UNITED STATES OIL FUND, LP
FIRST AMENDED AND RESTATED
AGREEMENT OF LIMITED PARTNERSHIP
This First Amended
and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership (this
“Agreement”), executed on April 3, 2006, is
entered into by and among Victoria Bay Asset Management, LLC, a
Delaware limited liability company, as General Partner, Wainwright
Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation, as the Organizational
Limited Partner, and KV Execution Services, LLC, as a Limited
Partner, together with any Persons who shall hereafter be admitted
as Partners in accordance with this Agreement.
NOW THEREFORE, in
consideration of the mutual promises and agreements herein made and
intending to be legally bound, the Partners hereby agree as
follows:
As used in this
Agreement, the following terms shall have the following
meanings:
1.1
“Accounting Period” shall mean the following periods:
The initial accounting period shall commence upon the commencement
of operations of the Partnership. Each subsequent Accounting Period
shall commence immediately after the close of the preceding
Accounting Period. Each Accounting Period hereunder shall close on
the earliest of (i) the last Business Day of a month,
(ii) the effective date of dissolution of the Partnership, and
(iii) such other day or days in addition thereto or in
substitution therefore as may from time to time be determined by
the General Partner in its discretion either in any particular case
or generally.
1.2
“Act” shall mean the Revised Uniform Limited
Partnership Act of the State of Delaware, as amended from time to
time.
1.3
“Additional Limited Partner” shall mean a Person
admitted to the Partnership as a Limited Partner pursuant to this
Agreement and who is shown as such on the books and records of the
Partnership.
1.4
“Affiliate” shall mean, when used with reference to a
specified Person, (i) any Person who directly or indirectly
through one or more intermediaries controls or is controlled by or
is under common control with the specified Person or (ii) any
Person that is an officer of, partner in, or trustee of, or serves
in a similar capacity with respect to, the specified Person or of
which the specified Person is an officer, partner or trustee, or
with respect to which the specified Person serves in a similar
capacity.
1.5
“Assignee” shall mean a Record Holder that has not been
admitted to the Partnership as a Substituted Limited
Partner.
1.6
“Agreement” shall mean this Agreement of Limited
Partnership, as originally executed and as amended, modified,
supplemented or restated from time to time, as the context
requires.
1.7
“Authorized Purchaser Agreement” means an agreement
among the Partnership, the General Partner and a Participant as it
may be amended or supplemented from time to time in accordance with
its terms.
1.8
“Business Day” shall mean any day other than a day on
which the American Stock Exchange, the New York Mercantile Exchange
or the New York Stock Exchange is closed for regular
trading.
1.9
“Beneficial Owner” shall mean the ultimate beneficial
owner of Units held by a nominee which has furnished the identity
of the Beneficial Owner in accordance with Section 6031(c) of the
Code (or any other method acceptable to the General Partner in its
sole discretion) and with Section 9.2.2 of this
Agreement.
1.10
“Capital Account” shall mean an account established on
the books and records of the Partnership for each Partner as set
forth in this Agreement.
1.11
“Capital Contribution” shall mean the total amount of
money or agreed-upon value of property contributed to the
Partnership by all the Partners or any class of Partners or any one
Partner, as the case may be (or the predecessor holders of the
interests of such Partner or Partners).
1.12
“Capital Transaction” shall mean a sale of all or
substantially all of the assets of the Partnership not in the
ordinary course of business.
1.13
“Certificate” shall mean a certificate, substantially
in the form of Exhibit B to this Agreement or in such other
forms as may be adopted by the General Partner in its sole
discretion, issued by the Partnership evidencing ownership of one
or more Units.
1.14 “Close
of Business” shall mean 5:00 PM (New York City
time).
1.15
“Creation Basket” shall mean 100,000 Units, or such
other number of Units as may be determined by the General Partner
from time to time, purchased by a Participant.
1.16
“Code” shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as
amended.
1.17
“Departing Partner” shall mean a former General
Partner, from and after the effective date of any withdrawal or
removal of such former General Partner.
1.18
“Depository” or “DTC” means The Depository
Trust Company, New York, New York, or such other depository of
Units as may be selected by the General Partner as specified
herein.
1.19
“Depository Agreement” means the Letter of
Representations from the General Partner to the Depository, dated
as of
, 2006, as the same may be amended or supplemented from time to
time.
1.20
“Distributable Cash” shall mean with respect to any
period all cash revenues of the Partnership (not including
(i) Capital Contributions, (ii) funds received by the
Partnership in respect of indebtedness incurred by the Partnership,
(iii) interest or other income earned on temporary investments
of Partnership funds pending utilization, and (iv) proceeds
from any Capital Transaction), less the sum of the following:
(x) all amounts expended by the Partnership pursuant to this
Agreement in such period and (y) such working capital or
reserves or other amounts as the General Partner reasonably deems
to be necessary or appropriate for the proper
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operation of
the Partnership’s business or its winding up and liquidation.
The General Partner in its sole discretion may from time to time
declare other funds of the Partnership to be Distributable
Cash.
1.21 “DTC
Participants” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in
Section 9.2.2.
1.22
“General Partner” shall mean Victoria Bay Asset
Management, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, or any
Person who, at the time of reference thereto, serves as a general
partner of the Partnership.
1.23 “Global
Certificates” means the global certificate or certificates
issued to the Depository as provided in the Depository Agreement,
each of which shall be in substantially the form attached hereto as
Exhibit B.
1.24
“Indirect Participants” shall have the meaning assigned
to such term in Section 9.2.2.
