Exhibit 3.1
Execution Copy
THIRD AMENDED AND RESTATED
AGREEMENT OF LIMITED PARTNERSHIP
OF
CROSSTEX ENERGY, L.P.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS
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1
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Definitions
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1
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Construction
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18
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ARTICLE II
ORGANIZATION
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18
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Formation
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18
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Name
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19
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Registered Office;
Registered Agent; Principal Office; Other Offices
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19
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Purpose and
Business
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19
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Powers
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20
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Power of
Attorney
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20
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Term
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21
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Title to Partnership
Assets
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21
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ARTICLE III
RIGHTS OF LIMITED PARTNERS
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22
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Limitation of
Liability
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22
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Management of
Business
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22
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Outside Activities of
the Limited Partners
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22
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Rights of Limited
Partners
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23
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ARTICLE IV
CERTIFICATES; RECORD HOLDERS; TRANSFER OF PARTNERSHIP INTERESTS;
REDEMPTION OF PARTNERSHIP INTERESTS
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24
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Certificates
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24
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Mutilated, Destroyed,
Lost or Stolen Certificates
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24
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Record
Holders
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25
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Transfer
Generally
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25
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Registration and
Transfer of Limited Partner Interests
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26
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Transfer of the General
Partner’s General Partner Interest
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27
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Transfer of Incentive
Distribution Rights
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27
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Restrictions on
Transfers
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28
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Citizenship
Certificates; Non-citizen Assignees
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28
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Redemption of
Partnership Interests of Non-citizen Assignees
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29
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ARTICLE V
CAPITAL CONTRIBUTIONS AND ISSUANCE OF PARTNERSHIP
INTERESTS
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31
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Organizational
Contributions
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31
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Contributions by the
General Partner and its Affiliates
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31
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Contributions by
Initial Limited Partners
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31
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Interest and
Withdrawal
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32
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Capital
Accounts
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32
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Issuances of Additional
Partnership Securities
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37
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Limitations on Issuance
of Additional Partnership Securities
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38
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Conversion of Senior
Subordinated Units
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40
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Conversion of
Subordinated Units
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40
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Limited Preemptive
Right
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42
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Splits and
Combinations
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42
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Fully Paid and
Non-Assessable Nature of Limited Partner Interests
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43
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ARTICLE VI
ALLOCATIONS AND DISTRIBUTIONS
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43
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Allocations for Capital
Account Purposes
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43
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Allocations for Tax
Purposes
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50
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Requirement and
Characterization of Distributions; Distributions to Record
Holders
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52
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Distributions of
Available Cash from Operating Surplus
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53
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Distributions of
Available Cash from Capital Surplus
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54
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Adjustment of Minimum
Quarterly Distribution and Target Distribution Levels
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55
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Special Provisions
Relating to the Holders of Senior Subordinated Units
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55
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Special Provisions
Relating to the Holders of Subordinated Units
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56
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Special Provisions
Relating to the Holders of Incentive Distribution Rights
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57
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Entity-Level
Taxation
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57
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ARTICLE VII
MANAGEMENT AND OPERATION OF BUSINESS
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57
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Management
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57
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Certificate of Limited
Partnership
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59
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Restrictions on the
General Partner’s Authority
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60
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Reimbursement of the
General Partner
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61
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Outside
Activities
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62
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Loans from the General
Partner; Loans or Contributions from the Partnership;
Contracts
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with Affiliates;
Certain Restrictions on the General Partner
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63
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Indemnification
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65
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Liability of
Indemnitees
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66
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Resolution of Conflicts
of Interest
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67
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Other Matters
Concerning the General Partner
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68
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Purchase or Sale of
Partnership Securities
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69
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Registration Rights of
the General Partner and its Affiliates
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69
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Reliance by Third
Parties
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71
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ARTICLE VIII
BOOKS, RECORDS, ACCOUNTING AND REPORTS
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72
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Records and
Accounting
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72
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Fiscal Year
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72
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Reports
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72
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ARTICLE IX
TAX MATTERS
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73
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Tax Returns and
Information
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73
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Tax
Elections
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73
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Tax
Controversies
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73
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Withholding
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73
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ARTICLE X
ADMISSION OF PARTNERS
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74
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Admission of Initial
Limited Partners
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74
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Admission of
Substituted Limited Partner
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74
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Admission of Successor
General Partner
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75
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Admission of Additional
Limited Partners
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75
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Amendment of Agreement
and Certificate of Limited Partnership
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75
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ARTICLE XI
WITHDRAWAL OR REMOVAL OF PARTNERS
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76
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Withdrawal of the
General Partner
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76
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Removal of the General
Partner
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77
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Interest of Departing
Partner and Successor General Partner
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78
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Termination of
Subordination Period, Conversion of Subordinated Units
and
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Extinguishment of
Cumulative Common Unit Arrearages
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79
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Withdrawal of Limited
Partners
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79
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ARTICLE XII
DISSOLUTION AND LIQUIDATION
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80
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Dissolution
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80
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Continuation of the
Business of the Partnership After Dissolution
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80
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Liquidator
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81
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Liquidation
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82
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Cancellation of
Certificate of Limited Partnership
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82
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Return of
Contributions
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82
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ii
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Waiver of
Partition
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83
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Capital Account
Restoration
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83
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ARTICLE XIII
AMENDMENT OF PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT; MEETINGS; RECORD
DATE
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83
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Amendment to be Adopted
Solely by the General Partner
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83
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Amendment
Procedures
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84
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Amendment
Requirements
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85
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Special
Meetings
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85
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Notice of a
Meeting
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86
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Record Date
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86
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Adjournment
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86
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Waiver of Notice;
Approval of Meeting; Approval of Minutes
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86
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Quorum
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87
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Conduct of a
Meeting
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87
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Action Without a
Meeting
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88
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Voting and Other
Rights
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88
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ARTICLE XIV
MERGER
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89
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Authority
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89
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Procedure for Merger or
Consolidation
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89
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Approval by Limited
Partners of Merger or Consolidation
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90
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Certificate of
Merger
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91
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Effect of
Merger
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91
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ARTICLE XV
RIGHT TO ACQUIRE LIMITED PARTNER INTERESTS
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91
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Right to Acquire
Limited Partner Interests
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91
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ARTICLE XVI
GENERAL PROVISIONS
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93
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Addresses and
Notices
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93
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Further
Action
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94
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Binding
Effect
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94
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Integration
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94
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Creditors
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94
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Waiver
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94
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Counterparts
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94
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Applicable
Law
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94
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Invalidity of
Provisions
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95
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Consent of
Partners
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95
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iii
THIRD AMENDED AND RESTATED AGREEMENT OF
LIMITED
PARTNERSHIP OF CROSSTEX ENERGY, L.P.
THIS THIRD AMENDED
AND RESTATED AGREEMENT OF LIMITED PARTNERSHIP OF CROSSTEX ENERGY,
L.P. dated as of June 24, 2005, is entered into by and among
Crosstex Energy GP, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership, as the
General Partner, together with any other Persons who become
Partners in the Partnership or parties hereto as provided herein.
In consideration of the covenants, conditions and agreements
contained herein, the parties hereto hereby agree as
follows:
ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS
Section 1.1
Definitions.
The
following definitions shall be for all purposes, unless otherwise
clearly indicated to the contrary, applied to the terms used in
this Agreement.
“
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 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.
“
Adjusted Capital Account ” of a Partner means the
Capital Account maintained for such Partner adjusted as provided
herein. The balance of an Adjusted Capital Account at any time is
the balance of the Capital Account at such time (a) increased
by any amounts that such Partner is obligated at such time 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 losses and deductions
that are reasonably expected at such time to be allocated to such
Partner in subsequent taxable periods of the Partnership 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 are reasonably expected at such
time to be made to such Partner in subsequent taxable periods to
the extent they exceed offsetting increases to such Partner’s
Capital Account that are reasonably expected to occur during (or
prior to) the taxable period 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” in respect of a General Partner Interest, a Common
Unit, a Senior Subordinated Unit, a Subordinated Unit or an
Incentive Distribution Right or any other Partnership Interest
shall be the amount which the
1
Adjusted Capital Account of a
Partner would be if such Partnership Interest were the only
interest in the Partnership held by that Partner from and after the
date on which such Partnership Interest was first
issued.
“
Adjusted Operating Surplus ” means, with respect to
any period, Operating Surplus generated during such period
(a) less (i) any net increase in Working Capital
Borrowings with respect to such period and (ii) any net
reduction 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 clause (a)(i) of the definition of
Operating Surplus.
“
Affiliate ” means, with respect to any Person, any
other Person that directly or indirectly through one or more
intermediaries controls, is controlled by or is under common
control with, the Person in question. As used herein, the term
“control” means the possession, direct or indirect, of
the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and
policies of a Person, whether through ownership of voting
securities, by contract or otherwise.
