Exhibit
3.1
FIRST AMENDED AND
RESTATED
AGREEMENT OF LIMITED
PARTNERSHIP
OF
BOARDWALK PIPELINE PARTNERS,
LP
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS
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Section 1.1
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Definitions.
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A-1
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Section 1.2
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Construction.
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A-16
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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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A-16
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Section 2.2
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Name.
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A-17
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Section 2.3
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Registered Office; Registered Agent; Principal
Office; Other Offices
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A-17
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Section 2.4
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Purpose and Business.
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A-17
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Section 2.5
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Powers.
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A-17
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Section 2.6
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Power of Attorney.
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A-18
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Section 2.7
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Term.
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A-19
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Section 2.8
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Title to Partnership Assets.
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A-19
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ARTICLE III
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RIGHTS OF LIMITED
PARTNERS
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Section 3.1
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Limitation of Liability.
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A-19
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Section 3.2
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Management of Business.
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A-19
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Section 3.3
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Outside Activities of the Limited
Partners.
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A-19
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Section 3.4
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Rights of Limited Partners.
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A-20
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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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A-20
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Section 4.2
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Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen
Certificates.
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A-21
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Section 4.3
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Record Holders.
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A-21
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Section 4.4
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Transfer Generally.
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A-21
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Section 4.5
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Registration and Transfer of Limited Partner
Interests.
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A-22
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Section 4.6
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Transfer of the General Partner’s General
Partner Interest.
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A-23
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Section 4.7
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Transfer of Incentive Distribution
Rights.
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A-23
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Section 4.8
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Restrictions on Transfers.
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A-23
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Section 4.9
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Taxation Certificates; Ineligible
Assignees.
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A-24
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Section 4.10
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Redemption of Partnership Interests of
Ineligible Assignees.
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A-25
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BOARDWALK PIPELINE PARTNERS, LP
FIRST AMENDED AND RESTATED AGREEMENT OF LIMITED
PARTNERSHIP
BOARDWALK PIPELINE PARTNERS, LP
FIRST AMENDED AND RESTATED AGREEMENT OF LIMITED
PARTNERSHIP
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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 Contributions.
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A-26
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Section 5.2
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Contributions by the General Partner and its
Affiliates.
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A-26
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Section 5.3
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Contributions by Initial Limited
Partners.
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A-27
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Section 5.4
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Interest and Withdrawal.
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A-27
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Section 5.5
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Capital Accounts.
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A-27
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Section 5.6
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Issuances of Additional Partnership
Securities.
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A-29
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Section 5.7
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Conversion of Subordinated Units.
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A-30
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Section 5.8
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Limited Preemptive Right.
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A-30
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Section 5.9
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Splits and Combinations.
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A-31
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Section 5.10
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Fully Paid and Non-Assessable Nature of Limited
Partner Interests.
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A-31
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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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A-31
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Section 6.2
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Allocations for Tax Purposes.
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A-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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A-39
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Section 6.4
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Distributions of Available Cash from Operating
Surplus.
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A-39
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Section 6.5
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Distributions of Available Cash from Capital
Surplus.
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A-41
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Section 6.6
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Adjustment of Minimum Quarterly Distribution
and Target Distribution Levels.
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A-41
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Section 6.7
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Special Provisions Relating to the Holders of
Subordinated Units.
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A-41
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Section 6.8
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Special Provisions Relating to the Holders of
Incentive Distribution Rights.
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A-42
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Section 6.9
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Entity-Level Taxation.
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A-42
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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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A-42
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Section 7.2
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Certificate of Limited Partnership.
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A-44
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Section 7.3
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Restrictions on the General Partner’s
Authority.
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A-44
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Section 7.4
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Reimbursement of the General
Partner.
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A-45
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Section 7.5
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Outside Activities.
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A-45
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Section 7.6
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Loans from the General Partner; Loans or
Contributions from the Partnership or Group Members.
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A-46
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Section 7.7
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Indemnification.
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A-47
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Section 7.8
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Liability of Indemnitees.
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A-48
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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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A-48
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Section 7.10
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Other Matters Concerning the General
Partner.
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A-50
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Section 7.11
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Purchase or Sale of Partnership
Securities.
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A-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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A-50
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Section 7.13
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Reliance by Third Parties.
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A-53
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ii
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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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A-53
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Section 8.2
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Fiscal Year.
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A-54
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Section 8.3
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Reports.
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A-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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A-54
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Section 9.2
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Tax Elections.
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A-54
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Section 9.3
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Tax Controversies.
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A-55
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Section 9.4
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Withholding.
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A-55
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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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A-55
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Section 10.2
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Admission of Substituted Limited
Partners.
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A-55
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Section 10.3
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Admission of Successor General
Partner.
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A-56
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Section 10.4
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Admission of Additional Limited
Partners.
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A-56
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Section 10.5
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Amendment of Agreement and Certificate of
Limited Partnership.
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A-56
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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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A-56
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Section 11.2
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Removal of the General Partner.
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A-58
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Section 11.3
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Interest of Departing General Partner and
Successor General Partner.
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A-58
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Section 11.4
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Termination of Subordination Period, Conversion
of Subordinated Units and Extinguishment of Cumulative Common Unit
Arrearages.
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A-59
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Section 11.5
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Withdrawal of Limited Partners.
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A-59
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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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A-60
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Section 12.2
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Continuation of the Business of the Partnership
After Dissolution.
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A-60
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Section 12.3
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Liquidator.
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A-60
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Section 12.4
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Liquidation.
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A-61
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Section 12.5
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Cancellation of Certificate of Limited
Partnership.
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A-61
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Section 12.6
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Return of Contributions.
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A-62
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Section 12.7
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Waiver of Partition.
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A-62
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Section 12.8
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Capital Account Restoration.
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A-62
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BOARDWALK PIPELINE PARTNERS, LP
FIRST AMENDED AND RESTATED AGREEMENT OF LIMITED
PARTNERSHIP
iii
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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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A-62
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Section 13.2
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Amendment Procedures.
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A-63
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Section 13.3
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Amendment Requirements.
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A-63
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Section 13.4
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Special Meetings.
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A-64
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Section 13.5
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Notice of a Meeting.
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A-64
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Section 13.6
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Record Date.
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A-64
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Section 13.7
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Adjournment.
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A-65
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Section 13.8
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Waiver of Notice; Approval of Meeting; Approval
of Minutes.
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A-65
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Section 13.9
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Quorum and Voting.
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A-65
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Section 13.10
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Conduct of a Meeting.
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A-65
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Section 13.11
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Action Without a Meeting.
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A-66
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Section 13.12
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Right to Vote and Related Matters.
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A-66
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ARTICLE XIV
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MERGER
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Section 14.1
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Authority.
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A-67
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Section 14.2
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Procedure for Merger or
Consolidation.
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A-67
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Section 14.3
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Approval by Limited Partners of Merger or
Consolidation.
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A-68
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Section 14.4
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Certificate of Merger.
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A-68
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Section 14.5
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Amendment of Partnership Agreement.
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A-69
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Section 14.6
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Effect of Merger.
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A-69
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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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A-69
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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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A-70
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Section 16.2
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Further Action.
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A-71
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Section 16.3
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Binding Effect.
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A-71
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Section 16.4
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Integration.
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A-71
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Section 16.5
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Creditors.
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A-71
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Section 16.6
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Waiver.
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A-71
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Section 16.7
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Counterparts.
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A-71
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Section 16.8
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Applicable Law.
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A-72
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Section 16.9
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Invalidity of Provisions.
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A-72
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Section 16.10
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Consent of Partners.
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A-72
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Section 16.11
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Facsimile Signatures.
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A-72
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BOARDWALK PIPELINE PARTNERS, LP
FIRST AMENDED AND RESTATED AGREEMENT OF LIMITED
PARTNERSHIP
iv
FIRST AMENDED AND RESTATED
AGREEMENT OF LIMITED
PARTNERSHIP OF BOARDWALK PIPELINE
PARTNERS, LP
THIS FIRST AMENDED AND RESTATED
AGREEMENT OF LIMITED PARTNERSHIP OF BOARDWALK PIPELINE PARTNERS, LP
dated as of
,
2005, is entered into by and between Boardwalk GP, LP, a Delaware
limited partnership, as the General Partner, and Boardwalk
Pipelines Holding Corp., a Delaware corporation, as the
Organizational Limited Partner, together with any other Persons who
become Partners in the Partnership or parties hereto as provided
herein. In consideration of the covenants, conditions and
agreements contained herein, the parties hereto hereby agree as
follows:
ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS
Section 1.1
Definitions.
The following definitions shall be
for all purposes, unless otherwise clearly indicated to the
contrary, applied to the terms used in this Agreement.
“ Acquisition ”
means any transaction in which any Group Member acquires (through
an asset acquisition, merger, stock acquisition or other form of
investment) control over all or a portion of the assets, properties
or business of another Person for the purpose of increasing the
operating capacity or revenues of the Partnership Group from the
operating capacity or revenues of the Partnership Group existing
immediately prior to such transaction.
“ Additional Book Basis
” means the portion of any remaining Carrying Value of an
Adjusted Property that is attributable to positive adjustments made
to such Carrying Value as a result of Book-Up Events. For purposes
of determining the extent that Carrying Value constitutes
Additional Book Basis:
(a) Any
negative adjustment made to the Carrying Value of an Adjusted
Property as a result of either a Book-Down Event or a Book-Up Event
shall first be deemed to offset or decrease that portion of the
Carrying Value of such Adjusted Property that is attributable to
any prior positive adjustments made thereto pursuant to a Book-Up
Event or Book-Down Event.
(b) If
Carrying Value that constitutes Additional Book Basis is reduced as
a result of a Book-Down Event and the Carrying Value of other
property is increased as a result of such Book-Down Event, an
allocable portion of any such increase in Carrying Value shall be
treated as Additional Book Basis; provided , that the amount
treated as Additional Book Basis pursuant hereto as a result of
such Book-Down Event shall not exceed the amount by which the
Aggregate Remaining Net Positive Adjustments after such Book-Down
Event exceeds the remaining Additional Book Basis attributable to
all of the Partnership’s Adjusted Property after such
Book-Down Event (determined without regard to the application of
this clause (b) to such Book-Down Event).
