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Exhibit 4.1
E XECUTION V
ERSION
BGC P ARTNERS
, L.P.
$150,000,000
Senior Notes due
April 1, 2010
N OTE P
URCHASE A GREEMENT
Dated as of March 31,
2008
T ABLE
OF C ONTENTS
(Not a part of the
Agreement)
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S
ECTION
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H EADING |
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P
AGE
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S
ECTION 1.
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A
UTHORIZATION OF N
OTES
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1 |
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Section 1.1.
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Authorization
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1 |
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Section
1.2.
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Change in
Reserve Requirement
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1 |
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S
ECTION 2.
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S
ALE AND P URCHASE
OF N OTES
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2 |
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Section
2.1.
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Background
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2 |
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Section
2.2.
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Sale and
Purchase of the Notes
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2 |
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Section
2.3.
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Affiliate
Guaranties
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2 |
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S
ECTION 3.
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C
LOSING
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2 |
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S
ECTION 4.
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C
ONDITIONS TO C
LOSING
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3 |
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Section
4.1.
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Representations and Warranties
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3 |
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Section
4.2.
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Performance; No Default
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3 |
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Section
4.3.
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Compliance
Certificates
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3 |
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Section
4.4.
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Opinions
of Counsel
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4 |
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Section
4.5.
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Purchase
Permitted by Applicable Law, Etc
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4 |
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Section
4.6.
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Sale of
Other Notes
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4 |
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Section
4.7.
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Payment of
Special Counsel Fees
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4 |
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Section
4.8.
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Private
Placement Number
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5 |
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Section
4.9.
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Changes in
Legal Structure
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5 |
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Section 4.10.
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Guaranties
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5 |
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Section
4.11.
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[Intentionally Omitted]
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5 |
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Section
4.12.
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Exchange,
Novation and First Amendment Agreement
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5 |
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Section
4.13.
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Proceedings and Documents
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5 |
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S
ECTION 5.
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R
EPRESENTATIONS AND W
ARRANTIES OF THE C
OMPANY
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5 |
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Section
5.1.
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Organization; Power and Authority
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5 |
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Section
5.2.
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Authorization, Etc
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6 |
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Section
5.3.
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Disclosure
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6 |
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Section
5.4.
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Compliance
with Laws, Other Instruments, Etc
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6 |
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Section
5.5.
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Governmental Authorizations, Etc
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6 |
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Section
5.6.
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Litigation; Observance of Agreements, Statutes and
Orders
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6 |
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Section
5.7.
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Taxes
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7 |
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Section
5.8.
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Title to
Property; Leases
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7 |
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Section
5.9.
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Licenses,
Permits, Etc
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7 |
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Section
5.10.
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Private
Offering by the Company
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8 |
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Section 5.11.
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Margin
Regulations
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8 |
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Section
5.12.
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Foreign
Assets Control Regulations, Etc
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8 |
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Section
5.13.
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Status
under Certain Statutes
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9 |
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Section
5.14.
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Notes Rank
Pari Passu
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9 |
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Section
5.15.
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Environmental Matters
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9 |
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S
ECTION 6.
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R
EPRESENTATIONS OF THE
P URCHASER
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9 |
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Section
6.1.
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Purchase
for Investment
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9 |
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Section
6.2.
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Source of
Funds
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10 |
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S
ECTION 7.
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[R
ESERVED ]
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11 |
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S
ECTION 8.
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P
REPAYMENT OF THE N
OTES
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11 |
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Section
8.1.
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Required
Prepayments
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11 |
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Section
8.2.
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Optional
Prepayments with Make-Whole Amount
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11 |
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Section
8.3.
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Change in
Control
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12 |
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Section
8.4.
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Allocation
of Partial Prepayments
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14 |
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Section
8.5.
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Maturity;
Surrender, Etc
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15 |
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Section
8.6.
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Purchase
of Notes
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15 |
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Section
8.7.
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Make-Whole
Amount
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15 |
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S
ECTION 9.
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A
FFIRMATIVE C OVENANTS
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16 |
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Section
9.1.
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Compliance
with Law
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17 |
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Section
9.2.
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Insurance
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17 |
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Section
9.3.
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Maintenance of Properties
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17 |
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Section
9.4.
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Payment of
Taxes and Claims
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17 |
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Section
9.5.
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Legal
Existence, Etc
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17 |
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Section
9.6.
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Notes to
Rank Pari Passu
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18 |
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Section
9.7.
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Books and
Records
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18 |
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S
ECTION 10.
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N
EGATIVE C OVENANTS
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18 |
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Section
10.1.
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Mergers,
Consolidations, Etc
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18 |
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Section
10.2.
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Transactions with Affiliates
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19 |
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Section
10.3.
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Line of
Business
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19 |
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Section
10.4.
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Terrorism
Sanctions Regulations
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19 |
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Section
10.5.
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[Reserved]
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20 |
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Section
10.6.
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Partnership Agreement
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20 |
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Section
11.
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E
VENTS OF D
EFAULT
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20 |
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S
ECTION 12.
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R
EMEDIES ON D EFAULT ,
E TC
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23 |
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Section
12.1.
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Acceleration
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23 |
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Section
12.2.
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Other
Remedies
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24 |
-ii-
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Section 12.3.
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Rescission
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24 |
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Section
12.4.
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No Waivers
or Election of Remedies, Expenses, Etc
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24 |
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S
ECTION 13.
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R
EGISTRATION ; E XCHANGE ; S
UBSTITUTION OF N
OTES
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24 |
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Section
13.1.
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Registration of Notes
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24 |
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Section
13.2.
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Transfer
and Exchange of Notes
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25 |
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Section
13.3
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Replacement of Notes
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25 |
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S
ECTION 14.
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P
AYMENTS ON N
OTES
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26 |
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Section
14.1.
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Place of
Payment
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26 |
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Section
14.2.
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Home
Office Payment
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26 |
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S
ECTION 15.
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E
XPENSES , E TC
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26 |
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Section
15.1.
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Transaction Expenses
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26 |
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Section
15.2.
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Survival
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27 |
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S
ECTION 16.
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S URVIVAL
OF R EPRESENTATIONS
AND W ARRANTIES ;
E NTIRE A
GREEMENT
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27 |
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S
ECTION 17.
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A
MENDMENT AND W
AIVER
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27 |
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Section
17.1.
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Requirements
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27 |
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Section
17.2.
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Solicitation of Holders of Notes
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28 |
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Section
17.3.
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Binding
Effect, Etc
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28 |
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Section
17.4.
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Notes Held
by Company, Etc
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28 |
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S
ECTION 18.
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N
OTICES
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28 |
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S
ECTION 19.
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R
EPRODUCTION OF D
OCUMENTS
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29 |
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S
ECTION 20.
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C
ONFIDENTIAL I NFORMATION
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29 |
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S
ECTION 21.
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S
UBSTITUTION OF P
URCHASER .
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30 |
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S
ECTION 22.
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M
ISCELLANEOUS
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31 |
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Section
22.1.
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Successors
and Assigns
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31 |
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Section
22.2.
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Payments
Due on Non-Business Days
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31 |
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Section
22.3.
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Accounting
Terms
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31 |
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Section
22.4.
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Severability
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31 |
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Section
22.5.
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Construction, Etc
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31 |
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Section
22.6.
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Counterparts
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32 |
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Section 22.7.