“ Agreed
Allocation ” means any allocation, other than a Required
Allocation, of an item of income, gain, loss or deduction pursuant
to the provisions of Section 6.1.
“ Agreed
Value ” of any item of property means the fair market
value of such item of property as determined by the General Partner
using such reasonable method of valuation as it may adopt. The
General Partner shall, in its discretion, use such method as it
deems reasonable and appropriate to allocate the aggregate Agreed
Value of one or more properties that are 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 such item of property.
“
Agreement ” means this Third Amended and Restated
Agreement of Limited Partnership of Crosstex Energy, L.P., as it
may be amended, supplemented or restated from time to
time.
“
Assignee ” means a Non-citizen Assignee or 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 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:
2
(a) the
sum of (i) all cash and cash equivalents of the Partnership
Group on hand at the end of such Quarter, and (ii) all
additional cash and cash equivalents of the Partnership Group 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 that are necessary or appropriate in
the reasonable discretion of the General Partner to
(i) provide for the proper conduct of the business of the
Partnership Group (including reserves for future capital
expenditures and for anticipated future credit needs of the
Partnership Group) subsequent to such Quarter, (ii) comply
with applicable law or any loan agreement, security agreement,
mortgage, debt instrument or other agreement or obligation to which
any Group Member is a party or by which it is bound or its assets
are subject and (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.
“
Book-Down Event ” means an event after which a
negative adjustment is made to the aggregate Carrying Values of the
assets of the Partnership pursuant to
Section 5.5(d).
“ Book-Up
Event ” means an event after which a positive adjustment
is made to the aggregate Carrying Values of the assets of the
Partnership 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 Texas
shall not be regarded as a Business Day.
“ Capital
Account ” of a Partner is maintained as provided in
Section 5.5. The “ Capital Account ” in
respect of a General Partner Interest, a Common Unit, a Senior
Subordinated Unit, a Subordinated Unit, an Incentive Distribution
Right or other Partnership Interest is the Capital Account that
would be maintained if such Partnership Interest were the only
interest in the Partnership held by a Partner from and after the
date on which such Partnership Interest was first
issued.
“ Capital
Contribution ” means any cash, cash equivalents or the
Net Agreed Value of Contributed Property that a Partner contributes
to the Partnership pursuant to this Agreement or the Contribution
Agreements.
3
“ Capital
Improvement ” means any (a) addition or improvement
to the capital assets owned by any Group Member or
(b) acquisition of existing, or the construction of new,
capital assets (including, without limitation, natural gas
gathering or transmission pipelines and natural gas treating or
processing plants and natural gas liquids pipelines, fractionation
plants and storage and distribution facilities and related assets),
in each case if such addition, improvement, acquisition or
construction is made to increase the operating capacity or revenues
of the Partnership Group from the operating capacity or revenues of
the Partnership Group existing 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 ” of an item of Partnership property
immediately after the Closing Date is the fair market value of such
item of Partnership property as determined by the General Partner
using such reasonable method of valuation as it may adopt. For
purposes hereof, the Partnership shall be treated as owning
directly its share (as determined by the General Partner) of all
property owned by the Operating Partnership or any other Subsidiary
that is classified as a partnership or is disregarded for federal
income tax purposes. The Carrying Value of any item of Partnership
property shall be adjusted from time to time as provided in
Section 5.5(b) and Section 5.5(d). The Carrying Value of
an item of property that is acquired by the Partnership after the
Closing Date shall be the amount that would be the adjusted basis
for federal income tax purposes of such property in the hands of
the Partnership immediately after its acquisition if the adjusted
basis for federal income tax purposes of each asset of the
Partnership at that time were equal to its Carrying Value at that
time.
“
Cause ” means a court of competent jurisdiction has
entered a final, non-appealable judgment finding the General
Partner liable for actual fraud, gross negligence or willful or
wanton misconduct in its capacity as a general partner of the
Partnership.
“
Certificate ” means a certificate
(i) substantially in the form of Exhibit A to this
Agreement, (ii) issued in global form in accordance with the
rules and regulations of the Depositary or (iii) in such other
form as may be adopted by the General Partner in its discretion,
issued by the Partnership evidencing ownership of one or more
Common Units or a certificate, in such form as may be adopted by
the General Partner in its discretion, issued by the Partnership
evidencing ownership of one or more other Partnership
Securities.
“
Certificate of Limited Partnership ” means the
Certificate of Limited Partnership of the Partnership filed with
the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware as referenced in
Section 2.1, as such Certificate of Limited Partnership may be
amended, supplemented or restated from time to time.
“
Citizenship Certification ” means a properly completed
certificate in such form as may be specified by the General Partner
by which an Assignee or a Limited Partner certifies that he (and if
he is a nominee holding for the account of another Person, that to
the best of his knowledge such other Person) is an Eligible
Citizen.
“
Claim ” as used in Section 7.12 has the meaning
assigned to such term in Section 7.12(c).
4
“ Closing
Contribution Agreement ” means that certain Contribution,
Conveyance and Assumption Agreement, dated as of the Closing Date,
among the General Partner, the Partnership, the Operating
Partnership, Crosstex Energy, Inc. and certain other parties,
together with the additional conveyance documents and instruments
contemplated or referenced thereunder.
“ Closing
Date ” means the first date on which Common Units are
sold by the Partnership to the Underwriters pursuant to the
provisions of the Underwriting Agreement.
“ Closing
Price ” has the meaning assigned to such term in
Section 15.1(a).
“
Code ” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as
amended and in effect from time to time. Any reference herein to a
specific section or sections of the Code shall be deemed to include
a reference to any corresponding provision of any successor
law.
“
Combined Interest ” has the meaning assigned to such
term in Section 11.3(a).
“
Commission ” means the United States Securities and
Exchange Commission.
“ Common
Unit ” means a Partnership Security 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 refer to a Senior Subordinated
Unit or 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 National Securities
Exchange on which the Common Units are listed for
trading.
“
Contributed Property ” means each property or other
asset, in such form as may be permitted by the Delaware Act, but
excluding cash, contributed to the Partnership.
“
Contribution Agreements ” mean, collectively, the
First Contribution Agreement and the Closing Contribution
Agreement.
“
Corrective Allocation ” means any allocation of an
item of income, gain, loss, deduction or credit pursuant to
Section 6.1(d)(xi).
5
“
Crosstex Energy, Inc. ” means Crosstex Energy, Inc., a
Delaware corporation formerly named of Crosstex Energy Holdings
Inc.
“
Crosstex GP ” means Crosstex Energy GP, LLC, a
Delaware limited liability company and the general partner of the
General Partner.
“
Crosstex Texas Inc. ” means Crosstex Energy Inc., a
Texas corporation and former wholly-owned subsidiary of Crosstex
Energy, Inc., a Delaware corporation, which subsequent to the
Closing Date, was merged with and into Crosstex Energy,
Inc.
“
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
Section 6.1(d)(x).
“ Current
Market Price ” has the meaning assigned to such term in
Section 15.1(a).
“
Delaware Act ” means the Delaware Revised Uniform
Limited Partnership Act, 6 Del C. Section 17-101, et seq., as
amended, supplemented or restated from time to time, and any
successor to such statute.
“
Departing Partner ” means a former General Partner
from and after the effective date of any withdrawal or removal of
such former General Partner pursuant to Section 11.1 or
11.2.
“
Depositary ” means, with respect to any Units issued
in global form, The Depository Trust Company and its successors and
permitted assigns.
“
Economic Risk of Loss ” has the meaning set forth in
Treasury Regulation Section 1.752-2(a).
“
Eligible Citizen ” means a Person qualified to own
interests in real property in jurisdictions in which any Group
Member does business or proposes to do business from time to time,
and whose status as a Limited Partner or Assignee does not or would
not subject such Group Member to a significant risk of cancellation
or forfeiture of any of its properties or any interest
therein.
“ Event
of Withdrawal ” has the meaning assigned to such term in
Section 11.1(a).
“ Final
Subordinated Units ” has the meaning assigned to such
term in Section 6.1(d)(ix).
“ First
Contribution Agreement ” means that certain Contribution,
Conveyance and Assumption Agreement, dated as of November 27,
2002, among the General Partner, the
6
Partnership, the Operating
Partnership, Crosstex Energy, Inc. and certain other parties,
together with the additional conveyance documents and instruments
contemplated or referenced thereunder.
“ First
Liquidation Target Amount ” has the meaning assigned to
such term in Section 6.1(c)(i)(D).
“ First
Target Distribution ” means $0.3125 per Unit per Quarter
(or, with respect to the period commencing on the Closing Date and
ending on March 31, 2003, it means the product of $0.3125
multiplied by a fraction of which the numerator is the number of
days in such period, and of which the denominator is 90), subject
to adjustment in accordance with Sections 6.6 and
6.10.
