Exhibit 10.q
LIMITED PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT
of
FLEET CREDIT CARD SERVICES, L.P.
Dated as of May 26, 1998
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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1
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1
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SECTION 2 - FORMATION OF THE COMPANY
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9
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9
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9
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9
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9
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10
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10
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10
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10
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2.9 Opening Balance Sheet
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10
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10
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SECTION 3 - PARTNERS; CAPITAL; CAPITAL
ACCOUNTS
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11
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3.1 Initial Capital Contributions of Initial
Partners
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11
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3.2 Additional Capital Contributions
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11
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11
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12
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12
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SECTION 4 - PROFIT, LOSS AND
DISTRIBUTIONS
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12
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4.1 Distributions of Distributable Cash Flow-
Tax Withholding
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12
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4.2 In-Kind Distributions
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13
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4.3 Allocation of Net Income and Net
Loss
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14
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-i-
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Page
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15
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16
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17
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17
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SECTION 5 - MANAGEMENT: RIGHTS, POWERS, AND
DUTIES
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18
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18
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5.2 Authority of the General Partner
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18
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18
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18
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19
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19
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5.7 Voting Rights of Partners
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19
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20
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SECTION 6 - LIABILITY AND
INDEMNIFICATION
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20
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6.1 Liability of Partners
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20
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6.2 Indemnification of Partners
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21
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21
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21
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6.5 Indemnification Procedure
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22
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SECTION 7 - TRANSFER OF INTERESTS AND WITHDRAWAL
OF PARTNERS
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23
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7.1 Transfer of Partnership Interests
Permitted
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23
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7.2 Retirement of a Partner
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23
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27
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SECTION 8 - DISSOLUTION, LIQUIDATION AND
TERMINATION OF THE COMPANY
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27
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8.1 Events of Dissolution
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27
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-ii-
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Page
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28
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8.3 Filing of Articles of Dissolution
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28
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8.4 Distributions in Liquidation
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28
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8.5 Claims of the Partners
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28
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SECTION 9 - BOOKS, RECORDS, ACCOUNTING AND
CERTAIN OTHER TAX MATTERS
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28
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28
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29
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9.3 Annual Accounting Period
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29
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29
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29
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9.6 Contingent Distributions
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30
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SECTION 10 - MISCELLANEOUS TERMS AND
CONDITIONS
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33
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10.4 Public Announcements
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10.8 Successors and Assigns
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10.11 No Third Party Beneficiaries
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-iii-
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Page
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36
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10.17 WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL
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-iv-
LIMITED PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT
THIS LIMITED
PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT is made as of the 26 day of May, 1998, for
good and valuable consideration, by the Initial Partners (as
defined herein).
BACKGROUND
A. The
Initial Partners are the members of Fleet Credit Card, LLC, a
limited liability company formed under the laws of the State of
Rhode Island (the “LLC”).
B. The
Initial Partners desire to form a limited partnership under the Act
for the purpose of succeeding to the Business of, and the assets
and liabilities of, the LLC upon the terms and conditions set forth
herein.
C. The LLC
shall be merged with and into the Company (the
“Merger”), with the Company being the surviving entity
in such Merger.
D. To
effectuate the intentions of the parties, the parties now desire to
set forth their agreement with respect to the limited partnership
pursuant to the terms and conditions of this Agreement.
NOW, THEREFORE, in
consideration of the foregoing and the premises set forth herein
and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and
sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, and intending to be
legally bound hereby, the parties hereto agree as
follows:
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1.
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SECTION 1 —
DEFINITIONS . For the purposes of this
Agreement:
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1.1
“Act” means the Rhode Island Limited Partnership
Act, as amended from time to time, except that it shall not include
any provision thereof adopted after the date hereof that would only
be applicable to the Company absent a provision in this Agreement
to the contrary unless such provision is approved by the General
Partner.
1.2
“Additional Capital Contributions” means any
contributions to the capital of the Company made by any Partner
after the date hereof pursuant to Section 3.2 or
Section 3.5, other than the Initial Capital Contributions made
by an Initial Partner pursuant to Section 3.1.
1.3
“Adjusted Capital Account Deficit” shall mean,
with respect to any Partner, the deficit balance, if any, in such
Partner’s Capital Account as of the end of any relevant
fiscal year and after giving effect to the following
adjustments:
(a) credit
to such Capital Account any amounts which such Partner is obligated
or treated as obligated
to restore with respect to any
deficit balance in such Capital Account pursuant to
Section 1.704-1(b)(2) (ii) ( c ) of the Regulations or
is deemed to be obligated to restore with respect to any deficit
balance pursuant to the penultimate sentences of
Sections 1.704-2(g) (l) and 1.704-2 (i) (5) of the
Regulations; and
(b) debit
to such Capital Account the items described in
Sections 1.704-1(b)(2) (ii)( d )( 4 ),
1.704-1(b)(2) (ii)( d )( 5 ) and 1.704-1(b)(2) (ii)(
d )( 6 ) of the Regulations.
