FIRST AMENDED AND RESTATED OPERATING AGREEMENT OF SHOW ME ETHANOL, LLC DATED AS OF MARCH 29, 2010
FIRST
AMENDED
AND
RESTATED
OF
DATED
AS OF MARCH 29, 2010
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
Page | ||
Article
1. FORMATION AND OFFICES
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1
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1.1 Formation |
1
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1.2 Principal Office |
1
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1.3 Registered Office and Registered Agent |
1
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1.4 Purpose of Company |
1
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1.5 Duration |
2
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1.6 Delivery of Copies to Members |
2
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Article
2. DEFINITIONS
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2
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2.1 Terms Defined Herein |
2
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Article
3. CAPITALIZATION OF THE COMPANY
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6
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3.1 Initial Capital Contributions |
6
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3.2 Additional Capital Contributions |
6
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3.3 Capital Contributions |
6
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Article
4. CASH DISTRIBUTIONS; PROFITS AND LOSSES FOR TAX PURPOSES
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7
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4.1 Cash Distributions Prior to Dissolution |
7
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4.2 Persons Entitled to Distributions |
7
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4.3 Reserves |
7
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4.4 Allocation of Profits and Losses for Tax Purposes and Special Allocations |
8
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4.5 Withholding Taxes |
8
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Article
5. MEMBERS
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8
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5.1 Voting Rights |
8
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5.2 Meetings of Members; Place of Members |
9
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5.3 Quorum; Voting Requirement |
9
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5.4 Proxies |
9
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5.5 Action Without Meeting |
9
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5.6 Notice |
9
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5.7 Powers of the Members |
10
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5.8 Other Business Ventures |
10
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Article
6. MANAGERS AND OFFICERS
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10
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6.1 Powers of the Managers |
10
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6.2 Limitation on Powers of Managers |
10
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6.3 Duties of Managers |
11
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6.4 Number, Appointment, Tenure and Election of Managers |
12
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(i)
6.5 Compensation |
13
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6.6 Meetings of and Voting by Managers |
13
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6.7 Officers |
14
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6.8 Authority to Execute Documents to be Filed Under the Act |
15
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Article
7. LIABILITY AND INDEMNIFICATION
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15
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7.1 Liability of Members and Managers |
15
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7.2 Indemnification |
15
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7.3 Expenses |
16
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7.4 Non-Exclusivity |
16
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7.5 Insurance |
16
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7.6 Duties |
16
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Article
8. TRANSFERS OF INTERESTS AND ASSIGNMENTS; WITHDRAWAL; EXPULSION; PURCHASE
OF A MEMBER’S INTEREST; BUY-SELL AGREEMENT; RIGHT OF FIRST
REFUSAL
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17
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8.1 General Restrictions |
17
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8.2 Permitted Transfers |
18
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8.3 Substitute Members |
18
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8.4 Effect of Admission as a Substitute Member |
19
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8.5 Additional Members |
19
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8.6 Purchase of a Member’s Interest |
19
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8.7 Drag Along Rights |
20
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8.8 Purchase Terms Varied By Agreement |
21
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8.9 Expulsion |
21
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Article
9. DISSOLUTION AND TERMINATION
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21
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9.1 Events Causing Dissolution |
21
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9.2 Notices to Secretary of State |
21
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9.3 Cash Distributions Upon Dissolution |
22
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9.4 Discretionary Liquidation Preference |
22
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9.5 In-Kind |
22
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Article
10. ACCOUNTING AND BANK ACCOUNTS
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23
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10.1 Fiscal Year and Accounting Method |
23
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10.2 Books and Records |
23
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10.3 Books and Financial Reports |
24
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10.4 Tax Returns and Elections |
24
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10.5 Bank Accounts |
24
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Article
11. MISCELLANEOUS
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24
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11.1 Title to Property; No Partition |
24
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11.2 Waiver of Default |
24
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11.3 Notice |
25
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11.4 Amendment |
25
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11.5 No Third Party Rights |
25
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(ii)
11.6 Severability |
25
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11.7 Nature of Interest in the Company |
26
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11.8 Binding Agreement |
26
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11.9 Headings |
26
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11.10 Word Meanings |
26
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11.11 Counterparts |
26
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11.12 Entire Agreement |
26
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11.13 Representations and Acknowledgments |
26
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11.14 Member’s Representative |
27
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11.15 Dispute Resolution and Arbitration |
27
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11.16 Non Disclosure |
27
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11.17 Governing Law |
27
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SCHEDULE
A - RESERVED
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1
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SCHEDULE
B - TAXES
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1
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(iii)
FIRST
AMENDED
AND
RESTATED
OF
THIS FIRST AMENDED AND RESTATED
OPERATING AGREEMENT of SHOW ME ETHANOL, LLC, a Missouri limited liability
company (the “Company”), is effective as of March
29, 2010 (the “Effective Date”).
WHEREAS, the Members caused
the Company to be formed on January 24, 2006 as a limited liability company
under the Missouri Limited Liability Company Act (the “Act”) and the initial
Operating Agreement of the Company was adopted on January 24, 2006 (the
“Original Agreement”);
WHEREAS, the Original
Agreement was amended on September 10, 2009;
WHEREAS, the Members and the
Managers desire to amend and restate the Original Agreement in its entirety to
govern the affairs of the Company and the conduct of its business;
NOW, THEREFORE, in
consideration of the premises and the mutual agreements contained herein, the
parties hereto agree as follows:
ARTICLE
1.
FORMATION
AND OFFICES
1.1 Formation.
Pursuant
to the Act, the Members have formed a Missouri limited liability company
effective upon the filing of the Articles of the Company with the Secretary of
State of Missouri.
1.2 Principal
Office.
The
principal office of the Company shall be located at 00000 Xxxxxxx 00 Xxxx,
Xxxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx, or at such other place(s) as the Managers may determine
from time to time.
1.3 Registered Office and
Registered Agent.
The
location of the registered office and the name of the registered agent of the
Company in the State of Missouri shall be as stated in the Articles, as
determined from time to time by the Managers.
1.4 Purpose of
Company.
The
purposes for which the Company is organized are to engage in the business of
purchasing and processing agricultural bio mass, including corn and other
grains, for the production and sale of ethanol and its by-products and the
transaction of any or all lawful business for which a limited liability company
may be organized under the Act. Subject to the provisions of this
Agreement, the Company shall have the power to do any and all acts and things
necessary, appropriate, advisable or convenient for the furtherance and
accomplishment of the purposes of the Company, including, without limitation, to
engage in any kind of activity and to enter into and perform obligations of any
kind necessary to or in connection with, or incidental to, the accomplishment of
the purposes of the Company, so long as said activities and obligations may be
lawfully engaged in or performed by a limited liability company under the
Act.
1.5 Duration.
The
duration of the Company shall be perpetual.
1.6 Delivery of Copies to
Members.
Upon the
return by the Secretary of State of Missouri to the Company of any document
“Filed” with the Secretary of State of Missouri relating to the Company, neither
the Company nor the Person executing such document shall be required to deliver
or mail a copy thereof to any Member.
ARTICLE
2.
DEFINITIONS
2.1 Terms Defined
Herein.
As used
herein, the following terms shall have the following meanings, unless the
context otherwise requires:
“Act”
means the Missouri Limited Liability Company Act, Chapter
347, Missouri Revised Statutes, as amended from time to
time.
“Affiliate”
of a specified Person (the “Specified Person”) means any Person (a) who directly
or indirectly controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with the
Specified Person; (b) who owns or controls ten percent (10%) or more of the
Specified Person’s outstanding voting securities or equity interests; (c) in
whom such Specified Person owns or controls ten percent (10%) or more of the
outstanding voting securities or equity interests; (d) who is a director,
partner, manager, executive officer or trustee of the Specified Person; (e) in
whom the Specified Person is a director, partner, manager, executive officer or
trustee; or (f) who has any relationship with the Specified Person by blood,
marriage or adoption, not more remote than first cousin.
“Agreement”
means this First Amended and Restated Operating Agreement, as amended or
restated from time to time.
“Approved
Sale” means the sale of the Company, in a single transaction or a series of
related transactions, to a third party (i) pursuant to which such third party
proposes to acquire all of the outstanding Interests (whether by merger,
consolidation, recapitalization, reorganization, purchase of the outstanding
Interests or otherwise) or all or substantially all of the assets of the
Company, (ii) which has been approved by the Managers and Super Majority in
Interest, and (iii) pursuant to which all Members will receive (whether in such
transaction or, with respect to an asset sale, upon a subsequent liquidation)
the same form and amount of consideration per Percentage Interest or, if any
Members are given an option as to the form and amount of consideration to be
received, all Members are given the same option.
“Articles”
means the Articles of Organization of the Company filed with the Secretary of
State of Missouri, as amended or restated from time to time.
“Assignee”
means any Person who is the holder of an Interest but is not then a
Member. An Assignee shall not be entitled to participate in the
management of the business and affairs of the Company or to become or to
exercise the rights of a Member, including the right to vote, the right to
require any information or accounting of the Company’s business or the right to
inspect the Company’s books and records. An Assignee shall only be
entitled to receive, to the extent of the Interest held by such Assignee, the
share of distributions and profits, including distributions representing the
return of Capital Contributions, to which the transferor would otherwise be
entitled with respect to the Transferred Interest. An Assignee shall
not have the right to vote his, her or its Transferred Interest until the
transferee is admitted to the Company as a substitute Member with respect to the
Transferred Interest.
-2-
“Capital
Contribution” means the total amount of cash, other property, the use of
property, services rendered, promissory note or other binding written obligation
to contribute cash or property or perform services or other valuable
consideration contributed to the Company by each Member pursuant to the terms of
this Agreement. Any reference in this Agreement to the Capital
Contribution of a Member shall include the Capital Contribution made by any
predecessor holder of the Interest of that Member.
“Class”
means a class of units representing ownership interests in the
Company as determined from time to time by the Board of Managers.
“Class A
Member” means any Person (i) whose name is set forth in the records of the
Company as a Class A Member or who has become a Class A Member pursuant to
the terms of this Agreement, and (ii) who is the owner of one or more Class A
Units. “Class A Members” means all such persons.
“Class A
Units” means equal units of the entire ownership interest of all Class A Members
of the Company, and all rights and liabilities associated therewith, at any
particular time, including without limitation, rights to distributions
(liquidating or otherwise), allocations and information, and shall have voting
rights as provided herein.
“Class
A-1 Member” means any Person (i) whose name is set forth in the records of the
Company as a Class A-1 Member or who has become a Class A-1 Member pursuant
to the terms of this Agreement, and (ii) who is the owner of one or more Class
A-1 Units. “Class A-1 Members” means all such persons.
“Class
A-1 Units” means equal units of the entire ownership interest of all Class A-1
Members of the Company, and all rights and liabilities associated therewith, at
any particular time, including without limitation, rights to distributions
(liquidating or otherwise), allocations and information, and shall not have
voting rights except as provided herein.
“Class B
Member” means any Person (i) whose name is set forth in the records of the
Company as a Class B Member or who has become a Class B Member pursuant to
the terms of this Agreement, and (ii) who is the owner of one or more Class B
Units. “Class B Members” means all such persons.
