Exhibit 10.3
REDEMPTION
AGREEMENT
by and between
ENERGY TRANSFER PARTNERS,
L.P.
and
CCE HOLDINGS, LLC
Dated as of
September 14,
2006
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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ARTICLE I DEFINITIONS
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2
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Section 1.1
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Specific
Definitions
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2
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ARTICLE II
REDEMPTION OF 50% CCE INTEREST
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14
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Section 2.1
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Agreement to
Redeem 50% CCE Interest
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14
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Section 2.2
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Time and Place
of Closing
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14
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Section 2.3
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Pre-Closing
Matters.
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15
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Section 2.4
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Post-Closing
Adjustment.
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16
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Section 2.5
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Deliveries by
CCE at the Closing
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17
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Section 2.6
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Deliveries by
ETP at the Closing
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18
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ARTICLE III
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF CCE
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18
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Section 3.1
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Organization;
Qualification.
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18
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Section 3.2
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Authority
Relative to this Agreement and the CCE Acquisition
Agreement
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19
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Section 3.3
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TPC
Interests.
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20
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Section 3.4
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Consents and
Approvals
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20
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Section 3.5
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No Conflict or
Violation
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20
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Section 3.6
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Financial
Information
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21
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Section 3.7
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Contracts.
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21
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Section 3.8
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Compliance with
Law
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22
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Section 3.9
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Permits
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22
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Section 3.10
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Litigation
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22
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Section 3.11
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Title to
Properties
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22
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Section 3.12
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Employee
Matters.
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23
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Section 3.13
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Labor
Relations
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26
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Section 3.14
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Intellectual
Property
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26
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Section 3.15
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Environmental
Matters
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27
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Section 3.16
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Tax
Matters.
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28
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Section 3.17
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Absence of
Certain Changes or Events.
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28
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Section 3.18
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Absence of
Undisclosed Liabilities
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29
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Section 3.19
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Brokerage and
Finders’ Fees
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29
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Section 3.20
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Affiliated
Transactions
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29
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Section 3.21
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Insurance.
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29
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Section 3.22
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Regulatory
Matters.
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29
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Section 3.23
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Internal
Controls.
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30
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Section 3.24
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Hedging
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31
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Section 3.25
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Bank Accounts;
Powers of Attorney
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31
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Section 3.26
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Gas
Imbalances
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31
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Section 3.27
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No Other
Representations or Warranties
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31
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ARTICLE IV
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF ETP
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31
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Section 4.1
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Corporate
Organization; Qualification
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31
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Section 4.2
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Authority
Relative to this Agreement
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32
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Section 4.3
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50% CCE
Interest
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32
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- i -
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Section 4.4
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Consents and
Approvals
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32
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Section 4.5
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No Conflict or
Violation
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33
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Section 4.6
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Litigation
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33
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Section 4.7
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Availability of
Funds
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33
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Section 4.8
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Brokerage and
Finders’ Fees
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33
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Section 4.9
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Investment
Representations.
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33
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Section 4.10
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No Other
Representations or Warranties
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34
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ARTICLE V
COVENANTS OF THE PARTIES
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34
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Section 5.1
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Conduct of
Business.
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34
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Section 5.2
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Access to
Properties and Records.
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37
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Section 5.3
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Consents and
Approvals.
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38
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Section 5.4
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Further
Assurances
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39
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Section 5.5
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Employee
Matters.
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39
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Section 5.6
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Tax
Covenants.
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45
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Section 5.7
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Control of
Administrative and Regulatory Proceedings
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50
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Section 5.8
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Maintenance of
Insurance Policies.
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50
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Section 5.9
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Preservation of
Records
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51
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Section 5.10
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Public
Statements
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51
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Section 5.11
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Assignment of
Trademarks.
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52
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Section 5.12
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Commercially
Reasonable Efforts
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52
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Section 5.13
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Financial
Statements; Financial Records of CCE.
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52
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Section 5.14
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Covenants
Regarding the 50% CCE Interest.
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54
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Section 5.15
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No-Hire/Non-Solicitation
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54
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Section 5.16
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CCE Executive
Committee
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55
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Section 5.17
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Directors’ and Officers’
Indemnification
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55
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Section 5.18
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TPC
Notes
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55
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ARTICLE VI
CONDITIONS
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55
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Section 6.1
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Mutual
Conditions to the Closing
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55
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Section 6.2
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ETP’s
Conditions to the Closing
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56
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Section 6.3
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CCE’s
Conditions to the Closing
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57
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ARTICLE VII
TERMINATION AND ABANDONMENT
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58
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Section 7.1
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Termination
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58
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Section 7.2
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Effect of
Termination
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59
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ARTICLE VIII
SURVIVAL; INDEMNIFICATION
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59
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Section 8.1
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Survival.
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59
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Section 8.2
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Indemnification.
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60
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Section 8.3
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Calculation of
Damages
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63
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Section 8.4
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Procedures for
Third-Party Claims.
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63
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Section 8.5
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Procedures for
Inter-Party Claims
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64
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ARTICLE IX
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
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64
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Section 9.1
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Interpretation
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64
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Section 9.2
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Disclosure
Letters
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65
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- ii -
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Section 9.3
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Payments
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65
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Section 9.4
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Expenses
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65
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Section 9.5
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Choice of
Law
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65
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Section 9.6
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Assignment
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65
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Section 9.7
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Notices
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65
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Section 9.8
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Consent to
Jurisdiction
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67
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Section 9.9
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No Right of
Setoff
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67
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Section 9.10
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Time is of the
Essence
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67
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Section 9.11
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Specific
Performance
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67
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Section 9.12
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Entire
Agreement
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67
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Section 9.13
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Third Party
Beneficiaries
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67
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Section 9.14
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Counterparts
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67
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Section 9.15
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Severability
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68
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Section 9.16
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Headings
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68
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Section 9.17
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Waiver
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68
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Section 9.18
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Amendment
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68
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EXHIBITS
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B
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Terms of TPC
Transition Services Agreement
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C
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Form of Second
Amended and Restated LLC Agreement
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D
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Resolutions of
CCE Executive Committee
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- iii -
REDEMPTION
AGREEMENT
This REDEMPTION AGREEMENT, dated as
of September 14, 2006 (this “ Agreement ”),
is made and entered into by and between Energy Transfer Partners,
L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (“ ETP ”),
and CCE Holdings, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company
(“ CCE ”).
W I T N E S S E T H:
WHEREAS, CCE, through its
subsidiaries, owns and operates a network of natural gas pipelines
and is engaged in the business of the interstate transportation of
natural gas;
WHEREAS, an indirect Subsidiary of
CCE owns all of the issued and outstanding membership interests of
Transwestern Pipeline Company, LLC, a Delaware limited liability
company (“ TPC ”);
WHEREAS, EFS-PA, LLC, a Delaware
limited liability company, CDPQ Investments (U.S.) Inc., a Delaware
corporation, Lake Bluff Inc., a Delaware corporation, Merrill Lynch
Ventures, L.P. 2001, a Delaware limited partnership, and Kings Road
Holdings I LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (collectively,
the “ Other CCE Owners ”) own Class B membership
interests in CCE that collectively represent 50% of the outstanding
membership interests in CCE (the “ 50% CCE Interest
”);
WHEREAS, concurrently with the
execution and delivery of this Agreement, ETP has entered into a
Purchase and Sale Agreement, dated as of September 14, 2006,
with the Other CCE Owners pursuant to which ETP has agreed, subject
to the terms and conditions thereof, to purchase the 50% CCE
Interest from the Other CCE Owners (the “ CCE Acquisition
Agreement ”);
WHEREAS, subject to the terms and
conditions of this Agreement, CCE desires to redeem the 50% CCE
Interest that ETP proposes to acquire pursuant to the CCE
Acquisition Agreement by transferring to ETP all of the membership
interests in TPC (the “ TPC Interests ”) as a
redemption payment;
WHEREAS, in connection with
CCE’s redemption of the 50% CCE Interest to be owned by ETP,
CCE intends to cause (i) CrossCountry Energy, LLC, a Delaware
limited liability company that is wholly-owned by CCE (“
CC Energy ”), or one of its affiliates, to borrow from
lenders that are not Affiliates of CCE an amount sufficient to
enable CC Energy or such affiliate, after paying expenses related
to the incurrence of such debt, to contribute to TW Holdings an
amount necessary to repay all of the outstanding TW Holdings Debt
(the “ TW Debt Payoff Amount ”) plus the Cash
Redemption Amount (as defined in Section 1.1 hereof) (the
“ CC Energy Debt Proceeds Amount ”),
(ii) CC Energy to contribute the TW Debt Payoff Amount to
Transwestern Holding Company, LLC, a Delaware limited liability
company that is wholly-owned by CC Energy (“ TW
Holdings ”), and (iii) cause TW Holdings to repay
all of its existing debt, in each case prior to the redemption of
the 50% CCE Interest, described in the preceding
recital;
1
WHEREAS, each of the Boards of
Directors or other governing body of each of CCE and ETP has
approved, and deems it advisable and in the best interests of their
respective shareholders, partners and members to consummate the
transactions contemplated by, this Agreement upon the terms and
subject to the conditions set forth herein;
NOW, THEREFORE, for and in
consideration of the foregoing and the representations, warranties,
covenants and agreements set forth herein, CCE and ETP, intending
to be legally bound hereby, hereby agree as follows:
ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS
Section 1.1 Specific
Definitions . For purposes of this Agreement, the following
terms shall have the meanings set forth below:
“ Action ” shall
mean any administrative, regulatory, judicial or other formal
proceeding, action, Claim, suit, investigation or inquiry by or
before any Governmental Authority, arbitrator or
mediator.
“ Adjustment Amount
” shall mean $14,400,000.
“ Affected Employees
” shall mean the TPC Employees on the Closing Date, including
Transferring Shared Service Employees who become TPC Employees on
the date immediately prior to the Closing Date pursuant to the
provisions of Section 5.5(g).
“ Affiliate ”
shall have the meaning set forth in Rule 12b-2 of the General Rules
and Regulations under the Exchange Act.
“ Agreement ”
shall mean this Redemption Agreement, together with the CCE
Disclosure Letter and the Exhibits hereto, as the same may be
amended or supplemented from time to time in accordance with the
provisions hereof.
“ Applicable Law
” shall mean any statute, law, ordinance, executive order,
rule or regulation (including a regulation that has been formally
promulgated in a rule-making proceeding but, pending final
adoption, is in proposed or temporary form having the force of
law); guideline or notice having the force of law; or approval,
permit, license, franchise, judgment, order, decree, injunction or
writ of any Governmental Authority applicable to a specified Person
or specified property, as in effect from time to time.
“ Auditor ” shall
have the meaning set forth in Section 2.4(b).
“ Base Compensation
” shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 5.5(f).
“ Base Debt Amount
” shall mean $520,000,000.
“ Base Pro Forma Net
Working Capital Amount ” shall mean zero
dollars.
“ Benefit Programs or
Agreements ” shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 3.12(b).
2
“ Burdensome Condition
” shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 5.3(b).
“ Business Day ”
shall mean a day other than a Saturday, Sunday or other day on
which banks located in New York City are authorized or required by
law to close.
“ Cap Amount ”
shall have the meaning set forth in Section 8.2(d).
“ Cash Flow ”
shall have the meaning set forth in the Second Amended and Restated
LLC Agreement, calculated without duplication on a combined basis
for CCE and its Subsidiaries.
“ Cash Redemption
Amount ” shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 2.3(d)(iv) hereof.
“ Casualty Insurance
Claims ” shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 5.9(a).
“ CC Energy ”
shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals to this
Agreement.
“ CC Energy Debt Proceeds
Amount ” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals
to this Agreement.
“ CCE ” shall
have the meaning set forth in the Recitals to this
Agreement.
“ CCEA LLC ”
shall mean CCE Acquisition LLC, a Delaware limited liability
company.
“ CCEA Corp. ”
shall mean CCEA Corp., a Delaware corporation.
“ CCE Acquisition
” shall mean the acquisition of the 50% CCE Interest from the
Other CCE Owners pursuant to the terms and conditions of the CCE
Acquisition Agreement.
“ CCE Acquisition
Agreement ” shall have the meaning set forth in the
Recitals to this Agreement.
“ CCE Adjustment
” shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 2.4(c).
“ CCE Annual Financial
Statements ” shall mean the audited balance sheets at
December 31, 2004 and 2005 and the statements of income,
statements of members’ equity and statements of cash flow of
CCE for the years ended December 31, 2004 and 2005.
“ CCE Cash Flow Amount
” shall mean the amount of Cash Flow of CCE for the period
from the date of the CCE Acquisition until the Closing Date (for
purposes of this definition of CCE Cash Flow Amount, the CCE Cash
Flow Amount shall be deemed to include without duplication the
amount of Citrus Corp. cash dividends paid after the Closing Date
but relating to any portion of the period from the date of the CCE
Acquisition until the Closing Date; provided, however, that if no
dividends are paid by Citrus Corp. relating to such period, then
the CCE Cash Flow Amount shall be deemed to include without
duplication 50% (i.e., CCE’s share) of Citrus Corp. net
income for such period).
“CCE Defined Contribution
Plan” shall have
the meaning set forth in Section 5.5(i).
3
“ CCE Disclosure Letter
” means the letter dated September 14, 2006 from CCE to
ETP in the form attached as Exhibit A to this Agreement.
“CCE FAS 106
Report” shall mean
the Southern Union Company Postretirement Medical and Death
Benefits for CrossCountry Energy Employees Application of Statement
of Financial Accounting Standards Nos. 106 and 132(R) to the Fiscal
Year Ending December 31, 2005.
“ CCE Financial
Statements ” means the CCE Annual Financial Statements,
the CCE Six Month Interim Financial Statements, the CCE Nine Month
Interim Financial Statements and the CCE 2006 Financial
Statements.
“CCE Flex
Plans” shall have
the meaning set forth in Section 5.5(h).
“ CCE Indemnified
Parties ” shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 8.2(b).
“CCE Medicare Eligible
SPD” shall mean the
Summary Plan Description Options PPO Plan for CrossCountry Energy
(Medicare Eligible Retired Employees).
“ CCE Nine Month Interim
Financial Statements ” shall mean the unaudited balance
sheets, statements of income, statements of members’ equity
and statements of cash flow for CCE as of, and for the nine months
ended, September 30, 2005 and 2006.
“ CCE Six Month Interim
Financial Statements ” shall mean the unaudited balance
sheets, statements of income, statements of members’ equity
and statements of cash flow for CCE as of, and for the six months
ended, June 30, 2005 and 2006.
“ CCE LLC Agreement
” means the Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company
Agreement of CCE, dated as of November 5, 2004, as amended by
the First Amendment thereto, dated as of December 2,
2004.
“ CCE Returns ”
shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 5.6(a)(i).
“ CCE Stub Period Income
Statements ” means the unaudited income statements for
CCE for the three months ended December 31, 2005 and for the
one month periods ended December 31, 2004 and 2005.
“ CCE S-X Financial
Statements ” shall mean the CCE Financial Statements, as
modified pursuant to the provisions of
Section 5.13(b).
“CCE Under Age 65
SPD” shall mean the
Summary Plan Description Options PPO Plan for CrossCountry Energy
(Retired Employees under age 65).
“ CCE 2006 Financial
Statements ” shall mean the audited balance sheet,
statement of income, statement of members’ equity and
statement of cash flow of CCE as of, and for the year ended,
December 31, 2006.
“ CCES ” shall
mean CrossCountry Energy Services, LLC.
4
“ Citrus ” shall
mean CrossCountry Citrus, LLC, a Delaware limited liability
company.
“ Citrus S-X Financial
Statements ” shall mean the Citrus Financial Statements,
as modified pursuant to the provisions of
Section 5.13(b).
“ Citrus 2006 Financial
Statements ” shall mean the audited balance sheet,
statement of income, statement of member’s equity and
statement of cash flow of Citrus as of, and for the year ended,
December 31, 2006.
“ Citrus Annual Financial
Statements ” shall mean the audited balance sheets at
December 31, 2004 and 2005 and the statements of income,
statements of member’s equity and statements of cash flow of
Citrus for the years ended December 31, 2004 and
2005.
“ Citrus Financial
Statements ” means the Citrus Annual Financial
Statements, the Citrus Six Month Interim Financial Statements, the
Citrus Nine Month Interim Financial Statements, and the Citrus 2006
Financial Statements.
“ Citrus Nine Month Interim
Financial Statements ” shall mean the unaudited balance
sheets, statements of income, statements of member’s equity
and statements of cash flow for Citrus as of, and for the nine
months ended, September 30, 2005 and 2006.
“ Citrus Six Month Interim
Financial Statements ” shall mean the unaudited balance
sheets, statements of income, statements of member’s equity
and statements of cash flow for Citrus as of, and for the six
months ended, June 30, 2005 and 2006.
“ Citrus Stub Period Income
Statements ” means the unaudited income statements for
Citrus for the three months ended December 31, 2005 and for
the one month periods ended December 31, 2004 and
2005.
“ Claims ” shall
mean any and all claims, lawsuits, demands, causes of action,
investigations and other proceedings (whether or not before a
Governmental Authority).
“ Closing Adjustment
Amount ” shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 2.3(c).
“ Closing Balance Sheet
” shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 2.4(a).
“ Closing Date ”
shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.2.
“ Closing ” shall
have the meaning set forth in Section 2.2.
“ Code ” shall
mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
“ Confidentiality
Agreement ” shall mean the confidentiality agreement
entered into by and between ETP and Southern Union, dated
July 25, 2006.
“ Consolidated Income Tax
Return ” shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 5.6(a)(ix) hereof.
“ Continuation Period
” shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 5.5(f).
5
“ Damages ” shall
mean all demands, Claims, causes of action, suits, judgments,
damages, amounts paid in settlement (with the approval of the
Indemnifying Party where applicable), penalties, Liabilities,
losses or deficiencies, costs and expenses, including reasonable
attorney’s fees, court costs, expenses of arbitration or
mediation, and other out-of-pocket expenses incurred in
investigating or preparing the foregoing. “Damages”
does not include incidental, indirect or consequential damages,
damages for lost profits or other special damages or punitive or
exemplary damages; provided, however, that in the case of
Third-Party Claims, “Damages” shall be deemed to
include all forms of relief, monetary and otherwise, asserted
therein, without any of the foregoing exceptions.
“ Determination Date
” shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 2.4(b).
“ Employee Benefit
Plans ” shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 3.12(b).
“ Encumbrances ”
shall mean any Claims, Liens, conditional and installment sale
agreements or other title retention agreements, activity and use
limitations, easements, deed restrictions, title defects,
reservations, encumbrances and charges of any kind, options,
subordination agreements or adverse claim of any kind.
“Enron Inactive Medical
Plan” shall mean
the Enron Corp. Medical Plan for Inactive Participants.
“ Enron Plan ”
shall mean any “employee benefit plan,” as defined in
Section 3(3) of ERISA, or any policy, plan, agreement or
arrangement providing for employment terms, change in control
benefits, severance benefits, retention benefits, insurance
coverage (including any self-insured arrangements), workers’
compensation, disability benefits, supplemental unemployment
benefits, vacation benefits, retirement benefits, deferred
compensation, profit-sharing, bonuses, or other forms of incentive
compensation, or post-retirement insurance, compensation or
benefits (whether or not an ERISA plan) entered into, sponsored,
maintained, or contributed to by Enron Corp. or any of its ERISA
Affiliates, current or former, specifically including the Enron
Corp. Cash Balance Plan (formerly the Enron Corp. Retirement Plan),
the Enron Corp. Savings Plan (formerly the Enron Corp. Savings Plan
and Enron Corp. Employee Stock Ownership Plan, which were merged in
August 2002), the Enron Prisma Energy Savings Plan, the Portland
General Electric Company Pension Plan and the Enron Inactive
Medical Plan.
“ Enron VEBA ”
shall mean the Enron Gas Pipelines Employee Benefit Trust, as it
may be amended, which as of the date of this Agreement, is the
subject of the Enron VEBA Motion.
“ Enron VEBA Motion
” shall mean the Amended and Restated Motion of Enron Corp.,
et al, for an Order Pursuant to Sections 105 and 363 of the
Bankruptcy Code, Authorizing Termination of Employee Benefits Trust
and Distribution of Trust Assets, dated June 17, 2005, as it
may be amended, which motion is currently pending in the United
States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New
York.
“ Environmental Claim
” means any claim, loss, cost, expense, liability, penalty or
Damages arising, incurred or otherwise asserted pursuant to any
Environmental Law.
6
“ Environmental Laws
” shall mean all foreign, federal, state and local laws,
regulations, rules and ordinances relating to pollution or
protection of human health or the environment, including laws
relating to releases or threatened releases of Hazardous Substances
into the environment (including ambient air, surface water,
groundwater, land, surface and subsurface strata).
“ Environmental Permit
” shall mean any Permit, formal exemption, identification
number or other authorization issued by a Governmental Authority
pursuant to an applicable Environmental Law.
“ ERISA ” shall
mean the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as
amended, and the regulations promulgated thereunder.
“ ERISA Affiliate
” shall mean, with respect to any Person, any corporation,
trade, business, or entity under common control with such Person,
within the meaning of Section 414(b), (c) or (m) of
the Code or Section 4001 of ERISA.
“ ERISA Plans ”
shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 3.12(a).
“ Estimated SUG Expansion
Project Expenses ” shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 2.3(a).
“ ETP ” shall
have the meaning set forth in the recitals to this
Agreement.
“ETP 401(k)
Plan” shall have
the meaning set forth in Section 5.5(i).
“ ETP Adjustment
” shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 2.4(c).
“ ETP Indemnified
Parties ” shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 8.2(a).
“ ETP Plans ”
shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5.5(c).
“ Exchange Act ”
shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the
Regulations promulgated thereunder.
“ Existing TPC Debt
” shall mean the existing indebtedness of TPC pursuant to
(x) those certain $270,000,000 5.39% Senior Unsecured Notes
due November 17, 2014 and $250,000,000 5.54% Senior Unsecured
Notes due November 17, 2016 and (y) that certain
$230,000,000 Amended and Restated Credit Agreement dated as of
December 21, 2005 among TPC and the Lenders, Administrative
Agent and Issuing Bank, Syndication Agent, Co-Documentation Agents
and Arrangers parties thereto.
“ Existing TW Holdings
Debt ” shall mean the existing indebtedness of TW
Holdings pursuant to (x) those certain $125,000,000 5.64%
Senior Unsecured Notes due November 17, 2014, and $100,000,000
5.79% Senior Unsecured Notes due November 17, 2016, and
(y) that certain $230,000,000 Amended and Restated Credit
Agreement among TW Holdings, CrossCountry Citrus, LLC, as
guarantor, and the Lenders, Administrative Agent, Syndication
Agent, Co-Documentation Agents, and Arrangers parties
thereto.
7
“ FCC ” means the
Federal Communication Commission.
“ FERC ” shall
mean the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission including any
individual office or department within FERC.
“ For Cause ”
shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5.5(f).
“ GAAP ” shall
mean United States generally accepted accounting principles as in
effect from time to time, applied on a consistent basis.
“ Governmental
Authority ” shall mean any executive, legislative,
judicial, tribal, regulatory, taxing or administrative agency,
body, commission, department, board, court, tribunal, arbitrating
body or authority of the United States or any foreign country, or
any state, local or other governmental subdivision
thereof.
“ Hazardous Substances
” shall mean any chemicals, materials or substances defined
as or included in the definition of “hazardous
substances”, “hazardous wastes”, “hazardous
materials”, “hazardous constituents”,
“restricted hazardous materials”, “extremely
hazardous substances”, “toxic substances”,
“contaminants”, “pollutants”, “toxic
pollutants”, or words of similar meaning and regulatory
effect under any applicable Environmental Law.
“ HSR Act ” means
the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as
amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated
thereunder.
“ Indemnified Party
” shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 8.2(c).
“ Indemnifying Party
” shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 8.2(c).
“ Initial Termination
Date ” shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 7.1(b).
“ Insurance Policies
” shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 3.21(a).
“ IRS ” shall
mean the Internal Revenue Service.
“ June 30 TPC Expansion
Project Expenses ” shall mean $7,750,000.
“ Knowledge ”
shall mean, as to CCE, the actual knowledge, after due inquiry, of
the persons listed on Section 1.1(a) of the CCE Disclosure
Letter, or any Person who replaces any of such listed persons
between the date of this Agreement and the Closing Date.
