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TABLE OF CONTENTS
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 17, 2014
Registration No. 333-197370
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
Amendment No. 1
to
Form S-3
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
Legacy Reserves LP
Legacy Reserves Finance Corporation
and the subsidiaries identified in footnote (*) below)
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its Charter)
| Delaware Delaware (State or other jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization) |
16-1751069 45-1621181 (I.R.S. Employer Identification Number) |
303 W. Wall Street, Suite 1800
Midland, Texas 79701
(432) 689-5200
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, includingarea code, of registrant's principal executive offices)
James Daniel Westcott
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Legacy Reserves GP, LLC
303 W. Wall Street, Suite 1800
Midland, Texas 79701
(432) 689-5200
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
Copies To:
George J. Vlahakos
Andrews Kurth LLP
600 Travis, Suite 4200
Houston, Texas 77002
(713) 220-4200
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public:
From time to time after the effective date of this Registration Statement.
If the only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box. o
If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check the following box. ý
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. o
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. o
If this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.D. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box: o
If this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.D. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box: o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of "large accelerated filer," "accelerated filer" and "smaller reporting company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):
| Large accelerated filer ý | Accelerated filer o | Non-accelerated filer o | Smaller reporting o |
- *
- Each of the following is a co-registrant that may issue some or all of the guarantees of the debt securities.
Legacy Reserves Operating LP
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| Delaware (State or other jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization) |
20-4307259 (I.R.S. Employer Identification Number) |
Legacy Reserves Operating GP LLC
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| Delaware (State or other jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization) |
20-4307209 (I.R.S. Employer Identification Number) |
Legacy Reserves Services, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| Texas (State or other jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization) |
20-4442710 (I.R.S. Employer Identification Number) |
The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.
The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. This prospectus is not an offer to sell nor does it seek an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities Exchange Commission is effective.
SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED OCTOBER 17, 2014
PROSPECTUS
Legacy Reserves LP
Legacy Reserves Finance Corporation
$300,000,000
Units Representing Limited Partner Interests
Preferred Units Representing Limited Partner Interests
8% Series A Fixed-to-Floating Rate Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Units Representing Limited Partner Interests
8.00% Series B Fixed-to-Floating Rate Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Units Representing Limited Partner Interests
Debt Securities
We may offer, from time to time, in one or more series, the following securities under this prospectus:
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- units representing limited partner interests in Legacy Reserves LP;
- •
- preferred units representing limited partner interests in Legacy Reserves LP;
- •
- 8% Series A Fixed-to-Floating Rate Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Units representing limited Partner
interests in Legacy Reserves LP;
- •
- 8.00% Series B Fixed-to-Floating Rate Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Units representing limited Partner
interests in Legacy Reserves LP; and
- •
- debt securities, which may be secured or unsecured senior debt securities or secured or unsecured subordinated debt securities.
Legacy Reserve Finance Corporation may act as co-issuer of the debt securities. All other direct or indirect subsidiaries of Legacy Reserves LP, other than "minor subsidiaries" (except Legacy Reserves Finance Corporation) as such item is interpreted in securities regulations governing financial reporting for guarantors, may guarantee the debt securities.
Our units are listed on The NASDAQ Global Select Market, or NASDAQ, under the symbol "LGCY." Our 8% Series A Fixed-to-Floating Rate Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Units are listed on NASDAQ under the symbol "LGCYP." Our 8.00% Series B Fixed-to-Floating Rate Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Units are listed on NASDAQ under the symbol "LGCYO." We will provide information in a prospectus supplement, for the trading market, if any, for any preferred units or debt securities we may offer. The aggregate initial offering price of the securities that we offer by this prospectus will not exceed $300,000,000.
We may offer these securities in amounts and at prices and on terms to be determined by market conditions and other factors at the time of our offerings. This prospectus describes some of the general terms that may apply to these securities and the general manner in which these securities may be offered. Specific terms of any securities to be offered and the specific manner in which we will offer such securities will be provided in one or more supplements to this prospectus. A prospectus supplement may also add, update, or change information contained in this prospectus.
You should carefully read this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement before you invest. You also should read the documents we have referred you to under the headings "Where You Can Find More Information" and "Incorporation By Reference" of this prospectus for information on us and our financial statements.
This prospectus may not be used to consummate sales of securities unless accompanied by a prospectus supplement.
Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. Limited partnerships are inherently different from corporations. For a discussion of the factors you should consider before deciding to purchase our securities, please see "Risk Factors" on page 4 of this prospectus, any risk factors contained in any applicable prospectus supplement, as well as any additional risk factors that may be contained in the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The date of this prospectus is , 2014.
In making your investment decision, you should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement and the documents we have incorporated by reference. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with different information. We are not making an offer of these securities in any state where the offer is not permitted. You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement, as well as or that the information contained in any document incorporated by reference herein or therein, is accurate as of any date other than its respective date.
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This prospectus is part of a registration statement on Form S-3 that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, utilizing a "shelf" registration process or continuous offering process. Under this shelf registration process, we may offer from time to time any combination of the securities described in this prospectus in one or more offerings.
This prospectus provides you with only a general description of the securities that we may offer. This prospectus does not contain all of the information set forth in the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, as permitted by the rules and regulations of the SEC. Each time we offer securities, we will provide you with a prospectus supplement that will describe, among other things, the specific number, amounts and prices of the securities being offered, the specific manner in which they may be offered and the terms of the offering, including in the case of debt securities or preferred units, the specific terms of the securities. The prospectus supplement may include additional risk factors or other special considerations applicable to those securities. The prospectus supplement may also add, update, or change information contained in this prospectus. If there is any inconsistency between the information in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement, you should rely on the information in the prospectus supplement.
The rules of the SEC allow us to incorporate by reference information into this prospectus and any prospectus supplement. Any information incorporated by reference is considered to be a part of this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement, and information that we file later with the SEC that is incorporated by reference herein will automatically update and supersede this information. Additional information, including our financial statements and the notes thereto, is incorporated in this prospectus by reference to our reports filed with the SEC. See "Where You Can Find More Information" and "Incorporation By Reference." In particular, you should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described under the heading "Risk Factors" in this prospectus and those included in our periodic reports, which are all incorporated by reference in this prospectus, or otherwise included in any applicable prospectus supplement. Before investing in any of our securities, you are urged to carefully read this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement relating to the securities offered to you, together with the information and documents described under the headings "Where You Can Find More Information" and "Incorporation By Reference" of this prospectus and the information and documents incorporated by reference in the prospectus supplement.
References in this prospectus to "Legacy Reserves," "Legacy," "we," "our," "us," or like terms refer to Legacy Reserves LP and its subsidiaries unless the context otherwise requires. References to "Existing Preferred Units" refer to our 8% Series A Fixed-to-Floating Rate Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Units (our "Series A Preferred Units") and our 8.00% Series B Fixed-to-Floating Rate Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Units (our "Series B Preferred Units"), collectively.
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT
REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION
This prospectus and the documents we incorporate by reference herein contain forward-looking statements that are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, which may include statements about:
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- our business strategy;
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- the amount of oil and natural gas we produce;
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- the price at which we are able to sell our oil and natural gas production;
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- our ability to acquire additional oil and natural gas properties at economically attractive prices;
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- our drilling locations and our ability to continue our development activities at economically attractive costs;
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- the level of our lease operating expenses, general and administrative costs and finding and development costs, including
payments to our general partner;
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- the level of our capital expenditures;
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- the level of cash distributions to our limited partners;
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- our future operating results; and
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- our plans, objectives, expectations and intentions.
All of these types of statements, other than statements of historical fact included in this prospectus, are forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as "may," "could," "should," "expect," "plan," "project," "intend," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "potential," "pursue," "target," "continue," the negative of such terms or other comparable terminology.
The forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus and any documents incorporated by reference are largely based on our expectations, which reflect estimates and assumptions made by our management. These estimates and assumptions reflect our best judgment based on currently known market conditions and other factors. Although we believe such estimates and assumptions to be reasonable, they are inherently uncertain and involve a number of risks and uncertainties that are beyond our control. In addition, management's assumptions about future events may prove to be inaccurate. All readers are cautioned that the forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus are not guarantees of future performance, and our expectations may not be realized or the forward-looking events and circumstances may not occur. Actual results may differ materially from those anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements due to factors set forth under the heading "Risk Factors" in this prospectus, in our filings with the SEC, including those factors described in our most recent annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K that are incorporated by reference into this prospectus, or those factors otherwise included in any applicable prospectus supplement. The forward-looking statements in this prospectus speak only as of the date of this prospectus; we disclaim any obligation to update these statements unless required by securities law, and we caution you not to unduly rely on them.
We are a master limited partnership headquartered in Midland, Texas, focused on the acquisition and development of oil and natural gas properties primarily located in the Permian Basin, Mid-Continent and Rocky Mountain regions of the United States. Our primary business objective is to generate stable cash flows allowing us to make cash distributions to our limited partners and to support
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and increase quarterly cash distributions per unit over time through a combination of acquisitions of new properties and development of our existing oil and natural gas properties.
Our operations are conducted through, and our operating assets are owned by, our subsidiaries. Legacy Reserves Finance Corporation, our wholly owned subsidiary, has no material assets or any liabilities other than as a co-issuer of our debt securities. Its activities are limited to co-issuing our debt securities and activities incidental to its role as a co-issuer.
Our principal executive offices are located at 303 W. Wall Street, Suite 1800, Midland, Texas 79701 and our telephone number is (432) 689-5200.
Certain of our subsidiaries may fully and unconditionally guarantee our payment obligations under any series of debt securities offered using this prospectus. Financial information concerning our subsidiary guarantors and any non-guarantor subsidiaries will, to the extent required by SEC rules and regulations, be included in our consolidated financial statements filed as part of our periodic reports pursuant to the Exchange Act.
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Limited partner interests are inherently different from the capital stock of a corporation, although many of the business risks to which we are subject are similar to those that would be faced by a corporation engaged in a similar business. Before you invest in our securities, you should carefully consider the following risk factors, those included in our most-recent annual report on Form 10-K, in our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and in our current reports on Form 8-K that are incorporated herein by reference and those that may be included in the applicable prospectus supplement, together with all of the other information included in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement and the documents we incorporate by reference.
If any of these risks were actually to occur, our business, financial condition, results of operations, or cash flow could be materially adversely affected. In that case, our ability to make distributions to our limited partners or pay interest on, or the principal of, any debt securities, may be reduced, the trading price of our securities could decline and you could lose all or part of your investment.
Risks Related to our Business
We may not have sufficient available cash to pay distributions at our current levels, or any distribution at all, following establishment of cash reserves and payment of fees and expenses, including payments to our general partner.
We may not have sufficient available cash to pay distributions at our current levels, or any distribution at all. The amount of cash we distribute to our limited partners may fluctuate significantly from period to period and may be significantly less than our current distribution levels. Under the terms of our partnership agreement, the amount of cash otherwise available for distribution will be reduced by our operating expenses and the amount of any cash reserves that our general partner establishes to provide for future operations, future capital expenditures, future debt service requirements and future cash distributions to our limited partners. Further, our debt agreements contain restrictions on our ability to pay distributions. The amount of cash we can distribute to our limited partners principally depends upon the amount of cash we generate from our operations, which will fluctuate from period to period based on, among other things:
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- the amount of oil, NGL and natural gas we produce;
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- the price at which we are able to sell our oil, NGL and natural gas production;
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- the amount and timing of settlements on our commodity and interest rate derivatives;
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- whether we are able to acquire additional oil and natural gas properties at economically attractive prices;
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- whether we are able to continue our development projects at economically attractive costs;
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- the level of our lease operating expenses, general and administrative costs and development costs, including payments to
our general partner;
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- the level of our interest expense, which depends on the amount of our indebtedness and the interest payable thereon; and
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- the level of our capital expenditures.
If we are not able to acquire additional oil and natural gas reserves on economically acceptable terms, our reserves and production will decline, which would adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition and our ability to make cash distributions to our limited partners.
We may be unable to sustain distributions at the current level without making accretive acquisitions or substantial capital expenditures that maintain or grow our asset base. Oil and natural
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gas reserves are characterized by declining production rates, and our future oil and natural gas reserves and production and, therefore, our cash flow and our ability to make distributions are highly dependent on our success in economically finding or acquiring additional recoverable reserves and efficiently developing and exploiting our current reserves. Further, the rate of estimated decline of our oil and natural gas reserves may increase if our wells do not produce as expected. We may not be able to find, acquire or develop additional reserves to replace our current and future production at acceptable costs, which would adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and our ability to make cash distributions to our limited partners.
Our future growth may be limited because we distribute all of our available cash to our limited partners, and potential future disruptions in the financial markets may prevent us from obtaining the financing necessary for growth and acquisitions.
Since we will distribute all of our available cash (as defined in our partnership agreement) to our limited partners, our growth may not be as fast as businesses that reinvest their available cash to expand ongoing operations. Further, since we depend on financing provided by commercial banks and other lenders and the issuance of debt and equity securities to finance any significant growth or acquisitions, potential future disruptions in the global financial markets and any associated severe tightening of credit supply may prevent us from obtaining adequate financing from these sources, and, as a result, our ability to grow, both in terms of additional drilling and acquisitions, will be limited.
Increases in the cost of or failure of costs to adjust downward for drilling rigs, service rigs, pumping services and other costs in drilling and completing wells could reduce the viability of certain of our development projects.
Higher oil and natural gas prices may increase the rig count and thus the cost of rigs and oil field services necessary to implement our development projects while also decreasing their availability. Increased capital requirements for our projects will result in higher reserve replacement costs which could reduce cash available for distribution. Higher project costs could cause certain of our projects to become uneconomic and therefore not to be implemented, reducing our production and cash available for distribution. Decreased availability of drilling equipment and services could significantly impact the planned execution of our scheduled development program.
If commodity prices decline and remain depressed for a prolonged period, a significant portion of our development projects may become uneconomic and cause write downs of the value of our oil and gas properties, which may adversely affect our financial condition and our ability to make distributions to our limited partners.
Lower oil and natural gas prices may not only decrease our revenues, but also reduce the amount of oil and natural gas that we can produce economically. For example, the drastically lower oil and natural gas prices experienced in the fourth quarter of 2008 rendered more than half of the development projects we had planned at such time uneconomic and resulted in a substantial downward adjustment to our estimated proved reserves. Further, deteriorating commodity prices may cause us to recognize impairments in the value of our oil and natural gas properties. For example, in the year ended December 31, 2013 we incurred impairment charges of $85.8 million, of which $78.0 million was driven largely by commodity price changes. In addition, if our estimates of development costs increase, production data factors change or drilling results deteriorate, accounting rules may require us to write down, as a non-cash charge to earnings, the carrying value of our oil and natural gas properties for impairments. We may incur impairment charges in the future related to depressed commodity prices, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations in the period taken.
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Fluctuations in price and demand for our natural gas and NGLs may force us to shut in a significant number of our producing wells, which may adversely impact our revenues and ability to pay distributions to our limited partners.
We are subject to great fluctuations in the prices we are paid for our natural gas due to a number of factors including regional demand, weather, demand for NGLs which are recovered from our gas stream, and new natural gas pipelines. Drilling in shale resources has developed large amounts of new natural gas supplies, both from natural gas wells and associated natural gas from oil wells, that have depressed the prices paid for our natural gas, and we expect the shale resources to continue to be drilled and developed by our competitors. We also face the potential risk of shut-in natural gas due to high levels of natural gas and NGL inventory in storage, weak demand due to mild weather and the effects of any economic downturns on industrial demand. Lack of NGL storage in Mont Belvieu where our West Texas and New Mexico NGLs are shipped for processing could cause the processors of our natural gas to curtail or shut-in our natural gas wells and potentially force us to shut-in oil wells that produce associated natural gas. For example, following past hurricanes, certain Permian Basin natural gas processors were forced to shut down their plants due to the shutdown of the Texas Gulf Coast NGL fractionators, requiring us to vent or flare the associated natural gas from our oil wells. There is no certainty we will be able to vent or flare natural gas again due to potential changes in regulations. Furthermore we may encounter problems in restarting production of previously shut-in wells.
Our commodity and interest rate derivative activities may limit our ability to profit from price gains, could result in cash losses and expose us to counterparty risk and as a result could reduce our cash available for distributions.
We have entered into, and we expect in the future to enter into, oil and natural gas derivative contracts intended to offset the effects of commodity price volatility related to a significant portion of our oil and natural gas production. Many derivative instruments that we employ require us to make cash payments to the extent the applicable index exceeds a predetermined price, thereby limiting our ability to realize the benefit of increases in oil and natural gas prices.
In addition, we have entered into, and we may in the future enter into, interest rate swap contracts intended to offset the effects of interest rate volatility related to our outstanding indebtedness under our revolving credit facility. These instruments require us to make cash payments to the extent applicable floating interest rates are less than our contracted fixed rates, thereby limiting our ability to realize the benefit of declining interest rates.
There is always risk that counterparties in any commodity or interest rate derivative transaction cannot or will not perform under our derivative contracts. If a counterparty fails to perform and the derivative transaction is terminated, our cash flow and ability to pay distributions could be adversely impacted.
Further, if our actual production and sales for any period are less than our expected production covered by derivative contracts and sales for that period (including reductions in production due to involuntary shut-ins or operational delays) or if we are unable to perform our drilling activities as planned, we might be forced to satisfy all or a portion of our derivative contracts without the benefit of the cash flow from our sale of the underlying physical commodity, resulting in a substantial diminution of our liquidity. Under our revolving credit facility, we are prohibited from entering into commodity derivative contracts covering all of our production, and we therefore retain the risk of a price decrease on our volumes not covered by commodity derivative contracts.
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An increase in the differential between the West Texas Intermediate ("WTI") or other benchmark prices of oil and the wellhead price we receive for our production could adversely affect our operating results and financial condition.
The prices that we receive for our oil production sometimes reflect a discount to the relevant benchmark prices, such as WTI, that are used for calculating derivative positions. The difference between the benchmark price and the price we receive is called a differential. Increases in the differential between the benchmark prices for oil and the wellhead price we receive could adversely affect our operating results and financial condition. For example, our realized oil price decreased $3.84 per Bbl to $85.78 per barrel for the year ended December 31, 2012 from $89.62 per barrel for the year ended December 31, 2011. This decrease in realized oil prices was primarily caused by a larger average oil differential of $2.75 per barrel as well as a lower average WTI price. This increased oil differential was largely due to a significant increase in the Midland-Cushing/WTI differential in 2012 compared to 2011. Significant differentials could adversely affect our operating results and financial condition.
Due to regional fluctuations in the actual prices received for our natural gas production, the derivative contracts we enter into may not provide us with sufficient protection against price volatility since they are based on indexes related to different and remote regional markets.
We sell our natural gas into local markets, the majority of which is produced in West Texas, Southeast New Mexico, the Texas Panhandle, Central Oklahoma and Wyoming and shipped to the Midwest, West Coast and Texas Gulf Coast. These regions account for over 90% of our natural gas sales. Currently we use swaps on Waha, ANR-Oklahoma and CIG-Rockies natural gas prices. While we are paid a local price indexed to or closely related to Waha, ANR-Oklahoma and CIG-Rockies, these indexes are heavily influenced by prices received in remote regional consumer markets less transportation costs and thus may not be effective in protecting us against local price volatility.
The substantial restrictions and financial covenants of our revolving credit facility, any negative redetermination of our borrowing base by our lenders and any potential disruptions of the financial markets could adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and our ability to make cash distributions to our limited partners.
We depend on our revolving credit facility for future capital needs. Our revolving credit facility, which matures on April 1, 2019, limits the amounts we can borrow to a borrowing base amount, determined by the lenders in their sole discretion. As of July 31, 2014, our borrowing base was $950 million and we had approximately $591.9 million available for borrowing.
Our revolving credit facility restricts, among other things, our ability to incur debt and pay distributions to our limited partners, and requires us to comply with certain financial covenants and ratios. We may not be able to comply with these restrictions and covenants in the future and will be affected by the levels of cash flow from our operations and events or circumstances beyond our control, such as any potential disruptions in the financial markets. Our failure to comply with any of the restrictions and covenants under our revolving credit facility could result in a default under our revolving credit facility. A default under our revolving credit facility could cause all of our existing indebtedness, including our $300 million 8% senior unsecured notes maturing on December 1, 2020 and our $550 million 6.625% senior unsecured notes maturing on December 1, 2021 (collectively, the "Senior Notes"), to be immediately due and payable.
We are prohibited from borrowing under our revolving credit facility to pay distributions to limited partners if the amount of borrowings outstanding under our revolving credit facility reaches or exceeds 100% of the borrowing base, which is the amount of money available for borrowing, as determined semi-annually by our lenders in their sole discretion. The lenders will redetermine the borrowing base based on an engineering report with respect to our oil and natural gas reserves, which will take into
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account the prevailing oil and natural gas prices and differentials at such time. Any time our borrowings meet or exceed 100% of the then specified borrowing base, our ability to pay distributions to our limited partners in any such period is solely dependent on our ability to generate sufficient cash from our operations after such cash flow is first used to cure any borrowing base deficiency.
Outstanding borrowings in excess of the borrowing base must be repaid, and, if mortgaged properties represent less than 80% of total value of oil and natural gas properties used to determine the borrowing base, we must pledge other oil and natural gas properties as additional collateral. We may not have the financial resources in the future to make any mandatory principal prepayments required under our revolving credit facility.
The occurrence of an event of default or a negative redetermination of our borrowing base, such as a result of lower commodity prices or a deterioration in the condition of the financial markets, could adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and our ability to make distributions to our limited partners.
Restrictive covenants under the indentures governing our Senior Notes may adversely affect our operations.
The indentures governing our the Senior Notes contains, and any future indebtedness we incur may contain, a number of restrictive covenants that impose significant operating and financial restrictions on us, including restrictions on our ability to, among other things:
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- sell assets, including equity interests in our restricted subsidiaries;
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- pay distributions on, redeem or purchase our limited partner interests or redeem or purchase our subordinated debt;
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- make investments;
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- incur or guarantee additional indebtedness or issue preferred units;
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- create or incur certain liens;
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- enter into agreements that restrict distributions or other payments from our restricted subsidiaries to us;
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- consolidate, merge or transfer all our substantially all of our assets;
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- engage in transactions with affiliates;
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- create unrestricted subsidiaries; and
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- engage in certain business activities.
As a result of these covenants, we are limited in the manner in which we conduct our business, and we may be unable to engage in favorable business activities or finance future operations or capital needs.
A failure to comply with the covenants in the indentures governing the Senior Notes or any future indebtedness could result in an event of default under the indentures governing the Senior Notes, our revolving credit facility, or any future indebtedness, which, if not cured or waived, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, complying with these covenants may make it more difficult for us to successfully execute our business strategy and compete against companies that are not subject to such restrictions.
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Our debt levels may limit our flexibility to obtain additional financing and pursue other business opportunities.
As of June 30, 2014, we had total long-term debt of approximately $1.2 billion. Our existing and future indebtedness could have important consequences to us, including:
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- our ability to obtain additional financing, if necessary, for working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions or
other purposes may be impaired or such financing may not be available on terms acceptable to us;
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- covenants in our existing and future credit and debt arrangements will require us to meet financial tests that may affect
our flexibility in planning for and reacting to changes in our business, including possible acquisition opportunities;
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- our access to the capital markets may be limited;
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- our borrowing costs may increase;
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- we will need a substantial portion of our cash flow to make principal and interest payments on our indebtedness, reducing
the funds that would otherwise be available for operations, future business opportunities and distributions to limited partners; and
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- our debt level will make us more vulnerable than our competitors with less debt to competitive pressures or a downturn in our business or the economy generally.
Our ability to service our indebtedness will depend upon, among other things, our future financial and operating performance, which will be affected by prevailing economic conditions and financial, business, regulatory and other factors, some of which are beyond our control. If our operating results are not sufficient to service our current or future indebtedness, we will be forced to take actions such as reducing distributions, reducing or delaying business activities, acquisitions, investments and/or capital expenditures, selling assets, restructuring or refinancing our indebtedness, or seeking additional equity capital or bankruptcy protection. We may not be able to effect any of these remedies on satisfactory terms or at all.
Our estimated reserves are based on many assumptions that may prove inaccurate. Any material inaccuracies in these reserve estimates or underlying assumptions will materially affect the quantities and present value of our reserves.
No one can measure underground accumulations of oil and natural gas in an exact way. Oil and natural gas reserve engineering requires subjective estimates of underground accumulations of oil and natural gas and assumptions concerning future oil and natural gas prices, production levels, and operating and development costs. As a result, estimated quantities of proved reserves and projections of future production rates and the timing of development expenditures may prove to be inaccurate. Any material inaccuracies in these reserve estimates or underlying assumptions will materially affect the quantities and present value of our reserves which could adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and our ability to make cash distributions to our limited partners.
Further, the present value of future net cash flows from our proved reserves may not be the current market value of our estimated natural gas and oil reserves. In accordance with SEC requirements, we base the estimated discounted future net cash flows from our proved reserves on the 12-month average oil and gas index prices, calculated as the unweighted arithmetic average for the first-day-of-the-month price for each month and costs in effect on the date of the estimate, holding the prices and costs constant throughout the life of the properties. Actual future prices and costs may differ materially from those used in the net present value estimate, and future net present value estimates using then current prices and costs may be significantly less than the current estimate. In addition, the 10% discount factor we use when calculating discounted future net cash flows for reporting
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requirements in compliance with the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") 932 may not be the most appropriate discount factor based on interest rates in effect from time to time and risks associated with us or the natural gas and oil industry in general.
Our business depends on gathering and transportation facilities owned by others. Any limitation in the availability of those facilities would interfere with our ability to market the oil and natural gas we produce.
The marketability of our oil and natural gas production depends in part on the availability, proximity and capacity of gathering and pipeline systems owned by third parties. The amount of oil and natural gas that can be produced and sold is subject to curtailment in certain circumstances, such as pipeline interruptions due to scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, oversupply of oil due to nearby refinery outages, excessive pressure, physical damage to the gathering or transportation system, or lack of contracted capacity on such systems. The curtailments arising from these and similar circumstances may last from a few days to several months. In many cases, we are provided only with limited, if any, notice as to when these circumstances will arise and their duration. Any significant curtailment in gathering system or pipeline capacity, or significant delay in the construction of necessary gathering and transportation facilities, could adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and our ability to make cash distributions to our limited partners.
Our development projects require substantial capital expenditures, which will reduce our cash available for distribution. We may be unable to obtain needed capital or financing on satisfactory terms, which could lead to a decline in our oil and natural gas reserves.
We make and expect to continue to make substantial capital expenditures in our business for the development, production and acquisition of oil and natural gas reserves. These expenditures will reduce our cash available for distribution. We intend to finance our future capital expenditures with cash flow from operations and borrowings under our revolving credit facility. Our cash flow from operations and access to capital are subject to a number of variables, including:
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- our proved reserves;
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- the level of oil and natural gas we are able to produce from existing wells;
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- the prices at which our oil and natural gas are sold; and
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- our ability to acquire, locate and produce new reserves.
If our revenues or the borrowing base under our revolving credit facility decrease as a result of lower oil and/or natural gas prices, operating difficulties, declines in reserves or for any other reason, we may have limited ability to obtain the capital necessary to sustain our operations at current levels. Our revolving credit facility restricts our ability to obtain new financing. If additional capital is needed, we may not be able to obtain debt or equity financing. If cash generated by operations or available under our revolving credit facility is not sufficient to meet our capital requirements, the failure to obtain additional financing could result in a curtailment of our operations relating to development of our prospects, which in turn could lead to a decline in our oil and natural gas production and reserves, and could adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and our ability to make cash distributions to our limited partners.
We do not control all of our operations and development projects and failure of an operator of wells in which we own partial interests to adequately perform could adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and our ability to make cash distributions to our limited partners.
Many of our business activities are conducted through joint operating agreements under which we own partial interests in oil and natural gas wells. If we do not operate wells in which we own an
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interest, we do not have control over normal operating procedures, expenditures or future development of underlying properties. The success and timing of our development projects on properties operated by others is outside of our control.
The failure of an operator of wells in which we own partial interests to adequately perform operations, or an operator's breach of the applicable agreements, could reduce our production and revenues and could adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and our ability to make cash distributions to our limited partners.
Drilling for and producing oil and natural gas are high risk activities with many uncertainties that could adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and our ability to make cash distributions to our limited partners.
Our drilling activities are subject to many risks, including the risk that we will not discover commercially productive reservoirs. Drilling for oil and natural gas can be uneconomic, not only from dry holes, but also from productive wells that do not produce sufficient revenues to be commercially viable.
In addition, our drilling and producing operations may be curtailed, delayed or canceled as a result of other factors, including:
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- the high cost, shortages or delivery delays of equipment and services;
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- unexpected operational events;
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- adverse weather conditions;
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- facility or equipment malfunctions;
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- title disputes;
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- pipeline ruptures or spills;
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- collapses of wellbore, casing or other tubulars;
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- unusual or unexpected geological formations;
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- loss of drilling fluid circulation;
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- formations with abnormal pressures;
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- fires;
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- blowouts, craterings and explosions; and
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- uncontrollable flows of oil, natural gas or well fluids.
Any of these events can cause substantial losses, including personal injury or loss of life, damage to or destruction of property, natural resources and equipment, pollution, environmental contamination, loss of wells and regulatory penalties.
We ordinarily maintain insurance against various losses and liabilities arising from our operations; however, insurance against all operational risks is not available to us. Additionally, we may elect not to obtain insurance if we believe that the cost of available insurance is excessive relative to the perceived risks presented. Losses could therefore occur for uninsurable or uninsured risks or in amounts in excess of existing insurance coverage. The occurrence of an event that is not fully covered by insurance could have a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations, financial condition and our ability to make cash distributions to our limited partners.
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Increases in interest rates could adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows from operations and financial condition, and cause a decline in the demand for yield-based equity investments such as our preferred units and our units.
Since all of the indebtedness outstanding under our revolving credit facility is at variable interest rates, we have significant exposure to increases in interest rates. As a result, our business, results of operations and cash flows may be adversely affected by significant increases in interest rates. Further, an increase in interest rates may cause a corresponding decline in demand for equity investments, in particular for yield-based equity investments such as our units and our preferred units. Any reduction in demand for our preferred units or our units resulting from other more attractive investment opportunities may cause the trading price of our preferred units and our units to decline.
Any acquisitions we complete are subject to substantial risks that could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations and reduce our ability to make distributions to limited partners.
We may not achieve the expected results of any acquisition we complete, and any adverse conditions or developments related to any such acquisition may have a negative impact on our operations and financial condition.
Further, even if we complete any acquisitions, which we would expect to increase pro forma distributable cash per unit, actual results may differ from our expectations and the impact of these acquisitions may actually result in a decrease in pro forma distributable cash per unit. Any acquisition involves potential risks, including, among other things:
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- the validity of our assumptions about reserves, future production, revenues, capital expenditures and operating costs;
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- an inability to successfully integrate the businesses we acquire;
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- a decrease in our liquidity by using a portion of our available cash or borrowing capacity under our revolving credit
facility to finance acquisitions;
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- a significant increase in our interest expense or financial leverage if we incur additional debt to finance acquisitions;
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- the assumption of unknown liabilities, losses or costs for which we are not indemnified or for which our indemnity is
inadequate;
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- the diversion of management's attention from other business concerns;
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- the incurrence of other significant charges, such as impairment of oil and natural gas properties, goodwill or other
intangible assets, asset devaluation or restructuring charges;
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- unforeseen difficulties encountered in operating in new geographic areas; and
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- the loss of key purchasers.
Our decision to acquire a property depends in part on the evaluation of data obtained from production reports and engineering studies, geophysical and geological analyses, seismic data and other information, the results of which are often inconclusive and subject to various interpretations.
Also, our reviews of newly acquired properties are inherently incomplete because it is generally not feasible to perform an in-depth review of the individual properties involved in each acquisition given time constraints imposed by sellers. Even a detailed review of records and properties may not necessarily reveal existing or potential problems, nor will it permit a buyer to become sufficiently familiar with the properties to fully assess their deficiencies and potential. Inspections may not always be performed on every well, and environmental problems, such as groundwater contamination, are not necessarily observable even when an inspection is undertaken.
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Our identified drilling location inventories are scheduled out over several years, making them susceptible to uncertainties that could materially alter the occurrence or timing of their drilling.
Our management team has specifically identified and scheduled drilling locations as an estimation of our future multi-year drilling activities on our acreage. These identified drilling locations represent a significant part of our growth strategy. Our ability to drill and develop these locations depends on a number of factors, including the availability of capital, seasonal conditions, regulatory approvals, oil and natural gas prices, costs and drilling results. Our final determination on whether to drill any of these drilling locations will be dependent upon the factors described above as well as, to some degree, the results of our drilling activities with respect to our proved drilling locations. Because of these uncertainties, we do not know if the numerous drilling locations we have identified will be drilled within our expected timeframe or will ever be drilled or if we will be able to produce oil or natural gas from these or any other potential drilling locations. As such, our actual drilling activities may be materially different from those presently identified, which could adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and our ability to make cash distributions to our limited partners.
The inability of one or more of our customers to meet their obligations may adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.
Substantially all of our accounts receivable result from oil and natural gas sales or joint interest billings to third parties in the energy industry. This concentration of customers and joint interest owners may impact our overall credit risk in that these entities may be similarly affected by changes in economic and other conditions. In addition, our oil, natural gas and interest rate derivative transactions expose us to credit risk in the event of nonperformance by counterparties.
We depend on a limited number of key personnel who would be difficult to replace.
Our operations are dependent on the continued efforts of our executive officers, senior management and key employees. The loss of any member of our senior management or other key employees could negatively impact our ability to execute our strategy.
We may be unable to compete effectively, which could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and our ability to make cash distributions to our limited partners.
The oil and natural gas industry is intensely competitive, and we compete with other companies that have greater resources than us. Our ability to acquire additional properties and to discover reserves in the future will be dependent upon our ability to evaluate and select suitable properties and to consummate transactions in a highly competitive environment. Many of our competitors not only explore for and produce oil and natural gas, but also carry on refining operations and market petroleum and other products on a regional, national or worldwide basis. These companies may be able to pay more for productive oil and natural gas properties and exploratory prospects or define, evaluate, bid for and purchase a greater number of properties and prospects than our financial or human resources permit. In addition, these companies may have a greater ability to continue exploration and development activities during periods of low oil and natural gas market prices and to absorb the burden of present and future federal, state, local and other laws and regulations. Our inability to compete effectively with these companies could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and our ability to make cash distributions to our limited partners.
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If we fail to maintain an effective system of internal controls, we may not be able to accurately report our financial results or prevent fraud. As a result, current and potential limited partners could lose confidence in our financial reporting, which would harm our business and the trading price of our preferred units and our units.
Internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate. If we cannot provide reliable financial reports or prevent fraud, our reputation and operating results could be harmed. We cannot be certain that our efforts to maintain our internal controls will be successful, that we will be able to maintain adequate controls over our financial processes and reporting in the future or that we will be able to continue to comply with our obligations under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Any failure to maintain effective internal controls, or difficulties encountered in implementing or improving our internal controls, could harm our operating results or cause us to fail to meet certain reporting obligations. Ineffective internal controls could also cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information, which could have a negative effect on the trading price of our preferred units and our units.
We are subject to complex federal, state, local and other laws and regulations that could adversely affect the cost, manner or feasibility of conducting our operations.
Our oil and natural gas exploration and production operations are subject to complex and stringent laws and regulations. In order to conduct our operations in compliance with these laws and regulations, we must obtain and maintain numerous permits, approvals and certificates from various federal, state and local governmental authorities. We may incur substantial costs in order to maintain compliance with these existing laws and regulations. In addition, our costs of compliance may increase if existing laws and regulations are revised or reinterpreted, or if new laws and regulations become applicable to our operations. All such costs may have a negative effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and ability to make cash distributions to our limited partners.
Our business is subject to federal, state and local laws and regulations as interpreted and enforced by governmental authorities possessing jurisdiction over various aspects of the exploration for, and the production of, oil and natural gas. Failure to comply with such laws and regulations, as interpreted and enforced, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and our ability to make cash distributions to our limited partners.
Our operations expose us to significant costs and liabilities with respect to environmental and operational safety matters.
We may incur significant costs and liabilities as a result of environmental and safety requirements applicable to our oil and natural gas exploration and production activities. These costs and liabilities could arise under a wide range of federal, state and local environmental and safety laws and regulations, including regulations and enforcement policies, which have tended to become increasingly strict over time. Failure to comply with these laws and regulations may result in the assessment of administrative, civil and criminal penalties, imposition of cleanup and site restoration costs and liens, and to a lesser extent, issuance of injunctions to limit or cease operations. In addition, claims for damages to persons or property may result from environmental and other impacts of our operations.
Strict, joint and several liability may be imposed under certain environmental laws, which could cause us to become liable for the conduct of others or for consequences of our own actions that were
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in compliance with all applicable laws at the time those actions were taken. New laws, regulations or enforcement policies could be more stringent and impose unforeseen liabilities or significantly increase compliance costs. If we were not able to recover the resulting costs through insurance or increased revenues, our ability to make cash distributions to our limited partners could be adversely affected.
Final rules regulating air emissions from natural gas production operations could cause us to incur increased capital expenditures and operating costs, which may be significant.
On April 17, 2012, the EPA approved final regulations under the Clean Air Act that, among other things, require additional emissions controls for natural gas and natural gas liquids production, including New Source Performance Standards to address emissions of sulfur dioxide and volatile organic compounds ("VOCs") and a separate set of emission standards to address hazardous air pollutants frequently associated with such production activities. The final regulations require the reduction of VOC emissions from natural gas wells through the use of reduced emission completions or "green completions" on all hydraulically fractured wells constructed or refractured after January 1, 2015. For well completion operations occurring at such well sites before January 1, 2015, the final regulations allow operators to capture and direct flowback emissions to completion combustion devices, such as flares, in lieu of performing green completions. These regulations also establish specific new requirements regarding emissions from dehydrators, storage tanks and other production equipment. We are currently reviewing this new rule and assessing its potential impacts. Compliance with these requirements could increase our costs of development and production, which costs may be significant.
Our sales of oil, natural gas, NGLs and other energy commodities, and related hedging activities, expose us to potential regulatory risks.
The Federal Trade Commission, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the "CFTC") hold statutory authority to monitor certain segments of the physical and futures energy commodities markets. These agencies have imposed broad regulations prohibiting fraud and manipulation of such markets. With regard to our physical sales of oil, natural gas, NGLs or other energy commodities, and any related hedging activities that we undertake, we are required to observe the market-related regulations enforced by these agencies, which hold substantial enforcement authority. Our sales may also be subject to certain reporting and other requirements. Failure to comply with such regulations, as interpreted and enforced, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and our ability to make cash distributions to our limited partners.
Title VII of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the "Act") and the rules of the CFTC thereunder provide for statutory and regulatory requirements for certain derivative transactions, broadly referred to as "swaps" and which include some oil and gas transactions, including oil and gas hedging transactions, and interest rate swaps, as well as participants in swaps and various other aspects of the swaps markets. Swaps designated by the CFTC or falling within classes of swaps designated by the CFTC are or will be required to be submitted for clearing on a derivative clearing organization ("DCO") and, if accepted for clearing, cleared on the DCO. To date, the CFTC has designated only certain interest rate swaps and index credit default swaps for mandatory clearing. Transactions in swaps accepted for clearing must be executed on a board of trade designated as a contract market or a swap execution facility if such swaps are made available for trading on such a board of trade or swap execution facility. The Act provides an exception from application of the Act's clearing and trade execution requirements that certain commercial end-users may elect for swaps they use to hedge or mitigate their commercial risks ("End-User Exception"). Although we believe we will be able to elect such exception with respect to most, if not all, of the swaps we enter that are subject to mandatory clearing and intend to make such election as to most, if not all, of our swaps, if we cannot
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do so with respect to many of the swaps we enter into, our ability to execute our hedging program efficiently could be adversely affected.
In the event we do not qualify for the End-User Exception, we anticipate that, under regulations adopted under the Act and relevant DCO and other rules, we will be required to post margin in the form of cash collateral for those of our derivative transactions constituting swaps (including our interest rate swaps and commodities-related swaps) that we clear on a DCO. Moreover, the Act requires the CFTC and the federal regulators of banks and other financial institutions to adopt regulations imposing margin requirements for non-cleared swaps that, when adopted, could, in certain circumstances, require us to post margin in the form of cash or other types of collateral for any non-cleared swaps into which we enter. Posting margin in the form of cash collateral with respect to our swaps could cause liquidity issues for us by reducing our ability to use our cash for capital expenditures, distributions to limited partners or other partnership purposes. A requirement to post margin, especially in the form of cash collateral, with respect to any cleared or non-cleared swaps we enter could reduce our ability to execute strategic hedges to reduce commodity price uncertainty and, thus, to protect cash flows. In addition, even if we are not required to post margin for our swaps or to post margin of only immaterial amounts, the banks and other derivatives dealers who are the contractual counterparties to our swaps will be required to comply with the Act's new requirements, and the costs of their compliance will likely be passed on to customers, including us, thus increasing our costs of engaging in hedging transactions, decreasing the benefits of those transactions to us and reducing our cash flows. We currently hedge only with current or former lenders under our revolving credit facility, which have collateral in our oil and natural gas properties and do not currently require us to post cash collateral.
