RANI THERAPEUTICS, LLC FORM OF FIFTH AMENDED AND RESTATED LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY AGREEMENT Dated as of [ ], 2021
Exhibit 10.4
RANI THERAPEUTICS, LLC
FORM OF FIFTH AMENDED AND RESTATED LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY
Dated as of [ ], 2021
THE UNITS REPRESENTED BY THIS FIFTH AMENDED AND RESTATED LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY AGREEMENT HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE UNITED STATES SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, OR UNDER ANY OTHER APPLICABLE SECURITIES LAWS. SUCH UNITS MAY NOT BE SOLD, ASSIGNED, PLEDGED OR OTHERWISE DISPOSED OF AT ANY TIME WITHOUT EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION UNDER SUCH ACT AND LAWS OR EXEMPTION THEREFROM, AND COMPLIANCE WITH THE OTHER SUBSTANTIAL RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSFERABILITY SET FORTH HEREIN.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page | ||||||
ARTICLE I DEFINITIONS | 2 | |||||
ARTICLE II ORGANIZATIONAL MATTERS | 13 | |||||
2.1 |
Formation of Company | 13 | ||||
2.2 |
Limited Liability Company Agreement | 13 | ||||
2.3 |
Name | 13 | ||||
2.4 |
Purpose | 13 | ||||
2.5 |
Powers | 13 | ||||
2.6 |
Principal Office; Registered Office | 13 | ||||
2.7 |
Term | 14 | ||||
2.8 |
No State-Law Partnership | 14 | ||||
2.9 |
Tax Treatment | 14 | ||||
2.10 |
Prior Agreements | 14 | ||||
ARTICLE III CAPITALIZATION; CAPITAL CONTRIBUTIONS | 14 | |||||
3.1 |
Capitalization. | 14 | ||||
3.2 |
General Provisions with Respect to Units. | 16 | ||||
3.3 |
Capital Accounts. | 20 | ||||
3.4 |
Negative Capital Accounts | 21 | ||||
3.5 |
No Withdrawal | 21 | ||||
3.6 |
Loans From Members | 21 | ||||
ARTICLE IV DISTRIBUTIONS AND ALLOCATIONS | 21 | |||||
4.1 |
Distributions | 21 | ||||
4.2 |
Allocations of Net Profit and Net Loss | 23 | ||||
4.3 |
Special Allocations | 23 | ||||
4.4 |
Tax Allocations. | 25 | ||||
4.5 |
Other Allocation Rules | 26 | ||||
4.6 |
Withholding Taxes. | 26 | ||||
4.7 |
Allocations Upon Final Liquidation | 28 | ||||
ARTICLE V MANAGEMENT |
28 | |||||
5.1 |
Designation and Authority of Managing Member | 28 | ||||
5.2 |
Actions of the Managing Member | 29 | ||||
5.3 |
Compensation; Expenses. | 29 |
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Table of Contents
(Continued)
Page | ||||||
5.4 |
Delegation of Authority. | 31 | ||||
5.5 |
Limitation of Liability | 31 | ||||
ARTICLE VI RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF MEMBERS | 32 | |||||
6.1 |
Limitation of Liability | 32 | ||||
6.2 |
Lack of Authority | 32 | ||||
6.3 |
No Right of Partition | 33 | ||||
6.4 |
Indemnification. | 33 | ||||
ARTICLE VII BOOKS, RECORDS, ACCOUNTING AND REPORTS | 34 | |||||
7.1 |
Records and Accounting | 34 | ||||
7.2 |
Fiscal Year | 34 | ||||
7.3 |
Reports | 34 | ||||
7.4 |
Transmission of Communications | 35 | ||||
7.5 |
Confidentiality. | 35 | ||||
ARTICLE VIII TAX MATTERS | 36 | |||||
8.1 |
Preparation of Tax Returns | 36 | ||||
8.2 |
Tax Elections | 36 | ||||
8.3 |
Tax Controversies | 36 | ||||
ARTICLE IX RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSFER OF UNITS | 37 | |||||
9.1 |
Transfers of Units | 37 | ||||
9.2 |
Restricted Units Legend | 39 | ||||
9.3 |
Assignee’s Rights | 40 | ||||
9.4 |
Assignor’s Rights and Obligations | 40 | ||||
9.5 |
Further Restrictions | 41 | ||||
9.6 |
Counterparts; Joinder | 42 | ||||
9.7 |
Ineffective Transfer | 42 | ||||
ARTICLE X ADMISSION OF MEMBERS | 42 | |||||
10.1 |
Substituted Members | 42 | ||||
10.2 |
Additional Members | 42 | ||||
10.3 |
Additional Managing Member | 43 |
ii
Table of Contents
(Continued)
Page | ||||||
ARTICLE XI WITHDRAWAL AND RESIGNATION OF MEMBERS |
43 | |||||
ARTICLE XII REDEMPTION AND EXCHANGE RIGHTS |
44 | |||||
12.1 |
Exchange Procedures. | 44 | ||||
12.2 |
Exchange Payment | 44 | ||||
12.3 |
Splits, Distributions and Reclassifications | 45 | ||||
12.4 |
PubCo Covenants | 45 | ||||
12.5 |
Exchange Taxes | 46 | ||||
12.6 |
PubCo Call Rights | 46 | ||||
12.7 |
Distribution Rights | 46 | ||||
12.8 |
Exchange Restrictions | 46 | ||||
12.9 |
Tax Matters | 47 | ||||
12.10 |
Withholding | 48 | ||||
12.11 |
Representations and Warranties | 48 | ||||
ARTICLE XIII DISSOLUTION AND WINDING UP | 48 | |||||
13.1 |
Dissolution | 48 | ||||
13.2 |
Winding Up and Termination | 49 | ||||
13.3 |
Deferment; Distribution in Kind | 50 | ||||
13.4 |
Cancellation of Certificate | 50 | ||||
13.5 |
Reasonable Time for Winding Up | 50 | ||||
13.6 |
Return of Capital | 51 | ||||
ARTICLE XIV VALUATION | 51 | |||||
14.1 |
Value | 51 | ||||
14.2 |
Determination and Dispute | 51 | ||||
ARTICLE XV GENERAL PROVISIONS | 51 | |||||
15.1 |
Power of Attorney. | 51 | ||||
15.2 |
Amendments. | 52 | ||||
15.3 |
Title to Company Assets | 53 | ||||
15.4 |
Addresses and Notices | 53 | ||||
15.5 |
Binding Effect | 54 | ||||
15.6 |
Creditors | 54 | ||||
15.7 |
Waiver | 54 |
iii
Table of Contents
(Continued)
Page | ||||||
15.8 |
Counterparts | 54 | ||||
15.9 |
Applicable Law; Waiver of Jury Trial | 54 | ||||
15.10 |
Severability | 55 | ||||
15.11 |
Further Action | 55 | ||||
15.12 |
Delivery by Facsimile | 55 | ||||
15.13 |
Offset | 55 | ||||
15.14 |
Entire Agreement | 56 | ||||
15.15 |
Remedies | 56 | ||||
15.16 |
Descriptive Headings; Interpretation | 56 | ||||
15.17 |
Spousal Consent | 56 | ||||
EXHIBIT AND SCHEDULES | ||||||
Exhibit A |
Form of Election of Exchange |
A-1 |
iv
RANI THERAPEUTICS, LLC
FORM OF FIFTH AMENDED AND RESTATED LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY
THIS FIFTH AMENDED AND RESTATED LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY AGREEMENT, dated as of [•], 2021, is entered into by and among Rani Therapeutics, LLC, a California limited liability company (the “Company”), Rani Therapeutics Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“PubCo”), and the Members, and is made effective as of the Effective Time. Capitalized terms used herein without definition shall have the meanings assigned to such terms in Article I.
RECITALS
WHEREAS, the Company and certain of the Members entered into the Fourth Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement of the Company, dated as of October 30, 2020 (as amended, the “Prior Agreement”).
WHEREAS, on March 7, 2021, the Board of Managers (as defined in the Prior Agreement) of the Company approved an “Up-C IPO structure” pursuant to which PubCo desires to effect a proposed underwritten initial public offering of shares of its Class A common stock (the “IPO”).
WHEREAS, immediately prior to the Effective Time and in contemplation of the IPO, (i) all outstanding Profits Interests automatically converted into a fewer number of Common Units that are not subject to a “Profits Interest Threshold Amount” (as defined in the Prior Agreement) and ceased to exist as Common Units that are Profits Interests pursuant to Sections 12 and 13(a) of the Company’s 2016 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Profits Interest Conversion”), and (ii) all outstanding Preferred Units automatically converted into Common Units pursuant to Section 3.13(b)(i) of the Prior Agreement and ceased to exist as Preferred Units, as agreed by the Board of Managers of the Company on June 14, 2021, and approved by a “Majority in Interest of the Members” (as defined in the Prior Agreement) and a “Majority in Interest of the Preferred Members” (as defined in the Prior Agreement) (the “Preferred Unit Conversion”).
WHEREAS, at the Effective Time, (i) all Common Units received in the Profits Interest Conversion are, automatically without any further action on the part of the Company and the Members, reclassified and changed into Class A Common Units, and cease to exist as Common Units; and (ii) all other Common Units (including Common Units received in the Preferred Unit Conversion) are, automatically without any further action on the part of the Company and the Members, reclassified and changed into Class A Common Units paired with a corresponding number of Class B Voting Units as set forth herein, and shall cease to exist as Common Units (the conversions described in this recital, the “Recapitalization”).
WHEREAS, after the Effective Time and prior to the effectiveness of PubCo’s initial public offering (the “Pre-IPO Effective Time”), certain holders of Class A Common Units will contribute all of their Class A Common Units to PubCo in exchange for Class A Common Stock, immediately after which the holders of Class B Voting Units will contribute all of their Class B Voting Units to PubCo in exchange for Class B Common Stock (the exchanges described in this recital, the “Pre-IPO Exchanges,” and the agreements pursuant to which the Pre-IPO Exchanges are effected, the “Exchange Agreements”).
WHEREAS, immediately following the Pre-IPO Exchanges, (i) PubCo, as holder of all the Class B Voting Units, designates itself as, and is hereby admitted to the Company as, Managing Member, and in such capacity shall have the rights and obligations as provided in this Agreement, and (ii) PubCo shall use the net proceeds received from the IPO to purchase Class A Common Units from the Company.
WHEREAS, the Company, PubCo, and a Majority in Interest of the Members desire to amend and restate the Prior Agreement in its entirety as set forth herein effective as of the Effective Time, at which time the Prior Agreement will be superseded entirely by this Agreement.
AGREEMENT
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants contained herein and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto, intending to be legally bound, hereby agree to amend and restate the Prior Agreement to read in its entirety as follows:
ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS
The following definitions shall be applied to the terms used in this Agreement for all purposes, unless otherwise clearly indicated to the contrary.
“Additional Member” means a Person admitted to the Company as a Member pursuant to Section 10.2.
“Adjusted Capital Account Balance” means, with respect to each Member, the balance in such Member’s Capital Account adjusted (i) by taking into account the adjustments, allocations and distributions described in Treasury Regulations Sections 1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(d)(4), (5) and (6); and (ii) by adding to such balance such Member’s share of Company Minimum Gain and Member Nonrecourse Debt Minimum Gain, determined pursuant to Treasury Regulations Sections 1.704-2(g) and 1.704-2(i)(5), any amounts such Member is obligated to restore pursuant to any provision of this Agreement or by applicable law. The foregoing definition of Adjusted Capital Account Balance is intended to comply with the provisions of Treasury Regulations Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(d) and shall be interpreted consistently therewith.
“Admission Date” has the meaning set forth in Section 9.4.
“Affiliate” of any Person means any Person that directly or indirectly controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with the Person in question.
“Agreement” means this Fifth Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement of Rani Therapeutics, LLC.
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“Appraiser FMV” means the fair market value of any Equity Security as determined by an independent appraiser mutually agreed upon by the Managing Member and the relevant Exchanging Member, whose determination shall be final and binding for those purposes for which Appraiser FMV is used in this Agreement. Appraiser FMV shall be the fair market value determined without regard to any discounts for minority interest, illiquidity or other discounts. The cost of any independent appraisal in connection with the determination of Appraiser FMV in accordance with this Agreement shall be borne by the Company.
“Articles” means the Company’s Articles of Organization as filed with the Secretary of State of the State of California, as amended or amended and restated from time to time.
“Assignee” means a Person to whom any Units have been Transferred in accordance with the terms of this Agreement but who has not become a Member pursuant to Article X.
“Assumed Tax Rate” means the highest effective marginal combined U.S. federal, state and local income tax rate (including the tax imposed under Section 1411 of the Code on net investment income) for a Taxable Year prescribed for an individual or corporate resident in California or New York, New York (whichever results in the application of the highest state and local tax rate for a given type of income), and taking into account (a) the limitations imposed on the deductibility of expenses and other items, (b) the character (e.g., long-term or short-term capital gain or ordinary or exempt income) of the applicable income, and (c) the deductibility of state and local income taxes, to the extent applicable (and with any dollar limitation on state and local income tax deductibility assumed to be exceeded), but not taking into account any deduction under Section 199A of the Code or any similar state or local law, as determined in good faith by the Managing Member. For the avoidance of doubt, the Assumed Tax Rate shall be the same for all Members.
“Base Rate” means, on any date, a variable rate per annum equal to the rate of interest most recently published by The Wall Street Journal as the “prime rate” at large U.S. money center banks.
“Board” means the board of directors of PubCo, as constituted at any given time.
“Book Value” means with respect to any asset, the asset’s adjusted basis for U.S. federal income tax purposes, except that (i) the initial Book Value of any asset contributed by a Member to the Company shall be the gross Fair Market Value of such asset; (ii) the Book Value of any property of the Company distributed to any Member shall be adjusted to equal the gross Fair Market Value of such property on the date of distribution; and (iii) the Book Values of assets of the Company shall be increased (or decreased) to the extent the Managing Member determines reasonably and in good faith that such adjustment is necessary or appropriate to comply with the provisions of Treasury Regulations Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv).
“Business Day” means any day, other than a Saturday, Sunday or any other day on which commercial banks located in the State of New York are authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.
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“California Act” means the California Revised Uniform Limited Liability Company Act, Title 2.6, California Corporations Code, Section 17701.01 et seq., as it may be amended from time to time, and any successor to the California Act.
“Capital Account” means the capital account maintained for a Member pursuant to Section 3.3.
“Capital Contribution” means any cash, cash equivalents, promissory obligations or the Fair Market Value of other property which a Member contributes to the Company pursuant to Section 3.1.
“Capital Stock” shall mean any and all shares, interests, participations or other equivalents (however designated) of capital stock of a corporation, any and all equivalent ownership interests in a Person (other than a corporation) including, without limitation, partnership or membership interests (including any components thereof such as capital accounts, priority returns or the like) in a limited partnership or limited liability company and any and all warrants, rights or options to purchase any of the foregoing.
“Cash Exchange Notice” has the meaning set forth in Section 12.1(b).
“Cash Exchange Payment” means with respect to a particular Exchange for which PubCo has elected to make a Cash Exchange Payment in accordance with Section 12.1(b):
(i) if the Class A Common Stock trades on a National Securities Exchange or automated or electronic quotation system, an amount of cash equal to the product of (x) the number of shares of Class A Common Stock that would have been received by the Exchanging Member in the Exchange for that portion of the Class A Common Units subject to the Exchange set forth in the Cash Exchange Notice if PubCo had paid the Stock Exchange Payment with respect to such number of Class A Common Units, and (y) the Class A 3-Day VWAP; or
(ii) if the Class A Common Stock is not then traded on a National Securities Exchange or automated or electronic quotation system, as applicable, an amount of cash equal to the product of (x) the number of shares of Class A Common Stock that would have been received by the Exchanging Member in the Exchange for that portion of the Class A Common Units subject to the Exchange set forth in the Cash Exchange Notice if PubCo had paid the Stock Exchange Payment with respect to such number of Class A Common Units, for which PubCo has elected to make a Cash Exchange Payment and (y) the Appraiser FMV of one (1) share of Class A Common Stock that would be obtained in an arms-length transaction between an informed and willing buyer and an informed and willing seller, neither of whom is under any compulsion to buy or sell, respectively, and without regard to the particular circumstances of the buyer or seller.
“Certificate Delivery” means, in the case of any shares of Paired Voting Stock to be transferred and surrendered by an Exchanging Member in connection with an Exchange which are represented by a certificate or certificates, the process by which the Exchanging Member shall also present and surrender such certificate or certificates representing such shares of Paired Voting Stock during normal business hours at the principal executive offices of PubCo, or if any agent for the registration or transfer of shares of Paired Voting Stock is then duly appointed and acting, at the office of such transfer agent, along with any instruments of transfer reasonably required by the Managing Member or such transfer agent, as applicable, duly executed by the Exchanging Member or the Exchanging Member’s duly authorized representative.
4
“Class A 3-Day VWAP” means, on any relevant measurement date, the VWAP for five (5) consecutive Trading Days ending on such date.
“Class A Common Stock” means the Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of PubCo.
“Class A Common Units” means the limited liability company interests described in Section 3.1(a)(i) and having the rights, powers and preferences specified herein.
“Class B Common Stock” means the Class B common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of PubCo.
“Class C Common Stock” means the Class C common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of PubCo.
“Class B Voting Units” means the limited liability company interests described in Section 3.1(a)(ii) and having the rights, powers and preferences specified herein.
“Code” means the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
“Common Units” shall mean the issued and outstanding Common Units, as defined in the Prior Agreement, as of immediately prior to the Effective Time.
“Company” means Rani Therapeutics, LLC, a California limited liability company.
“Company Minimum Gain” has the meaning ascribed to the term “partnership minimum gain” set forth in Treasury Regulations Sections 1.704-2(b)(2) and 1.704-2(d).
“Continuing Member” means each member receiving Class A Common Units in the Recapitalization for so long as such Member continues to hold such Class A Common Units after the Pre-IPO Exchanges.
“Continuing Member Representative” means ICL or any Affiliate of ICL designated in writing by ICL to PubCo, the Company and each of the Continuing Members after the Effective Time.
“Covered Transaction” means any Liquidity Event or any other sale, redemption or Transfer of Units.
“DGCL” means the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.
“Distribution” means each distribution made by the Company to a Member, whether in cash, property or securities of the Company and whether by liquidating distribution or otherwise; provided that none of the following shall be a Distribution: (a) any redemption or repurchase by the Company of any securities, or (b) any recapitalization or exchange of securities of the Company, or any subdivision (by Unit split or otherwise) or any combination (by reverse Unit split or otherwise) of any outstanding Units.
5
“DTC” means The Depository Trust Company.
“Effective Time” means such time as is immediately prior to the Pre-IPO Effective Time.
“Equity Securities” means, with respect to any Person, all of the shares of capital stock or equity of (or other ownership or profit interests in) such Person, all of the warrants, options or other rights for the purchase or acquisition from such Person of shares of capital stock or preferred interests or equity of (or other ownership or profit interests in) such Person, all of the securities convertible into or exchangeable for shares of capital stock or equity of (or other ownership or profit interests in) such Person, including convertible debt securities, or warrants, rights or options for the purchase or acquisition from such Person of such shares or equity (or such other interests), restricted stock awards, restricted stock units, equity appreciation rights, phantom equity rights, profit participation and all of the other ownership or profit interests of such Person (including partnership or member interests therein), whether voting or nonvoting.