“Class B
Units” means equal units of the entire ownership interest of all Class B Members
of the Company, and all rights and liabilities associated therewith, at any
particular time, including without limitation, rights to distributions
(liquidating or otherwise), allocations and information, and shall have voting
rights as provided herein.
“Class C
Member” means any Person (i) whose name is set forth in the records of the
Company as a Class C Member or who has become a Class C Member pursuant to
the terms of this Agreement, and (ii) who is the owner of one or more Class C
Units. “Class C Members” means all such persons.
“Class C
Units” means equal units of the entire ownership interest of all Class C Members
of the Company, and all rights and liabilities associated therewith, at any
particular time, including without limitation, rights to distributions
(liquidating or otherwise), allocations and information, and shall have voting
rights as provided herein.
-3-
“Code”
means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time, including
the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Company”
means SHOW ME ETHANOL, LLC.
“Equity
Account” means a separate account established by the Company and maintained for
each Member in accordance with Section 2(b) of Schedule B. The
initial balance of each Member’s Equity Account shall equal such Member’s
Capital Contribution.
“Event of
Withdrawal” means an event that causes a Person to cease to be a Member as
provided in the Act which events include, but are not limited to, (a) voluntary
withdrawal to the extent permitted by Section 8.1(b) (but subject to
damage payments to the Company for breach of this Agreement), (b) assignment (in
accordance with the provisions of this Agreement) of all of a Member’s Interest,
(c) expulsion, (d) the making of an assignment for the benefit of creditors, (e)
being subject to a Bankruptcy (as defined in Section 347.015.3 of the Act), (f)
appointment of a trustee or receiver for the Member or for all or any
substantial part of his, her or its property, (g) in the case of a Member who is
a natural person (1) his or her death, (2) the entry by a court of competent
jurisdiction adjudicating him or her incompetent to manage his or her person or
estate, (h) in the case of a Member that is a trust (1) the termination of the
trust or (2) a distribution of such trust’s entire Interest but not merely the
substitution of a new trustee, (i) in the case of a Member that is a general or
limited partnership (1) the dissolution and commencement of winding up of the
partnership or (2) a distribution of such partnership’s entire Interest, (j) in
the case of a Member that is a corporation (1) the filing of articles of
dissolution or their equivalent for the corporation, (2) a revocation of its
charter or (3) a distribution of corporation’s entire Interest, (k) in the case
of a Member that is an estate, the distribution by the fiduciary of the estate’s
entire interest in the Company, or (l) in the case of a Member that is a limited
liability company (1) the filing of articles of dissolution or termination or
their equivalent for a limited liability company or (2) a distribution of such
limited liability company’s entire Interest, or (m) in the case of a Member that
is a limited partnership (1) the filing of articles of dissolution or
termination or their equivalent for a limited partnership or (2) a distribution
of its entire Interest.
“Interest”
refers to all of a Member’s (or an Assignee’s) rights and interests in the
Company in such Member’s (or Assignee’s) capacity as a Member (or an Assignee),
all as provided in the Articles, this Agreement and the Act, together with the
obligations of such Member (or Assignee) to comply with all the terms and
provisions of the Agreement and the Act.
“Liquidation
Proceeds” means all Property at the time of liquidation of the Company and all
proceeds thereof.
“Majority
in Interest” means any individual Member or group of Members holding an
aggregate of more than 50% of the Percentage Interests held by all Members who
are entitled to vote hereunder, or in the case of the Managers, Managers holding
at least 6 votes.
“Managers”
means the Persons designated or elected from time to time pursuant to this
Agreement as managers of the Company, acting in their capacity as
Managers.
“Members”
means any of the Class A Members, Class A-1 Members, Class B Members and Class C
Members of the Company, including any substitute Members or additional Members,
in each such Person’s capacity as a Member of the Company.
“Net Cash
Flow” means, with respect to any fiscal period, all operating and investment
revenues during such period and any amounts theretofore held in any reserve
which the Managers determine need not be held any longer in reserve, all
determined in accordance with the Company’s method of accounting, less Operating
Expenses.
-4-
“Notice”
means a writing, containing the information required by this Agreement to be
communicated to a Person in accordance with Section 11.3.
“Operating
Expenses” means, with respect to any fiscal period, (a) to the extent paid other
than with cash withdrawn from reserves therefor, the amount of cash disbursed in
such period in order to operate the Company and to pay all expenses (including,
without limitation, management fees, wages, taxes, insurance, repairs and/or
other costs and expenses) incident to the ownership or operation of the Property
or the Company and (b) the amount of any reserves created during such period or
the amount of any increase in any existing reserve, as provided in Section 4.3.
“Percentage
Interest” of a Member means, at any particular time, a ratio, expressed as a
percentage, which is the ratio that the Capital Contribution of such Member
bears to the total Capital Contributions of all Members.
“Permitted
Assignee” means (i) any Member, a Member’s spouse or any of a Member’s
descendants, (ii) the settlor of a trust that is a Member; or (iii) any trust
for the primary benefit of a Member, a Member’s spouse or any of a Member’s
descendants, so long as, in each case, each trustee entitled to vote thereunder
is also either a Member or a settlor of a trust that is a Member.
“Person”
means any individual, partnership, domestic or foreign limited partnership,
domestic or foreign limited liability company, domestic or foreign corporation,
trust, business trust, employee stock ownership trust, real estate investment
trust, estate, association and other business or not for profit
entity.
“Prime
Rate” means the daily prime rate of interest as published from time to time in
The Wall Street Journal as being the base rate on corporate loans posted by at
least 75% of the nation’s 30 largest banks.
“Property”
means all properties and assets that the Company may own or otherwise have an
interest in from time to time.
“Publicly
Traded Partnership” shall mean a partnership whose interests are traded on an
established securities market, or are readily tradable on a secondary market (or
the substantial equivalent thereof), within the meaning of Treasury Regulations
Section 1.7704-1, as amended from time-to-time.
“Super
Majority in Interest” means any individual Member or a group of Members holding
an aggregate of more than 70% of the Percentage Interests held by all Members
who are entitled to vote hereunder, or in the case of Managers, Managers holding
at least 8 votes.
“Transfer”
means (a) when used as a verb, to give, sell, exchange, assign, transfer,
pledge, hypothecate, bequeath, devise or otherwise dispose of or encumber, and
(b) when used as a noun, the nouns corresponding to such verbs, in either case
voluntarily or involuntarily, by operation of law or otherwise.
“Units”
means an ownership interest in the Company which may be of different classes or
different series within a class, as determined by the Managers from
time-to-time, including, but not limited to, Class A Units, Class A-1 Units,
Class B Units and Class C Units.
“Unreturned
Capital Contribution” means with respect to each Member, the amount of such
Member’s Capital Contribution less any amounts paid to such Member as a return
of its Capital Contribution as required by Sections 4.1 and 9.3.
-5-
ARTICLE
3.
CAPITALIZATION
OF THE COMPANY
3.1 Initial Capital
Contributions.
The
names, address and Capital Contributions of the Members shall be reflected in
the books and records of the Company. Each Member has made an initial
Capital Contribution to the capital of the Company in an amount set forth
opposite such Member’s name and address in the books and records of the
Company. The agreed upon fair market value of any contributed
property shall also be set forth opposite such Member’s name and address in the
books and records of the Company.
3.2 Additional Capital
Contributions.
(a) No
Member (or Assignee) shall be required or permitted to make any additional
Capital Contribution except as otherwise provided in this Agreement. If agreed
to by a Super Majority in Interest of the Members, each Member (and Assignee)
shall, upon the written request of the Managers, make additional Capital
Contributions to the Company equal to the total amount of additional Capital
Contributions required times such Member’s (or Assignee’s) then Percentage
Interest. The obligation to make additional Capital Contributions
shall be the direct obligation of the Member (or Assignee) and shall be
enforceable by the Company and each of its Members. The failure of a
Member (or Assignee) to make an additional Capital Contribution shall constitute
a material breach of this Agreement. If a Member (or Assignee) fails
to make an additional Capital Contribution within ten (10) days of its due date,
(i) the Percentage Interests of the Members (and the Assignees) shall be
recalculated under Section
3.2(b) (and again recalculated upon payment of such delinquent additional
Capital Contribution), and (ii) all amounts distributable by the Company to the
Member (or Assignee) in any capacity shall be suspended and used by the Company
to pay to the Company any amounts due the Company pursuant to this Section 3.2(a), and the
Member’s (or Assignee’s) right to receive distributions from the Company shall
not be restored until the Member (or Assignee) shall have paid in full to the
Company the delinquent additional Capital Contribution, plus interest at the
lesser of (i) the Prime Rate plus five percent (5%) annually or (ii) the maximum
rate permitted by law, calculated from the date such additional Capital
Contribution should have been paid to the date it is paid by the Member (or
Assignee), plus any damages to the Company attributable to the failure to timely
pay the additional Capital Contribution.
(b) If
any additional Capital Contributions are made by Members (or Assignees) pursuant
to Section 3.2(a) but
not in proportion to their respective Percentage Interests, then the Percentage
Interest of each Member (or Assignee) shall be amended to equal the percentage
resulting from dividing such Member’s (or Assignee’s) aggregate Capital
Contributions (including initial and any additional Capital Contributions) by
the aggregate Capital Contributions (including initial and any additional
Capital Contributions) of all Members (and Assignees).
3.3 Capital
Contributions.
No Member
shall have the right to reduce such Member’s Capital Contribution or to receive
any distributions from the Company except as provided in Sections 4.1 and
9.3. No Member shall be entitled to receive or be credited
with any interest on the balance of such Member’s Capital Contribution at any
time.
3.4 Unit
Reclassification.
Effective
as of Twelve P.M. (Noon) CST, on March 29, 2010 (the “Reclassification Effective
Time”) each Class A Unit outstanding immediately prior to the Reclassification
Effective Time owned by a Member who is the record holder (as that term is used
in the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) of three (3) or fewer Class
A Units shall, by virtue of this Section 3.4 and without any
action of the part of the holder thereof, hereafter be reclassified as a Class
A-1 Unit, on the basis of one (1) Class A-1 Unit for each Class A Unit held by
such Member. Each Class A Unit outstanding immediately prior to the
Reclassification Effective Time owned by a Member who is the record holder of
more than three (3) Class A Units shall not be reclassified and shall continue
in existence.
-6-
ARTICLE
4.
CASH
DISTRIBUTIONS; PROFITS AND LOSSES FOR TAX PURPOSES
4.1 Cash Distributions Prior to
Dissolution.
(a) The
Managers shall have the right to determine how much Net Cash Flow, if any, of
the Company shall be distributed among the Members each year; provided, however,
if such Net Cash Flow is otherwise available, the Managers shall distribute to
the Members an amount of Net Cash Flow sufficient for the Members to satisfy
their respective income tax liabilities arising by virtue of the allocations in
Schedule B hereof,
assuming each Member is subject to tax at the highest marginal federal tax
bracket for married individuals filing jointly and at the highest such marginal
rate applicable to Missouri residents. Any Net Cash Flow of the
Company to be distributed shall be distributed among the Members, pro rata in
proportion to their respective Percentage Interests. Notwithstanding
the foregoing, Class A-1 Members shall, unless prohibited by applicable law,
have the following discretionary distribution preferences: (i) no distributions
may be made to the Class A Members, the Class B Members or the Class C Members
without making the same pro-rata distributions on a per Unit basis to the Class
A-1 Members: and (ii) the Managers may, in their sole discretion, declare
distributions to the Class A-1 Members without declaring the same per Unit
distribution to the Class A Members, the Class B Members or the Class C Members,
up to a maximum cumulative total to all Class A-1 Members as a class in the
amount of $1,000,000.00.