1.4
“Advanta” means Advanta Corp., a Delaware
corporation.
1.5
“Advanta Credit Card Business” means the
Business contributed by Advanta and its Affiliates to the LLC and
its Affiliates pursuant to the Contribution Agreement.
1.6
“Advanta Partner” means Advanta and each Partner
which is an Affiliate of Advanta or an assignee of Interests of an
Advanta Partner who becomes a Partner in accordance with the terms
of this Agreement.
1.7
“Affiliate” means, as 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 such Person. As used in this definition, the term
“control” means the possession, directly or indirectly,
or as trustee or executor, of the power to direct or cause the
direction of the management and policies of a Person, whether
through ownership of voting securities, as trustee or executor, by
contract or credit arrangement or otherwise.
1.8
“Agreement” means this Limited Partnership
Agreement, as it may be amended, modified, supplemented or restated
from time to time.
1.9
“Base Operating Earnings” means the pre-tax
operating earnings of the Business (as operated by the Company and
the LLC, as the Company’s predecessor) determined in
accordance with generally accepted accounting principles,
consistently applied.
1.10
“Book/Tax Differential” shall mean the sum of
(i) the difference between the financial statement value of
the Company Contributed Assets and Company Transferred Liabilities
(as such terms are defined in the Contribution Agreement) as
provided on the Closing Balance Sheet delivered to the LLC pursuant
to the Contribution Agreement and the federal income tax adjusted
basis of such assets and liabilities as of the Closing Date (as
provided on Schedule 3.1 attached to the Limited Liability
Agreement of the LLC) and (ii) the $44,261,000 of insurance
deferred acquisition costs; provided, however, that the
Book/Tax Differential shall be adjusted as appropriate, to take
into account adjustment to the income tax basis of the Company
Contributed Assets or Company Transferred Liabilities determined as
of the Closing Date to the extent of adjustments by the Internal
Revenue Service.
1.11
“Business” means the operation of a credit card
lending business, including, without limitation, the origination
and servicing of consumer credit cards, the determination of
creditworthiness of consumer credit card account customers, the
extension of credit to consumer credit card account customers and
the maintenance of consumer credit card accounts and
-2-
collection of receivables with
respect thereto, anywhere in the world, and to do any and all
things necessary to, convenient or, incidental to that
purpose.
1.12
“Capital Account” shall mean, with respect to
any Partner, the capital account established and maintained
pursuant to Section 3.3.
1.13
“Capital Contribution” shall mean, with respect
to any Partner, the aggregate amount of money, and the initial
Gross Asset Value of any property or asset contributed or deemed
contributed to the Company, net of liabilities assumed by the
Company in connection with such contribution or as to which such
property or asset is subject when contributed, as set forth on
Schedule A hereto. In the case of a Partner that acquires an
Interest in the Company by virtue of an assignment or transfer in
accordance with the terms of this Agreement, “Capital
Contribution” means the Capital Contribution of such
Partner’s predecessor to the extent relating to the acquired
Interest.
1.14
“Closing Date” shall mean February 20,
1998, the date the Limited Liability Company Agreement for the LLC
was signed.
1.15
“Company” means Fleet Credit Card Services,
L.P., a Rhode Island limited partnership.
1.16
“Company Minimum Gain” shall have the meaning
set forth in Section 1.704-2(b)(2) of the
Regulations.
1.17
“Contribution Agreement” means the Contribution
Agreement, dated as of October 28, 1997, by and between
Advanta and Fleet.
1.18
“Covered Person” means a Partner, any Affiliate
of a Partner, any officers, directors, shareholders, partners or
partners of a Partner or its respective Affiliates or any officers
of the Company.
1.19
“Depreciation” shall mean, with respect to any
asset of the Company for any fiscal year or other period, an amount
equal to the depreciation, amortization or other cost recovery, as
the case may be, allowed or allowable for federal income tax
purposes in respect of such asset for such fiscal year or other
period; provided, however, that if there is a difference
between the Gross Asset Value and the adjusted tax basis of such
asset, Depreciation shall mean “book” depreciation,
cost recovery or amortization as determined under
Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(g)( 3 ) of the
Regulations.
1.20
“Distributable Cash Flow” means the amount of
cash available for distribution by the Company as determined by the
General Partner in its sole and absolute discretion.
1.21
“Fleet” means Fleet Financial Group, Inc., a
Rhode Island corporation.
-3-
1.22
“Fleet Partner” means Fleet and each Partner
which is an Affiliate of Fleet or any assignee of Interests of a
Fleet Partner who becomes a Partner in accordance with the terms of
this Agreement.
1.23
“General Partner” shall initially mean Fleet
Credit Card Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and shall
include any other Person that becomes a general partner of the
Company.