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Governing Law
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32 |
-iii-
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Section 22.8.
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Jurisdiction and Process; Waiver of Jury Trial
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32 |
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Signature
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1 |
-iv-
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S
CHEDULE A
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—
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I
NFORMATION R ELATING
TO P URCHASERS
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S
CHEDULE B
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—
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D
EFINED T ERMS
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S
CHEDULE 4.1(b)
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—
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Closing
Certificate and Agreement of BGC General Partner
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Exhibit
1
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—
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Form of
Senior Note due April 1, 2010
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E
XHIBIT 2.2(a)
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—
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Form of
BGC Partners Guaranty
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E
XHIBIT 2.2(b)
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—
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Form of
CFLP Guaranty
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E
XHIBIT 2.2(c)
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—
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Form of
Subsidiary Guaranty
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E
XHIBIT 4.4(a)(i)
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—
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Form of
Opinion of Counsel to the Company
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E
XHIBIT 4.4(a)(ii)
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—
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Form of
Opinion of General Counsel to the Company
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E
XHIBIT 4.4(b)
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—
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Form of
Opinion of Special Counsel to the Purchasers
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-v-
BGC P
ARTNERS , L.P.
199 Water Street
New York, New York
10038
$150,000,000 Senior Notes due
April 1, 2010
Dated as of March 31,
2008
T O
EACH OF THE P
URCHASERS LISTED IN
THE ATTACHED
S
CHEDULE A HERETO :
Ladies and
Gentlemen:
BGC P
ARTNERS , L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (the
“Company” ), agrees with each of the purchasers
whose names appear at the end hereof (each, a
“Purchaser” and, collectively, the
“Purchasers” ) as follows:
S ECTION
1. A
UTHORIZATION OF N OTES
.
Section 1.1. Authorization
. The Company will authorize the issue and
sale of $150,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its Senior Notes
due April 1, 2010 (the “Notes,” such term
to include any such notes issued in substitution therefor pursuant
to Section 13 ). The Notes shall be substantially in
the form set out in Exhibit 1 . Certain capitalized and
other terms used in this Agreement are defined in Schedule B
; and references to a “Schedule” or an
“Exhibit” are, unless otherwise specified, to a
Schedule or an Exhibit attached to this Agreement. The Notes shall
bear interest from the date of issue at a rate equal to the
Applicable Interest Rate. Interest on the Notes shall be computed
on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months.
Section 1.2. Change in Reserve
Requirement. (a) If on any date
under applicable insurance regulations any holder of a Note is
required to post reserves with respect to the Notes (the
“Reserve Requirement” ) greater than the Reserve
Requirement in effect immediately prior to the date of the Closing,
then from and including such date to and until the Interest Reset
Date, the interest rate on the Notes shall be adjusted as follows:
the then Applicable Interest Rate on the Notes shall be increased
by 50 basis points.
(b) Without limiting the effectiveness
of the foregoing, the holders of the Notes shall use their best
efforts to notify the Company if an interest rate adjustment as
described in Section 1.2(a) is in effect.
(c) The Company shall notify each of the
holders of the Notes in writing, sent in the manner provided in
Section 19 , when it believes an Interest Reset Date
has occurred, which written notice shall identify such Interest
Reset Date. The Interest Reset Date shall be deemed to have
occurred on the date identified in the Company’s notice,
unless within 30 days after receipt
of such notice, any holder of
a Note shall notify the Issuer that its current Reserve Requirement
is greater than the Reserve Requirement in effect immediately prior
to the date of the Closing, in which case the Interest Reset Date
shall not have occurred and interest on the Notes shall continue to
accrue as set forth in Section 1.2(a) until the
Interest Reset Date.
S ECTION
2. S
ALE AND P URCHASE
OF N OTES .
Section 2.1. Background .
CFLP and each of the Purchasers have heretofore entered into the
Note Purchase Agreement dated as of March 15, 2005 (the
“CFLP Note Agreement” ), pursuant to which CFLP
has heretofore issued $250,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of
its Senior Notes due April 1, 2010 (the “CFLP Notes
due April 1, 2010” ).
Pursuant to that
certain Note Exchange, Novation and First Amendment Agreement dated
March 31, 2008 among the Company, CFLP and the Purchasers,
CFLP and the Purchasers have (i) amended the CFLP Note
Agreement and (ii) agreed to the surrender, termination and
novation of $150,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the CFLP
Notes due April 1, 2010 (the “Designated CFLP Notes
due April 1, 2010” ) in exchange for $150,000,000
aggregate principal amount of the Notes.
Section 2.2. Sale and Purchase
of the Notes . Subject to the terms and conditions of this
Agreement, the Company will issue and sell to each Purchaser and
each Purchaser will purchase from the Company, at the Closing
provided for in Section 3 , Notes in the principal
amount specified opposite such Purchaser’s name in
Schedule A at the purchase price of 100% of the principal
amount thereof. The Purchasers’ obligations hereunder are
several and not joint obligations and no Purchaser shall have any
liability to any Person for the performance or non-performance of
any obligation by any other Purchaser hereunder.
Section 2.3. Affiliate
Guaranties . The payment by the Company of all amounts due with
respect to the Notes and the performance by the Company of its
obligations under this Agreement will be absolutely and
unconditionally guaranteed by (a) BGC Partners, Inc.
(successor by merger of BGC Partners, LLC and eSpeed, Inc.), a
Delaware corporation ( “BGC Partners” ),
pursuant to the Guaranty Agreement substantially in the form of
Exhibit 2.2(a) (as the same may be amended, modified,
extended or renewed, the “BGC Partners Guaranty”
) and (b) Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P., a Delaware limited
partnership ( “CFLP” ) pursuant to the Guaranty
Agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit 2.2(b) (as
the same may be amended, modified, extended or renewed, the
“CFLP Guaranty” ).
S ECTION
3 . C
LOSING .
The sale and
purchase of the Notes to be purchased by each Purchaser shall occur
at the offices of Chapman and Cutler LLP, 111 West Monroe Street,
Chicago, Illinois 60603, at 10:00 A .
M . Chicago time, at a closing (the
“Closing” ) on March 31, 2008. At the
Closing, the Company will deliver to each Purchaser the Notes to be
purchased by such Purchaser in the form of a single Note (or such
greater number of Notes in denominations of at least $100,000 as
such Purchaser may request) dated the date of the Closing and
registered in such Purchaser’s name (or
-2-
in the name of its nominee),
against delivery by such Purchaser to the Company of Designated
CFLP Notes due April 1, 2010 in the same aggregate principal
amount as the Notes so purchased. If at the Closing the Company
shall fail to tender such Notes to any Purchaser as provided above
in this Section 3 , or any of the conditions specified
in Section 4 shall not have been fulfilled to such
Purchaser’s satisfaction, such Purchaser shall, at its
election, be relieved of all further obligations under this
Agreement, without thereby waiving any rights such Purchaser may
have by reason of such failure or such nonfulfillment.
S ECTION
4. C
ONDITIONS TO C LOSING
.
Each
Purchaser’s obligation to purchase and pay for the Notes to
be sold to such Purchaser at the Closing is subject to the
fulfillment to such Purchaser’s satisfaction, prior to or at
the Closing, of the following conditions:
Section 4.1. Representations and
Warranties . (a) The representations and
warranties of the Company in this Agreement shall be correct when
made and at the time of the Closing.