As required by Title VII of the Act, the CFTC must also adopt limits on the positions that a party may hold in certain contracts relating to physical commodities. The CFTC has proposed regulations that, when adopted, will set limits on the positions that a party may hold for its own account in specified core futures contracts relating to certain physical commodities, including NYMEX contracts relating to WTI crude oil and Henry Hub natural gas, as well as options and swaps that are economically equivalent to such future contracts, and futures contracts, options contracts, swaps, basis contracts and commodity index contracts linked to such futures contracts or such physical commodities. Under the proposed rules, such position limits would be subject to certain exemptions, including one for positions that qualify as bona fide hedging positions under the proposed rule. If the rule is adopted as proposed and for any reason our contracts relating to such commodities, if any, fail to qualify for an exemption from the position limits, our ability to execute strategic hedges to reduce commodity price uncertainty, and thus to protect cash flows, could be impaired.
Pursuant to the requirements of Title VII of the Act, the banking regulators have adopted a rule that could require certain of the counterparties to our commodity derivative contracts to spin off some of their derivatives activities to separate entities. Those separate entities could be our counterparties to our swaps and may not be as creditworthy as our current counterparties. If such a counterparty were unable to, or failed to, perform its obligations under swaps to which we were party, our business, results of operations, financial condition and our ability to make cash distributions to our limited partners could be adversely impacted.
The provisions of Title VII of the Act and the rules relating to derivative transactions adopted thereunder may significantly increase our cost of entering into and maintaining commodity derivative contracts, materially alter the terms on which we enter derivative contracts, reduce the availability of derivatives to protect against risks we encounter, reduce our ability to monetize or restructure our existing derivative contracts, and increase our exposure to less creditworthy counterparties. If we reduce our use of derivatives contracts as a result of the Act and the related rules, our results of operations may become more volatile and our cash flows may be less predictable, which could adversely affect our ability to plan for and fund capital expenditures and make distributions to our limited partners. Finally, the Act was intended, in part, to reduce the volatility of oil and natural gas prices, which some
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legislators attributed to speculative trading in derivatives and commodity instruments related to oil and natural gas. Our oil and natural gas revenues could therefore be adversely affected if a consequence of the Act is to lower commodity prices. Any of these consequences could have a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations, financial condition and our ability to make cash distributions to our limited partners.
The European Market Infrastructure Regulation (EMIR), which became effective in 2012, includes regulations related to the trading, reporting and clearing of derivatives subject to EMIR. We have counterparties that are located in a jurisdiction subject to EMIR. Our efforts to comply with EMIR, and EMIR's effect on the derivatives markets and their participants, creates similar risks and could have similar adverse impacts as those under the provisions of Title VII of the Act and the CFTC's swap regulations.
Federal and state legislation and regulatory initiatives relating to hydraulic fracturing could result in increased costs and additional operating restrictions or delays.
Congress has considered legislation to amend the federal Safe Drinking Water Act to require the disclosure of chemicals used by the oil and natural gas industry in the hydraulic fracturing process. Hydraulic fracturing is an important and commonly used process in the completion of unconventional natural gas wells in shale formations, as well as tight conventional formations including many of those that Legacy completes and produces. This process involves the injection of water, sand and chemicals under pressure into rock formations to stimulate natural gas production. Sponsors of these bills have asserted that chemicals used in the fracturing process could adversely affect drinking water supplies. In addition, some states have adopted and others are considering legislation to restrict hydraulic fracturing. Several states including Texas and Wyoming have adopted or are considering legislation requiring the disclosure of hydraulic fracturing chemicals. Public disclosure of chemicals used in the fracturing process, which could make it easier for third parties opposing the hydraulic fracturing process to initiate legal proceedings based on allegations that specific chemicals used in the fracturing process could adversely affect groundwater. In addition any additional level of regulation could lead to operational delays or increased operating costs and could result in additional regulatory burdens that could make it more difficult to perform hydraulic fracturing and increase our costs of compliance and doing business.
Units eligible for future sale may have adverse effects on our unit price and the liquidity of the market for our units.
We cannot predict the effect of future sales of our units, or the availability of units for future sales, on the market price of or the liquidity of the market for our units. Sales of substantial amounts of units, or the perception that such sales could occur, could adversely affect the prevailing market price of our units. Such sales, or the possibility of such sales, could also make it difficult for us to sell equity securities in the future at a time and at a price that we deem appropriate. As of October 13, 2014, the founding investors (the "Founding Investors") and their affiliates, including members of our management, own approximately 15% of our outstanding units. We granted the Founding Investors certain registration rights to have their units registered under the Securities Act. Upon registration, these units will be eligible for sale into the market without volume limitations. Because of the substantial size of the Founding Investors' holdings, the sale of a significant portion of these units, or a perception in the market that such a sale is likely, could have a significant impact on the market price of our units.
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Our acquisitions may prove to be worth less than we paid, or provide less than anticipated proved reserves, production or cash flow because of uncertainties in evaluating recoverable reserves, well performance and potential liabilities as well as uncertainties in forecasting oil and gas prices and future development, production and marketing costs.
Successful acquisitions require an assessment of a number of factors, including estimates of recoverable reserves, development potential, well performance, future oil and natural gas prices, operating costs and potential environmental and other liabilities. Our estimates of future reserves and estimates of future production for our acquisitions and related forecasts of anticipated cash flow therefrom, are initially based on detailed information furnished by the sellers and subject to review, analysis and adjustment by our internal staff, typically without consulting with outside petroleum engineers. Such assessments are inexact and their accuracy is inherently uncertain and our proved reserves estimates and cash flow forecasts therefrom may exceed actual acquired proved reserves or the estimates of future cash flows therefrom. In connection with our assessments, we perform a review of the acquired properties included in our acquisitions that we believe is generally consistent with industry practices. However, such a review will not reveal all existing or potential problems. In addition, our review may not permit us to become sufficiently familiar with the properties to fully assess their deficiencies and capabilities. We do not inspect every well. Even when we inspect a well, we do not always discover structural, subsurface and environmental problems that may exist or arise. As a result of these factors, the purchase price we pay to acquire oil and natural gas properties may exceed the value we realize.
Also, our reviews of the properties included in our acquisitions are inherently incomplete because it is generally not feasible to perform an in-depth review of the individual properties involved in each acquisition given time constraints imposed by sellers. Even a detailed review of records and properties may not necessarily reveal existing or potential problems, nor will it permit a buyer to become sufficiently familiar with the properties to fully assess their deficiencies and potential. Inspections may not always be performed on every well, and environmental problems, such as groundwater contamination, are not necessarily observable even when an inspection is undertaken.
Risks Related to Our Limited Partnership Structure
Our Founding Investors, including members of our management, own an approximately 18% limited partner interest in us and control our general partner, which has sole responsibility for conducting our business and managing our operations. Our general partner has conflicts of interest and limited fiduciary duties, which may permit it to favor its own interests to the detriment of our limited partners.
As of October 13, 2014, our Founding Investors, including members of our management own an approximately 15% limited partner interest in us and therefore have the ability to influence the election of the members of the board of directors of our general partner. Although our general partner has a fiduciary duty to manage us in a manner beneficial to us and our limited partners, the directors and officers of our general partner have a fiduciary duty to manage our general partner in a manner beneficial to its owners, our Founding Investors and their affiliates. Conflicts of interest may arise between our Founding Investors and their affiliates, including our general partner, on the one hand, and us and our limited partners, on the other hand. In resolving these conflicts of interest, our general partner may favor its own interests and the interests of its affiliates over the interests of our limited partners. These conflicts include, among others, the following situations:
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- neither our partnership agreement nor any other agreement requires our Founding Investors or their affiliates, other than
our executive officers, to pursue a business strategy that favors us;
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- our general partner is allowed to take into account the interests of parties other than us, such as our Founding Investors, in resolving conflicts of interest, which has the effect of limiting its fiduciary duty to our limited partners;
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- our Founding Investors and their affiliates (other than our executive officers and their affiliates) may engage in
competition with us;
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- our general partner has limited its liability and reduced its fiduciary duties under our partnership agreement and has
also restricted the remedies available to our limited partners for actions that, without the limitations, might constitute breaches of fiduciary duty. As a result of purchasing units or preferred
units, unitholders and preferred unitholders, as applicable, consent to some actions and conflicts of interest that might otherwise constitute a breach of fiduciary or other duties under applicable
state law;
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- our general partner determines the amount and timing of asset purchases and sales, capital expenditures, borrowings,
issuance of additional partnership securities, and reserves, each of which can affect the amount of cash that is distributed to our preferred unitholders and our unitholders;
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- our general partner determines the amount and timing of any capital expenditures and whether a capital expenditure is a
maintenance capital expenditure, which reduces operating surplus, or a growth capital expenditure, which does not reduce operating surplus. Such determination can affect the amount of cash that is
distributed to our preferred unitholders and our unitholders;
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- our general partner determines which costs incurred by it and its affiliates are reimbursable by us;
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- our partnership agreement does not restrict our general partner from causing us to pay it or its affiliates for any
services rendered to us or entering into additional contractual arrangements with any of these entities on our behalf;
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- our general partner intends to limit its liability regarding our contractual and other obligations;
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- our general partner controls the enforcement of obligations owed to us by it and its affiliates; and
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- our general partner decides whether to retain separate counsel, accountants, or others to perform services for us.
Our partnership agreement restricts the voting rights of those unitholders owning 20% or more of our units.
Unitholders' voting rights are further restricted by the partnership agreement provision providing that any units held by a person that owns 20% or more of any class of units then outstanding, other than our general partner, its affiliates, their transferees, and persons who acquired such limited partner interests with the prior approval of the board of directors of our general partner, cannot vote on any matter. Our partnership agreement also contains provisions limiting the ability of unitholders to call meetings or to acquire information about our operations, as well as other provisions limiting the unitholders' ability to influence the manner or direction of management.
Our Founding Investors and their affiliates (other than our executive officers and their affiliates) may compete directly with us.
Our Founding Investors and their affiliates, other than our general partner and our executive officers and their affiliates, are not prohibited from owning assets or engaging in businesses that compete directly or indirectly with us. In addition, our Founding Investors or their affiliates, other than our general partner and our executive officers and their affiliates, may acquire, develop and operate oil and natural gas properties or other assets in the future, without any obligation to offer us the opportunity to acquire, develop or operate those assets.
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Cost reimbursements due our general partner and its affiliates will reduce our cash available for distribution to our limited partners.
Prior to making any distribution on our outstanding limited partner interests, we will reimburse our general partner and its affiliates for all expenses they incur on our behalf. Any such reimbursement will be determined by our general partner in its sole discretion. These expenses will include all costs incurred by our general partner and its affiliates in managing and operating us. The reimbursement of expenses of our general partner and its affiliates could adversely affect our ability to pay cash distributions to our limited partners.
Our partnership agreement limits our general partner's fiduciary duties to our limited partners and restricts the remedies available to limited partners for actions taken by our general partner that might otherwise constitute breaches of fiduciary duty.
Our partnership agreement contains provisions that reduce the standards to which our general partner would otherwise be held by state fiduciary duty law. For example, our partnership agreement:
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- permits our general partner to make a number of decisions in its individual capacity, as opposed to in its capacity as
our general partner. This entitles our general partner to consider only the interests and factors that it desires, and it has no duty or obligation to give any consideration to any interest of, or
factors affecting, us, our affiliates or any limited partner;
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- provides that our general partner will not have any liability to us or our limited partners for decisions made in its
capacity as a general partner so long as it acted in good faith, meaning it believed the decision was in the best interests of our partnership;
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- provides that our general partner is entitled to make other decisions in "good faith" if it believes that the decision is
in our best interest;
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- provides generally that affiliated transactions and resolutions of conflicts of interest not approved by the conflicts
committee of the board of directors of our general partner and not involving a vote of unitholders must be on terms no less favorable to us than those generally being provided to or available from
unrelated third parties or be "fair and reasonable" to us, as determined by our general partner in good faith, and that, in determining whether a transaction or resolution is "fair and reasonable,"
our general partner may consider the totality of the relationships between the parties involved, including other transactions that may be particularly advantageous or beneficial to us; and
- •
- provides that our general partner and its officers and directors will not be liable for monetary damages to us, our limited partners or assignees for any acts or omissions unless there has been a final and non-appealable judgment entered by a court of competent jurisdiction determining that the general partner or those other persons acted in bad faith or engaged in fraud or willful misconduct.
Our partnership agreement permits our general partner to redeem any partnership interests held by a limited partner who is a non-citizen assignee.
If we are or become subject to federal, state or local laws or regulations that, in the reasonable determination of our general partner, create a substantial risk of cancellation or forfeiture of any property that we have an interest in because of the nationality, citizenship or other related status of any limited partner, our general partner may redeem the limited partner interest held by the limited partner at their current market price. In order to avoid any cancellation or forfeiture, our general partner may require each limited partner to furnish information about his nationality, citizenship or related status. If a limited partner fails to furnish information about his nationality, citizenship or other related status within 30 days after a request for the information or our general partner determines after
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receipt of the information that the limited partner is not an eligible citizen, our general partner may elect to treat the limited partner as a non-citizen assignee. A non-citizen assignee is entitled to an interest equivalent to that of a limited partner for the right to share in allocations and distributions from us, including liquidating distributions. A non-citizen assignee does not have the right to direct the voting of his limited partner interest and may not receive distributions in kind upon our liquidation.
We may issue an unlimited number of additional units or other equity securities, including incentive distribution units, without the approval of our unitholders, which would dilute their existing ownership interest in us.
Our general partner, without the approval of our unitholders, may cause us to issue an unlimited number of additional units or other equity securities, including incentive distribution units. The issuance by us of additional units or other equity securities of equal or senior rank will have the following effects:
- •
- our unitholders' proportionate ownership interests in us will decrease;
- •
- the amount of cash available for distribution on each unit may decrease;
- •
- the risk that a shortfall in the payment of our current distributions will increase;
- •
- the relative voting strength of each previously outstanding unit may be diminished; and
- •
- the market price of the units may decline.
The liability of our limited partners may not be limited if a court finds that limited partner action constitutes control of our business.
A general partner of a partnership generally has unlimited liability for the obligations of the partnership, except for those contractual obligations of the partnership that are expressly made without recourse to the general partner. Our partnership is organized under Delaware law, and we conduct business in a number of other states. The limitations on the liability of holders of limited partner interests for the obligations of a limited partnership have not been clearly established in some of the other states in which we do business. In some states, including Delaware, a limited partner is only liable if he participates in the "control" of the business of the partnership. These statutes generally do not define control, but do permit limited partners to engage in certain activities, including, among other actions, taking any action with respect to the dissolution of the partnership, the sale, exchange, lease or mortgage of any asset of the partnership, the admission or removal of the general partner and the amendment of the partnership agreement. Our limited partners could, however, be liable for any and all of our obligations as if our limited partners were a general partner if:
- •
- a court or government agency determined that we were conducting business in a state but had not complied with that
particular state's partnership statute; or
- •
- our limited partners' right to act with other limited partners to take other actions under our partnership agreement constitutes "control" of our business.
Limited partners may have liability to repay distributions that were wrongfully distributed to them.
Under certain circumstances, limited partners may have to repay amounts wrongfully returned or distributed to them. Under Section 17-607 of the Delaware Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act, we may not make a distribution to our limited partners if the distribution would cause our liabilities to exceed the fair value of our assets. Delaware law provides that for a period of three years from the date of the distribution, limited partners who received an impermissible distribution and who knew at the time of the distribution that it violated Delaware law will be liable to the limited partnership for the distribution amount. Substituted limited partners are liable for the obligations of the transferring
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limited partner to make contributions to the partnership that are known to such substitute limited partner at the time it became a limited partner and for unknown obligations if the liabilities could be determined from the partnership agreement. Liabilities to partners on account of their partnership interest and liabilities that are non-recourse to the partnership are not counted for purposes of determining whether a distribution is permitted.
Our Existing Preferred Units rank senior in right of payment to our units, and we are unable to make any distribution to our unitholders unless full cumulative distributions are made on our Existing Preferred Units.
Our Existing Preferred Units represent perpetual equity interests in us and rank senior in right of payment to our units. Distributions on the Existing Preferred Units are cumulative from the date of original issue and are payable monthly on the 15th day of each month. No distribution may be declared or paid or set apart for payment on the units, or any other junior securities, unless full cumulative distributions have been or contemporaneously are being paid or provided for on all outstanding Existing Preferred Units and any parity securities through the most recent respective distribution payment dates.
Our general partner may elect to cause us to issue units in connection with a resetting of incentive distribution levels without the approval of our unitholders. Our Incentive Distribution Units may be converted to units in certain circumstances. Any such election or conversion may result in lower distributions to our unitholders in certain situations.
Our general partner has the right, at any time when the partnership has paid distributions of at least $0.7375 for each of the prior four consecutive fiscal quarters and the amount of all distributions during each quarter within such four-quarter period did not exceed the adjusted operating surplus for each such quarter, to reset the initial target distribution levels at higher levels based on our cash distribution levels at the time of the exercise of the reset election. Following a reset election, a baseline distribution amount will be calculated pursuant to the formula described below in "Cash Distribution Policy—Our Cash Distribution Policy—Distributions of Available Cash from Operating Surplus—General Partner's Right to Reset Incentive Distribution Levels".
We anticipate that our general partner would exercise this reset right in order to facilitate acquisitions or internal growth projects that would otherwise not be sufficiently accretive to cash distributions per unit, taking into account the existing levels of incentive distribution payments being made to the holders of Incentive Distribution Units. It is possible that our general partner exercises this reset right at a time when we are experiencing declines in our aggregate cash distributions or at a time when the holders of the Incentive Distribution Units expect that we will experience declines in our aggregate cash distributions in the foreseeable future. In such situations, the holders of the Incentive Distribution Units may be experiencing, or may expect to experience, declines in the cash distributions it receives related to the Incentive Distribution Units and may therefore desire to be issued our units, which are entitled to specified priorities with respect to our distributions and which therefore may be more advantageous for them to own in lieu of the right to receive incentive distribution payments based on increased target distribution levels that are less certain to be achieved. As a result, a reset election may cause our unitholders to experience dilution in the amount of cash distributions that they would have otherwise received had we not issued new units to the holders of the Incentive Distribution Units in connection with resetting the target distribution levels. Please read "Cash Distribution Policy—Our Cash Distribution Policy—Distributions of Available Cash from Operating Surplus—General Partner's Right to Reset Incentive Distribution Levels".
Further, our general partner and Incentive Distribution Unitholders may cause vested and outstanding Incentive Distribution Units to convert to units in certain other circumstances. Any such conversion may cause our unitholders to experience dilution in the amount of cash distributions that
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they would have otherwise received had we not issued new units to the holders of the Incentive Distribution Units in connection with any such conversion. Please read "Cash Distribution Policy—Our Cash Distribution Policy—General Partner's Incentive Distribution Conversion Rights in Connection with a Change of Control" and "Cash Distribution Policy—Our Cash Distribution Policy—Incentive Distribution Unitholder's Conversion Rights"
Risks Related to Our Existing Preferred Units
Our Existing Preferred Units represent perpetual equity interests in us.
Our Existing Preferred Units represent perpetual equity interests in us and, unlike our indebtedness, do not give rise to a claim for payment of a principal amount at a particular date. As a result, holders of our Existing Preferred Units may be required to bear the financial risks of an investment in our Existing Preferred Units for an indefinite period of time. In addition, our Existing Preferred Units rank junior in right of payment to all our current and future indebtedness and other liabilities, and any other senior securities we may issue in the future with respect to assets available to satisfy claims against us.
Our Existing Preferred Units have not been rated.
We have not sought to obtain a rating for our Existing Preferred Units, and our Existing Preferred Units may never be rated. It is possible, however, that one or more rating agencies might independently determine to assign a rating to our Existing Preferred Units or that we may elect to obtain a rating of our Existing Preferred Units in the future. In addition, we may elect to issue other securities for which we may seek to obtain a rating. If any ratings are assigned to our Existing Preferred Units in the future or if we issue other securities with a rating, such ratings, if they are lower than market expectations or are subsequently lowered or withdrawn, could adversely affect the market for or the market value of our Existing Preferred Units. Ratings only reflect the views of the issuing rating agency or agencies and such ratings could at any time be revised downward or withdrawn entirely at the discretion of the issuing rating agency. A rating is not a recommendation to purchase, sell or hold any particular security, including our Existing Preferred Units. Ratings do not reflect market prices or suitability of a security for a particular investor and any future rating of our Existing Preferred Units may not reflect all risks related to us and our business, or the structure or market value of our Existing Preferred Units.
Our Existing Preferred Units are subordinated to our existing and future debt obligations, and the interests of holders of Existing Preferred Units could be diluted by the issuance of additional partnership securities, including additional Existing Preferred Units, and by other transactions.
Our Existing Preferred Units are subordinated to all of our existing and future indebtedness (including indebtedness outstanding under our revolving credit facility and our Senior Notes). As of June 30, 2014, our total principal amount of debt was $1.2 billion, and we had the ability to borrow an additional $591.9 million under our revolving credit facility, subject to certain limitations. We may incur additional debt under our revolving credit facility or future credit facilities or by issuing additional senior or subordinated debt securities. The payment of principal and interest on our debt reduces cash available for distribution to limited partners, including the holders of Existing Preferred Units.
The issuance of additional partnership securities pari passu with or senior to our Existing Preferred Units would dilute the interests of the holders of our Existing Preferred Units, and any issuance of Senior Securities or Parity Securities (as defined below under "Description of Our Series A Preferred Units—Ranking" and "Description of Our Series B Preferred Units—Ranking") or additional indebtedness could affect our ability to pay distributions on, redeem or pay the liquidation preference on our Existing Preferred Units. Only the Change of Control (as defined below under "Description of
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Our Series A Preferred Units—Change of Control" and "Description of Our Series B Preferred Units—Change of Control") provision relating to our Existing Preferred Units protects the holders of the Series A Preferred Units in the event of a highly leveraged or other transaction, including a merger or the sale, lease or conveyance of all or substantially all our assets or business, which might adversely affect the holders of our Existing Preferred Units.
The holders of Existing Preferred Units have extremely limited voting rights.
The voting rights of the holders of Existing Preferred Units are extremely limited. Our units are the only class of our limited partner interests carrying full voting rights. Holders of our Existing Preferred Units generally have no voting rights. Certain other limited protective voting rights are described in this S-3 under "Description of Our Series A Preferred Units—Voting Rights" and "Description of Our Series B Preferred Units—Voting Rights."
Investors should not expect us to redeem our Existing Preferred Units on the date our Existing Preferred Units become redeemable by us or on any particular date afterwards.
Our Existing Preferred Units have no maturity or mandatory redemption date and are not redeemable at the option of investors under any circumstances. Our Series A Preferred Units and Series B Preferred Units may be redeemed by us at our option within 180 days following the occurrence of a Change of Control or at any time on or after April 15, 2019 or June 15, 2019, respectively, in whole or in part, out of funds legally available for such redemption, at a redemption price of $25.00 per unit plus an amount equal to all accumulated and unpaid distributions thereon to the date of redemption, whether or not declared. Any decision we may make at any time to redeem our Existing Preferred Units will depend upon, among other things, our evaluation of our capital position and general market conditions at that time and will be subject to limitations contained in the documents governing our indebtedness.
Change of control conversion rights may make it more difficult for a party to acquire us or discourage a party from acquiring us.
The change of control conversion feature of our Existing Preferred Units may have the effect of discouraging a third party from making an acquisition proposal for us or of delaying, deferring or preventing certain of our change of control transactions under circumstances that otherwise could provide the holders of our units and Existing Preferred Units with the opportunity to realize a premium over the then-current market price of such equity securities or that unitholders or Existing Preferred Unitholders may otherwise believe is in their best interests.
Tax Risks to Limited Partners
Our tax treatment depends on our status as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, as well as our not being subject to a material amount of additional entity-level taxation by states and localities. If the IRS were to treat us as a corporation or if we were to become subject to a material amount of additional entity-level taxation for state or local tax purposes, then our cash available for distribution to our limited partners would be substantially reduced.
The anticipated after-tax economic benefit of an investment in us depends largely on our being treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes. We have not requested, and do not plan to request, a ruling from the IRS on this or any other tax matter affecting us.
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Despite the fact that we are a limited partnership under Delaware law, it is possible, in certain circumstances, for a partnership such as ours to be treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes. A change in our business or a change in current law could cause us to be treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes or otherwise subject us to taxation as an entity. If we were treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, we would pay U.S. federal income tax on our taxable income at the corporate tax rate, which currently has a top marginal rate of 35%, and would likely pay state and local income tax at varying rates. Distributions to our limited partners would generally be taxed again as corporate distributions, and no income, gains, losses, deductions or credits would flow through to our limited partners. Because a tax would be imposed upon us as a corporation, our cash available to pay distributions to our limited partners would be substantially reduced. Therefore, treatment of us as a corporation would result in a material reduction in the anticipated cash flow and after-tax return to our limited partners likely causing a substantial reduction in the value of our units.
In addition, changes in current state law may subject us to entity-level taxation by individual states. Because of widespread state budget deficits and other reasons, several states are evaluating ways to subject partnerships to entity-level taxation through the imposition of state income, franchise and other forms of taxation. For example, we are subject to an entity-level state tax on the portion of our gross income that is apportioned to Texas. If any additional states were to impose a tax upon us as an entity, the cash available for distribution to our limited partners would be reduced.
The tax treatment of publicly traded partnerships or an investment in our limited partner interests could be subject to potential legislative, judicial or administrative changes and differing interpretations, possibly on a retroactive basis.
The present U.S. federal income tax treatment of publicly traded partnerships, including us, or an investment in our limited partner interests may be modified by administrative, legislative or judicial interpretation at any time. For example, from time to time members of the U.S. Congress propose and consider substantive changes to the existing U.S. federal income tax laws that affect publicly traded partnerships. Any modification to the U.S. federal income tax laws and interpretations thereof may or may not be applied retroactively and could make it more difficult or impossible to meet the exception for us to be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes. We are unable to predict whether any of these changes, or other proposals, will ultimately be enacted. Any such changes could negatively impact the value of an investment in our limited partner interests.
Certain federal income tax deductions currently available with respect to oil and natural gas drilling and development may be eliminated as a result of future legislation.
Both the Obama Administration and members of the U.S. Congress have during past legislative sessions proposed changes that would, if enacted into law, make significant changes to United States tax laws, including the elimination of certain key U.S. federal income tax incentives currently available to oil and natural gas exploration and production companies. These changes include, but are not limited to, (i) the repeal of the percentage depletion allowance for oil and natural gas properties, (ii) the elimination of current deductions for intangible drilling and development costs, (iii) the elimination of the deduction for certain domestic production activities, and (iv) an extension of the amortization period for certain geological and geophysical expenditures. It is unclear whether these or similar changes will be enacted and if enacted, how soon any such changes could become effective. The passage of any legislation with similar changes in U.S. federal income tax laws could eliminate or postpone certain tax deductions that are currently available with respect to oil and natural gas exploration and development, and any such change could increase the taxable income allocable to our unitholders and negatively impact the value of an investment in our units.
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Our unitholders may be required to pay taxes on their share of our income even if they do not receive any cash distributions from us.
Because our unitholders will be treated as partners to whom we will allocate taxable income that could be different in amount than the cash we distribute, a unitholder's share of our taxable income will be taxable to the unitholder, which may require the payment of U.S. federal income taxes and, in some cases, state and local income taxes on the unitholder's share of our taxable income, whether or not the unitholder receives cash distributions from us. Our unitholders may not receive cash distributions from us equal to their share of our taxable income or even equal to the actual tax liability that results from their share of our taxable income.
We prorate our items of income, gain, loss and deduction between transferors and transferees of our units each month based upon the ownership of our units on the first day of each month, instead of on the basis of the date a particular unit is transferred.
We prorate our items of income, gain, loss and deduction between transferors and transferees of our units each month based upon the ownership of our units on the first day of each month, instead of on the basis of the date a particular unit is transferred. The use of this proration method may not be permitted under existing Treasury Regulations and although the U.S. Treasury Department issued proposed Treasury Regulations allowing a similar monthly simplifying convention, such regulations are not final and do not specifically authorize the use of the proration method we have adopted. Accordingly, our counsel is unable to opine as to the validity of this method. If the IRS were to challenge this method or new Treasury Regulations were issued, we may be required to change the allocation of items of income, gain, loss and deduction among our unitholders.
A successful IRS contest of the U.S. federal income tax positions we take may adversely affect the market for our units, and the costs of any contest will reduce our cash available for distribution to our limited partners.
We have not requested any ruling from the IRS with respect to our treatment as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes or any other matter affecting us. The IRS may adopt positions that differ from our counsel's conclusions or the positions we take. It may be necessary to resort to administrative or court proceedings to sustain some or all of our counsel's conclusions or the positions we take. A court may disagree with some or all of our counsel's conclusions or the positions we take. Any contest with the IRS may materially and adversely impact the market for our units and the price at which they trade. In addition, the costs of any contest with the IRS will result in a reduction in cash available to pay distributions to our limited partners and thus will be borne indirectly by our limited partners.
Tax-exempt entities and foreign persons face unique tax issues from owning units that may result in adverse tax consequences to them.
Investment in our units by tax-exempt entities, including employee benefit plans and individual retirement accounts ("IRAs"), and non-U.S. persons raises issues unique to them. For example, virtually all of our income allocated to organizations exempt from U.S. federal income tax, including individual retirement accounts and other retirement plans, will be unrelated business taxable income and will be taxable to such a unitholder. Distributions to non-U.S. persons will be reduced by withholding taxes imposed at the highest effective applicable tax rate, and non-U.S. persons will be required to file United States federal income tax returns and pay tax on their share of our taxable income.
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Tax gain or loss on the disposition of our units could be more or less than expected because prior distributions in excess of allocations of income will decrease our unitholders tax basis in their units.
If our unitholders sell any of their units, they will recognize gain or loss equal to the difference between the amount realized and their tax basis in those units. Prior distributions to our unitholders in excess of the total net taxable income they were allocated for a unit, which decreased their tax basis in that unit, will, in effect, become taxable income to our unitholders if the unit is sold at a price greater than their tax basis in that unit, even if the price our unitholders receive is less than their original cost. A substantial portion of the amount realized, whether or not representing gain, may be ordinary income to our unitholders due to the potential recapture items, including depreciation, depletion and intangible drilling cost recapture. In addition, because the amount realized may include a unitholder's share of our nonrecourse liabilities, if they sell their units, they may incur a tax liability in excess of the amount of cash they receive from the sale.
We will treat each purchaser of our units as having the same tax benefits without regard to the units purchased. The IRS may challenge this treatment, which could adversely affect the value of the units.
Because we cannot match transferors and transferees of units, we will adopt depletion, depreciation and amortization positions that may not conform with all aspects of existing Treasury Regulations. Our counsel is unable to opine as to the validity of such filing positions. A successful IRS challenge to those positions could adversely affect the amount of tax benefits available to our unitholders. It also could affect the timing of these tax benefits or the amount of gain on the sale of units and could have a negative impact on the value of our units or result in audits of and adjustments to our unitholders' tax returns.
A unitholder whose units are loaned to a "short seller" to cover a short sale of units may be considered as having disposed of those units. If so, the unitholder would no longer be treated for tax purposes as a partner with respect to those units during the period of the loan and may recognize gain or loss from the disposition.
Because a unitholder whose units are loaned to a "short seller" to cover a short sale of units may be considered as having disposed of the loaned units, he may no longer be treated for tax purposes as a partner with respect to those units during the period of the loan to the short seller and the unitholder may recognize gain or loss from such disposition. Moreover, during the period of the loan to the short seller, any of our income, gain, loss or deduction with respect to those units may not be reportable by the unitholder and any cash distributions received by the unitholder as to those units could be fully taxable as ordinary income. Our counsel has not rendered an opinion regarding the treatment of a unitholder where our units are loaned to a short seller to cover a short sale of our units; therefore, unitholders desiring to assure their status as partners and avoid the risk of gain recognition from a loan to a short seller are urged to consult with their tax advisor about whether it is advisable to modify any applicable brokerage account agreements to prohibit their brokers from borrowing their units.
Our limited partners may be subject to state and local taxes and return filing requirements in states where they do not live as a result of investing in our limited partner interests.
In addition to U.S. federal income taxes, our limited partners will likely be subject to other taxes, including state and local income taxes, unincorporated business taxes and estate, inheritance or intangible taxes that are imposed by the various jurisdictions in which we do business or own property now or in the future, even if they do not reside in any of those jurisdictions. Our limited partners will likely be required to file state and local income tax returns and pay state and local income taxes in some or all of these various jurisdictions. Further, our limited partners may be subject to penalties for failure to comply with those requirements. We currently conduct business or own property in multiple
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states, most of which impose personal and corporate income taxes. As we make acquisitions or expand our business, we may do business or own assets in other states in the future. It is the responsibility of each limited partner to file all United States federal, state and local tax returns that may be required of such limited partner. Our counsel has not rendered an opinion on the state or local tax consequences of an investment in us.
We will be considered to have technically terminated for U.S. federal income tax purposes due to a sale or exchange of 50% or more of our interests within a twelve-month period.
We will be considered to have technically terminated our partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes if there is a sale or exchange of 50% or more of the total interests in our capital and profits within a twelve-month period. For purposes of determining whether the 50% threshold has been met, multiple sales of the same interest will be counted only once. Our technical termination would, among other things, result in the closing of our taxable year for all unitholders, which would result in us filing two tax returns (and our unitholders could receive two Schedules K-1 if relief was not available, as described below) for one fiscal year and could result in a deferral of depreciation deductions allowable in computing our taxable income. In the case of a limited partner reporting on a taxable year other than a fiscal year ending December 31, the closing of our taxable year may also result in more than twelve months of our taxable income or loss being includable in his taxable income for the year of termination. Our termination currently would not affect our classification as a partnership for federal income tax purposes, but instead we would be treated as a new partnership for tax purposes. If treated as a new partnership, we must make new tax elections and could be subject to penalties if we are unable to determine that a termination occurred. The IRS has announced a publicly traded partnership technical termination relief program whereby, if a publicly traded partnership that technically terminated requests relief and such relief is granted by the IRS, among other things, the partnership will only have to provide one Schedule K-1 to unitholders for the year notwithstanding two partnership tax years.
Compliance with and changes in tax laws could adversely affect our performance.
We are subject to extensive tax laws and regulations, including federal, state and foreign income taxes and transactional taxes such as excise, sales/use, payroll, franchise and ad valorem taxes. New tax laws and regulations and changes in existing tax laws and regulations are continuously being enacted that could result in increased tax expenditures in the future. Many of these tax liabilities are subject to audits by the respective taxing authority. These audits may result in additional taxes as well as interest and penalties.
Treatment of distributions on our Existing Preferred Units as guaranteed payments for the use of capital creates a different tax treatment for the holders of our Existing Preferred Units than the holders of our units.
The tax treatment of distributions on our Existing Preferred Units is uncertain. We will treat the holders of Existing Preferred Units as partners for tax purposes and will treat distributions on the Existing Preferred Units as guaranteed payments for the use of capital that will generally be taxable to the holders of Existing Preferred Units as ordinary income. Although a holder of Existing Preferred Units could recognize taxable income from the accrual of such a guaranteed payment even in the absence of a contemporaneous distribution, we anticipate accruing and making the guaranteed payment distributions monthly. Otherwise, the holders of Existing Preferred Units are generally not anticipated to share in our items of income, gain, loss or deduction. Nor will we allocate any share of our nonrecourse liabilities to the holders of Existing Preferred Units. If the Existing Preferred Units were treated as indebtedness for tax purposes, rather than as guaranteed payments for the use of capital, distributions likely would be treated as payments of interest by us to the holders of Existing Preferred Units.
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A holder of Existing Preferred Units will be required to recognize gain or loss on a sale of units equal to the difference between such holder's amount realized and tax basis in the Existing Preferred Units sold. The amount realized generally will equal the sum of the cash and the fair market value of other property such holder receives in exchange for such Existing Preferred Units. Subject, in certain circumstances, to rules requiring a blended basis among multiple partnership interests, the tax basis of an Existing Preferred Unit will generally be equal to the sum of the cash and the fair market value of other property paid by the holder of the Existing Preferred Unit to acquire such Existing Preferred Unit. Gain or loss recognized by a holder of the Existing Preferred Unit on the sale or exchange of an Existing Preferred Unit held for more than one year generally will be taxable as long-term capital gain or loss. Because holders of Existing Preferred Units will not be allocated a share of our items of depreciation, depletion or amortization, it is not anticipated that such holders would be required to recharacterize any portion of their gain as ordinary income as a result of the recapture rules.
Investment in our Existing Preferred Units by tax-exempt investors, such as employee benefit plans and individual retirement accounts, and non-U.S. persons raises issues unique to them. Distributions to non-U.S. holders of our Existing Preferred Units will be treated as "effectively connected income" (which will subject holders to U.S. net income taxation and possibly the branch profits tax) and will be subject to withholding taxes imposed at the highest effective tax rate applicable to such non-U.S. holders. If the amount of withholding exceeds the amount of U.S. federal income tax actually due, non-U.S. holders may be required to file U.S. federal income tax returns in order to seek a refund of such excess. The treatment of guaranteed payments for the use of capital to tax exempt investors is not certain. If you are a tax-exempt entity or a non-U.S. person, you should consult your tax advisor with respect to the consequences of owning our Existing Preferred Units.
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Unless otherwise indicated to the contrary in an accompanying prospectus supplement, we will use the net proceeds (after the payment of any offering expenses and underwriting discounts and commissions) from our sale of securities covered by this prospectus for general partnership purposes, which may include repayment of indebtedness and other capital expenditures or acquisitions and additions to working capital.
The actual application of proceeds from the sale of any particular offering of securities using this prospectus will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to such offering. The precise amount and timing of the application of these proceeds will depend upon our funding requirements and the availability and cost of other funds.
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RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES
AND PREFERRED SECURITIES DISTRIBUTIONS
The following table presents the ratios of earnings to fixed charges and ratio of earnings to fixed charges and preferred distributions of the partnership for the periods indicated. For purposes of computing the ratios of earnings to fixed charges, earnings consist of income from continuing operations before adjustment for equity income from equity method investees plus fixed charges and distributed income from investees accounted for under the equity method. Fixed charges consist of interest expensed and an estimated interest component of rent expense.
| |
Legacy Reserves LP | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |
Years Ended December 31, | |
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| |
Six Months Ended June 30, 2014 |
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| |
2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | ||||||||||||||
Ratio of earnings to fixed charges |
(1 | ) | 1.61x | 4.53x | 4.04x | (2 | ) | (3 | ) | ||||||||||
Ratio of earnings to fixed charges and preferred distributions |
(1 | ) | 1.61x | 4.53x | 4.04x | (2 | ) | (4 | ) | ||||||||||
- (1)
- Earnings
were insufficient to cover fixed charges, and fixed charges exceeded earnings by approximately $92.3 million. No preferred distributions
were paid during this period.
- (2)
- Earnings
were insufficient to cover fixed charges, and fixed charges exceeded earnings by approximately $34.3 million. No preferred distributions
were paid during this period.
- (3)
- Earnings
were insufficient to cover fixed charges, and fixed charges exceeded earnings by approximately $15.3 million.
- (4)
- Earnings were insufficient to cover fixed charges and preferred distributions, and fixed charges and preferred distributions exceeded earnings by approximately $17.5 million.
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The Units
The units represent partnership interests in us. The holders of units are entitled to participate in distributions and exercise the rights or privileges available to limited partners under our partnership agreement. For a description of the relative rights and preferences of holders of units in and to distributions, please read this section and "Cash Distribution Policy." For a description of the rights and privileges of limited partners under our partnership agreement, including voting rights, please read "Material Provisions of our Partnership Agreement."
Transfer Agent and Registrar
Duties
Computershare Trust Company, N.A. serves as registrar and transfer agent for the units. We pay all fees charged by the transfer agent for transfers of units, except the following fees that will be paid by unitholders:
- •
- surety bond premiums to replace lost or stolen certificates, taxes and other governmental charges;
- •
- special charges or services requested by a holder of a unit; and
- •
- other similar fees or charges.
There will be no charge to holders for disbursements of our cash distributions. We will indemnify the transfer agent against all claims and losses that may arise out of all actions of the transfer agent or its agents or subcontractors for their activities in that capacity, except for any liability due to any gross negligence or willful misconduct of the transfer agent or subcontractors.
Resignation or Renewal
The transfer agent may at any time resign, by notice to us, or be removed by us. The resignation or removal of the transfer agent will become effective upon our appointment of a successor transfer agent and registrar and its acceptance of the appointment. If no successor has been appointed and has accepted the appointment within 30 days after notice of its resignation or removal, our general partner is authorized to act as the transfer agent and registrar until a successor is appointed.
Transfer of Units
By transfer of units in accordance with our partnership agreement, each transferee of units will be admitted as a limited partner with respect to the units transferred when such transfer and admission is reflected on our books and records. Additionally, each transferee of units:
- •
- becomes the record holder of the units;
- •
- represents that the transferee has the capacity, power and authority to enter into our partnership agreement;
- •
- automatically agrees to be bound by the terms and conditions of, and is deemed to have executed, our partnership
agreement; and
- •
- gives the consents, approvals and waivers contained in our partnership agreement, such as the approval of all transactions and agreements that we are entering into in connection with our formation.
