SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY AGREEMENT OF FORTRESS INVESTMENT GROUP LLC
SECOND
AMENDED AND RESTATED
OF
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
ARTICLE
I |
||
DEFINITIONS
|
||
Section
1.1 |
Definitions
|
1
|
Section
1.2 |
Construction
|
11
|
ARTICLE
II |
||
ORGANIZATION
|
||
Section
2.1 |
Formation
|
12
|
Section
2.2 |
Name
|
12
|
Section
2.3 |
Registered
Office; Registered Agent; Principal Office; Other Offices |
12
|
Section
2.4 |
Purposes
|
12
|
Section
2.5 |
Powers
|
13
|
Section
2.6 |
Power of
Attorney |
13
|
Section
2.7 |
Term
|
14
|
Section
2.8 |
Title to
Company Assets |
14
|
Section
2.9 |
Relationship
With Fortress Operating Group |
14
|
ARTICLE
III |
||
MEMBERS
AND SHARES |
||
Section
3.1 |
Members
|
19
|
Section
3.2 |
Authorization
to Issue Shares |
20
|
Section
3.3 |
Certificates
|
21
|
Section
3.4 |
Record
Holders |
22
|
Section
3.5 |
Registration
and Transfer of Shares |
22
|
Section
3.6 |
Capital
Accounts |
23
|
Section
3.7 |
Splits
and Combinations |
26
|
ARTICLE
IV |
||
ALLOCATIONS
AND DISTRIBUTIONS |
||
Section
4.1 |
Allocations
for Capital Account Purposes |
27
|
Section
4.2 |
Allocations
for Tax Purposes |
30
|
Section
4.3 |
Distributions
to Record Holders |
32
|
(i)
ARTICLE
V |
||
MANAGEMENT
AND OPERATION OF BUSINESS |
||
Section
5.1 |
Power
and Authority of Board of Directors |
33
|
Section
5.2 |
Number,
Qualification and Term of Office of Directors |
35
|
Section
5.3 |
Election
of Directors |
35
|
Section
5.4 |
Removal
|
36
|
Section
5.5 |
Resignations
|
36
|
Section
5.6 |
Vacancies
|
36
|
Section
5.7 |
Nomination
of Directors |
36
|
Section
5.8 |
Chairman
of Meetings |
37
|
Section
5.9 |
Place of
Meetings |
37
|
Section
5.10 |
Regular
Meetings |
37
|
Section
5.11 |
Special
Meetings; Notice |
37
|
Section
5.12 |
Action
Without Meeting |
37
|
Section
5.13 |
Conference
Telephone Meetings |
37
|
Section
5.14 |
Quorum
|
38
|
Section
5.15 |
Committees
|
38
|
Section
5.16 |
Alternate
Members of Committees |
38
|
Section
5.17 |
Minutes
of Committees |
38
|
Section
5.18 |
Remuneration
|
38
|
Section
5.19 |
Exculpation,
Indemnification, Advances and Insurance |
39
|
Section
5.20 |
Resolution
of Conflicts of Interest; Standards of Conduct and Modification of
Duties |
42
|
Section
5.21 |
Certificate
of Formation |
43
|
Section
5.22 |
Officers
|
43
|
Section
5.23 |
Duties
of Officers and Directors. |
45
|
Section
5.24 |
Outside
Activities |
46
|
Section
5.25 |
Reliance
by Third Parties |
46
|
Section
5.26 |
Acquisitions
by FIG LLC. |
46
|
ARTICLE
VI |
||
BOOKS,
RECORDS, ACCOUNTING AND REPORTS |
||
Section
6.1 |
Records
and Accounting |
47
|
Section
6.2 |
Fiscal
Year |
47
|
Section
6.3 |
Reports
|
47
|
ARTICLE
VII |
||
TAX
MATTERS |
||
Section
7.1 |
Tax
Returns and Information |
47
|
Section
7.2 |
Tax
Elections |
48
|
Section
7.3 |
Tax
Controversies |
48
|
(ii)
Section
7.4 |
Withholding
|
48
|
Section
7.5 |
Class B
Shares |
48
|
ARTICLE
VIII |
||
DISSOLUTION
AND LIQUIDATION |
||
Section
8.1 |
Dissolution
|
49
|
Section
8.2 |
Liquidator
|
49
|
Section
8.3 |
Liquidation
|
49
|
Section
8.4 |
Cancellation
of Certificate of Formation |
50
|
Section
8.5 |
Return
of Contributions |
51
|
Section
8.6 |
Waiver
of Partition |
51
|
Section
8.7 |
Capital
Account Restoration |
51
|
ARTICLE
IX |
||
AMENDMENT
OF AGREEMENT |
||
Section
9.1 |
General
|
51
|
Section
9.2 |
Super-Majority
Amendments |
51
|
Section
9.3 |
Amendments
to be Adopted Solely by the Board of Directors |
51
|
Section
9.4 |
Amendment
Requirements |
53
|
ARTICLE
X |
||
MERGER,
CONSOLIDATION OR CONVERSION |
||
Section
10.1 |
Authority
|
53
|
Section
10.2 |
Procedure
for Merger, Consolidation or Conversion |
54
|
Section
10.3 |
Approval
by Members of Merger, Consolidation or Conversion or Sales of Substantially All
of the Company's Assets |
55
|
Section
10.4 |
Certificate
of Merger or Conversion |
56
|
Section
10.5 |
Effect
of Merger |
56
|
Section
10.6 |
Corporate
Treatment |
57
|
ARTICLE
XI |
||
MEMBER
MEETINGS |
||
Section
11.1 |
Member
Meetings |
57
|
Section
11.2 |
Notice
of Meetings of Members |
58
|
Section
11.3 |
Record
Date |
59
|
Section
11.4 |
Adjournment
|
59
|
Section
11.5 |
Waiver
of Notice; Approval of Meeting |
59
|
Section
11.6 |
Quorum;
Required Vote for Member Action; Voting for Directors |
59
|
Section
11.7 |
Conduct
of a Meeting; Member Lists |
60
|
Section
11.8 |
Action
Without a Meeting |
60
|
(iii)
Section
11.9 |
Voting
and Other Rights |
61
|
Section
11.10 |
Proxies
and Voting |
61
|
Section
11.11 |
Notice
of Member Business and Nominations |
62
|
ARTICLE
XII |
||
GENERAL
PROVISIONS |
||
Section
12.1 |
Addresses
and Notices |
65
|
Section
12.2 |
Further
Action |
65
|
Section
12.3 |
Binding
Effect |
66
|
Section
12.4 |
Integration
|
66
|
Section
12.5 |
Creditors
|
66
|
Section
12.6 |
Waiver
|
66
|
Section
12.7 |
Counterparts
|
66
|
Section
12.8 |
Applicable
Law |
66
|
Section
12.9 |
Invalidity
of Provisions |
66
|
Section
12.10 |
Consent
of Members |
66
|
Section
12.11 |
Facsimile
Signatures |
66
|
EXHIBITS
|
||
EXHIBIT
A - CLASS A SHARE CERTIFICATE |
||
EXHIBIT
B - CLASS B SHARE CERTIFICATE |
(iv)
SECOND
AMENDED AND RESTATED LIMITED LIABILITY
COMPANY
AGREEMENT OF FORTRESS INVESTMENT GROUP LLC
This
SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY AGREEMENT OF FORTRESS
INVESTMENT GROUP LLC, is dated as of February __, 2007. Capitalized terms used
herein without definition shall have the respective meanings ascribed thereto
in Section 1.1.
WHEREAS,
the Company was formed under the Delaware Act pursuant to a certificate of
formation filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on
November 6, 2006, and a Limited Liability Company Agreement of Fortress
Investment Group LLC, dated as of November 6, 2006 (the "Original
LLC Agreement");
WHEREAS,
on January 17, 2007, the Original LLC Agreement was amended and restated
pursuant to an Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement of
Fortress Investment Group Holdings LLC, dated as of January 17, 2007 (the
"First
A&R LLC Agreement");
WHEREAS,
the name of the Company was changed from "Fortress Investment Group Holdings
LLC" to "Fortress Investment Group LLC" pursuant to an amendment to the
Certificate of Formation filed with the Secretary of State of the State of
Delaware on February 1, 2007; and
WHEREAS,
the Board of Directors of the Company have authorized and approved an amendment
and restatement of the First A&R LLC Agreement on the terms set forth
herein.
NOW
THEREFORE, the limited liability company agreement of the Company is hereby
amended and restated to read in its entirety as follows:
ARTICLE
I
DEFINITIONS
Section
1.1 Definitions.
The
following definitions shall be for all purposes, unless otherwise clearly
indicated to the contrary, applied to the terms used in this Agreement.
“Additional
Member”
means a Person admitted as a Member of the Company in accordance with Article
III as a result of an issuance of Shares to such Person by the Company.
“Adjusted
Capital Account”
means the Capital Account maintained for each Member as of the end of each
fiscal year of the Company, (a) increased by any amounts that such Member is
obligated to restore under the standards set by Treasury Regulation Section
1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(c) (or is deemed obligated to restore under Treasury
Regulation Sections 1.704-2(g) and 1.704-2(i)(5)) and (b) decreased by (i) the
amount of all losses and deductions that, as of the end of such fiscal year,
are reasonably expected to be allocated to such Member in subsequent years
under Sections
1
704(e)(2)
and 706(d) of the Code and Treasury Regulation Section 1.751-1(b)(2)(ii), and
(ii) the amount of all distributions that, as of the end of such fiscal year,
are reasonably expected to be made to such Member in subsequent years in
accordance with the terms of this Agreement or otherwise to the extent they
exceed offsetting increases to such Member’s Capital Account that are
reasonably expected to occur during (or prior to) the year in which such
distributions are reasonably expected to be made (other than increases as a
result of a minimum gain chargeback pursuant to Section 4.1(d)(i) or Section
4.1(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 Member in respect of a Share shall be the amount that such Adjusted
Capital Account would be if such Share were the only interest in the Company
held by such Member from and after the date on which such Share was first
issued.
“Adjusted
Property”
means any property the Carrying Value of which has been adjusted pursuant to
Section 3.6(d)(i) or Section 3.6(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.
“Agreed
Allocation”
means any allocation, other than a Required Allocation, of an item of income,
gain, loss or deduction pursuant to the provisions of Section 4.1, including a
Curative Allocation (if appropriate to the context in which the term
“Agreed
Allocation”
is used).
“Agreed
Value”
of any Contributed Property means the fair market value of such property or
other consideration at the time of contribution as determined by the Board of
Directors, without taking into account any liabilities to which such
Contributed Property was subject at such time. The Board of Directors shall use
such method as it determines to be appropriate to allocate the aggregate Agreed
Value of Contributed Properties contributed to the Company in a single or
integrated transaction among each separate property on a basis proportional to
the fair market value of each Contributed Property.
“Agreement”
means this Second Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement of
Fortress Investment Group LLC, as it may be amended, supplemented or restated
from time to time.
“Board
of Directors”
has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 5.1.
“Book-Tax
Disparity”
means, with respect to any item of Contributed Property or Adjusted Property,
as of the date of any determination, the difference between the Carrying Value
of such Contributed Property or Adjusted Property and the adjusted basis
thereof for federal income tax purposes as of such date.
“Business
Day”
means Monday through Friday of each week, except that a legal holiday
recognized as such by the government of the United States of America or the
State of New York shall not be regarded as a Business Day.
2
“Capital
Account”
means the capital account maintained for a Member pursuant to Section 3.6. The
“Capital
Account”
of a Member in respect of a Share shall be the amount that such Capital Account
would be if such Share were the only interest in the Company held by such
Member from and after the date on which such Share was first issued.
“Capital
Contribution”
means any cash, cash equivalents or the Net Agreed Value of Contributed
Property that a Member contributes to the Company pursuant to this Agreement.
“Carrying
Value”
means (a) with respect to a Contributed Property, the Agreed Value of such
property reduced (but not below zero) by all depreciation, amortization and
cost recovery deductions charged to the Members’ Capital Accounts in
respect of such Contributed Property, and (b) with respect to any other Company
property, the adjusted basis of such property for federal income tax purposes,
all as of the time of determination. The Carrying Value of any property shall
be adjusted from time to time in accordance with Section 3.6(d)(i) and Section
3.6(d)(ii) and to reflect changes, additions or other adjustments to the
Carrying Value for dispositions and acquisitions of Company properties, as
deemed appropriate by the Board of Directors.
“Certificate”
means a certificate (i) substantially in the form of Exhibit A or Exhibit B to
this Agreement, (ii) in global form in accordance with the rules and
regulations of the Depositary or (iii) in such other form as may be adopted by
the Board of Directors, issued by the Company evidencing ownership of one or
more Shares.
“Certificate
of Formation”
means the Certificate of Formation of the Company filed with the Secretary of
State of the State of Delaware as referenced in Section 5.21, as such
Certificate of Formation may be amended, supplemented or restated from time to
time.
“Chairman
of the Board”
has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 5.1.
“Class
A Share”
means a Share in the Company designated as a “Class A
Share.”
"Class
A Unit" means
a unit of equity interest in a Fortress Operating Group Entity denominated as a
"Class A Common Unit," and may consist of interests in a limited partnership,
limited liability company or other entity.
“Class
B Share”
means a Share in the Company designated as a “Class B Share.”
"Class
B Unit" means
a unit of equity interest in a Fortress Operating Group Entity denominated as a
"Class B Common Unit," and may consist of interests in a limited partnership,
limited liability company or other entity.
“Closing
Date”
means the first date on which Class A Shares are delivered by the Company to
the Underwriters pursuant to the provisions of the Underwriting Agreement.
“Code”
means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended and in effect from time to
time. Any reference herein to a specific section or sections of the Code shall
be deemed to include a reference to any corresponding provision of any
successor law.
“Commission”
means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
3
“Common
Shares”
means any Shares that are not Preferred Shares, and for the avoidance of doubt
includes Class A Shares and Class B Shares.
“Company”
means Fortress Investment Group LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, and
any successors thereto.
"Company
Convertible Securities" shall
have the meaning set forth in Section 2.9(e)
"Company
Exercisable Securities" shall
have the meaning set forth in Section 2.9(e)
“Company
Fund” means,
collectively, all Funds (i) sponsored or promoted by any of the Subsidiaries of
the Company, (ii) for which any of the Subsidiaries of the Company acts as a
general partner or managing member (or in a similar capacity) or (iii) for
which any of the Subsidiaries of the Company acts as an investment adviser or
investment manager (other than (x) any Fund that is sub-advised by the
Subsidiaries of the Company (or for which the Subsidiaries of the Company have
primary investment responsibility over only a minority of the investment
portfolio and/or are not primarily responsible for periodic reporting and
filings) and for which an unaffiliated third-party acts as the promoter and
sponsor, (y) any entity which is a Subsidiary of a Company Fund and (z) any
securitization vehicle used by a Company Fund for financing purposes, such as a
collateralized debt obligation entity, for which a Subsidiary of the Company
acts in either of the capacities identified in clauses (i) or (ii) above or
this clause (iii)).
“Company
Group”
means the Company and each Subsidiary of the Company.
“Company
Minimum Gain”
means that amount determined in accordance with the principles of Treasury
Regulation Section 1.704-2(d).
“Conflicts
Committee”
means a committee of the Board of Directors composed entirely of two or more
Independent Directors who are not (a) officers or employees of the Company or
any Subsidiary of the Company, (b) directors, officers or employees of any
Affiliate of the Company or its Subsidiaries or (c) holders of any ownership
interest in the Company Group other than Shares; provided, however, for
purposes of clause (c) of this definition, “Company Group” shall not
be deemed to include any Company Fund or any Subsidiary of any Company Fund.
"Consent
of Principals " shall
mean the prior written consent of Principals who own a majority of the
Outstanding Class B Shares then owned by all Principals. For purposes of this
definition, a Class B Share shall be deemed to be owned by its Record Holder,
except that, if the Record Holder of any Class B Share is a Permitted
Transferee of a Principal, such Principal shall be deemed the Record Holder of
such Class B Share.
“Contributed
Property”
means each property or other asset, in such form as may be permitted by the
Delaware Act, but excluding cash, contributed to the Company. Once the Carrying
Value of a Contributed Property is adjusted pursuant to Section 3.6(d), such
property shall no longer constitute a Contributed Property, but shall be deemed
an Adjusted Property.
“Curative
Allocation”
means any allocation of an item of income, gain, deduction, loss or credit
pursuant to the provisions of Section 4.1(d)(ix).
4
“Delaware
Act”
means the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act, 6 Del. C. Section 18-101, et
seq., as amended, supplemented or restated from time to time, and any successor
to such statute.
“Depositary”
means, with respect to any Shares issued in global form, The Depository Trust
Company and its successors and permitted assigns.
“DGCL”
means the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, 8 Del. C. Section
101, et seq., as amended, supplemented or restated from time to time, and any
successor to such statute.
“Director”
means a member of the Board of Directors of the Company.
“Economic
Risk of Loss”
has the meaning set forth in Treasury Regulation Section 1.752-2(a).
“Equity
Proceeds” shall
have the meaning set forth in Section 2.9.
“Exchange
Act”
means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, supplemented or restated
from time to time and any successor to such statute, and the rules and
regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Exchange
Agreement”
means one or more exchange agreements providing for the exchange of limited
partnership interests (or other securities) issued by certain entities that are
Controlled by either FIG or FIG LLC and corresponding Class B Shares for Class
A Shares, as contemplated by the Registration Statement.
“FIG” means
FIG Corp., a Delaware corporation.
“FIG
LLC” means
FIG Asset Co. LLC, a Delaware limited liability company.
“Fortress
Operating Group” means
the Persons directly Controlled by FIG or FIG LLC.
"Fortress
Operating Group Entity" shall
mean any Person that is included in the Fortress Operating Group and shall mean
any Operating Entity or Principal Entity.
“Fund” means
any collective investment vehicle (whether open-ended or closed-ended)
including, without limitation, an investment company, a general and limited
partnership, a trust and a company organized in any jurisdiction.
“Governmental
Entity” means
any court, administrative agency, regulatory body, commission or other
governmental authority, board, bureau or instrumentality, domestic or foreign
and any subdivision thereof.
“Group
Member”
means a member of the Company Group.
“Group
Member Agreement”
means the partnership agreement of any Group Member that is a limited or
general partnership, the limited liability company agreement of any Group
5
Member,
other than the Company, that is a limited liability company, the certificate of
incorporation and bylaws or similar organizational documents of any Group
Member that is a corporation, the joint venture agreement or similar governing
document of any Group Member that is a joint venture and the governing or
organizational or similar documents of any other Group Member that is a Person
other than a limited or general partnership, limited liability company,
corporation or joint venture, as such may be amended, supplemented or restated
from time to time.
“Indemnified
Person”
means (a) any Person who is or was a Director, Officer or tax matters partner
of the Company, (b) any Person who is or was serving at the request of the
Company as an officer, director, member, manager, partner, tax matters partner,
fiduciary or trustee of another Person (including any Subsidiary); provided,
that a Person shall not be an Indemnified Person by reason of providing, on a
fee-for-services basis, trustee, fiduciary or custodial services, and (c) any
Person the Board of Directors designates as an “Indemnified Person”
for purposes of this Agreement.
“Independent
Director”
means a Director who meets the then current independence and other standards
required of audit committee members established by the Exchange Act and the
rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and by each National
Securities Exchange on which Shares are listed for trading.
“Initial
Members”
means the Principals.
“Initial
Shares”
means the Class A Shares to be sold in the IPO.
“Investor”
means Nomura Investment Managers U.S.A., Inc., a Japanese
corporation.
“Investor Shareholder
Agreement” means
the Shareholder Agreement, dated as of the date hereof, by and between Investor
and the Company.
“IPO”
means the initial offering and sale of Class A Shares to the public, as
described in the Registration Statement.
“Liquidation
Date”
means the date on which an event giving rise to the dissolution of the Company
occurs.
“Liquidator”
means one or more Persons selected by the Board of Directors to perform the
functions described in Section 8.2 as liquidating trustee of the Company within
the meaning of the Delaware Act.
“Member”
means each member of the Company, including, unless the context otherwise
requires, each Initial Member, Investor, each Substitute Member, and each
Additional Member.
“Member
Nonrecourse Debt”
has the meaning set forth in Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-2(b)(4).
“Member
Nonrecourse Debt Minimum Gain”
has the meaning set forth in Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-2(i)(2).
6
“Member
Nonrecourse Deductions”
means any and all items of loss, deduction or expenditure (including any
expenditure described in Section 705(a)(2)(B) of the Code) that, in accordance
with the principles of Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-2(i), are attributable
to a Member Nonrecourse Debt.
“Merger
Agreement”
has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 10.1.
“National
Securities Exchange”
means an exchange registered with the Commission under Section 6(a) of the
Exchange Act, or the NASDAQ National Market or any successor thereto.
“Net
Agreed Value”
means, (a) in the case of any Contributed Property, the Agreed Value of such
property reduced by any liabilities either assumed by the Company upon such
contribution or to which such property is subject when contributed, and (b) in
the case of any property distributed to a Member by the Company, the
Company’s Carrying Value of such property (as adjusted pursuant to Section
3.6(d)(ii)) at the time such property is distributed, reduced by any
indebtedness either assumed by such Member upon such distribution or to which
such property is subject at the time of distribution, in either case, as
determined under Section 752 of the Code.
“Net
Income”
means, for any taxable year, the excess, if any, of the Company’s items of
income and gain for such taxable year over the Company’s items of loss and
deduction for such taxable year. The items included in the calculation of Net
Income shall be determined in accordance with Section 3.6(b) and shall not
include any items specially allocated under Section 4.1(d).
“Net
Loss”
means, for any taxable year, the excess, if any, of the Company’s items of
loss and deduction for such taxable year over the Company’s items of
income and gain for such taxable year. The items included in the calculation of
Net Loss shall be determined in accordance with Section 3.6(b) and shall not
include any items specially allocated under Section 4.1(d).
“Nonrecourse
Built-in Gain”
means, with respect to any Contributed Properties or Adjusted Properties that
are subject to a mortgage or pledge securing a Nonrecourse Liability, the
amount of any taxable gain that would be allocated to the Members pursuant to
Section 4.2(b)(i)(A), Section 4.2(b)(ii)(A) and Section 4.2(b)(iii) if such
properties were disposed of in a taxable transaction in full satisfaction of
such Nonrecourse Liabilities and for no other consideration.
“Nonrecourse
Deductions”
means any and all items of loss, deduction, or expenditure (including any
expenditure described in Section 705(a)(2)(B) of the Code) that, in accordance
with the principles of Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-2(b), are attributable
to a Nonrecourse Liability.
“Nonrecourse
Liability”
has the meaning set forth in Treasury Regulation Section 1.752-1(a)(2).
