LIMITED PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT OF BI HOLDINGS, L.P. Dated as of October 31, 2008
Exhibit 99.11
_____________________________________
OF
BI
HOLDINGS, L.P.
Dated
as of October 31, 2008
_____________________________________
THE
LIMITED PARTNERSHIP INTERESTS OF BI HOLDINGS, L.P. HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED
UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “ACT”), THE SECURITIES
LAWS OF ANY STATE OR ANY OTHER APPLICABLE SECURITIES LAWS IN RELIANCE UPON
EXEMPTIONS FROM THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE ACT AND THOSE
LAWS. THE INTERESTS MUST BE ACQUIRED FOR INVESTMENT ONLY, AND NEITHER
THE INTERESTS NOR ANY PART THEREOF MAY BE OFFERED FOR SALE, PLEDGED,
HYPOTHECATED, SOLD, ASSIGNED OR TRANSFERRED AT ANY TIME EXCEPT IN COMPLIANCE
WITH (I) THE ACT, ANY APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS AND ANY OTHER APPLICABLE
SECURITIES LAWS AND (II) THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THIS
AGREEMENT. THE INTERESTS WILL NOT BE TRANSFERRED OF RECORD EXCEPT IN
COMPLIANCE WITH THOSE LAWS AND THIS AGREEMENT.
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS
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1
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ARTICLE II
GENERAL PROVISIONS
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5
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SECTION
2.01
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Formation
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5
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SECTION
2.02
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Name
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5
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SECTION
2.03
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Organizational Certificates and Other
Filings. .
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5
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SECTION
2.04
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Principal Place of
Business. .
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6
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SECTION
2.05
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Registered Office and Registered Agent.
.
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6
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SECTION
2.06
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Fiscal Year..
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6
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SECTION
2.07
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Liability of Partners.
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6
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SECTION
2.08
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Purposes..
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6
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SECTION
2.09
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Transfer of Limited Partner’s
Interest.
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7
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ARTICLE III
MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND
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8
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SECTION
3.01
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Management Generally..
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8
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SECTION
3.02
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Powers of the General
Partner.
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8
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SECTION
3.03
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Reliance by Third Parties..
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9
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SECTION
3.04
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Other Activities of the General
Partner.
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9
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SECTION
3.05
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Limitation on Liability.
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10
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SECTION
3.06
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Indemnification.
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11
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SECTION
3.07
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Expenses..
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12
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ARTICLE IV
CAPITAL CONTRIBUTIONS, CAPITAL ACCOUNTS AND ALLOCATIONS
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12
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SECTION
4.01
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Capital Contributions.
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12
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SECTION
4.02
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Capital Accounts and Tax
Accounts.
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13
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SECTION
4.03
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Partnership Percentages..
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13
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SECTION
4.04
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Allocation of Net Capital Appreciation or Net
Capital Depreciation; Performance Allocation.
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14
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SECTION
4.05
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Tax Account Allocations..
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15
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SECTION
4.06
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Changes of Interest..
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15
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SECTION
4.07
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Valuation of Assets..
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16
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SECTION
4.08
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Liabilities.
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16
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SECTION
4.09
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Determination by the General Partner of Certain
Matters..
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16
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ARTICLE V
WITHDRAWALS AND DISTRIBUTIONS
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16
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SECTION
5.01
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Withdrawals and Distributions in
General.
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16
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SECTION
5.02
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Required Distributions.
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17
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SECTION
5.03
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Method of Distributions..
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17
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i
ARTICLE VI
ADMISSION OF NEW PARTNERS; CHANGES IN THE GENERAL PARTNER
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17
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SECTION
6.01
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Admission of New Partners..
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17
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SECTION
6.02
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Changes in the General
Partner.
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18
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ARTICLE VII
WITHDRAWAL, DEATH OR INCOMPETENCY OF PARTNERS
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18
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SECTION
7.01
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Withdrawal, Death, Etc., of
Partners.
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18
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SECTION
7.02
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Required Withdrawals of Limited
Partners..
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18
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ARTICLE VIII
DURATION AND TERMINATION OF THE FUND
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19
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SECTION
8.01
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Duration..
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19
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SECTION
8.02
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Termination.
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19
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SECTION
8.03
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Distributions in Cash or in Kind upon
Termination..
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20
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SECTION
8.04
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Restoration Obligation..
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20
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SECTION
8.05
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General Partner Not Liable for Return of Capital
Contributions..
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20
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ARTICLE IX
TAX RETURNS; REPORTS TO PARTNERS
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20
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SECTION
9.01
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Books and Records..
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20
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SECTION
9.02
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Filing of Tax Returns..
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20
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SECTION
9.03
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Tax Matters Partner..
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21
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SECTION
9.04
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Consistent Reporting..
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21
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SECTION
9.05
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Reports to Current
Partners.
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21
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SECTION
9.06
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Tax Report to Partners and Former
Partners..
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21
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ARTICLE X
MISCELLANEOUS
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22
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SECTION
10.01
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Waiver of Partition..
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22
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SECTION
10.02
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Power of Attorney..
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22
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SECTION
10.03
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General..
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22
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SECTION
10.04
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Amendments to Partnership
Agreement..
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22
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SECTION
10.05
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Governing Law..
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22
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SECTION
10.06
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Notices..
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23
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SECTION
10.07
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Goodwill..
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23
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SECTION
10.08
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Headings..
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23
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SECTION
10.09
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Pronouns..
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23
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SECTION
10.10
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Arbitration.
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23
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SECTION
10.11
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Publicly Traded
Partnership..
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23
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ii
OF
BI
HOLDINGS, L.P.
This
LIMITED PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT of BI HOLDINGS, L.P., a Delaware limited
partnership (the “Fund” or the “Partnership”), is
made as of October 31, 2008, by and among Newcastle Capital Management, L.P.
(the “General
Partner”), as the general partner of the Fund and the persons designated
as limited partners in the records of the Fund and who are signatories hereto or
to agreements to be bound hereby (individually, a “Limited Partner” and
collectively, the “Limited
Partners”).
NOW,
THEREFORE, for and in consideration of the agreements and obligations contained
herein, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and
sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto hereby agree as
follows.
STATEMENT OF
AGREEMENT
ARTICLE
I
DEFINITIONS
For
purposes of this Agreement, unless the context otherwise requires:
(a) “Affiliate” means,
with respect to a Person, any other Person that either directly or indirectly
controls, is controlled by or is under common control with the first
Person.
(b) “Agreement” means this
Limited Partnership Agreement, as amended and/or restated from time to
time.
(c) “Beginning Value”
means, with respect to any Fiscal Period, the Ending Value for the immediately
preceding Fiscal Period, except that the initial Beginning Value shall be
zero.
(d) “Capital Account” has
the meaning specified in Section 4.02(a).
(e) “Carryforward Account”
means a memorandum account to be recorded in the books and records of the
Partnership with respect to each Limited Partner that has an initial balance of
zero and that is adjusted as follows:
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(1)
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As
of the first day after the close of each Performance Period for such
Limited Partner, the balance of the Carryforward Account (a) is increased
by the amount, if any, of such Limited Partner’s Negative Performance
Change for such Performance Period and (b) is reduced (but not below zero)
by the amount, if any, of such Limited Partner’s Positive Performance
Change for such Performance Period.
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(2)
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As
of the close of each Performance Period for such Limited Partner, any
positive balance of the Carryforward Account is further adjusted if the
Capital Account balance of such Limited Partner has been reduced during
such Performance Period as a result of a distribution or a partial
withdrawal, by reducing such positive balance (but not below zero) by an
amount determined by multiplying (a) such positive balance by (b) a
fraction, of which (i) the numerator is equal to the amount so distributed
or withdrawn, and (ii) the denominator is equal to the balance of such
Limited Partner’s Capital Account immediately before giving effect to such
distribution or withdrawal.
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(f) “Code” means the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time.
(g) “Commencement Date”
means the first date on or as of which a Limited Partner is admitted to the
Fund.
(h) “Contribution” means
any capital contribution by a Limited Partner to the Fund into a Capital Account
as such capital contribution is affected by allocations, distributions and
withdrawals with respect to such Capital Account.
(i) “Customer” has the
meaning specified in Section 3.04(b).
(j) “Designated Company”
shall mean Xxxx Industries, Inc., a California corporation.
