Restrictions on Transfer of Shares No shares acquired upon exercise of the Option may be sold, exchanged, transferred (including, without limitation, any transfer to a nominee or agent of the Optionee), assigned, pledged, hypothecated or otherwise disposed of, including by operation of law, in any manner which violates any of the provisions of this Option Agreement and, except pursuant to an Ownership Change Event, until the date on which such shares become Vested Shares, and any such attempted disposition shall be void. The Company shall not be required (a) to transfer on its books any shares which will have been transferred in violation of any of the provisions set forth in this Option Agreement or (b) to treat as owner of such shares or to accord the right to vote as such owner or to pay dividends to any transferee to whom such shares will have been so transferred.
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.
Exchange and Registration of Transfer of Notes; Restrictions on Transfer; Depositary (a) The last sentence of the first paragraph of Section 2.07 of the Base Indenture and the second paragraph of Section 2.07 of the Base Indenture shall not apply to the Notes. (b) No service charge shall be imposed by the Company, the Trustee, the Registrar, any co-Registrar or the Paying Agent for any exchange or registration of transfer of Notes, but the Company may require a Holder to pay a sum sufficient to cover any documentary, stamp or similar issue or transfer tax required in connection therewith as a result of the name of the Holder of new Notes issued upon such exchange or registration of transfer being different from the name of the Holder of the old Notes surrendered for exchange or registration of transfer. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Indenture, none of the Company, the Trustee, the Registrar or any co-Registrar shall be required to exchange or register a transfer of (i) any Notes surrendered for conversion or, if a portion of any Note is surrendered for conversion, such portion thereof surrendered for conversion or (ii) any Notes, or a portion of any Note, surrendered for repurchase (and not withdrawn) in accordance with Article 12. (c) So long as the Notes are eligible for book-entry settlement with the Depositary, unless otherwise required by law, subject to the third paragraph of Section 2.04(d), all Notes shall be represented by one or more Notes in global form (each, a “Global Note”) registered in the name of the Depositary or the nominee of the Depositary. The transfer and exchange of beneficial interests in a Global Note that does not involve the issuance of a Physical Note shall be effected through the Depositary (but not the Trustee or the Custodian) in accordance with the Indenture and the procedures of the Depositary therefor. (d) Notwithstanding any other provisions of the Indenture (other than the provisions set forth in this Section 2.04(d)), a Global Note may not be transferred as a whole or in part except (i) by the Depositary to a nominee of the Depositary or by a nominee of the Depositary to the Depositary or another nominee of the Depositary or by the Depositary or any such nominee to a successor Depositary or a nominee of such successor Depositary and (ii) for exchange of a Global Note or a portion thereof for one or more Physical Notes in accordance with the second immediately succeeding paragraph. The Company initially appoints The Depository Trust Company to act as Depositary with respect to each Global Note. Initially, each Global Note shall be issued to the Depositary, registered in the name of Cede & Co., as the nominee of the Depositary, and deposited with the Trustee as custodian for Cede & Co.