UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

FORM 8-K

 

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

Date of Report (date of earliest event reported): November 16, 2016

 

Sanchez Production Partners LP

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

Delaware

 

001-33147

 

11-3742489

(State or other jurisdiction of

 

(Commission

 

(IRS Employer

incorporation)

 

File Number)

 

Identification No.)

 

1000 Main Street, Suite 3000

 

 

Houston, TX

 

77002

(Address of principal executive offices)

 

(Zip Code)

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (713) 783-8000

 

 

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report.)

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

 

o                                     Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 

o                                     Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 

o                                     Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 

o                                     Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 

 

 



 

Item 1.01                                            Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.

 

Underwriting Agreement

 

On November 16, 2016, Sanchez Production Partners LP (the “Partnership”) entered into an Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with Citigroup Global Markets Inc. and RBC Capital Markets, LLC as representatives of the several underwriters named in Schedule I thereto (the “Underwriters”), providing for the public offering and sale (the “Offering”) by the Partnership of 6,550,802 common units representing limited partner interests in the Partnership (the “Units”), at a price to the public of $11.00 per common unit.  Pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, the Partnership granted the Underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 982,620 common units from the Partnership.

 

The material terms of the Offering are described in the prospectus, dated November 16, 2016 (the “Prospectus”), filed by the Partnership with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) on November 17, 2016 pursuant to Rule 424(b)(4) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”).  The Units to be sold in the Offering were registered under the Securities Act pursuant to a Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-213219), which was declared effective by the Commission on November 16, 2016.

 

The Underwriting Agreement contains customary representations, warranties and agreements of the Partnership and customary conditions to closing, obligations of the parties and termination provisions. The Partnership has agreed to indemnify the Underwriters against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, or to contribute to payments the Underwriters may be required to make because of any of those liabilities.

 

The foregoing description of the Underwriting Agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Underwriting Agreement, which is filed as Exhibit 1.1 hereto and incorporated herein by reference.

 

Purchase Agreement

 

On November 16, 2016, the Partnership entered into a Common Unit Purchase Agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) with SN UR Holdings, LLC (the “Purchaser”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sanchez Energy Corporation (“Sanchez Energy”), providing for the issuance and sale by the Partnership in a private placement exempt from registration pursuant to Section 4(2) of the Securities Act (the “Private Placement”) of 2,272,727 common units representing limited partner interests in the Partnership (the “Privately Placed Units”), at a price of $11.00 per common unit.

 

The Purchase Agreement contains customary representations, warranties and agreements of the Partnership and customary conditions to closing, obligations of the parties and termination provisions.  In addition, the closing of the Purchase Agreement is conditioned on the Partnership consummating the Offering and the acquisitions contemplated by the purchase agreements filed as Exhibits 2.1 and 2.2 to the Partnership’s Form 8-K filed with the Commission on October 7, 2016.  The Partnership has agreed to indemnify the Purchaser against certain liabilities, including

 

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liabilities under the Securities Act, or to contribute to payments the Purchaser may be required to make because of any of those liabilities.

 

The foregoing description of the Purchase Agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Purchase Agreement, which is filed as Exhibit 10.1 hereto and incorporated herein by reference.

 

Registration Rights Agreement

 

In connection with the Purchase Agreement, on November 22, 2016, the Partnership entered into a Registration Rights Agreement (the “Registration Rights Agreement”) with the Purchaser pursuant to which the Partnership granted to the Purchaser certain registration rights related to the Privately Placed Units.  Under the Registration Rights Agreement, the Partnership granted the Purchaser demand registration rights with respect to the preparation and filing with the Commission of one or more registration statements for the purpose of registering the resale of the Privately Placed Units.

 

The Partnership also agreed, among other things, to indemnify and hold harmless the Purchaser and its controlling persons and their respective officers, directors, members, partners, agents, brokers, investment advisors and employees from and against all losses of the Purchaser incident to the Partnership’s obligations under the Registration Rights Agreement, including certain liabilities under the Securities Act.  The Purchaser has agreed to indemnify and hold harmless the Partnership and its controlling persons and their respective directors, officers, agents and employees from and against all losses that may be based upon written information furnished by the Purchaser to the Partnership for inclusion in a registration statement pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement or the Purchaser’s improper use of a prospectus, including certain liabilities under the Securities Act.

 

The foregoing description of the Registration Rights Agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to such document, which is filed as Exhibit 4.1 hereto and incorporated herein by reference.

 

Other Information

 

The Underwriters and their affiliates have performed investment and commercial banking and advisory services for the Partnership and its affiliates from time to time for which they have received customary fees and expenses.  The Underwriters and their affiliates may, from time to time, engage in transactions with and perform services for the Partnership in the ordinary course of their business.  Affiliates of certain of the Underwriters are lenders under the Partnership’s credit facility and accordingly, will receive a portion of the net proceeds from the Private Placement resulting from the repayment of indebtedness with the use of proceeds therefrom.  In addition, Johnson Rice & Company, L.L.C. has represented the audit committee of Sanchez Energy in connection with its recent sale to the Partnership of the 50% interest in Carnero Gathering, LLC.

 

Antonio R. Sanchez, III is Sanchez Energy’s Chief Executive Officer and is a member of the board of directors of both Sanchez Energy and of the general partner of the Partnership.

 

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Sanchez Oil and Gas Corporation (“SOG”) is a private company that provides certain services to both Sanchez Energy and the Partnership.  Antonio R. Sanchez, Jr., the father of Antonio R. Sanchez, III, is a member of the board of directors of Sanchez Energy and both are officers and directors of SOG.  Patricio D. Sanchez, the son of Antonio R. Sanchez, Jr. and brother of Antonio R. Sanchez, III, is an Executive Vice President of Sanchez Energy, an officer of SOG and an officer and director of the general partner of the Partnership.  Eduardo A. Sanchez, the son of Antonio R. Sanchez, Jr. and brother of Antonio R. Sanchez, III and Patricio D. Sanchez, is Sanchez Energy’s President and a director of the general partner of the Partnership.  Antonio R. Sanchez, Jr., Antonio R. Sanchez, III, Patricio D. Sanchez and Eduardo A. Sanchez all directly or indirectly own certain equity interests in Sanchez Energy, the Partnership, the Partnership’s general partner and SOG.

 

Item 3.02                                            Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities.

 

The description of the Private Placement contained in Item 1.01 is hereby incorporated by reference.

 

Item 7.01                                            Regulation FD Disclosure.

 

On November 22, 2016, the Partnership closed the Offering and Private Placement described in Item 1.01, which description is incorporated herein by reference.

 

The information included in this Item 7.01 shall not be deemed to be “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, or incorporated by reference into any filing under the Securities Act, or the Exchange Act.

 

Item 9.01                                            Financial Statements and Exhibits.

 

(d)                                  Exhibits.

 

Exhibit No.

 

 

Exhibit

 

 

 

 

1.1

 

 

Underwriting Agreement, dated November 16, 2016, between Sanchez Production Partners LP and Citigroup Global Markets Inc. and RBC Capital Markets, LLC, as representatives of the underwriters named therein*

 

 

 

 

4.1

 

 

Registration Rights Agreement, dated November 22, 2016, between Sanchez Production Partners LP and SN UR Holdings, LLC

 

 

 

 

10.

1

 

Purchase Agreement, dated November 16, 2016, between Sanchez Production Partners LP and SN UR Holdings, LLC*

 


*                                          The exhibits and schedules to the these agreements have been omitted from this filing pursuant to Item 601(b)(2) of Regulation S-K. The Partnership will furnish copies of such omitted exhibits and schedules to the Securities and Exchange Commission upon request. Descriptions of such exhibits and schedules are set forth on the table of contents of the respective agreements.

 

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SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

 

SANCHEZ PRODUCTION PARTNERS LP

 

 

 

By: Sanchez Production Partners GP LLC,
its general partner

 

 

 

 

Date: November 22, 2016

 

By:

/s/ Charles C. Ward

 

 

 

Charles C. Ward

 

 

 

Chief Financial Officer

 

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Exhibit Index

 

Exhibit No.

 

 

Exhibit

 

 

 

 

1.1

 

 

Underwriting Agreement, dated November 16, 2016, between Sanchez Production Partners LP and Citigroup Global Markets Inc. and RBC Capital Markets, LLC, as representatives of the underwriters named therein*

 

 

 

 

4.1

 

 

Registration Rights Agreement, dated November 22, 2016, between Sanchez Production Partners LP and SN UR Holdings, LLC

 

 

 

 

10.

1

 

Purchase Agreement, dated November 16, 2016, between Sanchez Production Partners LP and SN UR Holdings, LLC*

 


*                                          The exhibits and schedules to the these agreements have been omitted from this filing pursuant to Item 601(b)(2) of Regulation S-K. The Partnership will furnish copies of such omitted exhibits and schedules to the Securities and Exchange Commission upon request. Descriptions of such exhibits and schedules are set forth on the table of contents of the respective agreements.

 

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Exhibit 1.1

 

Sanchez Production Partners LP

 

Common Units Representing Limited Partner Interests

 


 

Underwriting Agreement

 

November 16, 2016

 

Citigroup Global Markets Inc.

RBC Capital Markets, LLC,

As representatives of the several Underwriters
named in Schedule I hereto,

 

c/o Citigroup Global Markets Inc.
388 Greenwich Street
New York, New York 10013

 

c/o RBC Capital Markets, LLC
200 Vesey Street
New York, New York 10281

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

Sanchez Production Partners LP, a Delaware limited partnership (the “ Partnership ”) , proposes, subject to the terms and conditions stated herein, to issue and sell to the Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto (the “ Underwriters ”), for whom Citigroup Global Markets Inc. and RBC Capital Markets, LLC (the “ Representatives ”) are acting as representatives, an aggregate of 6,550,802 common units (the “ Firm Units ”) representing limited partner interests in the Partnership (the “ Common Units ”) and, at the election of the Underwriters, up to 982,620 additional Common Units (the “ Optional Units ”) (the Firm Units and the Optional Units that the Underwriters elect to purchase pursuant to Section 2 hereof being collectively called the “ Units ”).

 

The Partnership has entered into (i) that certain Purchase and Sale Agreement (the “ Carnero Purchase Agreement ”), dated as of October 6, 2016, with Sanchez Energy Corporation, a Delaware corporation (“ Sanchez Energy ”), and SN Midstream, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, pursuant to which 50% of the equity interests in Carnero Processing LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“ Carnero Processing ”), are contemplated to be purchased by the Partnership, (ii) that certain Purchase and Sale Agreement (the “ EWI Purchase Agreement ”), dated as of October 6, 2016, with SN Cotulla Assets, LLC, a Texas limited liability company, and SN Palmetto, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, pursuant to which certain oil and gas assets and interests are contemplated to be purchased by the Partnership and (iii) that certain Purchase and Sale

 



 

Agreement (the “ Lease Purchase Agreement ”), dated as of October 6 2016, with Sanchez Energy and SN Terminal, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, pursuant to which an option to acquire a lease is contemplated to be purchased by the Partnership.

 

Sanchez Production Partners GP LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, is the general partner of the Partnership (the “ General Partner ”).  The Significant Subsidiaries (as defined below) of the Partnership are referred to collectively herein as the “ Operating Subsidiaries .”  The Partnership, the General Partner and the Operating Subsidiaries are referred to collectively herein as the “ Partnership Entities .” The “ Purchase Agreements ” shall mean the Carnero Purchase Agreement, the EWI Purchase Agreement, the Lease Purchase Agreement and the SOII Purchase Agreement.  The “ Subject Documents ” shall mean the Organizational Agreements and the Purchase Agreements.

 

1.                                 The Partnership represents and warrants to, and agrees with, each of the Underwriters as follows:

 

(a)                                  Registration. A registration statement on Form S-1 (File 333-213219) in respect of the Units has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “ Commission ”) and such registration statement and any amendments thereto, each in the form heretofore delivered to the Representatives, excluding exhibits to the registration statement, but including all documents incorporated by reference in the prospectus included therein, have been declared effective by the Commission in such form; other than a registration statement, if any, increasing the size of the offering (a “ Rule 462(b) Registration Statement ”), filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “ Securities Act ”), which became effective upon filing, no other document with respect to such Registration Statement or document incorporated by reference therein has heretofore been filed, or transmitted for filing, with the Commission (other than prospectuses filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the rules and regulations of the Commission under the Securities Act, each in the form heretofore delivered to the Representatives); and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of such Registration Statement, any amendments thereto or any part thereof or the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if any, has been issued and no proceeding for that purpose has been initiated or threatened by the Commission and any request on the part of the Commission for additional information has been complied with or otherwise resolved with the Commission. Any preliminary prospectus filed as part of such Registration Statement or filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act, in the form in which it has most recently been filed with the Commission on or prior to the date of this Agreement relating to the Units, is hereinafter called the “ Preliminary Prospectus ”; the various parts of such Registration Statement and the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if any, including all exhibits thereto and including the Preliminary Prospectus or Prospectus (as defined below) relating to the Units that is filed with the Commission and deemed by virtue of Rule 430A under the Securities Act to be part of such Registration Statement, each as amended at the time such part of such Registration Statement became effective or such part of the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if any, became or hereafter becomes effective, are hereinafter collectively called the “ Registration Statement ”; the Preliminary Prospectus, as amended and supplemented immediately prior to the Applicable Time (as defined in Section 1(e)  hereof), together with the information provided on Schedule II and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (as defined below) listed on Schedule II is hereinafter called the “ Pricing Disclosure Package ”; the form of the final prospectus relating to the Units filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act in accordance with Section 5(a)  hereof is hereinafter called the “ Prospectus ”; any reference herein to the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Disclosure Package, or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include

 

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the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-1, as of the date of such prospectus; and any “issuer free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act relating to the Units is hereinafter called an “ Issuer Free Writing Prospectus .”

 

(b)                                  No Stop Order. No order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus has been issued by the Commission, and each Preliminary Prospectus, at the time of filing thereof, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, and did not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Partnership by an Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein;

 

(c)                                   No Material Misstatements or Omissions in Pricing Disclosure Package and Free Writing Prospectus. For the purposes of this Agreement, the “ Applicable Time ” is 5:25 p.m. (Eastern time) on the date of this Agreement.  The Pricing Disclosure Package, as of the Applicable Time, did not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus listed on Schedule II(a)  hereto does not conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus and each such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as supplemented by and taken together with the Pricing Disclosure Package as of the Applicable Time, did not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to statements or omissions made in the Pricing Disclosure Package or an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Partnership by an Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein;

 

(d)                                  No Material Misstatements or Omissions in the Incorporated Documents . The documents incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, when they became effective or were filed with the Commission, as the case may be, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “ Exchange Act ”), as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, and none of such documents contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and any further documents so filed and incorporated by reference in the Prospectus or any further amendment or supplement thereto, when such documents become effective or are filed with the Commission, as the case may be, will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Partnership by an Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein; and no such documents were filed with the Commission since the

 

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Commission’s close of business on the business day immediately prior to the date of this Agreement and prior to the execution of this Agreement;

 

(e)                                   Form of Documents. The Registration Statement conforms, and the Prospectus and any further amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus will conform, in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and do not and will not, as of the applicable effective date as to each part of the Registration Statement and as of the applicable filing date as to the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Partnership by an Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein;

 

(f)                                    Ineligible Issuer . The Partnership was not at the time of initial filing of the Registration Statement and at the earliest time thereafter that the Partnership or another offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) under the Securities Act) of the Units, is not on the date hereof and will not be on the applicable Time of Delivery, an “ineligible issuer” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act).

 

(g)                                   Forward-Looking and Supporting Information . Each of the statements made by the Partnership in the Registration Statement and the Pricing Disclosure Package and to be made in the Prospectus (and any supplements thereto) within the coverage of Rule 175(b) under the Securities Act, including (but not limited to) any statements with respect to projected results of operations, estimated cash available for distributions and future cash distributions of the Partnership, and any statements made in support thereof or related thereto, was made or will be made with a reasonable basis and in good faith.

 

(h)                                  Independent Accountants . KPMG LLP (“ KPMG ”), who certified the financial statements and supporting schedules of the Partnership and whose reports are included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, are independent registered public accountants with respect to the Partnership as required by the Securities Act, the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.

 

(i)                                      Reserve Engineers . Netherland, Sewell & Associates, Inc. (“ NSAI ”), whose reports are contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, was as of the date of such reports, and is, as of the date hereof, an independent reserve engineer and acts as independent reserve engineer with respect to the Partnership.  Ryder Scott Co. LP (“ Ryder Scott ”), whose report is referenced in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, was as of the date of such reports, and is, as of the date hereof, an independent reserve engineer and acts as independent reserve engineer with respect to the Partnership.

 

(j)                                     Reserve Information . The oil and natural gas reserve estimates of the Partnership Entities as of December 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are derived from reports

 

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that have been prepared by NSAI and Ryder Scott, in accordance with customary industry practices, and such estimates fairly reflect, in all material respects, the oil and natural gas reserves of the Partnership Entities at the dates indicated therein and are in accordance, in all material respects, with Commission guidelines, including the applicable requirements of Regulation S-X and Industry Guide 2 under the Securities Act, applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved.

 

(k)                                  Financial Statements . The historical financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, together with the related schedules (if any) and notes, present fairly in all material respects the financial position of the Partnership (including Sanchez Production Partners LLC (predecessor-in-interest by conversion)) and its subsidiaries, at the dates indicated and the results of operations and changes in capital and cash flows of the Partnership Entities for the periods specified; and all such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“ GAAP ”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved and materially comply with all applicable accounting requirements under the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder. The supporting schedules, if any, included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus present fairly in all material respects, in accordance with GAAP, the information required to be stated therein.  All other financial information of the Partnership, including “non-GAAP financial measures” (as such term is defined in the rules and regulations of the Commission), if any, contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act (including, without limitation, Regulation S-X under the Securities Act) and the Exchange Act (including, without limitation, Regulation G under the Exchange Act) and Item 10 under Regulation S-K, to the extent applicable. The interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and has been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto in all material respects. There are no financial statements (historical or pro forma) that are required to be included in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or Prospectus that are not so included as required.

 

(l)                                      No Material Changes . None of the Partnership Entities has sustained since the date of the latest audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Pricing Disclosure Package any material loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Pricing Disclosure Package; since the date as of which information is given in the Registration Statement through the date of this Agreement, there has not been any change in the equity interests or long term debt of any of the Partnership Entities or any material adverse change, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change, in or affecting the general affairs, management, financial position, unitholders’ equity or results of operations of the Partnership Entities, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Pricing Disclosure Package; and, except as may otherwise be disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Pricing Disclosure Package, none of the Partnership Entities have (i) issued or granted any securities (other than customary issuances or grants pursuant to employee benefit plans), (ii) incurred any material liability or obligation, direct, indirect or contingent, other than liabilities and obligations that were incurred in the ordinary course of business, (iii) entered into any material transaction not in the ordinary course of business or (iv) declared or paid any distribution.

 

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(m)                              Formation and Good Standing of the Partnership . The Partnership has been duly formed and is validly existing as a limited partnership, and is in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware, with full partnership power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and (A) to execute and deliver this Agreement and the Purchase Agreements to which it is a party and consummate the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby, and (B) to issue, sell and deliver the Units.

 

(n)                                  Foreign Qualification and Registration of the Partnership . The Partnership is duly qualified as a foreign limited partnership to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure to so qualify or to be in good standing would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a material adverse change in (i) the financial condition, results of operations, members’ equity or partners’ capital, business, properties, management or prospects of the Partnership and the Operating Subsidiaries taken as a whole, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, or (ii) the ability of the Partnership and the Operating Subsidiaries to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the Purchase Agreements to which they are a party (in either case of clause (i) or (ii), a “ Material Adverse Effect ”).

 

(o)                                  Formation and Good Standing of the Partnership’s Subsidiaries . Each of the Operating Subsidiaries has been duly formed and is validly existing, and is in good standing under the laws of the state where such subsidiary is formed, with full power and authority to enter into and perform its obligations under the Purchase Agreements to which it is a party, to own, lease and operate its properties and conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. Each of the Operating Subsidiaries is duly qualified as a foreign entity, to transact business and is in good standing in the jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure to so qualify or to be in good standing would not individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(p)                                  Power and Authority of General Partner .  The General Partner has, and at each Time of Delivery will have, full limited liability company power and authority to serve as general partner of the Partnership in all material respects as disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Preliminary Prospectus.