1.24
“Gross Asset Value” shall mean, with respect to
any asset of the Company, such asset’s adjusted basis for
federal income tax purposes, except as follows:
(a) the
initial Gross Asset Value of any asset (other than cash)
contributed or deemed contributed to the Company shall be
(i) in the case of any asset transferred to the Company by
operation of law as a result of the Merger, the gross asset value
assigned to such asset by the LLC immediately prior to the Merger
and (ii) in the case of any other asset hereafter contributed
by a Partner, the gross fair market value of such asset at the time
of its contribution as reasonably determined by the General
Partner;
(b) if
the General Partner reasonably determines that an adjustment is
necessary or appropriate to reflect the relative economic interests
of the Partners, the Gross Asset Values of all Company assets shall
be adjusted to equal their respective gross fair market values, as
reasonably determined by the General Partner, as of the following
times:
(i) immediately
prior to a Capital Contribution (other than a de minimis
Capital Contribution) to the Company by a new or existing Partner
as consideration for a Company Interest;
(ii) immediately
prior to the distribution by the Company to a Partner of more than
a de minimis amount of Company property as consideration for
the redemption of a Company Interest; and
(iii) immediately
prior to the liquidation of the Company within the meaning of
Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(g) of the Regulations;
(c) the
Gross Asset Values of Company assets distributed to any Partner
shall be the gross fair market values of such assets as reasonably
determined by the General Partner as of the date of distribution;
and
(d) the
Gross Asset Value of any Company asset shall be increased (or
decreased) to reflect any adjustments to the adjusted basis of such
asset pursuant to Sections 734(b) or 743(b) of the Code, but only
to the extent that such adjustment is taken into account in
determining Capital Accounts pursuant to
Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)( m ) of the Regulations;
provided, however, that the Gross Asset Value shall not be
adjusted pursuant to
-4-
this paragraph to the extent that
the General Partner reasonably determines that an adjustment
pursuant to paragraph (b) above is necessary or appropriate in
connection with a transaction that would otherwise result in an
adjustment pursuant to this paragraph (d).
At
all times, the Gross Asset Value of an asset shall be adjusted by
any Depreciation taken into account with respect to such asset for
purposes of computing Net Income and Net Loss. Any adjustment to
the Gross Asset Values of Company property shall require an
adjustment to the Partners’ Capital Accounts.
1.25
“Initial Capital Contribution” means (i) as
to each Partner executing this Agreement as of the Closing Date,
the amount specified for that Partner as its Initial Capital
Contribution (which amount shall equal the value of the interest in
the LLC owned by such Partner at the time of the Merger), and
(ii) in the case of new Partners admitted pursuant to
Section 3.4, the Initial Capital Contribution established
pursuant thereto.
1.26
“Initial Partner” means any Person executing
this Agreement as of the Closing Date as a Partner, such Initial
Partners consisting of all of the members of the LLC.
1.27
“Interest” means a Partner’s share of the
capital, Net Income and Net Loss of, and the right to receive
distributions from the Company.
1.28
“Internal Revenue Code” or
“Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986,
as amended, or any successor statute. All references to specific
sections of the Internal Revenue Code shall be deemed to include
any provisions of the Internal Revenue Code which replaces or
supersedes the sections in effect at the time of execution of this
Agreement.
1.29
“Involuntary Withdrawal” means, with respect to
any Partner, (i) the death, resignation, expulsion, bankruptcy
or dissolution of such Partner as such events are construed in
accordance with Section 7-13-23 of the Act or (ii) the
obligatory withdrawal of such Partner caused by such
Partner’s attempted Transfer of its Partnership Rights,
collateral assignment, mortgage, pledge, lien encumbrance or
placing of any other charge in violation of this Agreement. In the
event of the Involuntary Withdrawal of a General Partner, its
Interest shall be converted automatically to an Interest as a
Limited Partner.
1.30
“LLC” means Fleet Credit Card, LLC, a limited
liability company formed under the laws of the State of Rhode
Island.
1.31
“Limited Partner” means any Person executing
this Agreement as of the Closing Date as a limited partner as set
forth on Schedule A and any Person who subsequently is
admitted as a limited partner of the Company, in accordance
herewith, but does not include any Person who has ceased to be a
Limited Partner of the Company.
1.32
“Merger” shall mean the merger of the LLC with
and into the Company, with the Company being the entity surviving
the merger.
-5-
1.33 “Net
Gains from Sales” means the first $10 million of Net
Income recognized by the Company from the sale or other disposition
of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets (other
than in the ordinary course of its business) in excess of the
cumulative sum of the Depreciation (accrued through the date of
such disposition and after the Closing Date) attributable to the
Company’s assets.
