First Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership Quest Energy Partners, L.P. November 15, 2007
Exhibit 3.1
Execution Version
First Amended and Restated
Agreement of Limited Partnership
Agreement of Limited Partnership
November 15, 2007
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page | ||||
ARTICLE I Definitions |
1 | |||
Section 1.1 Definitions |
1 | |||
Section 1.2 Construction |
24 | |||
ARTICLE II Organization |
24 | |||
Section 2.1 Formation |
24 | |||
Section 2.2 Name |
24 | |||
Section 2.3 Registered Office; Registered Agent; Principal Office; Other Offices |
25 | |||
Section 2.4 Purpose and Business |
25 | |||
Section 2.5 Powers |
25 | |||
Section 2.6 Power of Attorney |
25 | |||
Section 2.7 Term |
27 | |||
Section 2.8 Title to Partnership Assets |
27 | |||
ARTICLE III Rights of Limited Partners |
27 | |||
Section 3.1 Limitation of Liability |
27 | |||
Section 3.2 Management of Business |
28 | |||
Section 3.3 Outside Activities of the Limited Partners |
28 | |||
Section 3.4 Rights of Limited Partners |
28 | |||
ARTICLE IV Certificates; Record Holders; Transfer of Partnership Interests;
Redemption of Partnership Interests |
29 | |||
Section 4.1 Certificates |
29 | |||
Section 4.2 Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Certificates |
30 | |||
Section 4.3 Record Holders |
31 | |||
Section 4.4 Transfer Generally |
31 | |||
Section 4.5 Registration and Transfer of Limited Partner Interests |
31 | |||
Section 4.6 Transfer of the General Partner’s General Partner Interest |
32 | |||
Section 4.7 Transfer of Incentive Distribution Rights |
33 | |||
Section 4.8 Restrictions on Transfers |
33 | |||
Section 4.9 Eligible Holder Certifications; Non-Eligible Holders |
35 | |||
Section 4.10 Redemption of Partnership Interests of Non-Eligible Holder |
36 | |||
ARTICLE V Capital Contributions and Issuance of Partnership Interests |
37 | |||
Section 5.1 Organizational Contributions |
37 | |||
Section 5.2 Contributions by the General Partner |
38 | |||
Section 5.3 Contributions by Initial Limited Partners |
38 | |||
Section 5.4 Interest and Withdrawal |
39 | |||
Section 5.5 Capital Accounts |
39 | |||
Section 5.6 Issuances of Additional Partnership Securities |
43 | |||
Section 5.7 Conversion of Subordinated Units |
44 |
i
TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued)
Page | ||||
Section 5.8 Limited Preemptive Right |
46 | |||
Section 5.9 Splits and Combinations |
47 | |||
Section 5.10 Fully Paid and Non-Assessable Nature of Limited Partner Interests |
47 | |||
Section 5.11 Issuance of Class B Units in Connection with Reset of Incentive
Distribution Rights |
48 | |||
ARTICLE VI Allocations and Distributions |
49 | |||
Section 6.1 Allocations for Capital Account Purposes |
49 | |||
Section 6.2 Allocations for Tax Purposes |
58 | |||
Section 6.3 Requirement and Characterization of Distributions; Distributions to Record
Holders |
62 | |||
Section 6.4 Distributions of Available Cash from Operating Surplus |
62 | |||
Section 6.5 Distributions of Available Cash from Capital Surplus |
64 | |||
Section 6.6 Adjustment of Minimum Quarterly Distribution and Target Distribution Levels
|
64 | |||
Section 6.7 Special Provisions Relating to the Holders of Subordinated Units and Class B
Units |
65 | |||
Section 6.8 Special Provisions Relating to the Holders of Incentive Distribution Rights |
66 | |||
Section 6.9 Entity-Level Taxation |
66 | |||
ARTICLE VII Management and Operation of Business |
67 | |||
Section 7.1 Management |
67 | |||
Section 7.2 Certificate of Limited Partnership |
69 | |||
Section 7.3 Restrictions on the General Partner’s Authority |
70 | |||
Section 7.4 Reimbursement of the General Partner |
70 | |||
Section 7.5 Outside Activities |
71 | |||
Section 7.6 Loans from the General Partner; Loans or Contributions from the Partnership
or Group Members |
73 | |||
Section 7.7 Indemnification |
73 | |||
Section 7.8 Liability of Indemnitees |
75 | |||
Section 7.9 Resolution of Conflicts of Interest; Standards of Conduct and
Modification of Duties |
76 | |||
Section 7.10 Other Matters Concerning the General Partner |
78 | |||
Section 7.11 Purchase or Sale of Partnership Securities |
78 | |||
Section 7.12 Registration Rights of the General Partner and its Affiliates |
78 | |||
Section 7.13 Reliance by Third Parties |
82 | |||
ARTICLE VIII Books, Records, Accounting and Reports |
83 | |||
Section 8.1 Records and Accounting |
83 | |||
Section 8.2 Fiscal Year |
83 | |||
Section 8.3 Reports |
83 |
ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued)
Page | ||||
ARTICLE IX Tax Matters |
84 | |||
Section 9.1 Tax Returns and Information |
84 | |||
Section 9.2 Tax Elections |
84 | |||
Section 9.3 Tax Controversies |
84 | |||
Section 9.4 Withholding |
84 | |||
ARTICLE X Admission of Partners |
85 | |||
Section 10.1 Admission of Limited Partners |
85 | |||
Section 10.2 Admission of Successor General Partner |
86 | |||
Section 10.3 Amendment of Agreement and Certificate of Limited Partnership |
86 | |||
ARTICLE XI Withdrawal or Removal of Partners |
86 | |||
Section 11.1 Withdrawal of the General Partner |
86 | |||
Section 11.2 Removal of the General Partner |
88 | |||
Section 11.3 Interest of Departing General Partner and Successor General Partner |
88 | |||
Section 11.4 Termination of Subordination Period, Conversion of Subordinated Units and
Extinguishment of Cumulative Common Unit Arrearages |
90 | |||
Section 11.5 Withdrawal of Limited Partners |
90 | |||
ARTICLE XII Dissolution and Liquidation |
91 | |||
Section 12.1 Dissolution |
91 | |||
Section 12.2 Continuation of the Business of the Partnership After Dissolution |
91 | |||
Section 12.3 Liquidator |
92 | |||
Section 12.4 Liquidation |
92 | |||
Section 12.5 Cancellation of Certificate of Limited Partnership |
93 | |||
Section 12.6 Return of Contributions |
93 | |||
Section 12.7 Waiver of Partition |
93 | |||
Section 12.8 Capital Account Restoration |
93 | |||
ARTICLE XIII Amendment of Partnership Agreement; Meetings; Record Date |
94 | |||
Section 13.1 Amendments to be Adopted Solely by the General Partner |
94 | |||
Section 13.2 Amendment Procedures |
95 | |||
Section 13.3 Amendment Requirements |
96 | |||
Section 13.4 Special Meetings |
96 | |||
Section 13.5 Notice of a Meeting |
97 | |||
Section 13.6 Record Date |
97 | |||
Section 13.7 Adjournment |
97 | |||
Section 13.8 Waiver of Notice; Approval of Meeting; Approval of Minutes |
98 | |||
Section 13.9 Quorum and Voting |
98 | |||
Section 13.10 Conduct of a Meeting |
98 | |||
Section 13.11 Action Without a Meeting |
99 | |||
Section 13.12 Right to Vote and Related Matters |
99 |
iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued)
Page | ||||
ARTICLE XIV Merger, Consolidation or Conversion |
100 | |||
Section 14.1 Authority |
100 | |||
Section 14.2 Procedure for Merger, Consolidation or Conversion |
100 | |||
Section 14.3 Approval by Limited Partners |
102 | |||
Section 14.4 Certificate of Merger |
103 | |||
Section 14.5 Effect of Merger, Consolidation or Conversion |
103 | |||
ARTICLE XV Right to Acquire Limited Partner Interests |
104 | |||
Section 15.1 Right to Acquire Limited Partner Interests |
104 | |||
ARTICLE XVI General Provisions |
106 | |||
Section 16.1 Addresses and Notices |
106 | |||
Section 16.2 Further Action |
107 | |||
Section 16.3 Binding Effect |
107 | |||
Section 16.4 Integration |
107 | |||
Section 16.5 Creditors |
107 | |||
Section 16.6 Waiver |
107 | |||
Section 16.7 Third-Party Beneficiaries |
107 | |||
Section 16.8 Counterparts |
108 | |||
Section 16.9 Applicable Law |
108 | |||
Section 16.10 Invalidity of Provisions |
108 | |||
Section 16.11 Consent of Partners |
108 | |||
Section 16.12 Facsimile Signatures |
108 |
iv
This First Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Quest Energy Partners,
L.P., dated as of November 15, 2007, is entered into by and between Quest Energy GP, LLC, a
Delaware limited liability company, as the General Partner, and Quest Resource Corporation, a
Nevada corporation, as the Organizational Limited Partner, together with any other Persons who
become Partners in the Partnership or parties hereto as provided herein. In consideration of the
covenants, conditions and agreements contained herein, the parties hereto hereby agree as follows:
ARTICLE I
Definitions
Definitions
Section 1.1 Definitions. The following definitions shall be for all purposes, unless otherwise
clearly indicated to the contrary, applied to the terms used in this Agreement.
“Acquisition” means any transaction in which any Group Member acquires (through an asset
acquisition, merger, stock acquisition or other form of investment) control over all or a portion
of the assets, properties or business of another Person for the purpose of increasing the
production of the oil and gas properties or the asset base owned by the Partnership Group over the
long term from the production or operating capacity of the Partnership Group existing immediately
prior to such transaction.
“Additional Book Basis” means the portion of any remaining Carrying Value of an Adjusted
Property that is attributable to positive adjustments made to such Carrying Value as a result of
Book-Up Events. For purposes of determining the extent that Carrying Value constitutes Additional
Book Basis:
(a) Any negative adjustment made to the Carrying Value of an Adjusted Property as a result of
either a Book-Down Event or a Book-Up Event shall first be deemed to offset or decrease that
portion of the Carrying Value of such Adjusted Property that is attributable to any prior positive
adjustments made thereto pursuant to a Book-Up Event or Book-Down Event.
(b) If Carrying Value that constitutes Additional Book Basis is reduced as a result of a
Book-Down Event and the Carrying Value of other property is increased as a result of such Book-Down
Event, an allocable portion of any such increase in Carrying Value shall be treated as Additional
Book Basis; provided, that the amount treated as Additional Book Basis pursuant hereto as a result
of such Book-Down Event shall not exceed the amount by which the Aggregate Remaining Net Positive
Adjustments after such Book-Down Event exceeds the remaining Additional Book Basis attributable to
all of the Partnership’s Adjusted Property after such Book-Down Event (determined without regard to
the application of this clause (b) to such Book-Down Event).
“Additional Book Basis Derivative Items” means any Book Basis Derivative Items that are
computed with reference to Additional Book Basis. To the extent that the Additional Book Basis
attributable to all of the Partnership’s Adjusted Property as of the beginning of any taxable
period exceeds the Aggregate Remaining Net Positive Adjustments as of the beginning of such period
(the “Excess Additional Book Basis”), the Additional Book Basis Derivative Items for such period
shall be reduced by the amount that bears the same ratio to the amount of Additional Book Basis
Derivative Items determined without regard to this sentence as the Excess Additional Book Basis
bears to the Additional Book Basis as of the beginning of such period.
“Adjusted Capital Account” means the Capital Account maintained for each Partner as of the end
of each fiscal year of the Partnership, (a) increased by any amounts that such Partner 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 deductions in respect of depletion that, as of the end of
such fiscal year, are reasonably expected to be made to such Partner’s Capital Account in respect
of the oil and gas properties of the Partnership, (ii) the amount of all losses and deductions
that, as of the end of such fiscal year, are reasonably expected to be allocated to such Partner 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 (iii) the amount of all distributions that, as of the end of such fiscal
year, are reasonably expected to be made to such Partner in subsequent years in accordance with the
terms of this Agreement or otherwise to the extent they exceed offsetting increases to such
Partner’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 6.1(d)(i) or Section 6.1(d)(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.
The “Adjusted Capital Account” of a Partner in respect of a General Partner Unit, a Common Unit, a
Subordinated Unit, a Class B Unit or an Incentive Distribution Right or any other Partnership
Interest shall be the amount that such Adjusted Capital Account would be if such General Partner
Unit, Common Unit, Subordinated Unit, Class B Unit, Incentive Distribution Right or other
Partnership Interest were the only interest in the Partnership held by such Partner from and after
the date on which such General Partner Unit, Common Unit, Subordinated Unit, Class B Unit,
Incentive Distribution Right or other Partnership Interest was first issued.
“Adjusted Operating Surplus” means, with respect to any period, Operating Surplus generated
with respect to such period (a) less (i) any net increase in Working Capital Borrowings with
respect to such period and (ii) any net decrease in cash reserves for Operating Expenditures with
respect to such period not relating to an Operating Expenditure made with respect to such period,
and (b) plus (i) any net decrease in Working Capital Borrowings with respect to such period and
(ii) any net increase in cash reserves for Operating Expenditures with respect to such period
required by any debt instrument for the repayment of principal, interest or premium. Adjusted
Operating
Surplus does not include that portion of Operating Surplus included in clause (a)(i) of the
definition of Operating Surplus.
2
“Adjusted Property” means any property the Carrying Value of which has been adjusted pursuant
to Section 5.5(d)(i) or Section 5.5(d)(ii).
“Affiliate” means, with respect to any Person, any other Person that directly or indirectly
through one or more intermediaries controls, is controlled by or is under common control with, the
Person in question. As used herein, the term “control” means the possession, direct or indirect,
of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of a Person, whether
through ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise.
“Aggregate Quantity of Class B Units” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section
5.11(a).
“Aggregate Remaining Net Positive Adjustments” means, as of the end of any taxable period, the
sum of the Remaining Net Positive Adjustments of all the Partners.
“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 6.1, 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 General Partner. The General
Partner shall use such method as it determines to be appropriate to allocate the aggregate Agreed
Value of Contributed Properties contributed to the Partnership 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 First Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Quest
Energy Partners, L.P., as it may be amended, supplemented or restated from time to time.
“Associate” means, when used to indicate a relationship with any Person, (a) any corporation
or organization of which such Person is a director, officer or partner or is, directly or
indirectly, the owner of 20% or more of any class of voting stock or other voting interest; (b) any
trust or other estate in which such Person has at least a 20% beneficial interest or as to which
such Person serves as trustee or in a similar fiduciary capacity; and (c) any relative or spouse of
such Person, or any relative of such spouse, who has the same principal residence as such Person.
“Available Cash” means, with respect to any Quarter ending prior to the Liquidation Date:
(a) the sum of (i) all cash and cash equivalents of the Partnership Group on hand at the end
of such Quarter, and (ii) all additional cash and cash equivalents of the
Partnership Group on hand on the date of determination of Available Cash with respect to such
Quarter resulting from Working Capital Borrowings made subsequent to the end of such Quarter, less
3
(b) the amount of any cash reserves established by the General Partner to (i) provide for the
proper conduct of the business of the Partnership Group (including reserves for future capital
expenditures and for anticipated future credit needs of the Partnership Group) subsequent to such
Quarter, (ii) comply with applicable law or any loan agreement, security agreement, mortgage, debt
instrument or other agreement or obligation to which any Group Member is a party or by which it is
bound or its assets are subject or (iii) provide funds for distributions under Section 6.4
or Section 6.5 in respect of any one or more of the next four Quarters; provided, however,
that the General Partner may not establish cash reserves pursuant to (iii) above if the effect of
such reserves would be that the Partnership is unable to distribute the Minimum Quarterly
Distribution on all Common Units, plus any Cumulative Common Unit Arrearage on all Common Units,
with respect to such Quarter; and, provided further, that disbursements made by a Group Member or
cash reserves established, increased or reduced after the end of such Quarter but on or before the
date of determination of Available Cash with respect to such Quarter shall be deemed to have been
made, established, increased or reduced, for purposes of determining Available Cash, within such
Quarter if the General Partner so determines.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, “Available Cash” with respect to the Quarter in which the
Liquidation Date occurs and any subsequent Quarter shall equal zero.
“Board of Directors” means the board of directors or managers, as applicable, of a corporation
or limited liability company or the board of directors or board of managers, as applicable, of the
general partner of a limited partnership.
“Book Basis Derivative Items” means any item of income, deduction, gain, loss, Simulated
Depletion, Simulated Gain or Simulated Loss included in the determination of Net Income or Net Loss
that is computed with reference to the Carrying Value of an Adjusted Property (e.g., depreciation,
Simulated Depletion, gain, loss, Simulated Gain or Simulated Loss with respect to an Adjusted
Property).
“Book-Down Event” means an event that triggers a negative adjustment to the Capital Accounts
of the Partners pursuant to Section 5.5(d).
“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 federal income tax
purposes as of such date. A Partner’s share of the Partnership’s Book-Tax Disparities in all of
its Contributed Property and Adjusted Property will be reflected by the difference between such
Partner’s Capital Account balance as maintained pursuant to Section 5.5 and the
hypothetical balance of such Partner’s Capital Account computed as if it had been maintained
strictly in accordance with federal income tax accounting principles.
“Book-Up Event” means an event that triggers a positive adjustment to the Capital Accounts of
the Partners pursuant to Section 5.5(d).
4
“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 Oklahoma shall
not be regarded as a Business Day.
“Capital Account” means the capital account maintained for a Partner pursuant to Section
5.5. The “Capital Account” of a Partner in respect of a General Partner Unit, a Common Unit, a
Subordinated Unit, a Class B Unit, an Incentive Distribution Right or any Partnership Interest
shall be the amount that such Capital Account would be if such General Partner Unit, Common Unit,
Subordinated Unit, Class B Unit, Incentive Distribution Right or other Partnership Interest were
the only interest in the Partnership held by such Partner from and after the date on which such
General Partner Unit, Common Unit, Class B Unit, Subordinated Unit, Incentive Distribution Right or
other Partnership Interest was first issued.
“Capital Contribution” means any cash, cash equivalents or the Net Agreed Value of Contributed
Property that a Partner contributes to the Partnership.
“Capital Improvement” means any (a) addition or improvement to the capital assets owned by any
Group Member, (b) acquisition of existing, or the construction of new, capital assets (including,
without limitation, oil and gas leases, mineral interests, drilling rigs, gathering lines, treating
facilities, processing plants, pipelines and related or similar upstream assets) or (c) capital
contributions by a Group Member to a Person in which a Group Member has an equity interest to fund
such Group Member’s pro rata share of the cost of the acquisition of existing, or the construction
of new, capital assets (including, without limitation, oil and gas leases, mineral interests,
drilling rigs, gathering lines, treating facilities, processing plants, pipelines and related or
similar upstream assets) by such Person, in each case if such addition, improvement, acquisition or
construction is made to increase the production from oil and gas properties or the asset base of
the Partnership Group over the long term, in the case of clauses (a) and (b), or such Person, in
the case of clause (c), from the production or asset base of the Partnership Group or such Person,
as the case may be, existing immediately prior to such addition, improvement, acquisition or
construction.
“Capital Surplus” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 6.3(a).
“Carrying Value” initially means (a) with respect to a Contributed Property, the Agreed Value
of such property as of the time of contribution, and (b) with respect to any other Partnership
property, the initial adjusted tax basis of such property for federal income tax purposes as of the
time of its acquisition by the Partnership. The initial Carrying Value of any property will
thereafter be (i) reduced (but not below zero) by all depreciation, depletion (including Simulated
Depletion), amortization and cost recovery deductions charged to the Partners’ Capital Accounts in
respect of such property and (ii) adjusted from time to time in accordance with Section
5.5(d)(i) and Section 5.5(d)(ii) and
to reflect changes, additions or other adjustments to the Carrying Value for dispositions and
acquisitions of Partnership properties, as deemed appropriate by the General Partner.
5
“Cause” means a court of competent jurisdiction has entered a final, non-appealable judgment
finding the General Partner liable for actual fraud or willful misconduct in its capacity as a
general partner of the Partnership.
“Certificate” means (a) a certificate (i) substantially in the form of Exhibit A to
this Agreement, (ii) issued 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 General Partner, issued by the
Partnership evidencing ownership of one or more Common Units or (b) a certificate, in such form as
may be adopted by the General Partner, issued by the Partnership evidencing ownership of one or
more other Partnership Securities.
“Certificate of Limited Partnership” means the Certificate of Limited Partnership of the
Partnership filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware as referenced in Section
7.2, as such Certificate of Limited Partnership may be amended, supplemented or restated from
time to time.
“claim” (as used in Section 7.12(d)) has the meaning assigned to such term in
Section 7.12(d).
“Class B Units” means a Partnership Security representing a fractional part of the Partnership
Interests of all Limited Partners, and having the rights and obligations specified with respect to
Class B Units in this Agreement.
“Closing Date” means the first date on which Common Units are sold by the Partnership to the
Underwriters pursuant to the provisions of the Underwriting Agreement.
“Closing Price” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 15.1(a).
“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.
“Combined Interest” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 11.3(a).
“Commission” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Common Unit” means a Partnership Security representing a fractional part of the Partnership
Interests of all Limited Partners, and having the rights and obligations specified with respect to
Common Units in this Agreement. The term “Common Unit” does not include a Subordinated Unit or
Class B Unit prior to its conversion into a Common Unit pursuant to the terms hereof.
“Common Unit Arrearage” means, with respect to any Common Unit, whenever issued, as to any
Quarter within the Subordination Period, the excess, if any, of (a) the
Minimum Quarterly Distribution with respect to a Common Unit in respect of such Quarter over
(b) the
6
sum of all Available Cash distributed with respect to a Common Unit in respect of such
Quarter pursuant to Section 6.4(a)(i).
“Conflicts Committee” means a committee of the Board of Directors of the General Partner
composed entirely of two or more directors, each of whom (a) is not a security holder, officer or
employee of the General Partner, (b) is not an officer, director or employee of any Affiliate of
the General Partner, (c) is not a holder of any ownership interest in the Partnership Group other
than Common Units and (d) meets the independence standards required of directors who serve on an
audit committee of a board of directors established by the Securities Exchange Act and the rules
and regulations of the Commission thereunder and by the National Securities Exchange on which the
Common Units are listed or admitted to trading.
“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 Partnership. Once the Carrying Value of a
Contributed Property is adjusted pursuant to Section 5.5(d), such property shall no longer
constitute a Contributed Property, but shall be deemed an Adjusted Property.
“Contribution Agreement” means that certain Contribution, Conveyance and Assumption Agreement,
dated as of the Closing Date, among the General Partner, the Partnership, the Operating Company and
the other parties named therein, together with the additional conveyance documents and instruments
contemplated or referenced thereunder, as such may be amended, supplemented or restated from time
to time.
“Converted Common Units” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section
6.1(d)(x)(B).
“Cumulative Common Unit Arrearage” means, with respect to any Common Unit, whenever issued,
and as of the end of any Quarter, the excess, if any, of (a) the sum resulting from adding together
the Common Unit Arrearage as to an Initial Common Unit for each of the Quarters within the
Subordination Period ending on or before the last day of such Quarter over (b) the sum of any
distributions theretofore made pursuant to Section 6.4(a)(ii) and the second sentence of
Section 6.5 with respect to an Initial Common Unit (including any distributions to be made
in respect of the last of such Quarters).
“Curative Allocation” means any allocation of an item of income, gain, deduction, loss or
credit pursuant to the provisions of Section 6.1(d)(xi).
“Current Market Price” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 15.1(a).
“Delaware Act” means the Delaware Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act, 6 Del C. Section
17-101, et seq., as amended, supplemented or restated from time to time, and any successor to such
statute.
7
“Departing General Partner” means a former general partner from and after the effective date
of any withdrawal or removal of such former general partner pursuant to Section 11.1 or
Section 11.2.
“Depositary” means, with respect to any Units issued in global form, The Depository Trust
Company and its successors and permitted assigns.
“Economic Risk of Loss” has the meaning set forth in Treasury Regulation Section 1.752-2(a).
“Eligible Holder” means a person or entity qualified to hold an interest in oil and gas leases
on federal lands. As of the date hereof, Eligible Holder means: (1) a citizen of the United States;
(2) a corporation organized under the laws of the United States or of any state thereof; (3) a
public body, including a municipality; or (4) an association of United States citizens, such as a
partnership or limited liability company, organized under the laws of the United States or of any
state thereof, but only if such association does not have any direct or indirect foreign ownership,
other than foreign ownership of stock in a parent corporation organized under the laws of the
United States or of any state thereof. For the avoidance of doubt, onshore mineral leases or any
direct or indirect interest therein may be acquired and held by aliens only through stock
ownership, holding or control in a corporation organized under the laws of the United States or of
any state thereof.
“Eligible Holder Certification” means a properly completed certificate in such form as may be
specified by the General Partner by which a Limited Partner certifies that he (and if he is a
nominee holding for the account of another Person, that to the best of his knowledge such other
Person) is an Eligible Holder.
“Eligible Holder Notice” means the giving of notice by the Partnership to the Limited Partners
in the manner specified in Section 16.1 that the Partnership is implementing procedures
pursuant to this Agreement to require a Limited Partner or a transferee of a Limited Partner to
certify that such Person is an Eligible Holder.
“Estimated Average Maintenance Capital Expenditures” means an estimate, made in good faith, by
the Board of Directors with the concurrence of the Conflicts Committee of the average quarterly
Maintenance Capital Expenditures that the Partnership Group will incur over the long term. The
Board of Directors will be permitted to make such estimate in any manner it deems reasonable in its
sole discretion. The estimate will be made annually and whenever an event occurs that is likely to
result in a material adjustment to the amount of quarterly Maintenance Capital Expenditures. The
Partnership shall disclose to the Partners the amount of Estimated Average Maintenance Capital
Expenditures. Except as provided in the definition of Subordination Period and in Section
5.7(h), any adjustments to Estimated Average Maintenance Capital Expenditures shall be
prospective only.
“Estimated Incremental Quarterly Tax Amount” has the meaning assigned to such term in
Section 6.9.
8
“Event of Withdrawal” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 11.1(a).
“Expansion Capital Expenditures” means cash expenditures for Acquisitions or Capital
Improvements, and shall not include Maintenance Capital Expenditures. Expansion Capital
Expenditures will include interest (and related fees) on debt incurred to finance the construction
or development of a Capital Improvement and paid during the period beginning on the date that the
Partnership enters into a binding commitment to commence construction or development of a Capital
Improvement and ending on the earlier to occur of the date that such Capital Improvement is put
into service and the date that such Capital Improvement is abandoned or disposed of. Debt incurred
to fund such construction period interest payments (including periodic net payments under related
interest rate swap agreements) paid during such period shall also be deemed to be debt incurred to
finance the construction or development of a Capital Improvement.
“Final Subordinated Units” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 6.1(d)(x).
“First Liquidation Target Amount” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section
6.1(c)(i)(E).
“First Target Distribution” means $0.46 per Unit per Quarter (or, with respect to the period
commencing on the Closing Date and ending on December 31, 2007, it means the product of $0.46
multiplied by a fraction of which the numerator is the number of days in such period, and of which
the denominator is 92), subject to adjustment in accordance with Section 5.11, Section
6.6 and Section 6.9.
“Fully Diluted Basis” means, when calculating the number of Outstanding Units for any period,
a basis that includes, in addition to the Outstanding Units, all Partnership Securities and
options, rights, warrants and appreciation rights relating to an equity interest in the Partnership
(a) that are convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Units that are senior to or pari
passu with the Subordinated Units, (b) whose conversion, exercise or exchange price is less than
the Current Market Price on the date of such calculation, (c) that may be converted into or
exercised or exchanged for such Units prior to or during the Quarter immediately following the end
of the period for which the calculation is being made without the satisfaction of any contingency
beyond the control of the holder other than the payment of consideration and the compliance with
administrative mechanics applicable to such conversion, exercise or exchange and (d) that were not
converted into or exercised or exchanged for such Units during the period for which the calculation
is being made; provided, however, that for purposes of determining the number of Outstanding Units
on a Fully Diluted Basis when calculating whether the Subordination Period has ended or
Subordinated Units are entitled to convert into Common Units pursuant to Section 5.7, such
Partnership Securities, options, rights, warrants and appreciation rights shall be deemed to have
been Outstanding Units only for the four Quarters that comprise the last four Quarters of the
measurement period; provided, further, that if consideration will be paid to any Group Member in
connection with such conversion, exercise or exchange, the number of Units to be included in such
calculation shall be that number equal to the difference between (i) the number of Units
issuable upon such conversion, exercise or
9
exchange and (ii) the number of Units that such consideration would purchase at the Current Market Price.
“General Partner” means Quest Energy GP, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, and its
successors and permitted assigns that are admitted to the Partnership as general partner of the
Partnership, in its capacity as general partner of the Partnership (except as the context otherwise
requires).
“General Partner Interest” means the ownership interest of the General Partner in the
Partnership (in its capacity as a general partner without reference to any Limited Partner Interest
held by it), which is evidenced by General Partner Units, and includes any and all benefits to
which the General Partner is entitled as provided in this Agreement, together with all obligations
of the General Partner to comply with the terms and provisions of this Agreement.
“General Partner Unit” means a fractional part of the General Partner Interest having the
rights and obligations specified in this Agreement with respect to the General Partner Interest. A
General Partner Unit is not a Unit.
“Group” means a Person that with or through any of its Affiliates or Associates has any
contract, arrangement, understanding or relationship for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting
(except voting pursuant to a revocable proxy or consent given to such Person in response to a proxy
or consent solicitation made to 10 or more Persons), exercising investment power or disposing of
any Partnership Interests with any other Person that beneficially owns, or whose Affiliates or
Associates beneficially own, directly or indirectly, Partnership Interests.
“Group Member” means a member of the Partnership Group.
“Group Member Agreement” means the partnership agreement of any Group Member, other than the
Partnership, that is a limited or general partnership, the limited liability company agreement of
any Group Member 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.
“Hedge Contract” means any agreement with respect to any swap, forward, future or derivative
transaction or option or similar agreement, whether exchange traded, “over-the-counter” or
otherwise, involving, or settled by reference to, one or more rates, currencies, commodities,
equity or debt instruments or securities, or economic, financial or pricing indices or measures of
economic, financial or pricing risk or value or any similar transaction or any combination of these
transactions; provided that no phantom stock or similar plan providing for payments only on account
of services provided by current or former directors, officers, employees or consultants of a member
of the
Partnership Group shall be a Hedge Contract. If a
10
Hedge Contract provides for settlement
payments less frequently than quarterly, in calculating Operating Surplus and Operating Expenses,
the General Partner may allocate the settlement payments over Quarterly periods in a manner
approved by the Conflicts Committee.
“Hedge Payment” means any payment made or received by a member of the Partnership Group in
connection with or pursuant to a Hedge Contract, including periodic settlement payments, and
payments made or received in connection with the entering into, termination or modification of a
Hedge Contract.
“Holder” as used in Section 7.12, has the meaning assigned to such term in Section
7.12(a).
“IDR Reset Election” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 5.11(a).
“Incentive Distribution Right” means a non-voting Limited Partner Interest issued to the
General Partner, which Limited Partner Interest will confer upon the holder thereof only the rights
and obligations specifically provided in this Agreement with respect to Incentive Distribution
Rights (and no other rights otherwise available to or other obligations of a holder of a
Partnership Interest). Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, the holder of
an Incentive Distribution Right shall not be entitled to vote such Incentive Distribution Right on
any Partnership matter except as may otherwise be required by law.
“Incentive Distributions” means any amount of cash distributed to the holders of the Incentive
Distribution Rights pursuant to Section 6.4(a)(v)(B), Section 6.4(a)(vi)(B),
Section 6.4(b)(iii)(B), and Section 6.4(b)(iv)(B).
“Incremental Income Taxes” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 6.9.
“Indemnified Persons” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 7.12(d).
“Indemnitee” means (a) the General Partner, (b) any Departing General Partner, (c) any Person
who is or was an Affiliate of the General Partner or any Departing General Partner, (d) any Person
who is or was a member, partner, director, officer, fiduciary or trustee of any Group Member, the
General Partner or any Departing General Partner or any Affiliate of any Group Member, the General
Partner or any Departing General Partner, (e) any Person who is or was serving at the request of
the General Partner or any Departing General Partner or any Affiliate of the General Partner or any
Departing General Partner as an officer, director, member, partner, fiduciary or trustee of another
Person; provided that a Person shall not be an Indemnitee by reason of providing, on a
fee-for-services basis, trustee, fiduciary or custodial services, and (f) any Person the General
Partner designates as an “Indemnitee” for purposes of this Agreement.
“Initial Common Units” means the Common Units sold in the Initial Offering.
“Initial Limited Partners” means QRC and the General Partner (with respect to the Common
Units, Subordinated Units and Incentive Distribution Rights received by them pursuant
11
to
Section 5.2) and the Underwriters upon the issuance by the Partnership of Common Units as
described in Section 5.3(a) in connection with the Initial Offering.
“Initial Offering” means the initial offering and sale of Common Units to the public, as
described in the Registration Statement.
“Initial Unit Price” means (a) with respect to the Common Units and the Subordinated Units,
the initial public offering price per Common Unit at which the Underwriters offered the Common
Units to the public for sale as set forth on the cover page of the prospectus included as part of
the Registration Statement and first issued at or after the time the Registration Statement first
became effective or (b) with respect to any other class or series of Units, the price per Unit at
which such class or series of Units is initially sold by the Partnership, as determined by the
General Partner, in each case adjusted as the General Partner determines to be appropriate to give
effect to any distribution, subdivision or combination of Units.
“Interim Capital Transactions” means the following transactions if they occur prior to the
Liquidation Date: (a) borrowings, refinancings or refundings of indebtedness (other than Working
Capital Borrowings and other than for items purchased on open account in the ordinary course of
business) by any Group Member and sales of debt securities of any Group Member; (b) sales of equity
interests of any Group Member (including the Common Units sold to the Underwriters pursuant to the
exercise of the Over-Allotment Option); (c) sales or other voluntary or involuntary dispositions of
any assets of any Group Member other than (i) sales or other dispositions of production, inventory,
accounts receivable and other assets in the ordinary course of business, and (ii) sales or other
dispositions of assets as part of normal retirements or replacements; (d) the termination of
commodity and interest rate swap agreements prior to the termination date specified therein; (e)
capital contributions received; (f) corporate reorganiza-tions or restructurings; or (g) sales in
connection with plugging and abandoning and other reclamation activities for a well in which a
Group Member owns an interest.
“Issue Price” means the price at which a Unit is purchased pursuant to the Underwriting
Agreement, net of any sales commission or underwriting discount.
“Limited Partner” means, unless the context otherwise requires, the Organizational Limited
Partner prior to its withdrawal from the Partnership, each Initial Limited Partner, each additional
Person that becomes a Limited Partner pursuant to the terms of this Agreement and any Departing
General Partner upon the change of its status from General Partner to Limited Partner pursuant to
Section 11.3, in each case, in such Person’s capacity as limited partner of the
Partnership; provided, however, that when the term “Limited Partner” is used herein in the context
of any vote or other approval, including Articles XIII and XIV, such term shall not, solely
for such purpose, include any holder of an Incentive Distribution Right (solely with respect to its
Incentive Distribution Rights and not with respect to any other Limited Partner Interest held by
such Person) except as may otherwise be required by law.