“ Additional Book Basis
Derivative Items ” means any Book Basis Derivative Items
that are computed with reference to Additional Book Basis. To the
extent that the Additional Book Basis attributable to all of the
Partnership’s Adjusted Property as of the beginning of any
taxable period exceeds the Aggregate Remaining Net Positive
Adjustments as of the beginning of such period (the “Excess
Additional Book Basis”), the Additional Book Basis Derivative
Items for such period shall be reduced by the amount that bears the
same ratio to the amount of Additional Book Basis Derivative Items
determined without regard to this sentence as the Excess Additional
Book Basis bears to the Additional Book Basis as of the beginning
of such period.
“ Additional Limited
Partner ” means a Person admitted to the Partnership as a
Limited Partner pursuant to Section 10.4 and who is shown as
such on the books and records of the Partnership.
A-1
“ 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 Unit, a Common Unit, a
Subordinated Unit, an Incentive Distribution Right or any other
Partnership Interest shall be the amount that such Adjusted Capital
Account would be if such General Partner Unit, Common Unit,
Subordinated Unit, Incentive Distribution Right or other
Partnership Interest were the only interest in the Partnership held
by such Partner from and after the date on which such General
Partner Unit, Common Unit, Subordinated Unit, Incentive
Distribution Right or other Partnership Interest was first
issued.
“ Adjusted Operating
Surplus ” means, with respect to any period, Operating
Surplus generated with respect to such period (a) less
(i) any net increase in Working Capital Borrowings with
respect to such period and (ii) any net decrease in cash
reserves for Operating Expenditures with respect to such period not
relating to an Operating Expenditure made with respect to such
period, and (b) plus (i) any net decrease in Working
Capital Borrowings with respect to such period, and (ii) any
net increase in cash reserves for Operating Expenditures with
respect to such period required by any debt instrument for the
repayment of principal, interest or premium. Adjusted Operating
Surplus does not include that portion of Operating Surplus included
in clauses (a)(i) and (a)(ii) of the definition of Operating
Surplus.
“ 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 a Curative Allocation (if
appropriate to the context in which the term “Agreed
Allocation” is used).
“ Agreed Value ”
of any Contributed Property means the fair market value of such
property or other consideration at the time of contribution as
determined by the General Partner. The General Partner shall use
such method as it determines to be appropriate to allocate the
aggregate Agreed Value of Contributed Properties contributed to the
Partnership in a single or integrated transaction among each
separate property on a basis proportional to the fair market value
of each Contributed Property.
“ Agreement ”
means this First Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited
Partnership of Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP, as it may be
amended, supplemented or restated from time to time.
A-2
“ Assignee ”
means a Person to whom one or more Limited Partner Interests have
been transferred in a manner permitted under this Agreement and who
has executed and delivered a Transfer Application, including a
Taxation Certification, as required by this Agreement, but who has
not been admitted as a Substituted Limited Partner.
“ Associate ”
means, when used to indicate a relationship with any Person,
(a) any corporation or organization of which such Person is a
director, officer or partner or is, directly or indirectly, the
owner of 20% or more of any class of voting stock or other voting
interest; (b) any trust or other estate in which such Person
has at least a 20% beneficial interest or as to which such Person
serves as trustee or in a similar fiduciary capacity; and
(c) any relative or spouse of such Person, or any relative of
such spouse, who has the same principal residence as such
Person.
“ Available Cash
” means, with respect to any Quarter ending prior to the
Liquidation Date:
(a) the sum
of (i) all cash and cash equivalents of the Partnership Group
(or the Partnership’s proportionate share of cash and cash
equivalents in the case of Subsidiaries that are not wholly owned)
on hand at the end of such Quarter, and (ii) all additional
cash and cash equivalents of the Partnership Group (or the
Partnership’s proportionate share of cash and cash
equivalents in the case of Subsidiaries that are not wholly owned)
on hand on the date of determination of Available Cash with respect
to such Quarter resulting from Working Capital Borrowings made
subsequent to the end of such Quarter, less
(b) the
amount of any cash reserves (or the Partnership’s
proportionate share of cash reserves in the case of Subsidiaries
that are not wholly owned) established by the General Partner to
(i) provide for the proper conduct of the business of the
Partnership Group (including reserves for future capital
expenditures, for anticipated future credit needs of the
Partnership Group and for refunds of collected rates reasonably
likely to be refunded as a result of a settlement or hearing
relating to FERC rate proceedings) subsequent to such Quarter,
(ii) comply with applicable law or any loan agreement,
security agreement, mortgage, debt instrument or other agreement or
obligation to which any Group Member is a party or by which it is
bound or its assets are subject or (iii) provide funds for
distributions under Section 6.4 or 6.5 in respect of any one
or more of the next four Quarters; provided , however
, that the General Partner may not establish cash reserves pursuant
to (iii) above if the effect of such reserves would be that
the Partnership is unable to distribute the Minimum Quarterly
Distribution on all Common Units, plus any Cumulative Common Unit
Arrearage on all Common Units, with respect to such Quarter; and,
provided further, that disbursements made by a Group Member or cash
reserves established, increased or reduced after the end of such
Quarter but on or before the date of determination of Available
Cash with respect to such Quarter shall be deemed to have been
made, established, increased or reduced, for purposes of
determining Available Cash, within such Quarter if the General
Partner so determines.
Notwithstanding the foregoing,
“ Available Cash ” with respect to the Quarter
in which the Liquidation Date occurs and any subsequent Quarter
shall equal zero.
“ Board of Directors
” means, 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
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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 State of Kentucky shall not be regarded as a
Business Day.
“ Capital Account
” means the capital account maintained for a Partner pursuant
to Section 5.5. The “ Capital Account ” of
a Partner in respect of a General Partner Unit, a Common Unit, a
Subordinated Unit, an Incentive Distribution Right or any other
Partnership Interest shall be the amount that such Capital Account
would be if such General Partner Unit, Common Unit, Subordinated
Unit, Incentive Distribution Right or other Partnership Interest
were the only interest in the Partnership held by such Partner from
and after the date on which such General Partner Unit, Common Unit,
Subordinated Unit, Incentive Distribution Right or other
Partnership Interest was first issued.
“ Capital Contribution
” means any cash, cash equivalents or the Net Agreed Value of
Contributed Property that a Partner contributes to the
Partnership.
“ Capital Improvement
” means any (a) addition or improvement to the capital
assets owned by any Group Member, (b) acquisition of existing,
or the construction of new, capital assets (including pipelines,
terminals, tankage and other storage, gathering and distribution
facilities and related assets) or (c) capital contribution by
a Group member to a Person that is not a Subsidiary in which a
Group Member has an equity interest, to fund the Group
Member’s pro rata share of the cost of the acquisition of
existing, or the construction of new, capital assets (including
pipelines, terminals, tankage and other storage, gathering and
distribution facilities and related assets), in each case if such
addition, improvement, acquisition or construction is made to
increase operating capacity, revenues or cash flow of the
Partnership Group, in the case of clauses (a) and (b), or such
Person, in the case of clause (c), from the operating capacity,
revenues or cash flow of the Partnership Group or such Person, as
the case may be, immediately prior to such addition, improvement,
acquisition or construction.
“ Capital Surplus
” has the meaning assigned to such term in
Section 6.3(a).
“ Carrying Value
” 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’ and Assignees’ 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) a certificate (i) substantially in the form of Exhibit A
to this Agreement, (ii) issued in global form in accordance with
the rules and regulations of the Depositary or (iii) in such other
form as may be adopted by the General Partner, issued by the
Partnership evidencing ownership of one or more Common Units or (b)
a certificate, in such form as may be adopted by the General
Partner, issued by the Partnership evidencing ownership of one or
more other Partnership Securities.
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“ Certificate of Limited
Partnership ” means the Certificate of Limited
Partnership of the Partnership filed with the Secretary of State of
the State of Delaware as referenced in Section 7.2, as such
Certificate of Limited Partnership may be amended, supplemented or
restated from time to time.
“ claim ” 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 ”
means, in respect of any class of Limited Partner Interests, as of
the date of determination, the last sale price on such day, regular
way, or in case no such sale takes place on such day, the average
of the closing bid and asked prices on such day, regular way, as
reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system
with respect to securities listed on the principal National
Securities Exchange (other than the Nasdaq National Market) on
which the respective Limited Partner Interests are listed or
admitted to trading or, if such Limited Partner Interests are not
listed or admitted to trading on any National Securities Exchange
(other than the Nasdaq National Market), the last quoted price on
such day or, if not so quoted, the average of the high bid and low
asked prices on such day in the over-the-counter market, as
reported by the Nasdaq National Market or such other system then in
use, or, if on any such day such Limited Partner Interests of such
class are not quoted by any such organization, the average of the
closing bid and asked prices on such day as furnished by a
professional market maker making a market in such Limited Partner
Interests of such class selected by the General Partner, or if on
any such day no market maker is making a market in such Limited
Partner Interests of such class, the fair value of such Limited
Partner Interests on such day as determined by the General
Partner.
“ 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 Unit representing a fractional part of the Partnership
Interests of all Limited Partners and Assignees, and having the
rights and obligations specified with respect to Common Units in
this Agreement. The term “Common Unit” does not include
a Subordinated Unit prior to its conversion into a Common Unit
pursuant to the terms hereof.
“ Common Unit Arrearage
” means, with respect to any Common Unit, whenever issued, as
to any Quarter within the Subordination Period, the excess, if any,
of (a) the Minimum Quarterly Distribution with respect to a
Common Unit in respect of such Quarter over (b) the sum of all
Available Cash distributed with respect to a Common Unit in respect
of such Quarter pursuant to Section 6.4(a)(i).
“ Conflicts Committee
” means a committee of the Board of Directors of the General
Partner composed entirely of two or more directors 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 or (c) holders of any ownership
interest in the Partnership Group other than Common Units and who
also meet the independence standards required of directors who
serve on an audit committee of a board of directors established by
the Securities Exchange Act and the rules and regulations of the
Commission thereunder and by the National Securities Exchange on
which the Common Units are listed or admitted to
trading.
“ Contributed Property
” means each property or other asset, in such form as may be
permitted by the Delaware Act, but excluding cash, contributed to
the Partnership. Once the Carrying Value of a Contributed Property
is adjusted pursuant to Section 5.5(d), such property shall no
longer constitute a Contributed Property, but shall be deemed an
Adjusted Property.