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A transferee will become a substituted limited partner of our partnership for the transferred units automatically upon the recording of the transfer on our books and records. Our general partner will cause any transfers to be recorded on our books and records no less frequently than quarterly.
We may, at our discretion, treat the nominee holder of a unit as the absolute owner. In that case, the beneficial holder's rights are limited solely to those that it has against the nominee holder as a result of any agreement between the beneficial owner and the nominee holder.
Units are securities and are transferable according to the laws governing transfers of securities. In addition to other rights acquired upon transfer, the transferor gives the transferee the right to become a limited partner in our partnership for the transferred units.
Until a unit has been transferred on our books, we and the transfer agent, notwithstanding any notice to the contrary, may treat the record holder of the unit as the absolute owner for all purposes, except as otherwise required by law or stock exchange regulations.
Non-Citizen Assignees; Redemption
For a discussion of our general partner's ability to redeem the units held by persons other than U.S. citizens, please read "Material Provisions of our Partnership Agreement—Non-Citizen Assignees; Redemption."
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DESCRIPTION OF OUR PREFERRED UNITS
Subject to certain limitations, our partnership agreement authorizes us to issue an unlimited number of additional limited partner interests and other equity securities, including preferred units, for the consideration and with the designations, preferences, rights, powers and duties established by our general partner without the approval of any of our limited partners.
Should we offer a new series of preferred units under this prospectus, a prospectus supplement relating to the particular series of preferred units offered will include the specific terms of those preferred units, including, among other things, the following:
- •
- the designation and liquidation preference of the preferred units and the number of preferred units offered;
- •
- the initial public offering price at which the preferred units will be issued;
- •
- the conversion or exchange provisions of the preferred units;
- •
- any redemption or sinking fund provisions of the preferred units;
- •
- the distribution rights of the preferred units, if any;
- •
- a discussion of any additional material federal income tax considerations regarding the preferred units;
- •
- voting rights, if any, including voting rights to which units are not entitled; and
- •
- any additional rights, preferences, privileges, limitations, and restrictions of the preferred units.
The transfer agent and registrar for any preferred units will be designated in the applicable prospectus supplement.
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DESCRIPTION OF OUR SERIES A PREFERRED UNITS
Unless the context of the discussion contained in this prospectus otherwise indicates, the terms defined within this description apply only to the Series A Preferred Units.
General
The Series A Preferred Units represent limited partner interests in us. We may, without notice to or consent of the holders of the then-outstanding Series A Preferred Units, authorize and issue additional Series A Preferred Units and Junior Securities (as defined below under "—Ranking") and, subject to the limitations described under "—Voting Rights," Senior Securities and Parity Securities (as defined below under "—Ranking")).
The Series A Preferred Units entitle the holders thereof to receive cumulative cash distributions when, as and if declared by the board of directors of our general partner out of legally available funds for such purpose. When issued and paid for in the manner described in this registration statement, the Series A Preferred Units offered hereby are fully paid and nonassessable. Subject to the matters described under "—Liquidation Rights," each Series A Preferred Unit generally has a fixed liquidation preference of $25.00 per Series A Preferred Unit plus an amount equal to accumulated and unpaid distributions thereon to the date fixed for payment, whether or not declared.
The Series A Preferred Units represent perpetual equity interests in us and, unlike our indebtedness, do not give rise to a claim for payment of a principal amount at a particular date. As such, the Series A Preferred Units rank junior to all of our current and future indebtedness and other liabilities with respect to assets available to satisfy claims against us.
All of the Series A Preferred Units are represented by a single certificate issued to the Securities Depositary (as defined under "—Book-Entry System") and registered in the name of its nominee and, so long as a Securities Depositary has been appointed and is serving, no person acquiring Series A Preferred Units is entitled to receive a certificate representing such Series A Preferred Units unless applicable law otherwise requires or the Securities Depositary resigns or is no longer eligible to act as such and a successor is not appointed. Please read "—Book-Entry System."
Except as described below in "—Change of Control," the Series A Preferred Units are not convertible into units or any other securities and do not have exchange rights or are entitled or subject to any preemptive or similar rights. The Series A Preferred Units are not subject to mandatory redemption or to any sinking fund requirements. The Series A Preferred Units are subject to redemption, in whole or in part, at our option commencing on April 15, 2019 or any time under limited circumstances. Please read "—Redemption."
We have appointed Computershare Trust Company, N.A. as the paying agent (the "Paying Agent"), and the registrar and transfer agent (the "Registrar and Transfer Agent") for the Series A Preferred Units. The address of the Paying Agent is Computershare, PO Box 43078, Providence, RI 02940-3078.
Ranking
The Series A Preferred Units, with respect to anticipated monthly distributions, rank:
- •
- senior in right of payment to our units and to each other class or series of limited partner interests or other equity
securities established after the original issue date of the Series A Preferred Units that is not expressly made senior to or pari passu in right of payment with the Series A Preferred
Units as to the payment of distributions ("Junior Securities");
- •
- pari passu in right of payment with any class or series of limited partner interests or other equity securities established after the original issue date of the Series A Preferred Units that is not
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- •
- junior in right of payment to each other class or series of limited partner interests or other equity securities established after the original issue date of the Series A Preferred Units that is expressly made senior to the Series A Preferred Units as to the payment of distributions (the "Senior Securities").
expressly made senior or subordinated in right of payment to the Series A Preferred Units as to the payment of distributions (the "Parity Securities"); and
Under our partnership agreement, we may issue Junior Securities from time to time in one or more series without the consent of the holders of the Series A Preferred Units. The board of directors of our general partner has the authority to determine the preferences, powers, qualifications, limitations, restrictions and special or relative rights or privileges, if any, of any such series before the issuance of any limited partner interests of that series. The board of directors of our general partner will also determine the number of limited partner interests constituting each series of securities. Our ability to issue additional Parity Securities in certain circumstances or Senior Securities is limited as described under "—Voting Rights."
Change of Control
Within 180 days following the occurrence of a Change of Control (as defined below), we may, at our option, redeem the Series A Preferred Units in whole or in part by paying $25.00 per Series A Preferred Unit, plus all accrued and unpaid distributions to the redemption date. If, prior to the Change of Control Conversion Date (as defined below), we exercise any of our redemption rights as described below under "—Redemption" relating to the Series A Preferred Units, holders of the Series A Preferred Units will not have the conversion right described below. However, any cash payment upon a Change of Control shall not be made unless (i) we have completed our change of control offer for any outstanding indebtedness structurally senior to the Series A Preferred Units, and (ii) such payment would be permitted under the restricted payments covenant contained in the terms governing any such indebtedness. Additionally, any cash payment to Series A Preferred Unit holders will be subject to the limitations contained in the indentures governing any future issuances of debt securities and preferred interests and the terms of any future issuance of Senior Securities, and our credit facility.
"Change of Control" means the occurrence of any of the following after the original issue date of the Series A Preferred Units:
- •
- the direct or indirect sale, lease, transfer, conveyance or other disposition (other than by way of merger or
consolidation), in one or a series of related transactions, of all or substantially all of the properties or assets of us and our subsidiaries taken as a whole to any person (as that term is used in
Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act);
- •
- the adoption of a plan relating to the liquidation or dissolution of us or removal of our general partner by our limited
partners;
- •
- the consummation of any transaction (including, without limitation, any merger or consolidation) the result of which is
that any "person" (as defined above) other than the Partnership or its subsidiaries becomes the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of more than 50% of the equity power of our general partner
entitled to vote in the election of directors, measured by voting power rather than number of units, shares or the like;
- •
- the consummation of any transaction (including, without limitation, any merger or consolidation) the result of which is that any "person" (as defined above) becomes the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of more than 50% of our voting equity, measured by voting power rather than number of shares, units or the like; or
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- •
- the first day on which a majority of the members of the board of directors of our general partner are not (a) directors who, as of the date of determination, were members of the board of director on the date of the initial issuance of the Series A Preferred Units or were nominated for election or elected to the board of directors with the approval of a majority of the directors who were members of the board of directors on the date of the initial issuance of the Series A Preferred Units.
Notwithstanding the preceding, a conversion of the partnership or any of its subsidiaries from a limited partnership, corporation, limited liability company or other form of entity to a limited liability company, corporation, limited partnership or other form of entity or an exchange of all of the outstanding equity interests in one form of entity for equity interests in another form of entity will not constitute a Change of Control, so long as following such conversion or exchange the "persons" (as defined above) who beneficially owned the partnership interests in the partnership immediately prior to such transactions continue to beneficially own in the aggregate more than 50% of the equity interests of such entity entitled to vote in the election of the board of directors of such entity or its general partner, as applicable, or continue to beneficially own sufficient equity interests in such entity to elect a majority of its directors, managers, trustees or other persons serving in a similar capacity for such entity or its general partner, as applicable, and, in either case no "person" beneficially owns more than 50% of the equity interests of such entity entitled to vote in the election of the board of directors of such entity of such entity or its general partner, as applicable.
Upon the occurrence of a Change of Control, each holder of Series A Preferred Units will have the right (unless, prior to the Change of Control Conversion Date, we provide notice of our election to redeem the Series A Preferred Units as described above) to convert such number of the Series A Preferred Units held by such holder of Series A Preferred Units on the Change of Control Conversion Date as such holder elects to have converted into a number of our units per Series A Preferred Unit to be converted, which we refer to as the "Unit Conversion Consideration," equal to the lesser of:
- •
- the quotient rounded to the nearest 10,000th of a unit obtained by dividing (i) the sum of the $25.00
liquidation preference plus the amount of any accrued and unpaid distributions to 5:00 p.m., Central time on the business day immediately preceding the Change of Control Conversion Date (unless
the Change of Control Conversion Date is after a record date for a Series A Preferred Units distributions payment and prior to the corresponding Series A Preferred Units distribution
payment date, in which case no additional amount for such accrued and unpaid distribution will be included in this sum) by (ii) the Unit Price (as defined below), and
- •
- 1.962,
subject, in each case, to certain adjustments and to provisions for (i) the receipt of alternative consideration and (ii) splits, combinations and distributions in the form of equity issuances, each as described in greater detail in the partnership agreement.
In the case of a Change of Control pursuant to which the Series A Preferred Units will be converted into cash, securities (other than our units) or other property or assets (including any combination thereof), which we refer to as the "Alternative Form Consideration," a holder of Series A Preferred Units will receive upon conversion of such Series A Preferred Units the kind and amount of Alternative Form Consideration which such holder would have owned or been entitled to receive upon the Change of Control had such holder held a number of our units equal to the Unit Conversion Consideration immediately prior to the effective time of the Change of Control.
If the holders of our units have the opportunity to elect the form of consideration to be received in the Change of Control, the consideration that the holders of Series A Preferred Units will receive will be the form and proportion of the aggregate consideration elected by the holders of our units who
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participate in the determination (based on the weighted average of elections) and will be subject to any limitations to which all holders of our units are subject, including pro rata reductions applicable to any portion of the consideration payable in the Change of Control.
If we provide a redemption notice, whether pursuant to our special optional redemption right in connection with a Change of Control or our optional redemption right as described below under "—Redemption," holders of Series A Preferred Units will not have any right to convert the Series A Preferred Units that we have elected to redeem in connection with the Change of Control Conversion Right (as defined below) and any Series A Preferred Units subsequently selected for redemption that have been tendered for conversion will be redeemed on the related redemption date instead of converted on the Change of Control Conversion Date.
"Change of Control Conversion Right" means the right of a holder of Series A Preferred Units to convert some or all of the Series A Preferred Units held by such holder on the Change of Control Conversion Date into a number of our units per Series A Preferred Unit pursuant to the conversion provisions in our partnership agreement.
"Change of Control Conversion Date" means the date fixed by the board of directors of our general partner, in its sole discretion, as the date the Series A Preferred Units are to be converted, which will be a business day that is no fewer than 20 days nor more than 35 days after the date on which we provide the notice described above to holders of the Series A Preferred Units.
"Unit Price" means (i) the amount of cash consideration per unit, if the consideration to be received in the Change of Control by the holders of our units is solely cash; and (ii) the average of the closing prices for our units on the NASDAQ or other national securities exchange on which the units are admitted for trading for the ten consecutive trading days immediately preceding, but not including, the Change of Control Conversion Date, if the consideration to be received in the Change of Control by the holders of our units is other than solely cash.
Liquidation Rights
We will liquidate in accordance with capital accounts. The holders of outstanding Series A Preferred Units will be specially allocated net termination gain (including if necessary items of our gross income and gain) in a manner designed to achieve, in the event of any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of our affairs, whether voluntary or involuntary, a liquidation preference of $25.00 per Series A Preferred Unit. If the amount of our net termination gain (or items of gross income and gain) available to be specially allocated to the Series A Preferred Units is not sufficient to cause the capital account of a Series A Preferred Unit to equal the liquidation preference of a Series A Preferred Unit, then the amount that a holder of Series A Preferred Units would receive upon liquidation may be less than the Series A Preferred Unit liquidation preference even though there may be cash available for distribution to the holders of units or any other Junior Securities with respect to their capital accounts. Any accumulated and unpaid distributions on the Series A Preferred Units will be paid prior to any distributions in liquidation made in accordance with capital accounts.
Voting Rights
The Series A Preferred Units will have no voting rights except as set forth below or as otherwise provided by Delaware law.
Unless we have received the affirmative vote or consent of the holders of at least two-thirds of the outstanding Series A Preferred Units, voting as a separate class, we may not adopt any amendment to our partnership agreement that has a material adverse effect on the existing terms of the Series A Preferred Units.
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In addition, unless we have received the affirmative vote or consent of the holders of at least two-thirds of the outstanding Series A Preferred Units, voting together with holders of any other Parity Securities upon which like voting rights have been conferred and are exercisable, as a separate class, we may not create or issue any Senior Securities or, if the cumulative distributions payable on outstanding Series A Preferred Units or any Parity Securities are in arrears, create or issue any additional Series A Preferred Units or Parity Securities.
On any matter described above in which the holders of the Series A Preferred Units are entitled to vote as a class, such holders will be entitled to one vote per Series A Preferred Unit. The Series A Preferred Units held by us or any of our subsidiaries will not be entitled to vote.
Series A Preferred Units held in nominee or street name account will be voted by the broker or other nominee in accordance with the instruction of the beneficial owner unless the arrangement between the beneficial owner and his nominee provides otherwise.
Distributions
General
Holders of Series A Preferred Units will be entitled to receive, when, as and if declared by the board of directors of our general partner out of legally available funds for such purpose, cumulative cash monthly distributions from April 17, 2014 (or, for Series A Preferred Units issued after such date, from the Distribution Payment Date immediately preceding the issuance of such Series A Preferred Units).
Distribution Rate
Distributions on Series A Preferred Units are cumulative, commencing on April 17, 2014 (or, for Series A Preferred Units issued after the initial Distribution Payment Date, commencing on the Distribution Payment Date immediately preceding the issuance of such Series A Preferred Units), and payable monthly on each Distribution Payment Date, when, as and if declared by the board of directors of our general partner or any authorized committee thereof out of legally available funds for such purpose. The initial distribution rate for the Series A Preferred Units from, and including the date of original issuance to, but not including April 15, 2024, will be 8% per annum of the $25.00 liquidation preference per Series A Preferred Unit (equal to $2.00 per Series A Preferred Unit per annum). On and after April 15, 2024, distributions on the Series A Preferred Units will accrue at an annual rate equal to the sum of (a) Three-Month LIBOR (as defined below) as calculated on each applicable date of determination and (b) 5.24%, based on the $25.00 liquidation preference per Series A Preferred Unit.
The term "Three-Month LIBOR" means, on the second business day in London immediately preceding the first day of each relevant distribution period for the Series A Preferred Units, the rate (expressed as a percentage per year) for deposits in U.S. dollars for a three-month period as appears on Bloomberg, L.P. page US0003M, as set by the British Bankers Association at 11:00 a.m. (London time) on such date of determination.
All distributions accrue daily during the relevant distribution period. For distribution periods beginning on and after April 15, 2024, Three-Month LIBOR will be determined on each distribution payment date, or, if applicable, the redemption date, which determination will apply to each day during the distribution period.
Distribution Payment Dates
The "Distribution Payment Dates" for the Series A Preferred Units are on the 15th day of each month of each year. Distributions accumulate in each monthly distribution period from and including
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the preceding Distribution Payment Date or the initial issue date, as the case may be, to but excluding the applicable Distribution Payment Date for such monthly distribution period, and distributions accrue on accumulated distributions at the applicable distribution rate. If any Distribution Payment Date otherwise would fall on a day that is not a Business Day, declared distributions are paid on the immediately succeeding Business Day without the accumulation of additional distributions. Distributions on the Series A Preferred Units are payable based on a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months. "Business Day" means Monday through Friday of each week, except that a legal holiday recognized as such by the government of the United States of America or the State of New York shall not be recognized as such.
Payment of Distributions
Not later than 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on each Distribution Payment Date, we pay those monthly distributions, if any, on the Series A Preferred Units that have been declared by the board of directors of our general partner to the holders of such Series A Preferred Units as such holders' names appear on our unit transfer books maintained by the Registrar and Transfer Agent on the applicable record date. The record date is the first Business Day of the month during which the applicable Distribution Payment Date occurs, except that in the case of payments of distributions in arrears, the record date with respect to a Distribution Payment Date is such date as may be designated by the board of directors of our general partner in accordance with our partnership agreement.
So long as the Series A Preferred Units are held of record by the nominee of the Securities Depositary, declared distributions are paid to the Securities Depositary in same-day funds on each Distribution Payment Date. The Securities Depositary will credit accounts of its participants in accordance with the Securities Depositary's normal procedures. The participants are responsible for holding or disbursing such payments to beneficial owners of the Series A Preferred Units in accordance with the instructions of such beneficial owners.
No distribution may be declared or paid or set apart for payment on any Junior Securities (other than a distribution payable solely in Junior Securities or cash in lieu of fractional Junior Securities) unless full cumulative distributions have been or contemporaneously are being paid or provided for on all outstanding Series A Preferred Units and any Parity Securities through the most recent respective distribution payment dates. Accumulated distributions in arrears for any past distribution period may be declared by the board of directors of our general partner and paid on any date fixed by the board of directors of our general partner, whether or not a Distribution Payment Date, to holders of the Series A Preferred Units on the record date for such payment, which may not be more than 60 days, nor less than 15 days, before such payment date. Subject to the next succeeding sentence, if all accumulated distributions in arrears on all outstanding Series A Preferred Units and any Parity Securities have not been declared and paid, or sufficient funds for the payment thereof have not been set apart, payment of accumulated distributions in arrears will be made in order of their respective distribution payment dates, commencing with the earliest. If less than all distributions payable with respect to all Series A Preferred Units and any Parity Securities are paid, any partial payment will be made pro rata with respect to the Series A Preferred Units and any Parity Securities entitled to a distribution payment at such time in proportion to the aggregate amounts remaining due in respect of such limited partner interests at such time. Holders of the Series A Preferred Units will not be entitled to any distribution, whether payable in cash, property or limited partner interests, in excess of full cumulative distributions. Except insofar as distributions accrue on the amount of any accumulated and unpaid distributions as described under "—Distributions—Distribution Rate," no interest or sum of money in lieu of interest will be payable in respect of any distribution payment which may be in arrears on the Series A Preferred Units.
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Redemption
Optional Redemption
In the event of a Change of Control (as set forth in "—Change of Control") or any time on or after April 15, 2019, we may redeem, at our option, in whole or in part, the Series A Preferred Units at a redemption price in cash equal to $25.00 per Series A Preferred Unit plus an amount equal to all accumulated and unpaid distributions thereon to the date of redemption, whether or not declared. Any such optional redemption shall be effected only out of funds legally available for such purpose. We may undertake multiple partial redemptions. Any such redemption is subject to compliance with the provisions of our credit facility, our 8% Senior Notes due 2020, our 6.625% Senior Notes due 2021 and any debt securities or Senior Securities we may issue in the future prior to such redemption.
Redemption Procedures
We will give notice of any redemption by mail, postage prepaid, not less than 30 days and not more than 60 days before the scheduled date of redemption, to the holders of any Series A Preferred Units to be redeemed as such holders' names appear on our unit transfer books maintained by the Registrar and Transfer Agent at the address of such holders shown therein. Such notice shall state: (i) the redemption date, (ii) the number of Series A Preferred Units to be redeemed and, if less than all outstanding Series A Preferred Units are to be redeemed, the number (and the identification) of Series A Preferred Units to be redeemed from such holder, (iii) the redemption price, (iv) the place where the Series A Preferred Units are to be redeemed and shall be presented and surrendered for payment of the redemption price therefor and (v) that distributions on the Series A Preferred Units to be redeemed will cease to accumulate from and after such redemption date.
If fewer than all of the outstanding Series A Preferred Units are to be redeemed, the number of Series A Preferred Units to be redeemed will be determined by us, and such Series A Preferred Units will be redeemed by such method of selection as the Securities Depositary shall determine, pro rata or by lot, with adjustments to avoid redemption of fractional Series A Preferred Units. So long as all Series A Preferred Units are held of record by the nominee of the Securities Depositary, we will give notice, or cause notice to be given, to the Securities Depositary of the number of Series A Preferred Units to be redeemed, and the Securities Depositary will determine the number of Series A Preferred Units to be redeemed from the account of each of its participants holding such Series A Preferred Units in its participant account. Thereafter, each participant will select the number of Series A Preferred Units to be redeemed from each beneficial owner for whom it acts (including the participant, to the extent it holds Series A Preferred Units for its own account). A participant may determine to redeem Series A Preferred Units from some beneficial owners (including the participant itself) without redeeming Series A Preferred Units from the accounts of other beneficial owners.
So long as the Series A Preferred Units are held of record by the nominee of the Securities Depositary, the redemption price will be paid by the Paying Agent to the Securities Depositary on the redemption date. The Securities Depositary's normal procedures provide for it to distribute the amount of the redemption price in same-day funds to its participants who, in turn, are expected to distribute such funds to the persons for whom they are acting as agent.
If we give or cause to be given a notice of redemption, then we will deposit with the Paying Agent funds in an amount sufficient to redeem the Series A Preferred Units as to which notice has been given by 5:00 p.m., New York City time, no later than the Business Day immediately preceding the date fixed for redemption, and will give the Paying Agent irrevocable instructions and authority to pay the redemption price to the holder or holders thereof upon surrender or deemed surrender (which will occur automatically if the certificate representing such Series A Preferred Units is issued in the name of the Securities Depositary or its nominee) of the certificates therefor. If notice of redemption shall have been given, then from and after the date fixed for redemption, unless we default in providing
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funds sufficient for such redemption at the time and place specified for payment pursuant to the notice, all distributions on such Series A Preferred Units will cease to accumulate and all rights of holders of such Series A Preferred Units as our unitholders will cease, except the right to receive the redemption price, including an amount equal to accumulated and unpaid distributions through the date fixed for redemption, whether or not declared.
If only a portion of the Series A Preferred Units represented by a certificate has been called for redemption, upon surrender of the certificate to the Paying Agent (which will occur automatically if the certificate representing such Series A Preferred Units is registered in the name of the Securities Depositary or its nominee), the Paying Agent will issue to the holder of such Series A Preferred Units a new certificate (or adjust the applicable book-entry account) representing the number of Series A Preferred Units represented by the surrendered certificate that have not been called for redemption.
Notwithstanding any notice of redemption, there will be no redemption of any Series A Preferred Units called for redemption until funds sufficient to pay the full redemption price of such Series A Preferred Units, including all accumulated and unpaid distributions to the date of redemption, whether or not declared, have been deposited by us with the Paying Agent.
We and our affiliates may from time to time purchase the Series A Preferred Units, subject to compliance with all applicable securities and other laws. Neither we nor any of our affiliates has any obligation, or any present plan or intention, to purchase any Series A Preferred Units. Any Series A Preferred Units that are redeemed or otherwise acquired by us will be cancelled.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that full cumulative distributions on the Series A Preferred Units and any Parity Securities have not been paid or declared and set apart for payment, we may not repurchase, redeem or otherwise acquire, in whole or in part, any Series A Preferred Units or Parity Securities except pursuant to a purchase or exchange offer made on the same terms to all holders of Series A Preferred Units and any Parity Securities. Units and any other Junior Securities may not be redeemed, repurchased or otherwise acquired unless full cumulative distributions on the Series A Preferred Units and any Parity Securities for all prior and the then-ending distribution periods have been paid or declared and set apart for payment.
Non-Citizen Assignees
If we are or become subject to federal, state or local laws or regulations that, in the reasonable determination of our general partner, create a substantial risk of cancellation or forfeiture of any property that we have an interest in because of the nationality, citizenship or other related status of any limited partner, including a holder of Series A Preferred Units, our general partner may redeem the limited partner interests held by the limited partner at their current market price. In order to avoid any cancellation or forfeiture, our general partner may require each limited partner to furnish information about his nationality, citizenship or related status. If a limited partner fails to furnish information about his nationality, citizenship or other related status within 30 days after a request for the information or our general partner determines after receipt of the information that the limited partner is not an eligible citizen, our general partner may elect to treat the limited partner as a non-citizen assignee. A non-citizen assignee is entitled to an interest equivalent to that of a limited partner for the right to share in allocations and distributions from us, including liquidating distributions. A non-citizen assignee does not have the right to direct the voting of his limited partner interests and may not receive distributions in kind upon our liquidation.
No Sinking Fund
The Series A Preferred Units do not have the benefit of any sinking fund.
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No Fiduciary Duty
We and the officers and directors of our general partner do not owe any fiduciary duties to holders of the Series A Preferred Units other than a contractual duty of good faith and fair dealing pursuant to our partnership agreement.
Book-Entry System
All Series A Preferred Units offered hereby are represented by a single certificate issued to The Depository Trust Company (and its successors or assigns or any other securities depositary selected by us) (the "Securities Depositary"), and registered in the name of its nominee (initially, Cede & Co.). The Series A Preferred Units will continue to be represented by a single certificate registered in the name of the Securities Depositary or its nominee, and no holder of the Series A Preferred Units will be entitled to receive a certificate evidencing such Series A Preferred Units unless otherwise required by law or the Securities Depositary gives notice of its intention to resign or is no longer eligible to act as such and we have not selected a substitute Securities Depositary within 60 calendar days thereafter. Payments and communications made by us to holders of the Series A Preferred Units will be duly made by making payments to, and communicating with, the Securities Depositary. Accordingly, unless certificates are available to holders of the Series A Preferred Units, each purchaser of Series A Preferred Units must rely on (i) the procedures of the Securities Depositary and its participants to receive distributions, any redemption price, liquidation preference and notices, and to direct the exercise of any voting or nominating rights, with respect to such Series A Preferred Units and (ii) the records of the Securities Depositary and its participants to evidence its ownership of such Series A Preferred Units.
So long as the Securities Depositary (or its nominee) is the sole holder of the Series A Preferred Units, no beneficial holder of the Series A Preferred Units will be deemed to be a unitholder of us. The Depository Trust Company, the initial Securities Depositary, is a New York-chartered limited purpose trust company that performs services for its participants, some of whom (and/or their representatives) own The Depository Trust Company. The Securities Depositary maintains lists of its participants and will maintain the positions (i.e., ownership interests) held by its participants in the Series A Preferred Units, whether as a holder of the Series A Preferred Units for its own account or as a nominee for another holder of the Series A Preferred Units.
Subsequent to the issuance of the Series A Preferred Units, we issued the Series B Preferred Units. For the terms associated with the Series B Preferred Units, please see "Description of our Series B Preferred Units" below.
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DESCRIPTION OF OUR SERIES B PREFERRED UNITS
Unless the context of the discussion contained in this prospectus otherwise indicates, the terms defined within this description apply only to the Series B Preferred Units.
General
The Series B Preferred Units represent limited partner interests in us. We may, without notice to or consent of the holders of the then-outstanding Series B Preferred Units, authorize and issue additional Series B Preferred Units and Junior Securities (as defined below under "—Ranking") and, subject to the limitations described under "—Voting Rights," Senior Securities and Parity Securities (as defined below under "—Ranking")).
The Series B Preferred Units entitle the holders thereof to receive cumulative cash distributions when, as and if declared by the board of directors of our general partner out of legally available funds for such purpose. When issued and paid for in the manner described in this registration statement, the Series B Preferred Units offered hereby are fully paid and nonassessable. Subject to the matters described under "—Liquidation Rights," each Series B Preferred Unit generally has a fixed liquidation preference of $25.00 per Series B Preferred Unit plus an amount equal to accumulated and unpaid distributions thereon to the date fixed for payment, whether or not declared.
The Series B Preferred Units represent perpetual equity interests in us and, unlike our indebtedness, do not give rise to a claim for payment of a principal amount at a particular date. As such, the Series B Preferred Units rank junior to all of our current and future indebtedness and other liabilities with respect to assets available to satisfy claims against us.
All of the Series B Preferred Units are represented by a single certificate issued to the Securities Depositary (as defined under "—Book-Entry System") and registered in the name of its nominee and, so long as a Securities Depositary has been appointed and is serving, no person acquiring Series B Preferred Units is entitled to receive a certificate representing such Series B Preferred Units unless applicable law otherwise requires or the Securities Depositary resigns or is no longer eligible to act as such and a successor is not appointed. Please read "—Book-Entry System."
Except as described below in "—Change of Control," the Series B Preferred Units are not convertible into units or any other securities and do not have exchange rights or are entitled or subject to any preemptive or similar rights. The Series B Preferred Units are not subject to mandatory redemption or to any sinking fund requirements. The Series B Preferred Units are subject to redemption, in whole or in part, at our option commencing on June 15, 2019 or any time under limited circumstances. Please read "—Redemption."
We have appointed Computershare Trust Company, N.A. as the paying agent (the "Paying Agent"), and the registrar and transfer agent (the "Registrar and Transfer Agent") for the Series B Preferred Units. The address of the Paying Agent is Computershare, PO Box 43078, Providence, RI 02940-3078.
Ranking
The Series B Preferred Units, with respect to anticipated monthly distributions, rank:
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- senior in right of payment to our units and to each other class or series of limited partner interests or other equity
securities established after the original issue date of the Series B Preferred Units that is not expressly made senior to or pari passu in right of payment with the Series B Preferred
Units as to the payment of distributions ("Junior Securities");
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- pari passu in right of payment with the Series A Preferred Units and any class or series of limited partner interests or other equity securities established after the original issue date of the
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- junior in right of payment to each other class or series of limited partner interests or other equity securities established after the original issue date of the Series B Preferred Units that is expressly made senior to the Series A Preferred Units as to the payment of distributions (the "Senior Securities").
Series B Preferred Units that is not expressly made senior or subordinated in right of payment to the Series B Preferred Units as to the payment of distributions (the "Parity Securities"); and
Under the partnership agreement, we may issue Junior Securities from time to time in one or more series without the consent of the holders of the Series B Preferred Units. The board of directors of our general partner has the authority to determine the preferences, powers, qualifications, limitations, restrictions and special or relative rights or privileges, if any, of any such series before the issuance of any limited partner interests of that series. The board of directors of our general partner will also determine the number of limited partner interests constituting each series of securities. Our ability to issue additional Parity Securities in certain circumstances or Senior Securities is limited as described under "—Voting Rights."
Change of Control
Within 180 days following the occurrence of a Change of Control (as defined below), we may, at our option, redeem the Series B Preferred Units in whole or in part by paying $25.00 per Series B Preferred Unit, plus all accrued and unpaid distributions thereon through and including the redemption date. If, prior to the Change of Control Conversion Date (as defined below), we exercise any of our redemption rights as described below under "—Redemption" relating to the Series B Preferred Units, holders of the Series B Preferred Units will not have the conversion right described below. However, any cash payment upon a Change of Control shall not be made unless (i) we have completed our change of control offer for any outstanding indebtedness structurally senior to the Series B Preferred Units, and (ii) such payment would be permitted under the restricted payments covenant contained in the terms governing any such indebtedness. Additionally, any cash payment to Series B Preferred Unit holders will be subject to the limitations contained in the indentures governing any future issuances of debt securities and preferred interests and the terms of any future issuance of Senior Securities, and our credit facility.
"Change of Control" means the occurrence of any of the following after the original issue date of the Series B Preferred Units:
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- the direct or indirect sale, lease, transfer, conveyance or other disposition (other than by way of merger or
consolidation), in one or a series of related transactions, of all or substantially all of the properties or assets of us and our subsidiaries taken as a whole to any person (as that term is used in
Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act);
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- the adoption of a plan relating to the liquidation or dissolution of us or removal of our general partner by our limited
partners;
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- the consummation of any transaction (including, without limitation, any merger or consolidation) the result of which is
that any "person" (as defined above) other than the partnership or its subsidiaries becomes the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of more than 50% of the equity of our general partner entitled
to vote in the election of directors, measured by voting power rather than number of units, shares or the like;
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- the consummation of any transaction (including, without limitation, any merger or consolidation) the result of which is that any "person" (as defined above) becomes the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of more than 50% of our equity entitled to vote in the election of directors, measured by voting power rather than number of shares, units or the like; or
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- the first day on which a majority of the members of the board of directors of our general partner are not directors who, as of the date of determination, (a) were members of the board of director on the date of the initial issuance of the Series B Preferred Units or (b) were nominated for election or elected to the board of directors with the approval of a majority of the directors who were members of the board of directors on the date of the initial issuance of the Series B Preferred Units.
Notwithstanding the preceding, a conversion of the partnership or any of its subsidiaries from a limited partnership, corporation, limited liability company or other form of entity to a limited liability company, corporation, limited partnership or other form of entity or an exchange of all of the outstanding equity interests in one form of entity for equity interests in another form of entity will not constitute a Change of Control, so long as following such conversion or exchange the "persons" (as defined above) who beneficially owned the partnership interests in the partnership immediately prior to such transactions continue to beneficially own in the aggregate more than 50% of the equity interests of such entity entitled to vote in the election of the board of directors of such entity or its general partner, as applicable, or continue to beneficially own sufficient equity interests in such entity to elect a majority of its directors, managers, trustees or other persons serving in a similar capacity for such entity or its general partner, as applicable, and, in either case no "person" beneficially owns more than 50% of the equity interests of such entity entitled to vote in the election of the board of directors of such entity of such entity or its general partner, as applicable.
Upon the occurrence of a Change of Control, each holder of Series B Preferred Units will have the right (unless, prior to the Change of Control Conversion Date, we provide notice of our election to redeem the Series B Preferred Units as described above) to convert such number of the Series B Preferred Units held by such holder of Series B Preferred Units on the Change of Control Conversion Date as such holder elects to have converted into a number of our Units per Series B Preferred Unit to be converted, which we refer to as the "Unit Conversion Consideration," equal to the lesser of:
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- the quotient rounded to the nearest 10,000th of a Unit obtained by dividing (i) the sum of the $25.00
liquidation preference plus the amount of any accrued and unpaid distributions to 5:00 p.m., Central time on the business day immediately preceding the Change of Control Conversion Date
(unless the Change of Control Conversion Date is after a record date for a Series B Preferred Units distributions payment and prior to the corresponding Series B Preferred Units
distribution payment date, in which case no additional amount for such accrued and unpaid distribution will be included in this sum) by (ii) the Unit Price (as defined below), and
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- 1.72236,
subject, in each case, to certain adjustments and to provisions for (i) the receipt of alternative consideration and (ii) splits, combinations and distributions in the form of equity issuances, each as described in greater detail in the partnership agreement.
In the case of a Change of Control pursuant to which the Series B Preferred Units will be converted into cash, securities (other than our units) or other property or assets (including any combination thereof), which we refer to as the "Alternative Form Consideration," a holder of Series B Preferred Units will receive upon conversion of such Series B Preferred Units the kind and amount of Alternative Form Consideration which such holder would have owned or been entitled to receive upon the Change of Control had such holder held a number of our units equal to the Unit Conversion Consideration immediately prior to the effective time of the Change of Control.
If the holders of our units have the opportunity to elect the form of consideration to be received in the Change of Control, the consideration that the holders of Series B Preferred Units will receive will be the form and proportion of the aggregate consideration elected by the holders of our units who
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participate in the determination (based on the weighted average of elections) and will be subject to any limitations to which all holders of our units are subject, including pro rata reductions applicable to any portion of the consideration payable in the Change of Control.
If we provide a redemption notice, whether pursuant to our special optional redemption right in connection with a Change of Control or our optional redemption right as described below under "—Redemption," holders of Series B Preferred Units will not have any right to convert the Series B Preferred Units that we have elected to redeem in connection with the Change of Control Conversion Right (as defined below) and any Series B Preferred Units subsequently selected for redemption that have been tendered for conversion will be redeemed on the related redemption date instead of converted on the Change of Control Conversion Date.
"Change of Control Conversion Right" means the right of a holder of Series B Preferred Units to convert some or all of the Series B Preferred Units held by such holder on the Change of Control Conversion Date into a number of our units per Series B Preferred Unit pursuant to the conversion provisions in our partnership agreement.
"Change of Control Conversion Date" means the date fixed by the board of directors of our general partner, in its sole discretion, as the date the Series B Preferred Units are to be converted, which will be a business day that is no fewer than 20 days nor more than 35 days after the date on which we provide the notice described above to holders of the Series B Preferred Units.
"Unit Price" means (i) the amount of cash consideration per unit, if the consideration to be received in the Change of Control by the holders of our units is solely cash; and (ii) the average of the closing prices for our units on the NASDAQ or other national securities exchange on which the units are admitted for trading for the ten consecutive trading days immediately preceding, but not including, the Change of Control Conversion Date, if the consideration to be received in the Change of Control by the holders of our units is other than solely cash.
Liquidation Rights
We will liquidate in accordance with capital accounts. The holders of outstanding Series B Preferred Units will be specially allocated net termination gain (including if necessary items of our gross income and gain) in a manner designed to achieve, in the event of any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of our affairs, whether voluntary or involuntary, a liquidation preference of $25.00 per Series B Preferred Unit. If the amount of our net termination gain (or items of gross income and gain) available to be specially allocated to the Series B Preferred Units is not sufficient to cause the capital account of a Series B Preferred Unit to equal the liquidation preference of a Series B Preferred Unit, then the amount that a holder of Series B Preferred Units would receive upon liquidation may be less than the Series B Preferred Unit liquidation preference even though there may be cash available for distribution to the holders of units or any other Junior Securities with respect to their capital accounts. Any accumulated and unpaid distributions on the Series B Preferred Units will be paid prior to any distributions in liquidation made in accordance with capital accounts.
Voting Rights
The Series B Preferred Units will have no voting rights except as set forth below or as otherwise provided by Delaware law.
Unless we have received the affirmative vote or consent of the holders of at least two-thirds of the outstanding Series B Preferred Units, voting as a separate class, we may not adopt any amendment to our partnership agreement that has a material adverse effect on the existing terms of the Series B Preferred Units.
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In addition, unless we have received the affirmative vote or consent of the holders of at least two-thirds of the outstanding Series B Preferred Units, voting together with holders of any other Parity Securities upon which like voting rights have been conferred and are exercisable, as a separate class, we may not create or issue any Senior Securities or, if the cumulative distributions payable on outstanding Series B Preferred Units or any Parity Securities are in arrears, create or issue any additional Series B Preferred Units or Parity Securities.
On any matter described above in which the holders of the Series B Preferred Units are entitled to vote as a class, such holders will be entitled to one vote per Series B Preferred Unit. The Series B Preferred Units held by us or any of our subsidiaries will not be entitled to vote.
Series B Preferred Units held in nominee or street name account will be voted by the broker or other nominee in accordance with the instruction of the beneficial owner unless the arrangement between the beneficial owner and his nominee provides otherwise.
Distributions
General
Holders of Series B Preferred Units are entitled to receive, as declared by the board of directors of our general partner out of legally available funds for such purpose, cumulative cash monthly distributions from June 17, 2014 (or, for Series B Preferred Units issued after such date, from the Distribution Payment Date immediately preceding the issuance of such Series B Preferred Units).
Distribution Rate
Distributions on Series B Preferred Units are cumulative, having commenced on June 15, 2014 (or, for Series B Preferred Units issued after the initial Distribution Payment Date, commencing on the Distribution Payment Date immediately preceding the issuance of such Series B Preferred Units), and payable monthly on each Distribution Payment Date, as declared by the board of directors of our general partner or any authorized committee thereof out of legally available funds for such purpose. The initial distribution rate for the Series B Preferred Units from, and including the date of original issuance to, but not including June 15, 2024, will be 8.00% per annum of the $25.00 liquidation preference per Series B Preferred Unit (equal to $2.00 per Series B Preferred Unit per annum). On and after June 15, 2024, distributions on the Series B Preferred Units will accrue at an annual rate equal to the sum of (a) Three-Month LIBOR (as defined below) as calculated on each applicable date of determination and (b) 5.256%, based on the $25.00 liquidation preference per Series B Preferred Unit.
The term "Three-Month LIBOR" means, on the second business day in London immediately preceding the first day of each relevant distribution period for the Series B Preferred Units, the rate (expressed as a percentage per year) for deposits in U.S. dollars for a three-month period as appears on Bloomberg, L.P. page US0003M, as set by the British Bankers Association at 11:00 a.m. (London time) on such date of determination.
All distributions accrue daily during the relevant distribution period. For distribution periods beginning on and after June 15, 2024, Three-Month LIBOR will be determined on each distribution payment date, or, if applicable, the redemption date, which determination will apply to each day during the distribution period.