 

(q)                                  Ownership of the General Partner Interest in the Partnership .  The General Partner is the sole general partner of the Partnership, with a non-economic general partner interest in the Partnership; such general partner interest has been duly authorized and validly issued in accordance with the Second Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of the Partnership, dated as of October 14, 2015, and as in effect on the date hereof (collectively and as may be further amended, restated or otherwise modified from time to time, the “ Partnership Agreement ”); and the General Partner is the record holder of such general partner interest free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance, claim or equity (“ Liens ”), other than those created or arising under the Partnership Agreement, the Securities Act, the Delaware LP Act or other applicable state securities laws.

 

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(r)                                     Ownership of Incentive Distribution Rights in the Partnership . SP Holdings, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“ Holdings ”) is the record holder of all of the incentive distribution rights in the Partnership (the “ Incentive Distribution Rights ”) and such Incentive Distribution Rights have been duly authorized and validly issued in accordance with the Partnership Agreement, and are fully paid (to the extent required under the Partnership Agreement) and non-assessable (except as such non-assessability may be affected by matters described in Sections 17-303, 17-607 and 17-804 of the Delaware Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act (the “ Delaware LP Act ”)); and Holdings owns the Incentive Distribution Rights free and clear of all Liens, other than those created or arising under the Partnership Agreement, the Securities Act, the Delaware LP Act or other applicable state securities laws.

 

(s)                                    No Other Subsidiaries . At each Time of Delivery, after giving effect to the Purchase Agreements, the Partnership will not own, directly or indirectly, an equity interest in, or long-term debt securities of, any corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, association or other entity that is a “significant subsidiary” (as defined in Article 1-02(w) of Regulation S-X) other than those listed on Schedule IV attached hereto (the “ Significant Subsidiaries ”).

 

(t)                                     Ownership of the General Partner .  Holdings owns a 100% membership interest in the General Partner; such membership interest has been duly authorized and validly issued in accordance with the limited liability company agreement of the General Partner (such agreement, as may be further amended, restated or otherwise modified from time to time, the “ General Partner LLC Agreement ”) and are fully paid (to the extent required under the General Partner LLC Agreement) and nonassessable (except as such nonassessability may be affected by Sections 18-303, 18-607 and 18-804 of the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act (the “ Delaware LLC Act ”)); and such membership interest is owned free and clear of all Liens, except for Liens arising under or in connection with the General Partner LLC Agreement, or created or arising under the Delaware LLC Act or applicable securities laws.

 

(u)                                  Ownership of SEP Holdings IV, LLC .  The Partnership owns a 100% membership interest in SEP Holdings IV, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“ SEP IV ”); such membership interest has been duly authorized and validly issued in accordance with the limited liability company agreement of SEP IV (such agreement, as may be further amended, restated or otherwise modified from time to time, the “ SEP IV LLC Agreement ”) and are fully paid (to the extent required under the SEP IV LLC Agreement) and nonassessable (except as such nonassessability may be affected by Sections 18-303, 18-607 and 18-804 of the Delaware LLC Act); and such membership interest is owned free and clear of all Liens, except for (i) Liens arising under or in connection with the SEP IV LLC Agreement, or created or arising under the Delaware LLC Act or applicable securities laws and (ii) Liens permitted or arising under or in connection with the Third Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated as of March 31, 2015, as amended, among the Partnership, as borrower, the lenders party thereto and Royal Bank of Canada, as administrative agent, collateral agent and issuing bank (the “ Credit Agreement ”).

 

(v)                                  Ownership of CEP Mid-Continent LLC .  The Partnership owns a 100% membership interest in CEP Mid-Continent LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“ CEP Mid-Con ”); such membership interest has been duly authorized and validly issued in accordance with the limited liability company agreement of CEP Mid-Con (such agreement, as may be further amended, restated or otherwise modified from time to time, the “ CEP Mid-Con LLC Agreement ”) and are fully paid (to the extent required under the CEP Mid-Con LLC Agreement) and nonassessable (except as such

 

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nonassessability may be affected by Sections 18-303, 18-607 and 18-804 of the Delaware LLC Act); and such membership interest is owned free and clear of all Liens, except for (i) Liens arising under or in connection with the CEP Mid-Con LLC Agreement, or created or arising under the Delaware LLC Act or applicable securities laws and (ii) Liens permitted or arising under or in connection with the Credit Agreement.

 

(w)                                Ownership of Mid-Continent Oilfield Supply, L.L.C.   CEP Mid-Con owns a 100% membership interest in Mid-Continent Oilfield Supply, L.L.C., an Oklahoma limited liability company (“ MCOS ”); such membership interest has been duly authorized and validly issued in accordance with the limited liability company agreement of MCOS (such agreement, as may be further amended, restated or otherwise modified from time to time, the “ MCOS LLC Agreement ”) and are fully paid (to the extent required under the MCOS LLC Agreement) and nonassessable (except as such nonassessability may be affected by Sections 2030, 2031 and 2040 of the Oklahoma Limited Liability Company Act (the “ Oklahoma LLC Act ”)); and such membership interest is owned free and clear of all Liens, except for (i) Liens arising under or in connection with the MCOS LLC Agreement, or created or arising under the Delaware LLC Act or applicable securities laws and (ii) Liens permitted or arising under or in connection with the Credit Agreement.

 

(x)                                  Ownership of Catarina Midstream, LLC .  The Partnership owns a 100% membership interest in Catarina Midstream, LLC (“ Catarina Midstream ”); such membership interest has been duly authorized and validly issued in accordance with the limited liability company agreement of Catarina Midstream (such agreement, as may be further amended, restated or otherwise modified from time to time, the “ Catarina Midstream LLC Agreement ”) and are fully paid (to the extent required under the Catarina Midstream LLC Agreement) and nonassessable (except as such nonassessability may be affected by Sections 18-303, 18-607 and 18-804 of the Delaware LLC Act); and such membership interest is owned free and clear of all Liens, except for (i) Liens arising under or in connection with the Catarina Midstream LLC Agreement, or created or arising under the Delaware LLC Act or applicable securities laws and (ii) Liens permitted or arising under or in connection with the Credit Agreement.

 

(y)                                  Ownership of Carnero Gathering, LLC .  The Partnership owns a 50% membership interest in Carnero Gathering, LLC (“ Carnero Gathering ”); such membership interest has been duly authorized and validly issued in accordance with the limited liability company agreement of Carnero Gathering (such agreement, as may be further amended, restated or otherwise modified from time to time, the “ Carnero Gathering LLC Agreement ”) and is fully paid (to the extent required under the Carnero Gathering LLC Agreement) and nonassessable (except as such nonassessability may be affected by Sections 18-303, 18-607 and 18-804 of the Delaware LLC Act); and such membership interest is owned free and clear of all Liens, except for (i) Liens arising under or in connection with the Carnero Gathering LLC Agreement, or created or arising under the Delaware LLC Act or applicable securities laws and (ii) Liens permitted or arising under or in connection with the Credit Agreement.

 

(z)                                   Ownership of Northeast Shelf Energy, L.L.C.   CEP Mid-Con owns a 100% membership interest in Northeast Shelf Energy, L.L.C., an Oklahoma limited liability company (“ Northeast ”); such membership interest has been duly authorized and validly issued in accordance with the limited liability company agreement of Northeast (such agreement, as may be further amended, restated or otherwise modified from time to time, the “ Northeast LLC Agreement ”; collectively with the Partnership Agreement, the General Partner LLC Agreement, the SEP IV LLC Agreement, the CEP Mid-Con LLC Agreement, the MCOS LLC Agreement, the Catarina Midstream LLC Agreement and

 

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the Carnero Gathering LLC Agreement, the “ Organizational Agreements ”) and are fully paid (to the extent required under the Northeast LLC Agreement) and nonassessable (except as such nonassessability may be affected by Sections 2030, 2031 and 2040 of the Oklahoma LLC Act); and such membership interest is owned free and clear of all Liens, except for (i) Liens arising under or in connection with the Northeast LLC Agreement, or created or arising under the Oklahoma LLC Act or applicable securities laws and (ii) Liens permitted or arising under or in connection with the Credit Agreement.

 

(aa)                           Authorization, Execution and Delivery of this Agreement .  This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by or on behalf of the Partnership.

 

(bb)                           Enforceability of the Subject Documents . At or before the First Time of Delivery and on each Time of Delivery, each of the Subject Documents will have been duly authorized, executed and delivered by or on behalf of the Partnership Entities party thereto and, assuming due authorization by the other parties thereto (other than a Partnership Entity), will constitute a valid and legally binding agreement of such parties, enforceable against such parties in accordance with its terms; provided that the enforceability thereof may be affected by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, fraudulent conveyance or transfer and other laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors’ rights and by general equitable principles.

 

(cc)                             Authority and Authorization . The Units to be sold by the Partnership pursuant to this Agreement, and the limited partner interests represented thereby, have been duly authorized in accordance with the Partnership Agreement and, when issued and delivered by the Partnership pursuant to this Agreement against payment thereof, will be validly issued, fully paid (to the extent required under the Partnership Agreement) and non-assessable (except as such non-assessability may be affected by Sections 17-303, 17-607 or 17-804 of the Delaware LP Act); and except as described in the Pricing Disclosure Package, the issuance and sale of the Units to be sold by the Partnership pursuant to this Agreement are not subject to any preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Partnership or any other person.  On the First Time of Delivery and at each Time of Delivery, all corporate, limited partnership and limited liability company action, as the case may be, required to be taken by the Partnership Entities or any of their members, partners or stockholders for the authorization, issuance and sale and delivery of the Units, the execution and delivery (on or before the First Time of Delivery) by the Partnership Entities of the Subject Documents to which they are a party and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the Subject Documents to which they are a party shall have been validly taken.

 

(dd)                           Description of Subject Documents . Each of the Subject Documents conforms in all material respects to the descriptions thereof contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

(ee)                             Description of Units . The Units to be sold by the Partnership pursuant to this Agreement, when issued and delivered in accordance with the terms of the Partnership Agreement and this Agreement against payment thereof as provided therein and herein, will conform in all material respects to the descriptions thereof contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and such statements conform in all material respects to the rights set forth in the respective instruments and agreements defining the same.

 

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(ff)           Capitalization of the Partnership . As of the date hereof and at the Applicable Time, the issued and outstanding partnership interests of the Partnership consisted of 4,429,915 Common Units, 19,444,445 Class B Preferred Units and the Incentive Distribution Rights. All outstanding Common Units and Class B Preferred Units and the limited partner interests represented thereby have been duly authorized and validly issued in accordance with the Partnership Agreement, and are fully paid (to the extent required under the Partnership Agreement) and nonassessable (except as such non-assessability may be affected by matters described in Sections 17-303, 17-607 and 17-804 of the Delaware LP Act).

 

(gg)                             Absence of Defaults . None of the Partnership Entities is in (i) violation of its Organizational Agreements, charter, certificate of limited partnership or formation or conversion or other governing document of any of the Partnership Entities (collectively, the “ Organizational Documents ”), (ii) in default in the performance or observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any instruments, agreements and documents filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 601(b)(10) of Regulation S-K of the Commission (provided, that if any instrument, agreement or other document filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement as aforesaid has been redacted or if any portion thereof has been deleted or is otherwise not included as part of such exhibit (whether pursuant to a request for confidential treatment or otherwise), such instrument, agreement or other document, as the case may be, shall be in its entirety, including any portions thereof which shall have been so redacted, deleted or otherwise not filed) (“ Subject Instruments ”) or (iii) in default in the performance or observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any contracts, indentures, mortgages, deeds of trust, loan or credit agreements, bonds, notes, debentures, evidences of indebtedness, swap agreements, leases or other instruments or agreements to which any of the Partnership Entities is a party or by which any of the Partnership Entities is bound or to which any of the property or assets of any of the Partnership Entities is subject that are material with respect to the Partnership Entities taken as a whole (together with Subject Instruments, the “ Partnership Documents ”); except in the case of clause (iii) for such defaults that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(hh)                           Legal Sufficiency of Purchase and Sale Agreements. The Carnero Purchase Agreement will be legally sufficient to transfer or convey, directly or indirectly, a 50.0% equity interest in Carnero Processing, as contemplated by the Registration Statement, the most recent Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, subject to the conditions, reservations, encumbrances and limitations contained in the Carnero Purchase Agreement and described in the Registration Statement, the most recent Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus. The EWI Purchase Agreement will be legally sufficient to transfer or convey, directly or indirectly, certain oil and gas assets and interests, as contemplated by the Registration Statement, the most recent Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, subject to the conditions, reservations, encumbrances and limitations contained in the EWI Purchase Agreement and described in the Registration Statement, the most recent Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus. The Lease Purchase Agreement will be legally sufficient to transfer or convey, directly or indirectly, an option to acquire a lease, as contemplated by the Registration Statement, the most recent Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, subject to the conditions, reservations, encumbrances and limitations contained in the Lease Purchase Agreement and described in the Registration Statement, the most recent Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus. The SOII Purchase Agreement will be legally sufficient to transfer or convey, directly or indirectly, a 10.0% interest in the Silver Oak II Gas Processing Facility, as contemplated by the Registration Statement, the most recent Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, subject to the conditions, reservations, encumbrances and limitations

 

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contained in the SOII Purchase Agreement and described in the Registration Statement, the most recent Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus.

 

(ii)                                   No Conflicts. Neither (i) the issue and sale of the Units and the compliance by the Partnership with this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions herein contemplated and in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (including the use of the proceeds from the sale of the Units to be sold by the Partnership pursuant to this Agreement as described in the Pricing Disclosure Package under the caption “Use of Proceeds”) nor (ii) the execution, delivery and performance of the Purchase Agreements by the Partnership Entities party thereto and the consummation by the Partnership Entities of the transactions contemplated by the Purchase Agreements, and compliance by the Partnership Entities with their obligations under the Purchase Agreements will conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which any of the Partnership Entities is a party or by which any Partnership Entity is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Partnership Entities is subject, nor will such action result in any violation of the provisions of the Organizational Documents or any statute or any order, rule or regulation of any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Partnership Entities or any of their properties.

 

(jj)                                 Absence of Labor Dispute . No labor dispute with the employees of any Partnership Entity exists or is imminent, and the Partnership is not aware of any existing or imminent labor disturbance by the employees of any of the principal suppliers, manufacturers, customers or contractors of any of the Partnership Entities that would reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(kk)                           Absence of Proceedings . There is no action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation before or brought by any court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign, now pending, or, to the knowledge of the Partnership, threatened, against or affecting any Partnership Entity that is required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement, Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (other than as disclosed therein), or that would reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Effect or to materially and adversely affect the consummation by the Partnership of the transactions contemplated in this Agreement or the performance by the Partnership of its obligations under this Agreement.

 

(ll)                                   Accuracy of Descriptions and Exhibits . The information included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the captions “Provisions of Our Partnership Agreement Relating to Cash Distributions,” “Description of the Common Units,” “The Partnership Agreement,” and “Material Tax Considerations” and the information in the Registration Statement under Item 15 of Part II, in each case to the extent that it constitutes matters of law, summaries of legal matters, summaries of provisions of the Partnership Agreement or any other instruments or agreements (including the Subject Documents), summaries of legal proceedings, or legal conclusions, is correct in all material respects; all descriptions in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus of any Partnership Documents are accurate in all material respects; and there are no franchises, contracts, indentures, mortgages, deeds of trust, loan or credit agreements, bonds, notes, debentures, evidences of indebtedness, leases or other instruments or agreements required to be described or referred to in the

 

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Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement which have not been so described and filed as required.

 

(mm)                   Absence of Further Requirements . (A) No filing with, or authorization, approval, consent, license, order, registration, qualification or decree of, any court or governmental authority or agency, domestic or foreign, (B) no authorization, approval, vote or consent of any unitholder, member or creditor of any of the Partnership Entities, (C) no authorization, approval, waiver or consent under any Subject Instrument and (D) no authorization, approval, vote or consent of any other person or entity, is necessary or required for (x) the execution and delivery of this Agreement and the Subject Documents by the Partnership Entities party thereto and the performance of their respective obligations hereunder and thereunder, (y) the offering, issuance, sale or delivery by the Partnership of the Units to be sold by the Partnership hereunder, or (z) the consummation by the Partnership Entities of any of the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the Purchase Agreements, in each case on the terms contemplated by the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, except such as have been obtained or, prior to the First Time of Delivery, will be obtained under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, the rules and regulations of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Inc. (“ FINRA ”) and with the NYSE MKT LLC (the “ Exchange ”).

 

(nn)                           Possession of Licenses and Permits . Each of the Partnership Entities possesses such permits, licenses, approvals, consents and other authorizations (collectively, “ Governmental Licenses ”) issued by the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign regulatory agencies or bodies necessary to conduct its business in the manner described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, except where the failure to possess such Governmental Licenses would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect; each of the Partnership Entities is in compliance with the terms and conditions of all such Governmental Licenses, except where the failure to so comply would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect; all of the Governmental Licenses are valid and in full force and effect, except when the invalidity of such Governmental Licenses or the failure of such Governmental Licenses to be in full force and effect would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect; none of the Partnership Entities have received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any such Governmental Licenses which, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(oo)                           Title to Property .  Each of the Partnership Entities has (A) legal, valid and defensible title to the interests in the oil and natural gas properties supporting the estimates of its net proved reserves contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and (the “ Partnership Properties ”), (B) good and indefeasible title in fee simple to all real property owned by them, other than the Partnership Properties covered by clause (A), and (C) good and marketable title to all other property and assets owned by them, in each case free and clear of all Liens, except Liens described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and Liens that do not, individually or in the aggregate, materially affect the value of such property and do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Partnership Entities. All assets held under lease or sublease by the Partnership Entities, including real property, buildings and other improvements, and equipment and other property, except the Partnership Properties covered by clause (A) above, are held by it under valid, subsisting and

 

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enforceable leases or subleases, as the case may be, subject to exceptions that are not material and do not interfere with the use made or proposed to be made of such assets, except the Partnership Properties covered by clause (A) above, by the Partnership Entities, and all such leases and subleases are in full force and effect. The Partnership Entities have no notice of any claim that has been asserted by anyone adverse to the rights of any of the Partnership Entities under any of the leases or subleases mentioned above or affecting or questioning the rights of any of the Partnership Entities to the continued possession of the leased or subleased premises under any such lease or sublease except for such claims that, if successfully asserted, would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(pp)                           Rights of Way . Each of the Partnership Entities has such consents, easements, permits, rights-of-way or licenses from any person (collectively, “ rights-of-way ”) as are necessary to conduct its business in the manner described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, subject to such qualifications as may be set forth in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, except for such rights-of-way the failure of which to obtain, would not result in, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect; and each of the Partnership Entities has fulfilled and performed all of its obligations with respect to such rights-of-way and no event has occurred that allows, or after notice or lapse of time would allow, revocation or termination thereof or would result in any impairment of the rights of the holder of any such rights-of-way, except for such failures to perform, revocations, termination and impairments that would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, subject in each case to such qualifications as may be set forth in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; and none of such rights-of-way contains any restriction that would reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(qq)                           Investment Company Act . The Partnership is not, and after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Units as contemplated in this Agreement and the application of the net proceeds therefrom as described in the Prospectus under the caption “Use of Proceeds,” the Partnership will not be, an “investment company” or an entity “controlled” by an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

 

(rr)                                 Intellectual Property.   Each of the Partnership Entities owns or possesses adequate rights to use all patents, patent applications, trademarks, service marks, trade names, trademark registrations, service mark registrations, copyrights, licenses, know-how, software, systems and technology (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures) necessary for the conduct of its businesses and has no reason to believe that the conduct of its businesses conflicts with, and has not received any notice of any claim of conflict with, any such rights of others, except in each case as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(ss)                               Environmental Laws . Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, (A) none of the Partnership Entities is in violation of any federal, state, local or foreign statute, law, rule, regulation, ordinance, code, policy or rule of common law or any judicial or administrative interpretation thereof, including any judicial or administrative order, consent, decree or judgment, relating to pollution or protection of human health, the environment (including, without limitation, ambient air, surface water, groundwater, land surface or

 

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subsurface strata) or wildlife, including, without limitation, laws and regulations relating to the release or threatened release of chemicals, pollutants, contaminants, wastes, toxic substances, hazardous substances, petroleum or petroleum products (collectively, “ Hazardous Materials ”) or to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of Hazardous Materials (collectively, “ Environmental Laws ”), (B) each Partnership Entity has all permits, authorizations and approvals required under any applicable Environmental Laws and are in compliance with their requirements, (C) there are no pending or, to the knowledge of the Partnership, threatened administrative, regulatory or judicial actions, suits, demands, demand letters, claims, liens, notices of noncompliance or violation, investigation or proceedings relating to any Environmental Law against any of the Partnership Entities, (D) none of the Partnership Entities has received notice that it has been identified as a potentially responsible party under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980, as amended, or any comparable state law and (E) there are no events or circumstances that might reasonably be expected to form the basis of an order for clean-up or remediation, or an action, suit or proceeding by any private party or governmental body or agency, against or affecting any of the Partnership Entities relating to Hazardous Materials or any Environmental Laws.