“ Contribution
Agreement ” means that certain Contribution and
Conveyance Agreement, dated as of the Closing Date, among the
General Partner, the Partnership, the Operating Partnership and
certain other parties,
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together with the additional conveyance
documents and instruments contemplated or referenced thereunder, as
such may be amended, supplemented or restated from time to
time.
“ Cumulative Common Unit
Arrearage ” means, with respect to any Common Unit,
whenever issued, and as of the end of any Quarter, the excess, if
any, of (a) the sum resulting from adding together the Common
Unit Arrearage as to an Initial Common Unit for each of the
Quarters within the Subordination Period ending on or before the
last day of such Quarter over (b) the sum of any distributions
theretofore made pursuant to Section 6.4(a)(ii) and the second
sentence of Section 6.5 with respect to an Initial Common Unit
(including any distributions to be made in respect of the last of
such Quarters).
“ Curative Allocation
” means any allocation of an item of income, gain, deduction,
loss or credit pursuant to the provisions of
Section 6.1(d)(xi).
“ Current Market Price
” means, in respect of any class of Limited Partner
Interests, as of the date of determination, the average of the
daily Closing Prices per Limited Partner Interest of such class for
the 20 consecutive Trading Days immediately prior to such
date.
“ Delaware Act ”
means the Delaware Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act, 6 Del
C. Section 17-101, et seq., as amended, supplemented or
restated from time to time, and any successor to such
statute.
“ 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 Holder
” means a Person either (a) subject to United States
federal income taxation on the income generated by the Partnership
or (b) in the case of entities that are pass-through entities
for United States federal income taxation, all of whose beneficial
owners are subject to United States federal income taxation on the
income generated by the Partnership. Schedule I to the Transfer
Application provides examples of Persons that are and Persons that
are not Eligible Holders.
“ Estimated Incremental
Quarterly Tax Amount ” has the meaning assigned to such
term in Section 6.9.
“ Event of Withdrawal
” has the meaning assigned to such term in
Section 11.1(a).
“ FERC ” means
the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
“ Final Subordinated
Units ” has the meaning assigned to such term in
Section 6.1(d)(x).
“ First Liquidation Target
Amount ” has the meaning assigned to such term in
Section 6.1(c)(i)(D).
“ First Target
Distribution ” means $0.4025 per Unit per Quarter (or,
with respect to the period commencing on the Closing Date and
ending on December 31, 2005, it means the product of $0. 4025
multiplied by a fraction of which the numerator is the number of
days in such period, and of which the denominator is 92), subject
to adjustment in accordance with Sections 6.6 and 6.9.
“ Fully Diluted Basis
” means, when calculating the number of Outstanding Units for
any period, a basis that includes, in addition to the Outstanding
Units, all Partnership Securities and options, rights, warrants and
appreciation rights relating to an equity interest in the
Partnership (a) that are convertible into or exercisable or
exchangeable for Units that are senior to or pari passu with the
Subordinated Units, (b) whose conversion,
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exercise or exchange price is less than the
Current Market Price on the date of such calculation, (c) that
may be converted into or exercised or exchanged for such Units
prior to or during the Quarter immediately following the end of the
period for which the calculation is being made without the
satisfaction of any contingency beyond the control of the holder
other than the payment of consideration and the compliance with
administrative mechanics applicable to such conversion, exercise or
exchange and (d) that were not converted into or exercised or
exchanged for such Units during the period for which the
calculation is being made; provided , however, that
for purposes of determining the number of Outstanding Units on a
Fully Diluted Basis when calculating whether the Subordination
Period has ended or the Subordinated Units are entitled to convert
into Common Units pursuant to Section 5.7, such Partnership
Securities, options, rights, warrants and appreciation rights shall
be deemed to have been Outstanding Units only for the four Quarters
that comprise the last four Quarters of the measurement period;
provided , further, that if consideration will be paid to
any Group Member in connection with such conversion, exercise or
exchange, the number of Units to be included in such calculation
shall be that number equal to the difference between (i) the
number of Units issuable upon such conversion, exercise or exchange
and (ii) the number of Units that such consideration would
purchase at the Current Market Price.
“ General Partner
” means Boardwalk GP, LP, a Delaware limited partnership, and
its successors and permitted assigns that are admitted to the
Partnership as general partner of the Partnership, in its capacity
as general partner of the Partnership (except as the context
otherwise requires).
“ General Partner
Interest ” means the ownership interest of the General
Partner in the Partnership, in its capacity as a general partner
without reference to any Limited Partner Interest held by it, which
is evidenced by General Partner Units, and includes any and all
benefits to which the General Partner is entitled as provided in
this Agreement, together with all obligations of the General
Partner to comply with the terms and provisions of this
Agreement.
“ General Partner Unit
” means a fractional part of the General Partner Interest
having the rights and obligations specified with respect to the
General Partner Interest. General Partner Units are equivalents of
other “Units” for the allocation and distribution
purposes of Article VI only, and shall be “Units” only
for such purpose and for the purpose of other defined terms when
used in Article VI.
“ Group ” means a
Person that with or through any of its Affiliates or Associates has
any agreement, contract, arrangement, understanding or relationship
for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting (except voting
pursuant to a revocable proxy or consent given to such Person in
response to a proxy or consent solicitation made to 10 or more
Persons), exercising investment power or disposing of any
Partnership Interests with any other Person that beneficially owns,
or whose Affiliates or Associates beneficially own, directly or
indirectly, Partnership Interests.
“ Group Member ”
means a member of the Partnership Group.
“ Group Member
Agreement ” means the partnership agreement of any Group
Member, other than the Partnership, that is a limited or general
partnership, the limited liability company agreement of any Group
Member that is a limited liability company, the certificate of
incorporation and bylaws or similar organizational documents of any
Group Member that is a corporation, the joint venture agreement or
similar governing document of any Group Member that is a joint
venture and the governing or organizational or similar documents of
any other Group Member that is a Person other than a limited or
general partnership, limited liability company, corporation or
joint venture, as such may be amended, supplemented or restated
from time to time.
“ Holder ” as
used in Section 7.12, has the meaning assigned to such term in
Section 7.12(a).
“ Incentive Distribution
Right ” means a non-voting Limited Partner Interest
issued to the General Partner in connection with the transfer of
all of its interests in Boardwalk Pipelines, LP to the Partnership
pursuant to the Contribution Agreement, which Limited Partner
Interest will confer upon the holder thereof only the rights and
obligations specifically provided in this Agreement with respect to
Incentive Distribution Rights (and no other
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rights otherwise available to or other
obligations of a holder of a Partnership Interest). Notwithstanding
anything in this Agreement to the contrary, the holder of an
Incentive Distribution Right shall not be entitled to vote such
Incentive Distribution Right on any Partnership matter except as
may otherwise be required by law.
“ Incentive
Distributions ” means any amount of cash distributed to
the holders of the Incentive Distribution Rights pursuant to
Sections 6.4(a)(v), (vi) and (vii) and 6.4(b)(iii),
(iv) and (v).
“ Indemnified Persons
” has the meaning assigned to such term in
Section 7.12(d).
“ Indemnitee ”
means (a) the General Partner, (b) any Departing General
Partner, (c) any Person who is or was an Affiliate of the
General Partner or any Departing General Partner, (d) any
Person who is or was a member, partner, director, officer,
fiduciary or trustee of any Group Member, the General Partner or
any Departing General Partner or any Affiliate of any Group Member,
the General Partner or any Departing General Partner, (e) any
Person who is or was serving at the request of the General Partner
or any Departing General Partner or any Affiliate of the General
Partner or any Departing General Partner as an officer, director,
member, partner, fiduciary or trustee of another Person; provided
that a Person shall not be an Indemnitee by reason of providing, on
a fee-for-services basis, trustee, fiduciary or custodial services,
and (f) any Person the General Partner designates as an
“Indemnitee” for purposes of this Agreement.
“ Ineligible Assignee
” means a Person whom the General Partner has determined is
not an Eligible Holder.
“ Initial Common Units
” means the Common Units sold in the Initial
Offering.
“ Initial Limited
Partners ” means Boardwalk Pipelines Holding Corp., the
General Partner (with respect to the Common Units, Subordinated
Units and Incentive Distribution Rights received by it pursuant to
Section 5.2), and the Underwriters, 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.
“ Initial Unit Price
” means (a) with respect to the Common Units and the
Subordinated Units, the initial public offering price per Common
Unit at which the Underwriters offered the Common Units to the
public for sale as set forth on the cover page of the prospectus
included as part of the Registration Statement and first issued at
or after the time the Registration Statement first became effective
or (b) with respect to any other class or series of Units, the
price per Unit at which such class or series of Units is initially
sold by the Partnership, as determined by the General Partner, in
each case adjusted as the General Partner determines to be
appropriate to give effect to any distribution, subdivision or
combination of Units.
“ Interim Capital
Transactions ” means the following transactions if they
occur prior to the Liquidation Date: (a) borrowings,
refinancings or refundings of indebtedness (other than Working
Capital Borrowings and other than for items purchased on open
account in the ordinary course of business) by any Group Member and
sales of debt securities of any Group Member; (b) sales of
equity interests of any Group Member (including the Common Units
sold to the Underwriters pursuant to the exercise of the
Over-Allotment Option); (c) sales or other voluntary or
involuntary dispositions of any assets of any Group Member other
than (i) sales or other dispositions of inventory, accounts
receivable and other assets in the ordinary course of business, and
(ii) sales or other dispositions of assets as part of normal
retirements or replacements; (d) the termination of interest
rate swap agreements; (e) capital contributions received; and
(f) corporate reorganizations or restructurings.
“ Issue Price ”
means the price at which a Unit is purchased from the Partnership,
after taking into account any sales commission or underwriting
discount charged to the Partnership.
“ Limited Partner
” means, unless the context otherwise requires, (a) the
Organizational Limited Partner prior to its withdrawal from the
Partnership, each Initial Limited Partner, each Substituted Limited
Partner, each
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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 or (b) solely for purposes of Articles V, VI, VII,
IX and XII, each Assignee; provided , however , that
when the term “Limited Partner” is used herein in the
context of any vote or other approval, including Articles XIII and
XIV, such term shall not, solely for such purpose, include any
holder of an Incentive Distribution Right (solely with respect to
its Incentive Distribution Rights and not with respect to any other
Limited Partner Interest held by such Person) except as may
otherwise be required by law.