“ 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,
exercise or exchange price is less than the Current Market Price on
the date of such calculation, and (c) that may be converted
into or exercised or exchanged for such Units prior to or during
the Quarter following the end of the last Quarter contained in 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; provided that for purposes of determining the number of
Outstanding Units on a Fully Diluted Basis when calculating whether
the Subordination Period has ended or Subordinated Units are
entitled to convert into Common Units pursuant to Section 5.9,
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
which such consideration would purchase at the Current Market
Price.
“ General
Partner ” means Crosstex Energy GP, L.P. and its
successors and permitted assigns as general partner of the
Partnership.
“ 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 may be evidenced by Partnership Securities or a
combination thereof or interest therein, 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.
“
Group ” means a Person that with or through any of its
Affiliates or Associates has any agreement, arrangement or
understanding for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting (except
voting pursuant to a revocable proxy or consent given to such
Person in response to a proxy or
7
consent solicitation made to 10
or more Persons) or disposing of any Partnership Securities with
any other Person that beneficially owns, or whose Affiliates or
Associates beneficially own, directly or indirectly, Partnership
Securities.
“ Group
Member ” means a member of the Partnership
Group.
“
Holder ” as used in Section 7.12, has the meaning
assigned to such term in Section 7.12(a).
“
Incentive Distribution Right ” means a non-voting
Limited Partner Interest issued to the General Partner pursuant to
Section 5.2, which Partnership 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 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 Section 6.4 or any other provision of this
Agreement.
“
Indemnified Persons ” has the meaning assigned to such
term in Section 7.12(c).
“
Indemnitee ” means (a) the General Partner,
(b) any Departing Partner, (c) any Person who is or was
an Affiliate of the General Partner or any Departing Partner,
(d) any Person who is or was a member, partner, officer,
director, employee, agent, fiduciary or trustee of any Group
Member, the General Partner or any Departing Partner or any
Affiliate of any Group Member, the General Partner or any Departing
Partner, and (e) any Person who is or was serving at the
request of the General Partner or any Departing Partner or any
Affiliate of the General Partner or any Departing Partner as an
officer, director, employee, member, partner, agent, 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.
“ Initial
Common Units ” means the Common Units sold in the Initial
Offering.
“ Initial
Limited Partners ” means Crosstex Energy, Inc. 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 multiplied (in order to give effect to the Unit Split) by
50 percent, (b) with respect to the Senior Subordinated
Units, $37.4545 per unit or (c) 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
8
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 and sales of debt
securities (other than Working Capital Borrowings and other than
for items purchased on open account in the ordinary course of
business) by any Group Member; (b) sales of equity interests
by any Group Member (including the Common Units sold to the
Underwriters pursuant to the exercise of the Over-Allotment
Option); and (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.
“ 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. In the case of
the Senior Subordinated Units, the Issue Price shall be deemed to
be $33.4356 per unit.
“ 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 Additional Limited Partner and
any Departing Partner upon the change of its status from General
Partner to Limited Partner pursuant to Section 11.3 or
(b) solely for purposes of Articles V, VI, VII and IX, each
Assignee; provided, however, that when the term “Limited
Partner” is used herein in the context of any vote or other
approval, including without limitation Articles XIII and XIV, such
term shall not, solely for such purpose, include any holder of an
Incentive Distribution Right 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, Senior Subordinated 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 without
limitation Articles XIII and XIV, such term shall not, solely for
such purpose, include any holder of an Incentive Distribution Right
except as may otherwise be required by law.
“
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 reconstitute the Partnership and continue its business 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.
9
“
Liquidator ” means one or more Persons selected by the
General Partner to perform the functions described in
Section 12.3 as liquidating trustee of the Partnership within
the meaning of the Delaware Act.
“ Merger
Agreement ” has the meaning assigned to such term in
Section 14.1.
“ Minimum
Quarterly Distribution ” means $0.25 per Unit per Quarter
(or with respect to the period commencing on the Closing Date and
ending on March 31, 2003, it means the product of $0.25
multiplied by a fraction of which the numerator is the number of
days in such period and of which the denominator is 90), subject to
adjustment in accordance with Sections 6.6 and
6.10.
“
National Securities Exchange ” means an exchange
registered with the Commission under Section 6(a) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, supplemented or restated from
time to time, and any successor to such statute, or the Nasdaq
Stock 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 by the
Partnership, the Partnership’s Carrying Value in such
property assuming that the adjustment permitted by
Section 5.5(d)(ii) is made immediately before the time such
property is distributed, reduced by any indebtedness either assumed
by the distributee 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 ” for any taxable period of the Partnership means
the sum, if positive, of all items of income, gain, loss and
deduction that are recognized by the Partnership during such
taxable period and on or before the Liquidation Date. The items
included in the calculation of Net Income shall be determined in
accordance with Section 5.5(b) but shall not include any items
allocated under Section 6.1(d).
“ Net
Loss ” for any taxable period of the Partnership means
the sum, if negative, of all items of income, gain, loss or
deduction that are recognized by the Partnership during such
taxable period of the Partnership and on or before the Liquidation
Date. The items included in the calculation of Net Loss shall be
determined in accordance with Section 5.5(b) but shall not
include any items allocated under Section 6.1(d).
“ Net
Termination Gain ” for any taxable period of the
Partnership means the sum, if positive, of all items of income,
gain, loss or deduction recognized by the Partnership during such
taxable period of the Partnership and after the Liquidation Date.
The items included in the determination of Net Termination Gain
shall be determined in accordance with Section 5.5(b) but
shall not include any items that are allocated under
Section 6.1(d).
“ Net
Termination Loss ” for any taxable period of the
Partnership means the sum, if negative, of all items of income,
gain, loss or deduction recognized by the Partnership during such
taxable period of the Partnership and after the Liquidation Date.
The items included in the
10
determination of Net Termination
Loss shall be determined in accordance with Section 5.5(b) but
shall not include any items that are allocated under
Section 6.1(d).
“
Non-citizen Assignee ” means a Person whom the General
Partner has determined in its discretion does not constitute an
Eligible Citizen and as to whose Partnership Interest the General
Partner has become the Substituted Limited Partner pursuant to
Section 4.9.
“
Nonrecourse Deductions ” means any and all items of
loss, deduction or expenditure (including, without limitation, any
expenditure described in Section 705(a)(2)(B) of the Code)
that, in accordance with the principles of Treasury
Regulation Section 1.704-2(b), are attributable to a
Nonrecourse Liability.
“
Nonrecourse Liability ” has the meaning set forth in
Treasury Regulation Section 1.752-1(a)(2).
“ Notice
of Election to Purchase ” has the meaning assigned to
such term in Section 15.1(b).
“ Omnibus
Agreement ” means that Omnibus Agreement, dated as of the
Closing Date, among Crosstex Energy, Inc., the General Partner,
Crosstex GP, the Partnership and the Operating
Partnership.
“
Operating Expenditures ” means all Partnership Group
expenditures, including, but not limited to, taxes, reimbursements
of the General Partner, repayment of Working Capital Borrowings,
debt service payments and capital expenditures, subject to the
following:
(a) Payments
(including prepayments) of principal of and premium on indebtedness
other than Working Capital Borrowings shall not constitute
Operating Expenditures; and
(b) Operating
Expenditures shall not include (i) capital expenditures made
for Acquisitions or for Capital Improvements, (ii) payment of
transaction expenses 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’s good faith
allocation between the amounts paid for each shall be
conclusive.
“
Operating Partnership ” means Crosstex Energy
Services, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership, and any successors
thereto.
“
Operating Partnership Agreement ” means the Amended
and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of the Operating
Partnership, as it may be amended, supplemented or restated from
time to time.
“
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) $8.9 million plus all cash and cash equivalents of
the Partnership Group on hand as of the close of business on the
Closing Date, (ii) all cash receipts
11
of the Partnership Group for the
period beginning on the Closing Date and ending with the last day
of such period, other than cash receipts from Interim Capital
Transactions (except to the extent specified in Section 6.5)
and (iii) all cash receipts of the Partnership Group 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 and
(ii) the amount of cash reserves that is necessary or
advisable in the reasonable discretion of the General Partner to
provide funds for future Operating Expenditures; 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 in its
reasonable discretion.
“ 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 Crosstex
Energy, Inc. 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
any Outstanding Partnership Securities of any class then
Outstanding, all Partnership Securities owned by such Person or
Group shall not be voted on any matter and shall not be considered
to be Outstanding when sending notices of a meeting of Limited
Partners to vote on any matter (unless otherwise required by law),
calculating required votes, determining the presence of a quorum or
for other similar purposes under this Agreement, except that Common
Units so owned shall be considered to be Outstanding for purposes
of Section 11.1(b)(iv) (such Common Units shall not, however,
be treated as a separate class of Partnership Securities for
purposes of this Agreement); provided, further, that the foregoing
limitation shall not apply (i) to any Person or Group who
acquired 20% or more of any Outstanding Partnership Securities of
any class then Outstanding directly from the General Partner or its
Affiliates, (ii) to any Person or Group who acquired 20% or
more of any 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,
12
or (iii) to 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 of the General Partner.