“ Liabilities ”
shall mean any and all debts, liabilities, commitments and
obligations, whether or not fixed, contingent or absolute, matured
or unmatured, liquidated or unliquidated, accrued or unaccrued,
known or unknown, whether or not required by GAAP to be reflected
in financial statements or disclosed in the notes
thereto.
“ Liens ” shall
mean any lien, mortgage, pledge, charge, claim, assignment by way
of security or similar security interest.
“ LIBOR ” shall
mean the London Interbank Offer Rate.
8
“ Make-Whole Amount
” shall have the meaning set forth in the TW Holdings Note
Purchase Agreement.
“ Material Adverse
Effect ” shall mean any change or effect that is
materially adverse to the business, financial condition or assets
of the business of TPC; provided, however, that Material Adverse
Effect shall exclude any change or effect due to (a) the
negotiation, execution, announcement and consummation of this
Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby, including the
impact thereof on relationships, contractual or otherwise, with
customers, suppliers, distributors, partners, joint owners or
venturers, or employees, (b) any action taken by CCE, ETP or
any of their respective representatives or Affiliates or other
action required or permitted by the terms of this Agreement or
necessary to consummate the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement, (c) the general state of the industries in which
TPC operates (including (i) pricing levels, (ii) changes
in the international, national, regional or local wholesale or
retail markets for natural gas, (iii) changes in the North
American, national, regional or local interstate natural gas
pipeline systems, and (iv) rules, regulations or decisions of
the FERC or the courts affecting the interstate natural gas
transmission industry as a whole, or rate orders, motions,
complaints or other actions affecting TPC), except, in all cases
for such effects which disproportionately impact TPC,
(d) general legal, regulatory, political, business, economic,
capital market and financial market conditions (including
prevailing interest rate levels), or conditions otherwise generally
affecting the industries in which TPC operates, except, in all
cases, for such effects which disproportionately impact TPC and
(e) any condition set forth in the CCE Disclosure Letter (but
only to the extent set forth therein).
“ Material Contract
” shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 3.7(a).
“ Minimum Claim Amount
” shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 8.2(d).
“ Net Working Capital
Amount ” as of a particular date shall mean (a) the
current assets of TPC as of such date minus (b) the current
liabilities of TPC as of such date, with both current assets and
current liabilities determined in accordance with GAAP, applied in
a manner consistent with the preparation of the Pro Forma Adjusted
Balance Sheet (subject to the exceptions from GAAP relating to the
adjustments reflected on the Pro Forma Adjusted Balance
Sheet).
“ NGA ” shall
have the meaning set forth in Section 3.22.
“ NGPA ” shall
have the meaning set forth in Section 3.22.
“ Organizational
Documents ” shall mean certificates of incorporation,
by-laws, certificates of formation, limited liability company
operating agreements, partnership or limited partnership agreements
or other formation or governing documents of a particular
entity.
“ Other CCE Owners
” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals of this
Agreement.
“ PBGC ” shall
mean the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation.
9
“ PEPL ” shall
mean Panhandle Eastern Pipe Line Company, LP, a Delaware limited
partnership.
“ Permitted
Encumbrances ” shall mean (a) zoning, planning and
building codes and other applicable laws regulating the use,
development and occupancy of real property and permits, consents
and rules under such laws; (b) encumbrances, easements,
rights-of-way, covenants, conditions, restrictions and other
matters affecting title to real property (other than Liens) which
do not materially detract from the value of such real property or
materially restrict the use of such real property; (c) leases
and subleases of real property; (d) all easements,
encumbrances or other matters that are necessary for utilities and
other similar services on real property; (e) Liens to secure
indebtedness reflected on the TPC Financial Statements,
(f) Liens to secure indebtedness incurred after the date
thereof, to the extent permitted pursuant to
Section 5.1(b)(xii), (g) Liens for Taxes and other
governmental levies not yet due and payable or, if due,
(i) not delinquent or (ii) being contested in good faith
by appropriate proceedings during which collection or enforcement
against the property is stayed and with respect to which adequate
reserves have been established on the books of TPC and are being
maintained to the extent required by GAAP,
(h) mechanics’, workmen’s, repairmen’s,
materialmen’s, warehousemen’s, carriers’ or other
similar Liens, including all statutory Liens, arising or incurred
in the ordinary course of business; (i) original purchase
price conditional sales contracts and equipment leases with third
parties entered into in the ordinary course of business,
(j) Liens that do not materially interfere with or materially
affect the value or use of the respective underlying asset to which
such Liens relate, (k) Encumbrances that are capable of being
cured through condemnation procedures under the NGA at a total cost
to TPC of less than $1,000,000 and (l) Encumbrances that are
reflected in any Material Contract.
“ Person ” shall
mean any natural person, corporation, company, general partnership,
limited partnership, limited liability partnership, joint venture,
proprietorship, limited liability company, or other entity or
business organization or vehicle, trust, unincorporated
organization or Governmental Authority or any department or agency
thereof.
“ Post-Closing Adjustment
Amount ” shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 2.4(a).
“ Post-Closing Taxes
” shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 5.6(a)(iv).
“ Pre-Closing Taxes
” shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 5.6(a)(iv).
“ Pro Forma Adjusted
Balance Sheet ” shall mean the pro forma balance sheet of
TPC as of June 30, 2006 derived from the TPC Interim Balance
Sheet, adjusted to:
(a) reflect, among the other matters
reflected in the adjustments set forth in Section 1.1(b) of
the CCE Disclosure Letter, that current liabilities shall exclude
short term debt and current portions of long term debt;
and
(b) reflect as a reduction in cash
the payment of a $22,000,000 cash distribution to the sole member
of TPC to be made prior to the Closing.
The Pro Forma Adjusted Balance
Sheet, reflecting the adjustments listed above, is set forth in
Section 1.1(b) of the CCE Disclosure Letter.
10
“ Real Property ”
shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3.11.
“ Regulation ”
shall mean any rule or regulation of any Governmental Authority
having the effect of Law or of any rule or regulation of any
self-regulatory organization, such as the New York Stock
Exchange.
“ Release ” means
any depositing, spilling, leaking, pumping, pouring, placing,
emitting, discarding, abandoning, emptying, discharging, migrating,
injecting, escaping, leaching, dumping, or disposing.
“ Rights-Of-Way ”
shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3.11.
“ Sarbanes-Oxley Act
” means the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the Regulations
promulgated thereunder.
“ SEC ” means the
Securities and Exchange Commission.
“ Second Amended and
Restated LLC Agreement ” shall mean that certain Second
Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement of CCE, in
the form attached hereto as Exhibit D to be entered into by
and among ETP, CCEA LLC and CCEA Corp. as of the date of the CCE
Acquisition.
“ Securities Act
” shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the
Regulations promulgated thereunder.
“ Severance Benefits
” shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 5.5(f).
“ Shared Service
Employees ” shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 5.5(g).
“ Southern Union
” shall mean Southern Union Company, a Delaware
corporation.
“ Straddle Period
” shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 5.6(a)(ii).
“ Straddle Period
Return(s) ” shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 5.6(a)(ii).
“ Straddle Statement
” shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 5.6(a)(ii).
“ Subsidiary ” of
any entity means, at any date, any Person (a) the accounts of
which would be consolidated with and into those of the applicable
entity in such entity’s consolidated financial statements if
such financial statements were prepared in accordance with GAAP as
of such date or (b) of which securities or other ownership
interests representing more than fifty percent (50%) of the
equity or more than fifty percent (50%) of the ordinary voting
power or, in the case of a partnership, more than fifty percent
(50%) of the general partnership interests or more than fifty
percent (50%) of the profits or losses of which are, as of
such date, owned, controlled or held by the applicable entity or
one or more subsidiaries of such entity.
“ SUG Expansion Project
Expenses ” shall mean all expenditures incurred at any
time prior to the Closing Date by Affiliates of TPC (other than
TPC), including Southern Union, Valley Pipeline Company, LP and
PEPL, in connection with the TPC Expansion Projects that have not
been reimbursed by TPC on or prior to the Closing Date.
11
“ Survival Period
” shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 8.1(c).
“ Tax Claim ”
shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 5.6(d)(i).
“ Tax Indemnified Party
” shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 5.6(d)(i).
“ Tax Indemnifying
Party ” shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 5.6(d)(i).
“ Tax Return ”
shall mean any report, return, declaration, or other information
required to be supplied to a Governmental Authority in connection
with Taxes including any claim for refund or amended
return.
“ Taxes ” shall
mean all taxes, levies or other like assessments, including net
income, gross income, gross receipts, capital gains, profits,
environmental, excise, value added, ad valorem, real or personal
property, withholding, asset, sales, use, transfer, registration,
license, payroll, transaction, capital, business, occupation,
corporation, employment, withholding, wage, net worth, franchise,
minimum, alternative minimum, and estimated taxes, or other
governmental taxes imposed by or payable to any foreign, Federal,
state or local taxing authority, whether computed on a separate,
consolidated, unitary, combined or any other basis; and in each
instance such term shall include any interest, penalties or
additions to tax attributable to any such Tax.
“ Third-Party Claim
” shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 8.4(a).
“ Threshold Amount
” shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 8.2(d).
“ Total Debt ”
shall mean all short-term and long-term indebtedness of TPC as
reflected on its balance sheet, prepared in accordance with GAAP,
of TPC as of a particular date.
“ TPC ” shall
have the meaning set forth in the Recitals of this
Agreement.
“ TPC 2006 Financial
Statements ” shall mean the audited balance sheet,
statement of income, statement of members’ equity and
statement of cash flow of TPC as of, and for the period ended,
December 31, 2006.
“ TPC Annual Financial
Statements ” shall mean the audited balance sheets at
December 31, 2004 and 2005 and the statements of income,
statements of members’ interests and statements of cash flow
for the years ended December 31, 2004 and 2005, in each case
for TPC.
“ TPC Cash Flow Amount
” shall mean the amount of cash flow of TPC included in the
CCE Cash Flow Amount for the period from the date of the CCE
Acquisition until the Closing Date.
“ TPC Employees ”
shall mean all employees employed by TPC, including employees
absent due to vacation, illness or similar circumstance,
workers’ compensation, short-term
12
disability, military leave, maternity leave or
paternity leave, leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act of
1993 and other approved leaves of absence from active employment.
When the term “TPC Employees” is used herein in
reference to a specific date, “TPC Employees” shall
include the employees of TPC referenced in the preceding sentence
as of such date.
“ TPC Expansion Project
Expenses ” shall mean all expenditures incurred at any
time prior to the Closing Date (including amounts properly accrued
in accordance with GAAP and included on the Closing Balance Sheet)
by TPC in connection with the TPC Expansion Projects, including
reimbursed SUG Expansion Project Expenses.
“ TPC Expansion
Projects ” shall mean the Phoenix and San Juan expansion
projects as approved by the Executive Committee of CCE by written
consent on September 14, 2006.
“ TPC Financial
Statements ” shall mean the TPC Annual Financial
Statements, the TPC Six Month Interim Financial Statements, the TPC
Nine Month Interim Financial Statements and the TPC 2006 Financial
Statements.
“ TPC Interests ”
shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals of this
Agreement.
“ TPC Interests
Assignment ” means the assignment of the TPC Interests in
a form to be agreed to by ETP and CCE prior to the Closing
Date.
“ TPC Interim Balance
Sheet ” shall mean the balance sheet as of June 30,
2006 included in the TPC Six Month Interim Financial
Statements.
“ TPC Marks ”
shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5.12.
“ TPC Nine Month Interim
Financial Statements ” shall mean the unaudited balance
sheets, statements of income, statements of members’ equity
and statements of cash flow of TPC as of, and for the nine months
ended, September 30, 2005 and 2006.
“ TPC Note Purchase
Agreement ” shall mean the note purchase agreement, dated
as of November 17, 2004, between TPC and the note purchasers
listed therein.
“ TPC Permits ”
shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3.9.
“ TPC Rate Case ”
shall mean the Natural Gas Act Section 4 rate case which TPC
is required to file pursuant to the terms and conditions of
TPC’s rate settlement in FERC Docket Nos. RP95-271, et
al ., together with any proceeding consolidated with or
ancillary thereto.
“TPC Severance
Plan” shall mean
the Transwestern Pipeline Company Severance Pay Plan.
“ TPC S-X Financial
Statements ” shall mean the TPC Financial Statements, as
modified pursuant to the provisions of
Section 5.13(b).
13
“ TPC Six Month Interim
Financial Statements ” shall mean the unaudited balance
sheets, statements of income, statements of members’ equity
and statements of cash flow of TPC as of, and for the six months
ended, June 30, 2005 and 2006.
“ TPC Stub Period Income
Statements ” means the unaudited income statements for
TPC for the three months ended December 31, 2005 and for the
one month periods ended December 31, 2004 and 2005.
“ TPC Transition Services
Agreement ” shall mean a Transition Services Agreement to
be agreed to by CCE, PEPL and ETP prior to the Closing Date, which
shall include the terms and conditions set forth on Exhibit
B to this Agreement.
“ TPC VEBA ”
shall mean the Transwestern Pipeline Company, LLC VEBA to Provide
for Retiree Health Care and Other Benefits.
“ Transfer Tax(es)
” shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 5.6(e).
“ Transferring Shared
Service Employees ” shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 5.5(g).
“ Treasury Regulation
” shall mean the income Tax regulations, including temporary
and proposed regulations, promulgated under the Code, as
amended.
“ TW Holdings ”
shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals of this
Agreement.
“ TW Holdings Note Purchase
Agreement ” shall mean the Note Purchase Agreement, dated
November 17, 2004, among TW Holdings and the note purchasers
named therein.
“ 50% CCE Interest
” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals of this
Agreement.
“ 50% CCE Interest
Assignment ” means the assignment of the 50% CCE Interest
in a form to be agreed to by ETP and CCE prior to the Closing
Date.
ARTICLE II
REDEMPTION OF 50% CCE
INTEREST
Section 2.1 Agreement to
Redeem 50% CCE Interest . Subject to the terms and conditions
of this Agreement, at the Closing, (i) CCE shall cause TW
Holdings to convey, assign, transfer and deliver to ETP the TPC
Interests, free and clear of all Encumbrances, and (ii) ETP
shall convey, assign, transfer and deliver to CCE the 50% CCE
Interest. At the Closing, if the Cash Redemption Amount is
positive, CCE shall pay to ETP the Cash Redemption Amount by wire
transfer of immediately available funds to an account designated in
writing by ETP or, in the event that the Cash Redemption Amount is
negative, then ETP shall pay to CCE the absolute value of the Cash
Redemption Amount by wire transfer of immediately available funds
to an account designated in writing by CCE.
Section 2.2 Time and Place
of Closing . Upon the terms and subject to the satisfaction of
the conditions contained in this Agreement, the closing of the
transactions contemplated by
14
this Agreement (the “ Closing
”) shall take place at the offices of Vinson &
Elkins L.L.P., 1001 Fannin Street, 2300 First City Tower, Houston,
Texas, at 10:00 a.m., local time, on the next Business Day that is
both the first Business Day of a calendar month and at least five
(5) Business Days after the date on which all of the
conditions to the Closing specified in Article VI hereof (other
than the deliveries specified in Section 2.5 and
Section 2.6, which deliveries shall be made at the Closing)
have been satisfied or waived, or at such other place or time as
ETP and CCE may mutually agree in writing. The Closing shall be
effective as of 12:01 a.m. The date and time at which the Closing
actually occurs is hereinafter referred to as the “
Closing Date .”
Section 2.3 Pre-Closing
Matters .
(a) At least three (3) Business
Days prior to the Closing Date, CCE shall deliver to ETP its good
faith estimate of the amount of the SUG Expansion Project Expenses
(the “ Estimated SUG Expansion Project Expenses
”), together with reasonably detailed support for such
estimate.
(b) CCE shall deliver to ETP its
calculations of the Closing Adjustment Amount (as defined in
Section 2.3(c)) within three (3) Business Days prior to
the Closing Date and shall provide, upon reasonable advance notice,
ETP and ETP’s accountants prompt and full reasonable access
during normal business hours to the personnel, accountants and
books and records of CCE, to the extent reasonably related to the
preparation of the Closing Adjustment Amount (and the elements of
such calculation). ETP and CCE shall in good faith attempt to
resolve any objections of ETP to such calculation of the Closing
Adjustment Amount; if ETP and CCE are in disagreement with respect
to the calculation of the Closing Adjustment Amount as of the
Closing Date, the Closing Adjustment Amount delivered by CCE to ETP
pursuant to this Section 2.3, as adjusted to reflect any
changes to the Closing Adjustment Amount agreed to by the parties,
prior to the Closing Date shall be utilized for purposes of
determining the Cash Redemption Amount payable at the
Closing.
(c) The “ Closing
Adjustment Amount ” shall mean an amount equal to
(i) the Estimated SUG Expansion Project Expenses plus
(ii) 50% of the June 30 TPC Expansion Project Expenses
plus (iii) 50% of the Make-Whole Amount actually paid by TW
Holdings pursuant to the TW Holdings Note Purchase Agreement plus
(iv) the Adjustment Amount.
(d) Prior to the Closing Date, CCE
shall cause (i) CC Energy or one of its affiliates (such
entity to be reasonably determined by CCE) to incur debt in an
amount equal to the CC Energy Debt Proceeds Amount plus the amount
necessary for the payment of expenses related to the incurrence of
such debt, (ii) CC Energy to contribute to TW Holdings the CC
Energy Debt Proceeds Amount, (iii) TW Holdings to repay all of
the outstanding TW Holdings Debt, (iv) CC Energy to distribute
to CCE an amount equal to $30,000,000 (Thirty Million Dollars) less
the Closing Adjustment Amount (the difference between $30,000,000
(Thirty Million Dollars) and the Closing Adjustment Amount is
referred to herein as the “ Cash Redemption Amount
”), (v) TW Holdings to distribute the TPC Interests to
CC Energy, and (vi) CC Energy to distribute the TPC Interests
to CCE.
15
Section 2.4 Post-Closing
Adjustment .
(a) No later than 60 days after the
Closing Date, CCE shall prepare and deliver to ETP (i) a
balance sheet of TPC as of the close of business on the date
immediately prior to the Closing Date (the “ Closing
Balance Sheet ”), and (ii) a calculation of the
“ Post-Closing Adjustment Amount ,” which shall
mean the amount equal to (w) 50% of the difference obtained by
subtracting (A) the sum of the Base Pro Forma Net Working
Capital Amount, the Total Debt as of the Closing Date, and the
June 30 TPC Expansion Project Expenses from (B) the sum
of the Net Working Capital Amount as of the Closing Date, as
reflected on the Closing Balance Sheet, the Base Debt Amount, and
the TPC Expansion Project Expenses, calculated as of the Closing
Date, minus (x) 50% of the difference obtained by subtracting
the TPC Cash Flow Amount from the CCE Cash Flow Amount plus
(y) the SUG Expansion Project Expenses as of the Closing Date
minus (z) the Estimated SUG Expansion Project Expenses, which
calculation may result in an amount that is positive or negative
(together with reasonable back-up information providing the basis
for such balance sheet and other calculations). In order for CCE to
prepare the Closing Balance Sheet and calculate the Post-Closing
Adjustment Amount, ETP will provide to CCE and CCE’s
accountants prompt and full access to the personnel, accountants
and books and records of TPC (and shall provide copies of the
applicable portions of such books and records as may be reasonably
requested), to the extent reasonably related to the preparation of
the Closing Balance Sheet and the calculation of the Post-Closing
Adjustment Amount (and the elements of such calculation). In order
for ETP to review the Closing Balance Sheet and the calculation of
the Post-Closing Adjustment Amount, CCE will provide to ETP and
ETP’s accountants prompt and full access to the personnel,
accountants and books and records of CCE and its Subsidiaries used
by CCE (and shall provide copies of the applicable portions of such
books and records as may be reasonably requested), to the extent
reasonably related to the preparation of the Closing Balance Sheet
and the calculation of the Post-Closing Adjustment Amount (and the
elements of such calculation). The Closing Balance Sheet and the
calculation of the Post-Closing Adjustment Amount relating to TPC
shall be prepared in a manner consistent with the preparation of
the Pro Forma Adjusted Balance Sheet (subject to, in the case of
the Closing Balance Sheet, the exceptions from GAAP relating to the
adjustments reflected on the Pro Forma Adjusted Balance
Sheet).
(b) Disputes . If ETP
disagrees with the calculation of the Post-Closing Adjustment
Amount, it shall notify CCE of such disagreement in writing within
thirty (30) days after its receipt of the last item to be
received by ETP pursuant to the first sentence of
Section 2.4(a), which notice shall set forth in detail the
particulars of such disagreement. In the event that ETP does not
provide such a notice of disagreement within such thirty
(30) day period, ETP shall be deemed to have accepted the
Closing Balance Sheet and the calculation of the Post-Closing
Adjustment Amount (and each element of such calculation) delivered
by CCE, which shall be final, binding and conclusive for all
purposes hereunder. In the event any such notice of disagreement is
timely provided by ETP, then ETP and CCE shall use their
commercially reasonable efforts for a period of thirty
(30) days (or such longer period as they may mutually agree)
to resolve any disagreements with respect to the calculation of the
Post-Closing Adjustment Amount (or any element thereof). If, at the
end of such period, they are unable to resolve such disagreements,
then, upon the written request of either party, an independent
accounting firm (not providing services to ETP or CCE) acceptable
to ETP and CCE (the “ Auditor ”) shall resolve
any remaining disagreements. The Auditor shall determine as
promptly
16
as practicable (but in any event within sixty
(60) days) following the date on which such dispute is
referred to the Auditor, based solely on written submissions, which
shall be forwarded by ETP and CCE to the Auditor within thirty
(30) days following the Auditor’s selection, whether the
Closing Balance Sheet was prepared in accordance with the standards
set forth in this Section 2.4 with respect to any items
identified as disputed in the notice of disagreement and not
previously resolved by ETP and CCE, and if not, whether and to what
extent (if any) the Post-Closing Adjustment Amount (or any element
thereof) requires adjustment. Each party shall bear its own
expenses and the fees and expenses of its own representatives and
experts in connection with the preparation, review, dispute (if
any) and final determination of the Closing Balance Sheet and the
Post-Closing Adjustment Amount. The parties shall share the costs,
expenses and fees of the Auditor in inverse proportion to the
extent to which their respective positions are sustained (e.g., if
CCE’s position is one hundred percent (100%) sustained,
it shall bear none of such costs, expenses, and fees of the
Auditor). The determination of the Auditor shall be final,
conclusive and binding on the parties. The Auditor’s
determination of the amount of the Post-Closing Adjustment Amount
shall then be deemed to be the Post-Closing Adjustment Amount for
purposes of this Section 2.4. The date on which such items are
accepted or finally determined in accordance with this
Section 2.4 is referred as to the “ Determination
Date .” As used in this Agreement, the term
“commercially reasonable efforts” shall not include
efforts which require the performing party (i) to do any act
that is unreasonable under the circumstances, (ii) to make any
capital contribution not expressly contemplated hereunder,
(iii) to amend or waive any rights under this Agreement, or
(iv) to incur or expend any funds other than reasonable
out-of-pocket expenses incurred in satisfying its obligations
hereunder, including the reasonable fees, expenses and
disbursements of accountants, counsel and other
professionals.
(c) ETP and CCE Adjustments .
If the Post-Closing Adjustment Amount is positive, then ETP shall
pay to CCE an amount equal to the Post-Closing Adjustment Amount
(the “ ETP Adjustment ”), and if the
Post-Closing Adjustment Amount is negative, then CCE shall pay to
ETP an amount equal to the absolute value of the Post-Closing
Adjustment Amount (the “ CCE Adjustment ”). The
CCE Adjustment, if any, and the ETP Adjustment, if any, shall bear
simple interest at a rate equal to daily average one month LIBOR
plus one percent (1%) per annum measured from the Closing Date
to the date of such payment. Amounts owing by CCE, if any, pursuant
to this Section 2.4 shall be paid by CCE within five
(5) Business Days after the Determination Date by delivery of
immediately available funds to an account designated by ETP.
Amounts owing by ETP, if any, pursuant to this Section 2.4
shall be paid by ETP within five (5) Business Days after the
Determination Date by delivery of immediately available funds to an
account designated by CCE.