“Officers”
has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 5.22(a).
“Operating
Entities” means
the Persons directly Controlled by FIG.
7
“Opinion
of Counsel”
means a written opinion of counsel (who may be regular counsel to the Company
or any of its Affiliates) acceptable to the Board of Directors.
“Option
Closing Date”
means the date or dates on which any Class A Shares are sold by the Company to
the Underwriters upon exercise of the Over-Allotment Option.
“Outstanding”
means, with respect to Shares, all Shares that are issued by the Company and
reflected as outstanding on the Company’s books and records as of the date
of determination.
“Over-Allotment
Option”
means the over-allotment option granted to the Underwriters by the Company
pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement.
“Percentage
Interest”
means, as of any date of determination, (i) as to any Class A Shares, the
product obtained by multiplying (a) 100% less the percentage applicable to the
Shares referred to in clause (iii) by (b) the quotient obtained by dividing (x)
the number of such Class A Shares by (y) the total number of all Outstanding
Class A Shares, (ii) as to any Class B Shares, 0%, and (iii) as to any other
Shares, the percentage established for such Shares by the Board of Directors as
a part of the issuance of such Shares.
"Permitted
Transferee" shall
mean, with respect to each Principal and his Permitted Transferees (a) such
Principal's spouse, (b) a lineal descendant of such Principal's maternal or
paternal grandparents, the spouse of any such descendant or a lineal descendant
of any such spouse, (c) a Charitable Institution (as defined below), (d) a
trustee of a trust (whether inter vivos or testamentary), the current
beneficiaries and presumptive remaindermen of which are one or more of such
Principal and Persons described in clauses (a) through (c) of this definition,
(e) a corporation, limited liability company or partnership, of which all of
the outstanding shares of capital stock or interests therein are owned by one
or more of such Principal and Persons described in clauses (a) through (d) of
this definition; provided, however, that any subsequent transfer of any portion
of the ownership of the entity such that it is owned in any part by a Person
other than a Principal and/or a Person described in clauses (a) through (d) of
this definition, will not be deemed to be to a transfer to a Permitted
Transferee, (f) an individual mandated under a qualified domestic relations
order, (g) a legal or personal representative of such Principal in the event of
his death or Disability (as defined below), (h) any other Principal with
respect to transactions contemplated by the Principals Agreement, (i) any other
Principal who is then employed by the Company or any of its Affiliates or any
Permitted Transferee of such Principal in respect to any transaction not
contemplated by the Principals Agreement, and (j) in the case of Xx. Xxxxxxxxx,
XX0 LLC, a Delaware limited liability company. For purpose of this definition:
(i) "lineal descendants" shall not include individuals adopted after attaining
the age of 18 years and such adopted Person's descendants; (ii) "Charitable
Institution" shall refer to an organization described in section 501(c)(3) of
the Code (or any corresponding provision of a future United State Internal
Revenue law) which is exempt from income taxation under section 501(a) thereof;
(iii) "presumptive remaindermen" shall refer to those Persons entitled to a
share of a trust's assets if it were then to terminate; and (iv) "Disability"
shall refer to any physical or mental incapacity which prevents a Principal
from carrying out all or substantially all of his duties under his employment
agreement with the Company in such capacity for any period of one hundred
twenty (120) consecutive days or any aggregate period of six (6) months in any
12-month period, as determined by a majority of the members of the Board,
including a majority of the Principals who are then members of the
8
Board
(but for the sake of clarity not including the Principal in respect of which
the determination is being made).
“Person”
means any individual, corporation, firm, partnership, joint venture, limited
liability company, estate, trust, business association, organization,
Governmental Entity or other entity.
“Plan
of Conversion”
has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 10.1.
“Preferred
Shares”
means a class of Shares that entitles the Record Holders thereof to a
preference or priority over the Record Holders of any other class of Shares in
(i) the right to share profits or losses or items thereof, (ii) the right to
share in Company distributions, or (iii) rights upon dissolution or liquidation
of the Company.
“Prime
Rate”
means the prime rate of interest as quoted from time to time by The Wall Street
Journal or another source reasonably selected by the Company.
“Principal
Entities” means
the Persons directly Controlled by FIG LLC.
“Principal
Entities Portion” means,
with respect to any Equity Proceeds, a portion of such Equity Proceeds
determined by multiplying such Equity Proceeds by a fraction that is equal to
the ratio of (i) the aggregate equity value of the Principal Entities at the
time such Equity Proceeds are received, to (ii) the aggregate equity value of
the Fortress Operating Group Entities at such time, in each case, as determined
by the Board of Directors.
“Principals”
means Xxxxx Xxxxxx, Xx., Xxxxxx Xxxxx, Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx, Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx and
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx.
"Principals
Agreement" means
the Agreement Among Principals, expected to be entered into by and among the
Principals in connection with the IPO.
“Quarter”
means, unless the context requires otherwise, a fiscal quarter, or, with
respect to the first fiscal quarter after the Closing Date, the portion of such
fiscal quarter after the Closing Date, of the Company.
“Recapture
Income”
means any gain recognized by the Company (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 Company, 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 Company for determining (a) the identity of
the Record Holders entitled to notice of, or to vote at, any meeting of Members
or entitled to exercise rights in respect of any lawful action of Members or
(b) the identity of Record Holders entitled to receive any report or
distribution or to participate in any offer.
“Record
Holder”
or "holder" means
(a) with respect to any Class A Shares, the Person in whose name such Shares
are registered on the books of the Transfer Agent as of the opening of business
on a particular Business Day, and (b) with respect to any Shares of any other
class, the
9
Person
in whose name such Shares are registered on the books that the Company has
caused to be kept as of the opening of business on such Business Day.
“Registration
Statement”
means the Registration Statement on Form S-1 (Registration No. 333-138514) as
it has been or as it may be amended or supplemented from time to time, filed by
the Company with the Commission under the Securities Act to register the
offering and sale of the Class A Shares in the IPO.
“Required
Allocations”
means (a) any limitation imposed on any allocation of Net Losses under Section
4.1(b) and (b) any allocation of an item of income, gain, loss or deduction
pursuant to Sections 4.1(d)(i), 4.1(d)(ii), 4.1(d)(iii), 4.1(d)(vi) or
4.1(d)(viii).
“Residual
Gain”
or “Residual
Loss”
means any item of gain or loss, as the case may be, of the Company 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 is not allocated pursuant to Section 4.2(b)(i)(A) or
Section 4.2(b)(ii)(A), respectively, to eliminate Book-Tax Disparities.
“Securities
Act”
means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, supplemented or restated from
time to time and any successor to such statute, and the rules and regulations
promulgated thereunder.
“Share”
means a share issued by the Company that evidences a Member's rights, powers
and duties with respect to the Company pursuant to this Agreement and the
Delaware Act. Shares may be Common Shares or Preferred Shares, and may be
issued in different classes or series.
“Share
Designation”
has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 3.2(c).
“Share
Majority”
means a majority of the total votes that may be cast in the election of
Directors by holders of all Outstanding Voting Shares.
“Shareholders
Agreement”
means the Shareholders Agreement expected to be entered into by and among the
Principals and the Company in connection with the IPO.
“Solicitation
Notice”
has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 11.11(c).
“Special
Approval”
means, with respect to any transaction, activity, arrangement or circumstance,
that (i) it has been specifically approved by a majority of the members of the
Conflicts Committee acting in good faith, or (ii) it complies with any rules or
guidelines established by the Conflicts Committee with respect to categories of
transactions, activities, arrangements or circumstances that are deemed
approved by the Conflicts Committee.
“Subsidiary”
means, with respect to any Person, as of any date of determination, any other
Person as to which such Person owns or otherwise controls, directly or
indirectly, more than 50% of the voting shares or other similar interests or a
sole general partner interest or managing member or similar interest of such
Person.
10
“Substitute
Member”
means a Person who is admitted as a Member of the Company pursuant to Section
3.5(d) as a result of a transfer of Shares to such Person.
“Surviving
Business Entity”
has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 10.2(b).
“Tax
Matters Partner”
means the “tax
matters partner”
as defined in the Code.
“transfer”
means, with respect to a Share, a transaction by which the Record Holder of a
Share assigns such Share to another Person who is or becomes a Member, and
includes a sale, assignment, gift, exchange or any other disposition by law or
otherwise, including any transfer upon foreclosure of any pledge, encumbrance,
hypothecation or mortgage.
“Transfer
Agent”
means, with respect to any class of Shares, such bank, trust company or other
Person (including the Company or one of its Affiliates) as shall be appointed
from time to time by the Company to act as registrar and transfer agent for
such class of Shares; provided that if no Transfer Agent is specifically
designated for such class of Shares, the Company shall act in such capacity.
“Trust”
has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 10.3(g).
“Underwriter”
means each Person named as an underwriter in the Underwriting Agreement who is
obligated to purchase Class A Shares pursuant thereto.
“Underwriting
Agreement”
means the Underwriting Agreement expected to be entered into by the Company
providing for the sale of Class A Shares in the IPO.
“Unrealized
Gain”
attributable to any item of Company 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 3.6(d)) over (b) the
Carrying Value of such property as of such date (prior to any adjustment to be
made pursuant to Section 3.6(d) as of such date).
“Unrealized
Loss”
attributable to any item of Company 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 3.6(d)
as of such date) over (b) the fair market value of such property as of such
date (as determined under Section 3.6(d)).
“U.S.
GAAP”
means United States generally accepted accounting principles consistently
applied.
“Voting
Shares”
means the Class A Shares, the Class B Shares and any other class of Shares
issued after the date of this Agreement that entitles the Record Holder thereof
to vote on any matter submitted for consent or approval of Members under this
Agreement.
Section
1.2 Construction. Unless
the context requires otherwise: (a) any pronoun used in this Agreement shall
include the corresponding masculine, feminine or neuter forms, and the singular
form of nouns, pronouns and verbs shall include the plural and vice versa; (b)
references to Articles and Sections refer to Articles and Sections of this
Agreement; and (c) the
11
term
“include”
or “includes”
means includes, without limitation, and “including”
means including, without limitation.
ARTICLE
II
ORGANIZATION
Section
2.1 Formation. The
Company has been formed as a limited liability company pursuant to the
provisions of the Delaware Act. Except as expressly provided to the contrary in
this Agreement, the rights, duties (including fiduciary duties), liabilities
and obligations of the Members and the administration, dissolution and
termination of the Company shall be governed by the Delaware Act. All Shares
shall constitute personal property of the owner thereof for all purposes and a
Member has no interest in specific Company property.
Section
2.2 Name. The
name of the Company shall be “Fortress Investment Group LLC.” The
Company’s business may be conducted under any other name or names, as
determined by the Board of Directors. The words “Limited
Liability Company,”
“LLC,”
or similar words or letters shall be included in the Company’s name where
necessary for the purpose of complying with the laws of any jurisdiction that
so requires. The Board of Directors may change the name of the Company at any
time and from time to time and shall notify the Members of such change in the
next regular communication to the Members.
Section
2.3 Registered
Office; Registered Agent; Principal Office; Other Offices.
Unless and until changed by the Board of Directors, the registered office of
the Company in the State of Delaware shall be located at Corporation Trust
Center, 0000 Xxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx 00000, and the registered
agent for service of process on the Company in the State of Delaware at such
registered office shall be The Corporation Trust Company. The principal office
of the Company shall be located at 1345 Avenue of the Xxxxxxxx, 00xx xxxxx,
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000 or such other place as the Board of Directors may from
time to time designate by notice to the Members. The Company may maintain
offices at such other place or places within or outside the State of Delaware
as the Board of Directors determines to be necessary or appropriate.
Section
2.4 Purposes. The
purposes of the Company shall be to (a) promote, conduct or engage in, directly
or indirectly, any business, purpose or activity that lawfully may be conducted
by a limited liability company organized pursuant to the Delaware Act, (b)
acquire, hold and dispose of interests in any corporation, partnership, joint
venture, limited liability company or other entity, including FIG LLC and FIG,
and, in connection therewith, to exercise all of the rights and powers
conferred upon the Company with respect to its interests therein, and (c)
conduct any and all activities related or incidental to the foregoing purposes;
provided, however, that, except pursuant to Section 10.6, the Company shall not
engage, directly or indirectly, in any business activity that the Board of
Directors determines would cause the Company to be treated as an association
taxable as a corporation or otherwise taxable as an entity for federal income
tax purposes.
12
Section
2.5 Powers. The
Company shall be empowered to do any and all acts and things necessary and
appropriate for the furtherance and accomplishment of the purposes described in
Section 2.4, subject to the limitations set forth in Section 2.9.
Section
2.6 Power
of Attorney. Each
Member hereby constitutes and appoints each of the Chief Executive Officer, the
President and the Secretary and, if a Liquidator shall have been selected
pursuant to Section 8.2, the Liquidator (and any successor to the Liquidator by
merger, transfer, assignment, election or otherwise) and each of their
authorized officers and attorneys-in-fact, as the case may be, with full power
of substitution, as his true and lawful agent and attorney-in-fact, with full
power and authority in his name, place and xxxxx, to:
(a) execute,
swear to, acknowledge, deliver, file and record in the appropriate public
offices:
(i) all
certificates, documents and other instruments (including this Agreement and the
Certificate of Formation and all amendments or restatements hereof or thereof)
that the Chief Executive Officer, President or Secretary, or the Liquidator,
determines to be necessary or appropriate to form, qualify or continue the
existence or qualification of the Company as a limited liability company in the
State of Delaware and in all other jurisdictions in which the Company may
conduct business or own property;
(ii) all
certificates, documents and other instruments that the Chief Executive Officer,
President or Secretary, or the Liquidator, determines to be necessary or
appropriate to reflect, in accordance with its terms, any amendment, change,
modification or restatement of this Agreement;
(iii) all
certificates, documents and other instruments (including conveyances and a
certificate of cancellation) that the Board of Directors or the Liquidator
determines to be necessary or appropriate to reflect the dissolution,
liquidation and termination of the Company pursuant to the terms of this
Agreement;
(iv) all
certificates, documents and other instruments relating to the admission,
withdrawal, removal or substitution of any Member pursuant to, or other events
described in, Articles III or VIII;
(v) all
certificates, documents and other instruments relating to the determination of
the rights, preferences and privileges of any class of Shares issued pursuant
to Section 3.2; and
(vi) all
certificates, documents and other instruments (including agreements and a
certificate of merger) relating to a merger, consolidation or conversion of the
Company pursuant to Article X.
(b) execute,
swear to, acknowledge, deliver, file and record all ballots, consents,
approvals, waivers, certificates, documents and other instruments that the
Board of Directors or the Liquidator determines to be necessary or appropriate
to (i) make, evidence, give,
13
confirm
or ratify any vote, consent, approval, agreement or other action that is made
or given by the Members hereunder or is consistent with the terms of this
Agreement or (ii) effectuate the terms or intent of this Agreement; provided,
that when required by Section 9.2 or any other provision of this Agreement that
establishes a percentage of the Members or of the Members of any class or
series required to take any action, the Chief Executive Officer, President or
Secretary, or the Liquidator, may exercise the power of attorney made in this
Section 2.6(b) only after the necessary vote, consent, approval, agreement or
other action of the Members or of the Members of such class or series, as
applicable.
Nothing
contained in this Section 2.6 shall be construed as authorizing the Chief
Executive Officer, President or Secretary, or the Liquidator, to amend, change
or modify this Agreement except in accordance with Article IX or as may be
otherwise expressly provided for in this Agreement.
(c) The
foregoing power of attorney is hereby declared to be irrevocable and a power
coupled with an interest, and it shall survive and, to the maximum extent
permitted by law, not be affected by the subsequent death, incompetency,
disability, incapacity, dissolution, bankruptcy or termination of any Member
and the transfer of all or any portion of such Member’s Shares and shall
extend to such Member’s heirs, successors, assigns and personal
representatives. Each such Member hereby agrees to be bound by any
representation made by the Chief Executive Officer, President or Secretary, or
the Liquidator, acting in good faith pursuant to such power of attorney; and
each such Member, to the maximum extent permitted by law, hereby waives any and
all defenses that may be available to contest, negate or disaffirm the action
of the Chief Executive Officer, President or Secretary, or the Liquidator,
taken in good faith under such power of attorney in accordance with Section
2.6. Each Member shall execute and deliver to the Chief Executive Officer,
President or Secretary, or the Liquidator, within 15 days after receipt of the
request therefor, such further designation, powers of attorney and other
instruments as any of such Officers or the Liquidator determines to be
necessary or appropriate to effectuate this Agreement and the purposes of the
Company.
Section
2.7 Term. The
Company’s term shall be perpetual, unless and until it is dissolved in
accordance with the provisions of Article VIII. The existence of the Company as
a separate legal entity shall continue until the cancellation of the
Certificate of Formation as provided in the Delaware Act.
Section
2.8 Title
to Company Assets. Title
to Company assets, whether real, personal or mixed and whether tangible or
intangible, shall be deemed to be owned by the Company as an entity, and no
Member, Director or Officer, individually or collectively, shall have any
ownership interest in such Company assets or any portion thereof. Title to any
or all of the Company assets may be held in the name of the Company or one or
more nominees, as the Board of Directors may determine. All Company assets
shall be recorded as the property of the Company in its books and records,
irrespective of the name in which record title to such Company assets is
held.
Section
2.9 Relationship
With Fortress Operating Group. Unless
the Company receives the Consent of Principals:
14
(a) The
Company and its Subsidiaries (other than the Fortress Operating Group and its
Subsidiaries) shall not, directly or indirectly, enter into or conduct any
business, or hold any assets other than (i) business conducted and assets held
by the Fortress Operating Group and its Subsidiaries, (ii) the ownership,
acquisition and disposition of equity interests in Subsidiaries of the Company,
(iii) the management of the business of the Fortress Operating Group, either
directly or through Subsidiaries, (iv) making loans and incurring indebtedness
that is not prohibited under this Section 2.9, (v) the offering, sale,
syndication, private placement or public offering of shares, bonds, securities
or other interests in compliance with this Section 2.9, (vi) subject to Section
2.9(b), any financing or refinancing of any type related to the Fortress
Operating Group, its Subsidiaries or any of their assets or activities, (vii)
any activity or transaction contemplated by the Investor Shareholder Agreement,
the Shareholders Agreement or the Exchange Agreement, and (viii) such
activities as are incidental to the foregoing.
(b) The
Company and its Subsidiaries (other than the Fortress Operating Group and its
Subsidiaries) shall not incur or guarantee any indebtedness other than
(i) indebtedness incurred in connection with an exchange under the
Exchange Agreement, and (ii) indebtedness to the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries.
(c) The
Company and its Subsidiaries (other than the Fortress Operating Group and its
Subsidiaries) shall not own any assets or take title to assets (other than
temporarily in connection with an acquisition prior to contributing such assets
to the Fortress Operating Group) other than equity interests in Subsidiaries
permitted under this Section 2.9, loans, debt securities or other evidence of
indebtedness permitted under this Section 2.9, and such cash and cash
equivalents, bank accounts or similar instruments or accounts as the Board of
Directors deems reasonably necessary for the Company and its Subsidiaries to
pay their expenses and other liabilities, and carry out their respective
responsibilities contemplated under this Agreement.
(d) The
Company shall, directly or indirectly through any combination of direct or
indirect wholly owned Subsidiaries, maintain at all times ownership of 100% of
the outstanding equity interests in FIG and FIG LLC. The Company and its
Subsidiaries shall cause FIG and FIG LLC to maintain at all times ownership of,
and control the voting of, all outstanding Class A Units in the Fortress
Operating Group Entities, and shall not permit any Person (other than FIG, FIG
LLC or another direct or indirect wholly owned Subsidiary of the Company) to
possess or exercise a right or ability to remove, replace, appoint or elect the
general partner of any Fortress Operating Group Entity. The Company and its
Subsidiaries (other than the Fortress Operating Group and its Subsidiaries),
including FIG and FIG LLC, shall not own any interest in any Person other than
(i) the Fortress Operating Group Entities or (ii) a wholly owned Subsidiary
that, directly or indirectly through other wholly owned Subsidiaries, owns an
interest in the Fortress Operating Group Entities.
(e) If the
Company issues any equity securities, including, without limitation, Shares,
options, rights, warrants or other securities exercisable to purchase Shares or
other equity securities of the Company ("Company Exercisable Securities") or
securities convertible into or exchangeable for Shares or other equity
securities of the Company ("Company Convertible Securities"), after the date of
this Agreement:
15
(i) The
Company shall immediately (x) contribute to FIG LLC a portion of any cash
proceeds, assets or other consideration received from the issuance of such
securities, if any, and from the exercise of any Company Exercisable
Securities, if any, but excluding any Company Convertible Securities
surrendered for conversion or exchange (collectively, the “Equity
Proceeds”),
at least equal to the Principal Entities Portion, and (y) contribute to FIG the
remaining portion of such Equity Proceeds;
(ii) The
Company and its Subsidiaries shall cause FIG LLC to immediately (x) contribute
to the Principal Entities (allocated among them in accordance with their
relative equity values at the time, as reasonably determined by the Board of
Directors) the Principal Entities Portion of the Equity Proceeds received by
FIG LLC, and (y) loan to FIG the remaining portion (if any) of the Equity
Proceeds received by FIG LLC;
(iii) The
Company and its Subsidiaries shall cause FIG to immediately contribute to the
Operating Entities (x) the portion of the Equity Proceeds received by FIG, and
(y) the portion of the Equity Proceeds loaned to FIG by FIG LLC (allocated
among the Operating Entities in accordance with their relative equity values at
the time, as reasonably determined by the Board of Directors);
(iv) The
Company and its Subsidiaries shall cause each Fortress Operating Group Entity
to issue to FIG and FIG LLC, in exchange for the portion of the Equity Proceeds
contributed to them, if any (it being understood that such issuance shall occur
even if there are no Equity Proceeds), (x) in the case of an issuance of Class
A Shares, a number of Class A Units equal to the number of Class A Shares
issued, and (y) in the case of an issuance of any other equity securities by
the Company, a new class or series of units or other equity securities with
designations, preferences and other rights, terms and provisions that are
substantially the same as those of such other equity securities issued by the
Company (with any dollar amounts adjusted to reflect the portion of the total
amount of cash proceeds, assets or other consideration received by the Company
that is contributed to the such Fortress Operating Group Entity) equal in
number to the number of such other equity securities issued by the
Company;
(v) If the
Company issues any Company Exercisable Securities, then upon the exercise of
any such Company Exercisable Securities, the Company shall cause FIG and FIG
LLC to exercise an equal number of the equivalent equity securities that were
issued by each of the Fortress Operating Group Entities to FIG or FIG LLC in
connection with the original issuance of such Company Exercisable Securities
(on the same basis);
(vi) If the
Company issues any Company Convertible Securities, then upon the conversion or
exchange of such Company Convertible Securities, the Company shall cause FIG
and FIG LLC to convert or exchange (as the case may be) an equal number of the
equivalent equity securities that were issued by each of the Fortress Operating
Group Entities to FIG or FIG LLC in connection with the original issuance of
such Company Convertible Securities (on the same basis);
16
(vii) If the
Company issues any equity securities that are subject to vesting or forfeiture
provisions, then the equivalent equity securities that are issued by the
Fortress Operating Group Entities to FIG and FIG LLC in connection with the
issuance of such Company equity securities shall be subject to vesting or
forfeiture on the same basis, and if any of the Company equity securities vest
or are forfeited, an equal number of the equivalent equity securities issued by
each of the Fortress Operating Group Entities shall automatically vest or be
forfeited; and
(viii) If the
Company issues any equity securities that, in accordance with their terms, are
subject to redemption, then upon the redemption of such Company equity
securities, the Company shall cause each of the Fortress Operating Group
Entities to redeem an equal number of the equivalent equity securities that
were issued to FIG or FIG LLC in connection with the original issuance of such
Company equity securities (on the same basis).
