AGREEMENT OF LIMITED PARTNERSHIP OF SOLEIL CAPITAL L.P.
Exhibit
3.2
AGREEMENT OF LIMITED PARTNERSHIP
OF
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ARTICLE I DEFINITIONS |
2 | |||
SECTION 1.1. Definitions |
2 | |||
SECTION 1.2. Construction |
9 | |||
ARTICLE II ORGANIZATION |
9 | |||
SECTION 2.1. Formation |
9 | |||
SECTION 2.2. Name |
9 | |||
SECTION 2.3. Registered Office; Registered Agent; Principal Office; Other Offices |
10 | |||
SECTION 2.4. Purpose and Business |
10 | |||
SECTION 2.5. Powers |
10 | |||
SECTION 2.6. Power of Attorney |
10 | |||
SECTION 2.7. Term |
11 | |||
SECTION 2.8. Title to Partnership Assets |
12 | |||
SECTION 2.9. Certain Undertakings Relating to the Separateness of the Partnership |
12 | |||
ARTICLE III RIGHTS OF LIMITED PARTNERS |
12 | |||
SECTION 3.1. Limitation of Liability |
12 | |||
SECTION 3.2. Management of Business |
12 | |||
SECTION 3.3. Outside Activities of the Limited Partners |
13 | |||
SECTION 3.4. Rights of Limited Partners |
13 | |||
ARTICLE IV CERTIFICATES; RECORD HOLDERS; TRANSFER OF PARTNERSHIP INTERESTS; REDEMPTION OF PARTNERSHIP INTERESTS |
13 | |||
SECTION 4.1. Certificates |
13 | |||
SECTION 4.2. Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Certificates |
13 | |||
SECTION 4.3. Record Holders |
14 | |||
SECTION 4.4. Transfer Generally |
14 | |||
SECTION 4.5. Registration and Transfer of Limited Partner Interests |
15 | |||
SECTION 4.6. Transfer of the General Partner’s General Partner Interest |
15 | |||
SECTION 4.7. Restrictions on Transfers |
16 | |||
SECTION 4.8. Citizenship Certificates; Non-citizen Assignees |
16 | |||
SECTION 4.9. Redemption of Partnership Interests of Non-citizen Assignees |
17 | |||
ARTICLE V CAPITAL CONTRIBUTIONS AND ISSUANCE OF PARTNERSHIP INTERESTS |
18 | |||
SECTION 5.1. Organizational Issuances |
18 | |||
SECTION 5.2. Contributions by the General Partner and its Affiliates |
18 | |||
SECTION 5.3. [Reserved] |
18 | |||
SECTION 5.4. Interest and Withdrawal |
19 | |||
SECTION 5.5. Issuances and Cancellations of Special Voting Units |
19 | |||
SECTION 5.6. Issuances of Additional Partnership Securities |
19 | |||
SECTION 5.7. Preemptive Rights |
20 | |||
SECTION 5.8. Splits and Combinations |
20 | |||
SECTION 5.9. Fully Paid and Non-Assessable Nature of Limited Partner Interests |
21 |
ARTICLE VI ALLOCATIONS AND DISTRIBUTIONS |
21 | |||
SECTION 6.1. Maintenance of Capital Accounts |
21 | |||
SECTION 6.2. Allocations |
21 | |||
SECTION 6.3. Requirement and Characterization of Distributions; Distributions
to Record Holders |
22 | |||
ARTICLE VII MANAGEMENT AND OPERATION OF BUSINESS |
23 | |||
SECTION 7.1. Management |
23 | |||
SECTION 7.2. Certificate of Limited Partnership |
25 | |||
SECTION 7.3. Restrictions on General Partner’s Authority |
25 | |||
SECTION 7.4. Reimbursement of the General Partner |
25 | |||
SECTION 7.5. Outside Activities |
26 | |||
SECTION 7.6. Loans from the General Partner; Loans or Contributions from the
Partnership; Contracts with Affiliates; Certain Restrictions on
the General Partner |
27 | |||
SECTION 7.7. Indemnification |
28 | |||
SECTION 7.8. Liability of Indemnitees |
30 | |||
SECTION 7.9. Resolution of Conflicts of Interest; Standards of Conduct and
Modification of Duties |
30 | |||
SECTION 7.10. Other Matters Concerning the General Partner |
32 | |||
SECTION 7.11. Purchase or Sale of Partnership Securities |
32 | |||
SECTION 7.12. Reliance by Third Parties |
32 | |||
ARTICLE VIII BOOKS, RECORDS, ACCOUNTING AND REPORTS |
33 | |||
SECTION 8.1. Records and Accounting |
33 | |||
SECTION 8.2. Fiscal Year |
33 | |||
SECTION 8.3. Reports |
33 | |||
ARTICLE IX TAX MATTERS |
34 | |||
SECTION 9.1. Tax Returns and Information |
34 | |||
SECTION 9.2. Tax Elections |
34 | |||
SECTION 9.3. Tax Controversies |
34 | |||
SECTION 9.4. Withholding |
34 | |||
SECTION 9.5. Election to be Treated as a Corporation |
34 | |||
ARTICLE X ADMISSION OF PARTNERS |
35 | |||
SECTION 10.1. Admission of Initial Limited Partners |
35 | |||
SECTION 10.2. Admission of Additional Limited Partners |
35 | |||
SECTION 10.3. Admission of Successor General Partner |
35 | |||
SECTION 10.4. Amendment of Agreement and Certificate of Limited Partnership to
Reflect the Admission of Partners |
36 | |||
ARTICLE XI WITHDRAWAL OR REMOVAL OF PARTNERS |
36 | |||
SECTION 11.1. Withdrawal of the General Partner |
36 | |||
SECTION 11.2. Removal of the General Partner |
37 | |||
SECTION 11.3. Interest of Departing General Partner and Successor General Partner |
38 | |||
SECTION 11.4. Withdrawal of Limited Partners |
39 |
ii
ARTICLE XII DISSOLUTION AND LIQUIDATION |
39 | |||
SECTION 12.1. Dissolution |
39 | |||
SECTION 12.2. Continuation of the Business of the Partnership After Event of Withdrawal |
39 | |||
SECTION 12.3. Liquidator |
40 | |||
SECTION 12.4. Liquidation |
40 | |||
SECTION 12.5. Cancellation of Certificate of Limited Partnership |
41 | |||
SECTION 12.6. Return of Contributions |
41 | |||
SECTION 12.7. Waiver of Partition |
41 | |||
SECTION 12.8. Capital Account Restoration |
41 | |||
ARTICLE XIII AMENDMENT OF PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT; MEETINGS; RECORD DATE |
41 | |||
SECTION 13.1. Amendments to be Adopted Solely by the General Partner |
41 | |||
SECTION 13.2. Amendment Procedures |
43 | |||
SECTION 13.3. Amendment Requirements |
43 | |||
SECTION 13.4. Special Meetings |
44 | |||
SECTION 13.5. Notice of a Meeting |
44 | |||
SECTION 13.6. Record Date |
44 | |||
SECTION 13.7. Adjournment |
45 | |||
SECTION 13.8. Waiver of Notice; Approval of Meeting; Approval of Minutes |
45 | |||
SECTION 13.9. Quorum |
45 | |||
SECTION 13.10. Conduct of a Meeting |
45 | |||
SECTION 13.11. Action Without a Meeting |
46 | |||
SECTION 13.12. Voting and Other Rights |
46 | |||
SECTION 13.13. Participation of Special Voting Units in All Actions Participated in by
Common Xxxxx |
00 | |||
XXXXXXX XXX XXXXXX |
00 | |||
SECTION 14.1. Authority |
48 | |||
SECTION 14.2. Procedure for Merger, Consolidation or Other Business Combination |
48 | |||
SECTION 14.3. Approval by Limited Partners of Merger, Consolidation or Other Business
Combination |
49 | |||
SECTION 14.4. Certificate of Merger or Consolidation |
50 | |||
SECTION 14.5. Amendment of Partnership Agreement |
50 | |||
SECTION 14.6. Effect of Merger |
50 | |||
ARTICLE XV RIGHT TO ACQUIRE LIMITED PARTNER INTERESTS |
51 | |||
SECTION 15.1. Right to Acquire Limited Partner Interests |
51 | |||
ARTICLE XVI GENERAL PROVISIONS |
52 | |||
SECTION 16.1. Addresses and Notices |
52 | |||
SECTION 16.2. Further Action |
53 | |||
SECTION 16.3. Binding Effect |
53 | |||
SECTION 16.4. Integration |
53 | |||
SECTION 16.5. Creditors |
53 | |||
SECTION 16.6. Waiver |
53 | |||
SECTION 16.7. Counterparts |
53 | |||
SECTION 16.8. Applicable Law |
53 | |||
SECTION 16.9. Invalidity of Provisions |
53 | |||
SECTION 16.10. Consent of Partners |
53 | |||
SECTION 16.11. Facsimile Signatures |
53 |
iii
AGREEMENT OF LIMITED PARTNERSHIP
OF
THIS AGREEMENT OF LIMITED PARTNERSHIP OF SOLEIL CAPITAL L.P. dated as of June 19, 2009, is
entered into by and among Soleil Capital Management L.L.C., a Delaware limited liability company,
as the General Partner, together with any other Persons who become Partners in the Partnership or
parties hereto as provided herein. In consideration of the covenants, conditions and agreements
contained herein, the parties hereto hereby agree as follows:
ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS
SECTION 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.
“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.
“Agreement” means this Agreement of Limited Partnership of Soleil Capital L.P., as it may be
amended, supplemented or restated from time to time.
“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.
“Beneficial Owner” has the meaning assigned to such term in Rules 13d-3 and 13d-5 under the
Securities Exchange Act (and “Beneficially Own” shall have a correlative meaning).
“Board of Directors” means, with respect to the Board of Directors of the General Partner, its
board of directors or managers, as applicable, if a corporation or limited liability company, or if
a limited partnership, the board of directors or board of managers of its general partner.
“Business Day” means each day that is not a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which banking
institutions in New York, New York are authorized or required by law to close.
“Capital Account” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 6.1.
“Capital Contribution” means any cash or cash equivalents that a Partner contributes to the
Partnership pursuant to this Agreement.
“Carrying Value” means, with respect to any Partnership asset, the asset’s adjusted basis for
U.S. federal income tax purposes, except that the initial carrying value of assets contributed to
the Partnership shall be their respective gross fair market values on the date of contribution as
determined by the General Partner, and the Carrying Values of all Partnership assets shall be
adjusted to equal their respective fair market values, in accordance with the rules set forth in
United States Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(f), except as otherwise provided
herein, as of: (a) the date of the acquisition of any additional Partnership Interest by any new or
existing Partner in exchange for more than a de minimis Capital Contribution; (b) the date of the
distribution of more than a de minimis amount of Partnership assets to a Partner; (c) the date a
Partnership Interest is relinquished to the Partnership; or (d) any other date specified in the
United States Treasury Regulations; provided however that adjustments pursuant to clauses (a), (b)
(c) and (d) above shall be made only if such adjustments are deemed necessary or appropriate by the
General Partner to reflect the relative economic interests of the Partners. In the case of any
asset that has a Carrying Value that differs from its adjusted tax basis, Carrying Value shall be
adjusted by the amount of depreciation calculated for purposes of the definition of “Net Income
(Loss)” rather than the amount of depreciation determined for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and
depreciation shall be calculated by reference to Carrying Value rather than tax basis once Carrying
Value differs from tax basis.
2
“Cause” means a court of competent jurisdiction has entered a final, non-appealable judgment
finding the General Partner liable for actual fraud or willful misconduct in its capacity as a
general partner of the Partnership.
“Certificate” means a certificate issued in global form in accordance with the rules and
regulations of the Depositary or in such other form as may be adopted by the General Partner,
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, issued by the Partnership evidencing ownership
of one or more other Partnership Securities.
“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 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.
“Closing Date” means the first date on which Common Units are issued by the Partnership to the
Shareholders.
“Closing Price” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 15.1(a).
“Code” means the United States 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 any successor law.
“Combined Interest” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 11.3(a).
“Commission” means the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Common Unit” means a Partnership Interest representing a fractional part of the Partnership
Interests of all Limited Partners having the rights and obligations specified with respect to
Common Units in this Agreement.
“Conflicts Committee” means a committee of the Board of Directors composed entirely of one or
more directors or managers who 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 and
regulations of the Commission thereunder
and by the National Securities Exchange on which the Common Units are listed for trading.
“Conversion” means the the corporate action under Delaware law whereby the Corporation
converted to the Partnership.
“Corporation” means Jobsinsite, Inc. a Delaware corporation.
“Current Market Price” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 15.1(a).
“Delaware Limited Partnership 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 General Partner” means a former General Partner from and after the effective date
of any withdrawal or removal of such former General Partner pursuant to Sections 11.1 or 11.2.
3
“Depositary” means, with respect to any Units issued in global form, The Depository Trust
Company and its successors and permitted assigns.
“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 the General Partner determines in its sole discretion 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).
“Fiscal Year” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 8.2.
“General Partner” means Soleil Capital Management L.L.C., a Delaware limited liability company
and its successors and permitted assigns that are admitted to the Partnership as general partner of
the Partnership, in its capacity as a general partner of the Partnership (except as the context
otherwise requires).
