Exhibit 3.1
EXECUTION VERSION
AMENDED AND
RESTATED
AGREEMENT OF LIMITED
PARTNERSHIP
OF
PENN VIRGINIA GP HOLDINGS,
L.P.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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ARTICLE I
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DEFINITIONS
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Section 1.1
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Definitions
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1
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Section 1.2
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Construction
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14
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ARTICLE II
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ORGANIZATION
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Section 2.1
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Formation
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14
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Section 2.2
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Name
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15
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Section 2.3
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Registered
Office; Registered Agent; Principal Office; Other
Offices
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15
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Section 2.4
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Purpose and
Business
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15
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Section 2.5
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Powers
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16
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Section 2.6
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Power of
Attorney
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16
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Section 2.7
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Term
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17
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Section 2.8
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Title to
Partnership Assets
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17
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Section 2.9
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Certain
Undertakings Relating to the Separateness of the
Partnership
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18
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ARTICLE III
RIGHTS OF LIMITED
PARTNERS
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Section 3.1
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Limitation of
Liability
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19
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Section 3.2
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Management of
Business
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19
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Section 3.3
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Outside
Activities of the Limited Partners
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19
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Section 3.4
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Rights of
Limited Partners
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19
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ARTICLE IV
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CERTIFICATES; RECORD HOLDERS; TRANSFER OF
PARTNERSHIP INTERESTS;
REDEMPTION OF PARTNERSHIP
INTERESTS
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Section 4.1
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Certificates
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20
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Section 4.2
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Mutilated,
Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Certificates
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21
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Section 4.3
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Record
Holders
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21
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Section 4.4
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Transfer
Generally
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22
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Section 4.5
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Registration
and Transfer of Limited Partner Interests
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22
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Section 4.6
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Transfer of the
General Partner Interest
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23
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Section 4.7
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Restrictions on
Transfers
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24
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Section 4.8
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Citizenship
Certificates; Non-citizen Assignees
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25
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Section 4.9
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Redemption of
Partnership Interests of Non-citizen Assignees
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26
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ARTICLE V
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CAPITAL CONTRIBUTIONS AND ISSUANCE
OF PARTNERSHIP INTERESTS
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Section 5.1
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Organizational
Issuances
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27
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Section 5.2
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Contributions
by Affiliates of the General Partner
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27
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Section 5.3
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Contributions
by the Underwriters
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27
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Section
5.4
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Interest and
Withdrawal
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28
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Section 5.5
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Capital
Accounts
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28
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Section 5.6
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Issuances of
Additional Partnership Securities
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31
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Section 5.7
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No Preemptive
Right
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31
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Section 5.8
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Splits and
Combinations
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32
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Section 5.9
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Fully Paid and
Non-Assessable Nature of Limited Partner Interests
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32
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ARTICLE VI
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ALLOCATIONS AND
DISTRIBUTIONS
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Section 6.1
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Allocations for
Capital Account Purposes
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32
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Section 6.2
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Allocations for
Tax Purposes
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37
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Section 6.3
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Requirement and
Characterization of Distributions; Distributions to Record
Holders
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39
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ARTICLE VII
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MANAGEMENT AND OPERATION OF
BUSINESS
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Section 7.1
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Management
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39
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Section 7.2
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Certificate of
Limited Partnership
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42
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Section 7.3
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Restrictions on
General Partner’s Authority
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42
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Section 7.4
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Reimbursement
of the General Partner
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43
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Section 7.5
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Outside
Activities
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43
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Section 7.6
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Loans from the
General Partner; Loans or Contributions from the Partnership;
Contracts with Affiliates; Certain Restrictions on the General
Partner
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45
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Section 7.7
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Indemnification
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45
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Section 7.8
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Liability of
Indemnitees
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47
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Section 7.9
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Resolution of
Conflicts of Interest; Standards of Conduct and Modification of
Duties
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48
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Section 7.10
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Other Matters
Concerning the General Partner
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49
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Section 7.11
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Purchase or
Sale of Partnership Securities
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50
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Section 7.12
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Registration
Rights of the General Partner and its Affiliates
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50
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Section 7.13
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Reliance by
Third Parties
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53
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ARTICLE VIII
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BOOKS, RECORDS, ACCOUNTING AND
REPORTS
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Section 8.1
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Records and
Accounting
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54
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Section 8.2
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Fiscal
Year
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54
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Section 8.3
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Reports
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54
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ARTICLE IX
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TAX MATTERS
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Section 9.1
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Tax Returns and
Information
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55
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Section 9.2
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Tax
Elections
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55
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Section 9.3
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Tax
Controversies
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55
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Section 9.4
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Withholding
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56
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ARTICLE X
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ADMISSION OF PARTNERS
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Section 10.1
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Admission of
Initial Limited Partners
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56
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Section 10.2
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Admission of
Successor General Partner
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57
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Section 10.3
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Amendment of
Agreement and Certificate of Limited Partnership
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57
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ARTICLE XI
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WITHDRAWAL OR REMOVAL OF
PARTNERS
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Section 11.1
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Withdrawal of
the General Partner
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57
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Section 11.2
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Removal of the
General Partner
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59
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Section 11.3
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Interest of
Departing General Partner and Successor General Partner
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59
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Section 11.4
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Withdrawal of
Limited Partners
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61
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ARTICLE XII
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DISSOLUTION AND
LIQUIDATION
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Section 12.1
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Dissolution
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61
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Section 12.2
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Continuation of
the Business of the Partnership After Dissolution
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61
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Section 12.3
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Liquidator
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62
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Section 12.4
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Liquidation
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62
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Section 12.5
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Cancellation of
Certificate of Limited Partnership
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63
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Section 12.6
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Return of
Contributions
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63
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Section 12.7
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Waiver of
Partition
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64
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Section 12.8
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Capital Account
Restoration
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64
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ARTICLE XIII
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AMENDMENT OF PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT;
MEETINGS; RECORD DATE
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Section 13.1
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Amendments to
be Adopted Solely by the General Partner
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64
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Section 13.2
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Amendment
Procedures
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65
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Section 13.3
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Amendment
Requirements
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66
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Section 13.4
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Special
Meetings
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67
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Section 13.5
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Notice of a
Meeting
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67
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Section 13.6
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Record
Date
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67
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Section 13.7
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Adjournment
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68
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Section 13.8
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Waiver of
Notice; Approval of Meeting; Approval of Minutes
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68
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Section 13.9
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Quorum
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68
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Section 13.10
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Conduct of a
Meeting
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69
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Section 13.11
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Action Without
a Meeting
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69
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Section 13.12
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Voting and
Other Rights
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70
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ARTICLE XIV
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MERGER, CONSOLIDATION OR
CONVERSION
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Section 14.1
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Authority
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70
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Section 14.2
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Procedure for
Merger, Consolidation or Conversion
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70
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Section 14.3
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Approval by
Limited Partners
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72
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Section 14.4
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Certificate of
Merger
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73
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Section 14.5
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Amendment of
Partnership Agreement
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74
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ARTICLE XV
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RIGHT TO ACQUIRE LIMITED PARTNER
INTERESTS
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Section 15.1
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Right to
Acquire Limited Partner Interests
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74
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ARTICLE XVI
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GENERAL PROVISIONS
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Section 16.1
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Addresses and
Notices
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76
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Section 16.2
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Further
Action
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77
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Section 16.3
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Binding
Effect
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77
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Section 16.4
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Integration
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77
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Section 16.5
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Creditors
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77
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Section 16.6
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Waiver
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77
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Section 16.7
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Counterparts
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77
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Section 16.8
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Applicable
Law
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77
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Section 16.9
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Invalidity of
Provisions
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78
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Section 16.10
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Consent of
Partners
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78
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Section 16.11
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Facsimile
Signatures
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78
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AMENDED AND
RESTATED
AGREEMENT OF LIMITED
PARTNERSHIP
OF
PENN VIRGINIA GP HOLDINGS,
L.P.
THIS AMENDED AND RESTATED AGREEMENT
OF LIMITED PARTNERSHIP OF PENN VIRGINIA GP HOLDINGS, L.P. dated as
of December 8, 2006 is entered into by and among PVG GP, LLC,
a Delaware limited liability company, as the General Partner,
together with any other Persons who become Partners in the
Partnership or parties hereto as provided herein. In consideration
of the covenants, conditions and agreements contained herein, the
parties hereto hereby agree as follows:
ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS
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 Book Basis
” means the portion of any remaining Carrying Value of an
Adjusted Property that is attributable to positive adjustments made
to such Carrying Value as a result of Book-Up Events. For purposes
of determining the extent that Carrying Value constitutes
Additional Book Basis:
(i) Any negative adjustment made to
the Carrying Value of an Adjusted Property as a result of either a
Book-Down Event or a Book-Up Event shall first be deemed to offset
or decrease that portion of the Carrying Value of such Adjusted
Property that is attributable to any prior positive adjustments
made thereto pursuant to a Book-Up Event or Book-Down
Event.
(ii) If Carrying Value that
constitutes Additional Book Basis is reduced as a result of a
Book-Down Event and the Carrying Value of other property is
increased as a result of such Book-Down Event, an allocable portion
of any such increase in Carrying Value shall be treated as
Additional Book Basis; provided that the amount treated as
Additional Book Basis pursuant hereto as a result of such Book-Down
Event shall not exceed the amount by which the Aggregate Remaining
Net Positive Adjustments after such Book-Down Event exceeds the
remaining Additional Book Basis attributable to all of the
Partnership’s Adjusted Property after such Book-Down Event
(determined without regard to the application of this clause
(ii) to such Book-Down Event).
“ Additional Book Basis
Derivative Items ” means any Book Basis Derivative Items
that are computed with reference to Additional Book Basis. To the
extent that the Additional Book Basis attributable to all of the
Partnership’s Adjusted Property as of the beginning of any
taxable period exceeds the Aggregate Remaining Net Positive
Adjustments as of the beginning of such period (the “
Excess Additional Book Basis ”), the Additional Book
Basis Derivative Items for
such period shall be reduced by the amount that
bears the same ratio to the amount of Additional Book Basis
Derivative Items determined without regard to this sentence as the
Excess Additional Book Basis bears to the Additional Book Basis as
of the beginning of such period.
“ Additional Limited
Partner ” means a Person admitted to the Partnership as a
Limited Partner pursuant to Section 4.5 and who is shown as such on
the books and records of the Partnership.
