Powers of the General Partner Subject to the limitations set forth in this Agreement, the General Partner will possess and may exercise all of the powers and privileges granted to it by the Act including, without limitation, the ownership and operation of the assets contributed to the Partnership by the Partners, by any other Law or this Agreement, together with all powers incidental thereto, so far as such powers are necessary or convenient to the conduct, promotion or attainment of the purpose of the Partnership set forth in Section 2.06.
Restrictions on the General Partner’s Authority Except as provided in Article XII and Article XIV, the General Partner may not sell, exchange or otherwise dispose 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 without the approval of 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 Group and shall not apply to any forced sale of any or all of the assets of the Partnership Group pursuant to the foreclosure of, or other realization upon, any such encumbrance.
Rights Obligations and Powers of the General Partner 6.1 Management of the Partnership.
(a) Except as otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement, the General Partner shall have full, complete and exclusive discretion to manage and control the business of the Partnership for the purposes herein stated, and shall make all decisions affecting the business and assets of the Partnership. Subject to the restrictions specifically contained in this Agreement, the powers of the General Partner shall include, without limitation, the authority to take the following actions on behalf of the Partnership:
(i) to acquire, purchase, own, operate, lease and dispose of any Investments that the General Partner determines are necessary or appropriate or in the best interests of the business of the Partnership;
(ii) to authorize, issue, sell, redeem or otherwise purchase any Partnership Units or any securities (including secured and unsecured debt obligations of the Partnership, debt obligations of the Partnership convertible into any class or series of Partnership Units, or options, rights, warrants or appreciation rights relating to any Partnership Units) of the Partnership;
(iii) to borrow or lend money for the Partnership, issue or receive evidences of indebtedness in connection therewith, refinance, increase the amount of, modify, amend or change the terms of, or extend the time for the payment of, any such indebtedness, and secure such indebtedness by mortgage, deed of trust, pledge or other lien on the Partnership’s assets;
(iv) to pay, either directly or by reimbursement, for all operating costs and general administrative expenses of the Partnership to third parties or to the General Partner or its Affiliates as set forth in this Agreement;
(v) to guarantee or become a co-maker of indebtedness of the General Partner or any Subsidiary thereof, refinance, increase the amount of, modify, amend or change the terms of, or extend the time for the payment of, any such guarantee or indebtedness, and secure such guarantee or indebtedness by mortgage, deed of trust, pledge or other lien on the Partnership’s assets;
(vi) to use assets of the Partnership (including, without limitation, cash on hand) for any purpose consistent with this Agreement, including, without limitation, payment, either directly or by reimbursement, of all operating costs and general administrative expenses of the General Partner, the Partnership or any Subsidiary of either, to third parties or to the General Partner as set forth in this Agreement;
(vii) to lease all or any portion of any of the Partnership’s assets, whether or not the terms of such leases extend beyond the termination date of the Partnership and whether or not any portion of the Partnership’s assets so leased are to be occupied by the lessee, or, in turn, subleased in whole or in part to others, for such consideration and on such terms as the General Partner may determine;
(viii) to prosecute, defend, arbitrate, or compromise any and all claims or liabilities in favor of or against the Partnership, on such terms and in such manner as the General Partner may reasonably determine, and similarly to prosecute, settle or defend litigation with respect to the Partners, the Partnership, or the Partnership’s assets;
(ix) to file applications, communicate, and otherwise deal with any and all governmental agencies having jurisdiction over, or in any way affecting, the Partnership’s assets or any other aspect of the Partnership business;
(x) to make or revoke any election permitted or required of the Partnership by any taxing authority;
(xi) to maintain such insurance coverage for public liability, fire and casualty, and any and all other insurance for the protection of the Partnership, for the conservation of Partnership assets, or for any other purpose convenient or beneficial to the Partnership, in such amounts and such types, as it shall determine from time to time;
(xii) to determine whether or not to apply any insurance proceeds for any Property to the restoration of such Property or to distribute the same;
(xiii) to establish one or more divisions of the Partnership, to hire and dismiss employees of the Partnership or any division of the Partnership, and to retain legal counsel, accountants, consultants, real estate brokers, and such other persons, as the General Partner may deem necessary or appropriate in connection with the Partnership business and to pay therefor such remuneration as the General Partner may deem reasonable and proper;