(d) CCE Capital Contributions
. ETP shall have no obligation to make any capital contributions
pursuant to the CCE LLC Agreement as the owner of the 50% CCE
Interest following the consummation of the transactions
contemplated by the CCE Acquisition Agreement unless this Agreement
is terminated in accordance with Article VII hereof.
Section 2.5 Deliveries by
CCE at the Closing . At the Closing, CCE shall deliver, or
cause its appropriate Affiliates to deliver, to ETP:
(a) an executed copy of the TPC
Interests Assignment;
17
(b) a cross-receipt acknowledging
receipt of the 50% CCE Interest Assignment;
(c) a certificate from an authorized
officer of CCE, dated as of the Closing Date, to the effect that
the conditions set forth in Section 2.3(d),
Section 6.2(a), Section 6.2(c), Section 6.2(g) and
Section 6.2(i) of this Agreement have been
satisfied;
(d) all other previously undelivered
documents required by this Agreement to be delivered by CCE or its
Affiliates to ETP at or prior to the Closing;
(e) resignations of each of the
managers and officers (or persons acting in similar capacities) of
TPC who are not employees of TPC;
(f) the TPC Transition Services
Agreement, duly executed by CCE and PEPL; and
(g) all such other instruments of
sale, assignment, conveyance and transfer and releases, consents
and waivers as in the reasonable opinion of ETP may be necessary to
effect the sale, transfer, assignment, conveyance and delivery of
the TPC Interests to ETP in accordance with this Agreement, in each
case, as is necessary to effect the transactions contemplated by
this Agreement.
Section 2.6 Deliveries by
ETP at the Closing . At the Closing, ETP shall deliver to
CCE:
(a) an executed copy of the 50% CCE
Interest Assignment;
(b) a cross-receipt acknowledging
receipt of the TPC Interests Assignment;
(c) a certificate from an authorized
officer of ETP, dated as of the Closing Date, to the effect that
the conditions set forth in Section 6.3(a) and
Section 6.3(c) of this Agreement have been
satisfied;
(d) the TPC Transition Services
Agreement, duly executed by ETP; and
(e) all other previously undelivered
documents required by this Agreement to be delivered by ETP or its
Affiliates to CCE at or prior to the Closing.
ARTICLE III
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF
CCE
CCE hereby represents and warrants
to ETP as follows:
Section 3.1 Organization;
Qualification .
(a) CCE is a limited liability
company duly organized, validly existing and duly qualified or
licensed and in good standing under the laws of the state or
jurisdiction of its formation and has all requisite corporate power
to own, lease and operate its properties and to
18
carry on its business as currently conducted.
CCE is duly qualified or licensed to do business as a foreign
limited liability company, and is, and has been, in good standing
in each jurisdiction in which the nature of its business or the
property it owns, leases or operates requires it to so qualify, be
licensed or be in good standing, except for such failures to be
qualified, licensed or in good standing that would not have a
Material Adverse Effect. The CCE LLC Agreement is a legal, valid
and binding agreement of the parties specified as parties thereto,
enforceable against the parties thereto in accordance with its
terms, except that such enforceability may be limited by applicable
bankruptcy, insolvency, moratorium or other similar laws affecting
or relating to enforcement of creditors’ rights generally or
general principles of equity.
(b) CC Energy, TW Holdings and TPC
are limited liability companies duly organized, validly existing
and duly qualified or licensed and in good standing under the laws
of the state or jurisdiction of their respective formation and have
all requisite limited liability company power, as applicable, to
own, lease and operate their respective properties and to carry on
their respective businesses as currently conducted. True and
correct copies of the Organizational Documents of TPC with all
amendments thereto to the date hereof, have been made available by
CCE to ETP or its representatives. CC Energy, TW Holdings and TPC
are each duly qualified or licensed to do business as foreign
limited liability companies and are, and have been, in good
standing in each jurisdiction in which the nature of the respective
businesses conducted by them or the property they own, lease or
operate requires them to so qualify, be licensed or be in good
standing except where the failure to be so authorized, qualified or
licensed and in good standing would not have a Material Adverse
Effect. Section 3.1(b) of the CCE Disclosure Letter sets forth
all of the jurisdictions in which TPC is qualified to do
business.
Section 3.2 Authority
Relative to this Agreement and the CCE Acquisition Agreement .
CCE has full limited liability company power and authority to
execute and deliver this Agreement and the other agreements,
documents and instruments to be executed and delivered by it in
connection with this Agreement, and to consummate the transactions
contemplated hereby and thereby. Except as set forth in
Section 3.2 of the CCE Disclosure Letter, the execution,
delivery and performance of this Agreement and the other
agreements, documents and instruments to be executed and delivered
in connection with this Agreement and the consummation of the
transactions contemplated hereby and thereby have been duly and
validly authorized by all the necessary action on the part of CCE,
and no other corporate or other proceedings on the part of CCE or
its members are necessary to authorize this Agreement and the other
agreements, documents and instruments to be executed and delivered
in connection with this Agreement, to consummate the transactions
contemplated hereby and thereby or to consummate the transactions
contemplated hereby or thereby. The resolutions attached hereto as
Exhibit D have been duly approved and adopted by all of the
members of the Executive Committee of CCE in accordance with the
terms of the CCE LLC Agreement. This Agreement has been, and the
other agreements, documents and instruments to be executed and
delivered in connection with this Agreement as of the Closing Date
will be, duly and validly executed and delivered by CCE, and
assuming that this Agreement and the other agreements, documents
and instruments to be executed and delivered in connection with
this Agreement constitute legal, valid and binding agreements of
each of the other parties hereto and thereto, are (in the case of
this Agreement) or will be as of the Closing Date (in the case of
the other agreements, documents and instruments to be executed and
delivered in connection with this Agreement) enforceable against
CCE in accordance with their respective terms, except that such
enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency,
moratorium or other similar laws affecting or relating to
enforcement of creditors’ rights generally or general
principles of equity.
19
Section 3.3 TPC
Interests .
(a) The TPC Interests are duly
authorized, validly issued, fully paid membership interests of TPC
and were not issued in violation of any preemptive rights. Except
as set forth in Section 3.3(a) of the CCE Disclosure Letter,
(i) there are no membership interests of TPC authorized,
issued or outstanding or reserved for any purpose other than the
TPC Interests, and (ii) there are no (A) existing
options, warrants, calls, rights of first refusal, preemptive
rights, subscriptions or other rights, agreements, arrangements or
commitments of any character, relating to the TPC Interests,
obligating CCE, TPC or any of their respective Affiliates to issue,
transfer or sell, or cause to be issued, transferred or sold, any
of the TPC Interests, (B) outstanding securities of CCE, TPC
or any of their respective Affiliates that are convertible into or
exchangeable or exercisable for any of the TPC Interests,
(C) options, warrants or other rights to purchase from CCE,
TPC or any of their respective Affiliates any such convertible or
exchangeable securities or (D) other than this Agreement,
contracts, agreements or arrangements of any kind relating to the
issuance of any of the TPC Interests, or any such options, warrants
or rights, pursuant to which, in any of the foregoing cases, CCE,
TPC or any of their respective Affiliates are subject or
bound.
(b) Except as set forth in
Section 3.3(b) of the CCE Disclosure Letter, TW Holdings owns
all of the issued and outstanding TPC Interests and has good and
valid title to the TPC Interests, free and clear of all
Encumbrances or other defects in title, and the TPC Interests have
not been pledged or assigned to any Person. At the Closing, the TPC
Interests will be transferred to ETP free and clear of all
Encumbrances. The TPC Interests are not subject to any restrictions
on transferability or voting agreements other than those imposed by
this Agreement and by applicable securities laws.
(c) Except as set forth in
Section 3.3(c) of the CCE Disclosure Letter, TPC does not have
any subsidiaries or any stock or other equity interest (controlling
or otherwise) in any corporation, limited liability company,
partnership, joint venture or other entity.
Section 3.4 Consents and
Approvals . Except as set forth in Section 3.4 of the CCE
Disclosure Letter, neither CCE nor any of its Affiliates requires
any consent, approval or authorization of, or filing, registration
or qualification with, any Governmental Authority, or any other
Person, as a condition to the execution and delivery of this
Agreement or the performance of its obligations hereunder, except
where the failure to obtain such consent, approval or authorization
of, or filing of, registration or qualification with, any
Governmental Authority, or any other Person would not materially
and adversely impact the operations of TPC as currently
conducted.
Section 3.5 No Conflict or
Violation . Except as set forth in Section 3.5 of the CCE
Disclosure Letter, the execution, delivery and performance by CCE
of this Agreement does not:
(a) violate or conflict with any
provision of the Organizational Documents of CCE or TPC;
20
(b) violate any applicable provision
of a law, statute, judgment, order, writ, injunction, decree,
award, rule or regulation of any Governmental Authority, except
where such violation would not have a Material Adverse Effect;
or
(c) violate, result in a breach of,
constitute (with due notice or lapse of time or both) a default or
cause any obligation, penalty or premium to arise or accrue under
any Material Contract, lease, loan, mortgage, security agreement,
trust indenture or other material agreement or instrument to which
TPC is a party or by which it is bound or to which any of its
properties or assets is subject, except as would not have a
Material Adverse Effect.
Section 3.6 Financial
Information . The CCE Annual Financial Statements and the CCE
Six Month Interim Financial Statements present fairly in all
material respects, in accordance with GAAP consistently applied,
the financial condition and results of operation of CCE as of the
dates thereof and for the periods set forth therein, subject, in
the case of the CCE Six Month Interim Financial Statements, to
normal recurring year-end adjustments that are not material, either
individually or in the aggregate, and the absence of full footnote
disclosure. The Citrus Annual Financial Statements and the Citrus
Six Month Interim Financial Statements present fairly in all
material respects, in accordance with GAAP consistently applied,
the financial condition and results of operation of Citrus as of
the dates thereof and for the periods set forth therein, subject,
in the case of the Citrus Six Month Interim Financial Statements,
to normal recurring year-end adjustments that are not material,
either individually or in the aggregate, and the absence of full
footnote disclosure. The TPC Annual Financial Statements and the
TPC Six Month Interim Financial Statements present fairly in all
material respects, in accordance with GAAP consistently applied,
the financial condition and results of operation of TPC as of the
dates thereof and for the periods set forth therein, subject, in
the case of the TPC Six Month Interim Financial Statements, to
normal recurring year-end adjustments that are not material, either
individually or in the aggregate, and the absence of full footnote
disclosure.
Section 3.7 Contracts
.
(a) Section 3.7(a) of the CCE
Disclosure Letter sets forth a list, as of the date hereof, of each
contract and lease to which TPC is a party that is material to TPC
(each contract set forth in Section 3.7(a) of the CCE
Disclosure Letter being referred to herein as a “ Material
Contract ”); provided , however , that any
purchase or sale order arising in the ordinary course of business
and any contract reasonably expected to involve the payment or
receipt of an aggregate amount of less than $2,000,000 during its
term remaining after the date of this Agreement shall not be deemed
to be a Material Contract.
(b) Section 3.7(b) of the CCE
Disclosure Letter sets forth a list, as of the date hereof, of each
contract that TPC has with an Affiliate, other than with respect to
any purchases and sales arising in the ordinary course of
business.
(c) Except as set forth in
Section 3.7(c) of the CCE Disclosure Letter, each Material
Contract is a valid and binding agreement of TPC and, to the
Knowledge of CCE, is in full force and effect.
21
(d) Except as set forth in
Section 3.7(d) of the CCE Disclosure Letter, CCE has no
Knowledge of any default under any Material Contract, other than
defaults that have been cured or that would not have a Material
Adverse Effect. TPC and, to CCE’s Knowledge, the other
parties to any Material Contract, have performed in all respects
all obligations required to be performed by them under any Material
Contract, except where the failure so to perform would not have a
Material Adverse Effect. CCE has made available to ETP or its
representatives true and complete originals or copies of all the
Material Contracts.
Section 3.8 Compliance with
Law . Except for Environmental Laws and Tax Laws, which are the
subject of Section 3.15 and Section 3.16, respectively,
and except as set forth in Section 3.8 of the CCE Disclosure
Letter, since November 17, 2004, TPC has complied with all
federal, state, local or foreign laws, statutes, ordinances, rules,
regulations, judgments, orders, writs, injunctions or decrees of
any Governmental Authority applicable to its properties, assets and
business, except where such noncompliance would not have a Material
Adverse Effect. TPC has not received written notice of any material
violation of any such law, license, regulation, order or other
legal requirement or, to the Knowledge of CCE, is in material
default with respect to any order, writ, judgment, award,
injunction or decree of any Governmental Authority, applicable to
TPC or any of its assets, properties or operations.
Section 3.9 Permits .
Except as set forth in Section 3.9(a) of the CCE Disclosure
Letter, TPC has all permits, licenses, certificates of authority,
orders and approvals of, and has made all filings, applications and
registrations with, Governmental Authorities necessary for the
conduct of the business operations of TPC as presently conducted
(collectively, the “ TPC Permits ”), except for
those Permits the absence of which would not, individually or in
the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. Set forth on
Section 3.9(b) of the CCE Disclosure Letter is a list of the
material TPC Permits.
Section 3.10 Litigation
. Except as identified in Section 3.10 of the CCE Disclosure
Letter, there are no lawsuits, actions, proceedings or
investigations, pending, or, to CCE’s Knowledge, threatened,
against CCE or any of its Affiliates or any executive officer,
manager or director thereof relating to the transactions
contemplated hereby or the assets or business of TPC, except, in
the case of lawsuits, actions, proceedings, investigations relating
to the assets or business of TPC, as would not, individually or in
the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. CCE and its
Affiliates are not subject to any outstanding judgment, order,
writ, injunction, decree or award entered in an Action to which CCE
or any of its Affiliates was a named party relating to the
transactions contemplated hereby or the assets or business of TPC,
except, in the case of lawsuits, actions, proceedings,
investigations relating to the assets or business of TPC, as would
not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse
Effect.
Section 3.11 Title to
Properties . TPC has good and valid title to all of the
tangible assets and properties that are reflected in the TPC
Interim Balance Sheet (except for assets and properties sold,
consumed or otherwise disposed of in the ordinary course of
business since the date of the TPC Interim Balance Sheet), and such
tangible assets and properties are owned free and clear of all
Encumbrances, except for (a) Encumbrances listed in
Section 3.11 of the CCE Disclosure Letter, (b) Permitted
Encumbrances, and (c) Encumbrances which will be discharged on
or before the Closing Date. To the Knowledge of CCE, except as set
forth in Section 3.11 of the CCE Disclosure Letter, TPC owns
valid and defeasible fee title to, or holds a valid
leasehold
22
interest in, or a valid right-of-way or easement
(all such rights-of-way and easements collectively, the “
Rights-Of-Way ”) through, all real property (“
Real Property ”) used or necessary for the conduct of
business of TPC as presently conducted, and all such Real Property
(other than Rights-Of-Way) is owned or leased free and clear of all
Encumbrances, in each case except for (a) Encumbrances listed
in Section 3.11 of the CCE Disclosure Letter,
(b) Permitted Encumbrances and (c) Encumbrances that will
be discharged on or before the Closing Date.
Section 3.12 Employee Matters
.
(a) Except as set forth in
Section 3.12(a) of the CCE Disclosure Letter, none of TPC, CCE
or their respective ERISA Affiliates sponsors, maintains,
contributes to or has an obligation to contribute to, any
“employee benefit plan,” as defined in
Section 3(3) of ERISA, in which any current or former TPC
Employee is or has been eligible to participate since
November 17, 2004 ( “ERISA Plans” ). For
the avoidance of doubt, (1) the term “ERISA Plans”
does not include any Enron Plan, (2) November 17, 2004 is
the date of the closing of the acquisition by CCE of indirect
ownership of TPC from Enron Corp. and certain of its affiliates,
and (3) CCE was formed on May 14, 2004, in connection
with such acquisition.
(b) Except as set forth in
Section 3.12(b) of the CCE Disclosure Letter, none of TPC, CCE
or any of their respective ERISA Affiliates has established,
sponsors, maintains, or contributes to any policy, plan, agreement
or arrangement that is not set forth in Section 3.12(a) of the
CCE Disclosure Letter providing for employment terms, change in
control benefits, severance benefits, retention benefits, insurance
coverage (including any self-insured arrangements), workers’
compensation, disability benefits, supplemental unemployment
benefits, vacation benefits, retirement benefits, deferred
compensation, profit-sharing, bonuses, or other forms of incentive
compensation, or post-retirement insurance, compensation or
benefits (whether or not an ERISA Plan) that (i) is entered
into, sponsored, maintained, or contributed to, as the case may be,
by TPC, or (ii) has covered any current or former TPC Employee
or independent contractor to TPC since November 17, 2004. The
policies, plans, agreements, and arrangements described in this
Section 3.12(b) are hereinafter referred to as the
“Benefit Programs or Agreements.” For the avoidance of
doubt, the term “Benefit Programs or Agreements”
does not include any Enron Plan. The Benefit Programs and
Agreements and the ERISA Plans are hereinafter referred to
collectively as the “Employee Benefit
Plans.”
(c) True, correct, and complete
copies of each of the ERISA Plans sponsored, maintained or
contributed to on behalf of the TPC Employees or in which such
employees are otherwise eligible to participate, and related
trusts, if applicable, including all amendments thereto, have been
furnished to ETP. There has also been furnished to ETP, with
respect to each ERISA Plan required to file such report and
description, the most recent report on Form 5500, the summary plan
description and any summaries of material modifications thereto,
all actuarial reports or valuations relating to each ERISA Plan
subject to Title IV of ERISA or required to be accounted for
pursuant to Statements of Financial Accounting Standard Nos. 106
and 132(R), if any, and the most recent determination letter, if
any, issued by the IRS with respect to any ERISA Plan intended to
be qualified under Section 401 of the Code. True, correct, and
complete copies or descriptions of all Benefit Programs and
Agreements have also been furnished to ETP.
23
(d) Except as set forth in
Section 3.12(e)(vii) of the CCE Disclosure Letter or described
in Section 5.5(e), with respect to retiree medical benefits,
none of TPC, CCE or any of CCE’s ERISA Affiliates has any
legal commitment to create, incur liability with respect to or
cause to exist any other employee benefit plan, program or
arrangement for the benefit of any current or former TPC Employee
or to enter into any contract or agreement to provide compensation
or benefits to any former or current TPC Employee.
(e) Except as set forth in
Section 3.12(e) of the CCE Disclosure Letter, with respect to
each Employee Benefit Plan:
(i) the applicable reporting,
disclosure and other requirements of ERISA (and other Applicable
Law) have been complied with in all material respects;
(ii) there is no act or omission of
TPC or any of its ERISA Affiliates that would (a) constitute a
breach of fiduciary duty under Section 404 of ERISA or a
transaction (including the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement) intended to evade liability under Section 4069 of
ERISA, in either case that would subject TPC to a liability, or
(b) constitute a prohibited transaction under Section 406
of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code that would subject TPC or
any plan fiduciary, directly or indirectly (through indemnification
obligations or otherwise), to an excise Tax or civil penalty under
Section 4975 of the Code or Section 502(i) of ERISA in an
amount that would be material;
(iii) no ERISA Plan is subject to
Title IV of ERISA;
(iv) all contributions or payments
required to be made under each ERISA Plan by reason of Part 3 of
Subtitle B of Title I of ERISA, Section 412 of the Code, or
otherwise prior to the Closing Date have been and will be timely
made;
(v) there are no pending or, to
CCE’s Knowledge, threatened actions, suits or claims pending
(other than routine claims for benefits);
(vi) to CCE’s Knowledge, there
is no matter pending (other than routine qualification
determination filings) with respect to any Employee Benefit Plan
before the IRS, the Department of Labor, the PBGC, or any other
Governmental Authority;
(vii) except to the extent required
under Section 601 of ERISA or Section 4980 of the Code,
TPC has no present or future obligation to make any payment to or
with respect to any former or current TPC Employee or any dependent
of any such former or current TPC Employee under any retiree
medical benefit plan or other retiree welfare benefit
plan;
(viii) there is no Employee Benefit
Plan covering any former or current TPC Employee that provides for
the payment by TPC of any amount that is or is reasonably likely to
be (a) not deductible as a result of Section 162(a)(1) or
404 of the Code, (b) an “excess parachute payment”
pursuant to Section 280G of the Code or (c) subject to
the additional tax pursuant to Section 409A of the
Code;
24
(ix) except as otherwise provided in
this Agreement, neither the execution of this Agreement nor the
consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby will
(a) entitle any TPC Employee to severance, retention or change
in control payments or benefits to which such employee was not
previously entitled, or any increase in severance retention or
change in control payments or benefits upon a termination of
employment or consummation of the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement, (b) require CCE, TPC or any of their respective
ERISA Affiliates to make a larger contribution to, pay greater
benefits under, or provide any additional vesting, service credit
or other rights under any Employee Benefit Plan than it otherwise
would, whether or not some subsequent action or event would be
required to cause such payment or provision to be triggered or
(c) trigger any other material obligation pursuant to the
Employee Benefit Plans that would be a liability of ETP or TPC
after the Closing Date;
(x) each ERISA Plan intended to
qualify under Section 401(a) of the Code has been determined
to be so qualified by the IRS and, to the Knowledge of CCE, nothing
has occurred which has resulted or is likely to result in the
revocation of such determination or which requires or is reasonably
likely to require action under the compliance resolution programs
of the IRS to preserve such qualification;
(xi) as to any ERISA Plan intended
to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code, there has
been no termination or partial termination of any ERISA Plan within
the meaning of Section 411(d)(3) of the Code;
(xii) all contributions required to
be made to or with respect to the Employee Benefit Plans pursuant
to their terms and the provisions of ERISA, the Code, or any other
Applicable Law have been timely made;
(xiii) each trust funding an
Employee Benefit Plan, which trust is intended to be exempt from
federal income taxation pursuant to Section 501(c)(9) of the
Code, satisfies the requirements of such section and has received a
favorable determination letter from the IRS regarding such exempt
status and has not, since receipt of the most recent favorable
determination letter, been amended or operated in a way which would
adversely affect such exempt status;
(xiv) except as set forth in
Section 3.12(e)(vii) of the CCE Disclosure Letter or described
in Section 5.5(e), each ERISA Plan which is an “employee
welfare benefit plan,” as such term is defined in
Section 3(1) of ERISA, may be unilaterally amended or
terminated in its entirety without liability except as to benefits
accrued thereunder prior to such amendment or termination;
and
(xv) except as set forth in
Section 3.12(e)(vii) of the CCE Disclosure Letter or described
in Section 5.5(e), no Employee Benefit Plan provides retiree
medical or retiree life insurance benefits to any Person and TPC is
not contractually or otherwise obligated (whether or not in
writing) to provide any Person with life insurance or medical
benefits upon retirement or termination of employment, other than
as required by the provisions of Sections 601 through 608 of ERISA
and Section 4980B of the Code.
25
(f) None of TPC or any of its ERISA
Affiliates contributes to or has an obligation to contribute to,
and has not at any time within six years prior to the Closing Date
contributed to or had an obligation to contribute to, a
multiemployer plan (as defined in Section 4001(a)(3) of
ERISA), on behalf of a present or former TPC Employee;
(g) No current circumstance has
arisen or future circumstance could arise that would lead TPC or,
after the transaction contemplated by this Agreement, ETP, to incur
any ERISA Title IV liability or suffer the imposition of any Lien
on any of their assets with respect to liabilities relating to any
ERISA Plan or any employee benefit plan subject to Title IV of
ERISA that was sponsored, maintained or contributed to by
(A) CCE, (B) an ERISA Affiliate of CCE, or (C) any
corporation, trade, business or entity under common control with
CCE or an ERISA Affiliate of CCE, within the meaning of
Section 414(b), (c) or (m) of the Code or
Section 4001 of ERISA, within the six (6) years prior to
the Closing Date, or to which any of them had an obligation to
contribute during such period; and
(h) With respect to circumstances
not addressed in Section 3.12(g), except as set forth in
Section 3.12(e)(vii) of the CCE Disclosure Letter or described
in Section 5.5(e), no current circumstance has arisen or
future circumstance could arise that would lead TPC or, after the
transaction contemplated by this Agreement, ETP, to incur any
liability directly or indirectly (through indemnification or
otherwise), or suffer the imposition of a Lien on any of their
assets, relating to or arising from the participation of the TPC
employees or former employees in any of the Enron Plans or the
status of TPC, during the period preceding November 17, 2004,
as an ERISA Affiliate of Enron Corp.