(k) “Designated
Securities” means securities (including but not limited to shares of
capital stock, limited partnership interests, limited liability company
interests, warrants, options, bonds, notes (including convertible notes),
debentures or other securities) issued by the Designated Company or any of its
Affiliates.
(l) “Designee” has the
meaning specified in Section 6.02.
(m) “Ending Value” means,
with respect to any Fiscal Period, the Fund’s Net Assets as of the close of
business on the last day of such Fiscal Period.
(n) “ERISA” means the
Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended.
(o) “Fiscal Period” means
each period beginning on the first day following the last day of the immediately
preceding Fiscal Period, as the case may be, and ending as of the close of
business on the earliest of (i) the date immediately preceding each date on
which additional capital contributions are made to the Fund, (ii) the date
immediately preceding each date on which there are withdrawals from or
distributions by the Fund, (iii) the last day of each Fiscal Year during which
the current Fiscal Period began, and (iv) the date on which the Fund is
completely liquidated.
(p) “Fiscal Year” has the
meaning specified in Section 2.06.
(q)
“Fund” has the
meaning specified in the preamble.
(r) “General Partner”
means Newcastle Capital Management, L.P. and/or such other Person that becomes
general partner of the Fund pursuant to Section 6.02.
(s) “Indemnitees” has the
meaning specified in Section 3.06(a).
2
(t) “Initial Capital
Contribution” has the meaning specified in Section 4.01(a).
(u) “Interest in the Fund”
means the entire ownership interest of a Partner in the Fund, including the
rights and obligations of such Partner under this Agreement and the Partnership
Act.
(v) “Limited Partner” and
“Limited
Partners” have the meanings provided in the preamble.
(w)
“NASD” means
the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.
(x) “NASD-restricted
Issues” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 4.10
hereof.
(y) “Negative Performance
Change” has the meaning specified in the definition of “Performance
Change”.
(z) “Net Assets” means the
excess of the value of the Fund’s assets over its liabilities, determined as
provided herein.
(aa) “Net Capital
Appreciation” means, with respect to any Fiscal Period, the excess of the
Ending Value over the Beginning Value, plus the amount of any distributions and
withdrawals during that Fiscal Period, and minus the amount of any capital
contributions to the Fund during that Fiscal Period.
(bb) “Net Capital
Depreciation” means, with respect to any Fiscal Period, the excess of the
Beginning Value over the Ending Value, plus the amount of any distributions and
withdrawals during that Fiscal Period, and minus the amount of any capital
contributions to the Fund during that Fiscal Period.
(cc) “Non-Newcastle Limited
Partner” means any Limited Partner other than Newcastle Partners, L.P. or
an Affiliate thereof.
(dd) “Partners” means the
General Partner and the Limited Partners.
(ee) “Partnership” has the
meaning specified in the preamble.
(ff) “Partnership Act”
means the Delaware Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act, as amended from time
to time.
(gg) “Partnership
Percentage” has the meaning specified in Section 4.03.
(hh) “Pass-Thru Partner”
has the meaning specified in Section 9.03.
(ii) “Performance
Allocation” means, with respect to any Limited Partner, twenty percent
(20%) of the amount, determined as of the close of each Performance Period with
respect to such Limited Partner, by which (i) such Limited Partner’s Positive
Performance Change for such Performance Period, if any, exceeds (ii) any
positive balance in such Limited Partner’s Carryforward Account as of the most
recent prior date as of which any adjustment has been made thereto after giving
effect to such adjustment.
3
(jj) “Performance Change”
means, with respect to each Limited Partner for each Performance Period, the
difference between:
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(1)
|
the
sum of (a) the balance of such Limited Partner’s Capital Account as of the
close of the Performance Period (after giving effect to all allocations to
be made to such Limited Partner’s Capital Account as of such date other
than any Performance Allocation to be debited against such Limited
Partner’s Capital Account), plus (b) any debits to such Limited Partner’s
Capital Account during the Performance Period to reflect any actual or
deemed distributions or withdrawals with respect to such Limited Partner’s
Interests in the Fund, plus (c) any debits to such Limited Partner’s
Capital Account during the Performance Period to reflect any items
allocable to such Limited Partner’s Capital Account pursuant to Section
5.02(b); and
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(2)
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the
sum of (a) the balance of such Limited Partner’s Capital Account as of the
commencement of the Performance Period, plus (b) any credits to such
Limited Partner’s Capital Account during the Performance Period to reflect
any contributions by such Limited Partner to the capital of the
Partnership.
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If the
amount specified in clause (1) exceeds the amount specified in clause (2), such
difference is a “Positive Performance
Change”, and if the amount specified in clause (2) exceeds the amount
specified in clause (1), such difference is a “Negative Performance
Change”.
(kk) “Performance Period”
means, with respect to each Limited Partner, the period commencing as of the
date of admission to the Fund of such Limited Partner (or its predecessor, in
the case of a substitute Limited Partner) and ending as of the close of business
on the first to occur of the following after the applicable Commencement
Date:
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(1)
|
the
withdrawal by such Limited Partner of the entire balance in its Capital
Account in accordance with the terms of this
Agreement;
|
|
(2)
|
the
partial withdrawal by such Limited Partner from its Capital Account, but
only with respect to such withdrawn amount in accordance with the terms of
this Agreement;
|
|
(3)
|
the
distribution to such Limited Partner of securities or proceeds of the sale
of securities, but only with respect to the securities distributed or
sold; or
|
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(4)
|
the
final distribution to such Limited Partner following the dissolution of
the Fund;
|
4
provided
that, in the case of any permitted transfer of Interests by a Non-Newcastle
Limited Partner, the Performance Period with respect to the holder of such
Interests (or any portion thereof) shall be deemed to have commenced as of the
date of first transfer of the relevant Interests from Newcastle Partners, L.P.
(or an Affiliate thereof) to any Non-Newcastle Limited Partner.
(ll) “Person” means any
individual, partnership, limited liability company, corporation, unincorporated
organization or association, trust (including the trustees thereof in their
capacity as such) or other entity.
(mm) “Positive Performance
Change” has the meaning specified in the definition of “Performance
Change”.
(nn) “Publicly Traded
Securities” means securities that are (a) traded on an established U.S.
national or non-U.S. securities exchange or (b) reported through NASDAQ or a
comparable established non-U.S. over-the-counter trading system.
(oo) “Regulations” means
regulations issued under the Code or any successor law.
(pp) “Restricted Capital
Accounts” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 4.10
hereof.
(qq) “Tax Account” has the
meaning specified in Section 4.02(a).
(rr) “Tax Matters Partner”
has the meaning specified in Section 9.03.
(ss) “Termination Date” has
the meaning specified in Section 8.01.
(tt) “Withdrawal Date”
means the date as of which a Partner makes a withdrawal (in accordance with the
terms of this Agreement) or that is the effective date of a
distribution.
ARTICLE
II
GENERAL
PROVISIONS
SECTION
2.01 Formation
The Fund
was formed on October 23, 2008, by the filing of a Certificate of Limited
Partnership with the Secretary of State of Delaware.
SECTION
2.02 Name
The name
of the Fund is “BI Holdings, L.P.” The General Partner may make any
variations in the Fund’s name which the General Partner deems necessary or
advisable, including to comply with the laws of any jurisdiction in which the
Fund may conduct business.
SECTION
2.03 Organizational Certificates
and Other Filings. If requested by the General Partner, the
Limited Partners shall promptly execute all certificates and other documents
consistent with the terms of the Partnership Act and this Agreement necessary
for the General Partner to accomplish all filing, recording, publishing and
other acts that may be required to comply with all requirements for (a) the
formation and operation of a limited partnership under the laws of the State of
Delaware and (b) the operation of the Fund as a limited partnership, or
partnership in which the Limited Partners have limited liability, in all
jurisdictions where the Fund conducts or proposes to conduct
business. Prior to commencing any activities in any jurisdiction the
General Partner shall, if required by the laws of such jurisdiction, cause the
Fund to comply with all requirements for the qualification of the Fund as a
limited partnership, or a partnership in which the Limited Partners have limited
liability, in such jurisdiction.
5
SECTION
2.04 Principal Place of
Business. The principal place of business of the Fund shall be
located at 000 Xxxxxxxx Xxxxx, Xxxxx 0000, Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 00000, or at any other
place that the General Partner may select.
