Exhibit 10.4
COMMON UNIT REDEMPTION AGREEMENT
This COMMON UNIT REDEMPTION AGREEMENT
(this “Agreement”), is made and entered into as of
December 11, 2007, by and between Williams Partners L.P., a
Delaware limited partnership (the “Partnership”) and
Williams Partners GP LLC , a Delaware limited liability
company (the “Holder”).
WHEREAS, as of the date hereof, the
Holder owns 4,163,527 common units representing limited partner
interests in the Partnership (the “Common Units”),
including Common Units issued to the Holder by the Partnership
pursuant to the Purchase and Sale Agreement, dated
November 30, 2007, among the Partnership, the Holder and the
other parties named therein;
WHEREAS, the Partnership entered into
an underwriting agreement, dated December 5, 2007 (the
“Underwriting Agreement”), with Lehman Brothers Inc.,
Citigroup Global Markets Inc., and Merrill Lynch & Co., as
representatives of the underwriters listed on schedule 1 thereto
(collectively, the “Underwriters”) pursuant to which
the Partnership is publicly offering (the “Public
Offering”) for cash (i) 9,250,000 Common Units and
(ii) in the event the Underwriters exercise their
over-allotment option pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement (the
“Over-Allotment Option”), up to an additional 1,387,500
Common Units (the “Option Units”), in each case,
pursuant to the Partnership’s registration statement on Form
S-3 (File No. 333-137562) (as amended to the date hereof, the
“Registration Statement”) and a prospectus supplement,
dated the date hereof (together with the base prospectus included
in the Registration Statement, the “Prospectus”), filed
under Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act (as defined herein);
and
WHEREAS, upon any exercise by the
Underwriters of the Over-Allotment Option, in whole or in part, the
Holder desires to transfer to the Partnership, and the Partnership
desires to redeem from the Holder, that number of Common Units (the
“Redemption Units”) equal to the number of Option Units
to be sold by the Partnership to the Underwriters upon such
exercise, up to an aggregate of 1,387,500 Common Units, upon the
terms and conditions hereinafter set forth. !
NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of
the mutual covenants, conditions and agreements set forth herein,
and for good and valuable consideration, the receipt and
sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto
agree as follows:
1. Redemption of Units .
Upon the Option Closing Date (as defined below), and subject to the
terms and conditions and in reliance on the representations and
warranties herein set forth, the Holder agrees to transfer to the
Partnership, and the Partnership agrees to redeem from the Holder,
up to an aggregate of 1,387,500 Common Units, at a price per unit
of $36.24 (the “Per Unit Redemption Price”), which
price is equal to the net proceeds per unit received by the
Partnership in the Public Offering, after underwriting discounts
and commissions, but before expenses, a number of Common Units (the
“Redemption Units”) equal to the number of Option Units
purchased from the Partnership by the Underwriters (the
“Redemption”).
1.1 The
closing (the “Closing”) of the Redemption shall take
place at such place and such time so as to coincide with the
closing of the Underwriters’ purchase of the Option Units
(the “Option Closing Date”) from the Partnership in the
Public Offering.
1.2 At
the Closing, the Holder shall assign and transfer to the
Partnership all its right, title and interest in and to the
Redemption Units, free and clear of all liens or other limitations
or restrictions and deliver to the Partnership the certificate or
certificates representing such Redemption Units, duly endorsed in
blank or accompanied by separate stock powers so endorsed. The
Holder shall execute the certificate of transfer on the back of the
certificate or certificates representing the Redemption
Units.
1.3 At
the Closing, the Partnership shall pay an amount equal to
(i) the Per Unit Redemption Price multiplied by (ii) the
number of Redemption Units (the “Aggregate Redemption
Price”) by wire transfer of immediately available funds to an
account of the Holder furnished to the Partnership.
1.4 The
Partnership hereby acknowledges and agrees that, by executing and
delivering this Agreement and consummating the transactions
contemplated hereby, the Holder is not waiving, in whole or in
part, any registration rights it has pursuant to Section 7.12
of the Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of the
Partnership dated as of August 23, 2005, as amended (the
“Partnership Agreement”), with respect to any Common
Units held by the Holder that are not redeemed subject to this
Agreement, including but not limited to the Holder’s right,
as exercised by a registration request, to cause the Partnership to
effect the registration under the Securities Act of all Common
Units owned by the Holder pursuant to the terms and conditions of
the Partnership Agreement.
1.5 If
the Underwriters do not exercise the Over-Allotment Option, then no
Redemption will occur pursuant to this Agreement.
2. Representations and
Warranties of Holder . The Holder hereby represents and
warrants to, and agrees with the Partnership, as applicable,
that:
2.1
Existence and Power . The Holder is a limited liability
company duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under
the laws of the State of Delaware and has all requisite limited
liability company power and authority to execute and deliver this
Agreement, consummate the transactions and perform each of its
obligations contemplated hereby.