“Limited Partner Interest” means the ownership interest of a Limited Partner in the
Partnership, which may be evidenced by Common Units, Class B Units, Subordinated Xxxxx,
00
Incentive
Distribution Rights or other Partnership Securities or a combination thereof or interest therein,
and includes any and all benefits to which such Limited Partner is entitled as provided in this
Agreement, together with all obligations of such Limited Partner to comply with the terms and
provisions of this Agreement; provided, however, that when the term “Limited Partner Interest” is
used herein in the context of any vote or other approval, including Article XIII and
Article XIV, such term shall not, solely for such purpose, include any Incentive
Distribution Right except as may otherwise be required by law.
“Liquidation Date” means (a) in the case of an event giving rise to the dissolution of the
Partnership of the type described in clauses (a) and (b) of the first sentence of Section
12.2, the date on which the applicable time period during which the holders of Outstanding
Units have the right to elect to continue the business of the Partnership has expired without such
an election being made, and (b) in the case of any other event giving rise to the dissolution of
the Partnership, the date on which such event occurs.
“Liquidator” means one or more Persons selected by the General Partner to perform the
functions described in Section 12.4 as liquidating trustee of the Partnership within the
meaning of the Delaware Act.
“Maintenance Capital Expenditures” means cash expenditures (including expenditures for the
addition or improvement to the capital assets owned by any Group Member or for the acquisition of
existing, or the construction of new, capital assets) if such expenditures are made to maintain
production levels of the oil and gas properties and asset base of the Partnership Group over the
long term.
“Merger Agreement” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 14.1.
“Midstream Services and Gas Dedication Agreement” means that certain Midstream Services and
Gas Dedication Agreement dated December 22, 2006, but effective December 1, 2006, by and between
Bluestem Pipeline, LLC and QRC, as amended on August 9, 2007, by and between Bluestem Pipeline, LLC
and QRC.
“Minimum Quarterly Distribution” means $0.40 per Unit per Quarter (or with respect to the
period commencing on the Closing Date and ending on December 31, 2007, it means the product of
$0.40 multiplied by a fraction of which the numerator is the number of days in such period and of
which the denominator is 92), subject to adjustment in accordance with Section 5.11,
Section 6.6 and Section 6.9.
“National Securities Exchange” means an exchange registered with the Commission under Section
6(a) of the Securities Exchange Act and any successor to such statute.
“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
Partnership upon such contribution or to which such property is subject when contributed, and
(b) in the case of any property distributed to a Partner by the Partnership, the Partnership’s
Carrying Value of such
13
property (as adjusted pursuant to Section 5.5(d)(ii)) at the time
such property is distributed, reduced by any indebtedness either assumed by such Partner 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 Partnership’s items of
income and gain (other than those items taken into account in the computation of Net Termination
Gain or Net Termination Loss) for such taxable year over the Partnership’s items of loss and
deduction (other than those items taken into account in the computation of Net Termination Gain or
Net Termination Loss) for such taxable year. The items included in the calculation of Net Income
shall be determined in accordance with Section 5.5(b) and shall include Simulated Gains,
Simulated Losses and Simulated Depletion, but shall not include any items specially allocated under
Section 6.1(d); provided, that the determination of the items that have been specially
allocated under Section 6.1(d) shall be made as if Section 6.1(d)(xii) were not in
this Agreement.
“Net Loss” means, for any taxable year, the excess, if any, of the Partnership’s items of loss
and deduction (other than those items taken into account in the computation of Net Termination Gain
or Net Termination Loss) for such taxable year over the Partnership’s items of income and gain
(other than those items taken into account in the computation of Net Termination Gain or Net
Termination Loss) for such taxable year. The items included in the calculation of Net Loss shall
be determined in accordance with Section 5.5(b) and shall include Simulated Gains,
Simulated Losses and Simulated Depletion, but shall not include any items specially allocated under
Section 6.1(d); provided, that the determination of the items that have been specially
allocated under Section 6.1(d) shall be made as if Section 6.1(d)(xii) were not in
this Agreement.
“Net Positive Adjustments” means, with respect to any Partner, the excess, if any, of the
total positive adjustments over the total negative adjustments made to the Capital Account of such
Partner pursuant to Book-Up Events and Book-Down Events.
“Net Termination Gain” means, for any taxable year, the sum, if positive, of all items of
income, gain, loss or deduction recognized by the Partnership after the Liquidation Date. The
items included in the determination of Net Termination Gain shall be determined in accordance with
Section 5.5(b) and include Simulated Gains, Simulated Losses and Simulated Depletion, but
shall not include any items of income, gain or loss specially allocated under Section
6.1(d).
“Net Termination Loss” means, for any taxable year, the sum, if negative, of all items of
income, gain, loss or deduction recognized by the Partnership after the Liquidation Date. The
items included in the determination of Net Termination Loss shall be determined in accordance with
Section 5.5(b) and shall include Simulated Gains, Simulated Losses and Simulated Depletion,
but shall not include any items of income, gain or loss specially allocated under Section
6.1(d).
14
“Non-Eligible Holder” means a Person whom the General Partner has determined does not
constitute an Eligible Holder and as to whose Partnership Interest the General Partner has become
the substituted limited partner, pursuant to Section 4.9.
“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 Partners pursuant to Section 6.2(d)(i)(A),
Section 6.2(d)(ii)(A), and Section 6.2(d)(iii) if such properties were disposed of
in a taxable transaction in full satisfaction of such liabilities and for no other consideration.
“Nonrecourse Deductions” means any and all items of loss, deduction, expenditure (including
any expenditure described in Section 705(a)(2)(B) of the Code), Simulated Depletion or Simulated
Loss 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).
“Notice of Election to Purchase” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section
15.1(b).
“Omnibus Agreement” means that certain Omnibus Agreement, dated as of the Closing Date, among
QRC, the General Partner, the Partnership, and certain other parties thereto, as such may be
amended, supplemented or restated from time to time.
“Operating Company” means Quest Cherokee, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, the
membership interests of which were acquired by the Partnership pursuant to the Contribution
Agreement, and any successors thereto.
“Operating Expenditures” means all Partnership Group cash expenditures, including, but not
limited to, lease operating expenditures, taxes, reimbursements of the General Partner, in
accordance with this Agreement, interest payments, repayment of Working Capital Borrowings, and
non-Pro Rata repurchases of Units (other than those made with the proceeds of an Interim Capital
Transaction), subject to the following:
(a) repayment of Working Capital Borrowings deducted from Operating Surplus pursuant to clause
(b)(iii) of the definition of Operating Surplus shall not constitute Operating Expenditures when
actually repaid;
(b) payments (including prepayments and prepayment penalties) of principal of and premium on
indebtedness other than Working Capital Borrowings shall not constitute Operating Expenditures; and
(c)Operating Expenditures shall not include (i) payment of transaction expenses (including taxes)
relating to Interim Capital Transactions, (ii) distributions to Partners, (iii)
15
Expansion Capital Expenditures or (iv) actual Maintenance Capital Expenditures, but shall
include Estimated Average Maintenance Capital Expenditures. Where capital expenditures consist of
both Maintenance Capital Expenditures and Expansion Capital Expenditures, the General Partner, with
the concurrence of the Conflicts Committee, will determine the allocation between the portion
consisting of Maintenance Capital Expenditures and the portion consisting of Expansion Capital
Expenditures.
(d) Operating Expenditures in any Quarter shall include all Hedge Payments made by a member of
the Partnership Group during such Quarter, provided, however, that the General Partner may treat
all or any portion of any Hedge Payment as a Maintenance Capital Expenditure or Expansion Capital
Expenditure, or may allocate a Hedge Payment among one or more Quarters, in either case with the
approval of the Conflicts Committee.
“Operating Surplus” means, with respect to any period ending prior to the Liquidation Date, on
a cumulative basis and without duplication,
(a) the sum of (i) $25.9 million, (ii) all cash receipts of the Partnership Group for the
period beginning on the Closing Date and ending on the last day of such period, but excluding cash
receipts from Interim Capital Transactions (except to the extent specified in Section 6.5),
(iii) any decrease made during the period in cash reserves for Operating Expenditures, and (iv) all
cash receipts of the Partnership Group after the end of such period but on or before the date of
determination of Operating Surplus with respect to such period resulting from Working Capital
Borrowings, less,
(b) the sum of (i) Operating Expenditures for the period beginning on the Closing Date and
ending on the last day of such period, (ii) the amount of cash reserves established by the General
Partner to provide funds for future Operating Expenditures and (iii) all Working Capital Borrowings
not repaid within twelve months after having been incurred or repaid within such twelve-month
period with the proceeds of additional Working Capital Borrowings; provided, however, that
disbursements made (including contributions to a Group Member or disbursements on behalf of a Group
Member) or cash reserves established, increased or reduced after the end of such period but on or
before the date of determination of Available Cash with respect to such period shall be deemed to
have been made, established, increased or reduced, for purposes of determining Operating Surplus,
within such period if the General Partner so determines.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) the General Partner may treat all or any portion of any
Hedge Payment received by a member of the Partnership Group as an Interim Capital Transaction or
may allocate such payment received over one or more Quarters, in either case with the approval of
the Conflicts Committee and (ii) “Operating Surplus” with respect to the Quarter in which the
Liquidation Date occurs and any subsequent Quarter shall equal zero.
“Opinion of Counsel” means a written opinion of counsel (who may be regular counsel to the
Partnership or the General Partner or any of its Affiliates) acceptable to the General Partner.
16
“Option Closing Date” means the date or dates on which any Common Units are sold by QRC to the
Underwriters upon exercise of the Over-Allotment Option.
“Organizational Limited Partner” means QRC in its capacity as the organizational limited
partner of the Partnership pursuant to this Agreement.
“Outstanding” means, with respect to Partnership Securities, all Partnership Securities that
are issued by the Partnership and reflected as outstanding on the Partnership’s books and records
as of the date of determination; provided, however, that if at any time any Person or Group (other
than the General Partner or its Affiliates) beneficially owns 20% or more of the Outstanding
Partnership Securities of any class then Outstanding, all Partnership Securities owned by such
Person or Group shall not be voted on any matter and shall not be considered to be Outstanding when
sending notices of a meeting of Limited Partners to vote on any matter (unless otherwise required
by law), calculating required votes, determining the presence of a quorum or for other similar
purposes under this Agreement, except that Units so owned shall be considered to be Outstanding for
purposes of Section 11.1(b)(iv) (such Units shall not, however, be treated as a separate
class of Partnership Securities for purposes of this Agreement); provided, further, that the
foregoing limitation shall not apply to (i) any Person or Group who acquired 20% or more of the
Outstanding Partnership Securities of any class then Outstanding directly from the General Partner
or its Affiliates, (ii) any Person or Group who acquired 20% or more of the Outstanding Partnership
Securities of any class then Outstanding directly or indirectly from a Person or Group described in
clause (i) provided that the General Partner shall have notified such Person or Group in writing
that such limitation shall not apply, or (iii) any Person or Group who acquired 20% or more of any
Partnership Securities issued by the Partnership with the prior approval of the Board of
Directorsof the General Partner.
“Over-Allotment Option” means the over-allotment option granted to the Underwriters by the
Partnership pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement.
“Partner Nonrecourse Debt” has the meaning set forth in Treasury Regulation Section
1.704-2(b)(4).
“Partner Nonrecourse Debt Minimum Gain” has the meaning set forth in Treasury Regulation
Section 1.704-2(i)(2).
“Partner Nonrecourse Deductions” means any and all items of loss, deduction, expenditure
(including any expenditure described in Section 705(a)(2)(B) of the Code), Simulated Depletion or
Simulated Loss that, in accordance with the principles of Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-2(i),
are attributable to a Partner Nonrecourse Debt.
“Partners” means the General Partner and the Limited Partners.
“Partnership” means Quest Energy Partners, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership.
17
“Partnership Group” means the Partnership and its Subsidiaries treated as a single
consolidated entity.
“Partnership Interest” means an interest in the Partnership, which shall include the General
Partner Interest and Limited Partner Interests.
“Partnership Minimum Gain” means that amount determined in accordance with the principles of
Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-2(d).
“Partnership Security” means any class or series of equity interest in the Partnership (but
excluding any options, rights, warrants and appreciation rights relating to an equity interest in
the Partnership), including Common Units, Class B Units, Subordinated Units, General Partner Units
and Incentive Distribution Rights.
“Per Unit Capital Amount” means, as of any date of determination, the Capital Account, stated
on a per Unit basis, underlying any Unit held by a Person other than the General Partner or any
Affiliate of the General Partner who holds Units.
“Percentage Interest” means as of any date of determination (a) as to the General Partner with
respect to General Partner Units and as to any Unitholder with respect to Units, the product
obtained by multiplying (i) 100% less the percentage applicable to clause (b) below by (ii) the
quotient obtained by dividing (A) the number of General Partner Units held by the General Partner
or the number of Units held by such Unitholder, as the case may be, by (B) the total number of
Outstanding Units and General Partner Units, and (b) as to the holders of other Partnership
Securities issued by the Partnership in accordance with Section 5.6, the percentage
established as a part of such issuance. The Percentage Interest with respect to an Incentive
Distribution Right shall at all times be zero.
“Person” means an individual or a corporation, firm, limited liability company, partnership,
joint venture, trust, unincorporated organization, association, government agency or political
subdivision thereof or other entity.
“Plan of Conversion” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 14.1.
“Pro Rata” means (a) when used with respect to Units or any class thereof, apportioned equally
among all designated Units in accordance with their relative Percentage Interests, (b) when used
with respect to Partners or Record Holders, apportioned among all Partners or Record Holders in
accordance with their relative Percentage Interests and (c) when used with respect to holders of
Incentive Distribution Rights, apportioned equally among all holders of Incentive Distribution
Rights in accordance with the relative number or percentage of Incentive Distribution Rights held
by each such holder.
“Purchase Date” means the date determined by the General Partner as the date for purchase of
all Outstanding Limited Partner Interests of a certain class (other than Limited Partner Interests
owned by the General Partner and its Affiliates) pursuant to Article XV.
18
“QRC” means Quest Resource Corporation, a Nevada corporation.
“Quarter” means, unless the context requires otherwise, a fiscal quarter of the Partnership,
or, with respect to the fiscal quarter of the Partnership that includes the Closing Date, the
portion of such fiscal quarter after the Closing Date.
“Recapture Income” means any gain recognized by the Partnership (computed without regard to
any adjustment required by Section 734 or Section 743 of the Code) upon the disposition of any
property or asset of the Partnership, which gain is characterized as ordinary income because it
represents the recapture of deductions previously taken with respect to such property or asset.
“Record Date” means the date established by the General Partner or otherwise in accordance
with this Agreement for determining (a) the identity of the Record Holders entitled to notice of,
or to vote at, any meeting of Limited Partners or entitled to vote by ballot or give approval of
Partnership action in writing without a meeting or entitled to exercise rights in respect of any
lawful action of Limited Partners or (b) the identity of Record Holders entitled to receive any
report or distribution or to participate in any offer.
“Record Holder” means the Person in whose name a Common Unit is registered on the books of the
Transfer Agent as of the opening of business on a particular Business Day, or with respect to other
Partnership Interests, the Person in whose name any such other Partnership Interest is registered
on the books that the General Partner has caused to be kept as of the opening of business on such
Business Day.
“Redeemable Interests” means any Partnership Interests for which a redemption notice has been
given, and has not been withdrawn, pursuant to Section 4.10.
“Registration Statement” means the Registration Statement on Form S-1 as it has been or as it
may be amended or supplemented from time to time, filed by the Partnership with the Commission
under the Securities Act to register the offering and sale of the Common Units in the Initial
Offering.
“Remaining Net Positive Adjustments” means as of the end of any taxable period, (i) with
respect to the Unitholders holding Common Units, Class B Units or Subordinated Units, the excess of
(a) the Net Positive Adjustments of the Unitholders holding Common Units, Class B Units or
Subordinated Units as of the end of such period over (b) the sum of those Partners’ Share of
Additional Book Basis Derivative Items for each prior taxable period, (ii) with respect to the
General Partner (as holder of the General Partner Units), the excess of (a) the Net Positive
Adjustments of the General Partner as of the end of such period over (b) the sum of the General
Partner’s Share of Additional Book Basis Derivative Items with respect to the General Partner Units
for each prior taxable period, and (iii) with respect to the holders of Incentive Distribution
Rights, the excess of (a) the Net Positive Adjustments of the holders of Incentive Distribution
Rights as of the end of such period over (b) the sum of the Share of Additional Book
19
Basis Derivative Items of the holders of the Incentive Distribution Rights for each prior taxable period.
“Required Allocations” means (a) any limitation imposed on any allocation of Net Losses or Net
Termination Losses under Section 6.1(b) or Section 6.1(c)(ii) and (b) any
allocation of an item of income, gain, loss, deduction, Simulated Depletion or Simulated Loss
pursuant to Section 6.1(d)(i), Section 6.1(d)(ii), Section 6.1(d)(iv),
Section 6.1(d)(vii) or Section 6.1(d)(ix).
“Reset MQD” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 5.11(e).
“Reset Notice” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 5.11(b).
“Residual Gain” or “Residual Loss” means any item of gain or loss, as the case may be, of the
Partnership recognized for 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
or Simulated Gain or Simulated Loss is not allocated pursuant to Section 6.2(d)(i)(A) or Section
6.2(d)(ii)(A) respectively, to eliminate Book-Tax Disparities.
“Retained Converted Subordinated Unit” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section
5.5(c)(ii).
“Second Liquidation Target Amount” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section
6.1(c)(i)(F).
“Second Target Distribution” means $0.50 per Unit per Quarter (or, with respect to the period
commencing on the Closing Date and ending on December 31, 2007, it means the product of $0.50
multiplied by a fraction of which the numerator is equal to the number of days in such period and
of which the denominator is 92), subject to adjustment in accordance with Section 5.11,
Section 6.6 and Section 6.9.
“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, supplemented or restated from
time to time and any successor to such statute.
“Securities Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, supplemented
or restated from time to time and any successor to such statute.
“Share of Additional Book Basis Derivative Items” means in connection with any allocation of
Additional Book Basis Derivative Items for any taxable period, (i) with respect to the Unitholders
holding Common Units, Class B Units or Subordinated Units, the amount that bears the same ratio to
such Additional Book Basis Derivative Items as the Unitholders’ Remaining Net Positive Adjustments
as of the end of such period bears to the Aggregate Remaining Net Positive Adjustments as of that
time, (ii) with respect to the General Partner (as holder of the General Partner Units), the amount
that bears the same ratio to such Additional Book Basis Derivative Items as the General Partner’s
Remaining Net Positive Adjustments as of
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the end of such period bears to the Aggregate Remaining Net Positive Adjustment as of that time, and
(iii) with respect to the Partners holding Incentive Distribution Rights, the amount that bears the
same ratio to such Additional Book Basis Derivative Items as the Remaining Net Positive Adjustments of the Partners holding the Incentive Distribution Rights as of the end
of such period bears to the Aggregate Remaining Net Positive Adjustments as of that time.
“Simulated Basis” means the Carrying Value of any oil and gas property (as defined in Section
614 of the Code).
“Simulated Depletion” means, with respect to an oil and gas property (as defined in Section
614 of the Code), a depletion allowance computed in accordance with federal income tax principles
(as if the Simulated Basis of the property was its adjusted tax basis) and in the manner specified
in Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(k)(2). For purposes of computing Simulated
Depletion with respect to any property, the Simulated Basis of such property shall be deemed to be
the Carrying Value of such property, and in no event shall such allowance for Simulated Depletion,
in the aggregate, exceed such Simulated Basis.
“Simulated Gain” means the excess of the amount realized from the sale or other disposition of
an oil or gas property over the Carrying Value of such property.
“Simulated Loss” means the excess of the Carrying Value of an oil or gas property over the
amount realized from the sale or other disposition of such property.
“Special Approval” means approval by a majority of the members of the Conflicts Committee
acting in good faith.
“Subordinated Unit” means a Partnership Security representing a fractional part of the
Partnership Interests of all Limited Partners and having the rights and obligations specified with
respect to Subordinated Units in this Agreement. The term “Subordinated Unit” does not include a
Common Unit or Class B Unit. A Subordinated Unit that is convertible into a Common Unit shall not
constitute a Common Unit until such conversion occurs.
“Subordination Period” means the period commencing on the Closing Date and ending on the first
to occur of the following dates:
(a) the first day of any Quarter beginning after December 31, 2012 in respect of which (i) (A)
distributions of Available Cash from Operating Surplus on each of the Outstanding Common Units,
Subordinated Units and General Partner Units and any other Outstanding Units that are senior or
equal in right of distribution to the Subordinated Units with respect to each of the three
consecutive, non-overlapping four-Quarter periods immediately preceding such date equaled or
exceeded the sum of the Minimum Quarterly Distribution on all Outstanding Common Units,
Subordinated Units and General Partner Units and any other Outstanding Units that are senior or
equal in right of distribution to the Subordinated Units during such periods and (B) the Adjusted
Operating Surplus generated during each of the three consecutive, non-overlapping four-Quarter
periods immediately preceding such date equaled or exceeded the sum
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of the Minimum Quarterly Distribution on all of the Common Units, Subordinated Units and General Partner Units and any other
Units that are senior or equal in right of distribution to the Subordinated Units that were Outstanding during such periods on a Fully Diluted Basis, and
(ii) there are no Cumulative Common Unit Arrearages;
(b) the first date on which there are no longer outstanding any Subordinated Units due to the
conversion of Subordinated Units into Common Units pursuant to Section 5.7 or otherwise;
and
(c) the date on which the General Partner is removed as general partner of the Partnership
upon the requisite vote by holders of Outstanding Units under circumstances where Cause does not
exist and Units held by the General Partner and its Affiliates are not voted in favor of such
removal.
For purposes of determining whether the test in subclause (a)(i)(B) above has been satisfied,
Adjusted Operating Surplus will be adjusted upwards or downwards if the Conflicts Committee
determines in good faith that the amount of Estimated Average Maintenance Capital Expenditures used
in the determination of Adjusted Operating Surplus in subclause (a)(i)(B) was materially incorrect,
based on circumstances prevailing at the time of original determination of Estimated Average
Maintenance Capital Expenditures, for any one or more of the preceding four quarter periods.
“Subsidiary” means, with respect to any Person, (a) a corporation of which more than 50% of
the voting power of shares entitled (without regard to the occurrence of any contingency) to vote
in the election of directors or other governing body of such corporation is owned, directly or
indirectly, at the date of determination, by such Person, by one or more Subsidiaries of such
Person or a combination thereof, (b) a partnership (whether general or limited) in which such
Person or a Subsidiary of such Person is, at the date of determination, a general or limited
partner of such partnership, but only if more than 50% of the partnership interests of such
partnership (considering all of the partnership interests of the partnership as a single class) is
owned, directly or indirectly, at the date of determination, by such Person, by one or more
Subsidiaries of such Person, or a combination thereof, or (c) any other Person (other than a
corporation or a partnership) in which such Person, one or more Subsidiaries of such Person, or a
combination thereof, directly or indirectly, at the date of determination, has (i) at least a
majority ownership interest or (ii) the power to elect or direct the election of a majority of the
directors or other governing body of such Person.
“Surviving Business Entity” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 14.2(b).
“Target Distributions” means, collectively, the First Target Distribution and Second Target
Distribution.
“Trading Day” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 15.1(a).
“transfer” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 4.4(a).
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“Transfer Agent” means such bank, trust company or other Person (including the General Partner
or one of its Affiliates) as shall be appointed from time to time by the General Partner to act as
registrar and transfer agent for the Common Units; provided, that if no Transfer Agent is
specifically designated for any other Partnership Securities, the General Partner shall act in such
capacity.
“Underwriter” means each Person named as an underwriter in Schedule I to the Underwriting
Agreement who purchases Common Units pursuant thereto.
“Underwriting Agreement” means that certain Underwriting Agreement dated as of November 8,
2007, among the Underwriters, the Partnership, the General Partner, the Operating Company and other
parties thereto, providing for the purchase of Common Units by the Underwriters.
“Unit” means a Partnership Security that is designated as a “Unit” and shall include Common
Units, Class B Units and Subordinated Units, each a separate class, but shall not include (i)
General Partner Units (or the General Partner Interest represented thereby) or (ii) Incentive
Distribution Rights.
“Unit Majority” means (i) during the Subordination Period, at least a majority of the
Outstanding Common Units (excluding Common Units owned by the General Partner and its Affiliates),
voting as a class, and at least a majority of the Outstanding Subordinated Units, voting as a
class, and (ii) after the end of the Subordination Period, at least a majority of the Outstanding
Common Units and Class B Units, if any, voting as a single class.
“Unitholders” means the holders of Units.
“Unpaid MQD” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 6.1(c)(i)(B).
“Unrealized Gain” attributable to any item of Partnership property means, as of any date of
determination, the excess, if any, of (a) the fair market value of such property as of such date
(as determined under Section 5.5(d)) over (b) the Carrying Value of such property as of
such date (prior to any adjustment to be made pursuant to Section 5.5(d) as of such date).
“Unrealized Loss” attributable to any item of Partnership property means, as of any date of
determination, the excess, if any, of (a) the Carrying Value of such property as of such date
(prior to any adjustment to be made pursuant to Section 5.5(d) as of such date) over (b)
the fair market value of such property as of such date (as determined under Section
5.5(d)).
“Unrecovered Initial Unit Price” means at any time, with respect to a Unit, the Initial Unit
Price less the sum of all distributions constituting Capital Surplus theretofore made in respect of
an Initial Common Unit and any distributions of cash (or the Net Agreed Value of any distributions
in kind) in connection with the dissolution and liquidation of the Partnership theretofore made in
respect of an Initial Common Unit, adjusted as the General Partner
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determines to be appropriate to give effect to any distribution, subdivision or combination of
such Units.
“U.S. GAAP” means United States generally accepted accounting principles consistently applied.
“Withdrawal Opinion of Counsel” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section
11.1(b).
“Working Capital Borrowings” means borrowings used solely for working capital purposes or to
pay distributions to Partners made pursuant to a credit facility, commercial paper facility or
similar financing arrangement; provided, that when incurred it is the intent of the borrower to
repay such borrowings within 12 months from other than additional Working Capital Borrowings.
Section 1.2 Construction. Unless the context requires otherwise: (a) any pronoun used in this
Agreement shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine or neuter forms, and the singular
form of nouns, pronouns and verbs shall include the plural and vice versa; (b) references to
Articles and Sections refer to Articles and Sections of this Agreement; (c) the terms “include”,
“includes”, “including” or words of like import shall be deemed to be followed by the words
“without limitation”; and (d) the terms “hereof”, “herein” or “hereunder” refer to this Agreement
as a whole and not to any particular provision of this Agreement. The table of contents and
headings contained in this Agreement are for reference purposes only, and shall not affect in any
way the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement.
ARTICLE II
Organization
Organization
Section 2.1 Formation. The General Partner and the Organizational Limited Partner have
previously formed the Partnership as a limited partnership pursuant to the provisions of the
Delaware Act and hereby amend and restate the original Agreement of Limited Partnership of Quest
Energy Partners, L.P. in its entirety. This amendment and restatement shall become effective on
the date of this Agreement. Except as expressly provided to the contrary in this Agreement, the
rights, duties (including fiduciary duties), liabilities and obligations of the Partners and the
administration, dissolution and termination of the Partnership shall be governed by the Delaware
Act. All Partnership Interests shall constitute personal property of the owner thereof for all
purposes.
Section 2.2 Name. The name of the Partnership shall be “Quest Energy Partners, L.P.” The
Partnership’s business may be conducted under any other name or names as determined by the General
Partner, including the name of the General Partner. The words “Limited Partnership,” “L.P.,”
“Ltd.” or similar words or letters shall be included in the Partnership’s name where necessary for
the purpose of complying with the laws of any jurisdiction that so requires. The General Partner
may change the name of the Partnership at any
24
time and from time to time and shall notify the Limited Partners of such change in the next
regular communication to the Limited Partners.
Section 2.3 Registered Office; Registered Agent; Principal Office; Other Offices. Unless and
until changed by the General Partner, the registered office of the Partnership in the State of
Delaware shall be located at Corporation Trust Center, 1200 Xxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx
00000, and the registered agent for service of process on the Partnership in the State of Delaware
at such registered office shall be The Corporation Trust Company. The principal office of the
Partnership shall be located at Oklahoma Tower, 210 Xxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 0000, Xxxxxxxx Xxxx,
Xxxxxxxx 00000, or such other place as the General Partner may from time to time designate by
notice to the Limited Partners. The Partnership may maintain offices at such other place or places
within or outside the State of Delaware as the General Partner shall determine necessary or
appropriate. The address of the General Partner shall be Oklahoma Tower, 210 Xxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx
0000, Xxxxxxxx Xxxx, Xxxxxxxx 00000, or such other place as the General Partner may from time to
time designate by notice to the Limited Partners.
Section 2.4 Purpose and Business. The purpose and nature of the business to be conducted by
the Partnership shall be to (a) engage directly in, or enter into or form, hold and dispose of any
corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company or other arrangement to engage
indirectly in, any business activity that is approved by the General Partner and that lawfully may
be conducted by a limited partnership organized pursuant to the Delaware Act and, in connection
therewith, to exercise all of the rights and powers conferred upon the Partnership pursuant to the
agreements relating to such business activity, and (b) do anything necessary or appropriate to the
foregoing, including the making of capital contributions or loans to a Group Member; provided,
however, that the General Partner shall not cause the Partnership to engage, directly or
indirectly, in any business activity that the General Partner determines would cause the
Partnership to be treated as an association taxable as a corporation or otherwise taxable as an
entity for federal income tax purposes. To the fullest extent permitted by law, the General
Partner shall have no duty or obligation to propose or approve, and may decline to propose or
approve, the conduct by the Partnership of any business free of any fiduciary duty or obligation
whatsoever to the Partnership or any Limited Partner and, in declining to so propose or approve,
shall not be required to act in good faith or pursuant to any other standard imposed by this
Agreement, any Group Member Agreement, any other agreement contemplated hereby or under the
Delaware Act or any other law, rule or regulation or at equity.
Section 2.5 Powers. The Partnership shall be empowered to do any and all acts and things
necessary or appropriate for the furtherance and accomplishment of the purposes and business
described in Section 2.4 and for the protection and benefit of the Partnership.
Section 2.6 Power of Attorney.
(a) Each Limited Partner hereby constitutes and appoints the General Partner and, if a
Liquidator shall have been selected pursuant to Section 12.3, 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
25
his true and lawful agent and attorney-in-fact, with full power and authority in his name,
place and xxxxx, to:
(i) execute, swear to, acknowledge, deliver, file and record in the appropriate public
offices (A) all certificates, documents and other instruments (including this Agreement and
the Certificate of Limited Partnership and all amendments or restatements hereof or thereof)
that the General Partner or the Liquidator determines to be necessary or appropriate to
form, qualify or continue the existence or qualification of the Partnership as a limited
partnership (or a partnership in which the limited partners have limited liability) in the
State of Delaware and in all other jurisdictions in which the Partnership may conduct
business or own property; (B) all certificates, documents and other instruments that the
General Partner or the Liquidator determines to be necessary or appropriate to reflect, in
accordance with its terms, any amendment, change, modification or restatement of this
Agreement; (C) all certificates, documents and other instruments (including conveyances and
a certificate of cancellation) that the General Partner or the Liquidator determines to be
necessary or appropriate to reflect the dissolution and liquidation of the Partnership
pursuant to the terms of this Agreement; (D) all certificates, documents and other
instruments relating to the admission, withdrawal, removal or substitution of any Partner
pursuant to, or other events described in, Article IV, Article X,
Article XI or Article XII; (E) all certificates, documents and other
instruments relating to the determination of the rights, preferences and privileges of any
class or series of Partnership Securities issued pursuant to Section 5.6; and (F)
all certificates, documents and other instruments (including agreements and a certificate of
merger) relating to a merger, consolidation or conversion of the Partnership pursuant to
Article XIV; and
(ii) execute, swear to, acknowledge, deliver, file and record all ballots, consents,
approvals, waivers, certificates, documents and other instruments that the General Partner
or the Liquidator determines to be necessary or appropriate to make, evidence, give, confirm
or ratify any vote, consent, approval, agreement or other action that is made or given by
the Partners hereunder or is consistent with the terms of this Agreement or effectuate the
terms or intent of this Agreement; provided, that when required by Section 13.3 or
any other provision of this Agreement that establishes a percentage of the Limited Partners
or of the Limited Partners of any class or series required to take any action, the General
Partner and the Liquidator may exercise the power of attorney made in this Section
2.6(a)(ii) only after the necessary vote, consent or approval of the Limited Partners or
of the Limited Partners of such class or series, as applicable.
(iii) Nothing contained in this Section 2.6(a) shall be construed as
authorizing the General Partner to amend this Agreement except in accordance with
Article XIII or as may be otherwise expressly provided for in this Agreement.
(b) The foregoing power of attorney is hereby declared to be irrevocable and a power coupled
with an interest, and it shall survive and, to the maximum extent permitted by law, not be affected
by the subsequent death, incompetency, disability, incapacity, dissolution,
26
bankruptcy or termination of any Limited Partner and the transfer of all or any portion of
such Limited Partner’s Partnership Interest and shall extend to such Limited Partner’s heirs,
successors, assigns and personal representatives. Each such Limited Partner hereby agrees to be
bound by any representation made by the General Partner or the Liquidator acting in good faith
pursuant to such power of attorney; and each such Limited Partner, to the maximum extent permitted
by law, hereby waives any and all defenses that may be available to contest, negate or disaffirm
the action of the General Partner or the Liquidator taken in good faith under such power of
attorney. Each Limited Partner shall execute and deliver to the General Partner or the Liquidator,
within 15 days after receipt of the request therefor, such further designation, powers of attorney
and other instruments as the General Partner or the Liquidator may request in order to effectuate
this Agreement and the purposes of the Partnership.
Section 2.7 Term. The term of the Partnership commenced upon the filing of the Certificate of
Limited Partnership in accordance with the Delaware Act and shall continue in existence until the
dissolution of the Partnership in accordance with the provisions of Article XII. The
existence of the Partnership as a separate legal entity shall continue until the cancellation of
the Certificate of Limited Partnership as provided in the Delaware Act.
Section 2.8 Title to Partnership Assets. Title to Partnership assets, whether real, personal
or mixed and whether tangible or intangible, shall be deemed to be owned by the Partnership as an
entity, and no Partner, individually or collectively, shall have any ownership interest in such
Partnership assets or any portion thereof. Title to any or all of the Partnership assets may be
held in the name of the Partnership, the General Partner, one or more of its Affiliates or one or
more nominees, as the General Partner may determine. The General Partner hereby declares and
warrants that any Partnership assets for which record title is held in the name of the General
Partner or one or more of its Affiliates or one or more nominees shall be held by the General
Partner or such Affiliate or nominee for the use and benefit of the Partnership in accordance with
the provisions of this Agreement; provided, however, that the General Partner shall use reasonable
efforts to cause record title to such assets (other than those assets in respect of which the
General Partner determines that the expense and difficulty of conveyancing makes transfer of record
title to the Partnership impracticable) to be vested in the Partnership as soon as reasonably
practicable; provided, further, that, prior to the withdrawal or removal of the General Partner or
as soon thereafter as practicable, the General Partner shall use reasonable efforts to effect the
transfer of record title to the Partnership and, prior to any such transfer, will provide for the
use of such assets in a manner satisfactory to the General Partner. All Partnership assets shall
be recorded as the property of the Partnership in its books and records, irrespective of the name
in which record title to such Partnership assets is held.