“General Partner Interest” means the management and ownership interest of the General Partner
in the Partnership (in its capacity as a general partner without reference to any Limited Partner
Interest held by it), which is evidenced by General Partner Units, and includes any and all
benefits to which a General Partner is entitled as provided in this Agreement, together with all
obligations of a General Partner to comply with the terms and provisions of this Agreement.
“General Partner Unit” means a fractional part of the General Partner Interest having the
rights and obligations specified with respect to the General Partner Interest.
“Group” means a Person that with or through any of its Affiliates or Associates has any
contract, arrangement, understanding or relationship for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting,
exercising investment power or disposing of any Partnership Securities with any other Person that
Beneficially Owns, or whose Affiliates or Associates Beneficially Own, directly or indirectly,
Partnership Interests.
“Group Member” means a member of the Partnership Group.
“Indemnitee” means (a) the General Partner, (b) any Departing General Partner, (c) any Person
who is or was an Affiliate of the General Partner or any Departing General Partner, (d) any Person
who is or was a member, partner, Tax Matters Partner (as defined in the Code), officer, director,
employee, agent, fiduciary or trustee of any Group Member, the General Partner or any Departing
General Partner or any Affiliate of any Group Member, the General Partner or any Departing General
Partner, (e) any Person who is or was serving at the request of the General Partner or any
Departing General Partner or any Affiliate of the General Partner or any Departing General Partner
as an officer, director, employee, member, partner, Tax Matters Partner (as defined in the Code),
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 and (f)
any Person the General Partner in its sole discretion designates as an “Indemnitee” for purposes of
this Agreement.
“Initial Common Units” means the Common Units issued in the Conversion.
“Initial Offering” means the initial exchange and issuance of Common Units to the public, as
described in the Registration Statement.
4
“Issue Price” means the price at which a Unit is purchased from the Partnership, net of any
sales commissions or underwriting discounts charged to the Partnership.
“Limited Partner” means, unless the context otherwise requires, each Initial Limited Partner,
each additional Person that becomes a Limited Partner pursuant to the terms of this Agreement and
any Departing General Partner upon the change of its status from General Partner to Limited Partner
pursuant to Section 11.3, in each case, in such Person’s capacity as a limited partner of the
Partnership. For the avoidance of doubt, each holder of a Special Voting Unit shall be a Limited
Partner. For purposes of the Delaware Limited Partnership Act, the Limited Partners shall
constitute a single class or group of limited partners.
“Limited Partner Interest” means the ownership interest of a Limited Partner in the
Partnership, which may be evidenced by Common Units, Special Voting Units or other Partnership
Securities or a combination thereof or interest therein, and includes any and all benefits to which
such Limited Partner is entitled as provided in this Agreement, including voting rights, together
with all obligations of such Limited Partner to comply with the terms and provisions of this
Agreement.
“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 continue the business of the Partnership 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.
“Liquidator” means one or more Persons selected by the General Partner to perform the
functions described in Section 12.3 as liquidating trustee of the Partnership within the meaning of
the Delaware Limited Partnership Act.
“Merger Agreement” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 14.1.
“National Securities Exchange” means an exchange registered with the Commission under Section
6(a) of the Securities Exchange Act or any successor thereto and any other securities exchange
(whether or not registered with the Commission under Section 6(a) of the Securities Exchange Act)
that the General Partner in its sole discretion shall designate as a National Securities Exchange
for purposes of this Agreement.
“Net Income (Loss)” for any Fiscal Period means the taxable income or loss of the Partnership
for such period as determined in accordance with the accounting method used by the Partnership for
U.S. federal income tax purposes with the following adjustments; (i) any income of the Partnership
that is exempt from U.S. federal income taxation and not otherwise taken into account in computing
Net Income (Loss) shall be added to such taxable income or loss; (ii) if the Carrying Value of any
asset differs from its adjusted tax basis for U.S. federal income tax purposes, any depreciation,
amortization or gain resulting from a disposition of such asset shall be calculated with reference
to such Carrying Value; (iii) upon an adjustment to the Carrying Value of any asset, pursuant to
the definition of Carrying Value, the amount of the adjustment shall be included as gain or loss in
computing such taxable income or loss; and (iv) any expenditures of the Partnership not deductible
in computing taxable income or loss, not properly capitalizable and not otherwise taken into
account in computing Net Income (Loss) pursuant to this definition shall be treated as deductible
items.
“Non-citizen Assignee” means a Person whom the General Partner has determined in its sole
discretion does not constitute an Eligible Citizen and as to whose Partnership Interest the General
Partner has become the Limited Partner, pursuant to Section 4.8.
“Notice of Election to Purchase” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 15.1(b).
“Opinion of Counsel” means a written opinion of counsel (who may be regular counsel to the
Partnership or the General Partner or any of its Affiliates) acceptable to the General Partner.
5
“Outstanding” means, with respect to Limited Partner Interests, all Limited Partner Interests
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 class of
Outstanding Common Units, all Common Units owned by such Person or Group shall not be entitled to
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 Common Units so owned 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); provided further that the foregoing
limitation shall not apply (i) to any Person or
Group who acquired 20% or more of any Outstanding Common Units of any class then Outstanding
directly from the General Partner or its Affiliates, (ii) to any Person or Group who acquired 20%
or more of any Outstanding Common Units of any class then Outstanding directly or indirectly from a
Person or Group described in clause (i) provided that the General Partner shall have notified such
Person or Group in writing that such limitation shall not apply 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.
“Partners” means the General Partner and the Limited Partners.
“Partnership” means Soleil Capital L.P., a Delaware limited partnership.
“Partnership Group” means the Partnership and its Subsidiaries treated as a single
consolidated entity.
“Partnership Interest” means an interest in the Partnership, which shall include the General
Partner Interests and Limited Partner Interests.
“Partnership Security” means any equity interest in the Partnership (but excluding any
options, rights, warrants and appreciation rights relating to an equity interest in the
Partnership), including without limitation, Common Units, Special Voting Units and General Partner
Units.
6
“Percentage Interest” means, as of any date of determination, (i) as to any holder of Common
Units in its capacity as such, the product obtained by multiplying (a) 100% less the percentage
applicable to the Units referred to in clause (iv) by (b) the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the
number of Common Units held by such holder by (y) the total number of all Outstanding Common Units,
(ii) as to any holder of General Partner Units in its capacity as such with respect to such General
Partner Units, 0%, (iii) as to any holder of Special Voting Units in its capacity as such with
respect to such Special Voting Units, 0%, and (iv) as to any holder of other Units in its capacity
as such with respect to such Units, the percentage established for such Units by the General
Partner as a part of the issuance of such Units.
“Person” means an individual or a corporation, limited liability company, partnership, joint
venture, trust, unincorporated organization, association (including any group, organization,
co-tenanacy, plan, board, council or committee), government (including a country, state, county, or
any other governmental or political subdivision, agency or instrumentality thereof) or other entity
(or series thereof).
“Pro Rata” means (a) when modifying Units or any class thereof, apportioned equally among all
designated Units, and (b) when modifying Partners or Record Holders, apportioned among all Partners
or Record Holders, as the case may be, in accordance with their relative Percentage Interests.
“Purchase Date” means the date determined by the General Partner as the date for purchase of
all Outstanding Units of a certain class (other than Units owned by the General Partner and its
Affiliates) pursuant to Article XV.
“Quarter” means, unless the context requires otherwise, a fiscal quarter of the Partnership,
or with respect to the first fiscal quarter of the Partnership after the Closing Date the portion
of such fiscal quarter after the Closing Date.
“Record Date” means the date established by the General Partner in its sole discretion 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 to
participate in any offer.
“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 other
Partnership Interests, the Person in whose name any such 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 4.9.
“Registration Statement” means the Registration Statement on Form S-4 (Registration No.
) 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 issuance of
the Common Units in the Initial Offering.
“Resident of Japan” means a natural person having his or her place of domicile or residence in
Japan, or a juridical person having its main office in Japan as defined in Item 5, Paragraph 1,
Article 6 of Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade law of Japan (Law no. 228,1949).
“Securities Act” means the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, supplemented or restated
from time to time and any successor to such statute.
7
“Securities Exchange Act” means the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended,
supplemented or restated from time to time and any successor to such statute.
“Shareholders” means the Common Stockholders of the Corporation.
“Special Approval” means either (a) approval by the sole member or by a majority of the
members of the Conflicts Committee, as applicable or (b) approval by the vote of the Record Holders
of a majority of the voting power of the Voting Units (excluding Voting Units owned by the General
Partner and its Affiliates).
“Special Voting Unit” means a Partnership Interest having the rights and obligations specified
with respect to Special Voting Units in this Agreement. For the avoidance of doubt, holders of
Special Voting Units, in their capacity as such, shall not be entitled to receive distributions by
the Partnership and shall not be allocated income, gain, loss, deduction or credit of the
Partnership.
“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, (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 or (d) any other Person the financial information
of which is consolidated by such Person for financial reporting purposes under U.S. GAAP.
“Surviving Business Entity” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 14.2(b).
“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 Common Units; provided that if no Transfer Agent is
specifically designated for any other Partnership Securities, the General Partner shall act in such
capacity.
“Unit” means a Partnership Interest that is designated as a “Unit” and shall include Common
Units, Special Voting Units and General Partner Units.
“Unitholders” means the holders of Units.
“U.S. GAAP” means U.S. generally accepted accounting principles consistently applied.
“Voting Unit” means a Common Unit , a Special Voting Unit and any other Partnership Interest
that is designated as a “Voting Unit” from time to time.
“Withdrawal Opinion of Counsel” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 11.1(b).
SECTION 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) the terms “include,” “includes,” “including” or
words of like import shall be deemed to be followed by the words “without
limitation;” and the terms “hereof,” “herein” or “hereunder refer to this Agreement as a whole and
not to any particular provision of this Agreement. The table of contents and headings contained in
this Agreement are for reference purposes only, and shall not affect in any way the meaning or
interpretation of this Agreement.
ARTICLE II
ORGANIZATION
SECTION 2.1. Formation.
The Partnership has been previously formed as a limited partnership pursuant to the filing of
the Certificate of Limited Partnership with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on June
19, 2009, pursuant to the provisions of the Delaware Limited Partnership Act. Except as expressly
provided to the contrary in this Agreement, the rights, duties (including fiduciary duties),
liabilities and obligations of the Partners and the administration, dissolution and termination of
the Partnership shall be governed by the Delaware Limited Partnership Act. All Partnership
Interests shall constitute personal property of the owner thereof for all purposes and a Partner
has no interest in specific Partnership property.
SECTION 2.2. Name.
The name of the Partnership shall be “Soleil Capital L.P.” The Partnership’s business may be
conducted under any other name or names as determined by the General Partner in its sole
discretion, including the name of the General Partner. The words “Limited Partnership,” “LP,”
“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 may change the name of the Partnership at any time and from time to time by filing
an amendment to the Certificate of Limited Partnership (and upon any such filing this Agreement
shall be deemed automatically amended to change the name of the Partnership)
and shall notify the Limited Partners of such change in the next regular communication to the
Limited Partners.
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SECTION 2.3. Registered Office; Registered Agent; Principal Office; Other Offices.
Unless and until changed by the General Partner by filing an amendment to the Certificate of
Limited Partnership (and upon any such filing this Agreement shall be deemed automatically amended
to change the registered office and the registered agent of the Partnership) the registered office
of the Partnership in the State of Delaware is located at 0000 Xxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx
00000, and the registered agent for service of process on the Partnership in the State of Delaware
at such registered office is The Corporation Trust Company. The principal office of the Partnership
is located at 0000 Xxxxxxxxx Xxxx. Xxxxx 000 Xxxxxxxxx, XX 33020.or such other place as the General
Partner in its sole discretion 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
is 0000 Xxxxxxxxx Xxxx. Xxxxx 000 Xxxxxxxxx, XX 00000. or such other place as the General Partner
may from time to time designate by notice to
the Limited Partners.
SECTION 2.4. Purpose and Business.
The purpose and nature of the business to be conducted by the Partnership shall be to (a)
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 is
approved by the General Partner in its sole discretion and that lawfully may be conducted by a
limited partnership organized pursuant to the Delaware Limited Partnership 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 (b) do anything necessary or appropriate to the
foregoing, including the making of capital contributions or loans to a Group Member. To the fullest
extent permitted by law, the General Partner shall have no duty or obligation to propose or
approve, and may decline to propose or approve, the conduct by the Partnership of any business free
of any duty (including any fiduciary duty) or obligation whatsoever to the Partnership or any
Limited Partner or Record Holder and, in declining to so propose or approve, shall not be deemed to
have breached this Agreement, any other agreement contemplated hereby, the Delaware Limited
Partnership Act or any other provision of law, rule or regulation or equity.
SECTION 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.
SECTION 2.6. Power of Attorney.