“ Adjusted Capital
Account ” means the Capital Account maintained for each
Partner as of the end of each fiscal year of the Partnership,
(a) increased by any amounts that such Partner is obligated to
restore under the standards set by Treasury Regulation
Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(c) (or is deemed obligated to
restore under Treasury Regulation Sections 1.704-2(g) and
1.704-2(i)(5)) and (b) decreased by (i) the amount of all
losses and deductions that, as of the end of such fiscal year, are
reasonably expected to be allocated to such Partner in subsequent
years under Sections 704(e)(2) and 706(d) of the Code and Treasury
Regulation Section 1.751-1(b)(2)(ii), and (ii) the amount
of all distributions that, as of the end of such fiscal year, are
reasonably expected to be made to such Partner in subsequent years
in accordance with the terms of this Agreement or otherwise to the
extent they exceed offsetting increases to such Partner’s
Capital Account that are reasonably expected to occur during (or
prior to) the year in which such distributions are reasonably
expected to be made (other than increases as a result of a minimum
gain chargeback pursuant to Section 6.1(d)(i) or
6.1(d)(ii)). The foregoing definition of Adjusted Capital Account
is intended to comply with the provisions of Treasury Regulation
Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(d) and shall be interpreted
consistently therewith. The “ Adjusted Capital Account
” of a Partner in respect of a General Partner Interest, a
Common Unit or any other Partnership Interest shall be the amount
that such Adjusted Capital Account would be if such General Partner
Interest, Common Unit or other Partnership Interest were the only
interest in the Partnership held by a Partner from and after the
date on which such General Partner Interest, Common Unit or other
Partnership Interest was first issued.
“ Adjusted Property
” means any property the Carrying Value of which has been
adjusted pursuant to Section 5.5(d)(i) or
5.5(d)(ii).
“ Affiliate ”
means, with respect to any Person, any other Person that directly
or indirectly through one or more intermediaries controls, is
controlled by or is under common control with, the Person in
question. As used herein, the term “ control ”
means the possession, direct or indirect, of the power to direct or
cause the direction of the management and policies of a Person,
whether through ownership of voting securities, by contract or
otherwise.
“ Aggregate Remaining Net
Positive Adjustments ” means, as of the end of any
taxable period, the sum of the Remaining Net Positive Adjustments
of all the Partners.
“ Agreed Allocation
” means any allocation, other than a Required Allocation, of
an item of income, gain, loss or deduction pursuant to the
provisions of Section 6.1, including, without limitation, a
Curative Allocation (if appropriate to the context in which the
term “ Agreed Allocation ” is used).
“ Agreed Value ”
of any Contributed Property means the fair market value of such
property or other consideration at the time of contribution as
determined by the General Partner. The General Partner shall use
such method as it determines to be appropriate to allocate the
aggregate Agreed Value of Contributed Properties contributed to the
Partnership in a single or integrated transaction among each
separate property on a basis proportional to the fair market value
of each Contributed Property.
“ Agreement ”
means this Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of
Penn Virginia GP Holdings, L.P., as it may be amended, supplemented
or restated from time to time.
“ Associate ”
means, when used to indicate a relationship with any Person,
(a) any corporation or organization of which such Person is a
director, officer or partner or is, directly or indirectly, the
owner of 20% or more of any class of voting stock or other voting
interest; (b) any trust or other estate in which such Person
has at least a 20% beneficial interest or as to which such Person
serves as trustee or in a similar fiduciary capacity; and
(c) any relative or spouse of such Person, or any relative of
such spouse, who has the same principal residence as such
Person.
“ Available Cash
” means, with respect to any Quarter ending prior to the
Liquidation Date,
(a) the sum of all cash and cash
equivalents of the Partnership Group on hand on the date of
determination of Available Cash with respect to such Quarter,
less
(b) the amount of any cash reserves
established by the General Partner to (i) provide for the
proper conduct of the business of the Partnership (including
reserves for future capital expenditures and for anticipated future
credit needs of the Partnership Group) subsequent to such Quarter,
(ii) comply with applicable law or any loan agreement,
security agreement, mortgage, debt instrument or other agreement or
obligation to which any Group Member is a party or by which it is
bound or its assets are subject, (iii) permit the MLP General
Partner to make capital contributions to the MLP to maintain its
then current general partner interest in the MLP upon the issuance
of additional partnership securities by the MLP or
(iv) provide funds for distributions under Section 6.3 in
respect of any one or more of the next four Quarters;
provided , however , that disbursements made by a
Group Member or cash reserves established, increased or reduced
after the end of such Quarter but on or before the date of
determination of Available Cash with respect to such Quarter shall
be deemed to have been made, established, increased or reduced, for
purposes of determining Available Cash, within such Quarter if the
General Partner so determines.
Notwithstanding the foregoing,
“ Available Cash ” with respect to the Quarter
in which the Liquidation Date occurs and any subsequent Quarter
shall equal zero.
“ Board of Directors
” means, with respect to the Board of Directors of the
General Partner, its board of directors or managers, as applicable,
if a corporation or limited liability company, or if a limited
partnership, the board of directors or board of managers of the
general partner of the General Partner.
“ Book Basis Derivative
Items ” means any item of income, deduction, gain or loss
included in the determination of Net Income or Net Loss that is
computed with reference to the Carrying Value of an Adjusted
Property ( e.g. , depreciation, depletion, or gain or loss
with respect to an Adjusted Property).
“ Book-Down Event
” means an event that triggers a negative adjustment to the
Capital Accounts of the Partners pursuant to
Section 5.5(d)
“ Book-Tax Disparity
” means with respect to any item of Contributed Property or
Adjusted Property, as of the date of any determination, the
difference between the Carrying Value of such Contributed Property
or Adjusted Property and the adjusted basis thereof for federal
income tax purposes as of such date. A Partner’s share of the
Partnership’s Book-Tax Disparities in all of its Contributed
Property and Adjusted Property will be reflected by the difference
between such Partner’s Capital Account balance as maintained
pursuant to Section 5.5 and the hypothetical balance of such
Partner’s Capital Account computed as if it had been
maintained strictly in accordance with federal income tax
accounting principles.
“ Book-Up Event ”
means an event that triggers a positive adjustment to the Capital
Accounts of the Partners pursuant to
Section 5.5(d).
“ 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 states of New York or Pennsylvania shall not be
regarded as a Business Day.
“ Capital Account
” means the capital account maintained for a Partner pursuant
to Section 5.5. The “ Capital Account ” of
a Partner in respect of a General Partner Interest, a Common Unit
or any other Partnership Interest shall be the amount that such
Capital Account would be if such General Partner Interest, Common
Unit or other Partnership Interest were the only interest in the
Partnership held by a Partner from and after the date on which such
General Partner Interest, Common Unit or other Partnership Interest
was first issued.
“ Capital Contribution
” means any cash, cash equivalents or the Net Agreed Value of
Contributed Property that a Partner contributes to the Partnership
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 Partners’ Capital Accounts in respect of such Contributed
Property, and (b) with respect to any other Partnership
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 Sections 5.5(d)(i) and 5.5(d)(ii) and to reflect
changes, additions or other adjustments to the Carrying Value for
dispositions and acquisitions of Partnership properties, as deemed
appropriate by the General Partner.
“ Cause ” means a
court of competent jurisdiction has entered a final, non-appealable
judgment finding the General Partner liable for actual fraud or
willful misconduct in its capacity as a general partner of the
Partnership.
“ Certificate ”
means a certificate (i) substantially in the form of
Exhibit A to this Agreement, (ii) issued in global form
in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Depositary or
(iii) in such other form as may be adopted by the General
Partner, issued by the Partnership evidencing ownership of one or
more Common Units, or a certificate, in such form as may be adopted
by the General Partner, issued by the Partnership evidencing
ownership of one or more other Partnership Securities.
“ Certificate of Limited
Partnership ” means the Certificate of Limited
Partnership of the Partnership filed with the Secretary of State of
the State of Delaware as referenced in Section 2.1, as such
Certificate of Limited Partnership may be amended, supplemented or
restated from time to time.
“ Citizenship
Certification ” means a properly completed certificate in
such form as may be specified by the General Partner by which a
Limited Partner certifies that he (and if he is a nominee holding
for the account of another Person, that to the best of his
knowledge such other Person) is an Eligible Citizen.
“ Claim ” has the
meaning assigned to such term in Section 7.12(d).
“ Closing Date ”
means the first date on which Common Units are sold by the
Partnership to the Underwriters pursuant to the provisions of the
Underwriting Agreement.
“ Closing Price ”
has the meaning assigned to such term in Section
15.1(a).
“ Code ” means
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended and in effect from
time to time. Any reference herein to a specific section or
sections of the Code shall be deemed to include a reference to any
corresponding provision of any successor law.
“ Combined Interest
” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section
11.3(a).
“ Commission ”
means the United States Securities and Exchange
Commission.
“ Common Unit ”
means a Partnership Interest representing a fractional part of the
Partnership Interests of all Limited Partners, and having the
rights and obligations specified with respect to Common Units in
this Agreement.
“ Conflicts Committee
” means a committee of the Board of Directors of the General
Partner composed entirely of two or more directors who are not
(a) security holders, officers or employees of the General
Partner, (b) officers, directors or employees of any Affiliate
of the General Partner, including the MLP General Partner, or
(c) holders of any ownership interest in the Partnership Group
other than Common Units, or holders of any ownership interest in
the MLP Group, other than common units representing limited partner
interests in the MLP and who also meet the independence standards
required to serve on an audit committee of a board of directors
established by the Securities Exchange Act and the rules and
regulations of the Commission thereunder and by the National
Securities Exchange on which the Common Units are listed or
admitted for trading.
“ Contributed Property
” means each property or other asset, in such form as may be
permitted by the Delaware Act, but excluding cash, contributed to
the Partnership. Once the Carrying Value of a Contributed Property
is adjusted pursuant to Section 5.5(d), such property shall no
longer constitute a Contributed Property, but shall be deemed an
Adjusted Property.
“ Contribution
Agreement ” means the Contribution Agreement dated as of
December 8, 2006 by and among the Partnership, the MLP General
Partner and the Initial Limited Partners.
“ Curative Allocation
” means any allocation of an item of income, gain, deduction,
loss or credit pursuant to the provisions of
Section 6.1(d)(ix).
“ Current Market Price
” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section
15.1(a).
“ Delaware Act ”
means the Delaware Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act,
6 Del C. § 17-101, et seq. , as amended,
supplemented or restated from time to time, and any successor to
such statute.
“ Departing General
Partner ” means a former General Partner from and after
the effective date of any withdrawal or removal of such former
General Partner pursuant to Section 11.1 or 11.2.
“ Depositary ”
means, with respect to any Units issued in global form, The
Depository Trust Company and its successors and permitted
assigns.
“ Economic Risk of Loss
” has the meaning set forth in Treasury Regulation
Section 1.752-2(a).
“ Eligible Citizen
” means a Person qualified to own interests in real property
in jurisdictions in which any Group Member does business or
proposes to do business from time to time, and whose status as a
Limited Partner the General Partner determines does not or would
not subject such Group Member to a significant risk of cancellation
or forfeiture of any of its properties or any interest
therein.
“ Event of Withdrawal
” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section
11.1(a).
“ General Partner
” means PVG GP, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company,
and its successors and permitted assigns that are admitted to the
Partnership as general partner of the Partnership (except as the
context otherwise requires).
“ General Partner
Interest ” means the management and ownership interest,
if any, of the General Partner in the Partnership (in its capacity
as a general partner without reference to any Limited Partner
Interest held by it), and includes any and all benefits to which a
General Partner is entitled as provided in this Agreement, together
with all obligations of a General Partner to comply with the terms
and provisions of this Agreement.