 

(tt)                                 Review of Environmental Laws . The Partnership has reviewed the effect of Environmental Laws in effect on the date hereof on the business, operations and properties of the Partnership Entities, in the course of which it identified and evaluated associated costs and liabilities (including, without limitation, any capital or operating expenditures required for clean-up, closure of properties or compliance with such Environmental Laws, or any permit, license or approval, any related constraints on operating activities and any potential liabilities to third parties). On the basis of such review, the Partnership has reasonably concluded that such associated costs and liabilities would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

(uu)                           Absence of Registration Rights . There are no persons with registration rights or other similar rights to have any securities (debt or equity) registered pursuant to the Registration Statement or included in the offering contemplated by this Agreement, and there are no persons with co-sale rights, tag-along rights or other similar rights to have any securities (debt or equity) included in the offering contemplated by this Agreement or sold in connection with the sale of the Units, except in each case for such rights that have been disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and that have been complied with or waived in writing.

 

(vv)                           Tax Returns . The Partnership Entities have filed all foreign, federal, state and local tax returns that are required to be filed or have requested extensions thereof, except where the failure to so file would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, and have paid all taxes (including, without limitation, any estimated taxes) required to be paid by them and any other assessment, interest, fine or penalty levied against any of them, to the extent that any of the foregoing is due and payable, except for any such tax, assessment, interest, fine or penalty that is currently being contested in good faith by appropriate actions and except for such taxes, assessments, interest, fines or penalties the nonpayment of which would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(ww)                       Insurance . The Partnership Entities are insured by insurers of recognized financial responsibility, or entitled to the benefits of such insurance, against such losses and risks and in such

 

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amounts as are prudent and customary in the businesses in which they are engaged; all policies of insurance and any fidelity or surety bonds insuring the Partnership Entities or their respective business, assets, employees, properties, officers and directors are in full force and effect; and the Partnership Entities are in compliance with the terms of such policies and instruments in all material respects; there are no claims by any of the Partnership Entities under any such policy or instrument as to which any insurance company is denying liability or defending under a reservation of rights clause; none of the Partnership Entities has been refused any insurance coverage sought or applied for; and the Partnership has no reason to believe that it will not be able to renew any existing coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as a cost that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(xx)                           Accounting and Disclosure Controls . The Partnership Entities maintain a system of internal accounting controls that has been designated by the General Partner’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer, or under their supervision sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that (A) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations; (B) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain asset accountability; (C) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (D) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences; and (E) interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and has been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto. Except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Partnership is not aware of (i) any significant deficiencies in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting that are reasonably likely to adversely affect the ability of the Partnership Entities to record, process, summarize and report financial information, or any material weaknesses in internal controls over financial reporting of the Partnership Entities or (ii) any fraud, whether or not material, involving management or other employees who have a role in the Partnership’s internal control over financial reporting. The Partnership maintains “disclosure controls and procedures” (to the extent required by and as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Exchange Act) that have been designed to ensure that material information relating to the Partnership and its subsidiaries is made known to the General Partner’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer by others within those entities; such disclosure controls and procedures are effective in all material respects to perform the functions for which they are established to the extent required by Rule 13a-15 of the Exchange Act.

 

(yy)                           Compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley Act . The Partnership and, to the knowledge of the Partnership, the officers of the General Partner of the Partnership, in their capacities as such, are in compliance in all material respects with all applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith and with which any of them is required to comply, including Section 402 related to loans.

 

(zz)                             Absence of Manipulation . The Partnership and its controlled affiliates, and to the knowledge of the Partnership, the Partnership’s other affiliates, have not taken and will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that would constitute or that might reasonably be

 

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expected to cause or result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security to facilitate the sale or resale of the Units.

 

(aaa)                    Statistical and Market-Related Data . Any statistical, market-related and similar data included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Partnership believes to be reliable and accurate and accurately reflect the materials upon which such data is based or from which it was derived.

 

(bbb)                    Foreign Corrupt Practices Act . None of the Partnership Entities, nor, to the knowledge of the Partnership, any director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or other person associated with or acting on behalf of the Partnership Entities has (i) used any limited partnership funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expense relating to political activity; (ii) made any direct or indirect unlawful payment to any foreign or domestic government official or employee from limited partnership funds; (iii) violated or is in violation of any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977; (iv) violated or is in violation of any provision of the Bribery Act 2010 of the United Kingdom; or (v) made any bribe, rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful payment.

 

(ccc)                       Money Laundering Laws . The operations of the Partnership Entities are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the money laundering statutes of all applicable jurisdictions, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, “ Money Laundering Laws ”), and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving any of the Partnership Entities with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Partnership Entities, threatened.

 

(ddd)                    OFAC . (i) None of the Partnership Entities nor, to the knowledge of the Partnership, any director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or other person acting on behalf of the Partnership is currently the subject or the target of any U.S. sanctions including, without limitation, any administered or enforced by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department (“ OFAC ”), or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “ Sanctions ” and such persons, “ Sanctioned Persons ”); (ii) the Partnership will not directly or indirectly use any of the proceeds from the sale of Units by the Partnership in the offering contemplated by this Agreement, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available any such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity (A) to fund any activities of or business with any Sanctioned Person or Sanctioned Countries (as defined below) or (B) in any other manner that will result in a violation by any person (including any person participating in the transaction, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise) of Sanctions; (iii) none of the Partnership Entities nor, to the knowledge of the Partnership, any director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or other person acting on behalf of the Partnership is a person that is, or is 50% or more owned or otherwise controlled by a person that is: (A) the subject of any Sanctions; or (B) located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is, or whose government is, the subject of Sanctions that broadly prohibit dealings with that country or territory (currently, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, and Syria) (collectively, “ Sanctioned Countries ” and each, a “ Sanctioned Country ”); and (iv) except as has been disclosed to the Representatives or is not material to the analysis under any

 

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Sanctions, none of the Partnership Entities have engaged in any dealings or transactions with or for the benefit of a Sanctioned Person, or with or in a Sanctioned Country, in the preceding 3 years, nor do the Partnership Entities have any plans to increase its dealings or transactions with Sanctioned Persons, or with or in Sanctioned Countries.

 

(eee)                       Offering Materials . The Partnership has not distributed or, prior to the completion of the distribution of the Units, will not distribute any “written communication” (as defined under Rule 405 under the Securities Act) or other offering materials in connection with the offering or sale of the Units, other than any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing and any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to which the Representatives have consented and any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus set forth on Schedule II(a)  hereto.

 

(fff)                          ERISA. (i) Each “employee benefit plan” (within the meaning of Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ ERISA ”)) for which the Partnership or any member of its “Controlled Group” (defined as any organization which is a member of a controlled group of corporations within the meaning of Section 414 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “ Code ”)) would have any liability (each a “ Plan ”) has been maintained in material compliance with its terms and with the requirements of all applicable statutes, rules and regulations including ERISA and the Code; (ii) no prohibited transaction, within the meaning of Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, has occurred with respect to any Plan excluding transactions effected pursuant to a statutory or administrative exemption; (iii) with respect to each Plan subject to Title IV of ERISA (A) no “reportable event” (within the meaning of Section 4043(c) of ERISA) has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur, excluding any reportable event for which a waiver could apply, (B) no “accumulated funding deficiency” (within the meaning of Section 302 of ERISA or Section 412 of the Code), whether or not waived, has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur that will, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect and (C) neither the Partnership nor any member of its Controlled Group has incurred, or reasonably expects to incur, any liability under Title IV of ERISA (other than contributions to the Plan or premiums to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation in the ordinary course and without default) in respect of a Plan (including a “multiemployer plan,” within the meaning of Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA) that will, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; and (iv) each Plan that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code is so qualified and nothing has occurred, to the knowledge of the Partnership or any member of its Controlled Group, whether by action or by failure to act, which would cause the loss of such qualification, except for any such actions or failures to act that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(ggg)                       Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions . No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among any of the Partnership Entities, on the one hand, and any “affiliate,” equity holder, director, manager, officer, customer or supplier of any of the Partnership Entities, on the other hand, that is required by the Securities Act to be disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Preliminary Prospectus that is not so disclosed. There are no outstanding personal loans, advances (except normal advances for business expenses in the ordinary course of business) or guarantees of indebtedness by any Partnership Entity to or for the benefit of any of the executive officers, directors or managers of any Partnership Entity or their respective family members.

 

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(hhh)                    Brokers . Except as provided in this Agreement, there is not a broker, finder or other party that is entitled to receive from any Partnership Entity any brokerage or finder’s fee or other fee or commission as a result of any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

 

(iii)                                No Restrictions on Distributions . The Partnership is not prohibited, directly or indirectly, from paying or making distributions with respect to its equity securities, except as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

(jjj)                             Restrictions on Subsidiary Payments to the Partnership .  No Operating Subsidiary is currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, from paying any dividends to the Partnership, from making any other distribution on such subsidiary’s capital units, from repaying to the Partnership any loans or advances to such subsidiary from the Partnership or from transferring any of such subsidiary’s property or assets to the Partnership or any Operating Subsidiary, except as described in or contemplated by the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

(kkk)                    Exchange Listing of Common Units . The Partnership has submitted an application for listing of the Units on the Exchange. Nothing has occurred, to the knowledge of the Partnership, which would cause such application to be denied by the Exchange.

 

(lll)                                Other Sales . The Partnership has not sold or issued any securities that would be integrated with the offering of the Units contemplated by this Agreement pursuant to the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder or the interpretations thereof by the Commission.

 

2.                                 Subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, (a) the Partnership agrees to issue and sell to each of the Underwriters, and each of the Underwriters agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Partnership, at a purchase price per Common Unit of $10.34, the number of Firm Units set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule I hereto and (b) in the event and to the extent that the Underwriters shall exercise the election to purchase Optional Units as provided below, the Partnership agrees to issue and sell to each of the Underwriters, and each of the Underwriters agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Partnership, at the purchase price per Common Unit set forth in clause (a) of this Section 2 , that portion of the number of Optional Units as to which such election shall have been exercised (to be adjusted by the Representatives so as to eliminate fractional Common Units) determined by multiplying such number of Optional Units by a fraction, the numerator of which is the maximum number of Optional Units which such Underwriter is entitled to purchase as set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule I hereto and the denominator of which is the maximum number of Optional Units which all of the Underwriters are entitled to purchase hereunder.

 

The Partnership hereby grants to the Underwriters the right to purchase at their election up to 982,620 Optional Units, at the purchase price per Common Unit set forth in the paragraph above, provided that the purchase price per Optional Unit shall be reduced by an amount per Common Unit equal to any dividends or distributions declared by the Partnership and payable on the Firm Units but not payable on the Optional Units.  Any such election to purchase Optional Units may be exercised only by written notice from the Representatives to the Partnership, given within a period of thirty (30) calendar days after the date of this Agreement, setting forth the aggregate number of Optional Units to be purchased and the date on which such Optional Units are to be delivered, as determined by the Representatives but in no event earlier than the First Time of Delivery (as

 

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defined in Section 4 hereof) or, unless the Representatives and the Partnership otherwise agree in writing, earlier than two or later than ten business days after the date of such notice.

 

3.                                 Upon the authorization by the Representatives of the release of the Units, the several Underwriters propose to offer the Units for sale upon the terms and conditions set forth in the Prospectus.

 

4.                                 (a)                                  The Units to be purchased by each Underwriter hereunder, in definitive form, and in such authorized denominations and registered in such names as the Representatives may request upon at least forty-eight hours’ prior notice to the Partnership shall be delivered by or on behalf of the Partnership to the Representatives, through the facilities of the Depository Trust Company (“ DTC ”), for the account of such Underwriter, against payment by or on behalf of such Underwriter of the purchase price therefor by wire transfer of Federal (same-day) funds to the account specified by the Partnership to the Representatives at least forty-eight hours in advance.  The time and date of such delivery and payment shall be, with respect to the Firm Units, 9:30 a.m., New York City time, on November 22, 2016 or such other time and date as the Representatives and the Partnership may agree upon in writing, and, with respect to the Optional Units, 9:30 a.m., New York time, on the date specified by the Representatives in the written notice given by the Representatives of the Underwriters’ election to purchase such Optional Units, or such other time and date as the Representatives and the Partnership may agree upon in writing.  Such time and date for delivery of the Firm Units is herein called the “ First Time of Delivery ”, such time and date for delivery of the Optional Units, if not the First Time of Delivery, is herein called the “ Second Time of Delivery ”, and each such time and date for delivery is herein called a “ Time of Delivery ”.

 

(b)                                  The documents to be delivered at each Time of Delivery by or on behalf of the parties hereto pursuant to Section 8 hereof, including the cross receipt for the Units and any additional documents requested by the Underwriters pursuant to Section 8 (l)  hereof, will be delivered at the offices of Andrews Kurth Kenyon LLP, 600 Travis Street, Suite 4200, Houston, Texas 77002 (the “ Closing Location ”) at such Time of Delivery.  A meeting will be held at the Closing Location at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on the New York Business Day next preceding such Time of Delivery, at which meeting the final drafts of the documents to be delivered pursuant to the preceding sentence will be available for review by the parties hereto.  For the purposes of this Section 4 , “ New York Business Day ” shall mean each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday which is not a day on which banking institutions in New York are generally authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.

 

5.                                 The Partnership agrees with each of the Underwriters:

 

(a)                                  To prepare the Prospectus in a form approved by the Representatives and to file such Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act not later than the Commission’s close of business on the second business day following the date of this Agreement or such earlier time as may be required under the Securities Act; to make no further amendment or any supplement to the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus prior to the last Time of Delivery which shall be disapproved by the Representatives promptly after reasonable notice thereof; to advise the Representatives, promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the time when any amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed or becomes effective or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus has been filed and to furnish the Representatives with copies thereof; to file promptly all material required to be filed by the Partnership with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act, within the time required by such Rule; to file promptly all reports and any definitive proxy or information statements required to be filed by the Partnership with the Commission pursuant

 

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to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act subsequent to the date of the Prospectus and for so long as the delivery of a prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Securities Act) is required in connection with the offering or sale of the Units; to advise the Representatives, promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or other prospectus in respect of the Units, of the suspension of the qualification of the Units for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, of the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for any such purpose, or of any request by the Commission for the amending or supplementing of the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or for additional information; and, in the event of the issuance of any stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or other prospectus or suspending any such qualification, to promptly use its best efforts to obtain the withdrawal of such order;

 

(b)                                  Promptly from time to time to take such action as the Representatives may reasonably request to qualify the Units for offering and sale under the securities laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives may request and to comply with such laws so as to permit the continuance of sales and dealings therein in such jurisdictions for as long as may be necessary to complete the distribution of the Units, provided that in connection therewith the Partnership shall not be required to qualify as a foreign limited partnership or to file a general consent to service of process in any jurisdiction;

 

(c)                                   Prior to 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on the New York Business Day next succeeding the date of this Agreement and from time to time, to furnish the Underwriters with written and electronic copies of the Prospectus in New York City in such quantities as the Representatives may reasonably request, and, if the delivery of a prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Securities Act) is required at any time prior to the expiration of nine months after the time of issue of the Prospectus in connection with the offering or sale of the Units and if at such time any event shall have occurred as a result of which the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made when such Prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Securities Act) is delivered, not misleading, or, if for any other reason it shall be necessary during such same period to amend or supplement the Prospectus or to file under the Exchange Act any document incorporated by reference in the Prospectus in order to comply with the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, to notify the Representatives and upon the Representatives’ request to file such document and to prepare and furnish without charge to each Underwriter and to any dealer in securities as many written and electronic copies as the Representatives may from time to time reasonably request of an amended Prospectus or a supplement to the Prospectus which will correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance; and in case any Underwriter is required to deliver a prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Securities Act) in connection with sales of any of the Units at any time nine months or more after the time of issue of the Prospectus, upon the Representatives’ request but at the expense of such Underwriter, to prepare and deliver to such Underwriter as many written and electronic copies as the Representatives may request of an amended or supplemented Prospectus complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act;

 

(d)                                  To make generally available to its security holders as soon as practicable, but in any event not later than sixteen months after the effective date of the Registration Statement (as defined in Rule 158(c) under the Securities Act), an earnings statement of the Partnership Entities (which need not

 

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be audited) complying with Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (including, at the option of the Partnership, Rule 158);

 

(e)                                   During the period beginning from the date hereof and continuing to and including the date 180 days after the date of the Prospectus, not to (i) offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge, grant any option to purchase, make any short sale or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, or file with the Commission a registration statement under the Securities Act relating to, any securities of the Partnership that are substantially similar to the Units, including but not limited to any options or warrants to purchase Common Units or any securities that are convertible into or exchangeable for, or that represent the right to receive, Common Units or any such substantially similar securities, or publicly disclose the intention to make any offer, sale, pledge, disposition or filing or (ii) enter into any swap or other agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Common Units or any such other securities, whether any such transaction described in clause (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Units or such other securities, in cash or otherwise, without the prior written consent of the Representatives on behalf of the Underwriters;

 

The restrictions contained in the preceding paragraph shall not apply to the issuance by the Partnership of (i) Common Units pursuant to (A) this Agreement, (B) employee benefit plans, qualified option plans or other employee compensation plans existing on the date hereof, including, without limitation, under the Partnership’s Long-Term Incentive Plan, (C) Section 5.10 of the Partnership Agreement in connection with the conversion of the Partnership’s Class B Preferred Units (as defined in the Partnership Agreement) in accordance with the terms thereof, (D) that certain Amended and Restated Shared Services Agreement, dated as of March 6, 2015, between the Partnership and Holdings, (E) a private placement exempt from registration under the Securities Act to Sanchez Energy as disclosed in the Partnership’s Current Report on Form 8-K, filed November 16, 2016 and (ii) PIK Units (as defined in the Partnership Agreement) pursuant to Section 5.10 of the Partnership Agreement.

 

(f)                                    If the Partnership elects to rely upon Rule 462(b), the Partnership shall file a Rule 462(b) Registration Statement with the Commission in compliance with Rule 462(b) by 10:00 p.m., Washington, D.C. time, on the date of this Agreement, and the Partnership shall at the time of filing either pay the Commission the filing fee for the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement or give irrevocable instructions for the payment of such fee pursuant to Rule 111(b) under the Securities Act;

 

(g)                                   Upon request of any Underwriter, to furnish, or cause to be furnished, to such Underwriter an electronic version of the Partnership’s trademarks, servicemarks and limited partnership logo for use on the website, if any, operated by such Underwriter for the purpose of facilitating the offering of the Units (the “ License ”); provided, however, that the License shall be used solely for the purpose described above, is granted without any fee and may not be assigned or transferred;

 

(h)                                  To use the net proceeds received by it from the sale of the Units in the manner specified in the Pricing Disclosure Package under the caption “Use of Proceeds”; and

 

(i)                                      To use its best efforts to list, subject to notice of issuance, the Units on the Exchange.

 

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6.

 

(a)                                  The Partnership represents and agrees that, without the prior consent of the Representatives, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Units that would constitute a “free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act; each Underwriter represents and agrees that, without the prior written consent of the Partnership and the Representatives, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Units that would constitute a free writing prospectus; any such free writing prospectus the use of which has been consented to by the Partnership and the Representatives is listed on Schedule II(a)  hereto;

 

(b)                                  The Partnership has complied and will comply with the requirements of Rule 433 under the Securities Act applicable to any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, including timely filing with the Commission or retention where required and legending; and

 

(c)                                   The Partnership agrees that if at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus any event occurred or occurs as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus would conflict with the information in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances then prevailing, not misleading, the Partnership will give prompt notice thereof to the Representatives and, if requested by the Representatives, will prepare and furnish without charge to each Underwriter an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or other document which will correct such conflict, statement or omission; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to any statements or omissions in an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Partnership by an Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein.

