Registration Restrictions on Transfer 3 2.1 Restrictions on Transfer......................................................3
Restrictions on Transfers (a) Except as provided in Section 4.7(c) below, but notwithstanding the other provisions of this Article IV, no transfer of any Partnership Interests shall be made if such transfer would (i) violate the then applicable U.S. federal or state securities laws or rules and regulations of the Commission, any state securities commission or any other governmental authority with jurisdiction over such transfer, (ii) terminate the existence or qualification of the Partnership under the laws of the jurisdiction of its formation, (iii) cause the Partnership to be treated as an association taxable as a corporation or otherwise to be taxed as an entity for U.S. federal income tax purposes (to the extent not already so treated or taxed), or (iv) cause the Partnership to be subjected to the provisions of the U.S. Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
(b) The General Partner may impose restrictions on the transfer of Partnership Interests if it receives an Opinion of Counsel that such restrictions are necessary to avoid a significant risk of (i) the Partnership becoming taxable as a corporation or otherwise becoming taxable as an entity for U.S. federal income tax purposes or (ii) the Partnership being subjected to the provisions of the U.S. Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. The General Partner may impose such restrictions by amending this Agreement; provided however, that any amendment that would result in the delisting or suspension of trading of any class of Limited Partner Interests on the principal National Securities Exchange on which such class of Limited Partner Interests is then traded must have, prior to such amendment being effected, Special LP Approval.
(c) 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.
(d) Each Certificate evidencing Partnership Interests shall bear a conspicuous legend in substantially the following form or such other form as the General Partner shall determine in its sole discretion: THE HOLDER OF THIS SECURITY ACKNOWLEDGES FOR THE BENEFIT OF STEEL PARTNERS HOLDINGS L.P. THAT THIS SECURITY MAY NOT BE SOLD, OFFERED, RESOLD, PLEDGED OR OTHERWISE TRANSFERRED IF SUCH TRANSFER WOULD (A) VIOLATE THE THEN APPLICABLE FEDERAL OR STATE SECURITIES LAWS OR RULES AND REGULATIONS OF THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION, ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION OR ANY OTHER GOVERNMENTAL AUTHORITY WITH JURISDICTION OVER SUCH TRANSFER, (B) TERMINATE THE EXISTENCE OR QUALIFICATION OF STEEL PARTNERS HOLDINGS L.P. UNDER THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE, C) CAUSE STEEL PARTNERS HOLDINGS L.P. 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), OR (D) CAUSE STEEL PARTNERS HOLDINGS L.P. TO BE SUBJECTED TO THE PROVISIONS OF THE U.S. INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940, AS AMENDED. STEEL PARTNERS HOLDINGS GP INC., THE GENERAL PARTNER OF STEEL PARTNERS HOLDINGS L.P., MAY IMPOSE ADDITIONAL RESTRICTIONS ON THE TRANSFER OF THIS SECURITY IF IT RECEIVES AN OPINION OF COUNSEL THAT SUCH RESTRICTIONS ARE NECESSARY TO AVOID A SIGNIFICANT RISK OF STEEL PARTNERS HOLDINGS L.P. BECOMING TAXABLE AS A CORPORATION OR OTHERWISE BECOMING TAXABLE AS AN ENTITY FOR FEDERAL INCOME TAX PURPOSES OR CAUSING STEEL PARTNERS HOLDINGS L.P. TO BE SUBJECTED TO THE PROVISIONS OF THE U.S. INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940, AS AMENDED. THE RESTRICTIONS SET FORTH ABOVE SHALL NOT PRECLUDE THE SETTLEMENT OF ANY TRANSACTIONS INVOLVING THIS SECURITY ENTERED INTO THROUGH THE FACILITIES OF ANY NATIONAL SECURITIES EXCHANGE ON WHICH THIS SECURITY IS TRADED.
Additional Restrictions on Transfer (a) The certificates representing shares of Executive Stock will bear the following legend: "THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE "ACT"), AND MAY NOT BE SOLD OR TRANSFERRED IN THE ABSENCE OF AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE ACT OR AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION THEREUNDER. THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE ARE ALSO SUBJECT TO ADDITIONAL RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSFER, CERTAIN REPURCHASE OPTIONS AND CERTAIN OTHER AGREEMENTS SET FORTH IN AN EXECUTIVE STOCK AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE ISSUER (THE "COMPANY") AND AN EMPLOYEE OF THE COMPANY DATED AS OF MAY 16, 1997, A COPY OF WHICH MAY BE OBTAINED BY THE HOLDER HEREOF AT THE COMPANY'S PRINCIPAL PLACE OF BUSINESS WITHOUT CHARGE."