(f) The
Company and its Subsidiaries (other than a Fortress Operating Group Entity or
one of its Subsidiaries) shall not contribute cash or other assets to the
Fortress Operating Group Entities that are not Equity Proceeds; provided,
however,
that if the
Consent of Principals has been obtained with respect to such a contribution,
unless such Consent of Principals specifies an alternative structure, (i) such
contribution shall be made concurrently with a contribution to each of the
other Fortress Operating Group Entities in accordance with Section 2.9(h), (ii)
in lieu of the Fortress Operating Group Entities issuing any equity securities
in exchange for such contribution, the Company and its Subsidiaries shall cause
each of such Fortress Operating Group Entities to concurrently effect a
combination of their outstanding Class B Units such that, after giving effect
to such combination, the aggregate number of outstanding Class B Units is equal
to the product of (1) the number of Class B Units outstanding immediately
prior to giving effect to such combination and (2) a fraction,
(x) the numerator of which is the number of Class A Units that such
Fortress Operating Group Entity has outstanding immediately prior to such
contribution, and (y) the denominator of which is the sum of (1) the
number of Class A Units outstanding immediately prior to such contribution, and
(2) a number of Class A Units that have an aggregate value equal to the
aggregate value of the cash or other assets contributed, and (iii) concurrently
with the combination of Class B Units described in clause (ii), the Company
shall effect a combination of Class B Shares in the same ratio as such
combination of Class B Units;
provided, further, that,
for purposes of determining the value of Class A Units, the aggregate value of
one Class A Unit in each of the Fortress Operating Group Entities shall be
deemed to equal the fair market value of a Class A Share on the date of such
contribution, which shall be (i) the closing price of a Class A Share on the
New York Stock Exchange on the trading day immediately prior to the date of
such contribution, or (ii) if the Board of Directors determines otherwise,
another value reasonably determined by the Board of Directors.
(g) Except
as provided in Section 2.9(f), (i) the Company shall not (w) effect a split or
subdivision of its Class A Shares or Class B Shares, (x) effect a reverse share
split
17
or
combination of its Class A Shares or Class B Shares, (y) make a pro rata
distribution of its Class A Shares or Class B Shares to the respective holders
of such class of shares, or (z) effect any other recapitalization or
reclassification of its Class A Shares or Class B Shares, and (ii) the Company
shall not permit any Fortress Operating Group Entity to (w) effect a split or
subdivision of its Class A Units or Class B Units, (x) effect a reverse share
split or combination of its Class A Units or Class B Units, (y) make a pro rata
distribution of its Class A Units or Class B Units to the respective holders of
such class of units, or (z) effect any other recapitalization or
reclassification of its Class A Units or Class B Units, unless, in each case,
similar transactions are effected concurrently with respect to both the Class A
Shares and Class B Shares of the Company, and the Class A Units and Class B
Units of each Fortress Operating Group Entity such that, after giving effect to
such transactions, (1) the ratio of outstanding Class A Shares to outstanding
Class B Shares is maintained, (2) the ratio of outstanding Class A Units to
outstanding Class B Units is maintained for each Fortress Operating Group
Entity, (3) the Company has the same number of Class A Shares outstanding as
each Fortress Operating Group Entity has Class A Units outstanding, and (4) the
Company has the same number of Class B Shares outstanding as each Fortress
Operating Group Entity has Class B Units outstanding.
(h) The
Company and its Subsidiaries (excluding the Fortress Operating Group Entities
and their Subsidiaries) shall not make any capital contribution to any Fortress
Operating Group Entity unless a capital contribution is concurrently made to
all of the Fortress Operating Group Entities and the value of the capital
contributions to all Fortress Operating Group Entities are proportional to
their relative equity values at the time, as reasonably determined by the Board
of Directors; provided,
however, that
the contribution to each Fortress Operating Group Entity may consist of a
different type of asset.
(i) The
Company shall not permit any Fortress Operating Group Entity to issue any
equity securities to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (excluding the
Fortress Operating Group Entities and their Subsidiaries) unless each other
Fortress Operating Group Entity concurrently issues to the Company and its
Subsidiaries (excluding the Fortress Operating Group Entities and their
Subsidiaries) equity securities that are equal in number to, and have
substantially the same terms and provisions as, the equity securities issued by
such Fortress Operating Group Entity. Nothing in this Section shall preclude
the issuance of units by any Fortress Operating Group Entity or its Subsidiary
to another Fortress Operating Group Entity or its Subsidiary in exchange for
cash or other assets.
(j) The
Company shall cause the Fortress Operating Group Entities to establish record
dates for the payment of distributions that coincide with the Record Dates for
distributions paid by the Company or, if a record date is not established for
the payment of distributions by a Fortress Operating Group Entity, the Company
shall cause such Fortress Operating Group Entity to pay distributions on the
Record Date for distributions paid by the Company.
(k) If, as a
result of an exchange pursuant to the Exchange Agreement, the Company or any of
its Subsidiaries acquires any Class B Units issued by the Fortress Operating
Group Entities, the Company and its Subsidiaries shall cause all such Class B
Units to be converted into an equal number of Class A Units issued by the
Fortress Operating Group Entities.
18
(l) The
Company shall not permit the Fortress Operating Group Entities to repurchase or
redeem any equity securities from the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
(excluding the Fortress Operating Group Entities and their Subsidiaries) except
pursuant to Section 2.9(e)(viii).
ARTICLE
III
MEMBERS
AND SHARES
Section
3.1 Members.
(a) A Person
shall be admitted as a Member and shall become bound by the terms of this
Agreement if such Person purchases or otherwise lawfully acquires any Share and
becomes the Record Holder of such Share in accordance with the provisions of
Article IV hereof. A Person may become a Record Holder without the consent or
approval of any of the Members. A Person may not become a Member without
acquiring a Share.
(b) The name
and mailing address of each Member shall be listed on the books and records of
the Company maintained for such purpose by the Company or the Transfer Agent.
The Secretary of the Company shall update the books and records of the Company
from time to time as necessary to reflect accurately the information therein
(or shall cause the Transfer Agent to do so, as applicable).
(c) Except
as otherwise provided in the Delaware Act, the debts, obligations and
liabilities of the Company, whether arising in contract, tort or otherwise,
shall be solely the debts, obligations and liabilities of the Company, and the
Members shall not be obligated personally for any such debt, obligation or
liability of the Company solely by reason of being a Member of the Company.
(d) Subject
to Articles X and XI, Members may not be expelled from or removed as Members of
the Company. Members shall not have any right to withdraw from the Company;
provided, that when a transferee of a Member’s Shares becomes a Record
Holder of such Shares, such transferring Member shall cease to be a member of
the Company with respect to the Shares so transferred.
(e) Except
to the extent expressly provided in this Agreement (including any Share
Designation): (i) no Member 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 dissolution of the Company may be considered
as such by law and then only to the extent provided for in this Agreement; (ii)
no Member shall have priority over any other Member either as to the return of
Capital Contributions or as to profits, losses or distributions; (iii) no
interest shall be paid by the Company on Capital Contributions; and (iv) no
Member, in its capacity as such, shall participate in the operation or
management of the Company’s business, transact any business in the
Company’s name or have the power to sign documents for or otherwise bind
the Company by reason of being a Member.
19
(f) Any
Member shall be entitled to and may have business interests and engage in
business activities in addition to those relating to the Company, including
business interests and activities in direct competition with the Company Group.
Neither the Company nor any of the other Members shall have any rights by
virtue of this Agreement in any such business interests or activities of any
Member.
Section
3.2 Authorization
to Issue Shares.
(a) The
Company may issue Shares, and options, rights, warrants and appreciation rights
relating to Shares, for any Company purpose at any time and from time to time
to such Persons for such consideration (which may be cash, property, services
or any other lawful consideration) or for no consideration and on such terms
and conditions as the Board of Directors shall determine, all without the
approval of any Members, notwithstanding any provision of Sections 7.1 or 7.2.
Each Share shall have the rights and be governed by the provisions set forth in
this Agreement (including any Share Designation). Except to the extent
expressly provided in this Agreement (including any Share Designation), no
Shares shall entitle any Member to any preemptive, preferential, or similar
rights with respect to the issuance of Shares.
(b) As of
the date of this Agreement, two classes of Shares have been designated: Class A
Shares and Class B Shares. As of the date of this Agreement, the Initial
Members and their Permitted Transferees hold an aggregate of 312,071,550 Class
B Shares, and the Investor holds 55,071,450 Class A Shares. The Class A Shares
and the Class B Shares shall entitle the Record Holders thereof to one vote per
Share on any and all matters submitted for the consent or approval of Members
generally. The Company and Investor have entered into the Investor Shareholder
Agreement, which provides for the registration of the Investor’s Class A
Shares under the Securities Act and certain limitations on transfer of the
Investor’s Class A Shares. The Company and the Principals are expected to
enter into the Shareholders Agreement, which is expected to set forth certain
agreements among them, including with respect to the selection of nominees for
the Board of Directors, limitations on the transfer of the Initial Members'
Shares, and the registration of such Shares under the Securities Act. The
Initial Members and FIG are expected to enter into an Exchange Agreement which
is expected to provide for the exchange by the Initial Members of their
interests in the Fortress Operating Group Entities, and the corresponding
amount of Class B Shares, for Class A Shares.
(c) In
addition to the Class A Shares and the Class B Shares Outstanding on the date
hereof, and without the consent or approval of any Members, additional Shares
may be issued by the Company in one or more classes, with such designations,
preferences, rights, powers and duties (which may be junior to, equivalent to,
or senior or superior to, any existing classes of Shares), as shall be fixed by
the Board of Directors and reflected in a written action or actions approved by
the Board of Directors in compliance with Section 5.1 (each, a
“Share
Designation”),
including (i) the right to share Company profits and losses or items thereof;
(ii) the right to share in Company distributions, the dates distributions will
be payable and whether distributions with respect to such series or class will
be cumulative or non-cumulative; (iii) rights upon dissolution and liquidation
of the Company; (iv) whether, and the terms and conditions upon which, the
Company may redeem the Shares; (v) whether such Shares are issued with the
privilege of conversion or exchange and, if so, the conversion or exchange
price or prices or rate or rates, or any adjustments thereto, the date or dates
on which, or the period or periods during which, the
20
shares
will be convertible or exchangeable and all other terms and conditions upon
which the conversion or exchange may be made; (vi) the terms and conditions
upon which such Shares will be issued, evidenced by certificates and assigned
or transferred; (vii) the method for determining the Percentage Interest, if
any, applicable to such Shares; (viii) the terms and amounts of any sinking
fund provided for the purchase or redemption of Shares of the class or series;
(ix) whether there will be restrictions on the issuance of Shares of the same
class or series or any other class or series; and (x) the right, if any, of the
holder of each such Share to vote on Company matters, including matters
relating to the relative rights, preferences and privileges of such Shares. A
Share Designation (or any resolution of the Board of Directors amending any
Share Designation) shall be effective when a duly executed original of the same
is delivered to the Secretary of the Company for inclusion among the permanent
records of the Company, and shall be annexed to, and constitute part of, this
Agreement. Unless otherwise provided in the applicable Share Designation, the
Board of Directors may at any time increase or decrease the amount of Preferred
Shares of any class or series, but not below the number of Preferred Shares of
such class or series then Outstanding.
(d) The
Company is authorized to issue up to one billion Class A Shares, 750 million
Class B Shares, and 250 million Preferred Shares. All Shares issued pursuant
to, and in accordance with the requirements of, this Article III shall be
validly issued Shares in the Company, except to the extent otherwise provided
in the Delaware Act or this Agreement (including any Share
Designation).
(e) The
Board of Directors may, without the consent or approval of any Members, amend
this Agreement and make any filings under the Delaware Act or otherwise to the
extent the Board of Directors determines that it is necessary or desirable in
order to effectuate any issuance of Shares pursuant to this Article III,
including, without limitation, an amendment of Section 3.2(d).
Section
3.3 Certificates.
(a) Upon the
Company’s issuance of Shares to any Person, the Company shall issue one or
more Certificates in the name of such Person evidencing the number of such
Shares being so issued. Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the Company
by the Chairman of the Board, President or any Vice President and by the Chief
Operating Officer, the Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer, the Secretary or any
Assistant Secretary. No Certificate representing Shares shall be valid for any
purpose until it has been countersigned by the Transfer Agent; provided,
however, that if the Board of Directors elects to issue Shares in global form,
the Certificates representing Shares shall be valid upon receipt of a
certificate from the Transfer Agent certifying that the Shares have been duly
registered in accordance with the directions of the Company. Any or all of the
signatures required on the Certificate may be by facsimile. If any Officer or
Transfer Agent who shall have signed or whose facsimile signature shall have
been placed upon any such Certificate shall have ceased to be such Officer or
Transfer Agent before such Certificate is issued by the Company, such
Certificate may nevertheless be issued by the Company with the same effect as
if such Person were such Officer or Transfer Agent at the date of issue.
Certificates for each class of Shares shall be consecutively numbered and shall
be entered on the books and records of the Company as they are issued and shall
exhibit the holder’s name and number and type of Shares.
21
(b) If any
mutilated Certificate is surrendered to the Transfer Agent, the appropriate
Officers on behalf of the Company shall execute, and the Transfer Agent shall
countersign and deliver in exchange therefor, a new Certificate evidencing the
same number and class or series of Shares as the Certificate so surrendered.
The appropriate Officers on behalf of the Company shall execute, and the
Transfer Agent shall countersign and deliver, a new Certificate in place of any
Certificate previously issued if the Record Holder of the Certificate: (i)
makes proof by affidavit, in form and substance satisfactory to the Company,
that a previously issued Certificate has been lost, destroyed or stolen; (ii)
requests the issuance of a new Certificate before the Company has notice that
the Certificate has been acquired by a purchaser for value in good faith and
without notice of an adverse claim; (iii) if requested by the Company, delivers
to the Company a bond, in form and substance satisfactory to the Company, with
surety or sureties and with fixed or open penalty as the Company may direct to
indemnify the Company and the Transfer Agent against any claim that may be made
on account of the alleged loss, destruction or theft of the Certificate; and
(iv) satisfies any other reasonable requirements imposed by the Company. If a
Member fails to notify the Company within a reasonable time after he has notice
of the loss, destruction or theft of a Certificate, and a transfer of the
Shares represented by the Certificate is registered before the Company or the
Transfer Agent receives such notification, the Member shall be precluded from
making any claim against the Company or the Transfer Agent for such transfer or
for a new Certificate. As a condition to the issuance of any new Certificate
under this Section, the Company may require the payment of a sum sufficient to
cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in relation
thereto and any other expenses (including the fees and expenses of the Transfer
Agent) reasonably connected therewith.
Section
3.4 Record
Holders. The
Company shall be entitled to recognize the Record Holder as the owner of a
Share and, accordingly, shall not be bound to recognize any equitable or other
claim to or interest in such Share on the part of any other Person, regardless
of whether the Company shall have actual or other notice thereof, except as
otherwise provided by law or any applicable rule, regulation, guideline or
requirement of any National Securities Exchange on which such Shares are listed
for trading. Without limiting the foregoing, when a Person (such as a broker,
dealer, bank, trust company or clearing corporation or an agent of any of the
foregoing) is acting as nominee, agent or in some other representative capacity
for another Person in acquiring and/or holding Shares, as between the Company
on the one hand, and such other Persons on the other, such representative
Person shall be the Record Holder of such Shares.
Section
3.5 Registration
and Transfer of Shares.
(a) The term
“transfer,”
when used in this Agreement with respect to a Share, shall be deemed to refer
to a transaction by which the Record Holder of a Share assigns such Share to
another Person who is or becomes a Member, and includes a sale, assignment,
gift, exchange or any other disposition by law or otherwise, including any
transfer upon foreclosure of any pledge, encumbrance, hypothecation or
mortgage.
(b) The
Company shall keep or cause to be kept on behalf of the Company a register that
will provide for the registration and transfer of Shares. The Transfer Agent is
hereby appointed registrar and transfer agent for the purpose of registering
Class A Shares and transfers of such Class A Shares as herein provided. Upon
surrender of a Certificate for registration of transfer of any Shares evidenced
by a Certificate, the appropriate Officers of the
22
Company
shall execute and deliver, and in the case of Class A Shares, the Transfer
Agent shall countersign and deliver, in the name of the holder or the
designated transferee or transferees, as required pursuant to the Record
Holder’s instructions, one or more new Certificates evidencing the same
aggregate number and type of Shares as were evidenced by the Certificate so
surrendered, provided that a transferor shall provide the address and facsimile
number for each such transferee as contemplated by Section 12.1.
(c) The
Company shall not recognize any transfer of Shares until the Certificates
evidencing such Shares are surrendered for registration of transfer. No charge
shall be imposed by the Company for such transfer; provided, that as a
condition to the issuance of any new Certificate, the Company may require the
payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that
may be imposed with respect thereto.
(d) By
acceptance of the transfer of any Share, each transferee of a Share (including
any nominee holder or an agent or representative acquiring such Shares for the
account of another Person) (i) shall be admitted to the Company as a Substitute
Member with respect to the Shares so transferred to such transferee when any
such transfer or admission is reflected in the books and records of the
Company, (ii) shall be deemed to agree to be bound by the terms of this
Agreement, (iii) shall become the Record Holder of the Shares so transferred,
(iv) grants powers of attorney to the Officers of the Company and any
Liquidator of the Company, as specified herein, and (v) makes the consents and
waivers contained in this Agreement. The transfer of any Shares and the
admission of any new Member shall not constitute an amendment to this
Agreement.
(e) Nothing
contained in this Agreement shall preclude the settlement of any transactions
involving Shares entered into through the facilities of any National Securities
Exchange on which such Shares are listed for trading.
Section
3.6 Capital
Accounts.
(a) The
Company shall maintain for each Member (or a beneficial owner of Shares held by
a nominee in any case in which the nominee has furnished the identity of such
owner to the Company in accordance with Section 6031(c) of the Code or any
other method acceptable to the Company) owning Shares a separate Capital
Account with respect to such Shares in accordance with the rules of Treasury
Regulation Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv). The Company shall maintain such Capital
Accounts on a per class or series basis, as appropriate. Such Capital Account
shall be increased by (i) the amount of all Capital Contributions made to the
Company with respect to such Shares pursuant to this Agreement and (ii) all
items of Company income and gain (including income and gain exempt from tax)
computed in accordance with Section 3.6(b) and allocated with respect to such
Shares pursuant to Section 4.1, and decreased by (x) the amount of cash or Net
Agreed Value of all actual and deemed distributions of cash or property made
with respect to such Shares pursuant to this Agreement and (y) all items of
Company deduction and loss computed in accordance with Section 3.6(b) and
allocated with respect to such Shares pursuant to Section 4.1. The foregoing
provisions and the other provisions of this Agreement relating to the
maintenance of Capital Accounts are intended to comply with Treasury Regulation
Section 1.704-1(b) and shall be interpreted and applied in a manner consistent
with such Treasury Regulation. In the event the Board of Directors shall
determine that it is prudent to modify the manner in which the Capital Accounts
or any adjustments thereto (including adjustments relating
23
to
liabilities which are secured by contributed or distributed property or which
are assumed by the Company or any Members) are computed in order to comply with
such Treasury Regulation, the Board of Directors may make such modification,
provided that it is not likely to have a material effect on the amounts
distributed to any Person pursuant to Article VIII hereof upon the dissolution
of the Company. The Board of Directors also shall (i) make any adjustments that
are necessary or appropriate to maintain equality among the Capital Accounts of
the Members and the amount of capital reflected on the Company's balance sheet,
as computed for book purposes, in accordance with Treasury Regulation Section
1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(q), and (ii) make any appropriate modifications in the event
unanticipated events might otherwise cause this Agreement not to comply with
Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-1(b).
(b) For
purposes of computing the amount of any item of income, gain, loss or
deduction, which is to be allocated pursuant to Article IV and is to be
reflected in the Members’ Capital Accounts, the determination, recognition
and classification of any such item shall be the same as its determination,
recognition and classification for 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 3.6, the Company shall be treated as owning
directly its proportionate share (as determined by the Board of Directors 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 or arrangement that is 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 Company to promote the sale of (or to sell)
Shares that can neither be deducted nor amortized under Section 709 of the
Code, if any, shall, for purposes of Capital Account maintenance, be treated as
an item of deduction at the time such fees and other expenses are incurred and
shall be allocated among the Members pursuant to Section 4.1.
(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 and deduction shall be made
without regard to any election under Section 754 of the Code which may be made
by the Company and, as to those items described in Section 705(a)(1)(B) or
705(a)(2)(B) of the Code, without regard to the fact that such items are not
includable in gross income or are neither currently deductible nor capitalized
for federal income tax purposes. To the extent an adjustment to the adjusted
tax basis of any Company asset pursuant to Section 734(b) or 743(b) of the Code
is required, pursuant to Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(m), to
be taken into account in determining Capital Accounts, the amount of such
adjustment in the Capital Accounts shall be treated as an item of gain or loss.
24
(iv) Any
income, gain or loss attributable to the taxable disposition of any Company
property shall be determined as if the adjusted basis of such property as of
such date of disposition were equal in amount to the Company’s Carrying
Value with respect to such property as of such date.
(v) In
accordance with the requirements of Section 704(b) of the Code, any deductions
for depreciation, cost recovery or amortization attributable to any Contributed
Property shall be determined in the manner described in Regulation Section
1.704-3(d)(2). Upon an adjustment pursuant to Section 3.6(d) to the Carrying
Value of any Adjusted Property that is subject to depreciation, cost recovery
or amortization, any further deductions for such depreciation, cost recovery or
amortization attributable to such property shall be determined in the manner
described in Regulation Section 1.704-3(d)(2).