“ Group ” means a
Person that, with or through any of its Affiliates or Associates,
has any agreement, arrangement or understanding for the purpose of
acquiring, holding, voting (except voting pursuant to a revocable
proxy or consent given to such Person in response to a proxy or
consent solicitation made to 10 or more Persons), exercising
investment power or disposing of any Partnership Securities with
any other Person that beneficially owns, or whose Affiliates or
Associates beneficially own, directly or indirectly, Partnership
Interests.
“ Group Member ”
means a member of the Partnership Group.
“ Holder ” as
used in Section 7.12 has the meaning assigned to such term in
Section 7.12(a).
“ Indemnified Persons
” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section
7.12(d).
“ Indemnitee ”
means (a) the General Partner, (b) any Departing General
Partner, (c) any Person who is or was an Affiliate of the
General Partner or any Departing General Partner, (d) any
Person who is or was a member, partner, officer, director,
fiduciary or trustee of any Group Member, the General Partner or
any Departing General Partner or any Affiliate of any Group Member,
the General Partner or any Departing General Partner, (e) any
Person who is or was serving at the request of the General Partner
or any Departing General Partner or any Affiliate of the General
Partner or any Departing General Partner as an officer, director,
member, partner, fiduciary or trustee of another Person;
provided , that a Person shall not be an Indemnitee by
reason of providing, on a fee-for-services basis, trustee,
fiduciary or custodial services and (f) any Person the General
Partner designates as an “ Indemnitee ” for
purposes of this Agreement.
“ Initial Common Unit
” means the Common Units sold in the Initial
Offering.
“ Initial Limited
Partners ” means the Persons listed on Schedule 1
hereto, in each case upon being admitted to the Partnership in
accordance with Section 10.1.
“ Initial Offering
” means the initial offering and sale of Common Units to the
public, as described in the Registration Statement.
“ Issue Price ”
means the price at which a Unit is purchased from the Partnership
net of any sales commission or underwriting discount charged to the
Partnership.
“ Limited Partner
” means, unless the context otherwise requires, each Initial
Limited Partner, each Limited Partner, each Additional Limited
Partner and any Departing General Partner upon the change of its
status from General Partner to Limited Partner pursuant to Section
11.3, in each case, in such Person’s capacity as a limited
partner of the Partnership.
“ Limited Partner
Interest ” means the ownership interest of a Limited
Partner in the Partnership, which may be evidenced by Common Units
or other Partnership Securities or a combination thereof or
interest therein, and includes any and all benefits to which such
Limited Partner is entitled as provided in this Agreement, together
with all obligations of such Limited Partner to comply with the
terms and provisions of this Agreement.
“ Liquidation Date
” means (a) in the case of an event giving rise to the
dissolution of the Partnership of the type described in clauses
(a) and (b) of the first sentence of Section 12.2, the
date on which the applicable time period during which the holders
of Outstanding Units have the right to elect to continue the
business of the Partnership has expired without such an election
being made, and (b) in the case of any other event giving rise
to the dissolution of the Partnership, the date on which such event
occurs.
“ Liquidator ”
means one or more Persons selected by the General Partner to
perform the functions described in Section 12.3 as liquidating
trustee of the Partnership within the meaning of the Delaware
Act.
“ Merger Agreement
” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section
14.1.
“ MLP ” means
Penn Virginia Resource Partners, L.P., a Delaware limited
partnership, and any successors thereto.
“MLP Agreement
” means the First Amended and
Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Penn Virginia Resource
Partners, L.P., as it may be amended, supplemented or restated from
time to time.
“ MLP General Partner
” means Penn Virginia Resource GP, LLC, a Delaware limited
liability company and the general partner of the MLP, and any
successor thereto.
“ MLP Group ”
means the MLP and its Subsidiaries.
“ National Securities
Exchange ” means an exchange registered with the
Commission under Section 6(a) of the Securities Exchange Act,
and any successor to such statute.
“ Net Agreed Value
” means, (a) in the case of any Contributed Property,
the Agreed Value of such property reduced by any liabilities either
assumed by the Partnership upon such contribution or to which such
property is subject when contributed, and (b) in the case of
any property distributed to a Partner by the Partnership, the
Partnership’s Carrying Value of such property (as adjusted
pursuant to Section 5.5(d)(ii)) at the time such property is
distributed, reduced by any indebtedness either assumed by such
Partner upon such distribution or to which such property is subject
at the time of distribution, in either case, as determined under
Section 752 of the Code.
“ Net Income ”
means, for any taxable year, the excess, if any, of the
Partnership’s items of income and gain (other than those
items taken into account in the computation of Net Termination Gain
or Net Termination Loss) for such taxable year over the
Partnership’s items of loss and deduction (other than those
items taken into account in the computation of Net Termination Gain
or Net Termination Loss) for such taxable year. The items included
in the calculation of Net Income shall be determined in accordance
with Section 5.5(b) and shall not include any items specially
allocated under Section 6.1(d); provided that the determination of
the items that have been specially allocated under Section 6.1(d)
shall be made as if Section 6.1(d)(x) were not in this
Agreement.
“ Net Loss ”
means, for any taxable year, the excess, if any, of the
Partnership’s items of loss and deduction (other than those
items taken into account in the computation of Net Termination Gain
or Net Termination Loss) for such taxable year over the
Partnership’s items of income and gain (other than those
items taken into account in the computation of Net Termination Gain
or Net Termination Loss) for such taxable year. The items included
in the calculation of Net Loss shall be determined in accordance
with Section 5.5(b) and shall not include any items specially
allocated under Section 6.1(d); provided that the determination of
the items that have been specially allocated under Section 6.1(d)
shall be made as if Section 6.1(d)(x) were not in this
Agreement.
“ Net Positive
Adjustments ” means, with respect to any Partner, the
excess, if any, of the total positive adjustments over the total
negative adjustments made to the Capital Account of such Partner
pursuant to Book-Up Events and Book-Down Events.
“ Net Termination Gain
” means, for any taxable year, the sum, if positive, of all
items of income, gain, loss or deduction recognized by the
Partnership after the Liquidation Date. The items included in the
determination of Net Termination Gain shall be determined in
accordance with Section 5.5(b) and shall not include any items of
income, gain, loss or deduction specially allocated under Section
6.1(d).
“ Net Termination Loss
” means, for any taxable year, the sum, if negative, of all
items of income, gain, loss or deduction recognized by the
Partnership after the Liquidation Date. The items included in the
determination of Net Termination Loss shall be determined in
accordance with Section 5.5(b) and shall not include any items of
income, gain, loss or deduction specially allocated under Section
6.1(d).
“ Non-citizen Assignee
” means a Person whom the General Partner has determined does
not constitute an Eligible Citizen and as to whose Partnership
Interest the General Partner has become the Limited Partner,
pursuant to Section 4.8.
“ Non-Compete Agreement
” means the Non-Compete Agreement dated December 8,
2006, among the Partnership, the MLP and the MLP General Partner,
as it may be amended, supplemented or restated from time to
time.
“ Nonrecourse Built-in
Gain ” means with respect to any Contributed Properties
or Adjusted Properties that are subject to a mortgage or pledge
securing a Nonrecourse Liability, the amount of any taxable gain
that would be allocated to the Partners pursuant to
Sections 6.2(b)(i)(A), 6.2(b)(ii)(A) and 6.2(b)(iii) if
such properties were disposed of in a taxable transaction in full
satisfaction of such liabilities and for no other
consideration.
“ Nonrecourse
Deductions ” means any and all items of loss, deduction
or expenditure (including, without limitation, 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).
“ Notice of Election to
Purchase ” has the meaning assigned to such term in
Section 15.1(b).
“ OLLC ” means
Penn Virginia Operating Co., LLC, a Delaware limited liability
company.
“ Omnibus Agreement
” means the Omnibus Agreement dated October 30, 2001
among the MLP, the MLP General Partner, the OLLC and Penn Virginia
Corporation, as it may be amended, supplemented or restated from
time to time.
“ Opinion of Counsel
” means a written opinion of counsel (who may be regular
counsel to the Partnership or the General Partner or any of its
Affiliates) in a form acceptable to the General Partner.
“ Option Closing Date
” means the date or dates on which any Common Units are sold
by the Partnership to the Underwriters upon exercise of the
Over-Allotment Option.
“ Organizational Limited
Partner ” means Penn Virginia Resource LP Corp. in its
capacity as the organizational limited partner of the Partnership
pursuant to this Agreement.
“ Outstanding ”
means, with respect to Partnership Securities, all Partnership
Securities that are issued by the Partnership and reflected as
outstanding on the Partnership’s books and records as of the
date of determination; provided , however , that if
at any time any Person or Group (other than the General Partner or
its Affiliates) beneficially owns 20% or more of the Outstanding
Partnership Securities of any class then Outstanding, all
Partnership Securities owned by such Person or Group shall not be
voted on any matter and shall not be considered to be Outstanding
when sending notices of a meeting of Limited Partners to vote on
any matter (unless otherwise required by law), calculating required
votes, determining the presence of a quorum or for other similar
purposes under this Agreement, except that Common Units so owned
shall be considered to be Outstanding for purposes of Section
11.1(b)(iv) (such Common Units shall not, however, be treated as a
separate class of Partnership Securities for purposes of this
Agreement); provided , further , that the foregoing
limitation shall not apply (i) to any Person or Group who
acquired 20% or more of any Outstanding Partnership Securities of
any class then Outstanding directly from the General Partner or its
Affiliates, (ii) to any Person or Group who acquired 20% or
more of the Outstanding Partnership Securities of any class then
Outstanding directly or indirectly from a Person or Group described
in clause (i) provided that the General Partner shall have
notified such Person or Group in writing that such limitation shall
not apply or (iii) to any Person or Group who acquired 20% or
more of the Partnership Securities issued by the Partnership with
the prior approval of the Board of Directors.
“ Over-Allotment Option
” means the over-allotment option granted to the Underwriters
by the Partnership pursuant to the Underwriting
Agreement.
“ Partner Nonrecourse
Debt ” has the meaning set forth in Treasury Regulation
Section 1.704-2(b)(4).
“ Partner Nonrecourse Debt
Minimum Gain ” has the meaning set forth in Treasury
Regulation Section 1.704-2(i)(2).
“ Partner Nonrecourse
Deductions ” means any and all items of loss, deduction
or expenditure (including, without limitation, 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 Partner Nonrecourse
Debt.
“ Partners ”
means the General Partner and the Limited Partners.
“ Partnership ”
means Penn Virginia GP Holdings, L.P., a Delaware limited
partnership.
“ Partnership Group
” means the Partnership and its Subsidiaries treated as a
single consolidated entity, but excluding the MLP Group.
“ Partnership Interest
” means an interest in the Partnership, which shall include
the General Partner Interest and Limited Partner
Interests.
“ Partnership Minimum
Gain ” means that amount determined in accordance with
the principles of Treasury Regulation
Section 1.704-2(d).
