SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY AGREEMENT OF OCH-ZIFF CAPITAL MANAGEMENT GROUP LLC
Exhibit
1
SECOND
AMENDED AND RESTATED
OF
OCH-ZIFF
CAPITAL MANAGEMENT GROUP LLC
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
ARTICLE
I
DEFINITIONS
Section
1.1
|
Definitions
|
1
|
Section
1.2
|
Construction
|
11
|
ARTICLE
II
ORGANIZATION
Section
2.1
|
Formation
|
12
|
Section
2.2
|
Name
|
12
|
Section
2.3
|
Registered
Office; Registered Agent; Principal Office; Other Offices
|
12
|
Section
2.4
|
Purposes
|
12
|
Section
2.5
|
Powers
|
13
|
Section
2.6
|
Power
of Attorney
|
13
|
Section
2.7
|
Term
|
14
|
Section
2.8
|
Title
to Company Assets
|
15
|
Section
2.9
|
Relationship
With Och-Ziff Operating Group
|
15
|
ARTICLE
III
MEMBERS
AND SHARES
Section
3.1
|
Members
|
20
|
Section
3.2
|
Authorization
to Issue Shares
|
21
|
Section
3.3
|
Certificates
|
22
|
Section
3.4
|
Record
Holders
|
24
|
Section
3.5
|
Registration
and Transfer of Shares
|
24
|
Section
3.6
|
Capital
Accounts
|
25
|
Section
3.7
|
Splits
and Combinations
|
27
|
ARTICLE
IV
ALLOCATIONS
AND DISTRIBUTIONS
Section
4.1
|
Allocations
for Capital Account Purposes
|
28
|
Section
4.2
|
Allocations
for Tax Purposes
|
31
|
Section
4.3
|
Distributions
to Record Holders
|
32
|
(i)
ARTICLE
V
MANAGEMENT
AND OPERATION OF BUSINESS
Section
5.1
|
Power
and Authority of Board of Directors
|
33
|
Section
5.2
|
Number,
Qualification and Term of Office of Directors
|
36
|
Section
5.3
|
Election
of Directors
|
36
|
Section
5.4
|
Removal
|
36
|
Section
5.5
|
Resignations
|
37
|
Section
5.6
|
Vacancies
|
37
|
Section
5.7
|
Nomination
of Directors
|
37
|
Section
5.8
|
Chairman
of Meetings
|
37
|
Section
5.9
|
Place
of Meetings
|
38
|
Section
5.10
|
Regular
Meetings
|
38
|
Section
5.11
|
Special
Meetings; Notice
|
38
|
Section
5.12
|
Action
Without Meeting
|
38
|
Section
5.13
|
Conference
Telephone Meetings
|
38
|
Section
5.14
|
Quorum
|
38
|
Section
5.15
|
Committees
|
39
|
Section
5.16
|
Alternate
Members of Committees
|
39
|
Section
5.17
|
Minutes
of Committees
|
39
|
Section
5.18
|
Remuneration
|
39
|
Section
5.19
|
Exculpation,
Indemnification, Advances and Insurance
|
40
|
Section
5.20
|
Resolution
of Conflicts of Interest; Standards of Conduct and Modification
of
Duties
|
43
|
Section
5.21
|
Certificate
of Formation
|
44
|
Section
5.22
|
Officers
|
44
|
Section
5.23
|
Duties
of Officers and Directors
|
47
|
Section
5.24
|
Outside
Activities
|
47
|
Section
5.25
|
Reliance
by Third Parties
|
48
|
Section
5.26
|
Acquisitions
by Och-Ziff Holding or Och-Ziff Corp
|
48
|
ARTICLE
VI
BOOKS,
RECORDS, ACCOUNTING AND REPORTS
Section
6.1
|
Records
and Accounting
|
49
|
Section
6.2
|
Fiscal
Year
|
49
|
Section
6.3
|
Reports
|
49
|
ARTICLE
VII
TAX
MATTERS
Section
7.1
|
Tax
Returns and Information
|
50
|
Section
7.2
|
Tax
Elections
|
50
|
Section
7.3
|
Tax
Controversies
|
50
|
(ii)
Section
7.4
|
Withholding
|
50
|
Section
7.5
|
Class
B Shares
|
51
|
ARTICLE
VIII
DISSOLUTION
AND LIQUIDATION
Section
8.1
|
Dissolution
|
51
|
Section
8.2
|
Liquidator
|
51
|
Section
8.3
|
Liquidation
|
52
|
Section
8.4
|
Cancellation
of Certificate of Formation
|
53
|
Section
8.5
|
Return
of Contributions
|
53
|
Section
8.6
|
Waiver
of Partition
|
53
|
Section
8.7
|
Capital
Account Restoration
|
53
|
ARTICLE
IX
AMENDMENT
OF AGREEMENT
Section
9.1
|
General
|
53
|
Section
9.2
|
Super-Majority
Amendments
|
54
|
Section
9.3
|
Amendments
to be Adopted Solely by the Board of Directors
|
54
|
Section
9.4
|
Amendment
Requirements
|
56
|
ARTICLE
X
MERGER,
CONSOLIDATION OR CONVERSION
Section
10.1
|
Authority
|
57
|
Section
10.2
|
Procedure
for Merger, Consolidation or Conversion
|
57
|
Section
10.3
|
Approval
by Members of Merger, Consolidation or Conversion
|
58
|
Section
10.4
|
Certificate
of Merger or Conversion
|
59
|
Section
10.5
|
Effect
of Merger
|
59
|
ARTICLE
XI
CORPORATE
TREATMENT
Section
11.1
|
Corporate
Treatment
|
60
|
Section
11.2
|
Section
7704(e) Relief
|
61
|
ARTICLE
XII
MEMBER
MEETINGS
Section
12.1
|
Member
Meetings
|
61
|
Section
12.2
|
Notice
of Meetings of Members
|
62
|
Section
12.3
|
Record
Date
|
62
|
(iii)
Section
12.4
|
Adjournment
|
63
|
Section
12.5
|
Waiver
of Notice; Approval of Meeting
|
63
|
Section
12.6
|
Quorum;
Required Vote for Member Action; Voting for Directors and Specified
Actions
|
63
|
Section
12.7
|
Conduct
of a Meeting; Member Lists
|
64
|
Section
12.8
|
Action
Without a Meeting
|
65
|
Section
12.9
|
Voting
and Other Rights
|
65
|
Section
12.10
|
Proxies
and Voting
|
66
|
Section
12.11
|
Notice
of Member Business and Nominations
|
66
|
ARTICLE
XIII
GENERAL
PROVISIONS
Section
13.1
|
Addresses
and Notices
|
69
|
Section
13.2
|
Further
Action
|
69
|
Section
13.3
|
Binding
Effect
|
69
|
Section
13.4
|
Integration
|
69
|
Section
13.5
|
Creditors
|
70
|
Section
13.6
|
Waiver
|
70
|
Section
13.7
|
Counterparts
|
70
|
Section
13.8
|
Applicable
Law
|
70
|
Section
13.9
|
Conflict
with Class B Shareholders Agreement
|
70
|
Section
13.10
|
Invalidity
of Provisions
|
70
|
Section
13.11
|
Consent
of Members
|
70
|
Section
13.12
|
Facsimile
Signatures
|
70
|
EXHIBITS
EXHIBIT
A – CLASS A SHARE CERTIFICATE
EXHIBIT
B – CLASS B SHARE CERTIFICATE
(iv)
SECOND
AMENDED AND RESTATED LIMITED LIABILITY
COMPANY
AGREEMENT OF OCH-ZIFF CAPITAL MANAGEMENT GROUP LLC
This
SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY AGREEMENT OF OCH-ZIFF
CAPITAL MANAGEMENT GROUP LLC, is dated as of November 13,
2007. Capitalized terms used herein without definition shall have the
respective meanings ascribed thereto in Section 1.1.
WHEREAS,
the Company was formed under the Delaware Act pursuant to a certificate
of
formation filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on
June 6,
2007, a Limited Liability Company Agreement of Och-Ziff Capital Management
Group
LLC, dated as of June 6, 2007 (the "Original LLC
Agreement");
WHEREAS,
the Original LLC Agreement was amended by an Amended and Restated Limited
Liability Company Agreement of Och-Ziff Capital Management Group LLC, dated
as
of October 24, 2007 (the "First Amended and Restated LLC
Agreement");
WHEREAS,
pursuant to Section 4.3 of the First Amended and Restated LLC Agreement,
upon
the execution of this Agreement in connection with the IPO, all of the
outstanding membership interests in the Company held by the Initial Members
will
be automatically reclassified into Class B Shares, with such rights and
privileges as set forth herein;
WHEREAS,
in connection with the IPO, the Company intends to issue Class A Shares,
with
such rights and privileges as set forth herein;
WHEREAS,
the Board of Directors and Xxxxxx X. Och, who was the sole managing member
of
the Company prior to the date hereof, have authorized and approved this
amendment and restatement of the First Amended and Restated LLC Agreement
on the
terms set forth herein.
NOW
THEREFORE, the Amended and Restated LLC Agreement is hereby amended and
restated
to read in its entirety as follows:
ARTICLE
I
DEFINITIONS
Section
1.1 Definitions.
The
following definitions shall be for all purposes, unless otherwise clearly
indicated to the contrary, applied to the terms used in this
Agreement.
"Additional
Member" means a Person admitted as a Member of the Company in accordance
with Article III as a result of an issuance of Shares to such Person by
the
Company.
1
"Adjusted
Capital Account" means the Capital Account maintained for each Member as of
the end of each fiscal year of the Company, (a) increased by any amounts
that
such Member is obligated to restore under the standards set by Treasury
Regulation Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(c) (or is deemed obligated to restore
under
Treasury Regulation Sections 1.704-2(g) and 1.704-2(i)(5)) and (b) decreased
by
(i) the amount of all losses and deductions that, as of the end of such
fiscal
year, are reasonably expected to be allocated to such Member in subsequent
years
under Sections 704(e)(2) and 706(d) of the Code and Treasury Regulation
Section
1.751-1(b)(2)(ii), and (ii) the amount of all distributions that, as of
the end
of such fiscal year, are reasonably expected to be made to such Member
in
subsequent years in accordance with the terms of this Agreement or otherwise
to
the extent they exceed offsetting increases to such Member's Capital Account
that are reasonably expected to occur during (or prior to) the year in
which
such distributions are reasonably expected to be made (other than increases
as a
result of a minimum gain chargeback pursuant to Section 4.1(c)(i) or Section
4.1(c)(ii)). The foregoing definition of Adjusted Capital Account is intended
to
comply with the provisions of Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(d)
and shall be interpreted consistently therewith.
"Adjusted
Property" means any property the Carrying Value of which has been adjusted
pursuant to Section 3.6(d).
"Affiliate"
means, with respect to any Person, any other Person that directly or indirectly
through one or more intermediaries Controls, is Controlled by or is under
common
Control with the Person in question.
"Agreed
Allocation" means any allocation, other than a Required Allocation, of an
item of income, gain, loss or deduction pursuant to the provisions of Section
4.1, including a Curative Allocation (if appropriate to the context in
which the
term "Agreed Allocation" is used).
"Agreed
Value" of any Contributed Property means the fair market value of such
property or other consideration at the time of contribution as determined
by the
Board of Directors, without taking into account any liabilities to which
such
Contributed Property was subject at such time. The Board of Directors
shall use such method as it determines to be appropriate to allocate the
aggregate Agreed Value of Contributed Properties contributed to the Company
in a
single or integrated transaction among each separate property on a basis
proportional to the fair market value of each Contributed Property.
"Agreement"
means this Second Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement
of
Och-Ziff Capital Management Group LLC, as it may be amended, supplemented
or
restated from time to time.
"Authorized
Signatories" shall mean the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial
Officer, and any other Person authorized by resolution adopted by a majority
of
the Board of Directors to act on behalf of and in the name of the
Company.
"Beneficial
Owner" of a security is a Person who directly or indirectly, through any
contract, arrangement, understanding, relationship or otherwise has or
shares:
(i) voting power, which includes the power to vote, or to direct the voting
of,
such security and/or (ii) investment
2
power,
which includes the power to dispose, or to direct the disposition of, such
security. The terms "Beneficially Own" and "Beneficial Ownership"
shall have correlative meanings.
"Board
of Directors" has the meaning assigned to such term in Section
5.1.
"Book-Tax
Disparity" means, with respect to any item of Contributed Property or
Adjusted Property, as of the date of any determination, the difference
between
the Carrying Value of such Contributed Property or Adjusted Property and
the
adjusted basis thereof for U.S. federal income tax purposes as of such
date.
"Business
Day" means Monday through Friday of each week, except that a legal holiday
recognized as such by the government of the United States of America or
the
State of New York shall not be regarded as a Business Day.
"Capital
Account" means the capital account maintained for a Member pursuant to
Section 3.6.
"Capital
Contribution" means any cash, cash equivalents or the Net Agreed Value of
Contributed Property that a Member contributes to the Company pursuant
to this
Agreement.
"Carrying
Value" means (a) with respect to a Contributed Property, the Agreed Value
of
such property reduced (but not below zero) by all depreciation, amortization
and
cost recovery deductions charged to the Members' Capital Accounts in respect
of
such Contributed Property, and (b) with respect to any other Company property,
the adjusted basis of such property for U.S. federal income tax purposes,
all as
of the time of determination. The Carrying Value of any property
shall be adjusted to equal its respective gross fair market value (taking
Code
Section 7701(g) into account) upon an adjustment to the Capital Accounts
of the
Members in accordance with Section 3.6(d) and to reflect changes, additions
or
other adjustments to the Carrying Value for dispositions and acquisitions
of
Company properties, in the sole discretion of the Board of
Directors.
"Certificate"
means a certificate (i) substantially in the form of Exhibit A or Exhibit
B to
this Agreement, (ii) in global form in accordance with the rules and regulations
of the Depositary or (iii) in such other form as may be adopted by the
Board of
Directors, issued by the Company evidencing ownership of one or more
Shares.
"Certificate
of Formation" means the Certificate of Formation of the Company filed with
the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware as referenced in Section
5.21,
as such Certificate of Formation may be amended, supplemented or restated
from
time to time.
"Chairman
of the Board" has the meaning assigned to such term in Section
5.1.
"Class
A Share" means a Common Share in the Company designated as a "Class A
Share."
"Class
A Unit" means a unit of equity interest in an Och-Ziff Operating Group
Entity denominated as a "Class A Common Unit," and may consist of interests
in a
limited partnership, limited liability company or other entity.
3
"Class
B Share" means a Common Share in the Company designated as a "Class B
Share."
"Class
B Shareholder" shall mean the record owner of any Class B Shares, including
any Person who becomes the record owner of any Class B Shares through an
original issuance effected in compliance with this Agreement and any Person
who
becomes the record owner of any Class B Shares pursuant to a
Permitted Transfer, but shall not include any other Person who may otherwise
acquire or possess Class B Shares or rights with respect to Class B Shares
or
other interests in Class B Shares. As of the Closing Date, all of the
Class B Shareholders are Initial Members.
"Class
B Shareholder Committee" shall mean the Class B Shareholders Committee
established pursuant to the Class B Shareholders Agreement.
"Class
B Shareholders Agreement" means the Class B Shareholders Agreement to be
entered into by and among the holders of Class B Shares and the Company
on or
prior to the Closing Date in connection with the IPO.
"Class
B Unit" means a unit of equity interest in an Och-Ziff Operating Group
Entity denominated as a "Class B Common Unit," and may consist of interests
in a
limited partnership, limited liability company or other entity.
"Closing
Date" means the first date on which Class A Shares are delivered by the
Company to the Underwriters pursuant to the provisions of the Underwriting
Agreement.
"Code"
means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended and in effect from
time to
time. Any reference herein to a specific section or sections of the
Code shall be deemed to include a reference to any corresponding provision
of
any successor law.
"Commission"
means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
"Common
Shares" means any Shares that are not Preferred Shares.
"Company"
means Och-Ziff Capital Management Group LLC, a Delaware limited liability
company, and any successors thereto.
"Company
Convertible Securities" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
2.9(e).
"Company
Exercisable Securities" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
2.9(e).
"Company
Fund" means, collectively, all Funds (i) sponsored or promoted by any of
the
Subsidiaries of the Company, (ii) for which any of the Subsidiaries of
the
Company acts as a general partner or managing member (or in a similar capacity)
or (iii) for which any of the Subsidiaries of the Company acts as an investment
adviser or investment manager.
"Company
Group" means the Company and each Subsidiary of the Company.
"Company
Minimum Gain" means that amount determined in accordance with the principles
of Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-2(d).
4
"Conflicts
Committee" means the Nominating, Corporate Governance and Conflicts
Committee, which is a committee of the Board of Directors composed entirely
of
two or more Independent Directors who also are not (a) officers or employees
of
the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company, (b) directors, officers or
employees of any Affiliate of the Company or its Subsidiaries or (c) holders
of
any ownership interest in the Company Group other than Shares; provided,
however, for purposes of clause (c) of this definition, "Company Group"
shall not be deemed to include any Company Fund or any Subsidiary of any
Company
Fund.
"Consent
of the Class B Shareholder Committee" shall mean the prior written consent
(or prior written waiver, as the case may be) of the Class B Shareholder
Committee acting pursuant to and in accordance with its authority under
the
Class B Shareholders Agreement.
"Consent
Termination Date" shall mean the date on which no Class B Shares remain
Outstanding.
"Contributed
Property" means each property or other asset, in such form as may be
permitted by the Delaware Act, but excluding cash, contributed to the
Company. If the Carrying Value of a Contributed Property is adjusted
pursuant to Section 3.6(d), such property shall no longer constitute a
Contributed Property, but shall be deemed an Adjusted Property.
"Control"
means the possession, direct or indirect, of the power to direct or cause
the
direction of the management and policies of a Person, whether through ownership
of voting securities, by contract or otherwise. For the purpose of
this definition, the terms "controlling," "controlled by," and "under common
control with" have correlative meanings.
"Curative
Allocation" means any allocation of an item of income, gain, deduction, loss
or credit pursuant to the provisions of Section 4.1(c)(ix).
"Delaware
Act" means the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act, 6 Del. C. Section
18-101, et seq., as amended, supplemented or restated from time to time,
and any
successor to such statute.
"Depositary"
means, with respect to any Shares issued in global form, The Depository
Trust
Company and its successors and permitted assigns.
"DGCL"
means the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, 8 Del. C. Section
101, et seq., as amended, supplemented or restated from time to time, and
any
successor to such statute.
"Director"
means a member of the Board of Directors of the Company.
"Disinterested
Parties" means any Person with no material pecuniary or other interest in
the proposed transaction that differs from that of the other Members
generally.
"Economic
Risk of Loss" has the meaning set forth in Treasury Regulation Section
1.752-2(a).
"Electronic
transmission" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
12.10.
5
"Equity
Proceeds" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
2.9(e)(i).
"Exchange
Act" means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, supplemented
or
restated from time to time and any successor to such statute, and the rules
and
regulations promulgated thereunder.
"Exchange
Agreement" means one or more exchange agreements providing for the exchange
of Och-Ziff Operating Group Units (or other securities issued by members
of the
Och-Ziff Operating Group) for cash or Class A Shares, and the corresponding
cancellation of applicable Class B Shares, if any, as contemplated by the
Registration Statement, as such agreements are amended, modified, supplemented
or restated from time to time.
"Fund"
means any separately managed account or collective investment vehicle (whether
open-ended or closed-ended) including, without limitation, an investment
company, a general and limited partnership, a trust and a company organized
in
any jurisdiction.
"Governmental
Entity" means any court, administrative agency,
regulatory body, commission or other governmental authority, board, bureau
or
instrumentality, domestic or foreign and any subdivision thereof.
"Group
Member" means a member of the Company Group.
"Group
Member Agreement" means the partnership agreement of any Group Member that
is a limited or general partnership, the limited liability company agreement
of
any Group Member, other than the Company, that is a limited liability company,
the certificate of incorporation and bylaws or similar organizational documents
of any Group Member that is a corporation, the joint venture agreement
or
similar governing document of any Group Member that is a joint venture
and the
governing or organizational or similar documents of any other Group Member
that
is a Person other than a limited or general partnership, limited liability
company, corporation or joint venture, as such may be amended, supplemented
or
restated from time to time.
"Indemnified
Person" means (a) any Person who is or was a Director, Officer or tax
matters partner of the Company, (b) any Person who is or was serving at
the
request of the Company as an officer, director, member, manager, partner,
tax
matters partner, fiduciary or trustee of another Person (including any
Subsidiary); provided, that a Person shall not be an Indemnified Person
by
reason of providing, on a fee-for-services basis, trustee, fiduciary or
custodial services, and (c) any Person the Board of Directors designates
as an
"Indemnified Person" for purposes of this Agreement.
"Independent
Director" means a Director who meets the then-current independence and other
standards required of audit committee members established by the Exchange
Act
and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and by each
National
Securities Exchange on which Shares are listed for trading.
"Initial
Members" means the Persons identified on the books and records of the
Company as such. As of the Closing Date, the Initial Members will
constitute all of the Class B Shareholders.
6
"Initial
Shares" means the Class A Shares to be sold in the IPO.
"IPO"
means the initial offering and sale of Class A Shares to the public, as
described in the Registration Statement.
"Liquidation
Date" means the date on which an event giving rise to the dissolution of
the
Company occurs.
"Liquidator"
means one or more Persons selected by the Board of Directors to perform
the
functions described in Section 8.2 as liquidating trustee of the Company
within
the meaning of the Delaware Act.
"Member"
means each member of the Company, including, unless the context otherwise
requires, each Initial Member, each Substitute Member, and each Additional
Member.
"Member
Nonrecourse Debt" has the meaning set forth in Treasury Regulation Section
1.704-2(b)(4).
"Member
Nonrecourse Debt Minimum Gain" has the meaning set forth in Treasury
Regulation Section 1.704-2(i)(2).
"Member
Nonrecourse Deductions" means any and all items of loss, deduction or
expenditure (including any expenditure described in Section 705(a)(2)(B)
of the
Code) that, in accordance with the principles of Treasury Regulation Section
1.704-2(i), are attributable to a Member Nonrecourse Debt.
"Merger
Agreement" has the meaning assigned to such term in Section
10.1.
"National
Securities Exchange" means an exchange registered with the Commission under
Section 6(a) of the Exchange Act or any successor thereto.
"Net
Agreed Value" means, (a) in the case of any Contributed Property, the Agreed
Value of such property reduced by any liabilities either assumed by the
Company
upon such contribution or to which such property is subject when contributed,
and (b) in the case of any property distributed to a Member by the Company,
the
fair market value of such property at the time such property is distributed,
reduced by any indebtedness either assumed by such Member upon such distribution
or to which such property is subject at the time of distribution, in either
case, as determined under Section 752 of the Code.