(c) A
transferee of Shares shall succeed to a pro rata portion of the Capital Account
of the transferor based on the number of Shares so transferred.
(d) (i) In
accordance with Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(f), on an
issuance of additional Shares for cash or Contributed Property and the issuance
of Shares as consideration for the provision of services, the Capital Account
of all Members and the Carrying Value of each Company property immediately
prior to such issuance shall be adjusted upward or downward to reflect any
Unrealized Gain or Unrealized Loss attributable to such Company 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 Members at such time pursuant to Section 4.1 in the same manner as any
item of gain or 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 Company assets (including
cash or cash equivalents) immediately prior to the issuance of additional
Shares shall be determined by the Board of Directors using such method of
valuation as it may adopt; provided, however, that the Board of Directors, in
arriving at such valuation, must take fully into account the fair market value
of the Shares of all Members at such time. The Board of Directors shall
allocate such aggregate value among the assets of the Company (in such manner
as it determines) to arrive at a fair market value for individual
properties.
(ii) In
accordance with Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(f), immediately
prior to any actual or deemed distribution to a Member of any Company property
(other than a distribution of cash that is not in redemption or retirement of a
Share), the Capital Accounts of all Members and the Carrying Value of all
Company property shall be adjusted upward or downward to reflect any Unrealized
Gain or Unrealized Loss attributable to such Company property, as if such
Unrealized Gain or Unrealized Loss had been recognized in a sale of such
property immediately prior to such distribution for an amount equal to its fair
market value, and had been allocated to the Members, at such time, pursuant to
Section 4.1 in the same manner as any item of gain or 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
Company assets (including cash or cash equivalents) immediately prior to a
25
distribution
shall (A) in the case of an actual distribution that is not made pursuant to
Section 8.3 or in the case of a deemed distribution, be determined and
allocated in the same manner as that provided in Section 3.6(d)(i) or (B) in
the case of a liquidating distribution pursuant to Section 8.3, be determined
and allocated by the Liquidator using such method of valuation as it may
adopt.
(iii) The
Board of Directors may make the adjustments described in clause (i) above in
the manner set forth therein if the Board of Directors determines that such
adjustments are necessary or useful to effectuate the intended economic
arrangement among the Members (i.e.,
that equal distributions be paid with respect to each Class A
Share),
including Members who received Shares in connection with the performance of
services to or for the benefit of the Company.
(e) The
Capital Account of each holder of Class B Shares shall at all times be zero,
except to the extent such holder also holds Class A Shares or other Shares in
addition to Class B Shares.
(f) Notwithstanding
anything expressed or implied to the contrary in this Agreement, in the event
the Board of Directors shall determine, in its sole and absolute discretion,
that it is prudent to modify the manner in which the Capital Accounts, or any
debits or credits thereto, are computed in order to effectuate the intended
economic sharing arrangement of the Members (i.e., that equal distributions be
paid with respect to each Class A Share), the Board of Directors may make such
modification.
Section
3.7 Splits
and Combinations.
(a) Subject
to paragraph (d) of this Section and Section 2.9, the Company may make a pro
rata distribution of Shares of any class or series to all Record Holders of
such class or series of Shares, or may effect a subdivision or combination of
Shares of any class or series so long as, after any such event, each Member
shall have the same Percentage Interest in the Company as before such event,
and any amounts calculated on a per Share basis or stated as a number of Shares
are proportionately adjusted.
(b) Whenever
such a distribution, subdivision or combination of Shares is declared, the
Board of Directors shall select a Record Date as of which the distribution,
subdivision or combination shall be effective and shall send notice thereof at
least 20 days prior to such Record Date to each Record Holder as of a date not
less than 10 days prior to the date of such notice. The Board of Directors also
may cause a firm of independent public accountants selected by it to calculate
the number of Shares to be held by each Record Holder after giving effect to
such distribution, subdivision or combination. The Board of Directors shall be
entitled to rely on any certificate provided by such firm as conclusive
evidence of the accuracy of such calculation.
(c) Promptly
following any such distribution, subdivision or combination, the Company may
issue Certificates to the Record Holders of Shares as of the applicable Record
Date representing the new number of Shares held by such Record Holders, or the
Board of Directors may adopt such other procedures that it determines to be
necessary or appropriate to
26
reflect
such changes. If any such combination results in a smaller total number of
Shares Outstanding, the Company shall require, as a condition to the delivery
to a Record Holder of such new Certificate, the surrender of any Certificate
held by such Record Holder immediately prior to such Record Date.
(d) The
Company shall not issue fractional Shares upon any distribution, subdivision or
combination of Shares. If a distribution, subdivision or combination of Shares
would otherwise result in the issuance of fractional Shares, each fractional
Share shall be rounded to the nearest whole Share (and a 0.5 Share shall be
rounded to the next higher Share).
ARTICLE
IV
ALLOCATIONS
AND DISTRIBUTIONS
Section
4.1 Allocations
for Capital Account Purposes. For
purposes of maintaining the Capital Accounts and in determining the rights of
the Members among themselves, the Company’s items of income, gain, loss
and deduction (computed in accordance with Section 3.6(b)) shall be allocated
among the Members in each taxable year (or portion thereof) as provided herein
below.
(a) Net
Income. After
giving effect to the special allocations set forth in Section 4.1(d), Net
Income for each taxable year and all items of income, gain, loss and deduction
taken into account in computing Net Income for such taxable year shall be
allocated to the Members in accordance with their respective Percentage
Interests.
(b) Net
Losses. After
giving effect to the special allocations set forth in Section 4.1(d), Net
Losses for each taxable period and all items of income, gain, loss and
deduction taken into account in computing Net Losses for such taxable period
shall be allocated to the Members in accordance with their respective
Percentage Interests; provided that to the extent any allocation of Net Losses
would cause any Members to have a deficit balance in its Adjusted Capital
Account at the end of such taxable year (or increase any existing deficit
balance in its Adjusted Capital Account), such allocation of Net Loss shall be
reallocated among the other Members in accordance with their respective
Percentage Interests.
(c) Allocation
upon Termination. With
respect to all Section 4.1(a) and (b) allocations following a Liquidation Date,
such allocations shall be made after Capital Account balances have been
adjusted by all other allocations provided under this Section 4.1 and after
giving effect to all distributions during such taxable year; provided, however,
that solely for purposes of this Section 4.1(c), Capital Accounts shall not be
adjusted for distributions made pursuant to Section 8.3.
(d) Special
Allocations.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section 4.1, the following special
allocations shall be made for such taxable period:
(i) Company
Minimum Gain Chargeback.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section 4.1, if there is a net
decrease in Company Minimum Gain during any Company taxable period, each Member
shall
27
be
allocated items of Company income and gain for such period (and, if necessary,
subsequent periods) in the manner and amounts provided in Treasury Regulation
Sections 1.704-2(f)(6), 1.704-2(g)(2) and 1.704-2(j)(2)(i), or any successor
provision. For purposes of this Section 4.1(d), each Member’s Adjusted
Capital Account balance shall be determined, and the allocation of income and
gain required hereunder shall be effected, prior to the application of any
other allocations pursuant to this Section 4.1(d) with respect to such taxable
period (other than an allocation pursuant to Sections 4.1(d)(iii) and
4.1(d)(vi)). This Section 4.1(d)(i) is intended to comply with the Company
Minimum Gain chargeback requirement in Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-2(f)
and shall be interpreted consistently therewith.
(ii) Chargeback
of Member Nonrecourse Debt Minimum Gain.
Notwithstanding the other provisions of this Section 4.1 (other than Section
4.1(d)(i)), except as provided in Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-2(i)(4), if
there is a net decrease in Member Nonrecourse Debt Minimum Gain during any
Company taxable period, any Member with a share of Member Nonrecourse Debt
Minimum Gain at the beginning of such taxable period shall be allocated items
of Company income and gain for such period (and, if necessary, subsequent
periods) in the manner and amounts provided in Treasury Regulation Sections
1.704-2(i)(4) and 1.704-2(j)(2)(ii), or any successor provisions. For purposes
of this Section 4.1(d), each Member’s Adjusted Capital Account balance
shall be determined, and the allocation of income and gain required hereunder
shall be effected, prior to the application of any other allocations pursuant
to this Section 4.1(d), other than Section 4.1(d)(i) and other than an
allocation pursuant to Sections 4.1(d)(v) and 4.1(d)(vi), with respect to such
taxable period. This Section 4.1(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) Qualified
Income Offset. In the
event any Member unexpectedly receives any adjustments, allocations or
distributions described in Treasury Regulation Sections
1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(d)(4), (5), or (6), items of Company income and gain shall be
specially allocated to such Member in an amount and manner sufficient to
eliminate, to the extent required by the Treasury Regulations promulgated under
Section 704(b) of the Code, the deficit balance, if any, in its Adjusted
Capital Account created by such adjustments, allocations or distributions as
quickly as possible unless such deficit balance is otherwise eliminated
pursuant to Sections 4.1(d)(i) or (ii). This Section 4.1(d)(iii) is intended to
qualify and be construed as a “qualified income offset” within the
meaning of Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(d) and shall be
interpreted consistently therewith.
(iv) Gross
Income Allocations. In the
event any Member has a deficit balance in its Capital Account at the end of any
Company taxable period in excess of the sum of (A) the amount such Member is
required to restore pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement and (B) the
amount such Member is deemed obligated to restore pursuant to Treasury
Regulation Sections 1.704-2(g)
28
and
1.704-2(i)(5), such Member shall be specially allocated items of Company gross
income and gain in the amount of such excess as quickly as possible; provided,
that an allocation pursuant to this Section 4.1(d)(iv) shall be made only if
and to the extent that such Member would have a deficit balance in its Capital
Account as adjusted after all other allocations provided for in this Section
4.1 have been tentatively made as if this Section 4.1(d)(iv) were not in this
Agreement.
(v) Nonrecourse
Deductions.
Nonrecourse Deductions for any taxable period shall be allocated to the Members
in accordance with their respective Percentage Interests. If the Board of
Directors determines that the Company’s Nonrecourse Deductions should be
allocated in a different ratio to satisfy the safe harbor requirements of the
Treasury Regulations promulgated under Section 704(b) of the Code, the Board of
Directors is authorized, upon notice to the other Members, to revise the
prescribed ratio to the numerically closest ratio that does satisfy such
requirements.
(vi) Member
Nonrecourse Deductions. Member
Nonrecourse Deductions for any taxable period shall be allocated 100% to the
Member that bears the Economic Risk of Loss with respect to the Member
Nonrecourse Debt to which such Member Nonrecourse Deductions are attributable
in accordance with Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-2(i). If more than one
Member bears the Economic Risk of Loss with respect to a Member Nonrecourse
Debt, such Member Nonrecourse Deductions attributable thereto shall be
allocated between or among such Members in accordance with the ratios in which
they share such Economic Risk of Loss.
(vii) Nonrecourse
Liabilities.
Nonrecourse Liabilities of the Company described in Treasury Regulation Section
1.752-3(a)(3) shall be allocated among the Members in a manner chosen by the
Board of Directors and consistent with such Treasury Regulation.
(viii) Code
Section 754 Adjustments. To the
extent an adjustment to the adjusted tax basis of any Company asset pursuant to
Section 734(b) or 743(b) of the Code is required, pursuant to Treasury
Regulation Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(m), to be taken into account in
determining Capital Accounts, the amount of such adjustment to the Capital
Accounts shall be treated as an item of gain (if the adjustment increases the
basis of the asset) or loss (if the adjustment decreases such basis), and such
item of gain or loss shall be specially allocated to the Members in a manner
consistent with the manner in which their Capital Accounts are required to be
adjusted pursuant to such Section of the Treasury Regulations.
(ix) Curative
Allocation.
(A) The
Required Allocations are intended to comply with certain requirements of the
Treasury Regulations. It is the intent of the Members that, to the extent
29
possible,
all Required Allocations shall be offset either with other Required Allocations
or with special allocations of other items of Company income, gain, loss or
deduction pursuant to this Section 4.1(d)(ix). Therefore, notwithstanding any
other provision of this Article IV (other than the Required Allocations), the
Board of Directors shall make such offsetting special allocations of Company
income, gain, loss or deduction in whatever manner it determines appropriate so
that, after such offsetting allocations are made, each Member's Capital Account
balance is, to the extent possible, equal to the Capital Account balance such
Member would have had if the Required Allocations were not part of this
Agreement and all Company items were allocated pursuant to the economic
agreement among the Members.
(B) The
Board of Directors shall, with respect to each taxable period, (1) apply the
provisions of Section 4.1(d)(ix)(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 4.1(d)(ix)(A)
among the Members in a manner that is likely to minimize such economic
distortions.
Section
4.2 Allocations
for Tax Purposes.
(a) Except
as otherwise provided herein, for federal income tax purposes, each item of
income, gain, loss and deduction shall be allocated among the Members in the
same manner as its correlative item of “book” income, gain, loss or
deduction is allocated pursuant to Section 4.1.
(b) In an
attempt to eliminate Book-Tax Disparities attributable to a Contributed
Property or an Adjusted Property, items of income, gain, loss, depreciation,
amortization and cost recovery deductions shall be allocated for federal income
tax purposes among the Members as follows:
(i) (A) In
the case of a Contributed Property, such items attributable thereto shall be
allocated among the Members in the manner provided under Section 704(c) of the
Code that takes into account the variation between the Agreed Value of such
property and its adjusted basis at the time of contribution; and (B) any item
of Residual Gain or Residual Loss attributable to a Contributed Property shall
be allocated among the Members in the same manner as its correlative item of
“book”
gain or loss is allocated pursuant to Section 4.1.
(ii) (A) In
the case of an Adjusted Property, such items shall (1) first, be allocated
among the Members in a manner consistent with the principles of Section 704(c)
of the Code to take into account the Unrealized Gain or Unrealized Loss
attributable to such property and the allocations thereof pursuant to Sections
3.6(d)(i) or 3.6(d)(ii), and (2) second, in the event such property was
30
originally
a Contributed Property, be allocated among the Members in a manner consistent
with Section 4.2(b)(i)(A); and (B) any item of Residual Gain or Residual Loss
attributable to an Adjusted Property shall be allocated among the Members in
the same manner as its correlative item of “book”
gain or loss is allocated pursuant to Section 4.1.
(iii) The
Board of Directors shall apply the principles of Treasury Regulation Section
1.704-3(d) to eliminate Book-Tax Disparities.
Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, the Board of Directors may cause the
Company to eliminate Book-Tax Disparities using another method described in
Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-3.
(c) For the
proper administration of the Company and for the preservation of uniformity of
the Shares (or any class or classes thereof), the Board of Directors 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; (iii) amend the provisions of this Agreement as appropriate (x)
to reflect the proposal or promulgation of Treasury Regulations under Section
704(b) or Section 704(c) of the Code or (y) otherwise to preserve or achieve
uniformity of the Shares (or any class or classes thereof); and (iv) adopt and
employ such methods for (A) the maintenance of Capital Accounts for book and
tax purposes, (B) the determination and allocation of adjustments under
Sections 704(c), 734 and 743 of the Code, (C) the determination and allocation
of taxable income, tax loss and items thereof under this Agreement and pursuant
to the Code, (D) the determination of the identities and tax classification of
Members, (E) the provision of tax information and reports to the Members, (F)
the adoption of reasonable conventions and methods for the valuation of assets
and the determination of tax basis, (G) the allocation of asset values and tax
basis, (H) the adoption and maintenance of accounting methods, (I) the
recognition of the transfer of Shares, (J) tax compliance and other tax-related
requirements, including the use of computer software, and to use filing and
reporting procedures similar to those employed by publicly-traded partnerships
and limited liability companies, as it determines in its sole discretion are
necessary and appropriate to execute the provisions of this Agreement and to
comply with federal, state and local tax law, and to achieve uniformity of
Shares within a class. The Board of Directors may adopt such conventions, make
such allocations and make such amendments to this Agreement as provided in this
Section 4.2(c) only if such conventions, allocations or amendments would not
have a material adverse effect on the Members, the holders of any class or
classes of Shares issued and Outstanding or the Company, and if such
allocations are consistent with the principles of Section 704 of the
Code.
(d) The
Board of Directors 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 Company’s common basis
of such property, despite any inconsistency of such approach with Treasury
Regulation Section 1.167(c)-l(a)(6) or any successor regulations thereto. If
the Board of Directors determines that such reporting position cannot be taken,
the Board of Directors may adopt depreciation and amortization conventions
under which all purchasers acquiring Shares in the same month would receive
depreciation and amortization deductions, based upon the same
31
applicable
rate as if they had purchased a direct interest in the Company’s property.
If the Board of Directors chooses not to utilize such aggregate method, the
Board of Directors may use any other depreciation and amortization conventions
to preserve the uniformity of the intrinsic tax characteristics of any Shares,
so long as such conventions would not have a material adverse effect on the
Members or the Record Holders of any class or classes of Shares.
(e) Any gain
allocated to the Members upon the sale or other taxable disposition of any
Company asset shall, to the extent possible, after taking into account other
required allocations of gain pursuant to this Section 4.2, be characterized as
Recapture Income in the same proportions and to the same extent as such Members
(or their predecessors in interest) have been allocated any deductions directly
or indirectly giving rise to the treatment of such gains as Recapture Income.
(f) All
items of income, gain, loss, deduction and credit recognized by the Company for
federal income tax purposes and allocated to the Members in accordance with the
provisions hereof shall be determined without regard to any election under
Section 754 of the Code that may be made by the Company; provided, however,
that such allocations, once made, shall be adjusted (in the manner determined
by the Board of Directors) to take into account those adjustments permitted or
required by Sections 734 and 743 of the Code.
(g) Each
item of Company income, gain, loss and deduction shall, for federal income tax
purposes, be determined on an annual basis and prorated on a monthly basis and
shall be allocated to the Members as of the opening of the New York Stock
Exchange 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 Members as of the opening of the New
York Stock Exchange 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 Company or any other extraordinary item of income or loss
realized and recognized other than in the ordinary course of business, as
determined by the Board of Directors, shall be allocated to the Members as of
the opening of the New York Stock Exchange on the first Business Day of the
month in which such gain or loss is recognized for federal income tax purposes.
The Board of Directors 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.
(h) Allocations
that would otherwise be made to a Member under the provisions of this Article
IV shall instead be made to the beneficial owner of Shares held by a nominee in
any case in which the nominee has furnished the identity of such owner to the
Company in accordance with Section 6031(c) of the Code or any other method
determined by the Board of Directors.
Section
4.3 Distributions
to Record Holders.
(a) Subject
to the applicable provisions of the Delaware Act, the Board of Directors may,
in its sole discretion, at any time and from time to time, declare, make and
pay distributions of cash or other assets to the Members. Subject to the terms
of any Share Designation, distributions shall be paid to Members in accordance
with their respective Percentage Interests as
32
of the
Record Date selected by the Board of Directors. Notwithstanding anything to the
contrary contained in this Agreement, the Company shall not make or pay any
distributions of cash or other assets with respect to the Class B Shares except
for distributions consisting only of additional Class B Shares paid
proportionally with respect to each outstanding Class B Share.
(b) Notwithstanding
Section 4.3(a), in the event of the dissolution and liquidation of the Company,
all distributions shall be made in accordance with, and subject to the terms
and conditions of, Section 8.3(a).
(c) Pursuant
to Section 7.4, the Company is authorized to withhold from payments or other
distributions to the Members, and to pay over to any U.S. federal, state and
local government or any foreign government, any amounts required to be so
withheld pursuant to the Code or any other law. All amounts withheld with
respect to any payment or other distribution by the Company to the Members
shall be treated as amounts paid to the Members with respect to which such
amounts were withheld pursuant to this Section 4.3(c) or Section 8.3 for all
purposes under this Agreement.
(d) Each
distribution in respect of any Shares shall be paid by the Company, directly or
through the Transfer Agent or through any other Person or agent, only to the
Record Holder of such Shares as of the Record Date set for such distribution.
Such payment shall constitute full payment and satisfaction of the
Company’s liability in respect of such payment, regardless of any claim of
any Person who may have an interest in such payment by reason of an assignment
or otherwise.
ARTICLE
V
MANAGEMENT
AND OPERATION OF BUSINESS
Section
5.1 Power
and Authority of Board of Directors. Except
as otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement, the business and affairs of
the Company shall be managed by or under the direction of a board of directors
(the “Board
of Directors”).
As provided in Section 5.22, the Board of Directors shall have the power and
authority to appoint Officers of the Company. The Directors and Officers shall
constitute “managers”
within the meaning of the Delaware Act. No Member, by virtue of its status as
such, shall have any management power over the business and affairs of the
Company or actual or apparent authority to enter into, execute or deliver
contracts on behalf of, or to otherwise bind, the Company. Except as otherwise
specifically provided in this Agreement, the authority and functions of the
Board of Directors, on the one hand, and of the Officers, on the other hand,
shall be identical to the authority and functions of the board of directors and
officers, respectively, of a corporation organized under the DGCL. In addition
to the powers that now or hereafter can be granted to managers under the
Delaware Act and to all other powers granted under any other provision of this
Agreement, the Board of Directors shall have full power and authority to do,
and to direct the Officers to do, all things and on such terms as it determines
to be necessary or appropriate to conduct the business of the Company, to
exercise all powers set forth in Section 2.5 and to effectuate the purposes set
forth in Section 2.4, including the following:
33
(a) the
making of any expenditures, the lending or borrowing of money, the assumption
or guarantee of, or other contracting for, indebtedness and other liabilities,
the issuance of evidences of indebtedness, including indebtedness that is
convertible into Shares, and the incurring of any other
obligations;
(b) the
making of tax, regulatory and other filings, or rendering of periodic or other
reports to governmental or other agencies having jurisdiction over the business
or assets of the Company;
(c) the
acquisition, disposition, mortgage, pledge, encumbrance, hypothecation or
exchange of any or all of the assets of the Company or the merger or other
combination of the Company with or into another Person (subject, however, to
any prior approval of Members that may be required by this Agreement);
(d) the use
of the assets of the Company (including cash on hand) for any purpose
consistent with the terms of this Agreement, including the financing of the
conduct of the operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries; the lending of
funds to other Persons (including other Group Members); the repayment of
obligations of the Company and its Subsidiaries; and the making of capital
contributions to any Member of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries;
(e) the
negotiation, execution and performance of any contracts, conveyances or other
instruments (including instruments that limit the liability of the Company
under contractual arrangements to all or particular assets of the Company);
(f) the
declaration and payment of distributions of cash or other assets to Members;
(g) the
selection and dismissal of officers, employees, agents, outside attorneys,
accountants, consultants and contractors and the determination of their
compensation and other terms of employment or hiring, and the creation and
operation of employee benefit plans, employee programs and employee practices;
(h) the
maintenance of insurance for the benefit of the Company Group and the
Indemnified Persons;
(i) the
formation of, or acquisition or disposition of an interest in, and the
contribution of property and the making of loans to, any limited or general
partnership, joint venture, corporation, limited liability company or other
entity or arrangement;
(j) the
control of any matters affecting the rights and obligations of the Company,
including the bringing and defending of actions at law or in equity and
otherwise engaging in the conduct of litigation, arbitration or remediation,
and the incurring of legal expense and the settlement of claims and litigation;
(k) the
indemnification of any Person against liabilities and contingencies to the
extent permitted by law;
34
(l) the
entering into of listing agreements with any National Securities Exchange and
the delisting of some or all of the Shares from, or requesting that trading be
suspended on, any such exchange;
(m) the
issuance, sale or other disposition, and the purchase or other acquisition, of
Shares or options, rights, warrants or appreciation rights relating to Shares;
(n) the
undertaking of any action in connection with the Company’s interest or
participation in any Group Member;
(o) the
registration of any offer, issuance, sale or resale of Shares or other
securities issued or to be issued by the Company under the Securities Act and
any other applicable securities laws (including any resale of Shares or other
securities by Members or other securityholders); and
(p) the
execution and delivery of agreements with Affiliates of the Company to render
services to a Group Member.