(b) No holder of Executive Stock may Transfer any Executive Stock (except pursuant to an effective registration statement under the 1933 Act) without first delivering to the Company an opinion of counsel reasonably acceptable in form and substance to the Company (which counsel will be reasonably acceptable to the Company) that registration under the 1933 Act is not required in connection with such Transfer.
Restrictions on Transfer and Pledge The Option may not be pledged, encumbered, or hypothecated to or in favor of any party other than the Company or a Parent or Subsidiary, or be subject to any lien, obligation, or liability of the Optionee to any other party other than the Company or a Parent or Subsidiary. The Option is not assignable or transferable by the Optionee other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution. The Option may be exercised during the lifetime of the Optionee only by the Optionee.
Restrictions on Transfer of Shares (a) There can be no valid transfer (as hereinafter defined) of any shares of stock purchased on exercise of the Option, or any interest in such shares, by any holder of such shares or interests unless such transfer is solely for cash consideration and is made in compliance with the following provisions:
(1) Before there can be a valid transfer of any shares or any interest therein, the record holder of the shares to be transferred (the "Offered Shares") shall give written notice (by registered or certified mail) to the Company. Such notice shall specify the identity of the proposed transferee, the cash price offered for the Offered Shares by the proposed transferee and the other terms and conditions of the proposed transfer. The date such notice is mailed shall be hereinafter referred to as the "notice date" and the record holder of the Offered Shares shall be hereinafter referred to as the "Offeror."
(2) For a period of thirty (30) calendar days after the notice date, the Company shall have the option to purchase all (but not less than all) of the Offered Shares at the purchase price and on the terms set forth in subsection (a)(3) of this Section 5.8. This option shall be exercisable by the Company by mailing (by registered or certified mail) written notice of exercise to the Offeror prior to the end of said thirty (30) days.
(3) The price at which the Company may purchase the Offered Shares pursuant to the exercise of such option shall be the cash price offered for the Offered Shares by the proposed transferee (as set forth in the notice required under subsection (a)(1) of this Section 5.8). The Company's notice of exercise of such option shall be accompanied by full payment for the Offered Shares and, upon such payment by the Company, the Company shall acquire full right, title and interest to all of the Offered Shares.
(4) If, and only if, the option given pursuant to subsection (a)(2) of this Section 5.8 is not exercised, the transfer proposed in the notice given pursuant to subsection (a)(1) of this Section 5.8 may take place; provided, however, that such transfer must, in all respects, be exactly as proposed in said notice except that such transfer may not take place either before the tenth (10th) calendar day after the expiration of said thirty-day option exercise period or after the ninetieth (90th) calendar day after the expiration of said thirty-day option exercise period, and if such transfer has not taken place prior to said ninetieth (90th) day, such transfer may not take place without once again complying with subsection (a) of this Section 5.8.
(b) As used in this Section 5.8, the term "transfer" means any sale, encumbrance, pledge, gift or other form of disposition or transfer of shares of the Company's stock or any legal or equitable interest therein; provided, however, that the term "transfer" does not include a transfer of such shares or interests by will or by the applicable laws of descent and distribution or a gift of such shares if the donee agrees to be bound by the provisions of this Section 5.8.
(c) None of the shares of the Company's stock purchased on exercise of the Option shall be transferred on the Company's books nor shall the Company recognize any such transfer of any such shares or any interest therein unless and until all applicable provisions of this Section 5.8 have been complied with in all respects. The certificates of stock evidencing shares of stock purchased on exercise of the Option shall bear an appropriate legend referring to the transfer restrictions imposed by this Section 5.8 and to the repurchase option provided for in Section 5.8.
Restrictions on Transfer of Limited Partnership Interests (a) Subject to the provisions of 9.2(b), (c) and (d), no Limited Partner may offer, sell, assign, hypothecate, pledge or otherwise transfer all or any portion of its Limited Partnership Interest, or any of such Limited Partner’s economic rights as a Limited Partner, whether voluntarily or by operation of law or at judicial sale or otherwise (collectively, a “Transfer”) without the consent of the General Partner, which consent may be granted or withheld in its sole and absolute discretion. Any such purported transfer undertaken without such consent shall be considered to be null and void ab initio and shall not be given effect. The General Partner may require, as a condition of any Transfer to which it consents, that the transferor assume all costs incurred by the Partnership in connection therewith.