Section 3.13 Labor
Relations . TPC is not a party to any labor or collective
bargaining agreements, and there are no labor or collective
bargaining agreements which pertain to any employees of TPC. Within
the preceding eighteen (18) months, there have been no
representation or certification proceedings, or petitions seeking a
representation proceeding, pending or, to the Knowledge of CCE,
threatened in writing to be brought or filed with the National
Labor Relations Board or any other labor relations tribunal or
authority with respect to TPC. Within the preceding eighteen
(18) months, to the Knowledge of CCE, there have been no
organizing activities involving TPC with respect to any group of
its employees. Since May 1, 2006, neither TPC nor any
Affiliate of TPC has terminated the employment of any TPC Employee
or any employee of any of its Affiliates who provides services in
connection with TPC’s business for reasons other than
misconduct or failure to perform the employee’s duties and no
circumstance has occurred that would give rise to a requirement
that TPC give notice under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining
Notification Act or any similar state law. As of the date of this
Agreement, no TPC Employee or Shared Service Employee has a legal
or contractual right to reinstatement with TPC or any Affiliate of
TPC.
Section 3.14 Intellectual
Property . Except as set forth in Section 3.14 of the CCE
Disclosure Letter, on the Closing Date TPC will, either in its own
name or by operation of the TPC Transition Services Agreement, own
or possess licenses or other legally enforceable rights to use all
patents, copyrights (including any copyrights in proprietary
software), trademarks,
26
service marks, trade names, logos, and other
intellectual property rights, software object and source code as
are necessary to conduct its business as currently conducted,
except those the lack of which would not materially and adversely
affect the operations of TPC as currently conducted; and to
CCE’s Knowledge, there is no conflict by CCE or TPC with the
rights of others therein that would materially and adversely affect
the operations of TPC as currently conducted.
Section 3.15 Environmental
Matters . Except as set forth in Section 3.15 of the CCE
Disclosure Letter:
(a) TPC and its properties and
operations are, and to CCE’s Knowledge, during the relevant
time periods specified in all applicable statutes of limitation,
have been, in compliance with all applicable Environmental Laws,
except for such noncompliance as would not, individually or in the
aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect;
(b) TPC possesses all Environmental
Permits required in order to conduct its operations as presently
conducted or, where such Environmental Permits have expired, has
applied for a renewal of such Environmental Permits in a timely
fashion and, to CCE’s knowledge, all such Environmental
Permits are in the name of the proper entity and will remain in
full force and effect immediately following the Closing, except
where the failure to possess an Environmental Permit or to have
applied for a renewal of an Environmental Permit would not,
individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse
Effect;
(c) TPC and its properties and
operations are not subject to any pending or, to CCE’s
Knowledge, threatened Environmental Claims, nor has TPC received
any notice of violation, noncompliance, or enforcement or any
notice of investigation or remediation from any Governmental
Authority pursuant to Environmental Laws, except for such matters
as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material
Adverse Effect;
(d) Since November 17, 2004,
there has been no, and to CCE’s Knowledge, prior to
November 17, 2004, there has been no, Release of Hazardous
Substances on or from the properties of TPC or from or in
connection with the operations of TPC in violation of any
Environmental Laws or in a manner that could give rise to any
remedial or corrective action obligations pursuant to Environmental
Laws, except such as would not, individually or in the aggregate,
have a Material Adverse Effect;
(e) Since November 17, 2004,
there has been no, and, to CCE’s Knowledge, prior to
November 17, 2004, there has been no exposure of any Person or
property to any Hazardous Substances in connection with the
business, properties or operations of TPC that could reasonably be
expected to form the basis for an Environmental Claim or any other
claim for Damages or compensation, except for such Environmental
Claims or other claims for Damages as would not, individually or in
the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; and
(f) CCE has made available for
inspection by ETP complete and correct copies of all environmental
assessment and audit reports and studies completed since
January 1, 2003, addressing potentially material environmental
matters and all correspondence completed since January 1, 2003
addressing potentially material Environmental Claims relating to
TPC that are in the possession of CCE or TPC, except for any such
materials as CCE reasonably believes are subject to the
attorney-client privilege.
27
The representations and warranties set forth in
this Section 3.15 are CCE’s sole and exclusive
representations and warranties relating to environmental
matters.
Section 3.16 Tax Matters
.
(a) Except as set forth in
Section 3.16(a) of the CCE Disclosure Letter or as would not
have a Material Adverse Effect, all federal, state and local Tax
Returns required to be filed by or on behalf of TPC, and each
consolidated, combined, unitary, affiliated or aggregate group of
which TPC is a member, has been timely filed (taking into account
applicable extensions), and all Taxes shown as due on such Tax
Returns have been paid, or adequate reserves therefor have been
established.
(b) Except as set forth in
Section 3.16(b) of the CCE Disclosure Letter or as would not
have a Material Adverse Effect, there is no deficiency, proposed
adjustment, or matter in controversy that has been asserted or
assessed in writing with respect to any Taxes due and owing by TPC
that has not been paid or settled in full.
(c) Except as would not have a
Material Adverse Effect, TPC has timely withheld and timely paid
all Taxes required to be withheld by them in connection with any
amounts paid or owing to any employee, creditor, independent
contractor or other third party.
(d) Except as would not have a
Material Adverse Effect, there are no liens for Taxes upon any of
the assets of TPC except for liens for Taxes not yet due and
payable.
(e) Except as would not have a
Material Adverse Effect, no property of TPC is required to be
treated as “tax-exempt use property” within the meaning
of Code Section 168(h), and no property of TPC is subject to a
tax benefit transfer lease subject to the provisions of former
Section 168(f)(8) of the Code.
(f) At all times since its
formation, CCE has been treated as a partnership for federal tax
purposes pursuant to Treasury Regulation
Section 301.7701-3.
(g) At all times since their
formation, each of CC Energy, TW Holdings and TPC have been
disregarded as separate entities for federal tax purposes pursuant
to Treasury Regulation Section 301.7701-3.
(h) CCE has made or will make a
valid election under Section 754 of the Code that will be in
effect at the time of the CCE Acquisition.
Section 3.17 Absence of
Certain Changes or Events .
(a) Except as set forth in
Section 3.17(a) of the CCE Disclosure Letter, since
December 31, 2005, TPC has conducted its business in the
ordinary course of business, consistent with past practice (as such
practice existed during the period of CCE’s ownership of
TPC).
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(b) Except as set forth in
Section 3.17(b) of the CCE Disclosure Letter, since
December 31, 2005, there has not been with respect to TPC any
event or development or change which has resulted or would
reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse
Effect.
(c) Except as set forth in
Section 3.17(c) of the CCE Disclosure Letter, since
June 30, 2006, TPC has not taken any action that would have
been prohibited had Section 5.1(b) been in effect from and
after June 30, 2006.
Section 3.18 Absence of
Undisclosed Liabilities . Since June 30, 2006, TPC has
incurred no Liabilities (whether absolute, accrued, contingent or
otherwise) that would be required by GAAP to be included in the
financial statements of TPC, except those Liabilities
(a) disclosed and reserved against in the TPC Interim Balance
Sheet, (b) set forth in Section 3.18 of the CCE
Disclosure Letter, (c) incurred in the ordinary course of
business since June 30, 2006 and (d) that have not
resulted in a Material Adverse Effect.
Section 3.19 Brokerage and
Finders’ Fees . None of CCE, TPC or any of their
Affiliates or their respective stockholders, partners, managers,
directors, officers or employees, has incurred, or will incur any
brokerage, finders’ or similar fee in connection with the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
Section 3.20 Affiliated
Transactions . Except as described in Section 3.20 of the
CCE Disclosure Letter, and except for trade payables and
receivables arising in the ordinary course of business for
purchases and sales of goods or services consistent with past
practice, TPC has not been a party over the past twelve
(12) months to any material transaction or agreement with CCE
or any Affiliate of CCE (other than TPC) and no director or officer
of CCE or its Affiliates (other than TPC), has, directly or
indirectly, any material interest in any of the assets or
properties of TPC.
Section 3.21 Insurance
.
(a) Section 3.21 of the CCE
Disclosure Letter sets forth a true and complete list of all
current policies of all material property and casualty insurance,
insuring the properties, assets, employees and/or operations of TPC
(collectively, the “ Insurance Policies ”). To
the Knowledge of CCE, all premiums payable under the Insurance
Policies have been paid in a timely manner and TPC has complied in
all material respects with the terms and conditions of all such
Insurance Policies.
(b) As of the date hereof, CCE has
not received any written notification of the failure of any of the
Insurance Policies to be in full force and effect. To the Knowledge
of CCE, TPC is not in default under any provision of the Insurance
Policies, and except as set forth in Section 3.21 of the CCE
Disclosure Letter, there is no claim by TPC or any other Person
pending under any of the Insurance Policies as to which coverage
has been denied or disputed by the underwriters or issuers
thereof.
Section 3.22 Regulatory
Matters .
(a) TPC is a “natural gas
company” as that term is defined in Section 2 of the
Natural Gas Act (“ NGA ”). TPC is in compliance
in all material respects with the provisions of
29
the NGA, the Natural Gas Policy Act of 1978
(“ NGPA ”), the Pipeline Safety Improvement Act
of 2002, and the rules and regulations promulgated by FERC pursuant
thereto. TPC is in compliance in all material respects with the
terms and conditions of all tariff provisions, FERC rate and
certificate orders, and other orders and authorizations issued by
FERC, in each case as applicable to TPC. No approval by FERC under
the NGA or the Federal Power Act is required in connection with the
execution and delivery of this Agreement by CCE or the consummation
of the transactions contemplated hereby. Except as identified in
Section 3.22 of the CCE Disclosure Schedule, the Form
No. 2 Annual Reports filed by TPC with FERC for the years
ended December 31, 2004 and December 31, 2005 were true
and correct in all material respects as of the dates thereof, and
since January 1, 2005, TPC has not become subject to any
proceeding under Section 5 of the NGA or, except as otherwise
permitted by Section 5.1, any general rate case proceeding
commenced under Section 4 of the NGA by reason of a filing
made with the FERC after January 1, 2005.
(b) Except as identified in
Section 3.22 of the CCE Disclosure Letter and except for
general industry proceedings including audits or reviews of
individual companies arising from general industry proceedings such
as Order 2004, there are no pending or, to CCE’s Knowledge,
reasonably anticipated FERC administrative or regulatory
proceedings, including without limitation any rate proceeding under
Section 4 or Section 5 of the NGA or any NGA
Section 7 certificate proceeding, investigation, complaint,
audit, or show cause proceedings to which TPC is a party. CCE
acknowledges that, as a result of a rate settlement in FERC Docket
Nos. RP95-271, et al., TPC is obligated to prepare and file the TPC
Rate Case for rates to be effective November 1,
2006.
Section 3.23 Internal
Controls .
(a) The system of internal
accounting controls that is applicable to TPC is sufficient to
provide reasonable assurance that: (i) transactions are
executed in accordance with management’s general or specific
authorizations, (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to
permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP
and to maintain asset accountability, (iii) access to assets
is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or
specific authorization and (iv) the recorded accountability
for physical assets is compared with the existing physical assets
at reasonable intervals and appropriate actions are taken with
respect to any differences.
(b) Since November 17, 2004,
neither TPC nor, to CCE’s Knowledge, any director, manager,
officer, employee, auditor, accountant or representative of TPC,
has received or otherwise had or obtained knowledge of any
complaint, allegation, assertion or claim, whether written or oral,
regarding the accounting or auditing practices, procedures,
methodologies or internal accounting controls of or for TPC,
including any complaint, allegation, assertion or claim that TPC
has engaged in fraudulent accounting or auditing practices. Since
November 17, 2004, no attorney representing TPC, whether or
not employed by TPC, has reported evidence of a violation of
securities laws, breach of fiduciary duty or similar violation by
TPC or any of its officers, directors, managers, employees or
agents to TPC’s board of managers (or comparable managing
body) or any committee thereof or to any manager or officer of
TPC.
30
(c) Except as disclosed in
Section 3.23(c) of the CCE Disclosure Letter, there are no
off-balance sheet structures or off-balance sheet transactions with
respect to TPC or that would be required to be reported or set
forth in the periodic reports filed by a reporting company under
the Exchange Act.
Section 3.24 Hedging .
Except as set forth on Section 3.24 of the CCE Disclosure
Letter, TPC is not engaged in any natural gas or other futures or
options trading in respect of which it has any material future
liability, or is a party to any swaps, hedges, futures or similar
instruments.
Section 3.25 Bank Accounts;
Powers of Attorney . Section 3.25 of the CCE Disclosure
Letter sets forth (a) the name of each financial institution
with which TPC has borrowing or investment agreements, deposit or
checking accounts or safe deposit boxes, (b) the types of
those arrangements and accounts including the names in which the
accounts or boxes are held, the account or box numbers and the name
of each Person authorized to draw thereon or have access thereto
and (c) the names of all Persons, if any, holding powers of
attorney (other than powers of attorney incidental to commercial
relationships entered into in the ordinary course of business) from
TPC and a summary statement of the terms thereof. No Contract to
which TPC is a party provides for the payment by the counterparty
to any bank account other than those set forth on Section 3.25
of the CCE Disclosure Letter.
Section 3.26 Gas
Imbalances . Section 3.26 of the CCE Disclosure Letter
sets forth all gas imbalances on TPC’s pipeline system as of
June 30, 2006. All gas imbalances on TPC’s pipeline
system (whether as of June 30, 2006 or thereafter) are
resolved pursuant to the terms of Operational Balancing Agreements
(“ OBAs ”). The majority of OBAs follow the
valuation methodology described in TPC’s tariff, which calls
for imbalances to be resolved using a Monthly Index Price as
calculated under Section 27 of the tariff’s General
Terms and Conditions and Section 5(c) of the tariff’s
Operator Balancing Agreement – Form N. TPC has certain
grandfathered volumetric OBAs that do not follow Form N and for
which the revaluation of outstanding volumetric imbalances impacts
TPC’s monthly income statement. Volumetric imbalances are
noted in Section 3.26 of the CCE Disclosure Letter. The values
of gas imbalances as determined pursuant to the imbalance
resolution methodology set forth in the OBAs are used in preparing
each balance sheet included in the TPC Annual Financial Statements
and the TPC Six Month Interim Financial Statements.
Section 3.27 No Other
Representations or Warranties . Except for the representations
and warranties contained in this Article III, neither CCE nor any
other Person makes any other express or implied representation or
warranty on behalf of CCE.
ARTICLE IV
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF
ETP
ETP hereby represents and warrants
to CCE as follows:
Section 4.1 Corporate
Organization; Qualification . ETP is a limited partnership duly
organized, validly existing and duly qualified or licensed and in
good standing under the laws of the state or jurisdiction of its
formation and has all requisite limited partnership power to
own,
31
lease and operate its properties and to carry on
its business as currently conducted. ETP is duly qualified or
licensed to do business as a foreign limited partnership and is,
and has been, in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the
nature of the business conducted by it or the property it owns,
leases or operates requires it to so qualify, be licensed or be in
good standing, except for such failures to be qualified, licensed
or in good standing that would not materially affect the
consummation of the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement.
Section 4.2 Authority
Relative to this Agreement . ETP has full limited partnership
power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement and the
other agreements, documents and instruments to be executed and
delivered by it in connection with this Agreement, including the
CCE Acquisition Agreement, and to consummate the transactions
contemplated hereby and thereby. The execution, delivery and
performance of this Agreement and the other agreements, documents
and instruments to be executed and delivered in connection with
this Agreement (including the CCE Acquisition Agreement) and the
consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby
have been duly and validly authorized by all the necessary action
on the part of ETP, and no other proceedings on the part of ETP are
necessary to authorize this Agreement and the other agreements,
documents and instruments to be executed and delivered in
connection with this Agreement (including the CCE Acquisition
Agreement) or to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby
and thereby. This Agreement and the CCE Acquisition Agreement each
have been, and the other agreements, documents and instruments to
be executed and delivered in connection with this Agreement as of
the Closing Date will be, duly and validly executed and delivered
by ETP, and assuming that this Agreement, the CCE Acquisition
Agreement and the other agreements, documents and instruments to be
executed and delivered in connection with this Agreement and the
CCE Acquisition Agreement constitute legal, valid and binding
agreements of the other parties thereto are (in the case of this
Agreement) or will be as of the Closing Date (in the case of the
other agreements, documents and instruments to be executed and
delivered in connection with this Agreement), enforceable against
ETP in accordance with their respective terms, except that such
enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency,
moratorium or other similar laws affecting or relating to
enforcement of creditors’ rights generally or general
principles of equity.
Section 4.3 50% CCE
Interest . Effective as of the closing of the transactions
under the CCE Acquisition Agreement, ETP will own all of the issued
and outstanding 50% CCE Interest and will have good, valid and
marketable title to the 50% CCE Interest, free and clear of all
Encumbrances or other defects in title, and the 50% CCE Interest
will not have not been pledged or assigned to any Person. At the
Closing, the 50% CCE Interest will be transferred by ETP to CCE
free and clear of all Encumbrances. Effective as of the closing of
the transactions under the CCE Acquisition Agreement, the 50% CCE
Interest will not be subject to any restrictions on transferability
or voting agreements other than those imposed by this Agreement,
the limited liability company agreement of CCE and applicable
securities laws.
Section 4.4 Consents and
Approvals . Except for any approvals of the transactions
contemplated by the CCE Acquisition Agreement (or expiration of
waiting periods) under the HSR Act and except for approvals
required from the FCC, ETP does not require any consent, approval
or authorization of, or filing, registration or qualification with,
any Governmental Authority, or any other Person as a condition to
the execution and delivery of this Agreement or the performance of
the obligations hereunder, except where the failure to obtain such
consent,
32
approval or authorization of, or filing of,
registration or qualification with, any Governmental Authority, or
any other Person would not materially affect the consummation of
the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
Section 4.5 No Conflict or
Violation . The execution, delivery and performance by ETP of
this Agreement does not:
(a) violate or conflict with any
provision of the Organizational Documents of ETP;
(b) violate any applicable provision
of a law, statute, judgment, order, writ, injunction, decree,
award, rule or regulation of any Governmental Authority;
or
(c) violate, result in a breach of,
constitute (with due notice or lapse of time or both) a default or
cause any material obligation, penalty or premium to arise or
accrue under any material contract, lease, loan, agreement,
mortgage, security agreement, trust indenture or other material
agreement or instrument to which ETP is a party or by which it is
bound or to which any of its properties or assets is
subject.
Section 4.6 Litigation .
There are no lawsuits, actions, proceedings, or, to ETP’s
knowledge, any investigations, pending or, to ETP’s
knowledge, threatened, against ETP or any of its Subsidiaries or
any executive officer or director thereof which would prohibit or
impair ETP from undertaking any of the transactions contemplated by
this Agreement, except as would not materially affect the
consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
ETP is not subject to any outstanding judgment, order, writ,
injunction, decree or award entered in an Action to which ETP was a
named party which would prohibit or impair ETP from undertaking any
of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except as would
not materially affect the consummation of the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement.
Section 4.7 Availability of
Funds . ETP will have sufficient funds available to pay the
purchase price under the CCE Acquisition Agreement on the closing
date thereof and to consummate the transactions contemplated
hereby. The ability of ETP to consummate the transactions
contemplated under the CCE Acquisition Agreement and this Agreement
is not subject to any condition or contingency with respect to
financing.
Section 4.8 Brokerage and
Finders’ Fees . Except for Credit Suisse Securities (USA)
LLC, whose fees will be paid by ETP, none of ETP, any of its
Affiliates, or its partners, directors, officers or employees, has
incurred, or will incur any brokerage, finders’ or similar
fee in connection with the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement.
Section 4.9 Investment
Representations .
(a) ETP is acquiring the TPC
Interests to be acquired by it hereunder for its own account,
solely for the purpose of investment and not with a view to, or for
sale in connection with, any distribution thereof in violation of
the federal securities laws or any applicable foreign or state
securities law.
33
(b) ETP is an “accredited
investor” as defined in Rule 501(a) promulgated under the
Securities Act.
(c) ETP understands that the
acquisition of the TPC Interests to be acquired by it pursuant to
the terms of this Agreement involves substantial risk. ETP and its
officers have experience as an investor in securities and equity
interests of companies such as the ones being transferred pursuant
to this Agreement and ETP acknowledges that it can bear the
economic risk of its investment and has such knowledge and
experience in financial or business matters that ETP is capable of
evaluating the merits and risks of its investment in the TPC
Interests to be acquired by it pursuant to the transactions
contemplated hereby.
(d) ETP understands that the TPC
Interests to be acquired by it hereunder have not been registered
under the Securities Act on the basis that the sale provided for in
this Agreement is exempt from the registration provisions thereof.
ETP acknowledges that such securities may not be transferred or
sold except pursuant to the registration and other provisions of
applicable securities laws or pursuant to an applicable exemption
therefrom.
(e) ETP acknowledges that the offer
and sale of the TPC Interests to be acquired by it in the
transactions contemplated hereby has not been accomplished by the
publication of any advertisement.
Section 4.10 No Other
Representations or Warranties . Except for the representations
and warranties contained in this Article IV, neither ETP nor any
other Person makes any other express or implied representation or
warranty on behalf of ETP.
ARTICLE V
COVENANTS OF THE
PARTIES
Section 5.1 Conduct of
Business .
(a) Except as expressly provided in
this Agreement or as set forth in Section 5.1(a) of the CCE
Disclosure Letter, from and after the date of this Agreement and
until the Closing Date, CCE shall use commercially reasonable
efforts to cause TPC to conduct and maintain its business in the
ordinary course of business, consistent with past
practice.
(b) Except as contemplated by this
Agreement or as set forth in Section 5.1(b) of the CCE
Disclosure Letter, prior to the Closing Date, without the prior
written consent of ETP (which consent shall not be unreasonably
withheld or delayed), CCE shall cause TPC not to:
(i) Amend its organizational
documents or governance documents;
(ii) Issue, sell, pledge, dispose of
or encumber, or authorize or propose the issuance, sale, pledge,
disposition or encumbrance of, any shares of, or securities
convertible or exchangeable for, or options, puts, warrants, calls,
commitments or rights of any kind to acquire, any of its membership
or ownership interests or subdivide or in any way reclassify any
membership or ownership interests or change or agree to change in
any manner the rights of its outstanding membership or ownership
interests;
34
(iii) (A) Except for the
payment of a distribution of $22,000,000 to the sole member of TPC,
as necessary to meet debt covenants under the Existing TW Holdings
Debt or for the payment of a distribution to the sole member of TPC
in order to make the distributions contemplated by
Section 5.1(c) hereof, declare, set aside or pay any dividend
or other distribution with respect to any shares of any class or
series of equity interests of TPC; (B) split, combine or
reclassify any shares of any class or series of capital stock of
TPC; or (C) redeem, purchase or otherwise acquire directly or
indirectly any shares of any class or series of equity interests of
TPC, or any instrument or security which consists of or includes a
right to acquire such equity interests;
(iv) Except as may be required by
agreements or arrangements identified in Section 5.1(b)(iv) of
the CCE Disclosure Letter:
A. grant any severance or
termination payments;
B. enter into or extend or amend any
employment, consulting, severance or other compensation agreement
with, or otherwise increase the compensation or benefits provided
to any of its officers or other employees, either individually or
as part of a class of similarly situated employees other than in
the ordinary course of business, consistent with past
practice;
C. except as required by Applicable
Law, amend or take any other actions, including, but not limited
to, acceleration of vesting and waiver of performance criteria,
with respect to any Employee Benefit Plan; or
D. terminate any TPC Employee other
than for cause;
(v) Sell, lease, license, mortgage
or otherwise dispose of any properties or assets material to its
business, other than (A) sales made in the ordinary course of
business consistent with past practice or (B) sales of
obsolete or other assets not presently utilized in its
business;
(vi) Merge with or into or
consolidate with any other Person;
(vii) Make any change in its
accounting principles, practices, estimates or methods, other than
as may be required by GAAP, Applicable Law or any Governmental
Authority;
(viii) Organize any new Subsidiary
or acquire any capital stock of, or equity or ownership interest
in, any other Person;
(ix) Materially modify or amend or
terminate any Material Contract or waive, release or assign any
material rights or Claims under a Material Contract, except in the
ordinary course of business;
(x) Pay, repurchase, discharge or
satisfy any of its Claims, Liabilities or obligations (absolute,
accrued, asserted or unasserted, contingent or otherwise), other
than in the ordinary course of business and consistent with past
practice;
35
(xi) Enter into any contract or
transaction relating to the purchase of assets material to TPC,
other than in the ordinary course of business consistent with past
practice;
(xii) (A) Incur or assume any
short-term debt or long-term debt except for debt incurred to pay
for any TPC Expansion Project Expense, any SUG Expansion Project
Expense, any budgeted capital expenditure or the distributions
contemplated by Section 5.1(c) hereof, (B) modify the
terms of any indebtedness or other liability, other than
modifications of short-term debt in the ordinary course of
business, consistent with past practice; (C) assume,
guarantee, endorse or otherwise become liable or responsible
(whether directly, contingently or otherwise) for the obligations
of any other Person, except as described in
Section 5.1(b)(xii)(C) of the CCE Disclosure
Letter;
(xiii) Adopt a plan of complete or
partial liquidation, dissolution, restructuring, recapitalization
or other reorganization;
(xiv) Make or change any material
election in respect of Taxes, adopt or request permission of any
Taxing authority to change any material accounting method in
respect of Taxes, or enter into any closing agreement in respect of
Taxes that would increase the Tax liability of ETP, without
ETP’s written consent, which consent shall not be
unreasonably withheld;
(xv) Other than routine compliance
filings, make any filings or submit any documents or information to
FERC without prior consultation with ETP;
(xvi) Enter into any settlement
agreement related to FERC-regulated tariff rates without
ETP’s written consent, which consent shall not be
unreasonably withheld;
(xvii) Fail to use commercially
reasonable efforts to pursue the TPC Expansion Projects;
or
(xviii) Fail to use commercially
reasonable efforts to prepare, file and defend the TPC Rate Case;
or
(xix) Authorize any of, or commit or
agree to take any of, the actions referred to in the paragraphs
(i) through (xviii) above.