“
Over-Allotment Option ” means the over-allotment
option granted to the Underwriters by the Partnership pursuant to
the Underwriting Agreement.
“ Parity
Units ” means Common Units and all other Units of any
other class or series that have the right (i) to receive
distributions of Available Cash from Operating Surplus pursuant to
each of subclauses (a)(i) and (a)(ii) of Section 6.4 in the
same order of priority with respect to the participation of Common
Units in such distributions or (ii) to participate in
allocations of Net Termination Gain pursuant to
Section 6.1(c)(i)(B) in the same order of priority with the
Common Units, in each case regardless of whether the amounts or
value so distributed or allocated on each Parity Unit equals the
amount or value so distributed or allocated on each Common Unit.
Units whose participation in such (i) distributions of
Available Cash from Operating Surplus and (ii) allocations of Net
Termination Gain are subordinate in order of priority to such
distributions and allocations on Common Units shall not constitute
Parity Units even if such Units are convertible under certain
circumstances into Common Units or Parity Units.
“ 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
or deduction determined in accordance with Section 5.5(b)
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 Crosstex Energy, L.P., a Delaware
limited partnership, and any successors thereto.
“
Partnership Group ” means the Partnership, the
Operating Partnership and any Subsidiary of any such entity,
treated as a single consolidated 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 without limitation, Common
Units, Senior Subordinated Units, Subordinated Units and Incentive
Distribution Rights.
13
“
Percentage Interest ” means as of any date of
determination (a) as to the General Partner (in its capacity
as General Partner without reference to any Limited Partner
Interests held by it), 2%, (b) as to any Unitholder or
Assignee holding Units, the product obtained by multiplying
(i) 98% less the percentage applicable to paragraph
(c) 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 (c) as
to the holders of additional Partnership Securities issued by the
Partnership in accordance with Section 5.6, the number of
Units to which such Partnership Securities are equivalent for the
purpose of determining Percentage Interest (and only for such
purpose) as determined by the General Partner 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 modifying Units or any class
thereof, apportioned equally among all designated Units in
accordance with their relative Percentage Interests, (b) when
modifying Partners and Assignees, apportioned among all Partners
and Assignees in accordance with their relative Percentage
Interests and (c) when modifying holders of Incentive
Distribution Rights, apportioned equally among all holders of
Incentive Distribution Rights in accordance with the relative
number 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 Units
of a certain class (other than Units owned by the General Partner
and its Affiliates) pursuant to Article XV.
“
Quarter ” means, unless the context requires
otherwise, a fiscal quarter, or, with respect to the first fiscal
quarter after the Closing Date, the portion of such fiscal quarter
after the Closing Date, of the Partnership.
“
Recapture Income ” means any gain recognized by the
Partnership for federal income tax purposes (computed without
regard to any adjustment required by Section 734 or
Section 743 of the Code) upon the disposition of any property
of the Partnership, which gain is characterized as ordinary income
for federal income tax purposes because it represents the recapture
of deductions previously taken with respect to such
property.
“ Record
Date ” means the date established by the General Partner
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
14
respect to other Partnership
Securities, the Person in whose name any such other Partnership
Security is registered on the books which 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 (Registration No. 333-97779) 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.
“
Required Allocations ” means (a) any limitation
imposed on the allocation of Net Losses or Net Termination Losses
under Section 6.1(b) or 6.1(c) that is identified therein as a
Required Allocation and (b) any allocation of an item of
income, gain, loss or deduction pursuant to Section 6.1(d) that is
identified therein as a Required Allocation.
“
Restricted Business ” has the meaning assigned to such
term in the Omnibus Agreement.
“ Second
Target Distribution ” means $0.375 per Unit per Quarter
(or, with respect to the period commencing on the Closing Date and
ending on March 31, 2003, it means the product of $0.375
multiplied by a fraction of which the numerator is equal to the
number of days in such period and of which the denominator is 90),
subject to adjustment in accordance with Sections 6.6 and
6.10.
“
Securities Act ” means the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, supplemented or restated from time to time and any
successor to such statute.
“ Senior
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 Senior Subordinated Units in this
Agreement. The term “Senior Subordinated Unit” as used
herein does not include a Common Unit, a Parity Unit or a
Subordinated Unit. A Senior Subordinated Unit shall not constitute
a Common Unit or Parity Unit until it converts into a Common
Unit.
“ 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” as used herein does not
include a Common Unit, a Parity Unit or a Senior Subordinated Unit.
A Subordinated Unit that is convertible into a Common Unit or a
Parity Unit shall not constitute a Common Unit or Parity 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:
15
(a) the
first day of any Quarter beginning after December 31, 2007 in
respect of which (i) (A) distributions of Available Cash from
Operating Surplus on each of the Outstanding Common Units and
Subordinated Units and any other Outstanding Units that are senior
or equal in right of distribution to the Subordinated Units (other
than the Senior 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 (or portion thereof for the first fiscal
quarter after the Closing Date) 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 (other
than the Senior Subordinated Units) during such periods and
(B) the Adjusted Operating Surplus generated during 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 and
Subordinated 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, plus the
related distribution on the General Partner Interest, during such
periods 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 Units held
by the General Partner and its Affiliates are not 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 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).
“ Taxable
Period of the Partnership” or “taxable period of the
Partnership” has the meaning assigned thereto in
Section 5.5(b)(viii).
“ Trading
Day ” has the meaning assigned to such term in
Section 15.1(a).
16
“
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 the Underwriting
Agreement dated December 11, 2002 among the Underwriters, the
Partnership, and certain other parties, providing for the purchase
of Common Units by such Underwriters.
“
Unit ” means a Partnership Security that is designated
as a “Unit” and shall include Common Units, Senior
Subordinated Units and Subordinated Units but shall not include
(i) a General Partner Interest or (ii) Incentive
Distribution Rights.
“ Unit
Split” has the meaning assigned to such term in
Section 2.1.
“
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 majority of the Outstanding Senior
Subordinated Units and Subordinated Units voting as a single class,
and thereafter, 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 ” of any item of Partnership property
at any time means the excess, if any, of (a) the fair market
value of such property at such time (prior to any adjustment to be
made pursuant to Section 5.5(d) as of the time) over
(b) the Carrying Value of such property as of such time prior
to any adjustment to be made pursuant to Section 5.5(d) as of
such time.
“
Unrealized Loss ” of any item of Partnership property
at any time means the excess, if any, of (a) the Carrying
Value of such property as of such time (prior to any adjustment to
be made pursuant to Section 5.5(d) as of such time) over
(b) the fair market value of such property as of such
time.
“
Unrecovered Capital ” 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
17
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 or other arrangement to the extent
such borrowings are required to be reduced to a relatively small
amount each year (or for the year in which the Initial Offering is
consummated, the 12-month period beginning on the Closing Date) for
an economically meaningful period of time.
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 term “include” or “includes”
means includes, without limitation, and “including”
means including, without limitation; and (d) references to
directors, officers and employees of the General Partner shall mean
the directors, officers and employees, respectively, of Crosstex GP
acting on behalf of the General Partner.
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. The General Partner and the
Limited Partners have previously entered into that certain Amended
and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of the Partnership,
dated as of December 17, 2002. On March 29, 2004, the
General Partner and the Limited Partners entered into that certain
Second Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of the
Partnership (i) to reflect the various numerical changes
resulting from the two-for-one split in Common Units and
Subordinated Units (the “Unit Split”) declared by
Crosstex GP on February 26, 2004, having a record date of
March 16, 2004 and a distribution date of March 29, 2004
(ii) and make other miscellaneous revisions. The Unit Split
was effected in accordance with Section 5.11 of this
Agreement, and all such numerical changes are reflected as if the
Unit Split had occurred at the beginning of the Partnership’s
existence. The purpose of this Third Amended and Restated Agreement
of Limited Partnership is (i) to establish the rights and
obligations of the Senior Subordinated Units in connection with the
issuance of such Partnership Securities pursuant to
Section 5.7(e) of this Agreement and (ii) to make other
miscellaneous revisions. This amendment and restatement shall
become effective on the date of this Agreement. Except as expressly
provided to the
18
contrary in this Agreement, the
rights, duties (including fiduciary duties), liabilities and
obligations of the Partners and the administration, dissolution and
termination of the Partnership shall be governed by the Delaware
Act. All Partnership Interests shall constitute personal property
of the owner thereof for all purposes and a Partner has no interest
in specific Partnership property.
Section 2.2
Name.