(b) Notwithstanding
anything to the contrary herein provided, no distribution hereunder shall be
permitted to the extent prohibited by the Act. Currently, among other
prohibitions, the Act prohibits the Company from making, and a Member from
receiving, a distribution to the extent that, after giving effect to the
distribution, (i) the Company would not be able to pay its debts as they become
due in the usual course of business or (ii) the Company’s total assets would be
less than the sum of its total liabilities, with Capital Contributions not being
deemed a liability.
(c) No
distribution of Net Cash Flow or other cash made to any Member shall be
determined a return or withdrawal of a Capital Contribution unless so designated
by the Managers in their sole and exclusive discretion.
4.2 Persons Entitled to
Distributions.
All
distributions of Net Cash Flow to the Members under Section 4.1 hereof shall be
made to the Persons shown on the records of the Company to be entitled thereto
as of the last day of the fiscal period prior to the time for which such
distribution is to be made, unless the transferor and transferee of any Interest
otherwise agree in writing to a different distribution and such distribution is
consented to in writing by the Managers.
4.3 Reserves.
The
Managers shall have the right to establish, maintain and expend reserves to
provide for working capital, future investments, capital expenditures, debt
service and such other purposes as they may deem necessary or
advisable.
-7-
4.4 Allocation of Profits and
Losses for Tax Purposes and Special Allocations.
All
Profits and Losses for Tax Purposes of the Company and all special allocations
of the Company shall be made in accordance with attached Schedule B.
4.5 Withholding
Taxes.
If the
Company is required to withhold any portion of any amounts distributed,
allocated or otherwise attributable to a Member of the Company by applicable
U.S. federal, state, local or foreign tax laws, the Company may withhold such
amounts and make such payments to taxing authorities as are necessary to ensure
compliance with such tax laws. Any funds withheld by reason of this
Section 4.5 shall nonetheless be
deemed distributed to such Member in question for purposes of Article
4 and Article 9. If
the Company does not withhold from actual distributions any amounts it was
required to withhold by applicable tax laws, the Company may, at its option, (i)
require the Member to which the withholding was credited to reimburse the
Company for withholding required by such laws, including any interest, penalties
or additions thereto; or (ii) reduce any subsequent distributions to such Member
by such withholding, interest, penalties or additions thereto. The
obligation of a Member to reimburse the Company for such amounts shall continue
after such Member transfers or liquidates its interest in the
Company. Each Member agrees to furnish the Company with any
representations and forms as shall reasonably be requested by the Company to
assist in determining the extent of, and in fulfilling, any withholding
obligations it may have.
ARTICLE
5.
MEMBERS
5.1 Voting
Rights.
(a) Holders
of Class A Units, Class B Units and Class C Units shall have full voting
rights in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement including without
limitation the election of Managers pursuant to Article 6 and those events set
forth in Section 5.1(b)
below.
(b) Holders
of Class A-1 Units shall not be entitled to vote at any meeting of Members for
the election of directors, or for any other purpose, except with respect to the
following events:
(i) the
sale, exchange or other transfer of all or substantially all of the assets of
the Company other than in the ordinary course of business pursuant to Section 5.1(d) of this
Agreement;
(ii) the
merger or consolidation of the Company with another entity pursuant to Section 5.1(d) of this
Agreement;
(iii) a
proposed dissolution of the Company pursuant to Article 9 of this Agreement;
and
(iv) any
amendment to this Agreement, as required pursuant to Section 11.4 of this
Agreement.
(c) Except
as provided by applicable law, on any matter upon which the Class A-1 Members
are entitled to vote, the Class A-1 Members shall vote together with all other
Members, and not as a separate class.
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(d) Unless
otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement, the affirmative vote of a
majority of the Percentage Interests represented by the Members entitled to vote
at any meeting at which there is a quorum present shall be the act of the
Members.
5.2 Meetings of Members; Place
of Meetings.
.
Regular
meetings of the Members shall be held on an annual basis or more frequently as
determined by the Managers. Special meetings of the Members may be
held for any purpose or purposes, unless otherwise prohibited by law or by the
Articles, and may be called by the majority of the Managers, or by the Members,
owning not less than 40% of the Percentage Interests. All meetings of
the Members shall be held at the principal offices of the Company as set forth
in Section 1.2 hereof,
or at such other place as shall be designated from time to time by the Managers
and stated in the Notice of the meeting or in a duly executed waiver of the
Notice thereof. Holders of Class A-1 Units shall be entitled to
attend all meetings of Members, and to participate in the discussion at such
meetings in accordance with rules and procedures established by the Managers,
regardless of the Class A-1 Members’ right to vote on any proposals or other
matters before the meeting.
5.3 Quorum; Voting
Requirement.
The
presence, in person or by proxy, of a Majority in Interest of the Members
entitled to vote with respect to the matters before the meeting shall constitute
a quorum for the transaction of business by the Members. The
affirmative vote of a Majority in Interest of the Members entitled to vote with
respect to the matters before the meeting shall constitute a valid decision of
the Members, except where a larger vote is required by the Act, the Articles or
this Agreement.
5.4 Proxies.
At any
meeting of the Members, every Member having the right to vote thereat shall be
entitled to vote in person or by proxy appointed by an instrument in writing (by
means of electronic transmission or as otherwise permitted by applicable law)
signed by such Member and bearing a date not more than one year prior to such
meeting.
5.5 Action Without
Meeting.
Any
action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the Members may be
taken without a meeting, without prior Notice and without a vote if a consent in
writing setting forth the action so taken is signed by the Members entitled to
vote with respect to the particular matter at hand having not less than the
minimum Percentage Interests that would be necessary to authorize or take such
action at a meeting of the Members. Prompt Notice of the taking of
any action taken pursuant to this Section 5.5 by less than the
unanimous written consent of the Members entitled to vote thereon shall be given
to those Members who have not consented in writing and all Class A-1
Members. Such consent may be executed by facsimile and may be
executed in counterparts.
5.6 Notice.
Notice
stating the place, day and hour of the meeting and, in the case of a special
meeting, the purpose for which the meeting is called shall be delivered not less
than five (5) days nor more than sixty (60) days before the date of the meeting
by or at the direction of the Managers or other Persons calling the meeting, to
each Member. When any Notice is required to be given to any Member
hereunder, a waiver thereof in writing signed by the Member, whether before, at,
or after the time stated therein, shall be equivalent to the giving of such
Notice. A Member may also waive Notice by attending a meeting without
objection to a lack of Notice.
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5.7 Powers of the
Members.
No
Member, acting solely in his, her or its capacity as a Member, shall act as an
agent of the Company or have any authority to act for or to bind the
Company.
5.8 Other Business
Ventures.
Any
Member or Manager may engage in or possess an interest in other business
ventures of every nature and description, independently or with others, whether
or not similar to or in competition with the business of the Company, and
neither the Company nor the Members shall have any right by virtue of this
Agreement in or to such other business ventures or to the income or profits
derived therefrom. Unless otherwise agreed to, no Manager shall be
required to devote all such Manager’s time or business efforts to the affairs of
the Company but shall devote so much of such Manager’s time and attention to the
Company as is reasonably necessary and advisable to manage the affairs of the
Company to the best advantage of the Company.
ARTICLE
6.
MANAGERS
AND OFFICERS
6.1 Powers of the
Managers.
Except as
otherwise provided hereunder, the business and affairs of the Company shall be
managed by the Managers. Any decision or act of the Managers within
the scope of the Managers’ power and authority granted hereunder shall control
and shall bind the Company.
6.2 Limitation on Powers of
Managers.
(a) Without
the approval of a Majority in Interest of the Members who are entitled to vote
hereunder, the Managers shall not have the authority to:
(i) cause
the Company to make any loan to any Member, other than for a purpose which the
Managers determine directly benefits the Company, and then only on an
arms-length basis at the then-prevailing market rates;
(ii) enter
into or amend any transaction between the Company and a Member or an Affiliate
of a Member or an employee of either except in connection with transactions made
on an arms-length basis at the then-prevailing market rates;
(iii) grant
any guarantee of third party indebtedness for borrowed money, grant any
guarantee of third party obligations outside of the ordinary course of
business;
(iv) undertake
or commit to undertake any capital expenditure in excess of $25,000,000 during
any two consecutive fiscal years.
(b) In
addition to any other restrictions on the authority of the Managers described in
this Agreement, without the approval of Super Majority in Interest of the
Members who are entitled to vote hereunder, the Managers shall not have the
authority to:
(i) amend
the Articles;
(ii) sell,
exchange, lease, or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of the
Property in a single transaction or series of related transactions;
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(iii) terminate,
dissolve or wind-up the Company;
(iv) (1)
apply for or consent to the appointment of a receiver, trustee, custodian or
liquidator of the Company or of all or a substantial part of the assets of the
Company, (2) admit in writing the Company’s inability to pay its debts as they
become due, (3) make a general assignment for the benefit of creditors, (4) have
an order for relief entered against the Company under applicable federal
bankruptcy law, or (5) file a voluntary petition in bankruptcy or a petition or
an answer seeking reorganization or an arrangement with creditors or taking
advantage of any insolvency law or any answer admitting the material allegations
of a petition filed against the Company in any bankruptcy, reorganization or
insolvency proceeding;
(v) commingle
the Company’s funds with those of any other Person;
(vi) permit
voluntary additional Capital Contributions by existing Members;
(vii) approve
a merger or consolidation of the Company with or into another Person or the
acquisition by the Company of another business (either by asset, stock or
interest purchase) or any equity of another entity;
(viii) change
the status of the Company from one in which management is vested in the Managers
to one in which management is vested in the Members;
(ix) authorize
any transaction, agreement or action on behalf of the Company that is unrelated
to its purpose as set forth in the Articles, that otherwise contravenes this
Agreement or that is not within the usual course of the business of the
Company;
(x) recapitalize
the Company; or
(xi) subject
to Section 8.5 as to
additional Members, determine, modify, compromise or release the amount and
character of the contributions which a Member shall make, or shall promise to
make, as the consideration for the issuance of an Interest.
6.3 Duties of
Managers.
In
addition to the rights and duties of the Managers set forth elsewhere in this
Agreement and subject to the other provisions of this Agreement, the Managers
shall be responsible for and are hereby authorized to:
(a) control
the day to day operations of the Company;
(b) hire
or appoint employees, agents, independent contractors or officers of the
Company;
(c) carry
out and effect all directions of the Members;
(d) select
and engage the Company’s accountants, attorneys, engineers and other
professional advisors;
(e) apply
for and obtain appropriate insurance coverage for the Company;
(f) temporarily
invest funds of the Company in short term investments where there is appropriate
safety of principal;
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(g) acquire
in the name of the Company by purchase, lease or otherwise, any real or personal
property which may be necessary, convenient or incidental to the accomplishment
of the purposes of the Company;
(h) engage
in any kind of activity and perform and carry out contracts of any kind
necessary to, in connection with, or incidental to the accomplishment of the
purposes of the Company, so long as said activities and contracts may be
lawfully carried on or performed by a limited liability company under the Act
and are in the ordinary course of the Company’s business;
(i) negotiate,
execute and perform all agreements, contracts, leases, loan documents and other
instruments and exercise all rights and remedies of the Company in connection
with the foregoing;
(j)
nominate candidates for consideration by the Class A Units for election to the
Board of Managers;
(k) adjust
the compensation, in the Board’s discretion, payable under Section 6.5(b);
and
(l) establish
and issue one or more classes of units or series within classes, to set forth
the designation of class or series within classes of such units, and to fix the
relative rights, preferences, privileges and limitations of each class or series
within classes of units.