(a) Each Limited Partner and Record Holder hereby constitutes and appoints the General
Partner and, if a Liquidator (other than the General Partner) 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 managers and 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 xxxxx, 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 determines to be 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;
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(B) all certificates, documents and other instruments that the General Partner
or the Liquidator determines to be 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
determines to be necessary or appropriate to reflect the dissolution and
termination of the Partnership pursuant to the terms of this Agreement; (D) all
certificates, documents and other instruments (including this Agreement and the
Certificate of Limited Partnership and all amendments or restatements hereof or
thereof) relating to the admission, withdrawal, removal or substitution of any
Partner pursuant to, or other events described in, this Agreement (including,
without limitation, issuance and cancellations of Special Voting Units pursuant
to Section 5.5); (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 or consolidation or similar certificate) relating to a
merger, consolidation, combination or conversion of the Partnership pursuant to
Article XIV; and
(ii) execute, swear to, acknowledge, deliver, file
and record all ballots, consents, approvals, waivers, certificates, documents
and other instruments that the General Partner or the Liquidator determines to
be necessary or appropriate to (A) 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 (B) 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
certain 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 such percentage 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, shall not be
affected by the subsequent death, incompetency, disability, incapacity, dissolution, bankruptcy or
termination of any Limited Partner or Record Holder and the transfer of all or any portion of such
Limited Partner’s or Record Holder’s Partnership Interest and shall extend to such Limited
Partner’s or Record Holder’s heirs, successors, assigns and personal representatives. Each such
Limited Partner or Record Holder 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 Record Holder, 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
and Record Holder 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 may request in order to effectuate this
Agreement and the purposes of the Partnership.
SECTION 2.7. Term.
The term of the Partnership commenced upon the filing of the Certificate of Limited
Partnership in accordance with the Delaware Limited Partnership Act and shall continue until the
dissolution of the Partnership in accordance with the provisions of Article XII. The existence of
the Partnership as a separate legal entity shall continue until the cancellation of the Certificate
of Limited Partnership as provided in the Delaware Limited Partnership Act.
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SECTION 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,
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 in its sole
discretion 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.
SECTION 2.9. Certain Undertakings Relating to the Separateness of the Partnership.
(a) Separateness Generally. The Partnership shall conduct its business and operations
separate and apart from those of any other Person (other than the General Partner) in accordance
with this Section 2.9.
(b) Separate Records. The Partnership shall maintain (i) its books and records, (ii) its
accounts, and (iii) its financial statements separate from those of any other Person except its
consolidated Subsidiaries.
(c) No Effect. Failure by the General Partner or the Partnership to comply with any of the
obligations set forth above shall not affect the status of the Partnership as a separate legal
entity, with its separate assets and separate liabilities.
ARTICLE III
RIGHTS OF LIMITED PARTNERS
SECTION 3.1. Limitation of Liability.
The Limited Partners shall have no liability under this Agreement except as expressly provided
in this Agreement or the Delaware Limited Partnership Act.
SECTION 3.2. Management of Business.
No Limited Partner, in its capacity as such, shall participate in the operation, management or
control (within the meaning of the Delaware Limited Partnership 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, manager,
member, general partner, agent or trustee of the General Partner or any of its Affiliates, or any
officer, director, employee, manager, member, general partner, agent or trustee 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 Limited Partnership Act) and shall not affect, impair or eliminate the limitations on the liability of the Limited
Partners under this Agreement.
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SECTION 3.3. Outside Activities of the Limited Partners.
Any Limited Partner 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 shall have any rights by virtue of this Agreement in any business ventures of
any Limited Partner.
SECTION 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 stating the purpose of such demand and at such Limited Partner’s own expense:
• | (i) | promptly after its becoming available, to obtain a copy of the Partnership’s U.S. federal, state and local income tax returns for each year; and |
• | (ii) | to obtain 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. |
(b) The General Partner may keep confidential from the Limited Partners, for such period of
time as the General Partner determines in its sole discretion, (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 believes (A) is not in the best interests of the
Partnership Group, (B) could damage the Partnership Group or its business 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 of the Partnership the primary purpose of which is to circumvent the
obligations set forth in this Section 3.4).
ARTICLE IV
CERTIFICATES; RECORD HOLDERS; TRANSFER OF PARTNERSHIP INTERESTS; REDEMPTION OF PARTNERSHIP INTERESTS
CERTIFICATES; RECORD HOLDERS; TRANSFER OF PARTNERSHIP INTERESTS; REDEMPTION OF PARTNERSHIP INTERESTS
SECTION 4.1. Certificates.
Notwithstanding anything otherwise to the contrary herein, unless the General Partner shall
determine otherwise in respect of some or all of any or all classes of Partnership Interests,
Partnership Interests shall not be evidenced by certificates. Certificates that may be issued shall
be executed on behalf of the Partnership by the General Partner (and by any appropriate officer of
the General Partner on behalf of the General Partner).
No Certificate evidencing Common Units shall be valid for any purpose until it has been
countersigned by the Transfer Agent; provided however that if the General Partner elects to issue
Certificates evidencing Common Units in global form, the Certificates evidencing Common Units shall
be valid upon receipt of a certificate from the Transfer Agent certifying that the Certificates
evidencing Common Units have been duly registered in accordance with the directions of the
Partnership.
SECTION 4.2. Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Certificates.
(a) If any mutilated Certificate evidencing Common Units is surrendered to the Transfer
Agent or any mutilated Certificate evidencing other Partnership Securities is surrendered to the
General Partner, the appropriate officers of the General Partner on behalf of the General Partner
on behalf of the Partnership shall execute, and, if applicable, the Transfer Agent shall countersign and deliver in
exchange therefor, a new Certificate evidencing the same number and type of Partnership Securities
as the Certificate so surrendered.
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(b) The appropriate officers of the General Partner on behalf of the General Partner on
behalf of the Partnership shall execute and deliver, and, if applicable, the Transfer Agent shall
countersign a new Certificate in place of any Certificate previously issued if the Record Holder of
the Certificate:
• | (i) | makes proof by affidavit, in form and substance satisfactory to the General Partner, that a previously issued Certificate has been lost, destroyed or stolen; |
• | (ii) | requests the issuance of a new Certificate before the General Partner has notice that the Certificate has been acquired by a purchaser for value in good faith and without notice of an adverse claim; |
• | (iii) | if requested by the General Partner, delivers to the General Partner a bond, in form and substance satisfactory to the General Partner, with surety or sureties and with fixed or open penalty as the General Partner, in its sole discretion, may direct to indemnify the Partnership, the Partners, the General Partner and, if applicable, 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 General Partner. |
If a Record Holder fails to notify the General Partner within a reasonable period of time
after he has notice of the loss, destruction or theft of a Certificate, and a transfer of the
Limited Partner Interests represented by the Certificate is registered before the Partnership, the
General Partner or the Transfer Agent receives such notification, the Record Holder shall be
precluded from making any claim against the Partnership, the General Partner or the
Transfer Agent for such transfer or for a new Certificate.
(c) As a condition to the issuance of any new Certificate under this Section 4.2, the
General Partner 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, if applicable) reasonably connected therewith.
SECTION 4.3. Record Holders.
The Partnership shall be entitled to recognize the Record Holder as the owner 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 such Partnership Interests 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 Partnership Interests, as between the
Partnership on the one hand, and such other Persons on the other, such representative Person shall
be the Record Holder of such Partnership Interest.
SECTION 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 (i) by which the General Partner assigns its General
Partner Units to another Person who becomes the General Partner, and includes a sale, assignment,
gift, pledge, encumbrance, hypothecation, mortgage, exchange, or any other disposition by law or
otherwise or (ii) by which the holder of a Limited Partner Interest assigns such Limited Partner
Interest to another Person, and includes a sale, assignment, gift, exchange or any other disposition by law or otherwise, including any transfer upon foreclosure of any
pledge, encumbrance, hypothecation or mortgage.
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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
member of the General Partner of any or all of the issued and outstanding limited liability company
or other interests in the General Partner.
SECTION 4.5. Registration and Transfer of Limited Partner Interests.
(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 Partnership will provide for the registration and transfer of
Limited Partner Interests. 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 evidencing Limited
Partner Interests unless such transfers are effected in the manner described in this Section 4.5.
Upon surrender of a Certificate for registration of transfer of any Limited Partner Interests
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 General Partner on behalf of the Partnership shall
execute and deliver, 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 and type of Limited Partner Interests as was evidenced by the Certificate so surrendered.
(b) Except as otherwise provided in Section 4.8, the Partnership shall not recognize any
transfer of Limited Partner Interests evidenced by Certificates until the Certificates evidencing
such Limited Partner Interests are surrendered for registration of transfer. No charge shall be
imposed by the General Partner for such transfer; provided that as a condition to the issuance of
any new Certificate under this Section 4.5, the General Partner may require the payment of a sum
sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed with respect thereto.
(c) Subject to (i) the foregoing provisions of this Section 4.5, (ii) Section 4.3, (iii)
Section 4.7, (iv) with respect to any series of Limited Partner Interests, the provisions of any
statement of designations or amendment to this Agreement establishing such series, (v) any
contractual provisions binding on any Limited Partner and (vi) provisions of applicable law
including the Securities Act, Limited Partnership Interests shall be freely transferable.
Partnership Interests may also be subject to any transfer restrictions contained in any employee
related policies or equity benefit plans, programs or practices adopted on behalf of the
Partnership pursuant to Section 7.4(c).
SECTION 4.6. Transfer of the General Partner’s General Partner Interest.
(a) Subject to Section 4.6(c) below, prior to June 30, 2020, the General Partner shall not
transfer all or any part of its General Partner Interest (represented by General Partner Units) to
a Person unless such transfer (i) has been approved by the prior written consent or vote of Limited
Partners holding of at least a majority of the voting power of the Outstanding Voting Units
(excluding Voting Units held by the General Partner or 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 another Person (other than an individual) or
the transfer by the General Partner of all, but not less than all, of its General Partner Interest
to another Person (other than an individual).
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(b) Subject to Section 4.6(c) below, on or after June 30, 2020, the General Partner may
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 and (ii) the Partnership receives an Opinion of
Counsel that such transfer would not result in the loss of limited liability of any Limited
Partner. 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 the General Partner effective immediately prior to the
transfer of such General Partner Interest, and the business of the Partnership shall continue
without dissolution.
SECTION 4.7. 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, or (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). Furthermore, no transfer of any
Common Units shall be made by a Resident of Japan to another Resident of Japan in any way other
than a transfer of its Common Units in whole but not in part to one (1) transferee.
(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 or advisable to avoid a
significant risk of the Partnership becoming taxable as a corporation or otherwise becoming taxable
as an entity for U.S. federal income tax purposes. 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 be
approved, prior to such amendment being effected, by the holders of at least a majority of the
Outstanding Limited Partner Interests of such class.
(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.
SECTION 4.8. Citizenship Certificates; Non-citizen Assignees.
(a) If any Group Member is or becomes subject to any law or regulation that, in the
determination of the General Partner in its sole discretion, 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 Limited Partner, the General Partner may
request any Limited Partner 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 Limited Partner 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 Limited Partner 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 the advice of counsel, that a Limited Partner is not an Eligible
Citizen, the Partnership Interests owned by such Limited Partner shall be subject to redemption in accordance with the provisions of Section 4.9. The General Partner also may require in its sole
discretion that the status of any such Limited Partner be changed to that of a Non-citizen Assignee
and, thereupon, the General Partner shall be substituted for such Non-citizen Assignee as the
Limited Partner in respect of his Limited Partner Interests.
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(b) The General Partner shall, in exercising voting rights in respect of Limited Partner
Interests held by it on behalf of Non-citizen Assignees, distribute the votes in the same ratios as
the votes of Partners (including the General Partner) in respect of Limited Partner Interests other
than those of Non-citizen Assignees are cast, either for, against or abstaining as to the matter.
(c) Upon dissolution of the Partnership, a Non-citizen Assignee shall have no right to
receive a distribution in kind pursuant to Section 12.4 but shall be entitled to the cash
equivalent thereof, and the Partnership shall provide cash in exchange for an assignment of the
Non-citizen Assignee’s share of the distribution in kind. Such payment and assignment shall be
treated for Partnership purposes as a purchase by the Partnership from the Non-citizen Assignee of
his Limited Partner Interest (representing his right to receive his share of such distribution in
kind).
(d) 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 that with respect to any
Limited Partner Interests of such Non-citizen Assignee not redeemed pursuant to Section 4.9, such
Non-citizen Assignee be admitted as a Limited Partner, and upon approval of the General Partner in
its sole discretion, such Non-citizen Assignee shall be admitted as a Limited Partner and shall no
longer constitute a Non-citizen Assignee and the General Partner shall cease to be deemed to be the
Limited Partner in respect of the Non-citizen Assignee’s Limited Partner Interests.
SECTION 4.9 Redemption of Partnership Interests of Non-citizen Assignees.