SECTION
2.05 Registered Office and
Registered Agent. The address of the Fund’s registered office
in the State of Delaware is Corporation Trust Center, 0000 Xxxxxx Xxxxxx,
Xxxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx 00000, County of New Castle. The name and
address of the Fund’s registered agent for service of process in the State of
Delaware is The Corporation Trust Company.
SECTION
2.06 Fiscal
Year. The fiscal year of the Fund (the “Fiscal Year”) shall
end on December 31 of each calendar year or any other date deemed advisable by
the General Partner and permitted under the Code. The Fund shall have
the same Fiscal Year for United States federal and state income tax purposes and
for financial and partnership accounting purposes.
SECTION
2.07 Liability
of Partners.
(a) The
names of all of the Partners and their status as General Partner or a Limited
Partner shall be maintained in the records of the Fund.
(b) The
General Partner shall, as among the Partners, be entitled to require the prior
exhaustion of the Fund’s assets and shall be entitled to the benefit of the
indemnities set forth in Section 3.06 in respect of any liability for the
repayment of debts and obligations of the Fund.
(c) Each
Limited Partner shall be a limited partner for the purposes of the Partnership
Act and shall not be liable to the Fund or to any Partner or to any third party
for the debts and obligations of the Fund and, subject to the specific
requirements of the Partnership Act and the indemnity obligations of the
Partnership set forth in Section 3.06, its sole liability shall be to pay any
amount agreed to be contributed by it pursuant to any subscription agreement
executed by such Limited Partner.
SECTION
2.08 Purposes. The
Fund is organized for the purpose of investing in Designated Securities to
achieve appreciation on the Fund’s capital. The Fund shall have the
power to enter into, make and perform all contracts and other undertakings and
to engage in all activities and transactions which the General Partner deems
necessary or advisable in connection with the foregoing including, without
limitation, to borrow or raise money. Without limiting the foregoing,
the Fund shall have the power to (i) enter into any transaction in respect to
any Designated Securities held by the Fund, including but not limited to any
merger, exchange, recapitalization or similar transaction, (ii) to convert or
exchange any Designated Securities in accordance with the terms thereof (or
determined not to so convert or exchange) and (iii) to hold in its discretion
any security of the Designated Company or any other issuer received by the Fund
upon exchange or conversion of Designated Securities (or any other securities)
by way of any transaction or in accordance with the terms of the Designated
Securities.
6
SECTION
2.09 Transfer of Limited
Partner’s Interest.
(a) A
Limited Partner may not assign or otherwise transfer its Interest in the Fund in
whole or in part to any Person except by operation of law without the prior
written consent of the General Partner, which consent may be granted or denied
for any reason or for no reason in the sole discretion of the General Partner,
except that such consent shall not be unreasonably withheld with respect to a
transfer of an Interest in whole or in part to an Affiliate, stockholder,
limited partner or membership interest holder of the transferor, and which
consent may be subject to such conditions, including the making of
representations or the provision of opinions of counsel and an express separate
agreement (notwithstanding the provisions of Section 2.09(d)) to be bound by the
provisions of this Agreement in form and substance satisfactory to the General
Partner, as the General Partner, in its sole discretion, may
require.
(b) Notwithstanding
the foregoing or any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, no Limited
Partner may assign or otherwise transfer all or any part of its Interest in the
Fund if such assignment or transfer would jeopardize the status of the Fund as a
partnership for federal income tax purposes, cause the Fund to be regulated as
an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, cause the Fund
to be treated as a “publicly traded partnership” within the meaning of Section
7704 of the Code, cause a dissolution of the Fund under the Partnership Act or
violate, or cause the Fund to violate, any applicable law or regulation, or
impose any additional materially burdensome registration requirements on the
Fund or any Partner or otherwise subject the Fund or any Partner to any
additional materially burdensome regulation, including in each case under any
applicable federal, state or foreign securities laws. Further, no
Limited Partner may assign or otherwise transfer all or any part of its Interest
in the Fund if such assignment or transfer would cause the Fund to be an entity
defined in Section 401 of the Code, or result in or create a “prohibited
transaction” (as defined in Section 4975(c) of the Code), or cause the Fund or a
Partner or an Affiliate of a Partner to be or become a “party in interest” (as
defined in Section 3(14) of ERISA) or a “disqualified person” (as defined in
Section 4975(3)(2) of the Code) with respect to any “plan” (as defined in
Section 3(3) of ERISA and/or Section 4975(e)(1) of the Code), or result in or
cause the Fund, any Partner or any Affiliate of a Partner to be liable for
excise tax under Chapter 42 of the Code.
(c) An
assignee or transferee of an Interest in the Fund may not be admitted to the
Fund as a substitute Partner without the written consent of the General Partner,
which consent may be granted or denied for any reason or for no reason in the
sole discretion of the General Partner. Any assignee or transferee of
an Interest in the Fund that is admitted to the Fund as a Partner with the
consent of the General Partner shall be bound by all terms and conditions of
this Agreement. An assignee or transferee of an Interest in the Fund of a
Limited Partner that is not admitted to the Fund as a Partner shall have only
the rights of an assignee of a partnership interest under the Partnership Act
and, accordingly, shall only be entitled to share in Fund income, gain, loss,
deductions, credits and distributions and shall not have the power to exercise
any rights or powers of a Partner of the Fund.
7
(d) If
any Interest in the Fund is assigned during any accounting period in compliance
with the provisions of this Section 2.09, all distributions on or before the
date of such assignment shall be made to the assignor, and all distributions
thereafter shall be made to the assignee.
(e) Any
attempted assignment or substitution not made in accordance with this Section
2.09 shall be null and void.
(f) A
permitted assignee or transferee of Interests represents and warrants that such
Person is (i) an “accredited investor” as such term is defined in Rule 501(a)
promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”),
(B) the Interests transferred or assigned are being acquired by such Person for
its own account for investment purposes only and not with a view towards resale
or distribution and (C) such Person understands that the Interests (together
with Designated Securities held by the Fund) have not been and will not be
registered under the Securities Act, the securities laws of any state or the
securities laws of any other jurisdiction and that such securities must be held
indefinitely unless subsequently registered under the Securities Act and any
applicable state securities laws or an exemption from registration under the
Securities Act and such state securities laws covering the sale thereof is
available.
ARTICLE
III
MANAGEMENT
OF THE FUND
SECTION
3.01 Management
Generally. The General Partner shall be vested with the
complete control of the management and conduct of the business of the
Fund. The Limited Partners shall have no responsibility for the
management of the Fund and shall have no authority or right to act on behalf of
the Fund or to bind the Fund in connection with any matter. The
exercise by any Limited Partner of any right conferred herein shall not be
construed to constitute participation by the Limited Partner in the control of
the business of the Fund so as to make the Limited Partner liable as a general
partner for the debts and obligations of the Fund for purposes of the
Partnership Act.
SECTION
3.02 Powers of the General
Partner.
(a) Subject
to the provisions of Section 3.02(b), the General Partner shall have the power
on behalf and in the name of the Fund to carry out any and all of the purposes
of the Fund set forth in Section 2.08 and to perform all acts and enter into and
perform all contracts and other undertakings which it may deem necessary or
advisable or incidental thereto, including without limitation the power
to:
(i) Open,
maintain and close accounts with brokers (which power shall include the
authority to issue all instructions and authorizations to brokers regarding
securities and money therein and to pay, or authorize the payment and
reimbursement of, brokerage commissions) and open, maintain and close bank
accounts and draw checks or other orders for the payment of monies;
8
(ii) Do
any and all acts on behalf of the Fund and exercise all rights of the Fund with
respect to its interest in any Person, including without limitation the voting
of securities, participation in arrangements with creditors, the institution and
settlement or compromise of suits and administrative proceedings and other
similar matters;
(iii) Organize
one or more corporations or other entities to hold record title, as nominee for
the Fund, to securities or funds of the Fund;
(iv) Lend,
with or without security, any of the properties of the Fund and from time to
time, without limitation as to amount, borrow or raise funds and secure the
payment of obligations of the Fund by mortgage upon, or pledge of, all or any
part of the properties of the Fund;
(v) Make,
in its sole discretion, any and all elections for federal, state, local and
foreign tax purposes, including any election to adjust the basis of Fund
property pursuant to Section 754 of the Code; and
(vi) Authorize
any director, officer, employee or other agent of the General Partner or agent
or employee of the Fund to act for and on behalf of the Fund in all matters
incidental to the foregoing.