“ Partnership Security
” means any class or series of equity interest in the
Partnership (but excluding any options, rights, warrants and
appreciation rights relating to an equity interest in the
Partnership), including without limitation, Common
Units.
“ Percentage Interest
” means, as of any date of determination, (a) as to any
Unitholder holding Units, the product obtained by multiplying
(i) 100% less the percentage applicable to clause (b) by
(ii) the quotient obtained by dividing (A) the number of
Units held by such Unitholder by (B) the total number of all
Outstanding Units, and (b) as to the holders of additional
Partnership Securities issued by the Partnership in accordance with
Section 5.6, the percentage established as a part of such
issuance.
“ Person ” means
an individual or a corporation, limited liability company,
partnership, joint venture, trust, unincorporated organization,
association, government agency or political subdivision thereof or
other entity.
“ Pro Rata ”
means (a) when modifying Units or any class thereof,
apportioned equally among all designated Units in accordance with
their relative Percentage Interests, and (b) when modifying
Partners or Record Holders, apportioned among all Partners or
Record Holders, as the case may be, in accordance with their
relative Percentage Interests.
“ Purchase Date ”
means the date determined by the General Partner as the date for
purchase of all Outstanding Units of a certain class (other than
Units owned by the General Partner and its Affiliates) pursuant to
Article XV.
“ Quarter ”
means, unless the context requires otherwise, a fiscal quarter of
the Partnership, or with respect to the first fiscal quarter of the
Partnership after the Closing Date the portion of such fiscal
quarter after the Closing Date.
“ Recapture Income
” means any gain recognized by the Partnership (computed
without regard to any adjustment required by Section 734 or
Section 743 of the Code) upon the
disposition of any property or asset of the
Partnership, which gain is characterized as ordinary income because
it represents the recapture of deductions previously taken with
respect to such property or asset.
“ Record Date ”
means the date established by the General Partner or otherwise in
accordance with this Agreement for determining (a) the
identity of the Record Holders entitled to notice of, or to vote
at, any meeting of Limited Partners or entitled to vote by ballot
or give approval of Partnership action in writing without a meeting
or entitled to exercise rights in respect of any lawful action of
Limited Partners or (b) the identity of Record Holders
entitled to receive any report or distribution or to participate in
any offer.
“ Record Holder ”
means the Person in whose name a Common Unit is registered on the
books of the Transfer Agent as of the opening of business on a
particular Business Day, or with respect to other Partnership
Interests, the Person in whose name any such other Partnership
Interest is registered on the books that the General Partner has
caused to be kept as of the opening of business on such Business
Day.
“ Redeemable Interests
” means any Partnership Interests for which a redemption
notice has been given, and has not been withdrawn, pursuant to
Section 4.9.
“ Registration
Statement ” means the Registration Statement on Form S-1
(Registration No. 333-135686) as it has been or as it may be
amended or supplemented from time to time, filed by the Partnership
with the Commission under the Securities Act to register the
offering and sale of the Common Units in the Initial
Offering.
“ Remaining Net Positive
Adjustments ” means as of the end of any taxable
period, with respect to the Unitholders holding Common Units,
the excess of (a) the Net Positive Adjustments of the
Unitholders holding Common Units, as of the end of such period over
(b) the sum of those Partners’ Share of Additional Book
Basis Derivative Items for each prior taxable period.
“ Required Allocations
” means (a) any limitation imposed on any allocation of
Net Losses or Net Termination Losses under Section 6.1(b) or
6.1(c)(ii) and (b) any allocation of an item of income,
gain, loss or deduction pursuant to Sections 6.1(d)(i), 6.1(d)(ii),
6.1(d)(iii), 6.1(d)(iv), 6.1(d)(v), 6.1(d)(vi) or
6.1(d)(viii).
“ Residual Gain ”
or “ Residual Loss ” means any item of gain or
loss, as the case may be, of the Partnership recognized for federal
income tax purposes resulting from a sale, exchange or other
disposition of a Contributed Property or Adjusted Property, to the
extent such item of gain or loss is not allocated pursuant to
Sections 6.2(b)(i)(A) or 6.2(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.
“ Securities Exchange
Act ” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended, supplemented or restated from time to time and any
successor to such statute.
“ Share of Additional Book
Basis Derivative Items ” means in connection with any
allocation of Additional Book Basis Derivative Items for any
taxable period, with respect to the Unitholders holding Common
Units, the amount that bears the same ratio to such Additional Book
Basis Derivative Items as the Unitholders’ Remaining Net
Positive Adjustments as of the end of such period bears to the
Aggregate Remaining Net Positive Adjustments as of that
time.
“ Special Approval
” means approval by a majority of the members of the
Conflicts Committee acting in good faith.
“ Subsidiary ”
means, with respect to any Person, (a) a corporation of which
more than 50% of the voting power of shares entitled (without
regard to the occurrence of any contingency) to vote in the
election of directors or other governing body of such corporation
is owned, directly or indirectly, at the date of determination, by
such Person, by one or more Subsidiaries of such Person or a
combination thereof, (b) a partnership (whether general or
limited) in which such Person or a Subsidiary of such Person is, at
the date of determination, a general or limited partner of such
partnership, but only if more than 50% of the partnership interests
of such partnership (considering all of the partnership interests
of the partnership as a single class) is owned, directly or
indirectly, at the date of determination, by such Person, by one or
more Subsidiaries of such Person, or a combination thereof, or
(c) any other Person (other than a corporation or a
partnership) in which such Person, one or more Subsidiaries of such
Person, or a combination thereof, directly or indirectly, at the
date of determination, has (i) at least a majority ownership
interest or (ii) the power to elect or direct the election of
a majority of the directors or other governing body of such
Person.
“ Surviving Business
Entity ” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section
14.2(b)
“ Trading Day ”
has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 15.1(a)
“ transfer ” has
the meaning assigned to such term in Section 4.4(a)
“ Transfer Agent
” means such bank, trust company or other Person (including
the General Partner or one of its Affiliates) as shall be appointed
from time to time by the Partnership to act as registrar and
transfer agent for the Common Units; provided that if no Transfer
Agent is specifically designated for any other Partnership
Securities, the General Partner shall act in such
capacity.
“ Underwriter ”
means each Person named as an underwriter in Schedule I to the
Underwriting Agreement who purchases Common Units pursuant
thereto.
“ Underwriting
Agreement ” means the Underwriting Agreement entered into
in connection with the Initial Offering dated December 4, 2006
among the Underwriters, the Partnership and certain other parties,
providing for the purchase of Common Units by such
Underwriters.
“ Unit ” means a
Partnership Interest that is designated as a “ Unit
” and shall include Common Units.
“ Unit Majority ”
means at least a majority of the Outstanding Common Units voting
together as a single class.
“ Unitholders ”
means the holders of Units.
“ Unrealized Gain
” attributable to any item of Partnership property means, as
of any date of determination, the excess, if any, of (a) the
fair market value of such property as of such date (as determined
under Section 5.5(d)) over (b) the Carrying Value of such
property as of such date (prior to any adjustment to be made
pursuant to Section 5.5(d) as of such date).
“ Unrealized Loss
” attributable to any item of Partnership property means, as
of any date of determination, the excess, if any, of (a) the
Carrying Value of such property as of such date (prior to any
adjustment to be made pursuant to Section 5.5(d) as of such date)
over (b) the fair market value of such property as of such
date (as determined under Section 5.5(d)).
“ U.S. GAAP ”
means United States generally accepted accounting principles
consistently applied.
“ Withdrawal Opinion of
Counsel ” has the meaning assigned to such term in
Section 11.1(b)
Section 1.2
Construction.
Unless the context requires
otherwise: (a) any pronoun used in this Agreement shall
include the corresponding masculine, feminine or neuter forms, and
the singular form of nouns, pronouns and verbs shall include the
plural and vice versa; (b) references to Articles and Sections
refer to Articles and Sections of this Agreement; (c) the
terms “ include ,” “ includes
” or “ including ” or words of like import
shall be deemed to be followed by the words “ without
limitation ;” and (d) the terms “
hereof ,” “ herein ” or “
hereunder ” refer to this Agreement as a whole and not
to any particular provision of this Agreement. The table of
contents and headings contained in this Agreement are for reference
purposes only, and shall not affect in any way the meaning or
interpretation of this Agreement.
ARTICLE II
ORGANIZATION
Section 2.1
Formation.
The Partnership was formed on
June 14, 2006 pursuant to the Certificate of Limited
Partnership as filed with the Secretary of State of the State of
Delaware 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 Partners and the administration, dissolution and termination of
the Partnership shall be governed by the Delaware Act. All
Partnership Interests shall constitute personal property of the
owner thereof for all purposes.
Section 2.2
Name.
The name of the Partnership shall be
“ Penn Virginia GP Holdings, L.P. ” The
Partnership’s business may be conducted under any other name
or names as determined by the General Partner, including the name
of the General Partner. The words “ Limited
Partnership ,” “ LP ,” “
Ltd. ” or similar words or letters shall be included
in the Partnership’s name where necessary for the purpose of
complying with the laws of any jurisdiction that so requires. The
General Partner may change the name of the Partnership at any time
and from time to time and shall notify the Limited Partners of such
change in the next regular communication to the Limited
Partners.
Section 2.3 Registered
Office; Registered Agent; Principal Office; Other
Offices.
Unless and until changed by the
General Partner, the registered office of the Partnership in the
State of Delaware shall be located at 1209 Orange Street,
Suite 400, Wilmington, Delaware 19801 , and the registered
agent for service of process on the Partnership in the State of
Delaware at such registered office shall be The Corporation
Trust Company . The principal office of the Partnership shall
be located at 100 Matsonford Road, Suite 300, Radnor, Pennsylvania
19087 or such other place as the General Partner may from time to
time designate by notice to the Limited Partners. The Partnership
may maintain offices at such other place or places within or
outside the State of Delaware as the General Partner deems
necessary or appropriate. The address of the General Partner shall
be 100 Matsonford Road, Suite 300, Radnor, Pennsylvania 19087 or
such other place as the General Partner may from time to time
designate by notice to the Limited Partners.
Section 2.4 Purpose and
Business.
The purpose and nature of the
business to be conducted by the Partnership shall be to
(a) engage directly in, or enter into or form any corporation,
partnership, joint venture, limited liability company or other
arrangement to engage indirectly in, any business activity that is
approved by the General Partner and that lawfully may be conducted
by a limited partnership organized pursuant to the Delaware Act
and, in connection therewith, to exercise all of the rights and
powers conferred upon the Partnership pursuant to the agreements
relating to such business activity; and (b) do anything
necessary or appropriate to the foregoing, including the making of
capital contributions or loans to a Group Member or a member of the
MLP Group, provided , however , that the General
Partner shall not cause the Partnership to engage, directly or
indirectly, in any business activity that the General Partner
determines would cause the Partnership to be treated as an
association taxable as a corporation or otherwise taxable as an
entity for federal income tax purposes. To the fullest extent
permitted by law, the General Partner shall have no duty or
obligation to propose or approve, and may decline to propose or
approve, the conduct by the Partnership of any business, free of
any fiduciary duty or obligation whatsoever to the Partnership or
any Limited Partner and, in declining to so propose or approve,
shall not be required to act in good faith or pursuant to any other
standard imposed by this Agreement, any other agreement
contemplated hereby or under the Delaware Act or any other law,
rule or regulation or at equity.