1.34 “Net
Income” or “Net Loss” shall mean, for
each fiscal year or other applicable period, an amount equal to the
Company’s net income or loss for such year or period as
determined for federal income tax purposes by the Company’s
accountants, determined in accordance with Section 703(a) of the
Code (for this purpose all items of income, gain, loss or deduction
required to be stated separately pursuant to Section 703(a)(1)
of the Code shall be included in taxable income or loss), with the
following adjustments: (a) by including as an item of income
any tax-exempt income received by the Company; (b) by treating
as a deductible expense any expenditure of the Company described in
Section 705(a)(2)(B) of the Code (including amounts paid or
incurred to organize the Company (unless an election is made
pursuant to Section 709(b) of the Code) or to promote the sale of
Interests and by treating deductions for any losses incurred in
connection with the sale or exchange of Company property disallowed
pursuant to Section 267(a)(1) or Section 707(b) of the Code as
expenditures described in Section 705(a)(2)(B) of the Code);
(c) in lieu of depreciation, depletion, amortization, and
other cost recovery deductions taken into account in computing
total income or loss, there shall be taken into account
Depreciation; (d) gain or loss resulting from any disposition
of Company property with respect to which gain or loss is
recognized for federal income tax purposes shall be computed by
reference to the Gross Asset Value of such property rather than its
adjusted tax basis; and (e) in the event of an adjustment of
the Gross Asset Value of any Company asset, which requires that the
Capital Accounts of the Company be adjusted pursuant to
Regulation Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)( e ), (
f ) and ( m ), the amount of such adjustment is to be
taken into account as additional Net Income or Net Loss pursuant to
Section 4.3. If an item of income, gain, loss or deduction has been
allocated pursuant to the special allocation rules in
Section 4.3.3, Section 4.4 or Section 4.6, Net
Income or Net Loss shall be computed without regard to such
item.
1.35
“Non-Public Information” means information not
in the public domain that is provided to a Partner in its capacity
as a party to any Transaction Document.
1.36
“Nonrecourse Deductions” shall have the meaning
set forth in Sections 1.704-2(b)(1) and (c) of the
Regulations.
1.37
“Nonrecourse Liabilities” shall have the meaning
set forth in Section 1.704-2(b)(3) of the
Regulations.
1.38
“Partner” shall mean a General Partner or a
Limited Partner of the Company.
1.39
“Partner Nonrecourse Deductions” shall have the
meaning set forth in Section 1.704-2(i)(2) of the
Regulations.
-6-
1.40
“Partnership Rights” means all of the rights of
a Partner of the Company, including, without limitation, a
Partner’s (i) Interest; (ii) right to inspect the
Company’s books and records; and (iii) right to
participate in the management of and vote on matters coming before
the Company in accordance with this Agreement.
1.41
“Partner Nonrecourse Debt Minimum Gain” shall
have the meaning set forth in Section 1.704-2(i)(2) of the
Regulations.
1.42
“Percentage” means, as to a Partner, its
percentage Interest set forth after the Partner’s name on
Schedule A, as amended from time to time.
1.43
“Person” means and includes an individual and
any other entity including, but not limited to, a corporation,
partnership, association, limited liability company, joint stock
company, trust or estate.
1.44
“Preferred Capital Contribution Amount” means
the amount contributed to the capital of the Company by the Fleet
Partners and designated by the General Partner as a preferred
capital contribution having such rights, designations, preferences,
qualifications, privileges, limitations and restrictions as shall
be fixed from time to time by the General Partner.
1.45
“Preferred Return” means a distribution computed
with respect to the amount of the Preferred Capital Contribution
Amount at such annual rate fixed by the General Partner at the time
of the contribution of the Preferred Capital Contribution Amount to
the Company.
1.46
“Rhode Island Secretary of State” means the
Secretary of State of the State of Rhode Island.
1.47
“Regulations” or “Treasury
Regulations” shall mean the income tax regulations,
including temporary regulations, promulgated under the Code, as
such regulations may be amended from time to time. All references
to specific sections of the Regulations shall be deemed to include
any provisions of the Regulations which replace or supersede the
sections in effect at the Closing Date.
1.48
“Subsidiary” means, when used with reference to
an entity, any corporation or other entity, a majority of the
outstanding voting securities of which are owned directly or
indirectly by such entity.
1.49
“Tax” or “Taxes” means any
and all federal, state, county, provincial, local, foreign and
other taxes, charges, fees, levies or other assessments, including,
without limitation, all net income, gross income, gross receipts,
premium, estimated, capital, sales, use, ad valorem ,
property, transfer, franchise, profits, license, withholding,
payroll, employment, excise, severance, stamp, occupation, customs,
duties or guaranty fund assessments, together with any interest,
additions to tax or interest, and penalties with respect thereto
imposed by any taxing or governmental authority.
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1.50
“Transaction Documents” mean the Contribution
Agreement and all other ancillary agreements to be executed by
Advanta and Fleet or their respective Affiliates in connection with
the transactions contemplated by the Contribution
Agreement.
1.51
“Transfer” means, when used as a noun, any
voluntary sale, exchange, disposition, assignment, or other
transfer, and, when used as a verb, means voluntarily to sell,
exchange, dispose of, assign or otherwise transfer. Transfer does
not include collateral assignment, mortgage, pledge, lien,
encumbrance or the placing of any charge or security
interest.
1.52 “US
Dollars” or “US$” means the lawful
currency of the United States of America.