6.4 Number, Appointment, Tenure
and Election of Managers.
(a) There
shall be no more than eleven (11) members of the Board (each, a Manager and
collectively, the Managers) ten of whom shall be elected by the
Members. The eleventh Manager shall be elected by the Managers and
shall not be a Member or an employee of a Member. Each Manager shall
hold office until his or her death, resignation, retirement, disability, removal
from office or until his or her successor is elected/appointed and assumes
office. A Manager need not be a Member of the Company.
(b) The
Majority in Interest of the Class A Unit holders shall have the right to elect
seven (7) Managers. Xxx Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxx III, Xxx Xxxxx, Xxxx Xxxxxx and Xxxxxx Xxxxx are the Managers elected
by the Class A Unit holders as of the Effective Date; each such Manager shall be
entitled to hold his or her Board seat until his or her death, resignation,
retirement, removal or until his or her successor is elected and assumes
office. Of the seven (7) Managers elected by the Class A Unit
holders, at least four (4) of these Managers shall be record holders (as that
term is used in the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) of Class A-1
Units.
(c) The
Majority in Interest of the Class B Unit holders shall have the right
to designate two (2) Managers. Xxxx Xxxxxxxx and Xxx Xxxxxxx are the
Managers elected by the Class B Unit holders as of the Effective Date; each such
Manager shall be entitled to hold his or her Board seat until his or her death,
resignation, retirement, removal or until his or her successor is appointed and
assumes office.
(d) The
Majority in Interest of the Class C Unit holders shall have the right
to designate one (1) Manager. Xxx Xxxx is the initial Manager elected
by the Class C Unit holders as of the Effective Date; each such Manager shall be
entitled to hold his or her Board seat until his or her death, resignation,
retirement, removal or until his or her successor is appointed and assumes
office.
(e) Upon
the death, resignation, retirement, or removal of a Manager, the membership
class which originally elected such Manager shall be entitled to elect a
replacement Manager.
(f) Each
Manager shall be subject to removal from office upon the vote of a Majority in
Interest of the Units entitled to elect such Manager.
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(g) The
initial Managers representing the Class A Unit holders shall determine by lot
the initial term of each such Manager. Two such Managers shall serve
an initial term of six years, two such Managers shall serve an initial term of
five years, two such Managers shall serve an initial term of four years and one
such Manager shall serve an initial term of three years. Upon the
expiration of the initial terms of the Managers representing Class A Unit
holders, Managers representing Class A Unit holders shall thereafter serve a
term of three years and shall stand for election by the Class A Unit holders
every three years as their terms expire. At no time shall the number
of Managers who are the record holders (as that term is used in the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) of Class A-1 Units be less than four
(4).
(h) Any
change in the Percentage Interests held in the Company by a Class shall result
in a recalculation of the number of Managers elected/appointed by the
Classes. The Percentage Interests held by a Class shall be rounded to
the nearest 10% for purposes of determining Manager representation of a
Class. A determination of any change in Board representation shall
require an election be held prior to the Board taking any further action other
than to call for the election of Managers in accordance with the new
distribution of Manager representation.
6.5 Compensation.
(a) Except
as provided in Sections 6.5(b)
and 6.5(c) or elsewhere in this Agreement, no Manager or Member shall be
entitled to compensation for any services such Manager or such Member may render
to or for the Company or be entitled to reimbursement of any general overhead
expenses incurred by such Manager or Member in his, her or its capacity as a
Manager or Member. Each Manager and, where applicable, Member, shall
be entitled to reimbursement from the Company for all reasonable direct
out-of-pocket expenses incurred on behalf of the Company upon presentation to
the Company of receipts or other appropriate documentation evidencing such
expenses.
(b) For
their services to the Company in their capacity as Managers, the Managers shall
receive $100 per diem for meetings and the Chairman and Vice Chairman shall each
receive $150 per diem for meetings.
(c) Subject
to the provisions of Section
6.2(a)(ii) hereof, any Manager or Member or Affiliate thereof who
performs professional, legal, accounting, management or engineering services for
the Company or serves as the sales agent for the Company shall be entitled to
receive compensation for such services.
6.6 Meetings of and Voting by
Managers.
(a) Meetings
of the Managers shall be held at such time and at such places as they shall
determine. In addition, any one Manager may, upon giving seven (7)
days’ Notice to the others, call a meeting of the Managers. No
meeting of the Managers shall be held without a quorum being present, which
shall consist of a majority of the Managers. Managers may participate
in a meeting of the Managers by means of conference telephone or other similar
communication equipment whereby all Managers participating in the meeting can
hear each other. Participation in a meeting in this manner shall
constitute presence in person at the meeting. Action of the Managers
shall require the favorable vote of a majority of all Managers.
(b) Unless
a greater number is required herein or by statute, an action approved by the
Majority in Interest of the Managers shall be the act of the
Managers. Except as specifically permitted in this Agreement, each
Manager shall have only one vote. Whenever a Manager appointed by a
Class of Units held by only one Member is absent from a meeting of the Managers,
any Manager attending such meeting and appointed by the same Member shall vote
for himself and the absent Manager, as if such absent Manager were there, on any
matter coming to vote before the Board.
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(c) The
Managers shall make every reasonable effort to keep the Members advised of all
pending matters, prospective decisions and actions taken and shall consult with
the Members on such matters as they deem appropriate.
(d) Though
the Managers have no obligation to do so, they may, in their sole discretion,
refer any matter, which they are entitled to decide, to a meeting of the Members
for a decision.
(e) Any
action required or permitted by this Agreement to be taken at any meeting of the
Managers may be taken without a meeting, without prior Notice and without a
vote, if a consent in writing, setting forth the action so taken, is signed by
minimum requisite number of the Managers to take such action under
this Agreement. Prompt Notice of the taking of any action taken
pursuant to this Section
6.7(e) by less than the unanimous written consent of the Managers shall
be given to those Managers who have not consented in writing. Such
consent may be executed by facsimile and may be executed in
counterparts.
(f) When
any Notice is required to be given to any Manager hereunder, a waiver thereof in
writing, signed by the Manager, whether before, at or after the time stated
therein, shall be equivalent to the giving of such Notice. Further, a
Manager may waive Notice of a meeting by attending such meeting without
objection to a lack of Notice.
6.7 Officers.
(a) The
Managers may appoint a Chairman, Vice Chairman, President, Secretary, Treasurer
and such other officers as the business of the Company may require, each of whom
shall hold office for such period, have such authority and perform such duties
as are provided in this Agreement, or as the Managers may
determine.
(b) The
Chairman, and in his absence the Vice Chairman, shall preside at all
meetings of the Members and Managers and shall perform such other duties and
undertake such other responsibilities as the Managers shall
designate.
(c) The
President shall have general and active management power and authority with
respect to the day to day affairs of the Company and shall perform such duties
and undertake such responsibilities as the Managers shall
designate. The President shall see that all orders and resolutions of
the Managers and Members are carried into effect.
(d) The
Secretary shall keep or cause to be kept a record of the affairs of the Company,
including all orders and resolutions of the Managers and record minutes of all
such items in a book to be kept for that purpose. The Secretary shall
also perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the Managers and/or the
President.
(e) The
Treasurer shall have responsibility for the safekeeping of the funds and
securities of the Company, shall keep or cause to be kept full and accurate
accounts of receipts and disbursements in books belonging to the Company and
shall keep or cause to be kept all other books of account and accounting records
of the Company. The Treasurer shall have the general duties, powers
and responsibility of a treasurer of a corporation and shall, unless otherwise
provided by the Managers, be the chief financial and accounting officer of the
Company. The Treasurer shall also perform such other duties and shall
have such other responsibility and authority as may be prescribed by the
Managers and/or the President.
(f) Each
officer of the Company shall hold such office at the pleasure of the Managers or
for such other period as the Managers may specify at the time of election or
appointment, or until such officer’s death, resignation or removal by the
Managers. Officers may, but need not, be Managers and/or
Members.
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6.8 Authority to Execute
Documents to be Filed Under the Act.
Any
Manager or the President shall have the power and authority to execute, on
behalf of the Company, the Managers or the Members, any document filed with the
Secretary of State of Missouri pursuant to the terms of the Act.
ARTICLE
7.
LIABILITY
AND INDEMNIFICATION
7.1 Liability of Members and
Managers.
(a) A
Member shall only be liable to make the payment of the Member’s initial Capital
Contribution pursuant to Section 3.1 and the additional
Capital Contributions, if any, required by Section 3.2
hereof. No Member or Manager shall be liable for any obligations of
the Company or any other Member or Manager, unless personally guaranteed by the
Member or Manager pursuant to a separate document.
(b) No
Member, except as otherwise specifically provided in the Act, shall be obligated
to pay any distribution to or for the account of the Company or any creditor of
the Company.
7.2 Indemnification.
(a) The
Members, the Managers, any officers of the Company appointed by the Managers,
and their Affiliates, and their respective stockholders, members, managers,
directors, officers, partners, agents and employees (individually and
collectively, an “Indemnitee”) shall be indemnified and held harmless by the
Company from and against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities,
expenses (including legal fees and expenses), judgments, fines, settlements and
other amounts arising from any and all claims, demands, actions, suits or
proceedings, civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (each a “Claim”),
in which the Indemnitee may be involved, or threatened to be involved, as a
party or otherwise by reason of such Indemnitee’s status as any of the
foregoing, which relates to or arises out of the Company, its assets, business
or affairs, if in each of the foregoing cases (i) the Indemnitee acted in good
faith and in a manner such Indemnitee believed to be in, or not opposed to, the
best interests of the Company, and, with respect to any criminal proceeding, had
no reasonable cause to believe such Indemnitee’s conduct was unlawful and (ii)
the Indemnitee’s conduct did not constitute gross negligence or willful or
wanton misconduct. The termination of any action, suit or proceeding
by judgment, order, settlement, conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere,
or its equivalent, shall not, of itself, create a presumption that the
Indemnitee acted in a manner contrary to that specified in (i), (ii), (iii) or
(iv) above. Any indemnification pursuant to this Article 7 shall be made only
out of the assets of the Company, and no Manager or Member shall have any
personal liability on account thereof.
(b) In
the event that an amendment to this Agreement reduces or eliminates any
Indemnitee’s right to indemnification pursuant to this Article 7, such amendment
shall not be effective with respect to any Indemnitee’s right to indemnification
that accrued prior to the date of such amendment. For purposes of
this subsection (b), a right to indemnification shall accrue as of the date of
the event underlying the Claim that gives rise to such right to
indemnification.