(b) No Limited Partner may withdraw from the Partnership other than as a result of a permitted Transfer (i.e., a Transfer consented to as contemplated by clause (a) above or clause (c) below or a Transfer pursuant to Section 9.5 below) of all of its Partnership Units pursuant to this Article 9 or pursuant to an exchange of all of its Partnership Units pursuant to Section 8.4. Upon the permitted Transfer or redemption of all of a Limited Partner’s Partnership Interest, such Limited Partner shall cease to be a Limited Partner.
(c) Subject to 9.2(d), (e) and (f) below, a Limited Partner may Transfer, with the consent of the General Partner, all or a portion of its Partnership Units to (i) a parent or parent’s spouse, natural or adopted descendant or descendants, spouse of such descendant, or brother or sister, or a trust created by such Limited Partner for the benefit of such Limited Partner and/or any such Person(s), of which trust such Limited Partner or any such Person(s) is a trustee, (ii) a corporation controlled by a Person or Persons named in (i) above, or (iii) if the Limited Partner is an entity, its beneficial owners.
(d) No Limited Partner may effect a Transfer of its Limited Partnership Interest, in whole or in part, if, in the opinion of legal counsel for the Partnership, such proposed Transfer would otherwise violate any applicable federal or state securities or blue sky law (including investment suitability standards).
(e) No Transfer by a Limited Partner of its Partnership Units, in whole or in part, may be made to any Person if (i) in the opinion of legal counsel for the Partnership, the transfer would result in the Partnership’s being treated as an association taxable as a corporation (other than a qualified REIT subsidiary within the meaning of Section 856(i) of the Code), (ii) in the opinion of legal counsel for the Partnership, it would adversely affect the ability of the General Partner to continue to qualify as a REIT or subject the General Partner to any additional taxes under Section 857 or Section 4981 of the Code, or (iii) such transfer is effectuated through an “established securities market” or a “secondary market (or the substantial equivalent thereof)” within the meaning of Section 7704 of the Code.
(f) No transfer of any Partnership Units may be made to a lender to the Partnership or any Person who is related (within the meaning of Regulations Section 1.752-4(b)) to any lender to the Partnership whose loan constitutes a nonrecourse liability (within the meaning of Regulations Section 1.752-1(a)(2)), without the consent of the General Partner, which may be withheld in its sole and absolute discretion, provided that as a condition to such consent the lender will be required to enter into an arrangement with the Partnership and the General Partner to exchange or redeem for the Cash Amount any Partnership Units in which a security interest is held simultaneously with the time at which such lender would be deemed to be a partner in the Partnership for purposes of allocating liabilities to such lender under Section 752 of the Code.
(g) Any Transfer in contravention of any of the provisions of this Article 9 shall be void and ineffectual and shall not be binding upon, or recognized by, the Partnership.
(h) Prior to the consummation of any Transfer under this Article 9, the transferor and/or the transferee shall deliver to the General Partner such opinions, certificates and other documents as the General Partner shall request in connection with such Transfer.
Exchange and Registration of Transfer of Notes; Restrictions on Transfer Depositary 16 Section 2.06. Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Notes 22 Section 2.07. Temporary Notes 23 Section 2.08. Cancellation of Notes Paid, Converted, Etc. 24 Section 2.09. CUSIP Numbers 24 Section 2.10. Additional Notes; Repurchases 24
Conditions on Permitted Transfers In the event a Holder proposes to sell or transfer a Note, the Company may, but shall not be required to, impose reasonable conditions on such sale or transfer including, but not limited, to: (i) Notes may be transferred only in whole units, i.e., fractions of Notes may not be transferred; (ii) the transferee shall agree in writing to be bound by this Revenue Sharing Agreement; (iii) the transferor shall provide the Company with an opinion of counsel, satisfactory in form and substance to the Company’s counsel, stating that the transfer is exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933 and other applicable securities laws; and (iv) the transferor and transferee shall together pay in advance for any reasonable expenses the Company expects to incur in connection with the transfer, including attorneys’ fees.