The
General Partner may perform its obligations hereunder itself or through its
Affiliates. Nothing in this Agreement shall restrict the General
Partner, on behalf of the Fund, from (i) entering into any transaction, or
exercising any terms, in respect to any Designated Securities held by the Fund,
including but not limited to any merger, exchange, recapitalization or similar
transaction, (ii) converting or exchanging any Designated Securities in
accordance with the terms thereof (or determining not to so convert or exchange)
and (iii) holding in its discretion any security (including any Designated
Security) of any issuer received by the Fund upon exchange or conversion of
Designated Securities (or any other securities).
SECTION
3.03 Reliance by Third
Parties. Persons dealing with the Fund are entitled to rely
conclusively on a certificate of the General Partner to the effect that it is
acting as the General Partner and on the power and authority of the General
Partner set forth herein.
SECTION
3.04 Other Activities of the
General Partner.
(a) The
General Partner shall devote that amount of its time to the affairs of the Fund
that in its judgment the conduct of the Fund’s business reasonably
requires.
(b) The
parties hereto acknowledge that:
(i) the
General Partner acts and may in the future act as investment adviser, sponsor or
general partner for Newcastle Partners, L.P. and other customers, accounts and
pooled investment vehicles (individually, a “Customer” and
collectively, “Customers”) and may
give advice, and take action, with respect to any of those Customers which may
differ from the advice given, or the timing or nature of action taken, with
respect to the Fund;
9
(ii) because
the General Partner may act as investment advisor, sponsor or general partner
for other Customers, certain situations may arise in which the Fund may hold a
class of security of an issuer’s capital structure while another Customer may
hold a different class of security of the capital structure of the same issuer;
the General Partner will take such action as it, in its sole discretion, deems
appropriate and equitable to minimize potential conflicts of interest that may
arise in this situation; and
(iii) the
General Partner’s Affiliates and officers, directors and employees of the
General Partner and such Affiliates may engage in transactions or cause or
advise other Customers to engage in transactions which may differ from or be
identical to the transactions engaged in by the General Partner for the Fund’s
account.
(iv) Newcastle
Partners, L.P. is a limited partner in the Fund.
The
General Partner shall not have any obligation to engage in any transaction for
the Fund’s account or to recommend any transaction to the Fund which any of the
General Partner’s Affiliates or any of the officers, directors or employees of
the General Partner or the General Partner’s Affiliates may engage in for their
own accounts or the account of any other Customer, except as otherwise required
by applicable law. To the extent permitted by law, the General
Partner shall be permitted to bunch or aggregate orders for the Fund’s account
with orders for other accounts.
(c) By
reason of the General Partner’s investment advisory activities (including by
virtue of a management or board of directors position of principals or employees
of the General Partner), the General Partner or its Affiliates may acquire
confidential information or be restricted from initiating transactions in
certain securities. In addition, by reason of the activities of the
General Partner or its Affiliates, the General Partner may be restricted from
initiating transactions in certain securities. It is acknowledged and
agreed that the General Partner will not be free to divulge, or to act upon, any
such confidential information with respect to the General Partner’s performance
of its responsibilities under this Agreement and that, due to such a
restriction, the General Partner may not initiate a transaction the General
Partner otherwise might have initiated.
(d) No
Limited Partner shall, by reason of being a Limited Partner in the Fund, have
any right to participate in any manner in any profits or income earned or
derived by or accruing to the General Partner, any of its Affiliates or their
respective partners, directors, officers, employees or shareholders from the
conduct of any business other than the business of the Fund or from any
transaction in securities effected by the General Partner, any of its Affiliates
or their respective partners, directors, officers, employees or shareholders for
any account other than that of the Fund.
SECTION
3.05 Limitation on
Liability.
(a) To
the fullest extent permitted by law, none of the General Partner, its Affiliates
or their respective partners, officers, directors, employees, shareholders and
agents shall be liable to the Fund or any other Partner for (i) any act or
omission by the General Partner in connection with the conduct of the business
of the Fund that is determined by the General Partner in good faith to be in or
not opposed to the best interests of the Fund, unless that act or omission
constitutes willful misconduct, gross negligence, a violation of federal or
state securities laws or criminal wrongdoing by the General Partner, (ii) any
action or omission by any other Partner or (iii) any mistake, negligence,
misconduct or bad faith of any broker or other agent of the Fund selected by the
General Partner with reasonable care. To the extent that, at law or
in equity, the General Partner has duties (including fiduciary duties) and
liabilities relating thereto to the Fund or to another Partner, the General
Partner acting under this Agreement shall not be liable to the Fund or to any
such other Partner for its good faith reliance on the provisions of this
Agreement. The provisions of this Agreement, to the extent that they
expand or restrict the duties and liabilities of the General Partner otherwise
existing at law or in equity, are agreed by the Partners to modify to that
extent such other duties and liabilities of the General Partner.
10
(b) The
General Partner shall not have any personal liability to the Fund or any other
Partner by reason of any change in United States federal, state, local or
foreign income tax laws, or in interpretations thereof, as they apply to the
Fund or the Limited Partners, whether the change occurs through legislative,
judicial or administrative action.
(c) The
General Partner may consult with legal counsel or accountants selected by it and
any act or omission by it on behalf of the Fund or in furtherance of the
business of the Fund in good faith in reliance on and in accordance with the
advice of such counsel or accountants shall be full justification for the act or
omission, and the General Partner shall be fully protected in so acting or
omitting to act if the counsel or accountants were selected with reasonable
care.
SECTION
3.06 Indemnification.
(a) To
the fullest extent permitted by law, the Fund shall indemnify and save harmless
the General Partner, its Affiliates and any of their respective partners,
officers, employees, directors, shareholders and agents, in each case other than
in a capacity as a Limited Partner (the “Indemnitees”), from
and against any and all claims, liabilities, damages, losses, costs and
expenses, including amounts paid in satisfaction of judgments, in compromises
and settlements, as fines and penalties and legal or other costs and expenses of
investigating or defending against any claim or alleged claim, of any nature
whatsoever, known or unknown, liquidated or unliquidated, that are incurred by
any Indemnitee and arise out of or in connection with the business of the Fund
or the performance by the Indemnitee of any of the General Partner’s
responsibilities hereunder, provided that an Indemnitee shall be entitled to
indemnification hereunder only if it is determined as provided in the
Partnership Act that the Indemnitee acted in good faith and (i) in the case of
conduct in the Indemnitee’s official capacity as General Partner, in a manner
the Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in the best interests of the Fund, or
(ii) in the case of conduct other than in the Indemnitee’s official capacity as
General Partner, in a manner the Indemnitee reasonably believed to be not
opposed to the best interests of the Fund, and (iii) in the case of a criminal
proceeding, the Indemnitee had no reasonable cause to believe that its conduct
was unlawful. The termination of any proceeding by settlement,
judgment, order, conviction or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent
shall not, of itself, create a presumption that an Indemnitee did not meet the
requirements for indemnification under this Agreement or the Partnership
Act. AN INDEMNITEE OTHERWISE ENTITLED TO INDEMNIFICATION HEREUNDER
SHALL BE ENTITLED THERETO NOTWITHSTANDING THE INDEMNITEE’S SOLE, JOINT OR
CONCURRENT NEGLIGENCE. The satisfaction of any indemnification and
any saving harmless obligation pursuant to this Section 3.06(a) shall be from
and limited to Fund assets, and no Partner shall have any personal liability on
account thereof. A determination that indemnification is permissible
under this Section 3.06(a) must be made in accordance with the provisions of the
Partnership Act.
11
(b) Expenses
incurred by an Indemnitee in defense or settlement of any claim that may be
subject to a right of indemnification hereunder shall be advanced by the Fund
prior to the final disposition thereof (without the determination as to the
permissibility of indemnification specified in the Partnership Act) upon receipt
of a written confirmation by or on behalf of the Indemnitee that the Indemnitee
believes in good faith that it has met the standard of conduct necessary for
indemnification under this Agreement and the Partnership Act and a written
undertaking by or on behalf of the General Partner to repay the amount paid or
reimbursed if it is ultimately determined that the Indemnitee has not met the
standard or it is ultimately determined that indemnification of the Indemnitee
against expenses incurred by it in such proceeding is prohibited under the
Partnership Act or this Agreement. The right of any Indemnitee to the
indemnification provided herein shall be cumulative of, and in addition to, any
and all rights to which the Indemnitee may otherwise be entitled by contract or
as a matter of law or equity and shall be extended to the Indemnitee’s
successors, assigns and legal representatives.