 

7.                                 The Partnership covenants and agrees with the several Underwriters that the Partnership will pay or cause to be paid the following: (i) the fees, disbursements and expenses of the Partnership’s counsel and accountants in connection with the registration of the Units under the Securities Act and all other expenses in connection with the preparation, printing, reproduction and filing of the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus and amendments and supplements thereto and the mailing and delivering of copies thereof to the Underwriters and dealers; (ii) the cost of printing or producing any Agreement among Underwriters, this Agreement, any Blue Sky Memorandum, closing documents (including any compilations thereof) and any other documents in connection with the offering, purchase, sale and delivery of the Units; (iii) all expenses in connection with the qualification of the Units for offering and sale under state securities laws as provided in Section 5(b)  hereof, including the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with such qualification and in connection with the Blue Sky survey(s); (iv) any filing fees incident to, and the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with, any required reviews by FINRA of the terms of the sale of the Units; (v) the cost of preparing certificates for the Units; (vi) the cost and charges of any transfer agent or registrar or dividend disbursing agent; (vii) all fees and expenses in connection with listing the Units on the Exchange; (viii) all expenses incident to the “road show” for the offering of the Units, including the cost of any chartered airplane or other transportation in connection therewith; and (ix) all other costs and expenses incident to the performance of its obligations hereunder which are not otherwise specifically provided for in this Section. It is understood, however, that, except as provided in this Section, and Sections 9 and 12 hereof, the Underwriters will pay all of their own costs and expenses, including the fees of their counsel, transfer taxes on resale of any of the Units by them, and any advertising expenses connected with any offers they may make.

 

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8.                                 The obligations of the Underwriters hereunder, as to the Units to be delivered at each Time of Delivery, shall be subject, in their discretion, to the condition that all representations and warranties and other statements of the Partnership herein are, at and as of such Time of Delivery, true and correct, the condition that the Partnership shall have performed all of their obligations hereunder theretofore to be performed by it, and the following additional conditions:

 

(a)                                  The Prospectus shall have been filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act within the applicable time period prescribed for such filing by the rules and regulations under the Securities Act and in accordance with Section 5(a)  hereof; all material required to be filed by the Partnership pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act shall have been filed with the Commission within the applicable time period prescribed for such filings by Rule 433; if the Partnership has elected to rely upon Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement shall have become effective by 10:00 p.m., Washington, D.C. time, on the date of this Agreement; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any part thereof shall have been issued and no proceeding for that purpose shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission; no stop order suspending or preventing the use of the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission; and all requests for additional information on the part of the Commission shall have been complied with to the Representatives’ reasonable satisfaction;

 

(b)                                  Baker Botts L.L.P., counsel for the Underwriters, shall have furnished to the Representatives such written opinion or opinions, dated such Time of Delivery, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, with respect to such matters the Representatives may reasonably request, and such counsel shall have received such papers and information as they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such matters;

 

(c)                                   Andrews Kurth Kenyon LLP, counsel for the Partnership, shall have furnished to the Representatives their written opinion (a draft of such opinion is attached as Annex I hereto), dated such Time of Delivery, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives;

 

(d)                                  On the date of the Prospectus at a time prior to the execution of this Agreement, at 9:30 a.m., New York City time, on the effective date of any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement filed subsequent to the date of this Agreement and also at each Time of Delivery, KPMG shall have furnished to the Representatives an accountants’ comfort letter or letters, dated the respective dates of delivery thereof, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives;

 

(e)                                   On the date of the Prospectus at a time prior to the execution of this Agreement, at 9:30 a.m., New York City time, on the effective date of any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement filed subsequent to the date of this Agreement and also at each Time of Delivery, NSAI and Ryder Scott shall have furnished to the Representatives a reserve engineers’ comfort letter or letters, dated the respective dates of delivery thereof, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives;

 

(f)                                    (i)  None of the Partnership Entities shall have sustained since the date of the latest audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Pricing Disclosure Package any loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not

 

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covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Pricing Disclosure Package, and (ii) since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Pricing Disclosure Package there shall not have been any change in the equity interests or long-term debt of any of the Partnership Entities or any change, or any development involving a prospective change, in or affecting the general affairs, management, financial position, stockholders’ equity or results of operations of the Partnership Entities, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Pricing Disclosure Package, the effect of which, in any such case described in clause (i) or (ii), is in the Representatives’ judgment so material and adverse as to make it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the Units on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Prospectus;

 

(g)                                   On or after the Applicable Time (i) no downgrading shall have occurred in the rating accorded to any of the Partnership Entities’ debt securities or preferred units by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization”, as that term is defined by the Commission for purposes of Rule 436(g)(2) under the Securities Act, and (ii) no such organization shall have publicly announced that it has under surveillance or review, with possible negative implications, its rating of any of the Partnership Entities’ debt securities or preferred units;

 

(h)                                  On or after the Applicable Time there shall not have occurred any of the following: (i) a suspension or material limitation in trading in securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange; (ii) a suspension or material limitation in trading in the Partnership’s securities on the Exchange; (iii) a general moratorium on commercial banking activities declared by either Federal or New York or Texas State authorities or a material disruption in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States; (iv) the outbreak or escalation of hostilities involving the United States or the declaration by the United States of a national emergency or war or (v) the occurrence of any other calamity or crisis or any change in financial, political or economic conditions in the United States or elsewhere; if the effect of any such event specified in clause (iv) or (v) in the Representatives’ sole judgment makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the Units being delivered at such Time of Delivery on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Prospectus;

 

(i)                                      The Units at each Time of Delivery shall have been duly listed, subject to notice of issuance, on the Exchange;

 

(j)                                     The Partnership shall have complied with the provisions of Section 5(c)  hereof with respect to the furnishing of prospectuses on the New York Business Day next succeeding the date of this Agreement;

 

(k)                                  The Partnership shall have obtained and delivered to the Underwriters executed copies of an agreement from the officers and directors of the General Partner and certain unitholders of the Partnership listed on Schedule III hereof, substantially to the effect set forth in Annex II hereof; and

 

(l)                                      The Partnership shall have furnished or caused to be furnished to the Representatives at such Time of Delivery certificates of officers of the General Partner reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives as to such matters as the Representatives may reasonably request, including, without limitation:

 

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(i)                                      the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Partnership herein at and as of such Time of Delivery;

 

(ii)                                   the performance by the Partnership of all of its obligations hereunder to be performed at or prior to such Time of Delivery;

 

(iii)                                a statement that they have examined the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Pricing Disclosure Package, and, in their opinion, (A)(1) the Registration Statement, as of the applicable effective date as to each part of the Registration Statement and as of the applicable filing date as to the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, (2) the Prospectus, as of its date and on the applicable Time of Delivery, and (3) the Pricing Disclosure Package, as of the Applicable Time, did not and do not contain any untrue statement of a material fact and did not and do not omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein (except in the case of the Registration Statement, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading, and (B) since the applicable effective date as to each part of the Registration Statement and as of the applicable filing date as to the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, no event has occurred that should have been set forth in a supplement or amendment to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that has not been so set forth; and

 

(iv)                               the matters set forth in subsections (a) and (f) of this Section.

 

9.                                 (a)  The Partnership agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, the directors, officers, employees, affiliates and agents of each Underwriter and each person who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of either the Securities Act or the Exchange Act against any and all losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which they or any of them may become subject under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or other federal or state statutory law or regulation, at common law or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement for the registration of the Units as originally filed or in any amendment thereof, or in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or in any amendment thereof or supplement thereto or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading, and agrees to reimburse each such indemnified party, as incurred, for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by them in connection with investigating or defending any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action; provided , however , that the Partnership will not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon any such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made therein in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Partnership by or on behalf of any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for inclusion therein. This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability which the Partnership may otherwise have.

 

(b)                                  Each Underwriter severally and not jointly agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Partnership, each of its directors, each of its officers who signs the Registration Statement, and each person who controls the Partnership within the meaning of either the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, to the same extent as the foregoing indemnity from the Partnership to each Underwriter, but only with reference to written information relating to such Underwriter furnished to the Partnership by or on behalf of such Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for inclusion in the documents referred to in the foregoing indemnity.

 

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This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability which any Underwriter may otherwise have.  The Partnership acknowledges that the statements set forth (i) in the last paragraph of the cover page regarding delivery of the Units and, under the heading “Underwriting”, (ii) the list of Underwriters and their respective participation in the sale of the Units, (iii) the sentences related to concessions and reallowances and (iv) the paragraph related to stabilization, syndicate covering transactions and penalty bids in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus constitute the only information furnished in writing by or on behalf of the several Underwriters for inclusion in the Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus.

 

(c)                                   Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 9 of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying party under this Section 9 , notify the indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof; but the failure so to notify the indemnifying party (i) will not relieve it from liability under paragraph (a) or (b) above unless and to the extent it did not otherwise learn of such action and such failure results in the forfeiture by the indemnifying party of substantial rights and defenses and (ii) will not, in any event, relieve the indemnifying party from any obligations to any indemnified party other than the indemnification obligation provided in paragraph (a) or (b) above.  The indemnifying party shall be entitled to appoint counsel of the indemnifying party’s choice at the indemnifying party’s expense to represent the indemnified party in any action for which indemnification is sought (in which case the indemnifying party shall not thereafter be responsible for the fees and expenses of any separate counsel retained by the indemnified party or parties except as set forth below); provided , however , that such counsel shall be satisfactory to the indemnified party.  Notwithstanding the indemnifying party’s election to appoint counsel to represent the indemnified party in an action, the indemnified party shall have the right to employ separate counsel (including local counsel), and the indemnifying party shall bear the reasonable fees, costs and expenses of such separate counsel if (i) the use of counsel chosen by the indemnifying party to represent the indemnified party would present such counsel with a conflict of interest, (ii) the actual or potential defendants in, or targets of, any such action include both the indemnified party and the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have reasonably concluded that there may be legal defenses available to it and/or other indemnified parties which are different from or additional to those available to the indemnifying party, (iii) the indemnifying party shall not have employed counsel satisfactory to the indemnified party to represent the indemnified party within a reasonable time after notice of the institution of such action or (iv) the indemnifying party shall authorize the indemnified party to employ separate counsel at the expense of the indemnifying party.  An indemnifying party will not, without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any pending or threatened claim, action, suit or proceeding in respect of which indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties to such claim or action) unless such settlement, compromise or consent (i) includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such claim, action, suit or proceeding and (ii) does not include an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act, by or on behalf of any indemnified party.

 

(d)                                  In the event that the indemnity provided in paragraph (a), (b) or (c) of this Section 9 is unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party for any reason, the Partnership and the Underwriters severally agree to contribute to the aggregate losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with investigating or defending the same) (collectively “ Losses ”) to which the Partnership and one or more of the Underwriters may be subject in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Partnership on the one hand and by the Underwriters on the other from the offering of the Units. If the allocation provided by the immediately

 

26



 

preceding sentence is unavailable for any reason, the Partnership and the Underwriters severally shall contribute in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only such relative benefits but also the relative fault of the Partnership on the one hand and of the Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such Losses as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.  Benefits received by the Partnership shall be deemed to be equal to the total net proceeds from the offering (before deducting expenses) received by it, and benefits received by the Underwriters shall be deemed to be equal to the total underwriting discounts and commissions, in each case as set forth on the cover page of the Prospectus.  Relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any untrue or any alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information provided by the Partnership on the one hand or the Underwriters on the other, the intent of the parties and their relative knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such untrue statement or omission.  The Partnership and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution were determined by pro rata allocation or any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above.  Notwithstanding the provisions of this paragraph (d), in no event shall any Underwriter be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by such Underwriter with respect to the offering of the Units exceeds the amount of any damages that such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.  No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.  For purposes of this Section 9 , each person who controls an Underwriter within the meaning of either the Securities Act or the Exchange Act and each director, officer, employee, affiliate and agent of an Underwriter shall have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter, and each person who controls the Partnership within the meaning of either the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, each officer of the Partnership who shall have signed the Registration Statement and each director of the Partnership shall have the same rights to contribution as the Partnership, subject in each case to the applicable terms and conditions of this paragraph (d).

 

10.                          (a)  If any Underwriter shall default in its obligation to purchase the Units which it has agreed to purchase hereunder, the Representatives may in the Representatives’ discretion arrange for the Representatives or another party or other parties to purchase such Units on the terms contained herein.  If within thirty-six hours after such default by any Underwriter the Representatives do not arrange for the purchase of such Units, then the Partnership shall be entitled to a further period of thirty-six hours within which to procure another party or other parties satisfactory to the Representatives to purchase such Units on such terms.  In the event that, within the respective prescribed periods, the Representatives notify the Partnership that the Representatives have so arranged for the purchase of such Units, or the Partnership notifies the Representatives that it has so arranged for the purchase of such Units, the Representatives or the Partnership shall have the right to postpone Time of Delivery for a period of not more than seven days, in order to effect whatever changes may thereby be made necessary in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or in any other documents or arrangements, and the Partnership agrees to file promptly any amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus which in the Representatives’ opinion may thereby be made necessary. The term “Underwriter” as used in this Agreement shall include any person substituted under this Section with like effect as if such person had originally been a party to this Agreement with respect to such Units.

 

(b)                                  If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Units of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by the Representatives and the Partnership as provided in subsection (a) above, the aggregate number of such Units which remains unpurchased does not exceed one-eleventh of the aggregate

 

27



 

number of all the Units to be purchased at such Time of Delivery, then the Partnership shall have the right to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase the number of Common Units which such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder at such Time of Delivery and, in addition, to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase its pro rata share (based on the number of Units which such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder) of the Units of such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters for which such arrangements have not been made; but nothing herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter from liability for its default.

 

(c)                                   If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Units of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by the Representatives and the Partnership as provided in subsection (a) above, the aggregate number of such Units which remains unpurchased exceeds one-eleventh of the aggregate number of all the Units to be purchased at such Time of Delivery, or if the Partnership shall not exercise the right described in subsection (b)  above to require non-defaulting Underwriters to purchase Units of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters, then this Agreement (or, with respect to the Second Time of Delivery, the obligations of the Underwriters to purchase and of the Partnership to sell the Optional Units) shall thereupon terminate, without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter or the Partnership, except for the expenses to be borne by the Partnership and the Underwriters as provided in Section 7 hereof and the indemnity and contribution agreements in Section 9 hereof; but nothing herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter from liability for its default.

 

11.                          The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Partnership and the several Underwriters, as set forth in this Agreement or made by or on behalf of them, respectively, pursuant to this Agreement, shall remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation (or any statement as to the results thereof) made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or any controlling person of any Underwriter, or the Partnership, or any officer or director of the General Partner or controlling person of the Partnership, and shall survive delivery of and payment for the Units.

 

12.                          If this Agreement shall be terminated pursuant to Section 10 hereof, the Partnership shall not then be under any liability to any Underwriter except as provided in Sections 7 and 9 hereof; but, if for any other reason, any Units are not delivered by or on behalf of the Partnership as provided herein, the Partnership will reimburse the Underwriters through the Representatives for all out-of-pocket expenses approved in writing by the Representatives, including fees and disbursements of counsel, reasonably incurred by the Underwriters in making preparations for the purchase, sale and delivery of the Units not so delivered, but the Partnership shall then be under no further liability to any Underwriter except as provided in Sections 7 and 9 hereof.

 

13.                          In all dealings hereunder, the Representatives shall act on behalf of each of the Underwriters, and the parties hereto shall be entitled to act and rely upon any statement, request, notice or agreement on behalf of any Underwriter made or given by the Representatives.

 

All statements, requests, notices and agreements hereunder shall be in writing, and if to the Underwriters shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to Citigroup Global Markets Inc. at 388 Greenwich Street, New York, New York 10013 Attention: General Counsel, facsimile number 1-646-291-1469; and RBC Capital Markets, LLC at 200 Vesey Street New York, New York 10281 Attention: Equity Syndicate, facsimile number 1-(212) 428-6260; and if to the Partnership shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to the address of the Partnership set forth in the Registration Statement, Attention: Secretary; provided, however, that any notice to an Underwriter pursuant to Section 9(c)  hereof shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to such Underwriter at its address set forth in its

 

28



 

Underwriters’ Questionnaire, or telex constituting such Questionnaire, which address will be supplied to the Partnership by the Representatives upon request.  Any such statements, requests, notices or agreements shall take effect upon receipt thereof.

 

In accordance with the requirements of the USA Patriot Act (Title III of Pub. L. 107-56 (signed into law October 26, 2001)), the underwriters are required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies their respective clients, including the Partnership, which information may include the name and address of their respective clients, as well as other information that will allow the underwriters to properly identify their respective clients.

 

14.                          This Agreement shall be binding upon, and inure solely to the benefit of, the Underwriters, the Partnership and, to the extent provided in Sections 8 and 10 hereof, the officers and directors of the General Partner and each person who controls the Partnership or any Underwriter, and their respective heirs, executors, administrators, successors and assigns, and no other person shall acquire or have any right under or by virtue of this Agreement.  No purchaser of any of the Units from any Underwriter shall be deemed a successor or assign by reason merely of such purchase.

 

15.                          Time shall be of the essence of this Agreement.  As used herein, the term “ business day ” shall mean any day when the Commission’s office in Washington, D.C. is open for business.

 

16.                          The Partnership acknowledges and agrees that (i) the purchase and sale of the Units pursuant to this Agreement is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Partnership, on the one hand, and the several Underwriters, on the other, (ii) in connection therewith and with the process leading to such transaction each Underwriter is acting solely as a principal and not the agent or fiduciary of the Partnership, (iii) no Underwriter has assumed an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Partnership with respect to the offering contemplated hereby or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether such Underwriter has advised or is currently advising the Partnership on other matters) or any other obligation to the Partnership except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement and (iv) the Partnership has consulted its own legal and financial advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate.  The Partnership agrees that it will not claim that the Underwriters, or any of them, has rendered advisory services of any nature or respect, or owes a fiduciary or similar duty to the Partnership, in connection with such transaction or the process leading thereto.

 

17.                          This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements and understandings (whether written or oral) between the Partnership and the Underwriters, or any of them, with respect to the subject matter hereof.

 

18.                          THIS AGREEMENT AND ANY MATTERS RELATED TO THIS TRANSACTION SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK WITHOUT REGARD TO PRINCIPLES OF CONFLICT OF LAWS THAT WOULD RESULT IN THE APPLICATION OF ANY LAW OTHER THAN THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.  The Partnership and the Underwriters agree that any suit or proceeding arising in respect of this agreement or our engagement will be tried exclusively in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York or, if that court does not have subject matter jurisdiction, in any state court located in The City and County of New York and the Partnership and each Underwriter agree to submit to the jurisdiction of, and to venue in, such courts.

 

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19.                          The Partnership and each of the Underwriters hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.

 

20.                          Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Partnership is authorized to disclose to any persons U.S. federal and state tax treatment and tax structure of the potential transaction and all materials of any kind (including tax opinions and other tax analyses) provided to the Partnership relating to that treatment and structure, without the Underwriters imposing any limitation of any kind. However, any information relating to the tax treatment and tax structure shall remain confidential (and the foregoing sentence shall not apply) to the extent necessary to enable any person to comply with securities laws. For this purpose, “tax structure” is limited to any facts that may be relevant to that treatment.”

 

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If the foregoing is in accordance with the Representatives’ understanding, please sign and return to us counterparts hereof, and upon the acceptance hereof by the Representatives, on behalf of each of the Underwriters, this letter and such acceptance hereof shall constitute a binding agreement between each of the Underwriters and the Partnership.  It is understood that the Representatives’ acceptance of this letter on behalf of each of the Underwriters is pursuant to the authority set forth in a form of Agreement among Underwriters, the form of which shall be submitted to the Partnership for examination upon request, but without warranty on the Representatives’ part as to the authority of the signers thereof.

 

 

SANCHEZ PRODUCTION PARTNERS LP

 

 

 

By:

Sanchez Production Partners GP LLC,

 

 

its general partner

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Charles C. Ward

 

 

 

 

Name:

Charles C. Ward

 

 

 

 

Title:

Chief Financial Officer

 



 

The foregoing Agreement is hereby

 

confirmed and accepted as of the

 

date first above written.

 

 

 

 

 

CITIGROUP GLOBAL MARKETS INC.

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Octavio Molmenti

 

 

Name: Octavio Molmenti

 

 

Title: Managing Director

 

 

 

 

 

RBC CAPITAL MARKETS, LLC

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Michael Davis

 

 

Name: Michael Davis

 

 

Title: Managing Director

 

 

 

 

 

For themselves and the other

 

several Underwriters named in

 

Schedule I to the foregoing

 

Agreement.

 

 


Exhibit 4.1

 

Execution Version

 

REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

 

This REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT (this “ Agreement ”) is made and entered into as of November 22, 2016, by and between Sanchez Production Partners LP, a Delaware limited partnership (the “ Partnership ”), and SN UR Holdings, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “ Company ”).

 

This Agreement is made pursuant to the transactions contemplated by that certain Common Unit Purchase Agreement (the “ Purchase Agreement ”), dated November 16, 2016, by and between the Company, on the one hand, and the Partnership, on the other hand.