(xiv) to retain other services of any kind or nature in connection with the Partnership business, and to pay therefor such remuneration as the General Partner may deem reasonable and proper;
(xv) to negotiate and conclude agreements on behalf of the Partnership with respect to any of the rights, powers and authority conferred upon the General Partner;
(xvi) to maintain accurate accounting records and to file promptly all federal, state and local income tax returns on behalf of the Partnership;
(xvii) to distribute Partnership cash or other Partnership assets in accordance with this Agreement;
(xviii) to form or acquire an interest in, and contribute Property to, any further limited or general partnerships, joint ventures or other relationships that it deems desirable (including, without limitation, the acquisition of interests in, and the contributions of Property to, its Subsidiaries and any other Person in which it has an equity interest from time to time);
(xix) to establish Partnership reserves for working capital, capital expenditures, contingent liabilities, or any other valid Partnership purpose;
(xx) to merge, consolidate or combine the Partnership with or into another Person;
(xxi) to do any and all acts and things necessary or prudent to ensure that the Partnership will not be classified as a “publicly traded partnership” that is taxable as a corporation under Section 7704 of the Code; and
(xxii) to take such other action, execute, acknowledge, swear to or deliver such other documents and instruments, and perform any and all other acts that the General Partner deems necessary or appropriate for the formation, continuation and conduct of the business and affairs of the Partnership (including, without limitation, all actions consistent with allowing the General Partner at all times to qualify as a REIT unless the General Partner voluntarily terminates its REIT status) and to possess and enjoy all of the rights and powers of a general partner as provided by the Act.
(b) Except as otherwise provided herein, to the extent the duties of the General Partner require expenditures of funds to be paid to third parties, the General Partner shall not have any obligations hereunder except to the extent that Partnership funds are reasonably available to it for the performance of such duties, and nothing herein contained shall be deemed to authorize or require the General Partner, in its capacity as such, to expend its individual funds for payment to third parties or to undertake any individual liability or obligation on behalf of the Partnership.
Transfer of the General Partner’s General Partner Interest (a) Subject to Section 4.6(c) below, prior to the first day of the first Quarter beginning after the tenth anniversary of the Closing Date, the General Partner shall not transfer all or any part of its General Partner Interest to a Person unless such transfer (i) has been approved by the prior written consent or vote of the holders of at least a majority of the Outstanding Common Units (excluding Common Units held by the General Partner and its Affiliates) or (ii) is of all, but not less than all, of its General Partner Interest to (A) an Affiliate of the General Partner (other than an individual) or (B) another Person (other than an individual) in connection with the merger or consolidation of the General Partner with or into such other Person or the transfer by the General Partner of all or substantially all of its assets to such other Person.
(b) Subject to Section 4.6(c) below, on or after the first day of the first Quarter beginning after the tenth anniversary of the Closing Date, the General Partner may at its option transfer all or any part of its General Partner Interest without Unitholder approval.
(c) Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, no transfer by the General Partner of all or any part of its General Partner Interest 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 to be bound by the provisions of this Agreement, (ii) the Partnership receives an Opinion of Counsel that such transfer would not result in the loss of limited liability under the Delaware Act of any Limited Partner or cause the 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) and (iii) such transferee also agrees to purchase all (or the appropriate portion thereof, if applicable) of the partnership or membership interest held by the General Partner as the general partner or managing member, if any, 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 10.2, be admitted to the Partnership as the General Partner effective immediately prior to the transfer of the General Partner Interest, and the business of the Partnership shall continue without dissolution.
Outside Activities of the General Partner (a) Without the Consent of the Limited Partners, the General Partner shall not directly or indirectly enter into or conduct any business other than in connection with the ownership, acquisition, and disposition of Partnership Interests and the management of its business and the business of the Partnership, and such activities as are incidental thereto.