(c) On or prior to the Closing Date,
CCE shall make cash distributions in the aggregate amount of $50.0
million plus all Cash Flow for the period beginning July 1,
2006 until the date of the closing of the CCE Acquisition, of which
$25.0 million shall be distributed to ETP, $25.0 million shall be
distributed to the Class A Members (as defined in the Second
Amended and Restated LLC Agreement) and the balance of such Cash
Flow which shall be distributed one-half to ETP and one-half to the
Class A Members (for purposes of this definition of Cash Flow,
Cash Flow shall be deemed to include without duplication the amount
of Citrus Corp. cash dividends actually paid with respect to the
period from July 1, 2006 until September 30, 2006 and an
estimated amount of Citrus Corp. cash dividends with respect to the
period from October 1, 2006 until the date of the closing of
the CCE Acquisition using for such estimate 50% (i.e., CCE’s
share) of Citrus Corp. net income for such period).
36
(d) CCE shall, or shall cause TPC
to, provide to ETP copies of any filings made with any Governmental
Entities after the date of this Agreement and prior to the Closing
Date.
(e) CCE shall use its commercially
reasonable efforts to cause TPC to have a Net Working Capital
Amount as of the Closing Date that is greater than zero but it
shall not be a condition to closing that this covenant be
satisfied.
(f) From the date of this Agreement
until the Closing Date, CCE shall not make any cash distributions
to its members except as specified in Section 5.1(c) or as
specified in the Second Amended and Restated LLC
Agreement.
Section 5.2 Access to
Properties and Records .
(a) CCE shall, and shall cause TPC
to, afford to ETP and ETP’s accountants, counsel and
representatives full reasonable access during normal business hours
throughout the period prior to the Closing Date (or the earlier
termination of this Agreement pursuant to Article VII hereof) to
all of the properties, books, contracts, commitments and records
(including all environmental studies, reports and other
environmental records and all pipeline cost-of-service and
rate-related studies, reports and records related to TPC and,
during such period, shall furnish to ETP all information concerning
the business, properties, Liabilities and personnel related to TPC
as ETP may request, provided , however , that no
investigation or receipt of information pursuant to this
Section 5.2 shall affect any representation or warranty of CCE
or the conditions to the obligations of ETP. To the extent not
located at the offices or properties of TPC as of the Closing Date,
as promptly as practicable thereafter, CCE shall deliver, or cause
its appropriate Affiliates to deliver to ETP all of the books of
accounts, minute books, record books and other records (including
safety, health, environmental, maintenance and engineering records
and drawings) pertaining to the business operations of TPC and all
financial and accounting records related to TPC. Such delivery
shall include all work papers, pleadings, testimony, exhibits,
spread sheets, research, drafts, memoranda, correspondence and
other documents related to the TPC Rate Case (“ TPC Rate
Case Work Product ”). TPC Rate Case Work Product has been
and will be prepared in contemplation of litigation, and the use of
TPC Rate Case Work Product has been and will be under the control
of TPC’s attorneys. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary
contained in this Agreement, CCE shall not be obligated to provide
to ETP any documents or records relating to litigation and
regulatory matters in which TPC is involved to the extent that CCE
reasonably believes such documents or records are subject to the
attorney-client or other applicable privilege in circumstances
in which TPC is not the sole client unless the parties
entitled to such attorney-client or other applicable privilege
shall consent thereto and enter into an appropriate joint defense
agreement for the purpose of preservation of such
attorney-client or other applicable privilege.
(b) The information contained
herein, in the CCE Disclosure Letter or heretofore or hereafter
delivered to ETP or its authorized representatives in connection
with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement shall be held
in confidence by ETP and its
37
representatives in accordance with the
Confidentiality Agreement until the Closing Date with respect to
information relating to TPC. Following the Closing Date, CCE shall
keep confidential all information related to the business and
properties of TPC to the same extent as ETP is obligated to keep
such information confidential in accordance with the terms of the
Confidentiality Agreement (without regard to the preceding
sentence) prior to the Closing Date.
Section 5.3 Consents and
Approvals .
(a) Upon the terms and subject to
the conditions of this Agreement, each of the parties hereto agrees
to use, and will cause its Affiliates to use its commercially
reasonable efforts to take, or cause to be taken, all actions, and
to do, or cause to be done, all things necessary or advisable under
Applicable Law and regulations to consummate and make effective the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement as promptly as
practicable including the preparation and filing of all forms,
registrations and notices required to be filed by such party in
order to consummate the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement, the taking of all appropriate action necessary, proper
or advisable to satisfy each of the conditions to Closing that are
to be satisfied by that party or any of its Affiliates and the
taking of such actions as are necessary to obtain any approvals,
consents, orders, exemptions or waivers of Governmental Authorities
and any other Person required to be obtained by such party in order
to consummate the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement.
(b) Each party shall, and shall
cause their respective Affiliates to, with respect to a threatened
or pending preliminary or permanent injunction or other order,
decree or ruling or statute, rule, regulation or executive order
that would adversely affect the ability of any party to this
Agreement to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby or
those contemplated by the CCE Acquisition Agreement, use their
respective commercially reasonable best efforts to prevent the
entry, enactment or promulgation thereof, as the case may be
(including by pursuing any available appeal process). Each of ETP
and CCE shall use its respective commercially reasonable best
efforts to, and shall cause their respective Affiliates to use
their commercially reasonable best efforts to, promptly take or
cause to be taken all actions necessary to comply with any requests
made, or conditions set, by a Governmental Authority to consummate
the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the CCE
Acquisition Agreement. Each party agrees to use its commercially
reasonable best efforts to procure any third-party consents
required in the preceding sentence. Notwithstanding the foregoing,
in no event shall the term “commercially reasonable best
efforts” require a party to agree to any divestiture,
agreement, condition, restriction or requirement requested by any
Governmental Entity to avoid the entry, enactment or promulgation
of any threatened preliminary or permanent injunction or other
order, decree or ruling or statute, rule, regulation or executive
order that would constitute a material adverse effect on the
financial condition, results of operations or prospects of such
party and its Affiliates (including, with respect to ETP, TPC),
taken as a whole (a “ Burdensome Condition ”).
All cooperation shall be conducted in such a manner so as to
preserve all applicable privileges.
(c) By the later of (i) the
seventh Business Day after the date hereof and (ii) the fifth
Business Day after the approval by the FCC of the transfer of
control contemplated by the CCE Acquisition Agreement, CCE and ETP
shall file applications with the FCC for consent to the transfer of
control of CCE and its Affiliates as contemplated by this
Agreement.
38
(d) For purposes of this
Section 5.3, each party shall require their respective counsel
to cooperate to the same extent as each party is required to
cooperate with the other party.
(e) Without limiting the generality
of the undertakings pursuant to this Section 5.3 and subject
to appropriate confidentiality protections and limitations set
forth in Section 5.3(b) above, CCE, ETP and their respective
Affiliates shall each furnish to the parties to this Agreement such
necessary information and reasonable assistance a party may request
in connection with the foregoing and, upon reasonable request shall
each provide counsel for the other party with copies of all filings
made by such party or such Affiliate, and all correspondence
between such party or such Affiliate (and its advisors) with any
Governmental Authority and any other information supplied by such
party and such party’s Affiliates to a Governmental Authority
in connection with this Agreement and the transactions contemplated
hereby, provided, however , that materials may be redacted
(i) to remove references concerning the valuation of TPC,
(ii) as necessary to comply with contractual arrangements and
(iii) to remove information that is proprietary; and
provided further , that information protected by the
attorney client, work product privilege, or any other applicable
privilege, shall be exchanged in a manner so as to preserve any
such privilege. CCE and ETP agree to inform each other of all
communications with any Governmental Authority.
Section 5.4 Further
Assurances . On and after the Closing Date, CCE and ETP shall
cooperate and use their respective commercially reasonable efforts
to take or cause to be taken all appropriate actions and do, or
cause to be done, all things necessary or appropriate to consummate
and make effective the transactions contemplated hereby, including
the execution of any additional documents or instruments of any
kind, the obtaining of consents which may be reasonably necessary
or appropriate to carry out any of the provisions hereof and the
taking of all such other actions as such party may reasonably be
requested to take by the other party hereto from time to time,
consistent with the terms of this Agreement, in order to effectuate
the provisions and purposes of this Agreement and the transactions
contemplated hereby.
Section 5.5 Employee Matters
.
(a) Except as provided in the
following sentence, on the Closing Date, CCE shall terminate the
active participation of the Affected Employees in all of the
Employee Benefit Plans listed in Sections 3.12(a) and 3.12(b) of
the CCE Disclosure Letter, except for (i) the Benefit Programs
and Agreements listed as Items 5 and 6 in Section 3.12(b) of
the CCE Disclosure Letter, (ii) the TPC VEBA and
(iii) the life and long term disability insurance coverage
contemplated by Section 5.5(b). Prior to the Closing Date, CCE
shall, or shall cause TPC to, terminate the TPC Severance Plan. CCE
shall notify Affected Employees of the termination of such active
participation and the termination of the TPC Severance Plan prior
to the Closing Date. Subject to the provisions of this Agreement,
after the Closing Date, TPC shall be solely responsible for all
obligations and Liabilities with respect to the Benefit Programs
and Agreements listed as Items 5 and 6 in Section 3.12(b) of
the CCE Disclosure Letter, the TPC VEBA, the retiree medical
benefits addressed in Section 5.5(e), the accrued vacation
days addressed in Section 5.5(c), the flexible benefit plan
accounts addressed in Section 5.5(h), and each employee
benefit policy, plan, agreement or arrangement that TPC, ETP or an
Affiliate of either establishes, maintains or contributes to with
respect to the TPC Employees, on or after the
39
Closing Date, and no such obligations or
Liabilities shall be assumed or retained by CCE or its Affiliates.
ETP shall, or shall cause TPC to, honor any continuing pay or
salary obligations and any applicable legal or contractual rights
to reinstatement with respect to all Affected Employees. Except as
provided in the preceding provisions of this Section 5.5(a)
and in Section 5.5(e), CCE shall retain all obligations or
Liabilities and assets with respect to current and former TPC
Employees and any Shared Service Employees who do not become
Transferring Shared Service Employees in accordance with
Section 5.5(g) or otherwise under all of the Employee Benefit
Plans listed in Sections 3.12(a) and 3.12(b) of the CCE Disclosure
Letter and all other employee benefit plans, policies and
arrangements of CCE and its ERISA Affiliates, and no such
obligations or Liabilities shall be assumed or retained by ETP or
its Affiliates, including after the transactions contemplated
hereby, TPC.
(b) Any Affected Employee who is
unable to report to work with TPC as of the Closing Date due to
disability shall continue to be eligible for any applicable
long-term disability and life insurance coverage pursuant to
CCE’s or PEPL’s long-term disability and life insurance
plans until such time, if any, as such Affected Employee returns to
active employment with TPC; provided, however, that in order to be
eligible for such benefits, each such Affected Employee, pending
approval for long-term disability benefits or return to active
employment, must continue to pay all applicable long-term
disability and life insurance premiums due following the Closing
Date for such coverage. ETP shall, or shall cause TPC to, pay
Affected Employees who are on short-term disability as of the
Closing Date the short-term disability benefits that apply under
the short-term disability program that covers the TPC Employees as
of the date of this Agreement. Any Affected Employees who are on
short-term disability as of the Closing Date but who subsequently
transition to long-term disability shall be eligible for, and
covered by, CCE’s or PEPL’s, as applicable, long-term
disability and life insurance coverages but not ETP’s
long-term disability and life insurance coverages, subject to the
provisions of this Section 5.5(b).
(c) For no less than one year
following the Closing Date, ETP shall, and shall cause TPC to,
provide to Affected Employees those employee benefits that are
provided by ETP to its similarly situated employees except with
respect to short-term disability benefits, as provided in
Section 5.5(b). With respect to those employee benefit plans
of TPC, ETP or their Affiliates in which Affected Employees may
participate on or after the Closing Date ( “ETP
Plans” ), ETP shall cause the ETP Plans to credit prior
service of the Affected Employees with TPC, PEPL and the Affiliates
of either, past or present, for purposes of eligibility and vesting
under ETP Plans and for all purposes with respect to any vacation,
sick days, severance and post-retirement medical benefits;
provided, however, that such service need not be credited to the
extent it would result in a duplication of benefits. Following the
Closing Date, ETP shall, or shall cause TPC to, honor the accrued
vacation days of the Affected Employees that remain unused as of
the Closing Date to the extent such accruals are shown, either as
accruals for TPC Employees or full-time equivalent employees
providing services to TPC, on the Closing Balance Sheet. Affected
Employees shall also be given credit for any deductible or
co-insurance payment amounts payable in respect of the ETP Plan
year in which the Closing Date occurs, to the extent that,
following the Closing Date, they participate in any ETP Plan during
such plan year for which deductibles or co-payments are required.
Any preexisting condition restrictions and waiting period
limitations that were deemed satisfied with respect to a particular
person under
40
any Employee Benefit Plan or any other benefit
plan that covered a Transferring Shared Service Employee
immediately prior to the Closing Date shall be deemed satisfied by
ETP and its Affiliates under ETP Plans with respect to such person
on and after the Closing Date. The provisions of this
Section 5.5(c) and Section 5.5(f) shall not alter the
status of the Affected Employees as at-will employees of TPC or its
Affiliates. Except as otherwise contemplated by this Agreement, the
provisions of this Section 5.5(c) and Section 5.5(f)
shall not affect the right of TPC, ETP or any of their Affiliates
to amend or terminate any of their employee benefit plans, programs
or arrangements with respect to ETP employees generally.
(d) ETP shall be responsible for all
Liabilities and obligations under the Worker Adjustment and
Retraining Notification Act and similar foreign, state and local
rules, statutes and ordinances resulting from the actions of ETP or
TPC after the Closing Date. ETP agrees to hold CCE harmless in
accordance with Article VIII for any breach of such responsibility
and ETP’s indemnification of CCE in this regard specifically
includes any Claim by the Affected Employees for back pay, front
pay, benefits or compensatory or punitive damages, any Claim by any
Governmental Authority for penalties regarding any issue of prior
notification (or lack thereof) of any plant closing or mass layoff
occurring after the Closing Date and CCE’s costs, including
reasonable attorney’s fees, in defending any such
Claims.
(e) TPC has established the TPC
VEBA, the assets and liabilities of which will be retained by TPC
as of the Closing Date. TPC is or will be responsible for those
post-retirement medical benefits described in
Section 3.12(e)(vii) of the CCE Disclosure Letter or described
in and/or valued under the CCE FAS 106 Report. In addition to the
CCE FAS 106 Report, the Enron Inactive Medical Plan sets forth
eligibility requirements relating to post-retirement medical
benefits available to eligible current and former employees and
retirees of TPC (and their eligible spouses, surviving spouses and
dependents). The post-retirement medical benefits that TPC
currently provides to eligible retirees (and their eligible
spouses, surviving spouses and dependents) are described in the CCE
Under Age 65 SPD and the CCE Medicare Eligible SPD. The employer
subsidies that TPC currently makes available under cost sharing
arrangements with respect to post-retirement medical benefits are
described in the CCE FAS 106 Report as well as in a
November 9, 2005 letter to then current TPC employees who had
satisfied applicable age, service and hire date eligibility
requirements. Both the CCE FAS 106 Report and the November 9,
2005 letter describe fixed dollar per year of service employer
subsidies for eligible post-1989 retirees (and their eligible
spouses, surviving spouses and dependents). The CCE FAS 106 Report
describes a 60 percent employer subsidy for eligible pre-1990
retirees (and their eligible spouses, surviving spouses and
dependents). True and complete copies of the CCE FAS 106 Report,
the Enron Inactive Medical Plan, the CCE Under Age 65 SPD and the
CCE Medicare Eligible SPD, as well as the November 9, 2005
letter have been provided to ETP. Effective as of the Closing Date,
ETP shall, or shall cause TPC to, establish a plan to provide
post-retirement medical benefits to eligible current and former
employees and retirees of TPC (and their eligible spouses,
surviving spouses and dependents). The eligibility requirements and
employer subsidies under such plan shall be as described in the CCE
FAS 106 Report and/or the Enron Inactive Medical Plan, and such
eligibility requirements and employer subsidies shall be applied to
all Affected Employees, including all Transferring Shared Service
Employees, with such Transferring Shared Service Employees
receiving prior service credit in accordance with the provisions of
Section 5.5(c). Any provision of this
41
Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, TPC
shall, and ETP shall cause TPC to, take all actions with respect to
the partition and distribution of assets and liabilities associated
with the Enron VEBA as may be required of TPC by, or contemplated
with respect to TPC under, any order of the Bankruptcy Court
relating to the Enron VEBA Motion or any order of any other court
of competent jurisdiction relating to the partition of assets held
under the Enron VEBA and/or the distribution of liabilities
associated with the Enron VEBA. For the avoidance of doubt,
pursuant to the preceding sentence, TPC shall assume liabilities
and the TPC VEBA shall receive certain allocated assets with
respect to current and former employees and retirees of TPC, former
employees and retirees of former affiliates of TPC who provided
services to TPC, and their respective eligible spouses, surviving
spouses and dependents, all in accordance with the terms of an
order relating to the Enron VEBA Motion or any other order of a
court of competent jurisdiction relating to the partition and
distribution of assets and liabilities under the Enron VEBA, and
all such individuals shall be eligible to participate in the
post-retirement medical benefits plan established by TPC or ETP
under this Section 5.5(e). Except as otherwise indicated in
Section 3.12(e)(vii) of the CCE Disclosure Letter or as
otherwise required by Applicable Law or the provisions of a final
order entered in connection with the Enron VEBA Motion or by
another court of competent jurisdiction relating to the partition
and distribution of assets and liabilities under the Enron VEBA,
nothing in this Agreement shall prohibit TPC or CCE from exercising
their respective rights as the sponsor of TPC’s
post-retirement medical benefits program to amend, modify or
terminate the benefits provided thereunder, whether before or after
the Closing Date; provided, however, that between the date hereof
and the Closing Date, CCE shall not amend its post-retirement
medical benefits program to increase the benefits provided
thereunder, reduce retiree contribution or premium rates for
coverage thereunder or expand eligibility under such
programs.
(f) In the event that, on the
Closing Date or during the Continuation Period, (i) the
employment of an Affected Employee is terminated by TPC, ETP or an
Affiliate of either other than For Cause, (ii) TPC, ETP or an
Affiliate of either fails to provide an Affected Employee with at
least the same level of Base Compensation as was in effect
immediately prior to the Closing Date, or (iii) without the
consent of an Affected Employee, TPC, ETP or an Affiliate of either
changes the primary work location of such Affected Employee to a
location that is more than 50 miles away from the Affected
Employee’s primary work location immediately prior to the
Closing Date, ETP shall be responsible for and shall pay to such
Affected Employee, in a lump sum payment, not later than sixty
(60) days following the date of the Affected Employee’s
termination of employment, the following severance benefits (the
“Severance Benefits” ): two (2) weeks of
the Affected Employee’s Base Compensation for each full or
partial year of service measured from the Affected Employee’s
date of hire reflected in Section 5.5(g) of the CCE Disclosure
Letter, not to exceed fifty-two (52) weeks of such Base
Compensation; provided, however, that in no event shall such
Severance Benefits be less than eight (8) weeks of such Base
Compensation. The costs incurred directly or indirectly in
connection with the termination of employment of any Affected
Employee on or after the Closing Date shall be borne exclusively by
ETP. ETP’s obligation to provide the Severance Benefits shall
be subject to the Affected Employee’s execution of a release
of all claims against TPC, ETP and the Affiliates of either, and
CCE, PEPL and the Affiliates of either, in a form reasonably
satisfactory to ETP and CCE. For purposes of this
Section 5.5(f), “Continuation Period” shall
mean the one-year period following the Closing Date. For purposes
of this Section 5.5,
42
“For Cause” shall mean (i) the commission by the
Affected Employee of a criminal or other act that causes or is
reasonably likely to cause substantial economic damage to TPC or
substantial injury to the business reputation of TPC, (ii) the
commission by the Affected Employee of an act of fraud, theft or
financial dishonesty in the performance of the Affected
Employee’s duties on behalf of TPC, (iii) the continuing
failure or continuing refusal of the Affected Employee to
satisfactorily perform the duties of the Affected Employee to TPC,
(iv) the material disregard or violation by the Affected
Employee of the legal rights of any employees of TPC or of
TPC’s written policies regarding harassment or
discrimination, or (v) any other conduct materially
detrimental to TPC’s business. For purposes of this
Section 5.5(f), “Base Compensation” shall
mean an Affected Employee’s base hourly wages or base salary,
as applicable, at termination of employment; provided, however,
that in no event shall an Affected Employee’s Base
Compensation for purposes of calculating the Severance Benefits
provided for under this Section 5.5(f) be less than such
Affected Employee’s base hourly wages or base salary, as
applicable, in effect as of the date of this Agreement. For the
avoidance of doubt, two weeks of each Affected Employee’s
Base Compensation as of the date of this Agreement is reflected in
the “BiWkly Salary” columns in Section 5.5(g) of
the CCE Disclosure Letter.
(g) Section 5.5(g) of the CCE
Disclosure Letter sets forth a list of the TPC Employees as of the
date hereof, including each such TPC Employee’s current
annual base compensation, annual bonus, job title, work location,
hire date, and vacation balance as of the date of this Agreement,
as well as two weeks of each such TPC Employee’s Base
Compensation as of the date of this Agreement, as reflected in the
“BiWkly Salary” columns, for purposes of
Section 5.5(f). Also listed in Section 5.5(g) of the CCE
Disclosure Letter, as it may be amended as contemplated by this
Section 5.5(g), are employees of CCES or PEPL on the date of
this Agreement, who provide services to TPC, and who are being made
available for transfer to TPC on the date immediately preceding the
Closing Date pursuant to the provisions of this Section 5.5(g)
( “Shared Service Employees” ). With respect to
each Shared Service Employee, Section 5.5(g) of the CCE
Disclosure Letter sets forth, as of the date hereof, such Shared
Service Employee’s current annual base compensation, annual
bonus, job title, work location, hire date, and vacation balance as
of the date of this Agreement, as well as two weeks of each such
Shared Service Employee’s Base Compensation as of the date of
this Agreement, as reflected in the “BiWkly Salary”
columns, for purposes of Section 5.5(f). In the event that CCE
or ETP requests that the list of Shared Service Employees be
amended, by adding an employee to the list or deleting an employee
from the list within the first thirty (30) days following the
execution of this Agreement, the parties agree to negotiate in good
faith to determine if such request can be accommodated. Not later
than thirty (30) days following the execution of this
Agreement, ETP may identify to CCE, in writing, not more than five
(5) Shared Service Employees who shall not be transferred to
TPC. Each Shared Service Employee not so identified by ETP shall be
considered a “Transferring Shared Service
Employee” under this Agreement. All of the Transferring
Shared Service Employees shall be transferred to TPC, and become
employees of TPC, on the date preceding the Closing Date. CCE shall
pay, or CCE shall cause CCES or PEPL, as applicable, to pay any
severance costs relating to any Shared Service Employees who do not
become Transferring Shared Service Employees under the preceding
provisions of this Section 5.5(g). In accordance with the
provisions of Section 5.5(f), ETP shall pay the Severance
Benefits, if any, relating to any Shared Service Employees who
become Transferring Shared Service Employees under the preceding
provisions of this Section 5.5(g). ETP shall, or
shall
43
cause TPC to, pay each Affected Employee a base
hourly wage or base salary, as applicable, that is not less than
his or her base hourly wage or base salary, as applicable, in
effect with TPC, CCES or PEPL, as applicable, immediately prior to
the Closing Date. CCE agrees that, within the thirty (30) day
period following the execution of this Agreement, neither CCES nor
PEPL shall terminate the employment of any Shared Service Employee
other than For Cause, without the written consent of ETP. CCE
further agrees that, prior to the Closing Date, neither CCES nor
PEPL shall terminate the employment of any Transferring Shared
Service Employee other than For Cause, without the written consent
of ETP.