 

The Partnership and the Company hereby agree as follows:

 

1.                                       Definitions

 

Capitalized terms used and not otherwise defined herein that are defined in the Purchase Agreement shall have the meanings given such terms in the Purchase Agreement. As used in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

 

Advice ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6(c) .

 

Beneficial Owner ” has the meaning assigned to such term in Rule 13d-3 and Rule 13d-5 under the Exchange Act, except that in calculating the beneficial ownership of any particular “person” (as that term is used in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act), such “person” will be deemed to have beneficial ownership of all securities that such “person” has the right to acquire by conversion or exercise of other securities  The terms “Beneficially Owns” and “Beneficially Owned” have a corresponding meaning.

 

Common Units ” shall have the meaning set forth in the Partnership Agreement and includes any equity securities issued or issuable with respect thereto (including by recapitalization, merger or other event or occurrence).

 

Demand Registration ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2(a) .

 

EDGAR ” means the Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval system maintained by the Commission.

 

Effectiveness Period ” means, with respect to a particular Registration Statement, the period beginning when such Registration Statement is declared effective under the Securities Act and ending on the earliest of (a) three years after such Registration Statement is first declared effective (excluding a Registration Statement on Form S-3 with respect to which the three-year limitation in Rule 415(a)(5) is not applicable unless post-effectively amended on Form S-1, in which case such three-year period would run from the effective date of such post-effective amendment), (b) the time the Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement have been sold or otherwise disposed of by the Holder, and (c) such time as both (A) the Registrable Securities then covered by such Registration Statement may be sold pursuant to Rule 144 where no conditions of Rule 144 are then applicable (other than the holding period requirement in paragraph

 

1



 

(d)(1)(ii) of Rule 144 so long as such holding period requirement is then satisfied at such time), as determined by the Partnership in good faith based in part on a written opinion letter of counsel to such effect, which opinion letter shall be addressed and acceptable to the Partnership, the Transfer Agent and the affected Holders, and (B) no Holder Beneficially Owns Common Units (on an as-converted basis) in excess of 5% of the then outstanding securities of such class.

 

Existing Registration Rights Agreement ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6(o) .

 

FINRA ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3(g) .

 

Holder ” or “ Holders ” means the Company and, upon compliance with Section 6(h) , any other Person that is the Beneficial Owner of Registrable Securities as a result of the sale, assignment or other transfer of the Registrable Securities Beneficially Owned by the Company or other Partnership Interests issuable or issued upon the conversion or exercise of any securities Beneficially Owned by the Company which are convertible or exercisable into Registrable Securities.

 

Indemnified Party ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5(c) .

 

Indemnifying Party ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5(c) .

 

Inspectors ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3(p) .

 

Losses ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5(a) .

 

Other Units ” means any Partnership Interests which do not constitute Registrable Securities.

 

Partnership Agreement ” means the Second Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Sanchez Production Partners LP, dated as of October 14, 2015, as the same may be amended, restated or otherwise modified from time to time.

 

Partnership Interest ” shall have the meaning set forth in the Partnership Agreement and includes any equity securities issued or issuable with respect thereto (including by recapitalization, merger or other event or occurrence).

 

Proceeding ” means an action, claim, suit, investigation or proceeding (including, without limitation, an informal investigation or partial proceeding, such as a deposition), whether commenced or threatened.

 

Prospectus ” means the prospectus included in a Registration Statement (including, without limitation, a prospectus that includes any information previously omitted from a prospectus filed as part of an effective Registration Statement in reliance upon Rule 430A), as amended or supplemented by any prospectus supplement, with respect to the terms of the offering of any portion of the Registrable Securities covered by a Registration Statement, and all other amendments and supplements to the Prospectus,

 

2



 

including post- effective amendments, and all material incorporated by reference or deemed to be incorporated by reference in such Prospectus.

 

Purchase Agreement ” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

Records ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3(p) .

 

Registrable Securities ” means at any time, with respect to any Holder, Common Units issued or issuable pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, in each case whether Beneficially Owned by, or issuable to, such Holder, including upon the transfer thereof by the original holder or any subsequent holder, subject to Section 6(h) , and any units or other securities issued in respect of such Registrable Securities because of or in connection with any unit split, dividend or other distribution, purchase in any rights offering or in connection with any exchange for or replacement of such Registrable Securities, or any combination of units, recapitalization, merger, consolidation or similar event, or any other equity securities issued pursuant to any other pro rata distribution with respect to such Registrable Securities; provided, however , that Partnership Interests held by a Holder shall cease to constitute Registrable Securities at such time as (A) all of such Partnership Interests may be sold by such Holder pursuant to Rule 144 where no conditions of Rule 144 are then applicable (other than the holding period requirement in paragraph (d)(1)(ii) of Rule 144 so long as such holding period requirement is then satisfied at such time), as determined by the Partnership in good faith based in part on a written opinion letter of counsel to such effect, which opinion letter shall be (I) addressed and acceptable to the Partnership and the Transfer Agent and (II) addressed to such Holder, and (B) the Common Units then Beneficially Owned by such Holder (on an as-converted basis) do not exceed 5% of the then outstanding securities of such class.

 

Registration Statement ” means any registration statement filed hereunder, including Section 6(d)  (which registration statement may constitute a “shelf” registration statement covering the Registrable Securities specified by the Holder on an appropriate form under Rule 415), and (in each case) the Prospectus, amendments and supplements to such registration statement or Prospectus, including pre- and post-effective amendments, all exhibits thereto, and all material incorporated by reference or deemed to be incorporated by reference in such registration statement.

 

Rule 144 ” means Rule 144 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Rule may be amended or interpreted from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission having substantially the same purpose and effect as such Rule.

 

Rule 415 ” means Rule 415 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Rule may be amended or interpreted from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission having substantially the same purpose and effect as such Rule.

 

Rule 424 ” means Rule 424 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Rule may be amended or interpreted from time to time, or any similar rule or

 

3



 

regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission having substantially the same purpose and effect as such Rule.

 

Rule 430A ” means Rule 430A promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Rule may be amended or interpreted from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission having substantially the same purpose and effect as such Rule.

 

Securities Act ” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

SEC Guidance ” means (i) any publicly-available written or oral guidance, comments, requirements or requests of the Commission staff and (ii) the Securities Act.

 

Selling Holders ” means any Holder that sells or proposes to sell Registrable Securities pursuant to a Registration Statement in accordance with this Agreement.

 

Trading Day ” means a day on which the national securities exchange on which the Common Units are then listed for trading or quotation is open for trading.

 

Transfer Agent ” means Computershare, the current transfer agent of the Partnership, with a mailing address of 250 Royall Street, Canton, Massachusetts 02021 and a facsimile number of (791) 575-2549, and any successor transfer agent of the Partnership.

 

2.                                       Demand Registration.

 

(a)                                  At any time or from time to time, if the Partnership shall be requested in writing by the Company, by one or more affiliates of the Company who Beneficially Own Registrable Securities, or by one or more Holders who Beneficially Own at least 250,000 Registrable Securities, to effect a registration under the Securities Act of Registrable Securities in accordance with this Section 2 (a registration effected by the Partnership pursuant to this Section 2 is referred to as a “ Demand Registration ”), then the Partnership shall promptly give written notice of such proposed Demand Registration to each Holder and shall offer to include (subject to the terms of this Agreement) in such proposed Demand Registration any Registrable Securities requested to be included in such proposed Demand Registration by such Holders who respond in writing to the Partnership’s notice within 15 days after delivery of such notice (which response shall specify the number of Registrable Securities proposed to be included in such Demand Registration and the intended method of distribution, which may be pursuant to a shelf Registration Statement).  Such written Demand Registration request shall specify the number of Registrable Securities requested to be registered, and the anticipated per unit price range for such offering, if applicable, and the intended method of distribution (which may be pursuant to a shelf Registration Statement).  Following the expiration of such 15-day response period, the Partnership shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to promptly effect such Demand Registration on an appropriate form under the Securities Act of the Registrable Securities which the Partnership has been so requested to register; provided ,   however , that the Partnership shall not be obligated to effect any Demand Registration under the Securities Act except in accordance with the following provisions:

 

1.                    the Partnership shall not be obligated to file more than three Registration

 

4



 

Statements in total pursuant to this Section 2 ; and

 

2.                                       with respect to any Demand Registration of Registrable Securities, the Partnership may include in the Registration Statement related thereto any Other Units; provided ,   however , that if the managing underwriter of any offering of Registrable Securities pursuant to such Registration Statement advises the Partnership in writing that the inclusion of all Registrable Securities and Other Units proposed to be included in such Demand Registration or offering would adversely and materially affect the successful marketing (including pricing) of all such securities, then the number of Registrable Securities and Other Units proposed to be included in such Demand Registration or offering shall be included in the following order:

 

I.                                         First, the Registrable Securities held by all Selling Holders, pro rata based upon the number of Registrable Securities Beneficially Owned by each such Selling Holder at the time of such Demand Registration or offering; and

 

II.                                    Second, the Other Units.

 

(b)                                  The Holder or Holders requesting a Demand Registration may, in the notice delivered pursuant to Section 2(a)  or in connection with any “shelf take-down” under such Registration Statement (which offerings the Selling Holders may elect to conduct from time-to-time under any shelf Registration Statement filed pursuant to Rule 415), elect that such Demand Registration or offering, as the case may be, cover an underwritten public offering.  Upon such election, such Holder(s) shall elect one or more nationally recognized firms of investment banks to act as the lead managing underwriter(s) and shall select any additional investment banks to be used in connection with such offering, provided that such investment banks must be approved by the Partnership, such approval not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed.  The Partnership shall, together with the Selling Holders, enter into a customary underwriting agreement with such underwriters.

 

(c)                                   A requested Demand Registration may be rescinded only by written notice to the Partnership by the Selling Holders holding a majority of the Registrable Securities to be included in the related Registration Statement and only (i) once in any 12 month period prior to the sale of any Registrable Securities under the Registration Statement or (ii) upon such Selling Holders reimbursing the Partnership in whole for all out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Partnership in connection with such rescinded Demand Registration unless such Selling Holders (i) (x) reasonably believed that the Registration Statement contained an untrue statement of material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements made therein not misleading, (y) notified the Partnership of such fact and requested that the Partnership correct such alleged misstatement or omission and (z) the Partnership refused to correct such alleged misstatement or omission or (ii) could not include at least eighty percent (80%) of the Registrable Securities requested to be included on such Registration Statement as a result of Section 2(d) .  Any Demand Registration rescinded by the Selling Holders in accordance with this Section 2(c)  shall not count as a Registration Statement initiated pursuant to this Section 2 for purposes of Section 2(a)  (except for a rescission under clause (i)

 

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hereof, unless such Selling Holders shall have reimbursed the Partnership in whole for all out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Partnership in connection with such rescinded Demand Registration).

 

(d)                                  Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, if in connection with any review of a Registration Statement prior to effectiveness, the Commission objects based on any SEC Guidance to the number of Registrable Securities registered on a particular Registration Statement (in which event the Partnership shall use its commercially reasonable diligent efforts to advocate with the Commission for the registration of all Registrable Securities intended to be included therein), the Partnership shall be entitled to remove by pre-effective amendment such Registrable Securities from such Registration Statement to the extent in excess of such limitation and shall be permitted to reduce the Registrable Securities allocated amongst the Selling Holders on a pro rata basis based upon the number of Registrable Securities known to the Partnership to be Beneficially Owned by each such Selling Holder at the time of such registration.

 

3.                                       Registration Procedures.

 

In connection with the Partnership’s Demand Registration obligations hereunder, the Partnership shall:

 

(a)                                  Not less than 10 Trading Days prior to the initial filing (if applicable) of each Registration Statement and not less than two Trading Days prior to the filing of any related Prospectus or any pre- or post-amendment or supplement thereto or to such Registration Statement (but not including documents incorporated by reference therein), furnish to each Holder copies of all such documents proposed to be filed, which documents will be subject to the review of such Holders.  The Partnership shall not file a Registration Statement or any such Prospectus or any amendments or supplements thereto to which Holders of least two-thirds of the Registrable Securities shall reasonably object in good faith, provided that the Partnership is notified of such objection in writing no later than five Trading Days after the Holders have been so furnished copies of an initial Registration Statement or one Trading Day after the Holders have been so furnished copies of any related Prospectus or pre- or post-effective amendments or supplements thereto or to such Registration Statement.  By the end of the fifth Trading Day following the written request furnished by or on behalf of the Partnership, the Holders shall furnish to the Partnership such written information regarding such Holder and the distribution proposed by such Holder as the Partnership may reasonably request in writing (and that has not otherwise been previously provided) and as shall be reasonably required in connection with any registration, qualification or compliance referred to in this Agreement.

 

(b)                                  (i) Use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause a Registration Statement to become and remain effective for the Effectiveness Period and prepare and file with the Commission such amendments, including post-effective amendments, to a Registration Statement and the Prospectus used in connection therewith as may be necessary to keep a Registration Statement continuously effective as to the applicable Registrable Securities for the Effectiveness Period, including so as to permit sales of the greatest number of Registrable Securities for the longest possible Effectiveness Period (for example, to the extent permissible under applicable rules and regulations of the Commission, post-effectively amending a Registration Statement on Form S-1 to convert it to a Form S-3 not subject to the three year limit

 

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under clause (a) of the definition thereof); (ii) cause the related Prospectus to be amended or supplemented by any required Prospectus supplement (subject to the terms of this Agreement), and, as so supplemented or amended, to be filed pursuant to Rule 424; (iii) respond as promptly as reasonably possible to any comments received from the Commission with respect to a Registration Statement or any amendment thereto and provide as promptly as reasonably possible to any Holder upon request true and complete copies of all correspondence from and to the Commission relating to a Registration Statement ( provided that the Partnership may excise any information contained therein which would constitute material non-public information as to any Holder which has not executed a confidentiality agreement with the Partnership); and (iv) comply in all material respects with the provisions of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act with respect to the disposition of all Registrable Securities covered by a Registration Statement during the applicable period in accordance (subject to the terms of this Agreement) with the intended methods of disposition by the Holders thereof set forth in such Registration Statement as so amended or in such Prospectus as so supplemented.

 

(c)                                   Notify the Holders of Registrable Securities to be sold (which notice shall, pursuant to clauses (iii)  through (vi)  hereof, be accompanied by an instruction to suspend the use of the Prospectus until the requisite changes have been made) as promptly as reasonably possible (and, in the case of (i)(A) below, not less than one Trading Day prior to such filing) and (if requested by any such Person) confirm such notice in writing no later than one Trading Day following the day: (i)(A) when a Prospectus or any Prospectus supplement or post-effective amendment to a Registration Statement is proposed to be filed; (B) when the Commission notifies the Partnership whether there will be a “review” of such Registration Statement and, upon request of any Holder whenever the Commission comments in writing on such Registration Statement; and (C) with respect to a Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment, when the same has become effective; (ii) of any request by the Commission or any other federal or state governmental authority for amendments or supplements to a Registration Statement or Prospectus or for additional information; (iii) of the issuance by the Commission or any other federal or state governmental authority of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of a Registration Statement covering any or all of the Registrable Securities or the initiation of any Proceedings for that purpose; (iv) of the receipt by the Partnership of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification or exemption from qualification of any of the Registrable Securities for sale in any jurisdiction, or the initiation or threatening of any Proceeding for such purpose; (v) of the occurrence of any event or passage of time that makes the financial statements included in a Registration Statement ineligible for inclusion therein or any statement made in a Registration Statement or Prospectus or any document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference untrue in any material respect or that requires any revisions to a Registration Statement, Prospectus or other documents so that, in the case of a Registration Statement or the Prospectus, as the case may be, it will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made (in the case of the Prospectus), not misleading; and (vi) of the occurrence or existence of any non-public pending business development with respect to the Partnership that the Partnership believes is material and that, in the determination of the Partnership, makes it not in the best interest of the Partnership to disclose such development so as to allow continued availability of a Registration Statement or Prospectus;  provided that any and all of such information shall remain confidential to each Holder until such information otherwise becomes public, unless disclosure

 

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by a Holder is required by law; provided , further , that notwithstanding each Holder’s agreement to keep such information confidential, each such Holder makes no acknowledgement that any such information is material, non-public information; provided , moreover , that the Partnership’s ability to suspend the availability of the Registration Statement under Sections 3(c)(iii)  through (vi)  is subject to the limitations set forth in Section 3(j) .

 

(d)                                  Use its reasonable best efforts to avoid the issuance of, or, if issued, obtain the withdrawal of, (i) any order stopping or suspending the effectiveness of a Registration Statement, or (ii) any suspension of the qualification (or exemption from qualification) of any of the Registrable Securities for sale in any jurisdiction, at the earliest practicable moment.

 

(e)                                   Furnish to each Holder, without charge, at least one conformed copy of each such Registration Statement (including the Prospectus included therein) and each amendment thereto, including financial statements and schedules, all documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference to the extent requested by such Person, and all exhibits to the extent requested by such Person (including those previously furnished or incorporated by reference) promptly after the filing of such documents with the Commission; provided , that any such item which is available on EDGAR need not be furnished in physical form.

 

(f)                                    Subject to the terms of this Agreement, consent and hereby does consent to the use of such Prospectus and each amendment or supplement thereto by each of the Selling Holders in connection with the offering and sale of the Registrable Securities covered by such Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, except after the giving of any notice pursuant to Section 3(c) .

 

(g)                                   Cooperate with any registered broker-dealer which is effecting resales of Registrable Securities in effecting any filing with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“ FINRA ”) Corporate Financing Department pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110 (or any similar or successor rule) and pay the filing fee required in connection with such filing.

 

(h)                                  Prior to any resale of Registrable Securities by a Holder, use its commercially reasonable efforts to register or qualify or cooperate with the Selling Holders in connection with the registration or qualification (or exemption from the registration or qualification) of such Registrable Securities for resale by the Holder under the securities or “blue sky” laws of such jurisdictions within the United States as any Holder reasonably requests in writing, to keep each registration or qualification (or exemption therefrom) effective during the Effectiveness Period and to do any and all other acts or things reasonably necessary to enable the disposition in such jurisdictions of the Registrable Securities covered by each Registration Statement, including, but not limited to, causing such Registrable Securities to be registered with or approved by such other governmental agencies or authorities as may be necessary by virtue of the business and operations of the Partnership to enable the seller or sellers thereof to consummate the disposition of such Registrable Securities; provided , that the Partnership shall not be required to qualify generally to do business in any jurisdiction where it is not then so qualified, subject the Partnership to any material tax in any such jurisdiction where it is not then so subject or file a general consent to service of process in any such jurisdiction.

 

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(i)                                      If requested by a Holder, cooperate with such Holders to facilitate the timely preparation and delivery of certificates representing Registrable Securities to be delivered to a transferee pursuant to a Registration Statement, which certificates shall be free of all restrictive legends, and to enable such Registrable Securities to be in such denominations and registered in such names as any such Holder may request.

 

(j)                                     Upon the occurrence of any event contemplated by Section 3(c) , as promptly as reasonably possible under the circumstances taking into account the Partnership’s good faith assessment of any adverse consequences to the Partnership and its unitholders of the premature disclosure of such event, prepare a supplement or amendment, including a post-effective amendment, to a Registration Statement or a supplement to the related Prospectus or any document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference, and file any other required document curing such defect or other occurrence causing the suspension of a Registration Statement and otherwise so that, as thereafter delivered, neither a Registration Statement nor such Prospectus will contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made (in the case of a Prospectus), not misleading.  If the Partnership notifies the Holders in accordance with clauses (iii)  through (vi)  of Section 3(c)  to suspend the use of any Prospectus until the requisite changes to such Prospectus have been made, then the Holders shall suspend use of such Prospectus.  The Partnership will use commercially reasonable efforts to ensure that the use of the Prospectus may be resumed as promptly as is practicable and promptly notify the Holders upon termination of any suspension.  The Partnership shall be entitled to exercise its right under Section 3(c)  and this Section 3(j)  to suspend the availability of a Registration Statement and Prospectus for a period not to exceed 90 calendar days (which need not be consecutive calendar days) in the aggregate in any 12 month period, which right may only be exercised three times in any 12 month period; provided, however , that if any other registration statement is effective with respect to Partnership Interests and the Partnership has not suspended the availability of such registration statement and related prospectus, the Partnership shall not be entitled to suspend the availability of a Registration Statement and Prospectus hereunder.

 

(k)                                  Comply with all applicable rules and regulations of the Commission.