“ERISA” means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended.
“Event of Withdrawal” means the death, retirement, resignation, expulsion, bankruptcy or dissolution of a Member or the occurrence of any other event that terminates the continued membership of a Member in the Company.
“Exchange” means (a) the redemption by the Company of vested Class A Common Units held by a Member (together with the surrender and cancellation of the same number of outstanding shares of Paired Voting Stock held by such Member) for either (i) a Stock Exchange Payment or (ii) a Cash Exchange Payment, or (b) the direct purchase by PubCo of vested Class A Common Units and Paired Voting Stock held by a Member in accordance with a PubCo Call Right, in each case in accordance with Section 12.6.
“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and applicable rules and regulations thereunder, and any successor to such statute, rules or regulations. Any reference herein to a specific section, rule or regulation of the Exchange Act shall be deemed to include any corresponding provisions of future law.
“Exchange Agreements” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
“Exchange Blackout Period” means (i) any “black out” or similar period under PubCo’s policies covering trading in PubCo’s securities to which the applicable Exchanging Member is subject (or will be subject at such time as it owns Class A Common Stock), which period restricts the ability of such Exchanging Member to immediately resell shares of Class A Common Stock to be delivered to such Exchanging Member in connection with a Stock Exchange Payment and (ii) the period of time commencing on (x) the date of the declaration of a dividend by PubCo and ending on the first day following (y) the record date determined by the Board with respect to such dividend declared pursuant to clause (x), which period of time shall be no longer than 10 Business Days; provided that in no event shall an Exchange Blackout Period which respect to clause (ii) of the definition hereof occur more than four (4) times per calendar year.
6
“Exchange Conditions” means any of the following conditions:
(i) in the event of a valid request for registration pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement, (a) PubCo shall have failed to cause any related prospectus to be supplemented by any required prospectus supplement necessary to effect such Exchange, (b) PubCo shall have exercised its right to defer, delay or suspend the filing or effectiveness of a Registration Statement and such deferral, delay or suspension shall affect the ability of such Exchanging Member to have its Class A Common Stock registered at or immediately following the consummation of the Exchange, (c) any stop order relating to the Registration Statement pursuant to which the Class A Common Stock was to be registered by such Exchanging Member at or immediately following the Exchange shall have been issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission, (d) there shall be in effect an injunction, a restraining order or a decree of any nature of any Governmental Entity that restrains or prohibits the Exchange, or (e) PubCo shall have failed to comply in any material respect with its obligations under the Registration Rights Agreement to the extent related to the resale of the Class A Common Stock of an Exchanging Member, and such failure shall have adversely affected the ability of such Exchanging Member to consummate the resale of Class A Common Stock to be received upon such Exchange pursuant to an effective Registration Statement; (ii) PubCo shall have disclosed in good faith to such Exchanging Member any material non-public information concerning PubCo, the receipt of which results in such Exchanging Member being prohibited or restricted from selling Class A Common Stock at or immediately following the Exchange without disclosure of such information (and PubCo does not permit disclosure); (iii) there shall have occurred a material disruption in the securities markets generally or in the market or markets in which the Class A Common Stock is then traded; (iv) there shall be in effect an injunction, a restraining order or a decree of any nature of any Governmental Entity that restrains or prohibits the Exchange; or (v) the Exchange Date would occur three (3) Business Days or less prior to, or during, an Exchange Blackout Period. For purposes of clarity, the matters contemplated in clauses (ii) through (v) above shall constitute an Exchange Condition regardless of the existence of a valid request for registration pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement.
“Exchange Date” means the date that is five (5) Business Days after the Exchange Notice Date is given; provided, that if an Exchanging Member delays the consummation of an Exchange by delivering an Exchange Delay Notice, the Exchange Date shall occur on the date that is three (3) Business Days following the date on which the conditions giving rise to such delay cease to exist which shall in no event be prior to the date otherwise determined pursuant to this definition (or such earlier day as the Managing Member and such Exchanging Member may agree in writing); provided, further, that if the Exchange Date for any Exchange with respect to which PubCo elects to make a Stock Exchange Payment would otherwise fall within any Exchange Blackout Period, then the Exchange Date shall occur on the next Business Day following the end of such Exchange Blackout Period.
“Exchange Delay Notice” has the meaning set forth in Section 12.1(c).
“Exchange Notice” means a written election of Exchange in the form of Exhibit A, duly executed by the Exchanging Member.
“Exchange Notice Date” means, with respect to any Exchange Notice, the date such Exchange Notice is given to the Company in accordance with Section 12.1.
7
“Exchanged Units” means, with respect to any Exchange, the Class A Common Units being exchanged pursuant to a relevant Exchange Notice, and an equal number of shares of Paired Voting Stock held by the relevant Exchanging Member; provided, that, such amount of Class A Common Units shall in no event be less than the Minimum Exchange Amount.
“Exchanging Member” means a Member initiating an Exchange.
“Exempt Transfer” has the meaning set forth in Section 9.1(b).
“Fair Market Value” means, with respect to any asset or equity interest, its fair market value determined according to Article XIV.
“Family Group” means a Member’s spouse, parents, siblings and descendants (whether by birth or adoption) and any trust (whether revocable or irrevocable) or other estate planning vehicle established solely for the benefit of such Member and/or such Member’s spouse and/or such Member’s descendants (by birth or adoption), parents, siblings or dependents, or any charitable trust the grantor of which is such Member and/or member of such Member’s Family Group.
“Fiscal Year” means the Company’s annual accounting period established pursuant to Section 7.2.
“Founder Ownership Percentage” means the percentage obtained by dividing (i) the total number of Class A Common Units owned by the Founder Members by (ii) the aggregate number of Class A Common Units outstanding at such time.
“Founder Members” means ICL, Mir Imran, Xxxxx Xxxxx, Xxxxx Xxxxx, InCube Ventures II, L.P., Rani Investment Corp., Biologix Partners, LP, and VH Rani, LP, and their respective Permitted Transferees or any other transferee of such Founder Member pursuant to a transfer included in clauses (i) through (iv) of the definition of an Exempt Transfer.
“Fund Indemnitees” has the meaning set forth in Section 6.4(e).
“Fund Indemnitors” has the meaning set forth in Section 6.4(e).
“Governmental Entity” means the United States of America or any other nation, any state or other political subdivision thereof, or any entity exercising executive, legislative, judicial, regulatory or administrative functions of government.
“ICL” means InCube Labs, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company.
“Imputed Underpayment Amount” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.6(d).
“Income Amount” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.1(c)(i).
“Indemnified Person” has the meaning set forth in Section 6.4(a).
8
“Liquidity Event” means, whether occurring through one transaction or a series of related transactions, any liquidation, dissolution or winding up, voluntary or involuntary, of the Company.
“Lock-up Period” has the meaning set forth in Section 12.1(a).
“Managing Member” means the person designated as such pursuant to Section 5.1, which shall be PubCo as of the effectiveness of PubCo’s admission as an Additional Member pursuant to Section 10.2, or any successor Managing Member admitted to the Company in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, in its capacity as the managing member of the Company.
“Member” means each of the Persons from time to time admitted to the Company as a member of the Company and listed as a Member in the books and records of the Company, each in its capacity as a member of the Company.
“Member Nonrecourse Debt Minimum Gain” means an amount with respect to each partner nonrecourse debt (as defined in Treasury Regulations Section 1.704-2(b)(4)) equal to the Company Minimum Gain that would result if such partner nonrecourse debt were treated as a nonrecourse liability (as defined in Treasury Regulations Section 1.752-1(a)(2)) determined in accordance with Treasury Regulations Section 1.704-2(i)(3).
“Member Nonrecourse Deductions” has the meaning ascribed to the term “partner nonrecourse deductions” set forth in Treasury Regulations Section 1.704-2(i)(2).
“Minimum Exchange Amount” means a number of Class A Common Units held by an Exchanging Member equal to (x) if such Exchanging Member holds more than 50,000 Class A Common Units as of the date hereof, the lesser of (1) 50,000 Class A Common Units and (2) ten percent (10%) of the Class A Common Units held by the applicable Exchanging Member as of the date hereof or (y) to the extent such Exchanging Member holds 50,000 Class A Common Units or less as of the date hereof, the lesser of (1) twenty-five percent (25%) of the Class A Common Units held by the applicable Exchanging Member as of the date hereof and (2) all of the Class A Common Units then held by the applicable Exchanging Member.
“National Securities Exchange” means a securities exchange registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission under Section 6 of the Exchange Act.
“Net Loss” means, with respect to a Taxable Year, the excess, if any, of Losses for such Taxable Year over Profits for such Taxable Year (excluding Losses and Profits specially allocated pursuant to this Agreement).
“Net Profit” means, with respect to a Taxable Year, the excess, if any, of Profits for such Taxable Year over Losses for such Taxable Year (excluding Profits and Losses specially allocated pursuant to this Agreement).
“Non-Foreign Person Certificate” has the meaning set forth in Section 12.9(a).
“Nonrecourse Deductions” has the meaning set forth in Treasury Regulations Section 1.704-2(b)(1). The amount of Nonrecourse Deductions of the Company for a Fiscal Year equals the net increase, if any, in the amount of Company Minimum Gain of the Company during that fiscal year, determined according to the provisions of Treasury Regulations Section 1.704-2(c).
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“Paired Voting Stock” means, with respect to Class A Common Units held by a Member other than PubCo (and other than Class A Common Units received in the Recapitalization in exchange for Common Units received in the Profits Interest Conversion), the shares of Class B Common Stock issued in exchange for the Class B Voting Units initially paired with such Class A Common Units, subject, as applicable, to adjustment pursuant to Section 3.2(d) and Section 3.2(e) and the certificate of incorporation of PubCo.
“Participate” (and the correlative terms “Participating” and “Participation”) includes any direct or indirect ownership interest in any enterprise or participation in the management of such enterprise, whether as an officer, director, employee, partner, sole proprietor, agent, representative, independent contractor, consultant, executive, franchisor, franchisee, creditor, owner or otherwise.
“Participating Unit” means, with respect to any Distribution (or other allocation of proceeds) pursuant to Section 4.1(b) or Section 4.1(c) hereof, any Class A Common Unit.
“Partnership Representative” has the meaning set forth in Section 8.3.
“Permitted Transferee” means any transferee in an Exempt Transfer pursuant to clause (i) of the definition thereof.
“Person” means an individual or a corporation, partnership, limited liability company, trust, unincorporated organization, association or other entity.
“Piggyback Registration” is defined in the Registration Rights Agreement.
“Profits Interests” shall mean all of the issued and outstanding Profits Interests, as defined in the Prior Agreement, as of immediately prior to the Effective Time.
“Prior Agreement” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
“Profits” or “Losses” means items of Company income and gain or loss and deduction for an applicable tax accounting period determined for purposes of maintaining the Capital Account of each Member under Section 3.3 and in accordance with Section 704(b) of the Code and the Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder.
“PubCo” means Rani Therapeutics Holdings, Inc., a corporation incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware, and its successors.
“PubCo Offer” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.2(c)(ii).
“Recapitalization” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
“Registration Rights Agreement” means the Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of the date hereof, by and among PubCo, certain of the Members and the other parties thereto (together with any other parties that become a party thereto from time to time upon execution of a joinder in accordance with the terms thereof by any successor or assign to any party to such Registration Rights Agreement).
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“Registration Statement” means any registration statement that PubCo is required to file pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement.
“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and applicable rules and regulations thereunder, and any successor to such statute, rules or regulations. Any reference herein to a specific section, rule or regulation of the Securities Act shall be deemed to include any corresponding provisions of future law.
“Securities and Exchange Commission” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, including any governmental body or agency succeeding to the functions thereof.
“Similar Law” means any law or regulation that could cause the underlying assets of the Company to be treated as assets of the Member by virtue of its limited liability company interest in the Company and thereby subject the Company and the Managing Member (or other Persons responsible for the investment and operation of the Company’s assets) to laws or regulations that are similar to the fiduciary responsibility or prohibited transaction provisions contained in Title I of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code.
“Stock Exchange Payment” means, with respect to any Exchange for which a Cash Exchange Notice is not in effect, a number of shares of Class A Common Stock equal to the number of Class A Common Units subject to such Exchange.
“Subsidiary” means, with respect to any Person, any corporation, limited liability company, partnership, association or business entity of which (i) if a corporation, a majority of the total voting power of shares of stock entitled (without regard to the occurrence of any contingency) to vote in the election of directors, managers or trustees thereof is at the time owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by that Person or one or more of the other Subsidiaries of that Person or a combination thereof, or (ii) if a limited liability company, partnership, association or other business entity (other than a corporation), a majority of partnership or other similar ownership interest thereof is at the time owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by any Person or one or more Subsidiaries of that Person or a combination thereof. For purposes hereof, a Person or Persons shall be deemed to have a majority ownership interest in a limited liability company, partnership, association or other business entity (other than a corporation) if such Person or Persons shall be allocated a majority of limited liability company, partnership, association or other business entity gains or losses or shall be or control any manager, managing director or general partner of such limited liability company, partnership, association or other business entity. For purposes hereof, references to a “Subsidiary” of the Company shall be given effect only at such times that the Company has one or more Subsidiaries, and, unless otherwise indicated, the term “Subsidiary” refers to a Subsidiary of the Company.
“Substituted Member” means a Person that is admitted as a Member to the Company pursuant to Section 10.1.
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“Tax Distributions” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.1(c).
“Tax Estimation Period” means each period from January 1 through March 31, from April 1 through May 31, from June 1 through August 31, and from September 1 through December 31 of each Taxable Year.
“Tax Matters Member” has the meaning set forth in Section 8.3.
“Tax Receivable Agreement” means the Tax Receivable Agreement dated as of or about the date hereof among the Company, the Managing Member and the other parties from time to time party thereto, as amended from time to time.
“Taxable Year” means the Company’s accounting period for federal income tax purposes determined pursuant to Section 8.2.
“Trading Day” means a day on which Nasdaq or such other principal United States securities exchange on which the Class A Common Stock is listed, quoted or admitted to trading and is open for the transaction of business (unless such trading shall have been suspended for the entire day).
“Transfer” has the meaning set forth in Section 9.1(a).
“Transferor’s Owner” has the meaning set forth in Section 9.1(c)(i).
“Treasury Regulations” means the income tax regulations promulgated under the Code, as amended.
“Units” means, collectively, the Class A Common Units, the Class B Voting Units and such other units of the Company as may be authorized, designated or issued, as determined by the Managing Member from time to time after the date hereof.
“Unvested Class A Common Stock” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.1(b)(iv).
“Unvested Class A Common Units” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.1(b)(ii).
“VWAP” means the daily per share volume-weighted average price of the Class A Common Stock on Nasdaq or such other principal United States securities exchange on which the shares of Class A Common Stock are listed, quoted or admitted to trading, as displayed under the heading Bloomberg VWAP on the Bloomberg page designated for the Class A Common Stock (or the equivalent successor if such page is not available) in respect of the period from the open of trading on such Trading Day until the close of trading on such Trading Day (or if such volume-weighted average price is unavailable, (a) the per share volume-weighted average price of a share of Class A Common Stock on such Trading Day (determined without regard to afterhours trading or any other trading outside the regular trading session or trading hours), or (b) if such determination is not feasible, the market price per share of Class A Common Stock as determined by a nationally recognized independent investment banking firm retained in good faith for this purpose by PubCo); provided, however, that if at any time for purposes of the Class A 3-Day VWAP shares of Class A Common Stock are not then listed, quoted or traded on a principal United States securities exchange or automated or electronic quotation system, then the VWAP shall mean the per share Appraiser FMV of one (1) share of Class A Common Stock (or such other Equity Security into which the Class A Common Stock was converted or exchanged).
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ARTICLE II
ORGANIZATIONAL MATTERS
2.1 Formation of Company. The Company was formed on February 21, 2012, in accordance with the laws of the State of California.
2.2 Limited Liability Company Agreement. The Members hereby execute this Agreement for the purpose of establishing the affairs of the Company and the conduct of its business in accordance with the provisions of the California Act. This Agreement amends and restates the Prior Agreement in its entirety and shall constitute the “operating agreement” (as that term is used in the California Act) of the Company effective as of the Effective Time. The Members hereby agree that during the term of the Company set forth in Section 2.7 the rights and obligations of the Members with respect to the Company will be determined in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement and the California Act. On any matter upon which this Agreement is silent, the California Act shall control. No provision of this Agreement shall be in violation of the California Act and to the extent any provision of this Agreement is in violation of the California Act, such provision shall be void and of no effect to the extent of such violation without affecting the validity of the other provisions of this Agreement; provided, however, that where the California Act provides that a provision of the California Act shall apply “unless otherwise provided in an operating agreement” or words of similar effect, the provisions of this Agreement shall in each instance control.
2.3 Name. The name of the Company shall be “Rani Therapeutics, LLC”. The Managing Member in its sole discretion may change the name of the Company at any time and from time to time in accordance with the California Act. Notification of any such change shall be given to all of the Members. The Company’s business may be conducted under its name and/or any other name or names deemed advisable by the Managing Member.
2.4 Purpose. The purpose and business of the Company shall be any business which may lawfully be conducted by a limited liability company formed pursuant to the California Act.
2.5 Powers. The powers of the Company shall be all powers necessary or convenient to carry out the purposes for which it is organized, including the powers granted by the California Act.
2.6 Principal Office; Registered Office. The principal office of the Company shall be such place as the Managing Member may from time to time designate. The Company may maintain offices at such other place or places as the Managing Member deems advisable. Notification of any such change shall be given to all of the Members. The address of the registered office of the Company in the State of California shall be 000 X Xxxxx Xxxx, XXX 000, Xxxxxxxx, XX 00000, and the registered agent for service of process on the Company in the State of California at such registered office shall be C T Corporation System.
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2.7 Term. The term of the Company commenced upon the filing of the Articles in accordance with the California Act and shall continue in existence until dissolution thereof in accordance with the provisions of Article XIII. The existence of the Company as a separate legal entity shall continue until cancellation of the Articles as provided in the California Act.
2.8 No State-Law Partnership. The Members intend that the Company not be a partnership (including, without limitation, a limited partnership) or joint venture, and that no Member be a partner or joint venturer of any other Member by virtue of this Agreement, for any purposes other than as set forth in Section 2.9, and neither this Agreement nor any other document entered into by the Company or any Member relating to the subject matter hereof shall be construed to suggest otherwise.
2.9 Tax Treatment. The Members intend that the Company shall be treated as a partnership for federal and applicable state or local income tax purposes, and that each Member and the Company shall file all tax returns and shall otherwise take all tax and financial reporting positions in a manner consistent with and actions necessary to obtain such treatment.
2.10 Prior Agreements. For the avoidance of doubt, all prior limited liability company agreements amongst the Company and its members, including all amendments thereto, shall govern and control for all periods prior to the date hereof.
ARTICLE III
CAPITALIZATION; CAPITAL CONTRIBUTIONS
3.1 Capitalization.
(a) Each Member shall hold Units, and the relative rights, powers, privileges, preferences and obligations with respect to each Member’s Units shall be determined under this Agreement and the California Act based upon the number and the class of Units held by such Member. The number and the class of Units held by each Member shall be set forth in the books and records of the Company. The classes of Units as of the Effective Time are as follows: “Class A Common Units” and “Class B Voting Units.” The Members shall have no right to vote on any matter, except as specifically set forth in this Agreement, or as may be required under the California Act. Any such vote shall be at a meeting of the Members entitled to vote or in writing as provided herein.