Distribution Payment Dates
The "Distribution Payment Dates" for the Series B Preferred Units are on the 15th day of each month of each year. Distributions accumulate in each monthly distribution period from and including the preceding Distribution Payment Date or the initial issue date, as the case may be, to but excluding
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the applicable Distribution Payment Date for such monthly distribution period, and distributions accrue on accumulated distributions at the applicable distribution rate. If any Distribution Payment Date otherwise would fall on a day that is not a Business Day, declared distributions are paid on the immediately succeeding Business Day without the accumulation of additional distributions. Distributions on the Series B Preferred Units are payable based on a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months. "Business Day" means Monday through Friday of each week, except that a legal holiday recognized as such by the government of the United States of America or the State of New York shall not be recognized as such.
Payment of Distributions
Not later than 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on each Distribution Payment Date, we pay those monthly distributions, if any, on the Series B Preferred Units that have been declared by the board of directors of our general partner to the holders of such Series B Preferred Units as such holders' names appear on our unit transfer books maintained by the Registrar and Transfer Agent on the applicable record date. The record date is the first Business Day of the month during which the applicable Distribution Payment Date occurs, except that in the case of payments of distributions in arrears, the record date with respect to a Distribution Payment Date is such date as may be designated by the board of directors of our general partner in accordance with our partnership agreement.
So long as the Series B Preferred Units are held of record by the nominee of the Securities Depositary, declared distributions are paid to the Securities Depositary in same-day funds on each Distribution Payment Date. The Securities Depositary will credit accounts of its participants in accordance with the Securities Depositary's normal procedures. The participants are responsible for holding or disbursing such payments to beneficial owners of the Series B Preferred Units in accordance with the instructions of such beneficial owners.
No distribution may be declared or paid or set apart for payment on any Junior Securities (other than a distribution payable solely in Junior Securities or cash in lieu of fractional Junior Securities) unless full cumulative distributions have been or contemporaneously are being paid or provided for on all outstanding Series B Preferred Units and any Parity Securities through the most recent respective distribution payment dates. Accumulated distributions in arrears for any past distribution period may be declared by the board of directors of our general partner and paid on any date fixed by the board of directors of our general partner, whether or not a Distribution Payment Date, to holders of the Series B Preferred Units on the record date for such payment, which may not be more than 60 days, nor less than 15 days, before such payment date. Subject to the next succeeding sentence, if all accumulated distributions in arrears on all outstanding Series B Preferred Units and any Parity Securities have not been declared and paid, or sufficient funds for the payment thereof have not been set apart, payment of accumulated distributions in arrears will be made in order of their respective distribution payment dates, commencing with the earliest. If less than all distributions payable with respect to all Series B Preferred Units and any Parity Securities are paid, any partial payment will be made pro rata with respect to the Series B Preferred Units and any Parity Securities entitled to a distribution payment at such time in proportion to the aggregate amounts remaining due in respect of such limited partner interests at such time. Holders of the Series B Preferred Units will not be entitled to any distribution, whether payable in cash, property or limited partner interests, in excess of full cumulative distributions. Except insofar as distributions accrue on the amount of any accumulated and unpaid distributions as described under "—Distributions—Distribution Rate," no interest or sum of money in lieu of interest will be payable in respect of any distribution payment which may be in arrears on the Series B Preferred Units.
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Redemption
Optional Redemption
In the event of a Change of Control (as set forth in "—Change of Control") or any time on or after June 15, 2019, we may redeem, at our option, in whole or in part, the Series B Preferred Units at a redemption price in cash equal to $25.00 per Series B Preferred Unit plus an amount equal to all accumulated and unpaid distributions thereon to the date of redemption, whether or not declared. Any such optional redemption shall be effected only out of funds legally available for such purpose. We may undertake multiple partial redemptions. Any such redemption is subject to compliance with the provisions of our credit facility, our 8% Senior Notes due 2020, our 6.625% Senior Notes due 2021 and any debt securities or Senior Securities we may issue in the future prior to such redemption.
Redemption Procedures
We will give notice of any redemption by mail, postage prepaid, not less than 30 days and not more than 60 days before the scheduled date of redemption, to the holders of any Series B Preferred Units to be redeemed as such holders' names appear on our unit transfer books maintained by the Registrar and Transfer Agent at the address of such holders shown therein. Such notice shall state: (i) the redemption date, (ii) the number of Series B Preferred Units to be redeemed and, if less than all outstanding Series B Preferred Units are to be redeemed, the number (and the identification) of Series B Preferred Units to be redeemed from such holder, (iii) the redemption price, (iv) the place where the Series B Preferred Units are to be redeemed and shall be presented and surrendered for payment of the redemption price therefor and (v) that distributions on the Series B Preferred Units to be redeemed will cease to accumulate from and after such redemption date.
If fewer than all of the outstanding Series B Preferred Units are to be redeemed, the number of Series B Preferred Units to be redeemed will be determined by us, and such Series B Preferred Units will be redeemed by such method of selection as the Securities Depositary shall determine, pro rata or by lot, with adjustments to avoid redemption of fractional Series B Preferred Units. So long as all Series B Preferred Units are held of record by the nominee of the Securities Depositary, we will give notice, or cause notice to be given, to the Securities Depositary of the number of Series B Preferred Units to be redeemed, and the Securities Depositary will determine the number of Series B Preferred Units to be redeemed from the account of each of its participants holding such Series B Preferred Units in its participant account. Thereafter, each participant will select the number of Series B Preferred Units to be redeemed from each beneficial owner for whom it acts (including the participant, to the extent it holds Series B Preferred Units for its own account). A participant may determine to redeem Series B Preferred Units from some beneficial owners (including the participant itself) without redeeming Series B Preferred Units from the accounts of other beneficial owners.
So long as the Series B Preferred Units are held of record by the nominee of the Securities Depositary, the redemption price will be paid by the Paying Agent to the Securities Depositary on the redemption date. The Securities Depositary's normal procedures provide for it to distribute the amount of the redemption price in same-day funds to its participants who, in turn, are expected to distribute such funds to the persons for whom they are acting as agent.
If we give or cause to be given a notice of redemption, then we will deposit with the Paying Agent funds in an amount sufficient to redeem the Series B Preferred Units as to which notice has been given by 5:00 p.m., New York City time, no later than the Business Day immediately preceding the date fixed for redemption, and will give the Paying Agent irrevocable instructions and authority to pay the redemption price to the holder or holders thereof upon surrender or deemed surrender (which will occur automatically if the certificate representing such Series B Preferred Units is issued in the name of the Securities Depositary or its nominee) of the certificates therefor. If notice of redemption shall have been given, then from and after the date fixed for redemption, unless we default in providing
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funds sufficient for such redemption at the time and place specified for payment pursuant to the notice, all distributions on such Series B Preferred Units will cease to accumulate and all rights of holders of such Series B Preferred Units as our unitholders will cease, except the right to receive the redemption price, including an amount equal to accumulated and unpaid distributions through the date fixed for redemption, whether or not declared.
If only a portion of the Series B Preferred Units represented by a certificate has been called for redemption, upon surrender of the certificate to the Paying Agent (which will occur automatically if the certificate representing such Series B Preferred Units is registered in the name of the Securities Depositary or its nominee), the Paying Agent will issue to the holder of such Series B Preferred Units a new certificate (or adjust the applicable book-entry account) representing the number of Series B Preferred Units represented by the surrendered certificate that have not been called for redemption.
Notwithstanding any notice of redemption, there will be no redemption of any Series B Preferred Units called for redemption until funds sufficient to pay the full redemption price of such Series B Preferred Units, including all accumulated and unpaid distributions to the date of redemption, whether or not declared, have been deposited by us with the Paying Agent.
We and our affiliates may from time to time purchase the Series B Preferred Units, subject to compliance with all applicable securities and other laws. Neither we nor any of our affiliates has any obligation, or any present plan or intention, to purchase any Series B Preferred Units. Any Series B Preferred Units that are redeemed or otherwise acquired by us will be cancelled.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that full cumulative distributions on the Series B Preferred Units and any Parity Securities have not been paid or declared and set apart for payment, we may not repurchase, redeem or otherwise acquire, in whole or in part, any Series B Preferred Units or Parity Securities except pursuant to a purchase or exchange offer made on the same terms to all holders of Series B Preferred Units and any Parity Securities. Units and any other Junior Securities may not be redeemed, repurchased or otherwise acquired unless full cumulative distributions on the Series B Preferred Units and any Parity Securities for all prior and the then-ending distribution periods have been paid or declared and set apart for payment.
Non-Citizen Assignees
If we are or become subject to federal, state or local laws or regulations that, in the reasonable determination of our general partner, create a substantial risk of cancellation or forfeiture of any property that we have an interest in because of the nationality, citizenship or other related status of any limited partner, including a holder of Series B Preferred Units, our general partner may redeem the limited partner interests held by the limited partner at their current market price. In order to avoid any cancellation or forfeiture, our general partner may require each limited partner to furnish information about his nationality, citizenship or related status. If a limited partner fails to furnish information about his nationality, citizenship or other related status within 30 days after a request for the information or our general partner determines after receipt of the information that the limited partner is not an eligible citizen, our general partner may elect to treat the limited partner as a non-citizen assignee. A non-citizen assignee is entitled to an interest equivalent to that of a limited partner for the right to share in allocations and distributions from us, including liquidating distributions. A non-citizen assignee does not have the right to direct the voting of his limited partner interests and may not receive distributions in kind upon our liquidation.
No Sinking Fund
The Series B Preferred Units do not have the benefit of any sinking fund.
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No Fiduciary Duty
We and the officers and directors of our general partner do not owe any fiduciary duties to holders of the Series B Preferred Units other than a contractual duty of good faith and fair dealing pursuant to our partnership agreement.
Book-Entry System
All Series B Preferred Units offered hereby are represented by a single certificate issued to The Depository Trust Company (and its successors or assigns or any other securities depositary selected by us) (the "Securities Depositary"), and registered in the name of its nominee (initially, Cede & Co.). The Series B Preferred Units will continue to be represented by a single certificate registered in the name of the Securities Depositary or its nominee, and no holder of the Series B Preferred Units will be entitled to receive a certificate evidencing such Series B Preferred Units unless otherwise required by law or the Securities Depositary gives notice of its intention to resign or is no longer eligible to act as such and we have not selected a substitute Securities Depositary within 60 calendar days thereafter. Payments and communications made by us to holders of the Series B Preferred Units will be duly made by making payments to, and communicating with, the Securities Depositary. Accordingly, unless certificates are available to holders of the Series B Preferred Units, each purchaser of Series B Preferred Units must rely on (i) the procedures of the Securities Depositary and its participants to receive distributions, any redemption price, liquidation preference and notices, and to direct the exercise of any voting or nominating rights, with respect to such Series B Preferred Units and (ii) the records of the Securities Depositary and its participants to evidence its ownership of such Series B Preferred Units.
So long as the Securities Depositary (or its nominee) is the sole holder of the Series B Preferred Units, no beneficial holder of the Series B Preferred Units will be deemed to be a unitholder of us. The Depository Trust Company, the initial Securities Depositary, is a New York-chartered limited purpose trust company that performs services for its participants, some of whom (and/or their representatives) own The Depository Trust Company. The Securities Depositary maintains lists of its participants and will maintain the positions (i.e., ownership interests) held by its participants in the Series B Preferred Units, whether as a holder of the Series B Preferred Units for its own account or as a nominee for another holder of the Series B Preferred Units.
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Set forth below is a summary of our cash distribution policy, including a description of the significant provisions of our partnership agreement that relate to cash distributions as well as a description of restrictions on our ability to make cash distributions.
General
Rationale for Our Cash Distribution Policy
Our cash distribution policy reflects a basic judgment that our limited partners will be better served by distributing our available cash rather than retaining it. The amount of available cash will be determined by our general partner for each fiscal quarter. Our cash distribution policy is consistent with the terms of our partnership agreement, which requires that we distribute all of our available cash on a quarterly basis to our limited partners.
Under our partnership agreement, available cash is defined generally to mean, cash on hand at the end of each quarter, plus working capital borrowings made after the end of the quarter, less cash reserves determined by our general partner, at the date of determination of available cash for the quarter, to be necessary and appropriate to provide for the conduct of our business (which could include, but is not limited to, amounts reserved for capital expenditures, including drilling and acquisitions, and our anticipated future credit needs), comply with applicable law, any of our debt instruments or other agreements, provide funds for distributions in respect of existing preferred units or provide funds for distributions to our unitholders for any one of the upcoming four quarters. Because we are not subject to an entity-level federal income tax, we have more cash to distribute to our preferred unitholders and our unitholders than would be the case if we were subject to such tax.
Limitations on our Ability to Make Quarterly Distributions
There is no guarantee that preferred unitholders or unitholders will receive quarterly distributions from us. Our cash distribution policy is subject to limitations and restrictions, including the following:
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- Our general partner has broad discretion to establish reserves for the prudent conduct of our business. The establishment
of those reserves could result in a reduction in the amount of cash available to pay distributions.
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- Our ability to make distributions of available cash will depend primarily on our cash flow from operations. Although our
partnership agreement provides for quarterly distributions of available cash, we may be unable to make distributions to our preferred unitholders and our unitholders.
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- If we fail to make acquisitions on economically attractive terms, we will not be able to replace our declining oil and
natural gas reserves at a level that allows us to maintain our current quarterly distribution.
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- We will be prohibited from borrowing under our revolving credit facility to make distributions to our preferred
unitholders and our unitholders if the amount of borrowing outstanding under our revolving credit facility reaches or exceeds 100% of our borrowing base. Further, we may enter into future debt
arrangements that could subject our ability to pay distributions to compliance with certain tests or ratios or otherwise restrict our ability to pay distributions.
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- Under the terms of our Existing Preferred Units, no distribution may be declared or paid or set apart for payment on the units, or any other junior securities, unless full cumulative distributions have been or contemporaneously are being paid or provided for on all outstanding Existing Preferred Units.
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- Under Section 17-607 of the Delaware Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act, we may not make a distribution to
you if the distribution could cause our liabilities to exceed the fair value of our assets.
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- Although our partnership agreement requires us to distribute our available cash, our partnership agreement, including the provisions requiring us to make cash distributions contained therein, may be amended. Our partnership agreement can be amended with the approval of a majority of the outstanding units.
Our Cash Distribution Policy May Limit Our Ability to Grow
Because we distribute all of our available cash, our growth may not be as fast as that of businesses that reinvest most or all of their available cash to expand ongoing operations. We generally intend to rely upon external financing sources, including borrowings under our revolving credit facility and issuances of debt and equity securities, to fund a substantial portion of our acquisition expenditures and a portion of our development project capital expenditures. However, to the extent we are unable to finance growth externally, our cash distribution policy will significantly impair our ability to grow.
Our Cash Distribution Policy
Our partnership agreement provides for the distribution of available cash on a quarterly basis to our limited partners. Available cash is defined generally to mean, cash on hand at the end of each quarter, plus working capital borrowings made after the end of the quarter, less cash reserves determined by our general partner, at the date of determination of available cash for the quarter, to be necessary and appropriate to provide for the conduct of our business (which could include, but is not limited to, amounts reserved for capital expenditures, including drilling and acquisitions, and our anticipated future credit needs), comply with applicable law, any of our debt instruments or other agreements, provide funds for distributions in respect of existing preferred units or provide funds for distributions to our unitholders for any one of the upcoming four quarters. The amount of available cash will be determined by our general partner for each calendar quarter of our operations.
Distributions of Available Cash
General
The partnership agreement requires that we make distributions from available cash to our preferred unitholders on a monthly basis, and within 45 days after the end of each quarter, we distribute all of our remaining available cash to unitholders of record on the applicable record date, subject to distributions on our Incentive Distribution Units.
Definition of Available Cash
The partnership agreement generally defines available cash, for any quarter, as all cash and cash equivalents on hand at the end of that quarter, including cash resulting from working capital borrowings made after the end of such quarter:
- •
- less, the amount of cash reserves established by our general partner at
the date of determination of available cash for the quarter to:
- •
- provide for the proper conduct of our business, which could include, but is not limited to, amounts reserved for capital
expenditures including drilling and acquisitions and for our anticipated future credit needs;
- •
- comply with applicable law, any of our debt instruments or other agreements; or
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- provide funds for distributions in respect of existing preferred units;
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- •
- provide funds for distributions to our unitholders (including our general partner) for any one or more of the next four quarters.
Operating Surplus and Capital Surplus
Generally
All cash distributed to limited partners is characterized as either from "operating surplus" or "capital surplus." The partnership agreement requires that we distribute available cash from operating surplus differently than available cash from capital surplus.
Operating Surplus
Operating surplus is defined in the partnership agreement to generally mean, for any period:
- •
- $140.0 million (as described below); plus
- •
- all of the cash receipts of the partnership and its subsidiaries (or the partnership's proportionate share of cash
receipts in the case of subsidiaries that are not wholly owned) after the first day of the fiscal quarter in which the Incentive Distribution Units were issued, excluding cash from interim capital
transactions, which include the following:
- •
- borrowings (including sales of debt securities), refinancings or refundings of indebtedness that are not working capital
borrowings;
- •
- sales of equity interests;
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- sales and other dispositions of any assets outside the ordinary course of business (excluding dispositions of inventory,
accounts receivable and other assets in the ordinary course of business and sales of assets as part of normal retirements or replacements);
- •
- capital contributions received; and
- •
- corporate reorganizations or restructurings;
provided that cash receipts from the termination of a commodity, currency, basis differential or interest rate hedge prior to its specified termination date shall be included in operating surplus in equal quarterly installments over the remaining scheduled life of such commodity hedge or interest rate hedge; plus
- •
- working capital borrowings made after the end of the period but on or before the date of determination of operating
surplus for the period; plus
- •
- cash distributions paid on equity issued (including incremental distributions on Incentive Distribution Units), to fund
all or a portion of an acquisition or a capital improvement or replacement of a capital asset (such as reserves or equipment) in respect of the period from the date we enter into a binding obligation
to make an acquisition or a capital improvement or replacement of a capital asset until the earlier to occur of the date the capital improvement or acquisition begins producing in paying quantities or
is placed into service, as applicable, and the date that it is abandoned or disposed of (including equity issued to fund interest payments and related fees on debt incurred to fund all or a portion of
a capital improvement or acquisition); less
- •
- all of our operating expenditures (as defined below) between the first day of the fiscal quarter in which the Incentive
Distribution Units were first issued and the end of the period; less
- •
- the amount of cash reserves established by our general partner (or the partnership's proportionate share of cash reserves in the case of subsidiaries that are not wholly owned) to provide funds for future operating expenditures; less
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- •
- all working capital borrowings not repaid within twelve months after having been incurred, or repaid within such
twelve-month period with the proceeds of additional working capital borrowings; less
- •
- any loss realized on disposition of an investment capital expenditure.
As described above, operating surplus does not reflect actual cash on hand that is available for distribution to our limited partners and is not limited to cash generated by our operations. For example, it includes a basket of $140.0 million that enables us, if we choose, to distribute as operating surplus cash we receive in the future from non-operating sources such as asset sales, issuances of securities and long-term borrowings that would otherwise be distributed as capital surplus. In addition, the effect of including (as described above) certain cash distributions on equity interests in operating surplus will be to increase operating surplus by the amount of any such cash distributions. As a result, we may also distribute as operating surplus up to the amount of any such cash that we receive from non-operating sources.
The proceeds of working capital borrowings increase operating surplus and repayments of working capital borrowings are generally operating expenditures (as described below) and thus reduce operating surplus when repayments are made. However, if a working capital borrowing is not repaid during the twelve-month period following the borrowing, it will be deemed repaid at the end of such period, thus decreasing operating surplus at such time. When such working capital borrowing is in fact repaid, it will be excluded from operating expenditures because operating surplus will have been previously reduced by the deemed repayment.
Operating expenditures are defined in the partnership agreement as all of our cash expenditures (or our proportionate share of cash expenditures in the case of subsidiaries that are not wholly owned), including, but not limited to, taxes, reimbursement of expenses to our general partner and its affiliates, payments made in the ordinary course of business under commodity, currency, basis differential or interest rate hedge contracts (provided that (i) with respect to amounts paid in connection with the initial purchase of a commodity, currency, basis differential or interest rate hedge contract, such amounts will be amortized in accordance with the monthly allocations of fair value conducted at the time the applicable commodity, currency, basis differential or interest rate hedge contract is entered into and (ii) payments made in connection with the termination of any interest rate hedge contract or commodity hedge contract prior to the expiration of its stipulated settlement or termination date will be included in operating expenditures in equal quarterly installments over the remaining scheduled life of such interest rate hedge contract or commodity hedge contract), officer compensation, repayment of working capital borrowings, debt service payments (except as otherwise provided in the partnership agreement) and estimated maintenance capital expenditures (as discussed in further detail below), provided that operating expenditures do not include:
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- repayment of working capital borrowings previously deducted from operating surplus pursuant to the provision described in
the penultimate bullet point of the description of operating surplus above when such repayment actually occurs;
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- payments (including prepayments and prepayment penalties) of principal of and premium on indebtedness, other than working
capital borrowings;
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- growth capital expenditures;
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- actual maintenance capital expenditures (as discussed in further detail below);
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- investment capital expenditures;
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- payment of transaction expenses relating to interim capital transactions;
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- distributions to our partners (including distributions in respect of the Incentive Distribution Units); or
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- repurchases of equity interests except to fund obligations under employee benefit plans.
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Capital Surplus
Capital surplus is defined in the partnership agreement as any distribution of available cash in excess of our cumulative operating surplus. Accordingly, capital surplus would generally be generated only by the following (which we refer to as "interim capital transactions"):
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- borrowings (including sales of debt securities), refinancings or refundings of indebtedness other than working capital
borrowings and other than for items purchased on open account or for a deferred purchase price in the ordinary course of business;
- •
- sales of our equity interests;
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- sales or other dispositions of assets outside the ordinary course of business (other than dispositions of inventory,
accounts receivable and other assets in the ordinary course of business and sales and other dispositions of assets as part of normal retirements or replacements);
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- capital contributions received; and
- •
- corporate reorganizations and restructurings.
Characterization of Cash Distributions
The partnership agreement requires that we treat all available cash distributed as coming from operating surplus until the sum of all available cash distributed since the first day of the fiscal quarter in which the Incentive Distribution Units were first issued equals the operating surplus from the first day of the fiscal quarter in which the Incentive Distribution Units were first issued through the end of the quarter immediately preceding that distribution. Our partnership agreement requires that we treat any amount distributed in excess of operating surplus, regardless of its source, as capital surplus. As described above, operating surplus includes up to $140.0 million, which does not reflect actual cash on hand that is available for distribution to our limited partners. Rather, it is a provision that will enable us, if we choose, to distribute as operating surplus up to this amount of cash we receive in the future from interim capital transactions that would otherwise be distributed as capital surplus. We do not anticipate that we will make any distributions from capital surplus.
Capital Expenditures
The partnership agreement provides that estimated maintenance capital expenditures reduce operating surplus, but growth capital expenditures, actual maintenance capital expenditures and investment capital expenditures do not. Maintenance capital expenditures are those capital expenditures made to maintain, over the long term, the production levels of our oil and natural gas properties or the operating capacity of our other capital assets existing on the date of such expenditure. We expect that a primary component of maintenance capital expenditures will be capital expenditures associated with the replacement of equipment and, to the extent required to maintain production, oil and natural gas reserves (including non-proved reserves attributable to undeveloped leasehold acreage), whether through the development, exploitation and production of existing oil and natural gas properties or the acquisition or development of a new oil or natural gas properties. Maintenance capital expenditures may also include interest (and related fees) on debt incurred and distributions on equity issued (including incremental distributions on the Incentive Distribution Units) to finance all or any portion of any replacement asset that is paid in respect of the period from the date that we enter into a binding agreement to commence construction or development of a replacement asset until the earlier to occur of the date that any such replacement asset begins producing in paying quantities or is placed into service, as applicable, and the date that it is abandoned or disposed of. Plugging and abandonment costs are also expected to constitute maintenance capital expenditures. Capital expenditures made solely for investment purposes are not considered maintenance capital expenditures.
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Because our maintenance capital expenditures can be irregular, the amount of our actual maintenance capital expenditures may differ substantially from period to period, which could cause similar fluctuations in the amounts of operating surplus and adjusted operating surplus if we subtracted actual maintenance capital expenditures from operating surplus. To address this issue, the partnership agreement requires that an estimate of the average quarterly maintenance capital expenditures necessary to maintain, over the long term, production levels of our oil and natural gas properties or the operating capacity of our other assets be subtracted from operating surplus each quarter as opposed to the actual amounts spent. The amount of estimated maintenance capital expenditures deducted from operating surplus is subject to review and change by our general partner's board of directors. The estimate will be made at least annually and whenever an event occurs that is likely to result in a material adjustment to the amount of our maintenance capital expenditures, such as a major acquisition or the introduction of new governmental regulations that will impact our business. The partnership agreement does not cap the amount of maintenance capital expenditures that our general partner may estimate. For purposes of calculating operating surplus, any adjustment to this estimate will be prospective only.
The use of estimated maintenance capital expenditures in calculating operating surplus has the following effects:
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- it reduces the risk that maintenance capital expenditures in any one quarter will be large enough to render operating
surplus insufficient to maintain our quarterly distribution rate; and
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- in quarters where estimated maintenance capital expenditures exceed actual maintenance capital expenditures, it will be more difficult for us to raise our distribution above the then-current level and pay incentive distributions on the Incentive Distribution Units to the holders thereof because the amount of estimated maintenance capital expenditures reduces the amount of cash available for distribution to our preferred unitholders and our unitholders and the holders of Incentive Distribution Units, even in quarters where there are no corresponding actual capital expenditures; conversely, the use of estimated maintenance capital expenditures in calculating operating surplus will have the opposite effect for quarters in which actual maintenance capital expenditures exceed our estimated maintenance capital expenditures.
Growth capital expenditures are defined in the partnership agreement as those capital expenditures with respect to acquisitions or capital improvements that we expect will increase, over the long term, the production of our oil and natural gas properties or the operating capacity of our other capital assets existing on the date of such expenditure. Examples of growth capital expenditures include the acquisition of reserves or equipment, the acquisition of new leasehold interests, or the development, exploitation and production of an existing leasehold interest, to the extent such expenditures are incurred to increase, over the long term, the production of our oil and natural gas properties or the operating capacity of our other capital assets existing on the date of such expenditure. Growth capital expenditures also may include interest (and related fees) on debt incurred and distributions on equity issued (including incremental distributions on the Incentive Distribution Units) to finance all or any portion of such capital improvement during the period from the date we enter into a binding obligation to acquire the related capital asset or commence the related capital improvement until the earlier to occur of the date any such capital asset or capital improvement begins producing in paying quantities or is placed into service, as applicable, or the date that it is abandoned or disposed of. Capital expenditures made solely for investment purposes are not considered growth capital expenditures.
Investment capital expenditures are defined in the partnership agreement as those capital expenditures that are neither maintenance capital expenditures nor growth capital expenditures. Investment capital expenditures largely consist of capital expenditures made for investment purposes. Examples of investment capital expenditures include traditional capital expenditures for investment purposes, such as purchases of securities, as well as other capital expenditures that might be made in
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lieu of such traditional investment capital expenditures, such as the acquisition of a capital asset for investment purposes or development of our undeveloped properties in excess of the maintenance of our current production levels of our oil and natural gas properties or the current operating capacity of our other capital assets, but which are not expected to increase the production of our oil and natural gas properties or the operating capacity of our other capital assets for more than the short term.
As described above, neither investment capital expenditures nor growth capital expenditures are included in operating expenditures, and thus will not reduce operating surplus. Because growth capital expenditures may include interest payments (and related fees) on debt incurred to finance all or a portion of a growth capital expenditure during the period from the date we enter into a binding obligation to acquire the related capital asset or commence construction of the related capital improvement until the earlier to occur of the date any such capital asset or capital improvement begins producing in paying quantities or is placed into service, as applicable, and the date that it is abandoned or disposed of, such interest payments also may not reduce operating surplus. Losses on disposition of an investment capital expenditure reduce operating surplus when realized and cash receipts from an investment capital expenditure are treated as a cash receipt for purposes of calculating operating surplus only to the extent the cash receipt is a return on principal.
Capital expenditures that are made in part for maintenance capital purposes and in part for investment capital or growth capital purposes are allocated as maintenance capital expenditures, investment capital expenditures or growth capital expenditure by our general partner's board of directors.
Adjusted Operating Surplus
Adjusted operating surplus is intended to reflect the cash generated from operations during a particular period and therefore excludes net increases in working capital borrowings and net drawdowns of reserves of cash generated in prior periods. Adjusted operating surplus is calculated using estimated maintenance capital expenditures rather than actual maintenance capital expenditures and, to the extent the estimated amount is less than the actual amount, the cash generated from operations during that period would be less than the adjusted operating surplus for that period. Adjusted operating surplus for any period consists of:
- •
- operating surplus generated with respect to that period (excluding any amounts attributable to the items described in the
first bullet point under "—Operating Surplus and Capital Surplus—Operating Surplus"); less
- •
- any net increase in working capital borrowings (or the partnership's proportionate share of any net increase in working
capital borrowings in the case of subsidiaries that are not wholly owned) with respect to that period; less
- •
- any net decrease in cash reserves (or the partnership's proportionate share of any net decrease in cash reserves in the
case of subsidiaries that are not wholly owned) for operating expenditures with respect to that period not relating to an operating expenditure made with respect to that period; plus
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- any net decrease in working capital borrowings (or the partnership's proportionate share of any net decrease in working
capital borrowings in the case of subsidiaries that are not wholly owned) with respect to that period; plus
- •
- any net increase in cash reserves (or the partnership's proportionate share of any net increase in cash reserves in the case of subsidiaries that are not wholly owned) for operating expenditures with respect to that period required by any debt instrument for the repayment of principal, interest or premium; plus
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- •
- any net decrease made in subsequent periods in cash reserves for operating expenditures initially established with respect to such period to the extent such decrease results in a reduction of adjusted operating surplus in subsequent periods pursuant to the third bullet point above.
Distributions of Available Cash from Operating Surplus
We will make distributions of available cash from operating surplus for any quarter in the following manner once all distributions payable with respect to our outstanding preferred units are made:
- •
- first, 100.00% to the unitholders and our general partner, pro rata,
until we distribute for each unit an amount equal to at least $0.5900; and
- •
- thereafter, in the manner described below in "—Incentive Distribution Units."
Incentive Distribution Units
Incentive Distribution Units consist of a class of 1,000,000 units, which amount may not be increased except with the consent the holders of at least 75% of the outstanding Incentive Distribution Units. The distribution percentages referenced below with respect to the Incentive Distribution Units apply to the entirety of the class of Incentive Distribution Units with each unit thereof entitled to its proportionate share of such percentage.
Incentive Distribution Units represent the right to receive an increasing percentage (13% and 23%) of the quarterly distributions of available cash from operating surplus after certain target distribution levels have been paid. If, for any quarter, the partnership has distributed available cash from operating surplus to the unitholders and the general partner of the partnership an amount equal to at least $0.5900 per unit, then the partnership will distribute any additional available cash from operating surplus for that quarter in the following manner:
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- first, 100.00% to the unitholders and our general partner, pro rata,
until each unitholder receives a total of $0.6785 per unit for that quarter;
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- second, 87.00% to the unitholders and our general partner, pro rata and
13.00% to the holders of the Incentive Distribution Units, pro rata, until each unitholder receives a total of $0.7375 per unit for that quarter; and
- •
- thereafter, 77.00% to the unitholders and our general partner, pro rata, and 23.00% to the holders of Incentive Distribution Units, pro rata.
All Incentive Distribution Units that are not held by third parties are currently deemed to be held in treasury by the partnership. Incentive Distribution Units held in treasury receive their pro rata share of any distributions made in respect of the Incentive Distribution Units, and the cash to be received by the partnership from these distributions may be distributed to the unitholders, our general partner and the holders of Incentive Distribution Units, in the manner described above or may be retained by the partnership as cash reserves for any permissible partnership purpose.
General Partner's Right to Reset Incentive Distribution Levels
The partnership agreement grants our general partner the right to elect to reset, at a higher level, the cash target distribution levels upon which the incentive distribution payments to the holders of Incentive Distribution Units will be set. The right to reset the target distribution levels upon which the
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incentive distributions are based may be exercised without the approval of our unitholders or the holders of Incentive Distribution Units or the conflicts committee, at any time when:
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- the partnership has paid four consecutive quarterly distributions in respect of each unit of an amount equal to at least
$0.7375 for each such quarter; and
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- the amount of all distributions during each quarter within such four-quarter period did not exceed the adjusted operating surplus for such quarter.
The reset target distribution levels will be higher than the target distribution levels prior to the reset such that there will be no incentive distributions paid under the reset target distribution levels until cash distributions per unit following this event increase as described below. We anticipate that our general partner would exercise this reset right in order to facilitate acquisitions or internal growth projects that would otherwise not be sufficiently accretive to cash distributions per unit, taking into account the existing levels of incentive distribution payments being made to the holders of Incentive Distribution Units.
In connection with the resetting of the target distribution levels and the corresponding relinquishment of incentive distribution payments by the holders of Incentive Distribution Unit based on the target cash distributions prior to the reset, the holders of Incentive Distribution Units will be entitled to receive a number of newly issued units based on a predetermined formula described below that takes into account the "cash parity" value of the average cash distributions related to the Incentive Distribution Units received by the holders of Incentive Distribution Units for the two quarters prior to the reset event as compared to the average cash distributions per unit during that two-quarter period.
The number of units that the holders of Incentive Distribution Units would be entitled to receive from us in connection with a resetting of the target distribution levels then in effect would be equal to the quotient determined by dividing (x) the average aggregate amount of cash distributions received in respect of the issued and outstanding Incentive Distribution Units during the two consecutive fiscal quarters ended immediately prior to the date of such reset election by (y) the average of the amount of cash distributed per unit during each quarter in that two-quarter period.
Following a reset election, the target distribution amount of $0.5900 per unit will be reset to an amount equal to the average cash distribution amount per unit for the two fiscal quarters immediately preceding the reset election (which amount we refer to as the "reset minimum target distribution") and the target distribution levels will be reset to be correspondingly higher such that we would distribute all of our available cash from operating surplus for each quarter thereafter as follows once all distributions payable with respect to our outstanding preferred units are made:
- •
- first, 100.00% to the unitholders and our general partner, pro rata, and
0.00% to the holders of the Incentive Distribution Units, until each unitholder receives an amount equal to 115% of the reset minimum target distribution for that quarter;
- •
- second, 87.00% to the unitholders and our general partner, pro rata, and
13.00% to the holders of the Incentive Distribution Units, pro rata, until each unitholder receives an amount equal to 125% of the reset minimum target distribution per unit for that quarter; and
- •
- thereafter, 77.00% to the unitholders and our general partner, pro rata, and 23.00% to the holders of Incentive Distribution Units, pro rata;
provided that, if the target distribution levels have been reduced to zero in connection with the adjustments described below in the last paragraph of "Distributions from Capital Surplus," the distribution of available cash that is deemed to be operating surplus with respect to any quarter will be made solely in accordance with the third bullet point above.
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Distributions from Capital Surplus
We make distributions of available cash from capital surplus, if any, in the following manner once all distributions payable with respect to our outstanding preferred units are made:
- •
- first, 100% to the unitholders and our general partner, pro rata, until
the initial target distribution amount of $0.5900 has been reduced to zero as described below; and
- •
- thereafter, we make all distributions of available cash from capital surplus as if they were from operating surplus.
In the event of a distribution of cash that is deemed to be from capital surplus, then the applicable target distribution amount (which will be either $0.5900 or the adjusted amount as described under "Distributions of Available Cash From Operating Surplus—General Partner's Right to Reset Incentive Distribution Levels," as adjusted pursuant to this paragraph) and the target distribution levels described above under "Distributions of Available Cash from Operating Surplus—Incentive Distribution Units" will be reduced in the same proportion that the distribution of available cash from capital surplus had to the fair market value of our units immediately prior to the announcement of the distribution. The fair market value of our units will be either the current market price of the units before the ex-dividend date with respect to the distribution or, if the units are not then admitted to trading on a national securities exchange, the fair market value of the units as determined by the board of directors of our general partner.
General Partner's Incentive Distribution Conversion Rights in Connection with a Change of Control
For 180 days following an IDR change of control as set forth in our partnership agreement, our general partner will have the right to cause a conversion of all, but not less than all, of the vested and outstanding Incentive Distribution Units. In the event that the general partner elects to convert the Incentive Distribution Units upon or following a change of control, the holders of Incentive Distribution Units will receive a number of units equal to:
- •
- the average aggregate amount of cash distributions made by the partnership for the two quarters immediately preceding the election in respect of the Incentive Distribution Units held by the holder thereof; and
- •
- the average amount of cash distributions actually made by the partnership in respect of each unit for the two quarters immediately preceding the election.
divided by
If the holders of units receive cash or other equity interests from a third party in connection with a change of control prior to a conversion described above, the Incentive Distribution Units will be converted into an equivalent amount of cash or such other equity interests that would have been received if the conversion described above had occurred immediately prior to the issuance of cash or such other equity interests.
Incentive Distribution Unitholder's Conversion Rights
For 180 days following an IDR change of control, as set forth in our partnership agreement, our Incentive Distribution Unitholders will have the right to cause a conversion, in whole or in part, of the vested and outstanding Incentive Distribution Units. In the event that a Incentive Distribution
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Unitholder elects to convert the Incentive Distribution Units upon or following such a change of control, the holders of Incentive Distribution Units will receive a number of units equal to:
- •
- the average aggregate amount of cash distributions made by the partnership for the two quarters immediately preceding the election in respect of the Incentive Distribution Units held by the holder thereof; and
- •
- the average amount of cash distributions actually made by the partnership in respect of each unit for the two quarters immediately preceding the election.
divided by
If the holders of units receive cash or other equity interests from a third party in connection with a change of control prior to a conversion described above, the Incentive Distribution Units will be converted into an equivalent amount of cash or such other equity interests that would have been received if the conversion described above had occurred immediately prior to the issuance of cash or such other equity interests.
In addition to an Incentive Distribution Unitholder's conversion rights upon a change of control, any Incentive Distribution Unitholder may cause a conversion, in whole or in part, of the vested and outstanding Incentive Distribution Units upon the consent of our general partner at any time. Any such conversion will be calculated in accordance the formulation set forth above in relation to an IDR change of control.
Distributions of Cash Upon Liquidation
If we dissolve in accordance with our partnership agreement, we will sell or otherwise dispose of our assets in a process called liquidation. We will first apply the proceeds of liquidation to the payment of our creditors. We will distribute any remaining proceeds to the limited partners and our general partner, in accordance with their capital account balances, as adjusted to reflect any gain or loss upon the sale or other disposition of our assets in liquidation.
Adjustments to Capital Accounts
We will make adjustments to capital accounts upon the issuance of additional units. In doing so, we will allocate any unrealized and, for tax purposes, unrecognized gain or loss resulting from the adjustments to the limited partners and our general partner in the same manner as we allocate gain or loss upon liquidation.
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MATERIAL PROVISIONS OF OUR PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT
The following is a summary of the material provisions of our partnership agreement.
We summarize the following provisions of our partnership agreement elsewhere in this prospectus:
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- with regard to distributions of available cash, please read "Cash Distribution Policy";
- •
- with regard to the fiduciary duties of our general partner, please read "Conflicts of Interest and Fiduciary Duties";
- •
- with regard to the transfer of units, please read "Description of Our Units—Transfer Agent and
Registrar—Transfer of Units"; and
- •
- with regard to allocations of taxable income and taxable loss, please read "Material Tax Considerations to Unitholders," "Tax Consequences of Ownership of Debt Securities" and "Tax Consequences of Preferred Unit Ownership."
Organization and Duration
We were organized in October 2005 and will have a perpetual existence.
Purpose
Our purpose under the partnership agreement is to engage in any business activities that are approved by our general partner. Our general partner, however, may not cause us to engage in any business activities that it determines would cause us to be treated as a corporation for federal income tax purposes. Our general partner is authorized in general to perform all acts it determines to be necessary or appropriate to carry out our purposes and to conduct our business.
Power of Attorney
Each limited partner, and each person who acquires a unit, preferred unit or Incentive Distribution Unit from a holder of such interest, by accepting the unit, preferred unit or Incentive Distribution Unit automatically grants to our general partner and, if appointed, a liquidator, a power of attorney, among other things, to execute and file documents required for our qualification, continuance or dissolution. The power of attorney also grants our general partner the authority to amend, and to grant consents and waivers on behalf of the limited partners under, our partnership agreement. Please read "—Amendment of the Partnership Agreement" below.
Capital Contributions
Unitholders, preferred unitholders, and Incentive Distribution Unitholders are not obligated to make additional capital contributions, except as described below under "—Limited Liability."
Voting Rights
The following is a summary of the unitholder vote required for the matters specified below. Matters requiring the approval of a "unit majority" require the approval of a majority of the units.
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In voting their units, our general partner and its affiliates will have no fiduciary duty or obligation whatsoever to us or the limited partners, including any duty to act in good faith or in the best interests of us or the limited partners.