“ Limited Partner
Interest ” means the ownership interest of a Limited
Partner or Assignee in the Partnership, which may be evidenced by
Common Units, Subordinated Units, Incentive Distribution Rights or
other Partnership Securities or a combination thereof or interest
therein, and includes any and all benefits to which such Limited
Partner or Assignee is entitled as provided in this Agreement,
together with all obligations of such Limited Partner or Assignee
to comply with the terms and provisions of this Agreement;
provided , however , that when the term
“Limited Partner Interest” is used herein in the
context of any vote or other approval, including Articles XIII and
XIV, such term shall not, solely for such purpose, include any
Incentive Distribution Right except as may be required by
law.
“ Limited Partner Unit
” means each of the Common Units, Subordinated Units and
other Units representing fractional parts of the Partnership
Interests of all Limited Partners and Assignees.
“ Liquidation Date
” means (a) in the case of an event giving rise to the
dissolution of the Partnership of the type described in clauses
(a) and (b) of the first sentence of Section 12.2,
the date on which the applicable time period during which the
holders of Outstanding Units have the right to elect to continue
the business of the Partnership has expired without such an
election being made, and (b) in the case of any other event
giving rise to the dissolution of the Partnership, the date on
which such event occurs.
“ Liquidator ”
means one or more Persons selected by the General Partner to
perform the functions described in Section 12.4 as liquidating
trustee of the Partnership within the meaning of the Delaware
Act.
“ Merger Agreement
” has the meaning assigned to such term in
Section 14.1.
“ Minimum Quarterly
Distribution ” means $0.35 per Unit per Quarter (or with
respect to the period commencing on the Closing Date and ending on
December 31, 2005, it means the product of $0.35 multiplied by
a fraction of which the numerator is the number of days in such
period and of which the denominator is 92), subject to adjustment
in accordance with Sections 6.6 and 6.9.
“ National Securities
Exchange ” means an exchange registered with the
Commission under Section 6(a) of the Securities Exchange Act,
and any successor to such statute, or the Nasdaq National Market or
any successor thereto.
“ Net Agreed Value
” means, (a) in the case of any Contributed Property,
the Agreed Value of such property reduced by any liabilities either
assumed by the 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 or Assignee 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 or Assignee 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
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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)(xii) were not in this Agreement.
“ Net Loss ”
means, for any taxable year, the excess, if any, of the
Partnership’s items of loss and deduction (other than those
items taken into account in the computation of Net Termination Gain
or Net Termination Loss) for such taxable year over the
Partnership’s items of income and gain (other than those
items taken into account in the computation of Net Termination Gain
or Net Termination Loss) for such taxable year. The items included
in the calculation of Net Loss shall be determined in accordance
with Section 5.5(b) and shall not include any items specially
allocated under Section 6.1(d); provided , that the
determination of the items that have been specially allocated under
Section 6.1(d) shall be made as if Section 6.1(d)(xii)
were not in this Agreement.
“ Net Positive
Adjustments ” means, with respect to any Partner, the
excess, if any, of the total positive adjustments over the total
negative adjustments made to the Capital Account of such Partner
pursuant to Book-Up Events and Book-Down Events.
“ Net Termination Gain
” means, for any taxable year, the sum, if positive, of all
items of income, gain, loss or deduction recognized by the
Partnership after the Liquidation Date. The items included in the
determination of Net Termination Gain shall be determined in
accordance with Section 5.5(b) and shall not include any items
of income, gain or loss specially allocated under
Section 6.1(d).
“ Net Termination Loss
” means, for any taxable year, the sum, if negative, of all
items of income, gain, loss or deduction recognized by the
Partnership after the Liquidation Date. The items included in the
determination of Net Termination Loss shall be determined in
accordance with Section 5.5(b) and shall not include any items
of income, gain or loss specially allocated under
Section 6.1(d).
“ Nonrecourse Built-in
Gain ” means with respect to any Contributed Properties
or Adjusted Properties that are subject to a mortgage or pledge
securing a Nonrecourse Liability, the amount of any taxable gain
that would be allocated to the 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 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).
“ Operating
Expenditures ” means all Partnership Group expenditures
(or the Partnership’s proportionate share of expenditures in
the case of Subsidiaries that are not wholly owned), including, but
not limited to, taxes, reimbursements of the General Partner,
non-Pro Rata repurchases of Units, repayment of Working Capital
Borrowings, debt service payments and capital expenditures, subject
to the following:
(a) repayment of Working Capital
Borrowings deducted from Operating Surplus pursuant to clause
(b)(iii) of the definition of Operating Surplus shall not
constitute Operating Expenditures when actually repaid;
(b) payments
(including prepayments) of principal of and premium on indebtedness
other than Working Capital Borrowings shall not constitute
Operating Expenditures; and
(c) Operating
Expenditures shall not include (i) capital expenditures made
for Acquisitions or for Capital Improvements, (ii) payment of
transaction expenses (including taxes) relating to Interim Capital
Transactions or (iii) distributions to Partners. Where capital
expenditures are made in part for Acquisitions or for Capital
Improvements and in part for other purposes, the General Partner,
with the concurrence of the Conflicts Committee, shall determine
the allocation between the amounts paid for each.
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“ Operating Partnership
” means Boardwalk Pipelines, LP, a Delaware limited
partnership, and any successors thereto.
“ Operating Surplus
” means, with respect to any period ending prior to the
Liquidation Date, on a cumulative basis and without
duplication,
(a) the sum
of (i) $75 million, (ii) all cash and cash equivalents of
the Partnership Group (or the Partnership’s proportionate
share of cash and cash equivalents in the case of Subsidiaries that
are not wholly owned) on hand as of the close of business on the
Closing Date, (iii) all cash receipts of the Partnership Group
(or the Partnership’s proportionate share of cash receipts in
the case of Subsidiaries that are not wholly owned) for the period
beginning on the Closing Date and ending on the last day of such
period, but excluding cash receipts from Interim Capital
Transactions (except to the extent specified in Section 6.5)
and (iv) all cash receipts of the Partnership Group (or the
Partnership’s proportionate share of cash receipts in the
case of Subsidiaries that are not wholly owned) after the end of
such period but on or before the date of determination of Operating
Surplus with respect to such period resulting from Working Capital
Borrowings, less
(b) the sum
of (i) Operating Expenditures for the period beginning on the
Closing Date and ending on the last day of such period,
(ii) the amount of cash reserves (or the Partnership’s
proportionate share of cash reserves in the case of Subsidiaries
that are not wholly owned) established by the General Partner to
provide funds for future Operating Expenditures and (iii) all
Working Capital Borrowings not repaid within twelve months after
having been incurred; provided , however , that
disbursements made (including contributions to a Group Member or
disbursements on behalf of a Group Member) or cash reserves
established, increased or reduced after the end of such period but
on or before the date of determination of Available Cash with
respect to such period shall be deemed to have been made,
established, increased or reduced, for purposes of determining
Operating Surplus, within such period if the General Partner so
determines.
Notwithstanding the foregoing,
“ Operating Surplus ” with respect to the
Quarter in which the Liquidation Date occurs and any subsequent
Quarter shall equal zero.
“ Opinion of Counsel
” means a written opinion of counsel (who may be regular
counsel to the Partnership or the General Partner or any of its
Affiliates) acceptable to the General Partner.
“ 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 Boardwalk Pipelines Holding 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 Units so owned shall be
considered to be Outstanding for purposes of
Section 11.1(b)(iv) (such Units shall not, however, be treated
as a separate class of Partnership Securities for purposes of this
Agreement); provided , further, that the foregoing
limitation shall not apply to (i) any Person or Group who
acquired 20% or more of the Outstanding Partnership Securities of
any class then Outstanding directly from the General Partner or its
Affiliates, (ii) any Person or Group who acquired 20% or more
of the Outstanding Partnership Securities of any class then
Outstanding directly or indirectly from a Person or Group described
in clause (i) provided that the General Partner shall have
notified such Person or Group in writing that such limitation shall
not apply, or (iii) any Person or Group who acquired 20% or
more of any Partnership Securities issued by the Partnership with
the prior approval of the Board of Directors.
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“ 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 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 Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP, a Delaware limited
partnership.
“ Partnership Group
” means the Partnership and its Subsidiaries treated as a
single entity.
“ Partnership Interest
” means an interest in the Partnership, which shall include
the General Partner Interest and Limited Partner
Interests.
“ Partnership Minimum
Gain ” means that amount determined in accordance with
the principles of Treasury Regulation
Section 1.704-2(d).
“ Partnership Security
” means any class or series of equity interest in the
Partnership (but excluding any options, rights, warrants and
appreciation rights relating to an equity interest in the
Partnership), including Common Units, Subordinated Units, General
Partner Units and Incentive Distribution Rights.
“ Percentage Interest
” means as of any date of determination (a) as to any
Unitholder or Assignee holding Units, the product obtained by
multiplying (i) 100% less the percentage applicable to clause
(b) below by (ii) the quotient obtained by dividing
(A) the number of Units held by such Unitholder or Assignee by
(B) the total number of all Outstanding Units and (b) as
to the holders of other Partnership Securities issued by the
Partnership in accordance with Section 5.6, the percentage
established as a part of such issuance. The Percentage Interest
with respect to an Incentive Distribution Right shall at all times
be zero.
“ Person ” means
an individual or a corporation, limited liability company,
partnership, joint venture, trust, unincorporated organization,
association, government agency or political subdivision thereof or
other entity.
“ Per Unit Capital
Amount ” means, as of any date of determination, the
Capital Account, stated on a per Unit basis, underlying any Unit
held by a Person other than the General Partner or any Affiliate of
the General Partner who holds Units.
“ Pro Rata ”
means (a) when used with respect to Units or any class
thereof, apportioned equally among all designated Units in
accordance with their relative Percentage Interests, (b) when
used with respect to Partners and Assignees or Record Holders,
apportioned among all Partners and Assignees or Record Holders in
accordance with their relative Percentage Interests and
(c) when used with respect to holders of Incentive
Distribution Rights, apportioned equally among all holders of
Incentive Distribution Rights in accordance with the relative
number or percentage of Incentive Distribution Rights held by each
such holder.
“ Purchase Date ”
means the date determined by the General Partner as the date for
purchase of all Outstanding Limited Partner Interests of a certain
class (other than Limited Partner Interests owned by the General
Partner and its Affiliates) pursuant to Article XV.
“ 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.