Section 2.5
Powers.
The Partnership shall be empowered
to do any and all acts and things necessary, appropriate, proper,
advisable, incidental to or convenient for the furtherance and
accomplishment of the purposes and business described in Section
2.4 and for the protection and benefit of the
Partnership.
Section 2.6 Power of
Attorney.
(a) Each Limited Partner hereby
constitutes and appoints the General Partner and, if a Liquidator
(other than the General Partner) shall have been selected pursuant
to Section 12.3, the Liquidator, severally (and any successor to
either thereof 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 stead,
to:
(i) execute, swear to, acknowledge,
deliver, file and record in the appropriate public offices
(A) all certificates, documents and other instruments
(including this Agreement and the Certificate of Limited
Partnership and all amendments or restatements hereof or thereof)
that the General Partner or the Liquidator determines to be
necessary or appropriate to form, qualify or continue the existence
or qualification of the Partnership as a limited partnership (or a
partnership in which the limited partners have limited liability)
in the State of Delaware and in all other jurisdictions in which
the Partnership may conduct business or own property; (B) all
certificates, documents and other instruments that the General
Partner or the Liquidator determines to be necessary or appropriate
to reflect, in accordance with its terms, any amendment, change,
modification or restatement of this Agreement; (C) all
certificates, documents and other instruments (including
conveyances and a certificate of cancellation) that the General
Partner or the Liquidator determines to be necessary or appropriate
to reflect the dissolution and liquidation of the Partnership
pursuant to the terms of this Agreement; (D) all certificates,
documents and other instruments relating to the admission,
withdrawal, removal or substitution of any Partner pursuant to, or
other events described in, Article IV, X, XI or XII;
(E) all certificates, documents and other instruments relating
to the determination of the rights, preferences and privileges of
any class or series of Partnership Securities issued pursuant to
Section 5.6; and (F) all certificates, documents and other
instruments (including agreements and a certificate of merger)
relating to a merger, consolidation or conversion of the
Partnership pursuant to Article XIV; and
(ii) execute, swear to, acknowledge,
deliver, file and record all ballots, consents, approvals, waivers,
certificates, documents and other instruments that the General
Partner or the Liquidator determines to be necessary or appropriate
to (A) make, evidence, give, confirm or ratify any vote,
consent, approval, agreement or other action that is made or given
by the Partners hereunder or is consistent with the terms of this
Agreement or (B) effectuate the terms or intent of this
Agreement; provided , that when required by Section 13.3 or
any other provision of this Agreement that establishes a percentage
of the Limited Partners or of the Limited Partners of any class or
series required to take any action, the General Partner and the
Liquidator may exercise the
power of attorney made in this
Section 2.6(a) only after the necessary vote, consent or approval
of the Limited Partners or of the Limited Partners of such class or
series, as applicable.
Nothing contained in this Section
2.6(a) shall be construed as authorizing the General Partner to
amend this Agreement except in accordance with Article XIII or
as may be otherwise expressly provided for in this
Agreement.
(b) The foregoing power of attorney
is hereby declared to be irrevocable and a power coupled with an
interest, and it shall survive and, to the maximum extent permitted
by law, not be affected by the subsequent death, incompetency,
disability, incapacity, dissolution, bankruptcy or termination of
any Limited Partner and the transfer of all or any portion of such
Limited Partner’s Partnership Interest and shall extend to
such Limited Partner’s heirs, successors, assigns and
personal representatives. Each such Limited Partner hereby agrees
to be bound by any representation made by the General Partner or
the Liquidator acting in good faith pursuant to such power of
attorney; and each such Limited Partner, to the maximum extent
permitted by law, hereby waives any and all defenses that may be
available to contest, negate or disaffirm the action of the General
Partner or the Liquidator taken in good faith under such power of
attorney. Each Limited Partner shall execute and deliver to the
General Partner or the Liquidator, within 15 days after
receipt of the request therefor, such further designation, powers
of attorney and other instruments as the General Partner or the
Liquidator may request in order to effectuate this Agreement and
the purposes of the Partnership.
Section 2.7
Term.
The term of the Partnership
commenced upon the filing of the Certificate of Limited Partnership
in accordance with the Delaware Act and shall continue in existence
until the dissolution of the Partnership in accordance with the
provisions of Article XII. The existence of the Partnership as
a separate legal entity shall continue until the cancellation of
the Certificate of Limited Partnership as provided in the Delaware
Act.
Section 2.8 Title to
Partnership Assets.
(a) Title to Partnership assets,
whether real, personal or mixed and whether tangible or intangible,
shall be deemed to be owned by the Partnership as an entity, and no
Partner, individually or collectively, shall have any ownership
interest in such Partnership assets or any portion thereof. Title
to any or all of the Partnership assets may be held in the name of
the Partnership, the General Partner, one or more of its Affiliates
or one or more nominees, as the General Partner may determine. The
General Partner hereby declares and warrants that any Partnership
assets for which record title is held in the name of the General
Partner or one or more of its Affiliates or one or more nominees
shall be held by the General Partner or such Affiliate or nominee
for the use and benefit of the Partnership in accordance with the
provisions of this Agreement; provided , however ,
that the General Partner shall use reasonable efforts to cause
record title to such assets (other than those assets in respect of
which the General Partner determines that the expense and
difficulty of conveyancing makes transfer of record title to the
Partnership impracticable) to be vested in the Partnership as soon
as reasonably practicable; provided , further , that,
prior to the withdrawal or removal of the General Partner or as
soon
thereafter as practicable, the General Partner
shall use reasonable efforts to effect the transfer to the
Partnership of record title to all Partnership assets held by the
General Partner or its Affiliates and, prior to any such transfer,
will provide for the use of such assets in a manner satisfactory to
the General Partner. All Partnership assets shall be recorded as
the property of the Partnership in its books and records,
irrespective of the name in which record title to such Partnership
assets is held.
Section 2.9 Certain
Undertakings Relating to the Separateness of the
Partnership.
(a) The Partnership shall conduct
its business and operations separate and apart from those of any
other Person (other than the General Partner) in accordance with
this Section 2.9.
(b) The Partnership shall maintain
(i) its books and records, (ii) its accounts, and
(iii) its financial statements, separate from those of any
other Person, except its consolidated Subsidiaries.
(c) The Partnership shall not
commingle or pool its funds or other assets with those of any other
Person, except its consolidated Subsidiaries, and shall maintain
its assets in a manner that is not costly or difficult to
segregate, ascertain or otherwise identify as separate from those
of any other Person.
(d) The Partnership shall
(i) conduct its business in its own name, (ii) use
separate stationery, invoices, and checks, (iii) correct any
known misunderstanding regarding its separate identity, and
(iv) generally hold itself out as a separate
entity.
(e) The Partnership shall not
(i) pay its own liabilities from a source other than its own
funds, (ii) guarantee or become obligated for the debts of any
other Person, except its Subsidiaries, (iii) hold out its
credit as being available to satisfy the obligations of any other
Person, except its Subsidiaries, (iv) acquire obligations or
debt securities of the General Partner or its Affiliates (other
than the Partnership or its Subsidiaries), or (v) pledge its
assets for the benefit of any Person or make loans or advances to
any Person, except its Subsidiaries; provided that the Partnership
may engage in any transaction described in clauses (ii)–(v)
of this Section 2.9(e) if prior Special Approval has been
obtained for such transaction and either (A) the Conflicts
Committee has determined, or has obtained reasonable written
assurance from a nationally recognized firm of independent public
accountants or a nationally recognized investment banking or
valuation firm, that the borrower or recipient of the credit
extension is not then insolvent and will not be rendered insolvent
as a result of such transaction or (B) in the case of
transactions described in clause (iv), such transaction is
completed through a public auction or a National Securities
Exchange.
(f) The Partnership shall
(i) observe all partnership formalities and other formalities
required by its organizational documents, the laws of the
jurisdiction of its formation, or other laws, rules, regulations
and orders of governmental authorities exercising jurisdiction over
it, (ii) engage in transactions with the General Partner and
its Affiliates (other than another Group Member) in conformity with
the requirements of Section 7.9, and (iii) promptly pay,
from its own funds, and on a current basis, its allocable share of
general and administrative expenses, capital expenditures, and
costs for shared services performed by Affiliates of the General
Partner
(other than another Group Member). Each material
contract between the Partnership or another Group Member, on the
one hand, and the Affiliates of the General Partner (other than a
Group Member), on the other hand, shall be in writing.
(g) Failure by the General Partner
or the Partnership to comply with any of the obligations set forth
above shall not affect the status of the Partnership as a separate
legal entity, with its separate assets and separate
liabilities.
ARTICLE III
RIGHTS OF LIMITED
PARTNERS
Section 3.1 Limitation of
Liability.
The Limited Partners shall have no
liability under this Agreement except as expressly provided in this
Agreement or the Delaware Act.
Section 3.2 Management of
Business.
No Limited Partner, in its capacity
as such, shall participate in the operation, management or control
(within the meaning of the Delaware Act) of the Partnership’s
business, transact any business in the Partnership’s name or
have the power to sign documents for or otherwise bind the
Partnership. Any action taken by any Affiliate of the General
Partner or any officer, director, employee, manager, member,
general partner, agent or trustee of the General Partner or any of
its Affiliates, or any officer, director, employee, manager,
member, general partner, agent or trustee of a Group Member or a
member of the MLP Group, in its capacity as such, shall not be
deemed to be participation in the control of the business of the
Partnership by a limited partner of the Partnership (within the
meaning of Section 17-303(a) of the Delaware Act) and shall
not affect, impair or eliminate the limitations on the liability of
the Limited Partners under this Agreement.
Section 3.3 Outside
Activities of the Limited Partners.
Subject to the provisions of Section
7.5 and the Omnibus Agreement and the Non-Compete Agreement, which
shall continue to be applicable to the Persons referred to therein,
regardless of whether such Persons shall also be Limited Partners,
any Limited Partner shall be entitled to and may have business
interests and engage in business activities in addition to those
relating to the Partnership, including business interests and
activities in direct competition with the Partnership Group or the
MLP Group. Neither the Partnership nor any of the other Partners
shall have any rights by virtue of this Agreement in any business
ventures of any Limited Partner.
Section 3.4 Rights of
Limited Partners.