1.53
“Voluntary Withdrawal” means a Partner’s
dissociation from the Company by means other than a Transfer of a
Partner’s Partnership Rights or an Involuntary
Withdrawal.
In
addition to the foregoing, the following terms are defined in the
Section of this Agreement noted below:
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Term
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Section
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4.5.2
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5.5
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6.5.1
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6.2
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10.1
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5.5
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2.4
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6.5.1
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6.5.1
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2.4
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7.2.5
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6.5.1
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4.3.2
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4.4.6
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5.7.3
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4.5.3
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4.1.4
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4.5.1
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4.1.3
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7.2.5
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2. SECTION 2 —
FORMATION OF THE COMPANY
2.1
Formation . (i) The Initial Partners hereby confirm the
formation of the Company as a limited partnership under and
pursuant to the Act and all other pertinent laws of the State of
Rhode Island on May ___,1998 by the filing of the Certificate of
Limited Partnership, in the form attached hereto as
Exhibit A , in the office of the Rhode Island Secretary
of State. From and after the date hereof, this Agreement shall
serve as the Limited Partnership Agreement of the Company. The
parties hereto agree that the rights, duties and liabilities of the
Initial Partners and any additional Partner admitted to the Company
in accordance with the terms hereof, shall be as provided in the
Act, except as otherwise provided herein.
(ii) CT
Corporation is hereby designated as an authorized person, within
the meaning of the Act, to execute, deliver and file, or to cause
the execution, delivery and filing of, any amendments or
restatements of the Certificate of Limited Partnership, any other
certificates, notices, statements or other instruments (and any
amendments or restatements thereof) necessary or advisable for the
continuation of the Company or the operation of the Company in all
jurisdictions where the Company may elect to do business, but no
such amendment or restatement may be executed, delivered or filed
unless adopted in a manner authorized by this Agreement.
2.2
Name of the Company . The name of the Company is Fleet
Credit Card Services, L.P. The Company shall do business under that
name and under any other name or names upon which Fleet, or any
Fleet Partner designated by Fleet, shall determine, in its sole
discretion. Each of the Partners agrees to take any and all actions
as may be required by law to have the LLC consent, in writing, to
allow the Company to use such name as required by
Section 7-13-2(3) of the Act. If the Company does business
under a name other than Fleet Credit Card Services, L.P., then the
Company shall file a trade name certificate as required by law.
Each Partner hereby agrees to take any and all action as may be
required to amend the Certificate of Limited Partnership to reflect
any change in the name of the Company.
2.3
Purpose . The Company is organized to engage in the
Business. The Company may also engage in and carry on any lawful
business, purpose or activity for which limited partnerships may be
formed under the Act and shall possess and exercise all the powers
and privileges granted to it by the Act, by any other law or by
this Agreement, together with any powers incidental to the conduct,
promotion and attainment of the business, purpose or activities of
the Company, so far as such powers are necessary or convenient;
provided, however , that the Company shall not engage
in any activity other than activities that are part of, or
incidental to, the business of banking and are permissible for an
operating subsidiary of a national bank.
2.4
Term . The term of the Company shall begin on the date of
acceptance of the Certificate of Limited Partnership by the office
of the Rhode Island Secretary of State and shall continue until
December 31, 2027 (the “Initial Term”), subject to
consecutive successive one (1) year extensions (each, an
“Extension”) unless (a) its existence is sooner
terminated pursuant to Section 8 of this Agreement or
(b) at least 180 days prior to the end of the Initial
Term or any Extension then in effect a Partner shall notify all
other Partners of such Partner’s refusal to
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extend, in which case the term
shall continue until the end of such Initial Term or Extension, as
applicable. The existence of the Company as a separate legal entity
shall continue until dissolution of the Company in the manner
required by the Act.
2.5
Principal Office . The principal office of the Company shall
be located at 50 Kennedy Plaza, Providence, Rhode Island 02903 or
at any other place which the General Partner may
determine.
2.6
Registered Agent . The name and address of the
Company’s registered agent and office in the State of Rhode
island shall be Edwards & Angell, 2700 Hospital Trust Tower,
Providence, Rhode Island 02903. At any time, the Chief Executive
Officer may designate another registered agent and/or registered
office.
2.7
Partners . The name, present mailing address, Initial
Capital Contribution and Percentage of each Partner are set forth
on Schedule A. The Chief Executive Officer, if any, or a
designee of the Chief Executive Officer, shall be authorized and
required to update from time to time as necessary to accurately
reflect the information therein as known by the Chief Executive
Officer, but no such update shall modify Schedule A in any
manner inconsistent with this Agreement or the Act. Any amendment
or revision to Schedule A made in accordance with this
Agreement shall not be deemed an amendment to this Agreement for
purposes of Section 10.12. Any reference in this Agreement to
Schedule A shall be deemed to be a reference to
Schedule A, as amended and in effect from time to
time.