(i) Class A Common Units. The Class A Common Units shall have all the rights, powers, privileges and obligations as are specifically provided for in this Agreement for Class A Common Units, and as may otherwise be generally applicable to all classes of Units, unless such application is specifically limited to one or more other classes of Units. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the holders of Class A Common Units shall not be entitled to vote on any matter subject to a vote of the Members, except as otherwise required by law and on any such matter the holders of Class A Common Units shall be entitled to one (1) vote per Class A Common Unit.
(ii) Class B Voting Units. The holders of Class B Voting Units shall be entitled to ten (10) votes per Class B Voting Unit with respect to any designation of the Managing Member pursuant to Section 5.1 or designation of an additional Managing Member or substitute Managing Member pursuant to Section 10.3, and shall not be entitled to any other rights, powers, privileges or obligations under this Agreement.
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(b) On the date hereof and in connection with the IPO, the following shall have occurred or will occur:
(i) Immediately prior to the Effective Time, the Profits Interest Conversion and the Preferred Unit Conversion were consummated.
(ii) At the Effective Time, the Recapitalization is hereby consummated. Pursuant to the Recapitalization, any Class A Common Units received in exchange for Common Units subject to vesting not accelerated in connection with the IPO shall continue to vest in accordance with the vesting schedule applicable to such Profits Interests (such Class A Common Units subject to vesting, the “Unvested Class A Common Units”).
(iii) Immediately after the Effective Time, the Pre-IPO Exchanges shall be consummated. Any shares of Class A Common Stock received in respect of Unvested Class A Common Units in a Pre-IPO Exchange shall continue to vest in accordance with the same vesting schedule as such Unvested Class A Common Units (the “Unvested Class A Common Stock”).
(iv) Each holder of Unvested Class A Common Stock shall be required to make a valid and timely election in respect of such Unvested Class A Common Stock and protective election in respect of such Unvested Class A Units, in each case, pursuant to Section 83(b) of the Code and to provide evidence of such election to PubCo and the Company.
(v) Upon any forfeiture of Unvested Class A Common Stock pursuant to the Restricted Stock Award Agreement under the PubCo 2021 Equity Incentive Plan, PubCo shall automatically forfeit the corresponding Unvested Class A Common Units.
(vi) The Members agree that immediately following the Effective Time, no fractional Class A Common Unit will remain outstanding and any fractional Class A Common Unit held by a Member shall be rounded down to the nearest whole number.
(c) Subject to the terms of this Agreement (including this Section 3.1 and Section 3.2), the Managing Member in its sole discretion may establish and issue, from time to time in accordance with such procedures as the Managing Member shall determine from time to time, additional Units, in one or more classes or series of Units, or other Company securities, at such price, and with such designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights, powers and duties (which may be senior to existing Units, classes and series of Units or other Company securities), as shall be determined by the Managing Member without the approval of any Member or any other Person who may acquire an interest in any of the Units, including (i) the right of such Units to share in Profits and Losses or items thereof; (ii) the right of such Units to share in Company distributions; (iii) the rights of such Units upon dissolution and winding up of the Company; (iv) whether, and the terms and conditions upon which, the Company may or shall be required to redeem such Units (including sinking fund provisions); (v) whether
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such Units are 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 such Units will be issued, evidenced by certificates and assigned or transferred; (vii) the terms and conditions of the issuance of such Units (including, without limitation, the amount and form of consideration, if any, to be received by the Company in respect thereof, the Managing Member being expressly authorized, in its sole discretion, to cause the Company to issue such Units for less than fair market value); and (viii) the right, if any, of the holder of such Units to vote on Company matters, including matters relating to the relative designations, preferences, rights, powers and duties of such Units. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the Managing Member in its sole discretion, without the approval of any Member or any other Person, is authorized (i) to issue Units or other Company securities of any newly established class or any existing class to Members or other Persons who may acquire an interest in the Company; (ii) to amend this Agreement to reflect the creation of any such new class, the issuance of Units or other Company securities of such class, and the admission of any Person as a Member which has received Units or other Company securities; and (iii) to effect the combination, subdivision and/or reclassification of outstanding Units as may be necessary or appropriate to give economic effect to equity investments in the Company by the Managing Member that are not accompanied by the issuance by the Company to the Managing Member of additional Units and to update the books and records of the Company accordingly. Except as expressly provided in this Agreement to the contrary, any reference to “Units” shall include the Class A Common Units, Class B Voting Units, and Units of any other class or series that may be established in accordance with this Agreement. All Units of a particular class shall have identical rights in all respects as all other Units of such class, except in each case as otherwise specified in this Agreement.
(d) All Units issued hereunder shall be uncertificated unless otherwise determined by the Managing Member.
(e) To the extent information is required to be disclosed to any Member pursuant to this Agreement or the California Act, pursuant to Section 17704.10 of the California Act, each Member acknowledges and agrees that portions of this Agreement may be redacted by the Managing Member or information herein may otherwise be aggregated by the Managing Member to prevent disclosure of confidential information with respect to individual allocations of employee Equity Securities.
(f) Each Member who is issued Units by the Company pursuant to the authority of the Managing Member pursuant to Section 5.1 shall make the Capital Contributions to the Company determined by the Managing Member pursuant to the authority of the Managing Member pursuant to Section 5.1 in exchange for such Units.
(g) Each Member, to the extent having the right to consent thereto, by executing this Agreement, hereby confirms, ratifies and approves the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the other agreements and transactions referred to herein.
3.2 General Provisions with Respect to Units.
(a) New PubCo Issuances.
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(i) Subject to Article XII and Section 3.2(a)(ii), if, at any time after the Effective Time, PubCo issues shares of its Class A Common Stock, shares of Class C Common Stock, or any other Equity Security of PubCo (other than shares of Class B Common Stock), (x) the Company shall concurrently issue to PubCo an equal number of Class A Common Units (if PubCo issues shares of Class A Common Stock or Class C Common Stock), or an equal number of such other Equity Security of the Company corresponding to the Equity Securities issued by PubCo (if PubCo issues Equity Securities other than Class A Common Stock or Class C Common Stock), and with the same rights to distributions (including distributions upon liquidation) and other economic rights as those of such Equity Securities of PubCo so issued and (y) PubCo shall concurrently contribute to the Company the net proceeds or other property received by PubCo, if any, for such share of Class A Common Stock, Class C Common Stock, or other Equity Security.
(ii) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in Section 3.2(a)(i) or Section 3.2(a)(iii), this Section 3.2(a) shall not apply to (x) the issuance and distribution to holders of shares of PubCo Equity Securities of rights to purchase Equity Securities of PubCo under a “poison pill” or similar shareholder rights plan (and upon exchange of Class A Common Units for Class A Common Stock, such Class A Common Stock shall be issued together with a corresponding right under such plan) or (y) the issuance under PubCo’s employee benefit plans of any warrants, options, stock appreciation right, restricted stock, restricted stock units, performance based award or other rights to acquire Equity Securities of PubCo or rights or property that may be converted into or settled in Equity Securities of PubCo, but shall in each of the foregoing cases apply to the issuance of Equity Securities of PubCo in connection with the exercise or settlement of such warrants, options, stock appreciation right, restricted stock units, performance based awards or the vesting of restricted stock (including as set forth in clause (iii) below, as applicable).
(iii) In the event any outstanding Equity Security of PubCo is exercised or otherwise converted and, as a result, any shares of Class A Common Stock, Class C Common Stock or other Equity Securities of PubCo are issued, (x) the corresponding Equity Security outstanding at the Company, if any, shall be similarly exercised or otherwise converted, if applicable, (y) an equivalent number of Class A Common Units or equivalent Equity Securities of the Company shall be issued to PubCo as required by the first sentence of Section 3.2(a)(i), and (z) PubCo shall as soon as practicable following such exercise or conversion contribute to the Company the net proceeds received by PubCo from any such exercise or conversion.
(b) New Company Issuances. Except pursuant to Article XII, (x) the Company may not issue any additional Class A Common Units to PubCo or any of its Subsidiaries (other than the Company and its Subsidiaries) unless (i) substantially simultaneously therewith PubCo or such Subsidiary issues or transfers an equal number of newly-issued shares of Class A Common Stock or Class C Common Stock (or relevant Equity Security of such Subsidiary) to another Person or Persons, and (ii) such issuance is in accordance with Section 3.2(a), and (y) the Company may not issue any other Equity Securities of the Company to PubCo or any of its Subsidiaries (other than the Company and its Subsidiaries) unless (i) substantially simultaneously therewith PubCo or
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such Subsidiary issues or transfers, to another Person, an equal number of newly-issued shares of Equity Securities of PubCo or such Subsidiary with substantially the same rights to dividends and distributions (including distributions upon liquidation) and other economic rights as those of such Equity Securities of the Company, and (ii) such issuance is in accordance with Section 3.2(a).
(c) Repurchases and Redemptions.
(i) Subject to Section 3.2(c)(ii), PubCo or any of its Subsidiaries (other than the Company and its Subsidiaries) may redeem, repurchase or otherwise acquire (A) shares of Class A Common Stock or Class C Common Stock pursuant to a Board approved repurchase plan or program (or otherwise in connection with a transaction approved by the Board) and, substantially simultaneously therewith, the Company shall redeem, repurchase or otherwise acquire from PubCo or such Subsidiary an equal number of Class A Common Units for the same price per security, if any, or (B) any other Equity Securities of PubCo or any of its Subsidiaries (other than the Company and its Subsidiaries) pursuant to a Board approved repurchase plan or program (or otherwise in connection with a transaction approved by the Board) and, substantially simultaneously therewith, the Company shall redeem, repurchase or otherwise acquire from PubCo or such Subsidiary an equal number of the corresponding class or series of Equity Securities of the Company with the same rights to dividends and distributions (including distributions upon liquidation) and other economic rights as those of such Equity Securities of PubCo or such Subsidiary for the same price per security, if any.
(ii) In the event that a tender offer, share exchange offer, or take-over bid or similar transaction with respect to Class A Common Stock and Class C Common Stock, if any (a “PubCo Offer”), is proposed by PubCo or is proposed to PubCo or its stockholders, the holders of Class A Common Units shall be permitted to participate in such PubCo Offer by delivery of an Exchange Notice (which Exchange Notice shall be effective immediately prior to the consummation of such PubCo Offer (and, for the avoidance of doubt, shall be contingent upon such PubCo Offer and not be effective if such PubCo Offer is not consummated)). In the case of a PubCo Offer proposed by PubCo, PubCo shall use its reasonable best efforts to take all such actions and do all such things as are necessary or desirable to enable and permit the holders of Class A Common Units to participate in such PubCo Offer to the same extent or on an economically equivalent basis as the holders of shares of Class A Common Stock without discrimination; provided that, without limiting the generality of this sentence (and without limiting the ability of any Member holding Class A Common Units to consummate an Exchange at any time pursuant to the terms of this Agreement), the Managing Member shall use its reasonable best efforts to ensure that such holders of Class A Common Units may participate in such PubCo Offer without being required to Exchange their Class A Common Units and cancel their shares of Paired Voting Stock, as the case may be, (or, if so required, to ensure that any such Exchange and cancelation shall be effective only upon, and shall be conditional upon, the closing of the transactions contemplated by the PubCo Offer). For the avoidance of doubt, in no event shall the holders of Class A Common Units be entitled to receive in such PubCo Offer aggregate consideration for each Class A Common Unit and share of Paired Voting Stock, taken together, that is greater than or less than the consideration payable in respect of each share of Class A Common Stock in connection with such PubCo Offer (it being understood that payments under or in respect of the Tax Receivable Agreement shall not be considered part of any such consideration).
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(iii) The Company may not redeem, repurchase or otherwise acquire (x) any Class A Common Units from PubCo or any of its Subsidiaries (other than the Company and its Subsidiaries) unless substantially simultaneously PubCo or such Subsidiary redeems, repurchases or otherwise acquires pursuant to a Board approved repurchase plan or program (or otherwise in connection with a transaction approved by the Board) an equal number of shares of Class A Common Stock or Class C Common Stock for the same price per security from holders thereof or (y) any other Equity Securities of the Company from PubCo or any of its Subsidiaries (other than the Company and its Subsidiaries) unless substantially simultaneously PubCo or such Subsidiary redeems, repurchases or otherwise acquires pursuant to a Board approved repurchase plan or program (or otherwise in connection with a transaction approved by the Board) for the same price per security an equal number of Equity Securities of PubCo (or such Subsidiary) of a corresponding class or series with substantially the same rights to dividends and distributions (including distributions upon liquidation) and other economic rights as those of such Equity Securities of PubCo or such Subsidiary.
(iv) Notwithstanding the foregoing clauses (i) through (iii), to the extent that any consideration payable by PubCo in connection with the redemption, repurchase or acquisition of any shares of Class A Common Stock, Class C Common Stock or other Equity Securities of PubCo or any of its Subsidiaries (other than the Company and its Subsidiaries) consists (in whole or in part) of shares of Class A Common Stock, Class C Common Stock or such other Equity Securities (including in connection with the cashless exercise of an option or warrant (or other convertible right or security)) other than under PubCo’s employee benefit plans for which there is no corresponding Class A Common Units or other Equity Securities of the Company, then the redemption, repurchase or acquisition of the corresponding Class A Common Units or other Equity Securities of the Company shall be effectuated in an equivalent manner.
(d) Equity Subdivisions and Combinations.
(i) The Company shall not in any manner effect any subdivision (by any equity split, equity distribution, reclassification, recapitalization or otherwise) or combination (by reverse equity split, reclassification, recapitalization or otherwise) of the outstanding Class A Common Units unless accompanied by an identical subdivision or combination, as applicable, of the outstanding PubCo Class A Common Stock and Paired Voting Stock, Class C Common Stock or other related class or series of Equity Security of PubCo, with corresponding changes made with respect to any other exchangeable or convertible Equity Securities of the Company and PubCo.
(ii) Except in accordance with Section 12.3, PubCo shall not in any manner effect any subdivision (by any equity split, equity distribution, reclassification, recapitalization or otherwise) or combination (by reverse equity split, reclassification, recapitalization or otherwise) of the outstanding PubCo Class A Common Stock, Class C Common Stock or any other class or series of Equity Security of PubCo, unless
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accompanied by an identical subdivision or combination, as applicable, of the outstanding Class A Common Units or other related class or series of Equity Security of the Company, with corresponding changes made with respect to any applicable exchangeable or convertible Equity Securities of the Company and PubCo.
(e) General Authority. For the avoidance of doubt, but subject to Sections 3.1 and 3.2, the Company and PubCo (including in its capacity as the Managing Member of the Company) shall be permitted to undertake all actions, including an issuance, redemption, reclassification, distribution, division or recapitalization, with respect to the Class A Common Units, that are necessary, in the Managing Member’s determination, to maintain at all times a one-to-one ratio between (i) the number of Class A Common Units owned by PubCo, directly or indirectly, and the number of outstanding shares of Class A Common Stock and Class C Common Stock, and (ii) the number of outstanding shares of applicable Paired Voting Stock held by any Person and the number of Class A Common Units held by such Person disregarding, for purposes of maintaining the one-to-one ratios in clauses (i) and (ii), (A) options, rights or securities of PubCo issued under any plan involving the issuance of any Equity Securities that are convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Class A Common Stock, (B) treasury stock, or (C) preferred stock or other debt or equity securities (including warrants, options or rights) issued by PubCo, including Class C common stock, that are convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Class A Common Stock (but in each case prior to such conversion or exchange).
3.3 Capital Accounts.
(a) A separate capital account (each, a “Capital Account”) shall be established for each Member and shall be maintained in accordance with Treasury Regulations Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv) and this Section 3.3 shall be interpreted and applied in a manner consistent with such regulations. In accordance with Treasury Regulations Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(f), the Company may adjust the Capital Accounts of its Members to reflect revaluations (including any unrealized income, gain or loss) of the Company’s property (including intangible assets such as goodwill), whenever it issues additional interests in the Company (including any interests issued with a zero initial Capital Account), or whenever the adjustments would otherwise be permitted under such Treasury Regulations. The Company may adjust the Capital Accounts of its Members to reflect revaluations of the property of any Subsidiary of the Company that is treated as a partnership (or entity disregarded from a partnership) for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In the event that the Capital Accounts of the Members are so adjusted, (i) the Capital Accounts of the Members shall be adjusted in accordance with Treasury Regulations Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(g) for allocations of depreciation, depletion, amortization and gain or loss, as computed for book purposes, with respect to such property and (ii) the Members’ distributive shares of depreciation, depletion, amortization and gain or loss, as computed for tax purposes, with respect to such property shall be determined so as to take account of the variation between the adjusted tax basis and Book Value of such property in the same manner as under Section 704(c) of the Code. In the event that Code Section 704(c) applies to property of the Company, the Capital Accounts of the Members shall be adjusted in accordance with Treasury Regulations Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(g) for allocations of depreciation, depletion, amortization, and gain and loss, as computed for book purposes with respect to such property. In connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, the Capital Accounts of the Members shall be adjusted in accordance with Treasury Regulations Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(f) and determined as of the date hereof and the Capital Account of each Member shall be reflected in the books and records of the Company.
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3.4 Negative Capital Accounts. No Member shall be required to pay to any other Member or the Company any deficit or negative balance which may exist from time to time in such Member’s Capital Account (including upon and after dissolution of the Company).
3.5 No Withdrawal. No Person shall be entitled to withdraw any part of such Person’s Capital Contribution or Capital Account or to receive any Distribution from the Company, except as expressly provided herein.
3.6 Loans From Members. Loans by Members to the Company shall not be considered Capital Contributions. If any Member shall advance funds to the Company in excess of the amounts required hereunder to be contributed by such Member to the capital of the Company, the making of such advances shall not result in any increase in the amount of the Capital Account of such Member. The amount of any such advances shall be a debt of the Company to such Member and shall be payable or collectible in accordance with the terms and conditions upon which such advances are made.
ARTICLE IV
DISTRIBUTIONS AND ALLOCATIONS
4.1 Distributions.
(a) Distributions Generally. The Managing Member may, subject to (i) any restrictions contained in the financing agreements to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party, (ii) having available cash (after setting aside appropriate reserves), and (iii) any other restrictions set forth in this Agreement, make Distributions at any time and from time to time. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement to the contrary, no Distribution, Tax Distribution or other payment in respect of Units shall be required to be made to any Member if, and to the extent that, such Distribution, Tax Distribution or other payment in respect of Units would not be permitted under the California Act or other applicable law.
(b) Operating and Liquidating Distributions. Subject to Section 4.1(c) with respect to Tax Distributions, all Distributions by the Company shall be made or allocated to holders of Participating Units pro rata based on the number of Participating Units held by each such holder.
(c) Tax Distributions.