(b) The General Partner and any Affiliates of the General Partner may acquire Limited Partner Interests and shall be entitled to exercise all rights of a Limited Partner relating to such Limited Partner Interests.
Transfer of the General Partner’s Partnership Interest (a) The General Partner shall not transfer all or any portion of its General Partnership Interest or withdraw as General Partner except as provided in or in connection with a transaction contemplated by Section 7.1(b), (c) or (d).
(b) Except as otherwise provided in Section 7.1(c) or (d) hereof, the General Partner shall not engage in any merger, consolidation or other combination with or into another Person or sale of all or substantially all of its assets, (other than in connection with a change in the General Partner’s state of incorporation or organizational form) in each case which results in a change of control of the General Partner (a “Transaction”), unless:
(i) the approval of the holders of a majority of the Partnership Units (including the Partnership Units held by the General Partner or an Affiliate thereof) is obtained;
(ii) as a result of such Transaction all Limited Partners will receive for each Partnership Unit an amount of cash, securities, or other property equal to the product of the Conversion Factor and the greatest amount of cash, securities or other property paid in the Transaction to a holder of one REIT Share in consideration of one REIT Share, provided that if, in connection with the Transaction, a purchase, tender or exchange offer (“Offer”) shall have been made to and accepted by the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding REIT Shares, each holder of Partnership Units shall be given the option to exchange its Partnership Units for the greatest amount of cash, securities, or other property which a Limited Partner would have received had it (A) exercised its Exchange Right and (B) sold, tendered or exchanged pursuant to the Offer the REIT Shares received upon exercise of the Exchange Right immediately prior to the expiration of the Offer; or
(iii) the General Partner is the surviving entity in the Transaction and either (A) the holders of REIT Shares do not receive cash, securities, or other property in the Transaction or (B) all Limited Partners (other than the General Partner or any Subsidiary) receive an amount of cash, securities, or other property (expressed as an amount per REIT Share) that is no less than the product of the Conversion Factor and the greatest amount of cash, securities, or other property (expressed as an amount per REIT Share) received in the Transaction by any holder of REIT Shares.
(c) Notwithstanding Section 7.1(b), the General Partner may merge with or into or consolidate with another entity if immediately after such merger or consolidation (i) substantially all of the assets of the successor or surviving entity (the “Surviving General Partner”), other than Partnership Units held by the General Partner, are contributed, directly or indirectly, to the Partnership as a Capital Contribution in exchange for Partnership Units with a fair market value equal to the value of the assets so contributed as determined by the Surviving General Partner in good faith and (ii) the Surviving General Partner expressly agrees to assume all obligations of the General Partner, as appropriate, hereunder. Upon such contribution and assumption, the Surviving General Partner shall have the right and duty to amend this Agreement as set forth in this Section 7.1(c). The Surviving General Partner shall in good faith arrive at a new method for the calculation of the Cash Amount, the REIT Shares Amount and Conversion Factor for a Partnership Unit after any such merger or consolidation so as to approximate the existing method for such calculation as closely as reasonably possible. Such calculation shall take into account, among other things, the kind and amount of securities, cash and other property that was receivable upon such merger or consolidation by a holder of REIT Shares or options, warrants or other rights relating thereto, and to which a holder of Partnership Units could have acquired had such Partnership Units been exchanged immediately prior to such merger or consolidation. Such amendment to this Agreement shall provide for adjustment to such method of calculation, which shall be as nearly equivalent as may be practicable to the adjustments provided for with respect to the Conversion Factor. The Surviving General Partner also shall in good faith modify the definition of REIT Shares and make such amendments to Section 8.4 hereof so as to approximate the existing rights and obligations set forth in Section 8.4 as closely as reasonably possible. The above provisions of this Section 7.1(c) shall similarly apply to successive mergers or consolidations permitted hereunder. In respect of any transaction described in the preceding paragraph, the General Partner is required to use its commercially reasonable efforts to structure such transaction to avoid causing the Limited Partners to recognize a gain for federal income tax purposes by virtue of the occurrence of or their participation in such transaction, provided such efforts are consistent with the exercise of the General Partner’s board of directors’ fiduciary duties to the stockholders of the General Partner under applicable law.
