Exhibit 5.1

 

601 Lexington Avenue New York, NY 10022 United States   +1 212 446 4800   www.kirkland.com Facsimile:
+1 212 446 4900

May 14, 2024

Charter Communications Operating, LLC 

Charter Communications Operating Capital Corp. 

400 Washington Boulevard 

Stamford, Connecticut 06902

Re: Registration Statement on Form S-3

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We are issuing this opinion letter in our capacity as special legal counsel to Charter Communications Operating, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“CCO”), Charter Communications Operating Capital Corp., a Delaware corporation (together with CCO, the “Issuers”), CCO Holdings, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Company”), and each of the other entities listed on Exhibit A hereto (together with the Company, the “Guarantors”) in connection with the issuance and sale by the Issuers of an aggregate of (i) $1,500,000,000 principal amount of the Issuers’ 6.100% Senior Secured Notes due 2029 (the “2029 Notes”) and (ii) $1,500,000,000 principal amount of the Issuers’ 6.550% Senior Secured Notes due 2034 (the “2034 Notes” and, together with the 2029 Notes, the “Notes”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), which are guaranteed by the Guarantors (the “Guarantees”).

In that connection, we have examined originals, or copies certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of such documents, corporate records and other instruments as we have deemed necessary for the purposes of this opinion, including (i) the certificates of incorporation, certificates of formation, bylaws, limited liability company agreements and other organizational documents of the Issuers and the Guarantors, as applicable, (ii) the registration statement on Form S-3 ASR (No. 333-275214) initially filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) on October 30, 2023 (the “Registration Statement”), (iii) the indenture, dated as of July 23, 2015 (the “Base Indenture”), by and among the Issuers, CCO Safari II, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as trustee (in such capacity, the “Trustee”) and as collateral agent (in such capacity, the “Collateral Agent”), as supplemented by the twenty-fifth supplemental indenture thereto, dated as of the date hereof (the “Twenty-Fifth Supplemental Indenture” and, together with the Base Indenture, the “Indenture”), by and among the Issuers, the Guarantors, the Trustee and the Collateral Agent, and (iv) copies of the Notes.

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May 14, 2024

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For purposes of this opinion, we have assumed the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to the originals of all documents submitted to us as copies and the authenticity of the originals of all documents submitted to us as copies. We have also assumed the genuineness of the signatures of persons signing all documents in connection with which this opinion is rendered, the authority of such persons signing on behalf of the parties thereto other than the Issuers and the Guarantors, and the due authorization, execution and delivery of all documents by the parties thereto other than the Issuers and the Guarantors. As to any facts material to the opinions expressed herein that we have not independently established or verified, we have relied upon statements and representations of officers and other representatives of the Issuers and the Guarantors.

Our opinion expressed below is subject to the qualifications that we express no opinion as to the applicability of, compliance with, or effect of (i) any bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, fraudulent transfer, fraudulent conveyance, moratorium or other similar law affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally, (ii) general principals of equity (regardless of whether enforcement is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law) and (iii) public policy considerations that may limit the rights of parties to obtain certain remedies.

Based upon and subject to the foregoing qualifications, assumptions and limitations and the further limitations set forth below, we are of the opinion that (i) the Notes are binding obligations of the Issuers and (ii) the Guarantees are binding obligations of the Guarantors.

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as Exhibit 5.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K in connection with the sale of the Notes. We also consent to the reference to our firm under the heading “Legal Matters” in the Registration Statement. In giving this consent, we do not thereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder.

Our advice on every legal issue addressed in this letter is based exclusively on the internal law of the State of New York, the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware and the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act and represents our opinion as to how that issue would be resolved were it to be considered by the highest court in the jurisdiction which enacted such law. The manner in which any particular issue relating to the opinions would be treated in any actual court case would depend in part on facts and circumstances particular to the case and would also depend on how the court involved chose to exercise the wide discretionary authority generally available to it. We are not qualified to practice law in the State of Delaware and our opinions herein regarding Delaware law are limited solely to our review of provisions of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware and the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act, which we consider normally applicable to transactions of this type, without our having made any special investigation as to the applicability of another statute, law, rule or regulation. None of the opinions or other advice contained in this letter considers or covers any foreign or state securities (or “blue sky”) laws or regulations.

 

May 14, 2024

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This opinion is limited to the specific issues addressed herein, and no opinion may be inferred or implied beyond that expressly stated herein. This opinion speaks only as of the date hereof and we assume no obligation to revise or supplement this opinion.

We have also assumed that the execution and delivery of the Indenture, the Notes and the Guarantees and the performance by the Issuers and the Guarantors of their obligations thereunder do not and will not violate, conflict with or constitute a default under any agreement or instrument to which any Issuer or any of the Guarantors is bound.

This opinion is furnished to you in connection with the filing of the Registration Statement and in accordance with the requirements of Item 601(b)(5) of Regulation S-K promulgated under the Securities Act, and is not to be used, circulated, quoted or otherwise relied upon for any other purposes.

Yours very truly,

/s/ KIRKLAND & ELLIS LLP

KIRKLAND & ELLIS LLP

 

May 14, 2024

Page 4

EXHIBIT A

Guarantors

Bresnan Broadband Holdings, LLC 

CCO NR Holdings, LLC 

Charter Advanced Services (MO), LLC 

Charter Communications ASC, LLC 

Charter Communications SSC, LLC 

Charter Communications VI, L.L.C. 

Charter Communications VI HoldCo, LLC 

Charter Communications, LLC 

Charter Distribution, LLC 

Charter Leasing Holding Company, LLC 

Charter Procurement Leasing, LLC 

DukeNet Communications, LLC 

Spectrum Advanced Services, LLC 

Spectrum Gulf Coast, LLC 

Spectrum Mid-America, LLC 

Spectrum Mobile, LLC 

Spectrum Mobile Equipment, LLC 

Spectrum New York Metro, LLC 

Spectrum NLP, LLC 

Spectrum Northeast, LLC 

Spectrum Oceanic, LLC 

Spectrum Originals, LLC 

Spectrum Originals Development, LLC 

Spectrum Pacific West, LLC 

Spectrum Reach, LLC 

Spectrum RSN, LLC 

Spectrum Southeast, LLC 

Spectrum Sunshine State, LLC 

Spectrum TV Essentials, LLC 

Spectrum Wireless Holdings, LLC 

Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC 

Time Warner Cable, LLC 

TWC Administration LLC 

TWC Communications, LLC 

TWC SEE Holdco LLC