ARTICLE III
Rights of Limited Partners
Rights of Limited Partners
Section 3.1 Limitation of Liability. The Limited Partners shall have no liability under this
Agreement except as expressly provided in this Agreement or the Delaware Act.
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Section 3.2 Management of Business. No Limited Partner, in its capacity as such, shall
participate in the operation, management or control (within the meaning of the Delaware Act) of the
Partnership’s business, transact any business in the Partnership’s name or have the power to sign
documents for or otherwise bind the Partnership. Any action taken by any Affiliate of the General
Partner or any officer, director, employee, manager, member, general partner, agent or trustee of
the General Partner or any of its Affiliates, or any officer, director, employee, manager, member,
general partner, agent or trustee of a Group Member, in its capacity as such, shall not be deemed
to be participation in the control of the business of the Partnership by a limited partner of the
Partnership (within the meaning of Section 17-303(a) of the Delaware Act) and shall not affect,
impair or eliminate the limitations on the liability of the Limited Partners under this Agreement.
Section 3.3 Outside Activities of the Limited Partners. Subject to the provisions of
Section 7.5, which shall continue to be applicable to the Persons referred to therein,
regardless of whether such Persons shall also be Limited Partners, any Limited Partner shall be
entitled to and may have business interests and engage in business activities in addition to those
relating to the Partnership, including business interests and activities in direct competition with
the Partnership Group. Neither the Partnership nor any of the other Partners shall have any rights
by virtue of this Agreement in any business ventures of any Limited Partner.
Section 3.4 Rights of Limited Partners.
(a) In addition to other rights provided by this Agreement or by applicable law, and except as
limited by Section 3.4(b), each Limited Partner shall have the right, for a purpose
reasonably related to such Limited Partner’s interest as a Limited Partner in the Partnership, upon
reasonable written demand stating the purpose of such demand, and at such Limited Partner’s own
expense:
(i) to obtain true and full information regarding the status of the business and
financial condition of the Partnership (provided that the requirements of this Section
3.4(a)(i) will be satisfied by furnishing to a Limited Partner upon its demand pursuant
to this Section 3.4(a)(i) the Partnership’s most recent filings with the Commission
on Form 10-K and any subsequent filings on Form 10-Q and 8-K);
(ii) promptly after its becoming available, to obtain a copy of the Partnership’s
federal, state and local income tax returns for each year;
(iii) to obtain a current list of the name and last known business, residence or
mailing address of each Partner;
(iv) to obtain a copy of this Agreement and the Certificate of Limited Partnership and
all amendments thereto, together with copies of the executed copies of all powers of
attorney pursuant to which this Agreement, the Certificate of Limited Partnership and all
amendments thereto have been executed;
28
(v) to obtain true and full information regarding the amount of cash and a description
and statement of the Net Agreed Value of any other Capital Contribution by each Partner and
that each Partner has agreed to contribute in the future, and the date on which each became
a Partner; and
(vi) to obtain such other information regarding the affairs of the Partnership as is
just and reasonable.
(b) The General Partner may keep confidential from the Limited Partners, for such period of
time as the General Partner deems reasonable, (i) any information that the General Partner
reasonably believes to be in the nature of trade secrets or (ii) other information the disclosure
of which the General Partner in good faith believes (A) is not in the best interests of the
Partnership Group, (B) could damage the Partnership Group or its business or (C) that any Group
Member is required by law or by agreement with any third party to keep confidential (other than
agreements with Affiliates of the Partnership the primary purpose of which is to circumvent the
obligations set forth in this Section 3.4).
ARTICLE IV
Certificates; Record Holders;
Transfer of Partnership Interests;
Redemption of Partnership Interests
Certificates; Record Holders;
Transfer of Partnership Interests;
Redemption of Partnership Interests
Section 4.1 Certificates. Upon the Partnership’s issuance of Common Units, Subordinated Units
or Class B Units to any Person, the Partnership shall issue, upon the request of such Person, one
or more Certificates in the name of such Person (or, if issued in global form, in the name of the
Depositary or its nominee) evidencing the number of such Units being so issued. In addition, (a)
upon the General Partner’s request, the Partnership shall issue to it one or more Certificates in
the name of the General Partner evidencing its General Partner Units and (b) upon the request of
any Person owning Incentive Distribution Rights or any other Partnership Securities other than
Common Units, Subordinated Units or Class B Units, the Partnership shall issue to such Person one
or more certificates evidencing such Incentive Distribution Rights or other Partnership Securities
other than Common Units, Subordinated Units or Class B Units. Certificates shall be executed on
behalf of the Partnership by the Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, President or any
Executive Vice President, Senior Vice President or Vice President and the Secretary or any
Assistant Secretary of the General Partner. No Common Unit Certificate shall be valid for any
purpose until it has been countersigned by the Transfer Agent; provided, however, that the Units
may be certificated or uncertificated as provided in the Delaware Act; provided further, that if
the General Partner elects to issue Common Units in global form, the Common Unit Certificates shall
be valid upon receipt of a certificate from the Transfer Agent certifying that the Common Units
have been duly registered in accordance with the directions of the Partnership. Subject to the
requirements of Section 6.7(c), the Partners holding Certificates evidencing Subordinated
Units may exchange such Certificates for Certificates evidencing Common Units on or after the date
on which such Subordinated Units are converted into Common Units pursuant to the terms of
Section 5.7. Subject to the requirements of Section 6.7(e), the Partners holding
Certificates evidencing Class B Units may exchange such
29
Certificates for Certificates evidencing Common Units on or after the period set forth in
Section 5.11(f) pursuant to the terms of Section 5.11.
Section 4.2 Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Certificates.
(a) If any mutilated Certificate is surrendered to the Transfer Agent (for Common Units) or
the General Partner (for Partnership Securities other than Common Units), the appropriate officers
of the General Partner on behalf of the Partnership shall execute, and the Transfer Agent (for
Common Units) or the General Partner (for Partnership Securities other than Common Units) shall
countersign and deliver in exchange therefor, a new Certificate evidencing the same number and type
of Partnership Securities as the Certificate so surrendered.
(b) The appropriate officers of the General Partner on behalf of the Partnership shall execute
and deliver, and the Transfer Agent (for Common Units) shall countersign, a new Certificate in
place of any Certificate previously issued, or issue uncertificated Common Units, if the Record
Holder of the Certificate:
(i) makes proof by affidavit, in form and substance satisfactory to the General
Partner, that a previously issued Certificate has been lost, destroyed or stolen;
(ii) requests the issuance of a new Certificate or the issuance of uncertificated Units
before the General Partner has notice that the Certificate has been acquired by a purchaser
for value in good faith and without notice of an adverse claim;
(iii) if requested by the General Partner, delivers to the General Partner a bond, in
form and substance satisfactory to the General Partner, with surety or sureties and with
fixed or open penalty as the General Partner may direct to indemnify the Partnership, the
Partners, the General Partner 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 General Partner.
If a Limited Partner fails to notify the General Partner within a reasonable period of time
after he has notice of the loss, destruction or theft of a Certificate, and a transfer of the
Limited Partner Interests represented by the Certificate is registered before the Partnership, the
General Partner or the Transfer Agent receives such notification, the Limited Partner shall be
precluded from making any claim against the Partnership, the General Partner or the Transfer Agent
for such transfer or for a new Certificate or uncertificated Units.
(c) As a condition to the issuance of any new Certificate or uncertificated Unit under this
Section 4.2, the General Partner may require the payment of a sum sufficient to cover any
tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in relation thereto and any other expenses
(including the fees and expenses of the Transfer Agent) reasonably connected therewith.
30
Section 4.3 Record Holders. The Partnership shall be entitled to recognize the Record Holder
as the Partner with respect to any Partnership Interest and, accordingly, shall not be bound to
recognize any equitable or other claim to, or interest in, such Partnership Interest on the part of
any other Person, regardless of whether the Partnership shall have actual or other notice thereof,
except as otherwise provided by law or any applicable rule, regulation, guideline or requirement of
any National Securities Exchange on which such Partnership Interests are listed or admitted to
trading. Without limiting the foregoing, when a Person (such as a broker, dealer, bank, trust
company or clearing corporation or an agent of any of the foregoing) is acting as nominee, agent or
in some other representative capacity for another Person in acquiring and/or holding Partnership
Interests, as between the Partnership on the one hand, and such other Persons on the other, such
representative Person shall be the Record Holder of such Partnership Interest.
Section 4.4 Transfer Generally.
(a) The term “transfer,” when used in this Agreement with respect to a Partnership Interest,
shall be deemed to refer to a transaction (i) by which the General Partner assigns its General
Partner Units to another Person or by which a holder of Incentive Distribution Rights assigns its
Incentive Distribution Rights to another Person, and includes a sale, assignment, gift, pledge,
encumbrance, hypothecation, mortgage, exchange or any other disposition by law or otherwise or (ii)
by which the holder of a Limited Partner Interest (other than an Incentive Distribution Right)
assigns such Limited Partner Interest to another Person who is or becomes a Limited Partner, and
includes a sale, assignment, gift, exchange or any other disposition by law or otherwise, excluding
a pledge, encumbrance, hypothecation or mortgage but including any transfer upon foreclosure of any
pledge, encumbrance, hypothecation or mortgage.
(b) No Partnership Interest shall be transferred, in whole or in part, except in accordance
with the terms and conditions set forth in this Article IV. Any transfer or purported
transfer of a Partnership Interest not made in accordance with this Article IV shall be
null and void.
(c) Nothing contained in this Agreement shall be construed to prevent a disposition by any
stockholder, member, partner or other owner of the General Partner of any or all of the shares of
stock, membership interests, partnership interests or other ownership interests in the General
Partner.
Section 4.5 Registration and Transfer of Limited Partner Interests.
(a) The General Partner shall keep or cause to be kept on behalf of the Partnership a register
in which, subject to such reasonable regulations as it may prescribe and subject to the provisions
of Section 4.5(b), the Partnership will provide for the registration and transfer of
Limited Partner Interests. The Transfer Agent is hereby appointed registrar and transfer agent for
the purpose of registering Common Units and transfers of such Common Units as herein provided. The
Partnership shall not recognize transfers of Certificates evidencing Limited Partner Interests or
of uncertificated Limited Partner Interests, unless such transfers are effected in the manner
described in this Section 4.5. Upon surrender of a Certificate for registration of
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transfer of any Limited Partner Interests evidenced by a Certificate, and subject to the
provisions of Section 4.5(b), the appropriate officers of the General Partner on behalf of
the Partnership shall execute and deliver, and in the case of Common Units, the Transfer Agent
shall countersign and deliver, in the name of the holder or the designated transferee or
transferees, as required pursuant to the holder’s instructions, one or more new Certificates
evidencing the same aggregate number and type of Limited Partner Interests as was evidenced by the
Certificate so surrendered.
(b) Except as otherwise provided in Section 4.9, the General Partner shall not
recognize any transfer of Limited Partner Interests until either (i) the Certificates evidencing
such Limited Partner Interests are surrendered for registration of transfer or (ii) the receipt of
proper transfer instructions from the registered owner of uncertificated Common Units. In
addition, following an Eligible Holder Notice, the General Partner shall not recognize any transfer
of Limited Partner Inrerests until such Certificates are also accompanied by an Eligible Holder
Certification, properly completed and duly executed by the transferee (or the transferee’s
attorney-in-fact duly authorized in writing). No charge shall be imposed by the General Partner
for such transfer; provided, that as a condition to the issuance of any new Certificate
representing Limited Partner Interests or uncertificated Limited Partner Interests under this
Section 4.5, the General Partner may require the payment of a sum sufficient to cover any
tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed with respect thereto.
(c) Upon the receipt of proper transfer instructions from the registered owner of
uncertificated Common Units, such uncertificated Common Units will be cancelled, issuance of new
equivalent uncertificated Common Units or Certificates will be made to the holder of Common Units
entitled thereto and the transaction will be recorded upon the books of the Partnership.
(d) Subject to (i) the foregoing provisions of this Section 4.5, (ii) Section
4.3, (iii) Section 4.8, (iv) with respect to any class or series of Limited Partner
Interests, the provisions of any statement of designations or an amendment to this Agreement
establishing such class or series, (v) any contractual provisions binding on any Limited Partner
and (vi) provisions of applicable law including the Securities Act, Limited Partner Interests
(other than the Incentive Distribution Rights) shall be freely transferable.
(e) The General Partner and its Affiliates and QRC and its Affiliates shall have the right at
any time to transfer their Subordinated Units, Class B Units and Common Units (whether issued upon
conversion of the Subordinated Units or otherwise) to one or more Persons.
Section 4.6 Transfer of the General Partner’s General Partner Interest.
(a) Subject to Section 4.6(c), prior to December 31, 2017, the General Partner shall
not transfer all or any part of its General Partner Interest (represented by General Partner Units)
to a Person unless such transfer (i) has been approved by the prior written consent or vote of the
holders of at least a majority of the Outstanding Common Units (excluding Common Units held by the
General Partner and its Affiliates) or (ii) is of all, but not less than all, of its General
Partner Interest to (A) an Affiliate of the General Partner (other than an individual) or
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(B) another Person (other than an individual) in connection with the merger or consolidation of
the General Partner with or into such other Person or the transfer by the General Partner of all or
substantially all of its assets to such other Person.
(b) Subject to Section 4.6(c), on or after December 31, 2017, the General Partner may
transfer all or any of its General Partner Interest without Unitholder approval.
(c) Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, no transfer by the General Partner of all
or any part of its General Partner Interest to another Person shall be permitted unless (i) the
transferee agrees to assume the rights and duties of the General Partner under this Agreement and
to be bound by the provisions of this Agreement, (ii) the Partnership receives an Opinion of
Counsel that such transfer would not result in the loss of limited liability of any Limited Partner
under the Delaware Act or cause the Partnership to be treated as an association taxable as a
corporation or otherwise to be taxed as an entity for federal income tax purposes (to the extent
not already so treated or taxed) and (iii) such transferee also agrees to purchase all (or the
appropriate portion thereof, if applicable) of the partnership or membership interest of the
General Partner as the general partner or managing member, if any, of each other Group Member. In
the case of a transfer pursuant to and in compliance with this Section 4.6, the transferee
or successor (as the case may be) shall, subject to compliance with the terms of Section
10.3, be admitted to the Partnership as the General Partner immediately prior to the transfer
of the General Partner Interest, and the business of the Partnership shall continue without
dissolution.
Section 4.7 Transfer of Incentive Distribution Rights. Prior to December 31, 2017, a holder
of Incentive Distribution Rights may transfer any or all of the Incentive Distribution Rights held
by such holder without any consent of the Unitholders to (a) an Affiliate of such holder (other
than an individual) or (b) another Person (other than an individual) in connection with (i) the
merger or consolidation of such holder of Incentive Distribution Rights with or into such other
Person, (ii) the transfer by such holder of all or substantially all of its assets to such other
Person or (iii) the sale of all the ownership interests in such holder. Any other transfer of the
Incentive Distribution Rights prior to December 31, 2017 shall require the prior approval of
holders of at least a majority of the Outstanding Common Units (excluding Common Units held by the
General Partner and its Affiliates). On or after December 31, 2017, the General Partner or any
other holder of Incentive Distribution Rights may transfer any or all of its Incentive Distribution
Rights without Unitholder approval. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, (i) the
transfer of Class B Units issued pursuant to Section 5.11, or the transfer of Common Units
issued upon conversion of the Class B Units, shall not be treated as a transfer of all or any part
of the Incentive Distribution Rights and (ii) no transfer of Incentive Distribution Rights to
another Person shall be permitted unless the transferee agrees to be bound by the provisions of
this Agreement.
Section 4.8 Restrictions on Transfers.
(a) Except as provided in Section 4.8(d), and notwithstanding the other provisions of
this Article IV, no transfer of any Partnership Interests shall be made if such transfer
would
33
(i) violate the then applicable federal or state securities laws or rules and regulations of the
Commission, any state securities commission or any other governmental authority with jurisdiction
over such transfer, (ii) terminate the existence or qualification of the Partnership under the laws
of the jurisdiction of its formation, or (iii) cause the Partnership to be treated as an
association taxable as a corporation or otherwise to be taxed as an entity for federal income tax
purposes (to the extent not already so treated or taxed).
(b) The General Partner may impose restrictions on the transfer of Partnership Interests if it
receives an Opinion of Counsel that such restrictions are necessary to avoid a significant risk of
the Partnership becoming taxable as a corporation or otherwise becoming taxable as an entity for
federal income tax purposes. The General Partner may impose such restrictions by amending this
Agreement; provided, however, that any amendment that would result in the delisting or suspension
of trading of any class of Limited Partner Interests on the principal National Securities Exchange
on which such class of Limited Partner Interests is then listed or admitted to trading must be
approved, prior to such amendment being effected, by the holders of at least a majority of the
Outstanding Limited Partner Interests of such class.
(c) The transfer of a Subordinated Unit that has converted into a Common Unit shall be subject
to the restrictions imposed by Section 6.7(c).
(d) The transfer of a Class B Unit that has converted into a Common Unit shall be subject to
the restrictions imposed by Section 6.7(e).
(e) Nothing contained in this Article IV, or elsewhere in this Agreement, shall
preclude the settlement of any transactions involving Partnership Interests entered into through
the facilities of any National Securities Exchange on which such Partnership Interests are listed
or admitted to trading.
(f) Each certificate evidencing Partnership Interests shall bear a conspicuous legend in
substantially the following form:
THE HOLDER OF THIS SECURITY ACKNOWLEDGES FOR THE BENEFIT OF QUEST ENERGY PARTNERS,
L.P. THAT THIS SECURITY MAY NOT BE SOLD, OFFERED, RESOLD, PLEDGED OR OTHERWISE
TRANSFERRED IF SUCH TRANSFER WOULD (A) VIOLATE THE THEN APPLICABLE FEDERAL OR STATE
SECURITIES LAWS OR RULES AND REGULATIONS OF THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION,
ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION OR ANY OTHER GOVERNMENTAL AUTHORITY WITH
JURISDICTION OVER SUCH TRANSFER, (B) TERMINATE THE EXISTENCE OR QUALIFICATION OF
QUEST ENERGY PARTNERS, L.P. UNDER THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE, (C) CAUSE QUEST
ENERGY PARTNERS, L.P. TO BE TREATED AS AN ASSOCIATION TAXABLE AS A CORPORATION OR
OTHERWISE TO BE TAXED AS AN ENTITY FOR FEDERAL INCOME TAX PURPOSES (TO THE EXTENT
NOT ALREADY SO TREATED OR
34
TAXED), OR (D) VIOLATE THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE FIRST AMENDED AND RESTATED
AGREEMENT OF LIMITED PARTNERSHIP OF QUEST ENERGY PARTNERS, L.P., DATED ___,
2007, AS THE SAME MAY BE AMENDED FROM TIME TO TIME. QUEST ENERGY GP, LLC, THE
GENERAL PARTNER OF QUEST ENERGY PARTNERS, L.P., MAY IMPOSE ADDITIONAL RESTRICTIONS
ON THE TRANSFER OF THIS SECURITY IF IT RECEIVES AN OPINION OF COUNSEL THAT SUCH
RESTRICTIONS ARE NECESSARY TO AVOID A SIGNIFICANT RISK OF QUEST ENERGY PARTNERS,
L.P. BECOMING TAXABLE AS A CORPORATION OR OTHERWISE BECOMING TAXABLE AS AN ENTITY
FOR FEDERAL INCOME TAX PURPOSES. THE RESTRICTIONS SET FORTH ABOVE SHALL NOT
PRECLUDE THE SETTLEMENT OF ANY TRANSACTIONS INVOLVING THIS SECURITY ENTERED INTO
THROUGH THE FACILITIES OF ANY NATIONAL SECURITIES EXCHANGE ON WHICH THIS SECURITY IS
LISTED OR ADMITTED TO TRADING.
Section 4.9 Eligible Holder Certifications; Non-Eligible Holders.
(a) Following an Eligible Holder Notice, if a transferee of a Limited Partner Interest fails
to furnish a properly completed Eligible Holder Certification in the manner specified in
Section 4.5(b) or if, upon receipt of such Eligible Holder Certification or otherwise, the
General Partner determines that such transferee is not an Eligible Holder, the Limited Partner
Interests owned by such transferee shall be subject to redemption in accordance with the provisions
of Section 4.10.
(b) Following an Eligible Holder Notice, the General Partner may request any Limited Partner
to furnish to the General Partner, within 30 days after receipt of such request, an executed
Eligible Holder Certification or such other information concerning his nationality, citizenship or
other related status (or, if the Limited Partner is a nominee holding for the account of another
Person, the nationality, citizenship or other related status of such Person) as the General Partner
may reasonably request. If a Limited Partner or assignee fails to furnish to the General Partner
within the aforementioned 30-day period such Eligible Holder Certification or other requested
information or if upon receipt of such Eligible Holder Certification or other requested information
the General Partner determines that a Limited Partner is not an Eligible Holder, the Limited
Partner Interests owned by such Limited Partner shall be subject to redemption in accordance with
the provisions of Section 4.10. In addition, the General Partner may require that the
status of any such Limited Partner be changed to that of a Non-Eligible Holder and, thereupon, the
General Partner shall be substituted for such Non-Eligible Holder as the Limited Partner in respect
of the Non-Eligible Holder’s Limited Partner Interests.
(c) Following an Eligible Holder Notice, the General Partner shall, in exercising voting
rights in respect of Limited Partner Interests held by it on behalf of Non-Eligible Holders,
distribute the votes in the same ratios as the votes of Partners (including without limitation the
35
General Partner) in respect of Limited Partner Interests other than those of Non-Eligible Holders
are cast, either for, against or abstaining as to the matter.
(d) Upon dissolution of the Partnership, a Non-Eligible Holder will have no right to receive a
distribution in kind pursuant to Section 12.4 but will be entitled to the cash equivalent
thereof, and the Partnership shall provide cash in exchange for an assignment of the Non-Eligible
Holder’s share of any distribution in kind. Such payment and assignment will be treated for
Partnership purposes as a purchase by the Partnership from the Non-Eligible Holder of his Limited
Partner Interest (representing his right to receive his share of such distribution in kind).
(e) At any time after a Non-Eligible Holder can and does certify that it has become an
Eligible Holder, such Non-Eligible Holder may, upon application to the General Partner, request
that with respect to any Limited Partner Interests of such Non-Eligible Holder not redeemed
pursuant to Section 4.10, such Non-Eligible Holder be admitted as a Limited Partner, and
upon approval of the General Partner, such Non-Eligible Holder will be admitted as a Limited
Partner and will no longer constitute a Non-Eligible Holder and the General Partner will cease to
be deemed to be the Limited Partner in respect of such Non-Eligible Holder’s Limited Partner
Interests.
Section 4.10 Redemption of Partnership Interests of Non-Eligible Holder.
(a) If at any time following an Eligible Holder Notice, a transferee of a Limited Partner
Interest fails to furnish the General Partner an Eligible Holder Certification in the manner
specified in Section 4.5(b) or any Limited Partner fails to furnish the General Partner an
Eligible
Holder Certification or other information requested within the 30-day period specified in
Section 4.9(b), or if upon receipt of such Eligible Holder Certification or other
information the General Partner determines that a Limited Partner or transferee is not an Eligible
Holder, the Partnership may redeem the Limited Partner Interest of such Limited Partner or
transferee as follows:
(i) The General Partner shall, not later than the 30th day before the date fixed for
redemption, give notice of redemption to the Limited Partner or transferee, at his last
address designated on the records of the Partnership or the Transfer Agent, by registered or
certified mail, postage prepaid. The notice shall be deemed to have been given when so
mailed. The notice will specify the Redeemable Interests, the date fixed for redemption,
the place of payment, that payment of the redemption price will be made upon surrender of
the Certificate evidencing the Redeemable Interests or, if uncertificated, upon receipt of
evidence satisfactory to the General Partner of the ownership of the Redeemable Interests,
and that on and after the date fixed for redemption no further allocations or distributions
to which the Limited Partner would otherwise be entitled in respect of the Redeemable
Interests will accrue or be made.
(ii) The aggregate redemption price for Redeemable Interests will be an amount equal to
the Current Market Price (the date of determination of which shall be the date fixed for
redemption) of Limited Partner Interests of the class to be so redeemed
36
multiplied by the
number of Limited Partner Interests of each such class included among the Redeemable
Interests. The redemption price will be paid as determined by the General Partner, in cash
or by delivery of a promissory note of the Partnership in the principal amount of the
redemption price, bearing interest at the rate of 7% annually and payable in three equal
annual installments of principal together with accrued interest, commencing one year after
the redemption date.
(iii) Upon surrender by or on behalf of the Limited Partner, at the place specified in
the notice of redemption, of (x) if certificated, the Certificate evidencing the Redeemable
Interests, duly endorsed in blank or accompanied by an assignment duly executed in blank, or
(y) if uncertificated, upon receipt of evidence satisfactory to the General Partner of the
ownership of the Redeemable Interests, the Limited Partner or transferee or his duly
authorized representative will be entitled to receive the payment therefor.
(iv) After the redemption date, Redeemable Interests will no longer constitute issued
and Outstanding Limited Partner Interests.
(b) The provisions of this Section 4.10 will also be applicable to Limited Partner
Interests held by a Limited Partner as a nominee of a Person determined to be other than an
Eligible Holder.
(c) Nothing in this Section 4.10 will prevent the recipient of a notice of redemption
from transferring his Limited Partner Interest before the redemption date if such transfer is
otherwise permitted under this Agreement. Upon receipt of notice of such a transfer, the General
Partner shall withdraw the notice of redemption, provided the transferee of such Limited
Partner Interest certifies to the satisfaction of the General Partner in an Eligible Holder
Certification that he is an Eligible Holder. If the transferee fails to make such certification,
such redemption will be effected from the transferee on the original redemption date.
ARTICLE V
Capital Contributions and
Issuance of Partnership Interests
Capital Contributions and
Issuance of Partnership Interests
Section 5.1 Organizational Contributions. In connection with the formation of the Partnership
under the Delaware Act, the General Partner made an initial Capital Contribution to the Partnership
in the amount of $20.00, for a 2% General Partner Interest in the Partnership and has been admitted
as the General Partner of the Partnership, and the Organizational Limited Partner made an initial
Capital Contribution to the Partnership in the amount of $980.00 for a 98% Limited Partner Interest
in the Partnership and has been admitted as a Limited Partner of the Partnership. On the Closing
Date, pursuant to the Contribution Agreement, the interest of the Organizational Limited Partner
shall be partially redeemed in exchange for the return of the initial Capital Contribution of the
Organizational Limited Partner. Ninety-eight percent of any interest or other profit that may have
resulted from the investment or other use of such initial Capital Contributions shall be allocated
and distributed to the Organizational Limited Partner,
37
and the balance thereof shall be allocated
and distributed to the General Partner.
Section 5.2 Contributions by the General Partner.
(a) On the Closing Date and pursuant to the Contribution Agreement, the General Partner shall
contribute to the Partnership, as a Capital Contribution, a limited liability company membership
interest in the Operating Company with a value equal to 2% of the equity value of the Partnership
on the Closing Date of the Initial Offering, in exchange for (i) 431,827 General Partner Units
representing a continuation of its 2% General Partner Interest, subject to all of the rights,
privileges and duties of the General Partner under this Agreement and (ii) the Incentive
Distribution Rights.
(b) Upon the issuance of any additional Limited Partner Interests by the Partnership (other
than the Common Units and Subordinated Units issued pursuant to Section 5.2(a), any Class B
Units issued pursuant to Section 5.11 and any Common Units issued upon conversion of Class
B Units), the General Partner may, in exchange for a proportionate number of General Partner Units
with rights to allocations and distributions that correspond to those applicable to such additional
Limited Partner Interests, make additional Capital Contributions in an amount equal to the product
obtained by multiplying (i) the quotient determined by dividing (A) the General Partner’s
Percentage Interest immediately prior to the issuance of such additional Limited Partner Interests
by the Partnership by (B) 100 less the General Partner’s Percentage Interest immediately prior to
the issuance of such additional Limited Partner Interests by the Partnership times (ii) the amount
contributed to the Partnership by the Limited Partners in
exchange for such additional Limited Partner Interests. Except as set forth in Article
XII, the General Partner shall not be obligated to make any additional Capital Contributions to
the Partnership.
Section 5.3 Contributions by Initial Limited Partners.
(a) On the Closing Date and pursuant to the Contribution Agreement, QRC shall contribute to
the Partnership, as a Capital Contribution, the remainder of the limited liability company
membership interests in the Operating Company that were not contributed by the General Partner
under Section 5.2(a), in exchange for an aggregate of 3,201,521 Common Units and 8,857,981
Subordinated Units.
(b) On the Closing Date and pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, each Underwriter shall
contribute to the Partnership cash in an amount equal to the Issue Price per Initial Common Unit,
multiplied by the number of Common Units specified in the Underwriting Agreement to be purchased by
such Underwriter on the Closing Date. In exchange for such Capital Contributions by the
Underwriters, the Partnership shall issue Common Units to each Underwriter on whose behalf such
Capital Contribution is made in an amount equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (i) the cash
contribution to the Partnership by or on behalf of such Underwriter by (ii) the Issue Price per
Initial Common Unit.
38
(c) Upon the exercise of the Over-Allotment Option, each Underwriter shall contribute to the
Partnership cash in an amount equal to the Issue Price per Initial Common Unit, multiplied by the
number of Common Units to be purchased by such Underwriter at the Option Closing Date. In exchange
for such Capital Contributions by the Underwriters, the Partnership shall issue Common Units to
each Underwriter on whose behalf such Capital Contribution is made in an amount equal to the
quotient obtained by dividing (i) the cash contributions to the Partnership by or on behalf of such
Underwriter by (ii) the Issue Price per Initial Common Unit. Upon receipt by the Partnership of the
Capital Contributions from the Underwriters as provided in this Section 5.3(c), the Partnership
shall use the net proceeds from such exercise to redeem a number of Common Units from QRC equal to
the number of Common Units issued upon the exercise of the Over-Allotment Option.
(d) No Limited Partner Interests will be issued or issuable as of or at the Closing Date other
than (i) the Common Units issuable pursuant to subparagraph (b) hereof in aggregate number equal to
9,100,000, (ii) the 8,857,981 Subordinated Units issuable to pursuant to subparagraph (a) hereof,
(iii) the 3,201,521 Common Units issuable pursuant to subparagraph (a) hereof, and (iv) the
Incentive Distribution Rights.
Section 5.4 Interest and Withdrawal. No interest shall be paid by the Partnership on Capital
Contributions. No Partner or Assignee shall be entitled to the withdrawal or return of its Capital
Contribution, except to the extent, if any, that distributions made pursuant to this Agreement or
upon termination of the Partnership may be considered as such by law and then only to the extent
provided for in this
Agreement. Except to the extent expressly provided in this Agreement, no Partner shall have
priority over any other Partner either as to the return of Capital Contributions or as to profits,
losses or distributions. Any such return shall be a compromise to which all Partners agree within
the meaning of Section 17-502(b) of the Delaware Act.
Section 5.5 Capital Accounts.
(a) The Partnership shall maintain for each Partner (or a beneficial owner of Partnership
Interests held by a nominee in any case in which the nominee has furnished the identity of such
owner to the Partnership in accordance with Section 6031(c) of the Code or any other method
acceptable to the General Partner) owning a Partnership Interest a separate Capital Account with
respect to such Partnership Interest in accordance with the rules of Treasury Regulation Section
1.704-1(b)(2)(iv). The initial Capital Account balance attributable to the General Partner Units
issued to the General Partner pursuant to Section 5.2(a) will equal the Net Agreed Value of
the Capital Contribution specified in Section 5.2(a), which will be deemed to equal the
product of the number of General Partner Units issued to the General Partner pursuant to
Section 5.2(a) and the Initial Unit Price for each Common Unit (and the initial Capital
Account balance attributable to each General Partner Unit will equal the Initial Unit Price for
each Common Unit). The initial Capital Account balance attributable to the Common Units and
Subordinated Units issued to QRC pursuant to Section 5.3(a) will equal the Net Agreed Value
of the Capital Contribution specified in Section 5.3(a), which will be deemed to equal the
product of the number of Common Units and Subordinated Units issued to QRC pursuant to Section
5.3(a) and the Initial Unit Price for each such Common Unit and Subordinated Unit (and the
39
initial Capital Account balance attributable to each such Common Unit and Subordinated Unit will
equal its Initial Unit Price). The initial Capital Account balance attributable to the Common
Units issued to the Underwriters pursuant to Section 5.3(b) will equal the product of the
number of Common Units so issued to the Underwriters and the Initial Unit Price for each such
Common Unit (and the initial Capital Account balance attributable to each such Common Unit will
equal its Initial Unit Price). Thereafter, the Capital Account will in respect of each such
Partnership Interest be increased by (i) the amount of all cash and the Net Agreed Value of any
property contributed to the Partnership with respect to such Partnership Interest and (ii) all
items of Partnership income and gain (including Simulated Gain and income and gain exempt from tax)
computed in accordance with Section 5.5(b) and allocated with respect to such Partnership
Interest pursuant to Section 6.1, 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 such
Partnership Interest and (y) all items of Partnership deduction and loss (including Simulated
Depletion and Simulated Loss) computed in accordance with Section 5.5(b) and allocated with
respect to such Partnership Interest pursuant to Section 6.1.
(b) For purposes of computing the amount of any item of income, gain, loss, deduction,
Simulated Depletion, Simulated Gain or Simulated Loss which is to be allocated pursuant to
Article VI and is to be reflected in the Partners’ Capital Accounts, the determination,
recognition and classification of any such item shall be the same as its determination, recognition
and classification for federal income tax purposes (including any method of depreciation, cost
recovery or amortization used for that purpose), provided, that:
(i) Solely for purposes of this Section 5.5, the Partnership shall be treated
as owning directly its proportionate share (as determined by the General Partner based upon
the provisions of the applicable Group Member Agreement or governing, organizational or
similar documents) of all property owned by (x) any other Group Member that is classified as
a partnership for federal income tax purposes and (y) any other partnership, limited
liability company, unincorporated business or other entity classified as a partnership for
federal income tax purposes of which a Group Member is, directly or indirectly, a partner.
(ii) All fees and other expenses incurred by the Partnership to promote the sale of (or
to sell) a Partnership Interest that can be neither 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 Partners pursuant to Section 6.1.
(iii) Except as otherwise provided in Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(m),
the computation of all items of income, gain, loss, deduction, Simulated Depletion,
Simulated Gain or Simulated Loss shall be made without regard to any election under Section
754 of the Code which may be made by the Partnership. To the extent an adjustment to the
adjusted tax basis of any Partnership 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,
40
the amount of such adjustment in the Capital
Accounts shall be treated as an item of gain or loss.
(iv) Any income, gain, loss, Simulated Gain or Simulated Loss attributable to the
taxable disposition of any Partnership property shall be determined as if the adjusted basis
of such property as of such date of disposition were equal in amount to the Partnership’s
Carrying Value with respect to such property as of such date.
(v) An item of income of the Partnership that is described in Section 705(a)(1)(B) of
the Code (with respect to items of income that are exempt from tax) will be treated as an
item of income for the purpose of this Section 5.5(b) and an item of expense of the
Partnership that is described in Section 705(a)(2)(B) of the Code (with respect to
expenditures that are not deductible and not chargeable to capital accounts), will be
treated as an item of deduction for the purpose of this Section 5.5(b).