(d) Notwithstanding Section 7.1(b),
(i) a General Partner may transfer all or any portion of its General Partnership Interest to (A) a wholly-owned Subsidiary of such General Partner or (B) the owner of all of the ownership interests of such General Partner, and following a transfer of all of its General Partnership Interest, may withdraw as General Partner; and
(ii) the General Partner may engage in Transactions not required by law or by the rules of any National Securities Exchange on which the REIT Shares are listed to be submitted to the vote of the holders of the REIT Shares.
Removal of the General Partner The General Partner may be removed if such removal is approved by the Unitholders holding at least 66 2/3% of the Outstanding Units (including Units held by the General Partner and its Affiliates) voting as a single class. 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 a majority of the outstanding Common Units voting as a class and Unitholders holding a majority of the outstanding Subordinated Units (if any Subordinated Units are then Outstanding) voting as a class (including, in each case, 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 10.2. The removal of the General Partner shall also automatically constitute the removal of the General Partner as general partner or managing member, to the extent applicable, of the other Group Members of which the General Partner is a general partner or a managing member. 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 10.2, automatically become a successor general partner or managing member, to the extent applicable, of the other Group Members of which the General Partner is a general partner or a managing member. 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 10.2.
Reimbursement of the General Partner (a) Except as provided in this Section 7.12 and elsewhere in this Agreement, the General Partner shall not be compensated for its services as a general partner or managing member of any Group Member.
(b) The General Partner shall be reimbursed on a monthly basis, or such other basis as the Board of Directors may determine, for any direct and indirect expenses it incurs that are allocable to the Partnership Group or payments it makes on behalf of the Partnership Group (including salary, bonus, incentive compensation and other amounts paid to any Person, including Affiliates of the General Partner, to perform services for the Partnership Group or for the General Partner in the discharge of its duties to the Partnership Group, which amounts shall also include reimbursement for any Common Units purchased to satisfy obligations of the Partnership under any of its equity compensation plans). The Board of Directors shall determine the expenses that are allocable to the Partnership Group. Reimbursements pursuant to this Section 7.12 shall be in addition to any reimbursement to the General Partner as a result of indemnification pursuant to Section 7.15.
(c) Subject to the applicable rules and regulations of the National Securities Exchange on which the Common Units are listed, the Board of Directors, without the approval of the 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 Partnership Interests or options to purchase or rights, warrants or appreciation rights or phantom or tracking interests relating to Partnership Interests), or cause the Partnership to issue Partnership Interests in connection with, or pursuant to, any employee benefit plan, employee program or employee practice maintained or sponsored by the Partnership, the General Partner or any of its Affiliates, in each case for the benefit of employees and directors of the Partnership, the General Partner, any Group Member or any Affiliate thereof, 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 Partnership Interests that the General Partner or such Affiliates are obligated to provide to any employees and directors 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 Affiliates of Partnership Interests purchased by the General Partner or such Affiliates from the Partnership or otherwise to fulfill options or awards under such plans, programs and practices) shall be reimbursed in accordance with Section 7.12(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 7.12(c) shall constitute obligations of the General Partner hereunder and shall be assumed by any successor General Partner approved pursuant to Sections 11.1 or 11.2 or the transferee of or successor to all of the General Partner’s General Partner Interest pursuant to Section 4.6.
Liability of the General Partner (a) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth in this Agreement, the General Partner shall not be liable for monetary damages to the Partnership or any Partners for losses sustained or liabilities incurred as a result of errors in judgment or of any act or omission if the General Partner acted in good faith. The General Partner shall not be in breach of any duty that the General Partner may owe to the Limited Partners or the Partnership or any other Persons under this Agreement or of any duty stated or implied by law or equity provided the General Partner, acting in good faith, abides by the terms of this Agreement.