(c) All
calculations of Claims and the amount of indemnification to which any Indemnitee
is entitled under this Article
7 shall be made (i) giving effect to the tax consequences of any such
Claim and (ii) after deduction of all proceeds of insurance net of retroactive
premiums and self-insurance retention recoverable by the Indemnitee with respect
to such Claims.
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7.3 Expenses.
Expenses
(including reasonable legal fees and expenses) incurred by an Indemnitee in
defending any claim, demand, action, suit or proceeding described in Section 7.2 may, from time to
time, be advanced by the Company prior to the final disposition of such claim,
demand, action, suit or proceeding, in the discretion of the Managers, upon
receipt by the Company of an undertaking by or on behalf of the Indemnitee to
repay such amount if it shall be determined that the Indemnitee is not entitled
to be indemnified as authorized in this Article 7.
7.4 Non-Exclusivity.
The
indemnification and advancement of expenses set forth in this Article 7 shall not be
exclusive of any other rights to which those seeking indemnification or
advancement of expenses may be entitled under any statute, the Act, the
Articles, this Agreement, any other agreement, a vote of Members, a policy of
insurance or otherwise, and shall not limit in any way any right which the
Company may have to make additional indemnifications with respect to the same or
different Persons or classes of Persons, as determined by the
Managers. The indemnification and advancement of expenses set forth
in this Article 7 shall
continue as to an Indemnitee who has ceased to be a named Indemnitee and shall
inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors, administrators, successors and
assigns of such a Person.
7.5 Insurance.
The
Company may purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of the Indemnitees against
any liability asserted against them and incurred by them in such capacity, or
arising out of their status as Indemnitees, whether or not the Company would
have the power to indemnify them against such liability under this Article 7.
7.6 Duties.
(a) An
authorized officer, Member or Manager shall discharge his, her or its duties
hereunder in good faith, with the care a corporate officer of like position
would exercise under similar circumstances, in the manner he, she or it
reasonably believes to be in the best interest of the Company, and shall not be
liable for any such action so taken or any failure to take such action, if he,
she or it performs such duties in compliance with this subsection
(a).
(b) Every
Member or Manager, if any, shall account to the Company and hold as trustee for
it any profit or benefit derived by such Person without the informed consent of
more than one-half by number of disinterested Managers or Members from any
transaction connected with the conduct of the business and affairs or the
winding up of the Company, or from any personal use by such Person of the
Property, including confidential or proprietary information of the Company or
other matters entrusted to him, her or it as a result of his, her or its status
as Manager or Member.
(c) Except
as provided in this Section
7.6, any Person who is a Member and who is not a Manager shall have no
duties to the Company or to the other Members solely by reason of acting in his,
her or its capacity as a Member.
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ARTICLE
8.
TRANSFERS
OF INTERESTS AND ASSIGNMENTS; WITHDRAWAL; EXPULSION;
PURCHASE
OF A MEMBER’S INTEREST; BUY-SELL AGREEMENT; RIGHT OF FIRST REFUSAL
8.1 General
Restriction.
(a) No
Member may Transfer all or any part of such Member’s Interest, except as
provided in this Article
8. Any purported Transfer of an Interest or a portion thereof
in violation of the terms of this Agreement shall be null and void and of no
effect. If the Managers determine in their sole discretion that any
Transfer will result in a termination of the Company under Code § 708(b)(1)(B),
then the Managers may deem such Transfer shall to be null and void. A
permitted Transfer shall be effective as of the date specified in the
instruments relating thereto. Any transferee desiring to make a
further Transfer shall become subject to all the provisions of this Article 8 to the same extent
and in the same manner as any Member desiring to make any
Transfer. Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary,
no Member shall Transfer any Unit if, in the determination of the Managers, such
Transfer would (i) cause the Company to be treated as a Publicly Traded
Partnership, (ii) result in the numbers of Class A Members of record
equaling three hundred (300) or more respectively, or such other number as
required to maintain the suspension of the Company’s duty to file reports
pursuant to Rule 12(h)-3 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended; or
(iii) result in the number of Class A-1 Members, Class B Members or Class C
Members of record equaling five hundred (500) or more, or such other number that
would otherwise require that the Company register the Class A-1 Units, the Class
B Units or the Class C Units with the Securities and Exchange
Commission.
(b) No
Member shall have the right to withdraw voluntarily from the Company as a
Member, except upon ninety (90) days’ Notice to the Board and with the consent
of the Board. Payment, if any, to any Member who voluntarily
withdraws in accordance with this Section 8.1(b) shall be made
in accordance with Section
8.6. In the event a Member voluntarily withdraws from the
Company in violation of this Agreement, such Member (the “Member in Violation”)
shall not be entitled to receive back his, her or its Capital Contribution and
shall not be entitled to receive any other type or form of payment from the
Company; instead, such Member in Violation shall have the status of an Assignee
(and shall remain liable for any unpaid Capital Contributions or any required
additional Capital Contributions) of an Interest.
(c) All
voting rights shall be forfeited with respect to all or any part of an Interest
which is Transferred other than to a transferee who becomes a substitute Member
(in accordance with Section
8.3), whether such Transfer is voluntary or involuntary, by order of a
court or by operation of law.
(d) A
Person shall cease to be a Member upon assignment of all such Member’s
Interest.
(e) In
the event that an Assignee exists, the voting percentages of all the Members
(other than the Member who has withdrawn from the Company as a Member or has
Transferred his, her or its Interest) shall be adjusted on a pro rata basis to
equal in the aggregate 100%, until such time as the Assignee of the Interest is
admitted as a substitute Member pursuant to Section 8.3, at which time,
the voting percentages shall then be adjusted again on a pro rata basis to equal
in the aggregate 100%, taking into account such substitute Member’s
Interest. An Assignee has only those rights described in the
definition of “Assignee” in Section 2.1.
(f) If
a Member who is an individual dies or a court of competent jurisdiction judges
the Member to be incompetent to manage his or her person or property, then the
Member’s executor, administrator, guardian, conservator or other legal
representative shall automatically become an Assignee of such Member’s
Interest.
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(g) The
Company, each Member and any other Person having business with the Company need
deal only with the Members who are admitted as Members or as substitute Members,
and they shall not be required to deal with any other Person by reason of
Transfer of an Interest by a Member or by reason of the death of a Member,
except as otherwise provided in this Agreement. In the absence of the
substitution (as provided in Section 8.3) of a Member for a
Transferring or a deceased Member, any payment to a Member or to a Member’s
executors or administrators shall acquit the Company of all liability to any
other Person who may be interested in such payment by reason of a Transfer by,
or the death of, such Member.
8.2 Permitted
Transfers.
(a) Except
as otherwise provided in this Section 8.2, each Member shall
have the right to Transfer (but not to substitute the transferee as a substitute
Member in such Member’s place, except in accordance with Section 8.3), by a written
instrument, all or any part of such Member’s Interest, if, and only if (i) the
Managers have consented in writing to such Transfer, or (ii) the Transfer is to
a Permitted Assignee, or (iii) the Member complies with the rights and options
set forth in Sections
8.7 through 8.9.
(b) Unless
and until admitted as a substitute Member pursuant to Section 8.3, a transferee of a
Member’s Interest in whole or in part shall be an Assignee with respect to such
Transferred Interest.
(c) Upon
the death of a Member (or upon the death of the grantor of a trust which is a
Member) all or any portion of such Member’s Interest may be Transferred by the
terms of the trust that is the Member, or by will, or by the terms of a trust
created during the life of a Member (or during the life of the grantor of a
Member), or by any other non-probate Transfer document executed by the Member
during such Member’s life, to one or more Permitted Assignees.
(d) If
any Interest is Transferred by operation of law, other than by reason of a
Transfer permitted by Section
8.2(c) above, to any Person other than to the Company or a Permitted
Assignee (including, but not limited to, a property division in conjunction with
a divorce proceeding, dissolution of marriage or legal separation, a Transfer to
a Member’s trustee in bankruptcy, or a Transfer to a purchaser at any creditor’s
or court sale), the Company, within ninety (90) days of the Company’s receipt of
actual Notice of the Transfer may exercise an option to purchase the Assignee’s
Interest at a purchase price equal to the Capital Contribution made with respect
to such Interest, by giving Notice to the Assignee of its intention to purchase
such Interest.
8.3 Substitute
Members.
No
transferee of all or part of a Member’s Interest shall become a substitute
Member in place of the transferor unless and until:
(a) the
transferee has executed an instrument accepting and adopting the terms and
provisions of the Articles and this Agreement;
(b) the
transferee has caused to be paid all reasonable expenses of the Company in
connection with the admission of the transferee as a substitute Member;
and
(c) the
Board shall have consented (which consent may be unreasonably or arbitrarily
withheld) in writing to such transferee becoming a substitute
Member.
The
provisions of this Section 8.3
also apply to a transferee who is already a Member at the time of the
Transfer. Upon satisfaction of all the foregoing conditions with
respect to a particular transferee, the Managers shall cause the books and
records of the Company to reflect the admission of the transferee as a
substitute Member to the extent of the Transferred Interest held by the
transferee.
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8.4 Effect of Admission as a
Substitute Member.
A
transferee who has become a substitute Member has, to the extent of the
Transferred Interest, all the rights, powers and benefits of and is subject to
the restrictions and liabilities of a Member under the Articles, this Agreement
and the Act. Upon admission of a transferee as a substitute Member,
the transferor of the Interest so acquired by the substitute Member shall cease
to be a Member of the Company to the extent of such Transferred
Interest. The Board shall have the right, in its absolute discretion,
to change the Class of any Transferred Interest at the time of admission of a
substitute Member.
8.5 Additional
Members.
After the
formation of the Company, any Person acceptable to a Majority in Interest of the
Managers may become an additional Member of the Company for such consideration
as the Managers shall determine, provided that such additional Member complies
with all the requirements of a transferee under Sections 8.3(a) and (b). Prior to the
admission of an additional Member, the Managers may revalue the then existing
Capital Contributions in order to make the value of such existing Capital
Contributions relative to the value of the consideration paid by the additional
Member. No additional Member shall be entitled to any retroactive allocation of
losses, income or expense deductions incurred by the Company. The Board shall
have the right, in its absolute discretion, to admit an additional Member to any
Class of Interest.
8.6 Purchase of a Member’s
Interest.
(a) Upon
an Event of Withdrawal, the Board (determined by excluding any Manager who is a
withdrawing Member or was appointed by a single Member who is a withdrawing
Member) may, but is not required to, elect to cause the Company to purchase such
Member’s Interest as provided in this Section 8.6 by providing
Notice to the withdrawing Member or such withdrawing Member’s successors or
personal representative (the “Selling Member”). Such Notice shall be
given to the Selling Member within ninety (90) days following the date of the
Event of Withdrawal (the “Valuation Date”). The purchase price for
any Interest to be purchased by the Company pursuant to this Section 8.6 shall be the fair
market value of such Interest as agreed to among the Members, including the
Selling Member.
(b) If
the Selling Member voluntarily withdrew from the Company and if the Members
cannot agree upon a fair market value, then the Selling Member shall receive no
payment and shall have the status of an Assignee with an Interest equal to the
Percentage Interest that such Member had as a Member.