(vi) In accordance with the requirements of Section 704(b) of the Code, any deductions
for depreciation, cost recovery, amortization or Simulated Depletion attributable to any
Contributed Property shall be determined as if the adjusted basis of such property on the
date it was acquired by the Partnership were equal to the Agreed Value of such property.
Upon an adjustment pursuant to Section 5.5(d) to the Carrying Value of any
Partnership property subject to depreciation, cost recovery, amortization or Simulated
Depletion, any further deductions for such depreciation, cost recovery, amortization or
Simulated Depletion attributable to such property shall be determined (A) as if the adjusted
basis of such property were equal to the Carrying Value of such
property immediately following such adjustment and (B) using a rate of depreciation,
cost recovery, amortization or Simulated Depletion derived from the same method and useful
life (or, if applicable, the remaining useful life) as is applied for federal income tax
purposes; provided, however, that, if the asset has a zero adjusted basis for federal income
tax purposes, depreciation, cost recovery, amortization or Simulated Depletion deductions
shall be determined using any method that the General Partner may adopt.
(vii) If the Partnership’s adjusted basis in a depreciable or cost recovery property is
reduced for federal income tax purposes pursuant to Section 48(q)(1) or 48(q)(3) of the
Code, the amount of such reduction shall, solely for purposes hereof, be deemed to be an
additional depreciation or cost recovery deduction in the year such property is placed in
service and shall be allocated among the Partners pursuant to Section 6.1. Any
restoration of such basis pursuant to Section 48(q)(2) of the Code shall, to the extent
possible, be allocated in the same manner to the Partners to whom such deemed deduction was
allocated.
(c) (i) A transferee of a Partnership Interest shall succeed to a pro rata portion of the
Capital Account of the transferor relating to the Partnership Interest so transferred.
(ii) Subject to Section 6.7(c), immediately prior to the transfer of a
Subordinated Unit or of a Subordinated Unit that has converted into a Common Unit
41
pursuant
to Section 5.7 by a holder thereof (other than a transfer to an Affiliate unless the
General Partner elects to have this Section 5.5(c)(ii) apply), the Capital Account
maintained for such Person with respect to its Subordinated Units or converted Subordinated
Units will (A) first, be allocated to the Subordinated Units or converted Subordinated Units
to be transferred in an amount equal to the product of (x) the number of such Subordinated
Units or converted Subordinated Units to be transferred and (y) the Per Unit Capital Amount
for a Common Unit, and (B) second, any remaining balance in such Capital Account will be
retained by the transferor, regardless of whether it has retained any Subordinated Units or
converted Subordinated Units (“Retained Converted Subordinated Units”). Following any such
allocation, the transferor’s Capital Account, if any, maintained with respect to the
retained Subordinated Units or Retained Converted Subordinated Units, if any, will have a
balance equal to the amount allocated under clause (B) hereinabove, and the transferee’s
Capital Account established with respect to the transferred Subordinated Units or converted
Subordinated Units will have a balance equal to the amount allocated under clause (A)
hereinabove. Immediately after the issuance of Class B Units to the holder of the Incentive
Distribution Rights pursuant to Section 5.11, the entire Capital Account balance of
such holder with respect to its Incentive Distribution Rights immediately prior to such
issuance will (A) first, be allocated to (and will constitute such holder’s initial Capital
Account balance in respect of) the Class B Units issued in an amount equal to the product of
(x) the number of such Class B Units to be issued and (y) the Per Unit Capital Amount for a
Common Unit, and (B) second, any remaining balance in such Capital Account will constitute
such holder’s Capital Account balance with respect to the Incentive Distribution Rights
retained by such holder.
(d) (i) In accordance with Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(f), on an issuance of
additional Partnership Interests for cash or Contributed Property, the issuance of Partnership
Interests as consideration for the provision of services, the issuance of Class B Units pursuant to
Section 5.11 or the conversion of the General Partner’s Combined Interest to Common Units
pursuant to Section 11.3(b), the Capital Account of all Partners and the Carrying Value of
each Partnership property immediately prior to such issuance shall be adjusted upward or downward
to reflect any Unrealized Gain or Unrealized Loss attributable to such Partnership property, as if
such Unrealized Gain or Unrealized Loss had been recognized on an actual sale of each such property
immediately prior to such issuance and had been allocated to the Partners at such time pursuant to
Section 6.1(c) in the same manner as any item of gain, loss, Simulated Gain or Simulated
Loss actually recognized during such period would have been allocated. In determining such
Unrealized Gain or Unrealized Loss, the aggregate cash amount and fair market value of all
Partnership assets (including cash or cash equivalents) immediately prior to the issuance of
additional Partnership Interests shall be determined by the General Partner using such method of
valuation as it may adopt; provided, however, that the General Partner, in arriving at such
valuation, must take fully into account the fair market value of the Partnership Interests of all
Partners at such time. The General Partner shall allocate such aggregate value among the assets of
the Partnership (in such manner as it determines) to arrive at a fair market value for individual
properties.
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(ii) In accordance with Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(f), immediately
prior to any actual or deemed distribution to a Partner of any Partnership property or cash
(other than a distribution of cash that is not in redemption or retirement of a Partnership
Interest), the Capital Accounts of all Partners and the Carrying Value of each Partnership
property shall be adjusted upward or downward to reflect any Unrealized Gain or Unrealized
Loss attributable to such Partnership property, as if such Unrealized Gain or Unrealized
Loss had been recognized on an actual sale of each such property immediately prior to such
distribution for an amount equal to its fair market value, and had been allocated to the
Partners, at such time, pursuant to Section 6.1(c) in the same manner as any item of
gain, loss, Simulated Gain or Simulated Loss actually recognized during such period would
have been allocated. In determining such Unrealized Gain or Unrealized Loss the aggregate
cash amount and fair market value of all Partnership assets (including cash or cash
equivalents) immediately prior to a distribution shall (A) in the case of an actual
distribution that is not made pursuant to Section 12.4 or in the case of a deemed
distribution, be determined and allocated in the same manner as that provided in Section
5.5(d)(i) or (B) in the case of a liquidating distribution pursuant to Section
12.4, be determined and allocated by the Liquidator using such method of valuation as it
may adopt.
Section 5.6 Issuances of Additional Partnership Securities.
(a) The Partnership may issue additional Partnership Securities and options, rights, warrants
and appreciation rights relating to the Partnership Securities for any Partnership purpose at any
time and from time to time to such Persons for such consideration and on such terms and
conditions as the General Partner shall determine, all without the approval of any Limited
Partners.
(b) Each additional Partnership Security authorized to be issued by the Partnership pursuant
to Section 5.6(a) may be issued in one or more classes, or one or more series of any such
classes, with such designations, preferences, rights, powers and duties (which may be senior to
existing classes and series of Partnership Securities), as shall be fixed by the General Partner,
including (i) the right to share in Partnership profits and losses or items thereof; (ii) the right
to share in Partnership distributions; (iii) the rights upon dissolution and liquidation of the
Partnership; (iv) whether, and the terms and conditions upon which, the Partnership may or shall be
required to redeem the Partnership Security; (v) whether such Partnership Security is issued with
the privilege of conversion or exchange and, if so, the terms and conditions of such conversion or
exchange; (vi) the terms and conditions upon which each Partnership Security will be issued,
evidenced by certificates and assigned or transferred; (vii) the method for determining the
Percentage Interest as to such Partnership Security; and (viii) the right, if any, of each such
Partnership Security to vote on Partnership matters, including matters relating to the relative
rights, preferences and privileges of such Partnership Security.
(c) The General Partner shall take all actions that it determines to be necessary or
appropriate in connection with (i) each issuance of Partnership Securities and options, rights,
warrants and appreciation rights relating to Partnership Securities pursuant to this Section
5.6,
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(ii) the conversion of the General Partner Interest (represented by General Partner Units)
or any Incentive Distribution Rights into Units pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, (iii) the
issuance of Class B Units pursuant to Section 5.11 and the conversion of Class B Units into
Common Units pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, (iv) the issuance of Common Units upon the
conversion of Subordinated Units pursuant to Section 5.7, (v) reflecting admission of such
additional Limited Partners in the books and records of the Partnership as the Record Holder of
such Limited Partner Interest, and (vi) all additional issuances of Partnership Securities. The
General Partner shall determine the relative rights, powers and duties of the holders of the Units
or other Partnership Securities being so issued. The General Partner shall do all things necessary
to comply with the Delaware Act and is authorized and directed to do all things that it determines
to be necessary or appropriate in connection with any future issuance of Partnership Securities or
in connection with the conversion of the General Partner Interest or any Incentive Distribution
Rights into Units pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, including compliance with any statute,
rule, regulation or guideline of any federal, state or other governmental agency or any National
Securities Exchange on which the Units or other Partnership Securities are listed or admitted to
trading.
(d) No fractional Units shall be issued by the Partnership.
Section 5.7 Conversion of Subordinated Units.
(a) A total of 25% of the Outstanding Subordinated Units will convert automatically into
Common Units on a one-for-one basis on the second Business Day following the
distribution of Available Cash to Partners pursuant to Section 6.3(a) in respect of
any Quarter ending on or after December 31, 2010, in respect of which:
(i) distributions of Available Cash from Operating Surplus under Section 6.4(a)
on each of the Outstanding Common Units, Subordinated Units, General Partner Units and any
other Outstanding Units that are senior or equal in right of distribution to the
Subordinated Units with respect to each of the three consecutive, non-overlapping
four-Quarter periods immediately preceding such date equaled or exceeded the sum of the
Minimum Quarterly Distribution on all of the Outstanding Common Units, Subordinated Units,
General Partner Units and any other Outstanding Units that are senior or equal in right of
distribution to the Subordinated Units during such periods;
(ii) the Adjusted Operating Surplus for each of the three consecutive, non-overlapping
four-Quarter periods immediately preceding such date equaled or exceeded the sum of the
Minimum Quarterly Distribution on all of the Common Units, Subordinated Units, General
Partner Units and any other Outstanding Units that are senior or equal in right of
distribution to the Subordinated Units that were Outstanding during such periods on a Fully
Diluted Basis; and
(iii) there are no Cumulative Common Unit Arrearages.
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(b) An additional 25% of the Subordinated Units Outstanding on the date Subordinated Units
were converted under Section 5.7(a) (adjusted for any splits or combinations as provided in
Section 5.9) will convert into Common Units on a one-for-one basis on the second Business
Day following the distribution of Available Cash to Partners pursuant to Section 6.3(a) in
respect of any Quarter ending on or after December 31, 2011, in respect of which:
(i) distributions of Available Cash from Operating Surplus under Section 6.4(a)
on each of the Outstanding Common Units, Subordinated Units, General Partner Units and any
other Outstanding Units that are senior or equal in right of distribution to the
Subordinated Units with respect to each of the three consecutive, non-overlapping
four-Quarter periods immediately preceding such date equaled or exceeded the sum of the
Minimum Quarterly Distribution on all of the Outstanding Common Units, Subordinated Units,
General Partner Units and any other Outstanding Units that are senior or equal in right of
distribution to the Subordinated Units during such periods;
(ii) the Adjusted Operating Surplus for each of the three consecutive, non-overlapping
four-Quarter periods immediately preceding such date equaled or exceeded the sum of the
Minimum Quarterly Distribution on all of the Common Units, Subordinated Units, General
Partner Units and any other Units that are senior or equal in right of distribution to the
Subordinated Units that were Outstanding during such periods on a Fully Diluted Basis; and
(iii) there are no Cumulative Common Unit Arrearages; provided, however, that the
conversion of Subordinated Units pursuant to this Section 5.7(b) may not occur
until at least one year following the end of the last four-Quarter period in respect of
which conversion of Subordinated Units pursuant to Section 5.7(a) occurred.
(c) All of the Outstanding Subordinated Units will convert into Common Units on a one-for-one
basis on the second Business Day following the distribution of Available Cash to Partners pursuant
to Section 6.3(a) in respect of any Quarter ending on or after December 31, 2010, in
respect of which:
(i) distributions of Available Cash from Operating Surplus under Section 6.4(a)
on each of the Outstanding Common Units, Subordinated Units, General Partner Units and any
other Outstanding Units that are senior or equal in right of distribution to the
Subordinated Units with respect to each of the two consecutive, non-overlapping four-Quarter
periods immediately preceding such date equaled or exceeded 125% of the sum of the Minimum
Quarterly Distribution on all of the Outstanding Common Units, Subordinated Units, General
Partner Units and any other Outstanding Units that are senior or equal in right of
distribution to the Subordinated Units during such periods;
(ii) the Adjusted Operating Surplus for each of the two consecutive, non-overlapping
four-Quarter periods immediately preceding such date equaled or exceeded 125% of the sum of
the Minimum Quarterly Distribution on all of the Outstanding
45
Common Units, Subordinated
Units, General Partner Units and any other Outstanding Units that are senior or equal in
right of distribution to the Subordinated Units during such periods on a Fully Diluted
Basis; and
(iii) there are no Cumulative Common Unit Arrearages.
(d) If less than all of the Outstanding Subordinated Units shall convert into Common Units
pursuant to Section 5.7(a), Section 5.7(b) or Section 5.7(c) at a time when
there shall be more than one holder of Subordinated Units, then, unless all of the holders of
Subordinated Units shall agree to a different allocation, the Subordinated Units that are to be
converted into Common Units shall be allocated among the holders of Subordinated Units pro rata
based on the number of Subordinated Units held by each such holder.
(e) Any Subordinated Units that are not converted into Common Units pursuant to Section
5.7(a), Section 5.7(b) or Section 5.7(c) shall convert into Common Units on a
one-for-one basis on the second Business Day following the distribution of Available Cash to
Partners pursuant to Section 6.3(a) in respect of the final Quarter of the Subordination
Period.
(f) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, all the then Outstanding
Subordinated Units will automatically convert into Common Units on a one-for-one basis as set forth
in, and pursuant to the terms of, Section 11.4.
(g) A Subordinated Unit that has converted into a Common Unit shall be subject to the
provisions of Section 6.7(b) and Section 6.7(c).
(h) For purposes of determining whether the test in Section 5.7(a), Section
5.7(b) or Section 5.7(c) above has been satisfied, Adjusted Operating Surplus will be
adjusted upwards or downwards if the Conflicts Committee determines in good faith that the amount
of Estimated Average Maintenance Capital Expenditures used in the determination of Adjusted
Operating Surplus was materially incorrect, based on circumstances prevailing at the time of the
original determination of Estimated Average Maintenance Capital Expenditures, for any one or more
of the preceding four quarter periods referenced in Section 5.7(a), Section 5.7(b)
or Section 5.7(c).
Section 5.8 Limited Preemptive Right. Except as provided in this Section 5.8 and
Section 5.2, no Person shall have any preemptive, preferential or other similar right with
respect to the issuance of any Partnership Security, whether unissued, held in the treasury or
hereafter created. The General Partner shall have the right, which it may from time to time assign
in whole or in part to any of its Affiliates, to purchase Partnership Securities from the
Partnership whenever, and on the same terms that, the Partnership issues Partnership Securities to
Persons other than the General Partner and its Affiliates, to the extent necessary to maintain the
Percentage Interests of the General Partner and its Affiliates equal to that which existed
immediately prior to the issuance of such Partnership Securities.
46
Section 5.9 Splits and Combinations.
(a) Subject to Section 5.9(d), Section 6.6 and Section 6.9 (dealing
with adjustments of distribution levels), the Partnership may make a Pro Rata distribution of
Partnership Securities to all Record Holders or may effect a subdivision or combination of
Partnership Securities so long as, after any such event, each Partner shall have the same
Percentage Interest in the Partnership as before such event, and any amounts calculated on a per
Unit basis (including any Common Unit Arrearage or Cumulative Common Unit Arrearage) or stated as a
number of Units (including the number of Subordinated Units that may convert prior to the end of
the Subordination Period) are proportionately adjusted.
(b) Whenever such a distribution, subdivision or combination of Partnership Securities is
declared, the General Partner shall select a Record Date as of which the distribution, subdivision
or combination shall be effective and shall send notice thereof at least 20 days prior to such
Record Date to each Record Holder as of a date not less than 10 days prior to the date of such
notice. The General Partner also may cause a firm of independent public accountants selected by it
to calculate the number of Partnership Securities to be held by each Record Holder after giving
effect to such distribution, subdivision or combination. The General Partner shall be entitled to
rely on any certificate provided by such firm as conclusive evidence of the accuracy of such
calculation.
(c) Promptly following any such distribution, subdivision or combination, the Partnership may
issue Certificates or uncertificated Partnership Securities to the Record Holders of Partnership
Securities as of the applicable Record Date representing the new number of Partnership Securities
held by such Record Holders, or the General Partner may adopt such other
procedures that it determines to be necessary or appropriate to reflect such changes. If any
such combination results in a smaller total number of Partnership Securities Outstanding, the
Partnership shall require, as a condition to the delivery to a Record Holder of such new
Certificate, the surrender of any Certificate held by such Record Holder immediately prior to such
Record Date.
(d) The Partnership shall not issue fractional Units upon any distribution, subdivision or
combination of Units. If a distribution, subdivision or combination of Units would result in the
issuance of fractional Units but for the provisions of this Section 5.9(d), each fractional
Unit shall be rounded to the nearest whole Unit (and a 0.5 Unit shall be rounded to the next higher
Unit).
Section 5.10 Fully Paid and Non-Assessable Nature of Limited Partner Interests. All Limited
Partner Interests issued pursuant to, and in accordance with the requirements of, this Article
V shall be fully paid and non-assessable Limited Partner Interests in the Partnership, except
as such non-assessability may be affected by Section 17-607 and Section 17-804 of the Delaware Act.
47
Section 5.11 Issuance of Class B Units in Connection with Reset of Incentive Distribution
Rights.
(a) Subject to the provisions of this Section 5.11, the holder of the Incentive
Distribution Rights (or, if there is more than one holder of the Incentive Distribution Rights, the
holders of a majority in interest of the Incentive Distribution Rights) shall have the right, at
any time when there are no Subordinated Units outstanding and the Partnership has made a
distribution pursuant to Section 6.4(b)(iv) for each of the four most recently completed
Quarters and the amount of each such distribution did not exceed Adjusted Operating Surplus for
such Quarter, to make an election (the “IDR Reset Election”) to cause the Minimum Quarterly
Distribution and the Target Distributions to be reset in accordance with the provisions of
Section 5.11(e) and, in connection therewith, the holder or holders of the Incentive
Distribution Rights will become entitled to receive their respective proportionate share of a
number of Class B Units derived by dividing (i) the average amount of cash distributions made by
the Partnership for the two full Quarters immediately preceding the giving of the Reset Notice (as
defined in Section 5.11(b)) in respect of the Incentive Distribution Rights by (ii) the
average of the cash distributions made by the Partnership in respect of each Common Unit for each
of the two full Quarters immediately preceding the giving of the Reset Notice (the number of Class
B Units determined by such quotient is referred to herein as the “Aggregate Quantity of Class B
Units”). Upon the issuance of such Class B Units, the Partnership will issue to the General
Partner that number of additional General Partner Units equal to the product of (x) the quotient
obtained by dividing (A) the Percentage Interest of the General Partner immediately prior to such
issuance by (B) a percentage equal to 100% less such Percentage Interest by (y) the number of such
Class B Units, and the General Partner shall not be obligated to make any additional Capital
Contribution to the Partnership in exchange for such issuance. The making of the IDR Reset
Election in the manner specified in Section 5.11(b) shall cause the Minimum Quarterly
Distribution and the
Target Distributions to be reset in accordance with the provisions of Section 5.11(e)
and, in connection therewith, the holder or holders of the Incentive Distribution Rights will
become entitled to receive Class B Units and General Partner Units on the basis specified above,
without any further approval required by the General Partner or the Unitholders, at the time
specified in Section 5.11(c) unless the IDR Reset Election is rescinded pursuant to
Section 5.11(d).
(b) To exercise the right specified in Section 5.11(a), the holder of the Incentive
Distribution Rights (or, if there is more than one holder of the Incentive Distribution Rights, the
holders of a majority in interest of the Incentive Distribution Rights) shall deliver a written
notice (the “Reset Notice”) to the Partnership. Within 10 Business Days after the receipt by the
Partnership of such Reset Notice, the Partnership shall deliver a written notice to the holder or
holders of the Incentive Distribution Rights of the Partnership’s determination of the aggregate
number of Class B Units that each holder of Incentive Distribution Rights will be entitled to
receive.
(c) The holder or holders of the Incentive Distribution Rights will be entitled to receive the
Aggregate Quantity of Class B Units and related additional General Partner Units on the fifteenth
Business Day after receipt by the Partnership of the Reset Notice, and the Partnership shall issue
Class B Unit Certificates or uncertificated Class B Units to the holder or holders of the Incentive
Distribution Rights; provided, however, that the issuance of Class B Units to the holder or holders
of the Incentive Distribution Rights shall not occur prior to the
48
approval of the listing or
admission for trading of the Common Units into which the Class B Units are convertible pursuant to
Section 5.11(f) by the principal National Securities Exchange upon which the Common Units
are then listed or admitted for trading if any such approval is required pursuant to the rules and
regulations of such National Securities Exchange.
(d) If the principal National Securities Exchange upon which the Common Units are then traded
have not approved the listing or admission for trading of the Common Units into which the Class B
Units are convertible pursuant to Section 5.11(f) on or before the 30th calendar day
following the Partnership’s receipt of the Reset Notice and such approval is required by the rules
and regulations of such National Securities Exchange, then the holder of the Incentive Distribution
Rights (or, if there is more than one holder of the Incentive Distribution Rights, the holders of a
majority in interest of the Incentive Distribution Rights) shall have the right to either rescind
the IDR Reset Election or elect to receive other Partnership Securities having such terms as the
General Partner may approve, with the approval of the Conflicts Committee, that will provide (i)
the same economic value, in the aggregate, as the Aggregate Quantity of Class B Units would have
had at the time of the Partnership’s receipt of the Reset Notice, as determined by the General
Partner, and (ii) for the subsequent conversion of such Partnership Securities into Common Units
within not more than 12 months following the Partnership’s receipt of the Reset Notice upon the
satisfaction of one or more conditions that are reasonably acceptable to the holder of the
Incentive Distribution Rights (or, if there is more than one holder of the Incentive Distribution
Rights, the holders of a majority in interest of the Incentive Distribution Rights).
(e) The Minimum Quarterly Distribution, First Target Distribution and Second Target
Distribution shall be adjusted at the time of the issuance of Class B Units or other Partnership
Securities pursuant to this Section 5.11 such that (i) the Minimum Quarterly Distribution
shall be reset to equal the average cash distribution amount per Common Unit for the two Quarters
immediately prior to the Partnership’s receipt of the Reset Notice (the “Reset MQD”), (ii) the
First Target Distribution shall be reset to equal 115% of the Reset MQD and (iii) the Second Target
Distribution shall be reset to equal to 125% of the Reset MQD.
(f) Any holder of Class B Units shall have the right to elect, by giving written notice to the
General Partner, to convert all or a portion of the Class B Units held by such holder, at any time
following the first anniversary of the issuance of such Class B Units, into Common Units on a
one-for-one basis, such conversion to be effective on the second Business Day following the General
Partner’s receipt of such written notice.
ARTICLE VI
Allocations and Distributions
Allocations and Distributions
Section 6.1 Allocations for Capital Account Purposes. For purposes of maintaining the Capital
Accounts and in determining the rights of the Partners among themselves, the Partnership’s items of
income, gain, loss, deduction, Simulated Depletion, Simulated Gain and Simulated Loss (computed in
accordance with Section 5.5(b) and Section 5.5(d)) shall be allocated among the
Partners in each taxable year (or portion thereof) as provided below.
49
(a) Net Income. After giving effect to the special allocations set forth in Section
6.1(d), Net Income for each taxable year and all items of income, gain, loss, deduction,
Simulated Depletion, Simulated Gain and Simulated Loss taken into account in computing Net Income
for such taxable year shall be allocated as follows:
(i) First, 100% to the General Partner, in an amount equal to the aggregate Net Losses
allocated to the General Partner pursuant to Section 6.1(b)(iii) for all previous
taxable years until the aggregate Net Income allocated to the General Partner pursuant to
this Section 6.1(a)(i) for the current taxable year and all previous taxable years
is equal to the aggregate Net Losses allocated to the General Partner pursuant to
Section 6.1(b)(iii) for all previous taxable years;
(ii) Second, 100% to the General Partner and the Unitholders, in proportion to, and
until the aggregate Net Income allocated pursuant to this Section 6.1(a)(ii) for the
current taxable year and all previous taxable years is equal to, the aggregate Net Losses
allocated to such Partners pursuant to Section 6.1(b)(ii) for all previous taxable
years; and
(iii) Thereafter, the balance, if any, 100% to the General Partner and the Unitholders,
in accordance with their respective Percentage Interests.
(b) Net Losses. After giving effect to the special allocations set forth in Section
6.1(d), Net Losses for each taxable period and all items of income, gain, loss, deduction,
Simulated Depletion, Simulated Gain and Simulated Loss taken into account in computing Net Losses
for such taxable period shall be allocated as follows:
(i) First, 100% to the General Partner and the Unitholders, in proportion to, and until
the aggregate Net Losses allocated to such Partners pursuant to this Section
6.1(b)(i) for the current taxable year and all previous taxable years is equal to, the
aggregate Net Income allocated to such Partners pursuant to Section 6.1(a)(iii) for
all previous taxable years, provided that the Net Losses shall not be allocated pursuant to
this Section 6.1(b)(i) to the extent that such allocation would cause any Unitholder
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);
(ii) Second, 100% to the General Partner and the Unitholders, in accordance with their
respective Percentage Interests; provided, that Net Losses shall not be allocated pursuant
to this Section 6.1(b)(ii) to the extent that such allocation would cause any
Unitholder 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); and
(iii) Thereafter, the balance, if any, 100% to the General Partner.
(c) Net Termination Gains and Losses. After giving effect to the special allocations set
forth in Section 6.1(d), all items of income, gain, loss, deduction, Simulated Depletion,
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Simulated Gain and Simulated Loss taken into account in computing Net Termination Gain or Net
Termination Loss for such taxable period shall be allocated in the same manner as such Net
Termination Gain or Net Termination Loss is allocated hereunder. All allocations under this
Section 6.1(c) shall be made after Capital Account balances have been adjusted by all other
allocations provided under this Section 6.1 and after all distributions of Available Cash
provided under Section 6.4 and Section 6.5 have been made; provided, however, that
solely for purposes of this Section 6.1(c), Capital Accounts shall not be adjusted for
distributions made pursuant to Section 12.4.
(i) If a Net Termination Gain is recognized (or deemed recognized pursuant to
Section 5.5(d)), such Net Termination Gain shall be allocated among the Partners in
the following manner (and the Capital Accounts of the Partners shall be increased by the
amount so allocated in each of the following subclauses, in the order listed, before an
allocation is made pursuant to the next succeeding subclause):
(A) First, to each Partner having a deficit balance in its Capital Account, in
the proportion that such deficit balance bears to the total deficit balances in the
Capital Accounts of all Partners, until each such Partner has been allocated Net
Termination Gain equal to any such deficit balance in its Capital Account;
(B) Second, (x) to the General Partner in accordance with its Percentage
Interest and (y) to all Unitholders holding Common Units, Pro Rata, a percentage
equal to 100% less the General Partner’s Percentage Interest, until the Capital
Account in respect of each Common Unit then Outstanding is equal to the sum of (1)
its Unrecovered Initial Unit Price, (2) the Minimum Quarterly Distribution for the
Quarter during which the Liquidation Date occurs, reduced by any distribution
pursuant to Section 6.4(a)(i) or Section 6.4(b)(i) with respect to
such Common Unit for such Quarter (the amount determined pursuant to this clause (2)
is hereinafter defined as the “Unpaid MQD”) and (3) any then existing Cumulative
Common Unit Arrearage;
(C) Third, if such Net Termination Gain is recognized (or is deemed to be
recognized) prior to the conversion of the last Outstanding Class B Unit, (x) to the
General Partner in accordance with its Percentage Interest and (y) to all
Unitholders holding Class B Units, Pro Rata, a percentage equal to 100% less the
General Partner’s Percentage Interest, until the Capital Account in respect of each
Class B Unit then Outstanding equals the sum of (1) its Unrecovered Initial Unit
Price, and (2) the Minimum Quarterly Distribution for the Quarter during which the
Liquidation Date occurs, reduced by any distribution pursuant to Section
6.4(b)(i) with respect to such Class B Unit for such Quarter;
(D) Fourth, if such Net Termination Gain is recognized (or is deemed to be
recognized) prior to the conversion of the last Outstanding Subordinated Unit, (x)
to the General Partner in accordance with its Percentage Interest and
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(y) to all Unitholders holding Subordinated Units, Pro Rata, a percentage equal to 100% less
the General Partner’s Percentage Interest, until the Capital Account in respect of
each Subordinated Unit then Outstanding equals the sum of (1) its Unrecovered
Initial Unit Price and (2) the Minimum Quarterly Distribution for the Quarter during
which the Liquidation Date occurs, reduced by any distribution pursuant to
Section 6.4(a)(iii) with respect to such Subordinated Unit for such Quarter;
(E) Fifth, to the General Partner and all Unitholders, in accordance with their
respective Percentage Interests, until the Capital Account in respect of each Common
Unit then Outstanding is equal to the sum of (1) its Unrecovered Initial Unit Price,
(2) the Unpaid MQD, (3) any then existing Cumulative Common Unit Arrearage, and (4)
the excess of (aa) the First Target Distribution less the Minimum Quarterly
Distribution for each Quarter of the Partnership’s existence over (bb) the
cumulative per Unit amount of any distributions of Available Cash that is deemed to
be Operating Surplus made pursuant to Section 6.4(a)(iv) and Section
6.4(b)(ii) (the sum of (1), (2), (3) and (4) is hereinafter defined as the
“First Liquidation Target Amount”);
(F) Sixth, (x) to the General Partner in accordance with its Percentage
Interest, (y) 13% to the holders of the Incentive Distribution Rights, Pro Rata, and
(z) to all Unitholders, Pro Rata, a percentage equal to 100% less the sum of
the percentages applicable to subclauses (x) and (y) of this clause (F), until the
Capital Account in respect of each Common Unit then Outstanding is equal to the sum
of (1) the First Liquidation Target Amount, and (2) the excess of (aa) the Second
Target Distribution less the First Target Distribution for each Quarter of the
Partnership’s existence over (bb) the cumulative per Unit amount of any
distributions of Available Cash that is deemed to be Operating Surplus made pursuant
to Section 6.4(a)(v) and Section 6.4(b)(iii) (the sum of (1) and (2)
is hereinafter defined as the “Second Liquidation Target Amount”); and
(G) Thereafter, (x) to the General Partner in accordance with its Percentage
Interest, (y) 23% to the holders of the Incentive Distribution Rights, Pro Rata, and
(z) to all Unitholders, Pro Rata, a percentage equal to 100% less the sum of the
percentages applicable to subclauses (x) and (y) of this clause (G).
(ii) If a Net Termination Loss is recognized (or deemed recognized pursuant to
Section 5.5(d)), such Net Termination Loss shall be allocated among the Partners in
the following manner:
(A) First, if such Net Termination Loss is recognized (or is deemed to be
recognized) prior to the conversion of the last Outstanding Subordinated Unit, (x)
to the General Partner in accordance with its Percentage Interest and (y) to all
Unitholders holding Subordinated Units, Pro Rata, a percentage equal to 100%
52
less
the General Partner’s Percentage Interest until the Capital Account in respect of
each Subordinated Unit then Outstanding has been reduced to zero;
(B) Second, (x) to the General Partner in accordance with its Percentage
Interest and (y) to the Class B Unitholders, Pro Rata, a percentage equal to 100%
less the General Partner’s Percentage Interest until the Capital Account in respect
of each Class B Unit then Outstanding has been reduced to zero;
(C) Third, (x) to the General Partner in accordance with its Percentage
Interest and (y) to all Unitholders, Pro Rata, a percentage equal to 100% less the
General Partner’s Percentage Interest until the Capital Account in respect of each
Unit then Outstanding has been reduced to zero; and
(D) Thereafter, the balance, if any, 100% to the General Partner.
(d) Special Allocations. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section 6.1, the
following special allocations shall be made for such taxable period:
(i) Partnership Minimum Gain Chargeback. Notwithstanding any other provision
of this Section 6.1, if there is a net decrease in Partnership Minimum Gain during
any Partnership taxable period, each Partner shall be allocated items of
Partnership income, gain and Simulated 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 6.1(d), each Partner’s Adjusted Capital Account balance shall be
determined, and the allocation of income, gain and Simulated Gain required hereunder shall
be effected, prior to the application of any other allocations pursuant to this Section
6.1(d) with respect to such taxable period (other than an allocation pursuant to
Section 6.1(d)(vi) and Section 6.1(d)(vii)). This Section 6.1(d)(i)
is intended to comply with the Partnership Minimum Gain chargeback requirement in Treasury
Regulation Section 1.704-2(f) and shall be interpreted consistently therewith.
(ii) Chargeback of Partner Nonrecourse Debt Minimum Gain. Notwithstanding the
other provisions of this Section 6.1 (other than Section 6.1(d)(i)), except
as provided in Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-2(i)(4), if there is a net decrease in
Partner Nonrecourse Debt Minimum Gain during any Partnership taxable period, any Partner
with a share of Partner Nonrecourse Debt Minimum Gain at the beginning of such taxable
period shall be allocated items of Partnership income, gain and Simulated 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 6.1(d), each Partner’s Adjusted Capital
Account balance shall be determined, and the allocation of income, gain and Simulated Gain
required hereunder shall be effected, prior to the application of any other allocations
pursuant to this Section 6.1(d), other than Section 6.1(d)(i) and other than
an allocation
53
pursuant to Section 6.1(d)(vi) and Section 6.1(d)(vii), with
respect to such taxable period. This Section 6.1(d)(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) Priority Allocations.
(A) If the amount of cash or the Net Agreed Value of any property distributed
(except cash or property distributed pursuant to Section 12.4) to any
Unitholder with respect to its Units for a taxable year is greater (on a per Unit
basis) than the amount of cash or the Net Agreed Value of property distributed to
the other Unitholders with respect to their Units (on a per Unit basis), then (1)
there shall be allocated income, gain and Simulated Gain to each Unitholder
receiving such greater cash or property distribution until the aggregate amount of
such items allocated pursuant to this Section 6.1(d)(iii)(A) for the current
taxable year and all previous taxable years is equal to the product of (aa) the
amount by which the distribution (on a per Unit basis) to such Unitholder exceeds
the distribution (on a per Unit basis) to the Unitholders receiving the smallest
distribution and (bb) the number of Units owned by the Unitholder receiving the
greater distribution; and (2) the General Partner shall be allocated income, gain
and Simulated Gain in an aggregate amount equal to the product obtained by
multiplying (aa) the quotient determined by dividing (x) the General Partner’s
Percentage Interest at the time in which the greater cash or property
distribution occurs by (y) 100% less the General Partner’s Percentage Interest at
the time in which the greater cash or property distribution occurs times (bb) the
sum of the amounts allocated in clause (1) above.
(B) After the application of Section 6.1(d)(iii)(A), all or any portion
of the remaining items of Partnership income, gain and Simulated Gain for the
taxable period, if any, shall be allocated (1) to the holders of Incentive
Distribution Rights, Pro Rata, until the aggregate amount of such items allocated to
the holders of Incentive Distribution Rights pursuant to this Section
6.1(d)(iii)(B) for the current taxable year and all previous taxable years is
equal to the cumulative amount of all Incentive Distributions made to the holders of
Incentive Distribution Rights from the Closing Date to a date 45 days after the end
of the current taxable year; and (2) to the General Partner an amount equal to the
product obtained by multiplying (a) an amount equal to the quotient determined by
dividing (x) the General Partner’s Percentage Interest by (y) 100% less the General
Partner’s Percentage Interest times (bb) the sum of the amounts allocated in clause
(1) above.