"Net
Income" means, for any taxable year, the excess, if any, of the Company's
items of income and gain for such taxable year over the Company's items
of loss
and deduction for such taxable year. The items included in the
calculation of Net Income shall be determined in accordance with Section
3.6(b)
and shall not include any items specially allocated under Section
4.1(c).
"Net
Loss" means, for any taxable year, the excess, if any, of the Company's
items of loss and deduction for such taxable year over the Company's items
of
income and gain for such taxable
7
year. The
items included in the calculation of Net Loss shall be determined in accordance
with Section 3.6(b) and shall not include any items specially allocated
under
Section 4.1(c).
"Nonrecourse
Built-in Gain" means, with respect to any Contributed Properties or Adjusted
Properties that are subject to a mortgage or pledge securing a Nonrecourse
Liability, the amount of any taxable gain that would be allocated to the
Members
pursuant to Section 4.2(b)(i)(A), Section 4.2(b)(ii)(A) and Section 4.2(b)(iii)
if such properties were disposed of in a taxable transaction in full
satisfaction of such Nonrecourse Liabilities and for no other
consideration.
"Nonrecourse
Deductions" means any and all items of loss, deduction, or expenditure
(including any expenditure described in Section 705(a)(2)(B) of the Code)
that,
in accordance with the principles of Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-2(b),
are
attributable to a Nonrecourse Liability.
"Nonrecourse
Liability" has the meaning set forth in Treasury Regulation Section
1.752-1(a)(2).
"Och-Ziff
Corp." means Och-Ziff Holding Corporation, a corporation formed under the
laws of the State of Delaware and the general partner of the Operating
Entities,
and any successor general partner thereof.
"Och-Ziff
Holding" means Och-Ziff Holding LLC, a limited liability company formed
under the laws of the State of Delaware and the general partner of the
Principal
Entities, and any successor general partner thereof.
"Och-Ziff
Operating Group" means the Persons directly Controlled by either Och-Ziff
Corp. or Och-Ziff Holding.
"Och-Ziff
Operating Group Entity" shall mean any Person that is included in the
Och-Ziff Operating Group and shall include any Operating Entity or Principal
Entity.
"Och-Ziff
Operating Group Units" means, collectively, a unit or units of interest
representing limited partnership interests or other similar interests in
each of
the entities within the Och-Ziff Operating Group (including without limitation,
the Class A Units in each such entity issued under the applicable Group
Member
Agreement on or prior to the date hereof).
"Officers"
has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 5.22(a).
"Operating
Entities" means the Persons directly Controlled by Och-Ziff
Corp.
"Opinion
of Counsel" means a written opinion of counsel (who may be regular counsel
to the Company or any of its Affiliates) acceptable to the Board of
Directors.
"Option
Closing Date" means the date or dates on which any Class A Shares are sold
by the Company to the Underwriters upon exercise of the Underwriters’
Option.
8
"Outstanding"
means, with respect to Shares, all Shares that are issued by the Company
and
reflected as outstanding on the Company's books and records as of the date
of
determination.
"Percentage
Interest" means, as of any date of determination, (i) as to any Class A
Shares, the product obtained by multiplying (a) 100% less the percentage
applicable to the Shares referred to in clause (iii) by (b) the quotient
obtained by dividing (x) the number of such Class A Shares by (y) the total
number of all Outstanding Class A Shares, (ii) as to any Class B Shares,
0%, and
(iii) as to any other Shares, the percentage established for such Shares
by the
Board of Directors in the relevant Share Designation as a part of the issuance
of such Shares.
"Permitted
Transfer" means a transfer of Class B Shares in connection with a transfer
of Och-Ziff Operating Group Units that is permitted under (and effected
in
compliance with) the Group Member Agreements and is otherwise made in compliance
with applicable securities laws, including the Securities Act; provided,
that such transfer of Class B Shares is made to the same transferee as
the
transferee of the Och-Ziff Operating Group Units; and provided,
further, that the number of Class B Shares transferred is equal
to the
number of Och-Ziff Operating Group Units transferred to such
transferee.
"Person"
means an individual or a corporation, limited liability company, partnership,
joint venture, trust, estate, unincorporated organization, association
(including any group, organization, co-tenancy, plan, board, council or
committee), Governmental Entity or other entity (or series
thereof).
"Plan
of Conversion" has the meaning assigned to such term in Section
10.1.
"Preferred
Shares" means a class of Shares that entitles the Record Holders thereof
to
a preference or priority over the Record Holders of any other class of
Shares in
(i) the right to share profits or losses or items thereof, (ii) the right
to
share in Company distributions, or (iii) rights upon dissolution or liquidation
of the Company.
"Prime
Rate" means the prime rate of interest as quoted from time to time by
Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal or another source reasonably selected
by the
Company from time to time.
"Principal
Entities" means the Persons directly Controlled by Och-Ziff
Holding.
"Principal
Entities Portion" means, with respect to any Equity Proceeds, a portion of
such Equity Proceeds determined by multiplying such Equity Proceeds by
a
fraction that is equal to the ratio of (i) the aggregate equity value of
the
Principal Entities at the time such Equity Proceeds are received, to (ii)
the
aggregate equity value of the Och-Ziff Operating Group Entities at such
time, in
each case, as determined by the Board of Directors.
"Quarter"
means, unless the context requires otherwise, a fiscal quarter, or, with
respect
to the first fiscal quarter after the Closing Date, the portion of such
fiscal
quarter after the Closing Date, of the Company.
"Record
Date" means the date established by the Company for determining (a) the
identity of the Record Holders entitled to notice of, or to vote at, any
meeting
of Members or entitled to
9
exercise
rights in respect of any lawful action of Members or (b) the identity of
Record
Holders entitled to receive any report or distribution or to participate
in any
offer.
"Record
Holder" or "holder" means (a) with respect to any Class A Shares, the
Person in whose name such Shares are registered on the books of the Company
or
the Transfer Agent, as applicable, as of the opening of business on a particular
Business Day, and (b) with respect to any Shares of any other class, the
Person
in whose name such Shares are registered on the books that the Company
or the
Transfer Agent, as applicable, has caused to be kept as of the opening
of
business on such Business Day.
“Registration
Rights Agreement” means one or more Registration Rights Agreements providing
for the registration of Class A Shares to be entered into among the Company
and
certain holders of Och-Ziff Operating Group Units on or prior to the Closing
Date.
"Registration
Statement" means the Registration Statement on Form S-1 (Registration No.
333-144256) as it has been or as it may be amended or supplemented from
time to
time, filed by the Company with the Commission under the Securities Act
to
register the offering and sale of the Class A Shares in the IPO.
"Required
Allocations" means (a) any limitation imposed on any allocation of Net Loss
under Section 4.1(b) and (b) any allocation of an item of income, gain,
loss or
deduction pursuant to Sections 4.1(c)(i)-(viii).
"Residual
Gain" or "Residual Loss" means any item of gain or loss, as the case
may be, of the Company recognized for U.S. federal income tax purposes
resulting
from a sale, exchange or other disposition of a Contributed Property or
Adjusted
Property, to the extent such item of gain or loss is not allocated pursuant
to
Section 4.2(b)(i)(A) or Section 4.2(b)(ii)(A), respectively, to eliminate
Book-Tax Disparities.
"Securities
Act" means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, supplemented or restated
from time to time and any successor to such statute, and the rules and
regulations promulgated thereunder.
"Share"
means a share issued by the Company that evidences a Member's rights, powers
and
duties with respect to the Company pursuant to this Agreement and the Delaware
Act. Shares may be Common Shares or Preferred Shares, and may be
issued in different classes or series.
"Share
Designation" has the meaning assigned to such term in Section
3.2(c).
"Share
Majority" means a majority of the total votes that may be cast in the
election of Directors by holders of all Outstanding Voting Shares.
"Special
Approval" means, with respect to any transaction, activity, arrangement or
circumstance, that (i) it has been specifically approved by a majority
of the
members of the Conflicts Committee acting in good faith, or (ii) it complies,
as
determined by the Conflicts Committee, with any rules or guidelines established
by the Conflicts Committee with respect to categories of transactions,
activities, arrangements or circumstances that are deemed approved by the
Conflicts Committee.
10
"Subsidiary"
means, with respect to any Person, as of any date of determination, any
other
Person as to which such Person owns or otherwise controls, directly or
indirectly, more than 50% of the voting shares or other similar interests
or a
sole general partner interest or managing member or similar interest of
such
Person.
"Substitute
Member" means a Person who is admitted as a Member of the Company pursuant
to Section 3.5(c) as a result of a transfer of Shares to such
Person.
"Surviving
Business Entity" has the meaning assigned to such term in Section
10.2(a)(ii).
"Tax
Matters Partner" means the "tax matters partner" as defined in the
Code.
"Tax
Receivable Agreement" means the Tax Receivable Agreement to be entered into
in connection with the IPO, by and among the Och-Ziff Operating Group Entities
and each partner of any Och-Ziff Operating Group Entity.
"Transfer"
means, with respect to a Share, a transaction by which the Record Holder
of a
Share assigns such Share to another Person who is or becomes a Member,
and
includes a sale, assignment, gift, exchange or any other disposition by
law or
otherwise, including any transfer upon foreclosure of any pledge, encumbrance,
hypothecation or mortgage.
"Transfer
Agent" means, with respect to any class of Shares, such bank, trust company
or other Person (including the Company or one of its Affiliates) as shall
be
appointed from time to time by the Company to act as registrar and transfer
agent for such class of Shares; provided that if no Transfer Agent is
specifically designated for such class of Shares, the Company shall act
in such
capacity.
"Trust"
has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 12.6(f).
"Underwriter"
means each Person named as an underwriter in the Underwriting Agreement
who is
obligated to purchase Class A Shares pursuant thereto.
"Underwriters’
Option" means the option to purchase additional Class A Shares granted to
the Underwriters by the Company pursuant to the Underwriting
Agreement.
"Underwriting
Agreement" means the Underwriting Agreement to be entered into by the
Company and the Underwriters providing for the sale of Class A Shares in
the
IPO.
"U.S.
GAAP" means United States generally accepted accounting principles
consistently applied.
"Voting
Shares" means the Class A Shares, the Class B Shares and any other class
of
Shares issued after the date of this Agreement that entitles the Record
Holder
thereof to vote on any matter submitted for consent or approval of Members
under
this Agreement.
Section
1.2 Construction.
Unless the context requires otherwise: (a) any pronoun used in this Agreement
shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine or neuter
11
forms,
and the singular form of nouns, pronouns and verbs shall include the
plural and
vice versa; (b) references to Articles and Sections refer to Articles
and
Sections of this Agreement; and (c) the term "include" or
"includes" means includes, without limitation, and "including"
means including, without limitation.
ARTICLE
II
ORGANIZATION
Section
2.1 Formation. The
Company has been formed as a limited liability company pursuant to the
provisions of the Delaware Act. Except as expressly provided to the
contrary in this Agreement, the rights, duties (including fiduciary duties),
liabilities and obligations of the Members and the administration, dissolution
and termination of the Company shall be governed by the Delaware
Act. All Shares shall constitute personal property of the owner
thereof for all purposes and a Member has no interest in specific Company
property.
Section
2.2 Name. The name of
the Company shall be "Och-Ziff Capital Management Group LLC." The
Company's business may be conducted under any other name or names, as
determined
by the Board of Directors. The words "Limited Liability
Company," "LLC," or similar words or letters shall be included in the
Company's name where necessary for the purpose of complying with the
laws of any
jurisdiction that so requires. The Board of Directors may change the
name of the Company at any time and from time to time and shall notify
the
Members of such change in the next regular communication to the
Members.
Section
2.3 Registered Office; Registered
Agent; Principal Office; Other Offices. Unless and until changed
by the Board of Directors, the registered office of the Company in the
State of
Delaware shall be located at Corporation Trust Center, 0000 Xxxxxx Xxxxxx,
Xxxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx 00000, and the registered agent for service of process
on
the Company in the State of Delaware at such registered office shall
be The
Corporation Trust Company. The principal office of the Company shall
be located at 0 Xxxx 00xx Xxxxxx,
Xxx Xxxx,
Xxx Xxxx 00000 or such other place as the Board of Directors may from
time to
time designate by notice to the Members. The Company may maintain
offices at such other place or places within or outside the State of
Delaware as
the Board of Directors determines to be necessary or appropriate.
Section
2.4 Purposes. The
purposes of the Company shall be to (a) promote, conduct or engage in,
directly
or indirectly, any business, purpose or activity that lawfully may be
conducted
by a limited liability company organized pursuant to the Delaware Act,
(b)
acquire, hold and dispose of interests in any corporation, partnership,
joint
venture, limited liability company or other entity, including Och-Ziff
Holding
and Och-Ziff Corp., and, in connection therewith, to exercise all of
the rights
and powers conferred upon the Company with respect to its interests therein,
and
(c) conduct any and all activities related or incidental to the foregoing
purposes; provided, however, that, except pursuant to Section 11.1, the
Company shall not engage, directly or indirectly, in any business activity
that
the Board of Directors determines would cause
12
the
Company to be treated as an association taxable as a corporation or otherwise
taxable as an entity for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
Section
2.5 Powers. The
Company shall be empowered to do any and all acts and things necessary
and
appropriate for the furtherance and accomplishment of the purposes described
in
Section 2.4, subject to the limitations set forth in Section 2.9.
Section
2.6 Power of
Attorney. Each Member hereby constitutes and appoints each of the
Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial Officer and the Secretary
of the
Company and, if a Liquidator shall have been selected pursuant to Section
8.2,
the Liquidator (and any successor to the Liquidator by merger, transfer,
assignment, election or otherwise) and each of their authorized officers
and
attorneys-in-fact, as the case may be, with full power of substitution,
as his
true and lawful agent and attorney-in-fact, with full power and authority
in his
name, place and xxxxx, to:
(a) execute,
swear to, acknowledge, deliver, file and record in the appropriate public
offices:
(i) all
certificates, documents and other instruments (including this Agreement
and the
Certificate of Formation and all amendments or restatements hereof or
thereof)
that the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer or Secretary
of the
Company, or the Liquidator, determines to be necessary or appropriate
to form,
qualify or continue the existence or qualification of the Company as
a limited
liability company in the State of Delaware and in all other jurisdictions
in
which the Company may conduct business or own property;
(ii) all
certificates, documents and other instruments that the Chief Executive
Officer,
the Chief Financial Officer or Secretary of the Company, or the Liquidator,
determines to be necessary or appropriate to reflect, in accordance with
its
terms, any amendment, change, modification or restatement of this
Agreement;
(iii) all
certificates, documents and other instruments (including conveyances
and a
certificate of cancellation) that the Board of Directors or the Liquidator
determines to be necessary or appropriate to reflect the dissolution,
liquidation and termination of the Company pursuant to the terms of this
Agreement;
(iv) all
certificates, documents and other instruments relating to the admission,
withdrawal, removal or substitution of any Member pursuant to, or other
events
described in, Articles III or VIII;
13
(v) all
certificates, documents and other instruments relating to the determination
of
the rights, preferences and privileges of any class of Shares issued
pursuant to
Section 3.2; and
(vi) all
certificates, documents and other instruments (including agreements and
a
certificate of merger) relating to a merger, consolidation or conversion
of the
Company pursuant to Article X.
(b) execute,
swear to, acknowledge, deliver, file and record all ballots, consents,
approvals, waivers, certificates, documents and other instruments that
the Board
of Directors or the Liquidator determines to be necessary or appropriate
to (i)
make, evidence, give, confirm or ratify any vote, consent, approval,
agreement
or other action that is made or given by the Members hereunder or is
consistent
with the terms of this Agreement or (ii) effectuate the terms or intent
of this
Agreement; provided, that when required by Section 9.2 or any other
provision of this Agreement that establishes a percentage of the Members
or of
the Members of any class or series required to take any action, the Chief
Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer or Secretary of the Company,
or the
Liquidator, may exercise the power of attorney made in this Section 2.6(b)
only
after the necessary vote, consent, approval, agreement or other action
of the
Members or of the Members of such class or series, as applicable.
Nothing
contained in this Section 2.6 shall be construed as authorizing the Chief
Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer or Secretary of the Company,
or the
Liquidator, to amend, change or modify this Agreement except in accordance
with
Article IX or as may be otherwise expressly provided for in this
Agreement.
(c) The
foregoing power of attorney is hereby declared to be irrevocable and
a power
coupled with an interest, and it shall survive and, to the maximum extent
permitted by law, not be affected by the subsequent death, incompetency,
disability, incapacity, dissolution, bankruptcy or termination of any
Member and
the transfer of all or any portion of such Member's Shares and shall
extend to
such Member's heirs, successors, assigns and personal
representatives. Each such Member hereby agrees to be bound by any
representation made by the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer
or
Secretary of the Company, or the Liquidator, acting in good faith pursuant
to
such power of attorney; and each such Member, to the maximum extent permitted
by
law, hereby waives any and all defenses that may be available to contest,
negate
or disaffirm the action of the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial
Officer
or Secretary of the Company, or the Liquidator, taken in good faith under
such
power of attorney in accordance with Section 2.6. Each Member shall
execute and deliver to the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer
or
Secretary of the Company, or the Liquidator, within 15 days after receipt
of the
request therefor, such further designation, powers of attorney and other
instruments as any of such Officers or the Liquidator determines to be
necessary
or appropriate to effectuate this Agreement and the purposes of the
Company.
Section
2.7 Term. The
Company's term shall be perpetual, unless and until it is dissolved in
accordance with the provisions of Article VIII. The existence of the
Company as a
14
separate
legal entity shall continue until the cancellation of the Certificate
of
Formation as provided in the Delaware Act.
Section
2.8 Title to Company
Assets. Title to Company assets, whether real, personal or mixed
and whether tangible or intangible, shall be deemed to be owned by the
Company
as an entity, and no Member, Director or Officer, individually or collectively,
shall have any ownership interest in such Company assets or any portion
thereof. Title to any or all of the Company assets may be held in the
name of the Company or one or more nominees, as the Board of Directors
may
determine. All Company assets shall be recorded as the property of
the Company in its books and records, irrespective of the name in which
record
title to such Company assets is held.
Section
2.9 Relationship With
Och-Ziff Operating Group. At all times prior
to the Consent Termination Date, notwithstanding anything in this Agreement
to
the contrary, unless the Company receives the Consent of the Class B
Shareholder
Committee, the Company shall adhere to the following:
(a) The
Company and its Subsidiaries (other than the Och-Ziff Operating Group
and its
Subsidiaries) shall not, directly or indirectly, enter into or conduct
any
business activity or transaction, or hold any assets other than (i) business
conducted and assets held by the Och-Ziff Operating Group and its Subsidiaries,
(ii) the ownership, acquisition and disposition of equity interests in
Subsidiaries of the Company, (iii) the management of the business of
the
Och-Ziff Operating Group, either directly or through Subsidiaries, (iv)
making
loans and incurring indebtedness that is not prohibited under this Section
2.9,
(v) the offering, sale, syndication, private placement or public offering
of
shares, bonds, other securities or other interests in compliance with
this
Section 2.9, (vi) subject to Section 2.9(b), any financing or refinancing
of any
type related to the Och-Ziff Operating Group, its Subsidiaries or any
of their
assets or activities, (vii) any activity or transaction contemplated by the
Class B Shareholders Agreement, any Registration Rights Agreements, the
Underwriting Agreement, the Tax Receivable Agreement or the Exchange
Agreement,
and (viii) such activities as are incidental to the foregoing.
(b) The
Company and its Subsidiaries (other than the Och-Ziff Operating Group
and its
Subsidiaries) shall not incur or guarantee any indebtedness other than
(i) indebtedness incurred in connection with an exchange under the Exchange
Agreement, and (ii) indebtedness to the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries.
(c) The
Company and its Subsidiaries (other than the Och-Ziff Operating Group
and its
Subsidiaries) shall not own any assets or take title to assets (other
than
temporarily in connection with an acquisition prior to contributing such
assets to the Och-Ziff Operating Group) other than equity interests in
Subsidiaries permitted under this Section 2.9, loans, debt securities
or other
evidence of indebtedness permitted under this Section 2.9, and such cash
and
cash equivalents, bank accounts or similar instruments or accounts as
the Board
of Directors
15
deems
reasonably necessary for the Company and its Subsidiaries to pay their
expenses
and other liabilities, and carry out their respective responsibilities
contemplated under this Agreement.
(d) The
Company shall, directly or indirectly through any combination of direct
or
indirect wholly owned Subsidiaries, maintain at all times ownership of
100% of
the outstanding equity interests in Och-Ziff Corp. and Och-Ziff Holding
and
shall not dispose of any interest in Och-Ziff Corp., Och-Ziff Holding
or the
Och-Ziff Operating Group. The Company and its Subsidiaries shall cause
Och-Ziff Corp. and Och-Ziff Holding to maintain at all times ownership
of, and
control the voting of, all outstanding Class B Units in the Och-Ziff
Operating Group Entities, and shall not permit any Person (other than
Och-Ziff
Corp., Och-Ziff Holding or another direct or indirect wholly owned
Subsidiary of the Company) to possess or exercise a right or ability
to remove,
replace, appoint or elect the general partner, managing member or similar
Person
of any Och-Ziff Operating Group Entity. The Company and its
Subsidiaries (other than the Och-Ziff Operating Group and its Subsidiaries),
including Och-Ziff Corp. and Och-Ziff Holding, shall not own any interest
in any Person other than (i) the Och-Ziff Operating Group Entities or
(ii) a
wholly owned Subsidiary that, directly or indirectly through other wholly
owned
Subsidiaries, owns an interest in the Och-Ziff Operating Group
Entities.