SECTION
3.07 Expenses. The
Fund shall bear all operating expenses of the Fund, including the Fund’s custody
expenses, the Fund’s investment expenses (if any), including brokerage costs,
interest charges and legal expenses incurred with respect to transactions in
securities, and legal, accounting and reporting expenses. To the extent that the
General Partner or any of its Affiliates pays any of the foregoing expenses, the
Fund shall be obligated to reimburse the General Partner or such Affiliate, as
the case may be. The Fund may establish and maintain reserves and working
capital balances in bank accounts and other cash equivalent investments in such
amounts as the General Partner may determine in its discretion to be necessary
or desirable for contingencies and to meet Fund expenses. Cash
proceeds of any sale or other disposition of the Fund’s investments that are not
needed to fund such reserves or working capital balances shall be distributed to
the Partners subject to the provisions of Article V.
ARTICLE
IV
CAPITAL
CONTRIBUTIONS, CAPITAL ACCOUNTS AND ALLOCATIONS
SECTION
4.01 Capital
Contributions.
(a) Set
forth on Schedule 1 are the initial capital contributions of the Partners to the
Fund, including the capital contribution (the “Initial Capital Contribution”) of
Designated Securities by Newcastle Partners, L.P. which shall constitute the
principal initial holdings of the Fund.
(b) A
Limited Partner shall not be required to make any additional capital
contributions to the Fund, except to the extent expressly provided for in
Section 2.07(c). Additional capital contributions may be made
by Limited Partners only in accordance with the provisions of Section
4.01(b). The General Partner has the right at any time to raise
capital from any other Person to make additional contributions to the capital of
the Fund as a Limited Partner or General Partner. Except as provided
in the Partnership Act, the General Partner is not required or obligated to make
any additional contributions to the capital of the Fund.
12
(c) The
General Partner in its sole discretion may accept additional capital
contributions by existing Partners and initial capital contributions by newly
admitted Partners in any amount and at any time. Capital
contributions to the Fund may be made only in cash except as the General Partner
may otherwise agree in its sole discretion.
(d) Except
as expressly set forth in this Agreement, no Partner shall be entitled to any
return of capital, interest or compensation by reason of its capital
contributions or by reason of its status as a Partner.
SECTION
4.02 Capital Accounts and Tax
Accounts.
(a) The
Fund shall establish for each Partner a tax capital account for income tax
accounting purposes (“Tax Account”) and a
book capital account for partnership accounting purposes (“Capital
Account”). The initial balance of the Capital Account and the
Tax Account for each Partner shall be the amount of the Partner’s Initial
Capital Contribution to the Fund. Thereafter, the Tax Account and
Capital Account shall be adjusted as provided in this Article IV.
(b) At
the end of each taxable year of the Fund, the initial balance of the Tax Account
of each Partner shall from time to time be:
(i) increased
by (x) the amount of any cash contributed by the Partner to the Fund’s capital
in addition to the Partner’s Initial Capital Contribution, (y) the Partner’s
allocable share of Fund taxable income and (z) the Partner’s allocable share of
Fund income exempt from federal income taxation; and
(ii) decreased
by (x) the amount of cash and the adjusted tax basis of other property
distributed to the Partner, (y) the Partner’s allocable share of Fund taxable
loss, including capital loss and (z) the Partner’s allocable share of Fund
expenditures which are neither required to be capitalized nor deductible by the
Fund in computing its taxable income.
(c) At
the end of each Fiscal Period, the initial balance of the Capital Account of
each Partner shall from time to time be:
(i) increased
by (x) the amount of any cash contributed by the Partner to the Fund’s capital
in addition to the Partner’s Initial Capital Contribution, and (y) the positive
adjustments to the Partner’s Capital Account provided for in this Article;
and
(ii) decreased
by (x) the amount of cash and the value of other property distributed to the
Partner, and (y) the negative adjustments to the Partner’s Capital Account
provided for in this Article.
SECTION
4.03 Partnership
Percentages. A “Partnership
Percentage” shall be determined for each Partner’s Capital Account for
each Fiscal Period of the Fund by dividing the amount of each Partner’s Capital
Account by the aggregate Capital Accounts of all Partners as of the beginning of
such Fiscal Period after taking into account Capital Contributions, payable as
of such date. The sum of the Partnership Percentages shall equal 100
percent.
13
SECTION
4.04 Allocation of Net Capital
Appreciation or Net Capital Depreciation; Performance
Allocation.
(a) At
the end of each Fiscal Period, the Capital Account of each Partner (including
the General Partner) for such Fiscal Period shall be adjusted by crediting (in
the case of Net Capital Appreciation) or debiting (in the case of Net Capital
Depreciation) the Net Capital Appreciation or Net Capital Depreciation, as the
case may be, to the Capital Accounts of all the Partners (including the General
Partner) in proportion to the respective Partnership Percentages of each Capital
Account.
(b) The
Performance Allocation of each Limited Partner shall be debited against the
Capital Account of such Limited Partner as of the last day of each Performance
Period with respect to such Limited Partner, and the amount so debited shall be
simultaneously credited to the Capital Account of the General
Partner. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, unless the General
Partner shall otherwise determine, no Performance Allocation shall be charged to
Newcastle Partners, L.P. with respect to any Interest in the Fund held directly
by Newcastle Partners, L.P.
(c) For
any partial withdrawal by or distribution to a Limited Partner from its Capital
Account, such Limited Partner’s Capital Account will be charged with the
Performance Allocation at the time of withdrawal or distribution in accordance
with Section 4.04(b) on the withdrawn or distributed amount on a pro rata
basis. Any amount of Positive Performance Change with respect to
which the Performance Allocation was not applied due to the pro rata application
of the Performance Allocation shall be included in the Positive Performance
Change for the subsequent Performance Period when calculating the Performance
Allocation for such subsequent Performance Period.
(d) Notwithstanding
Section 4.04(a), no allocation of Net Capital Depreciation shall be made to the
Capital Account of any Partner to the extent that it would cause or increase a
deficit balance in the Partner’s Capital Account as of the end of the Fiscal
Period to which the allocation relates. The amount of any Net Capital
Depreciation that, but for this Section 4.04(d), would otherwise have been
allocated to a Partner shall instead be allocated to the Capital Accounts of
those Partners having positive Capital Account balances, in proportion thereto,
and after all such positive balances are reduced to zero, shall be allocated to
the General Partner. For purposes of this Section 4.04(d) and Section
4.04(e), the balance of a Partner’s Capital Account shall be increased by any
amount thereof the Partner is obligated to restore or is treated as obligated to
restore pursuant to the penultimate sentences of Regulations Sections
1.704-2(g)(1) and 1.704-2(i)(5) and shall be reduced by the items described in
Regulations Sections 1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(d)(4), (5) and (6).
(e) Notwithstanding
any other provision of this Section 4.04, any Partner who unexpectedly receives
an adjustment, allocation or distribution described in Regulations Section
1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(d)(4), (5) or (6) that creates or increases a deficit balance
in the Partner’s Capital Account shall thereafter be allocated items of income
(including gross income) and gain of the Fund for Capital Account purposes in an
amount and manner sufficient to eliminate, to the extent required by the
Treasury Regulations, such deficit balance as quickly as
possible. Any amounts allocated pursuant to this Section 4.04(e) for
any Fiscal Period shall be excluded from the determination of Net Capital
Appreciation or Net Capital Depreciation for the Fiscal Period.
14
(f) Notwithstanding
any other provision of this Section 4.04, but subject to Sections 4.04(d) and
(e), if any allocations are made pursuant to Sections 4.04(d) or 4.04(e),
subsequent allocations of items of Fund income, gain, loss or deduction
determined for Capital Account purposes may be made by the General Partner so
that the net amount of items allocated to the Capital Account of each Partner
pursuant to this Section 4.04 shall, to the extent possible, be equal to the net
amount that would have been allocated thereto if the prior allocations pursuant
to Sections 4.04(d) or 4.04(e) had not occurred. Any amounts of
income, gain, loss or deduction allocated pursuant to this Section 4.04(f) for
any Fiscal Period shall be excluded from the determination of Net Capital
Appreciation or Net Capital Depreciation for the Fiscal Period.