1.25
“Initial Offering Period” means the period commencing
with the initial effective date of the Prospectus and terminating
no later than the ninetieth (90th) day following such date unless
extended for up to an additional 90 days at the sole
discretion of the General Partner.
1.26
“Limited Partner” shall mean the Organizational Limited
Partner prior to its withdrawal from the Partnership and any other
Person who is a limited partner (whether the Initial Limited
Partner, a Limited Partner admitted pursuant to this Agreement or
an assignee who is admitted as a Limited Partner) at the time of
reference thereto, in such Person’s capacity as a limited
partner of the Partnership.
1.27
“Management Fee” shall mean the management fee paid to
the General Partner pursuant to this Agreement.
1.28 “Net
Asset Value” or “NAV” shall mean the current
market value of the Partnership’s total assets, less any
liabilities, as reasonably determined by the General Partner or its
designee.
1.29
“Opinion of Counsel” shall mean a written opinion of
counsel (who may be regular counsel to the Partnership or the
General Partner) acceptable to the General Partner.
1.30
“Organizational Limited Partner” shall mean Wainwright
Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation, in its capacity as the
organizational limited partner of the Partnership pursuant to this
Agreement.
1.31
“Outstanding” shall mean, with respect to the Units or
other Partnership Securities, as the case may be, all Units or
other 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.
1.32
“Participant” means a Person that is a DTC Participant
and has entered into an Authorized Purchaser Agreement which, at
the relevant time, is in full force and effect.
1.33
“Partner” shall mean the General Partner or any Limited
Partner. “Partners” shall mean the General Partner and
all Limited Partners (unless otherwise indicated).
1.34
“Partnership” shall mean the limited partnership hereby
formed, as such limited partnership may from time to time be
constituted.
1.35
“Partnership Securities” shall mean any additional
Units, options, rights, warrants or appreciation rights
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relating
thereto, or any other type of equity security that the Partnership
may lawfully issue, any unsecured or secured debt obligations of
the Partnership or debt obligations of the Partnership convertible
into any class or series of equity securities of the
Partnership.
1.36
“Person” shall mean any natural person, partnership,
limited partnership, limited liability company, trust, estate,
corporation, association, custodian, nominee or any other
individual or entity in their own or any representative
capacity.
1.37 “Profit
or Loss” with respect to any Accounting Period shall mean the
excess (if any) of:
(a) the Net
Asset Value as of the Valuation Time on the Valuation Date,
less
(b) the Net
Asset Value as of the Valuation Time on the Valuation Date
immediately preceding the commencement of such Accounting
Period,
adjusted as
deemed appropriate by the General Partner to reflect any Capital
Contributions, redemptions, withdrawals, distributions, or other
events occurring or accounted for during such Accounting Period
(including any allocation of Profit or Loss to a Redeeming Partner
pursuant to Article 4.3.2 with respect to such Accounting
Period).
If the amount
determined pursuant to the preceding sentence is a positive number,
such amount shall be the “Profit” for the Accounting
Period and if such amount is a negative number, such amount shall
be the “Loss” for the Accounting Period.
1.38
“Prospectus” shall mean the United States Oil Fund, LP
Prospectus, dated ___, 2006, as the same may have been amended or
supplemented, used in connection with the offer and sale of
interests in the Partnership.
1.39 “Record
Date” shall mean the date established by the General Partner
for determining (a) the identity of Limited Partners (or Assignees
if applicable) 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 action of Limited Partners or
(b) the identity of Record Holders entitled to receive any
report or distribution.
1.40 “Record
Holder” shall mean the Person in whose name such Unit is
registered on the books of the Transfer Agent as of the open of
business on a particular Business Day.
1.41
“Redeemable Units” shall mean any Units for which a
redemption notice has been given.
1.42
“Redemption Basket” shall mean 100,000 Units, or such
other number of Units as may be determined by the General Partner
from time to time, redeemed by a Participant.
1.43
“Revolving Credit Facility” shall mean a revolving
credit facility which the Partnership may enter into on behalf of
the Partnership with one or more commercial banks or other lenders
for liquidity or other purposes for the benefit of the
Partnership.
1.44
“Substituted Limited Partner” shall mean a Person who
is admitted as a Limited Partner to the Partnership pursuant to
Article 11.2 in place of and with all the rights of a Limited
Partner and who is shown as a Limited Partner on the books and
records of the Partnership.
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1.45 “Tax
Certificate” shall mean an Internal Revenue Service Form W-9
(or the substantial equivalent thereof) in the case of a Limited
Partner that is a U.S. person within the meaning of the Code, or an
Internal Revenue Service Form W-8BEN or other applicable form in
the case of a Limited Partner that is not a U.S. person.
1.46
“Transfer Agent” shall mean Brown Brothers Harriman
& Co. or such bank, trust company or other Person (including,
without limitation, 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 Units or any applicable
Partnership Securities.
1.47
“Transfer Application” shall mean an application and
agreement for transfer of Units, which shall be substantially in
the form attached hereto as Exhibit D.
1.48
“Unit” shall mean an interest of a Limited Partner or
an assignee of the Partnership representing such fractional part of
the interests of all Limited Partners and assignees as shall be
determined by the General Partner pursuant to this
Agreement.
1.49
“Unitholders” means the General Partner and all holders
of Units, where no distinction is required by the context in which
the term is used.
1.50
“Valuation Date” shall mean the last Business Day of
any Accounting Period.
1.51
“Valuation Time” shall mean (i) Close of Business
on a Valuation Date or (ii) such other time or day as the
General Partner in its discretion may determine from time to time
either in any particular case or generally.