(e) If
the Company issues any equity securities, including, without limitation,
Shares, options, rights, warrants or other securities exercisable to
purchase
Shares or other equity securities of the Company ("Company Exercisable
Securities") or securities convertible into or exchangeable for Shares or
other equity securities of the Company ("Company Convertible
Securities"), after the date of this Agreement:
(i) The
Company shall immediately (x) contribute to Och-Ziff Holding a portion
of any
cash proceeds, assets or other consideration received from the issuance
of such
securities, if any, and from the exercise of any Company Exercisable
Securities, if any, but excluding any Company Convertible Securities
surrendered
for conversion or exchange (collectively, the "Equity Proceeds"), at
least equal to the Principal Entities Portion, and (y) contribute to
Och-Ziff
Corp. the remaining portion of such Equity Proceeds;
(ii) The
Company and its Subsidiaries shall cause Och-Ziff Holding to immediately
(x) contribute to the Principal Entities (allocated among them in accordance
with their relative equity values at the time, as reasonably determined
by the
Board of Directors) the Principal Entities Portion of the Equity Proceeds
received by Och-Ziff Holding, and (y) loan to Och-Ziff Corp. the remaining
portion (if any) of the Equity Proceeds received by Och-Ziff
Holding;
(iii) The
Company and its Subsidiaries shall cause Och-Ziff Corp. to immediately
contribute to the Operating Entities (x) the portion of the Equity Proceeds
received by Och-Ziff Corp., and (y) the portion of the Equity Proceeds
loaned to
Och-Ziff Corp. by Och-Ziff Holding (allocated among the Operating Entities
in
accordance with
16
their
relative equity values at the time, as reasonably determined by the Board
of
Directors);
(iv) The
Company and its Subsidiaries shall cause each Och-Ziff Operating Group
Entity to
issue to Och-Ziff Corp. and Och-Ziff Holding, in exchange for the portion
of the
Equity Proceeds contributed to them, if any (it being understood that
such
issuance shall occur even if there are no Equity Proceeds), (x) in the
case of
an issuance of Class A Shares, a number of Class B Units equal to the
number of Class A Shares issued, and (y) in the case of an issuance of
any other
equity securities by the Company, a new class or series of units or other
equity
securities with designations, preferences and other rights, terms and
provisions
that are substantially the same as those of such other equity securities
issued
by the Company (with any dollar amounts adjusted to reflect the portion
of the
total amount of cash proceeds, assets or other consideration received
by the
Company that is contributed to such Och-Ziff Operating Group Entity)
equal in
number to the number of such other equity securities issued by the
Company;
(v) If
the Company issues any Company Exercisable Securities, then upon the
exercise of
any such Company Exercisable Securities, the Company shall cause Och-Ziff
Corp.
and Och-Ziff Holding to exercise an equal number of the equivalent equity
securities that were issued by each of the Och-Ziff Operating Group Entities
to
Och-Ziff Corp. or Och-Ziff Holding in connection with the original
issuance of such Company Exercisable Securities (on the same
basis);
(vi) If
the Company issues any Company Convertible Securities, then upon the
conversion
or exchange of such Company Convertible Securities, the Company shall
cause
Och-Ziff Corp. and Och-Ziff Holding to convert or exchange (as the case
may be)
an equal number of the equivalent equity securities that were issued
by each of
the Och-Ziff Operating Group Entities to Och-Ziff Corp. or Och-Ziff Holding
in connection with the original issuance of such Company Convertible
Securities
(on the same basis);
(vii) If
the Company issues any equity securities that are subject to vesting
or
forfeiture provisions, then the equivalent equity securities that are
issued by
the Och-Ziff Operating Group Entities to Och-Ziff Corp. and Och-Ziff
Holding in
connection with the issuance of such Company equity securities shall
be subject
to vesting or forfeiture on the same basis, and if any of the Company
equity
securities vest or are forfeited, an equal number of the equivalent equity
securities issued by each of the Och-Ziff Operating Group Entities shall
automatically vest or be forfeited; and
(viii) If
the Company issues any equity securities that, in accordance with their
terms,
are subject to redemption, then upon the redemption of such Company equity
securities, the Company shall cause each of the Och-Ziff Operating Group
Entities to redeem an equal number of the equivalent equity securities
that
were
17
issued
to Och-Ziff Corp. or Och-Ziff Holding in connection with the original
issuance of such Company equity securities (on the same basis).
(f) The
Company and its Subsidiaries (other than an Och-Ziff Operating Group
Entity or one of its Subsidiaries) shall not contribute cash or other
assets to
the Och-Ziff Operating Group Entities that are not Equity Proceeds;
provided, however, that if the Consent of the
Class B Shareholder Committee has been obtained with respect to such a
contribution, unless such Consent of the Class B Shareholder
Committee specifies an alternative structure, (i) such contribution shall
be made concurrently with a contribution to each of the other Och-Ziff
Operating
Group Entities in accordance with Section 2.9(h), (ii) in lieu of
the Och-Ziff Operating Group Entities issuing any equity securities in
exchange for such contribution, the Company and its Subsidiaries shall
cause
each of such Och-Ziff Operating Group Entities to concurrently effect
a
combination of their outstanding Class A Units such that, after giving
effect to
such combination, the aggregate number of outstanding Class A Units is
equal to
the product of (1) the number of Class A Units outstanding immediately
prior to giving effect to such combination and (2) a fraction, (x) the
numerator of which is the number of Class B Units that such Och-Ziff
Operating Group Entity has outstanding immediately prior to such contribution,
and (y) the denominator of which is the sum of (1) the number of Class
B Units outstanding immediately prior to such contribution, and (2) a
number of Class B Units that have an aggregate value equal to the aggregate
value of the cash or other assets contributed, and (iii) concurrently
with the
combination of Class A Units described in clause (ii), the Company shall
effect
a combination of Class B Shares in the same ratio as such combination
of Class A
Units; provided, further, that, for purposes of determining the value
of Class B Units, the aggregate value of one Class B Unit in each of
the Och-Ziff Operating Group Entities shall be deemed to equal the fair
market value of a Class A Share on the date of such contribution, which
shall be
(i) the closing price of a Class A Share on the New York Stock Exchange
on the
trading day immediately prior to the date of such contribution, or (ii)
if the
Board of Directors determines otherwise, another value reasonably determined
by
the Board of Directors.
(g) Except
as provided in Section 2.9(f), (i) the Company shall not (w) effect a
split or
subdivision of its Class A Shares or Class B Shares, (x) effect a reverse
share split or combination of its Class A Shares or Class B Shares, (y)
make a
pro rata distribution of its Class A Shares or Class B Shares to the
respective
holders of such class of shares, or (z) effect any other recapitalization
or
reclassification of its Class A Shares or Class B Shares, and (ii) the
Company
shall not permit any Och-Ziff Operating Group Entity to (w) effect a
split or
subdivision of its Class A Units or Class B Units, (x) effect a reverse
share split or combination of its Class A Units or Class B Units, (y)
make a pro
rata distribution of its Class A Units or Class B Units to the respective
holders of such class of units, or (z) effect any other recapitalization
or
reclassification of its Class A Units or Class B Units, unless, in each
case,
similar transactions are effected concurrently with respect to both the
Class A
Shares and Class B Shares of the Company, and the Class A Units and Class
B
Units of each Och-Ziff Operating Group Entity such that, after giving
effect to
such transactions, (1) the ratio of outstanding Class A Shares to outstanding
Class B Shares is maintained, (2) the ratio of outstanding Class A Units
to
outstanding Class B Units is maintained for each Och-Ziff Operating
Group Entity and (3) the Company has the same number
18
of
Class A Shares outstanding as each Och-Ziff Operating Group Entity has
Class B
Units outstanding.
(h) The
Company and its Subsidiaries (other than the Och-Ziff Operating Group
Entities
and their Subsidiaries) shall not make any capital contribution to any
Och-Ziff Operating Group Entity unless a capital contribution is
concurrently made to all of the Och-Ziff Operating Group Entities and the
values of the capital contributions to all Och-Ziff Operating Group
Entities are proportional to their relative equity values at the time,
as
reasonably determined by the Board of Directors; provided, however,
that the contribution to each Och-Ziff Operating Group Entity may consist
of a different type of asset.
(i) The
Company shall not permit any Och-Ziff Operating Group Entity to issue
any equity
securities to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (other than the
Och-Ziff
Operating Group Entities and their Subsidiaries) unless each other Och-Ziff
Operating Group Entity concurrently issues to the Company and its Subsidiaries
(excluding the Och-Ziff Operating Group Entities and their Subsidiaries)
equity
securities that are equal in number to, and have substantially the same
terms
and provisions as, the equity securities issued by such Och-Ziff Operating
Group
Entity. Nothing in this Section shall preclude the issuance of units
by any Och-Ziff Operating Group Entity or its Subsidiary to another Och-Ziff
Operating Group Entity or its Subsidiary in exchange for cash or other
assets.
(j) The
Company shall not cause the Och-Ziff Operating Group Entities to establish
record dates for the payment of distributions unless they coincide with the
Record Dates for distributions paid by the Company.
(k) If,
as a result of an exchange pursuant to the Exchange Agreement, the Company
or
any of its Subsidiaries acquires any Class A Units issued by the Och-Ziff
Operating Group Entities, the Company and its Subsidiaries shall cause
all such
Class A Units to be converted into an equal number of Class B Units issued
by
the Och-Ziff Operating Group Entities, unless otherwise determined or
cancelled.
(l) The
Company shall not permit the Och-Ziff Operating Group Entities to repurchase
or
redeem any equity securities from the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
(excluding the Och-Ziff Operating Group Entities and their Subsidiaries)
except
pursuant to Section 2.9(e)(viii).
(m) For
the avoidance of doubt, nothing in this Section 2.9 shall be interpreted
in a
manner that would reduce, diminish or supersedes any of the rights or
privileges
of the Class B Shareholder Committee under the Class B Shareholders
Agreement.
19
ARTICLE
III
MEMBERS
AND SHARES
Section
3.1 Members.
(a) A
Person shall be admitted as a Member and shall become bound by, and shall
be
deemed to have agreed to be bound by, the terms of this Agreement if
such Person
purchases or otherwise lawfully acquires any Share, and such Person shall
become
the Record Holder of such Share, in accordance with the provisions of
this
Article III and the other terms of this Agreement. A Person may
become a Record Holder without the consent or approval of any of the
Members and
without execution of this Agreement. A Person may not become a Member
without acquiring a Share.
(b) The
name and mailing address of each Member or such Member’s representative shall be
listed on the books and records of the Company maintained for such purpose
by
the Company or the Transfer Agent.
(c) Except
as otherwise provided in the Delaware Act, the debts, obligations and
liabilities of the Company, whether arising in contract, tort or otherwise,
shall be solely the debts, obligations and liabilities of the Company,
and the
Members shall not be obligated personally for any such debt, obligation
or
liability of the Company solely by reason of being a Member of the
Company.
(d) Subject
to Articles X and XII, Members may not be expelled from or removed as
Members of
the Company. Members shall not have any right to withdraw from the
Company; provided, that when a transferee of a Member's Shares becomes
a Record
Holder of such Shares, such transferring Member shall cease to be a Member
of
the Company with respect to the Shares so transferred.
(e) Except
to the extent expressly provided in this Agreement (including any Share
Designation, as such term is defined in Section 3.2(c)): (i) no Member
shall be
entitled to the withdrawal or return of any Capital Contribution, except
to the
extent, if any, that distributions made pursuant to this Agreement or
upon
dissolution of the Company may be considered as such by law and then
only to the
extent provided for in this Agreement; (ii) no Member shall have priority
over
any other Member either as to the return of Capital Contributions or
as to
profits, losses or distributions; (iii) no interest shall be paid by
the Company
on Capital Contributions; and (iv) no Member, in its capacity as such,
shall
participate in the operation or management of the Company's business,
transact
any business in the Company's name or have the power to sign documents
for or
otherwise bind the Company by reason of being a Member.
20
(f) Any
Member shall be entitled to and may have business interests and engage
in
business activities in addition to those relating to the Company, including
business interests and activities in direct competition with the Company
Group. Neither the Company nor any of the other Members shall have
any rights by virtue of this Agreement in any such business interests
or
activities of any Member.
Section
3.2 Authorization to Issue
Shares.
(a) The
Company may issue Shares, and options, rights, warrants and appreciation
rights
relating to Shares or other Share-based awards, for any purpose at any
time and
from time to time to such Persons for such consideration (which may be
cash,
property, services or any other lawful consideration) or for no consideration
and on such terms and conditions as the Board of Directors shall determine,
all
without the approval of any Members, notwithstanding any provision of
Section
9.1 or Section 9.2. Each Share shall have the rights and be governed
by the provisions set forth in this Agreement (including any Share
Designation). Except to the extent expressly provided in this
Agreement (including any Share Designation), no Shares shall entitle
any Member
to any preemptive, preferential, or similar rights with respect to the
issuance
of Shares.
(b) As
of the date of this Agreement, two classes of Shares have been designated:
Class
A Shares and Class B Shares. Pursuant to Section 4.3 of the First
Amended and Restated LLC Agreement, the Initial Members’ membership interests in
the Company were automatically reclassified as Class B Shares upon the
execution
of this Agreement. As a result, as of the date of this Agreement, the
Initial Members constitute all of the Class B Shareholders and hold an
aggregate of 279,989,556 Class B Shares, and one Class A Share has
been issued. The Class A Shares and the Class B Shares shall entitle
the Record Holders thereof to one vote per Share on any and all matters
submitted for the consent or approval of Members generally. The Company
and the
Class B Shareholders are expected to enter into the Class B Shareholders
Agreement, which is expected to set forth certain agreements among them,
including with respect to the establishment of and delegation of authority
to
the Class B Shareholder Committee, the grant by the Class B Shareholders
of a
voting proxy in favor of the Class B Shareholder Committee, the grant
of certain
approval rights to the Class B Shareholder Committee, the selection by
the Class
B Shareholder Committee of nominees for the Board of Directors and limitations
on the transfer of the Class B Shares, in each case as contemplated by
the
Registration Statement. The Class B Shareholders, Och-Ziff
Corp., Och-Ziff Holding, the Company, each Och-Ziff Operating Group Entity
and certain other holders of Och-Ziff Operating Group Units are expected
to
enter into an Exchange Agreement which is expected to provide for the
exchange by the Class B Shareholders of their Class A Units with the
Och-Ziff Operating Group Entities, for cash or Class A Shares and the
corresponding cancellation of an equal number of Class B Shares held
by such
Class B Shareholders, as contemplated by a Registration Statement. The
holders of the Och-Ziff Operating Group Units are expected to enter into
the
Registration Rights Agreement with the Company pursuant to which they
will be
granted certain registration rights with respect to Class A Shares that
may be
delivered to them in exchange for their Och-Ziff Operating Group Units
and any
other Class A Shares they may otherwise hold from time to time.
21
(c) In
addition to the Class A Shares and the Class B Shares, and without the
consent
or approval of any Members, additional Shares may be issued by the Company
in
one or more classes, with such designations, preferences, rights, powers
and
duties (which may be junior to, equivalent to, or senior or superior
to, any
existing classes of Shares), as shall be fixed by the Board of Directors
and
reflected in a written action or actions approved by the Board of Directors
in
compliance with Section 5.1 (each, a "Share Designation"), including (i)
the right to share Company profits and losses or items thereof; (ii)
the right
to share in Company distributions, the dates distributions will be payable
and
whether distributions with respect to such series or class will be cumulative
or
non-cumulative; (iii) rights upon dissolution and liquidation of the
Company;
(iv) whether, and the terms and conditions upon which, the Company may
redeem
the Shares; (v) whether such Shares are issued with the privilege of
conversion
or exchange and, if so, the conversion or exchange price or prices or
rate or
rates, or any adjustments thereto, the date or dates on which, or the
period or
periods during which, the Shares will be convertible or exchangeable
and all
other terms and conditions upon which the conversion or exchange may
be made;
(vi) the terms and conditions upon which such Shares will be issued,
evidenced
by certificates and assigned or transferred; (vii) the method for determining
the Percentage Interest, if any, applicable to such Shares; (viii) the
terms and amounts of any sinking fund provided for the purchase or redemption
of
such Shares; (ix) whether there will be restrictions on the issuance
of Shares of the same class or series or any other class or series;
and (x) the right, if any, of the holder of each such Share to vote on
Company
matters, including matters relating to the relative rights, preferences
and
privileges of such Shares. A Share Designation (or any resolution of
the Board of Directors amending any Share Designation) shall be effective
when a
duly executed original of the same is delivered to the Secretary of the
Company
for inclusion among the permanent records of the Company, and shall be
annexed
to, and constitute part of, this Agreement. Unless otherwise provided
in the applicable Share Designation, the Board of Directors may at any
time
increase or decrease the amount of Preferred Shares of any class or series,
but
not below the number of Preferred Shares of such class or series then
Outstanding.
(d) The
Company is authorized to issue up to one billion Class A Shares, 750
million
Class B Shares, and 250 million Preferred Shares. All Shares issued
pursuant to, and in accordance with the requirements of, this Article
III shall
be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable Shares in the Company,
except to
the extent otherwise provided in the Delaware Act or this Agreement (including
any Share Designation).
(e) The
Board of Directors may, without the consent or approval of any Members,
amend
this Agreement and make any filings under the Delaware Act or otherwise
to the
extent the Board of Directors determines that it is necessary or desirable
in
order to effectuate any issuance of Shares pursuant to this Article III,
including, without limitation, an amendment of Section 3.2(d).
Section
3.3 Certificates.
(a) Notwithstanding
anything to the contrary herein, unless the Board of Directors shall
determine
otherwise in respect of one or more classes of Shares or as may be
22
required
by the Depository with respect to any specific class of Shares, Shares
shall not
be evidenced by physical Certificates. No Member shall have the right
to require the Company to issue physical Certificates representing Shares
for
any reason, except as may be required by applicable law. If the Board of
Directors authorizes the issuance of Shares to any Person in the form
of
physical Certificates, the Company shall issue one or more Certificates
in the
name of such Person evidencing the number of such Shares being so
issued. Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the Company by
any two Authorized Signatories. If and to the extent a Transfer Agent
has been appointed with respect to any class or series of Shares, no
Certificate
representing such class or series of Shares shall be valid for any purpose
until
it has been countersigned by the Transfer Agent; provided, however,
that if the Board of Directors elects to issue Shares in global form,
the
Certificates representing Shares shall be valid upon receipt of a certificate
from the Transfer Agent certifying that the Shares have been duly registered
in
accordance with the directions of the Company. Any or all of the
signatures required on the Certificate may be by facsimile. If any
Officer or Transfer Agent who shall have signed or whose facsimile signature
shall have been placed upon any such Certificate shall have ceased to
be such
Officer or Transfer Agent before such Certificate is issued by the Company,
such Certificate may nevertheless be issued by the Company with the same
effect
as if such Person were such Officer or Transfer Agent at the date of
issue. Certificates for any class or series of Shares shall be
consecutively numbered and shall be entered on the books and records
of the
Company as they are issued and shall exhibit the holder's name and number
and
type of Shares.
(b) If
any mutilated Certificate is surrendered to the Company or the Transfer
Agent,
the appropriate Officers on behalf of the Company shall execute, and the
Transfer Agent shall countersign and deliver in exchange therefor, a
new
Certificate evidencing the same number and class or series of Shares
as the
Certificate so surrendered. The appropriate Officers on behalf of the
Company shall execute, and the Transfer Agent shall countersign and deliver,
a
new Certificate in place of any Certificate previously issued if the
Record
Holder of the Certificate: (i) makes proof by affidavit, in form and
substance
satisfactory to the Company, that a previously issued Certificate has
been lost,
destroyed or stolen; (ii) requests the issuance of a new Certificate
before the
Company has notice that the Certificate has been acquired by a purchaser
for
value in good faith and without notice of an adverse claim; (iii) if
requested
by the Company, delivers to the Company a bond, in form and substance
satisfactory to the Company, with surety or sureties and with fixed or
open
penalty as the Company may direct to indemnify the Company and the Transfer
Agent against any claim that may be made on account of the alleged loss,
destruction or theft of the Certificate; and (iv) satisfies any other
reasonable
requirements imposed by the Company. If a Member fails to notify the
Company within a reasonable time after he has notice of the loss, destruction
or
theft of a Certificate, and a transfer of the Shares represented by the
Certificate is registered before the Company or the Transfer Agent receives
such
notification, the Member shall be precluded from making any claim against
the
Company or the Transfer Agent for such transfer or for a new
Certificate. As a condition to the issuance of any new Certificate
under this Section, the Company may require the payment of a sum sufficient
to
cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in relation
thereto and any other expenses (including the fees and expenses of the
Transfer
Agent) reasonably connected therewith.
23
Section
3.4 Record
Holders. The Company shall be entitled to recognize the Record
Holder as the owner of a Share and, accordingly, shall not be bound to
recognize
any equitable or other claim to or interest in such Share on the part
of any
other Person, regardless of whether the Company shall have actual or
other
notice thereof, except as otherwise provided by law or any applicable
rule,
regulation, guideline or requirement of any National Securities Exchange
on
which such Shares are listed for trading. Without limiting the
foregoing, when a Person (such as a broker, dealer, bank, trust company
or
clearing corporation or an agent of any of the foregoing) is acting as
nominee,
agent or in some other representative capacity for another Person in
acquiring
and/or holding Shares, as between the Company on the one hand, and such
other
Persons on the other, such representative Person shall be the Record
Holder of
such Shares.
Section
3.5 Registration and Transfer of
Shares.
(a) The
Company shall keep or cause to be kept on behalf of the Company a register
(which may be in electronic form) that will provide for the registration
and
transfer of Shares. The Board of Directors may appoint a Transfer
Agent to act as registrar and transfer agent for the purpose of registering
any
class of Shares and transfers of such class of Shares as herein
provided. For Shares represented by Certificates, upon surrender of a
Certificate for registration of transfer of any Shares evidenced by a
Certificate, the appropriate Officers of the Company shall execute and
deliver,
and in the case of Shares for which a Transfer Agent has been appointed,
the
Transfer Agent shall countersign and deliver, in the name of the holder
or the
designated transferee or transferees, as required pursuant to the Record
Holder's instructions, one or more new Certificates evidencing the same
aggregate number and type of Shares as were evidenced by the Certificate
so
surrendered, provided that a transferor shall provide the address and
facsimile
number for each such transferee as contemplated by Section 13.1.
(b) The
Company shall not recognize any transfer of Shares evidenced by Certificates
until the Certificates evidencing such Shares are surrendered for registration
of transfer. No charge shall be imposed by the Company for such
transfer; provided, that as a condition to the issuance of Shares, whether
or
not such Shares are evidenced by Certificates, the Company may require
the
payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge
that
may be imposed with respect thereto.
(c) By
acceptance of the transfer of any Share, each transferee of a Share (including
any nominee holder or an agent or representative acquiring such Shares
for the
account of another Person) (i) shall be admitted to the Company as a
Substitute
Member with respect to the Shares so transferred to such transferee when
any
such transfer or admission is reflected in the books and records of the
Company
or the Transfer Agent, as applicable, (ii) shall be deemed to agree to
be bound
by the terms of this Agreement, (iii) shall become the Record Holder
of the
Shares so transferred, (iv) grants powers of attorney to the Officers
of the
Company and any Liquidator of the Company, as specified herein, and (v)
makes
the consents and waivers contained in this Agreement. The transfer of
any Shares
and the admission of any new Member shall not constitute an amendment
to this
Agreement.
24
(d) Nothing
contained in this Agreement shall preclude electronic book-entry only
transfer
of Shares or the settlement of any transactions involving Shares entered
into
through the facilities of the Depository or any National Securities Exchange
on
which such Shares are listed for trading.