(c) If
the Selling Member involuntarily withdrew from the Company and if the Selling
Member and Managers cannot agree upon a fair market value, the value shall be
determined by an appraiser (the “Appraiser”) agreed to by the Selling Member and
Managers. If the Selling Member and Managers cannot agree as to an
Appraiser, then the Managers shall select one appraiser, the Selling Member
shall select one appraiser, and a third shall be selected by the first two
appraisers chosen. The decision of a majority of the appraisers shall
be binding on all the parties and such majority of the appraisers shall be
deemed to be the “Appraiser” for purposes of this Section 8.6. The
fair market value of the Interest to be purchased shall be equal to the amount,
if any, that the Selling Member would receive if the Property (including the
non-liquid assets, valued at their fair market value) were sold as of the
Valuation Date, the Company was dissolved and the proceeds from the hypothetical
sale of the Property as of the Valuation Date were distributed to the Members in
accordance with Section
9.3; provided, however, that the Managers shall estimate for purposes of
such calculation the reasonable selling and liquidation expenses
and, all Company debts, liabilities and obligations as of such
date.
(d) Within
fifteen (15) days after the fair market value of the assets is determined, the
Managers shall give Notice to the Selling Member and the Board as to the
purchase price of the Selling Member’s Interest. The Board shall then
have the option (i) to not purchase the Selling Member’s Interest, in which
event the Selling Member shall have the status of an Assignee of an Interest, or
(ii) to have the Company purchase the Interest, and if so, shall promptly set
the date on which the closing of the purchase shall occur (the “Closing Date”),
which date shall not be less than ten (10) days or more than thirty (30) days
from the date the Notice by the Managers is given. At the closing,
the Selling Member shall execute and deliver to the Company such deeds, bills of
sale, assignments and other instruments as shall reasonably be requested by the
Company to effect the Transfer, as of the Valuation Date, of all the Selling
Member’s right, title and interest in the Company and its
Property. Unless otherwise agreed upon by the Company and the
Selling Member, the Company shall pay the purchase price to the Selling Member
as follows:
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(i) An
amount equal to twenty percent (20%) of the purchase price shall be paid to the
Selling Member on the Closing Date by bank cashier’s or certified
check.
(ii) The
balance of the purchase price shall be: a) in the case of a Selling Member’s
Interest that is 10% or less of the total Interests in the Company, paid within
90 days of the Closing Date without interest thereon and b) where such Selling
Member’s Interest is greater than 10% of the total Interests in the Company
evidenced by a promissory note, dated as of the Closing Date, from the Company
to the Selling Member providing for principal to be payable in 20 consecutive
equal quarterly installments, commencing three months from the Closing Date, and
for accrued interest to be payable on each principal installment
date. The interest rate payable on the unpaid balance of the
promissory note shall be adjusted annually and for any given period shall be an
annual rate equal to the Prime Rate in effect on the first banking day of such
year plus two percent (2%). Such promissory note shall be secured by
the Interest acquired and shall also be due and payable in full upon the
commencement of distributions upon the liquidation of the Company or the sale or
other disposition of all or substantially all the Company’s
assets. The Company shall have the right to prepay the note, in whole
or in part, from time to time, without penalty.
The
purchase price shall be deemed a payment with respect to the Property under
Section 736(b) of the Code (as defined in Schedule B hereto) to the
extent of the Selling Member’s Capital Account balance, and the remainder shall
be deemed a distributive share under Section 736(a) of the Code.
(e) The
Company shall pay 33% and the Selling Member shall pay 67% of the fees and
expenses of all appraisers engaged pursuant to this Section 8.6, but the cost
thereof shall not be taken into account by the Appraiser in determining the
purchase price of the Selling Member’s Interest.
(f) The
Company, by action of the Managers, may assign its purchase rights hereunder to
any Member or other Person.
8.7 Drag Along
Rights
(a) In
the event of an Approved Sale, each Member will (i) consent to and raise no
objections against the Approved Sale or the process pursuant to which the
Approved Sale was arranged and (ii) if the Approved Sale is structured as a sale
of Interests, each Member will agree to sell his, her or its Interest on the
terms and conditions of the Approved Sale. Each Member will take all
necessary and desirable actions as directed by the Managers in connection with
the consummation of any Approved Sale, including without limitation executing
the applicable purchase agreement and granting indemnification rights; provided
that any Member required to make indemnification payments in connection with any
Approved Sale shall have a right to recover from the other Members to the extent
that the amount required to be paid by such Member is disproportionate to the
proportion of the total consideration received by all Members, compared to the
consideration actually received by such Member.
(b) Each
Member will bear his, her or its pro rata share (based upon the number of
Interests sold) of the reasonable costs of any sale of Interests pursuant to an
Approved Sale to the extent such costs are incurred for the benefit of all
selling Members and are not otherwise paid by the Company or the acquiring
Person. Costs incurred by any Member on his, her or its own behalf
will not be considered costs of the Approved Sale.
-20-
8.8 Purchase Terms Varied By
Agreement.
Provided
that the restrictions set forth in this Agreement have been satisfied, nothing
contained herein is intended to prohibit the Members from agreeing upon other
terms and conditions for the purchase by the Company or any other Member of the
Interest (or any portion thereof) of any Member desiring to retire, withdraw or
resign.
8.9 Expulsion.
A Super
Majority in Interest of the Managers may expel any Member of the Company,
provided that the Company exercises its right to purchase.
ARTICLE
9.
DISSOLUTION
AND TERMINATION
9.1 Events Causing
Dissolution.
(a) The
Company shall be dissolved upon the first to occur of the following events (each
a “Liquidating Event”):
(i) The
vote of a Super Majority in Interest of the Members to dissolve;
(ii) The
sale or other disposition of substantially all of the assets of the Company and
the receipt and distribution of all the proceeds therefrom; or
(iii) Except
as otherwise agreed upon in this Agreement, any other event causing a
dissolution of the Company under the provisions of the Act.
(b) Upon
an Event of Withdrawal of a Member or upon the occurrence of any other event
which terminates the continued membership of a Member in the Company, the
Company shall not be dissolved and the business of the Company shall
continue. Each Member hereby specifically consents to such
continuation of the business of the Company upon the Event of Withdrawal of any
Member. Upon an Event of Withdrawal of a Member or upon the
occurrence of any other event which terminates the continued membership of a
Member in the Company, if within ninety (90) days after such event a Majority in
Interest of the remaining Members and a vote of the Managers agree to dissolve
the Company, the Company shall be dissolved.
9.2 Notices to Secretary of
State.
(a) As
soon as possible following the occurrence of the events specified in Section 9.1 above, the Company
shall file a notice of winding-up with the Secretary of State of Missouri which
discloses the dissolution of the Company and the commencement of the winding-up
of its business and affairs.
(b) When
all of the Property has been distributed, the Articles shall be canceled by
filing articles of termination with the Secretary of State of
Missouri.
-21-
9.3 Cash Distributions Upon
Dissolution.
Upon the
dissolution of the Company as a result of the occurrence of any of the events
set forth in Section
9.1, the Managers shall proceed to wind up the affairs of and liquidate
the Company, and the Liquidation Proceeds shall be applied and distributed in
the following order of priority, subject to Section 9.4
below:
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(a)
|
First,
to the payment of debts and liabilities of the Company in the order of
priority as provided by law (including any loans or advances that may have
been made by any of the Members to the Company) and the expenses of
liquidation.
|
|
(b)
|
Second,
to the establishment of any reserve which the Managers may deem reasonably
necessary for any contingent, conditional or unasserted claims or
obligations of the Company. Such reserve may be paid over by
the Managers to an escrow agent to be held for disbursement in payment of
any of the aforementioned liabilities and, at the expiration of such
period as shall be deemed advisable by the Managers, for distribution of
the balance in the manner provided in this Article
9.
|
|
(c)
|
Third,
to the Members pro rata and in proportion to their respective Unreturned
Capital Contributions and in an amount equal to their Unreturned Capital
Contributions.
|
|
(d)
|
Fourth,
to the Members pro rata and in proportion to their Equity Account balances
in an amount equal to their Equity Account
balances.
|
|
(e)
|
Finally,
the remaining balance of the Liquidation Proceeds, if any, to the Members,
pro rata in proportion to their respective Percentage
Interests.
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9.4 Discretionary Liquidation
Preference.
In the event of a Liquidation
Triggering Event (as defined below), the Managers may elect, unless prohibited
by applicable law, to give the Class A-1 Members the following
discretionary liquidation preferences (the “Liquidation Preference
Election”). Following the distribution set forth in Section 9.3(d) and prior
to the distribution set forth in Section 9.3(e), the
Managers may, in their sole discretion, distribute up to $1,000,000 to the
Class A-1 Members pro rata and in proportion to their Class A-1 Units,
without making an equivalent distribution to the Class A Members, the Class B
Members or the Class C Members. For purposes of this Section 9.4, a “Liquidation
Triggering Event” shall include the following: (i) a Liquidating Event; (ii) the
sale, exchange or other transfer of all or substantially all of the assets of
the Company other than in the ordinary course of business; and (iii) the merger
or consolidation of the Company with another entity.
9.5 In-Kind.
Notwithstanding
the foregoing, in the event the Managers shall determine that an immediate sale
of part or all of the Property would cause undue loss to the Members, or the
Managers determine that it would be in the best interest of the Members to
distribute the Property to the Members in-kind (which distributions do not, as
to the in-kind portions, have to be in the same proportions as they would be if
cash were distributed, but all such in-kind distributions shall be equalized, to
the extent necessary, with cash), then the Managers may either defer liquidation
of, and withhold from distribution for a reasonable time, any of the Property
except that necessary to satisfy the Company’s debts and obligations, or
distribute the Property to the Members in-kind.
-22-
ARTICLE
10.
ACCOUNTING
AND BANK ACCOUNTS
10.1 Fiscal Year and Accounting
Method.
The
fiscal year and taxable year of the Company shall be as designated by the
Managers in accordance with the Code. The Managers shall also
determine the accounting method to be used by the Company.
10.2 Books and
Records.
(a) The
books and records of the Company shall be maintained at its principal place of
business.
(b) The
Company shall keep the following books and records:
(i) A
current and past list, setting forth in alphabetical order the full name and
last known mailing address of each Member and Manager to the extent provided by
the Act, which shall be provided to the Secretary of State of Missouri, without
cost, upon his, her or its written request;
(ii) A
copy of the Articles and amendments thereto together with executed copies of any
powers of attorney pursuant to which any Articles or amendments have been
executed;
(iii) Copies
of the Company’s federal, state and local income tax returns and reports, if
any, for the three most recent years or, if such returns and reports were not
prepared for any reason, copies of the information and records provided to, or
which should have been provided to, the Members to enable them to prepare their
federal, state and local tax returns for such period;
(iv) Copies
of this Agreement, and all amendments thereto, and copies of any written
operating agreements no longer in effect, together with executed copies of any
powers of attorney pursuant to which such documents have been
executed;
(v) Copies
of any financial statements of the Company for the three (3) most recent
years;
(vi) Copies
of writings setting out the amount of cash and a statement of the agreed value
of other property or services contributed by each Member;
(vii) Copies
of any written promise by a Member to make a contribution to the
Company;
(viii) Copies
of any written consents by the Board to the admission of any Person as a Member
of the Company;
(ix) Copies
of any other instruments or documents reflecting matters required to be in
writing pursuant to this Agreement.
