIGNATURE (S) MUST BE GUARANTEED BY A
   
 
   
MEMBER FIRM OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SECURITIES DEALERS, INC. OR BY A COMMERCIAL BANK OR TRUST COMPANY.
  Signature
 
   
 
  Signature
SIGNATURE (S) GUARANTEED
No transfer of the Common Units evidenced hereby will be registered on the books of the Partnership, unless the Certificate evidencing the Common Units to be transferred is surrendered for registration or transfer and an Application for Transfer of Common Units has been executed by a transferee either (a) on the form set forth below or (b) on a separate application that the Partnership will furnish on request without charge. A transferor of the Common Units shall have no duty to the transferee with respect to execution of the transfer application in order for such transferee to obtain registration of the transfer of the Common Units.

 

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APPLICATION FOR TRANSFER OF COMMON UNITS
The undersigned (“Assignee”) hereby applies for transfer to the name of the Assignee of the Common Units evidenced hereby.
The Assignee (a) requests admission as a Substituted Limited Partner and agrees to comply with and be bound by, and hereby executes, the Second Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. (the “Partnership”), as amended, supplemented or restated to the date hereof (the “Partnership Agreement”), (b) represents and warrants that the Assignee has all right, power and authority and, if an individual, the capacity necessary to enter into the Partnership Agreement, (c) appoints the General Partner of the Partnership and, if a Liquidator shall be appointed, the Liquidator of the Partnership as the Assignee’s attorney-in-fact to execute, swear to, acknowledge and file any document, including, without limitation, the Partnership Agreement and any amendment thereto and the Certificate of Limited Partnership of the Partnership and any amendment thereto, necessary or appropriate for the Assignee’s admission as a Substituted Limited Partner and as a party to the Partnership Agreement, (d) gives the power of attorney provided for in the Partnership Agreement, and (e) makes the waivers and gives the consents and approvals contained in the Partnership Agreement. Capitalized terms not defined herein have the meanings assigned to such terms in the Partnership Agreement.
Dated:                                         
         
 
  By:    
 
       
Social Security or other identifying number of Assignee
      Signature of Assignee
 
       
     
Purchase Price including commissions, if any
      Name and Address of Assignee
                         
o
  Individual   o   Partnership   o   Corporation    
 
                       
o   Trust   o   Other (specify)                                             
 
                       
Nationality (check one)    
 
                       
o   U.S. Citizen, Resident or Domestic Entity
 
                       
o   Foreign Corporation   o   Non-resident Alien    

 

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If the U.S. Citizen, Resident or Domestic Entity box is checked, the following certification must be completed.
Under Section 1445(e) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), the Partnership must withhold tax with respect to certain transfers of property if a holder of an interest in the Partnership is a foreign person. To inform the Partnership that no withholding is required with respect, to the undersigned interestholder’s interest in it, the undersigned hereby certifies the following (or, if applicable, certifies the following on behalf of the interestholder):

 

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Complete Either A or B:
A.  
Individual Interestholder
  1.  
I am not a non-resident alien for purposes of U.S. income taxation.
 
  2.  
My U.S. taxpayer identification number (Social Security Number) is                                                             
 
  3.  
My home address is                                                             
 
  4.  
My taxable year ends on December 31st.
B.  
Partnership, Corporation or Other Interestholder
  1.  
                                                is not a foreign corporation, foreign partnership, foreign trust or foreign estate (as those
   (Name of Interestholder)
     
terms are defined in the Code and Treasury Regulations).
 
  2.  
The interestholder’s U.S. employer identification number is                                                             
 
  3.  
The interestholder’s office address and place of incorporation (if applicable) is                                                             
 
  4.  
The interestholder’s taxable year ends on December 31st.
The interestholder agrees to notify the Partnership within sixty (60) days of the date the interestholder becomes a foreign person.
The interestholder understands that this certificate may be disclosed to the Internal Revenue Service by the Partnership and that any false statement contained herein could be punishable by fine, imprisonment or both.
Under penalties of perjury, I declare that I have examined this certification and to the best of my knowledge and belief it is true, correct and complete and, if applicable, I further declare that I have authority to sign this document on behalf of
 
Name, of Interestholder
 
Signature and Date
 
Title (if applicable)

 

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Note: If the Assignee is a broker, dealer, bank, trust company, clearing corporation, other nominee holder or an agent of any of the foregoing, and is holding for the account of any other person, this application should be completed by an officer thereof or, in the case of a broker or dealer, by a registered representative who is a member of a registered national securities exchange or a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, or, in the case of any other nominee holder, a person performing a similar function. If the Assignee is a broker, dealer, bank, trust company, clearing corporation, other nominee owner or an agent of any of the foregoing, the above certification as to any person for whom the Assignee will hold the Common Units shall be made to the best of the Assignee’s knowledge.

 

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