Section
5.2 Number,
Qualification and Term of Office of Directors. The
number of Directors which shall constitute the whole Board of Directors shall
be five at the time of the execution of this Agreement (or six if Investor
elects to nominate a director pursuant to the Investor Shareholder Agreement)
and shall be eleven upon completion of the IPO. The vacancies on the Board of
Directors that result from the increase in the authorized number of Directors
upon completion of the IPO shall be filled by individuals selected by a
majority of the Directors then in office, who shall also specify the class to
which each newly appointed Director belongs. After completion of the IPO, the
number of Directors which shall constitute the whole Board of Directors shall
be determined from time to time by resolution adopted by a majority of the
Board of Directors then in office, provided that, after the completion of the
IPO and for so long as the Principals shall have the right to designate
nominees to the Board of Directors under the Shareholders Agreement, the number
of Directors may not be increased without the Consent of Principals. The
Directors shall be divided into three classes, designated Class I, Class II and
Class III. Each class shall consist, as nearly as may be possible, of one-third
of the total number of Directors constituting the whole Board of Directors. At
the time of the execution of this Agreement, the Class I Directors shall be
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx, the Class II Directors shall be Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx and Xxxxxxx
X. Xxxxxxxxx, and the Class III Directors shall be Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx and Xxxxx X.
Xxxxxx, Xx. At the time of the execution of this Agreement, the Class I
Directors shall have a term expiring at the 2008 annual meeting of Members, the
Class II Directors shall have a term expiring at the 2009 annual meeting of
Members, and the Class III Directors shall have a term expiring at the 2010
annual meeting of Members. Each Director shall hold office until his successor
is elected or appointed and qualified, or until his or her earlier death,
resignation or removal.
Section
5.3 Election
of Directors. At
each succeeding annual meeting of Members beginning in 2008, successors to the
class of Directors whose term expires at that annual meeting shall be elected
for a three (3)-year term and until their successors are duly elected or
appointed and qualified. If the number of Directors is changed, any increase or
decrease shall be apportioned among the classes so as to maintain the number of
Directors in each class as nearly
35
equal as
possible, and any additional Director of any class elected to fill a vacancy
resulting from an increase in such class or from the death, resignation or
removal from office of a Director or other cause shall hold office for a term
that shall coincide with the remaining term of that class, but in no case will
a decrease in the number of Directors shorten the term of any incumbent
Director. Directors need not be Members. The Directors shall be elected at the
annual meeting of Members, except as provided in Section 5.6 and each Director
elected shall hold office until the third succeeding meeting next after such
Director's election and until such Director's successor is duly elected and
qualified, or until such Director's death or until such Director resigns or is
removed in the manner hereinafter provided. Directors shall be elected by a
plurality of the votes of Outstanding Voting Shares present in person or
represented by proxy and entitled to vote on the election of Directors at any
annual or special meeting of Members.
Section
5.4 Removal. Any
Director or the whole Board of Directors may be removed, with or without cause,
at any time, by the affirmative vote of holders of a Share Majority, given at
an annual meeting or at a special meeting of Members called for that purpose.
The vacancy in the Board of Directors caused by any such removal shall be
filled by the Board of Directors as provided in Section 5.6.
Section
5.5 Resignations. Any
Director may resign at any time by giving notice of such Director's resignation
in writing or by electronic transmission to the Chairman of the Board, if there
be one, the Chief Executive Officer or the Secretary of the Company. Any such
resignation shall take effect at the time specified therein, or if the time
when it shall become effective shall not be specified therein, then it shall
take effect immediately upon its receipt by the Company. Unless otherwise
specified therein, the acceptance of such resignation shall not be necessary to
make it effective. The vacancy in the Board of Directors caused by any such
resignation shall be filled by the Board of Directors as provided in Section
5.6.
Section
5.6 Vacancies. Unless
otherwise required by law, any vacancy on the Board of Directors that results
from newly created Directorships resulting from any increase in the authorized
number of Directors may be filled by a majority of the Directors then in
office, provided that a quorum is present, and any other vacancies may be
filled by a majority of the Directors then in office, though less than a
quorum, or by a sole remaining Director. Any Director of any class elected to
fill a vacancy resulting from an increase in the number of Directors of such
class shall hold office for a term that shall coincide with the remaining term
of that class and until such Director's successor is duly elected or appointed
and qualified, or until his or her earlier death, resignation or removal. Any
Director elected to fill a vacancy not resulting from an increase in the number
of Directors shall have the same remaining term as that of such Director's
predecessor and until such Director's successor is duly elected or appointed
and qualified, or until his or her earlier death, resignation or removal. If
there are no Directors in office, then an election of Directors may be held in
the manner provided by the Delaware Act.
Section
5.7 Nomination
of Directors. Only
persons who are nominated in accordance with the procedures set forth in
Section 11.11(b) shall be eligible for election as Directors of the Company,
except as may be otherwise provided in any Share Designation with respect to
the right of Members of any class of Shares to nominate and elect a specified
number of Directors in certain circumstances.
36
Section
5.8 Chairman
of Meetings. The
Board of Directors may elect one of its members as Chairman of the Board (the
“Chairman
of the Board”). At
each meeting of the Board of Directors, the Chairman of the Board or, in the
Chairman of the Board's absence, a Director chosen by a majority of the
Directors present, shall act as chairman of the meeting. The Secretary of the
Company shall act as secretary at each meeting of the Board of Directors. In
case the Secretary shall be absent from any meeting of the Board of Directors,
an Assistant Secretary shall perform the duties of secretary at such meeting;
and in the absence from any such meeting of the Secretary and all the Assistant
Secretaries, the chairman of the meeting may appoint any person to act as
secretary of the meeting.
Section
5.9 Place
of Meetings. The
Board of Directors may hold meetings, both regular and special, either within
or without the State of Delaware.
Section
5.10 Regular
Meetings. A
regular meeting of the Board of Directors shall be held without any other
notice than this Agreement, immediately after, and at the same place (if any)
as, each annual meeting of Members. The Board of Directors may, by resolution,
provide the time and place (if any) for the holding of additional regular
meetings without any other notice than such resolution. Unless otherwise
determined by the Board of Directors, the Secretary of the Company shall act as
Secretary at all regular meetings of the Board of Directors and in the
Secretary's absence a temporary Secretary shall be appointed by the chairman of
the meeting.
Section
5.11 Special
Meetings; Notice.
Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be called by the Chairman of the
Board, the Chief Executive Officer or, upon a resolution adopted by the Board
of Directors, by the Secretary on twenty-four (24) hours' notice to each
Director, either personally or by telephone or by mail, telegraph, telex,
cable, wireless or other form of recorded or electronic communication, or on
such shorter notice as the person or persons calling such meeting may deem
necessary or appropriate in the circumstances; special meetings shall be called
by the Chairman of the Board, the President or the Secretary in like manner and
on like notice on the written request of two (2) Directors. Notice of any such
meeting need not be given to any Director, however, if waived by such Director
in writing or by telegraph, telex, cable, wireless or other form of recorded or
electronic communication, or if such Director shall be present at such
meeting.
Section
5.12 Action
Without Meeting. Any
action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting by the Board of
Directors or any committee thereof, as the case may be, may be taken without a
meeting if a consent thereto is signed or transmitted electronically, as the
case may be, by all members of the Board or of such committee, as the case may
be, and the writing or writings or electronic transmission or transmissions are
filed with the minutes of proceedings of the Board of Directors or such
committee. Such filing shall be in paper form if the minutes are maintained in
paper form and shall be in electronic form if the minutes are maintained in
electronic form.
Section
5.13 Conference
Telephone Meetings.
Members of the Board of Directors, or any committee thereof, may participate in
a meeting of the Board of Directors or such committee by means of conference
telephone or other communications equipment by means of which all Persons
participating in the meeting can hear each other, and such participation in a
meeting shall constitute presence in person at such meeting.
37
Section
5.14 Quorum. At all
meetings of the Board of Directors, a majority of the then total number of
Directors in office shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
At all meetings of any committee of the Board of Directors, the presence of a
majority of the total number of members of such committee (assuming no
vacancies) shall constitute a quorum. The act of a majority of the Directors or
committee members present at any meeting at which there is a quorum shall be
the act of the Board of Directors or such committee, as the case may be. If a
quorum shall not be present at any meeting of the Board of Directors or any
committee, a majority of the Directors or members, as the case may be, present
thereat may adjourn the meeting from time to time without further notice other
than announcement at the meeting.
Section
5.15 Committees. The
Board of Directors may, by resolution or resolutions passed by a majority of
the then total number of members of the Board of Directors, designate one (1)
or more other committees consisting of one (1) or more Directors of the
Company, which, to the extent provided in such resolution or resolutions, shall
have and may exercise, subject to the provisions of this Agreement, the powers
and authority of the Board of Directors granted hereunder; but no such
committee shall have the power to fill vacancies in the Board of Directors or
any committee or in their respective membership, to approve or adopt, or
recommend to the Members, any action or matter, other than the election or
removal of Directors, expressly required by this Agreement to be submitted to
Members for their approval, or to authorize the issuance of Shares, except that
such a committee may, to the extent provided in such resolutions, (a) grant and
authorize options and other rights with respect to the Shares pursuant to and
in accordance with any plan or authorizing resolutions approved by the Board of
Directors and (b) function as the pricing committee with respect to any
offering of Shares authorized by the Board of Directors. Such committee or
committees shall have such name or names as may be determined from time to time
by resolution adopted by the Board of Directors. A majority of all the members
of any such committee may determine its action and fix the time and place, if
any, of its meetings and specify what notice thereof, if any, shall be given,
unless the Board of Directors shall otherwise provide. The Board of Directors
shall have power to change the members of any such committee at any time to
fill vacancies, and to discharge any such committee, either with or without
cause, at any time. The Secretary of the Company shall act as Secretary of any
committee, unless otherwise provided by the Board of Directors or the
Committee.
Section
5.16 Alternate
Members of Committees. The
Board of Directors may designate one (1) or more Directors as alternate members
of any committee, who may replace any absent or disqualified member at any
meeting of the committee, or if none be so appointed the member or members
thereof present at any meeting and not disqualified from voting, whether or not
such member or members or they constitute a quorum, may unanimously appoint
another member of the Board of Directors to act at the meeting in the place of
any such absent or disqualified member.
Section
5.17 Minutes
of Committees. Each
committee shall keep regular minutes of its meetings and proceedings and report
the same to the Board of Directors at the next meeting thereof.
Section
5.18 Remuneration. Unless
otherwise expressly provided by resolution adopted by the Board of Directors,
none of the Directors shall, as such, receive any stated remuneration for such
Director's services; but the Board of Directors may at any time and from
38
time to
time by resolution provide that a specified sum shall be paid to any Director,
payable in cash or securities, either as such Director's annual remuneration as
such Director or member of any special or standing committee of the Board of
Directors or as remuneration for such Director's attendance at each meeting of
the Board of Directors or any such committee. The Board of Directors may also
likewise provide that the Company shall reimburse each Director for any
expenses paid by such Director on account of such Director's attendance at any
meeting. Nothing in this Section 5.18 shall be construed to preclude any
Director from serving the Company in any other capacity and receiving
remuneration therefor.
Section
5.19 Exculpation,
Indemnification, Advances and Insurance.
(a) Subject
to other applicable provisions of this Article V, to the fullest extent
permitted by applicable law, the Indemnified Persons shall not be liable to the
Company, any Subsidiary
of the Company, any Director of the Company, any Member or any holder of any
equity interest in any Subsidiary of the Company for any acts or omissions by
any of the Indemnified Persons arising from the performance of their duties and
obligations in connection with the Company, this Agreement or any investment
made or held by the Company, including with respect to any acts or omissions
made while serving at the request of the Company as an officer, director,
member, partner, tax matters partner, fiduciary or trustee of another Person or
any employee benefit plan. The Indemnified Persons shall be indemnified by the
Company, to the fullest extent permitted by law, against all expenses and
liabilities (including judgments, fines, penalties, interest, amounts paid in
settlement with the approval of the Company and counsel fees and disbursements
on a solicitor and client basis) arising from the performance of any of their
duties or obligations in connection with their service to the Company or this
Agreement, or any investment made or held by the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries, including in connection with any civil, criminal, administrative,
investigative or other action, suit or proceeding to which any such Person may
hereafter be made party by reason of being or having been a manager of the
Company under Delaware law, a Director or Officer of the Company or any
Subsidiary of the Company, or an officer, director, member, partner, tax
matters partner, fiduciary or trustee of another Person or any employee benefit
plan at the request of the Company. Without limitation, the foregoing indemnity
shall extend to any liability of any Indemnified Person, pursuant to a loan
guaranty or otherwise, for any indebtedness of the Company or any Subsidiary of
the Company (including any indebtedness which the Company or any Subsidiary of
the Company has assumed or taken subject to), and the Officers are hereby
authorized and empowered, on behalf of the Company, to enter into one or more
indemnity agreements consistent with the provisions of this Section 5.19 in
favor of any Indemnified Person having or potentially having liability for any
such indebtedness. It is the intention of this Section 5.19(a) that the Company
indemnify each Indemnified Person to the fullest extent permitted by law. The
termination of any action, suit or proceeding relating to or involving an
Indemnified Person by judgment, order, settlement, conviction, or upon a plea
of nolo contendere or its equivalent, shall not, of itself, create a
presumption that the Indemnified Person committed an act or omission that
constitutes fraud, willful misconduct or gross negligence.
(b) The
provisions of this Agreement, to the extent they restrict the duties and
liabilities of an Indemnified Person otherwise existing at law or in equity,
including Section 5.23, are agreed by each Member to modify such duties and
liabilities of the Indemnified Person to the extent permitted by
law.
39
(c) Any
indemnification under this Section 5.19 (unless ordered by a court) shall be
made by the Company unless the Board of Directors determines in the specific
case that indemnification of the Indemnified Person is not proper in the
circumstances because such person has not met the applicable standard of
conduct set forth in Section 5.19(a). Such determination shall be made by a
majority vote of the Directors who are not parties to the applicable suit,
action or proceeding. To the extent, however, that an Indemnified Person has
been successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any action, suit or
proceeding described above, or in defense of any claim, issue or matter
therein, such Indemnified Person shall be indemnified against expenses
(including attorneys' fees) actually and reasonably incurred by such
Indemnified Person in connection therewith, notwithstanding an earlier
determination by the Board of Directors that the Indemnified Person had not met
the applicable standard of conduct set forth in Section 5.19(a).
(d) Notwithstanding
any contrary determination in the specific case under Section 5.19(c), and
notwithstanding the absence of any determination thereunder, any Indemnified
Person may apply to the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or any other
court of competent jurisdiction in the State of Delaware for indemnification to
the extent otherwise permissible under Section 5.19(a). The basis of such
indemnification by a court shall be a determination by such court that
indemnification of the Indemnified Person is proper in the circumstances
because such Indemnified Person has met the applicable standards of conduct set
forth in Section 5.19(a). Neither a contrary determination in the specific case
under Section 5.19(c) nor the absence of any determination thereunder shall be
a defense to such application or create a presumption that the Indemnified
Person seeking indemnification has not met any applicable standard of conduct.
Notice of any application for indemnification pursuant to this Section 5.19(d)
shall be given to the Company promptly upon the filing of such application. If
successful, in whole or in part, the Indemnified Person seeking indemnification
shall also be entitled to be paid the expense of prosecuting such
application.
(e) To the
fullest extent permitted by law, expenses (including attorneys' fees) incurred
by an Indemnified Person in defending any civil, criminal, administrative or
investigative action, suit or proceeding shall be paid by the Company in
advance of the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding upon
receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of such Indemnified Person to repay
such amount if it shall ultimately be determined that such Indemnified Person
is not entitled to be indemnified by the Company as authorized in this Section
5.19.
(f) The
indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by or granted pursuant to
this Section 5.19 shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which
those seeking indemnification or advancement of expenses may be entitled under
this Agreement, or any other agreement, vote of Members or disinterested
Directors or otherwise, and shall continue as to an Indemnified Person who has
ceased to serve in such capacity and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs,
successors, assigns and administrators of the Indemnified Person unless
otherwise provided in a written agreement with such Indemnified Person or in
the writing pursuant to which such Indemnified Person is indemnified, it being
the policy of the Company that indemnification of the persons specified in
Section 5.19(a) shall be made to the fullest extent permitted by law. The
provisions of this Section 5.19 shall not be deemed to preclude the
40
indemnification
of any person who is not specified in Section 5.19(a) but whom the Company has
the power or obligation to indemnify under the provisions of the Delaware
Act.
(g) The
Company may, but shall not be obligated to, purchase and maintain insurance on
behalf of any Person entitled to indemnification under this Section 5.19
against any liability asserted against such Person and incurred by such Person
in any capacity to which they are entitled to indemnification hereunder, or
arising out of such Person's status as such, whether or not the Company would
have the power or the obligation to indemnify such Person against such
liability under the provisions of this Section 5.19.
(h) The
indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by, or granted pursuant
to, this Section 5.19 shall, unless otherwise provided when authorized or
ratified, shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors and administrators
of any person entitled to indemnification under this Section 5.19.
(i) The
Company may, to the extent authorized from time to time by the Board of
Directors, provide rights to indemnification and to the advancement of expenses
to employees and agents of the Company and to the employees and agents of the
Company Group similar to those conferred in this Section 5.19 to Indemnified
Persons.
(j) If this
Section 5.19 or any portion of this Section 5.19 shall be invalidated on any
ground by a court of competent jurisdiction the Company shall nevertheless
indemnify each Indemnified Person as to expenses (including attorneys' fees),
judgments, fines, and amounts paid in settlement with respect to any action,
suit, proceeding or investigation, whether civil, criminal or administrative,
including a grand jury proceeding or action or suit brought by or in the right
of the Company, to the full extent permitted by any applicable portion of this
Section 5.19 that shall not have been invalidated.
(k) Each of
the Indemnified Persons may, in the performance of his, her or its duties,
consult with legal counsel and accountants, and any act or omission by such
Person on behalf of the Company in furtherance of the interests of the Company
in good faith in reliance upon, and in accordance with, the advice of such
legal counsel or accountants will be full justification for any such act or
omission, and such Person will be fully protected for such acts and omissions;
provided that such legal counsel or accountants were selected with reasonable
care by or on behalf of the Company.
(l) An
Indemnified Person shall not be denied indemnification in whole or in part
under this Section 5.19 because the Indemnified Person had an interest in the
transaction with respect to which the indemnification applies if the
transaction was otherwise permitted by the terms of this
Agreement.
(m) Any
liabilities which an Indemnified Person incurs as a result of acting on behalf
of the Company (whether as a fiduciary or otherwise) in connection with the
operation, administration or maintenance of an employee benefit plan or any
related trust or funding mechanism (whether such liabilities are in the form of
excise taxes assessed by the United States Internal Revenue Service, penalties
assessed by the Department of Labor, restitutions to such a plan or trust
41
or other
funding mechanism or to a participant or beneficiary of such plan, trust or
other funding mechanism, or otherwise) shall be treated as liabilities
indemnifiable under this Section 5.19, to the maximum extent permitted by
law.
(n) A
Director shall, in the performance of his duties, be fully protected in relying
in good faith upon the records of the Company and on such information,
opinions, reports or statements presented to the Company by any of the Officers
or employees of the Company or any other Group Member, or committees of the
Board of Directors, or by any other Person as to matters the Director
reasonably believes are within such other Person’s professional or expert
competence.
(o) Any
amendment, modification or repeal of this Section 5.19 or any provision hereof
shall be prospective only and shall not in any way affect the limitations on
the liability of any indemnitee under this Section 5.19 as in effect
immediately prior to such amendment, modification or repeal with respect to
claims arising from or relating to matters occurring, in whole or in part,
prior to such amendment, modification or repeal, regardless of when such claims
may arise or be asserted and provided such Person became an indemnitee
hereunder prior to such amendment, modification or repeal.
Section
5.20 Resolution
of Conflicts of Interest; Standards of Conduct and Modification of
Duties.
(a) Unless
otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement, whenever a potential conflict
of interest exists or arises between any of the Principals, one or more
Directors or their respective Affiliates, on the one hand, and the Company, any
Group Member or any Member other than an Initial Member, on the other, any
resolution or course of action by the Board of Directors or its Affiliates in
respect of such conflict of interest shall be permitted and deemed approved by
all Members, and shall not constitute a breach of this Agreement, of any
agreement contemplated herein, or of any duty stated or implied by law or
equity, including any fiduciary duty, if the resolution or course of action in
respect of such conflict of interest is (i) approved by Special Approval, (ii)
approved by the vote of holders of Outstanding Voting Shares representing a
majority of the total votes that may be cast by all Outstanding Voting Shares
in the election of Directors that are held by disinterested parties, (iii) on
terms no less favorable to the Company, Group Member or Member other than an
Initial Member, as applicable, than those generally being provided to or
available from unrelated third parties or (iv) fair and reasonable to the
Company taking into account the totality of the relationships between the
parties involved (including other transactions that may be particularly
favorable or advantageous to the Company, Group Member or Member other than an
Initial Member, as applicable). The Board of Directors shall be authorized but
not required in connection with its resolution of such conflict of interest to
seek Special Approval of such resolution, and the Board of Directors may also
adopt a resolution or course of action that has not received Special Approval.