(i) With respect to each Member, the Company shall calculate the excess of (x)(A) the Income Amount allocated or allocable to such Member for the Tax Estimation Period in question and for all preceding Tax Estimation Periods, if any, within the Taxable Year containing such Tax Estimation Period multiplied by (B) the Assumed Tax Rate over (y) the aggregate amount of all prior Tax Distributions in respect of such Taxable Year and any Distributions made to such Member pursuant to Section 4.1(b) with
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respect to the Tax Estimation Period in question and any previous Tax Estimation Period falling in the Taxable Year containing the applicable Tax Estimation Period referred to in (x)(A) (the amount so calculated pursuant to this sentence is herein referred to as a “Tax Distribution”); provided, however, that the Managing Member may make adjustments in its reasonable discretion to reflect transactions occurring during the Taxable Year. For purposes of this Agreement, the “Income Amount” for a Tax Estimation Period shall equal, with respect to any Member, the net taxable income of the Company allocated or allocable to such Member for such Tax Estimation Period (excluding any compensation paid to a Member outside of this Agreement). For purposes of computing the Income Amount, taxable income shall be determined (i) without regard to any adjustments under Sections 732(d), 734(b) and 743(b) of the Code, (ii) by including adjustments to taxable income in respect of Section 704(c) of the Code, and (iii) by reducing such taxable income by taxable losses of the Company allocated to such Member for taxable periods (or portions thereof) beginning after the date hereof to the extent that such losses are of a character (ordinary or capital) that would permit the losses to be deducted by such Member against the current taxable income of the Company allocable to the Member for such Tax Estimation Period, are otherwise available to be utilized, and have not previously been taken into account in determining such Member’s Income Amount.
(ii) At least ten (10) Business Days before the individual or corporate quarterly estimate payment deadline for U.S. federal income taxes for calendar year filers (whichever is earlier), the Company shall distribute (to the extent available) to the Members pro rata based upon the number of Class A Common Units (including Unvested Class A Common Units) held by each such Member, an aggregate amount of cash sufficient to provide each such Member with a distribution at least equal to such Tax Distribution.
(iii) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, no Tax Distributions will be required to be made with respect to items arising with respect to any Covered Transaction, although any unpaid Tax Distributions with respect to any Tax Estimation Period, or portion thereof, ending before a Covered Transaction shall continue to be required to be paid prior to any Distributions being made under Section 4.1(b).
(d) Each Distribution pursuant to Section 4.1(b) and each Distribution pursuant to Section 4.1(c) shall be made to the Persons shown on the Company’s books and records as Members as of the date of such Distribution; provided, however, that any transferor and transferee of Units may mutually agree as to which of them should receive payment of any Distribution under Section 4.1(c); provided, further, that the Managing Member may in its reasonable discretion make a Tax Distribution under Section 4.1(c) to a former Member in respect of a Taxable Year (or the portion thereof) in which such former Member was a Member.
(e) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 4.1, no distributions shall be made pursuant to Section 4.1 on account of a Participating Unit that has not vested in accordance with the vesting schedule applicable to such Unvested Class A Common Units (or any other Units subject to vesting) (other than to the extent such distributions are in respect of a Tax Distribution); provided that any distributions in respect of Unvested Class A Common Units (or any other Units subject to vesting) shall be payable at the same time as such Unvested Class A Common Units (or any other Units subject to vesting) become vested Class A Common Units, and if such Unvested Class A Common Units (or any other Units subject to vesting) are forfeited, the former holder of such Class A Common Units shall have no right to receive such distributions.
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(f) For purposes of this Section 4.1, any non-cash Company assets distributed in kind to any Members shall be valued at their Fair Market Value in accordance with Article XIV.
4.2 Allocations of Net Profit and Net Loss. Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, including Section 4.3, Net Profits and Net Losses (and, to the extent necessary, individual items of income, gain, loss, deduction or credit of the Company) shall be allocated among the Capital Accounts of the Members in a manner such that, after such allocations have been made, the balance of each Member’s Capital Account is, as nearly as possible, equal to (a) the amount that would be distributed to such Member if the Company were to sell all of its assets for the Book Value thereof, satisfy all of its liabilities in cash in accordance with their terms (limited with respect to each nonrecourse liability to the Book Value of the assets securing such liability), and distribute all remaining or resulting cash pursuant to Section 13.2 (assuming all Units are fully vested for this purpose), minus (b) the Member’s share of Company Minimum Gain and Member Nonrecourse Debt Minimum Gain, computed immediately prior to the hypothetical sale of assets, and (without duplication) the amount any such Member is treated as obligated to contribute to the Company, computed immediately after the hypothetical sale of assets. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Managing Member in its sole discretion shall make allocations for tax purposes as may be needed to ensure that allocations are in accordance with the interests of the Members within the meaning of the Code and Treasury Regulations.
4.3 Special Allocations. Notwithstanding any other provision in this Article IV:
(a) Minimum Gain Chargeback. If there is a net decrease in Company Minimum Gain or Member Nonrecourse Debt Minimum Gain (determined in accordance with the principles of Treasury Regulations Sections 1.704-2(d) and 1.704-2(i)) during any Company taxable year, the Members shall be specially allocated items of Company income and gain for such year (and, if necessary, subsequent years) in an amount equal to their respective shares of such net decrease during such year, determined pursuant to Treasury Regulations Sections 1.704-2(g) and 1.704-2(i)(5). The items to be so allocated shall be determined in accordance with Treasury Regulations Section 1.704-2(f). This Section 4.3(a) is intended to comply with the minimum gain chargeback requirements in such Treasury Regulations Sections and shall be interpreted consistently therewith; including that no chargeback shall be required to the extent of the exceptions provided in Treasury Regulations Sections 1.704-2(f) and 1.704-2(i)(4).
(b) Qualified Income Offset. If any Member unexpectedly receives any adjustments, allocations, or Distributions described in Treasury Regulations Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(d)(4), (5) or (6), items of Company income and gain shall be specially allocated to such Member in an amount and manner sufficient to eliminate the deficit balance in such Member’s Adjusted Capital Account Balance created by such adjustments, allocations or Distributions as promptly as possible; provided that an allocation pursuant to this Section 4.3(b) shall be made only to the extent that a Member would have a deficit Adjusted Capital Account Balance in excess of such sum after all other allocations provided for in this Article IV have been tentatively made as if this Section 4.3(b) were not in this Agreement. This Section 4.3(b) is intended to comply with the “qualified income offset” requirement of the Code and shall be interpreted consistently therewith.
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(c) Gross Income Allocation. If any Member has a deficit Capital Account at the end of any taxable year which is in excess of the sum of (i) the amount such Member is obligated to restore, if any, pursuant to any provision of this Agreement, and (ii) the amount such Member is deemed to be obligated to restore pursuant to the penultimate sentences of Treasury Regulations Section 1.704-2(g)(1) and 1.704-2(i)(5), each such Member shall be specially allocated items of Company income and gain in the amount of such excess as quickly as possible; provided that an allocation pursuant to this Section 4.3(c) shall be made only if and to the extent that a Member would have a deficit Capital Account in excess of such sum after all other allocations provided for in this Article IV have been tentatively made as if Section 4.3(b) and this Section 4.3(c) were not in this Agreement.
(d) Nonrecourse Deductions. Nonrecourse Deductions shall be allocated to the Members holding Class A Common Units pro rata based on the number of Participating Units held by each Member.
(e) Member Nonrecourse Deductions. Member Nonrecourse Deductions for any taxable period shall be allocated to the Member who bears the economic risk of loss with respect to the liability to which such Member Nonrecourse Deductions are attributable in accordance with Treasury Regulations Section 1.704-2(j).
(f) Ameliorative Allocations. Any special allocations of income or gain pursuant to Sections 4.3(a) or 4.3(c) hereof shall be taken into account in computing subsequent allocations pursuant to Section 4.2 and this Section 4.3(f), so that the net amount of any items so allocated and all other items allocated to each Member shall, to the extent possible, be equal to the net amount that would have been allocated to each Member if such allocations pursuant to Sections 4.3(a) or 4.3(c) had not occurred.
(g) Section 754 Adjustments. To the extent an adjustment to the adjusted tax basis of any Company asset pursuant to Code Sections 734(b) or 743(b) is required, pursuant to Treasury Regulations Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(m)(2) or 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(m)(4), to be taken into account in determining Capital Accounts as a result of a distribution to any Member in complete or partial liquidation of such Member’s Units in the Company, the amount of such adjustment to the Capital Accounts shall be treated as an item of gain (if the adjustment increases the basis of the asset) or loss (if the adjustment decreases such basis) and such item of gain or loss shall be allocated to the Members in accordance with Treasury Regulations Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(m)(2) if such Section applies or to the Member to whom such distribution was made if Treasury Regulations Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(m)(4) applies.
(h) Forfeiture Allocation. In the event that Unvested Class A Common Units (or any other Units subject to vesting) of any Member are forfeited, then for the fiscal year of such forfeiture or other period (as determined by the Managing Member):
(i) items of income, gain, loss, and deduction shall be excluded from the calculation of Profits and Losses and shall be specially allocated to the Member whose Units have been forfeited so as to cause such Member’s Capital Account to equal such Member’s distribution entitlements under Section 4.1 after giving effect to the adjustment in the Member’s ownership of Units resulting from the applicable forfeiture;
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(ii) the Managing Member may elect to apply another allocation or Capital Account adjustment method to Units forfeiture as they deem appropriate in lieu of the method set forth in this Section 4.3(h).
4.4 Tax Allocations.
(a) Except as provided in Sections 4.4(b), (c) and (d), Net Profits and Net Losses (and, to the extent necessary, individual items of income, gains, losses, deductions and credits) of the Company will be allocated, for federal, state and local income tax purposes, among the holders of Units in accordance with the allocation of such income, gains, losses, deductions and credits among the holders of Units for book purposes.
(b) Items of Company taxable income, gain, loss and deduction with respect to any property contributed to the capital of the Company shall be allocated among the holders of Units in accordance with Code Section 704(c) so as to take account of any variation between the adjusted basis of such property to the Company and its Book Value using such method or methods determined by the Managing Member to be appropriate and in accordance with the applicable Treasury Regulations; provided, however, that notwithstanding anything to the contrary, the Company shall elect to use the “traditional method with curative allocations” within the meaning of Treasury Regulations Section 1.704-3(c) in respect of section 197 intangibles (as defined in Section 197(d) of the Code) that are subject to reverse Section 704(c) allocations as a result of a contribution of cash by PubCo at the time of the IPO, and in respect of revaluations of such property following the Initial Public Offering, with such curative allocations limited to gain from the sale of such section 197 intangibles as described in Treasury Regulations Section 1.704-3(c)(3)(iii)(B).
(c) If the Book Value of any Company asset is adjusted pursuant to Section 3.3, subsequent allocations of items of taxable income, gain, loss and deduction with respect to such asset shall take account of any variation between the adjusted basis of such asset for federal income tax purposes and its Book Value in the same manner as under Code Section 704(c).
(d) Allocations of tax credits, tax credit recapture, and any items related thereto shall be allocated to the holders of Units according to their interests in such items as determined by the Managing Member taking into account the principles of Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-1(b)(4)(ii).
(e) Allocations pursuant to this Section 4.4 are solely for purposes of federal, state and local taxes and shall not affect, or in any way be taken into account in computing, any holder’s Capital Account or share of book income, gain, loss or deduction, Distributions or other Company items pursuant to any provision of this Agreement.
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4.5 Other Allocation Rules.
(a) The provisions regarding the establishment and maintenance for each Member of a Capital Account as provided by Section 3.3 and the allocations set forth in Sections 4.2, 4.3 and 4.4 are intended to comply with the Treasury Regulations and to reflect the intended economic entitlement of the Members. If the Managing Member reasonably determines that the application of the provisions in Section 3.3, 4.2, 4.3 and 4.4 would result in non-compliance with the Treasury Regulations or would be inconsistent with the intended economic entitlement of the Members, the Managing Member is authorized to make any appropriate adjustments to such provisions to the extent permitted by applicable Law, including to allocate properly items of income, gain, loss, deduction and credit to those Members who bear the economic burden or benefit associated therewith, or to otherwise cause the Members to achieve the economic objectives underlying this Agreement. The Managing Member also shall (i) make any adjustments that it reasonably determines are necessary or appropriate to maintain equality between the Capital Accounts of the Members and the amount of Company capital reflected on the Company’s balance sheet, as computed for book purposes, in accordance with Treasury Regulations Section 1.704-1(b)(iv)(g) and (ii) make any reasonable and appropriate modifications in the event unanticipated events would reasonably be expected to otherwise cause this Agreement not to comply with Treasury Regulations Section 1.704-1(b). No adjustment to the allocations shall be made under this Section 4.5(a) that would have a material adverse effect on the Continuing Members without the prior written consent of the Continuing Member Representative, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed.
(b) With regard to PubCo’s acquisition of the Class A Common Units in conjunction with the IPO, Profits or Losses shall be allocated to the Members of the Company so as to take into account the varying interests of the Members in the Company using an “interim closing of the books” method in a manner that complies with the provisions of Section 706 of the Code and the Treasury Regulations thereunder. If during any Taxable Year there is any other change in any Member’s Units in the Company, the Managing Member shall allocate the Profits or Losses to the Members of the Company so as to take into account the varying interests of the Members in the Company using any method that complies with the provisions of Section 706 of the Code and the Treasury Regulations thereunder.
(c) Solely for purposes of determining a Member’s proportionate share of the “excess nonrecourse liabilities” of the Company, within the meaning of Treasury Regulations Section 1.752-3(a)(3), the Managing Member shall allocate such liabilities in such manner that complies with the Code and the Treasury Regulations thereunder and that the Managing Member reasonably determines is reasonable expected to minimize any gain of the Members to the greatest extent possible under Section 731 of the Code.
4.6 Withholding Taxes.
(a) The Company shall withhold taxes from Distributions to, and allocations among, the Members to the extent required by law. Except as otherwise provided in this Section 4.6, any amount so withheld by the Company with regard to a Member shall be treated for purposes of this Agreement as an amount actually distributed to such Member pursuant to Section 4.1(b) (a “Withholding Payment”). An amount shall be considered withheld by the Company if, and at the time, remitted to a Governmental Entity without regard to whether such remittance occurs at the same time as the Distribution or allocation to which it relates; provided, however, that an amount actually withheld from a specific Distribution or designated by the Managing Member as withheld from a specific allocation shall be treated as if distributed at the time such Distribution or allocation occurs.
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(b) Each Member hereby agrees to indemnify the Company and the other Members for any liability they may incur for failure to properly withhold taxes in respect of such Member. Moreover, each Member hereby agrees that neither the Company nor any other Member shall be liable to such Member for any excess taxes withheld in respect of such Member’s interest in the Company and that, in the event of overwithholding, a Member’s sole recourse shall be to apply for a refund from the appropriate governmental authority.
(c) If it is anticipated that at the due date of the Company’s withholding obligation the Member’s share of cash Distributions or other amounts due is less than the amount of the Withholding Payment, the Member with respect to which the withholding obligation applies shall pay to the Company the amount of such shortfall within thirty (30) days after notice by the Company. If a Member fails to make the required payment when due hereunder, and the Company nevertheless pays the withholding, in addition to the Company’s remedies for breach of this Agreement, the amount paid shall be deemed a recourse loan from the Company to such Member bearing interest at an interest rate per annum equal to the Base Rate plus 3.0%, and the Company shall apply all Distributions or payments that would otherwise be made to such Member toward payment of the loan and interest, which payments or Distributions shall be applied first to interest and then to principal until the loan is repaid in full. In the event that the Distributions or proceeds to the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company are reduced on account of taxes withheld at the source or any taxes are otherwise required to be paid by the Company and such taxes are imposed on or with respect to one or more, but not all of the Members in the Company, or all of the Members in the Company at different tax rates, the amount of the reduction shall be borne by the relevant Members and treated as if it were paid by the Company as a Withholding Payment with respect to such Members pursuant to Section 4.6(a). Taxes imposed on the Company where the rate of tax varies depending on characteristics of the Members shall be treated as taxes imposed on or with respect to the Members for purposes of Section 4.6(a). In addition, if the Company is obligated to pay any taxes (including penalties, interest and any addition to tax) to any Governmental Entity that is specifically attributable to a Member or a former Member, including, without limitation, on account of Sections 864 or 1446 of the Code, then (x) such Member or former Member shall indemnify the Company in full for the entire amount paid or payable, (y) the Managing Member may offset future Distributions from such Member or former Member pursuant to Section 4.1 to which such Person is otherwise entitled under this Agreement against such Member or former Member’s obligation to indemnify the Company under this Section 4.6(c) and (z) such amounts shall be treated as a Withholding Payment pursuant to Section 4.6(a) with respect to such Member or former Member.
(d) If the Company incurs an Imputed Underpayment Amount, the Partnership Representative shall determine in its discretion the portion of such Imputed Underpayment Amount attributable to each Member or former Member and such attributable amount shall be treated as a Withholding Payment pursuant to Section 4.6(a). The portion of any Imputed Underpayment Amount attributed to a former Member shall be treated as a Withholding Payment pursuant to Section 4.6(a) with respect to such former Member. The Partnership Representative shall use commercially reasonable efforts to secure any reduction in any Imputed Underpayment
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Amount that is available by reason of the status of any Member (or its beneficial owners), including by means of any procedures provided pursuant to Code Section 6225(c)(3), and to allocate the benefit of any such reduction to such Member. Each Member agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, Managing Member and the Partnership Representative from and against any and all liability with respect to any Imputed Underpayment Amounts required on behalf of, or with respect to, such Member or any former Member whose former interest in the Company is held by such Member. For purposes hereof, “Imputed Underpayment Amount” shall mean any “imputed underpayment” within the meaning of Section 6225 of the Code (or any corresponding or similar provision of state, local or foreign law) paid (or payable) by the Company as a result of an adjustment with respect to any Company item, including any interest or penalties with respect to any such adjustment. Imputed Underpayment Amounts shall also include any imputed underpayment amounts within the meaning of Code Section 6225 (or any corresponding or similar provision of state, local or foreign law) which are paid (or payable) by any entity treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes in which the Company holds (or has held) a direct or indirect interest (other than through entities treated as corporations for U.S. federal income tax purposes) to the extent that the Company bears the economic burden of such amounts, whether by law or agreement.
(e) A Member’s obligations under this Section 4.6 shall survive the dissolution and winding up of the Company and any transfer, assignment or liquidation of such Member’s interest in the Company.
4.7 Allocations Upon Final Liquidation. With respect to the fiscal year in which the final liquidation of the Company occurs in accordance with Section 13.2 of the Agreement, and notwithstanding any other provision of Sections 4.2, 4.3 or 4.4 hereof, items of Company income, gain, loss and deduction shall be specially allocated to the Members in such amounts and priorities as are necessary so that the positive Capital Accounts of the Members shall, as closely as possible, equal the amounts that will be distributed to the Members pursuant to Section 13.2.