(a) If at any time a Limited Partner fails to furnish a Citizenship Certification or other
information requested within the 30-day period specified in Section 4.8(a), or if upon receipt of
such Citizenship Certification or other information the General Partner determines, with the advice
of counsel, that a Limited Partner is not an Eligible Citizen, the General Partner, in its sole
discretion, may cause the Partnership to, unless the Limited Partner establishes to the
satisfaction of the General Partner that such Limited Partner 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 Limited Partner Interest of such Limited Partner 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 Limited Partner, 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, the date fixed for redemption, the place of payment, that payment of the redemption price will be made upon the redemption of the Redeemable Interests (or, if later in the case of Redeemable Interests evidenced by Certificates, upon surrender of the Certificates evidencing such Redeemable Interests) and that on and after the date fixed for redemption no further allocations or distributions to which the Limited Partner 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 Limited Partner Interests of the class to be so redeemed multiplied by the number of Limited Partner Interests of each such class included among the Redeemable Interests. The redemption price shall be paid as determined by the General Partner in its sole discretion, 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 2% annually and payable in three equal annual installments of principal together with accrued interest, commencing one year after the redemption date. |
• | (iii) | The Limited Partner or his duly authorized representative shall be entitled to receive the payment for Redeemable Interests at the place of payment specified in the notice of redemption on the redemption date (or, if later in the case of Redeemable Interests evidenced by Certificates, upon surrender by or on behalf of the Limited Partner, at the place specified in the notice of redemption, of the Certificates, evidencing the Redeemable Interests, duly endorsed in blank or accompanied by an assignment duly executed in blank). |
• | (iv) | After the redemption date, Redeemable Interests shall no longer constitute issued and Outstanding Limited Partner Interests. |
(b) The provisions of this Section 4.9 shall also be applicable to Limited Partner Interests
held by a Limited Partner as nominee of a Person determined to be other than an Eligible Citizen.
(c) Nothing in this Section 4.9 shall prevent the recipient of a notice of redemption from
transferring his Limited Partner Interest 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 Limited Partner Interest
certifies to the satisfaction of the General Partner in a Citizenship Certification 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
SECTION 5.1 Organizational Issuances.
Upon issuance by the Partnership of Common Units on the Closing Date of the Initial Offering,
the Corporation’s Common Stock may be cancelled, at the discretion of the Partnership.
SECTION 5.2 Contributions by the General Partner and its Affiliates.
The General Partner shall not be obligated to make any Capital Contributions to the
Partnership.
SECTION
5.3 [Reserved]
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SECTION 5.4 Interest and Withdrawal.
No interest on Capital Contributions shall be paid by the Partnership. No Partner 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 dissolution 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 shall have priority over any other Partner
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 agree within the meaning of Section
17-502(b) of the
Delaware Limited Partnership Act.
SECTION 5.5 Issuances and Cancellations of Special Voting Units.
(a) Upon the issuance to it of a Special Voting Unit, each holder thereof shall
automatically and without further action be admitted to the Partnership as a limited partner of the
Partnership.
SECTION 5.6 Issuances of Additional Partnership Securities.
(a) The Partnership may issue additional Partnership Securities and options, rights,
warrants and appreciation rights relating to 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 the General Partner shall determine in its sole discretion, all without the approval
of any Limited Partners, including pursuant to Section 7.4(c).
(b) Each additional Partnership Interest authorized to be issued by the Partnership pursuant
to Section 5.6(a) or Section 7.4(c) 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 its sole discretion, including (i) the right to share in 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 or shall be required to redeem the Partnership Security (including sinking fund
provisions); (v) whether such Partnership Interest 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 Interest will be issued, evidenced by certificates and
assigned or transferred; (vii) the method for determining the Percentage Interest as to such
Partnership Security; and (viii) the right, if any, of the holder of each such Partnership Interest
to vote on Partnership matters, including matters relating to the relative designations,
preferences, rights, powers and duties of such Partnership Interest.
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(c) The General Partner is hereby authorized to take all actions that it determines to be
necessary or appropriate in connection with (i) each issuance of Partnership Securities and
options, rights, warrants and appreciation rights relating to Partnership Securities pursuant to
this Section 5.6 or Section 7.4(c), including the admission of additional Limited Partners in
connection therewith and any related amendment of this Agreement, and (ii) all additional issuances
of Partnership Securities and options, rights, warrants and appreciation rights relating to
Partnership Securities. The General Partner shall determine in its sole discretion the relative
rights, powers and duties of the holders of the Units or other Partnership Securities or options,
rights, warrants or appreciation rights relating to Partnership Securities being so issued. The
General Partner is authorized to do all things that it determines to be necessary or appropriate in
connection with any future issuance of Partnership Securities or options, rights, warrants or
appreciation rights relating to Partnership Securities, including compliance with any statute,
rule, regulation or guideline of any governmental agency or any National Securities Exchange on
which the Units or other Partnership Securities or options, rights, warrants or appreciation rights
relating to Partnership Securities are listed for trading.
SECTION 5.7 Preemptive Rights.
Unless otherwise determined by the General Partner, in its sole discretion, 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.
SECTION 5.8 Splits and Combinations.
(a) Subject to Section 5.8(d), 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 or
options, rights, warrants or appreciation rights relating to 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 or options, rights, warrants or appreciation rights relating
to 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.
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(c) Promptly following any such distribution, subdivision or combination, the Partnership
may issue Certificates to the Record Holders of Partnership Securities or options, rights, warrants
or appreciation rights relating to Partnership Securities as of the applicable Record Date
representing the new number of Partnership Securities or options, rights, warrants or appreciation
rights relating to Partnership Securities held by such Record Holders, or the General Partner may
adopt such other procedures that it determines to be necessary or appropriate to reflect such
changes. If any such combination results in a smaller total number of Partnership Securities
Outstanding or outstanding options, rights, warrants or appreciation rights relating to Partnership
Securities, the Partnership shall require, as a condition to the delivery to a Record Holder of any
such new Certificate, the surrender of any Certificate held by such Record Holder immediately prior
to such Record Date.
(d) The Partnership shall not be required to 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 this Section 5.8(d), the
General Partner in its sole discretion may determine that each fractional Unit shall be rounded to
the nearest whole Unit (and a 0.5 Unit shall be rounded to the next higher Unit).
SECTION 5.9 Fully Paid and Non-Assessable Nature of Limited Partner Interests.
All Limited Partner Interests issued pursuant to, and in accordance with the requirements of,
this Article V shall be fully paid and non-assessable Limited Partner Interests in the Partnership,
except as such non-assessability may be affected by Sections 17-607 or 17-804 of the Delaware
Limited Partnership Act or this Agreement.
ARTICLE VI ALLOCATIONS AND DISTRIBUTIONS
SECTION 6.1 Maintenance of Capital Accounts.
There shall be established for each Partner on the books of the Partnership as of the date
such Partner becomes a Partner a capital account (each being a “Capital Account”). Each Capital
Contribution by any Partner, if any, shall be credited to the Capital Account of such Partner on
the date such Capital Contribution is made to the Partnership. In addition, each Partner’s Capital
Account shall be (a) credited with (i) such Partner’s allocable share of any Net Income of the
Partnership, and (ii) the amount of any Partnership liabilities that are assumed by the Partner or
secured by any Partnership property distributed to the Partner, (b) debited with (i) the amount of
distributions (and deemed distributions) to such Partner of cash or the fair market value of other
property so distributed, (ii) such Partner’s allocable share of Net Loss of the Partnership and
expenditures of the Partnership described or treated under Section 704(b) of the Code as described
in Section 705(a)(2)(B) of the Code, and (iii) the amount of any liabilities of the Partner assumed
by the Partnership or which are secured by any property contributed by the Partner to the
Partnership and (c) otherwise maintained in accordance with the provisions of the Code and the
United States Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder. Any other item which is required to be
reflected in a Partner’s Capital Account under Section 704(b) of the Code and the United States
Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder or otherwise under this Agreement shall be so
reflected. The General Partner shall make such adjustments to Capital Accounts as it determines in
its sole discretion to be appropriate to ensure allocations are made in accordance with a partner’s
interest in the Partnership. Interest shall not be payable on Capital Account balances.
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, the General Partner shall
maintain the Capital Accounts of the Partners in accordance with the principles and requirements
set forth in Section 704(b) of the Code and the United States Treasury Regulations promulgated
thereunder. The Capital Account of each holder of General Partner Units or Special Voting Units
shall at all times be zero, except to the extent such holder also holds Partnership Interests other
than General Partner Units or Special Voting Units.
SECTION 6.2 Allocations.
(a) Net Income (Loss) of the Partnership for each Fiscal Period shall be allocated among the
Capital Accounts of the Partners in a manner that as closely as possible gives economic effect the
manner in which distributions are made to the Partners pursuant to the provisions of Sections 6.3
and 12.4, giving due regard to the penultimate sentence of Sections 6.1 and 6.2(b) and other relevant
provisions hereof.
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(b) All items of income, gain, loss, deduction and credit of the Partnership shall be
allocated among the Partners for U.S. federal, state and local income tax purposes consistent with
the manner that the corresponding constituent items of Net Income (Loss) shall be allocated among
the Partners pursuant to this Agreement, except as may otherwise be provided herein or by the Code.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the General Partner in its sole discretion shall make such
allocations for tax purposes as may be needed to ensure that allocations are in accordance with the
interests of the Partners in the Partnership, within the meaning of the Code and United States
Treasury Regulations. The General Partner shall determine all matters concerning allocations for
tax purposes not expressly provided for herein in its sole discretion. For the proper
administration of the Partnership and for the preservation of
uniformity of Partnership Interests (or any portion or class or classes thereof), the General
Partner may (i) amend the provisions of this Agreement as appropriate (x) to reflect the proposal
or promulgation of United States Treasury Regulations under Section 704(b) or Section 704(c) of the
Code or (y) otherwise to preserve or achieve uniformity of Partnership Interests (or any portion or
class or classes thereof), and (ii) adopt and employ or modify such conventions and methods as the
General Partner determines in its sole discretion to be appropriate for (A) the determination for
tax purposes of items of income, gain, loss, deduction and credit and the allocation of such items
among Partners and between transferors and transferees under this Agreement and pursuant to the
Code and the United States Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder, (B) the determination of
the identities and tax classification of Partners, (C) the valuation of Partnership assets and the
determination of tax basis, (D) the allocation of asset values and tax basis, (E) the adoption and
maintenance of accounting methods and (F) taking into account differences between the Carrying
Values of Partnership assets and such asset adjusted tax basis pursuant to Section 704(c) of the
Code and the United States Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder.
(c) Allocations that would otherwise be made to a Partner under the provisions of this
Article VI shall instead be made to the 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 determined by the General Partner
in its sole discretion.
SECTION 6.3. Requirement and Characterization of Distributions; Distributions to Record
Holders.
(a) The General Partner, in its sole discretion, may authorize distributions by the
Partnership to the Partners, which distributions shall be made Pro Rata in accordance with the
Partners’ respective Percentage Interests.
(b) The General Partner may 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 cash to such
Partners.
(c) Notwithstanding Section 6.3(a), in the event of the dissolution of the Partnership, all
receipts received during or after the Quarter in which the Liquidation Date occurs shall be applied
and distributed solely in accordance with, and subject to the terms and conditions of, Section
12.4.
(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) Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary contained in this Agreement, the
Partnership, and the General Partner on behalf of the Partnership, shall not be required to make a
distribution to a Partner or a Record Holder if such distribution would violate the Delaware
Limited Partnership Act or other applicable law.
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ARTICLE VII
MANAGEMENT AND OPERATION OF BUSINESS
SECTION 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 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 that 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 determines, in its sole discretion, to be 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 without limitation 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, including indebtedness that is convertible or exchangeable into Partnership Securities or options, rights, warrants or appreciation rights relating to Partnership Securities, 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 and Article XIV); |
• | (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; subject to Section 7.6(a), the lending of funds to other Persons; the repayment or guarantee of obligations of any Group Member and the making of capital contributions to any Group Member; |
• | (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 their 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); |
• | (vi) | the distribution of Partnership cash; |
• | (vii) | the selection and dismissal of employees (including employees having titles such as “president,” “vice president,” “secretary,” “treasurer” or any other titles the General Partner in its sole discretion may determine) 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 insurance for the benefit of the Partnership Group, the Partners and Indemnitees; |
• | (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, limited liability companies, corporations or other relationships (including the acquisition of interests in, and the contributions of property to, the Partnership’s Subsidiaries from time to time) subject to the restrictions set forth in Section 2.4; |
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• | (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, arbitration or mediation 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 Limited Partner Interests from, or requesting that trading be suspended on, any such exchange (subject to any prior approval that may be required under Section 4.7); |
• | (xiii) | the purchase, sale or other acquisition or disposition of Partnership Securities or options, rights, warrants or appreciation rights relating to Partnership Securities; |
• | (xiv) | the undertaking of any action in connection with the Partnership’s participation in the management of the Partnership Group through its directors, officers or employees or the Partnership’s direct or indirect ownership of the Group Members, including, without limitation, all things described in or contemplated by the Registration Statement and the agreements described in or filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement; and |
• | (xv) | cause to be registered for resale under the Securities Act and applicable state or non-U.S. securities laws, any securities of, or any securities convertible or exchangeable into securities of, the Partnership held by any Person, including the General Partner or any Affiliate of the General Partner. |
(b) In exercising its authority under this Agreement, the General Partner may, but shall be
under no obligation to, take into account the tax consequences to any Partner (including the
General Partner) of any action taken (or not taken) by it. The General Partner and the Partnership
shall not have any liability to a Limited Partner for monetary damages or otherwise for losses
sustained, liabilities incurred or benefits not derived by such Limited Partner in connection with
such decisions so long as the General Partner has acted pursuant to its authority under this
Agreement.
(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the Delaware Limited Partnership
Act or any applicable law, rule or regulation, each of the Partners and each other Person who may
acquire an interest in Partnership Securities hereby 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 any other Persons under this Agreement
(or any other agreements) or of any duty existing at law, in equity or otherwise.