(h) As soon as administratively
feasible after the Closing Date, CCE and PEPL shall transfer to
ETP’s flexible benefits plan, an amount, in cash, equal to
any health care and dependent care balances standing to the credit
of Affected Employees under the CCE and PEPL flexible benefit plans
(the “CCE Flex Plans” ) as of the day
immediately preceding the Closing Date, and ETP shall, or shall
cause TPC to, reimburse Affected Employees for all eligible health
and dependent care expenses that would otherwise be payable under
the terms of the CCE Flex Plans on or after the Closing Date. As
soon as administratively feasible after the Closing Date, CCE shall
provide to ETP a list of those Affected Employees who have
participated in the health or dependent care reimbursement accounts
under the CCE Flex Plans, together with their elections made prior
to the Closing Date with respect to such accounts, and balances
standing to their credit as of the day immediately prior to the
Closing Date.
(i) Affected Employees will be
eligible to participate in the Energy Transfer Partners Profit
Sharing and 401(k) Plan (the “ETP 401(k) Plan” )
following the Closing Date. ETP shall take reasonable measures
designed to facilitate the ETP 401(k) Plan’s acceptance from
any Affected Employee of a rollover or direct rollover of all of
his or her account balances under the CrossCountry Energy Savings
Plan 001, the CrossCountry Energy Savings Plan 002 and/or the
Southern Union Savings Plan (each a “CCE Defined
Contribution Plan” ), including his or her loan balances
and related loan documentation under the CCE Defined Contribution
Plan(s); provided that an Affected Employee shall only be permitted
to roll over his or her loan balances and related loan
documentation if the Affected Employee makes a rollover or direct
rollover of all of his or her account balances under the CCE
Defined Contribution Plan or Plans which include the Affected
Employee’s outstanding loan balances. The trustee or
recordkeeper of CCE’s Defined Contribution Plans shall
transfer to the trustee or recordkeeper of the ETP 401(k) Plan any
loan documentation for loans to be rolled over or transferred to
the ETP 401(k) Plan pursuant to the provisions of this
Section 5.5(i). The provisions of this Section 5.5(i)
shall not be construed to require that any Affected Employee roll
over or otherwise transfer his or her account balances under a CCE
Defined Contribution Plan to the ETP 401(k) Plan. CCE shall, or
shall cause PEPL to, fully vest the account balances of all
Affected Employees under the CCE Defined Contribution
Plans.
(j) Notwithstanding any provisions
of the Southern Union Company Annual Incentive Plan (the “
Annual Incentive Plan ”) to the contrary, no payment
for the 2006 Plan Year (as defined in the Annual Incentive Plan)
shall be made to any Affected Employee, and including any
accelerated payment pursuant to Section VI of the Annual Incentive
Plan), except as provided in this Section 5.5(j). On or before
March 15, 2007, ETP shall, or shall cause TPC to, pay to the
Affected Employees the amount determined by multiplying, the sum of
the total of
44
the amounts reflected in the “Amount at
Midpt” column for the TPC Employees as set forth in
Section 5.5(g) of the CCE Disclosure Letter plus the total of
the amounts reflected in the “Amount at Midpt” column
for the Shared Service Employees who become Affected Employees as
set forth in Section 5.5(g) of the CCE Disclosure Letter (as
it may be amended pursuant to Section 5.5(g)), by a fraction,
the numerator of which is the number of completed calendar months
in 2006 occurring on or before the Closing Date, and the
denominator of which is twelve (12). Each such Affected Employee
who is employed by ETP, TPC or an affiliate of either on the date
that the amount determined under the preceding sentence is paid
shall receive a percentage, that is not less than nor greater than
the percentage reflected in the individual Affected
Employee’s “Target Bonus Range,” of such Affected
Employee’s “Annual Salary” as reflected in
Section 5.5(g) of the CCE Disclosure Letter (as it may be
amended pursuant to Section 5.5(g)), multiplied by a fraction,
the numerator of which is the number of completed calendar months
in 2006 occurring on or before the Closing Date, and the
denominator of which is twelve (12). Notwithstanding the foregoing
provisions of this Section 5.5(j), no payments for the 2006
Plan Year under the Annual Incentive Plan shall be made to the
extent that they are not accrued for the Annual Incentive Plan on
the Closing Balance Sheet.
(k) Until the Closing Date, CCE
shall provide ETP an opportunity to participate with TPC as a
participating employer in discussions regarding the Enron VEBA
Motion, including the allocation of assets and liabilities to TPC
thereunder, and in settlement negotiations, if any, relating to any
proceeding in another court of competent jurisdiction relating to
the partition and distribution of assets and liabilities under the
Enron VEBA.
Section 5.6 Tax
Covenants .
(a) Tax Return Filings, Refunds,
and Credits .
(i) CCE shall timely prepare and
file (or cause such preparation and filing) with the appropriate
Tax authorities all Tax Returns (including any Consolidated Income
Tax Returns) due on or before the 30th day following the Closing
Date required to be filed by or on behalf of TPC (and make all
elections with respect to such Tax Returns) for Tax periods that
end on or before the Closing Date, and CCE may timely prepare and
file (or cause such preparation and filing) with the appropriate
Tax authorities all other Tax Returns (including any Consolidated
Income Tax Returns) required to be filed by or on behalf of TPC
(and make all elections with respect to such Tax Returns) for Tax
periods that end on or before the Closing Date (all such returns
required to be prepared and filed or actually prepared and filed by
CCE, the “ CCE Returns ”).
(ii) ETP shall timely prepare and
file (or cause such preparation and filing) with the appropriate
Tax authorities all Tax Returns (the “ Straddle Period
Returns ”) required to be filed by or on behalf of TPC
(and make all elections with respect to such Tax Returns) for all
Tax periods ending after the Closing Date that include the Closing
Date (the “ Straddle Period ”), and ETP shall
timely prepare and file (or cause such preparation and filing) with
the appropriate Tax authorities all Tax Returns required to be
filed by or on behalf of TPC (and make all elections with respect
to such Tax Returns) for Tax periods that end on or before the
Closing Date, other than CCE
45
Returns (all such returns required
to be prepared and filed by ETP, the “ ETP
Returns” ). All ETP Returns shall be prepared in
accordance with past practice to the extent consistent with
applicable law and the operations of TPC. ETP shall provide CCE
with copies of any ETP Returns at least forty-five (45) days
prior to the due date thereof (giving effect to any extensions
thereto), accompanied by a statement (the “ Straddle
Statement ”) setting forth and calculating in reasonable
detail the Pre-Closing Taxes as defined below. If CCE agrees with
the ETP Return and Straddle Statement, the amount of Pre-Closing
Taxes shall be as shown thereon. If, within fifteen (15) days
of the receipt of the ETP Return and Straddle Statement, CCE
notifies ETP that it disputes the manner of preparation of the ETP
Return or the amount calculated in the Straddle Statement, and
provides ETP its proposed form of ETP Return, a statement setting
forth and calculating in reasonable detail the Pre-Closing Taxes,
and a written or oral explanation of the reasons for its
adjustment, then ETP and CCE shall attempt to resolve their
disagreement within the five (5) days following CCE’s
notification or ETP of such disagreement. If ETP and CCE are unable
to resolve their disagreement, the dispute shall be submitted to a
mutually agreed upon nationally recognized independent accounting
firm, whose expense shall be borne equally by ETP and CCE, for
resolution within twenty (20) days of such submission. The
decision of such accounting firm with respect to such dispute shall
be binding upon ETP and CCE.
(iii) From and after the Closing
Date, ETP and its Affiliates (including TPC) will not file any
amended Tax Return, carryback claim or other adjustment request by
or on behalf of TPC for any Tax period that includes or ends on or
before the Closing Date unless CCE consents in writing.
(iv) For purposes of this Agreement,
in the case of any Taxes of TPC that are payable with respect to
any Straddle Period, the portion of any such Taxes that constitutes
“ Pre-Closing Taxes ” shall be the excess of
(A) (i) in the case of Taxes that are either
(x) based upon or related to income or receipts or
(y) imposed in connection with any sale, transfer or
assignment or any deemed sale, transfer or assignment of property
(real or personal, tangible or intangible) be deemed equal to the
amount that would be payable if the Tax period ended at the close
of business on the Closing Date and (ii) in the case of Taxes
(other than those described in clause (i)) imposed on a periodic
basis with respect to the business or assets of TPC, be deemed to
be the amount of such Taxes for the entire Straddle Period (or, in
the case of such Taxes determined on an arrears basis, the amount
of such Taxes for the immediately preceding Tax period) multiplied
by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of calendar days
in the portion of the Straddle Period ending on and including the
Closing Date and the denominator of which is the number of calendar
days in the entire Straddle Period over (B) any prepayment or
advances of Taxes or any payments of estimated Taxes with respect
to the Straddle Period. For purposes of clause (i) of the
preceding sentence, any exemption, deduction, credit or other item
that is calculated on an annual basis shall be allocated to the
portion of the Straddle Period ending on the Closing Date on a pro
rata basis determined by multiplying the total amount of such item
allocated to the Straddle Period by a fraction, the numerator of
which is the number of calendar days in the portion of the Straddle
Period ending on the Closing Date and the denominator of which is
the number of calendar days in the entire Straddle Period. In the
case of any Tax based upon
46
or measured by capital (including
net worth or long-term debt) or intangibles, any amount thereof
required to be allocated under this Section 5.6(a)(iv) shall
be computed by reference to the level of such items at the close of
business on the Closing Date. The parties hereto will, to the
extent permitted by Applicable Law, elect with the relevant Tax
authority to treat a portion of any Straddle Period as a short
taxable period ending as of the close of business on the Closing
Date. For purposes of this Agreement, “ Post-Closing
Taxes ” shall include any Taxes of TPC that are payable
with respect to a Straddle Period, except for the portion of any
such Taxes that constitutes Pre-Closing Taxes. For purposes of this
Agreement, the Texas corporate franchise tax determined based on
the income or capital of any entity for the year during which the
Closing Date occurs shall be considered to be a Tax due with
respect to the Straddle Period.
(v) CCE and ETP shall reasonably
cooperate in preparing and filing all Tax Returns required to be
filed by or on behalf of TPC, including maintaining and making
available to each other all records reasonably necessary in
connection with Taxes of TPC and in resolving all disputes and
audits with respect to all Tax periods relating to Taxes of
TPC.
(vi) For a period of six
(6) years after the Closing Date, CCE and its representatives
shall have reasonable access to the books and records (including
the right to make extracts thereof) of TPC to the extent that such
books and records relate to Taxes and to the extent that such
access may reasonably be required by CCE in connection with matters
relating to or affected by the operation of TPC prior to the
Closing Date. Such access shall be afforded by ETP upon receipt of
reasonable advance notice and during normal business hours. If ETP
shall desire to dispose of any of such books and records prior to
the expiration of such six-year period, ETP shall, prior to such
disposition, give CCE a reasonable opportunity, at CCE’s
expense, to segregate and remove such books and records as CCE may
select.
(vii) If a Tax Indemnified Party
receives a refund or credit or other reimbursement with respect to
Taxes for which it was indemnified under this Agreement, the Tax
Indemnified Party shall pay over such refund or credit or other
reimbursement to the Tax Indemnifying Party.
(viii) ETP shall not, and shall
cause TPC to not, make, amend or revoke any Tax election if such
action would adversely affect any of CCE or its Affiliates with
respect to any Tax period ending on or before the Closing Date or
for the Pre-Closing Period or any Tax refund with respect thereto
unless ETP and its Affiliates indemnify and make CCE and its
Affiliates whole for any detriment or cost incurred (or to be
incurred) by them as a result of such action.
(ix) For purposes of this Agreement
a “ Consolidated Income Tax Return ” is any
income Tax Return filed with respect to any consolidated, combined,
affiliated or unified group provided for under Section 1501 of
the Code and the Treasury regulations under Section 1502 of
the Code, or any comparable provisions of state or local law, other
than any income Tax Return that includes only TPC.
47
(b) Indemnity for Taxes
.
(i) CCE hereby agrees to indemnify
ETP and its affiliates against and hold them harmless from and
against all liability for (A) all Taxes that are attributable
to CCE or any member of an affiliated, consolidated, combined or
unitary Tax group of which TPC (or any direct or indirect
predecessor(s) of TPC) was a member at any time on or prior to the
Closing Date and not after the Closing Date that is imposed under
Treasury Regulation Section 1.1502-6 (or any similar provision
of state, local or foreign Tax law), except to the extent reflected
on the TPC Six Month Interim Financial Statements, (B) any
Taxes of TPC incurred as a transferee or a successor relating to
any full or partial Tax period ending on or before the Closing
Date, except to the extent reflected on the TPC Six Month Interim
Financial Statements, (C) CCE’s portion of Transfer
Taxes pursuant to Section 5.6(f), and (D) any Damages
arising out of, resulting from, or incurred in connection with any
breach or inaccuracy of any representation or warranty set forth in
Section 3.16; provided, however , that the
determination of whether such a breach or inaccuracy of
Section 3.16(c), (d), or (e) occurred will be made
without the Material Adverse Effect qualifications contained
therein.
(ii) ETP hereby agrees to indemnify
CCE and its Affiliates against and hold them harmless from all
liability for (A) all Taxes of TPC with respect to all Tax
periods beginning after the Closing Date, (B) Post-Closing
Taxes with respect to any Straddle Period, (C) ETP’s
portion of Transfer Taxes pursuant to Section 5.6(f),
(D) all Taxes imposed on TPC with respect to Tax periods
ending on or before the Closing Date, and (E) Pre-Closing
Taxes with respect to any Straddle Period.
(iii) The obligation of CCE to
indemnify and hold harmless ETP, on the one hand, and the
obligations of ETP to indemnify and hold harmless CCE, on the other
hand, pursuant to this Section 5.6, shall terminate upon the
expiration of the applicable statutes of limitations with respect
to the Tax Liabilities in question (giving effect to any waiver,
mitigation or extension thereof) or if a Claim is brought with
respect thereto, until such time as such Claim is
resolved.
(c) Certain Payments . ETP
and CCE agree to treat (and cause their Affiliates to treat) any
payment by CCE under Section 5.6(b) as an adjustment to the
property distributed by CCE to ETP in redemption of the 50% CCE
Interest for all Tax purposes.
(d) Contests .
(i) After the Closing Date, CCE and
ETP each shall notify the other party in writing within ten
(10) days of the commencement of any Tax audit or
administrative or judicial proceeding affecting the Taxes of TPC
that, if determined adversely to the taxpayer (the “ Tax
Indemnified Party ”) or after the lapse of time would be
grounds for indemnification under this Section 5.6 by the
other party (the “ Tax Indemnifying Party ” and
a “ Tax Claim ”). Such notice shall contain
factual information describing any asserted Tax liability in
reasonable detail and shall include copies of any notice or other
document received from any Tax authority in respect of any such
asserted Tax liability. Failure to give such notification shall not
affect the indemnification
48
provided in this Section 5.6
except to the extent the Tax Indemnifying Party shall have been
prejudiced as a result of such failure (except that the Tax
Indemnifying Party shall not be liable for any expenses incurred
during the period in which the Tax Indemnified Party failed to give
such notice). Thereafter, the Tax Indemnified Party shall deliver
to the Tax Indemnifying Party, as promptly as possible but in no
event later than ten (10) days after the Tax Indemnified
Party’s receipt thereof, copies of all relevant notices and
documents (including court papers) received by the Tax Indemnified
Party.
(ii) In the case of an audit or
administrative or judicial proceeding involving any asserted
liability for Taxes relating to any Taxable years or periods ending
on or before the Closing Date, CCE shall have the right, at its
expense, to control the conduct of such audit or proceeding;
provided, however , that if CCE does not timely take control
of such audit or proceeding, ETP may, at its expense, control the
conduct of the audit or proceeding. In the case of an audit or
administrative or judicial proceeding involving any asserted
liability for Taxes relating to any Straddle Period, ETP shall have
the right, at its expense, to control the conduct of such audit or
proceeding; provided, however , that (A) ETP shall keep
CCE reasonably informed with respect to the status of such audit or
proceeding and provide CCE with copies of all written
correspondence with respect to such audit or proceeding in a timely
manner and (B) if such audit or proceeding would be reasonably
expected to result in a material increase in Tax liability of TPC
for which CCE would be liable under this Section 5.6, CCE may
participate in the conduct of such audit or proceeding at its own
expense.
(iii) In the case of an audit or
administrative or judicial proceeding involving any asserted
liability for Taxes relating to any Taxable years or periods
beginning after the Closing Date, ETP shall have the right, at its
expense, to control the conduct of such audit or
proceeding.
(iv) ETP and CCE shall reasonably
cooperate in connection with any Tax Claim, and such cooperation
shall include the provision to the Tax Indemnifying Party of
records and information that are reasonably relevant to such Tax
Claim and making employees available on a mutually convenient basis
to provide additional information and explanation of any material
provided hereunder.
(e) Transfer and Similar
Taxes . Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Agreement
to the contrary, all sales, use, transfer, gains, stamp, duties,
recording and similar Taxes, but not including any Federal or state
income taxes (collectively, “ Transfer Taxes ”)
incurred in connection with the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement shall be borne equally by ETP and CCE, and CCE shall
accurately file all necessary Tax Returns and other documentation
with respect to Transfer Taxes and timely pay all such Transfer
Taxes. If required by Applicable Law, ETP will join in the
execution of any such Return. CCE shall provide copies of any Tax
Returns with respect to Transfer Taxes to ETP no later than five
(5) days after the due dates of such Tax Returns.
(f) Termination of Tax Sharing
Agreements . On or prior to the Closing Date, CCE shall cause
all Tax sharing agreements between CCE or any of its Affiliates (as
determined immediately after the Closing Date) on the one hand, and
TPC on the other hand, to be terminated, and all obligations
thereunder shall be settled, and no additional payments shall be
made under any provisions thereof after the Closing
Date.
49
Section 5.7 Control of
Administrative and Regulatory Proceedings . CCE and ETP agree
and acknowledge that, up to the Closing Date, CCE shall be entitled
to control, defend and otherwise conduct any administrative or
regulatory proceeding involving TPC. CCE will use commercially
reasonable efforts to, and will cause TPC to, conduct any
administrative or regulatory proceeding in a manner that is
intended to maximize the value of TPC on and after the Closing
Date. The Parties agree and acknowledge that, prior to the Closing
Date, ETP shall be entitled to participate at its expense in any
administrative or regulatory proceeding, meeting, or settlement
conference, in administrative or regulatory proceedings involving
or affecting TPC. The Parties agree and acknowledge that, after the
Closing Date, ETP will assume control of any administrative or
regulatory proceeding involving or affecting TPC subject to the
terms of the TPC Transition Services Agreement.
Section 5.8 Maintenance of
Insurance Policies .
(a) CCE and ETP agree that to the
extent the Insurance Policies provide coverage, CCE will process
the Casualty Insurance Claims relating to the business of TPC
(including reported claims and including incurred but not reported
claims) and that such Casualty Insurance Claims shall remain with
TPC following the Closing. For purposes hereof, “ Casualty
Insurance Claims ” shall mean workers’
compensation, auto liability, general liability and products
liability claims and claims for damages caused to the facilities of
TPC generally insured under all risk, real property, boiler and
mechanical breakdown insurance coverage all with dates of
occurrence prior to the date of Closing. The Casualty Insurance
Claims are subject to the provisions of the Insurance Policies with
insurance carriers and contractual arrangements with insurance
adjusters maintained by CCE or its Affiliates prior to the Closing.
With respect to the Casualty Insurance Claims where coverage is
available under the Insurance Policies, the following procedures
shall apply: (i) CCE or its Affiliates shall continue to
administer, adjust, settle and pay, on behalf of TPC, all Casualty
Insurance Claims; provided, however, that CCE will obtain the
consent of ETP prior to adjusting, settling or paying any Casualty
Insurance Claim of an amount greater than $100,000 and provided
further, that CCE shall permit ETP to join CCE in any settlement
negotiations with claimants, insurers, or insurance adjusters and
(ii) CCE shall invoice TPC at the end of each month for
Casualty Insurance Claims paid on behalf of TPC. ETP shall cause
TPC to pay the invoice within thirty (30) days of its date. In
the event that TPC does not pay CCE within thirty (30) days of
such invoice, interest at the rate of ten percent (10%) per
annum shall accrue on the amount of such invoice. Casualty
Insurance Claims to be paid by CCE hereunder shall include all
costs necessary to settle claims including compensatory, medical,
legal and other allocated expenses, net of insurance proceeds. In
the event that any Casualty Insurance Claims exceeds a deductible
or self-insured retention under the Insurance Policies, CCE shall
be entitled to the benefit of any insurance proceeds that may be
available to discharge any portion of such Casualty Insurance
Claim.
(b) After the Closing, ETP shall be
responsible for, and neither CCE nor any of its Affiliates shall
have any responsibility for, the payment of any deductible amounts
or underlying limits attributable to the Insurance Policies for
Casualty Insurance Claims relating to TPC. ETP acknowledges that
certain of the Insurance Policies may require CCE or any of
its
50
Affiliates to provide an indemnity to the
insurance carrier for deductible amounts and to provide collateral
to secure such indemnity obligations. ETP hereby agrees to
indemnify and hold harmless CCE or any of its Affiliates (as
applicable) for any and all of the costs of maintaining such
collateral and for any charges made against such collateral or
indemnification payments in connection with claims arising or
alleged to arise from the operations of TPC required to be paid by
CCE of any of its Affiliates (as applicable) under or with respect
to such Insurance Policies from and after the Closing
Date.
(c) Other than as set forth in
Section 3.21 hereof, CCE makes no representation or warranty
with respect to the applicability, validity or adequacy of any
Insurance Policies, and CCE shall not be responsible to ETP or any
of its Affiliates for the failure of any insurer to pay under any
such Insurance Policy.
(d) Nothing in this Agreement is
intended to provide or shall be construed as providing a benefit or
release to any insurer or claims service organization of any
obligation under any Insurance Policies. CCE and ETP confirm that
the sole intention of this Section 5.8 is to divide and
allocate the benefits and obligations under the Insurance Policies
between them as of the Closing Date and not to affect, enhance or
diminish the rights and obligations of any insurer or claims
service organization thereunder. Nothing herein shall be construed
as creating or permitting any insurer or claims service
organization the right of subrogation against CCE or ETP or any of
their Affiliates in respect of payments made by one to the other
under any Insurance Policy.
(e) If ETP requests a copy of an
Insurance Policy relating to a pending or threatened Casualty
Insurance Claim, CCE shall provide a copy of all relevant insurance
policies which insure such Casualty Insurance Claims within five
(5) Business Days, provided, however, that if CCE cannot
provide such policy within five (5) Business Days after
exercising commercially reasonable efforts to locate such policy,
CCE shall continue to exercise its commercially reasonable efforts
to provide such policy to ETP as soon as possible
thereafter.
(f) Except to the extent specified
in this Section 5.8, TPC shall not participate in any
insurance policy or program of CCE or any of its Affiliates
following the Closing.