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“ Recapture Income
” means any gain recognized by the Partnership (computed
without regard to any adjustment required by Section 734 or
Section 743 of the Code) upon the disposition of any property
or asset of the Partnership, which gain is characterized as
ordinary income because it represents the recapture of deductions
previously taken with respect to such property or asset.
“ Record Date ”
means the date established by the General Partner or otherwise in
accordance with this Agreement for determining (a) the
identity of the Record Holders entitled to notice of, or to vote
at, any meeting of Limited Partners or entitled to vote by ballot
or give approval of Partnership action in writing without a meeting
or entitled to exercise rights in respect of any lawful action of
Limited Partners or (b) the identity of Record Holders
entitled to receive any report or distribution or to participate in
any offer.
“ Record Holder ”
means the Person in whose name a Common Unit is registered on the
books of the Transfer Agent as of the opening of business on a
particular Business Day, or with respect to other Partnership
Interests, the Person in whose name any such other Partnership
Interest is registered on the books that the General Partner has
caused to be kept as of the opening of business on such Business
Day.
“ Redeemable Interests
” means any Partnership Interests for which a redemption
notice has been given, and has not been withdrawn, pursuant to
Section 4.10.
“ Registration
Statement ” means the Registration Statement on Form S-1
(File No. 333-127578) as it has been or as it may be amended or
supplemented from time to time, filed by the Partnership with the
Commission under the Securities Act to register the offering and
sale of the Common Units in the Initial Offering.
“ Remaining Net Positive
Adjustments ” means as of the end of any taxable period,
(i) with respect to the Unitholders holding Limited Partner
Units, the excess of (a) the Net Positive Adjustments of the
Unitholders holding Limited Partner Units as of the end of such
period over (b) the sum of those Partners’ Share of
Additional Book Basis Derivative Items for each prior taxable
period, (ii) with respect to the General Partner (as holder of
the General Partner Units), the excess of (a) the Net Positive
Adjustments of the General Partner as of the end of such period
over (b) the sum of the General Partner’s Share of
Additional Book Basis Derivative Items with respect to the General
Partner Units for each prior taxable period, and (iii) with
respect to the holders of Incentive Distribution Rights, the excess
of (a) the Net Positive Adjustments of the holders of
Incentive Distribution Rights as of the end of such period over
(b) the sum of the Share of Additional Book Basis Derivative
Items of the holders of the Incentive Distribution Rights for each
prior taxable period.
“ Required Allocations
” means (a) any limitation imposed on any allocation of
Net Losses or Net Termination Losses under Section 6.1(b) or
6.1(c)(ii) and (b) any allocation of an item of income, gain,
loss or deduction pursuant to Section 6.1(d)(i), 6.1(d)(ii),
6.1(d)(iv), 6.1(d)(vii) or 6.1(d)(ix).
“ 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
Section 6.2(b)(i)(A) or 6.2(b)(ii)(A), respectively, to
eliminate Book-Tax Disparities.
“ Retained Converted
Subordinated Unit ” has the meaning assigned to such term
in Section 5.5(c)(ii).
“ Second Liquidation Target
Amount ” has the meaning assigned to such term in
Section 6.1(c)(i)(E).
“ Second Target
Distribution ” means $0.4375 per Unit per Quarter (or,
with respect to the period commencing on the Closing Date and
ending on December 31, 2005, it means the product of $0.4375
multiplied by a fraction of which the numerator is equal to the
number of days in such period and of which the denominator is 92),
subject to adjustment in accordance with Sections 6.6 and
6.9.
“ Securities Act
” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, supplemented
or restated from time to time and any successor to such
statute.
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“ Securities Exchange
Act ” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended, supplemented or restated from time to time and any
successor to such statute.
“ Share of Additional Book
Basis Derivative Items ” means in connection with any
allocation of Additional Book Basis Derivative Items for any
taxable period, (i) with respect to the Unitholders holding
Limited Partner Units, the amount that bears the same ratio to such
Additional Book Basis Derivative Items as the Unitholders’
Remaining Net Positive Adjustments as of the end of such period
bears to the Aggregate Remaining Net Positive Adjustments as of
that time, (ii) with respect to the General Partner (as holder
of the General Partner Units), the amount that bears the same ratio
to such Additional Book Basis Derivative Items as the General
Partner’s Remaining Net Positive Adjustments as of the end of
such period bears to the Aggregate Remaining Net Positive
Adjustment as of that time, and (iii) with respect to the
Partners holding Incentive Distribution Rights, the amount that
bears the same ratio to such Additional Book Basis Derivative Items
as the Remaining Net Positive Adjustments of the Partners holding
the Incentive Distribution Rights as of the end of such period
bears to the Aggregate Remaining Net Positive Adjustments as of
that time.
“ Special Approval
” means approval by a majority of the members of the
Conflicts Committee.
“ Subordinated Unit
” means a Unit representing a fractional part of the
Partnership Interests of all Limited Partners and Assignees and
having the rights and obligations specified with respect to
Subordinated Units in this Agreement. The term “Subordinated
Unit” does not include a Common Unit. A Subordinated Unit
that is convertible into a Common Unit shall not constitute a
Common Unit until such conversion occurs.
“ Subordination Period
” means the period commencing on the Closing Date and ending
on the first to occur of the following dates:
(a) the
second Business Day following the distribution of Available Cash to
Partners pursuant to Section 6.3(a) in respect of any Quarter,
in respect of which (A) distributions of Available Cash from
Operating Surplus on each of the Outstanding Common Units,
Subordinated Units, General Partner Units and any other Outstanding
Units that are senior or equal in right of distribution to the
Subordinated Units with respect to each of the three consecutive,
non-overlapping four-Quarter periods immediately preceding such
date equaled or exceeded the sum of the Minimum Quarterly
Distribution on all Outstanding Common Units and Subordinated Units
and any other Outstanding Units that are senior or equal in right
of distribution to the Subordinated Units and the General Partner
Units during such periods and (B) the Adjusted Operating
Surplus for each of the three consecutive, non-overlapping
four-Quarter periods immediately preceding such date equaled or
exceeded the sum of the Minimum Quarterly Distribution on all of
the Common Units, Subordinated Units, General Partner Units and any
other Units that are senior or equal in right of distribution to
the Subordinated Units that were Outstanding during such periods on
a Fully Diluted Basis with respect to each such period and
(ii) there are no Cumulative Common Unit Arrearages;
and
(b) the date
on which the General Partner is removed as general partner of the
Partnership upon the requisite vote by holders of Outstanding Units
under circumstances where Cause does not exist and no Units held by
the General Partner and its Affiliates are voted in favor of such
removal.
“ 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
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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.
“ Substituted Limited
Partner ” means a Person who is admitted as a Limited
Partner to the Partnership pursuant to Section 10.2 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.
“ Surviving Business
Entity ” has the meaning assigned to such term in
Section 14.2(b).
“ Taxation
Certification ” means a properly completed certificate in
such form or forms as may be specified by the General Partner by
which a Limited Partner certifies that he (and if he is a nominee
holding for the account of another Person, that to the best of his
knowledge such other Person) is an Eligible Holder and includes a
Transfer Application containing such a certification.
“ Third Liquidation Target
Amount ” has the meaning assigned to such term in
Section 6.1(c)(i)(F).
“ Third Target
Distribution ” means $0.525 per Unit per Quarter (or,
with respect to the period commencing on the Closing Date and
ending on December 31, 2005, it means the product of $0.525
multiplied by a fraction of which the numerator is equal to the
number of days in such period and of which the denominator is 92),
subject to adjustment in accordance with Sections 6.6 and
6.9.
“ Trading Day ”
means, for the purpose of determining the Current Market Price of
any class of Limited Partner Interests, a day on which the
principal National Securities Exchange on which such class of
Limited Partner Interests are listed is open for the transaction of
business or, if Limited Partner Interests of a class are not listed
on any National Securities Exchange, a day on which banking
institutions in New York City generally are open.
“ 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 General Partner to act as registrar and
transfer agent for the Common Units; provided , that if no
Transfer Agent is specifically designated for any other Partnership
Securities, the General Partner shall act in such
capacity.
“ Transfer Application
” means an application and agreement for transfer of Units in
the form set forth on the back of a Certificate or in a form
substantially to the same effect in a separate
instrument.
“ Underwriter ”
means each Person named as an underwriter in Schedule I to the
Underwriting Agreement who purchases Common Units pursuant
thereto.
“ Underwriting
Agreement ” means that certain Underwriting Agreement
dated as of November 8, 2005 among the Underwriters, the
Partnership, the General Partner and the other parties thereto,
providing for the purchase of Common Units by the
Underwriters.
“ Unit ” means a
Partnership Security that is designated as a “Unit” and
shall include Common Units and Subordinated Units and, for the
purpose of the definition of “Percentage Interest,”
Article VI and defined terms when used in Article VI, General
Partner Units, but shall for no purposes include Incentive
Distribution Rights.
“ Unitholders ”
means the holders of Units.
“ Unit Majority ”
means, during the Subordination Period, at least a majority of the
Outstanding Common Units (excluding Common Units owned by the
General Partner and its Affiliates) voting as a class and at least
a
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majority of the Outstanding Subordinated Units
voting as a class, and after the end of the Subordination Period,
at least a majority of the Outstanding Common Units.
“ Unpaid MQD ”
has the meaning assigned to such term in
Section 6.1(c)(i)(B).
“ Unrealized Gain
” attributable to any item of Partnership property means, as
of any date of determination, the excess, if any, of (a) the
fair market value of such property as of such date (as determined
under Section 5.5(d)) over (b) the Carrying Value of such
property as of such date (prior to any adjustment to be made
pursuant to Section 5.5(d) as of such date).
“ Unrealized Loss
” attributable to any item of Partnership property means, as
of any date of determination, the excess, if any, of (a) the
Carrying Value of such property as of such date (prior to any
adjustment to be made pursuant to Section 5.5(d) as of such
date) over (b) the fair market value of such property as of
such date (as determined under Section 5.5(d)).
“ Unrecovered Initial Unit
Price ” means at any time, with respect to a Unit, the
Initial Unit Price less the sum of all distributions constituting
Capital Surplus theretofore made in respect of an Initial Common
Unit and any distributions of cash (or the Net Agreed Value of any
distributions in kind) in connection with the dissolution and
liquidation of the Partnership theretofore made in respect of an
Initial Common Unit, adjusted as the General Partner determines to
be appropriate to give effect to any distribution, subdivision or
combination of such Units.