ARTICLE V
MANAGEMENT
5.1 Designation and Authority of Managing Member. The Managing Member shall be designated by the holders of Class B Voting Units. Except for situations in which the approval of one or more of the Members is specifically required by the express terms of this Agreement, and subject to the provisions of this Article V, (i) all management powers over the business and affairs of the Company shall be exclusively vested in the Managing Member, (ii) the Managing Member shall conduct, direct and exercise full control over all activities of the Company, and (iii) the Managing Member shall have the sole power to bind or take any action on behalf of the Company, or to exercise any rights and powers (including, without limitation, the rights and powers to take certain actions, give or withhold certain consents or approvals, or make certain determinations, opinions, judgments or other decisions) granted to the Company under this Agreement or any other agreement, instrument or other document to which the Company is a party. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, but subject to any situations in which the approval of the Members is
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specifically required by this Agreement, (x) the Managing Member shall have discretion in determining whether to issue Equity Securities, the number of Equity Securities to be issued at any particular time, the purchase price for any Equity Securities issued, and all other terms and conditions governing the issuance of Equity Securities and (y) the Managing Member may enter into, approve, and consummate any Liquidity Event or other extraordinary or business combination or divestiture transaction, and execute and deliver on behalf of the Company or the Members any agreement, document and instrument in connection therewith (including amendments, if any, to this Agreement or adoptions of new constituent documents) without the approval or consent of any Member. The Managing Member shall operate the Company and its Subsidiaries in accordance in all material respects with an annual budget, business plan and financial forecasts for the Company and its Subsidiaries for each fiscal year. The Managing Member shall be the “manager” of the Company for the purposes of the California Act. The Managing Member is hereby authorized to execute, deliver and file the articles of organization of the Company and all other certificates (and any amendments and/or restatements hereof) required or permitted by the California Act to be filed in the Office of the Secretary of State of the State of California. The Managing Member and Members hereby approve and ratify the filing of the following document with the Secretary of State of the State of California: Amendment to the Articles of Organization of the Company by an authorized person, as may be designated by the Managing Member from time to time. The Managing Member is hereby authorized to execute, deliver and file any other certificates (and any amendments and/or restatements thereof) necessary for the Company to qualify to do business in a jurisdiction in which the Company may wish to conduct business. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement to the contrary, without the consent of any Member or other Person being required, the Company is hereby authorized to execute, deliver and perform, and the Managing Member or any officer on behalf of the Company, is hereby authorized to execute and deliver (a) the Exchange Agreements, (b) the Tax Receivable Agreement; (c) any other document, certificate or contract relating to or contemplated by the Recapitalization; and (d) any amendment and any agreement, document or other instrument contemplated thereby or related thereto. The Managing Member or any officer is hereby authorized to enter into the documents described in the preceding sentence on behalf of the Company, but such authorization shall not be deemed a restriction on the power of the Managing Member or any officer to enter into other documents on behalf of the Company.
5.2 Actions of the Managing Member. Unless otherwise provided in this Agreement, any decision, action, approval or consent required or permitted to be taken by the Managing Member may be taken by the Managing Member through any Person or Persons to whom authority and duties have been delegated pursuant to Section 5.4(a). The Managing Member shall not cease to be a Managing Member of the Company as a result of the delegation of any duties hereunder. No officer or agent of the Company, in its capacity as such, shall be considered a Managing Member of the Company by agreement, as a result of the performance of its duties hereunder or otherwise.
5.3 Compensation; Expenses.
(a) The Managing Member shall not be entitled to any compensation for services rendered to the Company in its capacity as Managing Member.
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(b) The Company shall pay, or cause to be paid, all costs, fees, operating expenses and other expenses of the Company (including the costs, fees and expenses of attorneys, accountants or other professionals) incurred in pursuing and conducting, or otherwise related to, the activities of the Company. The Company shall also, in the sole discretion of the Managing Member, bear and/or reimburse PubCo or the Managing Member for (i) any costs, fees or expenses incurred by the Managing Member in connection with serving as the Managing Member, (ii) operating, administrative and other similar costs incurred by the Managing Member, to the extent the proceeds are used or will be used by the Managing Member to pay expenses described in this clause (ii), and payments pursuant to any legal, tax, accounting and other professional fees and expenses (but, for the avoidance of doubt, excluding any tax liabilities of the Managing Member), (iii) any judgments, settlements, penalties, fines or other costs and expenses in respect of any claims against, or any litigation or proceedings involving, the Managing Member, (iv) fees and expenses (other than any underwriters’ discounts and commissions that are economically recovered by the Managing Member as a result of acquiring Company Units at a discount) related to any securities offering, investment or acquisition transaction (whether or not successful) authorized by PubCo, as the managing member of the Managing Member, (v) other fees and expenses in connection with the maintenance of the existence of the Managing Member, and (vi) all other expenses allocable to the Company or otherwise incurred by PubCo or the Managing Member in connection with operating the Company’s business (including expenses allocated to PubCo or the Managing Member by their Affiliates and expenses incurred by PubCo in its capacity as the Managing Member). To the extent that the Managing Member determines in its sole discretion that such expenses are related to the business and affairs of PubCo or the Managing Member that are conducted through the Company and/or its Subsidiaries (including expenses that relate to the business and affairs of the Company and/or its Subsidiaries and that also relate to other activities of PubCo or the Managing Member), the Managing Member may cause the Company to pay or bear all expenses of PubCo or the Managing Member, including, without limitation, compensation and meeting costs of any board of directors or similar body of PubCo or the Managing Member, any salary, bonus, incentive compensation and other amounts paid to any Person including Affiliates of PubCo or the Managing Member to perform services for the Company, litigation costs and damages arising from litigation, accounting and legal costs and franchise taxes, except to the extent such franchise taxes are based on or measured with respect to net income or profits; provided that the Company shall not pay or bear any income tax obligations of PubCo or the Managing Member or any obligations of PubCo or the Managing Member under the Tax Receivable Agreement. To the extent practicable, expenses incurred by PubCo or the Managing Member on behalf of or for the benefit of the Company shall be billed directly to and paid by the Company and, if and to the extent any reimbursements to PubCo or the Managing Member or any of their Affiliates by the Company pursuant to this Section 5.3(b) constitute gross income to such Person (as opposed to the repayment of advances made by such Person on behalf of the Company), such amounts shall be treated as “guaranteed payments” within the meaning of Section 707(c) of the Code and shall not be treated as distributions for purposes of computing the Members’ Capital Account. Reimbursements pursuant to this Section 5.3(b) shall be in addition to any reimbursement to PubCo or the Managing Member as a result of indemnification pursuant to Section 6.4.
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5.4 Delegation of Authority.
(a) The Managing Member may, from time to time, delegate to one or more Persons, including any officer or director of the Company or PubCo (or to PubCo’s Compensation Committee or its designees), or to any other Person, such authority and duties as the Managing Member may deem advisable; provided that any such Person shall exercise such authority subject to the same duties and obligations to which the Managing Member would have otherwise been subject pursuant to the terms of this Agreement.
(b) The Managing Member may assign titles (including, without limitation, executive chairman, non-executive chairman, chief executive officer, president, vice president, secretary, assistant secretary, treasurer or assistant treasurer) and delegate certain authority and duties to such Persons. Any number of titles may be held by the same officer of the Company or other individual. The salaries or other compensation, if any, of the officers and agents of the Company shall be fixed from time to time by the Managing Member. Any delegation pursuant to this Section 5.4 may be revoked at any time by the Managing Member.
5.5 Limitation of Liability.
(a) Except as otherwise provided herein, in an agreement entered into by such Person and the Company or by applicable law, none of (i) the Managing Member, (ii) any manager, officer, director, principal, member, employee, agent or Affiliate of the Managing Member or (iii) affiliated entities of the Managing Member’s principal executives or directors shall be liable to the Company or to any Member for any act or omission performed or omitted by the Managing Member in its capacity as the Managing Member pursuant to authority granted to such Person by this Agreement; provided that, except as otherwise provided herein, such limitation of liability shall not apply to the extent the act or omission was attributable to such Person’s gross negligence, willful misconduct or knowing violation of law, for any present or future breaches of any representations, warranties or covenants by such Person or its Affiliates contained herein with respect to any rights of the Company under any other agreements between the Managing Member and the Company. The Managing Member 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 none of the Managing Member or any manager, officer, director, principal, member, employee, agent or Affiliate of the Managing Member shall be responsible for any misconduct or negligence on the part of any such agent appointed by the Managing Member (so long as such agent was selected in good faith and with reasonable care). The Managing Member shall be entitled to rely upon the advice of legal counsel, independent public accountants and other experts, including financial advisors, and any act of or failure to act by the Managing Member in good faith reliance on such advice shall in no event subject the Managing Member to liability to the Company or any Member.
(b) Except as provided in this Agreement or in the California Act, the debts, obligations and liabilities of the Company, whether arising in contract, tort or otherwise, shall be solely the debts, obligations and liabilities of the Company and no Managing Member shall be obligated personally for any such debts, obligations or liabilities solely by reason of acting as the Managing Member of the Company. The Managing Member shall not be personally liable for the Company’s obligations, liabilities and Losses. Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, the failure of the Company to observe any formalities or requirements relating to the exercise of its powers or management of its business and affairs under this Agreement or the California Act shall not be grounds for imposing personal liability on the Managing Member for liabilities of the Company.
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ARTICLE VI
RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF MEMBERS
6.1 Limitation of Liability.
(a) Except as provided in this Agreement or in the California Act, the debts, obligations and liabilities of the Company, whether arising in contract, tort or otherwise, shall be solely the debts, obligations and liabilities of the Company and no Member shall be obligated personally for any such debts, obligations or liabilities solely by reason of being a member of the Company. Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement or the California Act, a Member’s liability (in its capacity as such) for Company obligations, liabilities and Losses shall be limited to the Company’s assets; provided that a Member shall be required to return to the Company any Distribution made to it after the execution of this Agreement in clear and manifest accounting or similar error. The immediately preceding sentence shall constitute a compromise to which all Members have consented within the meaning of the California Act.
(b) This Agreement is not intended to, and does not, create or impose any duty (including any fiduciary duty) on any of the Members (including without limitation, the Managing Member) hereto or on their respective Affiliates. Further, notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement or any duty otherwise existing at law or in equity, the parties hereto agree that no Member or Managing Member shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, have duties (including fiduciary duties) to any other Member or to the Company, and in doing so, recognize, acknowledge and agree that their duties and obligations to one another and to the Company are only as expressly set forth in this Agreement; provided, however, that each Member and the Managing Member shall have the duty to act in accordance with the implied contractual covenant of good faith and fair dealing.
(c) To the extent that, at law or in equity, any Member (including without limitation, the Managing Member) has duties (including fiduciary duties) and liabilities relating thereto to the Company, to another Member or to another Person who is a party to or is otherwise bound by this Agreement, the Members (including without limitation, the Managing Member) acting under this Agreement will not be liable to the Company, to any such other Member or to any such other Person who is a party to or is otherwise bound by this Agreement, for their good faith reliance on the provisions of this Agreement. The provisions of this Agreement, to the extent that they restrict or eliminate the duties and liabilities relating thereto of any Member (including without limitation, the Managing Member) otherwise existing at law or in equity, are agreed by the Members to replace to that extent such other duties and liabilities of the Members relating thereto (including without limitation, the Managing Member).
6.2 Lack of Authority. No Member (other than the Managing Member) in its capacity as such (other than in its capacity as a Person delegated authority pursuant to Section 5.4) has the authority or power to act for or on behalf of the Company, to do any act that would be binding on the Company or to make any expenditures on behalf of the Company. The Members hereby consent to the exercise by the Managing Member of the powers conferred on it by law and this Agreement.
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6.3 No Right of Partition. No Member shall have the right to seek or obtain partition by court decree or operation of law of any Company property, or the right to own or use particular or individual assets of the Company.
6.4 Indemnification.
(a) Subject to Section 4.6, the Company hereby agrees to indemnify and hold harmless any Person (each an “Indemnified Person”) to the fullest extent permitted under the California Act (after waiving all California Act restrictions on indemnification other than those which cannot be eliminated), as the same now exists or may hereafter be amended, substituted or replaced (but, in the case of any such amendment, substitution or replacement only to the extent that such amendment, substitution or replacement permits the Company to provide broader indemnification rights than the Company is providing immediately prior to such amendment, substitution or replacement), against all expenses, liabilities and losses (including attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines, excise taxes or penalties, as reasonably required) reasonably incurred or suffered by such Person (or one or more of such Person’s Affiliates) by reason of the fact that such Person is or was a Member (or Affiliate of a Member) or is or was serving as the Managing Member, any additional or substitute Managing Member, a Manager or a committee member pursuant to the Prior Agreement, officer, employee or other agent of the Company or is or was serving at the request of the Company as a manager, officer, director, principal, member, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company, trust or other enterprise (including any manager, officer, director, principal, member, employee or agent of the Managing Member or any additional or substitute Managing Member); provided that (unless the Managing Member otherwise consents) no Indemnified Person shall be indemnified for any expenses, liabilities and losses suffered that are attributable to such Indemnified Person’s or its Affiliates’ gross negligence, willful misconduct or knowing violation of law. Expenses, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, incurred by any such Indemnified Person in defending a proceeding related to any such indemnifiable matter shall be paid by the Company in advance of the final disposition of such proceeding, including any appeal therefrom, upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of such Indemnified Person to repay such amounts if it shall ultimately be determined that such Indemnified Person is not entitled to be indemnified by the Company.
(b) The right to indemnification and the advancement of expenses conferred in this Section 6.4 shall not be exclusive of any other right which any Person may have or hereafter acquire under any statute, agreement, by-law, determination of the Managing Member or otherwise.
(c) The Company will maintain directors’ and officers’ liability insurance, at its expense, for the benefit of the Managing Member, the officers of the Company and any other Persons to whom the Managing Member has delegated its authority pursuant to Section 5.4.
(d) Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary (including in this Section 6.4), any indemnity by the Company relating to the matters covered in this Section 6.4 shall be provided out of and to the extent of Company assets only and no Member (unless such
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Member otherwise agrees in writing or is found in a final decision by a court of competent jurisdiction to have personal liability on account thereof) shall have personal liability on account thereof or shall be required to make additional capital contributions or otherwise provide funding to help satisfy such indemnity of the Company.
(e) The Company hereby acknowledges that certain of its Members (the “Fund Indemnitees”) may have rights to indemnification, advancement of expenses and/or insurance in connection with their involvement with the Company provided by other Persons (collectively, the “Fund Indemnitors”). The Company hereby agrees (i) that it is the indemnitor of first resort (i.e., its obligations to the Fund Indemnitee are primary and any obligation of the Fund Indemnitors to advance expenses or to provide indemnification for the same expenses or liabilities incurred by the Fund Indemnitees are secondary), and (ii) that it irrevocably waives, relinquishes and releases the Fund Indemnitors from any and all claims against the Fund Indemnitors for contribution, subrogation or any other recovery of any kind in respect thereof to the fullest extent permitted by law. The Company further agrees that no advancement or payment by the Fund Indemnitors on behalf of the Fund Indemnitees with respect to any claim for which the Fund Indemnitees have sought indemnification from the Company shall affect the foregoing and the Fund Indemnitors shall have a right of contribution and/or be subrogated to the extent of such advancement or payment to all of the rights of recovery of the Fund Indemnitees against the Company.
(f) If this Section 6.4 or any portion hereof shall be invalidated on any ground by any court of competent jurisdiction, then the Company shall nevertheless indemnify and hold harmless each Indemnified Person pursuant to this Section 6.4 to the fullest extent permitted by any applicable portion of this Section 6.4 that shall not have been invalidated and to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law.
ARTICLE VII
BOOKS, RECORDS, ACCOUNTING AND REPORTS
7.1 Records and Accounting. The Company shall keep, or cause to be kept, appropriate books and records with respect to the Company’s business, including all books and records necessary to provide any information, lists and copies of documents required to be provided pursuant to Section 7.3 or pursuant to applicable laws. All matters concerning (i) the determination of the relative amount of allocations and distributions among the Members pursuant to Article III and Article IV and (ii) accounting procedures and determinations, and other determinations not specifically and expressly provided for by the terms of this Agreement, shall be determined by the Managing Member, whose determination shall be final and conclusive as to all of the Members absent manifest clerical error.
7.2 Fiscal Year. The Fiscal Year of the Company shall be such annual accounting period as is established by the Managing Member from time to time.
7.3 Reports. The Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to deliver or cause to be delivered, as soon as practicable following the completion of each Taxable Year, but in all events no later than ninety (90) days (except that in the case of Schedule K-1, no later than ninety (90) days for an estimate of the information to be included in Schedule K-1 and no later
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than one hundred and twenty (120) days for Schedule K-1) after the end of each Taxable Year, to each Person who was a holder of Units at any time during such Taxable Year all information from the Company necessary for the preparation of such Person’s United States federal and state income tax returns. Except as set forth in the immediately preceding sentence or any separate written agreement between the Company and any Member, pursuant to Section 17704.10 of the California Act, no Member shall have the right to any other information from the Company, except as may be required by any non-waivable provision of law.
7.4 Transmission of Communications. Each Person that owns or controls Units on behalf of, or for the benefit of, another Person or Persons shall be responsible for conveying any report, notice or other communication received from the Company to such other Person or Persons.
7.5 Confidentiality.
(a) The Managing Member may keep confidential from the Members, for such period of time as the Managing Member determines in its sole discretion, (i) any information that the Managing Member reasonably believes to be in the nature of trade secrets or (ii) other information the disclosure of which the Managing Member believes is not in the best interests of the Company, could damage the Company or its business or that the Company is required by law or by agreement with any third party to keep confidential, including without limitation, information as to the Units held by any other Member. With respect to any schedules, annexes or exhibits to this Agreement, to the fullest extent permitted by law, each Member (other than the Managing Member) shall only be entitled to receive and review any such schedules, annexes and exhibits relating to such Member and shall not be entitled to receive or review any schedules, annexes or exhibits relating to any other Member (other than the Managing Member).
(b) Each Member agrees, for so long as such Member owns any Units and for a period of two (2) years following the date upon which such Member ceases to own any Units, to keep confidential, any non-public information provided to such Member by the Company; provided, however, that nothing herein will limit the disclosure of any information (i) to the extent required by law, statute, rule, regulation, judicial process, subpoena or court order or required by any governmental agency or other regulatory authority; (ii) that is in the public domain or becomes generally available to the public, in each case, other than as a result of the disclosure by the parties in violation of this Agreement; or (iii) to a Member’s Permitted Transferees, advisors, representatives and Affiliates; provided that such advisors, representatives and Affiliates shall have been advised of this agreement and shall have expressly agreed to be bound by the confidentiality provisions hereof, or shall otherwise be bound by comparable obligations of confidentiality, and the applicable Member shall be responsible for any breach of or failure to comply with this agreement by any of its Affiliates and such Member agrees, at its sole expense, to take reasonable measures (including but not limited to court proceedings) to restrain its advisors, representatives and Affiliates from prohibited or unauthorized disclosure or use of any confidential information.
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ARTICLE VIII
TAX MATTERS
8.1 Preparation of Tax Returns. The Company shall arrange for the preparation and timely filing of all tax returns required to be filed by the Company. The Managing Member shall determine the accounting methods and conventions under the tax laws of the United States, the several states and other relevant jurisdictions as to the treatment of items of income, gain, deduction, loss and credit or any other method or procedure related to the preparation of such tax returns. Each Member will, upon request, supply to the Company all reasonably accessible, pertinent information in its possession relating to the operations of the Company necessary to enable the Company’s tax returns to be prepared and filed. Each Member agrees in respect of any year in which such Member had an investment in the Company that, unless otherwise agreed by the Managing Member or as required by law, such Member shall not: (i) treat, on its individual tax returns, any item of income, gain, loss, deduction or credit relating to such investment in a manner inconsistent with the treatment of such item by the Company, as reflected on the Schedule K-1 or other information statement furnished by the Company to such Member; or (ii) file any claim for refund relating to any such item based on, or which would result in, any such inconsistent treatment.