(c) Each
Member (or such Member’s designated representative) shall have the right during
ordinary business hours and upon reasonable Notice to inspect and copy (at such
Member’s own expense) the books and records of the Company required to be kept
by Section 10.2(b)
hereof.
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(d) The
Managers shall have the right to keep confidential from the Members for such
periods of time as the Managers deem reasonable, any information which the
Managers reasonably believe to be in the nature of a trade secret or other
information the disclosure of which the Managers in good faith believe is not in
the best interest of the Company or its business or which the Company is
required by law or by agreement with a third party to keep
confidential.
10.3 Books and Financial
Reports.
(a) Proper
and complete records and books of account shall be kept by the Managers in which
shall be entered all transactions and other matters relative to the Company
business. The Company’s books and records shall be prepared in
accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, consistently
applied.
(b) The
Company shall have prepared at least annually, at the Company’s expense,
audited financial
statements (balance sheet, statement of income or loss, Members’ equity, and
changes in financial position) prepared in accordance with generally accepted
accounting principles. Copies of such statements and any accompanying
report shall be distributed to the Members within 120 days after the close of
each taxable year of the Company or as soon thereafter as
possible. The auditors shall be chosen annually by the
Managers.
10.4 Tax Returns and
Elections.
(a) The
Company shall cause to be prepared and timely filed all federal, state and local
income tax returns or other returns or statements required by applicable
law.
(b) As
soon as reasonably practicable after the end of each fiscal year of the Company,
the Company shall cause to be prepared and delivered to each Member all
information with respect to the Company necessary for the Member’s federal and
state income tax returns.
10.5 Bank
Accounts.
All funds
of the Company shall be deposited in a separate bank, money market or similar
account(s) approved by the Managers and in the Company’s
name. Withdrawals therefrom shall be made only by Persons authorized
to do so by the Managers.
ARTICLE
11.
MISCELLANEOUS
11.1 Title to Property; No
Partition.
Title to
the Property shall be held in the name of the Company. No Member
shall individually have any ownership interest or rights in the Property, except
indirectly by virtue of such Member’s ownership of an Interest. No
Member shall have any right to any specific assets of the Company upon the
liquidation of, or any distribution from, the Company. The Members
agree that the Property is not and will not be suitable for
partition. Accordingly, each of the Members hereby irrevocably waives
any and all right such Member may have to maintain any action for partition of
any of the Property.
11.2 Waiver of
Default.
No
consent or waiver, express or implied, by the Company or a Member with respect
to any breach or default by the Company or a Member hereunder shall be deemed or
construed to be a consent or waiver with respect to any other breach or default
by any party of the same provision or any other provision of this
Agreement. Failure on the part of the Company or a Member to complain
of any act or failure to act of the Company or a Member or to declare such party
in default shall not be deemed or constitute a waiver by the Company or the
Member of any rights hereunder.
-24-
11.3 Notice.
(a) Any
Notice required or permitted to be given hereunder shall be in writing and shall
be (i) personally delivered, (ii) transmitted by postage pre-paid first class
certified United States mail, (iii) transmitted by pre-paid, overnight delivery,
or (iv) transmitted by facsimile transmission.
(b) All
Notices and other communications shall be deemed to have been duly given,
received and effective on (i) the date of receipt if delivered personally, (ii)
three (3) business days after the date of posting if transmitted by mail, (iii)
the business day after the date of transmission if by overnight delivery, or
(iv) if transmitted by facsimile transmission, the date of transmission with
confirmation by the originating facsimile transmission machine of receipt by the
receiving facsimile machine of such transmission.
(c) Any
Member may change his, her or its address for purposes hereof by Notice given to
the Company.
(d) Notices
hereunder shall be directed to the last known address of a Member as shown in
the records of the Company.
(e) If
no Notice is given to the Company by a Member of such Member’s change of
address, and the Company is unable to locate the Member for a period of three
years using reasonable inquiry to obtain the address of such Member, the
Member’s interest in the Company shall be cancelled by the Company.
11.4 Amendment.
(a) Except
as otherwise expressly provided elsewhere in this Agreement, this Agreement
shall not be altered, modified or changed except by an amendment approved by a
Super Majority in Interest of the Percentage Interests entitled to vote on such
an amendment.
(b) In
addition to any amendments otherwise authorized herein, amendments may be made
to this Agreement from time to time by the Managers without the consent of the
Members (i) to cure any ambiguity or to correct or supplement any provision
herein which may be inconsistent with any other provision herein or (ii) to
delete or add any provisions of this Agreement required to be so deleted or
added by federal, state or local law or by the Securities and Exchange
Commission, the Internal Revenue Service, or any other Federal agency or by a
state securities or “blue sky” commission, a state revenue or taxing authority
or any other similar entity or official.
11.5 No Third Party
Rights.
None of
the provisions contained in this Agreement shall be for the benefit of or
enforceable by any third parties, including creditors of the
Company. The parties to this Agreement expressly retain any and all
rights to amend this Agreement as herein provided, notwithstanding any interest
in this Agreement or in any party to this Agreement held by any other
Person.
11.6 Severability.
In the
event any provision of this Agreement is held to be illegal, invalid or
unenforceable to any extent, the legality, validity and enforceability of the
remainder of this Agreement shall not be affected thereby and shall remain in
full force and effect and shall be enforced to the greatest extent permitted by
law.
-25-
11.7 Nature of Interest in the
Company.
A
Member’s Interest shall be personal property for all purposes.
11.8 Binding
Agreement.
Subject
to the restrictions on the disposition of Interests herein contained, the
provisions of this Agreement shall be binding upon, and inure to the benefit of,
the parties hereto and their respective heirs, personal representatives,
successors and permitted assigns.
11.9 Headings.
The
headings of the Articles and sections of this Agreement are for convenience only
and shall not be considered in construing or interpreting any of the terms or
provisions hereof.
11.10 Word
Meanings.
The words
such as “herein,” “hereinafter,” “hereof,” and “hereunder” refer to this
Agreement as a whole and not merely to a subdivision in which such words appear
unless the context otherwise requires. The singular shall include the
plural, and vice versa, unless the context otherwise requires.
11.11 Counterparts.
This
Agreement may be executed in several counterparts, all of which together shall
constitute one agreement binding on all parties hereto, notwithstanding that all
the parties have not signed the same counterpart.
11.12 Entire
Agreement.
This
Agreement contains the entire agreement between the parties and supersedes all
prior writings or agreements with respect to the subject matter
hereof.
11.13 Representations and
Acknowledgments
.
(a) Each
Member does hereby represent and warrant by the signing of a counterpart of this
Agreement that the Interest acquired by him, her or it was acquired for his, her
or its own account, for investment only, and not for the benefit of any other
Person, and not for resale to any other Person or future distribution, and that
he, she or it has relied solely on the advice of his, her or its personal tax,
investment or other advisor(s) in making his, her or its investment
decision. The Managers have not made and hereby make no warranties or
representations other than those set forth in this Agreement.
(b) Each
Member acknowledges and agrees that the firm of Xxxxx Xxxx LLP has represented
the Company and not any Member individually. Each Member acknowledges
and agrees that such Member has been advised to seek separate counsel with
respect to the Company, this Agreement and all matters pertaining
thereto.
(c) Each
Member who is not an individual represents and warrants that it is duly
organized and existing under the laws of its state of organization and that it
is in good standing under the laws of its state of organization and the laws of
each state in which it is qualified to do business.
-26-
11.14 Member’s
Representative.
Each
Member who is not an individual shall designate by Notice to the Company one
individual representative (and an alternate for such representative) who will
represent such Member for purposes of giving approvals or consenting to any
proposed action requiring the approval or consent of the
Members. Each Member may, from time to time, change the individuals
designated by it as its representative or its alternate but only upon Notice
given to the Company. Each such Member hereby represents that its
representative or, if such representative is absent or unavailable, its
alternate, is or shall be authorized to provide any approval or consent which
may be required or requested hereunder from such Member and the Company and the
other Member(s) may rely conclusively upon the signature and authority of such
representative or alternate to deliver or grant such approval or consent without
determining that such representative or alternate is acting with the consent or
approval of such Member, or its board of directors or shareholders or other
governing body.
11.15 Dispute Resolution and
Arbitration.
Except as
provided in this Section
11.15, any dispute arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the
breach, termination or validity hereof (collectively, a “Dispute”) shall be
settled as follows: the parties shall meet in a good faith attempt to
resolve such matter or matters. If such meeting does not result in
resolution, any party may, by Notice to all other parties, require that all
parties meet with an independent facilitator or mediator, who shall be
designated by agreement of the parties, to resolve the disputed matter or
matters. Any and all fees or costs of such facilitation or mediation
shall be shared as determined by the facilitator or mediator. If
unsuccessful, then the dispute shall be settled by arbitration in Kansas City,
Missouri in accordance with the commercial arbitration rules then in effect of
the American Arbitration Association. The Members, Managers and the
Company consent to the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of the State of
Missouri, and of the United States District Court for the Western District of
the State of Missouri for injunctive, specific enforcement or other relief in
aid of the arbitration proceedings or to enforce judgment of the award in such
arbitration proceeding, but not otherwise. The award entered by the
arbitrator(s) shall be final and binding on all parties to
arbitration. Each party shall bear its respective arbitration
expenses and shall share the arbitrator’s charges and expenses (as determined by
the arbitrator(s). The arbitrator(s) shall not award punitive,
exemplary or consequential damages. These procedures are for the
settlement of Disputes only and are not to be used for disagreements concerning
the policy, organization, management or practice of the
Company. Nothing contained in this Section 11.15 is intended to
expand any substantive rights any Party may have under other Sections of this
Agreement, and any action of the Members or the Managers, when taken in
accordance with the terms of this Agreement, shall be final, binding and
conclusive as so provided in this Agreement. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, nothing herein shall preclude equitable or other judicial relief to
enforce the provisions of Sections 5.7 and 11.16 and any other
provisions regarding confidentiality or non-competition or to preserve
the status quo pending the resolution of any Dispute hereunder.
11.16 Non
Disclosure.
Each
Member for itself and on behalf of its Affiliates agrees to keep the provisions
of this Agreement and all schedules, appendices and exhibits hereto in
confidence except pursuant to the requirements of applicable law and shall not
publish or otherwise disclose the same at any time without the prior written
consent of all the Members.
11.17 Governing
Law.
This
Agreement shall be construed according to and governed by the laws of the State
of Missouri without reference to its conflict of law rules.
-27-
(Remainder
of page left intentionally blank.
Signature
page to follow.)
-28-
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the
parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed as of the date
first written above.
THIS
AGREEMENT CONTAINS A BINDING ARBITRATION PROVISION
WHICH
MAY BE ENFORCED BY THE PARTIES.
MANAGERS:
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/s/Xxx Xxxxxxx
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Xxx
Xxxxxxx
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/s/Xxxxx Xxxxxx
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Xxxxx
Xxxxxx
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/s/Xxxxx Xxxxxx
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Xxxxx
Xxxxxx
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/s/Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx III
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Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxx III
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/s/Xxx Xxxxx
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Xxx
Xxxxx
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/s/Xxxx Xxxxxx
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Xxxx
Xxxxxx
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/s/Xxxxxx Xxxxx
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Xxxxxx
Xxxxx
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/s/Xxxx Xxxxxxxx
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Xxxx
Xxxxxxxx
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/s/Xxx Xxxxxxx
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Xxx
Xxxxxxx
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/s/Xxx Xxxx
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Xxx
Xxxx
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S-1
SCHEDULE
A - RESERVED
A-1
SCHEDULE
B - TAXES
1. Definitions.
“Adjusted
Capital Account” means the Capital Account balance of a Member increased by such
Member’s Share of Company Minimum Gain.