(g) To
the extent, if any, that expenses to be borne by the General Partner are deemed
to constitute items of Fund loss, expense or deduction rather than items of
loss, expense or deduction of the General Partner, the payment of such expenses
by the General Partner shall be deemed a capital contribution to the Fund and
such items shall be allocated 100% to the General Partner. Any
amounts allocated pursuant to this Section 4.04(g) for any Fiscal Period shall
be excluded from the determination of Net Capital Appreciation or Net Capital
Depreciation for the Fiscal Period.
(h) The
foregoing provisions and the other provisions of this Agreement relating to the
maintenance of Capital Accounts are intended to comply with Regulations Section
1.704-1(b) and shall be interpreted and applied in a manner consistent
therewith.
SECTION
4.05 Tax Account
Allocations. For each taxable year of the Fund, items of
income, gain, loss, deduction or credit (including items of income or gain which
are not subject to federal income taxation and items which are not deductible
for federal income tax purposes and not properly chargeable to capital accounts)
determined for federal income tax purposes shall be allocated solely for federal
income tax purposes among the Tax Accounts of the Partners in a manner, as
reasonably determined by the General Partner, which reflects equitably the
amounts and items credited or debited to each Partner’s Capital Account during
the current taxable year of the Fund. In the case of a distribution
of the net proceeds of sale of securities described in Section 5.02(a), items of
income, gain or loss realized upon the sale of such securities shall be
allocated solely to those Partners (including the General Partner) to whom such
proceeds of sale are distributed. The allocations referred to in this
Section 4.05 shall be made pursuant to the principles of Sections 704(b) and
704(c) of the Code and in accordance with temporary and final
Regulations. Each Limited Partner hereby authorizes the General
Partner to prepare and execute on its behalf any amendments to this Agreement
necessary or appropriate in the opinion of the General Partner to enable the
method of allocation selected by the General Partner to comply with the
provisions of Code Section 704(c) and the Regulations.
SECTION
4.06 Changes of
Interest. To reflect the varying interests of the Partners
during each taxable year, the Fund may use any method allowable under the Code
selected by the General Partner.
15
SECTION
4.07 Valuation of
Assets. Securities held by the Fund which are listed on a
securities exchange shall be valued by the General Partner at their last sales
prices on the principal securities exchange on which they are traded on the date
of determination (or, if the date of determination is not a date upon which that
securities exchange was open for trading, on the last prior date on which that
securities exchange was so open). If no sales of these securities
occurred on the foregoing dates, the securities shall be valued at the “bid”
price for long positions and the “asked” price for short positions on the
principal securities exchange on which they are traded on the date of
determination (or, if the date of determination is not a date upon which that
securities exchange was open for trading, on the last prior date on which it was
so open), unless the securities are included in an organized over-the-counter
trading system, in which case they shall be valued based upon their last sales
prices as reported on such reporting system (if these prices are
available). All other securities and assets for which market
quotations are not readily available shall be valued at fair value as determined
in good faith by the General Partner. Any assets or liabilities
initially expressed in terms of currencies other than U.S. dollars will be
translated into dollars at spot conversion rates as quoted on the day of such
translation or, if no such rate is quoted on such date, at the previously quoted
exchange rate or at such other appropriate rate as may be determined by the
General Partner.
SECTION
4.08 Liabilities. Liabilities
shall be determined based upon generally accepted accounting principles as a
guideline, with such adjustments as the General Partner in its sole discretion
deems fair and reasonable in order to properly value the Fund’s
liabilities.
SECTION
4.09 Determination by the General
Partner of Certain Matters. All matters concerning the
valuation of securities and other assets and liabilities of the Fund, the
allocation of income, gain, loss and deduction of the Fund among the Partners,
and accounting procedures, not expressly provided for by the terms of this
Agreement, shall be determined in good faith by the General Partner, which
determination shall be final and conclusive as to all Partners absent manifest
error.
ARTICLE
V
WITHDRAWALS
AND DISTRIBUTIONS
SECTION
5.01 Withdrawals and
Distributions in General.
(a) No
Partner shall be entitled to receive distributions, withdraw any amount from
such Partner’s Capital Account or withdraw from the Fund except as provided in
Sections 5.02, 7.02 and 8.02; provided that the General Partner may make pro
rata distributions based upon Capital Account balances in amounts and at times
that it determines in its sole discretion.
(b) Notwithstanding
anything to the contrary set forth in this Agreement, in connection with any
distribution to the Partners under this Article V, the General Partner shall be
entitled to make an initial distribution or payment of amounts to the General
Partner to satisfy, in full or in part (as determined by the General Partner in
its discretion) any Performance Allocation, reimbursable expense and/or other
liability payable to the General Partner.
(c) Notwithstanding
anything to the contrary set forth in this Agreement, the General Partner may,
in its sole discretion, permit withdrawals by Limited Partners at times and may,
in such case and in its sole discretion, impose a fee of not greater than 5% of
the amount withdrawn. Withdrawals permitted pursuant to this Section
5.01(c) may be in cash or in kind, as determined by the General Partner in its
discretion.
16
SECTION
5.02 Required
Distributions.
(a) If
the Fund disposes of any securities (including any Designated Securities) for
cash, each Partner shall be entitled to elect to receive, with respect to its
pro rata interest (based on Partnership Percentages) in such securities disposed
of and after giving effect to any Performance Allocation and any provision by
the General Partner for Fund liabilities (including but not limited to accrued
expenses) in accordance with this Agreement and reserves for contingencies and
estimated expenses, a distribution of the net proceeds of such sale (net of
expenses incurred in connection therewith). For purposes of this
Section 5.02(a), a disposition shall be deemed to include the return of
principal in cash with respect to all or a portion of applicable Designated
Securities (upon maturity or otherwise). Any distribution made to
the Partners pursuant to the provisions of Section 5.02 shall be made as
promptly as practicable, but in any event within 90 days following the relevant
sale date.
(b) Notwithstanding
any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, the General Partner is
authorized to withhold and pay over to the Internal Revenue Service or any other
taxing authority, pursuant to Sections 1441, 1442, 1445 or 1446 of the Code, or
any successor provisions or comparable provisions of other applicable tax laws,
at the times required by those Sections or provisions, the amounts the Fund is
required to withhold under those Sections or provisions, as from time to time in
effect. Each Partner shall furnish the General Partner with such
information, forms and certifications as it may require and as are necessary to
comply with the regulations governing the obligations of withholding tax agents,
as well as such information, forms and certifications as are necessary with
respect to any withholding taxes imposed by countries other than the United
States and represents and warrants that the information and forms furnished by
it shall be true and accurate in all respects. Each Partner hereby
agrees to indemnify the Fund and the General Partner for its allocable share of
any applicable withholding tax of any type whatsoever (including any liability
for penalties, additions to tax or interest) attributable to such Partner’s
share of the income of the Fund or attributable to distributions to such
Partner. For purposes of this Agreement, any amount of taxes withheld
and paid over by the General Partner with respect to a Partner’s distributive
share of the Fund’s gross income shall be treated as a cash distribution to the
Partner and shall be charged as of the date of payment against the Capital
Account and Tax Account of the Partner.
SECTION
5.03 Method of
Distributions. Subject to Sections 5.02(a) and 5.02(b), in the
sole discretion of the General Partner, withdrawals and distributions may be
made in cash or in securities valued at their fair market value pursuant to
Section 4.07.
ARTICLE
VI
ADMISSION
OF NEW PARTNERS; CHANGES IN THE GENERAL PARTNER
SECTION
6.01 Admission of New
Partners. New Partners may, with the consent of the General
Partner and without the approval of any Limited Partner, be admitted to the Fund
at any time on terms determined by the General Partner in its sole
discretion. If required by the General Partner, each new Partner
shall be required to execute an agreement pursuant to which it becomes bound by
the terms of this Agreement. Admission of a new Partner shall not be
a cause for dissolution of the Fund.
17
SECTION
6.02 Changes in the General
Partner. Without the approval of the Limited Partners, the
General Partner may withdraw as general partner of the Fund and designate an
Affiliate of the General Partner or any successor to the business or assets of
the General Partner (the “Designee”) to be
substituted as General Partner as long as the General Partner obtains an opinion
of counsel that such withdrawal and substitution shall not cause the Fund to be
classified as a person or entity other than a partnership for federal income tax
purposes. The Designee shall become and have all of the rights,
powers and duties of the General Partner for all purposes of this
Agreement.
ARTICLE
VII
WITHDRAWAL,
DEATH OR INCOMPETENCY OF PARTNERS
SECTION
7.01 Withdrawal, Death, Etc., of
Partners.