(b) The representations and warranties
of the BGC General Partner set forth in the Closing Certificate and
Agreement (the “BGC General Partner Agreement” )
attached hereto as Schedule 4.1(b) and made a part hereof
shall be correct when made and at the time of Closing. Each
Purchaser agrees and acknowledges, and each transferee of a Note
shall be deemed to have agreed and acknowledged, that no
stockholder, director, officer, employee, agent or other
representative of the BGC General Partner shall have any liability
in respect of or arising out of the BGC General Partner Agreement
or the matters contemplated thereby.
(c) The representations and warranties
of BGC Partners set forth in the BGC Partners Guaranty shall be
correct when made and at the time of Closing.
(d) The representations and warranties
of CFLP set forth in the CFLP Guaranty shall be correct when made
and at the time of Closing.
Section 4.2. Performance; No
Default . The Company shall have
performed and complied with all agreements and conditions contained
in this Agreement required to be performed or complied with by it
prior to or at the Closing, and after giving effect to the issue
and sale of the Notes, no Default or Event of Default shall have
occurred and be continuing.
Section 4.3. Compliance
Certificates .
(a) Company Officer’s
Certificate . The Company shall have
delivered to such Purchaser a Company Officer’s Certificate,
dated the date of the Closing, certifying that the conditions
specified in Sections 4.1(a), 4.2 and 4.9 have been
fulfilled.
(b) Company Authority
Certificate . The Company shall have
delivered to such Purchaser a certificate of an authorized officer,
dated the date of Closing, certifying as to the resolutions
attached thereto and other legal proceedings relating to the
authorization, execution and delivery of the Notes and this
Agreement.
-3-
(c) BGC General Partner
Secretary’s Certificate . The BGC General
Partner shall have delivered to such Purchaser a certificate of its
Secretary or Assistant Secretary, dated the date of Closing,
certifying as to the resolutions attached thereto and other
corporate proceedings related to the authorization, execution and
delivery of the Notes, this Agreement and the BGC General Partner
Agreement.
(d) BGC Partners Secretary’s
Certificate . BGC Partners shall have delivered to
such Purchaser a certificate of its Secretary or Assistant
Secretary, dated the date of Closing, certifying as to the
resolutions set forth in the BGC Partners Guaranty and other
corporate proceedings related to the authorization, execution and
delivery of the BGC Partners Guaranty.
(e) CFLP Secretary’s
Certificate . CFLP shall have delivered
to such Purchaser a certificate of CF General Partner’s
Secretary or Assistant Secretary, dated the date of Closing,
certifying as to the resolutions set forth in the CFLP Guaranty and
other corporate proceedings related to the authorization, execution
and delivery of the CFLP Guaranty.
Section 4.4. Opinions of
Counsel . Such Purchaser shall have received
opinions in form and substance satisfactory to such Purchaser,
dated the date of the Closing (a) from Morgan,
Lewis & Bockius LLP, counsel for the Company, BGC
Partners, CFLP and the BGC General Partner, covering the matters
set forth in Exhibit 4.4(a) and covering such other matters
incident to the transactions contemplated hereby as such Purchaser
or its counsel may reasonably request (and the Company, BGC
Partners, CFLP and the BGC General Partner hereby instruct their
counsel to deliver such opinion to the Purchasers) and
(b) from Chapman and Cutler LLP, the Purchasers’ special
counsel in connection with such transactions, substantially in the
form set forth in Exhibit 4.4(b) and covering such other
matters incident to such transactions as such Purchaser may
reasonably request.
Section 4.5. Purchase Permitted
by Applicable Law, Etc . On the date of the Closing
such Purchaser’s purchase of Notes shall (a) be
permitted by the laws and regulations of each jurisdiction to which
such Purchaser is subject, without recourse to provisions (such as
Section 1405(a)(8) of the New York Insurance Law) permitting
limited investments by insurance companies without restriction as
to the character of the particular investment, (b) not violate
any applicable law or regulation (including, without limitation,
Regulation T, U or X of the Board of Governors of the Federal
Reserve System) and (c) not subject such Purchaser to any tax,
penalty or liability under or pursuant to any applicable law or
regulation, which law or regulation was not in effect on the date
hereof. If requested by such Purchaser in writing at least three
Business Days in advance of the date of the Closing, such Purchaser
shall have received an Officer’s Certificate certifying as to
such matters of fact as such Purchaser may reasonably specify to
enable such Purchaser to determine whether such purchase is so
permitted.
Section 4.6. Sale of Other
Notes . Contemporaneously with the Closing, the
Company shall sell to each other Purchaser, and each other
Purchaser shall purchase, the Notes to be purchased by it at the
Closing as specified in Schedule A .
Section 4.7. Payment of Special
Counsel Fees . Without limiting the
provisions of Section 15.1 , the Company shall have
paid on or before the Closing the fees, charges and
-4-
disbursements of the
Purchasers’ special counsel referred to in
Section 4.4 to the extent reflected in a statement of
such counsel rendered to the Company at least one Business Day
prior to the Closing.
Section 4.8. Private Placement
Number . A Private Placement Number
issued by Standard & Poor’s CUSIP Service Bureau (in
cooperation with the SVO) shall have been obtained for the
Notes.
Section 4.9. Changes in Legal
Structure . Neither the Company nor the BGC General Partner
shall have changed its jurisdiction of organization or been a party
to any merger, consolidation or other reorganization or succeeded
to all or any substantial part of the liabilities of any other
entity, at any time following the date of the most recent financial
statements referred to in Schedule 5.5 (other than in
connection with the Separation and the Merger).
Section 4.10. Guaranties. On
or prior to the date of the Closing, the BGC Partners Guaranty and
the CFLP Guaranty shall each be in form and substance satisfactory
to such Purchaser and its special counsel, shall have been duly
executed and delivered by the parties thereto and shall be in full
force and effect and such Purchaser shall have received a true,
correct and complete copy thereof.
Section 4.11.
[Intentionally Omitted].
Section 4.12. Exchange, Novation
and First Amendment Agreement . On or
prior to the date of the Closing, the closing conditions set forth
in Section 3 of the Exchange, Novation and First Amendment
Agreement shall have been consummated to the satisfaction of the
Purchasers and their special counsel and the Purchasers and their
special counsel shall have received true, correct and complete
copies of each of the agreements, certificates, legal opinions and
other documents delivered pursuant to said
Section 3.
Section 4.13. Proceedings and
Documents . All legal and other proceedings in connection with
the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and all documents
and instruments incident to such transactions shall be satisfactory
to such Purchaser and its special counsel, and such Purchaser and
its special counsel shall have received all such counterpart
originals or certified or other copies of such documents as such
Purchaser or such special counsel may reasonably
request.
S ECTION
5 . R
EPRESENTATIONS AND W
ARRANTIES OF THE C
OMPANY .
The Company
represents and warrants to each Purchaser that:
Section 5.1. Organization; Power
and Authority . The Company is a limited partnership duly
organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of
its jurisdiction of organization, and is duly qualified as a
foreign limited partnership and is in good standing in each
jurisdiction in which such qualification is required by law, other
than those jurisdictions as to which the failure to be so qualified
or in good standing could not, individually or in the aggregate,
reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The
Company has the legal
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power and authority to own or
hold under lease the properties it purports to own or hold under
lease, to transact the business it transacts and proposes to
transact, to execute and deliver this Agreement and the Notes and
to perform the provisions hereof and thereof.