2.8
Scope of Authority . No Limited Partner shall have any
authority to bind or act for, or assume any obligations or
responsibility on behalf of, any other Partner or the Company, and
neither the Company nor any Partner shall be responsible or liable
for any indebtedness or obligation of any other Partner or
otherwise relating to the Company incurred or arising either before
or after the execution of this Agreement, except as to those
liabilities and obligations assumed by the Company pursuant to the
terms of the Contribution Agreement, and the other Transaction
Documents and those joint responsibilities, liabilities or
obligations incurred after the date hereof pursuant to and as
limited by the terms of this Agreement.
2.9
Opening Balance Sheet; Tax Consequences of the Merger . The
Initial Partners acknowledge that the Company’s opening
balance sheet as of the Closing Date will be the same as the
closing balance sheet of the LLC on the date of the Merger. The
Initial Partners acknowledge that, for federal income tax purposes,
the Company is treated as a continuation of the LLC under Section
708 of the Code and that the Merger has no effect on the adjusted
income tax basis, Gross Asset Value or other tax attributes of any
assets or liabilities of the Company. The federal, state and local
income tax and other tax returns of the Company will be prepared in
a manner consistent with the foregoing, except to the extent
required by applicable law or regulation.
2.10 Company
Property . All property of the Company, whether real, personal
or mixed, tangible or intangible, shall be deemed to be owned by
the Company as an entity, and no Partner, individually, shall have
any direct ownership interest in such property.
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3. SECTION 3 —
PARTNERS; CAPITAL; CAPITAL ACCOUNTS
3.1
Initial Capital Contributions of Initial Partners . At the
time of the Merger, each of the Initial Partners shall be deemed to
have made a capital contribution to the Company equal to the fair
market value of its interest in the LLC. The Gross Asset Value to
the Company and the federal income tax adjusted basis of such
Initial Capital Contributions will be as set forth on
Schedule B attached hereto.
3.2
Additional Capital Contributions .
3.2.1
Each Partner may, upon request of the General Partner, elect to
contribute to the Company, in cash or other property, as determined
by the General Partner, all amounts that, in the judgment of the
General Partner, are necessary to enable the Company to cause the
assets of the Company to be properly operated and maintained and to
discharge its costs, expenses, obligations and liabilities;
provided, however, that no Advanta Partner shall be required
to make any Additional Capital Contributions; provided, further,
however, that no Fleet Partner will, be able to make an
Additional Capital Contribution if such contribution would violate
the provisions of Section 5.7.1. The General Partner shall
notify such Partner or Partners as the General Partner, in its sole
discretion, elects of the need for voluntary Additional Capital
Contributions when appropriate.
3.2.2
Each Additional Capital Contribution made by a Partner shall cause
an increase in such Partner’s Capital Account and an
adjustment to such Partner’s and each other Partner’s
Percentage; provided, however, that the aggregate Percentage
of all Advanta Partners shall be no less than one percent (1 %)
throughout the entire term of this Agreement.
3.2.3
Except as provided in this Agreement, a Partner shall not be
entitled to a withdrawal or a return of any part of its Capital
Contributions, interest on its Capital Contributions or to receive
property or assets other than cash in return thereof.
3.2.4
Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, no Partner shall be
entitled to priority over any other Partner with respect to a
return of its Capital Contributions, to the property and assets of
the Company or to allocations of income, gains, losses, deductions,
expenses, obligations, liabilities, credits or
distributions.
3.2.5
No Partner with a deficit balance in its Capital Account shall have
any obligation to the Company, to any other Partner or to any third
party to restore the deficit balance, except as expressly provided
herein and except to the extent required by the Act.
3.3
Capital Accounts . The Company will maintain a capital
account (the “Capital Account”) for each Partner. The
initial value of the Capital Account of each Initial Partner shall
be equal to its Initial Capital Contribution. Each Partner’s
Capital Account shall be (i) increased by (A) any Additional
Capital Contributions made by such Partner, (B) the share of
Company Net Income allocated to such Partner and any income
allocated pursuant to Section 4.3.3, 4.4,
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and Section 4.6 and
(C) the amount of liabilities of the Company assumed by such
Partner or that are secured by any Company assets distributed to
such Partner and (ii) decreased by (A) the amount of cash
and the Gross Asset Value of any Company assets distributed to such
Partner, (B) the share of Company Net Loss allocated to such
Partner and (C) the amount of liabilities of the Partner
assumed by the Company or that are secured by any assets
contributed to the Company by such Partner. In the event that an
Interest is transferred in accordance with this Agreement, the
Capital Account of the transferor (at the time of such transfer)
shall carry over to the transferee; provided, however, that
if any Partner transfers less than its entire Interest in the
Company, the transferor’s Capital Account shall be allocated
pro rata to the Interest retained by the transferor and the
Interest transferred. In furtherance of the foregoing, the Capital
Accounts shall be maintained in compliance with
Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv) of the Regulations, and the
provisions hereof shall be interpreted and applied in a manner
consistent therewith.