(a) The
General Partner shall not have the right to withdraw from the Fund except as
provided in Section 6.02.
(b) The
withdrawal, death, disability, incapacity, incompetency, termination,
bankruptcy, insolvency or dissolution of a Limited Partner shall not dissolve
the Fund. The legal representatives of a Limited Partner shall
succeed as assignee to the Limited Partner’s Interest in the Fund upon the
death, disability, incapacity, incompetency, termination, bankruptcy, insolvency
or dissolution of a Limited Partner, but shall not be admitted as a substitute
Partner without the consent of the General Partner, which consent may be given
or withheld in its sole discretion. In the event of death,
disability, incapacity, incompetency, termination, bankruptcy, insolvency or
dissolution of a Limited Partner, the interest of the Limited Partner shall
continue at the risk of the Fund’s business until the termination of the Fund,
and the applicable Limited Partner or its legal representatives as assignees
shall be entitled to such economic rights (including sharing of income, gain,
less, deductions, credits and distributions) as shall apply to the Limited
Partners generally with respect to the applicable interest.
SECTION
7.02 Required Withdrawals of
Limited Partners. The General Partner may redeem all or any
portion of any Limited Partner’s Interest in the Fund at any time upon at least
five days prior written notice if the General Partner determines that the
continued participation of the Limited Partner in the Fund might cause the Fund
or any Partner to violate any law, or cause the assets of the Fund to be deemed
to be “plan assets” under ERISA and the regulations thereunder or otherwise
cause the Fund to be subject to any material regulatory requirement to which it
would not otherwise be subject or if any litigation is commenced or threatened
against the Fund or any Partner arising out of, or relating to, the
participation of the Limited Partner in the
Fund. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, any redemption
made pursuant to this Section 7.02 may be made in cash or securities (whether or
not Publicly Traded Securities); and provided further that the General Partner
may, in its discretion, require that any such Limited Partner being redeemed
execute a stockholder agreement with respect to any securities distributed
containing such terms and conditions (including, but not limited to, transfer
restrictions, a voting agreement, drag along rights and other terms customarily
included in a stockholder agreement) as the General Partner determines in its
sole discretion. Any distribution on, or redemption of, all or any
portion of the Capital Account of the Partner pursuant to the foregoing is also
subject to the provision by the General Partner for all Fund liabilities in
accordance with all provisions of the Partnership Act and other applicable law
and for reserves for contingencies and estimated accrued
expenses. The unused portion of any reserve shall be distributed
after the General Partner shall have determined that the need therefor shall
have ceased.
18
ARTICLE
VIII
DURATION
AND TERMINATION OF THE FUND
SECTION
8.01 Duration. The
Fund shall continue until it is dissolved and subsequently terminated, which
dissolution shall occur upon the earliest of (i) one hundred and twenty days
following the Termination Date, (ii) a determination made by the General Partner
at any time to dissolve the Fund for any reason, (iii) the bankruptcy or
insolvency of the General Partner or (iv) the termination, dissolution or
withdrawal of the General Partner without a corresponding permitted substitution
pursuant to Section 6.02. For purposes of this Agreement, the
“Termination Date” shall mean the fifth anniversary of the date of this
Agreement; provided that the General Partner shall be permitted in its sole
discretion to extend the Termination Date for up to three (3) successive periods
of one year each (i.e., until the sixth, seventh and/or eighth anniversary of
the date of this Agreement) upon notice to the Partners at least 60 days prior
to the effective date of such extension.
SECTION
8.02 Termination. Upon
dissolution of the Fund, the Fund shall be wound up and
liquidated. The General Partner or any other Person or Persons who
are winding up the affairs of the Fund shall make distributions out of Fund
assets in the following manner and order:
(a) to
the payment of the expenses of the dissolution, winding up and liquidation of
the Fund;
(b) to
pay all creditors of the Fund, other than Partners, either by the payment
thereof or the making of reasonable provision therefor;
(c) to
establish reserves, in amounts deemed appropriate by the General Partner or such
liquidator, to meet other liabilities of the Fund (known or unknown);
and
(d) to
pay, in accordance with the terms agreed among them and otherwise on a pro rata
basis, all creditors of the Fund that are Partners, either by the payment
thereof or the making of reasonable provision therefore, including in respect of
any Performance Allocation owing to the General Partner.
The
remaining assets of the Fund shall be distributed to the Partners in accordance
with the positive balances of their respective Capital Accounts (determined
after taking into account all Capital Account adjustments for the Fund’s taxable
year during which the liquidation occurs) by the end of the taxable year during
which the liquidation occurs or, if later, within 90 days after the date of such
liquidation. For purposes of the application of this Section 8.02 and
determining Capital Accounts on liquidation, all unrealized gains, losses and
accrued income and deductions of the Fund shall be treated as realized and
recognized immediately before the date of any distribution.
19
SECTION
8.03 Distributions in Cash or in
Kind upon Termination. Notwithstanding anything to the
contrary set forth in this Agreement, upon dissolution of the Fund, the General
Partner (or any other Person or Persons who are winding up the affairs of the
Fund) shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to liquidate all of Fund
assets in an orderly manner and apply the proceeds of such liquidation as set
forth in Section 8.02, provided that if in the good
faith business judgment of the General Partner (or such other Person) a Fund
asset should not be liquidated, the General Partner (or such other Person) shall
distribute said assets (whether or not any such securities are Publicly Traded
Securities), in accordance with Section 8.02, subject to the priorities set
forth in Section 8.02, and provided, further, that the General
Partner (or such other Person) will in good faith attempt to liquidate
sufficient Fund assets to satisfy in cash (or make reasonable provision for) the
debts and liabilities referred to in paragraphs (a)-(d) of
Section 8.02.
SECTION
8.04 Restoration
Obligation. As among the Partners, no Partner shall have an
obligation to restore a negative balance in its Capital Account.
SECTION
8.05 General Partner Not Liable
for Return of Capital Contributions. None of the General
Partner or any of its Affiliates shall be liable for the return of the Capital
Contributions of any Partner, and such return shall be made solely from
available Fund assets, if any, and each Limited Partner hereby waives any and
all claims it may have against the General Partner or any Affiliate thereof in
this regard.
ARTICLE
IX
TAX
RETURNS; REPORTS TO PARTNERS
SECTION
9.01 Books and
Records. The books and records of the Fund shall, at the cost
and expense of the Fund, be kept or caused to be kept at the principal place of
business of the Fund. The books and records shall be kept on the
basis of a calendar year, and shall reflect all transactions of the Fund and be
appropriate and adequate for conducting the business of the Fund. The
Limited Partners shall have the right, during business hours and on reasonable
prior notice to the General Partner, to inspect the books and records of the
Partnership and make copies thereof. Each Limited Partner, by its
exercise of the rights conferred by this Section 9.01, agrees to maintain the
confidentiality of any information received by it pursuant to this Section 9.01
unless and until such information becomes public (other than through action or
omission of a Limited Partner) or is otherwise no longer confidential or is
required by applicable law or legal process to be disclosed.
SECTION
9.02 Filing of Tax
Returns. The General Partner shall prepare and file, or cause
the accountants of the Fund to prepare and file, a federal information tax
return in compliance with Section 6031 of the Code and any other returns that
are required thereby together with any required foreign, state and local income
tax and information returns for each tax year of the Fund.
20
SECTION
9.03 Tax Matters
Partner. The General Partner shall be designated on the Fund’s
annual federal information tax return, and have full powers and
responsibilities, as the Tax Matters Partner of the Fund for purposes of Section
6231(a)(7) of the Code. Each Person (for purposes of this Section
9.03, called a “Pass-Thru Partner”)
that holds or controls an interest as a Limited Partner on behalf of, or for the
benefit of, another Person or Persons, or which Pass-Thru Partner is
beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by another Person or Persons, shall,
within 30 days following receipt from the Tax Matters Partner of any notice,
demand, request for information or similar document, convey that notice or other
document in writing to all holders of beneficial interests in the Fund holding
such interest through the Pass-Thru Partner. If the Fund shall be the
subject of an income tax audit by any federal, state or local authority, the Tax
Matters Partner shall be authorized to act for, and its decision shall be final
and binding on, the Fund and each Partner. All expenses incurred in
connection with any audit, investigation, settlement or review shall be borne by
the Fund.