Section 5.2. Authorization,
Etc . This Agreement and the Notes have
been duly authorized by all necessary legal action on the part of
the Company, and this Agreement constitutes, and upon execution and
delivery thereof each Note will constitute, a legal, valid and
binding obligation of the Company enforceable against the Company
in accordance with its terms, except as such enforceability may be
limited by (a) applicable bankruptcy, insolvency,
reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws affecting the
enforcement of creditors’ rights generally and
(b) general principles of equity (regardless of whether such
enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at
law).
Section 5.3. Disclosure
. Since December 31, 2006, there has been no change
in the financial condition, operations, business, properties or
prospects of the Company or any Subsidiary except changes that
individually or in the aggregate could not reasonably be expected
to have a Material Adverse Effect. There is no fact known to the
Company that could reasonably be expected to have a Material
Adverse Effect that has not been set forth herein.
Section 5.4. Compliance with
Laws, Other Instruments, Etc . The execution,
delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement and the
Notes will not (a) contravene, result in any breach of, or
constitute a default under, or result in the creation of any Lien
in respect of any property of the Company or any Subsidiary under,
any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan, purchase or credit
agreement, lease, corporate charter or by-laws, limited liability
company agreement, partnership agreement or any other agreement or
instrument to which the Company or any Subsidiary is bound or by
which the Company or any Subsidiary or any of their respective
properties may be bound or affected, (b) conflict with or
result in a breach of any of the terms, conditions or provisions of
any order, judgment, decree, or ruling of any court, arbitrator or
Governmental Authority applicable to the Company or any Subsidiary,
(c) violate any provision of any statute or other rule or
regulation of any Governmental Authority applicable to the Company
or any Subsidiary, or (d) require any consent or approval of
the limited partners or, in the case of the general partner of the
Company, any consent or approval which has not been obtained and
which is not in full force and effect, the members of the BGC
General Partner, the partners or stockholders of any of the
Company’s Subsidiaries or any other third party, except in
the case of the foregoing clauses (a) and (b), any
contravention, breach, default, Lien or conflict which individually
or in the aggregate could not reasonably be expected to have a
Material Adverse Effect.
Section 5.5. Governmental
Authorizations, Etc . No consent, approval or
authorization of, or registration, filing or declaration with, any
Governmental Authority is required in connection with the
execution, delivery or performance by the Company of this Agreement
or the Notes.
S
ection 5.6. Litigation; Observance
of Agreements, Statutes and Orders. (a) There
are no actions, suits, investigations or proceedings pending or, to
the knowledge of the Company, threatened against or affecting the
Company or any Subsidiary or any property of the Company
or
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any Subsidiary in any court
or before any arbitrator of any kind or before or by any
Governmental Authority that, individually or in the aggregate,
could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect.
(b) Neither the Company nor any
Subsidiary is in default under any term of any agreement or
instrument to which it is a party or by which it is bound, or any
order, judgment, decree or ruling of any court, arbitrator or
Governmental Authority or is in violation of any applicable law,
ordinance, rule or regulation (including without limitation
Environmental Laws or the USA Patriot Act) of any Governmental
Authority, which default or violation, individually or in the
aggregate, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect.
Section 5.7. Taxes
. The Company and its Subsidiaries have filed all tax
returns that are required to have been filed in any jurisdiction,
and have paid all taxes shown to be due and payable on such returns
and all other taxes and assessments levied upon them or their
properties, assets, income or franchises, to the extent such taxes
and assessments have become due and payable and before they have
become delinquent, except for any taxes and assessments
(a) the amount of which is not individually or in the
aggregate Material or (b) the amount, applicability or
validity of which is currently being contested in good faith by
appropriate proceedings and with respect to which the Company or a
Subsidiary, as the case may be, has established adequate reserves
in accordance with GAAP. The Company knows of no basis for any
other tax or assessment that could reasonably be expected to have a
Material Adverse Effect. The charges, accruals and reserves on the
books of the Company and its Subsidiaries in respect of federal,
state or other taxes for all fiscal periods are adequate. The
federal income tax liabilities of the Company and its Subsidiaries
have been finally determined (whether by reason of completed audits
or the statute of limitations having run) for all fiscal years up
to and including the fiscal year ended December 31,
2003.
Section 5.8. Title to Property;
Leases . The Company and its Subsidiaries have good
and sufficient title to their respective properties that
individually or in the aggregate are Material, including all such
properties referred to in Section 5.5 or purported to
have been acquired by the Company or any Subsidiary after said date
(except as sold or otherwise disposed of in the ordinary course of
business), in each case free and clear of Liens prohibited by this
Agreement. All leases that individually or in the aggregate are
Material are valid and subsisting and are in full force and effect
in all material respects.
Section 5.9. Licenses, Permits,
Etc. (a) The Company and its
Subsidiaries own or possess all licenses, permits, franchises,
authorizations, patents, copyrights, proprietary software, service
marks, trademarks and trade names, or rights thereto, that
individually or in the aggregate are Material, without known
conflict with the rights of others.
(b) To the best knowledge of the
Company, no product of the Company infringes in any Material
respect any license, permit, franchise, authorization, patent,
copyright, proprietary software, service mark, trademark, trade
name or other right owned by any other Person.
(c) To the best knowledge of the
Company, there is no Material violation by any Person of any right
of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries with respect to any
patent, copyright,
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proprietary software, service
mark, trademark, trade name or other right owned or used by the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries.
Section 5.10. Private Offering
by the Company . Neither the Company nor anyone
acting on its behalf has offered the Notes or any similar
Securities for sale to, or solicited any offer to buy any of the
same from, or otherwise approached or negotiated in respect thereof
with, any Person other than the Purchasers, each of which has been
offered the Notes at a private sale for investment. Neither the
Company nor anyone acting on its behalf has taken, or will take,
any action that would subject the issuance or sale of the Notes to
the registration requirements of Section 5 of the Securities
Act or to the registration requirements of any securities or blue
sky laws of any applicable jurisdiction.
Section 5.11. Margin
Regulations . As the Notes are being issued in
exchange for the CFLP Notes due April 1, 2010, no part of the
proceeds from the sale of the Notes hereunder will be used,
directly or indirectly, for the purpose of buying or carrying any
margin stock within the meaning of Regulation U of the Board of
Governors of the Federal Reserve System (12 CFR 221), or for the
purpose of buying or carrying or trading in any securities under
such circumstances as to involve the Company in a violation of
Regulation X of said Board (12 CFR 224) or to involve any broker or
dealer in a violation of Regulation T of said Board (12 CFR 220).
Margin stock does not constitute more than 2% of the value of the
consolidated assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries and the
Company does not have any present intention that margin stock will
constitute more than 2% of the value of such assets. As used in
this Section, the terms “margin stock” and
“purpose of buying or carrying” shall have the meanings
assigned to them in said Regulation U.
Section 5.12. Foreign Assets
Control Regulations, Etc . (a) The issuance of
the Notes by the Company hereunder will not violate the Trading
with the Enemy Act, as amended, or any of the foreign assets
control regulations of the United States Treasury Department (31
CFR, Subtitle B, Chapter V, as amended) or any enabling legislation
or executive order relating thereto.