(iv) Qualified Income Offset. In the event any Partner unexpectedly receives
any adjustments, allocations or distributions described in Treasury Regulation Sections
1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(d)(4), 1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(d)(5), or 1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(d)(6), items of
Partnership income, gain and Simulated Gain shall be specially allocated to such
54
Partner 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
Section 6.1(d)(i) or Section 6.1(d)(ii).
(v) Gross Income Allocations. In the event any Partner has a deficit balance
in its Capital Account at the end of any Partnership taxable period in excess of the sum of
(A) the amount such Partner is required to restore pursuant to the provisions of this
Agreement and (B) the amount such Partner is deemed obligated to restore pursuant to
Treasury Regulation Sections 1.704-2(g) and 1.704-2(i)(5), such Partner shall be specially
allocated items of Partnership income, gain and Simulated Gain in the amount of such excess
as quickly as possible; provided, that an allocation pursuant to this Section
6.1(d)(v) shall be made only if and to the extent that such Partner would have a deficit
balance in its Capital Account as adjusted after all other allocations provided for in this
Section 6.1 have been tentatively made as if this Section 6.1(d)(v) were not
in this Agreement.
(vi) Nonrecourse Deductions. Nonrecourse Deductions for any taxable period
shall be allocated to the Partners in accordance with their respective Percentage Interests.
If the General Partner determines that the Partnership’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 General Partner is
authorized, upon notice to the other Partners, to revise the prescribed ratio to the
numerically closest ratio that does satisfy such requirements.
(vii) Partner Nonrecourse Deductions. Partner Nonrecourse Deductions for any
taxable period shall be allocated 100% to the Partner that bears the Economic Risk of Loss
with respect to the Partner Nonrecourse Debt to which such Partner Nonrecourse Deductions
are attributable in accordance with Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-2(i). If more than
one Partner bears the Economic Risk of Loss with respect to a Partner Nonrecourse Debt, such
Partner Nonrecourse Deductions attributable thereto shall be allocated between or among such
Partners in accordance with the ratios in which they share such Economic Risk of Loss.
(viii) Nonrecourse Liabilities. For purposes of Treasury Regulation Section
1.752-3(a)(3), the Partners agree that Nonrecourse Liabilities of the Partnership in excess
of the sum of (A) the amount of Partnership Minimum Gain and (B) the total amount of
Nonrecourse Built-in Gain shall be allocated among the Partners in accordance with their
respective Percentage Interests.
(ix) Code Section 754 Adjustments. To the extent an adjustment to the adjusted
tax basis of any Partnership 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
55
Capital Accounts shall be treated as an item of gain or Simulated Gain (if the
adjustment increases the basis of the asset), loss or Simulated Loss (if the
adjustment decreases such basis), and such item of gain, loss, Simulated Gain or
Simulated Loss shall be specially allocated to the Partners 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.
(x) Economic Uniformity.
(A) At the election of the General Partner with respect to any taxable period
ending upon, or after, the termination of the Subordination Period, all or a portion
of the remaining items of Partnership income, gain or Simulated Gain for such taxable
period, after taking into account allocations pursuant to Section 6.1(d)(iii),
shall be allocated 100% to each Partner holding Subordinated Units that are
Outstanding as of the termination of the Subordination Period (“Final Subordinated
Units”) in the proportion of the number of Final Subordinated Units held by such
Partner to the total number of Final Subordinated Units then Outstanding, until each
such Partner has been allocated an amount of income, gain or Simulated Gain that
increases the Capital Account maintained with respect to such Final Subordinated Units
to an amount equal to the product of (A) the number of Final Subordinated Units held
by such Partner and (B) the Per Unit Capital Amount for a Common Unit. The purpose of
this allocation is to establish uniformity between the Capital Accounts underlying
Final Subordinated Units and the Capital Accounts underlying Common Units held by
Persons other than the General Partner and its Affiliates immediately prior to the
conversion of such Final Subordinated Units into Common Units. This allocation method
for establishing such economic uniformity will be available to the General Partner
only if the method for allocating the Capital Account maintained with respect to the
Subordinated Units between the transferred and retained Subordinated Units pursuant to
Section 5.5(c)(ii) does not otherwise provide such economic uniformity to the
Final Subordinated Units.
(B) At the election of the General Partner with respect to any taxable period
ending upon, or after, the conversion of the Class B Units pursuant to Section
5.11(f), all or a portion of the remaining items of Partnership income, gain or
Simulated Gain for such taxable period, after taking into account allocations pursuant
to Section 6.1(d)(iii) and Section 6.1(d)(x)(A), or all or a portion
of the Partnership’s items of loss and deduction, shall be allocated 100% to the
holder or holders of the Common Units resulting from the conversion pursuant to
Section 5.11(f) (“Converted Common Units”) in the proportion of the number of
the Converted Common Units held by such holder or holders to the total number of
Converted Common Units then Outstanding, until each such holder has been allocated an
amount of income, gain or Simulated Gain that increases, or an amount of loss and
deduction, as the case may be, the Capital Account maintained with respect to such
Converted Common Units to an amount equal to the product
56
of (A) the number of
Converted Common Units held by such holder and (B) the Per Unit Capital Amount for a
Common Unit. The purpose of this allocation is to establish uniformity between the
Capital Accounts underlying Converted Common Units and the Capital Accounts underlying
Common Units held by Persons other than the General Partner and its Affiliates
immediately prior to the receipt of Common Units pursuant to Section 5.11(f).
(xi) Curative Allocation.
(A) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section 6.1, other than
the Required Allocations, the Required Allocations shall be taken into account in
making the Agreed Allocations so that, to the extent possible, the net amount of items
of income, gain, loss, deduction, Simulated Depletion, Simulated Gain and Simulated
Loss allocated to each Partner pursuant to the Required Allocations and the Agreed
Allocations, together, shall be equal to the net amount of such items that would have
been allocated to each such Partner under the Agreed Allocations had the Required
Allocations and the related Curative Allocation not otherwise been provided in this
Section 6.1. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, Required Allocations
relating to (1) Nonrecourse Deductions shall not be taken into account except to the
extent that there has been a decrease in Partnership Minimum Gain and (2) Partner
Nonrecourse Deductions shall not be taken into account except to the extent that there
has been a decrease in Partner Nonrecourse Debt Minimum Gain. Allocations pursuant to
this Section 6.1(d)(xi)(A) shall only be made with respect to Required
Allocations to the extent the General Partner determines that such allocations will
otherwise be inconsistent with the economic agreement among the Partners. Further,
allocations pursuant to this Section 6.1(d)(xi)(A) shall be deferred with
respect to allocations pursuant to clauses (1) and (2) hereof to the extent the
General Partner determines that such allocations are likely to be offset by subsequent
Required Allocations.
(B) The General Partner shall, with respect to each taxable period, (1) apply the
provisions of Section 6.1(d)(xi)(A) in whatever order is most likely to
minimize the economic distortions that might otherwise result from the Required
Allocations, and (2) divide all allocations pursuant to Section 6.1(d)(xi)(A)
among the Partners in a manner that is likely to minimize such economic distortions.
(xii) Corrective Allocations. In the event of any allocation of Additional Book
Basis Derivative Items or any Book-Down Event or any recognition of a Net Termination Loss,
the following rules shall apply:
(A) In the case of any allocation of Additional Book Basis Derivative Items
(other than an allocation of Unrealized Gain or Unrealized Loss under Section
5.5(d)), the General Partner shall allocate additional items of income, gain and
Simulated Gain away from the holders of Incentive Distribution Rights to the
57
Unitholders and the General Partner, or additional items of deduction, loss, Simulated
Depletion or Simulated Loss away from the Unitholders and the General Partner to the
holders of Incentive Distribution Rights, to the extent that the Additional Book Basis
Derivative Items allocated to the Unitholders or the General Partner exceed their
Share of Additional Book Basis Derivative Items. For this purpose, the Unitholders
and the General Partner shall be treated as being allocated Additional Book Basis
Derivative Items to the extent that such Additional Book Basis Derivative Items have
reduced the amount of income that would otherwise have been allocated to the
Unitholders or the General Partner under the Partnership Agreement (e.g., Additional
Book Basis Derivative Items taken into account in computing cost of goods sold would
reduce the amount of book income otherwise available for allocation among the
Partners). Any allocation made pursuant to this Section 6.1(d)(xii)(A) shall
be made after all of the other Agreed Allocations have been made as if this
Section 6.1(d)(xii) were not in this Agreement and, to the extent necessary,
shall require the reallocation of items that have been allocated pursuant to such
other Agreed Allocations.
(B) In the case of any negative adjustments to the Capital Accounts of the
Partners resulting from a Book-Down Event or from the recognition of a Net Termination
Loss, such negative adjustment (1) shall first be allocated, to the extent of the
Aggregate Remaining Net Positive Adjustments, in such a manner, as determined by the
General Partner, that to the extent possible the aggregate Capital Accounts of the
Partners will equal the amount that would have been the Capital Account balance of the
Partners if no prior Book-Up Events had occurred, and (2) any negative adjustment in
excess of the Aggregate Remaining Net Positive Adjustments shall be allocated pursuant
to Section 6.1(c).
(C) In making the allocations required under this Section 6.1(d)(xii),
the General Partner may apply whatever conventions or other methodology it determines
will satisfy the purpose of this Section 6.1(d)(xii).
Section 6.2 Allocations for Tax Purposes.
(a) Except as otherwise provided herein, for federal income tax purposes, each item of income,
gain, loss and deduction shall be allocated among the Partners in the same manner as its
correlative item of “book” income, gain, loss or deduction is allocated pursuant to Section
6.1.
(b) The deduction for depletion with respect to each separate oil and gas property (as defined
in Section 614 of the Code) shall be computed for federal income tax purposes separately by the
Partners rather than by the Partnership in accordance with Section 613A(c)(7)(D) of the Code.
Except as provided in Section 6.2(c)(iii), for purposes of such computation (before taking
into account any adjustments resulting from an election made by the Partnership under Section 754
of the Code), the adjusted tax basis of each oil and gas property (as defined in Section 614 of the
Code) shall be allocated among the Partners in accordance with their respective Percentage
Interests. Each Partner shall separately keep records
58
of his share of the adjusted tax basis in
each oil and gas property, allocated as provided above, adjust such share of the adjusted tax basis
for any cost or percentage depletion allowable with respect to such property, and use such adjusted
tax basis in the computation of its cost depletion or in the computation of his gain or loss on the
disposition of such property by the Partnership.
(c) Except as provided in Section 6.2(c)(iii), for the purposes of the separate
computation of gain or loss by each Partner on the sale or disposition of each separate oil and gas
property (as defined in Section 614 of the Code), the Partnership’s allocable share of the “amount
realized” (as such term is defined in Section 1001(b) of the Code) from such sale or disposition
shall be allocated for federal income tax purposes among the Partners as follows:
(i) first, to the extent such amount realized constitutes a recovery of the Simulated
Basis of the property, to the Partners in the same proportion as the depletable basis of such
property was allocated to the Partners pursuant to Section 6.2(b) (without regard to
any special allocation of basis under Section 6.2(c)(iii);
(ii) second, the remainder of such amount realized, if any, to the Partners so that, to
the maximum extent possible, the amount realized allocated to each Partner under this
Section 6.2(c)(ii) will equal such Partner’s share of the Simulated Gain recognized by the Partnership from such
sale or disposition.
(iii) The Partners recognize that with respect to Contributed Property and Adjusted
Property there will be a difference between the Carrying Value of such property at the time
of contribution or revaluation, as the case may be, and the adjusted tax basis of such
property at that time. All items of tax depreciation, cost recovery, amortization, adjusted
tax basis of depletable properties, amount realized and gain or loss with respect to such
Contributed Property and Adjusted Property shall be allocated among the Partners to take into
account the disparities between the Carrying Values and the adjusted tax basis with respect
to such properties in accordance with the principles of Treasury Regulation Section
1.704-3(d).
(iv) Any elections or other decisions relating to such allocations shall be made by the
Board of Directors in any manner that reasonably reflects the purpose and intention of the
Agreement.
(d) In an attempt to eliminate Book-Tax Disparities attributable to a Contributed Property or
Adjusted Property, other than oil and gas properties pursuant to Section 6.2(c), items of
income, gain, loss, depreciation, amortization and cost recovery deductions shall be allocated for
federal income tax purposes among the Partners as follows:
(i) (A) In the case of a Contributed Property, such items attributable thereto shall be
allocated among the Partners 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 (B) any item of Residual Gain or Residual Loss
attributable to a Contributed Property shall be allocated among the
59
Partners in the same manner as its correlative item of “book” gain or loss is allocated pursuant to Section
6.1.
(ii) (A) In the case of an Adjusted Property, such items shall (1) first, be allocated
among the Partners in a manner consistent with the principles of Section 704(c) of the Code
to take into account the Unrealized Gain or Unrealized Loss attributable to such property and
the allocations thereof pursuant to Section 5.5(d)(i) or Section 5.5(d)(ii),
and (2) second, in the event such property was originally a Contributed Property, be
allocated among the Partners in a manner consistent with Section 6.2(d)(i)(A); and
(B) any item of Residual Gain or Residual Loss attributable to an Adjusted Property shall be
allocated among the Partners in the same manner as its correlative item of “book” gain or
loss is allocated pursuant to Section 6.1.
(iii) The General Partner shall apply the principles of Treasury Regulation Section
1.704-3(d) to eliminate Book-Tax Disparities.
(e) For the proper administration of the Partnership and for the preservation of uniformity of
the Limited Partner Interests (or any class or classes thereof), the General Partner shall (i)
adopt such conventions as it deems appropriate in determining the amount of depreciation,
amortization and cost recovery deductions; (ii) make special allocations for federal income tax
purposes of income (including gross income) or deductions; and (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 Limited Partner Interests (or any class or classes thereof). The
General Partner may adopt such conventions, make such allocations and make such amendments to this
Agreement as provided in this Section 6.2(e) only if such conventions, allocations or
amendments would not have a material adverse effect on the Partners, the holders of any class or
classes of Limited Partner Interests issued and Outstanding or the Partnership, and if such
allocations are consistent with the principles of Section 704 of the Code.
(f) The General Partner may determine to depreciate or amortize the portion of an adjustment
under Section 743(b) of the Code attributable to unrealized appreciation in any Adjusted Property
(to the extent of the unamortized Book-Tax Disparity) using a predetermined rate derived from the
depreciation or amortization method and useful life applied to the Partnership’s common basis of
such property, despite any inconsistency of such approach with Treasury Regulation Section
1.167(c)-1(a)(6), Treasury Regulation Section 1.197-2(g)(3), the legislative history to Section 743
or any successor regulations thereto. If the General Partner determines that such reporting
position cannot be reasonably taken, the General Partner may adopt depreciation and amortization
conventions under which all purchasers acquiring Limited Partner Interests in the same month would
receive depreciation and amortization deductions, based upon the same applicable rate as if they
had purchased a direct interest in the Partnership’s property. If the General Partner chooses not
to utilize such aggregate method, the General Partner may use any depreciation and amortization
conventions to preserve the uniformity of the intrinsic tax characteristics of any Limited Partner
Interests, so long as such conventions would
60
not have a material adverse effect on the Limited
Partners or the Record Holders of any class or classes of Limited Partner Interests.
(g) In accordance with Treasury Regulation Section 1.1245-1(e), any gain allocated to the
Partners upon the sale or other taxable disposition of any Partnership asset shall, to the extent
possible, after taking into account other required allocations of gain pursuant to this Section
6.2, be characterized as Recapture Income in the same proportions and to the same extent as
such Partners (or their predecessors in interest) have been allocated any deductions directly or
indirectly giving rise to the treatment of such gains as Recapture Income.
(h) All items of income, gain, loss, deduction and credit recognized by the Partnership for
federal income tax purposes and allocated to the Partners 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 Partnership; provided, however, that such allocations, once made, shall be adjusted (in the
manner determined by the General Partner) to take into account those adjustments permitted or
required by Sections 734 and 743 of the Code.
(i) Each item of Partnership income, gain, loss and deduction, for federal income tax
purposes, shall be determined on an annual basis and prorated on a monthly basis and shall be
allocated to the Partners as of the opening of the National Securities Exchange on which the
Partnership Interests are listed or admitted to trading on the first Business Day of each month;
provided, however, such items for the period beginning on the Closing Date and ending on the last
day of the month in which the Option Closing Date or the expiration of the Over-Allotment Option
occurs shall be allocated to the Partners as of the opening of the National Securities Exchange on
which the Partnership Interests are listed or admitted to trading on the first Business Day of the
next succeeding month; and provided, further, that gain or loss on a sale or other disposition of
any assets of the Partnership or any other extraordinary item of income or loss realized and
recognized other than in the ordinary course of business, as determined by the General Partner,
shall be allocated to the Partners as of the opening of the National Securities Exchange on which
the Partnership Interests are listed or admitted to trading on the first Business Day of the month
in which such gain or loss is recognized for federal income tax purposes. The
General Partner may revise, alter or otherwise modify such methods of allocation to the extent
permitted or required by Section 706 of the Code and the regulations or rulings promulgated
thereunder.
(j) Allocations that would otherwise be made to a Limited Partner under the provisions of this
Article VI shall instead be made to the beneficial owner of Limited Partner Interests held
by a nominee in any case in which the nominee has furnished the identity of such owner to the
Partnership in accordance with Section 6031(c) of the Code or any other method determined by the
General Partner.
61
Section 6.3 Requirement and Characterization of Distributions; Distributions to Record
Holders.
(a) Within 45 days following the end of each Quarter commencing with the Quarter ending on
December 31, 2007, an amount equal to 100% of Available Cash with respect to such Quarter shall,
subject to Section 17-607 of the Delaware Act, be distributed in accordance with this Article
VI by the Partnership to the Partners as of the Record Date selected by the General Partner.
All amounts of Available Cash distributed by the Partnership on any date from any source shall be
deemed to be Operating Surplus until the sum of all amounts of Available Cash theretofore
distributed by the Partnership to the Partners pursuant to Section 6.4 equals the Operating
Surplus from the Closing Date through the close of the immediately preceding Quarter. Any
remaining amounts of Available Cash distributed by the Partnership on such date shall, except as
otherwise provided in Section 6.5, be deemed to be “Capital Surplus.” Notwithstanding any
provisions to the contrary contained in this Agreement, the Partnership shall not make a
distribution to any Partner on account of its interest in the Partnership if such distribution
would violate the Delaware Act or any other applicable law.
(b) Notwithstanding Section 6.3(a), in the event of the dissolution and liquidation of
the Partnership, all receipts received during or after the Quarter in which the Liquidation Date
occurs shall be applied and distributed solely in accordance with, and subject to the terms and
conditions of, Section 12.4.
(c) The General Partner may treat taxes paid by the Partnership on behalf of, or amounts
withheld with respect to, all or less than all of the Partners, as a distribution of Available Cash
to such Partners.
(d) Each distribution in respect of a Partnership Interest shall be paid by the Partnership,
directly or through the Transfer Agent or through any other Person or agent, only to the Record
Holder of such Partnership Interest as of the Record Date set for such distribution. Such payment
shall constitute full payment and satisfaction of the Partnership’s liability in respect of such
payment, regardless of any claim of any Person who may have an interest in such payment by reason
of an assignment or otherwise.
Section 6.4 Distributions of Available Cash from Operating Surplus.
(a) During Subordination Period. Available Cash with respect to any Quarter within the
Subordination Period that is deemed to be Operating Surplus pursuant to the provisions of
Section 6.3 or Section 6.5 shall, subject to Section 17-607 of the Delaware Act, be
distributed as follows, except as otherwise contemplated by Section 5.6 in respect of other
Partnership Securities issued pursuant thereto:
(i) First, (x) to the General Partner in accordance with its Percentage Interest and (y)
to the Unitholders holding Common Units, Pro Rata, a percentage equal to 100% less the
General Partner’s Percentage Interest, until there has been distributed in respect of each Common Unit
then Outstanding an amount equal to the Minimum Quarterly Distribution for such Quarter;
62
(ii) Second, (x) to the General Partner in accordance with its Percentage Interest and
(y) to the Unitholders holding Common Units, Pro Rata, a percentage equal to 100% less the
General Partner’s Percentage Interest, until there has been distributed in respect of each
Common Unit then Outstanding an amount equal to the Cumulative Common Unit Arrearage existing
with respect to such Quarter;
(iii) Third, (x) to the General Partner in accordance with its Percentage Interest and
(y) the Unitholders holding Subordinated Units, Pro Rata, a percentage equal to 100% less the
General Partner’s Percentage Interest, until there has been distributed in respect of each
Subordinated Unit then Outstanding an amount equal to the Minimum Quarterly Distribution for
such Quarter;
(iv) Fourth, to the General Partner and all Unitholders, in accordance with their
respective Percentage Interests, until there has been distributed in respect of each Unit
then Outstanding an amount equal to the excess of the First Target Distribution over the
Minimum Quarterly Distribution for such Quarter;
(v) Fifth, (A) to the General Partner in accordance with its Percentage Interest, (B)
13% to the holders of the Incentive Distribution Rights, Pro Rata, and (C) to all
Unitholders, Pro Rata, a percentage equal to 100% less the sum of the percentages applicable
to subclauses (A) and (B) of this clause (v) until there has been distributed in respect of
each Unit then Outstanding an amount equal to the excess of the Second Target Distribution
over the First Target Distribution for such Quarter; and
(vi) Thereafter, (A) to the General Partner in accordance with its Percentage Interest,
(B) 23% to the holders of the Incentive Distribution Rights, Pro Rata, and (C) to all
Unitholders, Pro Rata, a percentage equal to 100% less the sum of the percentages applicable
to subclauses (A) and (B) of this subclause (vi);
provided, however, if the Minimum Quarterly Distribution, the First Target Distribution, and the
Second Target Distribution have been reduced to zero pursuant to the second sentence of Section
6.6(a), the distribution of Available Cash that is deemed to be Operating Surplus with respect
to any Quarter will be made solely in accordance with Section 6.4(a)(vi).
(b) After Subordination Period. Available Cash with respect to any Quarter after the
Subordination Period that is deemed to be Operating Surplus pursuant to the provisions of
Section 6.3 or Section 6.5, subject to Section 17-607 of the Delaware Act, shall be
distributed as follows, except as otherwise required by Section 5.6(b) in respect of additional
Partnership Securities issued pursuant thereto:
(i) First, 100% to the General Partner and the Unitholders in accordance with their
respective Percentage Interests, until there has been distributed in respect of each Unit
then Outstanding an amount equal to the Minimum Quarterly Distribution for such Quarter;
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(ii) Second, 100% to the General Partner and the Unitholders in accordance with their
respective Percentage Interests, until there has been distributed in respect of each Unit
then Outstanding an amount equal to the excess of the First Target Distribution over the Minimum
Quarterly Distribution for such Quarter;
(iii) Third, (A) to the General Partner in accordance with its Percentage Interest; (B)
13% to the holders of the Incentive Distribution Rights, Pro Rata; and (C) to all
Unitholders, Pro Rata, a percentage equal to 100% less the sum of the percentages applicable
to subclauses (A) and (B) of this clause (iii), until there has been distributed in respect
of each Unit then Outstanding an amount equal to the excess of the Second Target Distribution
over the First Target Distribution for such Quarter; and
(iv) Thereafter, (A) to the General Partner in accordance with its Percentage Interest;
(B) 23% to the holders of the Incentive Distribution Rights, Pro Rata; and (C) to all
Unitholders, Pro Rata, a percentage equal to 100% less the sum of the percentages applicable
to subclause (A) and (B) of this clause (iv);
provided, however, if the Minimum Quarterly Distribution, the First Target Distribution, and the
Second Target Distribution have been reduced to zero pursuant to the second sentence of Section
6.6(a), the distribution of Available Cash that is deemed to be Operating Surplus with respect
to any Quarter will be made solely in accordance with Section 6.4(b)(iv).
Section 6.5 Distributions of Available Cash from Capital Surplus. Available Cash that is
deemed to be Capital Surplus pursuant to the provisions of Section 6.3(a) shall, subject to
Section 17-607 of the Delaware Act, be distributed, unless the provisions of Section 6.3
require otherwise, 100% to the General Partner and the Unitholders in accordance with their
respective Percentage Interests, until a hypothetical holder of a Common Unit acquired on the
Closing Date has received with respect to such Common Unit, during the period since the Closing
Date through such date, distributions of Available Cash that are deemed to be Capital Surplus in an
aggregate amount equal to the Initial Unit Price. Available Cash that is deemed to be Capital
Surplus shall then be distributed (A) to the General Partner in accordance with its Percentage
Interest and (B) to all Unitholders holding Common Units, Pro Rata, a percentage equal to 100% less
the General Partner’s Percentage Interest, until there has been distributed in respect of each
Common Unit then Outstanding an amount equal to the Cumulative Common Unit Arrearage. Thereafter,
all Available Cash shall be distributed as if it were Operating Surplus and shall be distributed in
accordance with Section 6.4.
Section 6.6 Adjustment of Minimum Quarterly Distribution and Target Distribution Levels.
(a) The Minimum Quarterly Distribution, First Target Distribution, Second Target Distribution,
Common Unit Arrearages and Cumulative Common Unit Arrearages shall be proportionately adjusted in
the event of any distribution, combination or subdivision (whether effected by a distribution
payable in Units or otherwise) of Units or other Partnership Securities in accordance with
Section 5.9. In the event of a distribution of Available Cash that is deemed
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to be from Capital Surplus, the then applicable Minimum Quarterly Distribution, First Target Distribution, and
Second Target Distribution, shall be adjusted proportionately downward to equal the product
obtained by multiplying the otherwise applicable Minimum Quarterly Distribution, First Target
Distribution, and Second Target Distribution, as the case may be, by a fraction of which the
numerator is the Unrecovered Initial Unit Price of the Common Units immediately after giving effect
to such distribution and of which the denominator is the Unrecovered Initial Unit Price of the
Common Units immediately prior to giving effect to such distribution.
(b) The Minimum Quarterly Distribution, First Target Distribution, and Second Target
Distribution shall also be subject to adjustment pursuant to Section 5.11 and Section
6.9.
Section 6.7 Special Provisions Relating to the Holders of Subordinated Units and Class B
Units.
(a) Except with respect to the right to vote on or approve matters requiring the vote or
approval of a percentage of the holders of Outstanding Common Units and the right to participate in
allocations of income, gain, loss and deduction and distributions made with respect to Common
Units, the holder of a Subordinated Unit shall have all of the rights and obligations of a
Unitholder holding Common Units hereunder; provided, however, that immediately upon the conversion
of Subordinated Units into Common Units pursuant to Section 5.7, the Unitholder holding a
Subordinated Unit shall possess all of the rights and obligations of a Unitholder holding Common
Units hereunder, including the right to vote as a Common Unitholder and the right to participate in
allocations of income, gain, loss and deduction and distributions made with respect to Common
Units; provided, however, that such converted Subordinated Units shall remain subject to the
provisions of Section 5.5(c)(ii), Section 6.1(d)(x)(A), Section 6.7(b) and
Section 6.7(c).
(b) A Unitholder shall not be permitted to transfer a Subordinated Unit or a Subordinated Unit
that has converted into a Common Unit pursuant to Section 5.7 (other than a transfer to an
Affiliate) if the remaining balance in the transferring Unitholder’s Capital Account with respect
to the retained Subordinated Units or Retained Converted Subordinated Units would be negative after
giving effect to the allocation under Section 5.5(c)(ii)(B).
(c) The Unitholder holding a Common Unit that has resulted from the conversion of a
Subordinated Unit pursuant to Section 5.7 shall not be issued a Common Unit Certificate or
an uncertificated Common Unit pursuant to Section 4.1, and shall not be permitted to
transfer such Common Unit to a Person that is not an Affiliate of the holder until such time as the
General Partner determines, based on advice of counsel, that each such Common Unit should have, as
a substantive matter, like intrinsic economic and federal income tax characteristics, in all
material respects, to the intrinsic economic and federal income tax characteristics of an Initial
Common Unit. In connection with the condition imposed by this Section 6.7(c), the General
Partner may take whatever steps are required to provide economic uniformity to such Common Units in
preparation for a transfer of such Common Units, including the application of Section
5.5(c)(ii),
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Section 6.1(d)(x) and Section 6.7(b); provided, however, that no
such steps may be taken that would have a material adverse effect on the Unitholders holding Common
Units.
(d) Except with respect to the right to vote on or approve matters requiring the vote or
approval of a percentage of the holders of Outstanding Common Units and the right to participate in
allocations of income, gain, loss and deduction and distributions made with respect to Common
Units, the holders of Class B Units shall have all the rights and obligations of a Unitholder
holding Common Units; provided, however, that immediately upon the conversion of Class B Units into
Common Units pursuant to Section 5.11, the Unitholders holding a Class B Unit shall possess
all the rights and obligations of a Unitholder holding Common Units hereunder, including the right
to vote as a Common Unitholder and the right to participate in allocations of income, gain, loss
and deduction and distributions made with respect to Common Units; provided, however,
that such converted Class B Units shall remain subject to the provisions of Section
6.1(d)(x)(B) and Section 6.7(e).
(e) The holder or holders of Common Units resulting from the conversion pursuant to
Section 5.11(f) of any Class B Units pursuant to Section 5.11 shall not be issued a
Common Unit Certificate or an uncertificated Common Unit pursuant to Section 4.1, and shall
not be permitted to transfer such Common Units to a Person that is not an Affiliate of the holder
until such time as the General Partner determines, based on advice of counsel, that each such
Common Unit should have, as a substantive matter, like intrinsic economic and federal income tax
characteristics, in all material respects, to the intrinsic economic and federal income tax
characteristics of an Initial Common Unit. In connection with the condition imposed by this
Section 6.7(e), the General Partner may take whatever steps are required to provide
economic uniformity to such Common Units, including the application of Section
6.1(d)(x)(B); provided, however, that no such steps may be taken that would have a material
adverse effect on the Unitholders holding Common Units.
Section 6.8 Special Provisions Relating to the Holders of Incentive Distribution Rights.
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth in this Agreement, the holders of the Incentive
Distribution Rights (a) shall (i) possess the rights and obligations provided in this Agreement
with respect to a Limited Partner pursuant to Article III and Article VII and (ii)
have a Capital Account as a Partner pursuant to Section 5.5 and all other provisions
related thereto and (b) shall not (i) be entitled to vote on any matters requiring the approval or
vote of the holders of Outstanding Units, except as provided by law, (ii) be entitled to any
distributions other than as provided in Section 6.4(a)(v), Section 6.4(a)(vi),
Section 6.4(b)(iii), Section 6.4(b)(iv), and Section 12.4 or (iii) be
allocated items of income, gain, loss or deduction other than as specified in this Article
VI.
Section 6.9 Entity-Level Taxation. If legislation is enacted or the interpretation of
existing language is modified by a governmental taxing authority so that a Group Member is treated
as an association taxable as a corporation or is otherwise subject to an entity-level tax for
federal, state or local income tax purposes, then the General Partner may reduce the Minimum
Quarterly Distribution, the First Target Distribution and the Second Target Distribution by the
amount of income taxes that are payable by reason of any such new legislation or interpretation
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(the “Incremental Income Taxes”), or any portion thereof selected by the General Partner, in the
manner provided in this Section 6.9. If the General Partner elects to reduce the Minimum
Quarterly Distribution, the First Target Distribution and the Second Target Distribution for any
Quarter with respect to all or a portion of any Incremental Income Taxes, the General Partner shall
estimate for such Quarter the Partnership Group’s aggregate liability (the “Estimated Incremental
Quarterly Tax Amount”) for all (or the relevant portion of) such Incremental Income Taxes; provided
that any difference between such estimate and the actual tax liability for Incremental Income Taxes
(or the relevant portion thereof) for such Quarter may, to the extent determined by the General
Partner, be taken into account in determining the Estimated Incremental Quarterly Tax Amount with
respect to each Quarter in which any such difference can be determined. For each such Quarter, the
Minimum Quarterly Distribution, First Target Distribution and Second Target Distribution, shall be
the product obtained by multiplying (a) the amounts therefor that are set out herein prior to the
application of this Section 6.9 times (b) the quotient obtained by dividing (i) Available
Cash with respect to such Quarter by (ii) the sum of Available Cash with respect to such Quarter
and the Estimated Incremental Quarterly Tax Amount for such
Quarter, as determined by the General Partner. For purposes of the foregoing, Available Cash
with respect to a Quarter will be deemed reduced by the Estimated Incremental Quarterly Tax Amount
for that Quarter.
ARTICLE VII
Management and Operation of Business
Management and Operation of Business
Section 7.1 Management.
(a) The General Partner shall conduct, direct and manage all activities of the Partnership.
Except as otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement, all management powers over the business
and affairs of the Partnership shall be exclusively vested in the General Partner, and no Limited
Partner shall have any management power over the business and affairs of the Partnership. In
addition to the powers now or hereafter granted a general partner of a limited partnership under
applicable law or that are granted to the General Partner under any other provision of this
Agreement, the General Partner, subject to Section 7.3, shall have full power and authority
to do all things and on such terms as it determines to be necessary or appropriate to conduct the
business of the Partnership, to exercise all powers set forth in Section 2.5 and to
effectuate the purposes set forth in Section 2.4, including the following:
(i) the making of any expenditures, the lending or borrowing of money, the assumption or
guarantee of, or other contracting for, indebtedness and other liabilities, the issuance of
evidences of indebtedness, including indebtedness that is convertible into Partnership
Securities, and the incurring of any other obligations;
(ii) the making of tax, regulatory and other filings, or rendering of periodic or other
reports to governmental or other agencies having jurisdiction over the business or assets of
the Partnership;
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(iii) the acquisition, disposition, mortgage, pledge, encumbrance, hypothecation or
exchange of any or all of the assets of the Partnership or the merger or other combination of
the Partnership with or into another Person (the matters described in this clause (iii) being
subject, however, to any prior approval that may be required by Section 7.3 and
Article XIV);
(iv) the use of the assets of the Partnership (including cash on hand) for any purpose
consistent with the terms of this Agreement, including the financing of the conduct of the
operations of the Partnership Group; subject to Section 7.6(a), the lending of funds
to other Persons (including other Group Members); the repayment or guarantee of obligations
of any Group Member; and the making of capital contributions to any Group Member;
(v) the negotiation, execution and performance of any contracts, conveyances or other
instruments (including instruments that limit the liability of the Partnership under
contractual arrangements to all or particular assets of the Partnership, with the other party
to the contract to have no recourse against the General Partner or its assets other than its
interest in the Partnership, even if same results in the terms of the transaction being less
favorable to the Partnership than would otherwise be the case);
(vi) the distribution of Partnership cash;
(vii) the selection and dismissal of employees (including employees having titles such
as “president,” “vice president,” “secretary” and “treasurer”) and agents, outside attorneys,
accountants, consultants and contractors and the determination of their compensation and
other terms of employment or hiring;
(viii) the maintenance of insurance for the benefit of the Partnership Group, the
Partners and Indemnitees;
(ix) the formation of, or acquisition of an interest in, and the contribution of
property and the making of loans to, any further limited or general partnerships, joint
ventures, corporations, limited liability companies or other relationships (including the
acquisition of interests in, and the contributions of property to, any Group Member from time
to time) subject to the restrictions set forth in Section 2.4;
(x) the control of any matters affecting the rights and obligations of the Partnership,
including the bringing and defending of actions at law or in equity and otherwise engaging in
the conduct of litigation, arbitration or mediation and the incurring of legal expense and
the settlement of claims and litigation;
(xi) the indemnification of any Person against liabilities and contingencies to the
extent permitted by law;
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(xii) the entering into of listing agreements with any National Securities Exchange and
the delisting of some or all of the Limited Partner Interests from, or requesting that
trading be suspended on, any such exchange (subject to any prior approval that may be
required under Section 4.8);
(xiii) the purchase, sale or other acquisition or disposition of Partnership Securities,
or the issuance of options, rights, warrants, appreciation rights and tracking and phantom
interests relating to Partnership Securities;
(xiv) the undertaking of any action in connection with the Partnership’s participation
in any Group Member; and
(xv) the entering into of agreements with any of its Affiliates to render services to a
Group Member or to itself in the discharge of its duties as General Partner of the
Partnership.