 

(l)                                      Use its commercially reasonable efforts to obtain from its independent certified public accountants and reserve engineers “comfort” letters in customary form and at customary times and covering matters of the type customarily covered by comfort letters, when so requested by any underwriters (including any Selling Holders that the Commission may, in the good faith judgment of the Selling Holders after consultation with outside counsel, require to be identified as an underwriter) in connection with a public offering of Registrable Securities.

 

(m)                              In connection with the closing of any offering of Registrable Securities, use its commercially reasonable efforts to obtain from its counsel an opinion or opinions in customary form and at customary times and covering matters of the type customarily covered by legal opinions in underwritten offerings, if so requested by any underwriters (including any Selling Holders that the Commission may, in the good faith judgment of the Selling Holders after consultation with outside counsel, require to be identified as an underwriter).

 

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(n)                                  List the Registrable Securities on any national securities exchange on which the Common Units are then listed for trading or quotation, or if the Common Units are not then listed or quoted on a national securities exchange, use its commercially reasonable efforts to qualify such Registrable Securities for inclusion on such national securities exchange as the holders of a majority of such Registrable Securities shall request.

 

(o)                                  If the Partnership elects to do so, require each Selling Holder to furnish to the Partnership a certified statement as to the number of Registrable Securities Beneficially Owned by such Holder and, if required by the Commission pursuant to SEC Guidance, the natural persons thereof that have voting and dispositive control over the Registrable Securities.

 

(p)                                  In connection with the filing of a Registration Statement or offering thereunder, make available for inspection by (i) any Holder or underwriter engaged in connection with a Demand Registration or offering under such Registration Statement, (ii) legal counsel for any Holder or underwriter engaged in connection with a Demand Registration or offering under such Registration Statement, (iii) one firm of accountants, financial advisors or other agents retained by the Holders in connection with a Demand Registration and (iv) one firm of accountants, financial advisors or other agents retained by the underwriters engaged in connection with an offering under such Registration Statement (collectively, the “ Inspectors ”), all pertinent financial and other records, and pertinent company documents and properties of the Partnership (collectively, the “ Records ”), as shall be reasonably deemed necessary by each Inspector, and cause the Partnership’s officers, directors and employees to supply all information which any Inspector may reasonably request; provided , however , that each Inspector shall agree to hold in strict confidence and shall not make any disclosure (except to a Holder or underwriter engaged in connection with a Demand Registration or offering under such Registration Statement) or use of any Record or other information which the Partnership determines in good faith to be confidential, and of which determination the Inspectors are so notified, unless (a) the disclosure of such Records is necessary to avoid or correct a misstatement or omission in any Registration Statement or is otherwise required under the Securities Act, (b) the release of such Records is ordered pursuant to a subpoena or order from a court or government body of competent jurisdiction or (c) the information in such Records has been made generally available to the public other than by disclosure in violation of this or any confidentiality agreement between the Partnership and such Holder or underwriter.  Each Holder agrees that it shall, upon learning that disclosure of such Records is sought in or by a court or governmental body of competent jurisdiction or through other means, give prompt notice to the Partnership and allow the Partnership, at its expense, to undertake appropriate action to prevent disclosure of, or to obtain a protective order for, the Records deemed confidential.  Nothing herein (or in any other confidentiality agreement between the Partnership and any Holder) shall be deemed to limit the Holders’ ability to sell Registrable Securities in a manner which is otherwise consistent with applicable laws and regulations.

 

(q)                                  If underwriters are engaged in connection with any Registration Statement or offering thereunder, without limitation to any of the foregoing, (i) provide indemnification, representations, covenants and other assurance to the underwriters in form and substance customary in such transactions and (ii) at the reasonable request of any underwriter, make available its senior executive and financial officers to participate in a marketing presentation to potential investors.

 

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4.                                       Registration Expenses.

 

All fees and expenses incident to the performance of or compliance with this Agreement by the Partnership shall be borne by the Partnership (without reimbursement by the Company or any Holder) whether or not any Registrable Securities are sold pursuant to a Registration Statement. The fees and expenses referred to in the foregoing sentence shall include, without limitation, (i) all registration and filing fees (including, without limitation, fees and expenses of the Partnership’s counsel and auditors) (A) with respect to filings made with the Commission, (B) with respect to filings required to be made with any national securities exchange on which Partnership Interests are then listed for trading, (C) in compliance with applicable state securities or “blue sky” laws reasonably requested by the Selling Holders or underwriters (including, without limitation, fees and disbursements of counsel for the Partnership in connection with “blue sky” qualifications or exemptions of the Registrable Securities) and determination of the eligibility of the Registrable Securities for investment under the laws of such jurisdictions as requested by the Holders, and (D) if not previously paid by the Partnership in connection with a filing by the Partnership with FINRA, with respect to any filing that may be required to be made by any broker through which a Holder intends to make sales of Registrable Securities with FINRA pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110 (or any similar or successor rule), so long as the broker is receiving no more than a customary brokerage commission in connection with such sale, (ii) printing expenses (including, without limitation, expenses of printing certificates for Registrable Securities), (iii) messenger, telephone and delivery expenses, (iv) fees and disbursements of counsel for the Partnership, (v) Securities Act liability insurance, if the Partnership so desires such insurance, and (vi) fees and expenses of all other Persons retained by the Partnership in connection with the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.  In addition, the Partnership shall be responsible for all of its internal expenses incurred in connection with the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement (including, without limitation, all salaries and expenses of its officers and employees performing legal or accounting duties), the expense of any annual audit and the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the listing of the Registrable Securities on any securities exchange as required hereunder.  In no event shall the Partnership be responsible for any broker or similar commissions attributable to any Holder or, except to the extent specifically provided for herein, any legal fees or other costs of the Holders.

 

5.                                       Indemnification.

 

(a)                                  Indemnification by the Partnership .  The Partnership shall, notwithstanding any termination of this Agreement, indemnify and hold harmless each Holder, the officers, directors, members, partners, agents, brokers (including brokers who offer and sell Registrable Securities as principal as a result of a pledge or any failure to perform under a margin call of Partnership Interests), investment advisors and employees (and any other Persons with a functionally equivalent role of a Person holding such titles, notwithstanding a lack of such title or any other title) of each of them, each Person who controls any such Holder (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act) and the officers, directors, members, equityholders, partners, agents and employees (and any other Persons with a functionally equivalent role of a Person holding such titles, notwithstanding a lack of such title or any other title) of each such controlling Person, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, from and against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities, costs (including, without

 

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limitation, reasonable attorneys’ fees) and expenses (collectively, “ Losses ”), as incurred, arising out of or relating to (1) any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in a Registration Statement, any Prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto or in any preliminary prospectus, or arising out of or relating to any omission or alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein (in the case of any Prospectus or supplement thereto, in light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading or (2) any violation or alleged violation by the Partnership of the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or any state securities law, or any rule or regulation thereunder, in connection with the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, except to the extent, but only to the extent, that in the case of (1) above, (i) such untrue statements or omissions are based solely upon information regarding such Holder furnished in writing to the Partnership by such Holder expressly for use therein, or (ii) in the case of an occurrence of an event of the type specified in Section 3(c)(iii)  through (vi) , the use by such Holder of an outdated or defective Prospectus after the Partnership has notified such Holder in writing that the Prospectus is outdated or defective and prior to the receipt by such Holder of the Advice contemplated in Section 6(c) .  The Partnership shall notify the Holders promptly of the institution, threat or assertion of any Proceeding arising from or in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement of which the Partnership has knowledge.

 

(b)                                  Indemnification by Holders .  Each Holder shall, severally and not jointly, indemnify and hold harmless the Partnership, its directors, officers, agents and employees, each Person who controls the Partnership (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act and Section 20 of the Exchange Act), and the directors, officers, agents or employees of such controlling Persons, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, from and against all Losses, as incurred, to the extent arising out of or based solely upon (x) such Holder’s failure to comply with the prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act or (y) any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Registration Statement, any Prospectus, or in any amendment or supplement thereto or in any preliminary prospectus, or arising out of or relating to any omission or alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein (in the case of any Prospectus or supplement thereto, in light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading to the extent, but only to the extent, that (i) such untrue statement or omission is contained in any information so furnished in writing by such Holder to the Partnership specifically for inclusion in such Registration Statement or such Prospectus, or in any amendment or supplement thereto or (ii) in the case of an occurrence of an event of the type specified in Section 3(c)(iii)  through (vi) , the use by such Holder of an outdated or defective Prospectus after the Partnership has notified such Holder in writing that the Prospectus is outdated or defective and prior to the receipt by such Holder of the Advice contemplated in Section 6(c) .  In no event shall the liability of any Selling Holder hereunder be greater in amount than the dollar amount of the net proceeds received by such Holder upon the sale of the Registrable Securities giving rise to such indemnification obligation.

 

(c)                                   Conduct of Indemnification Proceedings .  If any Proceeding shall be brought or asserted against any Person entitled to indemnity hereunder (an “ Indemnified Party ”), such Indemnified Party shall promptly notify the Person from whom indemnity is sought (the “ Indemnifying Party ”) in writing, and the Indemnifying Party shall have the right to assume the defense thereof, including the employment of counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified

 

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Party and the payment of all fees and expenses incurred in connection with defense thereof; provided , that the failure of any Indemnified Party to give such notice shall not relieve the Indemnifying Party of its obligations or liabilities pursuant to this Agreement, except (and only) to the extent that it shall be finally determined by a court of competent jurisdiction (which determination is not subject to appeal or further review) that such failure shall have materially prejudiced the Indemnifying Party.

 

An Indemnified Party shall have the right to employ separate counsel in any such Proceeding and to participate in the defense thereof, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Indemnified Party or Parties unless:  (1) the Indemnifying Party has agreed in writing to pay such fees and expenses; (2) the Indemnifying Party shall have failed promptly to assume the defense of such Proceeding and to employ counsel reasonably satisfactory to such Indemnified Party in any such Proceeding; or (3) the named parties to any such Proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both such Indemnified Party and the Indemnifying Party, and counsel to the Indemnified Party shall reasonably believe that a material conflict of interest is likely to exist if the same counsel were to represent such Indemnified Party and the Indemnifying Party (in which case, if such Indemnified Party notifies the Indemnifying Party in writing that it elects to employ separate counsel at the expense of the Indemnifying Party, the Indemnifying Party shall not have the right to assume the defense thereof and the reasonable fees and expenses of no more than one separate counsel shall be at the expense of the Indemnifying Party).  The Indemnifying Party shall not be liable for any settlement of any such Proceeding effected without its written consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed.  No Indemnifying Party shall, without the prior written consent of the Indemnified Party, effect any settlement of any pending Proceeding in respect of which any Indemnified Party is a party, unless such settlement includes an unconditional release of such Indemnified Party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such Proceeding.

 

Subject to the terms of this Agreement, all reasonable fees and expenses of the Indemnified Party (including reasonable fees and expenses to the extent incurred in connection with investigating or preparing to defend such Proceeding in a manner not inconsistent with this Section 5 ) shall be paid to the Indemnified Party, as incurred, within 10 Trading Days after written notice thereof to the Indemnifying Party; provided , that the Indemnified Party shall promptly reimburse the Indemnifying Party for that portion of such fees and expenses applicable to such actions for which such Indemnified Party is judicially determined to be not entitled to indemnification hereunder.

 

(d)                                  Contribution .  If the indemnification under Sections 5(a)  or 5(b)  is unavailable to an Indemnified Party or insufficient to hold an Indemnified Party harmless for any Losses, then each Indemnifying Party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such Indemnified Party, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative fault of the Indemnifying Party and Indemnified Party in connection with the actions, statements or omissions that resulted in such Losses as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.  The relative fault of such Indemnifying Party and Indemnified Party shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any action in question, including any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission of a material fact, has been taken or made by, or relates to information supplied by, such Indemnifying Party or Indemnified Party, and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent

 

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such action, statement or omission.  The amount paid or payable by a party as a result of any Losses shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth in this Agreement, any reasonable attorneys’ or other reasonable fees or expenses incurred by such party in connection with any Proceeding to the extent such party would have been indemnified for such fees or expenses if the indemnification provided for in this Section 5 was available to such party in accordance with its terms.

 

The parties hereto agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 5(d)  were determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation that does not take into account the equitable considerations referred to in the immediately preceding paragraph.  Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 5(d) , no Holder shall be required to contribute, in the aggregate, any amount in excess of the amount by which the net proceeds actually received by such Holder from the sale of the Registrable Securities subject to the Proceeding exceeds the amount of any damages that such Holder has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.

 

The indemnity and contribution agreements contained in this Section 5 are in addition to any liability that the Indemnifying Parties may have to the Indemnified Parties.

 

6.                                       Miscellaneous.

 

(a)                                  Remedies .  In the event of a breach by the Partnership or by a Holder of any of their respective obligations under this Agreement, each Holder or the Partnership, as the case may be, in addition to being entitled to exercise all rights granted by law and under this Agreement, including recovery of damages, shall be entitled to specific performance of its rights under this Agreement.  The Partnership and each Holder agree that monetary damages would not provide adequate compensation for any losses incurred by reason of a breach by it of any of the provisions of this Agreement and hereby further agrees that, in the event of any action for specific performance in respect of such breach, it shall not assert or shall waive the defense that a remedy at law would be adequate.

 

(b)                                  Compliance .  Each Holder covenants and agrees that it will comply with the prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act as applicable to it in connection with sales of Registrable Securities pursuant to a Registration Statement.  The Partnership covenants and agrees that it shall (i) so long as any Holder owns Registrable Securities, file the reports required to be filed by it under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act in a timely manner, (ii) if the Partnership ceases to be required to file reports under the Securities Act and Exchange Act, upon the written request of any Holder of Registrable Securities, make publicly available other information necessary to permit sales pursuant to Rule 144 under the Securities Act and (iii) take such further action as any Holder(s) may reasonably request in writing, all to the extent required from time to time to enable such Holders to sell Registrable Securities without registration under the Securities Act pursuant to the exemptions provided by Rule 144 thereunder (but the obligations of the Partnership pursuant to clause (ii) hereof shall not apply if none of the Holders are affiliates of the Partnership).  Upon the request of any Holder, the Partnership shall deliver to such Holder a written statement as to whether it has complied with such information and requirements.

 

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(c)                                   Discontinued Disposition .  By its acquisition of Registrable Securities, each Holder agrees that, upon receipt of a notice from the Partnership of the occurrence of any event of the kind described in Section 3(c)(iii)  through (vi) , such Holder will forthwith discontinue disposition of such Registrable Securities under a Registration Statement until it is advised in writing (the “ Advice ”) by the Partnership that the use of the applicable Prospectus (as it may have been supplemented or amended) may be resumed.  The Partnership will use its commercially reasonable efforts to ensure that the use of the Prospectus may be resumed as promptly as is practicable within the time period specified in Section 3(j) .

 

(d)                                  Piggy-Back Registrations .  If the Partnership shall determine to (i) prepare and file with the Commission a registration statement or (ii) conduct a “shelf take-down” under an effective registration statement (but only if inclusion of any Registrable Securities in such offering could be effected under SEC Guidance without filing a post-effective amendment to such registration statement (other than an automatically effective post-effective amendment)) in either case relating to an offering for its own account or the account of others, other than a Holder, under the Securities Act of any Common Units, other than on Form S-4 or Form S-8 (each as promulgated under the Securities Act) or their then-equivalents relating to equity securities to be issued solely in connection with any acquisition of any entity or business or equity securities issuable in connection with the Partnership’s incentive plan or other employee benefit plans, then the Partnership shall deliver to each Holder a written notice of such determination and, if within 15 days after the date of the delivery of such notice, any such Holder shall so request in writing, then the Partnership shall (if permitted under applicable SEC Guidance) include in such registration statement or offering all or any part of such Registrable Securities such Holder requests to be registered or offered; provided , however , that if at any time after giving such written notice of its intention to register or offer any Common Units, the Partnership or the other Person(s) for whose account such registration is proposed shall determine for any reason not to proceed with the proposed registration or offering of the Common Units to be sold by it, the Partnership may, at its election, give written notice of such determination to each Holder of Registrable Securities and, thereupon, shall be relieved of its obligation to register or offer any Registrable Securities in connection with such registration or offering; provided, further , that if the managing underwriter advises the Partnership that the inclusion of all Registrable Securities and/or Common Units proposed to be included in such registration or offering would interfere with the successful marketing (including pricing) of the Common Units proposed to be registered or offered by the Partnership, then the number of Registrable Securities and Common Units proposed to be included in such registration or offering shall be included in the following order:

 

1.                                       First, the Common Units to be registered or offered, as applicable;

 

2.                                       Second, the Registrable Securities, as defined under the Existing Registration Rights Agreement, to be registered or offered, as applicable; and

 

3.                                       Third, the Registrable Securities held by all Selling Holders, pro rata based upon the number of Registrable Securities Beneficially Owned by each such Selling Holder at the time of such registration or offering, as applicable.

 

15



 

In connection with any underwritten offering under this Section 6(d) , the Partnership shall not be required to include Registrable Securities in such underwritten offering unless the Holders of such Registrable Securities accept the terms of the underwriting of such offering that have been agreed upon between the Partnership and the underwriters selected by the Partnership, including without limitation, the underwriting agreement and the fees and expenses in connection therewith.  Notwithstanding anything in this Section 6(d)  to the contrary, if a Holder has the right to have Partnership Interests (including Common Units) registered pursuant to Section 6(e) , then such Holder’s rights with respect to such Partnership Interests shall be governed by Section 6(e)  and not this Section 6(d) .

 

(e)                                   Tag-Along Registrations .  If the Partnership shall be requested to file a registration statement pursuant to Section 7.12 of the Partnership Agreement for any Partnership Interests held by any “Holder” (as defined in the Partnership Agreement) and a Holder owns the same class of Partnership Interests as such Partnership Interests required to be registered, the Partnership shall promptly deliver to such Holder a written notice of such request and such Holder shall have the right to have such Partnership Interests owned by it registered in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth in Section 7.12 of the Partnership Agreement as though such Holder was a “Holder” under Section 7.12 of the Partnership Agreement; provided, however , that if such registration statement requested to be filed by a “Holder” (as defined in the Partnership Agreement) is not filed with the Commission or is otherwise withdrawn, then any Partnership Interests of a Holder included on such registration statement, or any other Registration Statement including such Partnership Interests registered in accordance with this Section 6(e) , shall correspondingly be terminated or withdrawn, as applicable.

 

(f)                                    Amendments and Waivers .  The provisions of this Agreement, including the provisions of this sentence, may not be amended, modified or supplemented, and waivers or consents to departures from the provisions hereof may not be given, unless the same shall be in writing and signed by the Partnership and the Holders of least two-thirds of then outstanding Registrable Securities.  If a Registration Statement does not register all of the Registrable Securities pursuant to a waiver or amendment done in compliance with the previous sentence, then the number of Registrable Securities to be registered for each Holder shall be reduced pro rata among all Holders, and each Holder shall have the right to designate which of its Registrable Securities shall be omitted from such Registration Statement.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, a waiver or consent to depart from the provisions hereof with respect to a matter that relates exclusively to the rights of a Holder or some Holders and that does not directly or indirectly affect the rights of other Holders may be given by such Holder or Holders of all of the Registrable Securities to which such waiver or consent relates; provided , however , that the provisions of this sentence may not be amended, modified, or supplemented except in accordance with the provisions of the first  sentence of this Section 6(f) .

 

(g)                                   Notices .  Any notice, communication, request, instruction or other document by any party to another required or permitted hereunder shall be given in writing and addressed as set forth below.  Any such notice, communication, request, instruction or other document shall be deemed to have been duly made or given and the receiving party charged with notice as follows: (a) if personally delivered, when received; (b) if sent by facsimile, with electronic confirmation of delivery, if sent during normal business hours on a Business Day, and if not sent during normal business hours on a Business Day, on the next subsequent Business Day; (c) if

 

16



 

mailed certified mail, return receipt requested, on the day such notice is received, and if such day is not a Business Day, on the next subsequent Business Day; or (d) if sent by overnight courier, the next Business Day after placement into the custody of the overnight courier.  All notices shall be addressed as follows:

 

Company:

 

SN UR Holdings, LLC

1000 Main Street, Suite 3000

Houston, Texas 77002

Attn:                     President

Fax:                        (713) 756 - 2784

 

Partnership:

 

Sanchez Production Partners LP

1000 Main Street, Suite 3000

Houston, Texas 77002

Attn:                     Chief Financial Officer

Fax:                        (832) 308 - 3720

 

Holder other than the Company:  such address and number set forth in such Holder’s joinder agreement.

 

Any party may, by written notice so delivered to the other parties, change its address for notice purposes hereunder.