If Special Approval is not sought and the Board of Directors determines that
the resolution or course of action taken with respect to a conflict of interest
satisfies either of the standards set forth in clauses (iii) or (iv) above,
then it shall be presumed that, in making its decision, the Board of Directors
acted in good faith, and in any proceeding brought by any Member or by or on
behalf of such Member or any other Member or the Company challenging such
approval, the Person bringing or prosecuting such proceeding shall have the
burden of overcoming such presumption. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary
in this Agreement, the existence of the conflicts of interest described in the
Registration Statement
42
are
hereby approved by all Members and shall not constitute a breach of this
Agreement or of any duty otherwise existing at law, in equity or otherwise.
(b) The
Members hereby authorize the Board of Directors, on behalf of the Company as a
partner or member of a Group Member, to approve of actions by the board of
directors or managing member of such Group Member similar to those actions
permitted to be taken by the Board of Directors pursuant to this Section 5.20.
Section
5.21 Certificate
of Formation. The
Certificate of Formation has been filed with the Secretary of State of the
State of Delaware as required by the Delaware Act, such filing being hereby
confirmed, ratified and approved in all respects. The Board of Directors shall
use all reasonable efforts to cause to be filed such other certificates or
documents that it determines to be necessary or appropriate for the formation,
continuation, qualification and operation of a limited liability company in the
State of Delaware or any other state in which the Company may elect to do
business or own property. To the extent that the Board of Directors determines
such action to be necessary or appropriate, the Board of Directors shall direct
the appropriate Officers of the Company to file amendments to and restatements
of the Certificate of Formation and do all things to maintain the Company as a
limited liability company under the laws of the State of Delaware or of any
other state in which the Company may elect to do business or own property, and
any such Officer so directed shall be an “authorized
person” of the
Company within the meaning of the Delaware Act for purposes of filing any such
certificate with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware. The Company
shall not be required, before or after filing, to deliver or mail a copy of the
Certificate of Formation, any qualification document or any amendment thereto
to any Member.
Section
5.22 Officers.
(a) The
Board of Directors shall have the power and authority to appoint such officers
with such titles, authority and duties as determined by the Board of Directors.
Such Persons so designated by the Board of Directors shall be referred to as
“Officers.”
Unless provided otherwise by resolution of the Board of Directors, the Officers
shall have the titles, power, authority and duties described below in this
Section 5.22.
(b) The
Officers of the Company may include a Chairman of the Board, a Vice Chairman, a
Chief Executive Officer, a Chief Operating Officer, a Chief Financial Officer,
one or more Presidents or Co-Presidents, one or more Vice Presidents (who may
be further classified by such descriptions as “executive,”
“senior,”
“assistant”
or otherwise, as the Board of Directors shall determine), a Secretary, one or
more Assistant Secretaries, a Treasurer and one or more Assistant Treasurers.
Officers shall be elected by the Board of Directors, which shall consider that
subject at its first meeting after every annual meeting of Members and as
necessary to fill vacancies. Each Officer shall hold office until his or her
successor is elected and qualified or until his or her earlier death,
resignation or removal. Any number of offices may be held by the same Person.
The compensation of Officers elected by the Board of Directors shall be fixed
from time to time by the Board of Directors or by such Officers as may be
designated by resolution of the Board of Directors.
43
(c) Any
Officer may resign at any time upon written notice to the Company. Any Officer,
agent or employee of the Company may be removed by the Board of Directors with
or without cause at any time. The Board of Directors may delegate the power of
removal as to Officers, agents and employees who have not been appointed by the
Board of Directors. Such removal shall be without prejudice to a Person’s
contract rights, if any, but the appointment of any Person as an Officer, agent
or employee of the Company shall not of itself create contract rights.
(d) The
Chairman of the Board shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the Company
unless the Board of Directors elects another Officer as Chief Executive
Officer. Subject to the control of the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive
Officer shall have general executive charge, management and control of the
properties, business and operations of the Company with all such powers as may
be reasonably incident to such responsibilities; he or she may employ and
discharge employees and agents of the Company except such as shall be appointed
by the Board of Directors, and he or she may delegate these powers; he or she
may agree upon and execute all leases, contracts, evidences of indebtedness and
other obligations in the name of the Company, and shall have such other powers
and duties as designated in accordance with this Agreement and as from time to
time may be assigned to him or her by the Board of Directors.
(e) If
elected, the Chairman of the Board shall preside at all meetings of the Members
and of the Board of Directors; and shall have such other powers and duties as
designated in this Agreement and as from time to time may be assigned to him or
her by the Board of Directors.
(f) Unless
the Board of Directors otherwise determines, the Chief Operating Officer and
every President and Co-President shall have the authority to agree upon and
execute all leases, contracts, evidences of indebtedness and other obligations
in the name of the Company. Unless the Board of Directors otherwise determines,
in the absence of the Chairman of the Board or if there be no Chairman of the
Board, the Board of Directors may designate the Chief Operating Officer, a
President or a Co-President to preside at all meetings of the Members and
(should he or she be a Director) of the Board of Directors. The Chief Operating
Officer and each President and Co-President shall have such other powers and
duties as designated in accordance with this Agreement and as from time to time
may be assigned to him or her by the Board of Directors.
(g) In the
absence of a Chief Operating Officer, President or Co-President, or in the
event of an inability or refusal of the Chief Operating Officer and all
Presidents and Co-Presidents to act, a Vice President designated by the Board
of Directors shall perform the duties of a President, and when so acting shall
have all the powers of and be subject to all the restrictions upon a President.
In the absence of a designation by the Board of Directors of a Vice President
to perform the duties of a President, or in the event of his absence or
inability or refusal to act, the Vice President who is present and who is
senior in terms of uninterrupted time as a Vice President of the Company shall
so act. A Vice President shall perform such other duties and have such other
powers as the Board of Directors may from time to time prescribe. Unless
otherwise provided by the Board of Directors, each Vice President will have
authority to act within his or her respective areas and to sign contracts
relating thereto.
44
(h) The
Treasurer shall have responsibility for the custody and control of all the
funds and securities of the Company and shall have such other powers and duties
as designated in this Agreement and as from time to time may be assigned to the
Treasurer by the Board of Directors. The Treasurer shall perform all acts
incident to the position of Treasurer, subject to the control of the Chief
Executive Officer and the Board of Directors. Each Assistant Treasurer shall
have the usual powers and duties pertaining to his or her office, together with
such other powers and duties as designated in this Agreement and as from time
to time may be assigned to him or her by the Chief Executive Officer or the
Board of Directors. The Assistant Treasurers shall exercise the powers of the
Treasurer during that Officer’s absence or inability or refusal to act. An
Assistant Treasurer shall also perform such other duties as the Treasurer or
the Board of Directors may assign to him or her.
(i) The
Secretary shall issue all authorized notices for, and shall keep minutes of,
all meetings of the Members and the Board of Directors. The Secretary shall
have charge of the corporate books and shall perform such other duties as the
Board of Directors may from time to time prescribe. In the absence or inability
to act of the Secretary, any Assistant Secretary may perform all the duties and
exercise all the powers of the Secretary. The performance of any such duty
shall, in respect of any other Person dealing with the Company, be conclusive
evidence of his or her power to act. An Assistant Secretary shall also perform
such other duties as the Secretary or the Board of Directors may assign to him
or her.
(j) The
Board of Directors may from time to time delegate the powers or duties of any
Officer to any other Officers or agents, notwithstanding any provision hereof.
(k) Unless
otherwise directed by the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer, any
President or Co-President, the Chief Operating Officer or any other Officer of
the Company authorized by the Chief Executive Officer shall have power to vote
and otherwise act on behalf of the Company, in person or by proxy, at any
meeting of members of or with respect to any action of equity holders of any
other entity in which the Company may hold securities and otherwise to exercise
any and all rights and powers which the Company may possess by reason of its
ownership of securities in such other entities.
Section
5.23 Duties
of Officers and Directors.
(a) Except
as otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement or required by the Delaware
Act, (i) the duties and obligations owed to the Company by the Officers and
Directors shall be the same as the duties and obligations owed to a corporation
organized under DGCL by its officers and directors, respectively, and (ii) the
duties and obligations owed to the Members by the Officers and Directors shall
be the same as the duties and obligations owed to the stockholders of a
corporation under the DGCL by its officers and directors,
respectively.
(b) The
Board of Directors shall have the right to exercise any of the powers granted
to it by this Agreement and perform any of the duties imposed upon it
thereunder either directly or by or through the duly authorized Officers of the
Company, and the Board of Directors shall not be responsible for the misconduct
or negligence on the part of any such Officer duly appointed or duly authorized
by the Board of Directors in good faith.
45
Section
5.24 Outside
Activities. It
shall be deemed not to be a breach of any duty (including any fiduciary duty)
or any other obligation of any type whatsoever of any Director or Affiliates of
such Director (other than any express obligation contained in any agreement to
which such Person and the Company or any of its Subsidiaries are parties) to
engage in outside business interests and activities in preference to or to the
exclusion of the Company or in direct competition with the Company; provided
such Director or Affiliate does not engage in such business or activity as a
result of or using confidential information provided by or on behalf of the
Company to such Director; provided, further, that a Person shall not be deemed
to be in direct competition with the Company solely because of such Person's
ownership, directly or indirectly, solely for investment purposes, of
securities of any publicly traded entity if such Person does not, together with
such Person's Affiliates, collectively own 5% or more of any class or
securities of such publicly traded entity, and such Person is not a director or
officer (and does not hold an equivalent position) in such publicly traded
entity. Directors shall have no obligation hereunder or as a result of any duty
expressed or implied by law to present business opportunities to the Company
that may become available to Affiliates of such Director. None of any Group
Member, any Member or any other Person shall have any rights by virtue of a
Director’s duties as a Director, this Agreement or any Group Member
Agreement in any business ventures of any Director.
Section
5.25 Reliance
by Third Parties.
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, any Person dealing
with the Company shall be entitled to assume that the Board of Directors and
any Officer authorized by the Board of Directors to act on behalf of and in the
name of the Company has full power and authority to encumber, sell or otherwise
use in any manner any and all assets of the Company and to enter into any
authorized contracts on behalf of the Company, and such Person shall be
entitled to deal with the Board of Directors or any Officer as if it were the
Company’s sole party in interest, both legally and beneficially. Each
Member hereby waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any and all
defenses or other remedies that may be available against such Person to
contest, negate or disaffirm any action of the Board of Directors or any
Officer in connection with any such dealing. In no event shall any Person
dealing with the Board of Directors or any Officer or its representatives be
obligated to ascertain that the terms of this Agreement have been complied with
or to inquire into the necessity or expedience of any act or action of the
Board of Directors or any Officer or its representatives. Each and every
certificate, document or other instrument executed on behalf of the Company by
the Board of Directors or any Officer or its representatives shall be
conclusive evidence in favor of any and every Person relying thereon or
claiming thereunder that (a) at the time of the execution and delivery of such
certificate, document or instrument, this Agreement was in full force and
effect, (b) the Person executing and delivering such certificate, document or
instrument was duly authorized and empowered to do so for and on behalf of the
Company and (c) such certificate, document or instrument was duly executed and
delivered in accordance with the terms and provisions of this Agreement and is
binding upon the Company.
Section
5.26 Acquisitions
by FIG LLC.The
Company shall not allow FIG LLC to acquire an interest, directly or indirectly,
in any entity without the unanimous approval of all holders of Class B Shares
if holders of Class B Shares would be required to contribute funds in order for
such holders to maintain their respective ownership percentages in such
entity.
46
ARTICLE
VI
BOOKS,
RECORDS, ACCOUNTING AND REPORTS
Section
6.1 Records
and Accounting. The
Board of Directors shall keep or cause to be kept at the principal office of
the Company appropriate books and records with respect to the Company’s
business, including all books and records necessary to provide to the Members
any information required to be provided pursuant to this Agreement. Any books
and records maintained by or on behalf of the Company in the regular course of
its business, including the record of the Members, books of account and records
of Company proceedings, may be kept on, or be in the form of, computer disks,
hard drives, punch cards, magnetic tape, photographs, micrographics or any
other information storage device; provided, that the books and records so
maintained are convertible into clearly legible written form within a
reasonable period of time. The books of the Company shall be maintained, for
tax and financial reporting purposes, on an accrual basis in accordance with
U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
Section
6.2 Fiscal
Year. The
fiscal year for tax and financial reporting purposes of the Company shall be a
calendar year ending December 31 unless otherwise required by the Code or
permitted by law.
Section
6.3 Reports.
(a) As soon
as practicable, but in no event later than 120 days after the close of each
fiscal year of the Company, the Board of Directors shall cause to be mailed or
made available to each Record Holder of a Share, as of a date selected by the
Board of Directors, an annual report containing financial statements of the
Company for such fiscal year of the Company, presented in accordance with U.S.
generally accepted accounting principles, including a balance sheet and
statements of operations, equity and cash flows, such statements to be audited
by a registered public accounting firm selected by the Board of Directors.
(b) As soon
as practicable, but in no event later than 90 days after the close of each
Quarter except the last Quarter of each fiscal year, the Board of Directors
shall cause to be mailed or made available to each Record Holder of a Share, as
of a date selected by the Board of Directors, a report containing unaudited
financial statements of the Company and such other information as may be
required by applicable law, regulation or rule of any National Securities
Exchange on which the Shares are listed for trading, or as the Board of
Directors determines to be necessary or appropriate.
ARTICLE
VII
TAX
MATTERS
Section
7.1 Tax
Returns and Information. The
Company shall timely file all returns of the Company that are required for
federal, state and local income tax purposes on the basis of the accrual method
and its fiscal year. The Officers of the Company shall use reasonable efforts
to furnish to all Members necessary tax information as promptly as possible
after the end of the fiscal year of the Company; provided, however, that
delivery of such tax information may be
47
subject
to delay as a result of the late receipt of any necessary tax information from
an entity in which the Company or any Group Member holds an interest. 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
7.2 Tax
Elections.
(a) The
Company 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 Board of Directors’
determination that such revocation is in the best interests of the Members.
Notwithstanding any other provision herein contained, for the purposes of
computing the adjustments under Section 743(b) of the Code, the Board of
Directors shall be authorized (but not required) to adopt a convention whereby
the price paid by a transferee of a Share will be deemed to be the lowest
quoted closing price of the Shares on any National Securities Exchange on which
such Shares are traded during the calendar month in which such transfer is
deemed to occur pursuant to Section 4.2(g) without regard to the actual price
paid by such transferee.
(b) Except
as otherwise provided herein, the Board of Directors shall determine whether
the Company should make any other elections permitted by the Code.
Section
7.3 Tax
Controversies. The
Board of Directors shall designate one Member as the Tax Matters Partner (as
defined in the Code). The Tax Matters Partner is authorized and required to
represent the Company (at the Company’s expense) in connection with all
examinations of the Company’s affairs by tax authorities, including
resulting administrative and judicial proceedings, and to expend Company funds
for professional services and costs associated therewith. Each Member agrees to
cooperate with the Tax Matters Partner and to do or refrain from doing any or
all things reasonably required by the Tax Matters Partner to conduct such
proceedings.
Section
7.4 Withholding.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the Board of Directors
is authorized to take any action that may be required to cause the Company and
other Group Members to comply with any withholding requirements established
under the Code or any other federal, state, local or foreign law including
pursuant to Sections 1441, 1442, 1445 and 1446 of the Code. To the extent that
the Company is required or elects to withhold and pay over to any taxing
authority any amount resulting from the allocation or distribution of income to
any Member (including by reason of Section 1446 of the Code), the Board of
Directors may treat the amount withheld as a distribution of cash pursuant to
Sections 4.3 or 8.3 in the amount of such withholding from such Member.
Section
7.5 Class
B Shares. For
federal (and applicable state) income tax purposes, the Class B Shares shall
not be treated as outstanding limited liability company membership interests
and holders that own only Class B Shares shall not be treated as
Members.
48
ARTICLE
VIII
DISSOLUTION
AND LIQUIDATION
Section
8.1 Dissolution. The
Company shall not be dissolved by the admission of Substitute Members or
Additional Members. The Company shall dissolve, and its affairs shall be wound
up, upon:
(a) an
election to dissolve the Company by the Board of Directors that is approved by
the holders of a Share Majority;
(b) the
sale, exchange or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets
and properties of the Company;
(c) the
entry of a decree of judicial dissolution of the Company pursuant to the
provisions of the Delaware Act; or
(d) at any
time that there are no Members of the Company, unless the business of the
Company is continued in accordance with the Delaware Act.
Section
8.2 Liquidator. Upon
dissolution of the Company, the Board of Directors shall select one or more
Persons to act as Liquidator. The Liquidator (if other than the Board of
Directors) shall be entitled to receive such compensation for its services as
may be approved by holders of a Share Majority. The Liquidator (if other than
the Board of Directors) shall agree not to resign at any time without 15
days’ prior notice and may be removed at any time, with or without cause,
by notice of removal approved by holders of a Share Majority. Upon dissolution,
death, incapacity, removal or resignation of the Liquidator, a successor and
substitute Liquidator (who shall have and succeed to all rights, powers and
duties of the original Liquidator) shall within 30 days thereafter be approved
by holders of a Share Majority. The right to approve a successor or substitute
Liquidator in the manner provided herein shall be deemed to refer also to any
such successor or substitute Liquidator approved in the manner herein provided.
Except as expressly provided in this Article VIII, the Liquidator approved in
the manner provided herein shall have and may exercise, without further
authorization or consent of any of the parties hereto, all of the powers
conferred upon the Board of Directors under the terms of this Agreement (but
subject to all of the applicable limitations, contractual and otherwise, upon
the exercise of such powers) necessary or appropriate to carry out the duties
and functions of the Liquidator hereunder for and during the period of time
required to complete the winding up and liquidation of the Company as provided
for herein.
Section
8.3 Liquidation. The
Liquidator shall proceed to dispose of the assets of the Company, discharge its
liabilities, and otherwise wind up its affairs in such manner and over such
period as determined by the Liquidator, subject to Section 18-804 of the
Delaware Act and the following:
(a) Subject
to Section 8.3(c), the assets may be disposed of by public or private sale or
by distribution in kind to one or more Members on such terms as the Liquidator
and such Member or Members may agree. If any property is distributed in kind,
the Member receiving the property shall be deemed for purposes of Section
8.3(c) to have received cash equal to its fair
49
market
value; and contemporaneously therewith, appropriate cash distributions must be
made to the other Members. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained
in this Agreement, the Members understand and acknowledge that a Member may be
compelled to accept a distribution of any asset in kind from the Company
despite the fact that the percentage of the asset distributed to such Member
exceeds the percentage of that asset which is equal to the percentage in which
such Member shares in distributions from the Company. The Liquidator may defer
liquidation or distribution of the Company’s assets for a reasonable time
if it determines that an immediate sale or distribution of all or some of the
Company’s assets would be impractical or would cause undue loss to the
Members. The Liquidator may distribute the Company’s assets, in whole or
in part, in kind if it determines that a sale would be impractical or would
cause undue loss to the Members.
(b) Liabilities
of the Company include amounts owed to the Liquidator as compensation for
serving in such capacity (subject to the terms of Section 8.2) and amounts to
Members otherwise than in respect of their distribution rights under Article
IV. With respect to any liability that is contingent, conditional or unmatured
or is otherwise not yet due and payable, the Liquidator shall either settle
such claim for such amount as it thinks appropriate or establish a reserve of
cash or other assets to provide for its payment. When paid, any unused portion
of the reserve shall be applied to other liabilities or distributed as
additional liquidation proceeds.
(c) Subject
to the terms of any Share Designation, all property and all cash in excess of
that required to discharge liabilities as provided in Section 8.3(b) shall be
distributed to the Members in accordance with and to the extent of the positive
balances in their respective Capital Accounts, as determined after taking into
account all Capital Account adjustments (other than those made by reason of
distributions pursuant to this Section 8.3(c)) for the taxable year of the
Company during which the liquidation of the Company occurs (with such date of
occurrence being determined by the Board of Directors, and such distribution
shall be made by the end of such taxable year (or, if later, within 90 days
after said date of such occurrence).
(d) Notwithstanding
any other provision of this Agreement, if, upon the dissolution and liquidation
of the Company pursuant to this Article VIII and after all other allocations
provided for in Section 4.1 have been tentatively made as if this section were
not in this Agreement, either (i) the positive Capital Account balance
attributable to one or more Shares having a liquidation preference is not equal
to such liquidation preference, or (ii) the quotient obtained by dividing the
positive balance of a Member’s Capital Account with respect to Common
Shares by the aggregate of all Members’ Capital Account balances with
respect to Common Shares at such time would differ from such Member's
Percentage Interest, then Net Income (and items thereof) and Net Loss (and
items thereof) for the Fiscal Year in which the Company dissolves and
liquidates pursuant to Article VIII shall be allocated among the Members (x)
first, to the extent necessary to ensure that the Capital Account balance
attributable to a Share having a liquidation preference is equal to such
liquidation preference, and (y) second, in a manner such that the positive
balance in the Capital Account of each Member with respect to Common Shares on
a share by share basis, immediately after giving effect to such allocation, is,
as nearly as possible, equal to each such Member's Percentage Interest on a
share by share basis.
Section
8.4 Cancellation
of Certificate of Formation. Upon
the completion of the distribution of Company cash and property as provided in
Section 8.3 in connection with the liquidation of the Company, the Certificate
of Formation and all qualifications of the Company as
50
a
foreign limited liability company in jurisdictions other than the State of
Delaware shall be canceled and such other actions as may be necessary to
terminate the Company shall be taken.
Section
8.5 Return
of Contributions. None
of any member of the Board of Directors or any Officer of the Company will be
personally liable for, or have any obligation to contribute or loan any monies
or property to the Company to enable it to effectuate, the return of the
Capital Contributions of the Members, or any portion thereof, it being
expressly understood that any such return shall be made solely from Company
assets.
Section
8.6 Waiver
of Partition. To the
maximum extent permitted by law, each Member hereby waives any right to
partition of the Company property.
Section
8.7 Capital
Account Restoration. No
Member shall have any obligation to restore any negative balance in its Capital
Account upon liquidation of the Company.
ARTICLE
IX
AMENDMENT
OF AGREEMENT
Section
9.1 General. Except
as provided in Section 9.2, Section 9.3 and Section 9.4, the Board of Directors
may amend any of the terms of this Agreement but only in compliance with the
terms, conditions and procedures set forth in this Section 9.1. If the Board of
Directors desires to amend any provision of this Agreement other than pursuant
to Section 9.3, then it shall first adopt a resolution setting forth the
amendment proposed, declaring its advisability, and then (i) call a special
meeting of the Members entitled to vote in respect thereof for the
consideration of such amendment, (ii) direct that the amendment proposed be
considered at the next annual meeting of the Members or (iii) seek the written
consent of the Members. Amendments to this Agreement may be proposed only by or
with the consent of the Board of Directors. Such special or annual meeting
shall be called and held upon notice in accordance with Article XI of this
Agreement. The notice shall set forth such amendment in full or a brief summary
of the changes to be effected thereby, as the Board of Directors shall deem
advisable. At the meeting, a vote of Members entitled to vote thereon shall be
taken for and against the proposed amendment. A proposed amendment shall be
effective upon its approval by a Share Majority, unless a greater percentage is
required under this Agreement or by Delaware law.