2.1 The General
Partner and the Organizational Limited Partner have previously
formed the Partnership as a limited partnership pursuant to the Act
and hereby amend and restate the original Agreement of Limited
Partnership of the Partnership in its entirety. This amendment and
restatement shall become effective on the date of this Agreement.
The rights and liabilities of the Partners shall be as provided in
the Act, except as herein otherwise expressly provided. The
Partnership shall continue without interruption as a limited
partnership pursuant to the provisions of the Act.
2.2 The name of
the Partnership shall be United States Oil Fund, LP; however, the
business of the Partnership may be conducted, upon compliance with
all applicable laws, under any other name designated in writing by
the General Partner to the Limited Partners.
2.3 The
Partnership’s principal place of business shall be located at
1320 Harbor Bay Parkway, Suite 145, Alameda, California 94502
or such other place as the General Partner may designate from time
to time. The Registered Agent for the Partnership is Corporation
Service Company and the registered office is located at 2711
Centerville Road, Suite 400, Wilmington, Delaware 19808,
County of New Castle. The Partnership may maintain such other
offices at such other places as the General Partner deems
advisable.
2.4 The investment
objective of the Partnership is for the Units’ net asset
value to reflect the performance of the spot price of West Texas
Intermediate light, sweet crude oil delivered to Cushing, Oklahoma
(“WTI light, sweet crude oil”), less the
Partnership’s expenses. The Partnership will invest in
futures contracts for WTI light,
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sweet crude oil
and other petroleum-based fuels that are traded on the New York
Mercantile Exchange or other U.S. and foreign exchanges
(collectively, “Oil Futures Contracts”) and other oil
interests such as cash-settled options on Oil Futures Contracts,
forward contracts for oil, and over-the-counter transactions that
are based on the price of oil, other petroleum-based fuels, Oil
Futures Contracts and indices based on the foregoing (collectively,
“Other Oil Interests”’). The Partnership seeks to
achieve its investment objective by investing in a mix of Oil
Futures Contracts and Other Oil Interests such that the
Partnership’s NAV will closely track the price of an Oil
Futures Contract (the “Benchmark Oil Futures Contract”)
that the General Partner believes has historically exhibited a
close price correlation with the spot price of WTI light, sweet
crude oil.
2.5 The term of
the Partnership shall be from the date of its formation in
perpetuity, unless earlier terminated in accordance with the terms
of this Agreement.
2.6 The General
Partner shall execute, file and publish all such certificates,
notices, statements or other instruments required by law for the
formation or operation of a limited partnership in all
jurisdictions where the Partnership may elect to do business. The
General Partner shall not be required to deliver or mail to Limited
Partners a copy of the certificate of limited partnership of the
Partnership or any certificate of amendment thereto.
2.7 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,
business, protection and benefit of the Partnership.
2.8 The business
and affairs of the Partnership shall be managed by the General
Partner in accordance with Article 7 hereof and by seven
directors, four of whom may also be executive officers of the
General Partner. The General Partner shall establish and maintain
an audit committee for the Partnership (the “Audit
Committee”) in compliance with, and granted the requisite
authority and funding pursuant to, any applicable (1) federal
securities laws and regulations, including the Sarbanes-Oxley Act
of 2002, and (2) rules, policies and procedures of any
national securities exchange on which the securities issued by the
Partnership are listed and traded.
PARTNERS AND CAPITAL
CONTRIBUTIONS
3.1.1 The name of
the General Partner is Victoria Bay Asset Management, LLC, which
maintains its principal business office at 1320 Harbor Bay Parkway,
Suite 145, Alameda, California 94502.
3.1.2 In
consideration of management and administrative services rendered by
the General Partner, the Partnership shall pay the Management Fee
to the General Partner (or such other person or entity designated
by the General Partner) including the payment of expenses in the
ordinary course of business. The Management Fee shall be payable
monthly. The initial Management Fee shall be set forth on
Exhibit A attached hereto, as may be amended from time to
time. The General Partner may, in its sole discretion, waive all or
part of the Management Fee. The Partnership shall be responsible
for extraordinary expenses (i.e., expenses not in the ordinary
course of business, including the indemnification of any Person
against liabilities and obligations to the extent permitted by law
and required under this Agreement and the bringing and defending of
actions at law or in equity and otherwise engaging in the conduct
of litigation and the incurring of legal expense and the settlement
of claims and litigation).
3.1.3 In
connection with the formation of the Partnership under the Act, the
General Partner acquired a 2%
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interest in the
profits and losses of the Partnership, was admitted as the General
Partner of the Partnership and later made an initial capital
contribution to the Partnership in the amount of $20.00, and the
Organizational Limited Partner acquired a ninety-eight percent
(98%) interest in the profits and losses of the Partnership, was
admitted as a Limited Partner of the Partnership and later made an
initial capital contribution to the Partnership in the amount of
$980.00. As of the date hereof, the interest of the Organizational
Limited Partner shall be redeemed, the initial capital contribution
of the Organizational Limited Partner shall be refunded, and the
Organizational Limited Partner shall thereupon withdraw and cease
to be a Limited Partner. Ninety-eight percent (98%) of any interest
or other profit that may have resulted from the investment or other
use of such initial capital contributions shall be allocated and
distributed to the Organizational Limited Partner, and the balance
thereof shall be allocated and distributed to the General Partner.
As of the first date of the offering, the General Partner shall be
issued an appropriate number of Units based on its initial capital
contribution. The General Partner may but shall not be required to
make Capital Contributions to the Partnership on or after the date
hereof. If the General Partner does make a Capital Contribution to
the Partnership on or after the date hereof, it shall be issued
Units based on the same terms and conditions applicable to the
purchase of a Creation Basket under Article 16
hereof.