The
name of the Partnership shall be “Crosstex Energy,
L.P.” The Partnership’s business may be conducted under
any other name or names deemed necessary or appropriate by the
General Partner in its sole discretion, 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 in its discretion may change the
name of the Partnership at any time and from time to time and shall
notify the Limited Partners of such change in the next regular
communication to the Limited Partners.
Section 2.3 Registered
Office; Registered Agent; Principal Office; Other
Offices
Unless and until
changed by the General Partner, the registered office of the
Partnership in the State of Delaware shall be located at 1209
Orange Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19801, and the registered agent
for service of process on the Partnership in the State of Delaware
at such registered office shall be The Corporation Trust Company.
The principal office of the Partnership shall be located at 2501
Cedar Springs, Dallas, Texas 75201 or such other place as the
General Partner may from time to time designate by notice to the
Limited Partners. The Partnership may maintain offices at such
other place or places within or outside the State of Delaware as
the General Partner deems necessary or appropriate. The address of
the General Partner shall be 2501 Cedar Springs, Suite 100,
Dallas, Texas 75201 or such other place as the General Partner may
from time to time designate by notice to the Limited
Partners.
Section 2.4 Purpose and
Business.
The
purpose and nature of the business to be conducted by the
Partnership shall be to (a) serve as a partner of the Operating
Partnership and, in connection therewith, to exercise all the
rights and powers conferred upon the Partnership as a partner of
the Operating Partnership pursuant to the Operating Partnership
Agreement or otherwise, (b) engage directly in, or enter into
or form any corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited
liability company or other arrangement to engage indirectly in, any
business activity that the Operating Partnership is permitted to
engage in by the Operating Partnership Agreement or that its
subsidiaries are permitted to engage in by their limited liability
company or partnership agreements 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, (c) engage directly in, or enter into or form any
corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company
or other arrangement to engage indirectly in, any business activity
that is approved by the General Partner and which 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
(d) do
19
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
reasonably 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. The General Partner has no
obligation or duty to the Partnership, the Limited Partners or the
Assignees to propose or approve, and in its discretion may decline
to propose or approve, the conduct by the Partnership of any
business.
Section 2.5
Powers.
The
Partnership shall be empowered to do any and all acts and things
necessary, appropriate, proper, advisable, incidental to or
convenient for the furtherance and accomplishment of the purposes
and business described in Section 2.4 and for the protection
and benefit of the Partnership.
Section 2.6 Power of
Attorney.
(a) Each
Limited Partner 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 (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 deems 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 deems 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 deems 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 or consolidation
of the Partnership pursuant to Article XIV; and
20
(ii) execute,
swear to, acknowledge, deliver, file and record all ballots,
consents, approvals, waivers, certificates, documents and other
instruments necessary or appropriate, in the discretion of the
General Partner or the Liquidator, to 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 is necessary or appropriate, in
the discretion of the General Partner or the Liquidator, to
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 deems
necessary to effectuate this Agreement and the purposes of the
Partnership.
Section 2.7
Term.
The
term of the Partnership commenced upon the filing of the
Certificate of Limited Partnership in accordance with the Delaware
Act and shall continue in existence until the dissolution of the
Partnership in accordance with the provisions of Article XII.
The existence of the Partnership as a separate legal entity shall
continue until the cancellation of the Certificate of Limited
Partnership as provided in the Delaware Act.
Section 2.8 Title to
Partnership Assets.
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
21
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 and the Omnibus Agreement, which
shall continue to be applicable to the Persons referred to therein,
regardless of whether such Persons shall also be Limited Partners
or Assignees, 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
22
any rights by virtue of this
Agreement in any business ventures of any Limited Partner or
Assignee.
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 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 becoming available, to obtain a copy of the
Partnership’s federal, state and local income tax returns for
each year;
(iii) to have
furnished to him a current list of the name and last known
business, residence or mailing address of each Partner;
(iv) to have
furnished to him a copy of this Agreement and the Certificate of
Limited Partnership and all amendments thereto, together with a
copy of the executed copies of all powers of attorney pursuant to
which this Agreement, the Certificate of Limited Partnership and
all amendments thereto have been executed;
(v) to obtain true
and full information regarding the amount of cash and a description
and statement of the Net Agreed Value of any other Capital
Contribution by each Partner and which 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 (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).
23
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, Senior Subordinated
Units or Subordinated Units to any Person, the Partnership may
issue 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 interests in the Partnership and
(b) upon the request of any Person owning Incentive
Distribution Rights or any other Partnership Securities, the
Partnership shall issue to such Person one or more certificates
evidencing such Incentive Distribution Rights or other Partnership
Securities. Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the
Partnership by the Chairman of the Board, President or any
Executive Vice President or Vice President and the Secretary or any
Assistant Secretary of the General Partner. No Common Unit
Certificate shall be valid for any purpose until it has been
countersigned by the Transfer Agent; provided, however, that if the
General Partner elects to issue Common Units in global form, the
Common Unit Certificates shall be valid upon receipt of a
certificate from the Transfer Agent certifying that the Common
Units have been duly registered in accordance with the directions
of the Partnership and the Underwriters. Subject to the
requirements of Sections 6.7(c) and 6.8(b), the Partners
holding Certificates evidencing Senior Subordinated Units or
Subordinated Units may exchange such Certificates for Certificates
evidencing Common Units on or after the date on which such Senior
Subordinated Units or Subordinated Units are converted into Common
Units pursuant to the terms of Sections 5.8 and 5.9,
respectively.
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 reasonably direct, in its sole discretion,
24
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 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 for trading. Without limiting the foregoing, when a
Person (such as a broker, dealer, bank, trust company or clearing
corporation or an agent of any of the foregoing) is acting as
nominee, agent or in some other representative capacity for another
Person in acquiring and/or holding Partnership Interests, as
between the Partnership on the one hand, and such other Persons on
the other, such representative Person (a) shall be the Partner
or Assignee (as the case may be) of record and beneficially, (b)
must execute and deliver a Transfer Application and (c) 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
by which the General Partner assigns its General Partner Interest
to another Person who becomes the general partner of the
Partnership, by which the holder of a Limited Partner Interest
assigns such Limited Partner Interest to another Person who is or
becomes a Limited Partner or an Assignee, and includes a sale,
assignment, gift, pledge, encumbrance, hypothecation, mortgage,
exchange or any other disposition by law or otherwise.
(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
25
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 partner or other owner of the General Partner of
any or all of the partnership interests or other ownership
interests of the General Partner.
Section 4.5 Registration
and Transfer of Limited Partner Interests.
(a) The
General Partner shall keep or cause to be kept on behalf of the
Partnership a register in which, subject to such reasonable
regulations as it may prescribe and subject to the provisions of
Section 4.5(b), the Partnership will provide for the
registration and transfer of Limited Partner Interests. The
Transfer Agent is hereby appointed registrar and transfer agent for
the purpose of registering Common Units and transfers of such
Common Units as herein provided. The Partnership shall not
recognize transfers of Certificates evidencing Limited Partner
Interests unless such transfers are effected in the manner
described in this Section 4.5. Upon surrender of a Certificate
for registration of transfer of any Limited Partner Interests
evidenced by a Certificate, and subject to the provisions of
Section 4.5(b), the appropriate officers of the General
Partner on behalf of the Partnership shall execute and deliver, and
in the case of Common Units, the Transfer Agent shall countersign
and deliver, in the name of the holder or the designated transferee
or transferees, as required pursuant to the holder’s
instructions, one or more new Certificates evidencing the same
aggregate number and type of Limited Partner Interests as was
evidenced by the Certificate so surrendered.
(b) Except as
otherwise provided in Section 4.9, 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 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.
(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
26
in this Agreement and
(v) given the consents and approvals and made the waivers
contained in this Agreement.
(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 December 31, 2012, the
General Partner shall not transfer all or any part of its General
Partner Interest to a Person unless such transfer (i) has been
approved by the prior written consent or vote of the holders of at
least a majority of the Outstanding Common Units (excluding Common
Units held by the General Partner and its Affiliates) or
(ii) is of all, but not less than all, of its General Partner
Interest to (A) an Affiliate of the General Partner (other
than an individual) or (B) another Person (other than an
individual) in connection with the merger or consolidation of the
General Partner with or into another Person (other than an
individual) or the transfer by the General Partner of all or
substantially all of its assets to another Person (other than an
individual).
(b) Subject
to Section 4.6(c) below, on or after December 31, 2012,
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 of any
Limited Partner or of any limited partner of the Operating
Partnership or cause the Partnership or the Operating 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 Partnership Interest, and the business of the
Partnership shall continue without dissolution.
Section 4.7 Transfer of
Incentive Distribution Rights.
Prior to
December 31, 2012, 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 (a) to an
Affiliate of such holder (other than an individual) or (b) to
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 or substantially
all of the equity interests of such holder to such other Person.