“ U.S. GAAP ”
means United States generally accepted accounting principles
consistently applied.
“ Withdrawal Opinion of
Counsel ” has the meaning assigned to such term in
Section 11.1(b).
“ Working Capital
Borrowings ” means borrowings used solely for working
capital purposes or to pay distributions to Partners, made pursuant
to a credit facility, commercial paper facility or similar
financing arrangement; provided that when incurred it is the intent
of the borrower to repay such borrowings within 12 months from
other than additional Working Capital Borrowings.
Section 1.2
Construction.
Unless the context requires
otherwise: (a) any pronoun used in this Agreement shall
include the corresponding masculine, feminine or neuter forms, and
the singular form of nouns, pronouns and verbs shall include the
plural and vice versa; (b) references to Articles and Sections
refer to Articles and Sections of this Agreement; (c) the
terms “include”, “includes”,
“including” and words of like import shall be deemed to
be followed by the words “without limitation”; and
(d) the terms “hereof”, “herein” and
“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 General Partner and the
Organizational Limited Partner have previously formed the
Partnership as a limited partnership pursuant to the provisions of
the Delaware Act and hereby amend and restate the original
Agreement of Limited Partnership of Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP
in its entirety. This amendment and restatement shall become
effective on the date of this Agreement. Except as expressly
provided to the contrary in
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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
“Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP.” The
Partnership’s business may be conducted under any other name
or names as determined by the General Partner, including the name
of the General Partner. The words “Limited
Partnership,” “L.P.,” “Ltd.” or
similar words or letters shall be included in the
Partnership’s name where necessary for the purpose of
complying with the laws of any jurisdiction that so requires. The
General Partner may change the name of the Partnership at any 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 2711 Centerville Road, Suite
400, Wilmington, Delaware 19808-1645, and the registered agent for
service of process on the Partnership in the State of Delaware at
such registered office shall be Corporation Service Company. The
principal office of the Partnership shall be located at 3800
Frederica Street, Owensboro, Kentucky, 42301 or such other place as
the General Partner may from time to time designate by notice to
the Limited Partners. The Partnership may maintain offices at such
other place or places within or outside the State of Delaware as
the General Partner shall determine necessary or appropriate. The
address of the General Partner shall be 3800 Frederica Street,
Owensboro, Kentucky, 42301 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 engage
directly in, or enter into or form, hold and dispose of any
corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company
or other arrangement to engage indirectly in, any business
activities that relate to the business of gathering, transmitting
by pipeline, processing or storing natural gas (either in gaseous
or liquid form) or activities now or hereafter customarily
conducted in conjunction with gathering, transmitting by pipeline,
processing or storing natural gas (either in gaseous or liquid
form), that is approved by the General Partner, in its sole
discretion, and any other business that is approved by the General
Partner, in its sole discretion, and in any event 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 do anything
necessary or appropriate to the foregoing, including the making of
capital contributions or loans to a Group Member; provided,
however , that the General Partner shall not cause the
Partnership to engage, directly or indirectly, in any business
activity that the General Partner determines would cause the
Partnership to be treated as an association taxable as a
corporation or otherwise taxable as an entity for federal income
tax purposes. To the fullest extent permitted by law, the General
Partner shall have no duty or obligation to propose or approve, and
may, in its individual capacity, decline to propose or approve, the
conduct by the Partnership of any business free of any fiduciary
duty or obligation whatsoever to the Partnership, any Limited
Partner or Assignee and, in declining to so propose or approve,
shall not be required to act in good faith or pursuant to any other
standard imposed by this Agreement, any Group Member Agreement, any
other agreement contemplated hereby or under the Delaware Act or
any other law, rule or regulation or at equity.
Section 2.5
Powers.
The Partnership shall be empowered
to do any and all acts and things necessary or appropriate for the
furtherance and accomplishment of the purposes and business
described in Section 2.4 and for the protection and benefit of
the Partnership.
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Section 2.6
Power of Attorney.
(a) Each
Limited Partner and each Assignee hereby constitutes and appoints
the General Partner and, if a Liquidator shall have been selected
pursuant to Section 12.3, the Liquidator, severally (and any
successor to the Liquidator by merger, transfer, assignment,
election or otherwise) and each of their authorized officers and
attorneys-in-fact, as the case may be, with full power of
substitution, as his true and lawful agent and attorney-in-fact,
with full power and authority in his name, place and 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)(ii) only after
the necessary vote, consent or approval of the Limited Partners or
of the Limited Partners of such class or series, as
applicable.
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 or
Assignee and the transfer of all or any portion of such Limited
Partner’s or Assignee’s Partnership Interest and shall
extend to such Limited Partner’s or Assignee’s heirs,
successors, assigns and personal representatives. Each such Limited
Partner or Assignee 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
or Assignee, 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 or
Assignee 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.
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Section 2.7
Term.
The term of the Partnership
commenced upon the filing of the Certificate of Limited Partnership
in accordance with the Delaware Act and shall continue in existence
until the dissolution of the Partnership in accordance with the
provisions of Article XII. The existence of the Partnership as a
separate legal entity shall continue until the cancellation of the
Certificate of Limited Partnership as provided in the Delaware
Act.
Section 2.8
Title to Partnership Assets.
Title to Partnership assets, whether
real, personal or mixed and whether tangible or intangible, shall
be deemed to be owned by the Partnership as an entity, and no
Partner 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, one or more of
its Affiliates or one or more nominees, as the General Partner may
determine. The General Partner hereby declares and warrants that
any Partnership assets for which record title is held in the name
of the General Partner or one or more of its Affiliates or one or
more nominees shall be held by the General Partner or such
Affiliate or nominee for the use and benefit of the Partnership in
accordance with the provisions of this Agreement; provided ,
however , that the General Partner shall use reasonable
efforts to cause record title to such assets (other than those
assets in respect of which the General Partner determines that the
expense and difficulty of conveyancing makes transfer of record
title to the Partnership impracticable) to be vested in the
Partnership as soon as reasonably practicable; provided ,
further, that, prior to the withdrawal or removal of the General
Partner or as soon thereafter as practicable, the General Partner
shall use reasonable efforts to effect the transfer of record title
to the Partnership and, prior to any such transfer, will provide
for the use of such assets in a manner satisfactory to the General
Partner. All Partnership assets shall be recorded as the property
of the Partnership in its books and records, irrespective of the
name in which record title to such Partnership assets is
held.
ARTICLE III
RIGHTS OF LIMITED
PARTNERS
Section 3.1
Limitation of Liability.
The Limited Partners and the
Assignees 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 or Assignee, in
its capacity as such, shall participate in the operation,
management or control (within the meaning of the Delaware Act) of
the Partnership’s business, transact any business in the
Partnership’s name or have the power to sign documents for or
otherwise bind the Partnership. Any action taken by any Affiliate
of the General Partner or any officer, director, employee, manager,
member, general partner, agent or trustee of the General Partner or
any of its Affiliates, or any officer, director, employee, manager,
member, general partner, agent or trustee of a Group Member, in its
capacity as such, shall not be deemed to be participation in the
control of the business of the Partnership by a limited partner of
the Partnership (within the meaning of Section 17-303(a) of
the Delaware Act) and shall not affect, impair or eliminate the
limitations on the liability of the Limited Partners or Assignees
under this Agreement.
Section 3.3
Outside Activities of the Limited Partners.
Subject to the provisions of
Section 7.5, any Limited Partner or Assignee shall be entitled
to and may have business interests and engage in business
activities in addition to those relating to the Partnership,
including business interests and activities in direct competition
with the Partnership Group. Neither the Partnership nor any of the
other Partners or Assignees shall have any rights by virtue of this
Agreement in any business ventures of any Limited Partner or
Assignee.
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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 copies of the
executed copies of all powers of attorney pursuant to which this
Agreement, the Certificate of Limited Partnership and all
amendments thereto have been executed;
(v) to obtain
true and full information regarding the amount of cash and a
description and statement of the Net Agreed Value of any other
Capital Contribution by each Partner and that each Partner has
agreed to contribute in the future, and the date on which each
became a Partner; and
(vi) to
obtain such other information regarding the affairs of the
Partnership as is just and reasonable.
(b) The
General Partner may keep confidential from the Limited Partners and
Assignees, for such period of time as the General Partner deems
reasonable, (i) any information that the General Partner
reasonably believes to be in the nature of trade secrets or
(ii) other information the disclosure of which the General
Partner in good faith believes (A) is not in the best
interests of the Partnership Group, (B) could damage the
Partnership Group or its business or (C) that any Group Member
is required by law or by agreement with any third party to keep
confidential (other than agreements with Affiliates of the
Partnership the primary purpose of which is to circumvent the
obligations set forth in this Section 3.4).
ARTICLE IV
CERTIFICATES; RECORD HOLDERS;
TRANSFER OF PARTNERSHIP INTERESTS; REDEMPTION OF PARTNERSHIP
INTERESTS
Section 4.1
Certificates.
Upon the Partnership’s
issuance of Common Units or Subordinated 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. In addition, (a) upon the
General Partner’s request, the Partnership shall issue to it
one or more Certificates in the name of the General Partner
evidencing its General Partner Units and (b) upon the request
of any Person owning Incentive Distribution Rights or any other
Partnership Securities other than Common Units or Subordinated
Units, the Partnership shall issue to such Person one or more
certificates evidencing such Incentive Distribution Rights or other
Partnership Securities other than Common Units or Subordinated
Units. Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the Partnership
by the President or any Executive Vice President, Senior Vice
President or Vice President and the Chief Financial Officer or 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. Subject to the requirements of
Section 6.7(b), the Partners holding Certificates evidencing
Subordinated Units may exchange such Certificates for Certificates
evidencing Common Units on or after the date on which such
Subordinated Units are converted into Common Units pursuant to the
terms of Section 5.7.
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Section 4.2
Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen
Certificates.
(a) If 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.
If a Limited Partner or Assignee
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 or Assignee 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.