3.1.4 The General
Partner may not, without written approval of the specific act by
all of the Limited Partners or by other written instrument executed
and delivered by all of the Limited Partners subsequent to the date
of this Agreement, take any action in contravention of this
Agreement, including, without limitation, (i) any act that
would make it impossible to carry on the ordinary business of the
Partnership, except as otherwise provided in this Agreement;
(ii) possess Partnership property, or assign any rights in
specific Partnership property, for other than a Partnership
purpose; (iii) admit a Person as a Partner, except as
otherwise provided in this Agreement; (iv) amend this
Agreement in any manner, except as otherwise provided in this
Agreement or under applicable law; or (v) transfer its
interest as general partner of the Partnership, except as otherwise
provided in this Agreement.
3.1.5 Except as
otherwise provided herein, the General Partner may not sell,
exchange or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of the
Partnership’s assets in a single transaction or a series of
related transactions (including by way of merger, consolidation or
other combination with any other Person) or approve on behalf of
the Partnership the sale, exchange or other disposition of all or
substantially all of the assets of the Partnership, taken as a
whole, without the approval of at least a majority of the Limited
Partners; provided, however, that this provision shall not preclude
or limit the General Partner’s ability to mortgage, pledge,
hypothecate or grant a security interest in all or substantially
all of the Partnership’s assets and shall not apply to any
forced sale of any or all of the Partnership’s assets
pursuant to the foreclosure of, or other realization upon, any such
encumbrance.
3.1.6 Unless
approved by a majority of the Limited Partners, the General Partner
shall not take any action or refuse to take any reasonable action
the effect of which, if taken or not taken, as the case may be,
would be to cause the Partnership, to the extent it would
materially and adversely affect the Limited Partners, to be taxable
as a corporation for federal income tax purposes.
3.1.7
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the General
Partner is not authorized to institute or initiate on behalf of, or
otherwise cause the Partnership to:
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(a)
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make a general assignment for the
benefit of creditors;
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(b)
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file a voluntary bankruptcy
petition; or
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(c)
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file a petition seeking for the
Partnership a reorganization, arrangement, composition,
readjustment
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liquidation,
dissolution or similar relief under any law.
3.2 Issuance of
Units. Units in the Partnership will only be issued in a Creation
Basket or whole number multiples thereof.
3.3 Initial
Limited Partner. The name of the Initial Limited Partner is KV
Execution Services, LLC (the “Initial Limited
Partner”). The business address and Capital Contribution of
the Initial Limited Partner are [INSERT INFORMATION PRIOR TO
EFFECTIVENESS]. The Initial Limited Partner shall purchase the
initial Creation Basket at an initial offering price per Unit equal
to the closing price of near-month oil futures contracts for WTI
light, sweet crude oil as listed on the New York Mercantile
Exchange on the last business date prior to the effective date of
the registration statement relating to the Prospectus.
3.4 Except as
otherwise provided in this Agreement, no Partner shall have any
right to demand or receive the return of his Capital Contribution
to the Partnership. No Partner shall be entitled to interest on any
Capital Contribution to the Partnership or on such Partner’s
capital account.
CAPITAL ACCOUNTS OF PARTNERS AND
OPERATION THEREOF
4.1 Capital
Accounts. There shall be established on the books and records of
the Partnership for each Partner (or Beneficial Owner in the case
of Units held by a nominee) a capital account (a “Capital
Account”). It is intended that each Partner’s Capital
Account shall be maintained at all times in a manner consistent
with Section 704 of the Code and applicable Treasury
regulations thereunder, and that the provisions hereof relating to
the Capital Accounts shall be interpreted in a manner consistent
therewith. For each Accounting Period, the Capital Account of each
Member shall be:
(i) credited
with the amount of any Capital Contributions made by such Partner
during such Accounting Period;
(ii) credited
with any allocation of Profit made to such Partner for such
Accounting Period;
(iii) debited
with any allocation of Loss made to such Partners for such
Accounting Period; and
(iv) debited
with the amount of cash paid to such Partner as an amount withdrawn
or distributed to such Partner during such Accounting Period, or,
in the case of any payment of a withdrawal or distribution in kind,
the fair value of the property paid or distributed during such
Accounting Period.
4.1.1 For any
Accounting Period in which additional Units are issued or redeemed
for cash or other property, the General Partner shall, in
accordance with Treasury Regulation Section
1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(f), adjust the Capital Accounts of all Partners
and the carrying value of each Partnership asset upward or downward
to reflect any unrealized gain or unrealized loss attributable to
each such Partnership asset, as if such unrealized gain or
unrealized loss had been recognized on an actual sale of the asset
and had been allocated to the Partners at such time pursuant to
Article 4.2 of this Agreement in the same manner as any item
of gain or loss actually recognized during such period would have
been allocated.
4.1.2 To the
extent an adjustment to the adjusted tax basis of any Partnership
asset pursuant to Section 734(b) or 743(b) of the Code is required,
pursuant to Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(m),
to be taken into account in determining Capital Accounts, the
amount of such adjustment to the Capital Accounts shall be treated
as an item of gain (if the adjustment increases the basis of the
asset) or loss (if the adjustment decreases such basis), and such
item of gain or loss shall be specially allocated to the Partners
in a manner consistent with the manner in which their Capital
Accounts are required to be adjusted pursuant to such
Section
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of the Treasury
Regulations.