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SECTION 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 Limited Partnership Act and
shall use all reasonable efforts to cause to be filed such other certificates or documents that the
General Partner determines to be 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 the General Partner determines
such action to be 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.
In the event that the General Partner determines the Partnership should seek relief pursuant
to Section 7704(e) of the Code to preserve the status of the Partnership as a partnership for U.S.
federal (and applicable state) income tax purposes, the Partnership and each Partner shall agree to
adjustments required by the tax authorities, and the Partnership shall pay such amounts as required
by the tax authorities, to preserve the status of the Partnership as a partnership.
SECTION 7.3. Restrictions on General Partner’s Authority.
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 Group’s assets, taken as a whole,
in a single transaction or a series of related transactions without the approval of holders of a
majority of the voting power of Outstanding Voting Units; provided however that this provision
shall not preclude or limit the General Partner’s ability, in its sole discretion, to mortgage,
pledge, hypothecate or grant a security interest in all or substantially all of the assets of the
Partnership Group (including for the benefit of Persons other than members of the Partnership
Group, including Affiliates of the General Partner) 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. Without the approval of holders of a majority of the voting power of
Outstanding Voting Units, the General Partner shall not, on behalf of the Partnership, 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 Partnership.
SECTION 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 or managing member 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 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), and (ii) all other expenses allocable to the
Partnership Group or otherwise incurred by the General Partner in connection with operating the
Partnership Group’s business (including expenses allocated to the General Partner by its
Affiliates). The General Partner in its sole discretion shall determine the expenses that are
allocable to the Partnership Group. 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.
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(c) The General Partner may, in its sole discretion, without the approval of the Limited
Partners (who shall have no right to vote in respect thereof), propose and adopt on behalf of the
Partnership Group equity benefit plans, programs and practices (including plans, programs and
practices involving the issuance of or reservation of issuance of Partnership Securities or
options, rights, warrants or appreciation rights relating to Partnership Securities), or cause the
Partnership to issue or to reserve for issuance Partnership Securities or options, rights, warrants
or appreciation rights relating to Partnership Securities in connection with, or pursuant to, any
such equity benefit plan, program or practice or any equity benefit plan, program or practice
maintained or sponsored by the General Partner or any of its Affiliates 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 Securities or
options, rights, warrants or appreciation rights relating to Partnership Securities that the
General Partner or such Affiliates are obligated to provide pursuant to any equity benefit plans,
programs or practices maintained or sponsored by them. 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 Securities or options, rights, warrants or appreciation
rights relating to Partnership Securities purchased by the General Partner or such Affiliates from
the Partnership to fulfill options or awards under such plans, programs and practices) shall be
reimbursed in accordance with Section 7.4(b). Any and all obligations of the General Partner under
any equity benefit plans, programs or 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 General
Partner Interest.
SECTION 7.5. Outside Activities.
(a) After the Closing Date, the General Partner, for so long as it is a General Partner of
the Partnership (i) agrees that its sole business will be to act as a general partner or managing
member of the Partnership and any other partnership or limited liability company of which the
Partnership is, directly or indirectly, a partner or member and to undertake activities that are
ancillary or related thereto (including being a limited partner in the Partnership) and (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 or managing member 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.
(b) Except insofar as the General Partner is specifically restricted by Section 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 otherwise existing at law, in equity or otherwise
to any Group Member or any Partner or Record Holder. None of any Group Member, any Limited Partner
or any other Person shall have any rights by virtue of this Agreement or the partnership
relationship established hereby in any business ventures of any Indemnitee.
(c) Subject to the terms of Section 7.5(a) and Section 7.5(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 or any other Indemnitee’s duties or any other obligation of any type
whatsoever of the General Partner or any other Indemnitee for the Indemnitee (other than the
General Partner) to engage in such business interests and activities in preference to or to the
exclusion of any Group Member, (iii) the General Partner and the Indemnities shall have no
obligation hereunder or as a result of any duty otherwise existing at law, in equity or otherwise
to present business opportunities to any Group Member and (iv) the doctrine of “corporate
opportunity” or other analogous doctrine shall not apply to any such Indemnitee.
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(d) The General Partner and any of its Affiliates may acquire Units or other Partnership
Securities or options, rights, warrants or appreciation rights relating to Partnership Securities
and, except as otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement, shall be entitled to exercise all
rights of a General Partner or Limited Partner, as applicable, relating to such Units or
Partnership Securities or options, rights, warrants or appreciation rights relating to Partnership
Securities.
SECTION 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 of its Affiliates may, but shall be under no obligation to,
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, in each case on terms that are fair and reasonable to the Partnership;
provided however that the requirements of this Section 7.6(a) conclusively shall be deemed
satisfied and not a breach of any duty hereunder or existing at law, in equity or otherwise as to
any transaction (i) approved by Special Approval, (ii) the terms of which are no less favorable to
the Partnership than those generally being provided to or available from unrelated third parties or
(iii) that is fair and reasonable to the Partnership, taking into account the totality of the
relationships between the parties involved (including other transactions that may be or have been
particularly favorable or advantageous to the Partnership).
(b) Any Group Member (including the Partnership) may lend or contribute to any other Group
Member, and any Group Member may borrow from any other Group Member (including the Partnership),
funds on terms and conditions determined by the General Partner. 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) conclusively shall be
deemed satisfied and not a breach of any duty hereunder or existing at law, in equity or otherwise
as to any transaction (i) approved by Special Approval, (ii) the terms of which are no less
favorable to the Partnership than those generally being provided to or available from unrelated
third parties or (iii) that is fair and reasonable to the Partnership, taking into account the
totality of the relationships between the parties involved (including other transactions that may
be or have been particularly favorable or advantageous to the Partnership). The provisions of
Section 7.4 shall apply to the rendering of services described in this Section 7.6(c).
(d) The Partnership 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.
(e) The General Partner or any of its Affiliates may sell, transfer or convey any property
to, or purchase any property from, the Partnership, directly or indirectly, pursuant to
transactions that are fair and reasonable to the Partnership; provided however that the
requirements of this Section 7.6(e) conclusively shall be deemed to be satisfied and not a breach
of any duty hereunder or existing at law, in equity or otherwise as to (i) the transactions
effected pursuant to Section 5.3 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 is fair and reasonable to
the Partnership, taking into account the totality of the relationships between the parties involved
(including other transactions that may be or have been particularly favorable or advantageous to
the Partnership). With respect to any contribution of assets to the Partnership in exchange for
Partnership
Securities or options, rights, warrants or appreciation rights relating to Partnership Securities,
the Conflicts Committee, in determining whether the appropriate number of Partnership Securities or
options, rights, warrants or appreciation rights relating to Partnership Securities 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 Conflicts
Committee deems relevant under the circumstances.
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(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.
SECTION 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 threatened, pending or completed claims, demands, actions, suits or
proceedings, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, and whether formal or
informal and including appeals, 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 whether arising from
acts or omissions to act occurring before or after the date of this Agreement; provided that the
Indemnitee shall not be indemnified and held harmless if there has been a final and non-appealable
judgment entered by a court of competent jurisdiction determining that, in respect of the matter
for which the Indemnitee is seeking indemnification pursuant to this Section 7.7, the Indemnitee
acted in bad faith or engaged in fraud or willful misconduct. Notwithstanding the preceding
sentence, except as otherwise provided in Section 7.7(j), the Partnership shall be required to
indemnify a person described in such sentence in connection with any action, suit or proceeding (or
part thereof) commenced by such person only if the commencement of such action, suit or proceeding
(or part thereof) by such person was authorized by the General Partner in its sole discretion.
(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 appearing at,
participating in or defending any claim, demand, action, suit or proceeding shall, from time to
time, be advanced by the Partnership prior to a final and non-appealable determination that the
Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified upon receipt by the Partnership of an undertaking by
or on behalf of the Indemnitee to repay such amount if it ultimately shall be determined that the
Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified as authorized in this Section 7.7. Notwithstanding the
preceding sentence, except as otherwise provided in Section 7.7(j), the Partnership shall be
required to indemnify a person described in such sentence in connection with any action, suit or
proceeding (or part thereof) commenced by such person only if the commencement of such action, suit
or proceeding (or part thereof) by such person was authorized by the General Partner in its sole
discretion.
(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 Voting Units entitled to vote on such matter, as a matter of law, in equity
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.
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(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, the
Indemnitees and such other Persons as the General Partner shall determine in its sole discretion,
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, (i) 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; (ii) 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 (iii) any action taken or omitted by an Indemnitee with respect to
any employee benefit plan in the performance of its duties for a purpose reasonably believed by it
to be in the best interest of the participants and beneficiaries of the plan shall be deemed to be
for a purpose that is in the best interests of the Partnership.
(f) 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. 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.
(h) The provisions of this Section 7.7 are for the benefit of the Indemnitees and their
heirs, successors, assigns, executors 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.
(j) If a claim for indemnification (following the final disposition of the action, suit or
proceeding for which indemnification is being sought) or advancement of expenses under this Section
7.7 is not paid in full within thirty (30) days after a written claim therefor by any Indemnitee
has been received by the Partnership, such Indemnitee may file suit to recover the unpaid amount of
such claim and, if successful in whole or in part, shall be entitled to be paid the expenses of
prosecuting such claim, including reasonable attorneys’ fees. In any such action the Partnership
shall have the burden of proving that such Indemnitee is not entitled to the requested
indemnification or advancement of expenses under applicable law.
(k) This Section 7.7 shall not limit the right of the Partnership, to the extent and in the
manner permitted by law, to indemnify and to advance expenses to, and purchase and maintain
insurance on behalf of, Persons other than Indemnitees.
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SECTION 7.8. Liability of Indemnitees.
(a) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth in this Agreement, no Indemnitee
shall be liable to the Partnership, the Limited Partners or any other Persons who have acquired
interests in the Partnership Securities, for any losses, claims, damages, liabilities, joint or
several, expenses (including legal fees and expenses), judgments, fines, penalties, interest,
settlements or other amounts arising as a result of any act or omission of an Indemnitee, or for
any breach of contract (including breach of this Agreement) or any breach of duties (including
breach of fiduciary duties) whether arising hereunder, at law, in equity or otherwise, unless there
has been a final and non-appealable judgment entered by a court of competent jurisdiction
determining that, in respect of the matter in question, the Indemnitee acted in bad faith or
engaged in fraud or willful misconduct.
(b) 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 of the
Indemnitees 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, and provided such Person became an Indemnitee hereunder prior to such amendment,
modification or repeal.
SECTION 7.9. Resolution of Conflicts of Interest; Standards of Conduct and Modification of
Duties.
(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 or any Partner, 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,
or any agreement contemplated herein or therein, or of any duty hereunder or existing at law, in
equity or otherwise, if the resolution or course of action in respect of such conflict of interest
is (i) approved by Special 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 and reasonable
to the Partnership, taking into account the totality of the relationships between the parties
involved (including other transactions that may be or have been particularly favorable or
advantageous 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, and the General Partner may also adopt a resolution or course of action that has not
received Special Approval. Failure to seek Special Approval shall not be deemed to indicate that a
conflict of interest exists or that Special Approval could not have been obtained. If Special
Approval is not sought and the Board of Directors determines that the resolution or course of
action taken with respect to a conflict of interest satisfies either of the standards set forth in
clauses (ii) or (iii) above, then it shall be presumed that, in making its decision, the Board of
Directors acted in good faith, and in any proceeding brought by or on behalf of any Limited
Partner, the Partnership or any other Person bound by this Agreement challenging such approval, the
Person bringing or prosecuting such proceeding shall have the burden of overcoming such
presumption. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement or any duty otherwise
existing at law or equity, and without limitation of Section 7.6, the existence of the conflicts of
interest described in or contemplated by the Registration Statement are hereby approved, and all
such conflicts of interest are waived, by all Partners and shall not constitute a breach of this
Agreement.
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(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement or otherwise applicable provision
of law or equity, whenever in this Agreement or any other agreement contemplated hereby or
otherwise the General Partner, in its capacity as the general partner of the
Partnership, is permitted to or required to make a decision in its “sole discretion” or
“discretion” or that it deems “necessary or appropriate” or “necessary or advisable” or under a
grant of similar authority or latitude, then the General Partner, or such Affiliates causing it to
do so, shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, make such decision in its sole discretion
(regardless of whether there is a reference to “sole discretion” or “discretion”), and shall be
entitled to consider only such interests and factors as it desires, including its own interests,
and shall have no duty or obligation (fiduciary or otherwise) to give any consideration to any
interest of or factors affecting the Partnership or the Partners, and shall not be subject to any
other or different standards imposed by this Agreement, any other agreement contemplated hereby,
under the Delaware Limited Partnership Act or under any other law, rule or regulation or in equity.
Whenever in this Agreement or any other agreement contemplated hereby or otherwise the General
Partner is permitted to or required to make a decision in its “good faith” then for purposes of
this Agreement, the General Partner, or any of its Affiliates that cause it to make any such
decision, shall be conclusively presumed to be acting in good faith if such Person or Persons
subjectively believe(s) that the decision made or not made is in the best interests of the
Partnership.