8.2 Tax Elections. The Taxable Year of the Company shall be the calendar year unless otherwise required by the Code or applicable tax laws. The Managing Member shall cause the Company to have in effect (and to cause each direct or indirect subsidiary that is treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes to have in effect) an election pursuant to Section 754 of the Code, to adjust the tax basis of Company properties, for the taxable year that includes the date of the initial public offering of shares of Class A Common Stock and for each taxable year in which an Exchange occurs. The Managing Member shall determine whether to make or revoke any other available election or decision relating to tax matters, including controversy in Section 8.3 pursuant to the Code. Each Member will upon request supply any information necessary to give proper effect to any such election.
8.3 Tax Controversies.
(a) With respect to tax periods ending after December 31, 2017, the Managing Member (or its permitted designee) is hereby designated the “partnership representative” of the Company for purposes of, and in accordance with, Section 6223 of the Code (and any analogous provision of state or local tax law) (the “Partnership Representative”). With respect to tax periods ending on or prior to December 31, 2017, the Managing Member (or its permitted designee) shall act as the “tax matters partner” within the meaning of Section 6231(a)(7) of the Code (and any analogous provision of state or local tax law) as in effect during such tax period (the “Tax Matters Member”). For each tax period in which the Partnership Representative is an entity, the Company shall appoint an individual identified by the Partnership Representative for such tax period to act on its behalf (the “Designated Individual”).
(b) The Partnership Representative, the Tax Matters Member, or the Designated Individual, as applicable, is authorized and required to represent the Company (at the Company’s expense) in connection with all tax audits, litigations, contests, examinations, controversies and other similar proceedings of the Company’s affairs by tax authorities, including resulting administrative and judicial proceedings, and to expend Company funds for professional services reasonably incurred in connection therewith. Each holder of Units agrees to cooperate with the Company and to do or refrain from doing any or all things reasonably requested by the
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Company with respect to the conduct of such proceedings. Nothing herein shall be construed to restrict the Partnership Representative, the Tax Matters Member, or the Designated Individual from engaging lawyers, accountants, tax advisers, or other professional advisers or experts to assist the Partnership Representative, the Tax Matters Member or the Designated Individual in discharging its duties hereunder. None of the Partnership Representative, the Tax Matters Member or Designated Individual shall be liable to the Company, any Member or any Affiliate thereof for any costs or losses to any Persons, any diminution in value or any liability whatsoever arising as a result of the performance of its duties pursuant to this Section 8.3 absent (i) willful breach of any provision of this Section 8.3 or (ii) bad faith, fraud, gross negligence or willful misconduct on the part of the Partnership Representative, the Tax Matters Member or Designated Individual, as applicable.
(c) The Partnership Representative, Tax Matters Member, or Designated Individual, as applicable, shall keep the Managing Member fully informed of the progress of any examinations, audits or other proceedings, it being agreed that no holder of Units (other than the Managing Member (or its permitted designee), in its capacity as Partnership Representative, Tax Matters Member or Designated Individual) shall have any right to participate in any such examinations, audits or other proceedings. Each Member hereby agrees to (i) take such actions as may be required to effect the designation of the Managing Member (or its designee) as the Partnership Representative, Tax Matters Member, or Designated Individual, (ii) to cooperate to provide any information or take such other actions as may be reasonably requested by the Partnership Representative in order to determine whether any Imputed Underpayment Amount may be modified pursuant to Section 6225(c) of the Code, and (iii) in the event the Company makes an election under Section 6226 of the Code (and any analogous provision of state or local tax law), to take such actions as may be necessary or desirable to allow the Company to comply with the requirements of such election so that any “partnership adjustments” (as defined in Section 6241(2) of the Code) are taken into account by the Members and former Members rather than the Company. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Partnership Representative, the Tax Matters Member, and the Designated Individual shall be subject to the control of the Managing Member pursuant to Section 8.2 and shall not settle or otherwise compromise any issue in any such examination, audit or other proceeding without first obtaining approval of the Managing Member.
ARTICLE IX
RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSFER OF UNITS
9.1 Transfers of Units.
(a) Except as otherwise agreed to in writing between the Managing Member and the applicable Member and reflected in the books and records of the Company or as otherwise provided in this Article IX, no holder of Units may sell, transfer, assign, pledge, encumber, distribute, contribute or otherwise dispose of (whether directly or indirectly (including, for the avoidance of doubt, by Transfer or issuance of any Capital Stock of any Member that is not a natural person), whether with or without consideration and whether voluntarily or involuntarily or by operation of law) any interest (legal or beneficial) in any Units (a “Transfer”), except Exchanges pursuant to and in accordance with Article XII or Transfers pursuant to and in accordance with Sections 9.1(b).
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(b) The restrictions contained in Section 9.1(a) shall not apply, subject to Section 9.5, to any Transfer of Units (i) by any Member to its Affiliates, (ii) by any Member to a trust (whether revocable or irrevocable) solely for the benefit of such Person and such Person’s Family Group (or a re-Transfer of such Units by such trust back to such Member upon the revocation of any such trust) or pursuant to the applicable laws of descent or distribution among such Person’s Family Group, (iii) by any Member to such Person’s Family Group or (iv) from a Continuing Member to another Continuing Member or (v) pursuant to the Exchange Agreements (each of clauses (i), (ii), (iii), (iv) and (v), an “Exempt Transfer”); provided that the restrictions contained in this Agreement will continue to apply to the Units after any Transfer pursuant to clause (i) or (ii) above and each transferee of Units shall agree in writing, prior to and as a condition precedent to the effectiveness of such Transfer, to be bound by the provisions of this Agreement, without modification or condition, subject only to the consummation of such Transfer. Upon the Transfer of Units pursuant to clause (i) or (ii) of the first sentence of this Section 9.1(b), the transferor will deliver written notice to the Company, which notice will disclose in reasonable detail the identity of such transferee(s) and shall include original counterparts of this Agreement in a form acceptable to the Company. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no party hereto shall avoid the provisions of this Agreement by making one or more Transfers to one or more transferees permitted under clause (i) of the first sentence of this Section 9.1(b) and then disposing of all or any portion of such party’s interest in such transferee if such disposition would result in such transferee ceasing to be a Permitted Transferee.
(c) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, as a condition to any Transfer:
(i) if the transferor of Units who proposes to transfer such Units (or if such transferor is a disregarded entity for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the first direct or indirect beneficial owner of such transferor that is not a disregarded entity (the “Transferor’s Owner”)) is a “United States person” as defined in Section 7701(a)(30) of the Code, then such transferor (or Transferor’s Owner, if applicable) shall complete and provide to both of the transferee and the Company, a valid Non-Foreign Person Certificate, including the transferor’s (or Transferor’s Owner’s, if applicable) United States taxpayer identification number, or
(ii) if the transferor of Units who proposes to transfer such Units (or if such transferor is a disregarded entity for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the Transferor’s Owner) is not a “United States person” as defined in Section 7701(a)(30) of the Code, then such transferor and transferee shall jointly provide to the Company written proof reasonably satisfactory to the Managing Member that any applicable withholding tax that may be imposed on such transfer (including pursuant to Sections 864 and 1446 of the Code) and any related tax returns or forms that are required to be filed, have been, or will be, timely paid and filed, as applicable.
(d) Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, it shall be a condition precedent to any Transfer of any Class A Common Unit held by a Member other than PubCo that, concurrently with such Transfer such transferring Member shall also Transfer to the transferee the shares of Paired Voting Stock corresponding to such Transferred Class A Common Units.
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9.2 Restricted Units Legend.
(a) The Units have not been registered under the Securities Act and, therefore, in addition to the other restrictions on Transfer contained in this Agreement, cannot be sold unless subsequently registered under the Securities Act or an exemption from such registration is then available. To the extent such Units have been certificated, each certificate evidencing Units and each certificate issued in exchange for or upon the Transfer of any Units (if such securities remain Units as defined herein after such Transfer) shall be stamped or otherwise imprinted with a legend in substantially the following form:
“THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED HEREBY HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “ACT”), OR ANY STATE SECURITIES OR BLUE SKY LAWS AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED, SOLD, TRANSFERRED, HYPOTHECATED OR OTHERWISE ASSIGNED EXCEPT (1) PURSUANT TO A REGISTRATION STATEMENT WITH RESPECT TO SUCH SECURITIES WHICH IS EFFECTIVE UNDER THE ACT OR (2) PURSUANT TO AN AVAILABLE EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION UNDER THE ACT RELATING TO THE DISPOSITION OF SECURITIES AND (3) IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES AND BLUE SKY LAWS.
THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE ARE ALSO SUBJECT TO ADDITIONAL RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSFER SPECIFIED IN THE AMENDED AND RESTATED LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY AGREEMENT OF THE ISSUER OF SUCH SECURITIES, AS SUCH AGREEMENT MAY BE AMENDED, MODIFIED OR RESTATED FROM TIME TO TIME, AND THE ISSUER RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REFUSE THE TRANSFER OF SUCH SECURITIES UNTIL SUCH TRANSFER RESTRICTIONS HAVE BEEN FULFILLED. A COPY OF SUCH AMENDED AND RESTATED LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY AGREEMENT SHALL BE FURNISHED BY THE ISSUER TO THE HOLDER HEREOF UPON WRITTEN REQUEST AND WITHOUT CHARGE.”
The Company will imprint such legend on certificates (if any) evidencing Units. The legend set forth above will be removed from the certificates (if any) evidencing any units which cease to be Units in accordance with the definition thereof.
(b) In connection with the Transfer of any Units, the holder thereof shall deliver written notice to the Company describing in reasonable detail the Transfer or proposed Transfer, which shall, if so requested by the Managing Member, be accompanied by (i) an opinion of counsel which (to the Company’s reasonable satisfaction) is knowledgeable in securities law matters to the effect that such Transfer of Units may be effected without registration of such Units under the Securities Act or (ii) such other evidence reasonably satisfactory to the Managing Member to the effect that such Transfer of Units may be effected without registration of such Units under the Securities Act. In addition, if the holder of the Units delivers to the Company an opinion of such counsel that no subsequent Transfer of such Units shall require registration under the Securities Act, the Company shall promptly upon such contemplated Transfer deliver new certificates for
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such securities (if then certificated) which do not bear the Securities Act legend set forth in Section 9.2(a). If the Company is not required to deliver new certificates for such Units not bearing such legend, the holder thereof shall not effect any Transfer of the same until the prospective transferee has confirmed to the Company in writing its agreement to be bound by the conditions contained in this Agreement.
(c) Upon the request of any Member, the Company will promptly supply to such Member or its prospective transferees all information regarding the Company required to be delivered in connection with a Transfer pursuant to Rule 144 of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
(d) If any Units become eligible for sale pursuant to Rule 144 of the Securities and Exchange Commission or no longer constitute “restricted securities” (as defined under Rule 144(a) of the Securities and Exchange Commission), the Company shall, upon the request of the holder of such Units, remove the Securities Act legend set forth in Section 9.2(a) above from the certificates (if any) for such securities.
9.3 Assignee’s Rights.
(a) Subject to Section 9.5(b), a Transfer of Units in a manner in accordance with this Agreement shall be effective as of the date of assignment and compliance with the conditions to such Transfer and such Transfer shall be shown on the books and records of the Company. Income, loss and other Company items shall be allocated between the transferor and the Assignee according to Code Section 706 as determined by the Managing Member. Distributions made before the effective date of such Transfer shall be paid to the transferor, and Distributions made after such date shall be paid to the Assignee.
(b) Unless and until an Assignee becomes a Member pursuant to Article X, the Assignee shall not be entitled to any of the rights granted to a Member hereunder or under applicable law, other than the rights granted specifically to Assignees pursuant to this Agreement; provided that without relieving the transferring Member from any such limitations or obligations as more fully described in Section 9.4, such Assignee shall be bound by any limitations and obligations of a Member contained herein that a Member would be bound on account of such Units (including the obligation to make Capital Contributions on account of such Units).
9.4 Assignor’s Rights and Obligations. Any Member who shall Transfer any Units in a manner in accordance with this Agreement shall cease to be a Member with respect to such Units or such other interest and shall no longer have any rights, powers or privileges, or, except as set forth in this Section 9.4, duties, liabilities or obligations, of a Member with respect to such Units or such other interest (it being understood, however, that the applicable provisions of Sections 5.5 and 6.4 shall continue to inure to such Person’s benefit), except that unless and until the Assignee is admitted as a substituted Member in accordance with the provisions of Article X (the “Admission Date”), (i) such assigning Member shall retain all of the duties, liabilities and obligations of a Member with respect to such Units or other interest, including, without limitation, the obligation (together with its Assignee pursuant to Section 9.3(b)) to make and return Capital Contributions on account of such Units or other interest pursuant to the terms of this Agreement and (ii) the Managing Member may reinstate all or any portion of the rights and privileges of such
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Member with respect to such Units or other interest for any period of time prior to the Admission Date. Nothing contained herein shall relieve any Member who Transfers any Units or other interest in the Company from any liability of such Member to the Company with respect to such Units that may exist on the Admission Date or that is otherwise specified in the California Act and incorporated into this Agreement or for any liability to the Company or any other Person for any materially false statement made by such Member (in its capacity as such) or for any present or future breaches of any representations, warranties or covenants by such Member (in its capacity as such) contained herein or in the other agreements with the Company.
9.5 Further Restrictions.
(a) Notwithstanding any contrary provision in this Agreement, the Managing Member may impose such vesting requirements, forfeiture provisions, Transfer restrictions, minimum retained ownership requirements or other similar provisions with respect to any Units that are outstanding as of the date of this Agreement or are created thereafter, only with the written consent of the holder of such Units. Such requirements, provisions and restrictions need not be uniform and may be waived or released by the Managing Member in its sole discretion with respect to all or a portion of the Units owned by any one or more Members at any time and from time to time, and shall not, to the fullest extent permitted by law, constitute the breach of any duty hereunder or otherwise existing at law, in equity or otherwise.
(b) Notwithstanding any contrary provision in this Agreement, in no event may any Transfer of Units be made by any Member or Assignee if the Managing Member determines in good faith that:
(i) such Transfer is made to any Person who lacks the legal right, power or capacity to own such Units;
(ii) such Transfer would require the registration of such transferred Units or of any class of Units pursuant to any applicable U.S. federal or state securities laws (including, without limitation, the Securities Act or the Exchange Act) or other non-U.S. securities laws (including Canadian provincial or territorial securities laws) or would constitute a non-exempt distribution pursuant to applicable provincial or state securities laws;
(iii) such Transfer would cause (i) all or any portion of the assets of the Company to (A) constitute “plan assets” (under ERISA, the Code or any applicable Similar Law) of any existing or contemplated Member, or (B) be subject to the provisions of ERISA, Section 4975 of the Code or any applicable Similar Law, or (ii) the Managing Member to become a fiduciary with respect to any existing or contemplated Member, pursuant to ERISA, any applicable Similar Law, or otherwise;
(iv) to the extent requested by the Managing Member, the Company does not receive such legal and/or tax opinions and written instruments (including, without limitation, copies of any instruments of Transfer and such Assignee’s consent to be bound by this Agreement as an Assignee) that are in a form satisfactory to the Managing Member, as determined by the Managing Member in good faith; or
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(v) such Transfer would pose a material risk that the Company would be treated as a “publicly traded partnership” within the meaning of Section 7704 of the Code and the Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder.
(c) In addition, notwithstanding any contrary provision in this Agreement, to the extent the Managing Member shall reasonably determine that interests in the Company do not meet the requirements of Treasury Regulation Section 1.7704-1(h) (determined taking into account the rules of Treasury Regulations Section 1.7704-1(h)(3), provided that, for such purpose, unless otherwise required by applicable Law, the Company and the Managing Member shall assume that each Member as of immediately after the Pre-IPO Exchanges is treated as a single partner within the meaning of Regulations Section 1.7704-1(h) (and none of the Member’s beneficial owners is treated as a separate partner)), the Managing Member may impose such restrictions on the Transfer of Units or other interests in the Company as the Managing Member may reasonably determine to be necessary or advisable so that the Company is not treated as a “publicly traded partnership” within the meaning of Section 7704 of the Code and the Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder.
9.6 Counterparts; Joinder. Prior to Transferring any Units (other than Exchanges pursuant to the Exchange Agreements, Article XII or any other Transfer to the Company) and as a condition precedent to the effectiveness of such Transfer, the transferring holder of Units will cause the prospective transferee(s) of such Units to execute and deliver to the Company counterparts of this Agreement and any other agreements relating to such Units, or executed joinders to such agreements, in each case, in a form acceptable to the Company. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any Person who acquires in any manner whatsoever any Units, irrespective of whether such Person has accepted and adopted in writing the terms and conditions of this Agreement, shall be deemed by the acceptance of the benefits of the acquisition thereof to have agreed to be subject to and bound by all of the terms and conditions of this Agreement to which any predecessor in such Units was subject or by which such predecessor was bound.
9.7 Ineffective Transfer. Any Transfer or attempted Transfer of any Units in violation of any provision of this Agreement shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be void, and the Company will not record such Transfer on its books or treat any purported transferee of such Units as the owner of such securities for any purpose.
ARTICLE X
ADMISSION OF MEMBERS
10.1 Substituted Members. Subject to the provisions of Article IX hereof, in connection with the permitted Transfer (including an Exempt Transfer) of any Units of a Member, the transferee shall become a Substituted Member on the effective date of such Transfer, which effective date shall not be earlier than the date of compliance with the conditions to such Transfer, and such admission shall be shown on the books and records of the Company.
10.2 Additional Members. Subject to the provisions of Article IX hereof, a Person may be admitted to the Company as an Additional Member only upon furnishing to the Company (a)
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counterparts of this Agreement or an executed joinder to this Agreement in a form acceptable to the Managing Member and (b) such other documents or instruments as may be necessary or appropriate to effect such Person’s admission as a Member (including entering into such documents as the Managing Member may deem appropriate); provided, however, that PubCo, upon acquiring Units pursuant to the Exchange Agreements, shall, automatically without any further action on the part of the Company or PubCo, be admitted to the Company as an Additional Member. Such admission shall become effective on the date on which the Managing Member determines that such conditions have been satisfied and when any such admission is shown on the books and records of the Company.
10.3 Additional Managing Member. No Person may be admitted to the Company as an additional Managing Member or substitute Managing Member without the prior approval of the holders of Class B Voting Units. A Managing Member will not be entitled to resign as a Managing Member of the Company unless another Managing Member shall have been designated pursuant to Section 5.1 (and not have previously been removed or resigned). Any additional Managing Member or substitute Managing Member admitted as a Managing Member of the Company pursuant to this Section 10.3 is hereby authorized to, and shall, continue the Company without dissolution.
ARTICLE XI
WITHDRAWAL AND RESIGNATION OF MEMBERS
No Member shall have the power or right to withdraw or otherwise resign as a Member from the Company prior to the dissolution and winding up of the Company pursuant to Article XIII without the prior written consent of the Managing Member, except as otherwise expressly permitted by this Agreement. Any Member, however, that attempts to withdraw or otherwise resign as a Member from the Company without the prior written consent of the Managing Member upon or following the dissolution and winding up of the Company pursuant to Article XIII but prior to such Member receiving the full amount of distributions from the Company to which such Member is entitled pursuant to Article XIII shall be liable to the Company for all damages (including all lost profits and special, indirect and consequential damages) directly or indirectly caused by the withdrawal or resignation of such Member, and such Member shall be entitled to receive the Fair Market Value of such Member’s equity interest in the Company as of the date of its resignation (or, if less, the amount that such Member would have received on account of such equity interest had such Member not resigned or otherwise withdrew from the Company), as conclusively determined by the Managing Member, on the sixth month anniversary date (or such earlier date determined by the Managing Member) following the completion of the distribution of Company assets as provided in Article XIII to all other Members. Upon a Transfer of all of a Member’s Units in a Transfer permitted by this Agreement, subject to the provisions of Section 9.4, such Member shall cease to be a Member.