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, any Group Member Agreement, the
Delaware Act or any applicable law, rule or regulation, each of the Partners and each other Person
who may acquire an interest in Partnership Securities hereby (i) approves, ratifies and confirms
the execution, delivery and performance by the parties thereto of this Agreement and the Group
Member Agreement of each other Group Member, the Underwriting Agreement, the Omnibus Agreement, the
Contribution Agreement, the Midstream Services and Gas Dedication Agreement, any Group Member
Agreement and the other agreements described in or filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement
that are related to the transactions contemplated by the Registration Statement; (ii) agrees that
the General Partner (on its own or through any officer of the Partnership) is authorized to
execute, deliver and perform the agreements referred to in clause (i) of this sentence and the
other agreements, acts, transactions and matters described in or contemplated by the
Registration Statement on behalf of the Partnership without any further act, approval or vote
of the Partners or the Assignees or the other Persons who may acquire an interest in Partnership
Securities; and (iii) agrees that the execution, delivery or performance by the General Partner,
any Group Member or any Affiliate of any of them of this Agreement or any agreement authorized or
permitted under this Agreement (including the exercise by the General Partner or any Affiliate of
the General Partner of the rights accorded pursuant to Article XV) shall not constitute a
breach by the General Partner of any duty that the General Partner may owe the Partnership or the
Limited Partners or any other Persons under this Agreement (or any other agreements) or of any duty
stated or implied by law or equity.
Section 7.2 Certificate of Limited Partnership. The General Partner has caused the
Certificate of Limited Partnership to be filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware
as required by the Delaware Act. The General Partner shall use all reasonable efforts to cause to
be filed such other certificates or documents that the General Partner determines to be necessary
or appropriate for the formation, continuation, qualification and operation of a limited
partnership (or a partnership in which the limited partners have limited liability) in the State of
Delaware or any other state in which the Partnership may elect to do business or own property.
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To the extent the General Partner determines such action to be necessary or appropriate, the General
Partner shall file amendments to and restatements of the Certificate of Limited Partnership and do
all things to maintain the Partnership as a limited partnership (or a partnership or other entity
in which the limited partners have limited liability) under the laws of the State of Delaware or of
any other state in which the Partnership may elect to do business or own property. Subject to the
terms of Section 3.4(a), the General Partner shall not be required, before or after filing,
to deliver or mail a copy of the Certificate of Limited Partnership, any qualification document or
any amendment thereto to any Limited Partner.
Section 7.3 Restrictions on the General Partner’s Authority. Except as provided in
Article XII and Article XIV, the General Partner may not sell, exchange or
otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of the assets of the Partnership Group, taken as a
whole, in a single transaction or a series of related transactions (including by way of merger,
consolidation, other combination or sale of ownership interests of the Partnership’s Subsidiaries)
without the approval of holders of a Unit Majority; provided, however, that this provision shall
not preclude or limit the General Partner’s ability to mortgage, pledge, hypothecate or grant a
security interest in all or substantially all of the assets of the Partnership Group and shall not
apply to any forced sale of any or all of the assets of the Partnership Group pursuant to the
foreclosure of, or other realization upon, any such encumbrance. Without the approval of holders
of a Unit Majority, the General Partner shall not, on behalf of the Partnership, except as
permitted under Section 4.6, Section 11.1 and Section 11.2, elect or cause
the Partnership to elect a successor general partner of the Partnership.
Section 7.4 Reimbursement of the General Partner.
(a) Except as provided in this Section 7.4 and elsewhere in this Agreement, the
General Partner shall not be compensated for its services as a general partner or managing member
of any Group Member.
(b) The General Partner shall be reimbursed on a monthly basis, or such other basis as the
General Partner may determine, for (i) all direct and indirect expenses it incurs or payments it
makes on behalf of the Partnership Group (including salary, bonus, incentive compensation and other
amounts paid to any Person, including Affiliates of the General Partner to perform services for the
Partnership Group or for the General Partner in the discharge of its duties to the Partnership
Group), and (ii) all other expenses allocable to the Partnership Group or otherwise incurred by the
General Partner in connection with operating the Partnership Group’s business (including expenses
allocated to the General Partner by its Affiliates). The General Partner shall determine the
expenses that are allocable to the Partnership Group. Reimbursements pursuant to this Section
7.4 shall be in addition to any reimbursement to the General Partner as a result of
indemnification pursuant to Section 7.7.
(c) The General Partner, without the approval of the Limited Partners (who shall have no right
to vote in respect thereof), may propose and adopt on behalf of the Partnership employee benefit
plans, employee programs and employee practices (including plans, programs and practices involving
the issuance of Partnership Securities or options to purchase or rights,
70
warrants or appreciation right or phantom or tracking interests relating to Partnership Securities), or cause the
Partnership to issue Partnership Securities in connection with, or pursuant to, any employee
benefit plan, employee program or employee practice maintained or sponsored by the General Partner,
Group Member or any Affiliates in each case for the benefit of employees and directors of the
General Partner or any of its Affiliates, in respect of services performed, directly or indirectly,
for the benefit of the Partnership Group. The Partnership agrees to issue and sell to the General
Partner or any of its Affiliates any Partnership Securities that the General Partner or such
Affiliates are obligated to provide to any employees and directors pursuant to any such employee
benefit plans, employee programs or employee practices. Expenses incurred by the General Partner in
connection with any such plans, programs and practices (including the net cost to the General
Partner or such Affiliates of Partnership Securities purchased by the General Partner or such
Affiliates from the Partnership to fulfill options or awards under such plans, programs and
practices) shall be reimbursed in accordance with Section 7.4(b). Any and all obligations
of the General Partner under any employee benefit plans, employee programs or employee practices
adopted by the General Partner as permitted by this Section 7.4(c) shall constitute
obligations of the General Partner hereunder and shall be assumed by any successor General Partner
approved pursuant to Section 11.1 or Section 11.2 or the transferee of or successor
to all of the General Partner’s General Partner Interest (represented by General Partner Units)
pursuant to Section 4.6.
Section 7.5 Outside Activities.
(a) After the Closing Date, the General Partner, for so long as it is the General Partner of
the Partnership (i) agrees that its sole business will be to act as a general partner or managing
member, as the case may be, of the Partnership and any other partnership or limited liability
company of which the Partnership is, directly or indirectly, a partner or member and to undertake
activities that are ancillary or related thereto (including being a limited partner in the
Partnership) and (ii) shall not engage in any business or activity or incur any debts or
liabilities except in connection with or incidental to (A) its performance as general partner or
managing member, if any, of one or more Group Members or as described in or contemplated by the
Registration Statement or (B) the acquiring, owning or disposing of debt or equity securities in
any Group Member.
(b) Each Indemnitee (other than the General Partner) shall have the right to engage in
businesses of every type and description and other activities for profit and to engage in and
possess an interest in other business ventures of any and every type or description, whether in
businesses engaged in or anticipated to be engaged in by any Group Member, independently or with
others, including business interests and activities in direct competition with the business and
activities of any Group Member, and none of the same shall constitute a breach of this Agreement or
any duty expressed or implied by law or equity to any Group Member or any Partner or Assignee.
None of any Group Member, any Limited Partner or any other Person shall have any rights by virtue
of this Agreement, any Group Member Agreement, or the partnership relationship established hereby
in any business ventures of any Indemnitee.
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(c) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement or any duty existing at law, in
equity or otherwise, but subject to Section 7.5(d), (i) the engaging in competitive
activities by any Indemnitees (other than the General Partner) in accordance with the provisions of
this Section 7.5 is hereby approved by the Partnership and all Partners, (ii) it shall be
deemed not to be a breach of any fiduciary duty or any other obligation of any type whatsoever of
any Indemnitee for the Indemnitees (other than the General Partner) to engage in such business
interests and activities in preference to or to the exclusion of the Partnership and (iii) the
Indemnitees shall have no obligation hereunder or as a result of any duty expressed or implied by
law to present business opportunities to the Partnership. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary
in this Agreement, the doctrine of corporate opportunity, or any analogous doctrine, shall not
apply to any Indemnitee (including the General Partner). No Indemnitee (including the General
Partner) who acquires knowledge of a potential transaction, agreement, arrangement or other matter
that may be an opportunity for the Partnership, shall have any duty to communicate or offer such
opportunity to the Partnership, and such Indemnitee (including the General Partner) shall not be
liable to the Partnership, to any Limited Partner or any other Person for breach of any fiduciary
or other duty by reason of the fact that such Indemnitee (including the General Partner) pursues or
acquires for itself, directs such opportunity to another Person or does not communicate such
opportunity or information to the Partnership; provided such Indemnitee does not engage in such
business or activity as a result of or using confidential or proprietary information provided by or
on behalf of the Partnership to such Indemnitee.
(d) The General Partner and each of its Affiliates may acquire Units or other Partnership
Securities in addition to those acquired pursuant to the Contribution Agreement and, except as
otherwise provided in this Agreement, shall be entitled to exercise, at their option, all rights
relating to all Units or other Partnership Securities acquired by them. The term “Affiliates” when
used in this Section 7.5(d) with respect to the General Partner shall not include any Group
Member.
(e) The Partners (and the General Partner on behalf of the Partnership) hereby:
(i) agree that (A) the terms of this section, to the extent that they modify or limit a
duty, if any, that a Partner may have to the Partnership or another Partner are reasonable in
form, scope and content; and (B) the terms of this section shall control to the fullest
extent possible if it is in conflict with a duty, if any, that a Partner may have to the
Partnership or another Partner, the Act or any other applicable law, rule or regulation; and
(ii) waive a duty, if any, that a Partner may have to the Partnership or another
Partner, under the Act or any other applicable law, rule or regulation to the extent
necessary to give effect to the terms of this section;
(iii) it being expressly acknowledged and affirmed by the Partners (and the General
Partner on behalf of the Partnership) that the execution and delivery of this Agreement by
the Partners are of material benefit to the Partnership and the Partners and
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that the Partners would not be willing to execute and deliver this Agreement without the benefit of
this section.
Section 7.6 Loans from the General Partner; Loans or Contributions from the Partnership or
Group Members.
(a) The General Partner or any of its Affiliates may lend to any Group Member, and any Group
Member may borrow from the General Partner or any of its Affiliates, funds needed or desired by the
Group Member for such periods of time and in such amounts as the General Partner may determine;
provided, however, that in any such case the lending party may not charge the borrowing party
interest at a rate greater than the rate that would be charged the borrowing party or impose terms
less favorable to the borrowing party than would be charged or imposed on the borrowing party by
unrelated lenders on comparable loans made on an arm’s-length basis (without reference to the
lending party’s financial abilities or guarantees), all as determined by the General Partner. The
borrowing party shall reimburse the lending party for any costs (other than any additional interest
costs) incurred by the lending party in connection with the borrowing of such funds. For purposes
of this Section 7.6(a) and Section 7.6(b), the term “Group Member” shall include
any Affiliate of a Group Member that is controlled by the Group Member.
(b) The Partnership may lend or contribute to any Group Member, and any Group Member may
borrow from the Partnership, funds on terms and conditions determined by the General Partner. No
Group Member may lend funds to the General Partner or any of its Affiliates (other than another
Group Member).
(c) No borrowing by any Group Member or the approval thereof by the General Partner shall be
deemed to constitute a breach of any duty, expressed or implied, of the General Partner or its
Affiliates to the Partnership or the Limited Partners existing hereunder, or existing at law, in
equity or otherwise by reason of the fact that the purpose or effect of such borrowing is directly
or indirectly to (i) enable distributions to the General Partner or its Affiliates (including in
their capacities as Limited Partners) to exceed the General Partner’s Percentage Interest of the
total amount distributed to all partners or (ii) hasten the expiration of the Subordination Period
or the conversion of any Subordinated Units into Common Units.
Section 7.7 Indemnification.
(a) To the fullest extent permitted by law but subject to the limitations expressly provided
in this Agreement, all Indemnitees shall be indemnified and held harmless by the Partnership from
and against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities, joint or several, expenses (including
legal fees and expenses), judgments, fines, penalties, interest, settlements or other amounts
arising from any and all claims, demands, actions, suits or proceedings, whether civil, criminal,
administrative or investigative, in which any Indemnitee may be involved, or is threatened to be
involved, as a party or otherwise, by reason of its status as an Indemnitee; provided, that the
Indemnitee shall not be indemnified and held harmless if there has been a final and non-appealable
judgment entered by a court of competent jurisdiction determining that, in
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respect of the
matter for which the Indemnitee is seeking indemnification pursuant to this Section 7.7,
the Indemnitee acted in bad faith or engaged in fraud, willful misconduct or, in the case of a
criminal matter, acted with knowledge that the Indemnitee’s conduct was unlawful; provided,
further, no indemnification pursuant to this Section 7.7 shall be available to the General
Partner or its Affiliates (other than a Group Member) with respect to its or their obligations
incurred pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, the Omnibus Agreement, or the Contribution
Agreement (other than obligations incurred by the General Partner on behalf of the Partnership).
Any indemnification pursuant to this Section 7.7 shall be made only out of the assets of
the Partnership, it being agreed that the General Partner shall not be personally liable for such
indemnification and shall have no obligation to contribute or loan any monies or property to the
Partnership to enable it to effectuate such indemnification.
(b) To the fullest extent permitted by law, expenses (including legal fees and expenses)
incurred by an Indemnitee who is indemnified pursuant to Section 7.7(a) in defending any
claim, demand, action, suit or proceeding shall, from time to time, be advanced by the Partnership
prior to a determination that the Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified upon receipt by the
Partnership of any undertaking by or on behalf of the Indemnitee to repay such amount if it shall
be determined that the Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified as authorized in this
Section 7.7.
(c) The indemnification provided by this Section 7.7 shall be in addition to any other
rights to which an Indemnitee may be entitled under any agreement, pursuant to any vote of the
holders of Outstanding Limited Partner Interests, as a matter of law or otherwise, both as to
actions in the Indemnitee’s capacity as an Indemnitee and as to actions in any other capacity
(including any capacity under the Underwriting Agreement), and shall continue as to an Indemnitee
who has ceased to serve in such capacity and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, successors,
assigns and administrators of the Indemnitee.
(d) The Partnership may purchase and maintain (or reimburse the General Partner or its
Affiliates for the cost of) insurance, on behalf of the General Partner, its Affiliates and such
other Persons as the General Partner shall determine, against any liability that may be asserted
against, or expense that may be incurred by, such Person in connection with the Partnership’s
activities or such Person’s activities on behalf of the Partnership, regardless of whether the
Partnership would have the power to indemnify such Person against such liability under the
provisions of this Agreement.
(e) For purposes of this Section 7.7, the Partnership shall be deemed to have
requested an Indemnitee to serve as fiduciary of an employee benefit plan whenever the performance
by it of its duties to the Partnership also imposes duties on, or otherwise involves services by,
it to the plan or participants or beneficiaries of the plan; excise taxes assessed on an Indemnitee
with respect to an employee benefit plan pursuant to applicable law shall constitute “fines” within
the meaning of Section 7.7(a); and action taken or omitted by it with respect to any
employee benefit plan in the performance of its duties for a purpose reasonably believed by it to
be in the best interest of the participants and beneficiaries of the plan shall be deemed to be for
a purpose that is in the best interests of the Partnership.
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(f) In no event may an Indemnitee subject the Limited Partners to personal liability by reason
of the indemnification provisions set forth in this Agreement.
(g) An Indemnitee shall not be denied indemnification in whole or in part under this
Section 7.7 because the Indemnitee had an interest in the transaction with respect to which
the indemnification applies if the transaction was otherwise permitted by the terms of this
Agreement.
(h) The provisions of this Section 7.7 are for the benefit of the Indemnitees, their
heirs, successors, assigns and administrators and shall not be deemed to create any rights for the
benefit of any other Persons.
(i) No amendment, modification or repeal of this Section 7.7 or any provision hereof
shall in any manner terminate, reduce or impair the right of any past, present or future Indemnitee
to be indemnified by the Partnership, nor the obligations of the Partnership to indemnify any such
Indemnitee under and in accordance with the provisions of this Section 7.7 as in effect
immediately prior to such amendment, modification or repeal with respect to claims arising from or
relating to matters occurring, in whole or in part, prior to such amendment, modification or
repeal, regardless of when such claims may arise or be asserted.
Section 7.8 Liability of Indemnitees.
(a) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth in this Agreement, no Indemnitee shall
be liable for monetary damages to the Partnership, the Limited Partners, or any other Persons who
have acquired interests in the Partnership Securities, for losses sustained or liabilities incurred
as a result of any act or omission of an Indemnitee unless there has been a final and
non-appealable judgment entered by a court of competent jurisdiction determining that, in respect
of the matter in question, the Indemnitee acted in bad faith or engaged in fraud, willful
misconduct or, in the case of a criminal matter, acted with knowledge that the Indemnitee’s conduct
was criminal.
(b) Subject to its obligations and duties as General Partner set forth in Section
7.1(a), the General Partner may exercise any of the powers granted to it by this Agreement and
perform any of the duties imposed upon it hereunder either directly or by or through its agents,
and the General Partner shall not be responsible for any misconduct or negligence on the part of
any such agent appointed by the General Partner in good faith.
(c) To the extent that, at law or in equity, an Indemnitee has duties (including fiduciary
duties) and liabilities relating thereto to the Partnership or to the Partners, the General Partner
and any other Indemnitee acting in connection with the Partnership’s business or affairs shall not
be liable to the Partnership or to any Partner for its good faith reliance on the provisions of
this Agreement.
(d) Any amendment, modification or repeal of this Section 7.8 or any provision hereof
shall be prospective only and shall not in any way affect the limitations on the liability of
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the
Indemnitees under this Section 7.8 as in effect immediately prior to such amendment,
modification or repeal with respect to claims arising from or relating to matters occurring, in
whole or in part, prior to such amendment, modification or repeal, regardless of when such claims
may arise or be asserted.
Section 7.9 Resolution of Conflicts of Interest; Standards of Conduct and Modification of
Duties.
(a) Unless otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement or any Group Member Agreement,
whenever a potential conflict of interest exists or arises between the General Partner or any of
its Affiliates, on the one hand, and the Partnership, any Group Member or any Partner, on the
other, any resolution or course of action by the General Partner or its Affiliates in respect of
such conflict of interest shall be permitted and deemed approved by all Partners, and shall not
constitute a breach of this Agreement, of any Group Member Agreement, of any agreement contemplated
herein or therein, or of any duty stated or implied by law or equity, 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 a majority of the Outstanding Common Units (excluding Common Units owned by
the General Partner and its Affiliates), (iii) on terms no less favorable to the Partnership than
those generally being provided to or available from unrelated third parties or (iv) fair and
reasonable to the Partnership, taking into account the totality of the relationships between the
parties involved (including other transactions that may be particularly favorable or advantageous
to the Partnership). The General Partner shall be authorized but not required in
connection with its resolution of such conflict of interest to seek Special Approval of such
resolution, and the General Partner may also adopt a resolution or course of action that has not
received Special Approval. If Special Approval is sought, then it will be presumed that, in making
its decision, the Conflicts Committee acted in good faith, and 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 either case, in any proceeding brought by any Limited Partner or by or on behalf of such
Limited Partner or any other Limited Partner or the Partnership challenging such approval, the
Person bringing or prosecuting such proceeding shall have the burden of overcoming such
presumption. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement or any duty otherwise
existing at law or equity, the existence of the conflicts of interest described in the Registration
Statement are hereby approved by all Partners and shall not constitute a breach of this Agreement.
(b) Whenever the General Partner makes a determination or takes or declines to take any other
action, or any of its Affiliates causes it to do so, in its capacity as the general partner of the
Partnership as opposed to in its individual capacity, whether under this Agreement, any Group
Member Agreement or any other agreement contemplated hereby or otherwise, then, unless another
express standard is provided for in this Agreement, the General Partner, or such Affiliates causing
it to do so, shall make such determination or take or decline to take such other action in good
faith and shall not be subject to any other or different standards imposed by this Agreement, any
Group Member Agreement, any other agreement contemplated hereby or under
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the Delaware Act or any
other law, rule or regulation or at equity. In order for a determination or other action to be in
“good faith” for purposes of this Agreement, the Person or Persons making such determination or
taking or declining to take such other action must believe that the determination or other action
is in the best interests of the Partnership.
(c) Whenever the General Partner makes a determination or takes or declines to take any other
action, or any of its Affiliates causes it to do so, in its individual capacity as opposed to in
its capacity as the general partner of the Partnership, whether under this Agreement, any Group
Member Agreement or any other agreement contemplated hereby or otherwise, then the General Partner,
or such Affiliates causing it to do so, are entitled to make such determination or to take or
decline to take such other action free of any fiduciary duty or obligation whatsoever to the
Partnership, any Limited Partner, and the General Partner, or such Affiliates causing it to do so,
shall not be required to act in good faith or pursuant to any other standard imposed by this
Agreement, any Group Member Agreement, any other agreement contemplated hereby or under the
Delaware Act or any other law, rule or regulation or at equity. By way of illustration and not of
limitation, whenever the phrase, “at the option of the General Partner,” or some variation of that
phrase, is used in this Agreement, it indicates that the General Partner is acting in its
individual capacity. For the avoidance of doubt, whenever the General Partner votes or transfers
its Partnership Interests, or refrains from voting or transferring its Partnership Interests, it
shall be acting in its individual capacity. The General Partner’s organizational documents may
provide that determinations to take or decline to take any action in its individual, rather than
representative, capacity may or shall be determined by its members, if the General Partner is
a limited liability company, stockholders, if the General Partner is a corporation, or the members
or stockholders of the General Partner’s general partner, if the General Partner is a limited
partnership.
(d) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, the General Partner and its
Affiliates shall have no duty or obligation, express or implied, to (i) sell or otherwise dispose
of any asset of the Partnership Group other than in the ordinary course of business or (ii) permit
any Group Member to use any facilities or assets of the General Partner and its Affiliates, except
as may be provided in contracts entered into from time to time specifically dealing with such use.
Any determination by the General Partner or any of its Affiliates to enter into such contracts
shall be at its option.
(e) Except as expressly set forth in this Agreement or required by the Delaware Act, neither
the General Partner nor any other Indemnitee shall have any duties or liabilities, including
fiduciary duties, to the Partnership or any Limited Partner and the provisions of this Agreement,
to the extent that they restrict, eliminate or otherwise modify the duties and liabilities,
including fiduciary duties, of the General Partner or any other Indemnitee otherwise existing at
law or in equity, are agreed by the Partners to replace such other duties and liabilities of the
General Partner or such other Indemnitee.
(f) The Unitholders hereby authorize the General Partner, on behalf of the Partnership as a
partner or member of a Group Member, to approve of actions by the general
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partner or managing
member of such Group Member similar to those actions permitted to be taken by the General Partner
pursuant to this Section 7.9.
Section 7.10 Other Matters Concerning the General Partner.
(a) The General Partner may rely and shall be protected in acting or refraining from acting
upon any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, consent,
order, bond, debenture or other paper or document believed by it to be genuine and to have been
signed or presented by the proper party or parties.
(b) The General Partner may consult with legal counsel, accountants, appraisers, management
consultants, investment bankers and other consultants and advisers selected by it, and any act
taken or omitted to be taken in reliance upon the opinion (including an Opinion of Counsel) of such
Persons as to matters that the General Partner reasonably believes to be within such Person’s
professional or expert competence shall be conclusively presumed to have been done or omitted in
good faith and in accordance with such opinion.
(c) The General Partner shall have the right, in respect of any of its powers or obligations
hereunder, to act through any of its duly authorized officers, a duly appointed attorney or
attorneys-in-fact or the duly authorized officers of the Partnership or any Group Member.
Section 7.11 Purchase or Sale of Partnership Securities. The General Partner may cause the
Partnership to purchase or otherwise acquire Partnership Securities; provided that, except as
permitted pursuant to Section 4.10, the General Partner may not cause any Group Member to
purchase Subordinated Units during the Subordination Period. Such Partnership Securities shall be
held by the Partnership as treasury securities unless they are expressly cancelled by action of an
appropriate officer of the General Partner. As long as Partnership Securities are held by any
Group Member, such Partnership Securities shall not be considered Outstanding for any purpose,
except as otherwise provided herein. The General Partner or any Affiliate of the General Partner
may also purchase or otherwise acquire and sell or otherwise dispose of Partnership Securities for
its own account, subject to the provisions of Articles IV and X.
Section 7.12 Registration Rights of the General Partner and its Affiliates.
(a) If (i) the General Partner or any Affiliate of the General Partner (including for purposes
of this Section 7.12, any Person that is an Affiliate of the General Partner at the date
hereof notwithstanding that it may later cease to be an Affiliate of the General Partner) holds
Partnership Securities that it desires to sell and (ii) Rule 144 of the Securities Act (or any
successor rule or regulation to Rule 144) or another exemption from registration is not available
to enable such holder of Partnership Securities (the “Holder”) to dispose of the number of
Partnership Securities it desires to sell at the time it desires to do so without registration
under the Securities Act, then at the option and upon the request of the Holder, the Partnership
shall file with the Commission as promptly as practicable after receiving such request, and use
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commercially reasonable efforts to cause to become effective and remain effective for a period of
not less than six months following its effective date or such shorter period as shall terminate
when all Partnership Securities covered by such registration statement have been sold, a
registration statement under the Securities Act registering the offering and sale of the number of
Partnership Securities specified by the Holder; provided, however, that the Partnership shall not
be required to effect more than three registrations pursuant to this Section 7.12(a) and
Section 7.12(b); and provided further that if the Conflicts Committee determines in good
faith that the requested registration would be materially detrimental to the Partnership and its
Partners because such registration would (x) materially interfere with a significant acquisition,
reorganization or other similar transaction involving the Partnership, (y) require premature
disclosure of material information that the Partnership has a bona fide business purpose for
preserving as confidential or (z) render the Partnership unable to comply with requirements under
applicable securities laws, then the Partnership shall have the right to postpone such requested
registration for a period of not more than six months after receipt of the Holder’s request, such
right pursuant to this Section 7.12(a) or Section 7.12(a) not to be utilized more
than once in any twelve-month period. Except as provided in the preceding sentence, the
Partnership will be deemed not to have used commercially reasonable efforts to keep the
registration statement effective during the applicable period if it voluntarily takes any action
that would result in Holders of Partnership Securities covered thereby not being able to offer and
sell such Partnership Securities at any time during such period, unless such action is required by
applicable law. In connection with any registration pursuant to the first sentence of this
Section 7.12(a), the Partnership shall (i) promptly prepare
and file (A) such documents as may be necessary to register or qualify the securities subject
to such registration under the securities laws of such states as the Holder shall reasonably
request; provided, however, that no such qualification shall be required in any jurisdiction where,
as a result thereof, the Partnership would become subject to general service of process or to
taxation or qualification to do business as a foreign corporation or partnership doing business in
such jurisdiction solely as a result of such registration, and (B) such documents as may be
necessary to apply for listing or to list the Partnership Securities subject to such registration
on such National Securities Exchange as the Holder shall reasonably request, and (ii) do any and
all other acts and things that may be necessary or appropriate to enable the Holder to consummate a
public sale of such Partnership Securities in such states. Except as set forth in Section
7.12(d), all costs and expenses of any such registration and offering (other than the
underwriting discounts and commissions) shall be paid by the Partnership, without reimbursement by
the Holder.
(b) If any Holder holds Partnership Securities that it desires to sell and Rule 144 of the
Securities Act (or any successor rule or regulation to Rule 144) or another exemption from
registration is not available to enable such Holder to dispose of the number of Partnership
Securities it desires to sell at the time it desires to do so without registration under the
Securities Act, then at the option and upon the request of the Holder, the Partnership shall file
with the Commission as promptly as practicable after receiving such request, and use commercially
reasonable efforts to cause to become effective and remain effective for a period of not less than
six months following its effective date or such shorter period as shall terminate when all
Partnership Securities covered by such shelf registration statement have been sold, a “shelf”
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registration statement covering the Partnership Securities specified by the Holder on an
appropriate form under Rule 415 under the Securities Act, or any similar rule that may be adopted
by the Commission; provided, however, that the Partnership shall not be required to effect more
than three registrations pursuant to Section 7.12(a) and this Section 7.12(b); and
provided further that if the Conflicts Committee determines in good faith that any offering under,
or the use of any prospectus forming a part of, the shelf registration statement would be
materially detrimental to the Partnership and its Partners because such offering or use would (x)
materially interfere with a significant acquisition, reorganization or other similar transaction
involving the Partnership, (y) require premature disclosure of material information that the
Partnership has a bona fide business purpose for preserving as confidential or (z) render the
Partnership unable to comply with requirements under applicable securities laws, then the
Partnership shall have the right to suspend such offering or use for a period of not more than six
months after receipt of the Holder’s request, such right pursuant to Section 7.12(a) or
this Section 7.12(a) not to be utilized more than once in any twelve-month period. Except
as provided in the preceding sentence, the Partnership will be deemed not to have used commercially
reasonable efforts to keep the registration statement effective during the applicable period if it
voluntarily takes any action that would result in Holders of Partnership Securities covered thereby
not being able to offer and sell such Partnership Securities at any time during such period, unless
such action is required by applicable law. In connection with any shelf registration pursuant to
this Section 7.12(a), the Partnership shall (i) promptly prepare and file (A) such
documents as may be necessary to register or qualify the securities subject to such shelf
registration under the
securities laws of such states as the Holder shall reasonably request; provided, however, that
no such qualification shall be required in any jurisdiction where, as a result thereof, the
Partnership would become subject to general service of process or to taxation or qualification to
do business as a foreign corporation or partnership doing business in such jurisdiction solely as a
result of such shelf registration, and (B) such documents as may be necessary to apply for listing
or to list the Partnership Securities subject to such shelf registration on such National
Securities Exchange as the Holder shall reasonably request, and (ii) do any and all other acts and
things that may be necessary or appropriate to enable the Holder to consummate a public sale of
such Partnership Securities in such states. Except as set forth in Section 7.12(d), all
costs and expenses of any such shelf registration and offering (other than the underwriting
discounts and commissions) shall be paid by the Partnership, without reimbursement by the Holder.
(c) If the Partnership shall at any time propose to file a registration statement under the
Securities Act for an offering of equity securities of the Partnership for cash (other than an
offering relating solely to an employee benefit plan), the Partnership shall notify all Holders of
such proposal and use all reasonable efforts to include such number or amount of securities held by
the Holder in such registration statement as the Holder shall request; provided, that the
Partnership is not required to make any effort or take any action to so include the securities of
the Holder once the registration statement is declared effective by the Commission or otherwise
becomes effective, including any registration statement providing for the offering from time to
time of securities pursuant to Rule 415 of the Securities Act. If the proposed offering pursuant
to this Section 7.12(c) shall be an underwritten offering, then, if the managing
underwriter or managing underwriters of such offering advise the Partnership and the Holder in
writing that in
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their opinion the inclusion of all or some of the Holder’s Partnership Securities
would adversely and materially affect the success of the offering, the Partnership shall include in
such offering only that number or amount, if any, of securities held by the Holder that, in the
opinion of the managing underwriter or managing underwriters, will not so adversely and materially
affect the offering. Except as set forth in Section 7.12(d), all costs and expenses of any
such registration and offering (other than the underwriting discounts and commissions) shall be
paid by the Partnership, without reimbursement by the Holder.
(d) If underwriters are engaged in connection with any registration referred to in this
Section 7.12, the Partnership shall provide indemnification, representations, covenants,
opinions and other assurance to the underwriters in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to
such underwriters. Further, in addition to and not in limitation of the Partnership’s obligation
under Section 7.7, the Partnership shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, indemnify
and hold harmless the Holder, its officers, directors and each Person who controls the Holder
(within the meaning of the Securities Act) and any agent thereof (collectively, “Indemnified
Persons”) from and against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities, joint or several,
expenses (including legal fees and expenses), judgments, fines, penalties, interest, settlements or
other amounts arising from any and all claims, demands, actions, suits or proceedings, whether
civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, in which any Indemnified Person may be involved,
or is threatened to be involved, as a party or otherwise, under the Securities Act or otherwise
(hereinafter referred to in this Section 7.12(d) as a “claim” and in the plural as
“claims”) based
upon, arising out of or resulting from any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any
material fact contained in any registration statement under which any Partnership Securities were
registered under the Securities Act or any state securities or Blue Sky laws, in any preliminary
prospectus (if used prior to the effective date of such registration statement), or in any summary
or final prospectus or any free writing prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto (if
used during the period the Partnership is required to keep the registration statement current), or
arising out of, based upon or resulting from the omission or alleged omission to state therein a
material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements made therein not
misleading; provided, however, that the Partnership shall not be liable to any Indemnified Person
to the extent that any such claim arises out of, is based upon or results from an untrue statement
or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in such registration statement,
such preliminary, summary or final prospectus or any free writing prospectus or such amendment or
supplement, in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the
Partnership by or on behalf of such Indemnified Person specifically for use in the preparation
thereof.
(e) The provisions of Section 7.12(a), Section 7.12(a) and Section
7.12(c) shall continue to be applicable with respect to the General Partner (and any of the
General Partner’s Affiliates), after it ceases to be a general partner of the Partnership, during a
period of two years subsequent to the effective date of such cessation and for so long thereafter
as is required for the Holder to sell all of the Partnership Securities with respect to which it
has requested during such two-year period inclusion in a registration statement otherwise filed or
that a registration statement be filed; provided, however, that the Partnership shall not be
required to file successive
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registration statements covering the same Partnership Securities for
which registration was demanded during such two-year period. The provisions of Section
7.12(d) shall continue in effect thereafter.
(f) The rights to cause the Partnership to register Partnership Securities pursuant to this
Section 7.12 may be assigned (but only with all related obligations) by a Holder to a
transferee or assignee of such Partnership Securities, provided (i) the Partnership is, within a
reasonable time after such transfer, furnished with written notice of the name and address of such
transferee or assignee and the Partnership Securities with respect to which such registration
rights are being assigned; and (ii) such transferee or assignee agrees in writing to be bound by
and subject to the terms set forth in this Section 7.12.
(g) Any request to register Partnership Securities pursuant to this Section 7.12 shall
(i) specify the Partnership Securities intended to be offered and sold by the Person making the
request, (ii) express such Person’s present intent to offer such Partnership Securities for
distribution (unless the request is made pursuant to Section 7.12(b)), (iii) describe the
nature or method of the proposed offer and sale of Partnership Securities, and (iv) contain the
undertaking of such Person to provide all such information and materials and take all action as may
be required in order to permit the Partnership to comply with all applicable requirements in
connection with the registration of such Partnership Securities.