(c) Whenever the General Partner makes a determination or takes or declines to take any
other action, or any of its Affiliates causes it to do so, in its individual capacity as opposed to
in its capacity as a general partner of the Partnership, whether under this Agreement or any other
agreement contemplated hereby or otherwise, then the General Partner, or such Affiliates causing it
to do so, are entitled, to the fullest extent permitted by law, to make such determination or to
take or decline to take such other action free of any duty (including any fiduciary duty) or
obligation, whatsoever to the Partnership, any Limited Partner, any Record Holder or any other
Person bound by this Agreement, and the General Partner, or such Affiliates causing it to do so,
shall not, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be required to act pursuant to any other
standard imposed by this Agreement, any other agreement contemplated hereby or under the Delaware
Limited Partnership Act or any other law, rule or regulation or at equity.
(d) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, the General Partner and its
Affiliates shall have no duty or obligation, express or implied, to (i) sell or otherwise dispose
of any asset of the Partnership Group other than in the ordinary course of business or (ii) 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.
Any determination by the General Partner or any of its Affiliates to enter into such contracts
shall be in its sole discretion.
(e) Except as expressly set forth in this Agreement, to the fullest extent permitted by law,
neither the General Partner nor any other Indemnitee shall have any duties or liabilities,
including fiduciary duties, to the Partnership, any Limited Partner or any other Person bound by
this Agreement, and the provisions of this Agreement, to the extent that they restrict or otherwise
modify or eliminate the duties and liabilities, including fiduciary duties, of the General Partner
or any other Indemnitee otherwise existing at law or in equity, are agreed by the Partners to
replace such other duties and liabilities of the General Partner or such other Indemnitee.
(f) The Limited Partners, hereby authorize the General Partner, on behalf of the
Partnership as a partner or member of a Group Member, to approve of actions by the general partner
or managing member of such Group Member similar to those actions permitted to be taken by the
General Partner pursuant to this Section 7.9.
(g) The Limited Partners expressly acknowledge 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) in deciding whether to cause the Partnership
to take (or decline to take) any actions, and that 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.
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SECTION 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 advice or 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 advice or 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 or any duly appointed attorney or
attorneys-in-fact. Each such attorney shall, to the extent provided by the General Partner in the
power of attorney, have full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and duty that
is permitted or required to be done by the General Partner hereunder.
SECTION 7.11. Purchase or Sale of Partnership Securities.
The General Partner may cause the Partnership or any other Group Member to purchase or
otherwise acquire Partnership Securities or options, rights, warrants or appreciation rights
relating to Partnership Securities. The General Partner or any of its Affiliates may also purchase
or otherwise acquire and sell or otherwise dispose of Partnership Securities or options, rights,
warrants or appreciation rights relating to Partnership Securities for their own account, subject
to the provisions of Articles IV and X.
SECTION 7.12. 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 the 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 this 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.
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ARTICLE VIII
BOOKS, RECORDS, ACCOUNTING AND REPORTS
SECTION 8.1. Records and Accounting.
The General Partner shall keep or cause to be kept at the principal office of the Partnership
or any other place designated by the General Partner in its sole discretion appropriate books and
records with respect to the Partnership’s business, including all books and records necessary to
provide to the Limited Partners 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 of Units or other Partnership Securities or
options, rights, warrants or appreciation rights relating to Partnership Securities, books of
account and records of Partnership proceedings, may be kept on, or be in the form of, computer
disks, hard drives, 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.
SECTION 8.2. Fiscal Year.
The fiscal year of the Partnership (each, a “Fiscal Year”) shall be a year ending December 31.
The General Partner in its sole discretion may change the Fiscal Year of the Partnership at any
time and from time to time in each case as may be required or permitted under the Code or
applicable United States Treasury Regulations and shall notify the Limited Partners of such change
in the next regular communication to the Limited Partners.
SECTION 8.3. Reports.
(a) As soon as practicable, but in no event later than 120 days after the close of each
Fiscal Year, the General Partner shall cause to be made available to each Record Holder of a Unit
as of a date selected by the General Partner in its sole discretion, an annual report containing
financial statements of the Partnership for such Fiscal Year, 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 in its sole discretion.
(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 Fiscal Year, the General Partner shall cause to be made
available to each Record Holder of a Unit, as of a date selected by the General Partner in its sole
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.
(c) The General Partner shall be deemed to have made a report available to each Record
Holder as required by this Section 8.3 if it has either (i) filed such report with the Commission
via its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system and such report is publicly
available on such system or (ii) made such report available on any publicly available website
maintained by the Partnership.
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ARTICLE IX
TAX MATTERS
SECTION 9.1. Tax Returns and Information.
As soon as reasonably practicable after the end of each Fiscal Year, the Partnership shall
send to each Partner a copy of United States Internal Revenue Service Schedule K-1, and any
comparable statements required by applicable U.S. state or local income tax law, with respect to
such Fiscal Year. The Partnership also shall provide the Partners with such other information as
may be reasonably requested for purposes of allowing the Partners to prepare and file their own
U.S. federal, state and local tax returns. Each Partner shall be required to report for all tax
purposes consistently with such information provided by the Partnership. The classification,
realization and recognition of income, gain, losses and deductions and other items shall be on the
accrual method of accounting for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
SECTION 9.2. Tax Elections.
The General Partner shall determine whether to make or refrain from making the election
provided for in Section 754 of the Code, and any and all other elections permitted by the tax laws
of the United States, the several states and other relevant jurisdictions, in its sole discretion.
SECTION 9.3. Tax Controversies.
Subject to the provisions hereof, the General Partner is designated as the Tax Matters Partner
(as defined in the Code) and is authorized 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.
SECTION 9.4. Withholding.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the General Partner is authorized to
take any action that may be required to be necessary or appropriate to cause the Partnership or any
other Group Member to comply with any withholding requirements established under the Code or any
other U.S. federal, state, local or non-U.S. 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 (including, without limitation, by reason of Section 1446 of
the Code), the General Partner may treat the amount withheld as a distribution of cash pursuant to
Section 6.3 in the amount of such withholding from such Partner.
SECTION 9.5. Election to be Treated as a Corporation.
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, if the General Partner determines
in its sole discretion that it is no longer in the best interests of the Partnership to continue as
a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the General Partner may elect to treat the
Partnership as an association or as a publicly traded partnership taxable as a corporation for U.S.
federal (and applicable state) income tax purposes.
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ARTICLE X
ADMISSION OF PARTNERS
SECTION 10.1. Admission of Initial Limited Partners.
Upon the issuance by the Partnership of Common Units to the Shareholders or their designee(s)
as described in Section 5.3 in connection with the Initial Offering, the General Partner shall
admit such parties to the Partnership as Initial Limited Partners in respect of the Common Units
issued to them.
SECTION 10.2. Admission of Additional Limited Partners.
(a) By acceptance of the transfer of any Limited Partner Interests in accordance with this
Section 10.2 or the issuance of any Limited Partner Interests in accordance herewith (including in
a merger, consolidation or other business combination pursuant to Article XIV), and except as
provided in Section 4.8, each transferee or other recipient of a Limited Partner Interest
(including any nominee holder or an agent or representative acquiring such Limited Partner
Interests for the account of another Person) (i) shall be admitted to the Partnership as a Limited
Partner with respect to the Limited Partner Interests so transferred or issued to such Person when
any such transfer or issuance is reflected in the books and records of the Partnership, with or
without execution of this Agreement, (ii) shall become bound by the terms of, and shall be deemed
to have agreed to be bound by, this Agreement, (iii) shall become the Record Holder of the Limited
Partner Interests so transferred or issued, (iv) represents that the transferee or other recipient
has the capacity, power and authority to enter into this Agreement, (v) grants the powers of
attorney set forth in this Agreement and (vi) makes the consents, acknowledgments and waivers
contained in this Agreement. The transfer of any Limited Partner Interests and/or the admission of
any new Limited Partner shall not
constitute an amendment to this Agreement. A Person may become a Record Holder without the consent
or approval of any of the Partners. A Person may not become a Limited Partner without acquiring a
Limited Partner Interest. The rights and obligations of a Person who is a Non-citizen Assignee
shall be determined in accordance with Section 4.8.
(b) The name and mailing address of each Limited Partner shall be listed on the books and
records of the Partnership maintained for such purpose by the Partnership or the Transfer Agent.
The General Partner shall update the books and records of the Partnership from time to time as
necessary to reflect accurately the information therein (or shall cause the Transfer Agent to do
so, as applicable). A Limited Partner Interest may be represented by a Certificate, as provided in
Section 4.1.
(c) Any transfer of a Limited Partner Interest shall not entitle the transferee to share in
the profits and losses, to receive distributions, to receive allocations of income, gain, loss,
deduction or credit or any similar item or to any other rights to which the transferor was entitled
until the transferee becomes a Limited Partner pursuant to Section 10.2(a).
SECTION 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 Interest (represented by General Partner Units) 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
predecessor or transferring General Partner pursuant to Sections 11.1 or 11.2 or the transfer of
such General Partner’s General Partner Interest (represented by General Partner Units) 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
is hereby authorized to and shall, subject to the terms hereof, carry on the business of the
Partnership without dissolution.
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SECTION 10.4. Amendment of Agreement and Certificate of Limited Partnership to Reflect the
Admission of Partners.
To effect the admission to the Partnership of any Partner, the General Partner shall take all
steps necessary under the Delaware Limited Partnership 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
SECTION 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; |
• | (ii) | The General Partner transfers all of its General Partner Interest 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; (B) in the event the General Partner is a partnership or a limited liability company, 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 in the event of the termination of the General Partner. |
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.
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(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 during the period beginning on the Closing Date and ending at 12:00 midnight, New York
City time, on June 30, 2020, the General Partner voluntarily withdraws by giving at least 90 days’
advance notice of its intention to withdraw to the Limited Partners; provided that prior to the
effective date of such withdrawal, the withdrawal is approved by Limited Partners holding at least
a majority of the voting power of the Outstanding Voting Units (excluding Voting Units held by the
General Partner and its Affiliates) and the General Partner delivers to the Partnership an Opinion
of Counsel (“Withdrawal Opinion of Counsel”) that such withdrawal (following the selection of the
successor General Partner) would not result in the loss of the limited liability of any Limited
Partner or cause the Partnership or any Group Member 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 previously treated as such); (ii) at any time after 12:00 midnight, New York City time,
on June 30, 2020, 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;
(iii) 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; or (iv) notwithstanding clause (i) of this
sentence, at any time that the General Partner voluntarily withdraws by giving at least 90 days’
advance notice of its intention to withdraw to the Limited Partners, such withdrawal to
take effect on the date specified in the notice, if at the time such notice is given one Person and
its Affiliates (other than the General Partner and its Affiliates) Beneficially Own or own of
record or control at least 50% of the Outstanding Common Units. 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 or managing member, to the extent
applicable, of the other Group Members. If the General Partner gives a notice of withdrawal
pursuant to Section 11.1(a)(i), the Limited Partners holding of a majority of the voting power of
Outstanding Voting Units, 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 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, and is hereby authorized
to, and shall, continue the business of the Partnership and, to the extent applicable, the other
Group Members without dissolution. If, prior to the effective date of the General Partner’s
withdrawal pursuant to Section 11.1(a)(i), 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 and subject to 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.
SECTION 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 voting power of the Outstanding Voting Units (including Voting Units held by
the General Partner and its Affiliates). Any such action by such Unitholders 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 voting power of Outstanding Voting Units (including Voting
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 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 10.3, 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, and is hereby authorized to, and shall, continue the business
of the Partnership and the other Group Members without dissolution.
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The right of the Unitholders 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.
SECTION 11.3. Interest of Departing General Partner and Successor General Partner.
(a) In the event of (i) the withdrawal of a General Partner under circumstances where such
withdrawal does not violate this Agreement or (ii) the removal of the General Partner by the
Unitholders under circumstances where Cause does not exist, if a successor General Partner is
elected in accordance with the terms of Sections 11.1 or 11.2, the Departing General Partner shall
have the option exercisable prior to the effective date of the withdrawal or removal of such
Departing General Partner to require its successor to purchase (x) its General Partner Interest
(represented by General Partner Units) and (y) its general partner interest (or equivalent
interest), if any, in the other Group Members ((x) and (y) 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 withdrawal or removal. 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 (or if the business of the Partnership is
continued pursuant to Section 12.2 and the successor General Partner is not the former General
Partner), such successor shall have the option, exercisable prior to the effective date of the
withdrawal or removal of such Departing General Partner, to purchase the Combined Interest of the
Departing General Partner for such fair market value of such Combined Interest of the Departing
General Partner. In either event, the Departing General Partner shall be entitled to receive all
reimbursements due such Departing General 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 Departing General Partner or its Affiliates (excluding
any Group Member) for the benefit of the Partnership or the other Group Members.
For purposes of this Section 11.3(a), the fair market value of a Departing General Partner’s
Combined Interest shall be determined by agreement between the Departing General Partner and its
successor or, failing agreement within 30 days after the effective date of such Departing General
Partner’s departure, by an independent investment banking firm or other independent expert selected
by the Departing General 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 General Partner shall designate an independent
investment banking firm or other independent expert, the Departing General 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 of the Departing General Partner. 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
Common Units are then listed, the value of the Partnership’s assets, the rights and obligations of
the Departing 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 General Partner (or its transferee) shall become a Limited Partner and its 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).