(a) In addition to other rights
provided by this Agreement or by applicable law, and except as
limited by Section 3.4(b), each Limited Partner shall have the
right, for a purpose reasonably related to such Limited
Partner’s interest as a Limited Partner in the Partnership,
upon reasonable written demand stating the purpose of such demand
and at such Limited Partner’s own expense:
(i) to obtain true and full
information regarding the status of the business and financial
condition of the Partnership;
(ii) promptly after its becoming
available, to obtain a copy of the Partnership’s federal,
state and local income tax returns for each year;
(iii) to obtain a current list of
the name and last known business, residence or mailing address of
each Partner;
(iv) to obtain a copy of this
Agreement and the Certificate of Limited Partnership and all
amendments thereto, together with a copy of the executed copies of
all powers of attorney pursuant to which this Agreement, the
Certificate of Limited Partnership and all amendments thereto have
been executed;
(v) to obtain true and full
information regarding the amount of cash and a description and
statement of the Net Agreed Value of any other Capital Contribution
by each Partner and that each Partner has agreed to contribute in
the future, and the date on which each became a Partner;
and
(vi) to obtain such other
information regarding the affairs of the Partnership as is just and
reasonable.
(b) Notwithstanding any other
provision of this Agreement, the General Partner may keep
confidential from the Limited Partners, for such period of time as
the General Partner determines, (i) any information that the
General Partner reasonably believes to be in the nature of trade
secrets or (ii) other information the disclosure of which the
General Partner believes (A) is not in the best interests of
the Partnership Group, (B) could damage the Partnership Group
or its consolidated business or (C) that any Group Member is
required by law or by agreement with any third party to keep
confidential (other than agreements with Affiliates of the
Partnership the primary purpose of which is to circumvent the
obligations set forth in this Section 3.4).
ARTICLE IV
CERTIFICATES; RECORD HOLDERS;
TRANSFER OF PARTNERSHIP INTERESTS;
REDEMPTION OF PARTNERSHIP
INTERESTS
Section 4.1
Certificates.
Prior to the Closing Date, the
Partnership Interests will not be evidenced by a Certificate.
Effective on the Closing Date, upon the Partnership’s
issuance of Common Units to any Person, the Partnership shall
issue, upon the request of such Person, one or more Certificates in
the name of such Person evidencing the number of such Units being
so issued. Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the
Partnership by the Chairman of the Board, President or any Vice
President and the Secretary or any Assistant Secretary of the
General Partner. No Common Unit Certificate shall be valid for any
purpose until it has been countersigned by the Transfer Agent;
provided , however , that if the General Partner
elects to issue Common Units in global form, the Common Unit
Certificates shall be valid upon receipt of a certificate from the
Transfer Agent certifying that the Common Units have been duly
registered in accordance with the directions of the
Partnership.
Section 4.2 Mutilated,
Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Certificates.
(a) If Certificates are issued and
any mutilated Certificate is surrendered to the Transfer Agent, the
appropriate officers of the General Partner on behalf of the
Partnership shall execute, and the Transfer Agent shall countersign
and deliver in exchange therefor, a new Certificate evidencing the
same number and type of Partnership Securities as the Certificate
so surrendered.
(b) The appropriate officers of the
General Partner on behalf of the Partnership shall execute and
deliver, and the Transfer Agent shall countersign 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 General Partner, that a
previously issued Certificate has been lost, destroyed or
stolen;
(ii) requests the issuance of a new
Certificate before the General Partner has notice that the
Certificate has been acquired by a purchaser for value in good
faith and without notice of an adverse claim;
(iii) if requested by the General
Partner, delivers to the General Partner a bond, in form and
substance satisfactory to the General Partner, with surety or
sureties and with fixed or open penalty as the General Partner may
direct to indemnify the Partnership, the Partners, the General
Partner and the Transfer Agent against any claim that may be made
on account of the alleged loss, destruction or theft of the
Certificate; and
(iv) satisfies any other reasonable
requirements imposed by the General Partner.
(c) If a Limited Partner fails to
notify the General Partner within a reasonable period of time after
he has notice of the loss, destruction or theft of a Certificate,
and a transfer of the Limited Partner Interests represented by the
Certificate is registered before the Partnership, the General
Partner or the Transfer Agent receives such notification, the
Limited Partner shall be precluded from making any claim against
the Partnership, the General Partner or the Transfer Agent for such
transfer or for a new Certificate.
(d) As a condition to the issuance
of any new Certificate under this Section 4.2, the General
Partner may require the payment of a sum sufficient to cover any
tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in relation
thereto and any other expenses (including the fees and expenses of
the Transfer Agent) reasonably connected therewith.
Section 4.3 Record
Holders.
The Partnership shall be entitled to
recognize the Record Holder as the Limited Partner with respect to
any Partnership Interest and, accordingly, shall not be bound to
recognize any equitable or other claim to or interest in such
Partnership Interest on the part of any other Person, regardless of
whether the Partnership shall have actual or other notice thereof,
except as otherwise provided by law or any applicable rule,
regulation, guideline or requirement of any National Securities
Exchange on which such Partnership Interests are listed or admitted
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 Partnership Interests, as
between the Partnership on the one hand, and such other Persons on
the other, such representative Person shall be the Record Holder of
such Partnership Interest.
Section 4.4 Transfer
Generally.
(a) The term “ transfer
,” when used in this Agreement with respect to a Partnership
Interest, shall be deemed to refer to a transaction (i) by
which the General Partner assigns its General Partner Interest to
another Person who becomes the General Partner, and includes a
sale, assignment, gift, pledge, encumbrance, hypothecation,
mortgage, exchange, or any other disposition by law or otherwise or
(ii) by which the holder of a Limited Partner Interest assigns
such Limited Partner Interest to another Person who is or becomes a
Limited Partner, and includes a sale, assignment, gift, exchange or
any other disposition by law or otherwise, including any transfer
upon foreclosure of any pledge, encumbrance, hypothecation or
mortgage.
(b) No Partnership Interest shall be
transferred, in whole or in part, except in accordance with the
terms and conditions set forth in this Article IV. Any
transfer or purported transfer of a Partnership Interest not made
in accordance with this Article IV shall be null and
void.
(c) Nothing contained in this
Agreement shall be construed to prevent a disposition by any
stockholder, member, partner or other owner of the General Partner
of any or all of the issued and outstanding equity interests or
other ownership interests in the General Partner, including through
a merger or consolidation of the General Partner.
Section 4.5 Registration and
Transfer of Limited Partner Interests.
(a) The General Partner shall keep
or cause to be kept on behalf of the Partnership a register in
which, subject to such reasonable regulations as it may prescribe
and subject to the provisions of Section 4.5(b), the
Partnership will provide for the registration and transfer of
Limited Partner Interests. The Transfer Agent is hereby appointed
registrar and transfer agent for the purpose of registering Common
Units and transfers of such Common Units as herein provided. The
Partnership shall not recognize transfers of Certificates
evidencing Limited Partner Interests unless such transfers are
effected in the manner described in this Section 4.5. Upon
surrender of a Certificate for registration of transfer of any
Limited Partner Interests evidenced by a Certificate, and subject
to the provisions of Section 4.5(b), the appropriate officers
of the General Partner on behalf of the Partnership shall execute
and deliver, and in the case of Common Units, the Transfer Agent
shall countersign and deliver, in the name of the holder or the
designated transferee or transferees, as required pursuant to the
holder’s instructions, one or more new Certificates
evidencing the same aggregate number and type of Limited Partner
Interests as was evidenced by the Certificate so
surrendered.
(b) Except as otherwise provided in
Section 4.8, the Partnership shall not recognize any transfer
of Limited Partner Interests until the Certificates evidencing such
Limited Partner Interests are surrendered for registration of
transfer. No charge shall be imposed by the General
Partner for such transfer; provided ,
that as a condition to the issuance of any new Certificate under
this Section 4.5, the General Partner may require the payment
of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge
that may be imposed with respect thereto.
(c) By acceptance of the transfer of
any Limited Partner Interests in accordance with this
Section 4.5 and except as provided in Section 4.9, each
transferee of a Limited Partner Interest (including any nominee
holder or an agent or representative acquiring such Limited Partner
Interests for the account of another Person) (i) shall be
admitted to the Partnership as a Limited Partner with respect to
the Limited Partner Interests so transferred to such Person when
any such transfer or admission is reflected in the books and
records of the Partnership, with or without execution of this
Agreement, (ii) shall be deemed to agree to be bound by the
terms of, and shall be deemed to have executed, this Agreement,
(iii) shall become the Record Holder of the Limited Partner
Interests so transferred, (iv) represents that the transferee
has the capacity, power and authority to enter into this Agreement,
(v) grants the powers of attorney set forth in this Agreement
and (vi) makes the consents and waivers contained in this
Agreement. The transfer of any Limited Partner interests and the
admission of any new Limited Partner shall not constitute an
amendment to this Agreement.
(d) Subject to (i) the
foregoing provisions of this Section 4.5,
(ii) Section 4.3, (iii) Section 4.7,
(iv) with respect to any series of Limited Partner Interests,
the provisions of any statement of designations or amendment to
this Agreement establishing such series, (v) any contractual
provisions binding on any Limited Partner and (vi) provisions
of applicable law including the Securities Act, Limited Partnership
Interests shall be freely transferable.
Section 4.6 Transfer of the
General Partner Interest.
(a) Subject to Section 4.6(c)
below, prior to December 31, 2016, the General Partner shall
not transfer all or any part of its General Partner Interest to a
Person unless such transfer (i) has been approved by the prior
written consent or vote of the holders of at least a majority of
the Outstanding Common Units (excluding Common Units held by the
General Partner and its Affiliates) or (ii) is of all, but not
less than all, of its General Partner Interest to (A) an
Affiliate of the General Partner (other than an individual) or
(B) another Person (other than an individual) in connection
with the merger or consolidation of the General Partner with or
into another Person (other than an individual) or the transfer by
the General Partner of all or substantially all of its assets to
another Person (other than an individual).
(b) Subject to Section 4.6(c)
below, on or after December 31, 2016, the General Partner may
transfer all or any of its General Partner Interest without
Unitholder approval.
(c) Notwithstanding anything herein
to the contrary, no transfer by the General Partner of all or any
part of its General Partner Interest to another Person shall be
permitted unless (i) the transferee agrees to assume the
rights and duties of the General Partner under this Agreement and
to be bound by the provisions of this Agreement and (ii) the
Partnership receives an Opinion of Counsel that such transfer would
not result in the loss of limited liability of any Limited Partner
or cause the Partnership to be treated as an association taxable as
a corporation or otherwise to be taxed as an entity for federal
income tax purposes (to the extent not already so treated or
taxed). In the case of a transfer pursuant to and in compliance
with this Section 4.6,
the transferee or successor (as the case may be)
shall, subject to compliance with the terms of Section 10.2,
be admitted to the Partnership as the General Partner immediately
prior to the transfer of the General Partner Interest, and the
business of the Partnership shall continue without
dissolution.
Section 4.7 Restrictions on
Transfers.
(a) Except as provided in
Section 4.7(b) below, but notwithstanding the other provisions
of this Article IV, no transfer of any Partnership Interests
shall be made if such transfer would (i) violate the then
applicable federal or state securities laws or rules and
regulations of the Commission, any state securities commission or
any other governmental authority with jurisdiction over such
transfer, (ii) terminate the existence or qualification of the
Partnership under the laws of the jurisdiction of its formation, or
(iii) cause the Partnership to be treated as an association
taxable as a corporation or otherwise to be taxed as an entity for
federal income tax purposes (to the extent not already so treated
or taxed).