Section
9.2 Super-Majority
Amendments.
Notwithstanding Section 9.1, the affirmative vote of the holders of Outstanding
Voting Shares representing at least two-thirds of the total votes that may be
cast by all Outstanding Voting Shares in the election of Directors, voting
together as a single class, shall be required to alter or amend any provision
of this Section 9.2 or Section 9.4(b).
Section
9.3 Amendments
to be Adopted Solely by the Board of Directors.
Notwithstanding Section 9.1, the Board of Directors, without the approval of
any Member, may amend any provision of this Agreement, and execute, swear to,
acknowledge, deliver, file and record whatever documents may be required in
connection therewith, to reflect:
51
(a) a change
in the name of the Company, the location of the principal place of business of
the Company, the registered agent of the Company or the registered office of
the Company;
(b) the
admission, substitution, withdrawal or removal of Members in accordance with
this Agreement;
(c) a change
that the Board of Directors determines to be necessary or appropriate to
qualify or continue the qualification of the Company as a limited liability
company under the laws of any state or to ensure that the Company will not be
treated as an association taxable as a corporation or otherwise taxed as an
entity for federal income tax purposes other than as the Company specifically
so designates;
(d) a change
that, in the sole discretion of the Board of Directors, it determines (i) does
not adversely affect the Members (including adversely affecting the holders of
any particular class or series of Shares as compared to other holders of other
classes or series of Shares) in any material respect, (ii) to be necessary or
appropriate to satisfy any requirements, conditions or guidelines contained in
any opinion, directive, order, ruling or regulation of any federal or state
agency or judicial authority or contained in any federal or state statute
(including the Delaware Act), (iii) to be necessary, desirable or appropriate
to facilitate the trading of the Shares (including, without limitation, the
division of any class or classes or series of Outstanding Shares into different
classes or series to facilitate uniformity of tax consequences within such
classes or series of Shares) or comply with any rule, regulation, guideline or
requirement of any National Securities Exchange on which Shares are or will be
listed for trading, compliance with any of which the Board of Directors deems
to be in the best interests of the Company and the Members, (iv) to be
necessary or appropriate in connection with action taken by the Board of
Directors pursuant to Section 3.7 or (v) is required to effect the intent
expressed in the Registration Statement or the intent of the provisions of this
Agreement or is otherwise contemplated by this Agreement;
(e) a change
in the fiscal year or taxable year of the Company and any other changes that
the Board of Directors determines to be necessary or appropriate as a result of
a change in the fiscal year or taxable year of the Company;
(f) an
amendment that the Board of Directors determines, based on the advice of
counsel, to be necessary or appropriate to prevent the Company or its
Directors, Officers, trustees or agents from in any manner being subjected to
the provisions of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the
Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, or “plan asset”
regulations adopted under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974,
as amended, regardless of whether such are substantially similar to plan asset
regulations currently applied or proposed by the United States Department of
Labor;
(g) an
amendment that the Board of Directors determines to be necessary or appropriate
in connection with the authorization or issuance of any class or series of
Shares pursuant to Section 3.2 and the admission of Additional Members;
52
(h) any
amendment expressly permitted in this Agreement to be made by the Board of
Directors acting alone;
(i) an
amendment effected, necessitated or contemplated by a Merger Agreement approved
in accordance with Section 10.3;
(j) an
amendment that the Board of Directors determines to be necessary or appropriate
to reflect and account for the formation by the Company of, or investment by
the Company in, any corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited liability
company or other entity, in connection with the conduct by the Company of
activities permitted by the terms of Section 2.4;
(k) a
merger, conversion or conveyance pursuant to Section 10.3(d); or
(l) any
other amendments substantially similar to the foregoing.
Section
9.4 Amendment
Requirements.
(a) Notwithstanding
the provisions of Sections 9.1 and 9.3, no provision of this Agreement that
establishes a percentage of Outstanding Voting Shares required to take any
action shall be amended, altered, changed, repealed or rescinded in any respect
that would have the effect of reducing such voting percentage unless such
amendment is approved by the affirmative vote of holders of Outstanding Voting
Shares whose aggregate Outstanding Voting Shares constitute not less than the
voting requirement sought to be reduced.
(b) Notwithstanding
the provisions of Sections 9.1 and 9.3, but subject to the provisions of
Section 9.2, no amendment to this Agreement may (i) enlarge the obligations of
any Member without its consent, unless such shall be deemed to have occurred as
a result of an amendment approved pursuant to Section 9.4(c), (ii) change
Section 8.1(a), (iii) change the term of the Company or, (iv) except as set
forth in Section 8.1(a), give any Person the right to dissolve the
Company.
(c) Except
as provided in Section 10.3, and without limitation of the Board of
Directors’ authority to adopt amendments to this Agreement without the
approval of any Members as contemplated in Section 9.1, notwithstanding the
provisions of Section 9.1, (i) any amendment that would have a material adverse
effect on the rights or preferences of any class or series of Shares in
relation to other classes or series of Shares must be approved by the holders
of a majority of the Outstanding Shares of the class or series affected, and
(ii) any amendment of Section 2.9 or, for so long as the Principals shall have
the right to designate nominees to the Board of Directors under the
Shareholders Agreement, Section 5.2 shall require the Consent of
Principals.
ARTICLE
X
MERGER,
CONSOLIDATION OR CONVERSION
Section
10.1 Authority. The
Company may merge or consolidate with one or more limited liability companies
or “other business entities” as defined in Section 18-209 of the
53
Delaware
Act, or convert into any such entity, whether such entity is formed under the
laws of the State of Delaware or any other state of the United States of
America, pursuant to a written agreement 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 X.
Section
10.2 Procedure
for Merger, Consolidation or Conversion.
Merger, consolidation or conversion of the Company pursuant to this Article X
requires the prior approval of the Board of Directors.
(a) If the
Board of Directors shall determine to consent to the merger or consolidation,
the Board of Directors shall approve the Merger Agreement, which shall set
forth:
(i) the
names and jurisdictions of formation or organization of each of the business
entities proposing to merge or consolidate;
(ii) the name
and jurisdiction of formation or organization 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 rights or securities of, or
interests in, each constituent business entity for, or into, cash, property,
rights, or securities of or interests in, the Surviving Business Entity; and if
any rights or securities of, or interests in, any constituent business entity
are not to be exchanged or converted solely for, or into, cash, property,
rights, or securities of or interests in, the Surviving Business Entity, the
cash, property, rights, or securities of or interests in, any limited liability
company or other business entity which the holders of such rights, securities
or interests are to receive, if any;
(v) a
statement of any changes in the constituent documents or the adoption of new
constituent documents (the certificate of formation or limited liability
company agreement, articles or certificate of incorporation, articles of trust,
declaration of trust, certificate or agreement of limited partnership or other
similar charter or governing document) of the Surviving Business Entity to be
effected by such merger or consolidation;
(vi) the
effective time of the merger, which may be the date of the filing of the
certificate of merger pursuant to Section 10.4 or a later date specified in or
determinable in accordance with the Merger Agreement (provided, that if the
effective time of the merger is to be later than the date of the filing of the
certificate of merger, the effective time shall be fixed no later than the time
of the filing of the certificate of merger or the time stated therein); and
(vii) such
other provisions with respect to the proposed merger or consolidation that the
Board of Directors determines to be necessary or appropriate.
54
(b) If the
Board of Directors shall determine to consent to the conversion, the Board of
Directors may approve and adopt a Plan of Conversion containing such terms and
conditions that the Board of Directors determines to be necessary or
appropriate.
Section
10.3 Approval
by Members of Merger, Consolidation or Conversion or Sales of Substantially All
of the Company's Assets.
(a) Except
as provided in Section 10.3(d), the Board of Directors, upon its approval of
the Merger Agreement or Plan of Conversion, as the case may be, shall direct
that the Merger Agreement or Plan of Conversion, as applicable, be submitted to
a vote of Members, whether at an annual meeting or a special meeting, in either
case, in accordance with the requirements of Article IX. A copy or a summary of
the Merger Agreement or Plan of Conversion, as applicable, shall be included in
or enclosed with the notice of meeting.
(b) Except
as provided in Section 10.3(d), the Merger Agreement or Plan of Conversion, as
applicable, shall be approved upon receiving the affirmative vote or consent of
the holders of a Share Majority unless the Merger Agreement or Plan of
Conversion, as applicable, contains any provision that, if contained in an
amendment to this Agreement, the provisions of this Agreement or the Delaware
Act would require for its approval the vote or consent of a greater percentage
of the Outstanding Voting Shares or of any class or series of Members, in which
case such greater percentage vote or consent shall be required for approval of
the Merger Agreement or Plan of Conversion, as applicable.
(c) Except
as provided in Section 10.3(d), after such approval by vote or consent of the
Members, and at any time prior to the filing of the certificate of merger or a
certificate of conversion pursuant to Section 10.4, the merger, consolidation
or conversion may be abandoned pursuant to provisions therefor, if any, set
forth in the Merger Agreement or the Plan of Conversion, as the case may be.
(d) Notwithstanding
anything else contained in this Article X or in this Agreement, the Board of
Directors is permitted, without Member approval, to convert the Company into a
new limited liability entity, or to merge the Company into, or convey all of
the Company’s assets to, another limited liability entity, or which shall
be newly formed and shall have no assets, liabilities or operations at the time
of such conversion, merger or conveyance other than those it receives from the
Company if (i) the Board of Directors 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 Member or cause the Company 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), (ii) the sole purpose of such conversion, merger or conveyance is to
effect a mere change in the legal form of the Company into another limited
liability entity and (iii) the governing instruments of the new entity provide
the Members and the Board of Directors with substantially the same rights and
obligations as are herein contained.
(e) Members
are not entitled to dissenters’ rights of appraisal in the event of a
merger, consolidation or conversion pursuant to this Article X, a sale of all
or substantially all of the assets of the Company or the Company’s
Subsidiaries, or any other similar transaction or event.
55
(f) The
Board of Directors may not cause the Company to sell, exchange or otherwise
dispose of all or substantially all of its assets, in one transaction or a
series of related transactions, or approve on behalf of the Company any such
sale, exchange or other disposition, without receiving the affirmative vote or
consent of the holders of a Share Majority; provided, however, that the
foregoing will not limit the ability of the Board of Directors to authorize the
Company to mortgage, pledge, hypothecate or grant a security interest in all or
substantially all of the assets of the Company without the approval of any
Member.
(g) Without
the approval of any Member, the Board of Directors may, at any time, cause the
Company to implement a reorganization whereby a Delaware statutory trust (the
“Trust”)
would hold all Outstanding Class A Shares and the holder of each Class A Share
would receive, in exchange for such Class A Share, a common share of the Trust
which would represent one undivided beneficial interest in the Trust, and each
common share of the Trust would correspond to one underlying Class A Share;
provided, however, that the Board of Directors will not implement such a trust
structure if, in its sole discretion, it determines that such reorganization
would be taxable or otherwise alter the benefits or burdens of ownership of the
Class A Shares, including altering a Member’s allocation of items of
income, gain, loss, deduction or credit or the treatment of such items for U.S.
federal income tax purposes. The Board of Directors will also be required to
implement the reorganization in such a manner that the reorganization does not
have a material effect on the voting or economic rights of Class A Shares and
Class B Shares.
(h) Each
Merger, consolidation or conversion approved pursuant to this Article X shall
provide that all holders of Class A Shares shall be entitled to receive the
same consideration pursuant to such transaction with respect to each of their
Class A Shares.
Section
10.4 Certificate
of Merger or Conversion. Upon
the required approval by the Board of Directors and the Member of a Merger
Agreement or a Plan of Conversion, as the case may be, a certificate of merger
or certificate of conversion, as applicable, shall be executed and filed with
the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware in conformity with the
requirements of the Delaware Act.
Section
10.5 Effect
of Merger.
(a) At the
effective time of the certificate of merger:
(i) all of
the rights, privileges and powers of each of the business entities that has
merged or consolidated, and all property, real, personal and mixed, and all
debts due to any 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 and all other things and causes of action
belonging to each of those business entities, shall be vested in the Surviving
Business Entity to the extent they were of each constituent business entity;
(ii) the
title to any real property vested by deed or otherwise in any of those
constituent business entities shall not revert and is not in any way impaired
because of the merger or consolidation;
56
(iii) all
rights of creditors and all liens on or security interests in property of any
of those constituent business entities shall be preserved unimpaired; and
(iv) all
debts, liabilities and duties of those constituent business entities shall
attach to the Surviving Business Entity and may be enforced against it to the
same extent as if the debts, liabilities and duties had been incurred or
contracted by it.
(b) It is
the intent of the parties hereto that a merger or consolidation effected
pursuant to this Article X shall not be deemed to result in a transfer or
assignment of assets or liabilities from one entity to another.
Section
10.6 Corporate
Treatment. The
Board of Directors shall use its reasonable best efforts to take such actions
as are necessary or appropriate to preserve the status of the Company as a
partnership for federal (and applicable state) income tax purposes. If,
however, the Board of Directors determines that it is no longer in the best
interests of the Company to continue as a partnership, the Board of Directors
may elect to treat the Company as an association or as a publicly traded
partnership taxable as a corporation for federal (and applicable state) income
tax purposes. In the event that the Board of Directors determines the Company
should seek relief pursuant to Section 7704(e) of the Code to preserve the
status of the Company as a partnership for federal (and applicable state)
income tax purposes, the Company and each Member shall agree to adjustments
required by the tax authorities, and the Company shall pay such amounts as
required by the tax authorities, to preserve the status of the Company as a
partnership.
ARTICLE
XI
MEMBER
MEETINGS
Section
11.1 Member
Meetings.
(a) All acts
of Members to be taken hereunder shall be taken in the manner provided in this
Article XI. An annual meeting of the Members for the election of Directors and
for the transaction of such other business as may properly come before the
meeting shall be held at such time and place as the Board of Directors shall
specify, which date shall be within 13 months of the last annual meeting of
Members. If authorized by the Board of Directors, and subject to such
guidelines and procedures as the Board of Directors may adopt, Members and
proxyholders not physically present at a meeting of Members may by means of
remote communication participate in such meeting and be deemed present in
person and vote at such meeting, provided that the Company shall implement
reasonable measures to verify that each Person deemed present and permitted to
vote at the meeting by means of remote communication is a Member or
proxyholder, to provide such Members or proxyholders a reasonable opportunity
to participate in the meeting and to record the votes or other action made by
such Members or proxyholders.
(b) A
failure to hold the annual meeting of the Members at the designated time or to
elect a sufficient number of Directors to conduct the business of the Company
shall not
57
affect
otherwise valid acts of the Company or work a forfeiture or dissolution of the
Company. If the annual meeting for election of Directors is not held on the
date designated therefor, the Directors shall cause the meeting to be held as
soon as is convenient. If there is a failure to hold the annual meeting for a
period of 30 days after the date designated for the annual meeting, or if no
date has been designated, for a period of 13 months after the latest to occur
of the date of this Agreement or its last annual meeting, it is the intent of
the parties that the Delaware Court of Chancery may summarily order a meeting
to be held upon the application of any Member or Director. A majority of the
Outstanding Voting Shares present at such meeting, either in person or by
proxy, and entitled to vote thereat, shall constitute a quorum for the purpose
of such meeting, notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the
contrary. The Delaware Court of Chancery may issue such orders as may be
appropriate, including orders designating the time and place of such meeting,
the record date for determination of Members entitled to vote, and the form of
notice of such meeting.
(c) All
elections of Directors will be by written ballots; if authorized by the Board
of Directors, such requirement of a written ballot shall be satisfied by a
ballot submitted by electronic transmission, provided that any such electronic
transmission must either set forth or be submitted with information from which
it can be reasonably determined that the electronic transmission was authorized
by the Member or proxyholder.
(d) Special
meetings of the Members may be called only by a majority of the Board of
Directors. No Members or group of Members, acting in its or their capacity as
Members, shall have the right to call a special meeting of the Members, except
that if any Principals (together with their respective Permitted Transferees)
collectively own Outstanding Voting Shares that represent a Share Majority,
such Principals may call a special meeting of the Members.
Section
11.2 Notice
of Meetings of Members.
(a) Notice,
stating the place, day and hour of any annual or special meeting of the
Members, as determined by the Board of Directors, and (i) in the case of a
special meeting of the Members, the purpose or purposes for which the meeting
is called, as determined by the Board of Directors or by any of the Principals
as contemplated by Section 11.1(d), if applicable, or (ii) in the case of an
annual meeting, those matters that the Board of Directors, at the time of
giving the notice, intends to present for action by the Members, shall be
delivered by the Company not less than 10 calendar days nor more than 60
calendar days before the date of the meeting, in a manner and otherwise in
accordance with Section 12.1 to each Record Holder who is entitled to vote at
such meeting. Such further notice shall be given as may be required by Delaware
law. The notice of any meeting of the Members at which Directors are to be
elected shall include the name of any nominee or nominees who, at the time of
the notice, the Board of Directors intends to present for election. Only such
business shall be conducted at a special meeting of Members as shall have been
brought before the meeting pursuant to the Company’s notice of meeting.
Any previously scheduled meeting of the Members may be postponed, and any
special meeting of the Members may be canceled, by resolution of the Board of
Directors upon public notice given prior to the date previously scheduled for
such meeting of the Members.
58
(b) The
Board of Directors shall designate the place of meeting for any annual meeting
or for any special meeting of the Members. If no designation is made, the place
of meeting shall be the principal office of the Company.
Section
11.3 Record
Date. For
purposes of determining the Members entitled to notice of or to vote at a
meeting of the Members, the Board of Directors may set a Record Date, which
shall not be less than 10 nor more than 60 days before the date of the meeting
(unless such requirement conflicts with any rule, regulation, guideline or
requirement of any National Securities Exchange on which the Shares are listed
for trading, in which case the rule, regulation, guideline or requirement of
such exchange shall govern). If no Record Date is fixed by the Board of
Directors, the Record Date for determining Members entitled to notice of or to
vote at a meeting of Members shall be at the close of business on the day next
preceding the day on which notice is given. A determination of Members of
record entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of Members shall apply to
any adjournment or postponement of the meeting; provided, however, that the
Board of Directors may fix a new Record Date for the adjourned or postponed
meeting.
Section
11.4 Adjournment. When a
meeting is adjourned to another time or place, notice need not be given of the
adjourned meeting and a new Record Date need not be fixed, if the time and
place thereof are announced at the meeting at which the adjournment is taken,
unless such adjournment shall be for more than 30 days. At the adjourned
meeting, the Company may transact any business which might have been transacted
at the original meeting. If the adjournment is for more than 30 days or if a
new Record Date is fixed for the adjourned meeting, a notice of the adjourned
meeting shall be given in accordance with this Article XI.
Section
11.5 Waiver
of Notice; Approval of Meeting.
Whenever notice to the Members is required to be given under this Agreement, a
written waiver, signed by the Person entitled to notice, whether before or
after the time stated therein, shall be deemed equivalent to notice. Attendance
of a Person at any such meeting of the Members shall constitute a waiver of
notice of such meeting, except when the Person attends a meeting for the
express purpose of objecting, at the beginning of the meeting, to the
transaction of any business because the meeting is not lawfully called or
convened. Neither the business to be transacted at, nor the purpose of, any
regular or special meeting of the Members need be specified in any written
waiver of notice unless so required by resolution of the Board of Directors.
All waivers and approvals shall be filed with the Company records or made part
of the minutes of the meeting.
Section
11.6 Quorum;
Required Vote for Member Action; Voting for Directors.
(a) At any
meeting of the Members, the holders of a majority of the Outstanding Voting
Shares of the class or classes or series for which a meeting has been called
represented in person or by proxy shall constitute a quorum of such class or
classes or series unless any such action by the Members requires approval by
holders of a greater percentage of Outstanding Voting Shares, in which case the
quorum shall be such greater percentage. The submission of matters to Members
for approval and the election of Directors shall occur only at a meeting of the
Members duly called and held in accordance with this Agreement at which a
quorum is present; provided, however, that the Members present at a duly called
or held meeting at which a quorum is present may continue to transact business
until adjournment, notwithstanding
59
the
withdrawal of enough Members to leave less than a quorum, if any action taken
(other than adjournment) is approved by the required percentage of Outstanding
Voting Shares specified in this Agreement. Any meeting of Members may be
adjourned from time to time by the chairman of the meeting to another place or
time, without regard to the presence of a quorum.
(b) Each
Outstanding Class A Share and each Outstanding Class B Share shall be entitled
to one vote per Share on all matters submitted to Members for approval and in
the election of Directors.
(c) All
matters (other than the election of Directors) submitted to Members for
approval shall be determined by a majority of the votes cast affirmatively or
negatively by Members holding Outstanding Voting Shares unless a greater
percentage is required with respect to such matter under the Delaware Act,
under the rules of any National Securities Exchange on which the Shares are
listed for trading, or under the provisions of this Agreement, in which case
the approval of Members holding Outstanding Voting Shares that in the aggregate
represent at least such greater percentage shall be required.
(d) Directors
will be elected by a plurality of the votes cast for a particular position.
Section
11.7 Conduct
of a Meeting; Member Lists.
(a) The
Board of Directors shall have full power and authority concerning the manner of
conducting any meeting of the Members, including the determination of Persons
entitled to vote, the existence of a quorum, the satisfaction of the
requirements of this Article XI, the conduct of voting, the validity and effect
of any proxies and the determination of any controversies, votes or challenges
arising in connection with or during the meeting or voting. The Board of
Directors shall designate a Person to serve as chairman of any meeting and
shall further designate a Person to take the minutes of any meeting. All
minutes shall be kept with the records of the Company maintained by the Board
of Directors. The Board of Directors may make such other regulations consistent
with applicable law and this Agreement as it may deem advisable concerning the
conduct of any meeting of the Members, including regulations in regard to the
appointment of proxies, the appointment and duties of inspectors of votes, the
submission and examination of proxies and other evidence of the right to vote.
(b) A
complete list of Members entitled to vote at any meeting of Members, arranged
in alphabetical order for each class or series of Shares and showing the
address of each such Member and the number of Outstanding Voting Shares
registered in the name of such Member, shall be open to the examination of any
Member, for any purpose germane to the meeting, during ordinary business hours,
for a period of at least 10 days before the meeting, at the principal place of
business of the Company. The Member list shall also be produced and kept at the
time and place of the meeting during the whole time thereof, and may be
inspected by any Member who is present.