Section 5.9 Preservation of
Records . ETP agrees that it shall, at its own expense,
preserve and keep the records held by it relating to the business
of TPC that could reasonably be required after the Closing by CCE
for as long as may be required for such categories of records by
the time periods required by Applicable Law and in accordance with
CCE’s document retention practices. In addition, ETP shall
make such records available to CCE as may reasonably be required by
CCE in connection with, among other things, any insurance claim,
legal proceeding or governmental investigation relating to the
respective businesses of CCE and its Affiliates, including
TPC.
Section 5.10 Public
Statements . Neither party shall, nor shall permit its
Affiliates to, issue or cause the publication of any press release
or other announcement with respect to this Agreement or the
transactions contemplated hereby without the consent of the other
party hereto, unless such disclosure is required by Applicable Law,
or by obligations pursuant to any agreement with any national
securities exchange; provided, however , that the party
intending to
51
make such release shall give the other parties
prior notice and shall use its commercially reasonable efforts
consistent with such Applicable Law or obligation to consult with
the other parties with respect to the text thereof.
Section 5.11 Assignment of
Trademarks .
(a) Effective upon the Closing Date,
CCE shall assign or cause to be assigned to TPC, the trademarks,
service marks, and trade names listed on Section 5.11 of the
CCE Disclosure Letter, together with all slogans, logotypes,
designs and trade dress associated therewith, including all
applications and registrations therefor, which are, in each case,
in existence on the Closing Date and currently being used in the
conduct of the business of TPC (collectively, the “ TPC
Marks ”).
(b) CCE shall use commercially
reasonable efforts to assist ETP in protecting and maintaining the
rights of TPC in connection with use of the TPC Marks by TPC,
including preparation and execution of documents necessary or
appropriate in the ordinary course to register TPC Marks and/or
record this Agreement. As between the parties, ETP shall have the
sole right to, and in its sole discretion may, commence, prosecute
or defend, and control any action concerning the TPC
Marks.
Section 5.12 Commercially
Reasonable Efforts . Upon the terms and subject to the
conditions of this Agreement, each of the parties hereto will use,
and will cause their respective Affiliates to use, all commercially
reasonable efforts to take, or cause to be taken, all action, and
to do, or cause to be done, all things necessary, proper or
advisable consistent with Applicable Law to consummate and make
effective in the most expeditious manner practicable the
transactions contemplated hereby.
Section 5.13 Financial
Statements; Financial Records of CCE .
(a) If Closing does not occur on or
prior to September 30, 2006, then CCE shall (i) no later
than November 15, 2006, prepare and deliver to ETP the CCE
Nine Month Interim Financial Statements, (ii) no later than
November 15, 2006, cause TPC to prepare and deliver to ETP the
TPC Nine Month Interim Financial Statements and (iii) no later
than December 1, 2006, cause Citrus to prepare and deliver to
ETP the Citrus Nine Month Interim Financial Statements, and CCE
shall cause the financial statements referred to in clauses (i),
(ii) and (iii) of this sentence to present fairly in all
material respects, in accordance with GAAP consistently applied,
the financial condition and results of operation of CCE, Citrus and
TPC, respectively, as of and for the periods set forth therein,
subject, in the case of the CCE Nine Month Interim Financial
Statements, the Citrus Nine Month Interim Financial Statements and
the TPC Nine Month Interim Financial Statements, to normal
recurring year-end adjustments that are not material, either
individually or in the aggregate, and the absence of full footnote
disclosure. If Closing does not occur on or prior to
December 31, 2006, then CCE (w) no later than
March 1, 2007, shall prepare and deliver to ETP the CCE 2006
Financial Statements and the Citrus 2006 Financial Statements, and
(x) no later than March 1, 2007, cause TPC to prepare and
deliver to ETP the TPC 2006 Financial Statements. CCE shall cause
the financial statements referred to in clauses (w) and
(x) of the preceding sentence to present fairly in all
material respects, in accordance with GAAP consistently applied,
the financial condition and results of
52
operation of CCE, Citrus and TPC, respectively,
as of and for the periods set forth therein. No later than
(y) November 1, 2006, CCE shall prepare and deliver to
ETP the CCE Stub Period Income Statements and
(z) November 1, 2006, cause TPC and Citrus to prepare and
deliver to ETP the TPC Stub Period Financial Statements and the
Citrus Stub Period Financial Statements, respectively. CCE shall
cause the financial statements for three month periods referred to
in clauses (y) and (z) of the preceding sentence to
fairly present in all material respects, in accordance with GAAP
consistently applied, subject to normal recurring year-end
adjustments that are not material, either individually or in the
aggregate, and the absence of full footnote disclosure, and shall
cause the financial statements for one month periods referred to in
clauses (y) and (z) of the preceding sentence to be
prepared in a manner not inconsistent with the financial statements
for the quarterly period from which such one month financial
statements were taken.
(b) CCE shall use commercially
reasonable efforts, at ETP’s expense, to (i) cause the
CCE Financial Statements, the Citrus Financial Statements and the
TPC Financial Statements to be modified so that the CCE Financial
Statements, the Citrus Financial Statements and the TPC Financial
Statements comply in all material respects with the requirements of
Regulation S-X, as adopted by the SEC, and (ii) deliver such
modified financial statements to ETP (A) no later than
November 1, 2006 in the case of the CCE Annual Financial
Statements, the Citrus Annual Financial Statements, the TPC Annual
Financial Statements, the CCE Six Month Interim Financial
Statements, the Citrus Six Month Interim Financial Statements and
the TPC Six Month Interim Financial Statements, (B) no later
than December 15, 2006 in the case of the CCE Nine Month
Interim Financial Statements, the Citrus Nine Month Interim
Financial Statements and the TPC Nine Month Interim Financial
Statements, (C) no later than March 1, 2007 in the case
of the CCE 2006 Financial Statements and the Citrus 2006 Financial
Statements and (D) no later than March 15, 2007 in the
case of the TPC 2006 Financial Statements; provided, however, that
notwithstanding the foregoing, such modified financial statements
shall only be required to be delivered by CCE to ETP to the extent
that the corresponding non-modified financial statements
contemplated by Section 5.13(a) are required to be delivered
by CCE to ETP.
(c) CCE consents to the inclusion or
incorporation by reference of the CCE S-X Financial Statements, the
Citrus S-X Financial Statements and the TPC S-X Financial
Statements in any registration statement, report or other document
of ETP or any of its Affiliates to be filed with the SEC in which
ETP or such Affiliates reasonably determines that the CCE S-X
Financial Statements, the Citrus S-X Financial Statements and/or
the TPC S-X Financial Statements are required to be included or
incorporated by reference to satisfy any rule or regulation of the
SEC or to satisfy relevant disclosure obligations under the
Securities Act or the Exchange Act. CCE shall use commercially
reasonable efforts to cause PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP to consent
to the inclusion or incorporation by reference of its audit opinion
with respect to the CCE 2006 Financial Statements, the CCE Annual
Financial Statements, the TPC 2006 Financial Statements, the TPC
Annual Financial Statements, the Citrus 2006 Financial Statements
and the Citrus Annual Financial Statements in any such registration
statement, report or other document. CCE shall execute and deliver
to PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP such representation letters, in form
and substance customary for representation letters provided to
external audit firms by management of the company whose financial
statements are the subject of an audit or are subject of a review
pursuant to Statement of Accounting Standards 100
53
(Interim Financial Information) (or any
successor statement related to the topic of accountants’
comfort letters), as may be reasonably requested by
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, with respect to the CCE S-X Financial
Statements, the Citrus S-X Financial Statements and the TPC S-X
Financial Statements. CCE shall use commercially reasonable efforts
to cause PricewaterhouseCoopers to deliver a comfort letter in form
and substance customary with respect to offerings of securities
registered under the Securities Act with respect to the CCE S-X
Financial Statements, the Citrus S-X Financial Statements, the TPC
S-X Financial Statements and financial information related to CCE,
Citrus and/or TPC that is included in a prospectus or offering
memorandum related to an offering of securities of the type for
which comfort letters are customarily provided to the underwriters
or initial purchasers in connection therewith. Any costs related to
any of the foregoing described in Sections 5.13(b) and (c),
including the preparation of such S-X financial statements, SAS 100
reviews, obtaining any consent of, or comfort letters from,
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, shall be borne by ETP.
(d) CCE shall, and shall cause its
Subsidiaries to, afford to ETP and any of its Affiliates, and their
respective accountants, counsel and representatives full reasonable
access during normal business hours for three years following the
Closing Date to all financial and accounting records, and contracts
and other documentation reasonably related thereto, of CCE and its
Subsidiaries, including Citrus, to the extent (i) such records
and other information are not part of the books and records of TPC
delivered to ETP pursuant to Section 5.2(a) hereof and
(ii) such records and other information is reasonably
necessary for ETP and any of its Affiliates in connection with
(A) the preparation of pro forma financial statements related
to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, (B) the
preparation of any report or other filing required for compliance
with federal or state securities laws, including prospectuses or
offering memoranda relating to securities offerings, by ETP or any
of its Affiliates, (C) a subsequent audit of the financial
statements of CCE or TPC in connection with a change in external
audit firms, (D) a subsequent restatement of the financial
statements of the financial statements of CCE, Citrus or TPC or
(E) any inquiry, investigation or legal proceeding by any
Governmental Authority related to the financial statements of CCE,
Citrus or TPC.
Section 5.14 Covenants
Regarding the 50% CCE Interest .
(a) From and after the date of this
Agreement until the closing of the transactions contemplated by the
CCE Acquisition Agreement, ETP shall undertake its commercially
reasonable efforts to consummate the transactions contemplated by
the CCE Acquisition Agreement.
(b) From and after the closing of
the transactions contemplated by the CCE Acquisition Agreement
until Closing, ETP shall not cause or permit the 50% CCE Interest
to be subject to any Encumbrances.
Section 5.15
No-Hire/Non-Solicitation . For a period of twelve
(12) months following the Closing Date, neither ETP, TPC nor
any of their Affiliates shall, directly or indirectly, hire or
solicit (with the exception of any general solicitation of
employment through any general advertising medium in the ordinary
course of business for employment as an employee or consultant),
any employee of CCE or any of its Affiliates, unless such
employee’s employment is or has been terminated by CCE and
its Affiliates.
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Section 5.16 CCE Executive
Committee . On or immediately prior to the Closing Date, ETP
shall cause any members of the executive committee of CCE
designated by ETP to have (a) agreed to the appointment of
successor members to such executive committee as designated by CCE
to take office upon the Closing and (b) submitted their
resignations as members of such executive committee effective upon
the Closing.
Section 5.17
Directors’ and Officers’ Indemnification . For a
period of not less than six (6) years after the Closing Date,
ETP shall cause the certificate of formation and limited liability
company or other organizational documents of TPC to continue to
include the same provisions concerning the exculpation,
indemnification, advancement of expenses to and holding harmless
of, all past and present employees, officers, agents, managers and
directors of TPC for acts or omissions occurring at or prior to the
Closing as are contained in such documents as of the date of
execution of this Agreement, and ETP shall cause TPC to honor all
such provisions, including making any indemnification payments and
expense advancements thereunder. In the event that any
indemnifiable claim is asserted or made within such six
(6) year period, all rights to indemnification and advancement
of expenses in respect of such claim shall continue to the extent
currently permitted under TPC’s certificate of formation and
limited liability company agreement or other organizational
documents until such claim is disposed of or all orders in
connection with such claim are fully satisfied. CCE agrees to
submit any such claims for indemnification for acts or omissions
that occurred at or prior to the Closing by any such person to any
of its applicable directors’ and officers’ insurance
policy covering the matters that give rise to any such claim and
CCE shall use reasonable efforts to obtain such pre-closing
insurance coverage on behalf of TPC, if available. CCE makes no
representation or warranty with respect to the applicability,
validity or adequacy of any directors’ and officers’
insurance policy covering the matters specified in this
Section 5.17 and CCE shall not be responsible to ETP or any of
its Affiliates for the failure of any insurer to pay under any such
directors’ and officers’ insurance policy.
Section 5.18 TPC Notes .
If any of TPC’s $270,000,000 5.39% Senior Unsecured Notes due
November 17, 2014 or $250,000,000 5.54% Senior Unsecured Notes
due November 17, 2016 are required to be prepaid in accordance
with the terms of the TPC Note Purchase Agreement due to a Change
of Control (as defined therein) of TPC (as a result of either the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the CCE Acquisition
Agreement), ETP shall use its commercially reasonable best efforts
to facilitate TPC’s refinancing of such notes (with the
cooperation of CCE) and ETP shall bear all costs and expenses
(including legal fees) associated with (i) any consent
solicitation for amendments to, or waivers under, the TPC Note
Purchase Agreement and (ii) any credit facility, bond offering
or other financing transaction that is effected to raise funds for
the repayment of such notes.
ARTICLE VI
CONDITIONS
Section 6.1 Mutual
Conditions to the Closing . The respective obligations of each
party to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement
shall be subject to the satisfaction or waiver of each of the
following conditions at or prior to the Closing Date:
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(a) All waiting periods applicable
to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement under any
applicable law shall have expired or been terminated, and all
filings required by law to be made prior to Closing by CCE or ETP
with, and all consents, approvals and authorizations required by
law to be obtained prior to Closing by CCE or by ETP from, any
Governmental Authority under any law in order to consummate the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement shall have been made or
obtained (as the case may be), except where the failure to make
such filings, or to obtain any such authorizations, individually or
in the aggregate, would not have a Material Adverse Effect;
provided, however , if any consent, approval or
authorization from any Governmental Authority the absence of which
would not have a Material Adverse Effect is not obtained prior to
or at the Closing and, as a result, the transfer of one or more
assets, rights or interests is prevented at the Closing, from and
after the Closing, CCE and ETP shall continue to use their
commercially reasonable efforts to obtain such requisite consent,
approval or authorization;
(b) No court of competent
jurisdiction or other competent Governmental Authority shall have
issued a statute, rule, regulation, order, decree or injunction or
taken any other action that has the effect of restraining or
enjoining the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby
or imposing a Burdensome Condition; and
(c) The FCC shall have granted its
consent to the transfer of control contemplated by this
Agreement.
Section 6.2 ETP’s
Conditions to the Closing . The obligations of ETP to
consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement shall be
subject to the satisfaction or waiver of each of the following
conditions at or prior to the Closing Date:
(a) The representations and
warranties of CCE contained in this Agreement (A) if subject
to any limitations as to “materiality” or
“Material Adverse Effect” shall be true and correct at
and as of the Closing Date as if made at and as of such time
(except to the extent expressly made as of an earlier date, in
which case as of such earlier date), and (B) if not subject to
any limitations as to “materiality” or “Material
Adverse Effect,” shall be true and correct at and as of the
Closing Date as if made at and as of such time (except to the
extent expressly made as of an earlier date, in which case as of
such earlier date) except where the failure of such representations
and warranties to be true and correct would not, individually or in
the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect;
(b) CCE and its Affiliates shall
have made all deliveries required under
Section 2.5;
(c) CCE shall have performed in all
material respects all of its obligations required to be performed
by it under this Agreement at or prior to the Closing Date, and ETP
shall have received a certificate to such effect executed by an
officer of CCE;
(d) ETP shall have received a
properly executed statement of CCE dated as of the Closing Date and
conforming to the requirements of Treasury Regulation
Section 1.1445-2(b)(2);
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(e) TPC shall have been fully and
unconditionally released as a guarantor of any obligations of CCE
or any of its Affiliates (other than TPC);
(f) ETP shall have acquired the 50%
CCE Interest pursuant to the CCE Acquisition Agreement;
(g) CCE shall have made the cash
distributions as specified in Section 5.1(c);
(h) CCE and PEPL shall have executed
and delivered to ETP the TPC Transition Services Agreement;
and
(i) all of the Existing TW Holdings
Debt, including all unpaid interest and premiums, if any, shall
have been repaid.
Section 6.3 CCE’s
Conditions to the Closing . The obligations of CCE to
consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement shall be
subject to the satisfaction or waiver of each of the following
conditions at or prior to the Closing Date:
(a) The representations and
warranties of ETP contained in this Agreement (A) if subject
to any limitations as to “materiality” or
“Material Adverse Effect,” shall be true and correct at
and as of the Closing Date as if made at and as of such time
(except to the extent expressly made as of an earlier date, in
which case as of such earlier date), and (B) if not subject to
any limitations as to “materiality” or “Material
Adverse Effect,” shall be true and correct at and as of the
Closing Date as if made at and as of such time (except to the
extent expressly made as of an earlier date, in which case as of
such earlier date) except where the failure of such representations
and warranties to be true and correct would not, individually or in
the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a material adverse
effect on the ability of ETP to consummate the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement;
(b) ETP shall have made all
deliveries required under Section 2.6;
(c) ETP shall have performed in all
material respects all of its obligations required to be performed
by it under this Agreement at or prior to the Closing Date, and CCE
shall have received a certificate to such effect executed by an
officer of ETP;
(d) CCE shall have received a
properly executed statement of ETP dated as of the Closing Date and
conforming to the requirements of Treasury Regulation
Section 1.1445-2(b)(2);
(e) CCE shall have obtained all
approvals, consents and releases that are listed in
Section 6.3(e) of the CCE Disclosure Letter;
(f) ETP shall have acquired the 50%
CCE Interest pursuant to the CCE Acquisition Agreement;
and
(g) CCE shall have made the cash
distributions as specified in Section 5.1(c);
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ARTICLE VII
TERMINATION AND
ABANDONMENT
Section 7.1 Termination
. This Agreement may be terminated at any time prior to the Closing
Date by:
(a) mutual written consent of the
parties;
(b) by either ETP or CCE, upon
written notice to the other parties, if the Closing shall not have
occurred on or before February 1, 2007 (the “ Initial
Termination Date ”); provided, however , that if
on the Initial Termination Date the conditions to closing set forth
in Section 6.1(a) and Section 6.1(b) shall not have been
fulfilled but are reasonably capable of being fulfilled no later
than March 1, 2007, then, if a written notice requesting an
extension of the termination date has been delivered by either ETP
to CCE, or by CCE to ETP, at any time during the ten business day
period ending on the Initial Termination Date, the termination date
shall be extended to March 1, 2007;
(c) by either ETP or CCE upon
written notice to the other party, if any of the mutual conditions
to the Closing set forth in Section 6.1 shall have become
incapable of fulfillment by February 1, 2007 or March 1,
2007, as the case may be, and shall not have been waived in writing
by the other party;
(d) by ETP, so long as ETP is not
then in breach of its obligations under this Agreement, upon a
breach of any covenant or agreement on the part of CCE set forth in
this Agreement, or if any representation or warranty of CCE shall
have been or become untrue, in each case such that the conditions
set forth in Section 6.2 would not be satisfied; provided,
however , that ETP may not terminate this Agreement if such
breach or untruth is capable of being cured by CCE by not later
than February 1, 2007 or March 1, 2007, as the case may
be, through the exercise of its commercially reasonable efforts, so
long as CCE continues to exercise such commercially reasonable
efforts (until February 1, 2007 or March 1, 2007, as the
case may be);
(e) by CCE, so long as CCE is not
then in breach of its obligations under this Agreement, upon a
breach of any covenant or agreement on the part of ETP set forth in
this Agreement, or if any representation or warranty of ETP shall
have been or become untrue, in each case such that the conditions
set forth in Section 6.3 would not be satisfied; provided,
however , that CCE may not terminate this Agreement if such
breach or untruth is capable of being cured by ETP by not later
than February 1, 2007 or March 1, 2007, as the case may
be, through the exercise of its commercially reasonable efforts, so
long as ETP continues to exercise such commercially reasonable
efforts (until February 1, 2007 or March 1, 2007, as the
case may be); and
(f) by either CCE or ETP if any
Governmental Authority shall have issued an order, decree or ruling
or taken any other action, which permanently restrains, enjoins or
otherwise prohibits the transactions contemplated by this Agreement
or the CCE Acquisition Agreement and which order, decree, ruling or
other action is not subject to appeal; unless failure to consummate
closing because of such action by the Governmental Authority is due
to the failure of the party seeking to terminate to have fulfilled
its obligations under Section 5.3 and
Section 5.4.
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The right of any party hereto to
terminate this Agreement pursuant to this Section 7.1 shall
remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of any
investigation made by or on behalf of any party hereto, any Person
controlling any such party or any of their respective officers,
directors, representatives or agents, whether prior to or after the
execution of this Agreement.
Section 7.2 Effect of
Termination . If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to
Section 7.1, this Agreement (but not the Confidentiality
Agreement) shall become void and of no effect with no liability on
the part of any party (or any member, stockholder or representative
of such party) to the other party hereto; provided, however
, that, if such termination shall result from the willful
(i) failure of a party to fulfill a condition to the
performance of the obligations of the other parties,
(ii) failure of a party to perform a material covenant hereof
or (iii) breach by a party hereto of any representation or
warranty or agreement contained herein, such party shall be fully
liable for any and all liabilities and damages incurred or suffered
by the other parties as a result of such willful failure or breach;
and provided further , that notwithstanding the foregoing or
anything else in this Agreement to the contrary, the provisions of
this Section 7.2 and Article IX shall survive any termination
hereof.
ARTICLE VIII
SURVIVAL;
INDEMNIFICATION
Section 8.1 Survival
.
(a) The representations and
warranties provided for in this Agreement shall survive the Closing
and remain in full force and effect until the twelve-month
(12) anniversary of this Agreement; provided however ,
that the representations and warranties set forth in
Section 3.2 (Authority Relative to this Agreement),
Section 3.3 (TPC Interests), Section 3.19 (Brokerage and
Finders’ Fees), Section 4.2 (Authority Relative to this
Agreement), Section 4.3 (50% CCE Interests) and
Section 4.8 (Brokerage and Finders’ Fees) shall survive
indefinitely, the representations and warranties set forth in
Section 3.16 (Tax Matters) shall survive for a period equal to
the applicable statute of limitations for each Tax and taxable
year, the representations and warranties set forth in
Section 3.15 (Environmental Matters) shall survive until the
second (2nd) anniversary of the Closing Date, and the
representations and warranties set forth in Section 3.12
(Employee Matters) shall survive for a period equal to the
applicable statutes of limitations with respect to the matters
described therein. Each covenant and agreement of CCE and ETP
contained in this Agreement that by its terms requires performance
after the Closing Date shall survive the Closing and shall remain
in full force and effect until such covenant or agreement is fully
performed.
(b) No Claim for damages or other
relief of any kind (including a Claim for indemnification under
Section 8.2 hereof) arising against an Indemnified Party out
of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated
hereby, whether sounding in contract, tort, breach of warranty,
securities law, other statutory cause of action, deceptive trade
practice, strict liability, product liability or other cause of
action or theory of liability (except, in all cases
59
Claims alleging fraud, intentional
misrepresentation or intentional misconduct), may be brought unless
suit thereon is filed, or a written notice describing the nature of
that Claim, the theory of liability, the nature of the relief
sought and the material factual assertions upon which the Claim is
based is given to the other party, before the termination of the
Survival Period.
(c) The survival period of each
representation or warranty as provided in this Section 8.1 is
referred to herein as the “ Survival Period .”
Notwithstanding the foregoing, any representation or warranty that
would otherwise terminate shall survive with respect to Damages
which respect to which suit thereon is filed or of which notice
describing the nature of that Claim, the theory of liability, the
nature of the relief sought and the material factual assertions
upon which the Claim is based is given pursuant to this Agreement
prior to the end of the Survival Period, until the matter is
finally resolved and any related Damages are paid.
Section 8.2
Indemnification .
(a) Subject to the limitations set
forth in this Article VIII, subsequent to the Closing, CCE shall
indemnify, defend, save and hold harmless, ETP, TPC, their
respective successors and permitted assigns, and their
shareholders, members, partners (general and limited), officers,
directors, managers, trustees, incorporators, employees, agents,
attorneys, consultants and representatives, and each of their
heirs, executors, successors and assigns (collectively, the “
ETP Indemnified Parties ”), against and in respect of
any and all Damages to the extent incurred by the ETP Indemnified
Party arising out of, resulting from or incurred in connection
with:
(i) any breach or inaccuracy of any
representation or warranty of CCE contained in this
Agreement;
(ii) any breach by CCE of any
covenant or agreement contained in this Agreement; and
(iii) any Third Party Claim against
ETP arising out of or resulting from ETP’s indirect ownership
interests in CrossCountry Citrus, LLC, Citrus Corp. or any
Subsidiaries of Citrus Corp. other than for actions authorized, or
intentional acts of omission, by ETP in its capacity as the Class B
Member or by any Class B Executive Committee Member under, and as
defined in, the CCE LLC Agreement.