(b) The Limited Partners expressly acknowledge that the General Partner is acting on behalf of the Partnership, itself and its stockholders collectively, that the General Partner is under no obligation to consider the separate interests of the Limited Partners (including, without limitation, the tax consequences to Limited Partners or the tax consequences of some, but not all, of the Limited Partners) in deciding whether to cause the Partnership to take (or decline to take) any actions. In the event of a conflict between the interests of its stockholders on one hand and the Limited Partners on the other, the General Partner shall endeavor in good faith to resolve the conflict in a manner not adverse to either its stockholders or the Limited Partners; provided, however, that for so long as the General Partner directly owns a controlling interest in the Partnership, any such conflict that the General Partner, in its sole and absolute discretion, determines cannot be resolved in a manner not adverse to either its stockholders or the Limited Partner shall be resolved in favor of the stockholders. The General Partner shall not be liable for monetary damages for losses sustained, liabilities incurred, or benefits not derived by Limited Partners in connection with such decisions, provided that the General Partner has acted in good faith.
(c) Subject to its obligations and duties as General Partner set forth in Section 6.1 hereof, the General Partner may exercise any of the powers granted to it under this Agreement and perform any of the duties imposed upon it hereunder either directly or by or through its agents. The General Partner shall not be responsible for any misconduct or negligence on the part of any such agent appointed by it in good faith.
(d) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Agreement or the Act, any action of the General Partner on behalf of the Partnership or any decision of the General Partner to refrain from acting on behalf of the Partnership, undertaken in the good faith belief that such action or omission is necessary or advisable in order (i) to protect the ability of the General Partner to continue to qualify as a REIT or (ii) to prevent the General Partner from incurring any taxes under Section 857, Section 4981, or any other provision of the Code, is expressly authorized under this Agreement and is deemed approved by all of the Limited Partners.
(e) Any amendment, modification or repeal of this Section 6.4 or any provision hereof shall be prospective only and shall not in any way affect the limitations on the General Partner’s liability to the Partnership and the Limited Partners under this Section 6.4 as in effect immediately prior to such amendment, modification or repeal with respect to matters occurring, in whole or in part, prior to such amendment, modification or repeal, regardless of when claims relating to such matters may arise or be asserted.
Authority of the General Partner The General Partner shall have the sole and exclusive right to manage the affairs of the Partnership and shall have all of the rights and powers that may be possessed by general partners under the Act. If two or more Persons are serving as General Partners, decisions regarding the management of the Partnership and its business and affairs shall be made by the consent of a majority in number of the General Partners then serving. The rights and powers that the General Partner may exercise include, but are not limited to, the following:
(a) invest and reinvest Partnership funds for the purposes set forth in Section 1.4, in any manner deemed advisable by the General Partner;
(b) hold, manage, maintain, improve, repair, alter, mortgage, finance, pledge, encumber and otherwise deal with Partnership property;
(c) execute any and all agreements, contracts, documents, certificates and instruments necessary or convenient in connection with the Partnership’s business;
(d) make loans, sell, exchange, assign, transfer or otherwise dispose of any Partnership property;
(e) borrow money and issue evidences of indebtedness necessary, convenient or incidental to the accomplishment of the purposes of the Partnership, and secure the same by mortgage, pledge or other lien on any Partnership property;
(f) prepay in whole or in part, refinance, recast, increase, modify or extend any liabilities affecting the Partnership’s property and in connection therewith execute any extensions or renewals of encumbrances on any or all of the Partnership’s property;
(g) make any and all elections for federal, state and local tax purposes;
(h) take, or refrain from taking, all actions not expressly proscribed or limited by this Agreement as may be necessary or appropriate to accomplish the purposes of the Partnership; and
(i) engage in any kind of activity and perform and carry out contracts of any kind necessary or incidental to, or in connection with, the accomplishment of the purposes of the Partnership, as may be lawfully carried on or performed by a partnership under the laws of each state in which the Partnership is then formed or qualified.