(b) Neither the Company nor any
Subsidiary (i) is, or will become, a Person described or
designated in the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked
Persons List of the Office of Foreign Assets Control or in
Section 1 of the Anti-Terrorism Order or (ii) engages or
will engage in any dealings or transactions, or is or will be
otherwise associated, with any such Person. The Company and its
Subsidiaries are in compliance, in all material respects, with the
USA Patriot Act.
(c) As the Notes are being issued in
exchange for the CFLP Notes due April 1, 2010, no part of the
proceeds from the issuance of the Notes hereunder will be used,
directly or indirectly, for any payments to any governmental
official or employee, political party, official of a political
party, candidate for political office, or anyone else acting in an
official capacity, in order to obtain, retain or direct business or
obtain any improper advantage, in violation of the United States
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, assuming in all
cases that such Act applies to the Company.
-8-
Section 5.13. Status under
Certain Statutes . Neither the Company nor any
Subsidiary is subject to regulation under the Investment Company
Act of 1940, as amended, the ICC Termination Act of 1995, as
amended, or the Federal Power Act, as amended.
Section 5.14. Notes Rank Pari
Passu . The obligations of the Company
under this Agreement and the Notes rank at least pari passu
in right of payment with all other unsecured Senior Debt (actual or
contingent) of the Company, including, without limitation, all
unsecured Senior Debt of the Company described in Schedule 5.15 to
the BGC Partners Guaranty.
Section 5.15. Environmental
Matters . (a) Neither the Company nor any
Subsidiary has knowledge of any claim or has received any notice of
any claim, and no proceeding has been instituted raising any claim
against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any of their
respective real properties now or formerly owned, leased or
operated by any of them or other assets, alleging any damage to the
environment or violation of any Environmental Laws, except, in each
case, such as could not reasonably be expected to result in a
Material Adverse Effect.
(b) Neither the Company nor any
Subsidiary has knowledge of any facts which would give rise to any
claim, public or private, of violation of Environmental Laws or
damage to the environment emanating from, occurring on or in any
way related to real properties now or formerly owned, leased or
operated by any of them or to other assets or their use, except, in
each case, such as could not reasonably be expected to result in a
Material Adverse Effect.
(c) Neither the Company nor any
Subsidiary has stored any Hazardous Materials on real properties
now or formerly owned, leased or operated by any of them or has
disposed of any Hazardous Materials in a manner contrary to any
Environmental Laws in each case in any manner that could reasonably
be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(d) All buildings on all real properties
now owned, leased or operated by the Company or any Subsidiary are
in compliance with applicable Environmental Laws, except where
failure to comply could not reasonably be expected to result in a
Material Adverse Effect.
S ECTION
6. R
EPRESENTATIONS OF THE
P URCHASER .
Section 6.1. Purchase for
Investment . (a) Each Purchaser severally
represents that it is acquiring the Notes for its own account or
for one or more separate accounts maintained by such Purchaser or
for the account of one or more pension or trust funds and not with
a view to the distribution thereof; provided that the
disposition of such Purchaser’s or their property shall at
all times be within such Purchaser’s or their control. Each
Purchaser understands that the Notes have not been registered under
the Securities Act and may be resold only if registered pursuant to
the provisions of the Securities Act or if an exemption from
registration is available, except under circumstances where neither
such registration nor such an exemption is required by law, and
that the Company is not required to register the Notes.
(b) Each Purchaser understands and
agrees that it will not transfer the Notes or any part or portion
thereof held by it (i) to any Person who is not an
Institutional Investor or who is a Competitor or (ii) in
violation of applicable law.
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Section 6.2. Source of Funds
. Each Purchaser severally represents that it will pay
the purchase price of the Notes with Designated CFLP Notes due
April 1, 2010. Each Purchaser severally further represents
that at least one of the following statements was an accurate
representation as to each source of funds (a
“Source” ) used by such Purchaser to pay the
purchase price of the Designated CFLP Notes due April 1, 2010
exchanged by such Purchaser hereunder:
(a) the
Purchaser is an insurance company and the Source is an
“insurance company general account” (as the term is
defined in the United States Department of Labor’s Prohibited
Transaction Exemption ( “PTE” ) 95-60) in
respect of which the reserves and liabilities (as defined by the
annual Statement for Life Insurance Companies approved by the
National Association of Insurance Commissioners (the “NAIC
Annual Statement” )) for the general account contract(s)
held by or on behalf of any employee benefit plan together with the
amount of the reserves and liabilities for the general account
contract(s) held by or on behalf of any other employee benefit
plans maintained by the same employer (or affiliate thereof as
defined in PTE 95-60) or by the same employee organization in the
general account do not exceed ten percent (10%) of the total
reserves and liabilities of the general account (exclusive of
separate account liabilities) plus surplus as set forth in the NAIC
Annual Statement filed with such Purchaser’s state of
domicile; or
(b) the
Source is a separate account that is maintained solely in
connection with such Purchaser’s fixed contractual
obligations under which the amounts payable, or credited, to any
employee benefit plan (or its related trust) that has any interest
in such separate account (or to any participant or beneficiary of
such plan (including any annuitant)) are not affected in any manner
by the investment performance of the separate account;
or
(c) the
Source is either (i) an insurance company pooled separate
account, within the meaning of PTE 90-1, or (ii) a bank
collective investment fund, within the meaning of the PTE 91-38
and, except as have been disclosed by such Purchaser to the Company
in writing pursuant to this clause (c), no employee benefit plan or
group of plans maintained by the same employer or employee
organization beneficially owns more than 10% of all assets
allocated to such pooled separate account or collective investment
fund; or
(d) the
Source constitutes assets of an “investment fund”
(within the meaning of Part V of the QPAM Exemption) managed by a
“qualified professional asset manager” or
“QPAM” (within the meaning of Part V of the QPAM
Exemption), no employee benefit plan’s assets that are
included in such investment fund, when combined with the assets of
all other employee benefit plans established or maintained by the
same employer or by an affiliate (within the meaning of Section
V(c)(1) of the QPAM Exemption) of such employer or by the same
employee organization and managed by such QPAM, exceed 20% of the
total client assets managed by such QPAM, the conditions of Part
l(c) and (g) of the QPAM Exemption are satisfied, neither the
QPAM nor a Person controlling or controlled by the QPAM (applying
the definition of “control” in Section V(e) of
the
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QPAM Exemption)
owns a 5% or more interest in the Company and (i) the identity
of such QPAM and (ii) the names of all employee benefit plans
whose assets are included in such investment fund have been
disclosed to the Company in writing pursuant to this clause (d);
or
(e) the
Source constitutes assets of a “plan(s)” (within the
meaning of Section IV of PTE 96-23 (the “INHAM
Exemption” )) managed by an “in-house asset
manager” or “INHAM” (within the meaning of Part
IV of the INHAM exemption), the conditions of Part I(a),
(g) and (h) of the INHAM Exemption are satisfied, neither
the INHAM nor a Person controlling or controlled by the INHAM
(applying the definition of “control” in Section IV(d)
of the INHAM Exemption) owns a 5% or more interest in the Company
and (i) the identity of such INHAM and (ii) the name(s)
of the employee benefit plan(s) whose assets constitute the Source
have been disclosed to the Company in writing pursuant to this
clause (e); or
(f) the
Source is a governmental plan that is covered neither by ERISA nor
Section 4975 of the Code; or
(g) the
Source is one or more employee benefit plans, or a separate account
or trust fund comprised of one or more employee benefit plans, each
of which has been identified to the Company in writing pursuant to
this clause (g); or
(h) the
Source does not include assets of any employee benefit plan, other
than a plan exempt from the coverage of ERISA or which is not
subject to Section 4975 of the Code.