(e) No
Class B Shareholder may, directly or indirectly, transfer any Class B
Shares,
except pursuant to a Permitted Transfer or as otherwise permitted by
the Class B
Shareholder Committee as provided in the Class B Shareholders
Agreement.
Section
3.6 Capital
Accounts.
(a) The
Company shall maintain for each Member (or a Beneficial Owner of Shares
held by
a nominee in any case in which the nominee has furnished the identity
of such
owner to the Company in accordance with Section 6031(c) of the Code or
any other
method acceptable to the Company) owning Shares a separate Capital Account
with
respect to such Shares in accordance with the rules of Treasury Regulation
Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv). Such Capital Account shall be increased by
(i) the amount of all Capital Contributions made to the Company with
respect to
the corresponding Shares pursuant to this Agreement and (ii) all items
of
Company income and gain (including income and gain exempt from tax)
computed in accordance with Section 3.6(b) and allocated with respect
to the
corresponding Shares pursuant to Section 4.1, and decreased by (x) the
amount of
cash or Net Agreed Value of all actual and deemed distributions of cash
or
property made with respect to the corresponding Shares pursuant to this
Agreement and (y) all items of Company deduction and loss computed in
accordance
with Section 3.6(b) and allocated with respect to the corresponding Shares
pursuant to Section 4.1. Except as otherwise indicated in this Agreement,
the
foregoing provisions and the other provisions of this Agreement relating
to the
maintenance of Capital Accounts are intended to comply with Treasury
Regulation
Section 1.704-1(b) and shall be interpreted and applied in a manner consistent
with such Treasury Regulation.
(b) For
purposes of computing the amount of any item of income, gain, loss or
deduction,
which is to be allocated pursuant to Article IV and is to be reflected
in the
Members' Capital Accounts, the determination, recognition and classification
of
any such item shall be the same as its determination, recognition and
classification for U.S. federal income tax purposes (including any method
of
depreciation, cost recovery or amortization used for that purpose), provided,
that:
(i) All
fees and other expenses incurred by the Company to promote the sale of
(or to
sell) Shares that can neither be deducted nor amortized under Section
709 of the
Code, if any, shall, for purposes of Capital Account maintenance, be
treated as
an item of deduction at the time such fees and other expenses are incurred
and
shall be allocated among the Members pursuant to Section 4.1.
25
(ii) Except
as otherwise provided in Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(m),
the
computation of all items of income, gain, loss and deduction shall be
made
without regard to any election under Section 754 of the Code which may
be made
by the Company and, as to those items described in Section 705(a)(1)(B)
or
705(a)(2)(B) of the Code, without regard to the fact that such items
are not
includable in gross income or are neither currently deductible nor capitalized
for U.S. federal income tax purposes. To the extent an adjustment to
the
adjusted tax basis of any Company asset pursuant to Section 734(b) or
743(b) of
the Code is required, pursuant to Treasury Regulation Section
1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(m), to be taken into account in determining Capital
Accounts,
the amount of such adjustment in the Capital Accounts shall be treated as
an item of gain or loss.
(iii) Any
income, gain or loss attributable to the taxable disposition of any Company
property shall be determined as if the adjusted basis of such property
as of
such date of disposition were equal in amount to the Company's Carrying
Value
with respect to such property as of such date.
(c) A
transferee of Shares shall succeed to a pro rata portion of the Capital
Account
of the transferor based on the number of Shares so transferred.
(d) The
Capital Account balance of each Member shall be adjusted in accordance with
the rules set forth in Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(f)
to
reflect the Member's allocable share (as determined under Article IV)
of the
items of Net Income or Net Loss that would be realized by the Company
if it sold
all of its property at its fair market value (taking Code Section 7701(g)
into
account) on (a) the date of the acquisition of any additional interest
in the
Company by any new or existing Member in exchange for more than a de
minimis Capital Contribution; (b) the date of the distribution of more
than
a de minimis amount of Company assets to a Member; (c) the date any
interest in the Company is relinquished to the Company; or (d) any other
date
specified in the United States Treasury Regulations; provided however
that
adjustments pursuant to clauses (a), (b), (c) and (d) above shall be
made only
if the Board of Directors, in its sole discretion, determines that such
adjustments are necessary or appropriate to reflect the relative economic
interests of the Members.
(e) Notwithstanding
anything expressed or implied to the contrary in this Agreement, the
Capital
Account of each holder of Class B Shares shall at all times be zero,
except to
the extent such holder also holds Class A Shares or other Shares in addition
to
Class B Shares.
(f) Notwithstanding
anything expressed or implied to the contrary in this Agreement, in the
event
the Board of Directors shall determine, in its sole and absolute discretion,
that it is prudent to modify the manner in which the Capital Accounts,
or any
debits or credits thereto, are computed in order to effectuate the intended
economic sharing arrangement of the Members, the Board of Directors may
make
such modification.
26
(g) Notwithstanding
anything expressed or implied to the contrary in this Agreement, no Member
shall
have the right to request, demand, or receive any distribution in respect
of
such Member's Capital Account from the Company (other than distributions
made in
accordance with, and subject to the terms and conditions of, Section
8.3(a)-(c)).
Section
3.7 Splits and
Combinations.
(a) Subject
to paragraph (d) of this Section and Section 2.9, the Company may make
a pro
rata distribution of Shares of any class or series to all Record Holders
of such
class or series of Shares, or may effect a subdivision or combination
of Shares
of any class or series so long as, after any such event, each Member
shall have
the same Percentage Interest in the Company as before such event, and
any
amounts calculated on a per Share basis or stated as a number of Shares
are
proportionately adjusted.
(b) Whenever
such a distribution, subdivision or combination of Shares is declared,
the Board
of Directors shall select a Record Date as of which the distribution,
subdivision or combination shall be effective and shall send notice thereof
at
least 20 days prior to such Record Date to each Record Holder as of a
date not
less than 10 days prior to the date of such notice. The Board of
Directors also may cause a firm of independent public accountants selected
by it
to calculate the number of Shares to be held by each Record Holder after
giving
effect to such distribution, subdivision or combination. The Board of
Directors shall be entitled to rely on any certificate provided by such
firm as conclusive evidence of the accuracy of such calculation.
(c) Promptly
following any such distribution, subdivision or combination, the Company
may
issue Certificates to the Record Holders of Shares as of the applicable
Record
Date representing the new number of Shares held by such Record Holders,
or the
Board of Directors may adopt such other procedures that it determines
to be
necessary or appropriate to reflect such changes. If any such
combination results in a smaller total number of Shares Outstanding,
the Company
shall require, as a condition to the delivery to a Record Holder of such
new
Certificate, the surrender of any Certificate that was held by such Record
Holder immediately prior to the applicable Record Date.
(d) The
Company shall not issue fractional Shares upon any distribution, subdivision
or
combination of Shares. If a distribution, subdivision or combination
of Shares would otherwise result in the issuance of fractional Shares,
each
fractional Share shall be rounded to the nearest whole Share (and a 0.5
Share
shall be rounded to the next higher Share).
27
ARTICLE
IV
ALLOCATIONS
AND DISTRIBUTIONS
Section
4.1 Allocations for Capital Account
Purposes. For purposes of maintaining the Capital Accounts and in
determining the rights of the Members among themselves, the Company's
items of
income, gain, loss and deduction (computed in accordance with Section
3.6(b))
shall be allocated among the Members in each taxable year (or portion
thereof)
as provided herein below.
(a) Net
Income. After giving effect to the special allocations set forth
in Section 4.1(c), Net Income for each taxable year and all items of
income,
gain, loss and deduction taken into account in computing Net Income for
such
taxable year shall be allocated to the Members in accordance with their
respective Percentage Interests.
(b) Net
Loss. After giving effect to the special allocations set forth in
Section 4.1(c), Net Loss for each taxable period and all items of income,
gain,
loss and deduction taken into account in computing Net Loss for such
taxable
period shall be allocated to the Members in accordance with their respective
Percentage Interests; provided that to the extent any allocation of Net
Loss
would cause any Members to have a deficit balance in its Adjusted Capital
Account at the end of such taxable year (or increase any existing deficit
balance in its Adjusted Capital Account), such allocation of Net Loss
shall be
reallocated among the other Members in accordance with their respective
Percentage Interests.
(c) Special
Allocations. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section
4.1, the following special allocations shall be made for such taxable
period:
(i) Company Minimum
Gain Chargeback. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section
4.1, if there is a net decrease in Company Minimum Gain during any Company
taxable period, each Member shall be allocated items of Company income
and gain
for such period (and, if necessary, subsequent periods) in the manner
and
amounts provided in Treasury Regulation Sections 1.704-2(f)(6), 1.704-2(g)(2)
and 1.704-2(j)(2)(i), or any successor provision. For purposes of
this Section 4.1(c), each Member's Adjusted Capital Account balance shall
be
determined, and the allocation of income and gain required hereunder
shall be
effected, prior to the application of any other allocations pursuant
to this
Section 4.1(c) with respect to such taxable period (other than an allocation
pursuant to Sections 4.1(c)(iii) and 4.1(c)(vi)). This Section
4.1(c)(i) is intended to comply with the Company Minimum Gain chargeback
requirement in Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-2(f) and shall be interpreted
consistently therewith.
(ii) Chargeback
of Member Nonrecourse Debt Minimum Gain. Notwithstanding the
other provisions of this Section 4.1 (other than Section 4.1(c)(i)),
28
except
as provided in Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-2(i)(4), if there is
a net
decrease in Member Nonrecourse Debt Minimum Gain during any Company taxable
period, any Member with a share of Member Nonrecourse Debt Minimum Gain
at the
beginning of such taxable period shall be allocated items of Company
income and
gain for such period (and, if necessary, subsequent periods) in the manner
and
amounts provided in Treasury Regulation Sections 1.704-2(i)(4) and
1.704-2(j)(2)(ii), or any successor provisions. For purposes of this
Section
4.1(c), each Member's Adjusted Capital Account balance shall be determined,
and
the allocation of income and gain required hereunder shall be effected,
prior to
the application of any other allocations pursuant to this Section 4.1(c),
other
than Section 4.1(c)(i) and other than an allocation pursuant to Sections
4.1(c)(v) and 4.1(c)(vi), with respect to such taxable period. This
Section 4.1(c)(ii) is intended to comply with the chargeback of items
of income
and gain requirement in Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-2(i)(4) and
shall be
interpreted consistently therewith.
(iii) Qualified
Income Offset. In the event any Member unexpectedly receives any
adjustments, allocations or distributions described in Treasury Regulation
Sections 1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(d)(4), (5), or (6), items of Company income
and gain
shall be specially allocated to such Member in an amount and manner sufficient
to eliminate, to the extent required by the Treasury Regulations promulgated
under Section 704(b) of the Code, the deficit balance, if any, in its
Adjusted
Capital Account created by such adjustments, allocations or distributions
as
quickly as possible unless such deficit balance is otherwise eliminated
pursuant
to Sections 4.1(c)(i) or (ii). This Section 4.1(c)(iii) is intended to
qualify
and be construed as a "qualified income offset" within the meaning of
Treasury
Regulation Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(d) and shall be interpreted consistently
therewith.
(iv) Gross
Income Allocations. In the event any Member has a deficit balance
in its Capital Account at the end of any Company taxable period in excess
of the
sum of (A) the amount such Member is required to restore pursuant to
the
provisions of this Agreement and (B) the amount such Member is deemed
obligated
to restore pursuant to Treasury Regulation Sections 1.704-2(g) and
1.704-2(i)(5), such Member shall be specially allocated items of Company
gross
income and gain in the amount of such excess as quickly as possible;
provided,
that an allocation pursuant to this Section 4.1(c)(iv) shall be made
only if and
to the extent that such Member would have a deficit balance in its Capital
Account as adjusted after all other allocations provided for in this
Section 4.1
have been tentatively made as if this Section 4.1(c)(iv) were not in
this
Agreement.
(v) Nonrecourse
Deductions. Nonrecourse Deductions for any taxable period shall
be allocated to the Members in accordance with their respective Percentage
Interests. If the Board of Directors determines that the Company's
Nonrecourse Deductions should be allocated in a different ratio to satisfy
the
safe harbor requirements of the Treasury Regulations promulgated under
Section
704(b) of the Code, the Board of Directors is authorized, upon notice
to the
other Members, to revise the prescribed ratio to the numerically closest
ratio
that does satisfy such requirements.
29
(vi) Member
Nonrecourse Deductions. Member Nonrecourse Deductions for any
taxable period shall be allocated 100% to the Member that bears the Economic
Risk of Loss with respect to the Member Nonrecourse Debt to which such
Member
Nonrecourse Deductions are attributable in accordance with Treasury Regulation
Section 1.704-2(i). If more than one Member bears the Economic Risk
of Loss with respect to a Member Nonrecourse Debt, such Member Nonrecourse
Deductions attributable thereto shall be allocated between or among such
Members
in accordance with the ratios in which they share such Economic Risk
of
Loss.
(vii) Nonrecourse
Liabilities. Nonrecourse Liabilities of the Company described in
Treasury Regulation Section 1.752-3(a)(3) shall be allocated among the
Members
in a manner chosen by the Board of Directors and consistent with such
Treasury
Regulation.
(viii) Code
Section 754 Adjustments. To the extent an adjustment to the
adjusted tax basis of any Company asset pursuant to Section 734(b) or
743(b) of
the Code is required, pursuant to Treasury Regulation Section
1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(m), to be taken into account in determining Capital
Accounts,
the amount of such adjustment to the Capital Accounts shall be treated
as an
item of gain (if the adjustment increases the basis of the asset) or
loss (if
the adjustment decreases such basis), and such item of gain or loss shall
be
specially allocated to the Members in a manner consistent with the manner
in
which their Capital Accounts are required to be adjusted pursuant to
such
Section of the Treasury Regulations.
(ix) Curative
Allocation.
(A) The
Required Allocations are intended to comply with certain requirements
of the
Treasury Regulations. It is the intent of the Members that, to the extent
possible, all Required Allocations shall be offset either with other
Required
Allocations or with special allocations of other items of Company income,
gain,
loss or deduction pursuant to this Section 4.1(c)(ix). Therefore,
notwithstanding any other provision of this Article IV (other than the
Required
Allocations), the Board of Directors shall make such offsetting special
allocations of Company income, gain, loss or deduction in whatever manner
it
determines appropriate so that, after such offsetting allocations are
made, each
Member's Capital Account balance is, to the extent possible, equal to
the
Capital Account balance such Member would have had if the Required Allocations
were not part of this Agreement and all Company items were allocated
pursuant to
the economic agreement among the Members.
(B) The
Board of Directors shall, with respect to each taxable period, (1) apply
the
provisions of Section 4.1(c)(ix)(A) in whatever order is most likely
to minimize
the economic distortions that might otherwise result
30
from
the Required Allocations, and (2) divide all allocations pursuant to
Section
4.1(c)(ix)(A) among the Members in a manner that is likely to minimize
such
economic distortions.
Section
4.2 Allocations for Tax
Purposes.
(a) Except
as otherwise provided herein, each item of income, gain, loss and deduction
shall be allocated, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, among the Members
in
the same manner as its correlative item of "book" income, gain, loss
or
deduction is allocated pursuant to Section 4.1.
(b) In
an attempt to eliminate Book-Tax Disparities attributable to a Contributed
Property or an Adjusted Property, items of income, gain, loss, depreciation,
amortization and cost recovery deductions shall be allocated for U.S.
federal
income tax purposes among the Members as follows:
(i) (i)
In the case of a Contributed Property, such items attributable thereto
shall be
allocated among the Members in the manner provided under Section 704(c)
of the
Code that takes into account the variation between the Agreed Value of
such
property and its adjusted basis at the time of contribution; and (ii)
any item
of Residual Gain or Residual Loss attributable to a Contributed Property
shall
be allocated among the Members in the same manner as its correlative
item of
"book" gain or loss is allocated pursuant to Section 4.1.
(ii) (iii)
In the case of an Adjusted Property, such items shall (1) first, be allocated
among the Members in a manner consistent with the principles of Section
704(c)
of the Code to take into account the variation between the adjusted basis
of
such property for U.S. federal income tax purposes and its Carrying Value,
and
(2) second, in the event such property was originally a Contributed Property,
be
allocated among the Members in a manner consistent with Section 4.2(b)(i)(A);
and (iv) any item of Residual Gain or Residual Loss attributable to an
Adjusted
Property shall be allocated among the Members in the same manner as its
correlative item of "book" gain or loss is allocated pursuant to Section
4.1.
(iii) The
Board of Directors may cause the Company to eliminate Book-Tax Disparities
using
any method or methods described in Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-3,
or that
it otherwise determines is appropriate in its sole discretion.
(c) For
the proper administration of the Company and for the preservation of
uniformity
of the Shares (or any class or classes thereof), the Board of Directors,
as it
determines in its sole discretion is necessary or appropriate to execute
the
provisions of this
31
Agreement
and to comply with federal, state and local tax law may (i) adopt such
conventions as it deems appropriate in determining the amount of depreciation,
amortization and cost recovery deductions; (ii) make special allocations
for
U.S. federal income tax purposes of income (including gross income) or
deductions; (iii) amend the provisions of this Agreement as appropriate
(x) to
reflect the proposal or promulgation of Treasury Regulations under Section
704(b) or Section 704(c) of the Code or (y) otherwise to preserve or
achieve
uniformity of the Shares (or any class or classes thereof); and (iv) adopt
and employ methods for (A) the maintenance of Capital Accounts for book
and tax
purposes, (B) the determination and allocation of adjustments, if any,
under
Sections 704(c), 734 and 743 of the Code, (C) the determination and allocation
of taxable income, tax loss and items thereof under this Agreement and
pursuant
to the Code, (D) the determination of the identities and tax classification
of
Members, (E) the provision of tax information and reports to the Members,
(F)
the adoption of reasonable conventions and methods for the valuation
of assets
and the determination of tax basis, (G) the allocation of asset values
and tax
basis, (H) the adoption and maintenance of accounting methods, (I) the
recognition of the transfer of Shares and (J) tax compliance and other
tax-related requirements, including the use of computer software, and
to use
filing and reporting procedures similar to those employed by publicly-traded
partnerships and limited liability companies.
(d) All
items of income, gain, loss, deduction and credit recognized by the Company
for
U.S. federal income tax purposes and allocated to the Members in accordance
with
the provisions hereof shall be determined without regard to any election
under
Section 754 of the Code that may be made by the Company; provided,
however, that such allocations, once made, shall be adjusted (in the manner
determined by the Board of Directors) to take into account those adjustments
permitted or required by Sections 734 and 743 of the Code.
(e) For
purposes of determining the items of Company income, gain, loss, deduction,
or
credit allocable to any Member with respect to any period, such items
shall be
determined on a daily, monthly, quarterly or other basis, as determined
by the
Board of Directors in its sole discretion, using any permissible method
under
Section 706 of the Code and the Treasury Regulations promulgated
thereunder.
(f) Allocations
that would otherwise be made to a Member under the provisions of this
Article IV
shall instead be made to the Beneficial Owner of Shares held by a nominee
in any
case in which the nominee has furnished the identity of such owner to
the
Company in accordance with Section 6031(c) of the Code or any other method
determined by the Board of Directors.
Section
4.3 Distributions to Record
Holders.
(a) Subject
to the applicable provisions of the Delaware Act, the Board of Directors
may, in
its sole discretion, at any time and from time to time, declare, make
and pay
distributions of cash or other assets to the Members. Subject to the
terms of any Share Designation, distributions shall be paid to Members
in
accordance with their respective Percentage Interests as
32
of
the Record Date selected by the Board of Directors. Notwithstanding
anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, the Company shall
not make
or pay any distributions of cash or other assets with respect to the
Class B
Shares except for distributions consisting only of additional Class B
Shares
paid proportionally with respect to each outstanding Class B Share.
(b) Notwithstanding
Section 4.3(a), in the event of the dissolution and liquidation of the
Company,
all distributions shall be made in accordance with, and subject to the
terms and
conditions of, Section 8.3(a).
(c) Pursuant
to Section 7.4, the Company or its authorized agent is authorized to
withhold
from payments or other distributions to the Members, and to pay over
to any U.S.
federal, state and local government or any foreign government, any amounts
required to be so withheld pursuant to the Code or any other law. All
amounts withheld with respect to any payment or other distribution by the
Company to the Members shall be treated as amounts paid to the Members
with
respect to which such amounts were withheld pursuant to this Section
4.3(c) or
Section 8.3 for all purposes under this Agreement.
(d) Each
distribution in respect of any Shares shall be paid by the Company, directly
or
through the Transfer Agent or through any other Person or agent, only
to the
Record Holder of such Shares as of the Record Date set for such
distribution. Such payment shall constitute full payment and
satisfaction of the Company's liability in respect of such payment, regardless
of any claim of any Person who may have an interest in such payment by
reason of
an assignment or otherwise.
(e) The
Board of Directors may cause the Company to make distributions of assets
in kind
in its sole and absolute discretion. Whenever the distributions
provided for in Section 4.3 shall be distributable in property other
than cash,
the value of such distribution shall be the fair market value of such
property
determined by the Board of Directors in good faith, and in the event
of such a
distribution there shall be allocated to the Members in accordance with
Article
IV the amount of Net Income or Net Loss that would result if the distributed
asset had been sold for an amount in cash equal to its fair market value
at the
time of the distribution. No Member shall have the right to demand
that the Company distribute any assets in kind to such Member.
ARTICLE
V
MANAGEMENT
AND OPERATION OF BUSINESS
Section
5.1 Power and Authority of Board of
Directors. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement, the
business and affairs of the Company shall be managed by or under the
direction
of a board of directors (the "Board of Directors"). As
provided in Section 5.22, the Board of Directors shall have the power
and
authority to appoint Officers of the Company.