(b) The General Partner may impose
restrictions on the transfer of Partnership Interests if it
receives Opinion of Counsel that such restrictions are necessary to
avoid a significant risk of the Partnership becoming taxable as a
corporation or otherwise becoming taxable as an entity for federal
income tax purposes. The General Partner may impose such
restrictions by amending this Agreement; provided ,
however , that any amendment that would result in the
delisting or suspension of trading of any class of Limited Partner
Interests on the principal National Securities Exchange on which
such class of Limited Partner Interests is then listed or admitted
for trading must be approved, prior to such amendment being
effected, by the holders of at least a majority of the Outstanding
Limited Partner Interests of such class.
(c) Nothing contained in this
Article IV, or elsewhere in this Agreement, shall preclude the
settlement of any transactions involving Partnership Interests
entered into through the facilities of any National Securities
Exchange on which such Partnership Interests are listed or admitted
for trading.
(d) In the event any Partnership
Interest is evidenced in certificated form, each certificate
evidencing Partnership Interests shall bear a conspicuous legend in
substantially the following form:
(e) THE HOLDER OF THIS SECURITY
ACKNOWLEDGES FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PARTNERSHIP THAT THIS SECURITY
MAY NOT BE SOLD, OFFERED, RESOLD, PLEDGED OR OTHERWISE TRANSFERRED
IF SUCH TRANSFER WOULD (A) VIOLATE THE THEN APPLICABLE FEDERAL
OR STATE SECURITIES LAWS OR RULES AND REGULATIONS OF THE SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION, ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION OR ANY
OTHER GOVERNMENTAL AUTHORITY WITH JURISDICTION OVER SUCH TRANSFER,
(B) TERMINATE THE EXISTENCE OR QUALIFICATION OF THE
PARTNERSHIP UNDER THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE, OR
(C) CAUSE THE PARTNERSHIP TO BE TREATED AS AN ASSOCIATION
TAXABLE AS A CORPORATION OR OTHERWISE TO BE TAXED AS AN ENTITY FOR
FEDERAL INCOME TAX PURPOSES (TO THE EXTENT NOT ALREADY SO TREATED
OR TAXED). PVG GP, LLC, THE GENERAL PARTNER OF
THE PARTNERSHIP, MAY IMPOSE ADDITIONAL
RESTRICTIONS ON THE TRANSFER OF THIS SECURITY IF IT RECEIVES AN
OPINION OF COUNSEL THAT SUCH RESTRICTIONS ARE NECESSARY TO AVOID A
SIGNIFICANT RISK OF THE PARTNERSHIP BECOMING TAXABLE AS A
CORPORATION OR OTHERWISE BECOMING TAXABLE AS AN ENTITY FOR FEDERAL
INCOME TAX PURPOSES. THE RESTRICTIONS SET FORTH ABOVE SHALL NOT
PRECLUDE THE SETTLEMENT OF ANY TRANSACTIONS INVOLVING THIS SECURITY
ENTERED INTO THROUGH THE FACILITIES OF ANY NATIONAL SECURITIES
EXCHANGE ON WHICH THIS SECURITY IS LISTED OR ADMITTED TO
TRADING.
Section 4.8 Citizenship
Certificates; Non-citizen Assignees.
(a) If any Group Member is or
becomes subject to any federal, state or local law or regulation
that the General Partner determines would create a substantial risk
of cancellation or forfeiture of any property in which the Group
Member has an interest based on the nationality, citizenship or
other related status of a Limited Partner, the General Partner may
request any Limited Partner to furnish to the General Partner,
within 30 days after receipt of such request, an executed
Citizenship Certification or such other information concerning his
nationality, citizenship or other related status (or, if the
Limited Partner is a nominee holding for the account of another
Person, the nationality, citizenship or other related status of
such Person) as the General Partner may request. If a Limited
Partner fails to furnish to the General Partner within the
aforementioned 30-day period such Citizenship Certification or
other requested information or if upon receipt of such Citizenship
Certification or other requested information the General Partner
determines that a Limited Partner is not an Eligible Citizen, the
Partnership Interests owned by such Limited Partner shall be
subject to redemption in accordance with the provisions of
Section 4.9. In addition, the General Partner may require that
the status of any such Limited Partner be changed to that of a
Non-citizen Assignee and, thereupon, the General Partner shall be
substituted for such Non-citizen Assignee as the Limited Partner in
respect of his Limited Partner Interests.
(b) The General Partner shall, in
exercising voting rights in respect of Limited Partner Interests
held by it on behalf of Non-citizen Assignees, distribute the votes
in the same ratios as the votes of Partners (including the General
Partner) in respect of Limited Partner Interests other than those
of Non-citizen Assignees are cast, either for, against or
abstaining as to the matter.
(c) Upon dissolution of the
Partnership, a Non-citizen Assignee shall have no right to receive
a distribution in kind pursuant to Section 12.4 but shall be
entitled to the cash equivalent thereof, and the Partnership shall
provide cash in exchange for an assignment of the Non-citizen
Assignee’s share of any distribution in kind. Such payment
and assignment shall be treated for Partnership purposes as a
purchase by the Partnership from the Non-citizen Assignee of his
Limited Partner Interest (representing his right to receive his
share of such distribution in kind).
(d) At any time after he can and
does certify that he has become an Eligible Citizen, a Non-citizen
Assignee may, upon application to the General Partner, request that
with respect to any Limited Partner Interests of such Non-citizen
Assignee not redeemed pursuant to Section 4.9, such
Non-citizen Assignee be admitted as a Limited Partner, and upon
approval of the General Partner, such Non-citizen Assignee shall be
admitted as a Limited Partner and shall no longer constitute a
Non-citizen Assignee and the General Partner shall cease to be
deemed to be the Limited Partner in respect of the Non-citizen
Assignee’s Limited Partner Interests.
Section 4.9 Redemption of
Partnership Interests of Non-citizen Assignees.
(a) If at any time a Limited Partner
fails to furnish a Citizenship Certification or other information
requested within the 30-day period specified in
Section 4.8(a), or if upon receipt of such Citizenship
Certification or other information the General Partner determines,
with the advice of counsel, that a Limited Partner is not an
Eligible Citizen, the Partnership may, unless the Limited Partner
establishes to the satisfaction of the General Partner that such
Limited Partner is an Eligible Citizen or has transferred his
Partnership Interests to a Person who is an Eligible Citizen and
who furnishes a Citizenship Certification to the General Partner
prior to the date fixed for redemption as provided below, redeem
the Limited Partner Interest of such Limited Partner as
follows:
(i) The General Partner shall, not
later than the 30th day before the date fixed for redemption, give
notice of redemption to the Limited Partner, at his last address
designated on the records of the Partnership or the Transfer Agent,
by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid. The notice shall
be deemed to have been given when so mailed. The notice shall
specify the Redeemable Interests, the date fixed for redemption,
the place of payment, that payment of the redemption price will be
made upon surrender of the Certificate evidencing the Redeemable
Interests and that on and after the date fixed for redemption no
further allocations or distributions to which the Limited Partner
would otherwise be entitled in respect of the Redeemable Interests
will accrue or be made.
(ii) The aggregate redemption price
for Redeemable Interests shall be an amount equal to the Current
Market Price (the date of determination of which shall be the date
fixed for redemption) of Limited Partner Interests of the class to
be so redeemed multiplied by the number of Limited Partner
Interests of each such class included among the Redeemable
Interests. The redemption price shall be paid as determined by the
General Partner, in cash or by delivery of a promissory note of the
Partnership in the principal amount of the redemption price,
bearing interest at the rate of 10% annually and payable in three
equal annual installments of principal together with accrued
interest, commencing one year after the redemption date.
(iii) Upon surrender by or on behalf
of the Limited Partner, at the place specified in the notice of
redemption, of the Certificate evidencing the Redeemable Interests,
duly endorsed in blank or accompanied by an assignment duly
executed in blank, the Limited Partner or his duly authorized
representative shall be entitled to receive the payment
therefor.
(iv) After the redemption date,
Redeemable Interests shall no longer constitute issued and
Outstanding Limited Partner Interests.
(b) The provisions of this
Section 4.9 shall also be applicable to Limited Partner
Interests held by a Limited Partner as nominee of a Person
determined to be other than an Eligible Citizen.
(c) Nothing in this Section 4.9
shall prevent the recipient of a notice of redemption from
transferring his Limited Partner Interest before the redemption
date if such transfer is otherwise permitted under this Agreement.
Upon receipt of notice of such a transfer, the General Partner
shall withdraw the notice of redemption, provided the transferee of
such Limited Partner Interest certifies to the satisfaction of the
General Partner in a Citizenship Certification that he is an
Eligible Citizen. If the transferee fails to make such
certification, such redemption shall be effected from the
transferee on the original redemption date.
ARTICLE V
CAPITAL CONTRIBUTIONS AND
ISSUANCE OF PARTNERSHIP INTERESTS
Section 5.1 Organizational
Issuances.
Prior to the date hereof, Penn
Virginia Resource GP Corp. made a Capital Contribution of $100 to
the Partnership and was admitted as the general partner of the
Partnership without any economic interest in the Partnership, and
the Organizational Limited Partner made an initial Capital
Contribution of $900 to the Partnership in exchange for an interest
in the Partnership and has been admitted as a Limited Partner of
the Partnership. Thereafter, Penn Virginia Resource GP Corp.
assigned its General Partner Interest in the Partnership to PVG GP,
LLC, upon which PVG GP, LLC was admitted as the General Partner of
the Partnership. As of the Closing Date, the interest of the
Organizational Limited Partner shall be redeemed as provided in the
Contribution Agreement, and the initial Capital Contribution of the
Organizational Limited Partner shall thereupon be refunded. Any
interest or other profit that may have resulted from the investment
or other use of such initial Capital Contribution shall be
allocated and distributed to the Organizational Limited
Partner.
Section 5.2 Contributions by
Affiliates of the General Partner.
On the Closing Date and pursuant to
the Contribution Agreement: (i) the Penn Virginia Resource GP
Corp. shall contribute to the Partnership, as a Capital
Contribution, all of the limited liability company interests in the
MLP General Partner in exchange for 11,317,501 Common Units;
(ii) Kanawha Rail Corp. shall contribute to the Partnership,
as a Capital Contribution, 1,050,612 common units of the MLP in
exchange for 1,455,301 Common Units; and (iii) Penn Virginia
Resource LP Corp. shall contribute to the Partnership, as a Capital
Contribution, 14,074,682 common units of the MLP in exchange for
19,362,198 Common Units.
Section 5.3 Contributions by
the Underwriters.