As used in this
Section 6.2 , the terms “employee benefit
plan”, “governmental plan” and “separate
account” shall have the respective meanings assigned to such
terms in Section 3 of ERISA.
S ECTION
7. [R ESERVED
].
S ECTION
8. P REPAYMENT
OF THE N OTES
.
Section 8.1. Required
Prepayments . No regularly scheduled prepayment of
the principal of the Notes is required prior to the final maturity
date thereof.
Section 8.2. Optional
Prepayments with Make-Whole Amount . The
Company may, at its option, upon notice as provided below, prepay
at any time all, or from time to time any part of, the Notes, in an
amount not less than 10% of the aggregate principal amount of the
Notes then outstanding in the case of a partial prepayment, at 100%
of the principal amount so prepaid, together with interest accrued
thereon to the date of such prepayment, and the Make-Whole Amount
determined for the prepayment date with respect to such principal
amount. The Company will give each holder of Notes written notice
of each optional prepayment under this Section 8.2 not
less than 30 days and not more than 60 days prior to the date fixed
for such
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prepayment. Each such notice
shall specify such date (which shall be a Business Day), the
aggregate principal amount of the Notes to be prepaid on such date,
the principal amount of each Note held by such holder to be prepaid
(determined in accordance with Section 8.4 ), and the
interest to be paid on the prepayment date with respect to such
principal amount being prepaid, and shall be accompanied by a
certificate of a Senior Financial Officer as to the estimated
Make-Whole Amount due in connection with such prepayment
(calculated as if the date of such notice were the date of the
prepayment), setting forth the details of such computation. Two
Business Days prior to such prepayment, the Company shall deliver
to each holder of Notes a certificate of a Senior Financial Officer
specifying the calculation of such Make-Whole Amount as of the
specified prepayment date.
Section 8.3. Change in
Control . (a) Notice of Change
in Control or Control Event. The Company will, within five
Business Days after any Responsible Officer has knowledge of the
occurrence of any Change in Control or Control Event (or thirty
Business Days in the case of the death of Howard Lutnick that gives
rise to a Control Event), give written notice of such Change in
Control or Control Event to each holder of Notes unless notice in
respect of such Change in Control (or the Change in Control
contemplated by such Control Event) shall have been given pursuant
to subparagraph (b) of this Section 8.3 . If a
Change in Control has occurred, such notice shall contain and
constitute an offer to prepay Notes as described in subparagraph
(c) of this Section 8.3 and shall be accompanied
by the certificate described in subparagraph (g) of this
Section 8.3 .
(b) Condition to Company Action.
The Company will not take any action that
consummates or finalizes a Change in Control unless (i) at
least 30 days prior to such action it shall have given to each
holder of Notes written notice containing and constituting an offer
to prepay Notes as described in subparagraph (c) of this
Section 8.3 , accompanied by the certificate described
in subparagraph (g) of this Section 8.3 , and
(ii) contemporaneously with such action, it prepays all Notes
required to be prepaid in accordance with this
Section 8.3 .
(c) Offer to Prepay Notes.
The offer to prepay Notes contemplated by
subparagraphs (a) and (b) of this Section 8.3
shall be an offer to prepay, in accordance with and subject to this
Section 8.3 , all, but not less than all, the Notes
held by each holder (in this case only, “holder”
in respect of any Note registered in the name of a nominee for a
disclosed beneficial owner shall mean such beneficial owner) on a
date (which date shall be a Business Day) specified in such offer
(the “Proposed Prepayment Date” ). If such
Proposed Prepayment Date is in connection with an offer
contemplated by subparagraph (a) of this
Section 8.3 , such date shall be not less than 30 days
and not more than 120 days after the date of such offer (if the
Proposed Prepayment Date shall not be specified in such offer, the
Proposed Prepayment Date shall be the first Business Day after the
45th day after the date of such offer).
(d) Rejection.
A holder of Notes may accept the offer to
prepay made pursuant to this Section 8.3 by causing a
notice of such acceptance to be delivered to the Company not later
than 15 days after receipt by such holder of the most recent offer
of prepayment. A failure by a holder of Notes to respond to an
offer to prepay made pursuant to this Section 8.3 shall
be deemed to constitute a rejection of such offer by such
holder.
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(e) Prepayment.
Prepayment of the Notes to be prepaid
pursuant to this Section 8.3 shall be at 100% of the
principal amount of such Notes, together with interest on such
Notes accrued to the date of prepayment, but without Make-Whole
Amount or other premium. The prepayment shall be made on the
Proposed Prepayment Date except as provided in subparagraph
(f) of this Section 8.3 .
(f) Deferral Pending Change in
Control. The obligation of the Company
to prepay Notes pursuant to the offers required by subparagraph
(c) and accepted in accordance with subparagraph (d) of
this Section 8.3 is subject to the occurrence of the
Change in Control in respect of which such offers and acceptances
shall have been made. In the event that such Change in Control has
not occurred on the Proposed Prepayment Date in respect thereof,
the prepayment shall be deferred until, and shall be made on, the
date on which such Change in Control occurs. To the extent
reasonably practicable, the Company shall keep each holder of Notes
reasonably and timely informed of (i) any such deferral of the
date of prepayment, (ii) the date on which such Change in
Control and the prepayment are expected to occur, and
(iii) any determination by the Company that efforts to effect
such Change in Control have ceased or been abandoned (in which case
the offers and acceptances made pursuant to this
Section 8.3 in respect of such Change in Control shall
be deemed rescinded).
(g) Officer’s
Certificate. Each offer to prepay the
Notes pursuant to this Section 8.3 shall be accompanied
by a certificate, executed by a Senior Financial Officer of the
Company and dated the date of such offer, specifying: (i) the
Proposed Prepayment Date; (ii) that such offer is made
pursuant to this Section 8.3 ; (iii) the principal
amount of each Note offered to be prepaid; (iv) the interest
that would be due on each Note offered to be prepaid, accrued to
the Proposed Prepayment Date; (v) that the conditions of this
Section 8.3 have been fulfilled; and (vi) in
reasonable detail, the nature and date or proposed date of the
Change in Control.
(h) Certain Definitions.
“Change in Control”
shall be deemed to have occurred if (i) any person or
“group” (within the meaning of Section 13(d) or
14(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) (other
than the Control Group) shall have acquired the beneficial
ownership of 20% or more of any outstanding class of Capital Stock
having ordinary voting power in the election of directors of CF
General Partner or (ii) the Control Group shall cease to own
and control, of record and beneficially, Capital Stock of CF
General Partner possessing the voting power under normal
circumstances to cast 70% or more of the total votes entitled to be
cast for the election of directors of CF General Partner or
(iii) the Control Group shall no longer have the voting power
or the contractual right to elect a majority of CF General
Partner’s directors or (iv) CF General Partner shall no
longer be the sole managing general partner of CFLP; provided,
however, that no Change in Control shall be deemed to have
occurred under the foregoing clauses (i), (ii) or
(iii) so long as within thirty (30) days of any of the
foregoing events, a majority of the board of directors of CF
General Partner shall consist of at least two then current
Permitted Executives who were also Permitted Executives immediately
prior to the Change in Control. For purposes of this
Section 8(h) and subject to Section 8(i) ,
the term “Permitted Executives” means, at any
time, Stuart Fraser, Lee Amaitis, Philip Marber, Stephen Merkel,
Kevin Foley, Shaun Lynn and Daniel LaVecchia.