 

(h)                                  Successors and Assigns .  All the terms and provisions of this Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by the respective parties hereto, the successors and permitted assigns of the Company and the Partnership and any Holder that is not the Company; provided , however , that, notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, in the event of any transfer or assignment of any Registrable Securities by a Holder, an assignee or transferee thereof shall not become a “Holder” hereunder until (i) the Holder has elected to assign such Holder’s rights under this Agreement with respect to such Partnership Interests so transferred or assigned to such transferee or assignee and (ii) the Partnership is given:  (a) written notice by such transferring or assigning Holder at or promptly after said transfer or assignment, stating the name and address of such transferee or assignee and identifying the Partnership Interests with respect to which the rights under this Agreement are being transferred or assigned; and (b) a joinder agreement executed by such transferee or assignee pursuant to which such Person agrees to be bound by the terms of this Agreement.  This Agreement shall not run to the benefit of or be enforceable by any other Person.

 

(i)                                      Execution and Counterparts .  This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, all of which when taken together shall be considered one and the same agreement and shall become effective when counterparts have been signed by each party and delivered to the other party, it being understood that both parties need not sign the same counterpart.  In the event that any signature is delivered by facsimile transmission or by e-mail delivery of a “.pdf”

 

17



 

or “.tif” format data file, such signature shall create a valid and binding obligation of the party executing (or on whose behalf such signature is executed) with the same force and effect as if such facsimile or “.pdf” or “.tif” signature page were an original thereof.

 

(j)                                     Governing Law .  This Agreement, other documents delivered pursuant hereto and the legal relations between the parties shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the Laws of the State of Texas, without giving effect to principles of conflicts of law that would result in the application of the Laws of another jurisdiction.  The parties hereto irrevocably submit to the jurisdiction of the courts of the State of Texas and the federal courts of the United States of America located in Harris County, Texas over any dispute between the parties arising out of this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby, and each party irrevocably agrees that all such claims in respect of such dispute shall be heard and determined in such courts.  The parties hereto irrevocably waive, to the fullest extent permitted by Law, any objection which they may now or hereafter have to the venue of any dispute arising out of this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby being brought in such court or any defense of inconvenient forum for the maintenance of such dispute.  Each party agrees that a judgment in any such dispute may be enforced in other jurisdictions by a suit on the judgment or any other manner provided by Law.  The parties hereby waive trial by jury in any action, proceeding or counterclaim brought by any party against another in any matter whatsoever arising out of or in relation to or in connection with this Agreement.

 

(k)                                  Cumulative Remedies .  The remedies provided herein are cumulative and not exclusive of any other remedies provided by law.

 

(l)                                      Severability .  If any term, provision, covenant or restriction of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions set forth herein shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated, and the parties hereto shall use their commercially reasonable efforts to find and employ an alternative means to achieve the same or substantially the same result as that contemplated by such term, provision, covenant or restriction.  It is hereby stipulated and declared to be the intention of the parties that they would have executed the remaining terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions without including any of such that may be hereafter declared invalid, illegal, void or unenforceable.

 

(m)                              Headings .  The headings in this Agreement are for convenience only, do not constitute a part of the Agreement and shall not be deemed to limit or affect any of the provisions hereof.

 

(n)                                  Independent Nature of Holders’ Obligations and Rights .  The obligations of each Holder hereunder are several and not joint with the obligations of any other Holder hereunder, and no Holder shall be responsible in any way for the performance of the obligations of any other Holder hereunder.  Nothing contained herein or in any other agreement or document delivered at any closing, and no action taken by any Holder pursuant hereto or thereto, shall be deemed to constitute the Holders as a partnership, an association, a joint venture or any other kind of entity, or create a presumption that the Holders are in any way acting in concert with respect to such obligations or the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.  Each Holder shall be entitled to protect and enforce its rights, including without limitation the rights arising

 

18



 

out of this Agreement, and it shall not be necessary for any other Holder to be joined as an additional party in any proceeding for such purpose.

 

(o)                                  No Conflicting Registration Rights .  The Partnership represents and warrants to each Holder that (i) there are no registration rights with respect to any equity interest in the Partnership other than the registration rights granted hereby, the Registration Rights Agreement, dated October 14, 2015, by and among the Partnership and each of the Persons set forth on Schedule A thereto (the “ Existing Registration Rights Agreement ”) and those explicitly set forth in the Partnership Agreement as of the date hereof and (ii) the provisions of this Agreement do not violate or conflict with the provisions of the agreements and instruments referenced in clause (i)  above or the Partnership has obtained all consents, approvals and waivers necessary under such agreements and instruments to grant the rights hereunder to the Holders without any such violation or conflict.  Without the prior written consent of the Company, the Partnership shall not grant any registration rights to third parties that (i) conflict with or impair the registration rights contained in this Agreement, (ii) have an Effectiveness Period (taking into account the date that such registration rights are exercised) that is longer than the one set forth in this Agreement, (iii) provide a greater number of demand registrations than the number set forth in Section 2(a) , (iv) allows such third parties to exercise piggy-back registration rights unless the Holders, if they so request pursuant to the provisions hereof, are then able to register all of their Registrable Securities pursuant to Section 6(d)  or 6(e)  and (v)  provide that the Partnership will pay any of the expenses of such third parties to the extent such expenses would not be paid by the Partnership pursuant to Section 4 with respect to the Registrable Securities.

 

(p)                                  Termination .  This Agreement shall remain in effect until the later of (i) the date upon which no Registrable Securities shall remain outstanding or (ii) the date upon which all Registrable Securities eligible to be sold pursuant to a Registration Statement shall have been sold pursuant to a Registration Statement, other registration statement or under Rule 144 under circumstances in which all of the applicable conditions of such Rule are met (excluding transfers or assignments by a Holder to an affiliate or to another Holder or any of its affiliates or to any assignee or transferee to whom the rights under this Agreement have been transferred pursuant to Section 6(h) ); provided , however , that Sections 4 and 5 shall survive the termination of this Agreement.

 

(q)                                  Survival of Agreement .  This Agreement shall survive any merger, business combination or other similar transaction and be binding on the Partnership or its successor, as applicable.

 

(r)                                     Unit Splits, Etc .  All unit numbers and amounts derived from unit numbers in this Agreement are to be appropriately adjusted for any unit distribution, unit split, unit combination or other similar transaction, including as a result of any transaction referred to in Section 6(q) .  In the event the Partnership merges, combines with or otherwise converts to another entity by operation of law, merger, or otherwise, as a result of which units are exchanged for or converted into securities of such entity, the provisions hereof shall survive and apply to such securities, and references herein to any type or class of units shall be deemed to include such securities.

 

[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement as of the date first written above.

 

 

THE PARTNERSHIP:

 

 

 

SANCHEZ PRODUCTION PARTNERS LP

 

 

 

By:

Sanchez Production Partners GP LLC, its general partner

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Charles C. Ward

 

 

Name:

Charles C. Ward

 

 

Title:

Chief Financial Officer

 

 

 

THE COMPANY / HOLDER:

 

 

 

SN UR HOLDINGS, LLC

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Antonio R. Sanchez, III

 

 

Name:

Antonio R. Sanchez, III

 

 

Title:

Chief Executive Officer

 

Signature Page to Registration Rights Agreement

 


Exhibit 10.1

 

Execution Version

 

COMMON UNIT PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

by and between

 

SANCHEZ PRODUCTION PARTNERS LP

 

and

 

SN UR HOLDINGS, LLC

 

SN UR Holdings, LLC

1000 Main Street, Suite 3000

Houston, Texas, 77002

 

Attention: Antonio R. Sanchez, III

 

Sanchez Production Partners LP, a Delaware limited partnership (the “ Partnership ”) , proposes, subject to the terms and conditions stated in this Common Unit Purchase Agreement (this “ Agreement ”), to issue and sell to SN UR Holdings, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “ Investor ”), an aggregate of 2,272,727 common units (the “ Investor Units ”) representing limited partner interests in the Partnership (the “ Common Units ”).

 

The Partnership has entered into that certain Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”), dated as of the date hereof, with Citigroup Global Markets Inc. and RBC Capital Markets, LLC, as Representatives of the underwriters named therein (the “ Underwriters ”), pursuant to which the Underwriters have agreed to purchase and the Partnership has agreed to sell 6,550,802 Common Units at a price to the public of $11.00 per Common Unit (the “ Public Offering ”).  On the Closing Date (as defined below), the Partnership and the Investor will enter into a Registration Rights Agreement (the “ Registration Rights Agreement ”), substantially in the form attached hereto as Annex I , pursuant to which the Partnership will provide the Investor with certain registration rights with respect to the Investor Units.

 

Sanchez Production Partners GP LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, is the general partner of the Partnership (the “ General Partner ”).  The Significant Subsidiaries (as defined below) of the Partnership are referred to collectively herein as the “ Operating Subsidiaries .”  The Partnership, the General Partner and the Operating Subsidiaries are referred to collectively herein as the “ Partnership Entities .” The “ Subject Documents ” shall mean the Organizational Agreements (as defined below), the Underwriting Agreement and the Registration Rights Agreement.  For purposes of this Agreement, the Investor shall not be deemed an affiliate of the Partnership Entities and the Partnership Entities shall not be deemed affiliates of the Investor.

 

This is to confirm the agreement between the Partnership and the Investor concerning the purchase of the Investor Units from the Partnership by the Investor.

 

1.                                 The Partnership represents and warrants to, and agrees with, the Investor as follows:

 

(a)                                  No Material Misstatements or Omissions . All SEC Reports (as defined below) when they became effective or were filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “ Commission ”),

 



 

as the case may be, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “ Securities Act ”) or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, and none of such documents contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and any further documents so filed or any further amendment or supplement thereto, when such documents become effective or are filed with the Commission, as the case may be, will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

 

(b)                                  Independent Accountants . KPMG LLP (“ KPMG ”), who has certified financial statements and supporting schedules included or incorporated by reference in reports and statements filed by the Partnership since December 31, 2014 under the Exchange Act and registration statements filed by the Partnership since December 31, 2014 under the Securities Act (in the form that became effective), including all amendments, exhibits and schedules thereto (the “ SEC Reports ”) are independent registered public accountants with respect to the Partnership as required by the Securities Act, the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.

 

(c)                                   Reserve Engineers . Netherland, Sewell & Associates, Inc. (“ NSAI ”), whose reports are contained or incorporated by reference in the SEC Reports, is, as of the date hereof, an independent reserve engineer and acts as independent reserve engineer with respect to the Partnership.  Ryder Scott Co. LP (“ Ryder Scott ”), whose reports are referenced in the SEC Reports, was as of the date of such reports, and is, as of the date hereof, an independent reserve engineer and acts as independent reserve engineer with respect to the Partnership.

 

(d)                                  Reserve Information . The oil and natural gas reserve estimates of the Partnership Entities as of December 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, contained or incorporated by reference in the SEC Reports are derived from reports that have been prepared by NSAI and Ryder Scott, in accordance with customary industry practices, and such estimates fairly reflect, in all material respects, the oil and natural gas reserves of the Partnership Entities at the dates indicated therein and are in accordance, in all material respects, with Commission guidelines, including the applicable requirements of Regulation S-X and Industry Guide 2 under the Securities Act, applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved.

 

(e)                                   Financial Statements . The historical financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the SEC Reports, together with the related schedules (if any) and notes, present fairly in all material respects the financial position of the Partnership (including Sanchez Production Partners LLC (predecessor-in-interest by conversion)) and its subsidiaries, at the dates indicated and the results of operations and changes in capital and cash flows of the Partnership Entities for the periods specified; and all such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“ GAAP ”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved and materially comply with all applicable accounting requirements under the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder. The supporting schedules, if any, included or

 

2



 

incorporated by reference in the SEC Reports present fairly in all material respects, in accordance with GAAP, the information required to be stated therein.  All other financial information of the Partnership, including “non-GAAP financial measures” (as such term is defined in the rules and regulations of the Commission), if any, contained or incorporated by reference in the SEC Reports comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act (including, without limitation, Regulation S-X under the Securities Act) and the Exchange Act (including, without limitation, Regulation G under the Exchange Act) and Item 10 under Regulation S-K, to the extent applicable. The interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language contained or incorporated by reference in the SEC Reports fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and has been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto in all material respects. There are no financial statements (historical or pro forma) that are required to be included in the SEC Reports that are not so included as required.

 

(f)                                    Forward-Looking and Supporting Information . Each of the statements made by the Partnership in the SEC Reports and any other materials distributed to the Investor, including (but not limited to) any statements with respect to projected results of operations, estimated cash available for distributions and future cash distributions of the Partnership, and any statements made in support thereof or related thereto, was made or will be made with a reasonable basis and in good faith.

 

(g)                                   No Material Changes . Except as otherwise disclosed in the SEC Reports, none of the Partnership Entities has sustained since the date of the latest audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the SEC Reports any material loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree; since the latest date as of which information is given in the SEC Reports through the date of this Agreement, there has not been any change in the equity interests or long term debt of any of the Partnership Entities or any material adverse change, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change, in or affecting the general affairs, management, financial position, unitholders’ equity or results of operations of the Partnership Entities; and, except as otherwise may be disclosed in the SEC Reports, none of the Partnership Entities have (i) issued or granted any securities (other than customary issuances or grants pursuant to employee benefit plans), (ii) incurred any material liability or obligation, direct, indirect or contingent, other than liabilities and obligations that were incurred in the ordinary course of business, (iii) entered into any material transaction not in the ordinary course of business or (iv) declared or paid any distribution.

 

(h)                                  Formation and Good Standing of the Partnership . The Partnership has been duly formed and is validly existing as a limited partnership, and is in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware, with full partnership power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and conduct its business as described in the SEC Reports, and (A) to execute and deliver this Agreement and the Subject Documents (other than the Organizational Agreements) and consummate the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby, and (B) to issue, sell and deliver the Investor Units.

 

(i)                                      Foreign Qualification and Registration of the Partnership . The Partnership is duly qualified as a foreign limited partnership to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure to so qualify or to be in good standing would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a material adverse change in (i) the financial condition, results of operations, members’ equity or partners’ capital, business, properties, management

 

3



 

or prospects of the Partnership and the Operating Subsidiaries taken as a whole, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, or (ii) the ability of the Partnership and the Operating Subsidiaries to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the Subject Documents (other than the Organizational Agreements) (in either case of clause (i) or (ii), a “ Material Adverse Effect ”).

 

(j)                                     Formation and Good Standing of the Partnership’s Subsidiaries . Each of the Operating Subsidiaries has been duly formed and is validly existing, and is in good standing under the laws of the state where such subsidiary is formed, with full power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and conduct its business as described in the SEC Reports. Each of the Operating Subsidiaries is duly qualified as a foreign entity, to transact business and is in good standing in the jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure to so qualify or to be in good standing would not individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(k)                                  Power and Authority of General Partner .  The General Partner has, and after giving effect to the transactions contemplated herein will have, full limited liability company power and authority to serve as general partner of the Partnership in all material respects as disclosed in the SEC Reports.

 

(l)                                      Ownership of the General Partner Interest in the Partnership .  The General Partner is the sole general partner of the Partnership, with a non-economic general partner interest in the Partnership; such general partner interest has been duly authorized and validly issued in accordance with the Second Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of the Partnership, dated as of October 14, 2015, and as in effect on the date hereof (collectively and as may be further amended, restated or otherwise modified from time to time, the “ Partnership Agreement ”); and the General Partner is the record holder of such general partner interest free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance, claim or equity (“ Liens ”), other than those created or arising under the Partnership Agreement, the Securities Act, the Delaware LP Act (as defined below) or other applicable state securities laws.

 

(m)                              Ownership of Incentive Distribution Rights in the Partnership . SP Holdings, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“ Holdings ”) is the record holder of all of the incentive distribution rights in the Partnership (the “ Incentive Distribution Rights ”) and such Incentive Distribution Rights have been duly authorized and validly issued in accordance with the Partnership Agreement, and are fully paid (to the extent required under the Partnership Agreement) and non-assessable (except as such non-assessability may be affected by matters described in Sections 17-303, 17-607 and 17-804 of the Delaware Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act (the “ Delaware LP Act ”)); and Holdings owns the Incentive Distribution Rights free and clear of all Liens, other than those created or arising under the Partnership Agreement, the Securities Act, the Delaware LP Act or other applicable state securities laws.

 

(n)                                  No Other Subsidiaries . The Partnership does not own, directly or indirectly, an equity interest in, or long-term debt securities of, any corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, association or other entity that is a “significant subsidiary” (as defined in Article 1-02(w) of Regulation S-X) other than those listed on Schedule I attached hereto (the “ Significant Subsidiaries ”).

 

4



 

(o)                                  Ownership of the General Partner .  Holdings owns a 100% membership interest in the General Partner; such membership interest has been duly authorized and validly issued in accordance with the limited liability company agreement of the General Partner (such agreement, as may be further amended, restated or otherwise modified from time to time, the “ General Partner LLC Agreement ”) and are fully paid (to the extent required under the General Partner LLC Agreement) and nonassessable (except as such nonassessability may be affected by Sections 18-303, 18-607 and 18-804 of the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act (the “ Delaware LLC Act ”)); and such membership interest is owned free and clear of all Liens, except for Liens arising under or in connection with the General Partner LLC Agreement, or created or arising under the Delaware LLC Act or applicable securities laws.

 

(p)                                  Ownership of SEP Holdings IV, LLC .  The Partnership owns a 100% membership interest in SEP Holdings IV, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“ SEP IV ”); such membership interest has been duly authorized and validly issued in accordance with the limited liability company agreement of SEP IV (such agreement, as may be further amended, restated or otherwise modified from time to time, the “ SEP IV LLC Agreement ”) and are fully paid (to the extent required under the SEP IV LLC Agreement) and nonassessable (except as such nonassessability may be affected by Sections 18-303, 18-607 and 18-804 of the Delaware LLC Act); and such membership interest is owned free and clear of all Liens, except for (i) Liens arising under or in connection with the SEP IV LLC Agreement, or created or arising under the Delaware LLC Act or applicable securities laws and (ii) Liens permitted or arising under or in connection with the Third Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated as of March 31, 2015, as amended, among the Partnership, as borrower, the lenders party thereto and Royal Bank of Canada, as administrative agent, collateral agent and issuing bank (the “ Credit Agreement ”).

 

(q)                                  Ownership of CEP Mid-Continent LLC .  The Partnership owns a 100% membership interest in CEP Mid-Continent LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“ CEP Mid-Con ”); such membership interest has been duly authorized and validly issued in accordance with the limited liability company agreement of CEP Mid-Con (such agreement, as may be further amended, restated or otherwise modified from time to time, the “ CEP Mid-Con LLC Agreement ”) and are fully paid (to the extent required under the CEP Mid-Con LLC Agreement) and nonassessable (except as such nonassessability may be affected by Sections 18-303, 18-607 and 18-804 of the Delaware LLC Act); and such membership interest is owned free and clear of all Liens, except for (i) Liens arising under or in connection with the CEP Mid-Con LLC Agreement, or created or arising under the Delaware LLC Act or applicable securities laws and (ii) Liens permitted or arising under or in connection with the Credit Agreement.

 

(r)                                     Ownership of Mid-Continent Oilfield Supply, L.L.C.   CEP Mid-Con owns a 100% membership interest in Mid-Continent Oilfield Supply, L.L.C., an Oklahoma limited liability company (“ MCOS ”); such membership interest has been duly authorized and validly issued in accordance with the limited liability company agreement of MCOS (such agreement, as may be further amended, restated or otherwise modified from time to time, the “ MCOS LLC Agreement ”) and are fully paid (to the extent required under the MCOS LLC Agreement) and nonassessable (except as such nonassessability may be affected by Sections 2030, 2031 and 2040 of the Oklahoma Limited Liability Company Act (the “ Oklahoma LLC Act ”)); and such membership interest is owned free and clear of all Liens, except for (i) Liens arising under or in connection with the MCOS LLC Agreement, or created or arising under the Delaware LLC Act or applicable securities laws and (ii) Liens permitted or arising under or in connection with the Credit Agreement.

 

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(s)                                    Ownership of Catarina Midstream, LLC .  The Partnership owns a 100% membership interest in Catarina Midstream, LLC (“ Catarina Midstream ”); such membership interest has been duly authorized and validly issued in accordance with the limited liability company agreement of Catarina Midstream (such agreement, as may be further amended, restated or otherwise modified from time to time, the “ Catarina Midstream LLC Agreement ”) and are fully paid (to the extent required under the Catarina Midstream LLC Agreement) and nonassessable (except as such nonassessability may be affected by Sections 18-303, 18-607 and 18-804 of the Delaware LLC Act); and such membership interest is owned free and clear of all Liens, except for (i) Liens arising under or in connection with the Catarina Midstream LLC Agreement, or created or arising under the Delaware LLC Act or applicable securities laws and (ii) Liens permitted or arising under or in connection with the Credit Agreement.