Issuance of additional units |
No approval right on the issuance of additional units. Holders of preferred units or Incentive Distribution Units have approval rights on the issuances of preferred units or Incentive Distribution Units, respectively, in certain circumstances. Please read "—Issuance of Additional Securities." | |
Amendment of the partnership agreement |
Certain amendments may be made by our general partner without the approval of our limited partners. Other amendments generally require the approval of a unit majority. Please read "—Amendment of the Partnership Agreement." |
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Merger of our partnership or the sale of all or substantially all of our assets |
Unit majority in certain circumstances. Please read "—Merger, Sale or Other Disposition of Assets." |
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Amendment of the limited partnership agreement of our operating partnership and other action taken by us as the sole member of its general partner |
Unit majority if such amendment or other action would adversely affect our limited partners in any material respect. Please read "—Amendment of the Partnership Agreement—Action Relating to the Operating Partnership and its General Partner." |
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Dissolution of our partnership |
Unit majority. Please read "—Termination and Dissolution." |
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Continuation of our partnership upon dissolution |
Unit majority. Please read "—Termination and Dissolution." |
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Withdrawal of our general partner |
Under most circumstances, the approval of a unit majority, excluding units held by our general partner and its affiliates, is required for the withdrawal of our general partner prior to March 31, 2016 in a manner that would cause a dissolution of our partnership. Please read "—Withdrawal or Removal of the General Partner." |
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Removal of the general partner |
Not less than 662/3% of our outstanding units, including units held by our general partner and its affiliates. Please read "—Withdrawal or Removal of the General Partner." |
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Transfer of the general partner interest |
Our general partner may transfer all, but not less than all, of its general partner interest in us without a vote of our unitholders to an affiliate or another person in connection with its merger or consolidation with or into, or sale of all or substantially all of its assets, to such person. The approval of a majority of the units, excluding units held by the general partner and its affiliates, is required in other circumstances for a transfer of the general partner interest to a third party prior to March 31, 2016. Please read "—Transfer of General Partner Interest." |
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Transfer of ownership interests in our general partner |
No approval required at any time. Please read "—Transfer of Ownership Interests in the General Partner." |
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Limited Liability
Participation in the Control of Our Partnership
Assuming that a limited partner does not participate in the control of our business within the meaning of the Delaware Act and that he otherwise acts in conformity with the provisions of the partnership agreement, his liability under the Delaware Act will be limited, subject to possible exceptions, to the amount of capital he is obligated to contribute to us for his units plus his share of any undistributed profits and assets. If it were determined, however, that the right, or exercise of the right, by the limited partners as a group:
- •
- to remove or replace the general partner;
- •
- to approve some amendments to the partnership agreement; or
- •
- to take other action under the partnership agreement;
constituted "participation in the control" of our business for the purposes of the Delaware Act, then the limited partners could be held personally liable for our obligations under the laws of Delaware, to the same extent as the general partner. This liability would extend to persons who transact business with us who reasonably believe that the limited partner is a general partner. Neither the partnership agreement nor the Delaware Act specifically provides for legal recourse against the general partner if a limited partner were to lose limited liability through any fault of the general partner. While this does not mean that a limited partner could not seek legal recourse, we know of no precedent for this type of a claim in Delaware case law.
Unlawful Partnership Distribution
Under the Delaware Act, a limited partnership may not make a distribution to a partner if, after the distribution, all liabilities of the limited partnership, other than liabilities to partners on account of their partnership interests and liabilities for which the recourse of creditors is limited to specific property of the partnership, would exceed the fair value of the assets of the limited partnership. For the purpose of determining the fair value of the assets of a limited partnership, the Delaware Act provides that the fair value of property subject to liability for which recourse of creditors is limited shall be included in the assets of the limited partnership only to the extent that the fair value of that property exceeds the nonrecourse liability. The Delaware Act provides that a limited partner who receives a distribution and knew at the time of the distribution that the distribution was in violation of the Delaware Act shall be liable to the limited partnership for the amount of the distribution for three years.
Failure to Comply with the Limited Liability Provisions of Jurisdictions in Which We Do Business
Our subsidiaries may be deemed to conduct business in Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Alabama, Mississippi, Wyoming, North Dakota, Colorado, Arkansas and Kansas. Our subsidiaries may conduct business in other states in the future. Maintenance of our limited liability as a limited partner of our operating partnership may require compliance with legal requirements in the jurisdictions in which the operating partnership conducts business, including qualifying our subsidiaries to do business there.
Limitations on the liability of limited partners for the obligations of a limited partner have not been clearly established in many jurisdictions. If, by virtue of our limited partner interest in the operating partnership or otherwise, it were determined that we were conducting business in any state without compliance with the applicable limited partnership or limited liability company statute, or that the right or exercise of the right by the limited partners as a group to remove or replace the general partner, to approve some amendments to the partnership agreement, or to take other action under the partnership agreement constituted "participation in the control" of our business for purposes of the
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statutes of any relevant jurisdiction, then the limited partners could be held personally liable for our obligations under the law of that jurisdiction to the same extent as the general partner under the circumstances. We will operate in a manner that the general partner considers reasonable and necessary or appropriate to preserve the limited liability of the limited partners.
Issuance of Additional Securities
Our partnership agreement authorizes us to issue an unlimited number of additional partnership securities for the consideration and on the terms and conditions determined by our general partner without the approval of the unitholders, preferred unitholders or Incentive Distribution Unitholders.
It is possible that we will fund acquisitions through the issuance of additional units or other partnership securities. Holders of any additional units we issue will be entitled to share equally with the then-existing holders of units in our distributions of available cash. In addition, the issuance of additional units or other partnership securities may dilute the value of the interests of the then-existing unitholders, preferred unitholders or Incentive Distribution Unitholders in our net assets.
In accordance with Delaware law and the provisions of our partnership agreement, we may also issue additional partnership securities that, as determined by our general partner, may have special voting rights to which the units, preferred units or Incentive Distribution Units are not entitled. However, we may not issue additional Incentive Distribution Units or partnership securities having terms substantially similar to Incentive Distribution Units without first receiving the affirmative vote or consent of the holders of at least 75% of the Outstanding Incentive Distribution Units (other than any Incentive Distribution Units held our general partner, by the partnership or their respective controlled affiliates). Additionally, we may not issue additional Series A Preferred Units, Series B Preferred Units, Parity Securities or Senior Securities if the cumulative distributions payable on outstanding Series A Preferred Units or Series B Preferred Units are in arrears unless we have received an affirmative vote or consent of the holders of at least 662/3% of the outstanding Series A Preferred Units and Series B Preferred Units.
Upon issuance of additional partnership securities, our general partner will be entitled, but not required, to make additional capital contributions to the extent necessary to maintain its initial general partner interest in us. Since our March 2006 private equity offering and the related formation transactions our general partner has not elected to make additional capital contributions to maintain its initial 0.1% general partner interest in us. Our general partner's initial interest in us has been, and will continue to be reduced, if we issue additional partnership securities in the future and our general partner does not contribute a proportionate amount of capital to us to maintain its general partner interest. Moreover, our general partner will have the right, which it may from time to time assign in whole or in part to any of its affiliates, to purchase units or other partnership securities whenever, and on the same terms that, we issue those securities to persons other than our general partner and its affiliates, to the extent necessary to maintain the percentage interest of the general partner, including such interest represented by partnership securities that existed immediately prior to each issuance. Unitholders, preferred unitholders and Incentive Distribution Unitholders will not have preemptive rights to acquire additional units, preferred units, Incentive Distribution Units or other partnership securities.
Amendment of the Partnership Agreement
General
Amendments to our partnership agreement may be proposed only by or with the consent of our general partner. Our general partner, however, will have no duty or obligation to propose any amendment and may decline to do so free of any fiduciary duty or obligation whatsoever to us or the limited partners, including any duty to act in good faith or in the best interests of us or the limited
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partners. In order to adopt a proposed amendment, other than the amendments discussed below, our general partner must seek written approval of the holders of the number of units required to approve the amendment or call a meeting of the limited partners to consider and vote upon the proposed amendment. Except as described below, an amendment must be approved by a unit majority.
Prohibited Amendments
No amendment may be made that would:
- •
- enlarge the obligations of any limited partner without its consent, unless approved by at least a majority of the type or
class or series of limited partner interests so affected; or
- •
- enlarge the obligations of, restrict in any way any action by or rights of, or reduce in any way the amounts
distributable, reimbursable or otherwise payable by us to our general partner or any of its affiliates without the consent of our general partner, which consent may be given or withheld at its option.
- •
- have a material adverse effect on the existing terms of the Series A Preferred Units or Series B Preferred
Units without first receiving the affirmative vote or consent of 662/3% of the holders of the Outstanding Series A or Series B Units, respectively.
- •
- adversely affect the rights, preferences, privileges or obligations of any holder of Incentive Distribution Units, in its capacity as a holder of Incentive Distribution Units, in a manner disproportionate to the effect of such amendment on holders of Incentive Distribution Units as a whole, without first receiving the prior written consent of each such adversely affected holder of Incentive Distribution Units.
The provision of our partnership agreement preventing the amendments having the effects described in any of the clauses above can only be amended upon the approval of the holders of at least 90% of the outstanding units voting together as a single class (including units owned by our general partner and its affiliates). As of October 13, 2014, affiliates of our general partner, including members of our management, owned an aggregate of approximately 15% of our outstanding units.
No Unitholder Approval
Our general partner may generally make amendments to our partnership agreement without the approval of any limited partner or assignee to reflect:
- •
- change in our name, the location of our principal place of business, our registered agent or our registered office;
- •
- the admission, substitution, withdrawal or removal of partners in accordance with our partnership agreement;
- •
- a change that our general partner determines to be necessary or appropriate to qualify or continue our qualification as a
limited partnership or a partnership in which the limited partners have limited liability under the laws of any state or to ensure that neither we nor the operating partnership nor any of its
subsidiaries will be treated as an association taxable as a corporation or otherwise taxed as an entity for federal income tax purposes;
- •
- an amendment that is necessary, in the opinion of our counsel, to prevent us or our general partner or its directors, officers, agents or trustees from in any manner being subjected to the provisions of the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Investment Advisors Act of 1940, or "plan asset" regulations adopted under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, or ERISA, whether or not substantially similar to plan asset regulations currently applied or proposed;
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- •
- subject to approval rights that our preferred unitholders and Incentive Distribution Unitholders have in certain
circumstances, an amendment that our general partner determines to be necessary or appropriate for the authorization of additional partnership securities or rights to acquire partnership securities;
- •
- any amendment expressly permitted in our partnership agreement to be made by our general partner acting alone;
- •
- an amendment effected, necessitated or contemplated by a merger agreement that has been approved under the terms of our
partnership agreement;
- •
- any amendment that our general partner determines to be necessary or appropriate for the formation by us of, or our
investment in, any corporation, partnership or other entity, as otherwise permitted by our partnership agreement;
- •
- a change in our fiscal year or taxable year and related changes;
- •
- certain mergers or conveyances as set forth in our partnership agreement; or
- •
- any other amendments substantially similar to any of the matters described in the clauses above.
In addition, our general partner may make amendments to our partnership agreement without the approval of any limited partner or transferee in connection with a merger or consolidation approved in connection with our partnership agreement, or if our general partner determines that those amendments:
- •
- do not adversely affect the limited partners (or any particular class of limited partners) in any material respect;
- •
- are necessary or appropriate to satisfy any requirements, conditions or guidelines contained in any opinion, directive,
order, ruling or regulation of any federal or state agency or judicial authority or contained in any federal or state statute;
- •
- are necessary or appropriate to facilitate the trading of limited partner interests or to comply with any rule,
regulation, guideline or requirement of any securities exchange on which the limited partner interests are or will be listed for trading;
- •
- are necessary or appropriate for any action taken by our general partner relating to splits or combinations of units
under the provisions of our partnership agreement; or
- •
- are required to effect the intent expressed in this prospectus or the intent of the provisions of our partnership agreement or are otherwise contemplated by our partnership agreement.
Opinion of Counsel and Unitholder Approval
Our general partner will not be required to obtain an opinion of counsel that an amendment will not result in a loss of limited liability to the limited partners or result in our being treated as an entity for federal income tax purposes in connection with any of the amendments described under "—No Unitholder Approval." No other amendments to our partnership agreement will become effective without the approval of holders of at least 90% of the outstanding units voting as a single class unless we first obtain an opinion of counsel to the effect that the amendment will not affect the limited liability under applicable law of any of our limited partners.
In addition to the above restrictions, any amendment that would have a material adverse effect on the rights or preferences of any type or class or series of outstanding units, preferred units or Incentive Distribution Units in relation to other classes or series of units, preferred units or Incentive Distribution Units will require the approval of at least a majority of the type or class or series of units, preferred units or Incentive Distribution Units so affected. Further, any amendment that would
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adversely affect the rights, preferences, privileges or obligations of any Incentive Distribution Unitholder in a manner that is disproportionate to effect of any such amendment on Incentive Distribution Unitholders as a whole will require the written consent of such affected Incentive Distribution Unitholders. Additionally, any amendment that would have a material adverse effect on the existing terms of the Series A Preferred Units or Series B Preferred Units will require the affirmative vote or consent of 662/3% of the holders of the Outstanding Series A or Series B Units, respectively. Any amendment that reduces the voting percentage required to take any action is required to be approved by the affirmative vote of limited partners whose aggregate outstanding units constitute not less than the voting requirement sought to be reduced.
Action Relating to the Operating Partnership and its General Partner
Without the approval of the holders of units representing a unit majority, our general partner is prohibited from consenting on our behalf, as the sole limited partner of the operating partnership, and the sole member of its general partner, to any amendment to the limited partnership agreement or limited liability company agreement of either such entities or taking any action on our behalf permitted to be taken by a limited partner of the operating partnership or a member of its general partner, in each case, that would adversely effect our limited partners (or any particular class of limited partners) in any material respect.
Merger, Sale or Other Disposition of Assets
A merger or consolidation of us requires the prior consent of our general partner. Our general partner, however, will have no duty or obligation to consent to any merger or consolidation and may decline to do so free of any fiduciary duty or obligation whatsoever to us or the limited partners, including any duty to act in good faith or in the best interest of us or the limited partners. In addition, the partnership agreement generally prohibits our general partner without the prior approval of the holders of a unit majority, from causing us, among other things, to sell, exchange or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of our assets in a single transaction or a series of related transactions, including by way of merger, consolidation or other combination, or approving on our behalf the sale, exchange or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of our subsidiaries. Our general partner may, however, mortgage, pledge, hypothecate or grant a security interest in all or substantially all of our assets without that approval. Our general partner may also sell all or substantially all of our assets under a foreclosure or other realization upon those encumbrances without that approval. Finally, our general partner may consummate any merger without the prior approval of our unitholders if we are the surviving entity in the transaction, the transaction would not result in an amendment to our partnership agreement that could not otherwise be adopted solely by our general partner, each of our partnership securities will be an identical partnership security of our partnership following the transaction, and the partnership securities to be issued do not exceed 20% of our outstanding partnership securities (other than Incentive Distribution Units) immediately prior to the transaction.
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If the conditions specified in the partnership agreement are satisfied, our general partner may convert us or any of our subsidiaries into a new limited liability entity or merge us or any of our subsidiaries into, or convey all of our assets to, a newly formed entity if the sole purpose of that merger or conveyance is to effect a mere change in our legal form into another limited liability entity. The unitholders, preferred unitholders, and Incentive Distribution Unitholders are not entitled to dissenters' rights of appraisal under the partnership agreement or applicable Delaware law in the event of a conversion, merger or consolidation, a sale of substantially all of our assets or any other transaction or event.
Termination and Dissolution
We will continue as a limited partnership until terminated under our partnership agreement. We will dissolve upon:
- •
- the election of our general partner to dissolve us, if approved by the holders of units representing a unit majority;
- •
- there being no limited partners, unless we are continued without dissolution in accordance with applicable Delaware law;
- •
- the entry of a decree of judicial dissolution of our partnership; or
- •
- the withdrawal or removal of our general partner or any other event that results in its ceasing to be our general partner other than by reason of a transfer of its general partner interest in accordance with our partnership agreement or withdrawal or removal following approval and admission of a successor.
Upon a dissolution under the last bullet point above, the holders of a unit majority may also elect, within specific time limitations, to continue our business on the same terms and conditions described in our partnership agreement by appointing as a successor general partner an entity approved by the holders of units representing a unit majority, subject to our receipt of an opinion of counsel to the effect that:
- •
- the action would not result in the loss of limited liability of any limited partner; and
- •
- none of us, our operating partnership or any of our other subsidiaries, would be treated as an association taxable as a corporation or otherwise be taxable as an entity for federal income tax purposes upon the exercise of that right to continue.
Liquidation and Distribution of Proceeds
Upon our dissolution, unless we are reconstituted and continued as a new limited partnership, the liquidator authorized to wind up our affairs will, acting with all of the powers of our general partner that are necessary or appropriate to liquidate our assets and apply the proceeds of the liquidation as provided in "Cash Distribution Policy—Distributions of Cash Upon Liquidation." The liquidator may defer liquidation or distribution of our assets for a reasonable period of time or distribute assets to partners in kind if it determines that a sale would be impractical or would cause undue loss to our partners.
Withdrawal or Removal of the General Partner
Except as described below, our general partner has agreed not to withdraw voluntarily as our general partner prior to March 31, 2016 without obtaining the approval of the holders of at least a majority of the outstanding units, excluding units held by the general partner and its affiliates, and furnishing an opinion of counsel regarding limited liability and tax matters. On or after March 31, 2016, our general partner may withdraw as general partner without first obtaining approval of any unitholder
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by giving 90 days' written notice, and that withdrawal will not constitute a violation of our partnership agreement. Notwithstanding the information above, our general partner may withdraw without unitholder approval upon 90 days' notice to the limited partners if at least 50% of the outstanding units are held or controlled by one person and its affiliates other than the general partner and its affiliates. In addition, the partnership agreement permits our general partner in some instances to sell or otherwise transfer all of its general partner interest in us without the approval of the unitholders. Please read "—Transfer of General Partner Interest."
Upon withdrawal of our general partner under any circumstances, other than as a result of a transfer by our general partner of all or a part of its general partner interest in us, the holders of a unit majority may select a successor to that withdrawing general partner. If a successor is not elected, or is elected but an opinion of counsel regarding limited liability and tax matters cannot be obtained, we will be dissolved, wound up and liquidated, unless within a specified period after that withdrawal, the holders of a unit majority agree in writing to continue our business and to appoint a successor general partner. Please read "—Termination and Dissolution."
Our general partner may not be removed unless that removal is approved by the vote of the holders of not less than 662/3% of the outstanding units, voting together as a single class, including units held by our general partner and its affiliates, and we receive an opinion of counsel regarding limited liability and tax matters. Any removal of our general partner is also subject to the approval of a successor general partner by the vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding units. The ownership of more than 331/3% of the outstanding units by our general partner and its affiliates would give them the practical ability to prevent our general partner's removal. As of October 13, 2014, affiliates of our general partner, including members of our management, owned an aggregate of approximately 15% of our outstanding units.
Our partnership agreement also provides that if our general partner is removed as our general partner under circumstances where cause does not exist or our general partner withdraws where that withdrawal does not violate our partnership agreement, our general partner will have the right to convert its general partner interest and all of its Incentive Distribution Units, if any, into units or to receive cash in exchange for such interest based on the fair market value of its interest at that time.
In the event of removal of such a general partner under circumstances where cause exists or withdrawal of a general partner where that withdrawal violates our partnership agreement, a successor general partner will have the option to purchase the general partner interest for a cash payment equal to the fair market value of such interest. Under all other circumstances where a general partner withdraws or is removed by the limited partners, the departing general partner will have the option to require the successor general partner to purchase the general partner interest of the departing general partner for fair market value. In each case, this fair market value will be determined by agreement between the departing general partner and the successor general partner. If no agreement is reached, an independent investment banking firm or other independent expert selected by the departing general partner and the successor general partner will determine the fair market value. Or, if the departing general partner and the successor general partner cannot agree upon an expert, then an expert chosen by agreement of the experts selected by each of them will determine the fair market value.
If the option described above is not exercised by either the departing general partner or the successor general partner, the departing general partner's general partner interest will automatically convert into units equal to the fair market value of those interests as determined by an investment banking firm or other independent expert selected in the manner described in the preceding paragraph.
In addition, we will be required to reimburse the departing general partner for all amounts due the departing general partner, including, without limitation, all employee-related liabilities, including severance liabilities, incurred for the termination of any employees employed by the departing general partner or its affiliates for our benefit.
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Transfer of General Partner Interest
Except for transfer by our general partner of all, but not less than all, of its general partner interest in us to:
- •
- an affiliate of our general partner (other than an individual); or
- •
- another entity as part of the merger or consolidation of our general partner with or into another entity or the transfer by our general partner of all or substantially all of its assets to another entity,
our general partner may not transfer all or any part of its general partner interest in our partnership to another person prior to March 31, 2016 without the approval of the holders of at least a majority of the outstanding units, excluding units held by our general partner and its affiliates. As a condition of this transfer, the transferee must assume, among other things, the rights and duties of our general partner, agree to be bound by the provisions of our partnership agreement, and furnish an opinion of counsel regarding limited liability and tax matters.
Our general partner and its affiliates may at any time transfer units to one or more persons without unitholder approval.
Transfer of Ownership Interests in the General Partner
At any time, the members of our general partner may sell or transfer all or part of their membership interest in our general partner to an affiliate or third party without the approval of our unitholders.
Change of Management Provisions
Our partnership agreement contains specific provisions that are intended to discourage a person or group from attempting to remove our general partner or otherwise change our management. If any person or group other than our general partner and its affiliates acquires beneficial ownership of 20% or more of any class or series of units, that person or group loses voting rights on all of its units. This loss of voting rights does not apply to any person or group that acquires the units from our general partner or its affiliates and any transferees of that person or group approved by our general partner, to any person or group who acquires the units with the prior approval of the board of directors of our general partner, or to the voting rights of preferred units or Incentive Distribution Units, if any.
Limited Call Right
If at any time our general partner and its affiliates own more than 85% of the then-issued and outstanding limited partner interests of any class or series, our general partner will have the right, which it may assign in whole or in part to any of its affiliates or to us, to acquire all, but not less than all, of the remaining partnership securities of the class or series held by unaffiliated persons as of a record date to be selected by our general partner, on at least 10 but not more than 60 days' notice. The repurchase right described in this section shall not apply to preferred units or Incentive Distribution Units. The purchase price in the event of this purchase is the greater of:
- •
- the highest cash price paid by either of our general partner or any of its affiliates for any partnership securities of
the class or series purchased within the 90 days preceding the date on which our general partner first mails notice of its election to purchase those limited partner interests; and
- •
- the current market price as of the date three days before the date the notice is mailed.
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As a result of our general partner's right to purchase outstanding partnership securities, a holder of partnership securities may have his partnership securities purchased at an undesirable time or price. Our partnership agreement provides that the resolution of any conflict of interest that is fair and reasonable will not be a breach of the partnership agreement. Our general partner may, but is not obligated to, submit the conflict of interest represented by the exercise of the limited call right to the conflicts committee for approval or seek a fairness opinion from an investment banker. If our general partner exercises its limited call right, it will make a determination at the time, based on the facts and circumstances, and upon the advice of counsel, as to the appropriate method of determining the fairness and reasonableness of the transaction. Our general partner is not obligated to obtain a fairness opinion regarding the value of the units to be repurchased by it upon exercise of the limited call right.
There is no restriction in our partnership agreement that prevents our general partner from issuing additional units and exercising its call right. If our general partner exercised its limited call right, the effect would be to take us private and, if the units were subsequently deregistered, we would no longer be subject to the reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
The tax consequences to a unitholder of the exercise of this call right are the same as a sale by that unitholder of his units in the market. Please read "Material Tax Considerations to Unitholders—Disposition of Units."
Meetings; Voting
Except as described below regarding a person or group owning 20% or more of any class or series of units then outstanding, unitholders or transferees who are record holders of units on the record date will be entitled to notice of, and to vote at, meetings of our limited partners and to act upon matters for which approvals may be solicited. Units that are owned by an assignee who is a record holder, but who has not yet been admitted as a limited partner, will be voted by our general partner at the written direction of the record holder. Absent direction of this kind, the units will not be voted, except that, in the case of units held by our general partner on behalf of non-citizen assignees, our general partner will distribute the votes on those units in the same ratios as the votes of limited partners on other units are cast.
Our unitholders, including the general partner and its affiliates, are entitled to elect all of the directors of our general partner. The limited liability company agreement of our general partner provides for a seven member board of directors. Our partnership agreement provides that the annual meeting of limited partners for the directors of the board of our general partner shall be held on the second Wednesday of May or at such other date and time as may be fixed by our general partner.
Additionally, any action that is required or permitted to be taken by the limited partners may be taken either at a meeting of the limited partners or without a meeting if consents in writing describing the action so taken are signed by holders of the number of outstanding limited partner interests necessary to authorize or take that action at a meeting. Meetings of the limited partners may be called by our general partner or by limited partners owning at least 20% of the outstanding limited partner interests of the class or series for which a meeting is proposed. Limited partners may vote either in person or by proxy at meetings. The holders of a majority of the outstanding limited partner interests of the class or classes or series for which a meeting has been called represented in person or by proxy will constitute a quorum unless any action by the limited partners requires approval by holders of a greater percentage of the outstanding limited partner interests, in which case the quorum will be the greater percentage.
Each record holder of a unit has a vote according to his percentage interest in us, although additional limited partner interests having special voting rights could be issued. Please read "—Issuance of Additional Securities." However, if at any time any person or group, other than our general partner and its affiliates, or a direct or subsequently approved transferee of our general partner or its affiliates,
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acquires, in the aggregate, beneficial ownership of 20% or more of any class or series of units then outstanding, that person or group will lose voting rights on all of its units and the units may not be voted on any matter and will not be considered to be outstanding when sending notices of a meeting of unitholders, calculating required votes, determining the presence of a quorum or for other similar purposes. Units held in nominee or street name account will be voted by the broker or other nominee in accordance with the instruction of the beneficial owner unless the arrangement between the beneficial owner and his nominee provides otherwise.
Any notice, demand, request, report or proxy material required or permitted to be given or made to record holders of units under our partnership agreement will be delivered to the record holder by us or by the transfer agent.
Status as Limited Partner
By transfer of units, preferred units or Incentive Distribution Units in accordance with our partnership agreement, each transferee of units, preferred units or Incentive Distribution Units shall be admitted as a limited partner with respect to the units, preferred units or Incentive Distribution Units transferred when such transfer and admission is reflected in our books and records. Except as described under "—Limited Liability," the units, preferred units, or Incentive Distribution Units will be fully paid, and holders of these interests will not be required to make additional contributions.
Non-Citizen Assignees; Redemption
If we are or become subject to federal, state or local laws or regulations that, in the reasonable determination of our general partner, create a substantial risk of cancellation or forfeiture of any property that we have an interest in because of the nationality, citizenship or other related status of any limited partner, our general partner may redeem the units, preferred units or Incentive Distribution Units held by the limited partner at their current market price. In order to avoid any cancellation or forfeiture, our general partner may require each limited partner to furnish information about his nationality, citizenship or related status. If a limited partner fails to furnish information about his nationality, citizenship or other related status within 30 days after a request for the information or our general partner determines after receipt of the information that the limited partner is not an eligible citizen, our general partner may elect to treat the limited partner as a non-citizen assignee. A non-citizen assignee is entitled to an interest equivalent to that of a limited partner for the right to share in allocations and distributions from us, including liquidating distributions. A non-citizen assignee does not have the right to direct the voting of his units and may not receive distributions in kind upon our liquidation.
Indemnification
Under our partnership agreement, in most circumstances, we will indemnify the following persons, to the fullest extent permitted by law, from and against all losses, claims, damages or similar events:
- •
- our general partner;
- •
- any departing general partner;
- •
- any person who is or was an affiliate of a general partner or any departing general partner;
- •
- any person who is or was a director, officer, member, partner, fiduciary or trustee of any entity set forth in the
preceding three bullet points;
- •
- any person who is or was serving as director, officer, member, partner, fiduciary or trustee of another person at the
request of our general partner or any departing general partner; and
- •
- any person designated by our general partner.
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Any indemnification under these provisions will only be out of our assets. Unless it otherwise agrees, our general partner will not be personally liable for, or have any obligation to contribute or loan funds or assets to us to enable us to effectuate, indemnification. We may purchase insurance against liabilities asserted against and expenses incurred by persons for our activities, regardless of whether we would have the power to indemnify the person against liabilities under our partnership agreement.
Reimbursement of Expenses
Our partnership agreement requires us to reimburse our general partner for all direct and indirect expenses it incurs or payments it makes on our behalf and all other expenses allocable to us or otherwise incurred by our general partner in connection with operating our business. These expenses include salary, bonus, incentive compensation and other amounts paid to persons who perform services for us or on our behalf and expenses allocated to our general partner by its affiliates. The general partner is entitled to determine in good faith the expenses that are allocable to us.
Books and Reports
Our general partner is required to keep appropriate books of our business at our principal offices. The books will be maintained for both tax and financial reporting purposes on an accrual basis. For tax and financial reporting purposes, our fiscal year is the calendar year.
We will furnish or make available to record holders of units, preferred units or Incentive Distribution Units, within 120 days after the close of each fiscal year, an annual report containing audited financial statements and a report on those financial statements by our independent public accountants. Except for our fourth quarter, we will also furnish summary financial information within 90 days after the close of each quarter.
We will furnish each record holder of a unit, preferred units or Incentive Distribution Unit with information reasonably required for tax reporting purposes within 90 days after the close of each calendar year. This information is expected to be furnished in summary form so that some complex calculations normally required of partners can be avoided. Our ability to furnish this summary information to unitholders, preferred unitholders and Incentive Distribution Unitholders will depend on the cooperation of unitholders, preferred unitholders and Incentive Distribution Unitholders in supplying us with specific information. Every unitholder, preferred unitholder and Incentive Distribution Unitholder will receive information to assist him in determining his federal and state tax liability and filing his federal and state income tax returns, regardless of whether he supplies us with information.
Right to Inspect Our Books and Records
Our partnership agreement provides that a limited partner can, for a purpose reasonably related to his interest as a limited partner, upon reasonable demand and at his own expense, have furnished to him:
- •
- a current list of the name and last known address of each partner;
- •
- a copy of our tax returns;
- •
- information as to the amount of cash, and a description and statement of the agreed value of any other property or
services, contributed or to be contributed by each partner and the date on which each partner became a partner;
- •
- copies of our partnership agreement, our certificate of limited partnership, related amendments and powers of attorney under which they have been executed;
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- •
- information regarding the status of our business and financial condition; and
- •
- any other information regarding our affairs as is just and reasonable.
Our general partner may, and intends to, keep confidential from the limited partners trade secrets or other information the disclosure of which our general partner believes in good faith is not in our best interests or that we are required by law or by agreements with third parties to keep confidential.
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DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES
Legacy Reserves LP may issue debt securities in one or more series, and Legacy Reserves Finance Corporation may be co-issuer of one or more such series of debt securities. Legacy Reserves Finance Corporation was incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware in 2011, is wholly owned by Legacy Reserves LP and has no material assets or any liabilities other than as co-issuer of securities. Its activities are limited to co-issuing debt securities and engaging in other activities incidental thereto.
Any debt securities that we offer under a prospectus supplement will be direct, unsecured general obligations. The debt securities will be either senior debt securities or subordinated debt securities. The debt securities will be issued under one or more separate indentures between us and a banking or financial institution, as trustee. Senior debt securities will be issued under a senior indenture, and subordinated debt securities will be issued under a subordinated indenture. Together, the senior indenture and the subordinated indenture are called the "indentures." The indentures will be supplemented by supplemental indentures, the material provisions of which will be described in a prospectus supplement.
As used in this description, the words "we," "us," "our" and "issuers" refer jointly to Legacy Reserves LP and Legacy Reserves Finance Corporation, the term "issuer" refers to either Legacy Reserves LP or Legacy Reserves Finance Corp., as the context requires, and the terms "Legacy" and "Legacy Reserves Finance Corp." refer strictly to Legacy Reserves LP and Legacy Reserves Finance Corporation, respectively.
We have summarized some of the material provisions of the indentures below. This summary does not restate those agreements in their entirety. A form of senior indenture and a form of subordinated indenture have been filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. We urge you to read each of the indentures because each one, and not this description, defines the rights of holders of debt securities.
Capitalized terms defined in the indentures have the same meanings when used in this prospectus.
General
The debt securities issued under the indentures will be our direct, unsecured general obligations. The senior debt securities will rank equally with all of our other senior and unsubordinated debt. The subordinated debt securities will have a junior position to all of our senior debt.
The following description sets forth the general terms and provisions that could apply to debt securities that we may offer to sell. A prospectus supplement and a supplemental indenture relating to any series of debt securities being offered will include specific terms relating to the offering. These terms will include some or all of the following:
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- whether Legacy Reserves Finance Corp. will be a co-issuer of the debt securities;
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- the guarantors of the debt securities, if any;
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- whether the debt securities are senior or subordinated debt securities;
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- the title and type of the debt securities;
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- the total principal amount of the debt securities;
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- the percentage of the principal amount at which the debt securities will be issued and any payments due if the maturity
of the debt securities is accelerated;
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- the dates on which the principal of the debt securities will be payable;
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- the interest rate that the debt securities will bear and the interest payment dates for the debt securities;
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- any conversion or exchange features;
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- any optional redemption periods;
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- any sinking fund or other provisions that would obligate us to repurchase or otherwise redeem some or all of the debt
securities;
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- any provisions granting special rights to holders when a specified event occurs;
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- any changes to or additional events of default or covenants;
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- any special tax implications of the debt securities, including provisions for original issue discount securities, if
offered; and
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- any other terms of the debt securities.
Neither of the indentures will limit the amount of debt securities that may be issued. Each indenture will allow debt securities to be issued up to the principal amount that may be authorized by us and may be in any currency or currency unit designated by us.
Debt securities of a series may be issued in registered or global form.
Subsidiary Guarantees
If the applicable prospectus supplement relating to a series of our senior debt securities provides that those senior debt securities will have the benefit of a guarantee by any or all of our subsidiaries, payment of the principal, premium, if any, and interest on those senior debt securities will be unconditionally guaranteed on an unsecured, unsubordinated basis by such subsidiary or subsidiaries, and such guarantees will be joint and several. The guarantee of senior debt securities will rank equally in right of payment with all of the unsecured and unsubordinated indebtedness of such subsidiary or subsidiaries.
If the applicable prospectus supplement relating to a series of our subordinated debt securities provides that those subordinated debt securities will have the benefit of a guarantee by any or all of our subsidiaries, payment of the principal, premium, if any, and interest on those subordinated debt securities will be unconditionally guaranteed on an unsecured, subordinated basis by such subsidiary or subsidiaries, and such guarantees will be joint and several. The guarantee of the subordinated debt securities will be subordinated in right of payment to all of such subsidiary's or subsidiaries' existing and future senior indebtedness (as defined in the related prospectus supplement), including any guarantee of the senior debt securities, to the same extent and in the same manner as the subordinated debt securities are subordinated to our senior indebtedness (as defined in the related prospectus supplement). See "—Subordination" below.
The obligations of our subsidiaries under any such guarantee will be limited as necessary to prevent the guarantee from constituting a fraudulent conveyance or fraudulent transfer under applicable law.
Covenants
Under the indentures, we:
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- will pay the principal of, and interest and any premium on, the debt securities when due;
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- will maintain a place of payment;
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- will deliver a certificate to the trustee each fiscal year reviewing our compliance with our obligations under the
indentures;
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- will preserve our existence; and
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- will segregate or deposit with any paying agent sufficient funds for the payment of any principal, interest or premium on or before the due date of such payment.
Mergers and Sale of Assets
Each of the indentures will provide that we may not convert into, consolidate, amalgamate or merge with or into any other Person or sell, assign, transfer, convey, lease or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of our properties and assets (on a consolidated basis) to another Person, unless:
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- either: (a) such issuer is the surviving Person; or (b) the Person formed by or surviving any such
consolidation, amalgamation or merger or resulting from such conversion (if other than such issuer) or to which such sale, assignment, transfer, conveyance, lease or other disposition has been made is
a corporation, limited liability company or limited partnership, in the case of Legacy (and a corporation, in the case of Legacy Finance Corp. for so long as Legacy is not a corporation), organized or
existing under the laws of the United States, any state of the United States or the District of Columbia;
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- the Person formed by or surviving any such conversion, consolidation, amalgamation or merger (if other than such issuer)
or the Person to which such sale, assignment, transfer, conveyance, lease or other disposition has been made assumes all of the obligations of such issuer under such indenture and the debt securities
governed thereby pursuant to agreements reasonably satisfactory to the trustee, which may include a supplemental indenture;
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- we or the successor will not immediately be in default under such indenture; and
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- we deliver an officer's certificate and opinion of counsel to the trustee stating that such consolidation, amalgamation, merger, conveyance, sale, transfer or lease and any supplemental indenture comply with such indenture and that all conditions precedent set forth in such indenture have been complied with.
Upon the assumption of our obligations under each indenture by a successor, we will be discharged from all obligations under such indenture.
As used in the indenture and in this description, the word "Person" means any individual, corporation, company, limited liability company, partnership, limited partnership, joint venture, association, joint-stock company, trust, other entity, unincorporated organization or government or any agency or political subdivision thereof.
Events of Default
"Event of default," when used in the indentures with respect to debt securities of any series, will mean any of the following:
(1) default in the payment of any interest upon any debt security of that series when it becomes due and payable, and continuance of such default for a period of 30 days;
(2) default in the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any, on) any debt security of that series at its maturity;
(3) default in the performance, or breach, of any covenant set forth in Article Ten of the applicable indenture (other than a covenant a default in the performance of which or the breach of which is elsewhere specifically dealt with as an event of default or which has expressly been
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included in such indenture solely for the benefit of one or more series of debt securities other than that series), and continuance of such default or breach for a period of 90 days after there has been given, by registered or certified mail, to us by the trustee or to us and the trustee by the holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the then-outstanding debt securities of that series a written notice specifying such default or breach and requiring it to be remedied and stating that such notice is a "Notice of Default" thereunder;
(4) default in the performance, or breach, of any covenant in the applicable indenture (other than a covenant set forth in Article Ten of such indenture or any other covenant a default in the performance of which or the breach of which is elsewhere specifically dealt with as an event of default or which has expressly been included in such indenture solely for the benefit of one or more series of debt securities other than that series), and continuance of such default or breach for a period of 180 days after there has been given, by registered or certified mail, to us by the trustee or to us and the trustee by the holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the then-outstanding debt securities of that series a written notice specifying such default or breach and requiring it to be remedied and stating that such notice is a "Notice of Default" thereunder;
(5) either issuer, pursuant to or within the meaning of any bankruptcy law, (i) commences a voluntary case, (ii) consents to the entry of any order for relief against it in an involuntary case, (iii) consents to the appointment of a custodian of it or for all or substantially all of its property, or (iv) makes a general assignment for the benefit of its creditors;
(6) a court of competent jurisdiction enters an order or decree under any bankruptcy law that (i) is for relief against either issuer in an involuntary case, (ii) appoints a custodian of either issuer or for all or substantially all of its respective property, or (iii) orders the liquidation of either issuer; and the order or decree remains unstayed and in effect for 60 consecutive days;
(7) default in the deposit of any sinking fund payment when due; or
(8) any other event of default provided with respect to debt securities of that series in accordance with provisions of the indenture related to the issuance of such debt securities.
An event of default for a particular series of debt securities does not necessarily constitute an event of default for any other series of debt securities issued under an indenture. The trustee may withhold notice to the holders of debt securities of any default (except in the payment of principal, interest or any premium) if it considers the withholding of notice to be in the interests of the holders.
If an event of default for any series of debt securities occurs and continues, the trustee or the holders of 25% in aggregate principal amount of the debt securities of the series may declare the entire principal of all of the debt securities of that series to be due and payable immediately. If this happens, subject to certain conditions, the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the debt securities of that series can void the declaration.
Other than its duties in case of a default, a trustee is not obligated to exercise any of its rights or powers under any indenture at the request, order or direction of any holders, unless the holders offer the trustee reasonable indemnity. If they provide this reasonable indemnification, the holders of a majority in principal amount outstanding of any series of debt securities may direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding or any remedy available to the trustee, or exercising any power conferred upon the trustee, for any series of debt securities.
Amendments and Waivers
Subject to certain exceptions, the indentures, the debt securities issued thereunder or the subsidiary guarantees may be amended or supplemented with the consent of the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then-outstanding debt securities of each series affected by such
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amendment or supplemental indenture, with each such series voting as a separate class (including, without limitation, consents obtained in connection with a purchase of, or tender offer or exchange offer for, debt securities) and, subject to certain exceptions, any past default or compliance with any provisions may be waived with respect to each series of debt securities with the consent of the holders of a majority in principal amount of the then-outstanding debt securities of such series voting as a separate class (including consents obtained in connection with a purchase of, or tender offer or exchange offer for, debt securities).