33
The
Directors and Officers shall constitute "managers" within the meaning of
the Delaware Act. No Member, by virtue of its status as such, shall
have any management power over the business and affairs of the Company
or actual
or apparent authority to enter into, execute or deliver contracts on
behalf of,
or to otherwise bind, the Company. Except as otherwise specifically
provided in this Agreement, the authority and functions of the Board
of
Directors, on the one hand, and of the Officers, on the other hand, shall
be
identical to the authority and functions of the board of directors and
officers,
respectively, of a corporation organized under the DGCL. In addition
to the powers that now or hereafter can be granted to managers under
the
Delaware Act and to all other powers granted under any other provision
of this
Agreement, the Board of Directors shall have full power and authority to
do, and to direct the Officers to do, all things on such terms as it
determines
to be necessary or appropriate to conduct the business of the Company,
to
exercise all powers set forth in Section 2.5 and to effectuate the purposes
set
forth in Section 2.4, subject to any required approvals pursuant to this
Agreement, the Class B Shareholders Agreement or otherwise, including
the
following:
(a) the
making of any expenditures, the lending or borrowing of money, the assumption
or
guarantee of, or other contracting for, indebtedness and other liabilities,
the
issuance of evidences of indebtedness, including indebtedness that is
convertible into Shares, and the incurring of any other
obligations;
(b) the
making of tax, regulatory and other filings, or rendering of periodic
or other
reports to governmental or other agencies having jurisdiction over the
business
or assets of the Company;
(c) the
acquisition, disposition, mortgage, pledge, encumbrance, hypothecation
or
exchange of any or all of the assets of the Company or the merger or
other
combination of the Company with or into another Person (subject, however,
to any
prior approval of Members that may be required by this Agreement);
(d) the
use of the assets of the Company (including cash on hand) for any purpose
consistent with the terms of this Agreement, including the financing
of the
conduct of the operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries; the lending
of
funds to other Persons (including other Group Members); the repayment
of
obligations of the Company and its Subsidiaries; and the making of capital
contributions to any of its Subsidiaries;
(e) the
negotiation, execution and performance of any contracts, conveyances
or other
instruments (including instruments that limit the liability of the Company
under
contractual arrangements to all or particular assets of the
Company);
(f) the
declaration and payment of distributions of cash or other assets to
Members;
34
(g) the
selection and dismissal of Officers, employees, agents, outside attorneys,
accountants, consultants and contractors and the determination of their
compensation and other terms of employment or hiring, and the creation
and
operation of employee benefit plans, employee programs and employee
practices;
(h)
the maintenance of insurance for the benefit of the Company Group and
the
Indemnified Persons;
(i) the
formation of, or acquisition or disposition of an interest in, and the
contribution of property and the making of loans to, any limited or general
partnership, joint venture, corporation, limited liability company or
other
entity or arrangement;
(j) the
control of any matters affecting the rights and obligations of the Company,
including the bringing and defending of actions at law or in equity and
otherwise engaging in the conduct of litigation, arbitration or remediation,
and
the incurring of legal expense and the settlement of claims and
litigation;
(k) the
indemnification of any Person against liabilities and contingencies to
the
extent permitted by law;
(l) the
entering into of listing agreements with any National Securities Exchange
and
the delisting of some or all of the Shares from, or requesting that trading
be
suspended on, any such exchange;
(m) the
issuance, sale or other disposition, and the purchase or other acquisition,
of
Shares or options, rights, warrants or appreciation rights relating to
Shares;
(n) the
undertaking of any action in connection with the Company's interest or
participation in any Group Member;
(o) the
registration of any offer, issuance, sale or resale of Shares or other
securities issued or to be issued by the Company under the Securities
Act and
any other applicable securities laws (including any resale of Shares
or other
securities by Members or other securityholders); and
(p) the
execution and delivery of agreements with Affiliates of the Company,
including
to render services to a Group Member.
35
Section
5.2 Number, Qualification and Term
of Office of Directors. The number of Directors which shall constitute the
whole Board of Directors shall be three at the time of the execution
of this
Agreement and shall be increased to seven within one year of completion of
the IPO. The vacancies on the Board of Directors that result from the
increase in the authorized number of Directors following completion of
the IPO
shall, subject to the Class B Shareholders Agreement, be filled by individuals
selected by a majority of the Directors then in office, who shall also
specify
the class to which each newly appointed Director belongs. After
completion of the IPO, the number of Directors which shall constitute
the whole
Board of Directors shall be determined from time to time by resolution
adopted
by a majority of the Board of Directors then in office, provided that for
so long as the Class B Shareholder Committee shall have the right to
designate nominees to the Board of Directors under the Class B Shareholders
Agreement, the number of Directors may not be increased beyond seven
without the
Consent of the Class B Shareholder Committee. The Directors
shall be divided into three classes, designated Class I, Class II and
Class
III. Each class shall consist, as nearly as may be possible, of
one-third of the total number of Directors constituting the whole Board
of
Directors. At the time of the execution of this Agreement, the Class
I Director shall be Xxxx Xxxxx, the Class II Director shall be Xxxxx
Xxxxxxxxx, and the Class III Director shall be Xxxxxx Xxx. At the
time of the execution of this Agreement, the Class I Directors shall
have a term
expiring at the 2008 annual meeting of Members, the Class II Directors
shall
have a term expiring at the 2009 annual meeting of Members, and the Class
III
Directors shall have a term expiring at the 2010 annual meeting of
Members. Each Director shall hold office until his successor is
elected or appointed and qualified, or until his or her earlier death,
resignation or removal.
Section
5.3 Election of Directors. At
each succeeding annual meeting of Members beginning in 2008, successors
to the
class of Directors whose term expires at that annual meeting shall be
elected
for a three (3)-year term and until their successors are duly elected
or
appointed and qualified. If the number of Directors is changed, any
increase or decrease shall be apportioned among the classes so as to
maintain
the number of Directors in each class as nearly equal as possible, and
any
additional Director of any class elected to fill a vacancy resulting
from an
increase in such class or from the death, resignation or removal from
office of
a Director or other cause shall hold office for a term that shall coincide
with
the remaining term of that class, but in no case will a decrease in the
number
of Directors shorten the term of any incumbent Director. Directors
need not be Members. The Directors shall be elected at the annual
meeting of Members, except as provided in Section 5.6 and each Director
elected
shall hold office until the third succeeding meeting next after such
Director's
election and until such Director's successor is duly elected and qualified,
or
until such Director's death or until such Director resigns or is removed
in the
manner hereinafter provided.
Section
5.4 Removal. Any Director or the
whole Board of Directors may be removed, with or without cause, at any
time, by
the affirmative vote of holders of a Share Majority,
36
given
at an annual meeting or at a special meeting of Members called for that
purpose. The vacancy in the Board of Directors caused by any such
removal shall be filled by the Board of Directors as provided in Section
5.6.
Section
5.5 Resignations. Any Director
may resign at any time by giving notice of such Director's resignation
in
writing or by electronic transmission to the Chairman of the Board, if
there be
one, the Chief Executive Officer and the Secretary of the
Company. Any such resignation shall take effect at the time specified
therein, or if the time when it shall become effective shall not be specified
therein, then it shall take effect immediately upon its receipt by the
Company. Unless otherwise specified therein, the acceptance of such
resignation by the Board of Directors shall not be necessary to make
it
effective. The vacancy in the Board of Directors caused by any such
resignation shall be filled by the Board of Directors as provided in
Section
5.6.
Section
5.6 Vacancies. Unless otherwise
required by law and subject to Section 5.2 and the Class B Shareholders
Agreement, any vacancy on the Board of Directors that results from newly
created
Directorships resulting from any increase in the authorized number of
Directors
may be filled by a majority of the Directors then in office, provided
that a
quorum is present, and any other vacancies may be filled by a majority
of the
Directors then in office, though less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining
Director. Any Director of any class elected to fill a vacancy
resulting from an increase in the number of Directors of such class shall
hold
office for a term that shall coincide with the remaining term of that
class and
until such Director's successor is duly elected or appointed and qualified,
or until his or her earlier death, resignation or removal. Any
Director elected to fill a vacancy not resulting from an increase in
the number
of Directors shall have the same remaining term as that of such Director's
predecessor and until such Director's successor is duly elected or appointed
and
qualified, or until his or her earlier death, resignation or
removal. If there are no Directors in office, then an election of
Directors may be held in the manner provided by the Delaware Act.
Section
5.7 Nomination of
Directors. Subject to the rights of the Class B Shareholder
Committee to nominate Persons for election to the Board of Directors,
only
Persons who are nominated in accordance with the procedures set forth
in Section
12.11(b) and (b) shall be eligible for election as Directors of the
Company, except as may be otherwise provided in any Share Designation
with
respect to the right of Members of any class of Shares to nominate and
elect a
specified number of Directors in certain circumstances.
Section
5.8 Chairman of Meetings. The
Board of Directors may elect one of its members as Chairman of the Board
(the
"Chairman of the Board"). Xxxxxx Xxx shall initially serve as
Chairman of the Board. At each meeting of the Board of Directors, the
Chairman of the Board or, in the Chairman of the Board's absence, a Director
chosen by a majority of the Directors present, shall act as chairman
of the
meeting. The Secretary of the Company shall act as secretary at each
meeting of the Board of Directors. In case the Secretary shall be
absent from any meeting of the Board of Directors, an Assistant Secretary
shall
perform the duties of secretary at such meeting; and in the absence from
any
such meeting of the Secretary and all the Assistant Secretaries, the
chairman of
the meeting may appoint any person to act as secretary of the
meeting.
37
Section
5.9 Place of Meetings. The Board
of Directors may hold meetings, both regular and special, either within
or
without the State of Delaware.
Section
5.10 Regular Meetings. A regular meeting of
the Board of Directors shall be held without any other notice than this
Agreement, immediately after, and at the same place (if any) as, each
annual
meeting of Members. The Board of Directors may, by resolution,
provide the time and place (if any) for the holding of additional regular
meetings without any other notice (including any notice to Members) than
such
resolution. Unless otherwise determined by the Board of Directors,
the Secretary of the Company shall act as Secretary at all regular meetings
of
the Board of Directors and in the Secretary's absence a temporary Secretary
or
Assistant Secretary shall be appointed by the chairman of the
meeting.
Section
5.11 Special Meetings; Notice. Special
meetings of the Board of Directors may be called by any member of the
Board of
Directors, the Chief Executive Officer or, upon a resolution adopted
by the
Board of Directors, by the Secretary or Assistant Secretary on twenty-four
(24)
hours' notice to each Director, either personally or by telephone or
by mail,
telegraph, telex, cable, wireless or other form of recorded or electronic
communication, or on such shorter notice as the person or persons calling
such
meeting may deem necessary or appropriate in the circumstances; special
meetings
shall be called by the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer
or the
Secretary in like manner and on like notice on the written request of
two (2)
Directors. Notice of any such meeting need not be given to any
Director, however, if waived by such Director in writing or by telegraph,
telex,
cable, wireless or other form of recorded or electronic communication,
or if
such Director shall be present at such meeting.
Section
5.12 Action Without Meeting. Any action
required or permitted to be taken at any meeting by the Board of Directors
or
any committee thereof, as the case may be, may be taken without a meeting
if a
consent thereto is signed or transmitted electronically, as the case
may be, by
all members of the Board or of such committee, as the case may be, and
the
writing or writings or electronic transmission or transmissions are filed
with
the minutes of proceedings of the Board of Directors or such
committee. Such filing shall be in paper form if the minutes are
maintained in paper form and shall be in electronic form if the minutes
are
maintained in electronic form.
Section
5.13 Conference Telephone Meetings. Members
of the Board of Directors, or any committee thereof, may participate
in a
meeting of the Board of Directors or such committee by means of conference
telephone or other communications equipment by means of which all Persons
participating in the meeting can hear each other, and such participation
in a
meeting shall constitute presence in person at such meeting.
Section
5.14 Quorum. At all meetings of the Board of
Directors, a majority of the then total number of Directors in office
shall
constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. At all meetings
of any committee of the Board of Directors, the presence of a majority
of the
total number of members of such committee (assuming no vacancies) shall
constitute a quorum. The
38
act
of a majority of the Directors or committee members present at any meeting
at
which there is a quorum shall be the act of the Board of Directors or
such
committee, as the case may be. If a quorum shall not be present at
any meeting of the Board of Directors or any committee, a majority of
the
Directors or Members, as the case may be, present thereat may adjourn
the
meeting from time to time without further notice other than announcement
at the
meeting.
Section
5.15 Committees. The Board of Directors may,
by resolution or resolutions passed by a majority of the then total number
of
members of the Board of Directors, designate one (1) or more committees
consisting of one (1) or more Directors of the Company, which, to the
extent
provided in such resolution or resolutions, shall have and may exercise,
subject
to the provisions of this Agreement, the powers and authority of the
Board of
Directors granted hereunder; but no such committee shall have the power
to fill
vacancies in the Board of Directors or any committee or in their respective
membership, to approve or adopt, or recommend to the Members, any action
or
matter, other than the election or removal of Directors, expressly required
by
this Agreement to be submitted to Members for their approval, or to authorize
the issuance of Shares, except that such a committee may, to the extent
provided
in such resolutions, (a) grant and authorize options and other rights
with
respect to the Shares pursuant to and in accordance with any plan or
authorizing
resolutions approved by the Board of Directors and (b) function as the
pricing
committee with respect to any offering of Shares authorized by the Board
of
Directors. Such committee or committees shall have such name or names
as may be determined from time to time by resolution adopted by the Board
of
Directors. A majority of all the members of any such committee may
determine its action and fix the time and place, if any, of its meetings
and
specify what notice thereof, if any, shall be given, unless the Board
of
Directors shall otherwise provide. The Board of Directors shall have
power to change the members of any such committee at any time to fill
vacancies,
and to discharge any such committee, either with or without cause, at
any
time. The Secretary of the Company shall act as Secretary of any
committee, unless otherwise provided by the Board of Directors or the
committee.
Section
5.16 Alternate Members of Committees.
The Board of Directors may designate one (1) or more Directors as alternate
members of any committee, who may replace any absent or disqualified
member at
any meeting of the committee, or if none be so appointed the member or
members
thereof present at any meeting and not disqualified from voting, whether
or not
such member or members or they constitute a quorum, may unanimously appoint
another member of the Board of Directors to act at the meeting in the
place of
any such absent or disqualified member.
Section
5.17 Minutes of Committees. Each committee
shall keep regular minutes of its meetings and proceedings and report
the same
to the Board of Directors at the next meeting thereof.
Section
5.18 Remuneration. Unless otherwise
expressly provided by resolution adopted by the Board of Directors, none
of the
Directors shall, as such, receive any stated remuneration for such Director's
services; but the Board of Directors may at any time and from time to
time by
resolution provide that a specified sum shall be paid to any Director,
payable
in
39
cash
or securities, either as such Director's annual remuneration as such
Director or
member of any special or standing committee of the Board of Directors
or as
remuneration for such Director's attendance at each meeting of the Board
of
Directors or any such committee. The Board of Directors may also
likewise provide that the Company shall reimburse each Director for any
expenses
paid by such Director on account of such Director's attendance at any
meeting. Nothing in this Section 5.18 shall be construed to preclude
any Director from serving the Company in any other capacity and receiving
remuneration therefor.
Section
5.19 Exculpation, Indemnification, Advances and
Insurance.
(a) Subject
to other applicable provisions of this Article V, to the fullest extent
permitted by applicable law, the Indemnified Persons shall not be liable
to the
Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, any Director of the Company,
any Member
or any holder of any equity interest in any Subsidiary of the Company
for any
acts or omissions by any of the Indemnified Persons arising from the
performance
of their duties and obligations in connection with the Company, this
Agreement
or any investment made or held by the Company, including with respect
to any
acts or omissions made while serving at the request of the Company as
an
officer, director, member, partner, tax matters partner, fiduciary or
trustee of
another Person or any employee benefit plan, if such Indemnified Person
acted in
a manner not constituting fraud, gross negligence or willful misconduct.
The
Indemnified Persons shall be indemnified by the Company, to the fullest
extent
permitted by law (except in instances of fraud, gross negligence or willful
misconduct), against all expenses and liabilities (including judgments,
fines,
penalties, interest, amounts paid in settlement with the approval of
the Company
and counsel fees and disbursements) arising from the performance of any
of their
duties or obligations in connection with their service to the Company
or this
Agreement, or any investment made or held by the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries, including in connection with any civil, criminal, administrative,
investigative or other action, suit or proceeding to which any such Person
may
hereafter be made party by reason of being or having been a manager of
the
Company under Delaware law, a Director or Officer of the Company or any
Subsidiary of the Company, or an officer, director, member, partner,
tax matters
partner, fiduciary or trustee of another Person or any employee benefit
plan at
the request of the Company. Without limitation, the foregoing
indemnity shall extend to any liability of any Indemnified Person, pursuant
to a
loan guaranty or otherwise, for any indebtedness of the Company or any
Subsidiary of the Company (including any indebtedness which the Company or
any Subsidiary of the Company has assumed or taken subject to), and the
Officers
are hereby authorized and empowered, on behalf of the Company, to enter
into one
or more indemnity agreements consistent with the provisions of this Section
5.19
in favor of any Indemnified Person having or potentially having liability
for
any such indebtedness. It is the intention of this Section 5.19(a)
that the Company indemnify each Indemnified Person to the fullest extent
permitted by law if such Indemnified Person acted in a manner not
constituting fraud, gross negligence or willful misconduct. The
termination of any action, suit or proceeding relating to or involving
an
Indemnified Person by judgment, order, settlement, conviction, or upon
a plea of
nolo contendere or its equivalent, shall not, of itself, create a presumption
that the Indemnified Person committed an act or omission that constitutes
fraud,
gross negligence or willful misconduct.
40
(b) The
provisions of this Agreement, to the extent they restrict the duties
and
liabilities of an Indemnified Person otherwise existing at law or in
equity,
including Section 5.23, are agreed by each Member to modify such duties
and
liabilities of the Indemnified Person to the extent permitted by
law.
(c) Any
indemnification under this Section 5.19 (unless ordered by a court) shall
be
made by the Company unless the Board of Directors determines in the specific
case that indemnification of the Indemnified Person is not proper in
the
circumstances because such person has not met the applicable standard
of conduct
set forth in Section 5.19(a). Such determination shall be made by a
majority vote of the Directors who are not parties to the applicable
suit,
action or proceeding. To the extent, however, that an Indemnified
Person has been successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any
action,
suit or proceeding described above, or in defense of any claim, issue
or matter
therein, such Indemnified Person shall be indemnified against expenses
(including attorneys' fees) actually and reasonably incurred by such
Indemnified
Person in connection therewith, notwithstanding an
earlier determination by the Board of Directors that the Indemnified Person
had not met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in Section
5.19(a).
(d) Notwithstanding
any contrary determination in the specific case under Section 5.19(c),
and
notwithstanding the absence of any determination thereunder, any Indemnified
Person may apply to the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or
any other
court of competent jurisdiction in the State of Delaware or the State
of New
York for indemnification to the extent otherwise permissible under Section
5.19(a). The basis of a court's decision to provide indemnification
shall be a determination by such court that indemnification of the Indemnified
Person is proper in the circumstances because such Indemnified Person
has met
the applicable standards of conduct set forth in Section
5.19(a). Neither a contrary determination in the specific case under
Section 5.19(c) nor the absence of any determination thereunder shall
be a
defense to such application or create a presumption that the Indemnified
Person
seeking indemnification has not met any applicable standard of
conduct. Notice of any application for indemnification pursuant to
this Section 5.19(d) shall be given to the Company promptly upon the
filing of
such application. If successful, in whole or in part, the Indemnified
Person seeking indemnification shall also be entitled to be paid the
expense of
prosecuting such application.
(e) To
the fullest extent permitted by law, expenses (including attorneys' fees)
incurred by an Indemnified Person in defending any civil, criminal,
administrative or investigative action, suit or proceeding shall be paid
by the
Company in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding
upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of such Indemnified Person
to
repay such amount if it shall ultimately be determined that such Indemnified
Person is not entitled to be indemnified by the Company as authorized
in this
Section 5.19.
(f) The
indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by or granted pursuant
to
this Section 5.19 shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to
which those seeking indemnification or advancement of expenses may be
entitled
under this Agreement,
41
or
any other agreement, vote of Members or disinterested Directors or otherwise,
and shall continue as to an Indemnified Person who has ceased to serve
in such
capacity and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, successors, assigns
and
administrators of the Indemnified Person unless otherwise provided in
a written
agreement with such Indemnified Person or in the writing pursuant to
which such
Indemnified Person is indemnified, it being the policy of the Company
that
indemnification of the persons specified in Section 5.19(a) shall be
made to the
fullest extent permitted by law, subject to the standard of conduct set
forth in
such Section 5.19(a). The provisions of this Section 5.19 shall not
be deemed to preclude the indemnification of any person who is not specified
in
Section 5.19(a) but whom the Company has the power or obligation to indemnify
under the provisions of the Delaware Act.
(g) The
Company may, but shall not be obligated to, purchase and maintain insurance
on
behalf of any Person entitled to indemnification under this Section 5.19
against
any liability asserted against such Person and incurred by such Person
in any
capacity to which they are entitled to indemnification hereunder, or
arising out
of such Person's status as such, whether or not the Company would have
the power
or the obligation to indemnify such Person against such liability under
the
provisions of this Section 5.19.
(h) The
indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by, or granted pursuant
to,
this Section 5.19 shall, unless otherwise provided when authorized or
ratified,
shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors and administrators
of any
person entitled to indemnification under this Section 5.19.
(i) The
Company may, to the extent authorized from time to time by the Board
of
Directors, provide rights to indemnification and to the advancement of
expenses
to employees and agents of the Company and to the employees and agents
of the
Company Group similar to those conferred in this Section 5.19 to Indemnified
Persons.
(j) If
this Section 5.19 or any portion of this Section 5.19 shall be invalidated
on
any ground by a court of competent jurisdiction the Company shall nevertheless
indemnify each Indemnified Person as to expenses (including attorneys'
fees), judgments, fines, and amounts paid in settlement with respect
to any
action, suit, proceeding or investigation, whether civil, criminal or
administrative, including a grand jury proceeding or action or suit brought
by
or in the right of the Company, to the full extent permitted by any applicable
portion of this Section 5.19 that shall not have been invalidated.
(k) Each
of the Indemnified Persons may, in the performance of his, her or its
duties,
consult with legal counsel and accountants, and any act or omission by
such
Person on behalf of the Company in furtherance of the interests of the
Company
in good faith in reliance upon, and in accordance with, the advice of
such legal
counsel or accountants will be full justification for any such act or
omission,
and such Person will be fully protected for such acts and omissions;
provided
that such legal counsel or accountants were selected with reasonable
care by or
on behalf of the Company.
42
(l) An
Indemnified Person shall not be denied indemnification in whole or in
part under
this Section 5.19 because the Indemnified Person had an interest in the
transaction with respect to which the indemnification applies if the
transaction
was otherwise permitted by the terms of this Agreement.
(m) Any
liabilities which an Indemnified Person incurs as a result of acting
on behalf
of the Company (whether as a fiduciary or otherwise) in connection with
the
operation, administration or maintenance of an employee benefit plan
or any
related trust or funding mechanism (whether such liabilities are in the
form of
excise taxes assessed by the United States Internal Revenue Service,
penalties
assessed by the Department of Labor, restitutions to such a plan or trust
or
other funding mechanism or to a participant or beneficiary of such plan,
trust
or other funding mechanism, or otherwise) shall be treated as liabilities
indemnifiable under this Section 5.19, to the maximum extent permitted
by
law.
(n) A
Director shall, in the performance of his duties, be fully protected
in relying
in good faith upon the records of the Company and on such information,
opinions,
reports or statements presented to the Company by any of the Officers
or
employees of the Company or any other Group Member, or committees of
the Board
of Directors, or by any other Person as to matters the Director reasonably
believes are within such other Person's professional or expert
competence.