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Any successor General Partner shall indemnify the Departing General Partner (or its transferee) as
to all debts and liabilities of the Partnership arising on or after the date on which the Departing
General Partner (or its transferee) becomes a Limited Partner. For purposes of this Agreement,
conversion of the Combined Interest of the Departing General Partner to Common Units will be
characterized as if the Departing General Partner (or its transferee) contributed its Combined
Interest to the Partnership in exchange for the newly-issued Common Units.
SECTION 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 Limited Partner Interest becomes a Record Holder of
the Limited Partner Interest so
transferred, such transferring Limited Partner shall cease to be a Limited Partner with respect to
the Limited Partner Interest so transferred.
ARTICLE XII
DISSOLUTION AND LIQUIDATION
SECTION 12.1. Dissolution.
The Partnership shall not be dissolved by the admission of 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 Sections 10.3, 11.1, 11.2 or 12.2, the Partnership shall not be dissolved and such
successor General Partner is hereby authorized to, and shall, continue the business of the
Partnership. Subject to Section 12.2, the Partnership shall dissolve, and its affairs shall be
wound up, upon:
• | (a) | 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 such successor is admitted to the Partnership pursuant to this Agreement; |
• | (b) | an election to dissolve the Partnership by the General Partner that is approved by the Unitholders holding a majority of the voting power of Outstanding Voting Units; |
• | (c) | the entry of a decree of judicial dissolution of the Partnership pursuant to the provisions of the Delaware Limited Partnership Act; or |
• | (d) | at any time there are no Limited Partners, unless the Partnership is continued without dissolution in accordance with the Delaware Limited Partnership Act. |
SECTION 12.2. Continuation of the Business of the Partnership After Event of Withdrawal.
Upon an Event of Withdrawal caused by (a) the withdrawal or removal of the General Partner as
provided in Sections 11.1(a)(i) or (iii) and the failure of the Partners to select a successor to
such Departing General Partner pursuant to Sections 11.1 or 11.2, then within 90 days thereafter,
or (b) an event constituting an Event of Withdrawal as defined in Sections 11.1(a)(iv), (v) or
(vi), then, to the maximum extent permitted by law, within 180 days thereafter, the Unitholders
holding a majority of the voting power of Outstanding Voting Units may elect to continue the
business of the Partnership on the same terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement by
appointing as the successor General Partner a Person approved by the Unitholders holding a majority
of the voting power of Outstanding Voting Units. Unless such an election is made within the
applicable time period as set forth above, the Partnership shall dissolve and conduct only
activities necessary to wind up its affairs. If such an election is so made, then:
• | (i) | the Partnership shall continue without dissolution unless earlier dissolved in accordance with this Article XII; |
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• | (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) | the successor General Partner shall be admitted to the Partnership as General Partner, effective as of the Event of Withdrawal, by agreeing in writing to be bound by this Agreement; |
provided that the right of the Unitholders holding a majority of the voting power of Outstanding
Voting Units to approve a successor General Partner 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
(x) that the exercise of the right would not result in the loss of limited liability of any Limited
Partner and (y) neither the Partnership nor any successor limited partnership would be treated as
an association taxable as a corporation or otherwise be taxable as an entity for U.S. federal
income tax purposes upon the exercise of such right to continue (to the extent not so treated or
taxed).
SECTION 12.3. Liquidator.
Upon dissolution of the Partnership, unless the Partnership is continued pursuant to Section
12.2, the General Partner shall select in its sole discretion one or more Persons (which may be the
General Partner) to act as Liquidator. If other than the General Partner, the Liquidator (1) shall
be entitled to receive such compensation for its services as may be approved by Unitholders holding
at least a majority of the voting power of the Outstanding Voting Units voting as a single class,
(2) shall agree not to resign at any time without 15 days’ prior notice and (3) may be removed at
any time, with or without cause, by notice of removal approved by Unitholders holding at least a
majority of the voting power of the Outstanding Voting Units voting as a single class. 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 voting power of the
Outstanding Voting Units voting as a single class. 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) necessary or appropriate to carry out the duties and functions of
the Liquidator hereunder for and during the period of time required to complete the winding up and
liquidation of the Partnership as provided for herein.
SECTION 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 Limited Partnership 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 defer liquidation or distribution of the Partnership’s assets for a reasonable time if it determines that an immediate sale or distribution of all or some of the Partnership’s assets would be impractical or would cause undue loss to the Partners. The Liquidator may 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. |
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• | (b) | Discharge of Liabilities. Liabilities of the Partnership include amounts owed to the Liquidator as compensation for serving in such capacity (subject to the terms of Section 12.3) and amounts to Partners otherwise than in respect of their distribution rights under Article VI. With respect to any liability that is contingent, conditional or unmatured 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. |
• | (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 their respective Percentage Interests as of a Record Date selected by the Liquidator. |
SECTION 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 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.
SECTION 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.
SECTION 12.7. Waiver of Partition.
To the maximum extent permitted by law, each Partner hereby waives any right to partition of
the Partnership property.
SECTION 12.8. Capital Account Restoration.
No Partner shall have any obligation to restore any negative balance in its Capital Account
upon liquidation of the Partnership.
ARTICLE XIII
AMENDMENT OF PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT; MEETINGS; RECORD DATE
SECTION 13.1. Amendments to be Adopted Solely by the General Partner.
Each Partner agrees that the General Partner, without the approval of any Partner, any
Unitholder or any other Person, may amend any provision of this Agreement and 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) | the admission, substitution, withdrawal or removal of Partners in accordance with this Agreement; |
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• | (c) | a change that the General Partner determines in its sole discretion to be necessary or appropriate 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 other jurisdiction or to ensure that the Group Members will not be treated as associations taxable as corporations or otherwise taxed as entities for U.S. federal income tax purposes; |
• | (d) | a change that the General Partner determines in its sole discretion to be necessary or appropriate to address changes in U.S. federal income tax regulations, legislation or interpretation; |
• | (e) | a change that the General Partner determines (i) does not adversely affect the Limited Partners considered as a whole (including any particular class of Partnership Interests as compared to other classes of Partnership Interests, treating the Common Units as a separate class for this purpose) in any material respect, (ii) to be necessary or appropriate to (A) satisfy any requirements, conditions or guidelines contained in any opinion, directive, order, ruling or regulation of any U.S. federal or state or non-U.S. agency or judicial authority or contained in any U.S. federal or state or non-U.S. statute (including the Delaware Limited Partnership Act) or (B) facilitate the trading of the Limited Partner Interests (including the division of any class or classes of Outstanding Limited Partner Interests into different classes to facilitate uniformity of tax consequences within such classes of Limited Partner Interests) or comply with any rule, regulation, guideline or requirement of any National Securities Exchange on which the Limited Partner Interests are or will be listed, (iii) to be necessary or appropriate in connection with action taken by the General Partner pursuant to Section 5.8 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; |
• | (f) | a change in the Fiscal Year or taxable year of the Partnership and any other changes that the General Partner determines to be necessary or appropriate as a result of a change in the Fiscal Year or taxable year of the Partnership including, if the General Partner shall so determine in its sole discretion, a change in the definition of “Quarter” and the dates on which distributions are to be made by the Partnership; |
• | (g) | 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 having a material risk of being in any manner subjected to the provisions of the U.S. Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the U.S. Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, or “plan asset” regulations adopted under the U.S. 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; |
• | (h) | an amendment that the General Partner determines in its sole discretion to be necessary or appropriate in connection with the creation, authorization or issuance of any class or series of Partnership Securities or options, rights, warrants or appreciation rights relating to Partnership Securities pursuant to Section 5.6; |
• | (i) | any amendment expressly permitted in this Agreement to be made by the General Partner acting alone; |
• | (j) | an amendment effected, necessitated or contemplated by a Merger Agreement approved in accordance with Section 14.3; |
• | (k) | an amendment that the General Partner determines in its sole discretion to be necessary or appropriate to reflect and account for the formation by the Partnership of, or investment by the Partnership in, any corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company or other entity, in connection with the conduct by the Partnership of activities permitted by the terms of Sections 2.4 or 7.1(a); |
• | (l) | a merger, conversion or conveyance pursuant to Section 14.3(d), including any amendment permitted pursuant to Section 14.5; or |
• | (n) | any other amendments substantially similar to the foregoing. |
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SECTION 13.2. Amendment Procedures.
Except as provided in Sections 5.6, 13.1, 13.3 and 14.5, all amendments to this Agreement
shall be made in accordance with the following requirements. Amendments to this Agreement may be
proposed only by the General Partner; provided however that, to the fullest extent permitted by
law, the General Partner shall have no duty or obligation to propose any amendment to this
Agreement and may decline to do so free of any duty (including any fiduciary duty) or obligation
whatsoever to the Partnership or any Limited Partner or other Person bound by this Agreement and,
in declining to propose an amendment to the fullest extent permitted by law, shall not be required
to act in good faith or pursuant to any other standard imposed by this Agreement, any other
agreement contemplated hereby or under the Delaware Limited Partnership Act or any other law, rule
or regulation or at equity. A proposed amendment shall be effective upon its approval by the
General Partner and the Unitholders holding a majority of the voting power of the Outstanding
Voting Units, 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 the voting power of Outstanding Voting 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 the voting power of Outstanding
Voting Units or call a meeting of the Unitholders to consider and vote on such proposed amendment,
in each case in accordance with the other provisions of this Article XIII. The General Partner
shall notify all Record Holders upon final adoption of any such proposed amendments.
SECTION 13.3. Amendment Requirements.
(a) Notwithstanding the provisions of Sections 13.1 and 13.2, no provision of this Agreement
that requires the vote or consent of Unitholders holding, or holders of, a percentage of the voting
power of Outstanding Voting Units (including Voting Units deemed owned by the General Partner and
its Affiliates) 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 Unitholders or holders of
Outstanding Voting Units whose aggregate Outstanding Voting Units constitute not less than the
voting or consent 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), or (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 the General Partner’s consent, which consent may be given or withheld in its
sole discretion.
(c) Except as provided in Sections 13.1 and 14.3, 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 (treating the Common Units as a separate class for this
purpose) must be approved by the holders of not less than a majority of the Outstanding Partnership
Interests of the class affected.
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(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, except for amendments pursuant to
Section 13.1
and except as otherwise provided by Section 14.3(b), no amendments shall become effective without
the approval of Unitholders holding at least 90% of the voting power of the Outstanding Voting
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 the Delaware Limited Partnership Act.
(e) Except as provided in Section 13.1, this Section 13.3 shall only be amended with the
approval of the Unitholders holding of at least 90% of the voting power of the Outstanding Voting
Units.
SECTION 13.4. Special Meetings.
All acts of Limited Partners to be taken pursuant to this Agreement shall be taken in the
manner provided in this Article XIII. Special meetings of the Limited Partners may be called by the
General Partner or by Limited Partners owning 50% or more of the voting power of the Outstanding
Limited Partner Interests of the class or classes for which a meeting is proposed. (For the
avoidance of doubt, the Common Units and the Special Voting Units shall not constitute separate
classes for this purpose.) Limited Partners shall call a special meeting by delivering to the
General Partner one or more requests in writing stating that the signing Limited Partners 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 Limited Partners 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 Limited Partners either directly or indirectly through the Transfer
Agent. A meeting shall be held at a time and place determined by the General Partner in its sole
discretion on a date not less than 10 days nor more than 60 days after the mailing of notice of the
meeting. Limited Partners 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 Limited Partners’ limited liability under the Delaware Limited
Partnership Act or the law of any other state in which the Partnership is qualified to do business.
SECTION 13.5. Notice of a Meeting.
Notice of a meeting called pursuant to Section 13.4 shall be given to the Record Holders of
the class or classes of Limited Partner Interests for which a meeting is proposed 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.
SECTION 13.6. Record Date.
For purposes of determining the Limited Partners entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting
of the Limited Partners 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 Limited Partner Interests are
listed for trading, in which case the rule, regulation, guideline or requirement of such National
Securities Exchange shall govern) or (b) in the event that approvals are sought without a meeting,
the date by which Limited Partners are requested in writing by the General Partner to give such
approvals. If the General Partner does not set a Record Date, then (a) the Record Date for
determining the Limited Partners entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of the Limited
Partners shall be the close of business on the day immediately preceding the day on which notice is
given, and (b) the Record Date for determining the Limited Partners entitled to give approvals
without a meeting shall be the date the first written approval is deposited with the Partnership in
care of the General Partner in accordance with Section 13.11.
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SECTION 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.
SECTION 13.8. Waiver of Notice; Approval of Meeting; Approval of Minutes.
The transactions of any meeting of Limited Partners, however called and noticed, and whenever
held, shall be as valid as if it had occurred at a meeting duly held after regular call and notice
if a quorum is present either in person or by proxy. Attendance of a Limited Partner at a meeting
shall constitute a waiver of notice of the meeting, except (i) when the Limited Partner attends the
meeting for the express purpose of objecting, at the beginning of the meeting, to the transaction
of any business at such meeting because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened, and (ii)
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.
SECTION 13.9. Quorum.