Any other transfer of the Incentive
27
Distribution Rights prior to
December 31, 2012, 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 December 31, 2012, 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.
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 Partnership or the Operating Partnership under
the laws of the jurisdiction of its formation, or (iii) cause
the Partnership or the Operating 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 a subsequent Opinion of Counsel determines
that such restrictions are necessary to avoid a significant risk of
any Group Member becoming taxable as a corporation or otherwise to
be taxed as an entity for federal income tax purposes. The
restrictions may be imposed by making such amendments to this
Agreement as the General Partner may determine to be necessary or
appropriate to impose such restrictions; provided, however, that
any amendment that the General Partner believes, in the exercise of
its reasonable discretion, could 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 traded 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 Senior Subordinated Unit or a Subordinated Unit that
has converted into a Common Unit shall be subject to the
restrictions imposed by Sections 6.7(c) and 6.8(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 for trading.
Section 4.9 Citizenship
Certificates; Non-citizen Assignees.
(a) If any
Group Member is or becomes subject to any federal, state or local
law or regulation that, in the reasonable determination of the
General Partner, creates a substantial risk of cancellation or
forfeiture of any property in which the Group Member has an
interest based on the nationality, citizenship or other related
status of a Limited Partner or Assignee, the General
28
Partner may request any Limited
Partner or Assignee to furnish to the General Partner, within
30 days after receipt of such request, an executed Citizenship
Certification or such other information concerning his nationality,
citizenship or other related status (or, if the Limited Partner or
Assignee is a nominee holding for the account of another Person,
the nationality, citizenship or other related status of such
Person) as the General Partner may request. If a Limited Partner or
Assignee fails to furnish to the General Partner within the
aforementioned 30-day period such Citizenship Certification or
other requested information or if upon receipt of such Citizenship
Certification or other requested information the General Partner
determines, with the advice of counsel, that a Limited Partner or
Assignee is not an Eligible Citizen, the Partnership 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 Partner or Assignee be changed to that of a Non-citizen
Assignee and, thereupon, the General Partner shall be substituted
for such Non-citizen Assignee as the Limited Partner in respect of
his Limited Partner Interests.
(b) The
General Partner shall, in exercising voting rights in respect of
Limited Partner Interests held by it on behalf of Non-citizen
Assignees, distribute the votes in the same ratios as the votes of
Partners (including without limitation the General Partner) in
respect of Limited Partner Interests other than those of
Non-citizen Assignees are cast, either for, against or abstaining
as to the matter.
(c) Upon
dissolution of the Partnership, a Non-citizen Assignee shall have
no right to receive a distribution in kind pursuant to
Section 12.4 but shall be entitled to the cash equivalent
thereof, and the Partnership shall provide cash in exchange for an
assignment of the Non-citizen Assignee’s share of the
distribution in kind. Such payment and assignment shall be treated
for Partnership purposes as a purchase by the Partnership from the
Non-citizen Assignee of his Limited Partner Interest (representing
his right to receive his share of such distribution in
kind).
(d) At any
time after he can and does certify that he has become an Eligible
Citizen, a Non-citizen Assignee may, upon application to the
General Partner, request admission as a Substituted Limited Partner
with respect to any Limited Partner Interests of such Non-citizen
Assignee not redeemed pursuant to Section 4.10, and upon his
admission pursuant to Section 10.2, the General Partner shall
cease to be deemed to be the Limited Partner in respect of the
Non-citizen Assignee’s Limited Partner Interests.
Section 4.10 Redemption
of Partnership Interests of Non-citizen Assignees.
(a) If at any
time a Limited Partner or Assignee fails to furnish a Citizenship
Certification or other information requested within the 30-day
period specified in Section 4.9(a), or if upon receipt of such
Citizenship Certification or other information the General Partner
determines, with the advice of counsel, that a Limited Partner or
Assignee is not an Eligible Citizen, the Partnership may, unless
the Limited Partner or Assignee establishes to the satisfaction of
the General Partner that such Limited Partner or Assignee is an
Eligible Citizen or has transferred his Partnership Interests to a
Person who is an Eligible Citizen and who furnishes a Citizenship
Certification to the General Partner prior to the date fixed for
redemption as provided below, redeem the Partnership Interest of
such Limited Partner or Assignee as follows:
29
(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 or
Assignee, at his last address designated on the records of the
Partnership or the Transfer Agent, by registered or certified mail,
postage prepaid. The notice shall be deemed to have been given when
so mailed. The notice shall specify the Redeemable Interests, the
date fixed for redemption, the place of payment, that payment of
the redemption price will be made upon surrender of the Certificate
evidencing the Redeemable Interests and that on and after the date
fixed for redemption no further allocations or distributions to
which the Limited Partner or Assignee would otherwise be entitled
in respect of the Redeemable Interests will accrue or be
made.
(ii) The aggregate
redemption price for Redeemable Interests shall be an amount equal
to the Current Market Price (the date of determination of which
shall be the date fixed for redemption) of Limited Partner
Interests of the class to be so redeemed multiplied by the number
of Limited Partner Interests of each such class included among the
Redeemable Interests. The redemption price shall be paid, in the
discretion of the General Partner, in cash or by delivery of a
promissory note of the Partnership in the principal amount of the
redemption price, bearing interest at the rate of 10% annually and
payable in three equal annual installments of principal together
with accrued interest, commencing one year after the redemption
date.
(iii) Upon
surrender by or on behalf of the Limited Partner or Assignee, at
the place specified in the notice of redemption, of the Certificate
evidencing the Redeemable Interests, duly endorsed in blank or
accompanied by an assignment duly executed in blank, the Limited
Partner or Assignee 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
Citizen.
(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 Citizenship Certification
delivered in connection with the Transfer Application that he is an
Eligible Citizen. If the transferee fails to make such
certification, such redemption shall be effected from the
transferee on the original redemption date.
30
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
Closing Contribution Agreement; the initial Capital Contributions
of the Organizational Limited Partner shall thereupon be refunded;
and the Organizational Limited Partner shall cease to be a Limited
Partner of the Partnership. 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.
On December 6, 2002 and pursuant to the First Contribution
Agreement, among other things, (i) Crosstex Energy, Inc. and
Crosstex Texas Inc. transferred their interests in the predecessor
to the Operating Partnership to the Partnership in exchange for a
limited partner interest in the Partnership and (ii) Crosstex
Texas Inc. transferred its limited partner interest in the
Partnership to the General Partner.
Section 5.2 Contributions
by the General Partner and its Affiliates.
(a) On the
Closing Date and pursuant to the Closing Contribution Agreement,
(i) the General Partner’s initial general partner
interest and its limited partner interest was converted into (A)
the 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) Crosstex Energy, Inc.’s limited partner interest
was converted (taking into account the effect of the Unit Split)
into (A) 666,000 Common Units, (B) 9,334,000 Subordinated
Units and (C) the right to receive $2.5 million from the
Partnership on the Closing Date.
(b) Upon the
issuance of any additional Limited Partner Interests by the
Partnership (other than the issuance of the Common Units issued in
the Initial Offering and other than the issuance of the Common
Units issued pursuant to the Over-Allotment Option), the General
Partner shall be required to make additional Capital Contributions
equal to 2/98ths of any amount contributed to the Partnership by
the Limited Partners in exchange for the additional Limited Partner
Interests issued to such Limited Partners. Except as set forth in
the immediately preceding sentence and Article XII, the General
Partner shall not be obligated to make any additional Capital
Contributions to the Partnership.
Section 5.3 Contributions
by Initial Limited Partners.
(a) On the
Closing Date and pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, each
Underwriter contributed to the Partnership cash in an amount equal
to the Issue Price per Initial
31
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 number of Common Units.
(b) Upon the
exercise of the Over-Allotment Option, each Underwriter contributed
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 Option Closing Date in exchange for such number
of Common Units.
(c) No
Limited Partner Interests were 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
4,000,000, (ii) the “Additional Units” as such
term is used in the Underwriting Agreement in an aggregate number
up to 600,000 issuable upon exercise of the Over-Allotment Option
pursuant to subparagraph (b) hereof, (iii) the 666,000
Common Units issuable to Crosstex Energy, Inc. pursuant to
Section 5.2 hereof, (iv) the 9,334,000 Subordinated Units
issuable to Crosstex Energy, Inc. 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.
The
provisions of this Section 5.5 are subject to
Section 5.5(e) which addresses the effect of the Unit
Split.