(o) Any
amendment, modification or repeal of this Section 5.19 or any provision
hereof
shall be prospective only and shall not in any way affect the limitations on the
liability of any indemnitee under this Section 5.19 as in effect immediately
prior to such amendment, modification or repeal with respect to claims
arising
from or relating to matters occurring, in whole or in part, prior to
such
amendment, modification or repeal, regardless of when such claims may
arise or
be asserted and provided such Person became an indemnitee hereunder prior
to such amendment, modification or repeal.
Section
5.20 Resolution
of Conflicts of Interest; Standards of Conduct and Modification of
Duties.
(a) Unless
otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement, whenever a potential
conflict of
interest exists or arises between the Class B Shareholders, one or more
Directors, Officers or their respective Affiliates, on the one hand,
and the
Company, any Group Member or any Member other than an Initial Member,
on the
other, any resolution or course of action by the Board of Directors or
its
Affiliates in respect of such conflict of interest shall be permitted
and deemed
approved by all Members, and shall not constitute a breach of this Agreement,
of
any agreement contemplated herein, or of any duty stated or implied by
law or
equity, including any fiduciary duty, if the resolution or course of
action in
respect of such conflict of interest is (i) approved by Special Approval,
(ii)
approved by the vote of holders of Outstanding Voting Shares representing
a
majority of the total votes that may be cast by all Outstanding Voting
Shares in
the election of Directors that are held by Disinterested Parties, (iii)
on terms
no less
43
favorable
to the Company, Group Member or Member other than an Initial Member,
as
applicable, than those generally being provided to or available from
unrelated
third parties or (iv) fair and reasonable to the Company taking into
account the
totality of the relationships between the parties involved (including
other
transactions that may be particularly favorable or advantageous to the
Company,
Group Member or Member other than an Initial Member, as
applicable). The Board of Directors shall be authorized but not
required in connection with its resolution of such conflict of interest
to seek
Special Approval of such resolution, and the Board of Directors may also
adopt a
resolution or course of action that has not received Special
Approval. If Special Approval is not sought and the Board of
Directors determines that the resolution or course of action taken with
respect
to a conflict of interest satisfies either of the standards set forth
in clauses
(iii) or (iv) above, then it shall be presumed that, in making its decision,
the
Board of Directors acted in good faith, and in any proceeding brought
by any
Member or by or on behalf of such Member or any other Member or the Company
challenging such approval, the Person bringing or prosecuting such proceeding
shall have the burden of overcoming such presumption. Notwithstanding
anything
to the contrary in this Agreement, the existence of the conflicts of
interest
described in the Registration Statement are hereby approved by all Members
and
shall not constitute a breach of this Agreement or of any duty otherwise
existing at law, in equity or otherwise.
(b) The
Members hereby authorize the Board of Directors, on behalf of the Company
as a
partner or member of a Group Member, to approve of actions by the board
of
directors, general partner or managing member of such Group Member similar
to
those actions permitted to be taken by the Board of Directors pursuant
to this
Section 5.20.
Section
5.21 Certificate of
Formation. The Certificate of Formation has been filed with the
Secretary of State of the State of Delaware as required by the Delaware
Act,
such filing being hereby confirmed, ratified and approved in all
respects. The Board of Directors shall use all reasonable efforts to
cause to be filed such other certificates or documents that it determines
to
be necessary or appropriate for the formation, continuation, qualification
and operation of a limited liability company in the State of Delaware
or any
other state in which the Company may elect to do business or own
property. To the extent that the Board of Directors determines such
action to be necessary or appropriate, the Board of Directors shall direct
the
appropriate Officers to file amendments to and restatements of the Certificate
of Formation and do all things to maintain the Company as a limited liability
company under the laws of the State of Delaware or of any other state
in which
the Company may elect to do business or own property, and any such Officer
so
directed shall be an "authorized person" of the Company within the
meaning of the Delaware Act for purposes of filing any such certificate
with the
Secretary of State of the State of Delaware. The Company shall not be
required, before or after filing, to deliver or mail a copy of the Certificate
of Formation, any qualification document or any amendment thereto to
any
Member.
Section
5.22 Officers.
(a) The
Board of Directors shall have the power and authority to appoint such
officers
with such titles, authority and duties as determined by the Board of
Directors. Such Persons so designated by the Board of Directors shall
be referred to as "Officers." Unless
44
provided
otherwise by resolution of the Board of Directors, the Officers shall
have the
titles, power, authority and duties described below in this Section
5.22.
(b) The
Officers of the Company may include a Chairman of the Board, a Vice Chairman,
a
Chief Executive Officer, a Chief Operating Officer, a Chief Financial
Officer, a
Chief Legal Officer, a Chief Compliance Officer, one or more Executive
Managing
Directors, one or more Presidents or Co-Presidents, one or more Vice
Presidents (who may be further classified by such descriptions as
"executive," "senior," "assistant" or otherwise,
as the Board of Directors shall determine), a Secretary, one or more
Assistant
Secretaries, a Treasurer and one or more Assistant
Treasurers. Officers shall be elected by the Board of Directors,
which shall consider that subject at its first meeting after every annual
meeting of Members and as necessary to fill vacancies. Each Officer
shall hold office until his or her successor is elected and qualified or
until his or her earlier death, resignation or removal. Any number of
offices may be held by the same Person. The compensation of Officers
elected by the Board of Directors shall be fixed from time to time by
the Board
of Directors, a committee thereof or by such Officers as may be designated
by
resolution of the Board of Directors.
(c) Any
Officer may resign at any time upon written notice to the
Company. Any Officer, agent or employee of the Company may be removed
by the Board of Directors with or without cause at any time, subject
to the
approval rights granted to the Class B Shareholders pursuant to the Class
B
Shareholders Agreement. The Board of Directors may delegate the power
of removal as to Officers, agents and employees who have not been appointed
by
the Board of Directors. Such removal shall be without prejudice to a
Person's contract rights, if any, but the appointment of any Person as
an
Officer, agent or employee of the Company shall not of itself create
contract
rights.
(d) The
Chairman of the Board shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the Company
unless
the Board of Directors elects another Officer as Chief Executive
Officer. Subject to the control of the Board of Directors, the Chief
Executive Officer shall have general executive charge, management and
control of
the properties, business and operations of the Company with all such
powers as
may be reasonably incident to such responsibilities; he or she may employ
and
discharge employees and agents of the Company except such as shall be
appointed
by the Board of Directors, and he or she may delegate these powers; he
or she
may agree upon and execute all leases, contracts, evidences of indebtedness
and
other obligations in the name of the Company, and shall have such other
powers
and duties as designated in accordance with this Agreement and as from
time to
time may be assigned to him or her by the Board of Directors.
(e) If
elected, the Chairman of the Board shall preside at all meetings of the
Members
and of the Board of Directors; and shall have such other powers and duties
as
designated in this Agreement and as from time to time may be assigned
to him or
her by the Board of Directors.
45
(f) Unless
the Board of Directors otherwise determines, the Chief Operating Officer,
the
Chief Financial Officer and every President and Co-President shall have the
authority to agree upon and execute all leases, contracts, evidences
of
indebtedness and other obligations in the name of the Company, subject
to the
limitations set forth herein. Unless the Board of Directors otherwise
determines, in the absence of the Chairman of the Board or if there be no
Chairman of the Board, the Board of Directors may designate the Chief
Financial
Officer, the Chief Operating Officer, a President or a Co-President to
preside at all meetings of the Members and (should he or she be a Director)
of
the Board of Directors. The Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial
Officer and each President and Co-President shall have such other powers
and duties as designated in accordance with this Agreement and as from
time to
time may be assigned to him or her by the Board of Directors.
(g) In
the absence of a Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer,
President or Co-President, or in the event of an inability or refusal
of the
Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer and all Presidents and
Co-Presidents to act, an Executive Managing Director or a Vice President
designated by the Board of Directors shall perform the duties of a President,
and when so acting shall have all the powers of and be subject to all
the
restrictions upon a President. In the absence of a designation by the
Board of Directors of an Executive Managing Director or a Vice President to
perform the duties of a President, or in the event of his absence or
inability
or refusal to act, the Executive Managing Director or Vice President who is
present and who is senior in terms of uninterrupted time as an Executive
Managing Director or Vice President of the Company shall so act. An
Executive Managing Director or Vice President shall perform such other
duties and have such other powers as the Board of Directors may from
time to
time prescribe. Unless otherwise provided by the Board of Directors,
each Executive Managing Director or Vice President will have authority
to act
within his or her respective areas and to sign contracts relating
thereto.
(h) The
Chief Legal Officer and the Chief Compliance Officer shall have responsibility
for the legal affairs and compliance matters, respectively, of the
Company and shall have such other powers and duties as designated in this
Agreement and as from time to time may be assigned to the Chief Legal
Officer or
Chief Compliance Officer, respectively, by the Board of Directors. The
Chief Legal Officer and the Chief Compliance Officer shall perform all
acts
incident to their positions, subject to the control of the Chief Executive
Officer and the Board of Directors.
(i) The
Treasurer (or Chief Financial Officer in the absence of a Treasurer)
shall have
responsibility for the custody and control of all the funds and securities
of
the Company and shall have such other powers and duties as designated
in this
Agreement and as from time to time may be assigned to the Treasurer by
the Board
of Directors. The Treasurer shall perform all acts incident to the
position of Treasurer, subject to the control of the Chief Executive
Officer and
the Board of Directors. Each Assistant Treasurer shall have the usual
powers and duties pertaining to his or her office, together with such
other
powers and duties as designated in this Agreement and as from time to
time may
be assigned to him or her by the Chief Executive Officer or the Board
of
Directors. The Assistant Treasurers shall exercise the powers of the
46
Treasurer
during that Officer's absence or inability or refusal to act. An
Assistant Treasurer shall also perform such other duties as the Treasurer
or the
Board of Directors may assign to him or her.
(j) The
Secretary shall issue all authorized notices for, and shall keep minutes
of, all
meetings of the Members and the Board of Directors. The Secretary
shall have charge of the corporate books and shall perform such other
duties as
the Board of Directors may from time to time prescribe. In the
absence or inability to act of the Secretary, any Assistant Secretary
may
perform all the duties and exercise all the powers of the
Secretary. The performance of any such duty shall, in respect of any
other Person dealing with the Company, be conclusive evidence of his
or her
power to act. An Assistant Secretary shall also perform such other
duties as the Secretary or the Board of Directors may assign to him or
her.
(k) The
Board of Directors may from time to time delegate the powers or duties
of any
Officer to any other Officers or agents, notwithstanding any provision
hereof.
(l) Unless
otherwise directed by the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer
and the Chief Financial Officer shall have power to vote and otherwise act
on behalf of the Company, in person or by proxy, at any meeting of members
of or
with respect to any action of equity holders of any other entity in which
the
Company may hold securities and otherwise to exercise any and all rights
and
powers which the Company may possess by reason of its ownership of
securities in such other entities.
Section
5.23 Duties of Officers and
Directors.
(a) Except
as otherwise expressly set forth in this Agreement or required by the
Delaware
Act, (i) the duties and obligations owed to the Company by the Officers
and
Directors shall be the same as the duties and obligations owed to a corporation
organized under DGCL by its officers and directors, respectively, and
(ii) the
duties and obligations owed to the Members by the Officers and Directors
shall
be the same as the duties and obligations owed to the shareholders of
a
corporation under the DGCL by its officers and directors,
respectively.
(b) The
Board of Directors shall have the right to exercise any of the powers
granted to
it by this Agreement and perform any of the duties imposed upon it hereunder
either directly or by or through the duly authorized Officers of the
Company,
and the Board of Directors shall not be responsible for the misconduct
or
negligence on the part of any such Officer duly appointed or duly authorized
by
the Board of Directors in good faith.
Section
5.24 Outside
Activities. It shall be deemed not to be a breach of any duty
(including any fiduciary duty) or any other obligation of any type whatsoever
of
any Director or Affiliates of such Director (other than any express obligation
contained in any agreement to which such Person and the Company or any
of its
Subsidiaries are parties) to engage in outside business
47
interests
and activities in preference to or to the exclusion of the Company or
in direct
competition with the Company; provided such Director or Affiliate does
not
engage in such business or activity as a result of or using confidential
information provided by or on behalf of the Company to such Director;
provided,
further, that a Person shall not be deemed to be in direct competition
with the
Company solely because of such Person's ownership, directly or indirectly,
solely for investment purposes, of securities of any publicly traded
entity if
such Person does not, together with such Person's Affiliates, collectively
own
5% or more of any class or securities of such publicly traded entity,
and such
Person is not a director or officer (and does not hold an equivalent
position)
in such publicly traded entity. Directors shall have no obligation
hereunder or as a result of any duty expressed or implied by law to present
business opportunities to the Company that may become available to Affiliates
of
such Director. None of any Group Member, any Member or any other
Person shall have any rights by virtue of a Director's duties as a Director,
this Agreement or any Group Member Agreement in any business ventures
of any
Director.
Section
5.25 Reliance by Third
Parties. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this
Agreement, any Person dealing with the Company shall be entitled to assume
that
the Board of Directors and any Officer expressly authorized by the Board
of
Directors to act on behalf of and in the name of the Company has full
power and
authority to encumber, sell or otherwise use in any manner any and all
assets of
the Company and to enter into any authorized contracts on behalf of the
Company,
and such Person shall be entitled to deal with the Board of Directors
or any
Officer as if it were the Company's sole party in interest, both legally
and
beneficially. Each Member hereby waives, to the fullest extent
permitted by law, any and all defenses or other remedies that may be
available
against such Person to contest, negate or disaffirm any action of the Board
of Directors or any Officer in connection with any such dealing. In
no event shall any Person dealing with the Board of Directors or any
Officer or
its representatives be obligated to ascertain that the terms of this
Agreement
have been complied with or to inquire into the necessity or expedience
of any
act or action of the Board of Directors or any Officer or its
representatives. Each and every certificate, document or other
instrument executed on behalf of the Company by the Board of Directors
or any Officer or its representatives shall be conclusive evidence in favor
of any and every Person relying thereon or claiming thereunder that (a)
at the
time of the execution and delivery of such certificate, document or instrument,
this Agreement was in full force and effect, (b) the Person executing
and
delivering such certificate, document or instrument was duly authorized
and
empowered to do so for and on behalf of the Company and (c) such certificate,
document or instrument was duly executed and delivered in accordance
with the
terms and provisions of this Agreement and is binding upon the
Company.
Section
5.26 Acquisitions
by Och-Ziff Holding or Och-Ziff
Corp. The Company shall not allow Och-Ziff Holding or
Och-Ziff Corp to acquire an interest, directly or indirectly, in any
entity
without the prior written approval of the Class B Shareholder Committee
if Class
B Shareholders would be required to contribute funds in order for such
Persons
to maintain their respective ownership percentages in such entity.
48
ARTICLE
VI
BOOKS,
RECORDS, ACCOUNTING AND REPORTS
Section
6.1 Records
and Accounting. The Board of Directors shall keep or cause to be
kept at the principal office of the Company appropriate books and records
with
respect to the Company's business, including all books and records necessary
to
provide to the Members any information expressly required to be provided
pursuant to this Agreement or under applicable law. Although Members
may request access to such information with respect to the Company for
any
legitimate purpose, the Board of Directors, in its sole discretion, shall
determine the time, place and manner upon which information shall be
made
available to Members. Any books and records maintained by or on
behalf of the Company in the regular course of its business, including
the
record of the Members, books of account and records of Company proceedings,
may
be kept on, or be in the form of, computer disks, hard drives, punch
cards,
magnetic tape, photographs, micrographics or any other information storage
device; provided, that the books and records so maintained are convertible
into
clearly legible written form within a reasonable period of time.
Section
6.2 Fiscal
Year. The fiscal year for tax and financial reporting purposes of
the Company shall be a calendar year ending December 31 unless otherwise
required by the Code or determined by the Board of Directors as permitted
by
law.
Section
6.3 Reports.
(a) As
soon as practicable, but in no event later than 120 days after the close
of each
fiscal year of the Company, the Board of Directors shall cause to be
made
available to each Record Holder of a Share, as of a date selected by
the Board
of Directors, an annual report containing financial statements of the
Company
for such fiscal year of the Company, presented in accordance with U.S.
generally
accepted accounting principles, including a balance sheet and statements
of
operations, equity and cash flows, such statements to be audited by a
registered
public accounting firm selected by the Board of Directors.
(b) As
soon as practicable, but in no event later than 90 days after the close
of each
Quarter except the last Quarter of each fiscal year, the Board of Directors
shall cause to be made available to each Record Holder of a Share, as
of a date
selected by the Board of Directors, a report containing unaudited financial
statements of the Company and such other information as may be required
by
applicable law, regulation or rule of any National Securities Exchange
on which
the Shares are listed for trading, or as the Board of Directors determines
to be
necessary or appropriate.
49
ARTICLE
VII
TAX
MATTERS
Section
7.1 Tax
Returns and Information. The Company shall use commercially
reasonable efforts to timely file all returns of the Company that are
required
for U.S. federal, state and local income tax purposes. The Officers
shall use commercially reasonable efforts to furnish to all Members necessary
tax information as promptly as possible after the end of the fiscal year
of the
Company; provided, however, that delivery of such tax
information may be subject to delay as a result of the late receipt of
any
necessary tax information from an entity in which the Company or any
Group
Member holds an interest. Each Member agrees to file all U.S.
federal, state and local tax returns required to be filed by it in a
manner
consistent with the information provided to it by the Company. The
classification, realization and recognition of income, gain, losses and
deductions and other items shall be on the accrual method of accounting
for U.S.
federal, state and local income tax purposes.
Section
7.2 Tax
Elections. Except as otherwise provided herein, the Board of
Directors, in its sole and absolute discretion, shall determine whether
the
Company should make any elections permitted by the tax laws of the United
States, the several states and other relevant jurisdictions.
Section
7.3 Tax
Controversies. The Board of Directors shall designate one Member
as the Tax Matters Partner (as defined in the Code). The Tax Matters
Partner is authorized and required to represent the Company (at the Company's
expense) in connection with all examinations of the Company's affairs
by tax
authorities, including resulting administrative and judicial proceedings,
and to
expend Company funds for professional services and costs associated
therewith. Each Member agrees to cooperate with the Tax Matters
Partner and to do or refrain from doing any or all things reasonably
required by
the Tax Matters Partner to conduct such proceedings.
Section
7.4 Withholding. Notwithstanding
any other provision of this Agreement, the Board of Directors is authorized
to
take any action that may be required to cause the Company and other Group
Members to comply with any withholding requirements established under
the Code
or any other federal, state, local or foreign law including pursuant
to Sections
1441, 1442, 1445 and 1446 of the Code. To the extent that the Company
is required or elects to withhold or otherwise pays over to any taxing
authority
any amount resulting from the allocation or distribution of income to
any Member
(including by reason of Section 1446 of the Code), the Board of Directors
in its
sole determination may treat the amount withheld as a distribution of
cash
pursuant to Sections 4.3 or 8.3 in the amount of such withholding from
or with
respect to such Member or the amounts paid over as an expense to be borne
by
Members generally.
50
Section
7.5 Class B
Shares. For U.S. federal (and applicable state) income tax
purposes, the Class B Shares shall not be treated as outstanding limited
liability company membership interests and holders that own only Class
B Shares
shall not be treated as Members.
ARTICLE
VIII
DISSOLUTION
AND LIQUIDATION
Section
8.1 Dissolution. The
Company shall not be dissolved by the admission of Substitute Members
or
Additional Members. The Company shall dissolve, and its affairs shall
be wound up, upon:
(a) an
election to dissolve the Company by the Board of Directors that is approved
by
the holders of a Share Majority;
(b) the
sale, exchange or other disposition (which, for the avoidance of doubt,
shall
not include any merger, consolidation or similar transaction effected
in
accordance with Article X or otherwise) of all or substantially all of
the
assets and properties of the Company;
(c) the
entry of a decree of judicial dissolution of the Company pursuant to
the
provisions of the Delaware Act; or
(d) at
any time that there are no Members of the Company, unless the business
of the
Company is continued in accordance with the Delaware Act.
Section
8.2 Liquidator. Upon
dissolution of the Company, the Board of Directors shall select one or
more
Persons to act as Liquidator. The Liquidator (if other than the Board
of Directors) shall be entitled to receive such compensation for its
services as
may be approved by holders of a Share Majority. The Liquidator (if
other than the Board of Directors) shall agree not to resign at any time
without
15 days' prior notice and may be removed at any time, with or without
cause, by
notice of removal approved by holders of a Share Majority. Upon
dissolution, death, incapacity, removal or resignation of the Liquidator,
a
successor and substitute Liquidator (who shall have and succeed to all
rights,
powers and duties of the original Liquidator) shall within 30 days thereafter
be
approved by holders of a Share Majority. The right to approve a
successor or substitute Liquidator in the manner provided herein shall
be deemed
to refer also to any such successor or substitute Liquidator approved
in the
manner herein provided. Except as expressly provided in this Article
VIII, the Liquidator approved in the manner provided herein shall have
and may
exercise, without further authorization or consent of any of the parties
hereto,
all of the powers conferred upon the Board of Directors under the terms
of this
Agreement (but subject to all of the applicable limitations, contractual
and
otherwise, upon the exercise of such powers) necessary or appropriate
to carry
out the duties and functions of the Liquidator hereunder
51
for
and during the period of time required to complete the winding up and
liquidation of the Company as provided for herein.
Section
8.3 Liquidation. The
Liquidator shall proceed to dispose of the assets of the Company, discharge
its
liabilities, and otherwise wind up its affairs in such manner and over
such
period as determined by the Liquidator, subject to Section 18-804 of
the
Delaware Act and the following:
(a) Subject
to Section 8.3(c), the assets may be disposed of by public or private sale
or by distribution in kind to one or more Members on such terms as the
Liquidator and such Member or Members may agree. If any property is
distributed in kind, the Member receiving the property shall be deemed
for
purposes of Section 8.3(c) to have received cash equal to its fair market
value;
and contemporaneously therewith, appropriate cash distributions must
be made to
the other Members. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained
in this Agreement, the Members understand and acknowledge that a Member
may be
compelled to accept a distribution of any asset in kind from the Company
despite
the fact that the percentage of the asset distributed to such Member
exceeds the
percentage of that asset which is equal to the percentage in which such
Member
shares in distributions from the Company. The Liquidator may defer
liquidation or distribution of the Company's assets for a reasonable
time if it
determines that an immediate sale or distribution of all or some of the
Company's assets would be impractical or would cause undue loss to the
Members. The Liquidator may distribute the Company's assets, in whole
or in part, in kind if it determines that a sale would be impractical
or would
cause undue loss to the Members.