SECTION
9.04 Consistent
Reporting. The Limited Partners shall not take any position on
their individual tax returns inconsistent with the reporting of tax items on the
Fund’s tax return.
SECTION
9.05 Reports to Current
Partners. Within 90 days after the end of each Fiscal Year,
the Fund shall prepare and mail to each Partner a report setting forth as of the
end of that Fiscal Year:
(a) to
the extent such financial statements have been prepared or are otherwise
available with respect to the Designated Company (or its successor) (or its
principal operating subsidiary or subsidiaries), audited annual financial
statements of the Designated Company (or its successor) (or such other principal
operating subsidiary or subsidiaries) prepared in accordance with GAAP, unless
such financial statements are publicly filed;
(b) a
statement showing the Net Capital Appreciation or Net Capital Depreciation, as
the case may be, for that year; and
(c) the
Partner’s Capital Account as of the end of that Fiscal Year and the manner of
its calculation.
The
General Partner shall use commercially reasonable efforts to provide to a
Limited Partner such other information as is reasonably requested by such
Limited Partner for a purpose reasonably related to such Limited Partner’s
interest as a limited partner in the Partnership to the extent that any such
efforts shall not impose any undue cost or burden on the General Partner or the
Fund or otherwise interfere with the operations of the General Partner or the
Fund, as determined by the General Partner in its sole discretion.
SECTION
9.06 Tax Report to Partners and
Former Partners. Within 90 days after the end of each Fiscal
Year, the Fund shall prepare and mail, or cause its accountants to prepare and
mail, to each Partner and, to the extent necessary, to each former Partner (or
its legal representatives), a report setting forth in sufficient detail
information which will enable the Partner or former Partner (or its legal
representative) to prepare their respective federal income tax returns in
accordance with the laws, rules and regulations then prevailing.
21
ARTICLE
X
MISCELLANEOUS
SECTION
10.01 Waiver of
Partition. Except as may be otherwise required by law in
connection with the winding up, liquidation and dissolution of the Fund, each
Partner hereby irrevocably waives any and all rights that it may have to
maintain an action for partition of any of the Fund’s property.
SECTION
10.02 Power of
Attorney. Each Limited Partner acknowledges and confirms that
it has duly appointed the General Partner as its true and lawful
attorney-in-fact for the limited purposes and on the terms and conditions
specified in the power of attorney in the form contained in its Subscription
Agreement.
SECTION
10.03 General. This
Agreement (a) shall be binding on the executors, administrators, estates, heirs
and legal successors and representatives of the Partners; (b) may be executed by
the General Partner as the attorney-in-fact for each Limited Partner pursuant to
the power of attorney provided by each Limited Partner to the General Partner in
the form contained in its Subscription Agreement and (c) may be executed in one
or more counterparts, all of which shall constitute one and the same
instrument.
SECTION
10.04 Amendments to Partnership
Agreement. The terms and provisions of this Agreement may be
modified or amended at any time and from time to time with the written consent
of the Limited Partners having a majority of the Interests in the Fund of the
Limited Partners (determined on the basis of Capital Account balances) (other
than Interests held directly by the General Partner), together with the written
consent of the General Partner, insofar as consistent with the laws governing
this Agreement; provided that without the consent of any Limited Partner, the
General Partner may amend this Agreement (i) to reflect changes validly made in
the membership of the Fund and the capital contributions and withdrawals by any
Partner, (ii) to reflect a change in the name of the Fund or (iii) to make a
change that is necessary or desirable to correct any ambiguity, to correct or
supplement any provision in this Agreement that would be inconsistent with any
other provision in this Agreement and to make any other provision with respect
to matters or questions arising under this Agreement that will not be
inconsistent with the provisions of this Agreement, so long as the change does
not materially adversely affect the Limited Partners. The consent of
each adversely affected Partner, in addition to the written consent of the
General Partner, must be obtained for any amendment which would (a) modify the
provisions hereof relating to the maintenance and adjustment of Capital
Accounts, (b) affect its (i) rights to distributions (other than by virtue of
additional capital contributions by other Partners) or (ii) rights of
contribution, (c) adversely affect its limited liability as a Limited Partner as
provided herein or (d) amend the provisions of this Section 10.04.
SECTION
10.05 Governing
Law. Notwithstanding the place where this Agreement may be
executed by any of the parties, the parties expressly agree that all the terms
and provisions hereof shall be construed under the laws of the State of Delaware
and, without limitation thereof, that the Partnership Act as now adopted or as
may hereafter amended shall govern the partnership aspects of this
Agreement.
22
SECTION
10.06 Notices. Each
notice relating to this Agreement shall be in writing and delivered in person or
by overnight courier service or registered or certified mail or by receipted
facsimile. All notices to the Fund shall be addressed to its office
and principal place of business or, if given by facsimile, shall be sent to
000-000-0000 (provided, in the case of notice by facsimile, that a copy of such
notice is sent by another means permitted herein at the same time that it is
sent by facsimile). All notices addressed to a Partner shall be
addressed to the Partner at the address or, if sent by facsimile, to the
facsimile number set forth in the records of the Fund. Any Partner
may designate a new address or facsimile number by notice to that effect given
to the Fund. Unless otherwise specifically provided in this
Agreement, a notice shall be deemed to have been effectively given when
delivered in person or by overnight courier or three business days following the
date when it is so mailed by registered or certified mail or on the date that it
is sent by facsimile (and a copy thereof sent by other means as provided
above).
SECTION
10.07 Goodwill. No
value shall be placed on the name or goodwill of the Fund, which shall belong
exclusively to the General Partner.
SECTION
10.08 Headings. The
titles of the Articles and the headings of the Sections of this Agreement are
for convenience of reference only and are not to be considered in construing the
terms and provisions of this Agreement.
SECTION
10.09 Pronouns. All
pronouns shall be deemed to refer to the masculine, feminine, neuter, singular
or plural, as the identity of the person or persons, firm or corporation may
require in the context thereof.
SECTION
10.10 Arbitration. Any
dispute, controversy or claim arising out of or relating to this Agreement, the
Subscription Agreements or to the Fund’s affairs or the rights or interests of
the Partners or withdrawn Partners or any of them, or the estate or legal
representatives of any Partner or withdrawn Partner, or the breach or alleged
breach of this Agreement, whether arising during the Fund’s term or at or after
its termination or during or after the liquidation of the Fund, shall be settled
by arbitration in Dallas, Texas (or, if applicable law requires some other
forum, then such other forum) in accordance with the rules then obtaining of the
American Arbitration Association. If the parties to any such
controversy are unable to agree upon an arbitrator or arbitrators, then an
arbitrator shall be appointed in accordance with such rules. The
parties consent to the jurisdiction of the State District Court in Dallas
County, Texas, and of the United States District Court for the Northern District
of Texas, for all purposes in connection with any such
arbitration. The parties agree that any process or notice of motion
or other application to either of such courts, and any paper in connection with
any such arbitration, may be served by certified mail, return receipt requested,
or by personal service or in such other manner as may be permissible under the
rules of the applicable court or arbitration tribunal, provided a reasonable
time for appearance is allowed.
SECTION
10.11 Publicly Traded
Partnership. Notwithstanding any other provision of this
Agreement, the General Partner may take such actions and impose such
restrictions with respect to the transfer of Interests in the Fund, the
admission of additional Partners, and withdrawals by Partners as the General
Partner, in its sole discretion, deems necessary or appropriate to enable the
Fund to avoid classification as a “publicly traded partnership” under Section
7704 of the Code.
[Signature
Page Follows]
23
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have executed this Agreement as of the day and
year first written above.
GENERAL
PARTNER:
|
||||||||
Newcastle
Capital Management, L.P., General Partner
|
||||||||
By:
|
/s/
Xxxx X. Xxxxxxx
|
|||||||
Name:
|
Xxxx
Xxxxxxx
|
|||||||
Title:
|
CEO
|
|||||||
LIMITED
PARTNERS:
|
||||||||
Newcastle
Partners, L.P.
|
||||||||
By: Newcastle Capital Management, L.P., | |
General Partner |
By:
|
/s/
Xxxx X. Xxxxxxx
|
|||
Name:
|
Xxxx
Xxxxxxx
|
|||
Title:
|
CEO
|
24
Schedule
1 – Designated Securities
Second
Amended and Restated Convertible Promissory Note dated June 12, 2008 issued by
Xxxx Industries, Inc., a California corporation, and Xxxx Industries, Inc., a
Minnesota corporation
25