The Limited Partners holding of a majority of the voting power of the Outstanding Limited
Partner Interests of the class or classes for which a meeting has been called (including Limited
Partner Interests deemed owned by the General Partner) represented in person or by proxy shall
constitute a quorum at a meeting of Limited Partners of such class or classes unless any such
action by the Limited Partners requires approval by Limited Partners holding a greater percentage
of the voting power of such Limited Partner Interests, in which case the quorum shall be such
greater percentage. (For the avoidance of doubt, the Common Units and the Special Voting Units
shall not constitute separate classes for this purpose.) At any meeting of the Limited Partners
duly called and held in accordance with this Agreement at which a quorum is present, the act of
Limited Partners holding Outstanding Limited Partner Interests that in the aggregate represent a
majority of the voting power of the Outstanding Limited Partner Interests entitled to vote and be
present in person or by proxy at such meeting shall be deemed to constitute the act of all Limited
Partners, unless a greater or different percentage is required with respect to such action under
this Agreement, in which case the act of the Limited Partners holding Outstanding Limited Partner
Interests that in the aggregate represent at least such greater or different percentage of the
voting power shall be required. The Limited Partners 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 Limited Partners to leave less than a quorum, if any action taken (other than
adjournment) is approved by the required percentage of the voting power of Outstanding Limited
Partner Interests specified in this Agreement (including Outstanding Limited Partner Interests
deemed owned by the General Partner). In the absence of a quorum any meeting of Limited Partners
may be adjourned from time to time by the affirmative vote of Limited Partners holding at least a
majority of the voting power of the Outstanding Limited Partner Interests entitled to vote at such
meeting (including Outstanding Limited Partner Interests deemed owned by the General Partner)
represented either in person or by proxy, but no other business may be transacted, except as
provided in Section 13.7.
SECTION 13.10. Conduct of a Meeting.
The General Partner shall have full power and authority concerning the manner of
conducting any meeting of the Limited Partners 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
necessary or advisable concerning the conduct of any meeting of the Limited Partners 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,
proxies and votes in writing.
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SECTION 13.11. Action Without a Meeting.
If authorized by the General Partner, any action that may be taken at a meeting of the
Limited Partners may be taken without a meeting, without a vote and without prior notice, if an
approval in writing setting forth the action so taken is signed by Limited Partners owning not less
than the minimum percentage of the voting power of the Outstanding Limited Partner Interests
(including Limited Partner Interests deemed owned by the General Partner) that would be necessary
to authorize or take such action at a meeting at which all the Limited Partners were present and
voted (unless such provision conflicts with any rule, regulation, guideline or requirement of any
National Securities Exchange on which the Limited Partner Interests or a class thereof 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 Limited
Partners who have not approved in writing. The General Partner may specify that any written ballot,
if any, submitted to Limited Partners 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 in its sole discretion. If a ballot returned to the Partnership
does not vote all of the Limited Partner Interests held by the Limited Partners, the Partnership
shall be deemed to have failed to receive a ballot for the Limited Partner Interests that were not
voted. If approval of the taking of any action by the Limited Partners 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. Nothing contained in this Section 13.11 shall be deemed to
require the General Partner to solicit all Limited Partners in connection with a matter approved by
the requisite percentage of the voting power of Limited Partners or other holders of Outstanding
Voting Units acting by written consent without a meeting.
SECTION 13.12. Voting and Other Rights.
(a) Only those Record Holders of Outstanding Limited Partner Interests 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 Limited Partner Interests
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 Limited Partner Interests shall be deemed to be references to the
votes or acts of the Record Holders of such Outstanding Limited Partner Interests. Each Common Unit
shall entitle the holder thereof to one vote for each Common Unit held of record by such holder as
of the relevant Record Date.
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(b) With respect to Limited Partner Interests 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 Limited Partner Interests are registered, such
other
Person shall, in exercising the voting rights in respect of such Limited Partner Interests on any
matter, and unless the arrangement between such Persons provides otherwise, vote such Limited
Partner Interests 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.
SECTION 13.13. Participation of Special Voting Units in All Actions Participated in
by Common Units.
(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the Delaware Limited
Partnership Act or any applicable law, rule or regulation, but subject to Section 13.13(b) with
respect to the voting matters addressed therein, each of the Partners and each other Person who may
acquire an interest in Partnership Securities hereby agrees that the holders of Special Voting
Units (other than the Partnership and its Subsidiaries) shall be entitled to receive notice of, be
included in any requisite quora for and participate in any and all approvals, votes or other
actions of the Partners on an equivalent basis as, and treating such Persons for all purposes as if
they are, Limited Partners holding Common Units (including, without limitation, the notices, quora,
approvals, votes and other actions contemplated by Sections 4.6(a), 7.3, 7.7(c), 7.9(a), 11.1(b),
11.2, 12.1(b), 12.2, 12.3, 13.2, 13.3, 13.4, 13.5, 13.6, 13.8, 13.9, 13.10, 13.11, 13.12, 14.3 and
16.1 hereof), including any and all notices, quora, approvals, votes and other actions that may be
taken pursuant to the requirements of the Delaware Limited Partnership Act or any other applicable
law, rule or regulation. This Agreement shall be construed in all cases to give maximum effect to
such agreement.
(c) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, and in
addition to any other vote required by the Delaware Limited Partnership Act or this Agreement, the
affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority of the voting power of the Special Voting
Units (excluding Special Voting Units held by the Partnership and its Subsidiaries) voting
separately as a class shall be required to alter, amend or repeal this Section 13.13 or to adopt
any provision inconsistent therewith.
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ARTICLE XIV
MERGER
SECTION 14.1. Authority.
The Partnership may merge or consolidate or otherwise combine with or into one or more
corporations, limited liability companies, statutory trusts or associations, real estate investment
trusts, common law trusts or unincorporated businesses, including a partnership (whether general or
limited (including a limited liability partnership or a limited liability 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, consolidation or other business combination (“Merger
Agreement”) in accordance with this Article XIV.
SECTION 14.2. Procedure for Merger, Consolidation or Other Business
Combination.
Merger, consolidation or other business combination of the Partnership pursuant to
this Article XIV requires the prior consent of the General Partner, provided however that, to the
fullest extent permitted by law, the General Partner shall have no duty or obligation to consent to
any merger, consolidation or other business combination of the Partnership and, to the fullest
extent permitted by law, may decline to do so free of any duty (including any fiduciary duty) or
obligation whatsoever to the Partnership, any Limited Partner or any other Person bound by this
Agreement and, in declining to consent to a merger, consolidation or other business combination,
shall not be required to act pursuant to any other standard imposed by this Agreement, any other
agreement contemplated hereby or under the Delaware Limited Partnership Act or any other law, rule
or regulation or at equity. If the General Partner shall determine, in the exercise of its sole
discretion, to consent to the merger, consolidation or other business combination, 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, consolidate or combine; |
• | (b) | The name and jurisdiction of formation or organization of the business entity that is to survive the proposed merger, consolidation or other business combination (the “Surviving Business Entity”); |
• | (c) | The terms and conditions of the proposed merger, consolidation or other business combination; |
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• | (d) | The manner and basis of converting or exchanging the equity securities of each constituent business entity for, or into, cash, property or 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 converted or exchanged 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 interests, rights, securities or obligations of any general or limited partnership, corporation, trust, limited liability company, unincorporated business 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 upon conversion of, or in exchange for, their 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, limited liability company, unincorporated business 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, operating agreement or other similar charter or governing document) of the Surviving Business Entity to be effected by such merger, consolidation or other business combination; |
• | (f) | The effective time of the merger, consolidation or other business combination which may be the date of the filing of the certificate of merger or consolidation or similar certificate 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 such transaction is to be later than the date of the filing of such certificate, the effective time shall be fixed at a date or time certain at or prior to the time of the filing of such certificate and stated therein); and |
• | (g) | Such other provisions with respect to the proposed merger, consolidation or other business combination that the General Partner determines in its sole discretion to be necessary or appropriate. |
SECTION 14.3. Approval by Limited Partners of Merger, Consolidation or Other
Business Combination.
(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 and the merger, consolidation or other
business combination contemplated thereby 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 and the merger,
consolidation or other business combination contemplated thereby shall be approved upon receiving
the affirmative vote or consent of the holders of a majority of the voting power of Outstanding
Voting Units.
(c) Except as provided in Section 14.3(d), after such approval by vote or consent of
the Limited Partners, and at any time prior to the filing of the certificate of merger or
consolidation or similar certificate pursuant to Section 14.4, the merger, consolidation or other
business combination may be abandoned pursuant to provisions therefor, if any, set forth in the
Merger Agreement.
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(d) Notwithstanding anything else contained in this Article XIV or in this
Agreement, the General Partner is permitted, without Limited Partner approval, to convert the
Partnership or any Group Member into a new limited liability entity, 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 conversion,
merger or conveyance other than those it receives from the Partnership or other Group Member;
provided that (A) 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, (B) the sole purpose of such conversion, merger or conveyance is to effect a mere
change in the legal form of the Partnership into another limited liability entity and (C) the
governing instruments of the new entity provide the Limited Partners and the General Partner with
substantially the same rights and obligations as are herein contained.
SECTION 14.4. Certificate of Merger or Consolidation.
Upon the required approval by the General Partner and the Unitholders of a Merger
Agreement and the merger, consolidation or business combination contemplated thereby, a certificate
of merger or consolidation or similar certificate shall be executed and filed with the Secretary of
State of the State of Delaware in conformity with the requirements of the Delaware Limited
Partnership Act.
SECTION 14.5. Amendment of Partnership Agreement.
Pursuant to Section 17-211(g) of the Delaware Limited Partnership Act, an agreement of
merger, consolidation or other business combination approved in accordance with this Article XIV
may (a) effect any amendment to this Agreement or (b) effect the adoption of a new partnership
agreement for a limited partnership if it is the Surviving Business Entity. Any such amendment or
adoption made pursuant to this Section 14.5 shall be effective at the effective time or date of the
merger, consolidation or other business combination.
SECTION 14.6. Effect of Merger.
(a) At the effective time of the certificate of merger or consolidation or similar
certificate:
• | (i) | all of the rights, privileges and powers of each of the business entities that has merged, consolidated or otherwise combined, 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, consolidation or other business combination 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, consolidation or other business combination; |
• | (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, consolidation or other business combination 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.
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ARTICLE XV
RIGHT TO ACQUIRE LIMITED PARTNER INTERESTS
SECTION 15.1. Right to Acquire Limited Partner Interests.
(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, if at any time less than
10% of the total Limited Partner Interests of any class then Outstanding (other than Special Voting
Units) is 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
means the average of the daily Closing Prices per limited partner interest of such class for the 20
consecutive Trading Days 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 in the over-the-counter market, as reported by the primary reporting system then in use in
relation to such Limited Partner Interest of such class, 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 in its sole
discretion, 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
by the General Partner in its sole discretion; 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.
(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 15.1(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
of 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 circulated 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 (in the case of Limited Partner Interests evidenced by Certificates, 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 in 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 (in the
case of Limited Partner Interests evidenced by Certificates, 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).
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ARTICLE XVI
GENERAL PROVISIONS
SECTION 16.1. Addresses and Notices.
Any notice, demand, request, report or proxy materials required or permitted to be
given or made to a Partner 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 at the address described below.
Any notice, payment or report to be given or made to a Partner 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 Partnership Securities 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 Partnership
Securities by reason of any assignment or otherwise.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, if (i) a Partner shall consent to receiving notices,
demands, requests, reports or proxy materials via electronic mail or by the Internet or (ii) the
rules of the Commission shall permit any report or proxy materials to be delivered electronically
or made available via the Internet, any such notice, demand, request, report or proxy materials
shall be deemed given or made when delivered or made available via such mode of delivery.
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 given or made in accordance with the provisions of this
Section 16.1 is returned marked to indicate that such notice, payment or report was unable to be
delivered, such notice, payment or report and, in the case of notices, payments or reports returned
by the United States Postal Service (or other physical mail delivery mail service outside the
United States of America), 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) or other delivery
if they are available for the Partner 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. 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 or other Person if believed by it to be genuine.
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SECTION 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.
SECTION 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. The Indemnitees and their heirs, executors, administrators and successors shall be
entitled to receive the benefits of this Agreement.
SECTION 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.
SECTION 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.
SECTION 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.
SECTION 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, in the case of a Person acquiring a
Limited Partner Interest pursuant to Section 10.2(a), without execution hereof.
SECTION 16.8. Applicable Law.
This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with the laws of the
State of Delaware.
SECTION 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.
SECTION 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.
SECTION 16.11. Facsimile Signatures.
The use of facsimile signatures affixed in the name and on behalf of the transfer
agent and registrar of the Partnership on certificates representing Common Units is expressly
permitted by this Agreement.
[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the date
first written above:
GENERAL PARTNER: | ||||||||
Soleil Capital Management L.L.C. | ||||||||
By: | /s/ XXXX X. XXXXXX | |||||||
Name: | Xxxx X. Xxxxxx | |||||||
Title: | Chairman and Chief Executive 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 or without execution hereof pursuant to Section 10.2(a). | ||||||||
Soleil Capital Management L.L.C. | ||||||||
By: | /s/ XXXX X. XXXXXX | |||||||
Name: | Xxxx X. Xxxxxx | |||||||
Title: | Chairman and Chief Executive Officer |