Restriction on Transfers No Partner shall Transfer or attempt to Transfer any of the Partnership Interests now owned or hereafter acquired by such Partner except to an Authorized Transferee of such Partner in accordance with this Agreement. In the event of any purported or attempted Transfer of Partnership Interests that does not comply with this Agreement, the purported transferee or successor by operation of law shall not be deemed to be a Partner of the Partnership for any purpose and shall not be entitled to any of the rights of a Partner of the Partnership, including, without limitation, the right to vote the Partnership Interests or to receive a certificate for Partnership Interests or any distributions of any kind on or with respect to Partnership Interests. Any purported or attempted Transfer of Partnership Interests made other than in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement shall be void ab initio and the last holder of record who acquired such Partnership Interests in a manner not contrary to the provisions of this Agreement shall be recognized as the holder of such Partnership Interests for all purposes and the Partnership Interests shall continue to be treated as Partnership Interests for all purposes under this Agreement, shall be deemed owned by such recognized holder for purposes of the operation of this Agreement and shall continue to be subject to the terms of this Agreement. The substitution of a trustee of a Partner shall not be prohibited by this Section 8.2, provided that the substitute trustee has executed and delivered to the Partnership a counterpart of this Agreement agreeing to be subject to the restrictions and obligations of a Partner hereunder and to hold all Partnership Interests then owned or later acquired by such Partner in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.
General Restrictions on Transfer (a) Except for Permitted Transfers or in accordance with the procedures described in Section 3.02, Section 3.03, Section 3.04, Section 3.06 or Section 3.07, each Stockholder agrees that it will not, directly or indirectly, voluntarily or involuntarily Transfer any of its Company Shares. Any Company Shares transferred to a Third Party Purchaser pursuant to Section 3.02, Section 3.03, Section 3.04, Section 3.06 or Section 3.07 shall cease to be subject to this Agreement.
(b) In addition to any legends required by Applicable Law and any legends set forth in the Organizational Documents, any certificate representing the Company Shares held by a Stockholder shall bear a legend substantially in the following form: “THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE ARE SUBJECT TO A STOCKHOLDERS AGREEMENT (A COPY OF WHICH IS ON FILE WITH THE COMPANY). NO TRANSFER, SALE, ASSIGNMENT, PLEDGE, HYPOTHECATION OR OTHER DISPOSITION OF THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE MAY BE MADE EXCEPT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF SUCH AGREEMENT AND (A) PURSUANT TO A REGISTRATION STATEMENT EFFECTIVE UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, OR (B) PURSUANT TO AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION THEREUNDER. THE HOLDER OF THIS CERTIFICATE, BY ACCEPTANCE OF THIS CERTIFICATE, AGREES TO BE BOUND BY ALL OF THE PROVISIONS OF SUCH STOCKHOLDERS AGREEMENT.”
(c) Each Stockholder shall give notice to the Company and the other Stockholders prior to any proposed Transfer (whether or not a Permitted Transfer) of any of its Company Shares. In connection with the consummation of any Transfer by a Stockholder of any of its Company Shares (including by operation of law) to a Permitted Transferee, such Permitted Transferee shall be required to execute and deliver to the Company and each other Stockholder, a Joinder Agreement; it being understood that such Permitted Transferee shall automatically be deemed to be a party to, and shall be bound by, all of the terms and conditions of this Agreement, whether or not such Permitted Transferee has executed and delivered a Joinder Agreement.
(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, but subject to Section 4.04(b), each Stockholder agrees that it will not, directly or indirectly, Transfer any of its Company Shares (i) if it would cause a violation of the Securities Act or other applicable federal or state securities laws (it being understood that, upon request by the Company, there must be delivered to the Company an opinion of counsel in form and substance satisfactory to the Company to the effect that such Transfer may be effected without registration under the Securities Act), (ii) if it would cause the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended or (iii) if it would cause the assets of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to be deemed plan assets as defined under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 or its accompanying regulations or result in any “prohibited transaction” thereunder involving the Company.
(e) Any Transfer or attempted Transfer of any Company Shares in violation of this Agreement shall be null and void, no such Transfer shall be recorded on the Company’s books and the purported transferee in any such Transfer shall not be treated (and the purported transferor shall continue be treated) as the owner of the Company Shares for all purposes of this Agreement.