Section
11.8 Action
Without a Meeting. On any
matter that is to be voted on, consented to or approved by Members, the Members
may take such action without a meeting, without prior notice and without a vote
if a consent or consents in writing, setting forth the action
60
so
taken, shall be signed by the Members having not less than the minimum number
of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take such action at a meeting
at which all Members entitled to vote thereon were present and voted.
Section
11.9 Voting
and Other Rights.
(a) Only
those Record Holders of Outstanding Voting Shares on the Record Date set
pursuant to Section 11.3 shall be entitled to notice of, and to vote at, a
meeting of Members or to act with respect to matters as to which the holders of
the Outstanding Voting Shares have the right to vote or to act. All references
in this Agreement to votes of, or other acts that may be taken by, the
Outstanding Voting Shares shall be deemed to be references to the votes or acts
of the Record Holders of such Outstanding Voting Shares on such Record Date.
(b) With
respect to Outstanding Voting Shares that are held for a Person’s account
by another Person (such as a broker, dealer, bank, trust company or clearing
corporation, or an agent of any of the foregoing), in whose name such
Outstanding Voting Shares are registered, such other Person shall, in
exercising the voting rights in respect of such Outstanding Voting Shares on
any matter, and unless the arrangement between such Persons provides otherwise,
vote such Outstanding Voting Shares in favor of, and at the direction of, the
Person who is the beneficial owner, and the Company shall be entitled to assume
it is so acting without further inquiry.
Section
11.10 Proxies
and Voting.
(a) On any
matter that is to be voted on by Members, the Members may vote in person or by
proxy, and such proxy may be granted in writing, by means of electronic
transmission or as otherwise permitted by applicable law. Any such proxy shall
be filed in accordance with the procedure established for the meeting. For
purposes of this Agreement, the term “electronic
transmission” means
any form of communication not directly involving the physical transmission of
paper that creates a record that may be retained, retrieved and reviewed by a
recipient thereof and that may be directly reproduced in paper form by such a
recipient through an automated process. Any copy, facsimile telecommunication
or other reliable reproduction of the writing or transmission created pursuant
to this paragraph may be substituted or used in lieu of the original writing or
transmission for any and all purposes for which the original writing or
transmission could be used, provided that such copy, facsimile
telecommunication or other reproduction shall be a complete reproduction of the
entire original writing or transmission.
(b) The
Company may, and to the extent required by law, shall, in advance of any
meeting of Members, appoint one or more inspectors to act at the meeting and
make a written report thereof. The Company may designate one or more alternate
inspectors to replace any inspector who fails to act. If no inspector or
alternate is able to act at a meeting of Members, the Person presiding at the
meeting may, and to the extent required by law, shall, appoint one or more
inspectors to act at the meeting. Each inspector, before entering upon the
discharge of his or her duties, shall take and sign an oath faithfully to
execute the duties of inspector with strict impartiality and according to the
best of his or her ability. Every vote taken by ballots shall be counted by a
duly appointed inspector or inspectors.
61
(c) With
respect to the use of proxies at any meeting of Members, the Company shall be
governed by paragraphs (b), (c), (d) and (e) of Section 212 of the DGCL and
other applicable provisions of the DGCL, as though the Company were a Delaware
corporation and as though the Members were stockholders of a Delaware
corporation.
Section
11.11 Notice
of Member Business and Nominations.
(a) Subject
to Article V of this Agreement, nominations of Persons for election to the
Board of Directors of the Company and the proposal of business to be considered
by the Members may be made at an annual meeting of Members (i) pursuant to the
Company’s notice of meeting delivered pursuant to Section 11.2 of this
Agreement, (ii) by or at the direction of the Board of Directors, (iii) for
nominations to the Board of Directors only, by any holder of Outstanding Voting
Shares who is entitled to vote at the meeting, who complied with the notice
procedures set forth in paragraph (b) or (d) of this Section and who was a
Record Holder of a sufficient number of Outstanding Voting Shares as of the
Record Date for such meeting to elect one or more members to the Board of
Directors assuming that such holder cast all of the votes it is entitled to
cast in such election in favor of a single candidate and such candidate
received no other votes from any other holder of Outstanding Voting Shares, or
(iv) by any holder of Outstanding Voting Shares who is entitled to vote at the
meeting, who complied with the notice procedures set forth in paragraphs (c) or
(d) of this Section and who is a Record Holder of Outstanding Voting Shares at
the time such notice is delivered to the Secretary of the Company.
(b) For
nominations to be properly brought before an annual meeting by a Member
pursuant to Section 11.11(a)(iii), the Member must have given timely notice
thereof in writing to the Secretary of the Company. To be timely, a
Member’s notice shall be delivered to the Secretary at the principal
executive offices of the Company not less than ninety (90) days nor more than
one hundred
twenty (120) days prior to the anniversary of the date on which the Company
first made publicly available (whether by mailing, by filing with the
Commission or by posting on an internet web site) its proxy materials for the
immediately preceding annual meeting of Members; provided, however, that, in
the case of the Company's first annual meeting, or if the annual meeting is
called for a date that is more than twenty-five (25) days before or after the
anniversary of the previous year's annual meeting, notice by the Member in
order to be timely must be so received not later than the close of business on
the tenth (10th) day
following the day on which public disclosure of the date of the annual meeting
is first made (which may be the date on which proxy materials for such meeting
are first mailed). In no event shall the public announcement or postponement of
an annual meeting commence a new time period for the giving of a Member's
notice as described in this Section 11.11(b). Such Member’s notice shall
set forth: (A) as to each Person whom the Member proposes to nominate for
election or reelection as a Director all information relating to such Person
that is required to be disclosed in solicitations of proxies for election of
Directors, or is otherwise required, in each case, pursuant to Regulation 14A
under the Exchange Act, including such Person’s written consent to being
named in the proxy statement as a nominee and to serving as a Director if
elected and (B) as to the Member giving the notice and the beneficial owner, if
any, on whose behalf the nomination or proposal is made the name and address of
such Member, as they appear on the Company’s books, and of such beneficial
owner, the class or series and number of Shares of the Company which are owned
beneficially and of record by such Member and such beneficial owner. Such
holder shall be entitled to nominate as many candidates for election to the
Board of Directors as would be elected assuming such holder cast the precise
number of votes
62
necessary
to elect each candidate and no more votes were cast by such holder or any other
holder for such candidates.
(c) For
nominations or other business to be properly brought before an annual meeting
by a Member pursuant to Section 11.11(a)(iv), (i) the Member must have given
timely notice thereof in writing to the Secretary of the Company, (ii) such
business must be a proper matter for Member action under this Agreement and the
Delaware Act, (iii) if the Member, or the beneficial owner on whose behalf any
such proposal or nomination is made, has provided the Company with a
Solicitation Notice, such Member or beneficial owner must, in the case of a
proposal, have delivered a proxy statement and form of proxy to holders of at
least the percentage of the Company’s Outstanding Shares required under
this Agreement or Delaware law to carry any such proposal, or, in the case of a
nomination or nominations, have delivered a proxy statement and form of proxy
to holders of a percentage of the Company’s Outstanding Voting Shares
reasonably believed by such Member or beneficial holder to be sufficient to
elect the nominee or nominees proposed to be nominated by such Member, and
must, in either case, have included in such materials the Solicitation Notice
and (iv) if no Solicitation Notice relating thereto has been timely provided
pursuant to this Section 11.11, the Member or beneficial owner proposing such
business or nomination must not have solicited a number of proxies sufficient
to have required the delivery of such a Solicitation Notice. To be timely, a
Member’s notice shall be delivered to the Secretary at the principal
executive offices of the Company not less than ninety (90) days nor more than
one hundred twenty (120) days prior to the anniversary of the date on which the
Company first made publicly available (whether by mailing, by filing with the
Commission or by posting on an internet web site) its proxy materials for the
immediately preceding annual meeting of Members; provided, however, that, in
the case of the Company's first annual meeting, or if the annual meeting is
called for a date that is more than twenty-five (25) days before or after the
anniversary of the previous year's annual meeting, notice by the Member in
order to be timely must be so received not later than the close of business on
the tenth (10th) day
following the day on which public disclosure of the date of the annual meeting
is first made (which may be the date on which proxy materials for such meeting
are first made publicly available, whether by mailing, by filing with the
Commission or by posting on an internet web site). In no event shall the public
announcement or postponement of an annual meeting commence a new time period
for the giving of a Member's notice as described in this Section 11.11(c). Such
Member’s notice shall set forth: (A) as to each Person whom the Member
proposes to nominate for election or reelection as a Director all information
relating to such Person that is required to be disclosed in solicitations of
proxies for election of Directors, or is otherwise required, in each case
pursuant to Regulation 14A under the Exchange Act, including such Person’s
written consent to being named in the proxy statement as a nominee and to
serving as a Director if elected; (B) as to any other business that the Member
proposes to bring before the meeting, a brief description of the business
desired to be brought before the meeting, the reasons for conducting such
business at the meeting and any material interest in such business of such
Member and the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the proposal is made;
and (C) as to the Member giving the notice and the beneficial owner, if any, on
whose behalf the nomination or proposal is made the name and address of such
Member, as they appear on the Company’s books, and of such beneficial
owner, the class or series and number of Shares of the Company which are owned
beneficially and of record by such Member and such beneficial owner, and
whether either such Member or beneficial owner intends to deliver a proxy
statement and form of proxy to holders of, in the case of a proposal, at least
the percentage of the Company’s Outstanding Voting Shares required under
this Agreement or Delaware law to carry the proposal
63
or, in
the case of a nomination or nominations, a sufficient number of holders of the
Company’s Outstanding Shares to elect such nominee or nominees (an
affirmative statement of such intent, a “Solicitation
Notice”).
(d) Notwithstanding
anything in the second sentence of Section 11.11(b) or the first sentence of
Section 11.11(c) to the contrary, if the number of Directors to be elected to
the Board of Directors is increased and there is no public announcement naming
all of the nominees for Director or specifying the size of the increased Board
of Directors made by the Company at least 90 days prior to the anniversary of
the date on which the Company first made publicly available (whether by
mailing, by filing with the Commission or by posting on an internet web site)
its proxy materials for the immediately preceding annual meeting of Members,
then a Member’s notice required by this Section shall also be considered
timely, but only with respect to nominees for any new positions created by such
increase, if it shall be delivered to the Secretary at the principal executive
offices of the Company not later than the close of business on the tenth
(10th) day
following the day on which such public announcement is first made by the
Company.
(e) Only
such business shall be conducted at a special meeting of Members as shall have
been brought before the meeting pursuant to the Company’s notice of
meeting pursuant to Section 11.2 of this Agreement. Subject to Section 5.6 of
this Agreement, nominations of Persons for election to the Board of Directors
may be made at a special meeting of Members at which Directors are to be
elected pursuant to the Company’s notice of meeting (i) by or at the
direction of the Board of Directors, (ii) by any holder of Outstanding Voting
Shares who is entitled to vote at the meeting, who complied with the notice
procedures set forth in paragraph (b) or (d) of this Section 11.11 and who was
a Record Holder of a sufficient number of Outstanding Voting Shares as of the
Record Date for such meeting to elect one or more members to the Board of
Directors assuming that such holder cast all of the votes it is entitled to
cast in such election in favor of a single candidate and such candidate
received no other votes from any other holder of Outstanding Voting Shares, or
(iii) by any holder of Outstanding Voting Shares who is entitled to vote at the
meeting, who complies with the notice procedures set forth in paragraph (c) or
(d) this Section and who is a Record Holder of Outstanding Voting Shares at the
time such notice is delivered to the Secretary of the Company. Nominations by
Members of Persons for election to the Board of Directors may be made at such a
special meeting of Members if the Member’s notice as required by Section
11.11(b) or Section 11.11(c) shall be delivered to the Secretary of the Company
not earlier than the 90th day prior to such special meeting and not later than
the close of business on the later of the 70th day prior to such special
meeting or the 10th day following the day on which public announcement is first
made of the date of the special meeting and of the nominees proposed by the
Board of Directors to be elected at such meeting. Holders of Outstanding Voting
Shares making nominations pursuant to Section 11.11(e)(ii) shall be entitled to
nominate the number of candidates for election at such special meeting as
provided in Section 11.11(b) for an annual meeting.
(f) Except
to the extent otherwise provided in Article V with respect to vacancies, only
Persons who are nominated in accordance with the procedures set forth in this
Section shall be eligible to serve as Directors and only such business shall be
conducted at a meeting of Members as shall have been brought before the meeting
in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section. Except as
otherwise provided herein or required by law, the chairman of the meeting shall
have the power and duty to determine whether a nomination or any
64
business
proposed to be brought before the meeting was made in accordance with the
procedures set forth in this Section and, if any proposed nomination or
business is not in compliance with this Section, to declare that such defective
proposal or nomination shall be disregarded.
(g) Notwithstanding
the foregoing provisions of this Section, a Member shall also comply with all
applicable requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations
thereunder with respect to the matters set forth in this Section. Nothing in
this Section shall be deemed to affect any rights of Members to request
inclusion of proposals in the Company’s proxy statement pursuant to Rule
14a-8 under the Exchange Act.
ARTICLE
XII
GENERAL
PROVISIONS
Section
12.1 Addresses
and Notices. Any
notice, demand, request, report or proxy materials required or permitted to be
given or made to a Member under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be
deemed given or made when delivered in person or when sent by first class
United States mail or by other means of written communication to the Member at
the address described below. Any notice, payment or report to be given or made
to a Member hereunder shall be deemed conclusively to have been given or made,
and the obligation to give such notice or report or to make such payment shall
be deemed conclusively to have been fully satisfied, upon sending of such
notice, payment or report to the Record Holder of such Shares at his address as
shown on the records of the Transfer Agent or as otherwise shown on the records
of the Company, regardless of any claim of any Person who may have an interest
in such Shares by reason of any assignment or otherwise. An affidavit or
certificate of making of any notice, payment or report in accordance with the
provisions of this Section 12.1 executed by the Company, the Transfer Agent or
the mailing organization shall be prima facie evidence of the giving or making
of such notice, payment or report. If any notice, payment or report addressed
to a Record Holder at the address of such Record Holder appearing on the books
and records of the Transfer Agent or the Company is returned by the United
States Postal Service marked to indicate that the United States Postal Service
is unable to deliver it, such notice, payment or report and any subsequent
notices, payments and reports shall be deemed to have been duly given or made
without further mailing (until such time as such Record Holder or another
Person notifies the Transfer Agent or the Company of a change in his address)
if they are available for the Member at the principal office of the Company for
a period of one year from the date of the giving or making of such notice,
payment or report to the other Members. Any notice to the Company shall be
deemed given if received by the Secretary at the principal office of the
Company designated pursuant to Section 2.3. The Board of Directors and the
Officers may rely and shall be protected in relying on any notice or other
document from a Member or other Person if believed by it to be genuine.
Section
12.2 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.
65
Section
12.3 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
12.4 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
12.5 Creditors. None
of the provisions of this Agreement shall be for the benefit of, or shall be
enforceable by, any creditor of the Company.
Section
12.6 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
12.7 Counterparts. This
Agreement may be executed in counterparts, all of which together shall
constitute an agreement binding on all the parties hereto, notwithstanding that
all such parties are not signatories to the original or the same counterpart.
Each party shall become bound by this Agreement immediately upon affixing its
signature hereto or, in the case of a Person acquiring a Share, upon accepting
the Certificate evidencing such Share.
Section
12.8 Applicable
Law. This
Agreement shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the laws of the
State of Delaware without regard to principles of conflict of laws. Prior to
the IPO, each Member (i) irrevocably submits to the non-exclusive jurisdiction
and venue of any Delaware state court or U.S. federal court sitting in
Wilmington, Delaware in any action arising out of this Agreement and (ii)
consents to the service of process by mail. Nothing herein shall affect the
right of any party to serve legal process in any manner permitted by law or
affect its right to bring any action in any other court.
Section
12.9 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
12.10 Consent
of Members. Each
Member hereby expressly consents and agrees that, whenever in this Agreement it
is specified that an action may be taken upon the affirmative vote or consent
of less than all of the Members, such action may be so taken upon the
concurrence of less than all of the Members and each Member shall be bound by
the results of such action.
Section
12.11 Facsimile
Signatures. The
use of facsimile signatures affixed in the name and on behalf of the transfer
agent and registrar of the Company on certificates representing Shares is
expressly permitted by this Agreement.
Remainder
of page intentionally left blank.
66
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, this Agreement has been executed as of the date first written
above.
/s/ Xxxxxx X.Xxxxxxx | |||
Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx |
Signature
Page to Amended and Restated
EXHIBIT
A
Class A
Shares |
Class A
Shares |
Formed
under the laws of the State of Delaware
CUSIP
_______
SEE
REVERSE FOR DEFINITIONS
THIS
CERTIFICATE IS TRANSFERABLE IN
NEW
YORK,NEW YORK
THIS
CERTIFIES THAT
is the
owner of
Class A
Shares of Fortress Investment Group LLC
(hereinafter
called the "Company") transferable on the books of the Company by the holder
hereof in person or by duly authorized attorney, upon surrender of this
certificate properly endorsed. This certificate is not valid until
countersigned by the Transfer Agent and registered by the
Registrar.
Witness,
the facsimile signatures of the duly authorized officers of the
Company.
Dated
Chief Operating Officer |
Chief Executive Officer |
||
Countersigned and registered: | |||
American
Stock Transfer & Trust Company
(New
York, NY)
Transfer
Agent & Registrar |
|||
Authorized Signature |
A-1
Reverse
of Certificate
ABBREVIATIONS
The
holder of this certificate, by acceptance of this certificate, shall be deemed
to have (i) requested admission as, and agreed to become, a member of the
Company, (ii) agreed to comply with, and be bound by, the terms of the Amended
and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement of the Company, as amended,
supplemented or restated from time to time (the “Company Agreement”),
(iii) granted the powers of attorney provided for in the Company Agreement, and
(iv) made the waivers and given the consents and approvals contained in the
Company Agreement. The Company will furnish without charge to each shareholder
who so requests a copy of the Company Agreement.
The
following abbreviations, when used in the inscription on the face of this
certificate, shall be construed as though they were written out in full
according to applicable laws or regulations:
TEN COM
-- as tenants in common
TEN ENT
-- as tenants by the entireties
JT TEN
-- as joint tenants with right of survivorship and not as tenants in
common
UNIF
GIFT MIN ACT -- _______________ Custodian __________________
(Cust)
(Minor)
under
Uniform Transfers/Gifts to Minors Act
____________________
(State)
Additional
abbreviations may also be used though not in the above list.
FOR
VALUE RECEIVED, ________________________hereby sell, assign and transfer unto
Please
insert Social Security or other
identifying
number of Assignee
(Please
print or typewrite name and address, including zip code, of Assignee)
_________________________
shares represented by the Certificate, and do hereby irrevocably constitute and
appoint _______________________________ Attorney to transfer the said shares on
the books of the Company with full power of substitution in the
premises.
Dated
________________
NOTICE:THE
SIGNATURE TO THIS ASSIGNMENT MUST CORRESPOND WITH THE NAME AS WRITTEN UPON THE
FACE OF THE CERTIFICATE IN EVERY PARTICULAR, WITHOUT ALTERATION OR ENLARGEMENT
OR ANY CHANGE WHATEVER.
Signature(s)
Guaranteed:
THE
SIGNATURE(S) SHOULD BE GUARANTEED BY AN ELIGIBLE GUARANTOR INSTITUTION (BANKS,
STOCKBROKERS, SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATIONS AND CREDIT UNIONS WITH MEMBERSHIP
IN AN APPROVED SIGNATURE GUARANTEE MEDALLION PROGRAM), PURSUANT TO S.E.C. RULE
17Ad-15.
A-2
EXHIBIT
B
Certificate
Evidencing Class B Shares
in
Fortress
Investment Group LLC
No.
B-[ ]
|
[ ]
Shares |
In
accordance with the Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement of
Fortress Investment Group LLC, as amended, supplemented or restated from time
to time (the “Company
Agreement”),
Fortress Investment Group LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the
“Company”),
hereby certifies that [] (the “Holder”)
is the registered owner of [ ] Class B Shares in the Company (the
“Shares”)
transferable on the books of the Company, in person or by duly authorized
attorney, upon surrender of this Certificate properly endorsed. The rights,
preferences and limitations of the Shares are set forth in, and this
Certificate and the Shares represented hereby are issued and shall in all
respects be subject to the terms and provisions of, the Company Agreement.
Copies of the Company Agreement are on file at, and will be furnished without
charge on delivery of written request to the Company at, the principal office
of the Company located at 1345 Avenue of the Xxxxxxxx, 00xx Xxxxx,
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000 or such other address as may be specified by notice
under the Company Agreement. Capitalized terms used herein but not defined
shall have the meanings given them in the Company Agreement.
The
Holder, by accepting this Certificate, is deemed to have (i) requested
admission as, and agreed to become, a Member and to have agreed to comply with
and be bound by and to have executed the Company 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 Company Agreement, (iii)
granted the powers of attorney provided for in the Company Agreement and (iv)
made the waivers and given the consents and approvals contained in the Company
Agreement.
This
Certificate shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of
the State of Delaware, without regard to principles of conflict of laws
thereof.
This
Certificate shall not be valid for any purpose unless it has been countersigned
and registered by the Transfer Agent and Registrar.
Dated:
Countersigned and Registered by: | Fortress Investment Group LLC | ||
as Transfer Agent and Registrar |
By: | ||
Name: |
|
||
Title: |
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 |
||
TEN
ENT— |
as
tenants by the entireties |
Custodian
|
||
(Cust)
|
(Minor)
|
|||
JT
TEN— |
as joint
tenants with right of survivorship and not as tenants in common
|
under
Uniform Gifts/Transfers to CD Minors Act ____________________
(State) |
Additional
abbreviations, though not in the above list, may also be used.
ASSIGNMENT
OF SHARES
in
FORTRESS
INVESTMENT GROUP LLC
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)
____________
Class B Shares evidenced by this Certificate, subject to the Company 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 Fortress
Investment Group LLC.
Date:
|
NOTE:
The signature to any endorsement hereon must correspond with the name as
written upon the face of this Certificate in every particular, without
alteration, enlargement or change. |
|
SIGNATURE(S)
MUST BE GUARANTEED BY A MEMBER FIRM OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SECURITIES
DEALERS, INC. OR BY A COMMERCIAL BANK OR TRUST COMPANY SIGNATURE(S)
GUARANTEED |
(Signature)
|
|
(Signature)
|
No
transfer of the Shares evidenced hereby will be registered on the books of the
Company, unless the Certificate evidencing the Shares to be transferred is
surrendered for registration of transfer.