4.2 Allocation of
Profit or Loss. Profit or Loss for an Accounting Period shall be
allocated among the Partners in proportion to the number of Units
each Partner holds as of the close of business on the last Business
Day of such Accounting Period. The General Partner may revise,
alter or otherwise modify this method of allocation to the extent
it deems necessary to comply with the requirements of
Section 704 or Section 706 of the Code and Treasury
Regulations or administrative rulings thereunder.
4.3 Allocations
for Tax Purposes
4.3.1 Except as
otherwise provided in this Agreement, for each fiscal year of the
Partnership, items of income, deduction, gain, loss, and credit
recognized by the Partnership for federal income tax purposes shall
be allocated among the Partners in a manner that equitably reflects
the amounts credited or debited to each Partner’s Capital
Account for each Accounting Period during such fiscal year.
Allocations under this Article 4.3 shall be made by the
General Partner in accordance with the principles of Sections
704(b) and 704(c) of the Code and in conformity with applicable
Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder (including, without
limitation, Treasury Regulations Sections 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(f),
1.704-1(b)(4)(i), and 1.704-3(e)).
4.3.2
Notwithstanding anything else contained in this Article 4, if
any Partner has a deficit Capital Account for any Accounting Period
as a result of any adjustment of the type described in Treasury
Regulation Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(d)(5) or
1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(d) (6), then the Partnership’s income and
gain shall be specially allocated to such Partner in an amount and
manner sufficient to eliminate such deficit as quickly as possible.
Any special allocation of items of income or gain pursuant to this
Article 4.3.2 shall be taken into account in computing
subsequent allocations pursuant to this Article 4 so that the
cumulative net amount of all items allocated to each Partner shall,
to the extent possible, be equal to the amount that would have been
allocated to such Partner if there had never been any allocation
pursuant to the first sentence of this
Article 4.3.2.
4.3.3 Allocations
that would otherwise be made to a Limited Partner under the
provisions of this Article 4 shall instead be made to the
Beneficial Owner of Units held by a nominee.
4.4 In applying
the provisions of this Article 4, the General Partner is
authorized to utilize such reasonable accounting conventions,
valuation methods and assumptions as the General Partner shall
determine to be appropriate and in compliance with the Code and
applicable Treasury Regulations. The General Partner may amend the
provisions of this Agreement to the extent it determines to be
necessary to comply with the Code and Treasury
Regulations.
RECORDS AND ACCOUNTING;
REPORTS
5.1 Records and
Accounting. The Partnership will keep proper books of record and
account of the Partnership at its office located in 1320 Harbor Bay
Parkway, Suite 145, Alameda, California 94502 or such office,
including that of an administrative agent, as it may subsequently
designate upon notice to the Limited Partners. These books and
records are open to inspection by any person who establishes to the
Partnership’s satisfaction that such person is a Limited
Partner upon reasonable advance notice at all reasonable times
during the usual business hours of the Partnership.
5.2 Annual
Reports. Within 90 days after the end of each fiscal year, the
General Partner shall cause to be delivered to each Person who was
a Partner at any time during the fiscal year, an annual report
containing the
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(i) financial
statements of the Partnership, including, without limitation, a
balance sheet as of the end of the Partnership’s fiscal year
and statements of income, Partners’ equity and changes in
financial position, for such fiscal year, which shall be prepared
in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles
consistently applied and shall be audited by a firm of independent
certified public accountants registered with the Public Company
Accounting Oversight Board,
(ii) a
general description of the activities of the Partnership during the
period covered by the report, and
(iii) a
report of any material transactions between the Partnership and the
General Partner or any of its Affiliates, including fees or
compensation paid by the Partnership and the services performed by
the General Partner or any such Affiliate or such fees or
compensation.
5.3 Quarterly
Reports. Within 45 days after the end of each quarter of each
fiscal year, the General Partner shall cause to be delivered to
each Person who was a Partner at any time during the quarter then
ended, a quarterly report containing a balance sheet and statement
of income for the period covered by the report, each of which may
be unaudited but shall be certified by the General Partner as
fairly presenting the financial position and results of operations
of the partnership during the period covered by the report. The
report shall also contain a description of any material event
regarding the business of the Partnership during the period covered
by the report.
5.4 Monthly
Reports. Within 30 days after the after the end of each month,
the General Partner shall cause to be delivered to each Person who
was a Partner at any time during the month then ended, a monthly
report containing an account statement, which will include a
statement of income (loss) and a statement of changes in NAV,
for the prescribed period. In addition, the account statement will
disclose any material business dealings between the Partnership,
General Partner, commodity trading advisor (if any), futures
commission merchant, or the principals thereof that previously have
not been disclosed in the Partnership’s Prospectus or any
amendment thereto, other account statements or annual
reports.
5.5 Tax
Information. The General Partner shall use its best efforts to
prepare and to transmit a U.S. federal income tax form K-1 for each
Partner, Assignee, or Beneficial Owner or a report setting forth in
sufficient detail such transactions effected by the Partnership
during each fiscal year as shall enable each Partner, Assignee, or
Beneficial Owner to prepare its U.S. federal income tax return, if
any, within a reasonable period after the end of such fiscal
year.
5.6 Tax Returns.
The General Partner shall cause income tax returns of the
Partnership to be prepared and timely filed with the appropriate
authorities.