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ARTICLE XII
REDEMPTION AND EXCHANGE RIGHTS
12.1 Exchange Procedures.
(a) Upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Article XII and the other provisions of this Agreement, after the expiration of the period commencing on the Effective Time and ending on the date that is six (6) months following the Effective Time (the “Lock-Up Period”), each Member (other than PubCo) shall be entitled, not more than once per month, to cause the Company to effect an Exchange at least equal to or exceeding the Minimum Exchange Amount, by delivering an Exchange Notice to the Company with a copy to PubCo. Each Exchange Notice shall be in the form set forth on Exhibit A and shall include all information required to be included therein. In the event that an Exchange is being exercised in order to participate in a Piggyback Registration, the Exchange Notice Date shall be prior to the expiration of the time period in which a holder of securities is required to notify PubCo that it wishes to participate in such Piggyback Registration in accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement.
(b) Solely in connection with an Exchange that coincides with a substantially concurrent public offering or private sale of Class A Common Stock, within five (5) Business Days of the giving of an Exchange Notice, the Managing Member may elect to cause the Company to settle all or a portion of the Exchange in cash in an amount equal to the Cash Exchange Payment (in lieu of shares of Class A Common Stock), exercisable by giving written notice of such election to the Exchanging Member within such five (5) Business Day period (such notice, the “Cash Exchange Notice”). The Cash Exchange Notice shall set forth the portion of the Exchanged Units which shall be redeemed for cash in lieu of Class A Common Stock. To the extent such Exchange relates to the exercise of the Exchanging Member’s registration rights under the Registration Rights Agreement, PubCo and the Company shall cooperate in good faith with such Exchanging Member to exercise such Exchange in a manner which preserves such Exchanging Member’s rights thereunder. At any time following the giving of a Cash Exchange Notice and prior to the Exchange Date, the Managing Member may elect (exercisable by giving written notice of such election to the Exchanging Member) to revoke the Cash Exchange Notice with respect to all or any portion of the Exchanged Units and to cause the Company to redeem such Exchanged Units on the Exchange Date for the Stock Exchange Payment. For the avoidance of doubt, the Company shall have no obligation to make a Cash Exchange Payment that exceeds the cash contributed to the Company by PubCo from PubCo’s offering or sales of Class A Common Stock referenced in this Section 12.1(b).
(c) In the event the Managing Member does not timely give a Cash Exchange Notice (or revokes a Cash Exchange Notice in accordance with the foregoing Section 12.1(b)), the Exchanging Member may, if and only if any Exchange Condition exists, elect to (x) retract its Exchange Notice or (y) delay the consummation of an Exchange, in each case, exercisable by giving written notice of such election to the Managing Member within two (2) Business Days of the occurrence of an Exchange Condition and in any event no later than one (1) Business Day prior to the Exchange Date (such notice under clause (y), an “Exchange Delay Notice”); provided that any such notice must specify the particular Exchange Condition giving rise to such election. The giving of any notice pursuant to clause (x) shall terminate all of the Exchanging Member’s, the Managing Member’s and the Company’s rights and obligations under this Article XII arising from such retracted Exchange Notice.
12.2 Exchange Payment. The Exchange shall be consummated on the Exchange Date. Unless PubCo has exercised its PubCo Call Right pursuant to Section 12.6, on the Exchange Date (to be effective immediately prior to the close of business on the Exchange Date) (i) PubCo shall
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contribute to the Company for delivery to the Exchanging Member (x) the Stock Exchange Payment with respect to any Exchanged Units not subject to a Cash Exchange Notice and (y) the Cash Exchange Payment with respect to any Exchanged Units subject to a Cash Exchange Notice, (ii) the Exchanging Member shall transfer and surrender the Exchanged Units to the Company, free and clear of all liens and encumbrances, (iii) the Company shall issue to PubCo a number of Class A Common Units equal to the number of Class A Common Units surrendered pursuant to clause (ii), (iv) solely to the extent necessary in connection with an Exchange, PubCo shall undertake all actions, including an issuance, reclassification, distribution, division or recapitalization, with respect to the Class A Common Stock to maintain a one-to-one ratio between the number of Class A Common Units owned by PubCo, directly or indirectly, and the number of outstanding shares of Class A Common Stock and Class C Common Stock, taking into account the issuance in clause (iii), any Stock Exchange Payment, and any other action taken in connection with this Article XII, (v) the Company shall (x) cancel the redeemed Class A Common Units which were Exchanged Units held by the Exchanging Member and (y) transfer to the Exchanging Member the Cash Exchange Payment and/or the Stock Exchange Payment, as applicable, and (vi) PubCo shall cancel the surrendered shares of Paired Voting Stock. On or prior to the Exchange Date, and as a condition to the Exchange, the Exchanging Member shall make any applicable Certificate Delivery. Upon the Exchange of all of a Member’s Units, such Member shall cease to be a Member of the Company.
12.3 Splits, Distributions and Reclassifications. If there is any reclassification, reorganization, recapitalization or other similar transaction in which the shares of Class A Common Stock are converted or changed into another security, securities or other property, this Article XII shall continue to be applicable, mutatis mutandis, with respect to such security or other property. This Section 12.3 is intended to preserve the intended economic effect of Section 3.1 and this Article XII and to put each Member in the same economic position, to the greatest extent possible, with respect to Exchanges as if such reclassification, reorganization, recapitalization or other similar transaction had not occurred and shall be interpreted in a manner consistent with such intent.
12.4 PubCo Covenants. PubCo shall at all times keep available, solely for the purpose of issuance upon an Exchange, out of its authorized but unissued shares of Class A Common Stock, such number of shares of Class A Common Stock that shall be issuable upon the Exchange of all outstanding Class A Common Units (other than those Class A Common Units held by PubCo); provided that nothing contained in this Agreement shall be construed to preclude the Company or PubCo from satisfying their obligations with respect to an Exchange by delivery of a Cash Exchange Payment or shares of Class A Common Stock that are held in treasury of PubCo. PubCo covenants that all shares of Class A Common Stock that shall be issued upon an Exchange shall, upon issuance thereof, be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable, free and clear of all liens and encumbrances. In addition, for so long as the shares of Class A Common Stock are listed on a stock exchange or automated or electronic quotation system, PubCo shall cause all shares of Class A Common Stock issued upon an Exchange to be listed on such stock exchange or automated or electronic quotation system at the time of such issuance. For purposes of this Section 12.4, references to the “Class A Common Stock” shall be deemed to include any Equity Securities issued or issuable as a result of any reclassification, combination, subdivision or similar transaction of the Class A Common Stock that any Member would be entitled to receive pursuant to Section 12.3.
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12.5 Exchange Taxes. PubCo, the Company and each Exchanging Member shall bear their own expenses in connection with the consummation of any Exchange, whether or not any such Exchange is ultimately consummated, except that the Company shall bear any transfer taxes, stamp taxes or duties, or other similar taxes in connection with, or arising by reason of, any Exchange; provided, however, that if any shares of Class A Common Stock are to be delivered in a name other than that of the Exchanging Member (subject to the restrictions in Article IX), then the Person or Persons in whose name the shares are to be issued shall pay to the Company or PubCo, as applicable, the amount of any additional tax that may be payable in respect of any Transfer involved in such issuance in excess of the amount otherwise due if such shares were issued in the name of the Exchanging Member or shall establish to the reasonable satisfaction of the Company or PubCo, as applicable, that such additional tax has been paid or is not payable.
12.6 PubCo Call Rights. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Section 12.6, with respect to any Exchange Notice, an Exchanging Member shall be deemed to have offered to sell its Exchanged Units as described in any Exchange Notice directly to PubCo (rather than causing the Company to redeem such Exchanged Units), and PubCo may, by delivery of a written notice to the Exchanging Member no later than five (5) Business Days following the giving of an Exchange Notice, in accordance with, and subject to the terms of, this Section 12.6 (such notice, a “PubCo Call Notice”), elect to purchase directly and acquire such Exchanged Units on the Exchange Date by paying to the Exchanging Member (or such other Person specified in the Exchange Notice) the Stock Exchange Payment and/or the Cash Exchange Payment, whereupon PubCo shall acquire the Exchanged Units on the Exchange Date and be treated for all purposes of this Agreement as the owner of such Class A Common Units. Except as otherwise provided in this Section 12.6, an exercise of the PubCo Call Right shall be consummated pursuant to the same timeframe and in the same manner as the relevant Exchange would have been consummated if PubCo had not given a PubCo Call Notice, in each case as relevant, including that Section 12.1(b) shall apply mutatis mutandis and that clauses (iv) and (vi) of Section 12.2 shall apply (notwithstanding that the other clauses thereof do not apply).
12.7 Distribution Rights. No Exchange shall impair the right of the Exchanging Member to receive any Distributions payable on the Class A Common Units redeemed pursuant to such Exchange in respect of a record date that occurs prior to the Exchange Date for such Exchange. No Exchanging Member, or a Person designated by an Exchanging Member to receive shares of Class A Common Stock, shall be entitled to receive, with respect to such record date, Distributions or dividends both on Class A Common Units redeemed by the Company from such Exchanging Member and on shares of Class A Common Stock received by such Exchanging Member, or other Person so designated, if applicable, in such Exchange.
12.8 Exchange Restrictions
(a) Notwithstanding any contrary provision in this Agreement, to the extent the Managing Member shall reasonably determine that interests in the Company do not meet the requirements of Treasury Regulation Section 1.7704-1(h) (determined taking into account the rules of Treasury Regulations Section 1.7704-1(h)(3), provided that, for such purpose, unless otherwise required by applicable Law, the Company and the Managing Member shall assume that each Member as of immediately following the Pre-IPO Exchanges is treated as a single partner within the meaning of Regulations Section 1.7704-1(h) (and none of the Member’s beneficial owners is
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treated as a separate partner)), the Managing Member may impose such restrictions on Exchanges (including limiting Exchanges or creating priority procedures for Exchanges) as the Managing Member may reasonably determine to be necessary or advisable so that the Company is not treated as a “publicly traded partnership” within the meaning of Section 7704 of the Code and the Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder. If the Managing Member determines in good faith that any such limitations or restrictions are necessary, then before imposing any such restrictions, the Managing Member shall first consult in good faith with the Continuing Member Representative in order to attempt to ameliorate the cause of such restrictions. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, no Exchange shall be permitted (and, if attempted, shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be void ab initio) if, in the good faith determination of the Managing Member, such Exchange would pose a material risk that the Company would be treated as a “publicly traded partnership” under Section 7704 of the Code.
(b) For the avoidance of doubt, and notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, a Member shall not be entitled to effect an Exchange to the extent PubCo or the Company reasonably determines that such Exchange (i) would be prohibited by law or regulation (including, without limitation, the unavailability of any requisite registration statement filed under the Securities Act or any exemption from the registration requirements thereunder) or (ii) would not be permitted under any other agreements with PubCo or its subsidiaries by which such Member is bound (including, without limitation, this Agreement) or any written policies of PubCo related to unlawful or inappropriate trading applicable to its directors, officers or other personnel. Upon such determination, PubCo shall notify the Member requesting the Exchange of such determination, which notice shall include an explanation in reasonable detail as to the reason that the Exchange has not been effected.
12.9 Tax Matters
(a) In connection with any Exchange, the Exchanging Member shall, to the extent it is legally entitled to do so, deliver to PubCo or the Company, as applicable, a certificate, dated as of the Exchange Date and sworn under penalties of perjury, in a form reasonably acceptable to PubCo or the Company, as applicable, certifying as to such Exchanging Member’s taxpayer identification number and that such Exchanging Member is a not a foreign person for purposes of Section 1445 and Section 1446(f) of the Code, which certificate may be an Internal Revenue Service Form W-9 if then sufficient for such purposes under applicable Law (such certificate a “Non-Foreign Person Certificate”). If an Exchanging Member is unable to provide a Non-Foreign Person Certificate in connection with an Exchange, then, at the Managing Member’s option, (i) such Exchanging Member shall provide a certificate substantially in the form described in Treasury Regulations Section 1.1446(f)-2(c)(2)(ii)(B) or (ii) the Company shall deliver a certificate substantially in the form described in Regulations Section 1.1446(f)-2(c)(2)(ii)(C), in each case setting forth the liabilities of the Company allocated to the Exchanged Units under Section 752 of the Code, and PubCo or the Company, as applicable, shall be permitted to withhold on the amount realized by such Exchanging Partner in respect of such Exchange as provided in Section 1446(f) of the Code and Treasury Regulations thereunder and consistent with the certificate provided pursuant to clause (i) or (ii) of this sentence, as applicable.
(b) For U.S. federal and applicable state and local income tax purposes, each of the Exchanging Member, the Company and PubCo agree to treat, to the maximum extent permitted
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by applicable law, each Exchange as a taxable sale by the Exchanging Member of the Exchanging Member’s Class A Common Units (together with an equal number of shares of Paired Voting Stock, which shares shall not be allocated any economic value) to PubCo in exchange for (A) the payment by PubCo of the Stock Exchange Payment, the Cash Exchange Payment, or other applicable consideration to the Exchanging Member, and (B) corresponding payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement. Within thirty (30) days following the Exchange Date, PubCo shall deliver a Section 743 notification to the Company in accordance with Treasury Regulations Section 1.743-1(k)(2).
12.10 Withholding. Notwithstanding any other provision in this Agreement, with respect to any Exchange pursuant to Article XII, PubCo, the Company and their agents and affiliates shall have the right to deduct and withhold taxes (in cash or in kind, including Class A Common Stock with a fair market value determined in the sole discretion of the Managing Member equal to the amount of such taxes) from any payments to be made pursuant to such Exchange, if, in their opinion, such withholding is required by law. The Managing Member may, in its sole discretion, allow an Exchanging Member to pay such taxes owed on the Exchange in cash in lieu of the Company or PubCo, as applicable, withholding or deducting such taxes. To the extent that any of the aforementioned amounts are so withheld, such withheld amounts shall be treated for all purposes of this Agreement as having been delivered and paid to the recipient of the payments in respect of which such deduction and withholding was made. To the extent that any payment pursuant to this Agreement is not reduced by such deductions or withholdings, such recipient shall indemnify the applicable withholding agent for any amounts imposed by any taxing authority together with any costs and expenses related thereto.
12.11 Representations and Warranties. In connection with any Exchange or exercise of a PubCo Call Right, (i) upon the acceptance of the Class A Common Stock or an amount of cash equal to the Cash Exchange Payment, the Exchanging Member shall represent and warrant that the Exchanging Member is the owner of the number of Class A Common Units that the Exchanging Member is electing to Exchange and that such Class A Common Units are not subject to any liens or restrictions on transfer (other than restrictions imposed by this Agreement, the certificate of incorporation, bylaws and any other governing documents of PubCo and applicable Law), and (ii) if the Managing Member elects a Stock Exchange Payment, the Managing Member shall represent that (A) the shares of Class A Common Stock issued to the Exchanging Member in settlement of the Stock Exchange Payment are duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and were issued in compliance in all material respects with applicable securities laws, and (B) the issuance of such shares of Class A Common Stock issued to the Exchanging Member in settlement of the Stock Exchange Payment does not conflict with or result in any breach of the organizational documents of PubCo.
ARTICLE XIII
DISSOLUTION AND WINDING UP
13.1 Dissolution. The Company shall not be dissolved by the admission of Additional Members or Substituted Members or the attempted withdrawal or resignation of a Member. The Company shall dissolve, and its affairs shall be wound up, upon:
(a) the entry of a decree of judicial dissolution of the Company under Section 17707.03 of the California Act;
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(b) any event which makes it unlawful for the business of the Company to be carried on by the Members;
(c) at any time there are no Members, unless the Company is continued in accordance with the California Act; or
(d) the determination of the Managing Member in its sole discretion; provided that in the event of a dissolution pursuant to this clause (d), the relative economic rights of each class of Units immediately prior to such dissolution shall be preserved to the greatest extent practicable with respect to distributions made to Members pursuant to Section 13.2 in connection with the winding up of the Company, taking into consideration tax and other legal constraints that may adversely affect one or more parties hereto and subject to compliance with applicable laws and regulations, unless, and to the extent that, with respect to any class of Units, holders of not less than 90% of the Units of such class consent in writing to a treatment other than as described above; provided, that if the dissolution of the Company pursuant to and in accordance with clauses (b) or (d) in this Section 13.1 would have a material adverse effect on any Member, the dissolution of the Company shall require the prior written consent of such Member, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld.
Except as otherwise set forth in this Article XIII, the Company is intended to have perpetual existence. An Event of Withdrawal shall not, in and of itself, cause a dissolution of the Company and the Company shall continue in existence subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement.
13.2 Winding Up and Termination. On dissolution of the Company, the Managing Member shall act as liquidating trustee or may appoint one or more Persons as liquidating trustee. The liquidating trustee shall proceed diligently to wind up the affairs of the Company and make final distributions as provided herein and in the California Act. The costs of winding up shall be borne as a Company expense. Until the final Distribution, the liquidating trustee shall continue to operate the Company properties with all of the power and authority of the Managing Member. The steps to be accomplished by the liquidating trustee are as follows:
(a) as promptly as possible after dissolution and again after completion of the winding up, the liquidating trustee shall cause a proper accounting to be made by a recognized firm of certified public accountants of the Company’s assets, liabilities and operations through the last day of the calendar month in which the dissolution occurs or the completion of the winding up is completed, as applicable;
(b) the liquidating trustee shall pay, satisfy or discharge from Company funds all of the debts, liabilities and obligations of the Company (including, without limitation, all expenses incurred of winding up) or otherwise make adequate provision for payment and discharge thereof (including, without limitation, the establishment of a cash fund for contingent, conditional or unmatured liabilities in such amount and for such term as the liquidating trustee may reasonably determine); and
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(c) all remaining assets of the Company shall be distributed to the Members in accordance with Section 4.1(b) by the end of the Taxable Year of the Company during which the winding up of the Company occurs (or, if later, by ninety (90) days after the date of the winding up).
The Distribution of cash and/or property to Members in accordance with the provisions of this Section 13.2 and Section 13.3 constitutes a complete return to the Members of their Capital Contributions and a complete Distribution to the Members of their interest in the Company and all the Company’s property and constitutes a compromise to which all Members have consented within the meaning of the California Act. To the extent that a Member returns funds to the Company, it has no claim against any other Member for those funds.