Without the consent of each holder of the outstanding debt securities affected, an amendment, supplement or waiver may not, among other things:
(1) change the stated maturity of the principal of, or any installment of principal of or interest on, any debt security, or reduce the principal amount thereof or the rate of interest thereon or any premium payable upon the redemption thereof, or reduce the amount of the principal of an original issue discount security that would be due and payable upon a declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof pursuant to the applicable indenture, or change the coin or currency in which any debt security or any premium or the interest thereon is payable, or impair the right to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment on or after the stated maturity thereof (or, in the case of redemption, on or after the redemption date therefor);
(2) reduce the percentage in principal amount of the then-outstanding debt securities of any series, the consent of the holders of which is required for any such amendment or supplemental indenture, or the consent of the holders of which is required for any waiver of compliance with certain provisions of the applicable indenture or certain defaults thereunder and their consequences provided for in the applicable indenture;
(3) modify any of the provisions set forth in (i) the provisions of the applicable indenture related to the holder's unconditional right to receive principal, premium, if any, and interest on the debt securities or (ii) the provisions of the applicable indenture related to the waiver of past defaults under such indenture;
(4) waive a redemption payment with respect to any debt security; provided, however, that any purchase or repurchase of debt securities shall not be deemed a redemption of the debt securities;
(5) release any guarantor from any of its obligations under its guarantee or the applicable indenture, except in accordance with the terms of such indenture (as amended or supplemented); or
(6) make any change in the foregoing amendment and waiver provisions, except to increase any percentage provided for therein or to provide that certain other provisions of the applicable indenture cannot be modified or waived without the consent of the holder of each then-outstanding debt security affected thereby.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, without the consent of any holder of debt securities, we, the guarantors and the trustee may amend each of the indentures or the debt securities issued thereunder to:
(1) cure any ambiguity or defect or to correct or supplement any provision therein that may be inconsistent with any other provision therein;
(2) evidence the succession of another Person to either issuer and the assumption by any such successor of the covenants of such issuer therein and, to the extent applicable, of the debt securities;
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(3) provide for uncertificated debt securities in addition to or in place of certificated debt securities; provided that the uncertificated debt securities are issued in registered form for purposes of Section 163(f) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), or in the manner such that the uncertificated debt securities are described in Section 163(f)(2)(B) of the Code;
(4) add a guarantee and cause any Person to become a guarantor, and/or to evidence the succession of another Person to a guarantor and the assumption by any such successor of the guarantee of such guarantor therein and, to the extent applicable, endorsed upon any debt securities of any series;
(5) secure the debt securities of any series;
(6) add to the covenants such further covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions as we shall consider to be appropriate for the benefit of the holders of all or any series of debt securities (and if such covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions are to be for the benefit of less than all series of debt securities, stating that such covenants are expressly being included solely for the benefit of such series), make the occurrence, or the occurrence and continuance, of a default in any such additional covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions an event of default permitting the enforcement of all or any of the several remedies provided in the applicable indenture as set forth therein, or to surrender any right or power therein conferred upon us; provided, that in respect of any such additional covenant, restriction, condition or provision, such amendment or supplemental indenture may provide for a particular period of grace after default (which period may be shorter or longer than that allowed in the case of other defaults) or may provide for an immediate enforcement upon such an event of default or may limit the remedies available to the trustee upon such an event of default or may limit the right of the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the debt securities of such series to waive such an event of default;
(7) make any change to any provision of the applicable indenture that does not adversely affect the rights or interests of any holder of debt securities issued thereunder;
(8) provide for the issuance of additional debt securities in accordance with the provisions set forth in the applicable indenture;
(9) add any additional defaults or events of default in respect of all or any series of debt securities;
(10) add to, change or eliminate any of the provisions of the applicable indenture to such extent as shall be necessary to permit or facilitate the issuance of debt securities in bearer form, registrable or not registrable as to principal, and with or without interest coupons;
(11) change or eliminate any of the provisions of the applicable indenture; provided that any such change or elimination shall become effective only when there is no debt security outstanding of any series created prior to the execution of such amendment or supplemental indenture that is entitled to the benefit of such provision;
(12) establish the form or terms of debt securities of any series as permitted thereunder, including to reopen any series of any debt securities as permitted thereunder;
(13) evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment thereunder by a successor trustee with respect to the debt securities of one or more series and to add to or change any of the provisions of the applicable indenture as shall be necessary to provide for or facilitate the administration of the trusts thereunder by more than one trustee, pursuant to the requirements of such indenture;
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(14) conform the text of the applicable indenture (and/or any supplemental indenture) or any debt securities issued thereunder to any provision of a description of such text or debt securities appearing in a prospectus, prospectus supplement, offering memorandum or offering circular relating to the sale thereof to the extent that such provision was intended by the issuers to be a verbatim recitation of a provision of such indenture (and/or any supplemental indenture) or any debt securities issued thereunder; or
(15) modify, eliminate or add to the provisions of the applicable indenture to such extent as shall be necessary to effect the qualification of such indenture under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the "Trust Indenture Act"), or under any similar federal statute subsequently enacted, and to add to such indenture such other provisions as may be expressly required under the Trust Indenture Act.
The consent of the holders is not necessary under either indenture to approve the particular form of any proposed amendment. It is sufficient if such consent approves the substance of the proposed amendment. After an amendment with the consent of the holders under an indenture becomes effective, we are required to mail to the holders of debt securities thereunder a notice briefly describing such amendment. However, the failure to give such notice to all such holders, or any defect therein, will not impair or affect the validity of the amendment.
Legal Defeasance and Covenant Defeasance
Each indenture provides that we may, at our option and at any time, elect to have all of our obligations discharged with respect to the debt securities outstanding thereunder and all obligations of any guarantors of such debt securities discharged with respect to their guarantees ("Legal Defeasance"), except for:
(1) the rights of holders of outstanding debt securities to receive payments in respect of the principal of, or interest or premium, if any, on, such debt securities when such payments are due from the trust referred to below;
(2) our obligations with respect to the debt securities concerning issuing temporary debt securities, registration of debt securities, mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen debt securities, the maintenance of an office or agency for payment and money for security payments held in trust;
(3) the rights, powers, trusts, duties and immunities of the trustee, and our and each guarantor's obligations in connection therewith; and
(4) the Legal Defeasance and Covenant Defeasance (as defined below) provisions of the applicable indenture.
In addition, we may, at our option and at any time, elect to have our obligations released with respect to certain provisions of each indenture, including certain provisions set forth in any prospectus supplement and supplemental indenture (such release and termination being referred to as "Covenant Defeasance"), and thereafter any failure to comply with such obligations or provisions will not constitute a default or event of default. In addition, in the event Covenant Defeasance occurs in accordance with the applicable indenture, any defeasible event of default will no longer constitute an event of default.
In order to exercise either Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance:
(1) we must irrevocably deposit with the trustee, in trust, for the benefit of the holders of the debt securities, cash in U.S. dollars, non-callable U.S. government securities, or a combination of cash in U.S. dollars and non-callable U.S. government securities, in amounts as will be sufficient, in the opinion of a nationally recognized investment bank, appraisal firm or firm of independent public accountants, to pay the principal of, and interest and premium, if any, on, the outstanding
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debt securities on the stated date for payment thereof or on the applicable redemption date, as the case may be, and we must specify whether the debt securities are being defeased to such stated date for payment or to a particular redemption date;
(2) in the case of Legal Defeasance, we must deliver to the trustee an opinion of counsel reasonably acceptable to the trustee confirming that (a) we have received from, or there has been published by, the Internal Revenue Service a ruling or (b) since the issue date of the debt securities, there has been a change in the applicable federal income tax law, in either case to the effect that, and based thereon such opinion of counsel will confirm that, the holders of the outstanding debt securities will not recognize income, gain or loss for federal income tax purposes as a result of such Legal Defeasance and will be subject to federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same time as would have been the case if such Legal Defeasance had not occurred;
(3) in the case of Covenant Defeasance, we must deliver to the trustee an opinion of counsel reasonably acceptable to the trustee confirming that the holders of the outstanding debt securities will not recognize income, gain or loss for federal income tax purposes as a result of such Covenant Defeasance and will be subject to federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such Covenant Defeasance had not occurred;
(4) no default or event of default shall have occurred and be continuing on the date of such deposit (other than a default or event of default resulting from the borrowing of funds to be applied to such deposit);
(5) the deposit must not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, any other instrument to which either issuer or any guarantor is a party or by which either issuer or any guarantor is bound;
(6) such Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance must not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, any material agreement or instrument (other than the applicable indenture) to which either issuer or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which either issuer or any of its subsidiaries is bound;
(7) we must deliver to the trustee an officer's certificate stating that the deposit was not made by us with the intent of preferring the holders of debt securities over our other creditors with the intent of defeating, hindering, delaying or defrauding any other creditors of the issuers or others;
(8) we must deliver to the trustee an officer's certificate stating that all conditions precedent set forth in clauses (1) through (6) of this paragraph have been complied with; and
(9) we must deliver to the trustee an opinion of counsel (which opinion of counsel may be subject to customary assumptions, qualifications, and exclusions), stating that all conditions precedent set forth in clauses (2), (3) and (6) of this paragraph have been complied with.
Satisfaction and Discharge
Each of the indentures will be discharged and will cease to be of further effect (except as to surviving rights of registration of transfer or exchange of debt securities and certain rights of the trustee, as expressly provided for in such indenture) as to all outstanding debt securities issued thereunder and the guarantees issued thereunder when:
(1) either (a) all of the debt securities theretofore authenticated and delivered under such indenture (except lost, stolen or destroyed debt securities that have been replaced or paid and debt securities for whose payment money or U.S. government securities have theretofore been deposited
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in trust or segregated and held in trust by us and thereafter repaid to Legacy or discharged from such trust) have been delivered to the trustee for cancellation or (b) all debt securities not theretofore delivered to the trustee for cancellation have become due and payable or will become due and payable at their stated maturity within one year, or are to be called for redemption within one year under arrangements satisfactory to the trustee for the giving of notice of redemption by the trustee in our name, and at our expense, and we have deposited or caused to be deposited with the trustee as trust funds or U.S. government securities in trust for such purpose an amount sufficient to pay and discharge the entire indebtedness on the debt securities not theretofore delivered to the trustee for cancellation, for principal of and premium, if any, and interest on the debt securities to the date of deposit (in the case of debt securities that have become due and payable) or to the stated maturity or redemption date, as the case may be, together with instructions from us irrevocably directing the trustee to apply such funds to the payment thereof at maturity or redemption, as the case may be;
(2) we have paid or caused to be paid all other sums then due and payable under such indenture by us; and
(3) we have delivered to the trustee an officer's certificate and an opinion of counsel, which, taken together, state that all conditions precedent under such indenture relating to the satisfaction and discharge of such indenture have been complied with.
No Personal Liability of Directors, Managers, Officers, Employees, Partners, Members, Stockholders and Unitholders
No director, manager, officer, employee, incorporator, partner, member, unitholder or stockholder of either issuer or any guarantor, as such, shall have any liability for any of our obligations or those of the guarantors under the debt securities, the indentures, the guarantees or for any claim based on, in respect of, or by reason of, such obligations or their creation. Each holder of debt securities, upon our issuance of the debt securities and execution of the indentures, waives and releases all such liability. The waiver and release are part of the consideration for issuance of the debt securities. Such waiver may not be effective to waive liabilities under the federal securities laws and it is the view of the SEC that such a waiver is against public policy.
Denominations
Unless stated otherwise in the prospectus supplement for each issuance of debt securities, the debt securities will be issued in denominations of $1,000 each or integral multiples of $1,000.
Paying Agent and Registrar
The trustee will initially act as paying agent and registrar for the debt securities. We may change the paying agent or registrar without prior notice to the holders of the debt securities, and either issuer may act as paying agent or registrar.
Transfer and Exchange
A holder may transfer or exchange debt securities in accordance with the applicable indenture. The registrar and the trustee may require a holder, among other things, to furnish appropriate endorsements and transfer documents, and we may require a holder to pay any taxes and fees required by law or permitted by the applicable indenture. We are not required to transfer or exchange any debt security selected for redemption. In addition, we are not required to transfer or exchange any debt security for a period of 15 days before a selection of debt securities to be redeemed.
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Subordination
The payment of the principal of and premium, if any, and interest on subordinated debt securities and any of our other payment obligations in respect of subordinated debt securities (including any obligation to repurchase subordinated debt securities) is subordinated in certain circumstances in right of payment, as set forth in the subordinated indenture, to the prior payment in full in cash of all senior debt.
We also may not make any payment, whether by redemption, purchase, retirement, defeasance or otherwise, upon or in respect of subordinated debt securities, except from a trust described under "—Legal Defeasance and Covenant Defeasance," if
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- a default in the payment of all or any portion of the obligations on any designated senior debt ("payment default")
occurs that has not been cured or waived, or
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- any other default occurs and is continuing with respect to designated senior debt pursuant to which the maturity thereof may be accelerated ("non-payment default") and, solely with respect to this clause, the trustee for the subordinated debt securities receives a notice of the default (a "payment blockage notice") from the trustee or other representative for the holders of such designated senior debt.
Cash payments on subordinated debt securities will be resumed (a) in the case of a payment default, upon the date on which such default is cured or waived and (b) in case of a non-payment default, the earliest of the date on which such nonpayment default is cured or waived, the termination of the period of payment blockage by written notice to the trustee for the subordinated debt securities from the trustee or other representative for the holders of such designated senior debt, the payment in full of such designated senior debt or 179 days after the date on which the applicable payment blockage notice is received. No new period of payment blockage may be commenced unless and until 360 days have elapsed since the date of commencement of the period of payment blockage resulting from the immediately prior payment blockage notice. No non-payment default in respect of designated senior debt that existed or was continuing on the date of delivery of any payment blockage notice to the trustee for the subordinated debt securities will be, or be made, the basis for a subsequent payment blockage notice unless such default shall have been cured or waived for a period of no less than 90 consecutive days.
Upon any payment or distribution of assets or securities (other than with the money, securities or proceeds held under any defeasance trust established in accordance with the subordinated indenture) of either issuer, in connection with any dissolution or winding up or total or partial liquidation or reorganization of such issuer, whether voluntary or involuntary, or in bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership or other proceedings or other marshalling of assets for the benefit of creditors, all amounts due or to become due upon all senior debt shall first be paid in full, in cash or cash equivalents, before the holders of the subordinated debt securities or the trustee on their behalf shall be entitled to receive any payment by us, or on our behalf, on account of the subordinated debt securities, or any payment to acquire any of the subordinated debt securities for cash, property or securities, or any distribution with respect to the subordinated debt securities of any cash, property or securities. Before any payment may be made by us, or on our behalf, on any subordinated debt security (other than with the money, securities or proceeds held under any defeasance trust established in accordance with the subordinated indenture), in connection with any such dissolution, winding up, liquidation or reorganization, any payment or distribution of assets or securities for either issuer, to which the holders of subordinated debt securities or the trustee on their behalf would be entitled shall be made by us or by any receiver, trustee in bankruptcy, liquidating trustee, agent or other similar Person making such payment or distribution or by the holders or the trustee if received by them or it, directly to the holders of senior debt or their representatives or to any trustee or trustees under any indenture pursuant to which any such senior debt may have been issued, as their respective interests appear, to the extent necessary to
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pay all such senior debt in full, in cash or cash equivalents, after giving effect to any concurrent payment, distribution or provision therefor to or for the holders of such senior debt.
As a result of these subordination provisions, in the event of the liquidation, bankruptcy, reorganization, insolvency, receivership or similar proceeding or an assignment for the benefit of our creditors or a marshalling of our assets or liabilities, holders of subordinated debt securities may receive ratably less than other creditors.
Payment and Transfer
Principal, interest and any premium on fully registered debt securities will be paid at designated places. Payment will be made by check mailed to the persons in whose names the debt securities are registered on days specified in the indentures or any prospectus supplement. Debt securities payments in other forms will be paid at a place designated by us and specified in a prospectus supplement.
Fully registered debt securities may be transferred or exchanged at the office of the trustee or at any other office or agency maintained by us for such purposes, without the payment of any service charge except for any tax or governmental charge.
Global Securities
The debt securities of a series may be issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more global certificates that we will deposit with a depositary identified in the applicable prospectus supplement. Unless and until it is exchanged in whole or in part for the individual debt securities that it represents, a global security may not be transferred except as a whole:
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- by the applicable depositary to a nominee of the depositary;
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- by any nominee to the depositary itself or another nominee; or
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- by the depositary or any nominee to a successor depositary or any nominee of the successor.
We will describe the specific terms of the depositary arrangement with respect to a series of debt securities in the applicable prospectus supplement. We anticipate that the following provisions will generally apply to depositary arrangements.
When we issue a global security in registered form, the depositary for the global security or its nominee will credit, on its book-entry registration and transfer system, the respective principal amounts of the individual debt securities represented by that global security to the accounts of persons that have accounts with the depositary ("participants"). Those accounts will be designated by the dealers, underwriters or agents with respect to the underlying debt securities or by us if those debt securities are offered and sold directly by us. Ownership of beneficial interests in a global security will be limited to participants or persons that may hold interests through participants. For interests of participants, ownership of beneficial interests in the global security will be shown on records maintained by the applicable depositary or its nominee. For interests of persons other than participants, that ownership information will be shown on the records of participants. Transfer of that ownership will be effected only through those records. The laws of some states require that certain purchasers of securities take physical delivery of securities in definitive form. These limits and laws may impair our ability to transfer beneficial interests in a global security.
As long as the depositary for a global security, or its nominee, is the registered owner of that global security, the depositary or nominee will be considered the sole owner or holder of the debt securities represented by the global security for all purposes under the applicable indenture. Except as provided below, owners of beneficial interests in a global security:
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- will not be entitled to have any of the underlying debt securities registered in their names;
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- •
- will not receive or be entitled to receive physical delivery of any of the underlying debt securities in definitive form;
and
- •
- will not be considered the owners or holders under the indenture relating to those debt securities.
Payments of the principal of, any premium on and any interest on individual debt securities represented by a global security registered in the name of a depositary or its nominee will be made to the depositary or its nominee as the registered owner of the global security representing such debt securities. Neither we, the trustee for the debt securities, any paying agent nor the registrar for the debt securities will be responsible for any aspect of the records relating to or payments made by the depositary or any participants on account of beneficial interests in the global security.
We expect that the depositary or its nominee, upon receipt of any payment of principal, any premium or interest relating to a global security representing any series of debt securities, immediately will credit participants' accounts with the payments. Those payments will be credited in amounts proportional to the respective beneficial interests of the participants in the principal amount of the global security as shown on the records of the depositary or its nominee. We also expect that payments by participants to owners of beneficial interests in the global security held through those participants will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices. This is now the case with securities held for the accounts of customers registered in "street name." Those payments will be the sole responsibility of those participants.
If the depositary for a series of debt securities is at any time unwilling, unable or ineligible to continue as depositary and we do not appoint a successor depositary within 90 days, we will issue individual debt securities of that series in exchange for the global security or securities representing that series. In addition, we may at any time in our sole discretion determine not to have any debt securities of a series represented by one or more global securities. In that event, we will issue individual debt securities of that series in exchange for the global security or securities. Furthermore, if we specify, an owner of a beneficial interest in a global security may, on terms acceptable to us, the trustee and the applicable depositary, receive individual debt securities of that series in exchange for those beneficial interests. The foregoing is subject to any limitations described in the applicable prospectus supplement. In any such instance, the owner of the beneficial interest will be entitled to physical delivery of individual debt securities equal in principal amount to the beneficial interest and to have the debt securities registered in its name. Those individual debt securities will be issued in any authorized denominations.
Governing Law
Each indenture and the debt securities will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.
Information Concerning the Trustee
A banking or financial institution will be the trustee under the indentures. A successor trustee may be appointed in accordance with the terms of the indentures.
The indentures and the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act incorporated by reference therein will contain certain limitations on the rights of the trustee, should it become a creditor of us, to obtain payment of claims in certain cases, or to realize on certain property received in respect of any such claim as security or otherwise. The trustee will be permitted to engage in other transactions; however, if it acquires any conflicting interest (within the meaning of the Trust Indenture Act), it must eliminate such conflicting interest or resign.
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A single banking or financial institution may act as trustee with respect to both the subordinated indenture and the senior indenture. If this occurs, and should a default occur with respect to either the subordinated debt securities or the senior debt securities, such banking or financial institution would be required to resign as trustee under one of the indentures within 90 days of such default, pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act, unless such default were cured, duly waived or otherwise eliminated.
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DESCRIPTION OF GUARANTEES OF DEBT SECURITIES
Our subsidiaries may issue unconditional guarantees on an unsecured, unsubordinated basis with respect to senior debt securities that we offer in any prospectus supplement and may issue unconditional guarantees on an unsecured, subordinated basis with respect to subordinated debt securities that we offer in any prospectus supplement. The guarantee of senior debt securities will rank equally in right of payment with all of the unsecured and unsubordinated indebtedness of such subsidiary or subsidiaries. The guarantee of the subordinated debt securities will be subordinated in right of payment to all such subsidiary's or subsidiaries' existing and future senior indebtedness (as defined in the related prospectus supplement), including any guarantee of senior debt securities, to the same extent and in the same manner as the subordinated debt securities are subordinated to our senior indebtedness (as defined in the related prospectus supplement). Each guarantee will be issued under a supplement to an indenture. The prospectus supplement relating to a particular issue of guarantees will describe the terms of those guarantees, including the following:
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- the series of debt securities to which the guarantees apply;
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- whether the guarantees are secured or unsecured;
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- whether the guarantees are senior or subordinate to other guarantees or debt;
- •
- the terms under which the guarantees may be amended, modified, waived, released or otherwise terminated, if different
from the provisions applicable to the guaranteed debt securities; and
- •
- any additional terms of the guarantees.
The obligations of our subsidiaries under any such guarantee will be limited as necessary to prevent the guarantee from constituting a fraudulent conveyance or fraudulent transfer under applicable law.
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CONFLICTS OF INTEREST AND FIDUCIARY DUTIES
Conflicts of Interest
General
Conflicts of interest exist and may arise in the future as a result of the relationships between our general partner and its affiliates (including our Founding Investors), on the one hand, and our partnership and our limited partners, on the other hand. The directors and officers of our general partner have fiduciary duties to manage our general partner in a manner beneficial to its owners. At the same time, our general partner has a fiduciary duty to manage our partnership in a manner beneficial to us and our limited partners.
Whenever a conflict arises between our general partner or its affiliates, on the one hand, and us or any other partner, on the other hand, our general partner will resolve that conflict. Our partnership agreement contains provisions that modify and limit our general partner's fiduciary duties to the limited partners. Our partnership agreement also restricts the remedies available to limited partners for actions taken that, without those limitations, might constitute breaches of fiduciary duty.
Our general partner will not be in breach of its obligations under the partnership agreement or its duties to us or our limited partners if the resolution of the conflict is:
- •
- approved by the conflicts committee, although our general partner is not obligated to seek such approval;
- •
- approved by the vote of a majority of the outstanding units, excluding any units owned by our general partner or any of
its affiliates;
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- on terms no less favorable to us than those generally being provided to or available from unrelated third parties; or
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- fair and reasonable to us, taking into account the totality of the relationships among the parties involved, including other transactions that may be particularly favorable or advantageous to us.
Our general partner may, but is not required to, seek the approval of such resolution from the conflicts committee of the board of directors of our general partner. If our general partner does not seek approval from the conflicts committee and the board of directors of our general partner determines that the resolution or course of action taken with respect to the conflict of interest satisfies either of the standards set forth in the third and fourth bullet points above, then it will be presumed that, in making its decision, the board of directors acted in good faith, and in any proceeding brought by or on behalf of any limited partner or the partnership, the person bringing or prosecuting such proceeding will have the burden of overcoming such presumption. Unless the resolution of a conflict is specifically provided for in our partnership agreement, our general partner or the conflicts committee may consider any factors it determines in good faith to consider when resolving a conflict. When our partnership agreement requires that someone act in good faith, it requires that person to believe he is acting in the best interests of the partnership.
Conflicts of interest could arise in the situations described below, among others.
Certain of our general partner's affiliates may engage in competition with us.
Our partnership agreement provides that our general partner will be restricted from engaging in any business activities other than those incidental to its ownership of interests in us. However, affiliates of our general partner, other than our executive officers and their affiliates, are not prohibited from engaging in other businesses or activities, including those that might be in direct competition with us. In addition, under our partnership agreement, the doctrine of corporate opportunity, or any analogous doctrine, will not apply to the general partner and its affiliates, other than our executive officers and
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their affiliates. As a result, neither the general partner nor any of its affiliates other than our executive officers and their affiliates, will have any obligation to present business opportunities to us.
Our general partner is allowed to take into account the interests of parties other than us, such as its owners and their affiliates, in resolving conflicts of interest.
Our partnership agreement contains provisions that reduce the standards to which our general partner would otherwise be held by state fiduciary duty law. For example, our partnership agreement permits our general partner to make a number of decisions in its individual capacity, as opposed to its capacity as our general partner. This entitles our general partner to consider only the interests and factors that it desires, and it has no duty or obligation to give any consideration to any interest of, or factors affecting, us, our affiliates or any limited partner. Examples include the exercise of its limited call right, its voting rights with respect to the units it owns, its registration rights and its determination whether or not to consent to any merger or consolidation of the partnership.
Our general partner has limited its liability and reduced its fiduciary duties, and has also restricted the remedies available to our limited partners for actions that, without the limitations, might constitute breaches of fiduciary duties.
In addition to the provisions described above, our partnership agreement contains provisions that restrict the remedies available to our limited partners for actions that might otherwise constitute breaches of fiduciary duty. For example, our partnership agreement:
- •
- provides that the general partner shall not have any liability to us or our limited partners for decisions made in its
capacity as a general partner so long as it acted in good faith, meaning it believed that the decision was in the best interests of our partnership;
- •
- generally provides that affiliated transactions and resolutions of conflicts of interest not approved by the conflicts
committee of the board of directors of our general partner and not involving a vote of unitholders must be on terms no less favorable to us than those generally being provided to or available from
unrelated third parties or be "fair and reasonable" to us, as determined by the board of directors of our general partner in good faith, and that, in determining whether a transaction or resolution is
"fair and reasonable," our general partner may consider the totality of the relationships between the parties involved, including other transactions that may be particularly advantageous or beneficial
to us; and
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- provides that our general partner and its officers and directors will not be liable for monetary damages to us, our limited partners or assignees for any acts or omissions unless there has been a final and non-appealable judgment entered by a court of competent jurisdiction determining that our general partner or those other persons acted in bad faith or engaged in fraud or willful misconduct.
Actions taken by our general partner may affect the amount of cash that is distributed to our limited partners.
The amount of cash that is available for distribution to limited partners is affected by decisions of our general partner regarding such matters as:
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- the amount and timing of asset purchases and sales;
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- cash expenditures;
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- borrowings;
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- the issuance of additional limited partner interests; and
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- the creation, reduction or increase of reserves in any quarter.
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Our general partner determines which costs incurred by it are reimbursable by us.
We will reimburse our general partner and its affiliates for costs incurred in managing and operating us, including costs incurred in rendering support services to us. The partnership agreement provides that our general partner will determine the expenses that are allocable to us in good faith.
Our partnership agreement does not restrict our general partner from causing us to pay it or its affiliates for any services rendered to us or entering into additional contractual arrangements with any of these entities on our behalf.
Our partnership agreement allows our general partner to determine, in good faith, any amounts to pay itself or its affiliates for any services rendered to us. Our general partner does not charge us a management fee. Our general partner may also enter into additional contractual arrangements with any of its affiliates on our behalf. Neither our partnership agreement nor any of the other agreements, contracts, and arrangements between us, on the one hand, and our general partner and its affiliates, on the other hand, are or will be the result of arm's-length negotiations. Our general partner will determine, in good faith, the terms of any of these transactions entered into.
Our general partner and its affiliates will have no obligation to permit us to use any facilities or assets of our general partner and its affiliates, except as may be provided in contracts entered into specifically dealing with that use. There is no obligation of our general partner and its affiliates to enter into any contracts of this kind.
Our general partner intends to limit its liability regarding our obligations.
Our general partner intends to limit its liability under contractual arrangements so that the other party has recourse only to our assets, and not against our general partner or its assets. The partnership agreement provides that any action taken by our general partner to limit its liability or our liability is not a breach of our general partner's fiduciary duties, even if we could have obtained more favorable terms without the limitation on liability.
Limited Partners will have no right to enforce obligations of our general partner and its affiliates under agreements with us.
Any agreements between us on the one hand, and our general partner and its affiliates, on the other, will not grant to the limited partners, separate and apart from us, the right to enforce the obligations of our general partner and its affiliates in our favor.
Our general partner may exercise its right to call and purchase units if it and its affiliates own more than 80% of the units.
If at any time our general partner and its affiliates own more than 80% of our units, our general partner may exercise its right to call and purchase units as provided in the partnership agreement or assign this right to one of its affiliates or to us. Our general partner is not bound by fiduciary duty restrictions in determining whether to exercise this right. As a result, a unitholder may have his units purchased from him at an undesirable time or price. Our general partner and its affiliates, including members of our management, owned an aggregate of approximately 15% of our outstanding units as of October 13, 2014. Please read "Material Provisions of our Partnership Agreement—Limited Call Right."
Our general partner decides whether to retain separate counsel, accountants or others to perform services for us.
The attorneys, independent accountants and others who have performed services for us regarding our formation have been retained by our general partner, its affiliates and us and may continue to be
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retained by our general partner, its affiliates and us. Attorneys, independent accountants and others who will perform services for us are selected by our general partner or the conflicts committee and may perform services for our general partner and its affiliates. We may retain separate counsel for ourselves or the holders of units in the event of a conflict of interest between our general partner and its affiliates, on the one hand, and us or the holders of units, on the other, depending on the nature of the conflict. We do not intend to do so in most cases.
Except in limited circumstances our general partner has the power and authority to conduct our business without limited partner approval.
Under our partnership agreement, our general partner has full power and authority to do all things, other than those items that require limited partner approval or with respect to which our general partner has sought conflicts committee approval, on such terms as it determines to be necessary or appropriate to conduct our business including, but not limited to, the following:
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- the making of any expenditures, the lending or borrowing of money, the assumption or guarantee of, or other contracting
for, indebtedness and other liabilities, the issuance of evidences of indebtedness, including indebtedness that is convertible into securities of the partnership in certain circumstances, and the
incurring of any other obligations;
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- the making of tax, regulatory and other filings, or rendering of periodic or other reports to governmental or other
agencies having jurisdiction over our business or assets;
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- the acquisition, disposition, mortgage, pledge, encumbrance, hypothecation or exchange of any or all of our assets or the
merger or other combination of us with or into another person;
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- the negotiation, execution and performance of any contracts, conveyances or other instruments;
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- the distribution of partnership cash;
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- the selection and dismissal of employees and agents, outside attorneys, accountants, consultants and contractors and the
determination of their compensation and other terms of employment or hiring;
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- the maintenance of insurance for our benefit and the benefit of our partners;
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- the formation of, or acquisition of an interest in, and the contribution of property and the making of loans to, any
further limited or general partnerships, joint ventures, corporations, limited liability companies or other relationships;
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- the control of any matters affecting our rights and obligations, including the bringing and defending of actions at law
or in equity and otherwise engaging in the conduct of litigation, arbitration or mediation and the incurring of legal expense and the settlement of claims and litigation;
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- the indemnification of any person against liabilities and contingencies to the extent permitted by law;
- •
- subject to certain limitations, the purchase, sale or other acquisition or disposition of our securities, or the issuance
of additional options, rights, warrants and appreciation rights relating to our securities; and
- •
- the entering into of agreements with any of its affiliates to render services to us or to itself in the discharge of its duties as our general partner.
Our partnership agreement provides that our general partner must act in "good faith" when making decisions on our behalf, and our partnership agreement further provides that in order for a determination by our general partner to be made in "good faith," our general partner must believe that the determination is in our best interests. Please read "Material Provisions of our Partnership Agreement—Voting Rights" for information regarding matters that require unitholder approval.
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Fiduciary Duties
Our general partner is accountable to us and our limited partners as a fiduciary. Fiduciary duties owed to limited partners by our general partner are prescribed by law and the partnership agreement. The Delaware Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act, which we refer to in this prospectus as the Delaware Act, provides that Delaware limited partnerships may, in their partnership agreements, modify, restrict or expand the fiduciary duties otherwise owed by a general partner to limited partners and the partnership.
Our partnership agreement contains various provisions modifying and restricting the fiduciary duties that might otherwise be owed by our general partner. We have adopted these restrictions to allow our general partner or its affiliates to engage in transactions with us that would otherwise be prohibited by state-law fiduciary duty standards and to take into account the interests of other parties in addition to our interests when resolving conflicts of interest. We believe this is appropriate and necessary because our general partner's board of directors has fiduciary duties to manage our general partner in a manner beneficial to its owners, as well as to you. Without these modifications, the general partner's ability to make decisions involving conflicts of interest would be restricted. The modifications to the fiduciary standards enable the general partner to take into consideration all parties involved in the proposed action, so long as the resolution is fair and reasonable to us. These modifications also enable our general partner to attract and retain experienced and capable directors. These modifications are detrimental to the limited partners because they restrict the remedies available to limited partners for actions that, without those limitations, might constitute breaches of fiduciary duty, as described below, and permit our general partner to take into account the interests of third parties in addition to our interests when resolving conflicts of interest. The following is a summary of the material restrictions of the fiduciary duties owed by our general partner to the limited partners:
State law fiduciary duty standards |
Fiduciary duties are generally considered to include an obligation to act in good faith and with due care and loyalty. The duty of care, in the absence of a provision in a partnership agreement providing otherwise, would generally require a general partner to act for the partnership in the same manner as a prudent person would act on his own behalf. The duty of loyalty, in the absence of a provision in a partnership agreement providing otherwise, would generally prohibit a general partner of a Delaware limited partnership from taking any action or engaging in any transaction where a conflict of interest is present. | |
Partnership agreement modified standards |
Our partnership agreement contains provisions pursuant to which limited partners waive or consent to conduct by our general partner and its affiliates that might otherwise raise issues about compliance with fiduciary duties or applicable law. For example, our partnership agreement provides that when our general partner is acting in its capacity as our general partner, as opposed to in its individual capacity, it must act in "good faith" and will not be subject to any other standard under applicable law. In addition, when our general partner is acting in its individual capacity, as opposed to its capacity as our general partner, it may act without any fiduciary obligation to us or the unitholders whatsoever. These standards reduce the obligations to which our general partner would otherwise be held. |
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Our partnership agreement generally provides that affiliated transactions and resolutions of conflicts of interest not involving a vote of unitholders and that are not approved by the conflicts committee of the board of directors of our general partner must be: |
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• on terms no less favorable to us than those generally being provided to or available from unrelated third parties; or |
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• "fair and reasonable" to us, which may take into account the totality of the relationships between the parties involved (including other transactions that may be particularly favorable or advantageous, or unfavorable or disadvantageous, to us). |
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If our general partner does not seek approval from the conflicts committee and its board of directors determines that the resolution or course of action taken with respect to the conflict of interest satisfies either of the standards set forth in the bullet points above, then it will be presumed that, in making its decision, the board of directors, which may include board members affected by the conflict of interest, acted in good faith and in any proceeding brought by or on behalf of any limited partner or the partnership, the person bringing or prosecuting such proceeding will have the burden of overcoming such presumption. These standards reduce the obligations to which our general partner would otherwise be held. |
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In addition to the other more specific provisions limiting the obligations of our general partner, our partnership agreement further provides that our general partner, its affiliates and their officers and directors will not be liable for monetary damages to us, our limited partners or assignees for errors of judgment or for any acts or omissions unless there has been a final and non-appealable judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction determining that our general partner or its officers and directors acted in bad faith or engaged in fraud or willful misconduct. |
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Rights and remedies of limited partners |
The Delaware Act generally provides that a limited partner may institute legal action on behalf of the partnership to recover damages from a third party where a general partner has refused to institute the action or where an effort to cause a general partner to do so is not likely to succeed. These actions include actions against a general partner for breach of its fiduciary duties or of the partnership agreement. In addition, the statutory or case law of some jurisdictions may permit a limited partner to institute legal action on behalf of himself and all other similarly situated limited partners to recover damages from a general partner for violations of its fiduciary duties to the limited partners. |
By purchasing our units, preferred units or Incentive Distribution Units, each limited partner automatically agrees to be bound by the provisions in the partnership agreement, including the
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provisions discussed above. This is in accordance with the policy of the Delaware Act favoring the principle of freedom of contract and the enforceability of partnership agreements. The failure of a limited partner or assignee to sign a partnership agreement does not render the partnership agreement unenforceable against that person.
We must indemnify our general partner and its officers, directors, managers and certain other specified persons, to the fullest extent permitted by law, against liabilities, costs and expenses incurred by our general partner or these other persons. We must provide this indemnification unless there has been a final and non-appealable judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction determining that these persons acted in bad faith or engaged in fraud or willful misconduct. We must also provide this indemnification for criminal proceedings unless our general partner or these other persons acted with knowledge that their conduct was unlawful. Thus, our general partner could be indemnified for its negligent acts if it meets the requirements set forth above. To the extent these provisions purport to include indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act, in the opinion of the SEC, such indemnification is contrary to public policy and, therefore, unenforceable. Please read "Material Provisions of our Partnership Agreement—Indemnification."
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MATERIAL TAX CONSIDERATIONS TO UNITHOLDERS
This section is a summary of the material U.S. federal, state and local tax consequences that may be relevant to prospective unitholders and, unless otherwise noted in the following discussion, is the opinion of Andrews Kurth LLP insofar as it describes legal conclusions with respect to matters of U.S. federal income tax law. Such statements are based on the accuracy of the representations made by our general partner and us to Andrews Kurth LLP, and statements of fact do not represent opinions of Andrews Kurth LLP. To the extent this section discusses U.S. federal income taxes, that discussion is based upon current provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Internal Revenue Code"), existing and proposed Treasury regulations promulgated thereunder (the "Treasury Regulations"), and current administrative rulings and court decisions, all of which are subject to change. Changes in these authorities may cause the tax consequences to vary substantially from the consequences described below. Unless the context otherwise requires, references in this section to "us" or "we" are references to Legacy Reserves LP and our operating subsidiaries.
This section does not address all U.S. federal, state and local tax matters that affect us or our unitholders. To the extent that this section relates to taxation by a state, local or other jurisdiction within the United States, such discussion is intended to provide only general information. We have not sought the opinion of legal counsel regarding U.S. state, local or other taxation and, thus, any portion of the following discussion relating to such taxes does not represent the opinion of Andrews Kurth LLP or any other legal counsel. Furthermore, this section focuses on unitholders who are individual citizens or residents of the United States, whose functional currency is the U.S. dollar and who hold units as a capital asset (generally, property that is held as an investment). This section has only limited application to corporations, partnerships (and entities treated as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes), estates, trusts, non-resident aliens or other unitholders subject to specialized tax treatment, such as tax-exempt institutions, non-U.S. persons, individual retirement accounts, employee benefit plans, real estate investment trusts or mutual funds. Accordingly, we encourage each prospective unitholder to consult such unitholder's own tax advisor in analyzing the U.S. federal, state, local and non-U.S. tax consequences particular to that unitholder resulting from his ownership or disposition of his units.
No ruling has been or will be requested from the Internal Revenue Service (the "IRS") regarding any matter that affects us or our unitholders. Instead, we will rely on opinions and advice of Andrews Kurth LLP. Unlike a ruling, an opinion of counsel represents only that counsel's best legal judgment and does not bind the IRS or the courts. Accordingly, the opinions and statements made herein may not be sustained by a court if contested by the IRS. Any contest of this sort with the IRS may materially and adversely impact the market for our units and the prices at which such units trade. In addition, the costs of any contest with the IRS, principally legal, accounting and related fees, will result in a reduction in cash available for distribution to our unitholders and our general partner and thus will be borne indirectly by our unitholders and our general partner. Furthermore, our tax treatment, or the tax treatment of an investment in us, may be significantly modified by future legislative or administrative changes or court decisions. Any modifications may or may not be retroactively applied.
For the reasons described below, Andrews Kurth LLP has not rendered an opinion with respect to the following specific U.S. federal income tax issues: (1) the treatment of a unitholder whose units are loaned to a short seller to cover a short sale of units (please read "—Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership—Treatment of Short Sales"); (2) whether our monthly convention for allocating taxable income and losses is permitted by existing Treasury Regulations (please read "—Disposition of Units—Allocations Between Transferors and Transferees"); and (3) whether our method for depreciating Section 743 adjustments is sustainable in certain cases (please read "Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership—Section 754 Election" and "—Uniformity of Units").
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Taxation of Legacy Reserves LP
Partnership Status
Subject to the following paragraphs, we are treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes and, therefore, generally we are not liable for U.S. federal income taxes. Instead, each of our unitholders is required to take into account his respective share of our items of income, gain, loss and deduction in computing his U.S. federal income tax liability as if the unitholder had earned such income directly, even if no cash distributions are made to the unitholder. Distributions by us to a unitholder generally are not taxable to the unitholder unless the amount of cash distributed to the unitholder exceeds the unitholder's tax basis in his units.