(a) The
balance of the Capital Account of an Underwriter (and derivatively
of the holder of one or more Common Units who purchases directly or
indirectly from an Underwriter) in respect of each Common Unit
acquired thereby pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement at the
Closing or by reason of the exercise of the Over-Allotment Option
shall be the Issue Price for an Initial Common Unit, and the
balance of the Capital Account of each such Underwriter shall be
the product of such initial balance for a Common Unit multiplied by
the number of Common Units held thereby. The initial balance of the
Capital Account of the General Partner and of its Affiliates shall
be the amount of cash and the Net Agreed Value of the property of
the Partnership (that is, the property for which the Partnership
computes a Carrying Value) that would be distributed to the General
Partner and any such affiliate pursuant to this Agreement prior to
the contributions that are to be made pursuant to Section 5.3
hereof if such cash and Net Agreed Value were distributed only to
the General Partner Interest and the Units held by the General
Partner and its Affiliates in proportion to the relative right of
such interests to
32
distributions that are made 2% to
the General Partner Interest and 98% to the holders of Units, Pro
Rata. The balance of the Capital Accounts of the Common Units held
by such a Person shall be determined as though the aggregate amount
that was deemed distributed with respect to the Units held thereby
was distributed first to such Common Units, Pro Rata until the
Initial Issue Price was distributed to each Common Unit held
thereby. The balance of the Capital Accounts of the Subordinated
Units held by such a Person shall be the portion of such cash and
Net Agreed Value that could have been, but was not, applied
pursuant to the preceding sentence in determining the Capital
Account balance of the Common Units. Any Common Unit the Capital
Account balance of which is less than the Initial Issue Price shall
be treated as a converted Subordinated Unit for purposes of
Section 5.5(c)(ii) and Section 6.8(b) and as a Final
Subordinated Unit for purposes of Section 6.1(d)(ix). The initial
Capital Account balance in respect of each Senior Subordinated Unit
shall be the Issue Price for such Senior Subordinated Unit, and the
initial Capital Account balance of each holder of Senior
Subordinated Units in respect of all Senior Subordinated Units held
shall be the product of such initial balance for a Senior
Subordinated Unit multiplied by the number of Senior Subordinated
Units held thereby. The initial Capital Account balance of any
other Partner shall be zero. Thereafter, the Capital Account of
each Partner shall be increased by (i) the amount of cash and
the Net Agreed Value of property contributed to the Partnership by
such Partner pursuant to this Agreement and (ii) all items of
Partnership income and gain allocated to such Partner pursuant to
Section 6.1, and it shall be decreased by (x) the amount
of cash or Net Agreed Value of all distributions of cash or
property made to such Partner pursuant to this Agreement and
(y) all items of Partnership deduction and loss allocated to
such Partner pursuant to Section 6.1. The General Partner may
in connection with the issuance of Partnership Interests after the
Initial Offering and the exercise (or not) of the Over-Allotment
Option adjust the balance of the Capital Account of any Partner so
as to preserve the agreed economic relationship between the
Partnership Interests that are so issued and the Partnership
Interests that were outstanding prior to such issuance; provided
that the economic relationships between the Partnership Interests
that were outstanding prior to such issuance are not changed
thereby. Any such adjustment shall be recorded in the records of
the Partnership.
(b) The items
of income, gain, loss or deduction that are recognized by the
Partnership for federal income tax purposes during a taxable period
of the Partnership shall be adjusted as is set out in this
Section 5.5(b) and shall then be allocated among the Partners
as is provided in Section 6.1.
(i) The
Partnership shall be treated as owning directly its share (as
determined by the General Partner) of all property owned by the
Operating Partnership or any other Subsidiary that is, in each
case, classified as a partnership or is disregarded 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 cannot either be deducted
or amortized under Section 709 of the Code shall be treated as an
item of deduction at the time such fees and other expenses are
incurred. Any such fees and expenses that were incurred in
connection with the Initial Offering shall be deemed to have been
incurred in the first taxable period of the Partnership that ends
after the Initial Offering. Any underwriting discount or commission
that is allowed to an Underwriter by reason of the Underwriting
Agreement
33
or
the Over-Allotment Option, and any difference between the Initial
Unit Price and the Issue Price of the Senior Subordinated Units,
shall not be treated as an item of deduction of the Partnership
that is allocable pursuant to Section 6.1.
(iii) The
computation of items of income, gain, loss and deduction shall be
made without regard to any election under Section 754 of the
Code; provided that if an adjustment to the adjusted tax basis of
any Partnership asset is required pursuant to Section 734(b) or
743(b) of the Code, 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 shall be treated as an item of income or deduction, as
the case may be, at the time of the adjustment, and the Carrying
Value of each Partnership asset in respect of which there was such
an adjustment shall also be adjusted at that time.
(iv) Any income,
gain, deduction or loss attributable to the taxable disposition of
any Partnership property shall be determined as if the adjusted
basis of such property were equal to the Partnership’s
Carrying Value for such property as of the date of
disposition.
(v) Any deductions
for depreciation, cost recovery or amortization that are
attributable to any Partnership property shall be determined as if
the adjusted basis of such property were equal to the Carrying
Value thereof and by 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 and appropriately taking into account the
length of any short taxable period of the Partnership; provided,
however, that, if the Partnership property has a zero adjusted
basis for federal income tax purposes, depreciation, cost recovery
or amortization deductions shall be determined using any reasonable
method that the General Partner may adopt. Any deduction for
depreciation, cost recovery or amortization in respect of
Partnership property that is determined pursuant to this
Section 5.5(b) shall reduce the Carrying Value of that
Partnership property as of the end of the taxable period of the
Partnership in which such deduction was recognized. Notwithstanding
the foregoing portion of this Section 5.5(b)(v), such
deductions for depreciation, cost recovery, or amortization shall
be determined with respect to any portion of such Carrying Value
with respect to which Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-3(d)
remedial allocations are to be made (including reverse section
704(c) allocations that are to be made as Treasury
Regulation Section 1.704-3(d) remedial allocations)
pursuant to provisions hereof in accordance with a method that is
permitted by such Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-3(d)
and that is selected by the General Partner.
(vi) If the
Partnership’s adjusted basis in 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 be an
additional depreciation or cost recovery deduction in the year such
property is placed in service at the time of such reduction and
shall be treated as a reduction in the Carrying Value of such
property. Any restoration of such basis pursuant to
Section 48(q)(2) of the Code shall be an item of income at the
time of such restoration and shall be treated as an increase in the
Carrying Value of such property at the time of such
restoration.
34
(vii) Any items of
gain and loss that are determined pursuant to Section 5.5(d)
hereof shall be treated as items of income and deduction,
respectively, that are recognized in the taxable period of the
Partnership that ends with the event that causes the determination
of such gain or loss. An item of income of the Partnership that is
described in Section 705(a)(1)(B) of the Code (with respect to
items of income that are exempt from tax) shall be treated as an
item of income for the purpose of this Section 5.5(b), and an
item of expense of the Partnership that is described in
Section 705(a)(2)(B) of the Code (with respect to expenditures
that are deductible and not chargeable to capital accounts), shall
be treated as an item of deduction for the purpose of this
Section 5.5(b).
(viii) A taxable
period of the Partnership includes a taxable year of the
Partnership. The portion of a taxable period of the Partnership
that ends with the Closing Date or with an event in respect of
which there is an adjustment to Carrying Values pursuant to Section
5.5(d) hereof shall be treated as the end of a taxable period of
the Partnership. The portion of such taxable year of the
Partnership that begins immediately thereafter shall be treated as
a taxable period for purposes of the preceding sentence with the
result that each taxable year of the Partnership may contain one or
more taxable periods of the Partnership. The items of income, gain,
loss and deduction of the Partnership that are recognized for
federal, state or local income tax purposes prior to the Closing
Date shall not be allocated pursuant to this Agreement.
(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) Immediately
prior to the transfer of a Senior Subordinated Unit or Subordinated
Unit, or of a Senior Subordinated Unit or Subordinated Unit that
has converted into a Common Unit pursuant to Sections 5.8 or
5.9 (other than a transfer to an Affiliate unless the General
Partner elects to have this Section 5.5(c)(ii) apply with
respect to such transfer), the Capital Account maintained for such
Person with respect to its Senior Subordinated Units, Subordinated
Units, converted Senior Subordinated Units, or converted
Subordinated Units, as the case may be, will (A) first, be
allocated to such Units that are to be transferred so that the
balance of the Capital Account thereof shall be equal to the then
balance of the Capital Account of an Initial Common Unit, and
(B) second, shall be allocated to any Senior Subordinated
Units, Subordinated Units, converted Senior Subordinated Units, or
converted Subordinated Units that are retained. The amount so
allocated to each class of Units shall thereafter be the balance of
the Capital Account thereof.