Section 7.13 Reliance by Third Parties.
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, any Person dealing with the
Partnership shall be entitled to assume that the General Partner and any officer of the General
Partner authorized by the General Partner to act on behalf of and in the name of the Partnership
has full power and authority to encumber, sell or otherwise use in any manner any and all assets of
the Partnership and to enter into any authorized contracts on behalf of the Partnership, and such
Person shall be entitled to deal with the General Partner or any such officer as if it were the
Partnership’s sole party in interest, both legally and beneficially. Each Limited Partner hereby
waives, 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 General Partner or
any such officer in connection with any such dealing. In no event shall any Person dealing with
the General Partner or any such officer or its representatives be obligated to ascertain that the
terms of this Agreement have been complied with or to inquire into the necessity or expedience of
any act or action of the General Partner or any such officer or its representatives. Each and
every certificate, document or other instrument executed on behalf of the Partnership by the
General Partner or its representatives shall be conclusive evidence in favor of any and every
Person relying thereon or claiming thereunder that (a) at the time of the execution and delivery of
such certificate, document or instrument, this Agreement was in full force and effect, (b) the
Person executing and delivering such certificate, document or instrument was duly authorized and
empowered to do so for and on behalf of the Partnership and (c) such certificate, document or
instrument was duly executed and delivered in accordance with the terms and provisions of this
Agreement and is binding upon the Partnership.
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ARTICLE VIII
Books, Records, Accounting and Reports
Books, Records, Accounting and Reports
Section 8.1 Records and Accounting. The General Partner shall keep or cause to be kept at the
principal office of the Partnership appropriate books and records with respect to the Partnership’s
business, including all books and records necessary to provide to the Limited Partners any
information required to be provided pursuant to Section 3.4(a). Any books and records
maintained by or on behalf of the Partnership in the regular course of its business, including the
record of the Record Holders of Units or other Partnership Securities, books of account and records
of Partnership 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. The books of the Partnership shall be maintained, for
financial reporting purposes, on an accrual basis in accordance with U.S. GAAP.
Section 8.2 Fiscal
Year. The fiscal year of the Partnership shall be a fiscal year ending December 31.
Section 8.3 Reports.
(a) As soon as practicable, but in no event later than 120 days after the close of each fiscal
year of the Partnership, the General Partner shall cause to be mailed or made available, by any
reasonable means (including posting on or accessible through the Partnership’s or the Commission’s
website) to each Record Holder of a Unit as of a date selected by the General Partner, an annual
report containing financial statements of the Partnership for such fiscal year of the Partnership,
presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP, including a balance sheet and statements of operations,
Partnership equity and cash flows, such statements to be audited by a firm of independent public
accountants selected by the General Partner.
(b) As soon as practicable, but in no event later than 90 days after the close of each Quarter
except the last Quarter of each fiscal year, the General Partner shall cause to be mailed or made
available, by any reasonable means (including posting on or accessible through the Partnership’s or
the Commission’s website) to each Record Holder of a Unit, as of a date selected by the General
Partner, a report containing unaudited financial statements of the Partnership and such other
information as may be required by applicable law, regulation or rule of any National Securities
Exchange on which the Units are listed or admitted to trading, or as the General Partner determines
to be necessary or appropriate.
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ARTICLE IX
Tax Matters
Tax Matters
Section 9.1 Tax Returns and Information. The Partnership shall timely file all returns of the
Partnership that are required for federal, state and local income tax purposes on the basis of the
accrual method and the taxable year or years that it is required by law to adopt, from time to
time, as determined by the General Partner. In the event the Partnership is required to use a
taxable year other than a year ending on December 31, the General Partner shall use reasonable
efforts to change the taxable year of the Partnership to a year ending on December 31. The tax
information reasonably required by Record Holders for federal and state income tax reporting
purposes with respect to a taxable year shall be furnished to them within 90 days of the close of
the calendar year in which the Partnership’s taxable year ends. The classification, realization
and recognition of income, gain, losses and deductions and other items shall be on the accrual
method of accounting for federal income tax purposes.
Section 9.2 Tax Elections.
(a) The Partnership shall make the election under Section 754 of the Code in accordance with
applicable regulations thereunder, subject to the reservation of the right to seek to revoke any
such election upon the General Partner’s determination that such revocation is in the best
interests of the Limited Partners. Notwithstanding any other provision herein contained, for the
purposes of computing the adjustments under Section 743(b) of the Code, the General Partner shall
be authorized (but not required) to adopt a convention whereby the price paid by a transferee of a
Limited Partner Interest will be deemed to be the lowest quoted closing price of the Limited
Partner Interests on any National Securities Exchange on which such Limited
Partner Interests are listed or admitted to trading during the calendar month in which such
transfer is deemed to occur pursuant to Section 6.2(i) without regard to the actual price
paid by such transferee.
(b) Except as otherwise provided herein, the General Partner shall determine whether the
Partnership should make any other elections permitted by the Code.
Section 9.3 Tax Controversies. Subject to the provisions hereof, the General Partner is
designated as the Tax Matters Partner (as defined in the Code) and is authorized and required to
represent the Partnership (at the Partnership’s expense) in connection with all examinations of the
Partnership’s affairs by tax authorities, including resulting administrative and judicial
proceedings, and to expend Partnership funds for professional services and costs associated
therewith. Each Partner agrees to cooperate with the General Partner and to do or refrain from
doing any or all things reasonably required by the General Partner to conduct such proceedings.
Section 9.4 Withholding. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the General
Partner is authorized to take any action that may be required to cause the Partnership and other
Group Members to comply with any withholding requirements established under the Code or any other
federal, state or local law including pursuant to Sections 1441, 1442, 1445 and 1446 of the Code.
To the extent that the Partnership is required or elects to withhold and pay over to any taxing
authority any amount resulting from the allocation or distribution of income to any Partner or
Assignee (including by reason of Section 1446 of the Code), the General Partner may
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treat the
amount withheld as a distribution of cash pursuant to Section 6.3 in the amount of such
withholding from such Partner.
ARTICLE X
Admission of Partners
Admission of Partners
Section 10.1 Admission of Limited Partners
(a) Upon the issuance by the Partnership of Common Units, Subordinated Units and Incentive
Distribution Rights to the General Partner, QRC and the Underwriters as described in Article
V, the General Partner shall admit such parties to the Partnership as Initial Limited Partners
in respect of the Common Units, Subordinated Units or Incentive Distribution Rights issued to them.
(b) By acceptance of the transfer of any Limited Partner Interests in accordance with
Article IV or the acceptance of any Limited Partner Interests issued pursuant to
Article V or pursuant to a merger consolidation pursuant to Article XIV, and except
as provided in Section 4.9, each transferee of, or other such Person acquiring, a Limited
Partner Interest (including any nominee holder or an agent or representative acquiring such Limited
Partner Interests for the
account of another Person) (i) shall be admitted to the Partnership as a Limited Partner with
respect to the Limited Partner Interests so transferred or issued to such Person when any such
transfer, issuance or admission is reflected in the books and records of the Partnership and such
Limited Partner becomes the Record Holder of the Limited Partner Interests so transferred, (ii)
shall become bound by the terms of this Agreement, (iii) represents that the transferee has the
capacity, power and authority to enter into this Agreement, (iv) grants the powers of attorney set
forth in this Agreement and (v) makes the consents and waivers contained in this Agreement, all
with or without execution of this Agreement by such Person. The transfer of any Limited Partner
Interests and the admission of any new Limited Partner shall not constitute an amendment to this
Agreement. A Person may become a Limited Partner or Record Holder of a Limited Partner Interest
without the consent or approval of any of the Partners. A Person may not become a Limited Partner
without acquiring a Limited Partner Interest and until such Person is reflected in the books and
records of the Partnership as the Record Holder of such Limited Partner Interest. The rights and
obligations of a Person who is a Non-Eligible Holder shall be determined in accordance with
Section 4.9.
(c) The name and mailing address of each Limited Partner shall be listed on the books and
records of the Partnership maintained for such purpose by the Partnership or the Transfer Agent.
The General Partner shall update the books and records of the Partnership from time to time as
necessary to reflect accurately the information therein (or shall cause the Transfer Agent to do
so, as applicable). A Limited Partner Interest may be represented by a Certificate or be
uncertificated, as provided in Section 4.1.
(d) Any transfer of a Limited Partner Interest shall not entitle the transferee to share in
the profits and losses, to receive distributions, to receive allocations of income, gain, loss,
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deduction or credit or any similar item or to any other rights to which the transferor was entitled
until the transferee becomes a Limited Partner pursuant to Section 10.1(b).
Section 10.2 Admission of Successor General Partner. A successor General Partner approved
pursuant to Section 11.1 or Section 11.2 or the transferee of or successor to all
of the General Partner Interest (represented by General Partner Units) pursuant to Section 4.6 who
is proposed to be admitted as a successor General Partner shall be admitted to the Partnership as
the General Partner, effective immediately prior to the withdrawal or removal of the predecessor or
transferring General Partner, pursuant to Section 11.1 or Section 11.2 or the
transfer of the General Partner Interest (represented by General Partner Units) pursuant to
Section 4.6, provided, however, that no such successor shall be admitted to the Partnership
until compliance with the terms of Section 4.6 has occurred and such successor has executed
and delivered such other documents or instruments as may be required to effect such admission. Any
such successor shall, subject to the terms hereof, carry on the business of the members of the
Partnership Group without dissolution.
Section 10.3 Amendment of Agreement and Certificate of Limited Partnership.
To effect the admission to the Partnership of any Partner, the General Partner shall take all
steps necessary or appropriate under the Delaware Act to amend the records of the Partnership to
reflect such admission and, if necessary, to prepare as soon as practicable an amendment to this
Agreement and, if required by law, the General Partner shall prepare and file an amendment to the
Certificate of Limited Partnership, and the General Partner may for this purpose, among others,
exercise the power of attorney granted pursuant to Section 2.6.
ARTICLE XI
Withdrawal or Removal of Partners
Withdrawal or Removal of Partners
Section 11.1 Withdrawal of the General Partner.
(a) The General Partner shall be deemed to have withdrawn from the Partnership upon the
occurrence of any one of the following events (each such event herein referred to as an “Event of
Withdrawal”);
(i) The General Partner voluntarily withdraws from the Partnership by giving written
notice to the other Partners;
(ii) The General Partner transfers all of its rights as General Partner pursuant to
Section 4.6;
(iii) The General Partner is removed pursuant to Section 11.2;
(iv) The General Partner (A) makes a general assignment for the benefit of creditors;
(B) files a voluntary bankruptcy petition for relief under Chapter 7 of the United States
Bankruptcy Code; (C) files a petition or answer seeking for itself a liquidation,
dissolution or similar relief (but not a reorganization) under any law; (D) files
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an answer
or other pleading admitting or failing to contest the material allegations of a petition
filed against the General Partner in a proceeding of the type described in clauses (A)-(C)
of this Section 11.1(a)(iv); or (E) seeks, consents to or acquiesces in the
appointment of a trustee (but not a debtor-in-possession), receiver or liquidator of the
General Partner or of all or any substantial part of its properties;
(v) A final and non-appealable order of relief under Chapter 7 of the United States
Bankruptcy Code is entered by a court with appropriate jurisdiction pursuant to a voluntary
or involuntary petition by or against the General Partner; or
(vi) (A) in the event the General Partner is a corporation, a certificate of
dissolution or its equivalent is filed for the General Partner, or 90 days expire after the
date of notice to the General Partner of revocation of its charter without a reinstatement
of its charter, under the laws of its state of incorporation; (B) in the event the General
Partner is a partnership or a limited liability company, the dissolution and commencement of
winding up of the General Partner; (C) in the event the General Partner is acting in such
capacity by virtue of being a trustee of a trust, the termination of
the trust; (D) in the event the General Partner is a natural person, his death or
adjudication of incompetency; and (E) otherwise in the event of the termination of the
General Partner.
If an Event of Withdrawal specified in Section 11.1(a)(iv), Section
11.1(a)(v), or Section 11.1(a)(vi)(A), Section 11.1(a)(vi)(B), Section
11.1(a)(vi)(C) or Section 11.1(a)(vi)(E) occurs, the withdrawing General Partner shall
give notice to the Limited Partners within 30 days after such occurrence. The Partners hereby
agree that only the Events of Withdrawal described in this Section 11.1 shall result in the
withdrawal of the General Partner from the Partnership.
(b) Withdrawal of the General Partner from the Partnership upon the occurrence of an Event of
Withdrawal shall not constitute a breach of this Agreement under the following circumstances: (i)
at any time during the period beginning on the Closing Date and ending at 12:00 midnight, Central
Standard Time, on December 31, 2017, the General Partner voluntarily withdraws by giving at least
90 days’ advance notice of its intention to withdraw to the Limited Partners; provided, that prior
to the effective date of such withdrawal, the withdrawal is approved by Unitholders holding at
least a majority of the Outstanding Common Units (excluding Common Units held by the General
Partner and its Affiliates) and the General Partner delivers to the Partnership an Opinion of
Counsel (“Withdrawal Opinion of Counsel”) that such withdrawal (following the selection of the
successor General Partner) would not result in the loss of the limited liability of any Limited
Partner or any Group Member or cause any Group Member to be treated as an association taxable as a
corporation or otherwise to be taxed as an entity for federal income tax purposes (to the extent
not already so treated or taxed); (ii) at any time after 12:00 midnight, Central Standard Time, on
December 31, 2017, the General Partner voluntarily withdraws by giving at least 90 days’ advance
notice to the Unitholders, such withdrawal to take effect on the date specified in such notice;
(iii) at any time that the General Partner ceases to be the General Partner pursuant to (c)
Section 11.1(a)(ii) or is removed pursuant to Section 11.2; or (iv) notwithstanding
clause (i) of this sentence, at any time that the General Partner voluntarily
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withdraws by giving
at least 90 days’ advance notice of its intention to withdraw to the Limited Partners, such
withdrawal to take effect on the date specified in the notice, if at the time such notice is given
one Person and its Affiliates (other than the General Partner and its Affiliates) own beneficially
or of record or control at least 50% of the Outstanding Units. The withdrawal of the General
Partner from the Partnership upon the occurrence of an Event of Withdrawal shall also constitute
the withdrawal of the General Partner as general partner or managing member, if any, to the extent
applicable, of the other Group Members. If the General Partner gives a notice of withdrawal
pursuant to Section 11.1(a)(i), the holders of a Unit Majority, may, prior to the effective
date of such withdrawal, elect a successor General Partner. The Person so elected as successor
General Partner shall automatically become the successor general partner or managing member, to the
extent applicable, of the other Group Members of which the General Partner is a general partner or
a managing member. If, prior to the effective date of the General Partner’s withdrawal, a
successor is not selected by the Unitholders as provided herein or the Partnership does not receive
a Withdrawal Opinion of Counsel, the Partnership shall be dissolved in accordance with Section
12.1. Any successor General Partner elected in accordance with the terms of this Section
11.1 shall be subject to the provisions of Section 10.2.
Section 11.2 Removal of the General Partner. The General Partner may be removed if such
removal is approved by the Unitholders holding at least 66 2/3% of the Outstanding Units (including
Units held by the General Partner and its Affiliates) voting as a single class. Any such action by
such holders for removal of the General Partner must also provide for the election of a successor
General Partner by the Unitholders holding a majority of the outstanding Common Units and Class B
Units, if any, voting as a single class and a majority of the outstanding Subordinated Units (if
any Subordinated Units are then Outstanding) voting as a class (including, in each case, Units held
by the General Partner and its Affiliates). Such removal shall be effective immediately following
the admission of a successor General Partner pursuant to Section 10.2. The removal of the
General Partner shall also automatically constitute the removal of the General Partner as general
partner or managing member, to the extent applicable, of the other Group Members of which the
General Partner is a general partner or a managing member. If a Person is elected as a successor
General Partner in accordance with the terms of this Section 11.2, such Person shall, upon
admission pursuant to Section 10.2, automatically become a successor general partner or
managing member, to the extent applicable, of the other Group Members of which the General Partner
is a general partner or a managing member. The right of the holders of Outstanding Units to remove
the General Partner shall not exist or be exercised unless the Partnership has received an opinion
opining as to the matters covered by a Withdrawal Opinion of Counsel. Any successor General
Partner elected in accordance with the terms of this Section 11.2 shall be subject to the
provisions of Section 10.2.
Section 11.3 Interest of Departing General Partner and Successor General Partner.
(a) In the event of (i) withdrawal of the General Partner under circumstances where such
withdrawal does not violate this Agreement or (ii) removal of the General Partner by the holders of
Outstanding Units under circumstances where Cause does not exist, if the successor General Partner
is elected in accordance with the terms of Section 11.1 or Section 11.2, the
Departing General Partner shall have the option, exercisable prior to the effective date of the
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departure of such Departing General Partner, to require its successor to purchase its General
Partner Interest (represented by General Partner Units) and its general partner interest (or
equivalent interest), if any, in the other Group Members and all of its Incentive Distribution
Rights (collectively, the “Combined Interest”) in exchange for an amount in cash equal to the fair
market value of such Combined Interest, such amount to be determined and payable as of the
effective date of its departure. If the General Partner is removed by the Unitholders under
circumstances where Cause exists or if the General Partner withdraws under circumstances where such
withdrawal violates this Agreement, and if a successor General Partner is elected in accordance
with the terms of Section 11.1 or Section 11.2 (or if the business of the
Partnership is continued pursuant to Section 12.2 and the successor General Partner is not
the former General Partner), such successor shall have the option, exercisable prior to the
effective date of the departure of such Departing General Partner (or, in the event the business of
the Partnership is continued, prior to the date the business of the Partnership is continued), to
purchase the Combined Interest for such fair market value of such Combined Interest of the
Departing General Partner. In either event, the Departing General Partner shall be entitled to
receive all
reimbursements due such Departing General Partner pursuant to Section 7.4, including
any employee-related liabilities (including severance liabilities), incurred in connection with the
termination of any employees employed by the Departing General Partner or its Affiliates (other
than any Group Member) for the benefit of the Partnership or the other Group Members.
For purposes of this Section 11.3(a), the fair market value of the Departing General
Partner’s Combined Interest shall be determined by agreement between the Departing General Partner
and its successor or, failing agreement within 30 days after the effective date of such Departing
General Partner’s departure, by an independent investment banking firm or other independent expert
selected by the Departing General Partner and its successor, which, in turn, may rely on other
experts, and the determination of which shall be conclusive as to such matter. If such parties
cannot agree upon one independent investment banking firm or other independent expert within 45
days after the effective date of such departure, then the Departing General Partner shall designate
an independent investment banking firm or other independent expert, the Departing General Partner’s
successor shall designate an independent investment banking firm or other independent expert, and
such firms or experts shall mutually select a third independent investment banking firm or
independent expert, which third independent investment banking firm or other independent expert
shall determine the fair market value of the Combined Interest of the Departing General Partner.
In making its determination, such third independent investment banking firm or other independent
expert may consider the then current trading price of Units on any National Securities Exchange on
which Units are then listed or admitted to trading, the value of the Partnership’s assets, the
rights and obligations of the Departing General Partner and other factors it may deem relevant.
(b) If the Combined Interest is not purchased in the manner set forth in Section
11.3(a), the Departing General Partner (or its transferee) shall become a Limited Partner and
its Combined Interest shall be converted into Common Units pursuant to a valuation made by an
investment banking firm or other independent expert selected pursuant to Section 11.3(a),
without reduction in such Partnership Interest (but subject to proportionate dilution by reason of
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the admission of its successor). Any successor General Partner shall indemnify the Departing
General Partner (or its transferee) as to all debts and liabilities of the Partnership arising on
or after the date on which the Departing General Partner (or its transferee) becomes a Limited
Partner. For purposes of this Agreement, conversion of the Combined Interest of the Departing
General Partner to Common Units will be characterized as if the Departing General Partner (or its
transferee) contributed its Combined Interest to the Partnership in exchange for the newly issued
Common Units.
(c) If a successor General Partner is elected in accordance with the terms of Section
11.1 or Section 11.2 (or if the business of the Partnership is continued pursuant to
Section 12.2 and the successor General Partner is not the former General Partner) and the
option described in Section 11.3(a) is not exercised by the party entitled to do so, the
successor General Partner shall, at the effective date of its admission to the Partnership,
contribute to the Partnership cash in the amount equal to the product of the (x) quotient obtained
by dividing (A) the Percentage Interest of the General Partner Interest of the Departing General
Partner by (B) a percentage equal to 100% less the Percentage Interest of the General Partner
Interest of the Departing
General Partner and (y) the Net Agreed Value of the Partnership’s assets on such date. In
such event, such successor General Partner shall, subject to the following sentence, be entitled to
its Percentage Interest of all Partnership allocations and distributions to which the Departing
General Partner was entitled. In addition, the successor General Partner shall cause this
Agreement to be amended to reflect that, from and after the date of such successor General
Partner’s admission, the successor General Partner’s interest in all Partnership distributions and
allocations shall be its Percentage Interest.
Section 11.4 Termination of Subordination Period, Conversion of Subordinated Units and
Extinguishment of Cumulative Common Unit Arrearages. Notwithstanding any provision of this
Agreement, if the General Partner is removed as general partner of the Partnership under
circumstances where Cause does not exist and Units held by the General Partner and its Affiliates
are not voted in favor of such removal, (i) the Subordination Period will end and all Outstanding
Subordinated Units will immediately and automatically convert into Common Units on a one-for-one
basis, (ii) all Cumulative Common Unit Arrearages on the Common Units will be extinguished and
(iii) the General Partner will have the right to convert its General Partner Interest (represented
by General Partner Units) and its Incentive Distribution Rights into Common Units or to receive
cash in exchange therefor in accordance with Section 11.3.
Section 11.5 Withdrawal of Limited Partners. No Limited Partner shall have any right to
withdraw from the Partnership; provided, however, that when a transferee of a Limited Partner’s
Limited Partner Interest becomes a Record Holder of the Limited Partner Interest so transferred,
such transferring Limited Partner shall cease to be a Limited Partner with respect to the Limited
Partner Interest so transferred.
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ARTICLE XII
Dissolution and Liquidation
Dissolution and Liquidation
Section 12.1 Dissolution. The Partnership shall not be dissolved by the admission of
additional Limited Partners or by the admission of a successor General Partner in accordance with
the terms of this Agreement. Upon the removal or withdrawal of the General Partner, if a successor
General Partner is elected pursuant to Section 11.1 or Section 11.2, the
Partnership shall not be dissolved and such successor General Partner shall continue the business
of the Partnership. The Partnership shall dissolve, and (subject to Section 12.2) its
affairs shall be wound up, upon:
(a) an Event of Withdrawal of the General Partner as provided in (b) Section 11.1(a) (other
than Section 11.1(a)(ii)), unless a successor is elected and an Opinion of Counsel is
received as provided in Section 11.1(b) or Section 11.2 and such successor is
admitted to the Partnership pursuant to Section 10.2;
(b) an election to dissolve the Partnership by the General Partner that is approved by the
holders of a Unit Majority;
(c) the entry of a decree of judicial dissolution of the Partnership pursuant to the
provisions of the Delaware Act; or
(d) at any time there are no Limited Partners, unless the Partnership is continued without
dissolution in accordance with the Delaware Act.
Section 12.2 Continuation of the Business of the Partnership After Dissolution. Upon (a)
dissolution of the Partnership following an Event of Withdrawal caused by the withdrawal or removal
of the General Partner as provided in Section 11.1(a)(i) or Section 11.1(a)(iii)
and the failure of the Partners to select a successor to such Departing General Partner pursuant to
Section 11.1 or Section 11.2, then within 90 days thereafter, or (b) dissolution of
the Partnership upon an event constituting an Event of Withdrawal as defined in Section
11.1(a)(iv), Section 11.1(a)(v) or Section 11.1(a)(vi), then, to the maximum
extent permitted by law, within 180 days thereafter, the holders of a Unit Majority may elect to
continue the business of the Partnership on the same terms and conditions set forth in this
Agreement by appointing as a successor General Partner a Person approved by the holders of a Unit
Majority. Unless such an election is made within the applicable time period as set forth above,
the Partnership shall conduct only activities necessary to wind up its affairs. If such an
election is so made, then:
(i) the Partnership shall continue without dissolution unless earlier dissolved in
accordance with this Article XII;
(ii) if the successor General Partner is not the former General Partner, then the
interest of the former General Partner shall be treated in the manner provided in
Section 11.3; and
(iii) the successor General Partner shall be admitted to the Partnership as General
Partner, effective as of the Event of Withdrawal, by agreeing in writing to be bound by this
Agreement; provided, that the right of the holders of a Unit Majority to
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approve a successor
General Partner and to continue the business of the Partnership shall not exist and may not
be exercised unless the Partnership has received an Opinion of Counsel that (x) the exercise
of the right would not result in the loss of limited liability of any Limited Partner and
(y) neither the Partnership nor any Group Member would be treated as an association taxable
as a corporation or otherwise be taxable as an entity for federal income tax purposes upon
the exercise of such right to continue (to the extent not already so treated or taxed).
Section 12.3 Liquidator. Upon dissolution of the Partnership, unless the business of the
Partnership is continued pursuant to Section 12.2, the General Partner shall select one or
more Persons to act as
Liquidator. The Liquidator (if other than the General Partner) shall be entitled to receive
such compensation for its services as may be approved by holders of at least a majority of the
Outstanding Common Units, Class B Units (if any), and Subordinated Units voting as a single class.
The Liquidator (if other than the General Partner) 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 at least a majority of the Outstanding Common Units, Class B Units (if any),
and Subordinated Units voting as a single class. Upon dissolution, removal or resignation of the
Liquidator, a successor and substitute Liquidator (who shall have and succeed to all rights, powers
and duties of the original Liquidator) shall within 30 days thereafter be approved by holders of at
least a majority of the Outstanding Common Units, Class B Units (if any), and Subordinated Units
voting as a single class. The right to approve a successor or substitute Liquidator in the manner
provided herein shall be deemed to refer also to any such successor or substitute Liquidator
approved in the manner herein provided. Except as expressly provided in this Article XII,
the Liquidator approved in the manner provided herein shall have and may exercise, without further
authorization or consent of any of the parties hereto, all of the powers conferred upon the General
Partner under the terms of this Agreement (but subject to all of the applicable limitations,
contractual and otherwise, upon the exercise of such powers, other than the limitation on sale set
forth in Section 7.3) necessary or appropriate to carry out the duties and functions of the
Liquidator hereunder for and during the period of time required to complete the winding up and
liquidation of the Partnership as provided for herein.
Section 12.4 Liquidation. The Liquidator shall proceed to dispose of the assets of the
Partnership, discharge its liabilities, and otherwise wind up its affairs in such manner and over
such period as determined by the Liquidator, subject to Section 17-804 of the Delaware Act and the
following:
(a) The assets may be disposed of by public or private sale or by distribution in kind to one
or more Partners on such terms as the Liquidator and such Partner or Partners may agree. If any
property is distributed in kind, the Partner receiving the property shall be deemed for purposes of
Section 12.4(c) to have received cash equal to its fair market value; and contemporaneously
therewith, appropriate cash distributions must be made to the other Partners. The Liquidator may
defer liquidation or distribution of the Partnership’s assets for a reasonable time if it
determines that an immediate sale or distribution of all or some of the Partnership’s assets would
be impractical or would cause undue loss to the Partners. The Liquidator may
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distribute the
Partnership’s assets, in whole or in part, in kind if it determines that a sale would be
impractical or would cause undue loss to the Partners.
(b) Liabilities of the Partnership include amounts owed to the Liquidator as compensation for
serving in such capacity (subject to the terms of Section 12.3) and amounts to Partners
otherwise than in respect of their distribution rights under Article VI. With respect to
any liability that is contingent, conditional or unmatured or is otherwise not yet due and payable,
the Liquidator shall either settle such claim for such amount as it thinks appropriate or establish
a reserve of cash or other assets to provide for its payment. When paid, any unused portion of the
reserve shall be distributed as additional liquidation proceeds.
(c) All property and all cash in excess of that required to discharge liabilities as provided
in Section 12.4(b) shall be distributed to the Partners in accordance with, 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 12.4(c)) for the taxable year of the Partnership during which the
liquidation of the Partnership occurs (with such date of occurrence being determined pursuant to
Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(g)), 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).
Section 12.5 Cancellation of Certificate of Limited Partnership. Upon the completion of the
distribution of Partnership cash and property as provided in Section 12.4 in connection
with the liquidation of the Partnership, the Certificate of Limited Partnership and all
qualifications of the Partnership as a foreign limited partnership in jurisdictions other than the
State of Delaware shall be canceled and such other actions as may be necessary to terminate the
Partnership shall be taken.
Section 12.6 Return of Contributions. The General Partner shall not be personally liable for,
and shall have no obligation to contribute or loan any monies or property to the Partnership to
enable it to effectuate, the return of the Capital Contributions of the Limited Partners or
Unitholders, or any portion thereof, it being expressly understood that any such return shall be
made solely from Partnership assets.
Section 12.7 Waiver of Partition. To the maximum extent permitted by law, each Partner hereby
waives any right to partition of the Partnership property.
Section 12.8 Capital Account Restoration. No Limited Partner shall have any obligation to
restore any negative balance in its Capital Account upon liquidation of the Partnership. The
General Partner shall be obligated to restore any negative balance in its Capital Account upon
liquidation of its interest in the Partnership by the end of the taxable year of the Partnership
during which such liquidation occurs, or, if later, within 90 days after the date of such
liquidation.
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ARTICLE XIII
Amendment of Partnership Agreement;
Meetings; Record Date
Amendment of Partnership Agreement;
Meetings; Record Date
Section 13.1 Amendments to be Adopted Solely by the General Partner. Each Partner agrees that
the General Partner, without the approval of any Partner, may amend any provision of this Agreement
and execute, swear to, acknowledge, deliver, file and record whatever documents may be required in
connection therewith, to reflect:
(a) a change in the name of the Partnership, the location of the principal place of business
of the Partnership, the registered agent of the Partnership or the registered office of the
Partnership;
(b) admission, substitution, withdrawal or removal of Partners in accordance with this
Agreement;
(c) a change that the General Partner determines to be necessary or appropriate to qualify or
continue the qualification of the Partnership as a limited partnership or a partnership in which
the Limited Partners have limited liability under the laws of any state or to ensure that the Group
Members will not be treated as associations taxable as corporations or otherwise taxed as entities
for federal income tax purposes;
(d) a change that the General Partner determines, (i) does not adversely affect in any
material respect the Limited Partners (considered as a whole or any particular class of Partnership
Interests as compared to other classes of Partnership Interests), (ii) to be necessary or
appropriate to (A) satisfy any requirements, conditions or guidelines contained in any opinion,
directive, order, ruling or regulation of any federal or state agency or judicial authority or
contained in any federal or state statute (including the Delaware Act) or (B) facilitate the
trading of the Units (including the division of any class or classes of Outstanding Units into
different classes to facilitate uniformity of tax consequences within such classes of Units) or
comply with any rule, regulation, guideline or requirement of any National Securities Exchange on
which the Units are or will be listed or admitted to trading, (iii) to be necessary or appropriate
in connection with action taken by the General Partner pursuant to Section 5.9 or (iv) is
required to effect the intent expressed in the Registration Statement or the intent of the
provisions of this Agreement or is otherwise contemplated by this Agreement;
(e) a change in the fiscal year or taxable year of the Partnership and any other changes that
the General Partner determines to be necessary or appropriate as a result of a change in the fiscal
year or taxable year of the Partnership including, if the General Partner shall so determine, a
change in the definition of “Quarter” and the dates on which distributions are to be made by the
Partnership;
(f) an amendment that is necessary, in the Opinion of Counsel, to prevent the Partnership, or
the General Partner or its directors, officers, trustees or agents from in any manner being
subjected to the provisions of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended,
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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;
(g) an amendment that the General Partner determines to be necessary or appropriate in
connection with the authorization of issuance of any class or series of Partnership Securities
pursuant to Section 5.6, including any amendment that the General Partner determines
is necessary or appropriate in connection with (i) the adjustments of the Minimum Quarterly
Distribution, First Target Distribution and Second Target Distribution pursuant to the provisions
of Section 5.11, (ii) the implementation of the provisions of Section 5.11 or (iii)
any modifications to the Incentive Distribution Rights made in connection with the issuance of
Partnership Securities pursuant to Section 5.6, provided that, with respect to this clause
(iii), the modifications to the Incentive Distribution Rights and the related issuance of
Partnership Securities have received Special Approval;
(h) any amendment expressly permitted in this Agreement to be made by the General Partner
acting alone;
(i) an amendment effected, necessitated or contemplated by a Merger Agreement approved in
accordance with Section 14.3;
(j) an amendment that the General Partner determines to be necessary or appropriate to reflect
and account for the formation by the Partnership of, or investment by the Partnership in, any
corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company or other entity, in connection
with the conduct by the Partnership of activities permitted by the terms of Section 2.4;
(k) merger, conveyance or conversion pursuant to Section 14.3(d); or
(l) any other amendments substantially similar to the foregoing.
Section 13.2 Amendment Procedures. Except as provided in Section 13.1 and Section
13.3, all amendments to this Agreement shall be made in accordance with the requirements
contained in this Section 13.2. Amendments to this Agreement may be proposed only by the
General Partner; provided, however, that to the fullest extent permitted by law, the General
Partner shall have no duty or obligation to propose any amendment to this Agreement and may decline
to do so free of any fiduciary duty or obligation whatsoever to the Partnership or any Limited
Partner and, in declining to propose an amendment, to the fullest extent permitted by law shall not
be required to act in good faith or pursuant to any other standard imposed by this Agreement, any
Group Member Agreement, any other agreement contemplated hereby or under the Delaware Act or any
other law, rule or regulation or at equity. A proposed amendment shall be effective upon its
approval by the General Partner and the holders of a Unit Majority, unless a greater or different
percentage is required under this Agreement or by Delaware law. Each proposed amendment that
requires the approval of the holders of a specified percentage of
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Outstanding Units shall be set forth in a writing that contains the text of the proposed
amendment. If such an amendment is proposed, the General Partner shall seek the written
approval of the requisite percentage of Outstanding Units or call a meeting of the Unitholders to
consider and vote on such proposed amendment. The General Partner shall notify all Record
Holders upon final adoption of any such proposed amendments.
Section 13.3 Amendment Requirements.
(a) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 13.1 and Section 13.2, no
provision of this Agreement that establishes a percentage of Outstanding Units (including Units
deemed owned by the General Partner) required to take any action shall be amended, altered,
changed, repealed or rescinded in any respect that would have the effect of reducing such voting
percentage unless such amendment is approved by the written consent or the affirmative vote of
holders of Outstanding Units whose aggregate Outstanding Units constitute not less than the voting
requirement sought to be reduced.
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 13.1 and Section 13.2, no
amendment to this Agreement may (i) enlarge the obligations of any Limited Partner without its
consent, unless such shall be deemed to have occurred as a result of an amendment approved pursuant
to Section 13.3(c), or (ii) enlarge the obligations of, restrict in any way any action by
or rights of, or reduce in any way the amounts distributable, reimbursable or otherwise payable to,
the General Partner or any of its Affiliates without its consent, which consent may be given or
withheld at its option.