13.3 Deferment; Distribution in Kind. Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 13.2, but subject to the order of priorities set forth therein, if upon dissolution of the Company the liquidating trustee determines that an immediate sale of part or all of the Company’s assets would be impractical or would cause undue loss (or would otherwise not be beneficial) to the Members, the liquidating trustee may, in its sole discretion, defer for a reasonable time the winding up of any assets except those necessary to satisfy Company liabilities (other than loans to the Company by Members) and reserves. Subject to the order of priorities set forth in Section 13.2, the liquidating trustee may, in its sole discretion, distribute to the Members, in lieu of cash, either (i) all or any portion of such remaining Company assets in-kind in accordance with the provisions of Section 13.2(c), (ii) as tenants in common and in accordance with the provisions of Section 13.2(c), undivided interests in all or any portion of such Company assets or (iii) a combination of the foregoing. Any such Distributions in kind shall be subject to (x) such conditions relating to the disposition and management of such assets as the liquidating trustee deems reasonable and equitable and (y) the terms and conditions of any agreements governing such assets (or the operation thereof or the holders thereof) at such time. Any Company assets distributed in kind will first be written up or down to their Fair Market Value, thus creating Profit or Loss (if any), which shall be allocated in accordance with Section 4.2. The liquidating trustee shall determine the Fair Market Value of any property distributed in accordance with the valuation procedures set forth in Article XIV.
13.4 Cancellation of Certificate. On completion of the winding up of the Company’s affairs and distribution of Company assets as provided herein, the Company is terminated (and the Company shall not be terminated prior to such time), and the Managing Member (or such other Person or Persons as the California Act may require or permit) shall file a certificate of cancellation with the Secretary of State of California, cancel any other filings made pursuant to this Agreement that are or should be canceled and take such other actions as may be necessary to terminate the Company. The Company shall be deemed to continue in existence for all purposes of this Agreement until it is terminated pursuant to this Section 13.4.
13.5 Reasonable Time for Winding Up. A reasonable time shall be allowed for the orderly winding up of the business and affairs of the Company and the liquidation of its assets pursuant to Sections 13.2 and 13.3 in order to minimize any losses otherwise attendant upon such winding up.
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13.6 Return of Capital. The liquidating trustee shall not be personally liable for the return of Capital Contributions or any portion thereof to the Members (it being understood that any such return shall be made solely from Company assets).
ARTICLE XIV
VALUATION
14.1 Value. “Fair Market Value” of any asset, property or equity interest means the amount which a seller of such asset, property or equity interest would receive in a sale of such asset, property or equity interest in an arms-length transaction with an unaffiliated third party consummated on a date determined by the Managing Member (which may be the date on which the event occurred which necessitated the determination of the Fair Market Value) (and after giving effect to any transfer taxes payable in connection with such sale). Notwithstanding the foregoing, in making the determination of Fair Market Value as described in Section 14.2, the Managing Member, the Continuing Member Representative and any investment banking firm (as described below) shall not give effect or take into account any “minority discount” or “liquidity discount” (or any similar discount arising out of the fact that the Units are restricted or is not registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission, publicly traded or listed on a securities exchange), but shall value the Company and its Subsidiaries and their respective businesses in their entirety on an enterprise basis using any variety of industry recognized valuation techniques commonly used to value businesses.
14.2 Determination and Dispute. Fair Market Value shall be determined by the Managing Member (or, if pursuant to Section 13.3, the liquidating trustee) in its good faith judgment in such manner as it deems reasonable and using all factors, information and data deemed to be pertinent. Notwithstanding the foregoing, at the request of the Continuing Member Representative, the Managing Member will retain an investment banking firm of recognized national standing reasonably acceptable to the Continuing Member Representative to determine the Fair Market Value of such Units, assets or consideration.
ARTICLE XV
GENERAL PROVISIONS
15.1 Power of Attorney.
(a) Each holder of Units hereby constitutes and appoints the Managing Member and the liquidating trustee, with full power of substitution, as his, her or its true and lawful agent and attorney-in-fact, with full power and authority in his, her or its name, place and stead, to:
(i) execute, swear to, acknowledge, deliver, file and record in the appropriate public offices (A) this Agreement, all certificates and other instruments and all amendments thereof which the Managing Member deems appropriate or necessary to form, qualify, or continue the qualification of, the Company as a limited liability company in the State of California and in all other jurisdictions in which the Company may conduct business or own property; (B) all instruments which the Managing Member deems
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appropriate or necessary to reflect any amendment, change, modification or restatement of this Agreement in accordance with its terms; (C) all conveyances and other instruments or documents which the Managing Member deems appropriate or necessary to reflect the dissolution and winding up of the Company pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, including a certificate of cancellation; and (D) all instruments relating to the admission, withdrawal or substitution of any Member pursuant to Article X or Article XI; and
(ii) sign, execute, swear to and acknowledge all ballots, consents, approvals, waivers, certificates and other instruments appropriate or necessary, in the reasonable judgment of the Managing Member, to evidence, confirm or ratify any vote, consent, approval, agreement or other action which is made or given by such holder of Units hereunder or is consistent with the terms of this Agreement and/or appropriate or necessary (and not inconsistent with the terms of this Agreement), in the reasonable judgment of the Managing Member, to effectuate the terms of this Agreement.
(b) For the avoidance of doubt, the foregoing power of attorney does not include the power or authority to vote any Units held by any Member on any matter on which the Members have a right to vote, either at a meeting or by any written consent, as contemplated under this Agreement.
(c) The foregoing power of attorney is irrevocable and coupled with an interest, and shall survive the death, disability, incapacity, dissolution, bankruptcy, insolvency or termination of any holder of Units and the Transfer of all or any portion of his, her or its Units and shall extend to such holder’s heirs, successors, assigns and personal representatives.
15.2 Amendments.
(a) The Managing Member (pursuant to its power of attorney from the holders of Units as provided in Section 15.1 or otherwise), without the consent of any holder of Units, 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:
(i) a change in the name of the Company or the location of the principal place of business of the Company;
(ii) admission, substitution, removal or withdrawal or resignation of Members or Assignees in accordance with this Agreement;
(iii) a change that does not adversely affect any holder of Units in any material respect in its capacity as an owner of Units and is necessary or desirable to satisfy any requirements, conditions or guidelines contained in any opinion, directive, order, ruling or regulation of any United States federal or state agency or judicial authority or contained in any United States federal or state statute; or
(iv) amendments contemplated by Section 3.1(c).
(b) Except as provided in Section 2.2 and Section 15.2(a), this Agreement may not be amended or modified except with the consent of the Managing Member and, so long as the
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Founder Ownership Percentage is at least 15%, the approval of the Continuing Member Representative. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, (i) no consent or approval shall be required for the Company to admit a Permitted Transferee as a Member following an Exempt Transfer completed in compliance with this Agreement, and (ii) if the Founder Ownership Percentage is less than 15%, the Continuing Member Representative must also consent to or approve any amendments or modifications to Article IV, Section 6.1, Section 9.1, Article XII, Section 13.2, this Section 15.2 or related definitions or any other amendments or modifications that affect the rights granted to Continuing Members in such sections in any material respect, including, without limitation, changes to the number of shares of Class A Common Stock issued upon an Exchange, either through an amendment to the definition of “Exchange Rate” or otherwise, or that otherwise increases the obligations or decreases the benefits to the Continuing Members. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any amendment which would materially and adversely affect the rights or duties of a Member on a discriminatory and non-pro rata basis shall require the consent of such Member, other than those actions set forth in Section 15.2(a) above. In addition, the amendment of any specific approval, consent, voting right, or transfer rights of a specified Member shall require the approval of such Member, provided that such Member holds the number of Units, as applicable, required to exercise such rights. Any amendment or modification effected in accordance with this Section 15.2(b) shall be effective, in accordance with its terms, with respect to the rights and obligations of and binding upon all Members. For the avoidance of doubt, without any action or requirement of consent by any Member, the Company shall update the books and records of the Company to remove a Member’s name therefrom once such Member no longer holds any Equity Securities, following which such Person shall cease to be a “Member” or have any rights or obligations under this Agreement.
15.3 Title to Company Assets. The Company assets shall be deemed to be owned by the Company as an entity, and no holder of Units, individually or collectively, shall have any ownership interest in such Company assets or any portion thereof. The Managing Member hereby declares and warrants that any Company assets for which legal title is held in its name or the name of any nominee shall be held in trust by the Managing Member or such nominee for the use and benefit of the Company in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement. All Company assets shall be recorded as the property of the Company on its books and records, irrespective of the name in which legal title to such Company assets is held.
15.4 Addresses and Notices. Any notice provided for in this Agreement will be in writing and will be either personally delivered, or received by certified mail, return receipt requested, sent by reputable overnight courier service (charges prepaid) or electronic mail to the Company at the address set forth below and to any other recipient and to any holder of Units at such address as indicated by the Company’s records, or at such address or to the attention of such other person as the recipient party has specified by prior written notice to the sending party. Notices will be deemed to have been given hereunder when delivered personally or sent by electronic mail (provided confirmation of transmission is received), three days after deposit in the U.S. mail and one day after deposit with a reputable overnight courier service. The Company’s address is:
To the Company:
Rani Therapeutics, LLC
0000 Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx
00
Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000
Email Address: xxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx
Attention: Chief Financial Officer
To the Managing Member:
Rani Therapeutics Holdings, Inc.
0000 Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000
Email Address: xxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx
Attention: Chief Financial Officer
in each case, with a copy (which shall not constitute written notice) to:
Xxxxxx LLP
0000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxx Xxxx, XX 00000-0000
Email Address: xxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxx
Attention: Xxxx Xxxxxxxxxx
15.5 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.
15.6 Creditors. None of the provisions of this Agreement shall be for the benefit of or enforceable by any creditors of the Company or any of its Affiliates, and no creditor who makes a loan to the Company or any of its Affiliates may have or acquire (except pursuant to the terms of a separate agreement executed by the Company in favor of such creditor) at any time as a result of making the loan any direct or indirect interest in Company Profits, Losses, Distributions, capital or property other than as a secured creditor.
15.7 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 a waiver of any such breach or any other covenant, duty, agreement or condition.
15.8 Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in separate counterparts, each of which will be an original and all of which together shall constitute one and the same agreement binding on all the parties hereto. Counterparts may be delivered via facsimile, electronic mail (including pdf or any electronic signature complying with the U.S. federal ESIGN Act of 2000, the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act or other applicable law) or other transmission method and any counterpart so delivered shall be deemed to have been duly and validly delivered and be valid and effective for all purposes.
15.9 Applicable Law; Waiver of Jury Trial. This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of California, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules or provisions (whether of the State of California or any other
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jurisdiction) that would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of California. Any dispute relating hereto shall be heard in the state or federal courts of California, and the parties agree to exclusive jurisdiction and venue therein and waive, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any objection based on venue or forum non conveniens with respect to any action instituted therein. The parties hereto hereby consent to service being made through the notice procedures set forth in Section 15.4 and irrevocably submit to the jurisdiction of the aforesaid courts. THE PARTIES HERETO HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVE, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THIS AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY.
15.10 Severability. Whenever possible, each provision of this Agreement will be interpreted in such manner as to be effective and valid under applicable law, but if any provision of this Agreement is held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect under any applicable law or rule in any jurisdiction, such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability will not affect any other provision or the effectiveness or validity of any provision in any other jurisdiction, and this Agreement will be reformed, construed and enforced in such jurisdiction as if such invalid, illegal or unenforceable provision had never been contained herein.
15.11 Further Action. The parties shall use commercially reasonable efforts to execute and deliver all documents, provide all information and take or refrain from taking such actions as may be necessary or appropriate to achieve the purposes of this Agreement.
15.12 Delivery by Facsimile. This Agreement and any signed agreement or instrument entered into in connection with this Agreement or contemplated hereby, and any amendments hereto or thereto, to the extent signed and delivered by means of a facsimile machine or electronic transmission (i.e., in portable document format), shall be treated in all manner and respects as an original agreement or instrument and shall be considered to have the same binding legal effect as if it were the original signed version thereof delivered in person. At the request of any party hereto or to any such agreement or instrument, each other party hereto or thereto shall re-execute original forms thereof and deliver them to all other parties. No party hereto or to any such agreement or instrument shall raise the use of a facsimile machine or electronic transmission to deliver a signature or the fact that any signature or agreement or instrument was transmitted or communicated through the use of a facsimile machine or electronic transmission as a defense to the formation of a contract and each such party forever waives any such defense. The words “execution,” “signed,” “signature,” “delivery,” and words of like import in or relating to this Agreement or any document to be signed in connection with this Agreement shall be deemed to include electronic signatures, deliveries or the keeping of records in electronic form, each of which shall be of the same legal effect, validity or enforceability as a manually executed signature, physical delivery thereof or the use of a paper-based recordkeeping system, as the case may be, and the parties hereto consent to conduct the transactions contemplated hereunder by electronic means.
15.13 Offset. Whenever the Company is to pay any sum to any holder of Units or any Affiliate or related person thereof, any undisputed amounts that such holder of Units or such Affiliate or related person owes to the Company (such lack of dispute to be evidenced by written confirmation of such by such holder of Units or related person thereof) may be deducted from that sum before payment.
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15.14 Entire Agreement. This Agreement, those documents expressly referred to herein (including the Exchange Agreements and the Tax Receivable Agreement) and other documents of even date herewith embody the complete agreement and understanding among the parties and supersede and preempt any prior understandings, agreements or representations by or among the parties, written or oral (including the Prior Agreement), which may have related to the subject matter hereof in any way.
15.15 Remedies. Each holder of Units shall have all rights and remedies set forth in this Agreement and all rights and remedies which such Person has been granted at any time under any other agreement or contract and all of the rights which such Person has under any law. Any Person having any rights under any provision of this Agreement or any other agreements contemplated hereby shall be entitled to seek to enforce such rights specifically (without posting a bond or other security), to recover damages by reason of any breach of any provision of this Agreement and to exercise all other rights granted by law.
15.16 Descriptive Headings; Interpretation. The descriptive headings of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and do not constitute a substantive part of this Agreement. Whenever required by the context, 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. The use of the word “including” in this Agreement shall be by way of example rather than by limitation. Reference to any agreement, document or instrument means such agreement, document or instrument as amended or otherwise modified from time to time in accordance with the terms thereof, and if applicable hereof. Wherever required by the context, references to a Fiscal Year shall refer to a portion thereof. The use of the words “or,” “either” and “any” shall not be exclusive. The parties hereto have participated jointly in the negotiation and drafting of this Agreement. In the event an ambiguity or question of intent or interpretation arises, to the fullest extent permitted by law, this Agreement shall be construed as if drafted jointly by the parties hereto, and no presumption or burden of proof shall arise favoring or disfavoring any party by virtue of the authorship of any of the provisions of this Agreement. Wherever a conflict exists between this Agreement and any other agreement, this Agreement shall control but solely to the extent of such conflict.
15.17 Spousal Consent. Each Member who is married severally represents that true and complete copies of this Agreement and all documents to be executed by such Member hereunder have been furnished to his or her spouse; represents and warrants to the Company and to the other Members that such spouse has read this Agreement and all related documents applicable to such Member, is familiar with each of their terms, and has agreed to be bound to the obligations of such Member hereunder and thereunder.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have executed this Fifth Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement as of the date first written above.
RANI THERAPEUTICS, LLC | ||
By: | ||
Name: | ||
Title: |
RANI THERAPEUTICS HOLDINGS, INC., including with respect to the Class B Voting Units anticipated to be acquired pursuant to the Exchange Agreements | ||
By: | ||
Name: | ||
Title: |
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have executed this Fifth Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement as of the date first written above.
MEMBERS | ||
[Member 1] | ||
By: | ||
Name: |
||
Title: |
||
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have executed this Fifth Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement as of the date first written above.
MEMBERS | ||
[Member 2] | ||
By: | ||
Name: |
||
Title: |
||
EXHIBIT A
[FORM OF]
ELECTION OF EXCHANGE
Rani Therapeutics Holdings, Inc.
0000 Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000
Email Address: [xxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx]
Attention: [Chief Financial Officer]
Rani Therapeutics, LLC
0000 Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000
Email Address: [xxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx]
Attention: [Chief Financial Officer]
Reference is hereby made to the Fifth Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement of Rani Therapeutics, LLC, a California limited liability company (the “Company”), dated as of [•], 2021 (as amended from time to time, the “LLC Agreement”), among Rani Therapeutics Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“PubCo”), the Company, and the Members from time to time party thereto (each, a “Holder”). Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings given to them in the LLC Agreement.
Effective as of the Exchange Date as determined in accordance with the LLC Agreement, the undersigned Member hereby transfers and surrenders to the Company the number of Class A Common Units set forth below and an equal number of shares of Paired Voting Stock held by such Member in exchange for the issuance to the undersigned Member of that number of shares of Class A Common Stock equal to the number of Class A Common Units so exchanged (to be issued in its name as set forth below), or, at the sole election of the Managing Member, a Cash Exchange Payment to the account set forth below, in each case in accordance with the LLC Agreement. The undersigned hereby acknowledges that the Exchange of Class A Common Units shall include the cancellation of an equal number of outstanding shares of Paired Voting Stock held by the undersigned that have been surrendered in such Exchange.
Legal Name of Undersigned Member: |
Address: |
||
Number of Class A Common Units to be Exchanged: |
Cash Exchange Payment instructions: |
If the undersigned Member desires the shares of Class A Common Stock be settled through the facilities of The Depositary Trust Company (“DTC”), please indicate the account of the DTC participant below.
In the event PubCo elects to certificate the shares of Class A Common Stock issued to the Member, please indicate the following:
Legal Name for Certificate Delivery: |
Address for Certificate Delivery: |
The undersigned hereby represents and warrants that (i) the undersigned has full legal capacity to execute and deliver this Election of Exchange and to perform the undersigned’s obligations hereunder; (ii) this Election of Exchange has been duly executed and delivered by the undersigned and is the legal, valid and binding obligation of the undersigned enforceable against it in accordance with the terms thereof or hereof, as the case may be, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency and similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and the availability of equitable remedies; (iii) no consent, approval, authorization, order, registration or qualification of any third party or with any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the undersigned, the Class A Common Units, the Paired Voting Stock or shares of Class A Common Stock subject to this Election of Exchange is required to be obtained by the undersigned for the transfer of such Class A Common Units, Paired Voting Stock or shares of Class A Common Stock to the Company (or PubCo, as applicable); (iv) the undersigned has complied with any qualifications or filings required under applicable securities laws; (v) the undersigned is the owner of the number of Class A Common Units and Paired Voting Stock the undersigned is electing to Exchange pursuant to this Exchange Notice, and that such Class A Common Units and Paired Voting Stock are not subject to any liens or restrictions on transfer (other than restrictions imposed by the Agreement, the charter and governing documents of PubCo and applicable Law); (vi) the undersigned is an accredited investor as such term is defined in Rule 501 of Regulation D under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended; (vii) the undersigned is either not currently in possession of material non-public information concerning PubCo or its securities or will not be in possession of such material non-public information at the time the shares of Class A common stock are sold in any public sale and (viii) the undersigned has consulted with the undersigned’s personal tax advisor regarding the tax consequences to the undersigned of this Election of Exchange and acknowledges that neither PubCo nor the Company is making any representations or warranties regarding the tax treatment of this Election of Exchange.
The undersigned hereby irrevocably constitutes and appoints any officer of PubCo, as applicable, as the attorney of the undersigned, with full power of substitution and resubstitution in the premises, solely to do any and all things and to take any and all actions necessary to effect the Exchange elected hereby.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned, by authority duly given, has caused this Election of Exchange to be executed and delivered by the undersigned or by its duly authorized attorney.
Name: |
Dated: |