5.7 Tax Matters
Partner. The General Partner is hereby designated as the
Partnership’s “Tax Matters Partner,” as defined
under Section 6231(a)(7) of the Code. The General Partner is
specifically directed and authorized to take whatever steps the
General Partner, in its discretion, deems necessary or desirable to
perfect such designation, including filing any forms or documents
with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service and taking such other action
as may from time to time be required under U.S. Treasury
regulations. Any Partner shall have the right to participate in any
administrative proceedings relating to the determination of
Partnership items at the Partnership level. Expenses of such
administrative proceedings undertaken by the Tax Matters Partner
shall be expenses of the Partnership. Each Partner who elects to
participate in such proceedings shall be responsible for any
expenses incurred by such Partner in connection with such
participation. The cost of any resulting audits or adjustments of a
Partner’s tax return shall be borne solely by the affected
Partner. In the event of any audit, investigation, settlement or
review, for which the General Partner is carrying out the
responsibilities of Tax
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Matters
Partner, the General Partner shall keep the Partners reasonably
apprised of the status and course of such audit, investigation,
settlement or review and shall forward copies of all written
communications from or to any regulatory, investigative or judicial
authority with regard thereto.
6.1 Fiscal Year.
The fiscal year of the Partnership shall be the calendar year. The
General Partner may select an alternate fiscal year.
6.2 Partnership
Funds. Pending application or distribution, the funds of the
Partnership shall be deposited in such bank account or accounts, or
invested in such interest-bearing or non-interest bearing
investment, including, without limitation, checking and savings
accounts, certificates of deposit and time or demand deposits in
commercial banks, U.S. government securities and securities
guaranteed by U.S. government agencies as shall be designed by the
General Partner. Such funds shall not be commingled with funds of
any other Person. Withdrawals therefrom shall be made upon such
signatures as the General Partner may designate.
6.3 Accounting
Decisions. All decisions as to accounting principles, except as
specifically provided to the contrary herein, shall be made by the
General Partner.
6.4 Tax Elections.
The General Partner shall, from time to time, make such tax
elections as it deems necessary or desirable in its sole discretion
to carry out the business of the Partnership or the purposes of
this Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the General Partner
shall make a timely election under Section 754 of the
Code.
6.5 Partnership
Interests. Title to the Partnership assets shall be deemed to be
owned by the Partnership as an entity, and no Partner or Assignee,
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 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 shall be held by the
General Partner for the exclusive use and benefit of the
Partnership in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement;
provided, however, that the General Partner shall use its
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, that prior
to the withdrawal or removal of the General Partner or as soon
thereafter as practicable, the General Partner will use reasonable
efforts to effect the transfer of record title to the Partnership
and, prior to any such transfer, will provide for the use of such
assets in a manner satisfactory to the Partnership. 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 are held.
RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF THE GENERAL
PARTNER
7.1 Management
Power. The General Partner shall have exclusive management and
control of the business and affairs of the Partnership, and all
decisions regarding the management and affairs of the Partnership
shall be made by the General Partner. The General Partner shall
have all the rights and powers of general partner as provided in
the Act and as otherwise provided by law. Except as otherwise
expressly provided in this Agreement, the General Partner is hereby
granted the right, power and authority to do on behalf of the
Partnership all things which, in its sole judgment, are necessary,
proper or desirable to carry out the
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aforementioned
duties and responsibilities, including but not limited to, the
right, power and authority from time to time to do the
following:
(a) the
making of any expenditures, the lending or borrowing of money, the
assumption or guarantee of, or other contracting for, indebtedness
and other liabilities, the issuance of evidences of indebtedness
and the incurring of any other obligations and the securing of same
by mortgage, deed of trust or other lien or encumbrance;
(b) the
making of tax, regulatory and other filings, or rendering of
periodic or other reports to governmental or other agencies having
jurisdiction over the business or assets of the
Partnership;
(c) the
acquisition, disposition, mortgage, pledge, encumbrance,
hypothecation or exchange of any or all of the assets of the
Partnership, or the merger or other combination of the Partnership
with or into another Person (the matters described in this clause
(c) being subject, however, to any prior approval that may be
required of the Limited Partners);
(d) the use
of the assets of the Partnership (including, without limitation,
cash on hand) for any purpose consistent with the terms of this
Agreement including, without limitation, the financing of the
conduct of the operations of the Partnership, the lending of funds
to other Persons, and the repayment of obligations of the
Partnership;
(e) the
negotiation, execution and performance of any contracts,
conveyances or other instruments (including, without limitation,
instruments that limit the liability of the Partnership under
contractual arrangements to all or particular assets of the
Partnership with the other party to the contract to have no
recourse against the General Partner or its assets other than its
interest in the Partnership, even if same results in the terms of
the transaction being less favorable to the Partnership than would
otherwise be the case);
(f) the
distribution of Distributable Cash;
(g) the
selection and dismissal of employees (including, without
limitation, employees having titles such as
“president,” “vice president,”
“secretary” and “treasurer”), agents,
outside attorneys, accountants, consultants and contractors and the
determination of their compensation and other terms of employment
or hiring;
(h) the
maintenance of insurance for the benefit of the Partners and the
Partnership (including, without limitation, the assets and
operations of the Partnership);
(i) the
formation of, or acquisition of an interest in, and the
contribution of property to, any further limited or general
partnerships, joint ventures or other relationships;
(j) the
control of any matters affecting the rights and obligations of the
Partnership, including, without limitation, the bringing and
defending of actions at law or in equity and otherwise engaging in
the conduct of litigation and the incurring of legal expense and
the settlement of claims and litigation;
(k) the
indemnification of any Person against liabilities and contingencies
to the extent permitted by law;
(l) the
entering into of listing agreements with the American Stock
Exchange and any other securities exchange and the delisting of
some or all of the Units from, or requesting that trading be
suspended on, any such exchange; and
(m) the
purchase, sale or other acquisition or disposition of
Units.