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“Control
Group” means, subject to Section 8(i) :
Howard W. Lutnick so long as he is alive and, upon his death,
(a) his heirs or estate or both and (b) any of Stuart
Fraser, Lee Amaitis, Philip Marber, Stephen Merkel, Kevin Foley,
Shaun Lynn and Daniel LaVecchia or a trust controlled by one or
more of the foregoing and Edie Lutnick and/or Allison Lutnick for
the benefit of the heirs of Howard W. Lutnick.
“Control
Event” means:
(i) the
execution by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates
of any agreement with respect to any proposed transaction or event
or series of transactions or events which, individually or in the
aggregate, may reasonably be expected to result in a Change in
Control, or
(ii) the
execution of any written agreement which, when fully performed by
the parties thereto, would result in a Change in
Control.
(i) At such time
that the Company shall deliver to each holder of the Notes evidence
that (I) the Guarantee Agreement, dated as of August 27,
2004, between CFLP and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. (
“JPMorgan” ), as amended, (II) the Guarantee
Agreement, dated as of December 17, 2004, between CFLP and JP
Morgan, as amended, (III) the Guarantee Agreement (Second 2004
Series), dated as of December 17, 2004, between CFLP and
JPMorgan, as amended, and (IV) the Guarantee Agreement, dated as of
March 31, 2005, between CFLP and JPMorgan, as amended, shall
have each been amended to reflect the following definitions of
“Permitted Executives” and “Control Group,”
then, for purposes of Section 8(h) , the same terms
shall be automatically amended to read as follows:
“Permitted
Executives” shall mean, at any time, any then current
chairman, vice chairman, chief executive officer, chief operating
officer, chief legal officer, and chief financial officer
(including for this purpose any of multiple persons holding such
offices as “co” officers), and the deputies of such
officers, of any of CFLP, CF General Partner, BGC Partners, the
Company, Cantor Fitzgerald Securities or Cantor
Fitzgerald & Co.
“Control
Group” shall mean: Howard W. Lutnick or a revocable trust
controlled by him so long as he is alive and, upon his death
(a) his heirs or estate or both and (b) any one or more
Permitted Executives or a trust controlled by (i) any one or
more Permitted Executives and (ii) Edie Lutnick and/or Allison
Lutnick for the benefit of the heirs of Howard W.
Lutnick.
(j) All
calculations contemplated in this Section 8.3 involving
the Capital Stock of any Person shall be made with the assumption
that all convertible Securities of such Person then outstanding and
all convertible Securities issuable upon the exercise of any
warrants, options and other rights outstanding at such time were
converted at such time and that all options, warrants and similar
rights to acquire shares of Capital Stock of such Person were
exercised at such time.
Section 8.4. Allocation of
Partial Prepayments . In the case of
each partial prepayment of the Notes pursuant to
Section 8.2 , the principal amount of the Notes to be
prepaid shall be allocated among all of the Notes at the time
outstanding in proportion, as nearly as practicable, to
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the respective unpaid
principal amounts thereof not theretofore called for prepayment.
All prepayments made pursuant to Section 8.3 shall be
applied only to the Notes of the holders who have elected to
participate in such prepayment.
Section 8.5. Maturity;
Surrender, Etc . In the case of each
prepayment of Notes pursuant to this Section 8 , the
principal amount of each Note to be prepaid shall mature and become
due and payable on the date fixed for such prepayment (which shall
be a Business Day), together with interest on such principal amount
accrued to such date and the applicable Make-Whole Amount, if any.
From and after such date, unless the Company shall fail to pay such
principal amount when so due and payable, together with the
interest and Make-Whole Amount, if any, as aforesaid, interest on
such principal amount shall cease to accrue. Any Note paid or
prepaid in full shall be surrendered to the Company and cancelled
and shall not be reissued, and no Note shall be issued in lieu of
any prepaid principal amount of any Note.
Section 8.6. Purchase of
Notes . The Company will not and will
not permit any Affiliate that it Controls to purchase, redeem,
prepay or otherwise acquire, directly or indirectly, any of the
outstanding Notes except upon the payment or prepayment of the
Notes in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and the Notes.
The Company will promptly cancel all Notes acquired by it or any
Affiliate pursuant to any payment, prepayment or purchase of Notes
pursuant to any provision of this Agreement and no Notes may be
issued in substitution or exchange for any such Notes.
Section 8.7. Make-Whole
Amount . The term “Make-Whole
Amount” means, with respect to any Note, an amount equal
to the excess, if any, of the Discounted Value of the Remaining
Scheduled Payments with respect to the Called Principal of such
Note over the amount of such Called Principal; provided that
the Make-Whole Amount may in no event be less than zero. For the
purposes of determining the Make-Whole Amount, the following terms
have the following meanings:
“Called Principal” means, with respect to
any Note, the principal of such Note that is to be prepaid pursuant
to Section 8.2 or has become or is declared to be
immediately due and payable pursuant to Section 12.1 ,
as the context requires.
“Discounted Value” means, with respect to
the Called Principal of any Note, the amount obtained by
discounting all Remaining Scheduled Payments with respect to such
Called Principal from their respective scheduled due dates to the
Settlement Date with respect to such Called Principal, in
accordance with accepted financial practice and at a discount
factor (applied on the same periodic basis as that on which
interest on the Notes is payable) equal to the Reinvestment Yield
with respect to such Called Principal.
“Reinvestment Yield” means, with respect to
the Called Principal of any Note, the sum of (A) .50%
plus (B) the yield to maturity implied by (i) the
yields reported as of 10:00 a.m. (New York City time) on the second
Business Day preceding the Settlement Date with respect to such
Called Principal, on the display designated as “Page
PX1” (or such other display as may replace Page PX1 on
Bloomberg Financial Markets (“Bloomberg”) or, if Page
PX1 (or its successor screen on Bloomberg) is unavailable,
the
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Telerate Access
Service screen which corresponds most closely to Page PX1 for the
most recently issued actively traded U.S. Treasury securities
having a maturity equal to the Remaining Average Life of such
Called Principal as of such Settlement Date, or (ii) if such
yields are not reported as of such time or the yields reported as
of such time are not ascertainable (including by way of
interpolation), the Treasury Constant Maturity Series Yields
reported, for the latest day for which such yields have been so
reported as of the second Business Day preceding the Settlement
Date with respect to such Called Principal, in Federal Reserve
Statistical Release H.15 (519) (or any comparable successor
publication) for actively traded U.S. Treasury securities having a
constant maturity equal to the Remaining Average Life of such
Called Principal as of such Settlement Date. Such implied yield
will be determined, if necessary, by (a) converting U.S.
Treasury bill quotations to bond-equivalent yields in accordance
with accepted financial practice and (b) interpolating
linearly between (1) the actively traded U.S. Treasury
security with the maturity closest to and greater than such
Remaining Average Life and (2) the actively traded U.S.
Treasury security with the maturity closest to and less than such
Remaining Average Life. The Reinvestment Yield shall be rounded to
the number of decimal places as appears in the coupon of the
applicable Note.