(c) 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 Partner or Assignee with respect
to any Partnership Interest and, accordingly, shall not be bound to
recognize any equitable or other claim to, or interest in, such
Partnership Interest on the part of any other Person, regardless of
whether the Partnership shall have actual or other notice thereof,
except as otherwise provided by law or any applicable rule,
regulation, guideline or requirement of any National Securities
Exchange on which such Partnership Interests are listed or admitted
to trading. Without limiting the foregoing, when a Person (such as
a broker, dealer, bank, trust company or clearing corporation or an
agent of any of the foregoing) is acting as nominee, agent or in
some other representative capacity for another Person in acquiring
and/or holding Partnership Interests, as between the Partnership on
the one hand, and such other Persons on the other, such
representative Person (a) shall be the Partner or Assignee (as
the case may be) of record and beneficially, and (b) shall be
bound by this Agreement and shall have the rights and obligations
of a Partner or Assignee (as the case may be) hereunder and as, and
to the extent, provided for herein.
Section 4.4 Transfer
Generally.
(a) The term
“transfer,” when used in this Agreement with respect to
a Partnership Interest, shall be deemed to refer to a transaction
(i) by which the General Partner assigns its General Partner
Units to another
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Person or by which a holder of Incentive
Distribution Rights assigns its Incentive Distribution Rights to
another Person, and includes a sale, assignment, gift, pledge,
encumbrance, hypothecation, mortgage, exchange or any other
disposition by law or otherwise or (ii) by which the holder of
a Limited Partner Interest (other than an Incentive Distribution
Right) assigns such Limited Partner Interest to another Person who
is or becomes a Limited Partner or an Assignee, 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 shares of stock,
membership interests, partnership interests or other ownership
interests in the General Partner.
Section 4.5
Registration and Transfer of Limited Partner
Interests.
(a) The
General Partner shall keep or cause to be kept on behalf of the
Partnership a register in which, subject to such reasonable
regulations as it may prescribe and subject to the provisions of
Section 4.5(b), the Partnership will provide for the
registration and transfer of Limited Partner Interests. The
Transfer Agent is hereby appointed registrar and transfer agent for
the purpose of registering Common Units and transfers of such
Common Units as herein provided. The Partnership shall not
recognize transfers of Certificates evidencing Limited Partner
Interests 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 4.9, the General Partner shall
not recognize any transfer of Limited Partner Interests until the
Certificates evidencing such Limited Partner Interests are
surrendered for registration of transfer and such Certificates are
accompanied by a Transfer Application, properly completed and
including a Taxation Certification, duly executed by the transferee
(or the transferee’s attorney-in-fact duly authorized in
writing). No charge shall be imposed by the General Partner for
such transfer; provided , that as a condition to the
issuance of any new Certificate 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. No distributions or allocations will be made in
respect of the Limited Partner Interests until a properly completed
Transfer Application has been delivered.
(c) Limited
Partner Interests may be transferred only in the manner described
in this Section 4.5. The transfer of any Limited Partner
Interests and the admission of any new Limited Partner shall not
constitute an amendment to this Agreement.
(d) Until
admitted as a Substituted Limited Partner pursuant to
Section 10.2, the Record Holder of a Limited Partner Interest
shall be an Assignee in respect of such Limited Partner Interest.
Limited Partners may include custodians, nominees or any other
individual or entity in its own or any representative
capacity.
(e) A
transferee of a Limited Partner Interest who has completed and
delivered a Transfer Application shall be deemed to have
(i) requested admission as a Substituted Limited Partner,
(ii) agreed to comply with and be bound by and to have
executed this Agreement, (iii) represented and warranted that
such transferee has the right, power and authority and, if an
individual, the capacity to enter into this Agreement,
(iv) granted the powers of attorney set forth in this
Agreement, and (v) given the consents and approvals and made
the waivers contained in this Agreement.
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(f) The
General Partner and its Affiliates shall have the right at any time
to transfer their Subordinated Units and Common Units (whether
issued upon conversion of the Subordinated Units or otherwise) to
one or more Persons.
Section 4.6 Transfer
of the General Partner’s General Partner
Interest.
(a) Subject
to Section 4.6(c) below, prior to September 30, 2015, 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 such other Person or the transfer by
the General Partner of all or substantially all of its assets to
such other Person.
(b) Subject
to Section 4.6(c) below, on or after September 30, 2015,
the General Partner may transfer all or any of its General Partner
Interest without Unitholder approval.
(c) Notwithstanding
anything herein to the contrary, no transfer by the General Partner
of all or any part of its General Partner Interest to another
Person shall be permitted unless (i) the transferee agrees to
assume the rights and duties of the General Partner under this
Agreement and to be bound by the provisions of this Agreement,
(ii) the Partnership receives an Opinion of Counsel that such
transfer would not result in the loss of limited liability under
Delaware law 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) and (iii) such
transferee also agrees to purchase all (or the appropriate portion
thereof, if applicable) of the partnership or membership interest
of the General Partner as the general partner or managing member,
if any, of each other Group Member. In the case of a transfer
pursuant to and in compliance with this Section 4.6, the
transferee or successor (as the case may be) shall, subject to
compliance with the terms of Section 10.3, be admitted to the
Partnership as the General Partner immediately prior to the
transfer of the General Partner Interest, and the business of the
Partnership shall continue without dissolution.
Section 4.7 Transfer
of Incentive Distribution Rights.
Prior to September 30, 2015, a
holder of Incentive Distribution Rights may transfer any or all of
the Incentive Distribution Rights held by such holder without any
consent of the Unitholders to (a) an Affiliate of such holder
(other than an individual) or (b) another Person (other than
an individual) in connection with (i) the merger or
consolidation of such holder of Incentive Distribution Rights with
or into such other Person, (ii) the transfer by such holder of
all or substantially all of its assets to such other Person or
(iii) the sale of all the ownership interests in such holder.
Any other transfer of the Incentive Distribution Rights prior to
September 30, 2015 shall require the prior approval of holders
of at least a majority of the Outstanding Common Units (excluding
Common Units held by the General Partner and its Affiliates). On or
after September 30, 2015, the General Partner or any other
holder of Incentive Distribution Rights may transfer any or all of
its Incentive Distribution Rights without Unitholder approval.
Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, no transfer of
Incentive Distribution Rights to another Person shall be permitted
unless the transferee agrees to be bound by the provisions of this
Agreement. The General Partner and any transferee or transferees of
the Incentive Distribution Rights may agree in a separate
instrument as to the General Partner’s exercise of its rights
with respect to the Incentive Distribution Rights under
Section 11.3 hereof.
Section 4.8
Restrictions on Transfers.
(a) Except as
provided in Section 4.8(d) 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
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Partnership under the laws of the jurisdiction
of its formation, or (iii) cause the Partnership to be treated
as an association taxable as a corporation or otherwise to be taxed
as an entity for federal income tax purposes (to the extent not
already so treated or taxed).
(b) The
General Partner may impose restrictions on the transfer of
Partnership Interests if it receives an Opinion of Counsel that
such restrictions are necessary to avoid a significant risk of the
Partnership becoming taxable as a corporation or otherwise becoming
taxable as an entity for federal income tax purposes. The General
Partner may impose such restrictions by amending this Agreement;
provided , however , that any amendment that would
result in the delisting or suspension of trading of any class of
Limited Partner Interests on the principal National Securities
Exchange on which such class of Limited Partner Interests is then
listed or admitted to trading must be approved, prior to such
amendment being effected, by the holders of at least a majority of
the Outstanding Limited Partner Interests of such class.
(c) The
transfer of a Subordinated Unit that has converted into a Common
Unit shall be subject to the restrictions imposed by
Section 6.7(b).
(d) Nothing
contained in this Article IV, or elsewhere in this Agreement, shall
preclude the settlement of any transactions involving Partnership
Interests entered into through the facilities of any National
Securities Exchange on which such Partnership Interests are listed
or admitted to trading.
(e) Each
certificate evidencing Partnership Interests shall bear a
conspicuous legend in substantially the following form:
THE HOLDER OF THIS SECURITY
ACKNOWLEDGES FOR THE BENEFIT OF BOARDWALK PIPELINE PARTNERS, LP
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 BOARDWALK PIPELINE PARTNERS, LP UNDER THE LAWS
OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE, OR (C) CAUSE BOARDWALK PIPELINE
PARTNERS, LP 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). BOARDWALK GP, LP, THE GENERAL PARTNER OF BOARDWALK PIPELINE
PARTNERS, LP, 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 BOARDWALK
PIPELINE PARTNERS, LP BECOMING TAXABLE AS A CORPORATION OR
OTHERWISE BECOMING TAXABLE AS AN ENTITY FOR FEDERAL INCOME TAX
PURPOSES. THE RESTRICTIONS SET FORTH ABOVE SHALL NOT PRECLUDE THE
SETTLEMENT OF ANY TRANSACTIONS INVOLVING THIS SECURITY ENTERED INTO
THROUGH THE FACILITIES OF ANY NATIONAL SECURITIES EXCHANGE ON WHICH
THIS SECURITY IS LISTED OR ADMITTED TO TRADING.
Section 4.9 Taxation
Certifications; Ineligible Assignees.
(a) If a
transferee of a Limited Partner Interest fails to furnish a
properly completed Taxation Certification in a Transfer Application
or if, upon receipt of such Taxation Certification or otherwise,
the General Partner determines that such transferee is not an
Eligible Holder, the Limited Partner Interests owned by such
transferee shall be subject to redemption in accordance with the
provisions of Section 4.10.
(b) The
General Partner may request any Limited Partner or Assignee to
furnish to the General Partner, within 30 days after receipt of
such request, an executed Taxation Certification or such other
information
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concerning his federal income tax status with
respect to the income and loss generated by the Partnership (or, if
the Limited Partner or Assignee is a nominee holding for the
account of another Person, the federal income tax status of such
Person) as the General Partner may request. If a Limited Partner or
Assignee fails to furnish to the General Partner within the
aforementioned 30-day period such Taxation Certification or other
requested information or if upon receipt of such Taxation
Certification or other requested information the General Partner
determines that a Limited Partner or Assignee is not an Eligible
Holder, the Limited Partner Interests owned by such Limited Partner
or Assignee shall be subject to redemption in accordance with the
provisions of Section 4.10. In addition, the General Partner
may require that the status of any such Limited Partner or Assignee
be changed to that of an Ineligible Assignee and, thereupon, the
General Partner shall be substituted for such Ineligible Assignee
as the Limited Partner in respect of the Ineligible
Assignee’s Limited Partner Interests.
(c) The
General Partner shall, in exercising voting rights in respect of
Limited Partner Interests held by it on behalf of Ineligible
Assignee, 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 Ineligible Assignee are cast,
either for, against or abstaining as to the matter.