(b) Liabilities
of the Company include amounts owed to the Liquidator as compensation
for
serving in such capacity (subject to the terms of Section 8.2) and amounts
to
Members other than in respect of their distribution rights under Article
IV. With respect to any liability that is contingent, conditional or
unmatured or is otherwise not yet due and payable, the Liquidator shall
either
settle such claim for such amount as it thinks appropriate or establish
a
reserve of cash or other assets to provide for its payment. When
paid, any unused portion of the reserve shall be applied to other liabilities
or
distributed as additional liquidation proceeds.
(c) Subject
to the terms of any Share Designation, all property and all cash in excess
of
that required to discharge liabilities as provided in Section 8.3(b)
shall be
distributed to the Members in accordance with and to the extent of the
positive
balances in their respective Capital Accounts, as determined after taking
into
account all Capital Account adjustments (other than those made by reason
of
distributions pursuant to this Section 8.3(c)) for the taxable year of
the
Company during which the liquidation of the Company occurs (with such
date of
occurrence being determined by the Board of Directors, and such distribution
shall be made by the end of such taxable year (or, if later, within 90
days
after said date of such occurrence).
(d) Notwithstanding
any other provision of this Agreement, if, upon the dissolution and liquidation
of the Company pursuant to this Article VIII and after all other
allocations provided for in Section 4.1 have been tentatively made as
if this
Section 8.3(d) were not
52
in
this Agreement, either (i) the positive Capital Account balance attributable
to
one or more Shares having a liquidation preference is not equal to such
liquidation preference, or (ii) the quotient obtained by dividing the
positive
balance of a Member's Capital Account with respect to Common Shares by
the
aggregate of all Members' Capital Account balances with respect to Common
Shares at such time would differ from such Member's Percentage Interest,
then the Board of Directors, in its sole discretion, may decide that
Net Income
(and items thereof) and Net Loss (and items thereof) for the Fiscal Year
in
which the Company dissolves and liquidates pursuant to Article VIII shall
be
allocated among the Members (x) first, to the extent necessary to ensure
that
the Capital Account balance attributable to a Share having a liquidation
preference is equal to such liquidation preference, and (y) second, in
a manner
such that the positive balance in the Capital Account of each Member
with
respect to Common Shares, immediately after giving effect to such allocation,
is, as nearly as possible, equal to each such Member's Percentage
Interest. The Board of Directors, in its sole discretion, may apply the
principles of this Section 8.3(d) to any Fiscal Year preceding the Fiscal
Year
in which the Company dissolves and terminates (including through application
of
Section 761(e) of the Code) if delaying application of the principles
of this
Section 8.3(d) would likely result in Capital Account balances that are
materially different from the Capital Account balances set forth in clauses
(x)
and (y) of the preceding sentence.
Section
8.4 Cancellation
of Certificate of Formation. Upon the completion of the
distribution of Company cash and property as provided in Section 8.3
in
connection with the liquidation of the Company, the Certificate of Formation
and
all qualifications of the Company as a foreign limited liability company
in
jurisdictions other than the State of Delaware shall be canceled and
such other
actions as may be necessary to terminate the Company shall be
taken.
Section
8.5 Return
of Contributions. None of any member of the Board of Directors or
any Officer of the Company will be personally liable for, or have any
obligation
to contribute or loan any monies or property to the Company to enable
it to
effectuate, the return of the Capital Contributions of the Members, or
any
portion thereof, it being expressly understood that any such return shall
be
made solely from Company assets.
Section
8.6 Waiver
of Partition. To the maximum extent permitted by law, each Member
hereby waives any right to partition of the Company property.
Section
8.7 Capital
Account Restoration. No Member shall have any obligation
to restore any negative balance in its Capital Account upon liquidation
of the
Company.
ARTICLE
IX
AMENDMENT
OF AGREEMENT
Section
9.1 General.
Except as provided in Section 9.2, Section 9.3 and Section 9.4, the Board
of Directors may amend any of the terms of this Agreement but only in
compliance
53
with
the terms, conditions and procedures set forth in this Section
9.1. If the Board of Directors desires to amend any provision of this
Agreement other than pursuant to Section 9.3, then it shall first adopt
a
resolution setting forth the amendment proposed, declaring its advisability,
and
then (i) call a special meeting of the Members entitled to vote in respect
thereof for the consideration of such amendment, (ii) direct that the
amendment
proposed be considered at the next annual meeting of the Members or (iii)
seek
the written consent of the Members. Amendments to this Agreement may
be proposed only by or with the consent of the Board of Directors. Such
special or annual meeting shall be called and held upon notice in accordance
with Article XII of this Agreement. The notice shall set forth such
amendment in full or a brief summary of the changes to be effected thereby,
as
the Board of Directors shall deem advisable. At the meeting, a vote
of Members entitled to vote thereon shall be taken for and against the
proposed
amendment. A proposed amendment shall be effective upon its approval
by a Share Majority, unless a greater percentage is required under this
Agreement or by Delaware law.
Section
9.2 Super-Majority
Amendments. Notwithstanding Section 9.1, the affirmative vote of the holders
of Outstanding Voting Shares representing at least two-thirds of the
total votes
that may be cast by all Outstanding Voting Shares in the election of
Directors,
voting together as a single class, shall be required to alter or amend
any
provision of this Section 9.2 or Section 9.4(b).
Section
9.3 Amendments
to be Adopted Solely by the Board of Directors. Notwithstanding Section 9.1,
the Board of Directors, without the approval of any Member, may amend
any
provision of this Agreement, and execute, swear to, acknowledge, deliver,
file
and record whatever documents may be required in connection therewith,
to
reflect:
(a) a
change in the name of the Company, the location of the principal place
of
business of the Company, the registered agent of the Company or the registered
office of the Company;
(b) the
admission, substitution, withdrawal or removal of Members in accordance
with
this Agreement;
(c) a
change that the Board of Directors determines to be necessary or appropriate
to
qualify or continue the qualification of the Company as a limited liability
company under the laws of any state or to ensure that the Company will
not be
treated as an association taxable as a corporation or otherwise taxed
as an
entity for U.S. federal income tax purposes other than as the Company
specifically so designates;
(d) a
change that the Board of Directors determines in its sole discretion
to be
necessary or appropriate to address changes, proposed changes or differing
interpretations with respect to any of the Code, Treasury Regulations
promulgated thereunder, administrative rulings or pronouncements of the
Internal
Revenue Service and judicial decisions;
54
(e) a
change that, in the sole discretion of the Board of Directors, it determines
(i)
does not adversely affect the Members (including adversely affecting
the holders
of any particular class or series of Shares as compared to other holders
of
other classes or series of Shares) in any material respect, (ii) to be
necessary
or appropriate to satisfy any requirements, conditions or guidelines
contained
in any opinion, directive, order, ruling or regulation of any federal
or state
agency or judicial authority or contained in any federal or state statute
(including the Delaware Act), (iii) to be necessary, desirable or appropriate
to
facilitate the trading of the Shares (including, without limitation,
the
division of any class or classes or series of Outstanding Shares into
different
classes or series to facilitate uniformity of tax consequences within
such
classes or series of Shares) or comply with any rule, regulation, guideline
or
requirement of any National Securities Exchange on which Shares are or
will be
listed for trading, compliance with any of which the Board of Directors
deems to
be in the best interests of the Company and the Members, (iv) to be necessary
or
appropriate in connection with action taken by the Board of Directors
pursuant
to Section 3.7, (v) is required to effect the intent expressed in the
Registration Statement or the intent of the provisions of this Agreement
or is
otherwise contemplated by this Agreement, or (vii) is required to comply
with
the Class B Shareholders Agreement, the Tax Receivable Agreement, the
Exchange
Agreement or the Registration Rights Agreement, in each case, as in effect
on
the Closing Date;
(f) a
change in the fiscal year or taxable year of the Company and any other
changes
that the Board of Directors determines to be necessary or appropriate
as a
result of a change in the fiscal year or taxable year of the Company
including,
if the Board of Directors shall so determine in its sole discretion,
a change in
the definition of "Quarter" and the dates on which distributions are
to be made
by the Company;
(g) an
amendment that the Board of Directors determines, based on the advice
of
counsel, to be necessary or appropriate to prevent the Company or its
Directors,
Officers, trustees or agents from in any manner being subjected to the
provisions of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Investment
Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, or "plan asset" regulations adopted
under the
Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, regardless
of
whether such are substantially similar to plan asset regulations currently
applied or proposed by the United States Department of Labor;
(h) an
amendment that the Board of Directors determines to be necessary or appropriate
in connection with the authorization or issuance of any class or series
of
Shares pursuant to Section 3.2 and the admission of Additional
Members;
(i) any
amendment expressly permitted in this Agreement to be made by the Board
of
Directors acting alone;
(j) an
amendment effected, necessitated or contemplated by a Merger Agreement
approved
in accordance with Section 10.3;
55
(k) an
amendment that the Board of Directors determines to be necessary or appropriate
to reflect and account for the formation by the Company of, or investment
by the
Company in, any corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited liability
company or other entity, in connection with the conduct by the Company
of
activities permitted by the terms of Section 2.4;
(l) a
merger, conversion or conveyance pursuant to Section 10.3(d); or
(m) any
other amendments substantially similar to the foregoing.
Section
9.4 Amendment
Requirements.
(a) Notwithstanding
the provisions of Sections 9.1 and 9.3, no provision of this Agreement
that
establishes a percentage of Outstanding Voting Shares required to take
any
action shall be amended, altered, changed, repealed or rescinded in any
respect
that would have the effect of reducing such voting percentage unless
such
amendment is approved by the affirmative vote of holders of Outstanding
Voting
Shares whose aggregate Outstanding Voting Shares constitute not less
than the
voting requirement sought to be reduced.
(b) Notwithstanding
the provisions of Sections 9.1 and 9.3, but subject to the provisions
of Section
9.2, no amendment to this Agreement may (i) adversely affect the rights
or
preferences of any Shares in a manner that is disproportionate to all
other outstanding Shares of the same class or series, without the consent
of each Member holding any such disproportionately affected Share or
Shares
(provided, however, nothing in this Section 9.4(b)(i) shall be interpreted
to
require the consent of any holder that may be adversely affected by any
amendment for reasons other than such holder's ownership of Shares or
such
holder's rights or obligations as Members hereunder) or, (ii) change
Section
8.1(a), (iii) change the term of the Company or, (iv) except as set forth
in Section 8.1, give any Person the right to dissolve the
Company.
(c) Except
as provided in Section 10.3, and without limitation of the Board of Directors'
authority to adopt amendments to this Agreement without the approval
of any
Members as contemplated in Section 9.1, notwithstanding the provisions
of
Section 9.1, (i) any amendment that would have a material adverse effect
on the
rights or preferences of any class or series of Shares in relation to
other
classes or series of Shares must be approved by the holders of a majority
of the
Outstanding Shares of the class or series affected (provided, however,
nothing
in this Section 9.4(c)(i) shall be interpreted to require the consent
of the
holders of any class or series of Shares that may be adversely affected
by any
amendment for reasons other than such holders' ownership of Shares or
such
holders' rights or obligations as Members hereunder), and (ii) any amendment
of
this Agreement affecting the rights of the Class B Shareholder
Committee shall require the Consent of the Class B Shareholder
Committee.
56
ARTICLE
X
MERGER,
CONSOLIDATION OR CONVERSION
Section
10.1 Authority. The
Company may merge or consolidate or otherwise combine with one or more
limited
liability companies or "other business entities" as defined in Section
18-209 of
the Delaware Act, or convert into any such entity, whether such entity
is formed
under the laws of the State of Delaware or any other state of the United
States
of America or any other jurisdiction (including any foreign country or
other
foreign jurisdiction) or any combination thereof, pursuant to a written
agreement of merger or consolidation or similar agreement ("Merger
Agreement") or a written plan of conversion (or similar plan) ("Plan of
Conversion"), as the case may be, in accordance with this Article
X.
Section
10.2 Procedure for
Merger, Consolidation or Conversion. Any merger, consolidation,
conversion or similar transaction (which, for purposes of this Article X,
shall not include a sale of all or substantially all of the Company's
assets as
provided in Section 8.1(b)) of the Company pursuant to this Article X
requires
the prior approval of the Board of Directors.
(a) If
the Board of Directors shall determine to consent to the merger, consolidation
or similar transaction, the Board of Directors shall approve the Merger
Agreement, which shall set forth:
(i) the
names and jurisdictions of formation or organization of each of the business
entities proposing to merge, consolidate or otherwise combine;
(ii) the
name and jurisdiction of formation or organization of the business entity
that
is to survive the proposed merger, consolidation or similar transaction
(the
"Surviving Business Entity");
(iii) the
terms and conditions of the proposed merger, consolidation or similar
transaction;
(iv) the
manner and basis of exchanging or converting the rights or securities
of, or
interests in, each constituent business entity for, or into, cash, property,
rights, or securities of or interests in, the Surviving Business Entity;
and if
any rights or securities of, or interests in, any constituent business
entity
are not to be exchanged or converted solely for, or into, cash, property,
rights, or securities of or interests in, the Surviving Business Entity,
the
cash, property, rights, or securities of or interests in, any limited
liability
company or other business entity which the holders of such rights, securities
or
interests are to receive, if any;
57
(v) a
statement of any changes in the constituent documents or the adoption
of new
constituent documents (the certificate of formation or limited liability
company
agreement, articles or certificate of incorporation, articles of trust,
declaration of trust, certificate or agreement of limited partnership
or other
similar charter or governing document) of the Surviving Business Entity
to be
effected by such merger or consolidation;
(vi)
the effective time of the merger, which may be the date of the filing
of the
certificate of merger pursuant to Section 10.4 or a later date specified
in or
determinable in accordance with the Merger Agreement (provided, that
if the
effective time of the merger is to be later than the date of the filing
of the
certificate of merger, the effective time shall be fixed no later than
the time
of the filing of the certificate of merger or the time stated therein);
and
(vii) such
other provisions with respect to the proposed merger or consolidation
that the
Board of Directors determines to be necessary or appropriate.
(b) If
the Board of Directors shall determine to consent to the conversion or
similar
transaction, the Board of Directors may approve and adopt a Plan of Conversion
containing such terms and conditions that the Board of Directors determines
to
be necessary or appropriate.
Section
10.3 Approval by Members
of Merger, Consolidation or Conversion.
(a) Except
as provided in Section 10.3(d), the Board of Directors, upon its approval
of the
Merger Agreement or Plan of Conversion, as the case may be, shall direct
that
the Merger Agreement or Plan of Conversion, as applicable, be submitted
to a
vote of Members, whether at an annual meeting or a special meeting,
in either case, in accordance with the requirements of Article
IX. A copy or a summary of the Merger Agreement or Plan of
Conversion, as applicable, shall be included in or enclosed with the
notice of
meeting.
(b) Except
as provided in Section 10.3(d), the Merger Agreement or Plan of Conversion,
as
applicable, shall be approved upon receiving the affirmative vote or
consent of
the holders of a Share Majority unless the Merger Agreement or Plan of
Conversion, as applicable, contains any provision that, if contained
in an
amendment to this Agreement, the provisions of this Agreement or the
Delaware
Act would require for its approval the vote or consent of a greater percentage
of the Outstanding Voting Shares or of any class or series of Members,
in which
case such greater percentage vote or consent shall be required for approval
of
the Merger Agreement or Plan of Conversion, as applicable.
(c) Except
as provided in Section 10.3(d), after such approval by vote or consent
of the
Members, and at any time prior to the filing of the certificate of merger
or a
58
certificate
of conversion pursuant to Section 10.4, the merger, consolidation, conversion
or
similar transaction may be abandoned pursuant to provisions therefor,
if any,
set forth in the Merger Agreement or the Plan of Conversion, as the case
may
be.
(d) Notwithstanding
anything else contained in this Article X or in this Agreement, the Board
of
Directors is permitted, without Member approval, to convert the Company
into a
new limited liability entity, or to merge the Company into, or convey
all of the
Company's assets to, another limited liability entity, or which shall
be newly
formed and shall have no assets, liabilities or operations at the time
of such
conversion, merger or conveyance other than those it receives from the
Company
if (i) except as provided in Section 11.1, the Board of Directors has
received
an Opinion of Counsel that the conversion, merger or conveyance, as the
case may
be, should not result in the loss of the limited liability of any Member
or
cause the Company to be treated as an association taxable as a corporation
or
otherwise to be taxed as an entity for U.S. federal income tax purposes
(to the
extent not previously treated as such), (ii) the sole purpose of such
conversion, merger or conveyance is to effect a mere change in the legal
form of
the Company into another limited liability entity or a form of entity
required
to effectuate the provisions of Section 11.1 and (iii) the governing
instruments of the new entity provide the Members and the Board of Directors
with substantially the same rights and obligations as are herein
contained.
(e) Members
are not entitled to dissenters' rights of appraisal in the event of a
merger,
consolidation or conversion pursuant to this Article X, a sale of all
or
substantially all of the assets of the Company or the Company's Subsidiaries,
or
any other similar transaction or event.
(f) Each
Merger, consolidation or conversion approved pursuant to this Article
X shall
provide that all holders of Class A Shares shall be entitled to receive
the same
consideration pursuant to such transaction with respect to each of their
Class A
Shares.
Section
10.4 Certificate of
Merger or Conversion. Upon the required approval by the Board of
Directors and the Member of a Merger Agreement or a Plan of Conversion,
as the
case may be, a certificate of merger or certificate of conversion or
similar
document, as applicable, shall be executed and filed with the Secretary
of State
of the State of Delaware in conformity with the requirements of the Delaware
Act.
Section
10.5 Effect of
Merger.
(a) At
the effective time of the certificate of merger:
(i) all
of the rights, privileges and powers of each of the business entities
that has
merged or consolidated, and all property, real, personal and
59
mixed,
and all debts due to any of those business entities shall be vested in
the
Surviving Business Entity and after the merger, consolidation or similar
transaction shall be the property of the Surviving Business Entity and
all other
things and causes of action belonging to each of those business entities,
shall
be vested in the Surviving Business Entity to the extent they were of
each
constituent business entity;
(ii) the
title to any real property vested by deed or otherwise in any of those
constituent business entities shall not revert and is not in any way
impaired
because of the merger, consolidation or similar transaction;
(iii) all
rights of creditors and all liens on or security interests in property
of any of
those constituent business entities shall be preserved unimpaired;
and
(iv) all
debts, liabilities and duties of those constituent business entities
shall
attach to the Surviving Business Entity and may be enforced against it
to the
same extent as if the debts, liabilities and duties had been incurred
or
contracted by it.
(b) It
is the intent of the parties hereto that a merger or consolidation or
similar
transaction effected pursuant to this Article X shall not be deemed to
result in
a transfer or assignment of assets or liabilities from one entity to
another.
ARTICLE
XI
CORPORATE
TREATMENT
Section
11.1 Corporate
Treatment. The Board of Directors shall use its reasonable best
efforts to take such actions as are necessary or appropriate to preserve
the
status of the Company as a partnership for U.S. federal (and applicable
state
and local) income tax purposes. If, however, the Board of Directors
determines, in its sole discretion, for any reason (including the proposal,
formally or informally, of legislation that could affect the Company's
status as
a partnership for U.S. federal and/or applicable state and local income
tax
purposes) that it is not in the best interests of the Company to be
characterized as a partnership, the Board of Directors may take whatever
steps,
if any, are needed to cause the Company to be or confirm that the Company
will
be treated as an association or as a publicly traded partnership taxable
as a
corporation for U.S. federal (and applicable state and local) income
tax
purposes. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary,
in the event U.S. federal (and/or applicable state and local) income
tax laws,
rules or regulations are enacted, amended, modified or applied after
the date
hereof in such a manner as to require or necessitate that the Company
no longer
be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal (and/or applicable state
and local)
income tax purposes, then the first sentence of this Section 11.1 shall
no
longer apply.
60
Section
11.2 Section 7704(e)
Relief. In the event that the Board of Directors determines the
Company should seek relief pursuant to Section 7704(e) of the Code to
preserve
the status of the Company as a partnership for U.S. federal (and applicable
state) income tax purposes, the Company and each Member shall agree to
adjustments required by the tax authorities, and the Company shall pay
such
amounts as required by the tax authorities, to preserve the status of
the
Company as a partnership.
ARTICLE
XII
MEMBER
MEETINGS
Section
12.1 Member
Meetings.
(a) All
acts of Members to be taken hereunder shall be taken in the manner provided
in
this Article XII. An annual meeting of the Members for the election
of Directors and for the transaction of such other business as may properly
come
before the meeting shall be held at such time and place as the Board
of
Directors shall specify. If authorized by the Board of Directors, and
subject to such guidelines and procedures as the Board of Directors may
adopt,
Members and proxyholders not physically present at a meeting of Members
may by
means of remote communication participate in such meeting and be deemed
present
in person and vote at such meeting.
(b) A
failure to hold the annual meeting of the Members at the designated time
or to
elect a sufficient number of Directors to conduct the business of the
Company
shall not affect otherwise valid acts of the Company or result in a forfeiture
or dissolution of the Company. If the annual meeting for election of
Directors is not held on the date designated therefor, the Directors
shall cause
the meeting to be held as soon as is convenient. If there is a
failure to hold the annual meeting for a period of 30 days after the
date
designated for the annual meeting, or if no date has been designated,
for a
period of 13 months after the latest to occur of the date of this Agreement
or
its last annual meeting, the Delaware Court of Chancery may summarily
order a
meeting to be held upon the application of any Member or Director. A
majority of the Outstanding Voting Shares present at such meeting, either
in
person or by proxy, and entitled to vote thereat, shall constitute a
quorum for
the purpose of such meeting, notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement
to
the contrary. The Delaware Court of Chancery may issue such orders as
may be appropriate, including orders designating the time and place of
such
meeting, the record date for determination of Members entitled to vote,
and the
form of notice of such meeting.
(c) All
elections of Directors will be by written ballots; if authorized by the
Board of
Directors, such requirement of a written ballot shall be satisfied by
a ballot
submitted by electronic transmission, provided that any such electronic
transmission must either set forth or be submitted with information from
which
it can be reasonably determined that the electronic transmission was
authorized
by the Member or proxyholder.
61
(d) Special
meetings of the Members may be called only by a majority of the Board
of
Directors. No Members or group of Members, acting in its or their
capacity as Members, shall have the right to call a special meeting of
the
Members, except that if any Class B Shareholders collectively own a majority
of
Outstanding Voting Shares, such Class B Shareholders (or their designee,
including the Class B Shareholder Committee) may call a special meeting of
the Members.
Section
12.2 Notice of Meetings
of Members.