“Capital
Account” means a separate account established by the Company and maintained for
each Member in accordance with this Schedule B.
“Member’s
Share of Company Minimum Gain” means an amount determined (i) in accordance with
rules applicable to partnerships in Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-2(g) with
respect to a nonrecourse liability of the Company in which no Member bears the
economic risk of loss and (ii) in accordance with rules applicable to
partnerships in Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-2(i) with respect to a
nonrecourse liability of the Company in which any Member bears any portion of
the economic risk of loss.
“Minimum
Gain” means the amount of gain, if any, as set forth in rules applicable to
partnerships in Treasury Regulations Section 1.704-2(d) that would be realized
by the Company if it disposed of (in a taxable transaction) property subject to
a nonrecourse liability of such Company, in full satisfaction of such liability
(and for no other consideration).
“Profits
and Losses For Tax Purposes” means, for accounting and tax purposes, the various
items with respect to partnerships set forth in Section 702(a) of the Code and
all applicable regulations, or any successor law, and shall include, but not be
limited to, items such as capital gain or loss, tax preferences, credits,
depreciation, other deductions and depreciation recapture.
“Treasury
Regulations” means the regulations promulgated by the Treasury Department with
respect to the Code, as such regulations are amended from time to time, or
corresponding provisions of future regulations.
2. Maintenance
of Capital Accounts.
(a) The
Company shall maintain for each Member a separate account (“Capital Account”) in
accordance with the rules applicable to partnerships in Treasury Regulation
1.704-1(b)(2)(iv) or any successor Treasury Regulations which by their terms
would be applicable to the Company. No Member shall be entitled to
receive or be credited with any interest on the balance of such Member’s Capital
Account at any time.
(b) Following
the date of this Agreement, immediately prior to the issuance of any Units,
receipt of any additional capital contributions, or as otherwise permitted,
pursuant to Treasury Regulations 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(f), and (g), the Company
shall revalue the Capital Accounts of the Members to equal the amount of the
distributive share of the income, gain, loss or deduction that would result in
such Member if all of the assets of the Company were sold in a taxable
disposition of such assets for fair market value as of that date. At
the time of revaluation the Equity Accounts will be adjusted to the amount of
the revalued Capital Account. The Equity Accounts shall be decreased
by all cash distributions representing a return of Capital Contributions and
increased by all additional Capital Contributions that occur subsequent to the
most recent revaluation.
B-1
3. Allocation
of Profits and Losses For Tax Purposes.
(a) Except
as otherwise provided in Section 4 of this Schedule B,
all Profits and Losses for Tax Purposes of the Company shall be allocated among
the Members in accordance with this Section 3.
(i) Losses
for each year shall be allocated in the following order of
priority:
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(A)
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First,
to the Members, pro rata and in proportion to the amount by which their
Adjusted Capital Account balances exceed their Equity Account balances
until each Members’ Adjusted Capital Account equals their Equity
Account.
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(B)
|
Second,
to the Members, pro rata and in proportion to the amount by which their
Adjusted Capital Account balances exceed their Unreturned Capital
Contributions until each Members’ Adjusted Capital Account equals their
Unreturned Capital Contributions.
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(C)
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Third,
to the Members, pro rata and in proportion to their Adjusted Capital
Account balances until each Member’s Adjusted Capital Account is reduced
to zero.
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(D)
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Finally,
to the Member or Members who bear the economic risk of loss in accordance
with the applicable Treasury
Regulations.
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(ii) Profits
for each year shall be allocated in the following order of
priority:
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(A)
|
First,
to the Members with a negative Adjusted Capital Account balance in
proportion to their negative Adjusted Capital Account balances until each
Member’s Adjusted Capital Account is restored to
zero.
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(B)
|
Second,
to the Members, pro rata to and in an amount equal to their Unreturned
Capital Contributions until each Member’s Adjusted Capital Account equals
their Unreturned Capital
Contributions.
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(C)
|
Third,
to the Members, pro rata in proportion to the excess of their Equity
Account balances over their Unreturned Capital Contributions until each
Member’s Adjusted Capital Account is equal to the amount of such Member’s
Equity Account.
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(D)
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Finally,
to the Members, pro rata and in proportion to their respective Percentage
Interests.
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(b) Notwithstanding
anything in Section 3(a)
of this Schedule B, if the Liquidation Preference Election is exercised, Profits
and Losses for Tax Purposes will be allocated in such a manner so as to cause
the Adjusted Capital Account balances of the Members to equal, as closely as
possible, the cash distributions to be received by each of the Members based
upon distributions being made in accordance with Section 9.3 and the
liquidation preference in Section 9.4.
B-2
4. Special
Allocations.
4.1 Notwithstanding
any other provisions of this Agreement to the contrary, if the amount of any
Minimum Gain at the end of any taxable year is less than the amount of such
Minimum Gain at the beginning of such taxable year, there shall be allocated to
each Member gross income or gain (in respect of the current taxable year and any
future taxable year) in an amount equal to such Member’s share of the net
decrease in Minimum Gain during such year in accordance with Treasury Regulation
Section 1.704-2(f). Such allocation of gross income and gain shall be
made prior to any other allocation of income, gain, loss, deduction or Section
705(a)(2)(B) expenditure for such year. Any such allocation of gross
income or gain pursuant to this Section shall be taken into account, to the
extent feasible, in computing subsequent allocations of income, gain, loss,
deduction or credit of the Company so that the net amount of all items allocated
to each Member pursuant to this paragraph shall, to the extent possible, be
equal to the net amount that would have been allocated to each such Member
pursuant to the provisions of this paragraph if the allocations made pursuant to
the first sentence of this paragraph had not occurred. This provision
is intended to be a minimum gain chargeback as described in Treasury Regulation
Section 1.704-2(f) and shall be interpreted consistent therewith.
4.2 Notwithstanding
any other provisions of this Agreement to the contrary, except as provided in
Section 4.1 of this Schedule
B, if there is a net decrease (as determined in accordance with Treasury
Regulation Section 1.704-2(i)(3)) during a taxable year in Minimum Gain
attributable to a non recourse debt of the Company for which any Member bears
the economic risk of loss (as determined accordance with Treasury Regulation
Section 1.704-2(b)(4)), then any Member with a share of the Minimum Gain (as
determined in accordance with Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-2(i)(5))
attributable to such debt (determined at the beginning of such taxable year)
shall be allocated in accordance with Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-2(i)(4)
items of Company income and gain for such taxable year (and, if necessary, for
subsequent years) in an amount equal to such Member’s share of the net decrease
in the Minimum Gain attributable to such Member in accordance with Treasury
Regulation Section 1.704-2(i). Any allocations of items of gross
income or gain pursuant to this paragraph shall not duplicate any allocations of
gross income or gain pursuant to Section 4.1 of this Schedule B
and shall be taken into account, to the extent feasible, in computing subsequent
allocations of the Company, so that the net amount of all items allocated to
each Member pursuant to this paragraph shall, to the extent possible, be equal
to the net amount that would have been allocated to each Member pursuant to the
provisions of this paragraph if the allocations made pursuant to the first
sentence of this paragraph had not occurred. This provision is
intended to be a partner minimum gain chargeback as described in Treasury
Regulation Section 1.704-2(i)(4) and shall be interpreted consistent
therewith.
4.3 Notwithstanding
any other provisions of this Agreement to the contrary, except as provided in
Sections 4.1 and 4.2 of this
Schedule B, if any Member unexpectedly receives any adjustments,
allocations or distributions described in Treasury Regulation Section
1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(d)(4), (5) or (6) that reduces any Member’s Capital Account
below zero or increases the negative balance in such Member’s Capital Account
(taking into account such Member’s deficit restoration obligation), gross income
and gain shall be allocated to such Member in an amount and manner sufficient to
eliminate any negative balance in such Member’s Capital Account (taking into
account such Member’s deficit restoration obligation) created by such
adjustments, allocations or distributions as quickly as possible in accordance
with Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(d). Any such
allocation of gross income or gain pursuant to this paragraph shall be in
proportion with such negative Capital Accounts of the Members. Any
allocations of items of gross income or gain pursuant to this paragraph shall
not duplicate any allocations of gross income or gain made pursuant to Section 4.1 or 4.2 of this Schedule
B and shall be taken into account, to the extent feasible, in computing
subsequent allocations of income, gain, loss, deduction or credit, so that the
net amount of all items allocated to each Member pursuant to this paragraph
shall, to the extent possible, be equal to the net amount that would have been
allocated to each such Member pursuant to the provisions of this paragraph if
such adjustments, allocations or distributions had not occurred. This
provision is intended to be a qualified income offset as described in Treasury
Regulation Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(d) and shall be interpreted consistent
therewith.
B-3
4.4 Any
item of Company loss, deduction or Section 705(a)(2)(B) expenditure that is
attributable to a non recourse debt of the Company for which any Member bears
the economic risk of loss (as determined in accordance with rules applicable to
partnerships in Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-2(b)(4)) shall be allocated to
such Member in accordance with Treasury Regulation Section
1.704-2(i).
4.5 In
accordance with Section 704(c) and the Regulations thereunder, if property is
contributed to the Company and the fair market value of such property on the
date of its contribution differs from the adjusted tax basis of such property,
any income, gain, loss and deduction with respect to such property shall, solely
for tax purposes, be allocated among the Members so as to take into account any
variation between the adjusted tax basis to the Company of such property for
federal income tax purposes and the fair market value of such property on the
date of contribution to the Company. Such allocations shall be made
using a reasonable method that is consistent with the purpose of Section 704(c)
of the Code pursuant to Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-3.
5. Persons
Entitled to Allocations.
With
respect to any period in which a transferee of the interest of a Member is first
entitled to a share of the Profits And Losses For Tax Purposes, the Company
shall, with respect to such Profits And Losses For Tax Purposes, allocate such
items among the Persons who were entitled to such items on a basis consistent
with the provisions of the Code and the Treasury Regulations.
6. Tax
Matter Member.
Until
otherwise determined by a Majority in Interest, Xxx-Xxxxxxx Grain Growers, Inc.
is hereby designated as the Company’s “Tax Matters Member,” which shall have the
same meaning as “tax matters partner” under the Code, and in such capacity is
hereby authorized and empowered to act for and represent the Company and each of
the Members before the Internal Revenue Service and any court with respect to
any audit or examination of any Company tax return and before any court and to
retain such experts (including, without limitation, outside counsel or
accountants) as deemed necessary. The Tax Matters Member shall keep
all Members fully informed of the progress of any examination of, audit of or
other proceeding related to the affairs of the Company. Each Member
and former Member agrees to cooperate with the Tax Matters Member and to do or
refrain from doing any or all things reasonably required by the Members in
connection with the conduct of such proceedings.
7. Negative
Balance.
No Member
with a negative balance in such Member’s Capital Account shall have any
obligation to the Company or any other Member to restore said negative balance
to zero.
B-4