(d) At any
time after an Ineligible Assignee can and does certify that it has
become an Eligible Holder, such Ineligible Assignee may, upon
application to the General Partner, request admission as a
Substituted Limited Partner with respect to any Limited Partner
Interests of such Ineligible Assignee not redeemed pursuant to
Section 4.10, and upon admission of such Ineligible Assignee
pursuant to Section 10.2, the General Partner shall cease to
be deemed to be the Limited Partner in respect of such Ineligible
Assignee’s Limited Partner Interests.
Section 4.10
Redemption of Partnership Interests of Ineligible
Assignees.
(a) If at any
time a Limited Partner, Assignee or transferee fails to furnish a
Taxation Certification or other information requested within the
30-day period specified in Section 4.9(b) or in a Transfer
Application, or if upon receipt of such Taxation Certification or
other information the General Partner determines, with the advice
of counsel, that a Limited Partner, Assignee or transferee is not
an Eligible Holder, the Partnership may, unless the Limited
Partner, Assignee or transferee establishes to the satisfaction of
the General Partner that such Limited Partner, Assignee or
transferee is an Eligible Holder or has transferred his Partnership
Interests to a Person who is an Eligible Holder and who furnishes a
Taxation Certification to the General Partner prior to the date
fixed for redemption as provided below, redeem the Limited Partner
Interest of such Limited Partner, Assignee or transferee as
follows:
(i) The
General Partner shall, not later than the 30th day before the date
fixed for redemption, give notice of redemption to the Limited
Partner, Assignee or transferee, at his last address designated on
the records of the Partnership or the Transfer Agent, by registered
or certified mail, postage prepaid. The notice shall be deemed to
have been given when so mailed. The notice 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 by virtue of the Limited Partner, Assignee or
transferee’s status as an Ineligible Assignee, no further
allocations or distributions to which such Person 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 lesser of (i) 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 and (ii) the price paid for such Limited Partner
Interests by the Limited Partner, Assignee or transferee. 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 5% annually and payable in three
equal annual installments of principal together with accrued
interest, commencing one year after the redemption date.
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(iii) Upon
surrender by or on behalf of the Limited Partner, Assignee or
transferee, 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, Assignee or transferee 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 4.10 shall also be applicable to
Limited Partner Interests held by a Limited Partner or Assignee as
nominee of a Person determined to be other than an Eligible
Holder.
(c) Nothing
in this Section 4.10 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 Transfer Application that
he is an Eligible Holder. 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 Contributions.
In connection with the formation of
the Partnership under the Delaware Act, the General Partner made an
initial Capital Contribution to the Partnership in the amount of
$20.00, for a 2% General Partner Interest in the Partnership and
has been admitted as the General Partner of the Partnership, and
the Organizational Limited Partner made an initial Capital
Contribution to the Partnership in the amount of $980.00 for a 98%
Limited Partner Interest in the Partnership and has been admitted
as a Limited Partner of the Partnership. 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. Ninety-eight percent of any interest or
other profit that may have resulted from the investment or other
use of such initial Capital Contributions shall be allocated and
distributed to the Organizational Limited Partner, and the balance
thereof shall be allocated and distributed to the General
Partner.
Section 5.2
Contributions by the General Partner and its
Affiliates.
(a) On the
Closing Date and pursuant to the Contribution Agreement:
(i) the General Partner shall contribute to the Partnership,
as a Capital Contribution, all of its ownership interests in
Boardwalk Pipelines, LP in exchange for (A) 2,068,367 General
Partner Units representing the 2% General Partner Interest, subject
to all of the rights, privileges and duties of the General Partner
under this Agreement and (B) the Incentive Distribution
Rights; and (ii) Boardwalk Pipelines Holding Corp. shall
contribute to the Partnership, as a Capital Contribution, all of
its ownership interests in Boardwalk Operating GP, LLC and
Boardwalk Pipelines, LP in exchange for (A) 53,256,122 Common
Units and (B) 33,093,878 Subordinated Units.
(b) Upon the
issuance of any additional Limited Partner Interests by the
Partnership (other than the Common Units issued in the Initial
Offering), the General Partner may, in exchange for a proportionate
number of General Partner Units, make additional Capital
Contributions in an amount equal to the product obtained by
multiplying (i) the quotient determined by dividing
(A) the General Partner’s Percentage Interest by
(B) 100 less the General Partner’s Percentage Interest
times (ii) the amount contributed to the Partnership by the
Limited Partners in exchange for such additional Limited Partner
Interests. Except as set forth in Article XII, the General Partner
shall not be obligated to make any additional Capital Contributions
to the Partnership.
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Section 5.3
Contributions by Initial Limited Partners.
(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) 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 aggregate number equal
to 15,000,000, (ii) the “Option Units” as such
term is used in the Underwriting Agreement in an aggregate number
up to 2,250,000 issuable upon exercise of the Over-Allotment Option
pursuant to subparagraph (b) hereof, (iii) the 33,093,878
Subordinated Units issuable pursuant to Section 5.2 hereof,
(iv) the 53,256,122 Common Units issuable pursuant to
Section 5.2 hereof, and (v) the Incentive Distribution
Rights.
Section 5.4 Interest
and Withdrawal.
No interest shall be paid by the
Partnership on Capital Contributions. No Partner or Assignee shall
be entitled to the withdrawal or return of its Capital
Contribution, except to the extent, if any, that distributions made
pursuant to this Agreement or upon termination of the Partnership
may be considered as such by law and then only to the extent
provided for in this Agreement. Except to the extent expressly
provided in this Agreement, no Partner or Assignee shall have
priority over any other Partner or Assignee 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 and
Assignees 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 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 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:
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(i) Solely
for purposes of this Section 5.5, the Partnership shall be
treated as owning directly its proportionate share (as determined
by the General Partner based upon the provisions of the applicable
Group Member Agreement) of all property owned by any other Group
Member that is classified as a partnership 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 or loss attributable to the taxable disposition of any
Partnership property shall be determined as if the adjusted basis
of such property as of such date of disposition were equal in
amount to the Partnership’s Carrying Value with respect to
such property as of such date.
(v) 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
rate of depreciation, cost recovery or amortization derived from
the same method and useful life (or, if applicable, the remaining
useful life) as is applied for federal income tax purposes;
provided , however , that, if the asset has a zero
adjusted basis for federal income tax purposes, depreciation, cost
recovery or amortization deductions shall be determined using any
method 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) (i) A
transferee of a Partnership Interest shall succeed to a pro rata
portion of the Capital Account of the transferor relating to the
Partnership Interest so transferred.
(ii) Subject
to Section 6.7(c), immediately prior to the transfer of a
Subordinated Unit or of a Subordinated Unit that has converted into
a Common Unit pursuant to Section 5.7 by a holder thereof
(other than a transfer to an Affiliate unless the General Partner
elects to have this subparagraph 5.5(c)(ii) apply), the Capital
Account maintained for such Person with respect to its Subordinated
Units or converted Subordinated Units will (A) first, be
allocated to the Subordinated Units or converted Subordinated Units
to be transferred in an amount equal to the product of (x) the
number of such Subordinated Units or converted Subordinated Units
to be transferred and (y) the Per Unit Capital Amount for a
Common Unit, and (B) second, any remaining balance in such
Capital Account will be retained by the transferor, regardless of
whether it has retained any Subordinated Units or converted
Subordinated Units (“Retained Converted
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Subordinated Units”).
Following any such allocation, the transferor’s Capital
Account, if any, maintained with respect to the retained
Subordinated Units or Retained Converted Subordinated Units, if
any, will have a balance equal to the amount allocated under clause
(B) hereinabove, and the transferee’s Capital Account
established with respect to the transferred Subordinated Units or
converted Subordinated Units will have a balance equal to the
amount allocated under clause (A) hereinabove.
(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 cash or cash
equivalents) immediately prior to a distribution shall (A) in
the case of an actual distribution that is not made pursuant to
Section 12.4 or in the case of a deemed distribution, be
determined and allocated in the same manner as that provided in
Section 5.5(d)(i) or (B) in the case of a liquidating
distribution pursuant to Section 12.4, be determined and
allocated by the Liquidator using such method of valuation as it
may adopt.
Section 5.6 Issuances
of Additional Partnership Securities.
(a) The
Partnership may issue additional Partnership Securities and
options, rights, warrants and appreciation rights relating to the
Partnership Securities for any Partnership purpose at any time and
from time to time to such Persons for such consideration and on
such terms and conditions as the General Partner shall determine,
all without the approval of any Limited Partners.
(b) Each
additional Partnership Security authorized to be issued by the
Partnership pursuant to Section 5.6(a) may be issued in one or
more classes, or one or more series of any such classes, with such
designations, preferences, rights, powers and duties (which may be
senior to existing classes and series of Partnership Securities),
as shall be fixed by the General Partner, including (i) the
right to share in Partnership profits and losses or items thereof;
(ii) the right to share in Partnership distributions;
(iii) the rights upon dissolution and liquidation of the
Partnership; (iv) whether, and the terms and conditions upon
which, the Partnership may or shall be required to redeem the
Partnership Security (including sinking fund provisions);
(v) whether such Partnership Security is issued with the
privilege of conversion or exchange and, if so, the terms and
conditions of such conversion or exchange; (vi) the terms and
conditions upon which each Partnership
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Security will be issued, evidenced by
certificates and assigned or transferred; (vii) the method for
determining the Percentage Interest as to such Partnership
Security; and (viii) the right, if any, of each such
Partnership Security to vote on Partnership matters, including
matters relating to the relative rights, preferences and privileges
of such Partnership Security.
(c) The
General Partner shall take all actions that it determines to be
necessary or appropriate in connection with (i) each issuance
of Partnership Securities and options, rights, warrants and
appreciation rights relating to Partnership Securities pursuant to
this Section 5.6, (ii) the conversion of the General
Partner Interest or any Incentive Distribution Rights into Units
pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, (iii) the admission
of Additional Limited Partners and (iv) all additional
issuances of Partnership Securities. The General Partner shall
determine the relative rights, powers and duties of the holders of
the Units or other Partnership Securities being so issued. The
General Partner shall do all things necessary to comply with the
Delaware Act and is authorized and directed to do all things that
it determines to be necessary or appropriate in connection with any
future issuance of Partnership Securities or in connection with the
conversion of the General Partner Inter