7.2 The General
Partner will use its best efforts to cause the Partnership to be
formed, reformed, qualified or
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registered
under assumed or fictitious name statutes or similar laws in any
state in which the Partnership owns property or transacts business
if such formation, reformation, qualification or registration is
necessary in order to protect the limited liability of the Limited
Partners or to permit the Partnership lawfully to own property or
transact business.
7.3 Right of
Public to Rely on Authority of a General Partner. No person shall
be required to determine the General Partner’s authority to
make any undertaking on behalf of the Partnership.
7.4 Obligation of
the General Partner. The General Partner shall:
(a) devote to
the Partnership and apply to the accomplishment of the Partnership
purposes so much of its time and attention as is necessary or
advisable to manage properly the affairs of the
Partnership;
(b) maintain
the Capital Account for each Partner; and
(c) cause the
Partnership to enter into and carry out the obligations of the
Partnership contained in the agreements with Affiliates of the
General Partner as described in the Prospectus and cause the
Partnership not to take any action in violation of such
agreements.
7.5 Good Faith.
The General Partner has a responsibility to the Limited Partners to
exercise good faith and fairness in all dealings. In the event that
a Limited Partner believes that the General Partner has violated
its fiduciary duty to the Limited Partners, he may seek legal
relief individually or on behalf of the Partnership under
applicable laws, including under the Act and under securities and
commodities laws, to recover damages from or require an accounting
by the General Partner. Limited Partners should be aware that
performance by the General Partner of its fiduciary duty is
measured by the terms of this Agreement as well as applicable law.
Limited Partners may also have the right, subject to applicable
procedural and jurisdictional requirements, to bring class actions
in federal court to enforce their rights under the federal
securities laws and the rules and regulations promulgated
thereunder by the Securities and Exchange Commission
(“SEC”). Limited Partners who have suffered losses in
connection with the purchase or sale of the Units may be able to
recover such losses from the General Partner where the losses
result from a violation by the General Partner of the federal
securities laws. State securities laws may also provide certain
remedies to limited partners. Limited partners are afforded certain
rights to institute reparations proceedings under the Commodity
Exchange Act for violations of the Commodity Exchange Act or of any
rule, regulation or order of the Commodities Futures Trading
Commission (“CFTC”) by the General Partner.
7.6.1
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, neither a
General Partner nor any employee or other agent of the Partnership
nor any officer, director, stockholder, partner, employee or agent
of a General Partner (a “Protected Person”) shall be
liable to any Partner or the Partnership for any mistake of
judgment or for any action or inaction taken, nor for any losses
due to any mistake of judgment or to any action or inaction or to
the negligence, dishonesty or bad faith of any officer, employee,
broker or other agent of the Partnership or any officer, director,
stockholder, partner, employee or agent of such General Partner,
provided that such officer, director, stockholder, employee, broker
or agent of the Partner or officer, employee, partner or agent of
such General Partner was selected, engaged or retained by such
General Partner with reasonable care, except with respect to any
matter as to which such General Partner shall have been finally
adjudicated in any action, suit or other proceeding not to have
acted in good faith in the reasonable belief that such Protected
Person’s actions was in the best interests of the Partnership
and except that no Protected person shall be relieved of any
liability to which such Protected Person would otherwise be subject
by reason of willful misfeasance, gross negligence or reckless
disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the Protected
Person’s office. A
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General Partner
and its officers, directors, employees or partners may consult with
counsel and accountants (except for the Partnership’s
independent auditors) in respect of Partnership affairs and be
fully protected and justified in any action or inaction which is
taken in accordance with the advice or opinion of such counsel or
accountants (except for the Partnership’s independent
auditors), provided that they shall have been selected with
reasonable care.
Notwithstanding
any of the foregoing to the contrary, the provisions of this
Article 7.6.1 and of Article 7.6.2 hereof shall not be
construed so as to relieve (or attempt to relieve) a General
Partner (or any employee or other agent thereof or any partner,
employee or agent of such General Partner) of any liability to the
extent (but only to the extent) that such liability may not be
waived, modified or limited under applicable law, but shall be
construed so as to effectuate the provisions of this
Article 7.6.1 and of Article 7.6.2 hereof to the fullest
extent permitted by law.
7.6.2 The
Partnership shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, but only
out of Partnership assets, indemnify and hold harmless a General
Partner and each officer, director, employee and agent thereof
(including persons who serve at the Partnership’s request as
directors, officers or trustees of another organization in which
the Partnership has an interest as a Unitholder, creditor or
otherwise) and their respective Legal Representatives and
successors (hereinafter referred to as a “Covered
Person” against all liabilities and expenses, including but
not limited to amounts paid in satisfaction of judgments, in
compromise or as fines and penalties, and counsel fees reasonably
incurred by any Covered Person in connection with the defense or
disposition of any action, suit or other proceedings, whether civil
or criminal, before any court or administrative or legislative
body, in which such Covered Person may be or may have been involved
as a party or otherwise or with which such person may be or may
have been threatened, while in office or thereafter, by reason of
an alleged act or omission as a General Partner or officer thereof
or by reason of its being or having been such a General Partner or
officer, except with respect to any matter as to which such Covered
Person shall have been finally adjudicated in any such action, suit
or other proceeding not to have acted in good faith in the
reasonable believe that such Covered Person’s action was in
the best interest of the Partnership, and except that no Covered
Person shall be indemnified against any liability to the
Partnership or Limited Partners to which such Covered Person would
otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith,
gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in
the conduct of such Covered Person’s office. Expenses,
including counsel fees so incurred by any such Covered Person, may
be paid from time to time by the Partnership in advance of the
final disposition of any such action, suit or proceeding on the
condition that the amounts so paid shall be repaid to the
Partnership if it is ultimately determined that the indemnification
of such expenses is not authorized hereunder.