3.4
Additional Partners . Additional Persons may be admitted to
the Company as Partners and Partnership Rights may be created and
issued to those Persons and to existing Partners upon the approval
of the General Partner and on such terms and conditions as the
General Partner may determine at the time of admission. The terms
of admission or issuance must specify the Percentage, the amount of
such Partner’s Initial Capital Contribution and any priority
applicable thereto. At the time of admission, each new Partner
shall agree in writing to be bound by the terms of this Agreement
and shall make the applicable representations and warranties
contained in the Contribution Agreement.
3.5
Preferred Capital . Additional Capital Contributions may be
made in the form of Preferred Capital Contribution Amounts having
such rights, designations, preferences, qualifications, privileges,
limitations and restrictions as shall be fixed from time to time by
the General Partner.
4. SECTION 4 —
PROFIT, LOSS AND DISTRIBUTIONS
4.1
Distributions of Distributable Cash Flow- Tax Withholding
.
4.1.1
Distributable Cash Flow may be distributed from time to time in the
discretion of the General Partner in proportion to the
Partners’ Percentages.
4.1.2
The Company shall pay to the Fleet Partners, in the aggregate, at
least annually, a distribution equal to the amount of the Preferred
Return.
4.1.3
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the Company
shall withhold and deposit, as required under applicable law, all
withholding taxes imposed with respect to allocation of Net Income
(or items thereof) or distributions made to the Partners. Such
amounts shall be treated as a distribution to such Partner for all
purposes of this Agreement. To the extent that the amount treated
as a distribution pursuant to this Section 4.1.3 exceeds the
amount which would otherwise be distributed to such Partner under
all of the provisions of Section 4.1 for the entire fiscal
year, such excess shall be treated as a loan from the Company
to
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the Partner (a “Tax
Loan”) which shall be repaid within thirty days after the
close of the fiscal year.
4.1.4
Notwithstanding any other provision of Section 4.1, with
respect to any fiscal quarter of the Company in which a Partner
would be allocated taxable income for federal, state and local
income tax purposes if such fiscal quarter were a separate taxable
year (and for this purpose all items of income, gain, loss or
deduction required to be separately stated pursuant to
Section 703 of the Code shall be included in this calculation
of taxable income (other than the amount, if any, by which capital
losses exceed capital gains)) the Company shall distribute to each
such Partner, within 10 days after the close of such fiscal
quarter, the amount determined by multiplying the Partner’s
share of the Company’s taxable income (computed as set forth
in this sentence) by the highest composite federal, state and local
income tax rate applicable to all of the Partners (the “Tax
Distribution Amount”); provided, however, that with
respect to the fourth quarter of each fiscal year of the Company
the distribution shall be made 20 days prior to the close of
the fiscal quarter based on an estimate of the taxable income, if
any, for such quarter; and provided, further, that within
120 days after the close of the fiscal year, a final
calculation of such Partner’s share of the taxable income of
the Company for its entire fiscal year shall be made and if the sum
of the Tax Distribution Amounts to such Partner made for each
fiscal quarter differs from the Tax Distribution Amount calculated
based on such final determination of the entire fiscal year’s
taxable income, the difference shall be distributed to the Partner
or paid by such Partner to the Company, as the case may be. If
there is a subsequent increase in a Partner’s share of
taxable income for any fiscal period (as a result, for example, of
an audit by a governmental unit), the Company shall distribute an
amount to such Partner sufficient for such Partner to make any
payment of Taxes, interest, penalties, or additions to Tax,
actually due and owing, by reason of such increase in a
Partner’s share of the Company’s taxable income;
provided, however, that no increase in the amount of the Tax
Distribution shall be made as a result of an increase in Tax
arising out of the transactions effected by the Contribution
Agreement. It is further understood by the Partners that the Tax
Distribution made pursuant to this Section 4.1.4 is being made
in lieu of the distribution of the income or gain from which such
Tax arises. Accordingly, to the extent that a distribution of
income or gain is made to any Partner pursuant to any other
provision of Section 4.1, the amount of such distribution or
the amount of this Tax Distribution, as the case may be, shall be
decreased to take into account the fact that the Partner has
received the income or gain which gives rise to the Tax.
4.2
In-Kind Distributions . Except as otherwise provided in this
Agreement, assets of the Company (other than cash) may be
distributed in kind. If any assets of the Company are distributed
to the Partners in kind, such assets shall be valued on the basis
of the fair market value thereof on the date of distribution, and
the Capital Accounts of the Partners shall be adjusted to reflect
the manner in which the unrealized income, gain, loss, and
deduction inherent in such property (that has not previously been
reflected in the Capital Accounts of the Partners) would be
allocated among the Partners if there were a taxable disposition of
such property for its fair market value (taking into account
Section 7701 (g) of the Code) on the date of
distribution.
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4.3
Allocation of Net Income and Net Loss .