(d) (i) On
an issuance of additional Partnership Interests for cash (excluding
however any issuance of Units pursuant to the Over-Allotment
Option) or other property or the conversion of a General
Partner’s Combined Interest to Common Units pursuant to
Section 11.3(b), the General Partner may cause any Unrealized
Gain or Unrealized Loss attributable to Partnership property to be
recognized as if there had been a sale of all such property
immediately prior to such issuance in which event the Carrying
Value of each Partnership property shall be adjusted as of the
beginning of the next taxable period to be equal to such fair
market value; provided that the General Partner shall cause
Unrealized Gain or Unrealized Loss to be recognized and Carrying
Values to be adjusted if doing so would cause Corrective
Allocations to
35
be made pursuant to
Section 6.1(d)(xi). In determining such Unrealized Gain or
Unrealized Loss, the aggregate cash amount and fair market value of
all Partnership assets immediately prior to the issuance of
additional Partnership Interests shall be determined by the General
Partner using such reasonable 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 in its discretion to
be reasonable). Any adjustments that are made under this paragraph
in connection with the issuance of the Senior Subordinated Units
shall be based on the Initial Unit Price of the Senior Subordinated
Units.
(ii) Immediately
prior to any distribution to a Partner (other than a distribution
of cash that is not in redemption or retirement of a Partnership
Interest), the General Partner may cause any Unrealized Gain or
Unrealized Loss attributable to each Partnership property to be
recognized as if there had been a sale of such property immediately
prior to such distribution in which event the Carrying Value of
each Partnership property shall be as of the beginning of the next
taxable period equal to the fair market value thereof; provided
that the General Partner shall cause Unrealized Gain or Unrealized
Loss to be recognized and Carrying Values to be adjusted if doing
so would permit Corrective Allocations to be made pursuant to
Section 6.1(d)(xi). In determining such Unrealized Gain or
Unrealized Loss the aggregate cash amount and fair market value of
all Partnership assets immediately prior to a distribution shall
(A) in the case of a distribution that is not made pursuant to
Section 12.4 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 reasonable
method of valuation as it may adopt.
(iii) After any
adjustment of Carrying Values pursuant to Section 5.5(d)(i) or
5.5(d)(ii), the General Partner shall determine the way, if any, in
which such changes in Carrying Value shall affect the allocations
for federal, state and local income tax purposes pursuant to
Section 6.2 of the items of income, gain, loss, deduction and
credit that are recognized by the Partnership for such purposes.
Any such determination shall be entered in the records of the
Partnership.
(e) The
balance of the Capital Account of a Partner (which is the sum of
the balances of the Capital Account of all the Units or other
Partnership Interests that are owned by the Partner) shall be
unchanged by reason of the Unit Split; but the balance of a Capital
Account of a Common Unit or of a Subordinated Unit at the end of
the first taxable period that ends after the Unit Split shall be
50 percent of the amount that would have been the balance
thereof at that time if the Unit Split had not occurred. In
particular, the balance of a Capital Account of a Common Unit and
of a Subordinated Unit shall be determined pursuant to this
Section 5.5 and other provisions of this Agreement as if the
Unit Split had been effective immediately before the initial
application of this Section 5.5 and by giving effect at that
time to the reduction in Initial Unit Price that occurs with the
amendments to this Agreement that implement the Unit Split. The
foregoing shall be applied so that the effect of the Unit Split is
to double the number of Common Units and the number of Subordinated
Units that are held by a person who is a holder of Common Units or
who is a holder of Subordinated Units prior to the record date for
the Unit
36
Split without any change being
effected in the relative rights of any such Partner or Assignee,
such as the right thereof to distributions. The General Partner may
make such other changes to the determination of Capital Account
balances as are necessary in its judgment to achieve the effect of
the Unit Split that is described in the preceding
sentence.
Section 5.6 Issuances of
Additional Partnership Securities.
(a) Subject
to Section 5.7, 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
shall be established by the General Partner in its sole discretion,
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 in the exercise of its
sole discretion, including (i) the right to share Partnership
profits and losses or items thereof; (ii) the right to share
in Partnership distributions (the specification of which may
include an amendment of Section 6.1); (iii) the rights
upon dissolution and liquidation of the Partnership;
(iv) whether, and the terms and conditions upon which, the
Partnership may redeem the Partnership Security; (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 Security will be issued, evidenced by certificates
and assigned or transferred; (vii) the number of Units to
which such Partnership Securities are equivalent for the purpose of
determining Percentage Interest (and only for such purpose); 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 is hereby authorized and directed to take all
actions that it deems 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 is further authorized and directed to specify
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 it deems to be
necessary or advisable in connection with any future issuance of
Partnership Securities or in connection with the conversion of the
General Partner Interest or any Incentive Distribution Rights into
Units pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, including compliance
with any statute, rule, regulation or guideline of any federal,
state or other governmental agency or any National Securities
Exchange on which the Units or other Partnership Securities are
listed for trading.
37
Section 5.7 Limitations
on Issuance of Additional Partnership Securities.
The
issuance of Partnership Securities pursuant to Section 5.6
shall be subject to the following restrictions and
limitations:
(a) During
the Subordination Period, the Partnership shall not issue (and
shall not issue any options, rights, warrants or appreciation
rights relating to) an aggregate of more than 2,333,000 (plus an
amount, if any, equal to one half of the number of Units issued
pursuant to the Over-Allotment Option, if and to the extent
exercised) additional Parity Units without the prior approval of
the holders of a Unit Majority; provided that any Common Units that
were issued prior to the Unit Split shall be counted as two Common
Units for purposes of this Section 5.7. In applying this
limitation, there shall be excluded Common Units and other Parity
Units issued (A) in connection with the exercise of the
Over-Allotment Option, (B) in accordance with
Sections 5.7(b), 5.7(c) and 5.7(d), (C) upon conversion
of Subordinated Units pursuant to Section 5.9, (D) upon
conversion of the General Partner Interest or any Incentive
Distribution Rights pursuant to Section 11.3(b), (D) pursuant
to the employee benefit plans of the General Partner, the
Partnership or any other Group Member, (E) upon a conversion
or exchange of Parity Units issued after the date hereof into
Common Units or other Parity Units; provided that the total amount
of Available Cash required to pay the aggregate Minimum Quarterly
Distribution on all Common Units and all Parity Units does not
increase as a result of this conversion or exchange, and
(F) in the event of a combination or subdivision of Common
Units.
(b) The
Partnership may also issue an unlimited number of Parity Units,
prior to the end of the Subordination Period and without the prior
approval of the Unitholders, if such issuance occurs (i) in
connection with an Acquisition or a Capital Improvement or
(ii) within 365 days of, and the net proceeds from such
issuance are used to repay debt incurred in connection with, an
Acquisition or a Capital Improvement, in each case where such
Acquisition or Capital Improvement involves assets that, if
acquired by the Partnership as of the date that is one year prior
to the first day of the Quarter in which such Acquisition is to be
consummated or such Capital Improvement is to be completed, would
have resulted, on a pro forma basis, in an increase in:
(A) the amount of
Adjusted Operating Surplus generated by the Partnership on a
per-Unit basis (for all Outstanding Units) with respect to the most
recently completed four-Quarter period (on a pro forma basis as
described below) as compared to
(B) the actual
amount of Adjusted Operating Surplus generated by the Partnership
on a per-Unit basis (for all Outstanding Units) (excluding Adjusted
Operating Surplus attributable to the Acquisition or Capital
Improvement) with respect to such most recently completed
four-Quarter period.
The General Partner’s good
faith determination that such an increase would have resulted shall
be conclusive. If the issuance of Parity Units with respect to an
Acquisition or Capital Improvement occurs within the first four
full Quarters after the Closing Date, then Adjusted Operating
Surplus as used in clauses (A) (subject to the succeeding sentence)
and (B) above shall be calculated (i) for each Quarter, if
any, that commenced after the Closing Date for which
actual
38
results of operations are
available, based on the actual Adjusted Operating Surplus of the
Partnership generated with respect to such Quarter, and
(ii) for each other Quarter, on a pro forma basis consistent
with the procedures, as applicable, set forth in Appendix D to
the Registration Statement. Furthermore, the amount in clause
(A) shall be determined on a pro forma basis assuming that
(1) all of the Parity Units to be issued in connection with or
within 365 days of such Acquisition or Capital Improvement had
been issued and outstanding, (2) all indebtedness for borrowed
money to be incurred or assumed in connection with such Acquisition
or Capital Improvement (other than any such indebtedness that is to
be repaid with the proceeds of such issuance of Parity Units) had
been incurred or assumed, in each case as of the commencement of
such four-Quarter period, (3) the personnel expenses that
would have been incurred by the Partnership in the operation of the
acquired assets are the personnel expenses for employees to be
retained by the Partnership in the operation of the acquired
assets, and (4) the non-personnel costs and expenses are
computed on the same basis as those incurred by the Partnership in
the operation of the Partnership’s business at similarly
situated Partnership facilities. For the purposes of this
Section 5.7(b), the term “debt” shall be deemed to
include indebtedness used to extend, refinance, renew, replace or
defease debt originally incurred in connection with an Acquisition
or Capital Improvement; provided, that, the amount of such
extended, refinanced, renew