“Remaining Average Life” means, with respect
to any Called Principal, the number of years (calculated to the
nearest one-twelfth year) obtained by dividing (a) such Called
Principal into (b) the sum of the products obtained by
multiplying (i) the principal component of each Remaining
Scheduled Payment with respect to such Called Principal by
(ii) the number of years (calculated to the nearest
one-twelfth year) that will elapse between the Settlement Date with
respect to such Called Principal and the scheduled due date of such
Remaining Scheduled Payment.
“Remaining Scheduled Payments” means, with
respect to the Called Principal of any Note, all payments of such
Called Principal and interest thereon that would be due after the
Settlement Date with respect to such Called Principal if no payment
of such Called Principal were made prior to its scheduled due date;
provided that if such Settlement Date is not a date on which
interest payments are due to be made under the terms of the Notes,
then the amount of the next succeeding scheduled interest payment
will be reduced by the amount of interest accrued to such
Settlement Date and required to be paid on such Settlement Date
pursuant to Section 8.2 or 12.1 . For the
avoidance of doubt, the Applicable Interest Rate then in effect
shall be used in connection with any computation of the Remaining
Scheduled Payments.
“Settlement Date” means, with respect to the
Called Principal of any Note, the date on which such Called
Principal is to be prepaid pursuant to Section 8.2 or
has become or is declared to be immediately due and payable
pursuant to Section 12.1 , as the context
requires.
S ECTION
9. A FFIRMATIVE C
OVENANTS .
The Company
covenants that so long as any of the Notes are
outstanding:
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Section 9.1. Compliance with
Law . The Company will, and will cause
each of its Subsidiaries to, comply with all laws, ordinances or
governmental rules or regulations to which each of them is subject,
including, without limitation, ERISA, the USA Patriot Act and
Environmental Laws, and will obtain and maintain in effect all
licenses, certificates, permits, franchises and other governmental
authorizations necessary to the ownership of their respective
properties or to the conduct of their respective businesses, in
each case to the extent necessary to ensure that non-compliance
with such laws, ordinances or governmental rules or regulations or
failures to obtain or maintain in effect such licenses,
certificates, permits, franchises and other governmental
authorizations could not, individually or in the aggregate,
reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect.
Section 9.2. Insurance
. The Company will, and will cause each of
its Subsidiaries to, maintain, with financially sound and reputable
insurers, insurance with respect to their respective properties and
businesses against such casualties and contingencies, of such
types, on such terms and in such amounts (including deductibles,
co-insurance and self-insurance, if adequate reserves are
maintained with respect thereto) as is customary in the case of
entities of established reputations engaged in the same or a
similar business and similarly situated and the failure of which to
so maintain would have a Material Adverse Effect.
Section 9.3. Maintenance of
Properties . The Company will, and will
cause each of its Subsidiaries to, maintain and keep, or cause to
be maintained and kept, their respective properties in good repair,
working order and condition (other than ordinary wear and tear), so
that the business carried on in connection therewith may be
properly conducted at all times; provided that this Section
shall not prevent the Company or any Subsidiary from discontinuing
the operation and the maintenance of any of its properties if such
discontinuance is desirable in the conduct of its business and the
Company has concluded that such discontinuance could not,
individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a
Material Adverse Effect.
Section 9.4. Payment of Taxes
and Claims . The Company will, and will
cause each of its Subsidiaries to, file all tax returns required to
be filed in any jurisdiction and to pay and discharge all taxes
shown to be due and payable on such returns and all other taxes,
assessments, governmental charges, or levies imposed on them or any
of their properties, assets, income or franchises, to the extent
such taxes and assessments have become due and payable and before
they have become delinquent and all claims for which sums have
become due and payable that have or might become a Lien on
properties or assets of the Company or any Subsidiary;
provided that neither the Company nor any Subsidiary need
pay any such tax or assessment or claims or file any such tax
return if (a) the amount, applicability or validity thereof is
contested by the Company or such Subsidiary on a timely basis in
good faith and in appropriate proceedings, and the Company or a
Subsidiary has established adequate reserves therefor in accordance
with GAAP on the books of the Company or such Subsidiary or
(b) the nonpayment of all such taxes, assessments and claims
in the aggregate or failure to file such tax returns could not
reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect.
Section 9.5. Legal Existence,
Etc . Subject to
Section 10.1 , the Company will at all times preserve
and keep in full force and effect its existence as a limited
partnership and its status as not being taxable as a corporation
for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Subject to Sections
8.4
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and 8.5 of the BGC Partners
Guaranty, the Company will at all times preserve and keep in full
force and effect the legal existence of each of its Subsidiaries
(unless merged into the Company or a Wholly-owned Subsidiary) and
all rights and franchises of the Company and its Subsidiaries
unless, in the good faith judgment of the Company, the termination
of or failure to preserve and keep in full force and effect such
legal existence, right or franchise could not, individually or in
the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
Section 9.6. Notes to Rank Pari
Passu. The Notes and all other
obligations under this Agreement of the Company are and at all
times shall rank at least pari passu in right of payment
with all other present and future unsecured Senior Debt (actual or
contingent) of the Company.
Section 9.7. Books and
Records . The Company will, and will
cause each of its Subsidiaries to, maintain proper books of record
and account in conformity with GAAP and all applicable requirements
of any Governmental Authority having legal or regulatory
jurisdiction over the Company, or such Subsidiary, as the case may
be.
S ECTION
10. N
EGATIVE C OVENANTS .
The Company
covenants that so long as any of the Notes are
outstanding:
Section 10.1. Mergers,
Consolidations, Etc. The Company will
not consolidate with or be a party to a merger with any other
Person, or sell, lease or otherwise dispose of all or substantially
all of its assets; provided that:
(a) the Company may consolidate or merge
with or into any other Person if (i) the corporation, limited
liability company or other legal entity which results from such
consolidation or merger (the “Surviving Person”
) is organized under the laws of any state of the United States or
the District of Columbia, (ii) the due and punctual payment of
the principal of and premium, if any, and interest on all of the
Notes, according to their tenor, and the due and punctual
performance and observation of all of the covenants in the Notes
and this Agreement to be performed or observed by the Company are
expressly assumed in writing by the Surviving Person and the
Surviving Person shall furnish to the holders of the Notes an
opinion of counsel satisfactory to the Required Holders to the
effect that the instrument of assumption has been duly authorized,
executed and delivered and constitutes the legal, valid and binding
contract and agreement of the Surviving Person enforceable in
accordance with its terms, except as enforcement of such terms may
be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium
and similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’
rights generally and by general equitable principles,
(iii) BGC Partners, CFLP and any Subsidiary Guarantor shall
confirm in writing its obligations under the BGC Partners Guaranty,
the CFLP Guaranty or the Subsidiary Guaranty, as the case may be,
and (iv) at the time of such consolidation or merger and
immediately after giving effect thereto, no Default or Event of
Default would exist; and
(b) the Company may sell or otherwise
dispose of all or substantially all of its assets to any Person for
consideration which represents the fair market value of
such
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assets (as
determined in good faith by a Senior Financial Officer of the
Company at the time of such sale or other disposition if
(i) the acquiring Person (the “Acquiring
Person” ) is a corporation, partnership or limited
liability company organized under the laws of any state of the
United States or the District of Columbia, (ii) the due and
punctual payment of the principal of and premium, if any, and
interest on all the Notes, according to their tenor, and the due
and p
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