Section 7704 of the Internal Revenue Code provides that publicly traded partnerships are, as a general rule, taxed as corporations. However, an exception, referred to as the "Qualifying Income Exception," exists with respect to publicly traded partnerships of which 90% or more of the gross income for every taxable year consists of "qualifying income." Qualifying income includes income and gains derived from exploration and production of certain natural resources, including oil, natural gas, and products thereof. Other types of qualifying income include interest (other than from a financial business), dividends, gains from the sale of real property and gains from the sale or other disposition of capital assets held for the production of income that otherwise constitutes qualifying income. We estimate that less than 5% of our current gross income is not qualifying income; however, this estimate could change from time to time. Based upon and subject to this estimate, the factual representations made by us and our general partner, and a review of the applicable legal authorities, Andrews Kurth LLP is of the opinion that at least 90% of our current gross income constitutes qualifying income. The portion of our income that is qualifying income may change from time to time.
No ruling has been or will be sought from the IRS, and the IRS has made no determination as to our status or the status of our operating companies for U.S. federal income tax purposes or whether our operations generate "qualifying income" under Section 7704 of the Internal Revenue Code. Instead, we will rely on the opinion of Andrews Kurth LLP on such matters. It is the opinion of Andrews Kurth LLP that we are classified as a partnership and each of our operating subsidiaries (other than the entity employing our employees) is disregarded as an entity separate from us for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
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In rendering its opinion, Andrews Kurth LLP has relied on factual representations made by us and our general partner. The representations made by us and our general partner upon which Andrews Kurth LLP has relied include, without limitation:
(a) neither we nor any of our partnership or limited liability company subsidiaries, have elected or will elect to be treated as a corporation; and
(b) for each taxable year, including short taxable years occurring as a result of a constructive termination, more than 90% of our gross income has been and will be income that Andrews Kurth LLP has opined or will opine is "qualifying income" within the meaning of Section 7704(d) of the Internal Revenue Code.
We believe that these representations have been true in the past and expect that these representations will continue to be true in the future.
If we fail to meet the Qualifying Income Exception, unless such failure is determined by the IRS to be inadvertent and is cured within a reasonable time after discovery (in which case the IRS may also require us to make adjustments with respect to our unitholders or pay other amounts), we will be treated as if we had transferred all of our assets, subject to liabilities, to a newly formed corporation, on the first day of the year in which we failed to meet the Qualifying Income Exception, in return for stock in that corporation and then distributed that stock to our unitholders in liquidation of their interests in us. This deemed contribution and liquidation should be tax-free to our unitholders and us so long as we, at that time, do not have liabilities in excess of the tax basis of our assets. Thereafter, we would be treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
If we were taxed as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes in any taxable year, either as a result of a failure to meet the Qualifying Income Exception or otherwise, our items of income, gain, loss and deduction would be reflected only on our tax return, rather than being passed through to our unitholders, and our net income would be taxed to us at corporate rates. In addition, any distribution made to a unitholder would be treated as taxable dividend income, to the extent of our current and accumulated earnings and profits, or, in the absence of earnings and profits, a nontaxable return of capital, to the extent of the unitholder's tax basis in our units, or taxable capital gain, after the unitholder's tax basis in his units is reduced to zero. Accordingly, taxation as a corporation would result in a material reduction in a unitholder's cash flow and after-tax return and thus would likely result in a substantial reduction of the value of our units.
The discussion below is based on Andrews Kurth LLP's opinion that we will be classified as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership for Unitholders
Limited Partner Status
Unitholders who are admitted as limited partners of Legacy Reserves LP, as well as unitholders whose units are held in street name or by a nominee and who have the right to direct the nominee in the exercise of all substantive rights attendant to the ownership of units, will be treated as tax partners of Legacy Reserves LP for U.S. federal income tax purposes. A beneficial owner of units whose units have been transferred to a short seller to complete a short sale would appear to lose his status as a partner with respect to those units for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Please read "—Treatment of Short Sales." Unitholders who are not treated as partners in us as described above are urged to consult their tax advisors with respect to the tax consequences applicable to them under the circumstances.
The references to "unitholders" in the discussion that follows are to persons who are treated as partners in Legacy Reserves LP for federal income tax purposes.
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Flow-Through of Taxable Income
Subject to the discussion below under "—Entity-Level Collections of Unitholder Taxes," neither we nor our subsidiaries treated as partnerships or otherwise disregarded for federal income tax purposes will pay any U.S. federal income tax. For U.S. federal income tax purposes, each unitholder is required to report on his income tax return his share of our income, gains, losses and deductions without regard to whether we make cash distributions to such unitholder. Consequently, we may allocate income to a unitholder even if that unitholder has not received a cash distribution. Each unitholder will be required to include in income his allocable share of our income, gains, losses and deductions for his taxable year or years ending with or within our taxable year. Our taxable year ends on December 31.
Treatment of Distributions
Distributions made by us to a unitholder generally will not be taxable to the unitholder for federal income tax purposes, except to the extent the amount of any such cash distribution exceeds his tax basis in his units immediately before the distribution. Cash distributions made by us to a unitholder in an amount in excess of the unitholder's tax basis in his units generally will be considered to be gain from the sale or exchange of those units, taxable in accordance with the rules described under "—Disposition of Units" below. Any reduction in a unitholder's share of our liabilities, including as a result of future issuances of additional units, will be treated as a distribution of cash to that unitholder. To the extent that cash distributions made by us cause a unitholder's "at risk" amount to be less than zero at the end of any taxable year, that unitholder must recapture any losses deducted in previous years. Please read "—Limitations on Deductibility of Losses."
A decrease in a unitholder's percentage interest in us because of our issuance of additional units will decrease his share of our nonrecourse liabilities, and thus will result in a corresponding deemed distribution of cash. This deemed distribution may constitute a non-pro rata distribution. A non-pro rata distribution of money or property, including a deemed distribution, may result in ordinary income to a unitholder, regardless of that unitholder's tax basis in its units, if the distribution reduces the unitholder's share of our "unrealized receivables," including depreciation recapture, depletion recapture and/or substantially appreciated "inventory items," both as defined in Section 751 of the Internal Revenue Code, and collectively, "Section 751 Assets." To the extent of such reduction, a unitholder will be treated as having received his proportionate share of the Section 751 Assets and then having exchanged those assets with us in return for an allocable portion of the non-pro rata distribution made to such unitholder. This latter deemed exchange generally will result in the unitholder's realization of ordinary income in an amount equal to the excess of (1) the non-pro rata portion of that distribution over (2) the unitholder's tax basis (generally zero) in the Section 751 Assets deemed relinquished in the exchange.
Basis of Units
A unitholder's initial tax basis in his units will be the amount he paid for those units plus his share of our nonrecourse liabilities. That basis generally will be (i) increased by the unitholder's share of our income and by any increases in such unitholder's share of our nonrecourse liabilities, and (ii) decreased, but not below zero, by distributions to him, by his share of our losses, by depletion deductions taken by him that do not exceed his proportionate share of the adjusted tax basis of the underlying properties, by any decreases in his share of our nonrecourse liabilities and by his share of our expenditures that are not deductible in computing taxable income and are not required to be capitalized.
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Limitations on Deductibility of Losses
The deduction by a unitholder of that unitholder's share of our losses will be limited to the lesser of (i) the tax basis such unitholder has in his units, and (ii) in the case of an individual, estate, trust or corporate unitholder (if more than 50% of the corporate unitholder's stock is owned directly or indirectly by or for five or fewer individuals or some tax exempt organizations) to the amount for which the unitholder is considered to be "at risk" with respect to our activities. A unitholder subject to these limitations must recapture losses deducted in previous years to the extent that distributions cause the unitholder's at risk amount to be less than zero at the end of any taxable year. Losses disallowed to a unitholder or recaptured as a result of these limitations will carry forward and will be allowable as a deduction in a later year to the extent that the unitholder's tax basis or at risk amount, whichever is the limiting factor, is subsequently increased. Upon the taxable disposition of a unit, any gain recognized by a unitholder can be offset by losses that were previously suspended by the at risk limitation but may not be offset by losses suspended by the basis limitation. Any loss previously suspended by the at risk limitation in excess of that gain would no longer be utilizable.
In general, a unitholder will be at risk to the extent of the tax basis of the unitholder's units, excluding any portion of that basis attributable to the unitholder's share of our nonrecourse liabilities, reduced by (1) any portion of that basis representing amounts otherwise protected against loss because of a guarantee, stop loss agreement or other similar arrangement and (2) any amount of money the unitholder borrows to acquire or hold his units, if the lender of those borrowed funds owns an interest in us, is related to another unitholder or can look only to the units for repayment. A unitholder's at risk amount will increase or decrease as the tax basis of the unitholder's units increases or decreases, other than tax basis increases or decreases attributable to increases or decreases in the unitholder's share of our liabilities.
The at risk limitation applies on an activity-by-activity basis, and in the case of oil and natural gas properties, each property is treated as a separate activity. Thus, a taxpayer's interest in each oil or natural gas property is generally required to be treated separately so that a loss from any one property would be limited to the at risk amount for that property and not the at risk amount for all the taxpayer's oil and natural gas properties. It is uncertain how this rule is implemented in the case of multiple oil and natural gas properties owned by a single entity treated as a partnership for federal income tax purposes. However, for taxable years ending on or before the date on which further guidance is published, the IRS will permit aggregation of oil or natural gas properties we own in computing a unitholder's at risk limitation with respect to us. If a unitholder were required to compute his at risk amount separately with respect to each oil or natural gas property we own, he might not be allowed to utilize his share of losses or deductions attributable to a particular property even though he has a positive at risk amount with respect to his units as a whole.
In addition to the basis and at risk limitations on the deductibility of losses, the passive loss limitations generally provide that individuals, estates, trusts and some closely-held corporations and personal service corporations may deduct losses from passive activities, which are generally defined as trade or business activities in which the taxpayer does not materially participate, only to the extent of the taxpayer's income from those passive activities. The passive loss limitations are applied separately with respect to each publicly-traded partnership. Consequently, any passive losses we generate will only be available to offset our passive income generated in the future and will not be available to offset income from other passive activities or investments, including our investments or a unitholder's investments in other publicly-traded partnerships, or a unitholder's salary or active business income. Passive losses that are not deductible because they exceed a unitholder's share of income we generate may be deducted in full when he disposes of his entire investment in us in a fully taxable transaction with an unrelated party. The passive loss limitations are applied after other applicable limitations on deductions, including the at risk rules and the basis limitation.
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A unitholder's share of our net income may be offset by any of our suspended passive losses, but it may not be offset by any other current or carryover losses from other passive activities, including those attributable to other publicly traded partnerships.
Limitations on Interest Deductions
The deductibility of a non-corporate taxpayer's "investment interest expense" is generally limited to the amount of that taxpayer's "net investment income." Investment interest expense includes:
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- interest on indebtedness properly allocable to property held for investment;
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- our interest expense attributed to portfolio income; and
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- the portion of interest expense incurred to purchase or carry an interest in a passive activity to the extent attributable to portfolio income.
The computation of a unitholder's investment interest expense will take into account interest on any margin account borrowing or other loan incurred to purchase or carry a unit. Net investment income includes gross income from property held for investment and amounts treated as portfolio income under the passive loss rules, less deductible expenses, other than interest, directly connected with the production of investment income, but generally does not include gains attributable to the disposition of property held for investment or qualified dividend income. The IRS has indicated that net passive income earned by a publicly-traded partnership will be treated as investment income to its unitholders for purposes of the investment interest expense limitation. In addition, the unitholder's share of our portfolio income will be treated as investment income.
Entity-Level Collections of Unitholder Taxes
If we are required or elect under applicable law to pay any U.S. federal, state, local or non-U.S. tax on behalf of any unitholder or our general partner or any former unitholder, we are authorized to pay those taxes from our funds. That payment, if made, will be treated as a distribution of cash to the unitholder on whose behalf the payment was made. If the payment is made on behalf of a unitholder whose identity cannot be determined, we are authorized to treat the payment as a distribution to all current unitholders. We are authorized to amend our partnership agreement in the manner necessary to maintain uniformity of intrinsic tax characteristics of units and to adjust later distributions, so that after giving effect to these distributions, the priority and characterization of distributions otherwise applicable under our partnership agreement is maintained as nearly as is practicable. Payments by us as described above could give rise to an overpayment of tax on behalf of an individual unitholder in which event the unitholder would be required to file a claim in order to obtain a credit or refund.
Allocation of Income, Gain, Loss and Deduction
In general, our items of income, gain, loss and deduction will be allocated among our general partner and the unitholders in accordance with their percentage interests in us.
Specified items of our income, gain, loss and deduction will be allocated to account for the difference between the tax basis and fair market value of our assets, a "Book Tax Disparity," at the time of this offering and any future offerings or certain other transactions. The effect of these allocations, referred to as Section 704(c) Allocations, to a unitholder acquiring units in this offering will be essentially the same as if the tax bases of our assets were equal to their fair market values at the time of this offering. However, in connection with providing this benefit to any future unitholders, similar allocations, will be made to all holders of partnership interests immediately prior to such other transactions, including purchasers of units in this offering, to account for any Book Tax Disparity at the time of the transaction. In addition, items of recapture income will be allocated to the extent possible
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to the unitholder who was allocated the deduction giving rise to the treatment of that gain as recapture income in order to minimize the recognition of ordinary income by other unitholders.
An allocation of items of our income, gain, loss or deduction, other than an allocation required by the Internal Revenue Code to eliminate a Book-Tax Disparity, will generally be given effect for U.S. federal income tax purposes in determining a unitholder's share of an item of income, gain, loss or deduction only if the allocation has substantial economic effect. In any other case, a unitholder's share of an item will be determined on the basis of his interest in us, which will be determined by taking into account all the facts and circumstances, including:
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- his relative contributions to us;
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- the interests of all the partners in profits and losses;
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- the interest of all the partners in cash flow; and
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- the rights of all the partners to distributions of capital upon liquidation.
Treatment of Short Sales
A unitholder whose units are loaned to a "short seller" to cover a short sale of units may be considered as having disposed of those units. If so, such unitholder would no longer be treated for tax purposes as a partner with respect to those units during the period of the loan and may recognize gain or loss from the disposition. As a result, during this period:
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- any of our income, gain, loss or deduction with respect to those units would not be reportable by the unitholder;
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- any cash distributions received by the unitholder as to those units would be fully taxable; and
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- all of these distributions may be subject to tax as ordinary income.
Because there is no direct or indirect controlling authority on the issue relating to partnership interests, Andrews Kurth LLP has not rendered an opinion regarding the tax treatment of a unitholder whose units are loaned to a short seller to cover a short sale of our units. Unitholders desiring to assure their status as partners and avoid the risk of gain recognition from a loan to a short seller are urged to consult with their tax advisor about modifying any applicable brokerage account agreements to prohibit their brokers from borrowing and loaning their units. The IRS has announced that it is studying issues relating to the tax treatment of short sales of partnership interests. Please read "—Disposition of Units—Recognition of Gain or Loss."
Alternative Minimum Tax
Each unitholder will be required to take into account the unitholder's distributive share of any items of our income, gain, loss or deduction for purposes of the alternative minimum tax. The current minimum tax rate for non-corporate taxpayers is 26% on the first $182,500 of alternative minimum taxable income in excess of the exemption amount and 28% on any additional alternative minimum taxable income. Prospective unitholders are urged to consult with their tax advisors with respect to the impact of an investment in our units on their liability for the alternative minimum tax.
Tax Rates
Under current law, the highest marginal U.S. federal income tax rate applicable to ordinary income of individuals is 39.6% and the highest marginal U.S. federal income tax rate applicable to long-term capital gains (generally, gains from the sale or exchange of certain investment assets held for more than one year) of individuals is 20%. However, these rates are subject to change by new legislation at any time.
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In addition, a 3.8% Medicare tax applies to certain investment income earned by individuals, estates, and trusts. For these purposes, investment income generally includes a unitholder's allocable share of our income and gain realized by a unitholder from a sale of units. In the case of an individual, the tax will be imposed on the lesser of (i) the unitholder's net investment income from all investments, or (ii) the amount by which the unitholder's modified adjusted gross income exceeds specified threshold levels depending on a unitholder's federal income tax filing status. In the case of an estate or trust, the tax will be imposed on the lesser of (i) undistributed net investment income, or (ii) the excess adjusted gross income over the dollar amount at which the highest income tax bracket applicable to an estate or trust begins.
Section 754 Election
We have made the election permitted by Section 754 of the Internal Revenue Code. That election is irrevocable without the consent of the IRS. That election will generally permit us to adjust a unit purchaser's tax basis in our assets ("inside basis") under Section 743(b) of the Internal Revenue Code to reflect the unitholder's purchase price. The Section 743(b) adjustment separately applies to any transferee of a unitholder who purchases outstanding units from another unitholder based upon the values and bases of our assets at the time of the transfer to the transferee. The Section 743(b) adjustment does not apply to a person who purchases units directly from us, and belongs only to the purchaser and not to other unitholders. Please read, however, "—Allocation of Income, Gain, Loss and Deduction." For purposes of this discussion, a unitholder's inside basis in our assets will be considered to have two components: (1) the unitholder's share of our tax basis in our assets ("common basis") and (2) the unitholder's Section 743(b) adjustment to that basis.
The timing and calculation of deductions attributable to Section 743(b) adjustments to our common basis will depend upon a number of factors, including the nature of the assets to which the adjustment is allocable, the extent to which the adjustment offsets any Internal Revenue Code Section 704(c) type gain or loss with respect to an asset and certain elections we make as to the manner in which we apply Internal Revenue Code Section 704(c) principles with respect to an asset to which the adjustment is applicable. Please read "—Allocation of Income, Gain, Loss and Deduction."
The timing of these deductions may affect the uniformity of our units. Under our partnership agreement, our general partner is authorized to take a position to preserve the uniformity of units even if that position is not consistent with these and any other Treasury Regulations or if the position would result in lower annual depreciation or amortization deductions than would otherwise be allowable to some unitholders. Please read "—Uniformity of Units." Andrews Kurth LLP is unable to opine as to the validity of any such alternate tax positions because there is no clear applicable authority. A unitholder's basis in a unit is reduced by his share of our deductions (whether or not such deductions were claimed on an individual income tax return) so that any position that we take that understates deductions will overstate the unitholder's basis in his units and may cause the unitholder to understate gain or overstate loss on any sale of such units. Please read "—Uniformity of Units."
A Section 754 election is advantageous if the transferee's tax basis in his units is higher than the units' share of the aggregate tax basis of our assets immediately prior to the transfer. In that case, as a result of the election, the transferee would have, among other items, a greater amount of depreciation deductions and the transferee's share of any gain or loss on a sale of assets by us would be less. Conversely, a Section 754 election is disadvantageous if the transferee's tax basis in his units is lower than those units' share of the aggregate tax basis of our assets immediately prior to the transfer. Thus, the fair market value of the units may be affected either favorably or unfavorably by the election. A basis adjustment is required regardless of whether a Section 754 election is made in the case of a transfer of an interest in us if we have a substantial built-in loss immediately after the transfer, or if we distribute property and have a substantial basis reduction. Generally a built-in loss or a basis reduction is substantial if it exceeds $250,000.
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The calculations involved in the Section 754 election are complex and will be made on the basis of assumptions as to the fair market value of our assets and other matters. For example, the allocation of the Section 743(b) adjustment among our assets must be made in accordance with the Internal Revenue Code. The IRS could seek to reallocate some or all of any Section 743(b) adjustment we allocated to our tangible assets to goodwill instead. Goodwill, as an intangible asset, is generally either non-amortizable or amortizable over a longer period of time or under a less accelerated method than our tangible assets. We cannot assure our unitholders that the determinations we make will not be successfully challenged by the IRS or that the resulting deductions will not be reduced or disallowed altogether. Should the IRS require a different basis adjustment to be made, and should our general partner determine the expense of compliance exceeds the benefit of the election, we may seek permission from the IRS to revoke our Section 754 election. If permission is granted, a subsequent purchaser of units may be allocated more income than such purchaser would have been allocated had the election not been revoked.
Tax Treatment of Operations for Unitholders
Accounting Method and Taxable Year
We use the year ending December 31 as our taxable year and the accrual method of accounting for federal income tax purposes. Each unitholder will be required to include in income his share of our income, gain, loss and deduction for our taxable year ending within or with his taxable year. In addition, a unitholder who has a taxable year ending on a date other than December 31 and who disposes of all of his units following the close of our taxable year but before the close of his taxable year must include his share of our income, gain, loss and deduction in income for his taxable year, with the result that he will be required to include in income for his taxable year his share of more than one year of our income, gain, loss and deduction. Please read "—Disposition of Units—Allocations Between Transferors and Transferees."
Depletion Deductions
Subject to the limitations on deductibility of losses discussed above (please read "—Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership—Limitations on Deductibility of Losses"), unitholders will be entitled to deductions for the greater of either cost depletion or (if otherwise allowable) percentage depletion with respect to our oil and natural gas interests. Although the Internal Revenue Code requires each unitholder to compute his own depletion allowance and maintain records of his share of the adjusted tax basis of the underlying property for depletion and other purposes, we intend to furnish each of our unitholders with information relating to this computation for federal income tax purposes. Each unitholder, however, remains responsible for calculating his own depletion allowance and maintaining records of his share of the adjusted tax basis of the underlying property for depletion and other purposes.
Percentage depletion is generally available with respect to unitholders who qualify under the independent producer exemption contained in Section 613A(c) of the Internal Revenue Code. To qualify as an "independent producer" eligible for percentage depletion (and that is not subject to the intangible drilling and development cost deduction limits, please read "—Deductions for Intangible Drilling and Development Costs,") a unitholder, either directly or indirectly through certain related parties, may not be involved in the refining of more than 75,000 barrels of oil (or the equivalent amount of natural gas) on average for any day during the taxable year or in the retail marketing of oil and natural gas products exceeding $5 million per year in the aggregate. Percentage depletion is calculated as an amount generally equal to 15% (and, in the case of marginal production, potentially a higher percentage) of the unitholder's gross income from the depletable property for the taxable year. The percentage depletion deduction with respect to any property is limited to 100% of the taxable income of the unitholder from the property for each taxable year, computed without the depletion
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allowance. A unitholder that qualifies as an independent producer may deduct percentage depletion only to the extent the unitholder's average net daily production of domestic crude oil, or the natural gas equivalent, does not exceed 1,000 barrels. This depletable amount may be allocated between oil and natural gas production, with 6,000 cubic feet of domestic natural gas production regarded as equivalent to one barrel of crude oil. The 1,000-barrel limitation must be allocated among the independent producer and controlled or related persons and family members in proportion to the respective production by such persons during the period in question.
In addition to the foregoing limitations, the percentage depletion deduction otherwise available is limited to 65% of a unitholder's total taxable income from all sources for the year, computed without the depletion allowance, net operating loss carrybacks, or capital loss carrybacks. Any percentage depletion deduction disallowed because of the 65% limitation may be deducted in the following taxable year if the percentage depletion deduction for such year plus the deduction carryover does not exceed 65% of the unitholder's total taxable income for that year. The carryover period resulting from the 65% net income limitation is unlimited.
Unitholders that do not qualify under the independent producer exemption are generally restricted to depletion deductions based on cost depletion. Cost depletion deductions are calculated by (i) dividing the unitholder's share of the adjusted tax basis in the underlying mineral property by the number of mineral units (barrels of oil and thousand cubic feet, or Mcf, of natural gas) remaining as of the beginning of the taxable year and (ii) multiplying the result by the number of mineral units sold within the taxable year. The total amount of deductions based on cost depletion cannot exceed the unitholder's share of the total adjusted tax basis in the property.
All or a portion of any gain recognized by a unitholder as a result of either the disposition by us of some or all of our oil and natural gas interests or the disposition by the unitholder of some or all of his units may be taxed as ordinary income to the extent of recapture of depletion deductions, except for percentage depletion deductions in excess of the tax basis of the property. The amount of the recapture is generally limited to the amount of gain recognized on the disposition.
The foregoing discussion of depletion deductions does not purport to be a complete analysis of the complex legislation and Treasury Regulations relating to the availability and calculation of depletion deductions by the unitholders. Further, because depletion is required to be computed separately by each unitholder and not by our partnership, no assurance can be given, and counsel is unable to express any opinion, with respect to the availability or extent of percentage depletion deductions to the unitholders for any taxable year. Moreover, the availability of percentage depletion may be reduced or eliminated if recently proposed (or similar) tax legislation is enacted. For a discussion of such legislative proposals, please read "—Recent Legislative Developments." We encourage each prospective unitholder to consult his tax advisor to determine whether percentage depletion would be available to him.
Deductions for Intangible Drilling and Development Costs
We will elect to currently deduct intangible drilling and development costs (IDCs). IDCs generally include our expenses for wages, fuel, repairs, hauling, supplies and other items that are incidental to, and necessary for, the drilling and preparation of wells for the production of oil, natural gas, or geothermal energy. The option to currently deduct IDCs applies only to those items that do not have a salvage value.
Although we will elect to currently deduct IDCs, each unitholder will have the option of either currently deducting IDCs or capitalizing all or part of the IDCs and amortizing them on a straight-line basis over a 60-month period, beginning with the taxable month in which the expenditure is made. If a unitholder makes the election to amortize the IDCs over a 60-month period, no IDC preference amount in respect of those IDCs will result for alternative minimum tax purposes.
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Integrated oil companies must capitalize 30% of all their IDCs (other than IDCs paid or incurred with respect to oil and natural gas wells located outside of the United States) and amortize these IDCs over 60 months beginning in the month in which those costs are paid or incurred. If the taxpayer ceases to be an integrated oil company, it must continue to amortize those costs as long as it continues to own the property to which the IDCs relate. An "integrated oil company" is a taxpayer that has economic interests in oil or natural gas properties and also carries on substantial retailing or refining operations. An oil or natural gas producer is deemed to be a substantial retailer or refiner if it is subject to the rules disqualifying retailers and refiners from taking percentage depletion. Please read "—Depletion Deductions."
IDCs previously deducted that are allocable to property (directly or through ownership of an interest in a partnership) and that would have been included in the adjusted tax basis of the property had the IDC deduction not been taken are recaptured to the extent of any gain realized upon the disposition of the property or upon the disposition by a unitholder of interests in us. Recapture is generally determined at the unitholder level. Where only a portion of the recapture property is sold, any IDCs related to the entire property are recaptured to the extent of the gain realized on the portion of the property sold. In the case of a disposition of an undivided interest in a property, a proportionate amount of the IDCs with respect to the property is treated as allocable to the transferred undivided interest to the extent of any gain recognized. Please read "—Disposition of Units—Recognition of Gain or Loss."
The election to currently deduct IDCs may be restricted or eliminated if recently proposed (or similar) tax legislation is enacted. For a discussion of such legislative proposals, please read "—Recent Legislative Developments."
Deduction for U.S. Production Activities
Subject to the limitations on the deductibility of losses discussed above and the limitation discussed below, unitholders will be entitled to a deduction, herein referred to as the Section 199 deduction, equal to 9% of our qualified production activities income that is allocated to such unitholder, but not to exceed 50% of such unitholder's IRS Form W-2 wages for the taxable year allocable to domestic production gross receipts.
Qualified production activities income is generally equal to gross receipts from domestic production activities reduced by cost of goods sold allocable to those receipts, other expenses directly associated with those receipts, and a share of other deductions, expenses and losses that are not directly allocable to those receipts or another class of income. The products produced must be manufactured, produced, grown or extracted in whole or in significant part by the taxpayer in the United States.
For a partnership, the Section 199 deduction is determined at the partner level. To determine his Section 199 deduction, each unitholder will aggregate his share of the qualified production activities income allocated to him from us with the unitholder's qualified production activities income from other sources. Each unitholder must take into account his distributive share of the expenses allocated to him from our qualified production activities regardless of whether we otherwise have taxable income. However, our expenses that otherwise would be taken into account for purposes of computing the Section 199 deduction are taken into account only if and to the extent the unitholder's share of losses and deductions from all of our activities is not disallowed by the tax basis rules, the at risk rules or the passive activity loss rules. Please read "—Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership—Limitations on Deductibility of Losses."
The amount of a unitholder's Section 199 deduction for each year is limited to 50% of the IRS Form W-2 wages actually or deemed paid by the unitholder during the calendar year that are deducted in arriving at qualified production activities income. Each unitholder is treated as having been
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allocated IRS Form W-2 wages from us equal to the unitholder's allocable share of our wages that are deducted in arriving at qualified production activities income for that taxable year. It is not anticipated that we or our subsidiaries will pay material wages that will be allocated to our unitholders, and thus a unitholder's ability to claim the Section 199 deduction may be limited.
A unitholder's otherwise allowable Section 199 deduction for each taxable year is reduced by 3% of the least of (i) the oil related qualified production activities income of the taxpayer for the taxable year, (ii) the qualified production activities income of the taxpayer for the taxable year, or (iii) the taxpayer's taxable income for the taxable year (determined without regard to any Section 199 deduction). For this purpose, the term "oil related qualified production activities income" means the qualified production activities income attributable to the production, refining, processing, transportation, or distribution of oil, gas, or any primary production thereof. We expect that most or all of our qualified production activities income will consist of oil related qualified production activities income.
This discussion of the Section 199 deduction does not purport to be a complete analysis of the complex legislation and Treasury authority relating to the calculation of domestic production gross receipts, qualified production activities income, or IRS Form W-2 wages, or how such items are allocated by us to unitholders. Further, because the Section 199 deduction is required to be computed separately by each unitholder, no assurance can be given, and counsel is unable to express any opinion, as to the availability or extent of the Section 199 deduction to the unitholders. Moreover, the availability of Section 199 deductions may be reduced or eliminated if recently proposed (or similar) tax legislation is enacted. For a discussion of such legislative proposals, please read "—Recent Legislative Developments." Each prospective unitholder is encouraged to consult his tax advisor to determine whether the Section 199 deduction would be available to him.
Lease Acquisition Costs
The cost of acquiring oil and natural gas lease or similar property interests is a capital expenditure that must be recovered through depletion deductions if the lease is productive. If a lease is proved worthless and abandoned, the cost of acquisition less any depletion claimed may be deducted as an ordinary loss in the year the lease becomes worthless. Please read "—Tax Treatment of Operations—Depletion Deductions."
Geophysical Costs
The cost of geophysical exploration incurred in connection with the exploration and development of oil and natural gas properties in the United States are deducted ratably over a 24-month period beginning on the date that such expense is paid or incurred. The amortization period for certain geological and geophysical expenditures may be extended if recently proposed (or similar) tax legislation is enacted. For a discussion of such legislative proposals, please read "—Recent Legislative Developments."
Operating and Administrative Costs
Amounts paid for operating a producing well are deductible as ordinary business expenses, as are administrative costs, to the extent they constitute ordinary and necessary business expenses that are reasonable in amount.
Tax Basis, Depreciation and Amortization
The tax basis of our assets will be used for purposes of computing depreciation and cost recovery deductions and, ultimately, gain or loss on the disposition of these assets. The federal income tax burden associated with the difference between the fair market value of our assets and their tax basis
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immediately prior to an offering will be borne by our partners holding interest in us prior to this offering. Please read "—Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership—Allocation of Income, Gain, Loss and Deduction."
To the extent allowable, we may elect to use the depreciation and cost recovery methods that will result in the largest deductions being taken in the early years after assets subject to these allowances are placed in service. We may not be entitled to any amortization deductions with respect to certain goodwill properties conveyed to us or held by us at the time of any future offering. Please read "—Uniformity of Units." Property we subsequently acquire or construct may be depreciated using accelerated methods permitted by the Internal Revenue Code.
If we dispose of depreciable property by sale, foreclosure or otherwise, all or a portion of any gain, determined by reference to the amount of depreciation previously deducted and the nature of the property, may be subject to the recapture rules and taxed as ordinary income rather than capital gain. Similarly, a unitholder who has taken cost recovery or depreciation deductions with respect to property we own will likely be required to recapture some or all of those deductions as ordinary income upon a sale of his interest in us. Please read "—Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership—Allocation of Income, Gain, Loss and Deduction" and "—Disposition of Units—Recognition of Gain or Loss."
The costs incurred in selling our units (called "syndication expenses") must be capitalized and cannot be deducted currently, ratably or upon our termination. There are uncertainties regarding the classification of costs as organization expenses, which may be amortized by us, and as syndication expenses, which may not be amortized by us. The underwriting discounts we incur will be treated as syndication expenses.
Valuation and Tax Basis of Our Properties
The federal income tax consequences of the ownership and disposition of units will depend in part on our estimates of the relative fair market values and the initial tax bases of our assets. Although we may from time to time consult with professional appraisers regarding valuation matters, we will make many of the relative fair market value estimates ourselves. These estimates and determinations of basis are subject to challenge and will not be binding on the IRS or the courts. If the estimates of fair market value or basis are later found to be incorrect, the character and amount of items of income, gain, loss or deduction previously reported by unitholders might change, and unitholders might be required to adjust their tax liability for prior years and incur interest and penalties with respect to those adjustments.
Recognition of Gain or Loss
Gain or loss will be recognized on a sale of units equal to the difference between the unitholder's amount realized and the unitholder's tax basis for the units sold. A unitholder's amount realized will equal the sum of the cash or the fair market value of other property he receives plus his share of our liabilities. Because the amount realized includes a unitholder's share of our liabilities, the gain recognized on the sale of units could result in a tax liability in excess of any cash received from the sale.
Prior distributions from us in excess of cumulative net taxable income for unit that decreased a unitholder's tax basis in that unit will, in effect, become taxable income if the unit is sold at a price greater than the unitholder's tax basis in the unit, even if the price received is less than his original cost.
Except as noted below, gain or loss recognized by a unitholder on the sale or exchange of a unit held for more than one year will generally be taxable as long term capital gain or loss. However, a
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portion of this gain or loss, which will likely be substantial, will be separately computed and taxed as ordinary income or loss under Section 751 of the Internal Revenue Code to the extent attributable to assets giving rise to depreciation recapture or other "unrealized receivables" or "inventory items" that we own. The term "unrealized receivables" includes potential recapture items, including depreciation, depletion or IDC recapture. Ordinary income attributable to unrealized receivables, inventory items and depreciation recapture may exceed net taxable gain realized on the sale of a unit and may be recognized even if there is a net taxable loss realized on the sale of a unit. Thus, a unitholder may recognize both ordinary income and a capital loss upon a sale of units. Net capital loss may offset capital gains and no more than $3,000 of ordinary income each year, in the case of individuals, and may only be used to offset capital gain in the case of corporations.
The IRS has ruled that a partner who acquires interests in a partnership in separate transactions must combine those interests and maintain a single adjusted tax basis for all those interests. Upon a sale or other disposition of less than all of those interests, a portion of that tax basis must be allocated to the interests sold using an "equitable apportionment" method, which generally means that the tax basis allocated to the interest sold equals an amount that bears the same relation to the partner's tax basis in his entire interest in the partnership as the value of the interest sold bears to the value of the partner's entire interest in the partnership. Treasury Regulations under Section 1223 of the Internal Revenue Code allow a selling unitholder who can identify units transferred with an ascertainable holding period to elect to use the actual holding period of the units transferred. Thus, according to the ruling discussed above, a unitholder will be unable to select high or low basis units to sell as would be the case with corporate stock, but, according to the Treasury Regulations, he may designate specific units sold for purposes of determining the holding period of units transferred. A unitholder electing to use the actual holding period of units transferred must consistently use that identification method for all subsequent sales or exchanges of our units. A unitholder considering the purchase of additional units or a sale of units purchased in separate transactions is urged to consult his tax advisor as to the possible consequences of this ruling and application of the Treasury Regulations.
Specific provisions of the Internal Revenue Code affect the taxation of some financial products and securities, including partnership interests, by treating a taxpayer as having sold an "appreciated" partnership interest, one in which gain would be recognized if it were sold, assigned or terminated at its fair market value, if the taxpayer or related persons enter(s) into:
- •
- a short sale;
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- an offsetting notional principal contract; or
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- a futures or forward contract with respect to the partnership interest or substantially identical property.
Moreover, if a taxpayer has previously entered into a short sale, an offsetting notional principal contract or a futures or forward contract with respect to the partnership interest, the taxpayer will be treated as having sold that position if the taxpayer or a related person then acquires the partnership interest or substantially identical property. The Secretary of the Treasury is also authorized to issue regulations that treat a taxpayer that enters into transactions or positions that have substantially the same effect as the preceding transactions as having constructively sold the financial position.
Allocations Between Transferors and Transferees
In general, our taxable income or loss will be determined annually, will be prorated on a monthly basis and will be subsequently apportioned among the unitholders in proportion to the number of units owned by each of them as of the opening of the applicable exchange on the first business day of the month (the "Allocation Date"). However, gain or loss realized on a sale or other disposition of our assets other than in the ordinary course of business will be allocated among the unitholders on the
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Allocation Date in the month in which that gain or loss is recognized. As a result, a unitholder transferring units may be allocated income, gain, loss and deduction realized after the date of transfer.
Although simplifying conventions are contemplated by the Internal Revenue Code and most publicly-traded partnerships use similar simplifying conventions, the use of this method may not be permitted under existing Treasury Regulations. Recently, however, the Department of the Treasury and the IRS issued proposed Treasury Regulations that provide a safe harbor pursuant to which a publicly-traded partnership may use a similar monthly simplifying convention to allocate tax items among transferor and transferee unitholders, although such tax items must be prorated on a daily basis. Nonetheless, the proposed regulations do not specifically authorize the use of the proration method we have adopted. Existing publicly-traded partnerships are entitled to rely on those proposed Treasury Regulations; however, they are not binding on the IRS and are subject to change until the final Treasury Regulations are issued. Accordingly, Andrews Kurth LLP is unable to opine on the validity of this method of allocating income and deductions between transferee and transferor unitholders. If this method is not allowed under the Treasury Regulations, or only applies to transfers of less than all of the unitholder's interest, our taxable income or losses might be reallocated among the unitholders. We are authorized to revise our method of allocation between transferee and transferor unitholders, as well as among unitholders whose interests vary during a taxable year, to conform to a method permitted under future Treasury Regulations.
A unitholder who disposes of units prior to the record date set for a cash distribution for any quarter will be allocated items of our income, gain, loss and deductions attributable to the month of sale but will not be entitled to receive that cash distribution.
Notification Requirements
A unitholder who sells any of his units is generally required to notify us in writing of that sale within 30 days after the sale (or, if earlier, January 15 of the year following the sale). A purchaser of units who purchases units from another unitholder is also generally required to notify us in writing of that purchase within 30 days after the purchase. Upon receiving such notifications, we are required to notify the IRS of that transaction and to furnish specified information to the transferor and transferee. Failure to notify us of a transfer of units may, in some cases, lead to the imposition of penalties. However, these reporting requirements do not apply to a sale by an individual who is a citizen of the United States and who effects the sale or exchange through a broker who will satisfy such requirements.
Constructive Termination
We will be considered to have terminated our tax partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes upon the sale or exchange of interests in us that, in the aggregate, constitute 50% or more of the total interests in our capital and profits within a twelve-month period. For purposes of measuring whether the 50% has been met, multiple sales of the same unit are counted only once. A constructive termination results in the closing of our taxable year for all unitholders. In the case of a unitholder reporting on a taxable year other than a fiscal year ending December 31, the closing of our taxable year may result in more than twelve months of our taxable income or loss being includable in such unitholder's taxable income for the year of termination. A constructive termination occurring on a date other than December 31 will result in us filing two tax returns (and unitholders could receive two Schedules K-1 if the relief discussed below is not available) for one fiscal year and the cost of the preparation of these returns will be borne by all unitholders. However, pursuant to an IRS relief procedure for publicly traded partnerships that have technically terminated, the IRS may allow, among other things, that we provide a single Schedule K-1 for the tax year in which a termination occurs. We would be required to make new tax elections after a termination, including a new election under Section 754 of the Internal Revenue Code, and a termination would result in a deferral of our
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deductions for depreciation. A termination could also result in penalties if we were unable to determine that the termination had occurred. Moreover, a termination might either accelerate the application of, or subject us to, any tax legislation enacted before the termination.
Because we cannot match transferors and transferees of units and because of other reasons, we must maintain uniformity of the economic and tax characteristics of the units to a purchaser of these units. In the absence of uniformity, we may be unable to completely comply with a number of federal income tax requirements, both statutory and regulatory. A lack of uniformity could result from a literal application of Treasury Regulation Section 1.167(c)-1(a)(6), which is not expected to apply to a material portion of our assets. Any non-uniformity could have a negative impact on the value of the units. Please read "—Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership—Section 754 Election."
Our partnership agreement permits our general partner to take positions in filing our tax returns that preserve the uniformity of our units even under circumstances like those described above. These positions may include reducing for some unitholders the depreciation, amortization or loss deductions to which they would otherwise be entitled or reporting a slower amortization of Section 743(b) adjustments for some unitholders than that to which they would otherwise be entitled. Andrews Kurth LLP is unable to opine as to validity of such filing positions. A unitholder's basis in units is reduced by his share of our deductions (whether or not such deductions were claimed on an individual income tax return) so that any position that we take that understates deductions will overstate the unitholder's basis in his units, and may cause the unitholder to understate gain or overstate loss on any sale of such units. Please read "—Disposition of Units—Recognition of Gain or Loss" and "—Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership—Section 754 Election." The IRS may challenge one or more of any positions we take to preserve the uniformity of units. If such a challenge were sustained, the uniformity of units might be affected, and, under some circumstances, the gain from the sale of units might be increased without the benefit of additional deductions.