(a) Notice,
stating the place, day and hour of any annual or special meeting of the
Members,
as determined by the Board of Directors, and (i) in the case of a special
meeting of the Members, the purpose or purposes for which the meeting
is called,
as determined by the Board of Directors or by any of the Class B Shareholders
as
contemplated by Section 12.1(d), if applicable, or (ii) in the case of
an annual
meeting, those matters that the Board of Directors, at the time of giving
the
notice, intends to present for action by the Members, shall be delivered
by the
Company not less than 10 calendar days nor more than 60 calendar days
before the
date of the meeting, in a manner and otherwise in accordance with Section
13.1
to each Record Holder who is entitled to vote at such meeting. Such further
notice shall be given as may be required by Delaware or applicable federal
law
or any exchange on which any Shares are then listed. The notice of
any meeting of the Members at which Directors are to be elected shall
include
the name of any nominee or nominees who, at the time of the notice, the
Board of
Directors intends to present for election. Only such business shall
be conducted at a special meeting of Members as shall have been brought
before
the meeting pursuant to the Company's notice of meeting. Any
previously scheduled meeting of the Members may be postponed, and any
special
meeting of the Members may be canceled, by resolution of the Board of
Directors
upon public notice given prior to the date previously scheduled for such
meeting
of the Members.
(b) The
Board of Directors shall designate the place of meeting for any annual
meeting
or for any special meeting of the Members. If no designation is made,
the place of meeting shall be the principal office of the Company.
Section
12.3 Record
Date. For purposes of determining the Members entitled to notice
of or to vote at a meeting of the Members, the Board of Directors may
set a
Record Date, which shall not be less than 10 nor more than 60 days before
the
date of the meeting (unless such requirement conflicts with any rule,
regulation, guideline or requirement of any National Securities Exchange
on
which the Shares are listed for trading, in which case the rule, regulation,
guideline or requirement of such exchange shall govern). If no Record
Date is fixed by the Board of Directors, the Record Date for determining
Members
entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of Members shall be at
the close
of business on the day next preceding the day on which notice is
given. A determination of Members of record entitled to notice of or
to vote at a meeting of Members shall apply to any adjournment or postponement
of the meeting; provided, however, that the Board of Directors may fix
a new Record Date for the adjourned or postponed meeting.
62
Section
12.4 Adjournment. When
a meeting is adjourned to another time or place, notice need not be given
of the
adjourned meeting and a new Record Date need not be fixed, if the time
and place
thereof are announced at the meeting at which the adjournment is taken,
unless
such adjournment shall be for more than 30 days. At the adjourned
meeting, the Company may transact any business which might have been
transacted
at the original meeting. If the adjournment is for more than 30 days
or if a new Record Date is fixed for the adjourned meeting, a notice
of the
adjourned meeting shall be given in accordance with this Article
XII.
Section
12.5 Waiver of Notice;
Approval of Meeting. Whenever notice to the Members is required
to be given under this Agreement, a written waiver, signed by the Person
entitled to notice, whether before or after the time stated therein,
shall be
deemed equivalent to notice. Attendance of a Person at any such
meeting of the Members shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting,
except when the Person attends a meeting for the express purpose of objecting,
at the beginning of the meeting, to the transaction of any business because
the
meeting is not lawfully called or convened. Neither the business to
be transacted at, nor the purpose of, any regular or special meeting
of the
Members need be specified in any written waiver of notice unless so required
by
resolution of the Board of Directors. All waivers and approvals shall
be filed with the Company records or made part of the minutes of the
meeting.
Section
12.6 Quorum; Required
Vote for Member Action; Voting for Directors and Specified
Actions.
(a) At
any meeting of the Members, the holders of a majority of the Outstanding
Voting
Shares of the class or classes or series for which a meeting has been
called
represented in person or by proxy shall constitute a quorum of such class
or
classes or series unless any such action by the Members requires approval
by
holders of a greater percentage of Outstanding Voting Shares, in which
case the
quorum shall be such greater percentage. The submission of matters to
Members for approval and the election of Directors shall occur only at a
meeting of the Members duly called and held in accordance with this Agreement
at
which a quorum is present; provided, however, that the Members present
at a duly called or held meeting at which a quorum is present may continue
to
transact business until adjournment, notwithstanding the withdrawal of
enough
Members to leave less than a quorum, if any action taken (other than
adjournment) is approved by the required percentage of Outstanding Voting
Shares
specified in this Agreement. Any meeting of Members may be adjourned
from time
to time by the chairman of the meeting to another place or time, without
regard
to the presence of a quorum.
(b) Each
Outstanding Class A Share and each Outstanding Class B Share shall be
entitled
to one vote per Share on all matters submitted to Members for approval
and in
the election of Directors.
(c) All
matters (other than the election of Directors) submitted to Members for
approval
shall be determined by a majority of the votes cast affirmatively or
negatively
by Members holding Outstanding Voting Shares unless a greater percentage
is
required
63
with
respect to such matter under the Delaware Act, under the rules of any
National
Securities Exchange on which the Shares are listed for trading, or under
the
provisions of this Agreement, in which case the approval of Members holding
Outstanding Voting Shares that in the aggregate represent at least such
greater
percentage shall be required.
(d) Directors
will be elected by a plurality of the votes cast for a particular position
at
any duly convened meeting at which a quorum is present.
(e) The
Board of Directors may not cause the Company to sell, exchange or otherwise
dispose of all or substantially all of its assets, in one transaction
or a
series of related transactions, or approve on behalf of the Company any
such
sale, exchange or other disposition, without receiving the affirmative
vote or
consent of the holders of a Share Majority; provided, however, that the
foregoing will not limit the ability of the Board of Directors to authorize
the
Company to mortgage, pledge, hypothecate or grant a security interest
in all or
substantially all of the assets of the Company without the approval of
any
Member.
(f) Without
the approval of any Member, the Board of Directors may, at any time,
cause the
Company to implement a reorganization whereby a Delaware statutory trust
(the
"Trust") would hold all Outstanding Class A Shares and the holder of
each
Class A Share would receive, in exchange for such Class A Share, a common
share
of the Trust which would represent one undivided beneficial interest
in the
Trust, and each common share of the Trust would correspond to one underlying
Class A Share; provided, however, that the Board of Directors will not
implement such a trust structure if, in its sole discretion, it determines
that
such reorganization would be taxable or otherwise alter the benefits
or burdens
of ownership of the Class A Shares, including altering a Member's allocation
of
items of income, gain, loss, deduction or credit or the treatment of
such items
for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The Board of Directors will
also be required to implement the reorganization in such a manner that
the
reorganization does not have a material effect on the voting or economic
rights
of Class A Shares and Class B Shares.
Section
12.7 Conduct of a
Meeting; Member Lists.
(a) The
Board of Directors shall have full power and authority concerning the
manner of
conducting any meeting of the Members, including the determination of
Persons
entitled to vote, the existence of a quorum, the satisfaction of the
requirements of this Article XII, the conduct of voting, the validity
and effect
of any proxies and the determination of any controversies, votes or challenges
arising in connection with or during the meeting or voting. The Board
of Directors shall designate a Person to serve as chairman of any meeting
and
shall further designate a Person to take the minutes of any
meeting. All minutes shall be kept with the records of the Company
maintained by the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors may make
such other regulations consistent with applicable law and this Agreement
as it
may deem advisable concerning the conduct of any meeting of the Members,
including regulations in regard to the appointment of proxies, the appointment
and duties of inspectors of votes, the submission and examination of
proxies and
other evidence of the right to vote.
64
(b) A
complete list of Members entitled to vote at any meeting of Members,
arranged in
alphabetical order for each class or series of Shares and showing the
address of
each such Member and the number of Outstanding Voting Shares registered
in the
name of such Member, shall be open to the examination of any Member,
for any
purpose germane to the meeting, during ordinary business hours, for a
period of
at least 10 days before the meeting, at the principal place of business
of the
Company. The Member list shall also be produced and kept at the time
and place of the meeting during the whole time thereof, and may be inspected
by
any Member who is present.
Section
12.8 Action
Without a Meeting. On any matter that is to be voted on,
consented to or approved by Members, the Members may take such action
without a
meeting, without prior notice and without a vote if a consent or consents
in
writing, setting forth the action so taken, shall be signed by the Members
having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary
to
authorize or take such action at a meeting at which all Members entitled
to vote
thereon were present and voted. The provisions of this Section 12.8
shall no longer be effective following the five-year anniversary of
the IPO and, following such date, no matter that is to be voted on, consented
to
or approved by Members hereunder may be taken without a
meeting.
Section
12.9 Voting and Other
Rights.
(a) Only
those Record Holders of Outstanding Voting Shares on the Record Date
set
pursuant to Section 12.3 shall be entitled to notice of, and to vote
at, a
meeting of Members or to act with respect to matters as to which the
holders of
the Outstanding Voting Shares have the right to vote or to act. All
references in this Agreement to votes of, or other acts that may be taken
by,
the Outstanding Voting Shares shall be deemed to be references to the
votes or
acts of the Record Holders of such Outstanding Voting Shares on such
Record
Date.
(b) With
respect to Outstanding Voting Shares that are held for a Person's account
by
another Person (such as a broker, dealer, bank, trust company or clearing
corporation, or an agent of any of the foregoing), in whose name such
Outstanding Voting Shares are registered, such other Person shall, in
exercising
the voting rights in respect of such Outstanding Voting Shares on any
matter,
and unless the arrangement between such Persons provides otherwise, vote
such
Outstanding Voting Shares in favor of, and at the direction of, the Person
who
is the Beneficial Owner, and the Company shall be entitled to assume
it is so
acting without further inquiry.
(c) Neither
the holders of Class A Shares nor the holders of Class B Shares shall
have
cumulative voting rights.
65
Section
12.10 Proxies and
Voting.
(a) On
any matter that is to be voted on by Members, the Members may vote in
person or
by proxy, and such proxy may be granted in writing, by means of electronic
transmission or as otherwise permitted by applicable law. Any such
proxy shall be delivered in accordance with the procedure established
for the
relevant meeting. For purposes of this Agreement, the term
"electronic transmission" means any form of communication not directly
involving
the physical transmission of paper that creates a record that may be
retained,
retrieved and reviewed by a recipient thereof and that may be directly
reproduced in paper form by such a recipient through an automated
process. Any copy, facsimile telecommunication or other reliable
reproduction of the writing or transmission created pursuant to this
paragraph
may be substituted or used in lieu of the original writing or transmission
for
any and all purposes for which the original writing or transmission could
be
used, provided that such copy, facsimile telecommunication or other reproduction
shall be a complete reproduction of the entire original writing or
transmission.
(b) The
Company may, and to the extent required by law, shall, in advance of
any meeting
of Members, appoint one or more inspectors to act at the meeting and
make a
written report thereof. The Company may designate one or more
alternate inspectors to replace any inspector who fails to act. If no
inspector or alternate is able to act at a meeting of Members, the chairman
of
the meeting may, and to the extent required by law, shall, appoint one
or more
inspectors to act at the meeting. Each inspector, before entering
upon the discharge of his or her duties, shall take and sign an oath
faithfully
to execute the duties of inspector with strict impartiality and according
to the
best of his or her ability. Every vote taken by ballots shall be
counted by a duly appointed inspector or inspectors.
(c) With
respect to the use of proxies at any meeting of Members, the Company
shall be
governed by paragraphs (b), (c), (d) and (e) of Section 212 of the DGCL
and
other applicable provisions of the DGCL, as though the Company were a
Delaware
corporation and as though the Members were shareholders of a Delaware
corporation.
(d) Pursuant
to and subject to the provisions of Rule 14a-16 under the Exchange Act,
the
Company may, but is not required to, utilize a Notice of Internet Availability
of Proxy Materials, as described in such rule, in conjunction with proxy
material posted to an Internet site, in order to furnish any proxy or
related
material to Members pursuant to Regulation 14A under the Exchange
Act.
Section
12.11 Notice of Member
Business and Nominations.
(a) Subject
to Article V of this Agreement and the nominating rights of the Class
B
Shareholder Committee under the Class B Shareholders Agreement, nominations
of
Persons for election to the Board of Directors of the Company and the
proposal
of business to be
66
considered
by the Members may be made at an annual meeting of Members (6) pursuant
to the
Company's notice of meeting delivered pursuant to Section 12.2 of this
Agreement, (7) by or at the direction of the Board of Directors, or (8) by
any holder of Outstanding Voting Shares who is entitled to vote at the
meeting,
who complied with the notice procedures set forth in paragraphs (b) (or (b)
and (c)), as applicable, of this Section and who is a Record Holder of
Outstanding Voting Shares at the time such notice is delivered to the
Secretary
of the Company.
(b) For
nominations or other business to be properly brought before an annual
meeting by
a Member pursuant to Section 12.11(a), the Member must have given timely
notice
thereof in writing to the Secretary of the Company. To be timely, a
Member's notice shall be delivered to the Secretary at the principal
executive
offices of the Company not less than ninety (90) days nor more than one
hundred
twenty (120) days prior to the anniversary of the date on which the Company
first made publicly available (whether by mailing, by filing with the
Commission
or by posting on an internet web site) its proxy materials for the immediately
preceding annual meeting of Members; provided, however, that,
in the case of the Company's annual meeting to be held in 2008, or if any
future annual meeting is to be held on a date that is more than thirty (30)
days before or after the anniversary of the previous year's annual meeting,
notice by the Member in order to be timely must be so received not later
than
the close of business on the tenth (10th) day
following the
day on which public disclosure of the date of the annual meeting is first
made
(which may be the date on which proxy materials for such meeting are
first
mailed). In no event shall the public announcement or postponement of
an annual meeting commence a new time period for the giving of a Member's
notice
as described in this Section 12.11(b). Such Member's notice shall set
forth: (A) with respect to nominations for election or reelection of
Directors,
as to each Person whom the Member proposes to nominate, all information
relating
to such Person that is required to be disclosed in solicitations of proxies
for
election of Directors, or is otherwise required, in each case, pursuant
to
Regulation 14A under the Exchange Act, including rules with respect to
contested
elections thereunder and including such Person's written consent to being
named
in the proxy statement as a nominee and to serving as a Director if elected;
(B)
as to any other business that the Member proposes to bring before the
meeting, a
brief description of the business desired to be brought before the meeting,
the
reasons for conducting such business at the meeting and any material
interest in
such business of such Member and the Beneficial Owner, if any, on whose
behalf
the proposal is made and (C) as to the Member giving the notice and the
Beneficial Owner, if any, on whose behalf the nomination or proposal
is made,
the name and address of such Member and of any such Beneficial Owner,
as they
appear on the Company's books, and the class or series and number of
Shares of
the Company which are owned beneficially and of record by such Member
and any
such Beneficial Owner. Proposals for actions must be a proper matter
for Member
action under this Agreement and the Delaware Act.
(c) Notwithstanding
anything in the second sentence of Section 12.11(b) to the contrary,
if the
number of Directors to be elected to the Board of Directors is increased
and
there is no public announcement naming all of the nominees for Director
or
specifying the size of the increased Board of Directors made by the Company
at
least 90 days prior to the anniversary of the date on which the Company
first made publicly available (whether by mailing, by filing with the
Commission
or by posting on an internet web site) its proxy materials for the immediately
preceding annual meeting of Members, then a Member's notice required
by this
Section shall also
67
be
considered timely, but only with respect to nominees for any new positions
created by such increase, if it shall be delivered to the Secretary at
the
principal executive offices of the Company not later than the close of
business
on the tenth (10th) day
following the
day on which a public announcement regarding such increase is first made
by the
Company.
(d) Only
such business shall be conducted at a special meeting of Members as shall
have
been brought before the meeting pursuant to the Company's notice of meeting
pursuant to Section 12.2 of this Agreement. Subject to Section 5.67
of this Agreement, nominations of Persons for election to the Board of
Directors
may be made at a special meeting of Members at which Directors are to
be elected
pursuant to the Company's notice of meeting (9) by or at the direction
of the
Board of Directors, (10) by any holder of Outstanding Voting Shares who is
entitled to vote at the meeting, who complied with the notice procedures
set
forth in paragraph (b) or ((b) and (c)), as applicable, of this Section
12.11
and has otherwise complied with Regulation 14A under the Exchange Act,
including
rules with respect to contested elections thereunder. Nominations by
Members of Persons for election to the Board of Directors may be made
at such a
special meeting of Members if the Member's notice as required by Section
12.11(b) shall be delivered to the Secretary of the Company not earlier
than the
90th day prior to such special meeting and not later than the close of
business
on the later of (x) the 70th day prior to such special meeting or (y)
the 10th
day following the day on which public announcement is first made of the
date of
the special meeting and of the nominees proposed by the Board of Directors
to be
elected at such meeting.
(e) Except
to the extent otherwise provided in Article V with respect to vacancies,
only
Persons who are nominated in accordance with the procedures set forth
in this
Section shall be eligible to serve as Directors and only such business
shall be
conducted at a meeting of Members as shall have been brought before the
meeting
in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section. Except
as otherwise provided herein or required by law, the chairman of the
meeting
shall have the power and duty to determine whether a nomination or any
business
proposed to be brought before the meeting was made in accordance with
the
procedures set forth in this Section and, if any proposed nomination
or business
is not in compliance with this Section, to declare that such defective
proposal
or nomination shall be disregarded.
(f) Notwithstanding
the foregoing provisions of this Section, a Member shall also comply
with all
applicable requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations
thereunder with respect to the matters set forth in this
Section. Nothing in this Section shall be deemed to affect any rights
of Members to request inclusion of proposals in the Company's proxy statement
pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act.
68
ARTICLE
XIII
GENERAL
PROVISIONS
Section
13.1 Addresses and
Notices. Any notice, demand, request, report or proxy materials
required or permitted to be given or made to a Member under this Agreement
shall
be in writing and shall be deemed given or made when delivered in person
or when
sent by first class United States mail or by other means of written
communication to the Member at the address described below. Any
notice, payment or report to be given or made to a Member hereunder shall
be
deemed conclusively to have been given or made, and the obligation to give
such notice or report or to make such payment shall be deemed conclusively
to
have been fully satisfied, upon sending of such notice, payment or report
to the
Record Holder of such Shares at his address as shown on the records of
the
Transfer Agent or as otherwise shown on the records of the Company, regardless
of any claim of any Person who may have an interest in such Shares by
reason of
any assignment or otherwise. An affidavit or certificate of making of
any
notice, payment or report in accordance with the provisions of this Section
13.1
executed by the Company, the Transfer Agent or the mailing organization
shall be
prima facie evidence of the giving or making of such notice, payment
or
report. If any notice, payment or report addressed to a Record Holder
at the address of such Record Holder appearing on the books and records
of the
Transfer Agent or the Company is returned by the United States Postal
Service
marked to indicate that the United States Postal Service is unable to
deliver
it, such notice, payment or report and any subsequent notices, payments
and
reports shall be deemed to have been duly given or made without further
mailing
(until such time as such Record Holder or another Person notifies the
Transfer
Agent or the Company of a change in his address) if they are available
for the
Member at the principal office of the Company for a period of one year
from the
date of the giving or making of such notice, payment or report to the
other
Members. Any notice to the Company shall be deemed given if received
by the
Secretary at the principal office of the Company designated pursuant
to Section
2.3. The Board of Directors and the Officers may rely and shall be
protected in relying on any notice or other document from a Member or
other
Person if believed by it to be genuine.
Section
13.2 Further
Action. The parties shall execute and deliver all documents,
provide all information and take or refrain from taking action as may
be
necessary or appropriate to achieve the purposes of this Agreement.
Section
13.3 Binding
Effect. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the
benefit of the parties hereto and their heirs, executors, administrators,
successors, legal representatives and permitted assigns.
Section
13.4 Integration. Except
as expressly contemplated herein, this Agreement constitutes the entire
agreement among the parties hereto pertaining to the subject matter hereof
and
supersedes all prior agreements and understandings pertaining
thereto.
69
Section
13.5 Creditors. None
of the provisions of this Agreement shall be for the benefit of, or shall
be
enforceable by, any creditor of the Company.
Section
13.6 Waiver. No
failure by any party to insist upon the strict performance of any covenant,
duty, agreement or condition of this Agreement or to exercise any right
or
remedy consequent upon a breach thereof shall constitute waiver of any
such
breach of any other covenant, duty, agreement or condition.
Section
13.7 Counterparts. This
Agreement may be executed in counterparts, all of which together shall
constitute an agreement binding on all the parties hereto, notwithstanding
that
all such parties are not signatories to the original or the same
counterpart. Each party shall become bound by this Agreement
immediately upon affixing its signature hereto or, in the case of a Person
acquiring a Share, upon accepting the Certificate evidencing such
Share.
Section
13.8 Applicable
Law. This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with and
governed by the laws of the State of Delaware without regard to principles
of
conflict of laws. Prior to the IPO, each Member (i) irrevocably
submits to the non-exclusive jurisdiction and venue of any Delaware state
court
or U.S. federal court sitting in Wilmington, Delaware in any action arising
out
of this Agreement and (ii) consents to the service of process by
mail. Nothing herein shall affect the right of any party to serve
legal process in any manner permitted by law or affect its right to bring
any
action in any other court.
Section
13.9 Conflict with
Class B Shareholders Agreement. Unless otherwise expressly
provided in this Agreement, if any provision of this Agreement conflicts
with
the provisions of the Class B Shareholders Agreement, as it exists on
the
Closing Date, the terms of the Class B Shareholders Agreement shall govern
over
such provision and shall not constitute a breach of this Agreement.
Section
13.10 Invalidity of
Provisions. If any provision of this Agreement is or becomes
invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, the validity, legality
and
enforceability of the remaining provisions contained herein shall not
be
affected thereby.
Section
13.11 Consent of
Members. Each Member hereby expressly consents and agrees that,
whenever in this Agreement it is specified that an action may be taken
upon the
affirmative vote or consent of less than all of the Members, such action
may be
so taken upon the concurrence of less than all of the Members and each
Member
shall be bound by the results of such action.
Section
13.12 Facsimile
Signatures. The use of facsimile signatures affixed in the name
and on behalf of the transfer agent and registrar of the Company on certificates
representing Shares is expressly permitted by this Agreement.
70
Remainder
of page intentionally left blank.
71
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, this Agreement has been executed as of the date first
written
above.
Members
|
||
All
members now and hereafter admitted as Members of the Company,
pursuant to
powers of attorney now and hereafter executed in favor of,
and granted and
delivered to the Board of Directors or without execution hereof
or thereof
by purchasing or otherwise lawfully acquiring any Share pursuant
to
Section 3.1 hereof.
|
||
/s/
Xxxxxx Xxx
|
||
Xxxxxx
Xxx
Chairman
of the Board of Directors
|
||
/s/
Xxxx Xxxxx
|
||
Xxxx
Xxxxx
Director
|
||
/s/
Xxxxx Xxxxxxxxx
|
||
Xxxxx
Xxxxxxxxx
Director
|