(c) Except as provided in Section 14.3, and without limitation of the General
Partner’s authority to adopt amendments to this Agreement without the approval of any Partners as
contemplated in Section 13.1, any amendment that would have a material adverse effect on
the rights or preferences of any class of Partnership Interests in relation to other classes of
Partnership Interests must be approved by the holders of not less than a majority of the
Outstanding Partnership Interests of the class affected.
(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, except for amendments pursuant to
Section 13.1 and except as otherwise provided by Section 14.3(b), no amendments
shall become effective without the approval of the holders of at least 90% of the Outstanding Units voting as a single class unless the Partnership obtains an Opinion of Counsel to the
effect that such amendment will not affect the limited liability of any Limited Partner under
applicable partnership law of the state under whose laws the Partnership is organized.
(e) Except as provided in Section 13.1, this Section 13.3 shall only be
amended with the approval of the holders of at least 90% of the Outstanding Units.
Section 13.4 Special Meetings. All acts of Limited Partners to be taken pursuant to this
Agreement shall be taken in the manner provided in this Article XIII. Special meetings of
the Limited Partners may be called by the General Partner or by Limited Partners owning 20% or more
of the Outstanding Units of the class or classes for which a meeting is proposed. Limited
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Partners
shall call a special meeting by delivering to the General Partner one or more requests in writing
stating that the signing Limited Partners wish to call a special meeting and indicating the general
or specific purposes for which the special meeting is to be called. Within 60 days after receipt
of such a call from Limited Partners or within such greater time as may be reasonably necessary for
the Partnership to comply with any statutes, rules, regulations, listing agreements or similar
requirements governing the holding of a meeting or the solicitation of proxies for use at such a
meeting, the General Partner shall send a notice of the meeting to the Limited Partners either
directly or indirectly through the Transfer Agent. A meeting shall be held at a time and place
determined by the General Partner on a date not less than 10 days nor more than 60 days after the
time notice of the meeting is given as provided in Section 16.1. Limited Partners shall
not vote on matters that would cause the Limited Partners to be deemed to be taking part in the
management and control of the business and affairs of the Partnership so as to jeopardize the
Limited Partners’ limited liability under the Delaware Act or the law of any other state in which
the Partnership is qualified to do business.
Section 13.5 Notice of a Meeting. Notice of a meeting called pursuant to Section 13.4
shall be given to the Record Holders of the class or classes of Units for which a meeting is
proposed in writing by mail or other means of written communication in accordance with Section
16.1. The notice shall be deemed to have been given at the time when deposited in the mail or
sent by other means of written communication.
Section 13.6 Record Date. For purposes of determining the Limited Partners entitled to notice
of or to vote at a meeting of the Limited Partners or to give approvals without a meeting as
provided in Section 13.11 the General Partner may set a Record Date, which shall not be
less than 10 nor more than 60 days before (a) the date of the meeting (unless such requirement
conflicts with any rule, regulation, guideline or requirement of any National Securities Exchange
on which the Units are listed or admitted to trading, in which case the rule, regulation, guideline
or requirement of such National Securities Exchange shall govern) or (b) if approvals are sought
without a meeting, the
date by which Limited Partners are requested in writing by the General Partner to give such
approvals. If the General Partner does not set a Record Date, then (a) the Record Date for
determining the Limited Partners entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of the Limited
Partners shall be the close of business on the day next preceding the day on which notice is given,
and (b) the Record Date for determining the Limited Partners entitled to give approvals without a
meeting shall be the date the first written approval is deposited with the Partnership in care of
the General Partner in accordance with Section 13.11.
Section 13.7 Adjournment. When a meeting is adjourned to another time or place, notice need
not be given of the adjourned meeting and a new Record Date need not be fixed, if the time and
place thereof are announced at the meeting at which the adjournment is taken, unless such
adjournment shall be for more than 45 days. At the adjourned meeting, the Partnership may transact
any business which might have been transacted at the original meeting. If the adjournment is for
more than 45 days or if a new Record Date is fixed for the adjourned meeting, a notice of the
adjourned meeting shall be given in accordance with this Article XIII.
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Section 13.8 Waiver of Notice; Approval of Meeting; Approval of Minutes. The transactions of
any meeting of Limited Partners, however called and noticed, and whenever held, shall be as valid
as if it had occurred at a meeting duly held after regular call and notice, if a quorum is present
either in person or by proxy. Attendance of a Limited Partner at a meeting shall constitute a
waiver of notice of the meeting, except when the Limited Partner attends the meeting for the
express purpose of objecting, at the beginning of the meeting, to the transaction of any business
because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened; and except that attendance at a meeting is
not a waiver of any right to disapprove the consideration of matters required to be included in the
notice of the meeting, but not so included, if the disapproval is expressly made at the meeting.
Section 13.9 Quorum and Voting. The holders of a majority of the Outstanding Units of the
class or classes for which a meeting has been called (including Outstanding Units deemed owned by
the General Partner) represented in person or by proxy shall constitute a quorum at a meeting of
Limited Partners of such class or classes unless any such action by the Limited Partners requires
approval by holders of a greater percentage of such Units, in which case the quorum shall be such
greater percentage. At any meeting of the Limited Partners duly called and held in accordance with
this Agreement at which a quorum is present, the act of Limited Partners holding Outstanding Units
that in the aggregate represent a majority of the Outstanding Units entitled to vote and be present
in person or by proxy at such meeting shall be deemed to constitute the act of all Limited
Partners, unless a greater or different percentage is required with respect to such action under
the provisions of this Agreement, in which case the act of the Limited Partners holding Outstanding
Units that in the aggregate represent at least such greater or different percentage shall be
required. The Limited Partners present at a duly called or held meeting at which a quorum is
present may continue to
transact business until adjournment, notwithstanding the withdrawal of enough Limited Partners
to leave less than a quorum, if any action taken (other than adjournment) is approved by the
required percentage of Outstanding Units specified in this Agreement (including Outstanding Units
deemed owned by the General Partner). In the absence of a quorum any meeting of Limited Partners
may be adjourned from time to time by the affirmative vote of holders of at least a majority of the
Outstanding Units entitled to vote at such meeting (including Outstanding Units deemed owned by the
General Partner) represented either in person or by proxy, but no other business may be transacted,
except as provided in Section 13.7.
Section 13.10 Conduct of a Meeting. The General Partner shall have full power and authority
concerning the manner of conducting any meeting of the Limited Partners or solicitation of
approvals in writing, including the determination of Persons entitled to vote, the existence of a
quorum, the satisfaction of the requirements of Section 13.4, the conduct of voting, the
validity and effect of any proxies and the determination of any controversies, votes or challenges
arising in connection with or during the meeting or voting. The General Partner shall designate a
Person to serve as chairman of any meeting and shall further designate a Person to take the minutes
of any meeting. All minutes shall be kept with the records of the Partnership maintained by the
General Partner. The General Partner may make such other regulations consistent with applicable
law and this Agreement as it may deem advisable concerning the
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conduct of any meeting of the
Limited Partners or solicitation of approvals in writing, including regulations in regard to the
appointment of proxies, the appointment and duties of inspectors of votes and approvals, the
submission and examination of proxies and other evidence of the right to vote, and the revocation
of approvals in writing.
Section 13.11 Action Without a Meeting. If authorized by the General Partner, any action that
may be taken at a meeting of the Limited Partners may be taken without a meeting if an approval in
writing setting forth the action so taken is signed by Limited Partners owning not less than the
minimum percentage of the Outstanding Units (including Units deemed owned by the General Partner)
that would be necessary to authorize or take such action at a meeting at which all the Limited
Partners were present and voted (unless such provision conflicts with any rule, regulation,
guideline or requirement of any National Securities Exchange on which the Units are listed or
admitted to trading, in which case the rule, regulation, guideline or requirement of such National
Securities Exchange shall govern). Prompt notice of the taking of action without a meeting shall
be given to the Limited Partners who have not approved in writing. The General Partner may specify
that any written ballot submitted to Limited Partners for the purpose of taking any action without
a meeting shall be returned to the Partnership within the time period, which shall be not less than
20 days, specified by the General Partner. If a ballot returned to the Partnership does not vote
all of the Units held by the Limited Partners, the Partnership shall be deemed to have failed to
receive a ballot for the Units that were not voted. If approval of the taking of any action by the
Limited Partners is solicited by any Person other than by or on behalf of the General Partner, the
written approvals shall have no force and effect unless and until (a) they are deposited with the
Partnership in care of the General Partner, (b) approvals sufficient to take the action proposed
are
dated as of a date not more than 90 days prior to the date sufficient approvals are deposited
with the Partnership and (c) an Opinion of Counsel is delivered to the General Partner to the
effect that the exercise of such right and the action proposed to be taken with respect to any
particular matter (i) will not cause the Limited Partners to be deemed to be taking part in the
management and control of the business and affairs of the Partnership so as to jeopardize the
Limited Partners’ limited liability, and (ii) is otherwise permissible under the state statutes
then governing the rights, duties and liabilities of the Partnership and the Partners.
Section 13.12 Right to Vote and Related Matters.
(a) Only those Record Holders of the Units on the Record Date set pursuant to Section
13.6 (and also subject to the limitations contained in the definition of “Outstanding”) shall
be entitled to notice of, and to vote at, a meeting of Limited Partners or to act with respect to
matters as to which the holders of the Outstanding Units 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 Units
shall be deemed to be references to the votes or acts of the Record Holders of such Outstanding
Units.
(b) With respect to Units 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 Units are registered, such other Person shall, in exercising the
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voting rights
in respect of such Units on any matter, and unless the arrangement between such Persons provides
otherwise, vote such Units in favor of, and at the direction of, the Person who is the beneficial
owner, and the Partnership shall be entitled to assume it is so acting without further inquiry.
The provisions of this Section 13.12(b) (as well as all other provisions of this Agreement)
are subject to the provisions of Section 4.3.
ARTICLE XIV
Merger, Consolidation or Conversion
Merger, Consolidation or Conversion
Section 14.1 Authority. The Partnership may merge or consolidate with or into one or more
corporations, limited liability companies, statutory trusts or associations, real estate investment
trusts, common law trusts or unincorporated businesses, including a partnership (whether general or
limited (including a limited liability partnership)) or 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, pursuant to a written plan of merger or consolidation (“Merger Agreement”) or a written
plan of conversion (“Plan of Conversion”), as the case may be, in accordance with this Article
XIV.
Section 14.2 Procedure for Merger, Consolidation or Conversion.
(a) Merger, consolidation or conversion of the Partnership pursuant to this Article
XIV requires the prior consent of the General Partner, provided, however, that, to the fullest
extent permitted by law, the General Partner shall have no duty or obligation to consent to
any merger, consolidation or conversion of the Partnership and may decline to do so free of any
fiduciary duty or obligation whatsoever to the Partnership, any Limited Partner and, in declining
to consent to a merger, consolidation or conversion, shall not be required to act in good faith or
pursuant to any other standard imposed by this Agreement, any other agreement contemplated hereby
or under the Act or any other law, rule or regulation or at equity.
(b) If the General Partner shall determine to consent to the merger or consolidation, the
General Partner shall approve the Merger Agreement, which shall set forth:
(i) name and state of domicile of each of the business entities proposing to merge or
consolidate;
(ii) the name and state of domicile of the business entity that is to survive the
proposed merger or consolidation (the “Surviving Business Entity”);
(iii) the terms and conditions of the proposed merger or consolidation;
(iv) the manner and basis of exchanging or converting the equity securities of each
constituent business entity for, or into, cash, property or interests, rights, securities or
obligations of the Surviving Business Entity; and (i) if any general or limited partner
interests, securities or rights of any constituent business entity are not to be exchanged
or converted solely for, or into, cash, property or general or limited partner interests,
rights,
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securities or obligations of the Surviving Business Entity, the cash, property or
interests, rights, securities or obligations of any general or limited partnership,
corporation, trust, limited liability company, unincorporated business or other entity
(other than the Surviving Business Entity) which the holders of such general or limited
partner interests, securities or rights are to receive in exchange for, or upon conversion
of their interests, securities or rights, and (ii) in the case of securities represented by
certificates, upon the surrender of such certificates, which cash, property or general or
limited partner interests, rights, securities or obligations of the Surviving Business
Entity or any general or limited partnership, corporation, trust, limited liability company,
unincorporated business or other entity (other than the Surviving Business Entity), or
evidences thereof, are to be delivered;
(v) a statement of any changes in the constituent documents or the adoption of new
constituent documents (the articles or certificate of incorporation, articles of trust,
declaration of trust, certificate or agreement of limited partnership, operating agreement
or other similar charter or governing document) of the Surviving Business Entity to be
effected by such merger 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 14.4 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 such certificate of merger, the
effective
time shall be fixed at a date or time certain at or prior to the time of the filing of
such certificate of merger and stated therein); and
(vii) such other provisions with respect to the proposed merger or consolidation that
the General Partner determines to be necessary or appropriate.
(c) If the General Partner shall determine to consent to the conversion, the General Partner
shall approve the Plan of Conversion, which shall set forth:
(i) the name of the converting entity and the converted entity;
(ii) a statement that the Partnership is continuing its existence in the organizational
form of the converted entity;
(iii) a statement as to the type of entity that the converted entity is to be and the
state or country under the laws of which the converted entity is to be incorporated, formed
or organized;
(iv) the manner and basis of exchanging or converting the equity securities of each
constituent business entity for, or into, cash, property or interests, rights, securities or
obligations of the converted entity;
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(v) in an attachment or exhibit, the certificate of limited partnership of the
Partnership; and
(vi) in an attachment or exhibit, the certificate of limited partnership, articles of
incorporation, or other organizational documents of the converted entity;
(vii) the effective time of the conversion, which may be the date of the filing of the
articles of conversion or a later date specified in or determinable in accordance with the
Plan of Conversion (provided, that if the effective time of the conversion is to be later
than the date of the filing of such articles of conversion, the effective time shall be
fixed at a date or time certain at or prior to the time of the filing of such articles of
conversion and stated therein); and
(viii) such other provisions with respect to the proposed conversion that the General
Partner determines to be necessary or appropriate.
Section 14.3 Approval by Limited Partners.
(a) Except as provided in Section 14.3(d), the General Partner, upon its approval of
the Merger Agreement or the Plan of Conversion, as the case may be, shall direct that the Merger
Agreement or the Plan of Conversion, as applicable, be submitted to a vote of Limited Partners,
whether at a special meeting or by written consent, in either case in accordance with the
requirements of Article XIII. A copy or a summary of the Merger Agreement or the Plan of
Conversion, as the case may be, shall be included in or enclosed with the notice of a special
meeting or the written consent.
(b) Except as provided in Section 14.3(d), the Merger Agreement or Plan of Conversion,
as the case may be, shall be approved upon receiving the affirmative vote or consent of the holders
of a Unit Majority.
(c) Except as provided in Section 14.3(d), after such approval by vote or consent of
the Limited Partners, and at any time prior to the filing of the certificate of merger or articles
of conversion pursuant to Section 14.4, the merger, consolidation or conversion may be
abandoned pursuant to provisions therefor, if any, set forth in the Merger Agreement or Plan of
Conversion, as the case may be.
(d) Notwithstanding anything else contained in this Article XIV or in this Agreement,
the General Partner is permitted, without Limited Partner approval, to convert the Partnership or
any Group Member into a new limited liability entity, to merge the Partnership or any Group Member
into, or convey all of the Partnership’s assets to, another limited liability entity that shall be
newly formed and shall have no assets, liabilities or operations at the time of such conversion,
merger or conveyance other than those it receives from the Partnership or other Group Member if (i)
the General Partner has received an Opinion of Counsel that the conversion, merger or conveyance,
as the case may be, would not result in the loss of the limited liability of any Limited Partner or
cause the Partnership to be treated as an association taxable as a corporation
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or otherwise to be
taxed as an entity for 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 Partnership into another limited liability entity and (iii) the governing
instruments of the new entity provide the Limited Partners and the General Partner with the same
rights and obligations as are herein contained.
(e) Additionally, notwithstanding anything else contained in this Article XIV or in
this Agreement, the General Partner is permitted, without Limited Partner approval, to merge or
consolidate the Partnership with or into another entity if (A) the General Partner has received an
Opinion of Counsel that the merger or consolidation, as the case may be, would not result in the
loss of the limited liability of any Limited Partner or cause the Partnership to be treated as an
association taxable as a corporation or otherwise to be taxed as an entity for federal income tax
purposes (to the extent not previously treated as such), (B) the merger or consolidation would not
result in an amendment to the Partnership Agreement, other than any amendments that could be
adopted pursuant to Section 13.1, (C) the Partnership is the Surviving Business Entity in
such merger or consolidation, (D) each Unit outstanding immediately prior to the effective date of
the merger or consolidation is to be an identical Unit of the Partnership after the effective date
of the merger or consolidation, and (E) the number of Partnership Securities to be issued by the
Partnership in such merger or consolidation do not exceed 20% of the Partnership Securities
Outstanding immediately prior to the effective date of such merger or consolidation.
(f) Pursuant to Section 17-211(g) of the Delaware Act, an agreement of merger or consolidation
approved in accordance with this Article XIV may (a) effect any amendment to
this Agreement or (b) effect the adoption of a new partnership agreement for the Partnership
if it is the Surviving Business Entity. Any such amendment or adoption made pursuant to this
Section 14.3 shall be effective at the effective time or date of the merger or
consolidation.
Section 14.4 Certificate of Merger. Upon the required approval by the General Partner and the
Unitholders of a Merger Agreement or the Plan of Conversion, as the case may be, a certificate of
merger or articles of conversion, 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 14.5
Effect of Merger, Consolidation or Conversion.
(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 mixed, and all debts due to any
of those business entities and all other things and causes of action belonging to each of
those business entities, shall be vested in the Surviving Business Entity and after the
merger or consolidation shall be the property of the Surviving Business Entity to the extent
they were of each a 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 or consolidation;
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(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) At the effective time of the articles of conversion:
(i) the Partnership shall continue to exist, without interruption, but in the
organizational form of the converted entity rather than in its prior organizational form;
(ii) all rights, title, and interests to all real estate and other property owned by
the Partnership shall continue to be owned by the converted entity in its new organizational
form without reversion or impairment, without further act or deed, and without any transfer
or assignment having occurred, but subject to any existing liens or other encumbrances
thereon;
(iii) all liabilities and obligations of the Partnership shall continue to be
liabilities and obligations of the converted entity in its new organizational form without
impairment or diminution by reason of the conversion;
(iv) all rights of creditors or other parties with respect to or against the prior
interest holders or other owners of the Partnership in their capacities as such in existence
as of the effective time of the conversion will continue in existence as to those
liabilities and obligations and may be pursued by such creditors and obligees as if the
conversion did not occur;
(v) a proceeding pending by or against the Partnership or by or against any of Partners
in their capacities as such may be continued by or against the converted entity in its new
organizational form and by or against the prior partners without any need for substitution
of parties; and
(vi) the Partnership Units that are to be converted into partnership interests, shares,
evidences of ownership, or other securities in the converted entity as provided in the plan
of conversion shall be so converted, and Partners shall be entitled only to the rights
provided in the Plan of Conversion.
ARTICLE XV
Right to Acquire Limited Partner Interests
Right to Acquire Limited Partner Interests
Section 15.1 Right to Acquire Limited Partner Interests.
(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, if at any time the General Partner
and its Affiliates hold more than 80% of the total Limited Partner Interests of any class then
Outstanding, the General Partner shall then have the right, which right it may assign and
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transfer
in whole or in part to the Partnership or any Affiliate of the General Partner, exercisable at its
option, to purchase all, but not less than all, of such Limited Partner Interests of such class
then Outstanding held by Persons other than the General Partner and its Affiliates, at the greater
of (x) the Current Market Price as of the date three days prior to the date that the notice
described in Section 15.1(b) is mailed and (y) the highest price paid by the General
Partner or any of its Affiliates for any such Limited Partner Interest of such class purchased
during the 90-day period preceding the date that the notice described in Section 15.1(b) is
mailed. As used in this Agreement, (i) “Current Market Price” as of any date of any class of
Limited Partner Interests means the average of the daily Closing Prices (as hereinafter defined)
per Limited Partner Interest of such class for the 20 consecutive Trading Days (as hereinafter
defined) immediately prior to such date; (ii) “Closing Price” for any day means the last sale price
on such day, regular way, or in case no such sale takes place on such day, the average of the
closing bid and asked prices on such day, regular way, as reported in the principal consolidated
transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed on the principal National Securities
Exchange (other than the Nasdaq Stock Market) on which such Limited Partner Interests are listed or
admitted to trading or, if such Limited Partner Interests of such class are not listed or admitted
to trading on any National Securities Exchange (other than the Nasdaq Stock Market), the last
quoted price on
such day or, if not so quoted, the average of the high bid and low asked prices on such day in
the over-the-counter market, as reported by the Nasdaq Stock Market or such other system then in
use, or, if on any such day such Limited Partner Interests of such class are not quoted by any such
organization, the average of the closing bid and asked prices on such day as furnished by a
professional market maker making a market in such Limited Partner Interests of such class selected
by the General Partner, or if on any such day no market maker is making a market in such Limited
Partner Interests of such class, the fair value of such Limited Partner Interests on such day as
determined by the General Partner; and (iii) “Trading Day” means a day on which the principal
National Securities Exchange on which such Limited Partner Interests of any class are listed or
admitted for trading is open for the transaction of business or, if Limited Partner Interests of a
class are not listed or admitted for trading on any National Securities Exchange, a day on which
banking institutions in New York City generally are open.
(b) If the General Partner, any Affiliate of the General Partner or the Partnership elects to
exercise the right to purchase Limited Partner Interests granted pursuant to Section
15.1(a), the General Partner shall deliver to the Transfer Agent notice of such election to
purchase (the “Notice of Election to Purchase”) and shall cause the Transfer Agent to mail a copy
of such Notice of Election to Purchase to the Record Holders of Limited Partner Interests of such
class (as of a Record Date selected by the General Partner) at least 10, but not more than 60, days
prior to the Purchase Date. Such Notice of Election to Purchase shall also be published for a
period of at least three consecutive days in at least two daily newspapers of general circulation
printed in the English language and published in the Borough of Manhattan, New York. The Notice of
Election to Purchase shall specify the Purchase Date and the price (determined in accordance with
Section 15.1(a)) at which Limited Partner Interests will be purchased and state that the
General Partner, its Affiliate or the Partnership, as the case may be, elects to purchase such
Limited Partner Interests, upon surrender of Certificates representing such Limited Partner
Interests in exchange for payment, at such office or offices of the Transfer Agent as the Transfer
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Agent may specify, or as may be required by any National Securities Exchange on which such Limited
Partner Interests are listed. Any such Notice of Election to Purchase mailed to a Record Holder of
Limited Partner Interests at his address as reflected in the records of the Transfer Agent shall be
conclusively presumed to have been given regardless of whether the owner receives such notice. On
or prior to the Purchase Date, the General Partner, its Affiliate or the Partnership, as the case
may be, shall deposit with the Transfer Agent cash in an amount sufficient to pay the aggregate
purchase price of all of such Limited Partner Interests to be purchased in accordance with this
Section 15.1. If the Notice of Election to Purchase shall have been duly given as
aforesaid at least 10 days prior to the Purchase Date, and if on or prior to the Purchase Date the
deposit described in the preceding sentence has been made for the benefit of the holders of Limited
Partner Interests subject to purchase as provided herein, then from and after the Purchase Date,
notwithstanding that any Certificate shall not have been surrendered for purchase, all rights of
the holders of such Limited Partner Interests (including any rights pursuant to Article IV,
Article V, Article VI, and Article XII) shall thereupon cease, except the
right to receive the purchase price (determined in accordance with Section 15.1(a)) for
Limited Partner Interests therefor, without interest, upon surrender to the Transfer Agent of the
Certificates representing such Limited Partner Interests, and such Limited Partner Interests shall
thereupon
be deemed to be transferred to the General Partner, its Affiliate or the Partnership, as the
case may be, on the record books of the Transfer Agent and the Partnership, and the General Partner
or any Affiliate of the General Partner, or the Partnership, as the case may be, shall be deemed to
be the owner of all such Limited Partner Interests from and after the Purchase Date and shall have
all rights as the owner of such Limited Partner Interests (including all rights as owner of such
Limited Partner Interests pursuant to Article IV, Article V, Article VI and
Article XII).
(c) At any time from and after the Purchase Date, a holder of an Outstanding Limited Partner
Interest subject to purchase as provided in this Section 15.1 may surrender his Certificate
evidencing such Limited Partner Interest to the Transfer Agent in exchange for payment of the
amount described in Section 15.1(a), therefor, without interest thereon.
ARTICLE XVI
General Provisions
General Provisions
Section 16.1 Addresses and Notices.
(a) Any notice, demand, request, report or proxy materials required or permitted to be given
or made to a Partner under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed given or made
when delivered in person or when sent by first class United States mail or by other means of
written communication to the Partner at the address described below. Any notice, payment or report
to be given or made to a Partner hereunder shall be deemed conclusively to have been given or made,
and the obligation to give such notice or report or to make such payment shall be deemed
conclusively to have been fully satisfied, upon sending of such notice, payment or report to the
Record Holder of such Partnership Securities at his address as shown on the records of the Transfer
Agent or as otherwise shown on the records of the Partnership, regardless of any claim of any
Person who may have an interest in such Partnership Securities by reason of any assignment or
otherwise. An affidavit or certificate of making of any notice, payment or report
106
in accordance
with the provisions of this Section 16.1 executed by the General Partner, the Transfer
Agent or the mailing organization shall be prima facie evidence of the giving or making of such
notice, payment or report. If any notice, payment or report addressed to a Record Holder at the
address of such Record Holder appearing on the books and records of the Transfer Agent or the
Partnership 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
Partnership of a change in his address) if they are available for the Partner at the principal
office of the Partnership for a period of one year from the date of the giving or making of such
notice, payment or report to the other Partners. Any notice to the Partnership shall be deemed
given if received by the General Partner at the principal office of the Partnership designated
pursuant to Section 2.3. The General Partner may rely and shall be protected in relying on
any notice or other document from a Partner or other Person if believed by it to be genuine.
(b) The terms “in writing”, “written communications”, “written notice” and words of similar
import will be deemed satisfied under this Agreement by use of e-mail and other forms of electronic
communication.
Section 16.2 Further Action. The parties shall execute and deliver all documents, provide all
information and take or refrain from taking action as may be necessary or appropriate to achieve
the purposes of this Agreement.
Section 16.3 Binding Effect. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of
the parties hereto and their heirs, executors, administrators, successors, legal representatives
and permitted assigns.
Section 16.4 Integration. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement among the parties
hereto pertaining to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior agreements and
understandings pertaining thereto.
Section 16.5 Creditors. None of the provisions of this Agreement shall be for the benefit of,
or shall be enforceable by, any creditor of the Partnership.
Section 16.6 Waiver. No failure by any party to insist upon the strict performance of any
covenant, duty, agreement or condition of this Agreement or to exercise any right or remedy
consequent upon a breach thereof shall constitute waiver of any such breach of any other covenant,
duty, agreement or condition.
Section 16.7 Third-Party Beneficiaries. Each Partner agrees that any Indemnitee shall be
entitled to assert rights and remedies hereunder as a third-party beneficiary hereto with respect
to those provisions of this Agreement affording a right, benefit or privilege to such Indemnitee.
107
Section 16.8 Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in counterparts, all of which
together shall constitute an agreement binding on all the parties hereto, notwithstanding that all
such parties are not signatories to the original or the same counterpart. Each party shall become
bound by this Agreement immediately upon affixing its signature hereto or, in the case of a Person
acquiring a Limited Partner Interest, pursuant to Section 10.1(a) without execution hereto.
Section 16.9 Applicable Law. This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with and
governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to the principles of conflicts of
law.
Section 16.10 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 16.11 Consent of Partners. Each Partner hereby expressly consents and agrees that,
whenever in this Agreement it is specified that an action may be taken upon the affirmative vote or
consent of less than all of the Partners, such action may be so taken upon the concurrence of less
than all of the Partners and each Partner shall be bound by the results of such action.
Section 16.12 Facsimile Signatures. The use of facsimile signatures affixed in the name and
on behalf of the transfer agent and registrar of the Partnership on certificates representing
Common Units is expressly permitted by this Agreement.
Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank.
Signature Page Follows.
Signature Page Follows.
108
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the date first
written above.
GENERAL PARTNER: | ||||||
QUEST ENERGY GP, LLC | ||||||
By: | /s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxx | |||||
Name: | ||||||
Title: | Chief Executive Officer | |||||
ORGANIZATIONAL LIMITED PARTNER: | ||||||
QUEST RESOURCE CORPORATION | ||||||
By: | /s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxx | |||||
Name: | ||||||
Title: | Chief Executive Officer |
LIMITED PARTNERS:
All Limited Partners now and hereafter admitted as Limited Partners of the Partnership,
pursuant to powers of attorney now and hereafter executed in favor of, and granted and delivered to
the General Partner or without execution hereof pursuant to Section 10.2(a).
QUEST ENERGY GP, LLC | ||||||
By: | /s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxx | |||||
Name: | ||||||
Title: | Chief Executive Officer |
EXHIBIT A
to the
First Amended and Restated
Agreement of Limited Partnership
of
Quest Energy Partners, L.P.
to the
First Amended and Restated
Agreement of Limited Partnership
of
Quest Energy Partners, L.P.
Certificate Evidencing Common Units
Representing Limited Partner Interests
in
Quest Energy Partners, L.P.
Representing Limited Partner Interests
in
Quest Energy Partners, L.P.
No. [ ] [ ]Common Units
In accordance with Section 4.1 of the First Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited
Partnership of Quest Energy Partners, L.P., as amended, supplemented or restated from time to time
(the “Partnership Agreement”), Quest Energy Partners, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (the
“Partnership”), hereby certifies that (the “Holder”) is the
registered owner of Common Units representing limited partner interests in the Partnership (the
“Common Units”) transferable on the books of the Partnership, in person or by duly authorized
attorney, upon surrender of this Certificate properly endorsed. The rights, preferences and
limitations of the Common Units are set forth in, and this Certificate and the Common Units
represented hereby are issued and shall in all respects be subject to the terms and provisions of,
the Partnership Agreement. Copies of the Partnership Agreement are on file at, and will be
furnished without charge on delivery of written request to the Partnership at, the principal office
of the Partnership located at Oklahoma Tower, 000 Xxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 0000, Xxxxxxxx Xxxx, Xxxxxxxx,
00000. Capitalized terms used herein but not defined shall have the meanings given them in the
Partnership Agreement.
THE HOLDER OF THIS SECURITY ACKNOWLEDGES FOR THE BENEFIT OF QUEST ENERGY PARTNERS, L.P. THAT THIS
SECURITY MAY NOT BE SOLD, OFFERED, RESOLD, PLEDGED OR OTHERWISE TRANSFERRED IF SUCH TRANSFER WOULD
(A) VIOLATE THE THEN APPLICABLE FEDERAL OR STATE SECURITIES LAWS OR RULES AND REGULATIONS OF THE
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION, ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION OR ANY OTHER GOVERNMENTAL
AUTHORITY WITH JURISDICTION OVER SUCH TRANSFER, (B) TERMINATE THE EXISTENCE OR QUALIFICATION OF
QUEST ENERGY PARTNERS, L.P. UNDER THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE, (C) CAUSE QUEST ENERGY
PARTNERS, L.P. TO BE TREATED AS AN ASSOCIATION TAXABLE AS A CORPORATION OR OTHERWISE TO BE TAXED AS
AN ENTITY FOR FEDERAL INCOME TAX PURPOSES (TO THE EXTENT NOT ALREADY SO TREATED OR TAXED), OR (D)
VIOLATE THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE FIRST AMENDED AND RESTATED AGREEMENT OF LIMITED PARTNERSHIP
OF QUEST ENERGY PARTNERS, L.P., DATED NOVEMBER 15, 2007, AS THE SAME MAY BE AMENDED FROM TIME TO
TIME.
A-1
QUEST ENERGY GP, LLC, THE GENERAL PARTNER OF QUEST ENERGY PARTNERS, L.P., MAY IMPOSE ADDITIONAL
RESTRICTIONS ON THE TRANSFER OF THIS SECURITY IF IT RECEIVES AN OPINION OF COUNSEL THAT SUCH
RESTRICTIONS ARE NECESSARY TO AVOID A SIGNIFICANT RISK OF QUEST ENERGY PARTNERS, L.P. BECOMING
TAXABLE AS A CORPORATION OR OTHERWISE BECOMING TAXABLE AS AN ENTITY FOR FEDERAL INCOME TAX
PURPOSES. THE RESTRICTIONS SET FORTH ABOVE SHALL NOT PRECLUDE THE SETTLEMENT OF ANY TRANSACTIONS
INVOLVING THIS SECURITY ENTERED INTO THROUGH THE FACILITIES OF ANY NATIONAL SECURITIES EXCHANGE ON
WHICH THIS SECURITY IS LISTED OR ADMITTED TO TRADING.
The Holder, by accepting this Certificate, is deemed to have (i) requested admission as, and agreed
to become, a Limited Partner and to have agreed to comply with and be bound by and to have executed
the Partnership Agreement, (ii) represented and warranted that the Holder has all right, power and
authority and, if an individual, the capacity necessary to enter into the Partnership Agreement,
(iii) granted the powers of attorney provided for in the Partnership Agreement and (iv) made the
waivers and given the consents and approvals contained in the Partnership Agreement.
A-2
This Certificate shall not be valid for any purpose unless it has been countersigned and registered
by the Transfer Agent and Registrar.
Dated: | Quest Energy Partners, L.P. | |||||||
Countersigned and Registered by: | ||||||||
[Name of Transfer Agent] | By: | |||||||
By: |
||||||||
A-3
[Reverse of Certificate]
ABBREVIATIONS
The following abbreviations, when used in the inscription on the face of this Certificate,
shall be construed as follows according to applicable laws or regulations:
TEN COM — as tenants in common | UNIF GIFT/TRANSFERS MIN ACT | |||||
Custodian | ||||||
TEN ENT — as tenants by the entireties
|
(Cust) | (Minor) | ||||
under Uniform Gifts/Transfers to | ||||||
JT TEN — as joint tenants with right of survivorship
|
Minors Act | |||||
and not as tenants in common | (State) |
Additional abbreviations, though not in the above list, may also be used.
ASSIGNMENT OF COMMON UNITS
Quest Energy Partners, L.P.
Quest Energy Partners, L.P.
FOR VALUE RECEIVED, ____________ hereby assigns, conveys, sells and
transfers unto
(Please print or typewrite name
and address of Assignee)
|
(Please insert Social Security or other identifying number of Assignee) |
__ Common Units representing limited partner interests evidenced by this Certificate,
subject to the Partnership Agreement, and does hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint
______ as its attorney-in-fact with full power of substitution to transfer the same
on the books of Quest Energy Partners, L.P.
Date: |
||
NOTE: The signature to any endorsement
hereon must correspond with the name as
written upon the fact of this Certificate in
every particular, without alteration, enlarge-
ment or change.
THE SIGNATURE(S) must be guaranteed
By an eligible Guarantor or Institution
(Banks, Stockbrokers, Savings and Loan
Associations and Credit Unions with
Membership in an Approved Signature
Guaranteed Medallion Program), pursuant
to S.E.C. Rule 17Ad-15.
(Signature) |
(Signature) |
A-4
No transfer of the Common Units evidenced hereby will be registered on the books of the
Partnership, unless the Certificate evidencing the Common Units to be transferred is surrendered
for registration or transfer.
A-5