(a) On the Closing Date and pursuant
to the Underwriting Agreement, each Underwriter shall contribute to
the Partnership cash in an amount equal to the Issue Price per
Initial Common Unit multiplied by the number of Common Units
specified in the Underwriting Agreement to be purchased by such
Underwriter at the Closing Date. In exchange for such Capital
Contributions by the Underwriters, the Partnership shall issue
Common Units to each Underwriter on whose behalf such Capital
Contribution is made in an amount equal to the quotient obtained by
dividing (i) the cash contribution to the Partnership by or on
behalf of such Underwriter by (ii) the Issue Price per Initial
Common Unit.
(b) Upon the exercise of the
Over-Allotment Option, each Underwriter shall contribute to the
Partnership cash in an amount equal to the Issue Price per Initial
Common Unit, multiplied by the number of Common Units to be
purchased by such Underwriter at the Option Closing Date. In
exchange for such Capital Contributions by the Underwriters, the
Partnership shall issue Common Units to each Underwriter on whose
behalf such Capital Contribution is made in an amount equal to the
quotient obtained by dividing (i) the cash contributions to
the Partnership by or on behalf of such Underwriter by
(ii) the Issue Price per Initial Common Unit.
(c) Subject to Section 5.1, no
Limited Partner Interests will be issued or issuable as of or at
the Closing Date other than (i) the Common Units issuable
pursuant to subparagraph (a) hereof in an aggregate number
equal to 6,300,000 Units and (ii) the “ Option
Units ” as such term is used in the Underwriting
Agreement issuable upon exercise of the Over-Allotment Option
pursuant to subparagraph (b) hereof in an aggregate number of
up to 945,000 additional Units and (iii) the 32,125,000
Common Units issuable to the General Partner, Kanawha Rail Corp.
and Penn Virginia Resource LP Corp. pursuant to Section 5.2
hereof.
Section 5.4 Interest and
Withdrawal.
No interest on Capital Contributions
shall be paid by the Partnership. No Partner shall be entitled to
the withdrawal or return of its Capital Contribution, except to the
extent, if any, that distributions made pursuant to this Agreement
or upon termination of the Partnership may be considered as such by
law and then only to the extent provided for in this Agreement.
Except to the extent expressly provided in this Agreement, no
Partner shall have priority over any other Partner either as to the
return of Capital Contributions or as to profits, losses or
distributions. Any such return shall be a compromise to which all
Partners agree within the meaning of Section 17-502(b) of the
Delaware Act.
Section 5.5 Capital
Accounts.
(a) The Partnership shall maintain
for each Partner (or a beneficial owner of Partnership Interests
held by a nominee in any case in which the nominee has furnished
the identity of such owner to the Partnership in accordance with
Section 6031(c) of the Code or any other method acceptable to
the General Partner) owning a Partnership Interest a separate
Capital Account with respect to such Partnership Interest in
accordance with the rules of Treasury Regulation
Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv). Such Capital Account shall be
increased by (i) the amount of all Capital Contributions made
to the Partnership with respect to such Partnership Interest
pursuant to this Agreement and (ii) all items of Partnership
income and gain (including income and gain exempt from tax)
computed in accordance with Section 5.5(b) and allocated with
respect to such Partnership Interest pursuant to Section 6.1,
and decreased by (x) the amount of cash or Net Agreed Value of
all actual and deemed distributions of cash or property made with
respect to such Partnership Interest pursuant to this Agreement and
(y) all items of Partnership deduction and loss computed in
accordance with Section 5.5(b) and allocated with respect to
such Partnership Interest pursuant to Section 6.1.
(b) For purposes of computing the
amount of any item of income, gain, loss or deduction which is to
be allocated pursuant to Article VI and is to be reflected in
the Partners’ Capital Accounts, the determination,
recognition and classification of any such item shall be
the
same as its determination, recognition and
classification for federal income tax purposes (including any
method of depreciation, cost recovery or amortization used for that
purpose), provided , that:
(i) Solely for purposes of this
Section 5.5, the Partnership shall be treated as owning
directly its proportionate share (as determined by the General
Partner based upon the provisions of the MLP Agreement) of all
property owned by the MLP or any other Subsidiary that is
classified as a partnership or disregarded entity for federal
income tax purposes.
(ii) All fees and other expenses
incurred by the Partnership to promote the sale of (or to sell) a
Partnership Interest 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 Partners pursuant to
Section 6.1.
(iii) Except as otherwise provided
in Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(m), the
computation of all items of income, gain, loss and deduction shall
be made without regard to any election under Section 754 of
the Code which may be made by the Partnership 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 Partnership asset pursuant to
Section 734(b) or 743(b) of the Code is required, pursuant to
Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(m), to be taken
into account in determining Capital Accounts, the amount of such
adjustment in the Capital Accounts shall be treated as an item of
gain or loss.
(iv) Any income, gain, loss or
deduction attributable to the taxable disposition of any
Partnership property shall be determined as if the adjusted basis
of such property as of such date of disposition were equal in
amount to the Partnership’s Carrying Value with respect to
such property as of such date.
(v) 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 as if the adjusted basis
of such property on the date it was acquired by the Partnership
were equal to the Agreed Value of such property. Upon an adjustment
pursuant to Section 5.5(d) to the Carrying Value of any
Partnership property subject to depreciation, cost recovery or
amortization, any further deductions for such depreciation, cost
recovery or amortization attributable to such property shall be
determined (A) as if the adjusted basis of such property were
equal to the Carrying Value of such property immediately following
such adjustment and (B) using a method of depreciation, cost
recovery or amortization that the General Partner may
adopt.
(vi) If the Partnership’s
adjusted basis in a depreciable or cost recovery property is
reduced for federal income tax purposes pursuant to
Section 48(q)(1) or 48(q)(3) of the Code, the amount of such
reduction shall, solely for purposes hereof, be
deemed to be an additional
depreciation or cost recovery deduction in the year such property
is placed in service and shall be allocated among the Partners
pursuant to Section 6.1. Any restoration of such basis
pursuant to Section 48(q)(2) of the Code shall, to the extent
possible, be allocated in the same manner to the Partners to whom
such deemed deduction was allocated.
(c) A transferee of a Partnership
Interest shall succeed to a pro rata portion of the Capital Account
of the transferor relating to the Partnership Interest so
transferred.
(d) (i) In accordance with Treasury
Regulation Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(f), on an issuance of
additional Partnership Interests for cash or Contributed Property,
the issuance of Partnership Interests as consideration for the
provision of services, or the conversion of the General
Partner’s Combined Interest to Common Units pursuant to
Section 11.3(b), the Capital Account of all Partners and the
Carrying Value of each Partnership property immediately prior to
such issuance shall be adjusted upward or downward to reflect any
Unrealized Gain or Unrealized Loss attributable to such Partnership
property, as if such Unrealized Gain or Unrealized Loss had been
recognized on an actual sale of each such property immediately
prior to such issuance and had been allocated to the Partners at
such time pursuant to Section 6.1 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 Partnership assets (including cash or cash equivalents)
immediately prior to the issuance of additional Partnership
Interests shall be determined by the General Partner using such
method of valuation as it may adopt; provided ,
however , that the General Partner, in arriving at such
valuation, must take fully into account the fair market value of
the Partnership Interests of all Partners at such time. The General
Partner shall allocate such aggregate value among the assets of the
Partnership (in such manner as it determines) to arrive at a fair
market value for individual properties.
(ii) In accordance with Treasury
Regulation Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(f), immediately prior to
any actual or deemed distribution to a Partner of any Partnership
property (other than a distribution of cash that is not in
redemption or retirement of a Partnership Interest), the Capital
Accounts of all Partners and the Carrying Value of all Partnership
property shall be adjusted upward or downward to reflect any
Unrealized Gain or Unrealized Loss attributable to such Partnership
property, as if such Unrealized Gain or Unrealized Loss had been
recognized 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 Partners, at such time, pursuant to
Section 6.1 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 Partnership
assets (including, without limitation, cash or cash equivalents)
immediately prior to a distribution shall (A) in the case of
an actual distribution that is not made pursuant to
Section 12.4 or in the case of a deemed distribution, be
determined and allocated in the same manner as that provided in
Section 5.5(d)(i) or (B) in the case of a liquidating
distribution pursuant to Section 12.4, be determined and
allocated by the Liquidator using such method of valuation as it
may adopt.
Section 5.6 Issuances of
Additional Partnership Securities.
(a) The Partnership may issue
additional Partnership Securities and options, rights, warrants and
appreciation rights relating to the Partnership Securities for any
Partnership purpose at any time and from time to time to such
Persons for such consideration and on such terms and conditions as
the General Partner shall determine, all without the approval of
any Limited Partners.
(b) Each additional Partnership
Interest authorized to be issued by the Partnership pursuant to
Section 5.6(a) may be issued in one or more classes, or one or
more series of any such classes, with such designations,
preferences, rights, powers and duties (which may be senior to
existing classes and series of Partnership Securities), as shall be
fixed by the General Partner, including (i) the right to share
in Partnership profits and losses or items thereof; (ii) the
right to share in Partnership distributions; (iii) the rights
upon dissolution and liquidation of the Partnership;
(iv) whether, and the terms and conditions upon which the
Partnership may or shall be required to redeem the Partnership
Security (including sinking fund provisions); (v) whether such
Partnership Interest is issued with the privilege of conversion or
exchange and, if so, the terms and conditions of such conversion or
exchange; (vi) the terms and conditions upon which each
Partnership Interest will be issued, evidenced by certificates and
assigned or transferred; (vii) the method for determining the
Percentage Interest as to such Partnership Security; and
(viii) the right, if any, of each such Partnership Interest to
vote on Partnership matters, including matters relating to the
relative designations, preferences, rights, powers and duties of
such Partnership Interest.
(c) The General Partner is hereby
authorized and directed to take all actions that it determines to
be necessary or appropriate in connection with (i) each
issuance of Partnership Securities and options, rights, warrants
and appreciation rights relating to Partnership Securities pursuant
to this Section 5.6, (ii) the admission of additional
Limited Partners and (iii) all additional issuances of
Partnership Securities. The General Partner shall determine the
relative rights, powers and duties of the holders of the Units or
other Partnership Securities being so issued. The General Partner
shall do all things necessary to comply with the Delaware Act and
is authorized and directed to do all things that it determines to
be necessary or appropriate in connection with any future issuance
of Partnership Securities, including compliance with any statute,
rule, regulation or guideline of any federal, state or other
governmental agency or any National Securities Exchange on which
the Units or other Partnership Securities are listed or admitted
for trading.
(d) No fractional Partnership
Securities shall be issued by the Partnership. If a distribution,
subdivision or combination of Units pursuant to Section 5.6
would result in the issuance of fractional Units, each fractional
Unit shall be rounded to the nearest whole Unit (and a 0.5 Unit
shall be rounded to the next higher Unit).
Section 5.7 No Preemptive
Right.
No Person shall have any preemptive,
preferential or other similar right with respect to the issuance of
any Partnership Interest, whether unissued, held in the treasury or
hereafter created.
Section 5.8 Splits and
Combinations.
(a) Subject to Section 5.6(d),
the Partnership may make a Pro Rata distribution of Partnership
Securities to all Record Holders or may effect a subdivision or
combination of Partnership Securities so long as, after any such
event, each Partner shall have the