As to any matter
disposed of by a compromise payment by any such Covered Person,
pursuant to a consent decree or otherwise, no such indemnification
either for said payment or for any other expenses shall be provided
unless such compromise shall be approved as in the best interests
of the Partnership, after notice that it involved such
indemnification by any disinterested person or persons to whom the
questions may be referred by the General Partner, provided that
there has been obtained an opinion in writing of independent legal
counsel to the effect that such Covered Person appears to have
acted in good faith in the reasonable belief that his or her action
was in the best interests of the Partnership and that such
indemnification would not protect such persons against any
liability to the Partnership or its Limited Partners to which such
person would otherwise by subject by reason of willful misfeasance,
bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties
involved in the conduct of office. Approval by any disinterested
person or persons shall not prevent the recovery from persons as
indemnification if such Covered Person is subsequently adjudicated
by a court of competent jurisdiction not
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to have acted
in good faith in the reasonable belief that such Covered
Person’s action was in the best interests of the Partnership
or to have been liable to the Partnership or its Limited Partners
by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or
reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such
Covered Person’s office.
The right of
indemnification hereby provided shall not be exclusive of or affect
any other rights to which any such Covered Person may be entitled.
As used in this Article 7.6.2, an “interested Covered
Person” is one against whom the action, suit or other
proceeding on the same or similar grounds is then or has been
pending and a “disinterested person” is a person
against whom none of such actions, suits or other proceedings or
another action, suit or other proceeding on the same or similar
grounds is then or has been pending. Nothing contained in this
Article 7.6.2 shall affect any rights to indemnification to
which personnel of a General Partner, other than directors and
officers, and other persons may be entitled by contract or
otherwise under law, nor the power of the Partnership to purchase
and maintain liability insurance on behalf of any such
person.
Nothing in this
Article 7.6.2 shall be construed to subject any Covered Person
to any liability to which he is not already liable under this
Agreement or applicable law.
7.6.3 Each Limited
Partner agrees that it will not hold any Affiliate or any
stockholder, director, officer, employee or agent of any Affiliate
of the General Partner liable for any actions of such General
Partner or any obligations arising under or in connection with this
Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.
7.7 Resolutions of
Conflicts of Interest; Standard of Care.
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7.7.1 Unless
otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement or any other
agreement contemplated hereby, whenever a conflict of interest
exists or arises between the General Partner on the one hand, and
the Partnership or any Limited Partner, on the other hand, any
resolution or course of action by the General Partner in respect of
such conflict of interest shall be permitted and deemed approved by
all Partners and shall not constitute a breach of this Agreement or
of any agreement contemplated hereby or of a duty stated or implied
by law or equity, if the resolution or course of action is, or by
operation of this Agreement is deemed to be, fair and reasonable to
the Partnership. If a dispute arises, it will be resolved through
negotiations with the General Partner or by a court located in the
State of Delaware. Any resolution of a dispute is deemed to be fair
and reasonable to the Partnership if the resolution is:
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approved by the Audit Committee,
although no party is obligated to seek such approval and the
General Partner may adopt a resolution or course of action that has
not received such approval;
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on
terms no less favorable to the Limited Partners than those
generally being provided to or available from unrelated third
parties; or
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fair to the Limited Partners, taking
into account the totality of the relationships of the parties
involved including other transactions that may be particularly
favorable or advantageous to the Limited Partners.
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7.7.2 Whenever
this Agreement or any other agreement contemplated hereby provides
that the General Partner is permitted or required to make a
decision (i) in its discretion or under a grant of similar
authority or latitude, the General Partner shall be entitled to the
extent permitted by applicable law, to consider only such interest
and factors as it desires and shall have no duty or obligation to
give any consideration to any interest of or factors affecting the
partnership or the Limited Partners, or (ii) in its good faith
or under another express standard, the General Partner shall act
under such express standard and except as required by applicable
law, shall not be subject to any other different standards imposed
by this Agreement, any other agreement contemplated hereby or
applicable law.
7.8 Other Matters
Concerning the General Partner.
7.8.1 The General
Partner (including the Audit Committee) may rely and shall be
protected in acting or refraining from acting upon any certificate,
document or other instrument believed by it to be genuine and to
have been signed or presented by the proper party or
parties.
7.8.2 The General
Partner (including the Audit Committee) may consult with legal
counsel, accountants, appraisers, management consultants,
investment bankers and other consultants and advisors selected by
it and any opinion or advice of any such person as to matters which
the General Partner (including the Audit Committee) believes to be
within such person’s professional or expert competence shall
be full and complete authorization and protection with respect to
any action taken or suffered or omitted by the General Partner
(including the Audit Committee) hereunder in good faith and in
accordance with such opinion or advice.
7.8.3 The General
Partner (including the Audit Committee) may exercise any of the
powers granted to it by this Agreement and perform any of the
duties imposed upon it hereunder either directly or by or through
its agents, and the General Partner (including the Audit Committee)
shall not be responsible for any misconduct or negligence on the
part of any such agent appointed by the General Partner in good
faith.
7.9 Other Business
Ventures. Any Partner, director, employee, Affiliate or other
person holding a legal or
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beneficial
interest in any entity which is a Partner, may engage in or possess
an interest
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