2.2
Authority; Approvals . (a) The execution and delivery
of this Agreement by the Holder, the consummation by the Holder of
each of the transactions and the performance by the Holder of its
obligations contemplated hereby have been duly and properly
authorized by all necessary limited liability company action on the
part of the Holder. This Agreement has been duly executed and
delivered by the Holder, and, assuming the accuracy of the
representations and warranties of the Partnership in Section 3
hereof, constitutes the valid and legally binding obligation of the
Holder, enforceable against the Holder in accordance with its
terms, subject, (i) as to enforceability, to bankruptcy,
insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws of
general applicability relating to or affecting creditors’
rights and to
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general
principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is
considered in a proceeding in equity or at law) and (ii) to
equitable principles of general applicability relating to the
availability of specific performance, injunctive relief, or other
equitable remedies.
(b) The
execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Holder and the
consummation of each of the transactions and the performance of
each of the obligations contemplated hereby (i) do not
conflict with, violate or breach (whether with or without notice or
a lapse of time or both), require the consent of any Person to or
otherwise result in a material detriment to the Holder under,
(A) its organizational documents or (B) any agreement to
which it is a party or by which its assets or property is bound or
any law or order applicable to it, in the case of clause (B), which
conflicts, violations, breaches or material detriments could
reasonably be expected to prevent the consummation of any of the
transactions contemplated hereby or have a material adverse effect
on the business, properties or condition (financial or otherwise)
of the Holder; and (ii) do not impose any penalty or other
onerous condition on the Holder that could reasonably be expected
to prevent the consummation of any of the transactions contemplated
hereby. As used in this Agreement, the term “Person”
means a natural person, corporation, limited liability company,
venture, partnership, trust, unincorporated organization,
association or other entity.
(c) No
approval from any Governmental Entity is required with respect to
the Holder in connection with the execution and delivery by the
Holder of this Agreement, the performance by the Holder of its
obligations hereunder or the consummation by the Holder of the
transactions contemplated hereby, except for any such approval the
failure of which to be made or obtained (i) has not impaired and
could not reasonably be expected to impair the ability of the
Holder to perform its obligations under this Agreement in any
material respect, and (ii) could not reasonably be expected to
delay, in any material respect, or prevent the consummation of any
of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. As used in this
Agreement, the term “Governmental Entity” means any
agency, bureau, commission, authority, department, official,
political subdivision, tribunal or other instrumentality of any
government, whether (i) regulatory, administrative or
otherwise; (ii) federal, state or local; or
(iii) domestic or foreign.
2.3
Ownership of Redemption Units . The Holder is the record and
beneficial owner of the Redemption Units, free and clear of any
lien and any other limitation or restriction with full right and
authority to deliver the same hereunder, and will transfer and
deliver to the Partnership on the Option Closing Date valid title
to the Redemption Units, free and clear of any lien and any such
other limitation or restriction.
2.4
Independent Investigation . The Holder (a) has the
requisite knowledge, sophistication and experience in order to
fairly evaluate a disposition of the Redemption Units, including
the risks associated therewith, and (b) has adequate
information and has made its own independent investigation and
evaluation to the extent it deems necessary or appropriate
concerning the properties, business and financial condition of the
Partnership to make an informed decision regarding the transfer of
the Redemption Units pursuant to this Agreement.
3. Representations and
Warranties of the Partnership . The Partnership hereby
represents and warrants to, and agrees with the Holder, that:
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3.1
Existence and Power . The Partnership is a limited
partnership duly organized, validly existing and in good standing
under the laws of the State of Delaware and has all requisite
limited partnership power and authority to execute and deliver this
Agreement, consummate the transactions and perform each of its
obligations contemplated hereby.
3.2
Authority; Approvals . (a) The execution and delivery
of this Agreement by the Partnership, the consummation by the
Partnership of each of the transactions and the performance by the
Partnership of each of its obligations contemplated hereby have
been duly and properly authorized by all necessary partnership
action on the part of the Partnership. This Agreement has been duly
executed and delivered by the Partnership and, assuming the
accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Holder in
Section 2 hereof, constitutes the valid and legally binding
obligation of the Partnership, enforceable against it in accordance
with its terms, subject, (i) as to enforceability, to
bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other
similar laws of general applicability relating to or affecting
creditors’ rights and to general principles of equity
(regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a
proceeding in equity or at law) and (ii) to equitable
principles of general applicability relating to the availability of
specific performance, injunctive relief, or other equitable
remedies.
(b) The
execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Partnership and the
consummation of each of the transactions and the performance of
each of the obligations contemplated hereby (i) do not
conflict with, violate or breach (whether with or without notice or
a lapse of time or both), require the consent of any Person to or
otherwise result in a material detriment to the Partnership under,
(A) its organizational documents or (B) any agreement to
which it is a party or by which its assets or property i
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