Tax-Exempt Organizations and Other Investors
Ownership of units by employee benefit plans, other tax-exempt organizations, non-resident aliens, non-U.S. corporations and other non-U.S. persons raises issues unique to those investors and, as described below, may have substantially adverse tax consequences to them. Prospective unitholders who are tax-exempt entities or non-U.S. persons should consult their tax advisor before investing in our units.
Employee benefit plans and most other organizations exempt from federal income tax, including individual retirement accounts and other retirement plans, are subject to federal income tax on unrelated business taxable income. Virtually all of our income allocated to a unitholder that is a tax-exempt organization will be unrelated business taxable income and will be taxable to them.
Non-resident aliens and foreign corporations, trusts or estates that own units will be considered to be engaged in business in the United States because of the ownership of units. As a consequence, they will be required to file federal tax returns to report their share of our income, gain, loss or deduction and pay federal income tax at regular rates on their share of our net income or gain. Moreover, under rules applicable to publicly traded partnerships, distributions to non-U.S. unitholders are subject to withholding at the highest applicable effective tax rate. Each non-U.S. unitholder must obtain a taxpayer identification number from the IRS and submit that number to our transfer agent on a Form W-8BEN or applicable substitute form in order to obtain credit for these withholding taxes. A change in applicable law may require us to change these procedures.
In addition, because a foreign corporation that owns units will be treated as engaged in a United States trade or business, that corporation may be subject to the United States branch profits tax at a
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rate of 30%, in addition to regular federal income tax, on its share of our income and gain, as adjusted for changes in the foreign corporation's "U.S. net equity," which is effectively connected with the conduct of a United States trade or business. That tax may be reduced or eliminated by an income tax treaty between the United States and the country in which the foreign corporate unitholder is a "qualified resident." In addition, this type of unitholder is subject to special information reporting requirements under Section 6038C of the Internal Revenue Code.
A foreign unitholder who sells or otherwise disposes of a unit will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on gain realized from the sale or disposition of that unit to the extent the gain is effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business of the foreign unitholder. Under a ruling published by the IRS, interpreting the scope of "effectively connected income," a foreign unitholder would be considered to be engaged in a trade or business in the U.S. by virtue of the U.S. activities of the partnership, and part or all of that unitholder's gain would be effectively connected with that unitholder's indirect U.S. trade or business. Moreover, under the Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act, a foreign unitholder generally will be subject to U.S. federal income tax upon the sale or disposition of a unit if (i) he owned (directly or constructively applying certain attribution rules) more than 5% of our units at any time during the five-year period ending on the date of such disposition and (ii) 50% or more of the fair market value of all of our assets consisted of U.S. real property interests at any time during the shorter of the period during which such unitholder held the units or the 5-year period ending on the date of disposition. Currently, more than 50% of our assets consist of U.S. real property interests and we do not expect that to change in the foreseeable future. Therefore, foreign unitholders may be subject to federal income tax on gain from the sale or disposition of their units.
Information Returns and Audit Procedures
We intend to furnish to each unitholder, within 90 days after the close of each taxable year, specific tax information, including a Schedule K-1, which describes his share of our income, gain, loss and deduction for our preceding taxable year. In preparing this information, which will not be reviewed by counsel, we will take various accounting and reporting positions, some of which have been mentioned earlier, to determine each unitholder's share of income, gain, loss and deduction. We cannot assure our unitholders that those positions will yield a result that conforms to the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code, Treasury Regulations or administrative interpretations of the IRS. Neither we, nor Andrews Kurth LLP can assure prospective unitholders that the IRS will not successfully contend in court that those positions are impermissible. Any challenge by the IRS could negatively affect the value of the units.
The IRS may audit our federal income tax information returns. Adjustments resulting from an IRS audit may require each unitholder to adjust a prior year's tax liability, and possibly may result in an audit of his own return. Any audit of a unitholder's return could result in adjustments not related to our returns as well as those related to our returns.
Partnerships generally are treated as separate entities for purposes of U.S. federal income tax audits, judicial review of administrative adjustments by the IRS and tax settlement proceedings. The tax treatment of partnership items of income, gain, loss and deduction are determined in a partnership proceeding rather than in separate proceedings with the partners. The Internal Revenue Code requires that one partner be designated as the "Tax Matters Partner" for these purposes. Our partnership agreement designates our general partner as our Tax Matters Partner.
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The Tax Matters Partner will make some elections on our behalf and on behalf of unitholders. In addition, the Tax Matters Partner can extend the statute of limitations for assessment of tax deficiencies against unitholders for items in our returns. The Tax Matters Partner may bind a unitholder with less than a 1% profits interest in us to a settlement with the IRS unless that unitholder elects, by filing a statement with the IRS, not to give that authority to the Tax Matters Partner. The Tax Matters Partner may seek judicial review, by which all the unitholders are bound, of a final partnership administrative adjustment and, if the Tax Matters Partner fails to seek judicial review, judicial review may be sought by any unitholder having at least a 1% interest in profits or by any group of unitholders having in the aggregate at least a 5% interest in profits. However, only one action for judicial review will go forward, and each unitholder with an interest in the outcome may participate in that action.
A unitholder must file a statement with the IRS identifying the treatment of any item on his federal income tax return that is not consistent with the treatment of the item on our return. Intentional or negligent disregard of this consistency requirement may subject a unitholder to substantial penalties.
Nominee Reporting
Persons who hold an interest in us as a nominee for another person are required to furnish to us:
(1) the name, address and taxpayer identification number of the beneficial owner and the nominee;
(2) a statement regarding whether the beneficial owner is:
(a) a person that is not a U.S. person;
(b) a non-U.S. government, an international organization or any wholly owned agency or instrumentality of either of the foregoing; or
(c) a tax-exempt entity;
(3) the amount and description of units held, acquired or transferred for the beneficial owner; and
(4) specific information including the dates of acquisitions and transfers, means of acquisitions and transfers, and acquisition cost for purchases, as well as the amount of net proceeds from sales.
Brokers and financial institutions are required to furnish additional information, including whether they are U.S. persons and specific information on units they acquire, hold or transfer for their own account. A penalty of $100 per failure, up to a maximum of $1,500,000 per calendar year, is imposed by the Internal Revenue Code for failure to report that information to us. The nominee is required to supply the beneficial owner of the units with the information furnished to us.
Accuracy-Related Penalties
An additional tax equal to 20% of the amount of any portion of an underpayment of tax that is attributable to one or more specified causes, including negligence or disregard of rules or regulations, substantial understatements of income tax and substantial valuation misstatements, is imposed by the Internal Revenue Code. No penalty will be imposed, however, for any portion of an underpayment if it is shown that there was a reasonable cause for the underpayment of that portion and that the taxpayer acted in good faith regarding the underpayment of that portion.
For individuals, a substantial understatement of income tax in any taxable year exists if the amount of the understatement exceeds the greater of 10% of the tax required to be shown on the return for
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the taxable year or $5,000 ($10,000 for most corporations). The amount of any understatement subject to penalty generally is reduced if any portion is attributable to a position adopted on the return:
(1) for which there is, or was, "substantial authority;" or
(2) as to which there is a reasonable basis and the pertinent facts of that position are disclosed on the return.
If any item of income, gain, loss or deduction included in the distributive shares of unitholders might result in that kind of an "understatement" of income for which no "substantial authority" exists, we must disclose the pertinent facts on our return. In addition, we will make a reasonable effort to furnish sufficient information for unitholders to make adequate disclosure on their returns and to take other actions as may be appropriate to permit unitholders to avoid liability for this penalty. More stringent rules apply to "tax shelters," which we do not believe includes us, or any of our investments, plans or arrangements.
A substantial valuation misstatement exists if (a) the value of any property, or the tax basis of any property, claimed on a tax return is 150% or more of the amount determined to be the correct amount of the valuation or tax basis, (b) the price for any property or services (or for the use of property) claimed on any such return with respect to any transaction between persons described in Internal Revenue Code Section 482 is 200% or more (or 50% or less) of the amount determined under Section 482 to be the correct amount of such price, or (c) the net Internal Revenue Code Section 482 transfer price adjustment for the taxable year exceeds the lesser of $5 million or 10% of the taxpayer's gross receipts. No penalty is imposed unless the portion of the underpayment attributable to a substantial valuation misstatement exceeds $5,000 ($10,000 for a corporation other than an S Corporation or a personal holding company). The penalty is increased to 40% in the event of a gross valuation misstatement. We do not anticipate making any valuation misstatements.
In addition, the 20% accuracy-related penalty also applies to any portion of an underpayment of tax that is attributable to transactions lacking economic substance. To the extent that such transactions are not disclosed, the penalty imposed is increased to 40%. Additionally, there is no reasonable cause defense to the imposition of this penalty to such transactions.
Reportable Transactions
If we were to engage in a "reportable transaction," we (and possibly our unitholders and others) would be required to make a detailed disclosure of the transaction to the IRS. A transaction may be a reportable transaction based upon any of several factors, including the fact that it is a type of tax avoidance transaction publicly identified by the IRS as a "listed transaction" or that it produces certain kinds of losses for partnerships, individuals, S corporations, and trusts in excess of $2 million in any single tax year, or $4 million in any combination of six successive tax years. Our participation in a reportable transaction could increase the likelihood that our federal income tax information return (and possibly our unitholders' tax return) would be audited by the IRS. Please read "—Administrative Matters—Information Returns and Audit Procedures."
Moreover, if we were to participate in a reportable transaction with a significant purpose to avoid or evade tax, or in any listed transaction, our unitholders may be subject to the following provisions of the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004:
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- accuracy-related penalties with a broader scope, significantly narrower exceptions, and potentially greater amounts than
described in "—Accuracy-Related Penalties";
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- for those persons otherwise entitled to deduct interest on federal tax deficiencies, nondeductibility of interest on any
resulting tax liability; and
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- in the case of a listed transaction, an extended statute of limitations.
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We do not expect to engage in any "reportable transactions."
Recent Legislative Developments
Legislation has been proposed that would, if enacted, make significant changes to United States tax laws, including the elimination of certain key U.S. federal income tax incentives relating to oil and natural gas exploration and production companies. Changes include, but are not limited to, (i) the repeal of the percentage depletion allowance for oil and natural gas properties, (ii) the elimination of current deductions for intangible drilling and development costs, (iii) the elimination of the deduction for certain domestic production activities, and (iv) an extension of the amortization period for certain geological and geophysical expenditures. It is unclear whether these or similar changes will be enacted and, if enacted, how soon any such changes could become effective. The passage of any legislation as a result of these proposals or any other similar changes in U.S. federal income tax laws could eliminate or postpone certain tax deductions that are currently available with respect to oil and natural gas exploration and development, and any such change could increase the taxable income allocable to our unitholders and negatively impact the value of an investment in our units.
The present U.S. federal income tax treatment of publicly traded partnerships, including us, or an investment in our units, may be modified by administrative, legislative or judicial interpretation at any time. For example, from time to time members of Congress propose and consider substantive changes to the existing U.S. federal income tax laws that affect the tax treatment of certain publicly traded partnerships. We are unable to predict whether such changes, or other proposals, will ultimately be enacted. However, it is possible that a change in law could affect us and may be retroactively applied. Any such changes could negatively impact the value of an investment in our units.
State, Local and Other Tax Considerations
In addition to U.S. federal income taxes, unitholders will be subject to other taxes, including state and local income taxes, unincorporated business taxes, and estate, inheritance or intangibles taxes that may be imposed by the various jurisdictions in which we conduct business or owns property or in which the unitholder is a resident. We currently conduct business or own property in multiple states, most of which impose personal income taxes on individuals. Most of these states also impose an income tax on corporations and other entities. Moreover, we may also own property or do business in other states in the future that impose income or similar taxes on nonresident individuals. Although an analysis of those various taxes is not presented here, each prospective unitholder should consider their potential impact on his investment in us. A unitholder may be required to file state income tax returns and to pay state income taxes in any state in which we do business or own property, and such unitholder may be subject to penalties for failure to comply with those requirements. In some states, tax losses may not produce a tax benefit in the year incurred and also may not be available to offset income in subsequent taxable years. Some of the states may require us, or we may elect, to withhold a percentage of income from amounts to be distributed to a unitholder who is not a resident of the state. Withholding, the amount of which may be greater or less than a particular unitholder's income tax liability to the state, generally does not relieve a nonresident unitholder from the obligation to file an income tax return. Amounts withheld may be treated as if distributed to unitholders for purposes of determining the amounts distributed by us. Please read "—Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership—Entity-Level Collections of Unitholder Taxes." Based on current law and our estimate of our future operations, we anticipate that any amounts required to be withheld will not be material.
It is the responsibility of each unitholder to investigate the legal and tax consequences, under the laws of pertinent states and localities, of his investment in us. Andrews Kurth LLP has not rendered an opinion on the state, local, or non-U.S. tax consequences of an investment in us. We strongly recommend that each prospective unitholder consult, and depend on, his own tax counsel or other advisor with regard to those matters. It is the responsibility of each unitholder to file all tax returns that may be required of him.
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TAX CONSEQUENCES OF OWNERSHIP OF DEBT SECURITIES
Because the terms and corresponding tax consequences of various debt issuances may differ significantly, descriptions of the material U.S. federal income tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership and disposition of debt securities will be set forth in the prospectus supplement relating to the offering of any such debt securities.
TAX CONSEQUENCES OF PREFERRED UNIT OWNERSHIP
A description of the material federal income tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership and disposition of preferred units other than Existing Preferred Units will be set forth in the prospectus supplement relating to the offering of preferred units.
The tax consequences to you of an investment in Existing Preferred Units will depend in part on your own tax circumstances. Although this section updates and adds information related to certain tax considerations, it should be read in conjunction with the risk factors included under the caption "Tax Risks to Limited Partners" in this prospectus.
All prospective holders of Existing Preferred Units are encouraged to consult with their own tax advisors about the U.S. federal, state, local and foreign tax consequences particular to their own circumstances. In particular, ownership of Existing Preferred Units by tax-exempt entities, including employee benefit plans and IRAs, and non-U.S. investors raises issues unique to such persons. The relevant rules are complex, and the discussions herein do not address all tax considerations applicable to tax-exempt entities and non-U.S. investors, except as specifically set forth under the caption "Tax-Exempt Organizations and Other Investors" below.
Limited Partner Status
The tax treatment of our Existing Preferred Units is uncertain. Although the IRS may disagree with our treatment, we will treat holders of our Existing Preferred Units as limited partners entitled to a guaranteed payment for the use of capital contributed for their Existing Preferred Units. If the Existing Preferred Units are not partnership interests, they would likely constitute indebtedness for U.S. federal income tax purposes and distributions on the Existing Preferred Units would constitute ordinary interest income to the holders of Existing Preferred Units.
Treatment of Distributions
We will treat distributions on the Existing Preferred Units as guaranteed payments for the use of capital that will generally be taxable to the holders of Existing Preferred Units as ordinary income and will be deductible by us. Although a holder of Existing Preferred Units could recognize taxable income from the accrual of such a guaranteed payment even in the absence of a contemporaneous distribution, we anticipate accruing and making the guaranteed payment distributions monthly. Otherwise, except as described below, the holders of Existing Preferred Units are generally not anticipated to share in our items of income, gain, loss or deduction, nor will we allocate any share of our nonrecourse liabilities to the holders of Existing Preferred Units.
Basis of Units and Existing Preferred Units
A holder's tax basis in its units and Existing Preferred Units initially will be the amount paid for those units and Existing Preferred Units. A unitholder's basis will be increased by the unitholder's initial allocable share of our liabilities. That basis generally will be (i) increased by the unitholder's share of our income and any increases in such unitholder's share of our liabilities, and (ii) decreased, but not below zero, by the amount of all distributions to the unitholder, the unitholder's share of our losses, any decreases in the unitholder's share of our liabilities, and certain other items.
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However, an Existing Preferred unitholder's tax basis will not be affected by any distributions on its Existing Preferred Units, and we do not anticipate that an Existing Preferred unitholder will be allocated any share of our liabilities. The IRS has ruled that a partner who acquires interests in a partnership in separate transactions must combine those interests and maintain a single adjusted tax basis for all of those interests. If you own units and Existing Preferred Units, please consult your tax advisor with respect to determining the consequences of a distribution on your units on your basis in your units and Existing Preferred Units.
Limitations on Deductibility of Losses
A holder of Existing Preferred Units will only be allocated loss to the extent the capital accounts of our unitholders have been reduced to zero. Although it is not anticipated that a holder of Existing Preferred Units would be allocated loss, the deductibility of any such loss may be limited for various reasons. In the event that you are allocated loss as a holder of an Existing Preferred Unit, please consult your tax advisor as to the application of any limitation to the deductibility of that loss.
Allocation of Income, Gain, Loss and Deduction
If we have a net profit, our items of income, gain, loss and deduction will be allocated among our holders of units other than holders of Existing Preferred Units, in accordance with their percentage interests in us. If we have a net loss, our items of income, gain, loss and deduction will be allocated among our unitholders in accordance with their percentage interests in us to the extent of their positive capital accounts. Holders of our Existing Preferred Units generally will only be allocated net loss in the event that the capital accounts of our unitholders have been reduced to zero. Because holders of Existing Preferred Units will not receive allocations of our gross income, such holders will not be entitled to deductions for percentage depletion.
Generally, holders of Existing Preferred Units will have a capital account equal to the stated liquidation preference of each Existing Preferred Unit, without regard to the price paid for such units or whether such units were purchased from us or on the open market, but will have an initial tax basis with respect to the Existing Preferred Units equal to the price paid for such Existing Preferred Units. If Existing Preferred Units are sold by us for an amount exceeding the stated liquidation preference, we will have income to the extent the purchase price paid for the Existing Preferred Units exceeds the stated liquidation preference of such Existing Preferred Units, which income will be allocated to the holders of our units.
Allocations Between Transferors and Transferees
The accrued distributions of income treated as guaranteed payments for the use of capital will be allocated to holders of Existing Preferred Units owning Existing Preferred Units as of the opening of the applicable exchange on the first business day of the month (the "Allocation Date"), and those holders will also be entitled to receive the distribution of the guaranteed payment payable with respect to their Existing Preferred Units on or about the 15th business day of the month. Purchasers of Existing Preferred Units after the Allocation Date will therefore not be accrued any guaranteed payment income or be entitled to a cash distribution on their Existing Preferred Units until the next Allocation Date.
Tax Rates
Under current law, the highest marginal U.S. federal income tax rate applicable to ordinary income of individuals is 39.6% and the highest marginal U.S. federal income tax rate applicable to long-term capital gains (generally, gains from the sale or exchange of certain investment assets held for
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more than one year) of individuals is 20%. However, these rates are subject to change by new legislation at any time.
In addition, a 3.8% net investment income tax (NIIT) applies to certain investment income earned by individuals, estates, and trusts. The Department of the Treasury and the IRS have issued proposed Treasury regulations applying the NIIT to guaranteed payments received for the use of capital, effective taxable years beginning after December 31, 2013. In the case of an individual, the tax will be imposed on the lesser of (i) the individual's net investment income from all investments, or (ii) the amount by which the individual's modified adjusted gross income exceeds specified threshold levels depending on a unitholder's federal income tax filing status. In the case of an estate or trust, the tax will be imposed on the lesser of (i) undistributed net investment income, or (ii) the excess adjusted gross income over the dollar amount at which the highest income tax bracket applicable to an estate or trust begins.
Administrative Matters
Holders of Existing Preferred Units will receive specific tax information from us, including a Schedule K-1 which generally would be expected to provide a single income item equal to the preferred return. See "Administrative Matters—Information Returns and Audit Procedures" above. Notwithstanding the general rule requiring aggregation of partnership interests purchased in separate transactions, you may receive two Schedules K-1 if you hold units and Existing Preferred Units due to administrative reporting limitations.
Tax-Exempt Organizations and Other Investors
Investment in our Existing Preferred Units by tax-exempt investors, such as employee benefit plans and individual retirement accounts, and non-U.S. persons raises issues unique to them. Distributions to non-U.S. holders of our Existing Preferred Units will be treated as "effectively connected income" (which will subject holders to U.S. net income taxation and possibly the branch profits tax) and will be subject to withholding taxes imposed at the highest effective tax rate applicable to such non-U.S. holders. If the amount of withholding exceeds the amount of U.S. federal income tax actually due, non-U.S. holders may be required to file U.S. federal income tax returns in order to seek a refund of such excess. The treatment of guaranteed payments for the use of capital to tax exempt investors is not certain. If you are a tax-exempt entity or a non-U.S. person, you should consult your tax advisor with respect to the consequences of owning our Existing Preferred Units.
State, Local and Other Tax Considerations
In addition to U.S. federal income taxes, unitholders will (and holders of Existing Preferred Units may) be subject to other taxes, including state and local income taxes, unincorporated business taxes, and estate, inheritance or intangibles taxes that may be imposed by the various jurisdictions in which we conduct business or owns property or in which the unitholder is a resident. Please read "Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership—Entity-Level Collections of Unitholder Taxes" above. Based on current law and our estimate of our future operations, we anticipate that any amounts required to be withheld will not be material.
It is the responsibility of each holder of Existing Preferred Units to investigate the legal and tax consequences, under the laws of pertinent states and localities, of his investment in us. Andrews Kurth LLP has not rendered an opinion on the state, local, or non-U.S. tax consequences of an investment in us. We strongly recommend that each prospective Existing Preferred unitholder consult, and depend on, his own tax counsel or other advisor with regard to those matters. It is the responsibility of each holder of Existing Preferred Units to file all tax returns that may be required of him.
121
We may sell or distribute the securities covered by this prospectus through underwriters, agents or broker-dealers, in private transactions, at market prices prevailing at the time of sale, at prices related to the prevailing market prices, or at negotiated prices.
In addition, we may sell some or all of the securities included in this prospectus through:
- •
- a block trade in which a broker-dealer may resell a portion of the block, as principal, in order to facilitate the
transaction;
- •
- purchases by a broker-dealer, as principal, and resale by the broker-dealer for its account;
- •
- ordinary brokerage transactions and transactions in which a broker solicits purchasers; or
- •
- any other method permitted by applicable law.
In addition, we may enter into option or other types of transactions that require us to deliver units or preferred units to a broker-dealer, who will then resell or transfer the units or preferred units under this prospectus. We may enter into hedging transactions with respect to our securities. For example, we may:
- •
- enter into transactions involving short sales of the units or preferred units by broker-dealers;
- •
- sell units or preferred units short themselves and deliver the units or preferred units to close out short positions;
- •
- enter into option or other types of transactions that require us to deliver units or preferred units to a broker-dealer,
who will then resell or transfer the units or preferred units under this prospectus; or
- •
- loan or pledge the units or preferred units to a broker-dealer, who may sell the loaned units or preferred units or, in the event of default, sell the pledged units or preferred units.
We may enter into derivative transactions with third parties, or sell securities not covered by this prospectus to third parties in privately negotiated transactions. If the applicable prospectus supplement indicates, in connection with those derivatives, the third parties may sell securities covered by this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement, including in short sale transactions. If so, the third party may use securities pledged by us or borrowed from us or others to settle those sales or to close out any related open borrowings of securities, and may use securities received from us in settlement of those derivatives to close out any related open borrowings of securities. The third party in such sale transactions will be an underwriter and, if not identified in this prospectus, will be identified in the applicable prospectus supplement (or a post-effective amendment). In addition, we may otherwise loan or pledge securities to a financial institution or other third party that in turn may sell the securities short using this prospectus. Such financial institution or other third party may transfer its economic short position to investors in our securities or in connection with a concurrent offering of other securities.
There is currently no market for any of the securities, other than our units, Series A Preferred Units and Series B Preferred Units, each listed on The NASDAQ Global Select Market. If the securities are traded after their initial issuance, they may trade at a discount from their initial offering price, depending on prevailing interest rates, the market for similar securities and other factors. While it is possible that an underwriter could inform us that it intends to make a market in the securities, such underwriter would not be obligated to do so, and any such market making could be discontinued at any time without notice. Therefore, we cannot assure you as to whether an active trading market will develop for these other securities. We have no current plans for listing the debt securities on any
122
securities exchange; any such listing with respect to any particular debt securities will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Any broker-dealers or other persons acting on our behalf that participate with us in the distribution of the units or any preferred units may be deemed to be underwriters and any commissions received or profit realized by them on the resale of the units or such preferred units may be deemed to be underwriting discounts and commissions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act. As of the date of this prospectus, we are not a party to any agreement, arrangement or understanding between any broker or dealer and us with respect to the offer or sale of the securities pursuant to this prospectus.
We may have agreements with agents, underwriters, dealers and remarketing firms to indemnify them against certain civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. Agents, underwriters, dealers and remarketing firms, and their affiliates, may engage in transactions with, or perform services for, us in the ordinary course of business. This includes commercial banking and investment banking transactions.
At the time that any particular offering of securities is made, to the extent required by the Securities Act, a prospectus supplement will be distributed setting forth the terms of the offering, including the aggregate number of securities being offered, the purchase price of the securities, the initial offering price of the securities, the names of any underwriters, dealers or agents, any discounts, commissions and other items constituting compensation from us and any discounts, commissions or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers.
Underwriters or agents could make sales in privately negotiated transactions and/or any other method permitted by law, including sales deemed to be an "at the market" offering as defined in Rule 415 promulgated under the Securities Act, which includes sales made directly on or through The NASDAQ Global Select Market, or sales made to or through a market maker other than on an exchange.
Securities may also be sold directly by us. In this case, no underwriters or agents would be involved.
If a prospectus supplement so indicates, underwriters, brokers or dealers, in compliance with applicable law, may engage in transactions that stabilize or maintain the market price of the securities at levels above those that might otherwise prevail in the open market.
Pursuant to a requirement by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, or FINRA, the maximum commission or discount to be received by any FINRA member or independent broker/dealer may not be greater than eight percent (8%) of the gross proceeds received by us for the sale of any securities being registered pursuant to SEC Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933.
If more than 5% of the net proceeds of any offering of securities made under this prospectus will be received by FINRA members participating in the offering or affiliates or associated persons of such FINRA members, the offering, if and to the extent required, will be conducted in accordance with FINRA Rule 5110.
123
Andrews Kurth LLP, Houston, Texas, will pass upon the validity of the securities being offered in this registration statement. Andrews Kurth LLP will also render an opinion on the material tax consequences regarding such securities.
The consolidated balance sheets of Legacy Reserves LP as of December 31, 2013 and 2012 and the related consolidated statements of operations, unitholders' equity, and cash flows for each of the years in the three year period ended December 31, 2013 incorporated in this prospectus by reference from Legacy Reserves LP's annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013 have been audited by BDO USA, LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, incorporated herein by reference given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.
Information incorporated by reference and included in this prospectus regarding our estimated quantities of oil and natural gas reserves was prepared by LaRoche Petroleum Consultants, Ltd., independent petroleum engineers, geologists and geophysicists, as stated in their reserve reports with respect thereto.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We have filed a registration statement with the SEC under the Securities Act that registers the securities offered by this prospectus. The registration statement, including the exhibits, contains additional relevant information about us. The rules and regulations of the SEC allow us to omit from this prospectus some information included in the registration statement.
We file annual, quarterly, and other reports and other information with the SEC under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"). You may read and copy any materials we file with the SEC at the SEC's Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call the SEC at 202-551-8090 for further information on the operation of the Public Reference Room. The SEC maintains an Internet website at http://www.sec.gov that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers, including us, that file electronically with the SEC. General information about us, including our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports, is available free of charge through our website at http://www.legacylp.com as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file them with, or furnish them to, the SEC. Information on our website is not incorporated into this prospectus or our other securities filings and is not a part of these filings.
The SEC allows us to "incorporate by reference" information into this document. This means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to another document filed separately with the SEC. The information incorporated by reference is considered to be part of this prospectus, and information that we file later with the SEC will automatically update and supersede the previously filed information. We incorporate by reference the documents listed below and any future filings we make with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act (excluding any information in those documents that is deemed by the rules of the SEC to be furnished and not filed with the SEC) until all offerings under the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part are completed or terminated, and after the date on which such registration statement was initially filed with the SEC and before the effectiveness of such registration statement:
- •
- Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013, filed on February 21, 2014;
124
- •
- Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2014 and June 30, 2014, filed on
May 6, 2014 and August 1, 2014, respectively;
- •
- Current Reports on Form 8-K, filed on April 2, 2014, April 16, 2014 and April 17, 2014,
May 6, 2014, May 9, 2014, May 13, 2014, May 16, 2014, May 28, 2014, June 4, 2014, June 16, 2014, June 17, 2014, August 14, 2014 (8-K/A),
August 25, 2014 (8-K/A) and October 8, 2014; and
- •
- The description of our units contained in our registration statement on Form 8-A/A (File No. 001-33249), filed on October 2, 2014, the description of our Series A Preferred Units contained in our registration statement on Form 8-A (File No. 001-33249), filed on April 17, 2014 and the description of our Series B Preferred Units contained in our registration statement on Form 8-A (File No. 001-33249), filed on June 17, 2014.
Each of these documents is available from the SEC's website and public reference rooms described above. Through our website, http://www.legacylp.com, you can access electronic copies of documents we file with the SEC, including our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K and any amendments to those reports. Information on our website is not incorporated by reference in this prospectus. Access to those electronic filings is available as soon as practical after filing with the SEC. You may also request a copy of those filings, excluding exhibits, at no cost by writing or telephoning Investor Relations, Legacy Reserves LP, at our principal executive office, which is: 303 W. Wall St., Suite 1800, Midland, Texas 79701; Telephone: (432) 689-5200.
125
PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
ITEM 14. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution.
The following sets forth the expenses in connection with the issuance and distribution of the securities being registered hereby, other than underwriting discounts and commissions. All amounts set forth below, other than the SEC registration fee, are estimates.
SEC Registration Fee |
$ | 19,320 | ||
Legal Fees and Expenses |
$ | * | ||
Accountants' Fees and Expenses |
$ | * | ||
Trustees' Fees and Expenses |
$ | * | ||
Printing Expenses |
$ | * | ||
Listing Fees |
$ | ** | ||
Miscellaneous |
$ | * | ||
| | | | | |
TOTAL |
$ | * | ||
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
- *
- An
estimate of the aggregate expenses in connection with the sale and distribution of the securities being offered will be included in the applicable
prospectus supplement.
- **
- The listing fee is based upon the principal amount of securities listed, if any, and is therefore not currently determinable.
ITEM 15. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.
The section of the prospectus entitled "Material Provisions of our Partnership Agreement—Indemnification" is incorporated herein by this reference. Subject to any terms, conditions or restrictions set forth in the partnership agreement, Section 17-108 of the Delaware Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act empowers a Delaware limited partnership to indemnify and hold harmless any partner or other person from and against all claims and demands whatsoever.
We have obtained directors' and officers' insurance to cover our director, officers and some of our employees for certain liabilities.
To the extent that the indemnification provisions of our partnership agreement purport to include indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933, in the opinion of the SEC, such indemnification is contrary to public policy and is therefore unenforceable.
(a) See the Exhibit Index on the page immediately preceding the exhibits for a list of exhibits filed as part of this registration statement on Form S-3, which Exhibit Index is incorporated herein by reference.
(b) Financial Statement Schedules
Not Applicable.
II-1
- (a)
- The
undersigned registrants hereby undertakes:
- (1)
- To
file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:
- (i)
- To
include any prospectus required by section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;
- (ii)
- To
reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective
amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or
decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated
maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than
a 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the "Calculation of Registration Fee" table in the effective registration statement; and
- (iii)
- To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement;
- (2)
- That,
for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new
registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
- (3)
- To
remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the
offering.
- (4)
- That,
for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser:
- (i)
- Each
prospectus filed by the registrants pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed
prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and
- (ii)
- Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5) or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii) or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by section 10(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to
provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i), (a)(1)(ii) and (a)(1)(iii) above do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrants pursuant to section 13 or section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of the registration statement.
II-2
- (5)
- That,
for the purpose of determining liability of the registrants under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the
securities, the undersigned registrants undertake that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrants pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method
used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, each of the undersigned registrants will be a
seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:
- (i)
- Any
preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrants relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;
- (ii)
- Any
free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrants or used or referred to by such undersigned
registrants;
- (iii)
- The
portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrants or their
securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrants; and
- (iv)
- Any
other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrants to the purchaser.
the securities in the registration statement to which the prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date.
- (b)
- The
undersigned registrants hereby undertake that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the
registrant's annual report pursuant to section 13(a) or section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan's annual
report pursuant to section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement
relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
- (c)
- Insofar
as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the
registrants pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrants have been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public
policy as expressed in the Securities Act of 1933 and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrants of
expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrants in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or
controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrants will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a
court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act of 1933 and will be governed by the final adjudication of
such issue.
- (d)
- The undersigned registrants hereby undertake to file an application for the purpose of determining the eligibility of the trustee to act under subsection (a) of Section 310 of the Trust Indenture Act in accordance with the rules and regulations prescribed by the Commission under Section 305(b)(2) of the Trust Indenture Act.
II-3
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, the following registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Midland, State of Texas, on October 17, 2014.
| LEGACY RESERVES LP | ||||||
By: |
LEGACY RESERVES GP, LLC its general partner |
|||||
By: |
/s/ JAMES DANIEL WESTCOTT |
|||||
| Name: | James Daniel Westcott | |||||
| Title: | Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer | |||||
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
Signature
|
Title
|
Date
|
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| * Cary D. Brown |
Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer) | October 17, 2014 | ||
/s/ JAMES DANIEL WESTCOTT James Daniel Westcott |
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer) |
October 17, 2014 |
||
* Micah C. Foster |
Chief Accounting Officer and Controller (Principal Accounting Officer) |
October 17, 2014 |
||
* Kyle A. McGraw |
Executive Vice President, Chief Development Officer and Director |
October 17, 2014 |
||
* Dale A. Brown |
Director |
October 17, 2014 |
||
* William R. Granberry |
Director |
October 17, 2014 |
II-4
Signature
|
Title
|
Date
|
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| * G. Larry Lawrence |
Director | October 17, 2014 | ||
* William D. Sullivan |
Director |
October 17, 2014 |
||
* Kyle D. Vann |
Director |
October 17, 2014 |
| *By: | /s/ JAMES DANIEL WESTCOTT James Daniel Westcott As Attorney-in-Fact |
II-5
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, the following registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Midland, State of Texas, on October 17, 2014.
| LEGACY RESERVES FINANCE CORPORATION | ||||||
By: |
/s/ JAMES DANIEL WESTCOTT |
|||||
| Name: | James Daniel Westcott | |||||
| Title: | Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer | |||||
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
Signature
|
Title
|
Date
|
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| * Cary D. Brown |
Director, President and Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer) | October 17, 2014 | ||
/s/ JAMES DANIEL WESTCOTT James Daniel Westcott |
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer) |
October 17, 2014 |
||
* Micah C. Foster |
Chief Accounting Officer and Controller (Principal Accounting Officer) |
October 17, 2014 |
||
* Kyle A. McGraw |
Executive Vice President, Chief Development Officer and Director |
October 17, 2014 |
||
* Paul T. Horne |
Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer and Director |
October 17, 2014 |
| *By: | /s/ JAMES DANIEL WESTCOTT James Daniel Westcott As Attorney-in-Fact |
II-6
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, the following registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Midland, State of Texas, on October 17, 2014.
| LEGACY RESERVES OPERATING LP | ||||||
By: |
LEGACY RESERVES OPERATING GP LLC, its general partner |
|||||
By: |
LEGACY RESERVES LP its sole member |
|||||
By: |
LEGACY RESERVES GP, LLC, its general partner |
|||||
By: |
/s/ JAMES DANIEL WESTCOTT |
|||||
| Name: | James Daniel Westcott | |||||
| Title: | Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer | |||||
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
Signature
|
Title
|
Date
|
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| * Cary D. Brown |
Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer) | October 17, 2014 | ||
/s/ JAMES DANIEL WESTCOTT James Daniel Westcott |
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer) |
October 17, 2014 |
||
* Micah C. Foster |
Chief Accounting Officer and Controller (Principal Accounting Officer) |
October 17, 2014 |
||
* Kyle A. McGraw |
Executive Vice President, Chief Development Officer and Director |
October 17, 2014 |
||
* Dale A. Brown |
Director |
October 17, 2014 |
II-7
Signature
|
Title
|
Date
|
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| * William R. Granberry |
Director | October 17, 2014 | ||
* G. Larry Lawrence |
Director |
October 17, 2014 |
||
* William D. Sullivan |
Director |
October 17, 2014 |
||
* Kyle D. Vann |
Director |
October 17, 2014 |
| *By: | /s/ JAMES DANIEL WESTCOTT James Daniel Westcott As Attorney-in-Fact |
II-8
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, the following registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Midland, State of Texas, on October 17, 2014.
| LEGACY RESERVES OPERATING GP LLC | ||||||
By: |
LEGACY RESERVES LP its sole member |
|||||
By: |
LEGACY RESERVES GP, LLC, its general partner |
|||||
By: |
/s/ JAMES DANIEL WESTCOTT |
|||||
| Name: | James Daniel Westcott | |||||
| Title: | Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer | |||||
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
Signature
|
Title
|
Date
|
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| * Cary D. Brown |
Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer) | October 17, 2014 | ||
/s/ JAMES DANIEL WESTCOTT James Daniel Westcott |
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer) |
October 17, 2014 |
||
* Micah C. Foster |
Chief Accounting Officer and Controller (Principal Accounting Officer) |
October 17, 2014 |
||
* Kyle A. McGraw |
Executive Vice President, Chief Development Officer and Director |
October 17, 2014 |
||
* Dale A. Brown |
Director |
October 17, 2014 |
II-9
Signature
|
Title
|
Date
|
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| * William R. Granberry |
Director | October 17, 2014 | ||
* G. Larry Lawrence |
Director |
October 17, 2014 |
||
* William D. Sullivan |
Director |
October 17, 2014 |
||
* Kyle D. Vann |
Director |
October 17, 2014 |
| *By: | /s/ JAMES DANIEL WESTCOTT James Daniel Westcott As Attorney-in-Fact |
II-10
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, the following registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Midland, State of Texas, on October 17, 2014.
| LEGACY RESERVES SERVICES, INC. | ||||||
By: |
/s/ JAMES DANIEL WESTCOTT |
|||||
| Name: | James Daniel Westcott | |||||
| Title: | Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer | |||||
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
Signature
|
Title
|
Date
|
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| * Cary D. Brown |
Director, President and Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer) | October 17, 2014 | ||
/s/ JAMES DANIEL WESTCOTT James Daniel Westcott |
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer) |
October 17, 2014 |
||
* Micah C. Foster |
Chief Accounting Officer and Controller (Principal Accounting Officer) |
October 17, 2014 |
||
* Kyle A. McGraw |
Executive Vice President, Chief Development Officer and Director |
October 17, 2014 |
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* Paul T. Horne |
Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer and Director |
October 17, 2014 |
| *By: | /s/ JAMES DANIEL WESTCOTT James Daniel Westcott As Attorney-in-Fact |
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Exhibit No. | Exhibit | As Exhibit | Previously Filed With File Number (Form)(Period Ending or Date) |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.1** | Form of Underwriting Agreement. | |||||||||
| 4.1 | Certificate of Limited Partnership of Legacy Reserves LP. | 3.1 | 333-134056 (S-1) (5/12/06) |
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| 4.2 | Fourth Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Legacy Reserves LP effective as of June 17, 2014. | 3.1 | 001-33249 (8-K) (6/17/14) |
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| 4.4 | Form of Senior Indenture. | 4.4 | 333-194999 (S-3) (4/2/14) |
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| 4.5 | Form of Subordinated Indenture. | 4.5 | 333-194999 (S-3) (4/2/14) |
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| 4.6 | Founders Registration Rights Agreement dated March 15, 2006 by and among Legacy Reserves LP, Legacy Reserves GP, LLC and other parties thereto. | 4.3 | 333-134056 (S-1) (9/5/06) |
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| 4.7 | Registration Rights Agreement dated June 29, 2006 between Henry Holdings LP and Legacy Reserves LP and Legacy Reserves GP, LLC. | 4.2 | 333-134056 (S-1) (9/5/06) |
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| 4.8 | Registration Rights Agreement dated April 16, 2007 by and among Nielson & Associates, Inc., Legacy Reserves GP, LLC and Legacy Reserves LP. | 4.4 | 001-33249 (10-Q)(5/14/07) |
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| 5.1* | Opinion of Andrews Kurth LLP regarding the legality of the securities being registered. | |||||||||
| 8.1* | Opinion of Andrews Kurth LLP regarding tax matters. | |||||||||
| 12.1* | Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges and Preferred Securities Distributions. | |||||||||
| 23.1* | Consent of BDO USA, LLP. | |||||||||
| 23.2* | Consent of LaRoche Petroleum Consultants, Ltd. | |||||||||
| 23.3* | Consent of Andrews Kurth LLP (contained in Exhibit 5.1). | |||||||||
| 23.4* | Consent of Andrews Kurth LLP (contained in Exhibit 8.1). | |||||||||
| 24.1*** | Powers of Attorney (set forth on the signature pages contained in Part II of this Registration Statement). | |||||||||
| 25.1** | Form T-1 Statement of Eligibility and Qualification representing the Senior Indenture. | |||||||||
| 25.2** | Form T-1 Statement of Eligibility and Qualification representing the Subordinated Indenture. | |||||||||
- *
- Filed
herewith.
- **
- To
be filed by amendment or as an exhibit to a Current Report on Form 8-K of the registrant.
- ***
- Previously filed.
II-12