(b) Subject to the limitations set
forth in this Article VIII, subsequent to the Closing, ETP shall
indemnify, defend, save and hold harmless, CCE and its Affiliates,
their respective successors and permitted assigns, and their
shareholders, members, partners (general and limited), officers,
directors, managers, trustees, incorporators, employees, agents,
attorneys, consultants and representatives, and each of their
heirs, executors, successors and assigns (collectively, the “
CCE Indemnified Parties ”) against and in respect of
any and all Damages to the extent incurred by the CCE Indemnified
Party arising out of, resulting from or incurred in connection
with:
(i) any breach or inaccuracy of any
representation or warranty of ETP contained in this
Agreement;
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(ii) any breach by ETP of any
covenant or agreement contained in this Agreement; and
(iii) any liability or obligation of
TPC, whether arising before or after Closing, to the extent such
liability or obligation (x) cannot be properly asserted
against CCE under Section 8.2(a) or otherwise by ETP, except
to the extent such liability or obligation cannot be properly
asserted against CCE because of limitations under
Section 8.2(d), and (y) do not arise as a result of any
other obligation of CCE to any ETP Indemnified Party arising under
this Agreement.
(c) Any Person providing
indemnification pursuant to the provisions of this Section 8.2
is referred to herein as an “ Indemnifying Party
,” and any Person entitled to be indemnified pursuant to the
provisions of this Section 8.2 is referred to herein as an
“ Indemnified Party .”
(d) CCE’s indemnification
obligations contained in Section 8.2(a)(i) shall not apply to
any Claim for Damages until the aggregate of all such Damages total
$15,000,000 (the “ Threshold Amount ”), in which
event CCE’s indemnity obligation contained in
Section 8.2(a)(i) shall apply to all Claims for Damages in
excess of the Threshold Amount, subject to a maximum liability to
all Indemnified Parties, in the aggregate, of $75,000,000 (the
“ Cap Amount ”) for all Claims under
Section 8.2(a)(i) in the aggregate; provided, however, that
the limitations set forth in this sentence shall not apply with
respect to CCE’s indemnification obligations related to
breaches of the representations and warranties contained in
Section 3.2 (Authority Relative to this Agreement) or
Section 3.3 (TPC Interests); and provided further that,
notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, claims
for indemnification relating to the representations and warranties
contained in Section 3.12(g) will not be subject to the
Threshold Amount or the Cap Amount and shall be independently
determined without regard to such limitations. Damages relating to
any single breach or series of related breaches of CCE’s
representations and warranties shall not constitute Damages, and
therefore shall not be applied towards the Threshold Amount or be
indemnifiable hereunder, unless such Damages relating to any single
breach or series of related breaches exceed $300,000 (the “
Minimum Claim Amount ”).
(e) ETP’s indemnification
obligations contained in Section 8.2(b)(i) shall not apply to
any Claim for Damages until the aggregate of all such Damages
equals the Threshold Amount, in which event ETP’s
indemnification obligation contained in Section 8.2(b)(i)
shall apply to all Claims for Damages in excess of the Threshold
Amount, subject to a maximum liability to all Indemnified Parties,
in the aggregate, of the Cap Amount for all Claims under
Section 8.2(b)(i) in the aggregate; provided, however ,
that the limitations set forth in this sentence shall not apply
with respect to ETP’s indemnification obligations related to
breaches of the representations and warranties contained in
Section 4.2 (Authority Relative to this Agreement) or
Section 4.3 (50% CCE Interests). Damages relating to any
single breach or series of related breaches of ETP’s
representations and warranties shall not constitute Damages, and
therefore shall not be applied towards the Threshold Amount or be
indemnifiable hereunder, unless such Damages relating to any single
breach or series of related breaches exceeds the Minimum Claim
Amount.
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(f) The indemnification obligations
of each party hereto under this Section 8.2 shall inure to the
benefit of the ETP Indemnified Parties and CCE Indemnified Parties,
and such ETP Indemnified Parties and CCE Indemnified Parties will
be obligated to keep and perform the obligations imposed on an
Indemnified Party by this Section 8.2, on the same terms as
are applicable to such other party.
(g) In all cases in which a Person
is entitled to be indemnified in accordance with this Agreement,
such Indemnified Party shall be under a duty to take all
commercially reasonable measures to mitigate all losses. Without
limiting the foregoing, each Indemnified Party shall use its
commercially reasonable efforts to collect any amount available
under insurance coverage, or from any other Person alleged to be
responsible, for any Damages for which an indemnity claim is being
made; provided, however , that the reasonable costs incurred
by the Indemnified Party in taking such measures shall be included
in the amount of any Claim.
(h) An Indemnified Party shall not
be entitled under this Agreement to multiple recovery for the same
losses. If an Indemnified Party receives any amount under
applicable insurance policies, or from any other Person alleged to
be responsible for any Damages, subsequent to an indemnification
payment by the Indemnifying Party, then such Indemnified Party
shall promptly reimburse the Indemnifying Party for any payment
made or expense incurred by such Indemnifying Party in connection
with providing such indemnification payment up to the amount
received by the Indemnified Party, net of any expenses incurred by
such Indemnified Party in collecting such amount.
(i) All amounts paid by CCE or ETP,
as the case may be, under this Article VIII shall be treated as
adjustments to the property distributed by CCE to ETP in redemption
of the 50% CCE Interest for all Tax purposes.
(j) Notwithstanding any other
provision in the Agreement to the contrary, this Section 8.2
shall not apply to any Claim of indemnification with respect to Tax
matters. Claims for indemnification with respect to Tax matters
shall be governed by Section 5.6.
(k) For purposes of this Article
VIII only, the existence of a breach of a representation or
warranty in this Agreement and the calculation of Damages arising
out of a breach of any representation or warranty in this Agreement
shall be determined without giving effect to any exception or
qualification of such representation or warranty as to the
materiality of the breach thereof or the Material Adverse Effect on
any Person of such breach.
Except as provided in
Section 5.6 hereof, the provisions of this Article VIII shall
constitute the sole and exclusive remedy of any Indemnified Party
for Damages arising out of, resulting from or incurred in
connection with any inaccuracy in any representation or the breach
of any warranty made by ETP, on the one hand, or CCE, on the other
hand, in this Agreement; provided, however , that this
exclusive remedy for Damages does not preclude a party from
bringing an Action for specific performance or other equitable
remedy to require a party to perform its obligations under this
Agreement; provided further, that this exclusive remedy for Damages
does not preclude a party from bringing an Action alleging fraud,
intentional misrepresentation or intentional misconduct without
reference to the provisions of this Article VIII.
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Section 8.3 Calculation of
Damages . The Damages suffered by any Indemnified Party shall
be calculated after giving effect to the actual receipt of any
available insurance proceeds paid directly to the Indemnified
Party. In computing the amount of any insurance proceeds, such
insurance proceeds shall be reduced by a reasonable estimate of the
present value of future premium increases attributable to the
payment of such Claim.
Section 8.4 Procedures for
Third-Party Claims .
(a) In the case of any Claim for
indemnification arising from a Claim of a third party against an
Indemnified Party arising under paragraph 8.2(a) or 8.2(b) as the
case may be (a “ Third-Party Claim ”), an
Indemnified Party shall give prompt written notice to the
Indemnifying Party of any Claim or demand of which such Indemnified
Party has knowledge, and as to which it may request indemnification
hereunder, specifying (to the extent known) the amount of such
Claim and any relevant facts and circumstances relating thereto;
provided, however , that any failure to give such prompt
notice or to provide any such facts and circumstances will not
waive any rights of the Indemnified Party, except to the extent
that the rights of the Indemnifying Party are actually materially
prejudiced thereby. The Indemnifying Party shall have the right
(and, if it elects to exercise such right, to do so by written
notice within thirty (30) days after receiving notice from the
Indemnified Party) to defend and to direct the defense against any
such Third-Party Claim, in its name or in the name of the
Indemnified Party, as the case may be, at the expense of the
Indemnifying Party, and with counsel selected by the Indemnifying
Party and reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Party, unless
(i) the Indemnifying Party shall not have taken any action to
defend such Third-Party Claim within such thirty (30) day
period, or (ii) the Indemnified Party shall have reasonably
concluded that there is a conflict of interest between the
Indemnified Party and the Indemnifying Party in the conduct of the
defense of such Third-Party Claim. Notwithstanding anything in this
Agreement to the contrary (other than the last sentence of this
Section 8.4(a)), the Indemnified Party, at the expense of the
Indemnifying Party (which shall include only reasonable
out-of-pocket expenses actually incurred), shall cooperate with the
Indemnifying Party and keep the Indemnifying Party fully informed
in the defense of such Third-Party Claim. The Indemnified Party
shall have the right to participate in the defense of any
Third-Party Claim with counsel employed at its own expense;
provided, however , that in the case of any Third-Party
Claim (A) described in clause (ii) above, or (B) as
to which the Indemnifying Party shall not in fact have employed
counsel to assume the defense of such Third-Party Claim within such
thirty-day (30-day) period, or (C) that involves assertion of
criminal liability on the Indemnified Party, or (D) seeks to
force the Indemnified Party to take (or prevent the Indemnified
Party from taking) any action, then in each such case the
Indemnified Party shall have the right, but not the obligation, to
conduct and control the defense thereof for the account of, and at
the risk of, the Indemnifying Party, and the reasonable fees and
disbursements of such Indemnified Party’s counsel shall be at
the expense of the Indemnifying Party. Except as provided in the
last sentence of Section 8.4(b), the Indemnifying Party shall
have no indemnification obligations with respect to any Third-Party
Claim which shall be settled by the Indemnified Party without the
prior written consent of the Indemnifying Party, which consent
shall not be unreasonably withheld, delayed or
conditioned.
(b) The Indemnifying Party, if it
has assumed the defense of any Third Party Claim as provided in
this Agreement, shall not consent to a settlement of, or the entry
of any judgment arising from, any such Third-Party Claim without
the Indemnified Party’s prior written
63
consent (which consent shall not be unreasonably
withheld, delayed or conditioned) unless (i) such settlement
or judgment relates solely to monetary damages, and (ii) prior
to consenting to such settlement or such entry of judgment, the
Indemnifying Party delivers to the Indemnified Party a writing (in
form reasonably acceptable to the Indemnified Party) which
unconditionally provides that, subject to the provisions of
Section 8.2(d) or Section 8.2(e), as appropriate,
relating to the Minimum Claim Amount, the Threshold Amount and the
Cap Amount, the Damages represented thereby are the responsibility
of the Indemnifying Party pursuant to the terms of this Agreement
and that, subject to the provisions of the Threshold Amount, the
Indemnifying Party shall pay all Damages associated therewith in
accordance with the terms of this Agreement. The Indemnifying Party
shall not, without the Indemnified Party’s prior written
consent, enter into any compromise or settlement that
(x) commits the Indemnified Party to take, or to forbear to
take, any action or (y) involves a reasonable likelihood of an
imposition of criminal liability on the Indemnified Party, or
(z) does not provide for a complete release by such third
party of the Indemnified Party. With the written consent of the
Indemnifying Party, which consent shall not be unreasonably
withheld, conditioned or delayed, the Indemnified Party shall have
the sole and exclusive right to settle any Third-Party Claim, on
such terms and conditions as it deems reasonably appropriate, to
the extent such Third-Party Claim involves equitable or other
nonmonetary relief against the Indemnified Party or involves a
reasonable likelihood of an imposition of criminal liability on the
Indemnified Party, and shall have the right to settle any
Third-Party Claim involving money damages for which the
Indemnifying Party has not assumed the defense pursuant to this
Section 8.4.
Section 8.5 Procedures for
Inter-Party Claims . In the event that an Indemnified Party
determines that it has a Claim for Damages against an Indemnifying
Party hereunder (other than as a result of a Third-Party Claim),
the Indemnified Party shall give prompt written notice thereof to
the Indemnifying Party, specifying the amount of such Claim and any
relevant facts and circumstances relating thereto, and such notice
shall be promptly given even if the nature or extent of the Damages
is not then known. The notification shall be subsequently
supplemented within a reasonable time as additional information
regarding the Claim or the nature or extent of Damages resulting
therefrom becomes available to the Indemnified Party. Any failure
to give such prompt notice or supplement thereto or to provide any
such facts and circumstances will not waive any rights of the
Indemnified Party, except to the extent that the rights of the
Indemnifying Party are actually materially prejudiced thereby. The
Indemnified Party and the Indemnifying Party shall negotiate in
good faith for a thirty-day (30-day) period regarding the
resolution of any disputed Claims for Damages. Promptly following
the final determination of the amount of any Damages claimed by the
Indemnified Party, the Indemnifying Party, subject to the
limitations of the Minimum Claim Amount, Threshold Amount and the
Cap Amount, shall pay such Damages to the Indemnified Party by wire
transfer or check made payable to the order of the Indemnified
Party.
ARTICLE IX
MISCELLANEOUS
PROVISIONS
Section 9.1
Interpretation . Unless the context of this Agreement
otherwise requires, (a) words of any gender include the other
gender; (b) words using the singular or plural number also
include the plural or singular number, respectively; (c) the
terms “hereof,” “herein,”
“hereby” and derivative or similar words refer to this
entire Agreement; (d) the terms
“Article,”
64
“Section” and “Exhibit”
refer to the specified Article, Section and Exhibit of this
Agreement, respectively; and (e) “including,”
shall mean “including, but not limited to.” Unless
otherwise expressly provided, any agreement, instrument, law or
regulation defined or referred to herein means such agreement,
instrument, law or regulation as from time to time amended,
modified or supplemented, including (in the case of agreements or
instruments) by waiver or consent and (in the case of a law or
regulation) by succession of comparable successor law and includes
(in the case of agreements or instruments) references to all
attachments thereto and instruments incorporated
therein.
Section 9.2 Disclosure
Letter . The CCE Disclosure Letter is incorporated into this
Agreement by reference and made a part hereof.
Section 9.3 Payments .
All payments set forth in this Agreement and Exhibits are in United
States Dollars. Such payments shall be made by wire transfer of
immediately available funds or by such other means as the parties
to such payment shall designate.
Section 9.4 Expenses .
Except as expressly set forth in Section 7.2 and in this
Section 9.4, or as agreed upon in writing by the parties,
whether or not the transactions contemplated hereby are
consummated, each party shall bear its own costs, fees and
expenses, including the expenses of its Representatives, incurred
by such party in connection with this Agreement and the Related
Agreements and the transaction contemplated hereby and thereby;
provided, however , that CCE shall be solely responsible for
all legal, accounting and other fees, costs and expenses incurred
by CCE, and TPC in connection with the negotiation, execution and
closing of this Agreement.
Section 9.5 Choice of
Law . This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in
accordance with the law of the State of New York (regardless of the
laws that might otherwise govern under applicable New York
principles of conflicts of law).
Section 9.6 Assignment .
This Agreement may not be assigned by either party without the
prior written consent of the other party; provided, however
, that without the prior written consent of the other party, each
party shall have the right to assign its rights and obligations
under this Agreement to any third party successor to all or
substantially all of its entire business. This Agreement shall be
binding upon and, subject to the terms of the foregoing sentence,
inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their successors,
legal representatives and assigns.
Section 9.7 Notices .
All demands, notices, consents, approvals, reports, requests and
other communications hereunder must be in writing, will be deemed
to have been duly given only if delivered personally or by
facsimile transmission (with confirmation of receipt) or by an
internationally-recognized express courier service or by mail
(first class, postage prepaid) to the parties at the following
addresses or telephone or facsimile numbers and will be deemed
effective upon delivery; provided, however , that any
communication by facsimile shall be confirmed by an
internationally-recognized express courier service or regular
mail.
c/o Southern Union
Company
5444 Westheimer Road
65
Houston, Texas 77056
Attention: Julie H.
Edwards,
SVP
and CFO
Facsimile:
(713) 989-1166
With a required copy (which shall
not constitute notice to CCE) to:
Southern Union Company
5444 Westheimer Road
Houston, Texas 77056
Attention: Monica M.
Gaudiosi,
SVP
and Associate General Counsel
Facsimile:
(713) 989-1213
And a required copy (which shall not
constitute notice to CCE) to:
Fleischman and Walsh,
L.L.P.
1919 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite
600
Washington, DC 20006
Attention: Seth M. Warner
Facsimile:
(202) 265-5706
Energy Transfer Partners,
L.P.
8801 South Yale Avenue
Tulsa, Oklahoma 74137
Attention: Robert A. Burk
Vice President and General
Counsel
Facsimile:
(918) 493-7290
And a required copy (which shall not
constitute notice to ETP) to:
Vinson & Elkins
L.L.P.
1001 Fannin Street
2300 First City Tower
Houston, Texas 77002
Attention: Thomas P. Mason,
Esq.
Telephone:
(713) 758-4539
Facsimile:
(713) 615-5320
or to such other address as the
addressee shall have last furnished in writing in accord with this
provision to the addressor.
66
Section 9.8 Consent to
Jurisdiction . Each party shall maintain at all times a duly
appointed agent in the State of New York, which may be changed upon
ten (10) Business Days’ notice to the other party, for
the service of any process or summons in connection with any issue,
litigation, action or proceeding brought in any such court. Any
such process or summons may also be served on it by mailing a copy
of such process or summons to it at its address set forth, and in
the manner provided, in Section 9.7. Each party hereby
irrevocably consents to the exclusive personal jurisdiction and
venue of any New York State court located in the Borough of
Manhattan or to any United States Federal court of competent
jurisdiction located in the Southern District of the State of New
York, in any action, Claim or proceeding arising out of or in
connection with this Agreement and agrees not to commence or
prosecute any action, Claim or proceeding in any other court. Each
of the parties hereby expressly and irrevocably waives and agrees
not to assert the defense of lack of personal jurisdiction, forum
non conveniens or any similar defense with respect to the
maintenance of any such action or proceeding in New
York.
Section 9.9 No Right of
Setoff . Neither party hereto nor any Affiliate thereof may
deduct from, set off, holdback or otherwise reduce in any manner
whatsoever against any amounts such Persons may owe to the other
party hereto or any of its Affiliates any amounts owed by such
Persons to the other party or its Affiliates.
Section 9.10 Time is of the
Essence . Time is of the essence in the performance of the
provisions of this Agreement.
Section 9.11 Specific
Performance . The parties hereto agree that irreparable damage
would occur in the event that any provision of this Agreement was
not performed in accordance with the terms hereof and that the
parties shall be entitled to specific performance of the terms
hereof, in addition to any other remedy at law or equity, subject
to the limitations set forth in Section 7.2 of this
Agreement.
Section 9.12 Entire
Agreement . This Agreement, together with the CCE Disclosure
Letter, the Exhibits hereto and the Confidentiality Agreement
constitute the entire agreement between the parties hereto with
respect to the subject matter herein and supersede all previous
agreements, whether written or oral, relating to the subject matter
of this Agreement and all prior drafts of this Agreement, all of
which are merged into this Agreement. No prior drafts of this
Agreement and no words or phrases from any such prior drafts shall
be admissible into evidence in any action or suit involving this
Agreement. In case of any material conflict between any provision
of this Agreement and any other such document, this Agreement shall
take precedence.
Section 9.13 Third Party
Beneficiaries . Except as expressly provided in Article VIII
hereof, none of the provisions of this Agreement shall be for the
benefit of or enforceable by any third party, including any
creditor of any party or any of their affiliates. Except as
expressly provided in Article VIII hereof, no such third party
shall obtain any right under any provision of this Agreement or
shall by reasons of any such provision make any Claim in respect of
any Liability (or otherwise) against either party
hereto.
Section 9.14
Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in two or more
counterparts, which, when executed, shall be deemed to be an
original and which together shall constitute one and the same
document.
67
Section 9.15
Severability . If any provision of this Agreement is held to
be illegal, invalid or unenforceable under any applicable present
or future law, and if the rights or obligations of either party
under this Agreement will not be materially and adversely affected
thereby, (i) such provision shall be fully severable,
(ii) this Agreement shall be construed and enforced as if such
illegal, invalid or unenforceable provision had never comprised a
part hereof, (iii) the remaining provisions of this Agreement
shall remain in full force and effect and shall not be affected by
the illegal, invalid or unenforceable provision or by its severance
herefrom and (iv) in lieu of such illegal, invalid or
unenforceable provision, there shall be added automatically as a
part of this Agreement, a legal, valid and enforceable provision as
similar in terms to such illegal, invalid or unenforceable
provision as may be possible.
Section 9.16 Headings .
The headings used in this Agreement have been inserted for
convenience of reference only and do not define or limit the
provisions hereof.
Section 9.17 Waiver .
Any term or condition of this Agreement may be waived at any time
by the party that is entitled to the benefit thereof, but no such
waiver shall be effective unless set forth in a written instrument
duly executed by or on behalf of the party or parties waiving such
term or condition. No waiver by any party of any term or condition
of this Agreement, in any one or more instances, shall be deemed to
be or construed as a waiver of the same or any other term or
condition of this Agreement on any future occasion. All remedies,
either under this Agreement or by law or otherwise afforded, will
be cumulative and not alternative.
Section 9.18 Amendment .
This Agreement may be altered, amended or changed only by a writing
making specific reference to this Agreement and signed by duly
authorized representatives of each party.
68
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, CCE and ETP, by
their duly authorized officers, have executed this Agreement as of
the date first written above.
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ENERGY
TRANSFER PARTNERS, L.P.
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By:
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Energy Transfer Partners GP, L.P.,
its
general partner
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By:
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Energy Transfer Partners, L.L.C., its
general partner
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By:
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/s/ Kelcy Warren
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Name:
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Kelcy
Warren
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Title:
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Co-Chief
Executive Officer
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CCE
HOLDINGS, LLC
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By:
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/s/ Drew Fossum
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Name:
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Drew
Fossum
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Title:
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Sr. VP &
CLO
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Signature Page to Redemption
Agreement
Exhibit A
CCE’S DISCLOSURE
SCHEDULES
S-1
Section 1.1(a)
KNOWLEDGE
Robert O. Bond
Gary W. Lefelar
Shelley A. Corman
Don R. Hawkins
Michael T. Langston
Gary P. Smith
William A. Kendrick
S-2
Section 1.1((b)
Pro Forma Adjusted Balance
Sheet
See Appendix
1.1(b)
S-3
TRANSWESTERN PIPELINE COMPANY,
LLC
PRO FORMA ADJUSTED BALANCE SHEET
As of 06/30/06
($000)
Appendix 1.1(b)
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June
2006
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Remove debt
from
Current (a)
|
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Reflect
Dividend (b)
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Total
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Assets
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Current Assets
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Cash
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22,141
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(22,000
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)
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141
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Accounts Receivable - Assoc
Co’s
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119
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119
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Accounts Receivable - Other
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18,722
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18,722
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Transportation and Exchange Gas
Receivable
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5,418
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5,418
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Materials and Supplies
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950
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950
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Other Current Assets
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4,949
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4,949
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Total Current Assets
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52,299
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(22,000
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)
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30,299
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Property, Plant & Equipment
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Property, Plant & Equipment,
Gross
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1,084,468
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1,084,468
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Accumulated Depreciation
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(33,396
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)
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(33,396
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)
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Property, Plant & Equipment,
Net
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1,051,072
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1,051,072
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Other Assets
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113,289
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113,289
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Goodwill
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Regulatory Assets
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62,561
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62,561
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Other Long Term Assets
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38,897
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38,897
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Total Other Assets
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214,747
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214,747
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Total Assets
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1,318,118
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(22,000
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)
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1,296,118
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Liabilities & Membership
Interest
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Current
Liabilities
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Accounts Payable - Assoc Co’s
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3,601
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|
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3,601
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Accounts Payable - Other
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|
1,857
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|
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|
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1,857
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Transportation and Exchange Gas
Payable
|
|
6,476
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|
|
6,476
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Accrued Taxes, other than income
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|
6,477
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
6,477
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Accrued Interest
|
|
3,415
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|
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|
|
|
|
|
3,415
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Other Current Liabilities
|
|
10,656
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|
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|
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10,656
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|
|
|
|
|
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Total Current Liabilities
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32,482
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|
|
|
|
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32,482
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Other Liabilities
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|
520,000
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|
|
|
|
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520,000
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Long Term Debt, Senior Notes
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