4.3.1
Net Income . After giving effect to the special allocations
set forth in Section 4.4, Section 4.3.3 and Section 4.6,
Net Income for any fiscal year or other applicable period shall be
allocated as set forth in this Section 4.3.1:
(i) First,
to the Fleet Partners until the cumulative Net Income allocated
pursuant to this Section 4.3.1 (i) for the current and
all prior periods equals the cumulative Net Loss allocated pursuant
Section 4.3.2(ii) to such Partners;
(ii) Second,
to the Partners, until the cumulative Net Income allocated pursuant
to this Section 4.3.1(ii) for the current and all prior
periods equals the cumulative Net Loss allocated to such Partners
pursuant to Sections 4.3.2 (i) and (iii) hereof for
all prior periods among the Partners in the reverse order that such
Net Loss was allocated pursuant to Sections 4.3.2(i) and
(iii) hereof;
(iii) Third,
to the Partners, in proportion to their respective Percentages,
until the cumulative sum allocated under Section 4.3.1
(i) and (ii) hereof and this Section 4.3.1
(iii) results in a positive Capital Account balance for each
Partner equal to the aggregate of such Partner’s Capital
Contributions, including such Partners Initial Capital
Contributions, Preferred Capital Contribution Amount and Additional
Capital Contributions (without taking into account in determining
Capital Account balances an amount equal to (x) any income or
gain allocated to a Partner under Sections 4.6 and 4.3.1(iv)
hereof, minus (y) the sum of distributions under
Sections 4.1.1, 4.1.3 and 4.1.4 hereof to such Partner, but
only up to an amount of distributions that does not exceed the
amount determined under clause (x)); and,
(iv) Fourth,
to the Partners in proportion to their respective
Percentages.
4.3.2
Net Loss . After giving effect to the special allocations
set forth in Section 4.4, Section 4.3.3 and Section 4.6,
Net Loss of the Company for each fiscal year or other applicable
period shall be allocated as follows:
(i) To
the Partners in proportion to their respective Percentages, until
the amount of the Capital Account balance of each Fleet Partner is
equal to the amount of its Preferred Capital Contribution Amount
and the amount of the Capital Account balance of each Advanta
Partner is equal to $0.
(ii) To
the Fleet Partners, to the extent of and in proportion to, the
remaining positive balance in their respective Capital Accounts;
and
(iii) Thereafter,
to the Partners in proportion to their respective
Percentages.
- 14 -
(iv) Notwithstanding
Section 4.3.2(i)-(iii) hereof, to the extent any Net Loss
allocated to a Partner under Section 4.3.2(i)-(iii) would
cause such Partner to have an Adjusted Capital Account Deficit as
of the end of the fiscal year to which such Net Loss relates, such
Net Loss shall not be allocated to such Partner and instead shall
be allocated to other Partners (herein the “Permitted
Partners”), if any, having positive Capital Account balances,
in proportion to such balances, and thereafter in accordance with
the Permitted Partners’ respective economic risk of loss with
respect to any indebtedness to which the remaining Net Loss (or any
item thereof) is attributable.
4.3.3
For each fiscal year or other applicable period of the Company,
gross income of the Company shall be allocated to the Fleet
Partners to the extent of the excess of the cumulative Preferred
Return paid to the Fleet Partners for all periods over the
cumulative amount of gross income previously allocated to the Fleet
Partners pursuant to this Section 4.3.3.
4.4
Special Allocations . The following special allocations
shall be made in the following order:
4.4.1
Minimum Gain Chargeback . If there is a net decrease in
Company Minimum Gain for any Company fiscal year (except as a
result of conversion or refinancing of Company indebtedness,
certain capital contributions or revaluation of the Company
property as further outlined in Sections 1.704-2(d)(4), (f)(2)
or (f)(3) of the Regulations), each Partner shall be specially
allocated items of Company income and gain for such year (and, if
necessary, subsequent years) in an amount equal to that
Partner’s share of the net decrease in Company Minimum Gain.
The items to be so allocated shall be determined in accordance with
Section 1.704-2(f) of the Regulations. This Section 4.4.1
is intended to comply with the minimum gain chargeback requirement
in said Section of the Regulations and shall be interpreted
consistently therewith. Allocations pursuant to this
Section 4.4.1 shall be made in proportion to the respective
amounts required to be allocated to each Partner pursuant
hereto.
4.4.2
Minimum Gain Attributable to Partner Nonrecourse Debt . If
there is a net decrease in Partner Nonrecourse Debt Minimum Gain
during any fiscal year (other than due to the conversion,
refinancing or other change in the debt instrument causing it to
become partially or wholly nonrecourse, certain capital
contributions, or certain revaluations of Company property (as
further outlined in Section 1.704-2(i)(4)of the Regulations),
each Partner shall be specially allocated items of Company income
and gain for such year (and, if necessary, subsequent years) in an
amount equal to the Partner’s share of the net decrease in
the Partner Nonrecourse Debt Minimum Gain. The items to be so
allocated shall be determined in accordance with
Section 1.704-2(i)(4) and (j)(2)of the Regulations. This
paragraph 4.4.2 is intended to comply with the minimum gain
chargebac