 

(t)                                     Ownership of Carnero Gathering, LLC .  The Partnership owns a 50% membership interest in Carnero Gathering, LLC (“ Carnero Gathering ”); such membership interest has been duly authorized and validly issued in accordance with the limited liability company agreement of Carnero Gathering (such agreement, as may be further amended, restated or otherwise modified from time to time, the “ Carnero Gathering LLC Agreement ”) and is fully paid (to the extent required under the Carnero Gathering LLC Agreement) and nonassessable (except as such nonassessability may be affected by Sections 18-303, 18-607 and 18-804 of the Delaware LLC Act); and such membership interest is owned free and clear of all Liens, except for (i) Liens arising under or in connection with the Carnero Gathering LLC Agreement, or created or arising under the Delaware LLC Act or applicable securities laws and (ii) Liens permitted or arising under or in connection with the Credit Agreement.

 

(u)                                  Ownership of Northeast Shelf Energy, L.L.C.   CEP Mid-Con owns a 100% membership interest in Northeast Shelf Energy, L.L.C., an Oklahoma limited liability company (“ Northeast ”); such membership interest has been duly authorized and validly issued in accordance with the limited liability company agreement of Northeast (such agreement, as may be further amended, restated or otherwise modified from time to time, the “ Northeast LLC Agreement ”; collectively with the Partnership Agreement, the General Partner LLC Agreement, the SEP IV LLC Agreement, the CEP Mid-Con LLC Agreement, the MCOS LLC Agreement, the Catarina Midstream LLC Agreement and the Carnero Gathering LLC Agreement, the “ Organizational Agreements ”) and are fully paid (to the extent required under the Northeast LLC Agreement) and nonassessable (except as such nonassessability may be affected by Sections 2030, 2031 and 2040 of the Oklahoma LLC Act); and such membership interest is owned free and clear of all Liens, except for (i) Liens arising under or in connection with the Northeast LLC Agreement, or created or arising under the Oklahoma LLC Act or applicable securities laws and (ii) Liens permitted or arising under or in connection with the Credit Agreement.

 

(v)                                  Authorization, Execution and Delivery of this Agreement .  This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by or on behalf of the Partnership and constitutes a valid and legally binding agreement of the Partnership, enforceable against the Partnership in accordance with its terms; provided that the enforceability thereof may be limited by (A) applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally or by equitable principles (whether considered in a proceeding at law or in equity) relating to enforceability and (B) public policy, applicable law relating to fiduciary duties and indemnification and an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing (collectively, the “Enforceability Exceptions”).

 

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(w)                                Authorization, Execution and Delivery of the Registration Rights Agreement . On the Closing Date, the Registration Rights Agreement will have been duly authorized and validly executed and delivered by the Partnership and will be a valid and legally binding agreement of the Partnership, enforceable against the Partnership in accordance with its terms, provided that the enforceability thereof may be limited by the Enforceability Exceptions.

 

(x)                                  Enforceability of the Subject Documents . Each of the Subject Documents (other than the Registration Rights Agreement) have been duly authorized, executed and delivered by or on behalf of the Partnership Entities party thereto and, assuming due authorization by the other parties thereto (other than a Partnership Entity), constitute a valid and legally binding agreement of such parties, enforceable against such parties in accordance with their respective terms; provided that the enforceability thereof may be limited by the Enforceability Exceptions.

 

(y)                                  Authority and Authorization . The Investor Units to be sold by the Partnership pursuant to this Agreement, and the limited partner interests represented thereby, have been duly authorized in accordance with the Partnership Agreement and, when issued and delivered by the Partnership pursuant to this Agreement against payment thereof, will be validly issued, fully paid (to the extent required under the Partnership Agreement) and non-assessable (except as such non-assessability may be affected by Sections 17-303, 17-607 or 17-804 of the Delaware LP Act); and except as described in the SEC Reports, the issuance and sale of the Investor Units to be sold by the Partnership pursuant to this Agreement are not subject to any preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Partnership or any other person.  On the Closing Date, all corporate, limited partnership and limited liability company action, as the case may be, required to be taken by the Partnership Entities or any of their members, partners or stockholders for the authorization, issuance and sale and delivery of the Investor Units and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement to which they are a party shall have been validly taken.

 

(z)                                   Investor Units . The Investor Units to be sold by the Partnership pursuant to this Agreement, when issued and delivered in accordance with the terms of the Partnership Agreement and this Agreement against payment thereof as provided therein and herein, will conform in all material respects to the descriptions thereof contained in the SEC Reports, and such statements conform in all material respects to the rights set forth in the respective instruments and agreements defining the same.

 

(aa)                           Capitalization of the Partnership . As of the date hereof, the issued and outstanding partnership interests of the Partnership consisted of 4,429,915 Common Units, 19,444,445 Class B Preferred Units and the Incentive Distribution Rights. All outstanding Common Units and Class B Preferred Units and the limited partner interests represented thereby have been duly authorized and validly issued in accordance with the Partnership Agreement, and are fully paid (to the extent required under the Partnership Agreement) and nonassessable (except as such non-assessability may be affected by matters described in Sections 17-303, 17-607 and 17-804 of the Delaware LP Act).

 

(bb)                           Absence of Defaults . None of the Partnership Entities is in (i) violation of its Organizational Agreements, charter, certificate of limited partnership or formation or conversion or other governing document of any of the Partnership Entities (collectively, the “ Organizational Documents ”), (ii) in default in the performance or observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any instruments, agreements and documents filed as exhibits to the SEC Reports pursuant to Rule 601(b)(10) of Regulation S-K of the Commission or any Form 8-K filed after

 

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January 1, 2016 (provided, that if any instrument, agreement or other document filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement as aforesaid has been redacted or if any portion thereof has been deleted or is otherwise not included as part of such exhibit (whether pursuant to a request for confidential treatment or otherwise), such instrument, agreement or other document, as the case may be, shall be in its entirety, including any portions thereof which shall have been so redacted, deleted or otherwise not filed) (“ Subject Instruments ”) or (iii) in default in the performance or observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any contracts, indentures, mortgages, deeds of trust, loan or credit agreements, bonds, notes, debentures, evidences of indebtedness, swap agreements, leases or other instruments or agreements to which any of the Partnership Entities is a party or by which any of the Partnership Entities is bound or to which any of the property or assets of any of the Partnership Entities is subject that are material with respect to the Partnership Entities taken as a whole (together with Subject Instruments, the “ Partnership Documents ”); except in the case of clause (iii) for such defaults that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(cc)                             No Conflicts. Neither (i) the issue and sale of the Investor Units and the compliance by the Partnership with this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions herein contemplated nor (ii) the execution, delivery and performance of the Subject Documents (other than the Organizational Agreements) by the Partnership Entities party thereto and the consummation by the Partnership Entities of the transactions contemplated by the Subject Documents (other than the Organizational Agreements), and compliance by the Partnership Entities with their obligations under the Subject Documents (other than the Organizational Agreements) will conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which any of the Partnership Entities is a party or by which any Partnership Entity is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Partnership Entities is subject, nor will such action result in any violation of the provisions of the Organizational Documents or any statute or any order, rule or regulation of any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Partnership Entities or any of their properties.

 

(dd)                           Absence of Labor Dispute . No labor dispute with the employees of any Partnership Entity exists or is imminent, and the Partnership is not aware of any existing or imminent labor disturbance by the employees of any of the principal suppliers, manufacturers, customers or contractors of any of the Partnership Entities that would reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(ee)                             Absence of Proceedings . There is no action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation before or brought by any court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign, now pending, or, to the knowledge of the Partnership, threatened, against or affecting any Partnership Entity that is required to be disclosed in the SEC Reports (other than as indicated therein) or that would reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Effect or to materially and adversely affect the consummation by the Partnership of the transactions contemplated in this Agreement or the performance by the Partnership of its obligations under this Agreement.

 

(ff)                               Absence of Further Requirements . (A) No filing with, or authorization, approval, consent, license, order, registration, qualification or decree of, any court or governmental authority or agency, domestic or foreign, (B) no authorization, approval, vote or consent of any unitholder, member or creditor of any of the Partnership Entities, (C) no authorization, approval, waiver or consent under any Subject Instrument and (D) no authorization, approval, vote or consent of any other person or

 

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entity, is necessary or required for (x) the execution and delivery of this Agreement and the Subject Documents by the Partnership Entities party thereto and the performance of their respective obligations hereunder and thereunder, (y) the offering, issuance, sale or delivery by the Partnership of the Investor Units to be sold by the Partnership hereunder, or (z) the consummation by the Partnership Entities of any of the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the Subject Documents (other than the Organizational Agreements), except such as have already been obtained or will be obtained prior to the Closing Date under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, the rules and regulations of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Inc. (“ FINRA ”) and with the NYSE MKT LLC (the “ Exchange ”).

 

(gg)                             Possession of Licenses and Permits . Each of the Partnership Entities possesses such permits, licenses, approvals, consents and other authorizations (collectively, “ Governmental Licenses ”) issued by the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign regulatory agencies or bodies necessary to conduct its business in the manner described in the SEC Reports, except where the failure to possess such Governmental Licenses would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect; each of the Partnership Entities is in compliance with the terms and conditions of all such Governmental Licenses, except where the failure to so comply would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect; all of the Governmental Licenses are valid and in full force and effect, except when the invalidity of such Governmental Licenses or the failure of such Governmental Licenses to be in full force and effect would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect; none of the Partnership Entities have received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any such Governmental Licenses which, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(hh)                           Title to Property .  Each of the Partnership Entities has (A) legal, valid and defensible title to the interests in the oil and natural gas properties supporting the estimates of its net proved reserves contained in the SEC Reports (the “ Partnership Properties ”), (B) good and indefeasible title in fee simple to all real property owned by them, other than the Partnership Properties covered by clause (A), and (C) good and marketable title to all other property and assets owned by them, in each case free and clear of all Liens, except Liens that do not, individually or in the aggregate, materially affect the value of such property and do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Partnership Entities. All assets held under lease or sublease by the Partnership Entities, including real property, buildings and other improvements, and equipment and other property, except the Partnership Properties covered by clause (A) above, are held by it under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases or subleases, as the case may be, subject to exceptions that are not material and do not interfere with the use made or proposed to be made of such assets, except the Partnership Properties covered by clause (A) above, by the Partnership Entities, and all such leases and subleases are in full force and effect. The Partnership Entities have no notice of any claim that has been asserted by anyone adverse to the rights of any of the Partnership Entities under any of the leases or subleases mentioned above or affecting or questioning the rights of any of the Partnership Entities to the continued possession of the leased or subleased premises under any such lease or sublease except for such claims that, if successfully asserted, would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

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(ii)                                   Rights of Way . Each of the Partnership Entities has such consents, easements, permits, rights-of-way or licenses from any person (collectively, “ rights-of-way ”) as are necessary to conduct its business in the manner described in the SEC Reports, subject to such qualifications as may be set forth in the SEC Reports, except for such rights-of-way the failure of which to obtain, would not result in, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect; and each of the Partnership Entities has fulfilled and performed all of its obligations with respect to such rights-of-way and no event has occurred that allows, or after notice or lapse of time would allow, revocation or termination thereof or would result in any impairment of the rights of the holder of any such rights-of-way, except for such failures to perform, revocations, termination and impairments that would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, subject in each case to such qualifications as may be set forth in the SEC Reports; and none of such rights-of-way contains any restriction that would reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(jj)                                 Investment Company Act . The Partnership is not, and after giving effect to the Public Offering and the issuance and sale of the Investor Units as contemplated in this Agreement and the Underwriting Agreement, the Partnership will not be, an “investment company” or an entity “controlled” by an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

 

(kk)                           Intellectual Property.   Each of the Partnership Entities owns or possesses adequate rights to use all patents, patent applications, trademarks, service marks, trade names, trademark registrations, service mark registrations, copyrights, licenses, know-how, software, systems and technology (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures) necessary for the conduct of its businesses and has no reason to believe that the conduct of its businesses conflicts with, and has not received any notice of any claim of conflict with, any such rights of others, except in each case as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(ll)                                   Environmental Laws . Except as disclosed in the SEC Reports and except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, (A) none of the Partnership Entities is in violation of any federal, state, local or foreign statute, law, rule, regulation, ordinance, code, policy or rule of common law or any judicial or administrative interpretation thereof, including any judicial or administrative order, consent, decree or judgment, relating to pollution or protection of human health, the environment (including, without limitation, ambient air, surface water, groundwater, land surface or subsurface strata) or wildlife, including, without limitation, laws and regulations relating to the release or threatened release of chemicals, pollutants, contaminants, wastes, toxic substances, hazardous substances, petroleum or petroleum products (collectively, “ Hazardous Materials ”) or to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of Hazardous Materials (collectively, “ Environmental Laws ”), (B) each Partnership Entity has all permits, authorizations and approvals required under any applicable Environmental Laws and are in compliance with their requirements, (C) there are no pending or, to the knowledge of the Partnership, threatened administrative, regulatory or judicial actions, suits, demands, demand letters, claims, liens, notices of noncompliance or violation, investigation or proceedings relating to any Environmental Law against any of the Partnership Entities, (D) none of the Partnership Entities has received notice that it has been identified as a potentially responsible party under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980, as amended, or any comparable state law and (E) there are no events or circumstances that

 

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might reasonably be expected to form the basis of an order for clean-up or remediation, or an action, suit or proceeding by any private party or governmental body or agency, against or affecting any of the Partnership Entities relating to Hazardous Materials or any Environmental Laws.

 

(mm)                   Review of Environmental Laws . The Partnership has reviewed the effect of Environmental Laws in effect on the date hereof on the business, operations and properties of the Partnership Entities, in the course of which it identified and evaluated associated costs and liabilities (including, without limitation, any capital or operating expenditures required for clean-up, closure of properties or compliance with such Environmental Laws, or any permit, license or approval, any related constraints on operating activities and any potential liabilities to third parties). On the basis of such review, the Partnership has reasonably concluded that such associated costs and liabilities would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in or contemplated in the SEC Reports.

 

(nn)                           Absence of Registration Rights . There are no persons with registration rights or other similar rights to have any securities (debt or equity) registered pursuant to a registration statement filed under the Securities Act, and there are no persons with co-sale rights, tag-along rights or other similar rights to have any securities (debt or equity) sold in connection with the sale of the Investor Units, except in each case for such rights contemplated by this Agreement, the Registration Rights Agreement and that have been disclosed in the SEC Reports or the Registration Rights Agreement.

 

(oo)                           Tax Returns . The Partnership Entities have filed all foreign, federal, state and local tax returns that are required to be filed or have requested extensions thereof, except where the failure to so file would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, and have paid all taxes (including, without limitation, any estimated taxes) required to be paid by them and any other assessment, interest, fine or penalty levied against any of them, to the extent that any of the foregoing is due and payable, except for any such tax, assessment, interest, fine or penalty that is currently being contested in good faith by appropriate actions and except for such taxes, assessments, interest, fines or penalties the nonpayment of which would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(pp)                           Insurance . The Partnership Entities are insured by insurers of recognized financial responsibility, or entitled to the benefits of such insurance, against such losses and risks and in such amounts as are prudent and customary in the businesses in which they are engaged; all policies of insurance and any fidelity or surety bonds insuring the Partnership Entities or their respective business, assets, employees, properties, officers and directors are in full force and effect; and the Partnership Entities are in compliance with the terms of such policies and instruments in all material respects; there are no claims by any of the Partnership Entities under any such policy or instrument as to which any insurance company is denying liability or defending under a reservation of rights clause; none of the Partnership Entities has been refused any insurance coverage sought or applied for; and the Partnership has no reason to believe that it will not be able to renew any existing coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as a cost that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(qq)                           Accounting and Disclosure Controls . The Partnership Entities maintain a system of internal accounting controls that has been designated by the General Partner’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer, or under their supervision sufficient to provide reasonable

 

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assurances that (A) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations; (B) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain asset accountability; (C) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (D) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences; and (E) interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included or incorporated by reference in the SEC Reports fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and has been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto. Except as set forth in the SEC Reports, the Partnership is not aware of (i) any significant deficiencies in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting that are reasonably likely to adversely affect the ability of the Partnership Entities to record, process, summarize and report financial information, or any material weaknesses in internal controls over financial reporting of the Partnership Entities or (ii) any fraud, whether or not material, involving management or other employees who have a role in the Partnership’s internal control over financial reporting. The Partnership maintains “disclosure controls and procedures” (to the extent required by and as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Exchange Act) that have been designed to ensure that material information relating to the Partnership and its subsidiaries is made known to the General Partner’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer by others within those entities; such disclosure controls and procedures are effective in all material respects to perform the functions for which they are established to the extent required by Rule 13a-15 of the Exchange Act.

 

(rr)                                 Compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley Act . The Partnership and, to the knowledge of the Partnership, the officers of the General Partner of the Partnership, in their capacities as such, are in compliance in all material respects with all applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith and with which any of them is required to comply, including Section 402 related to loans.

 

(ss)                               Absence of Manipulation . The Partnership and its controlled affiliates, and to the knowledge of the Partnership, the Partnership’s other affiliates, have not taken and will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that would constitute or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security to facilitate the sale or resale of the Investor Units.

 

(tt)                                 Foreign Corrupt Practices Act . None of the Partnership Entities, nor, to the knowledge of the Partnership, any director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or other person associated with or acting on behalf of the Partnership Entities has (i) used any limited partnership funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expense relating to political activity; (ii) made any direct or indirect unlawful payment to any foreign or domestic government official or employee from limited partnership funds; (iii) violated or is in violation of any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977; (iv) violated or is in violation of any provision of the Bribery Act 2010 of the United Kingdom; or (v) made any bribe, rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful payment.

 

(uu)                           Money Laundering Laws . The operations of the Partnership Entities are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the money laundering statutes of all applicable jurisdictions, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related

 

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or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, “ Money Laundering Laws ”), and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving any of the Partnership Entities with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Partnership Entities, threatened.

 

(vv)                           OFAC . (i) None of the Partnership Entities nor, to the knowledge of the Partnership, any director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or other person acting on behalf of the Partnership is currently the subject or the target of any U.S. sanctions including, without limitation, any administered or enforced by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department (“ OFAC ”), or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “ Sanctions ” and such persons, “ Sanctioned Persons ”); (ii) the Partnership will not directly or indirectly use any of the proceeds from the sale of Investor Units by the Partnership contemplated by this Agreement, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available any such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity (A) to fund any activities of or business with any Sanctioned Person or Sanctioned Countries (as defined below) or (B) in any other manner that will result in a violation by any person (including any person participating in the transaction, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise) of Sanctions; (iii) none of the Partnership Entities nor, to the knowledge of the Partnership, any director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or other person acting on behalf of the Partnership is a person that is, or is 50% or more owned or otherwise controlled by a person that is: (A) the subject of any Sanctions; or (B) located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is, or whose government is, the subject of Sanctions that broadly prohibit dealings with that country or territory (currently, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, and Syria) (collectively, “ Sanctioned Countries ” and each, a “ Sanctioned Country ”); and (iv) except as has been disclosed to the Investor or is not material to the analysis under any Sanctions, none of the Partnership Entities have engaged in any dealings or transactions with or for the benefit of a Sanctioned Person, or with or in a Sanctioned Country, in the preceding 3 years, nor do the Partnership Entities have any plans to increase its dealings or transactions with Sanctioned Persons, or with or in Sanctioned Countries.

 

(ww)                       ERISA. (i) Each “employee benefit plan” (within the meaning of Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ ERISA ”)) for which the Partnership or any member of its “Controlled Group” (defined as any organization which is a member of a controlled group of corporations within the meaning of Section 414 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “ Code ”)) would have any liability (each a “ Plan ”) has been maintained in material compliance with its terms and with the requirements of all applicable statutes, rules and regulations including ERISA and the Code; (ii) no prohibited transaction, within the meaning of Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, has occurred with respect to any Plan excluding transactions effected pursuant to a statutory or administrative exemption; (iii) with respect to each Plan subject to Title IV of ERISA (A) no “reportable event” (within the meaning of Section 4043(c) of ERISA) has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur, excluding any reportable event for which a waiver could apply, (B) no “accumulated funding deficiency” (within the meaning of Section 302 of ERISA or Section 412 of the Code), whether or not waived, has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur that will, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect and (C) neither the Partnership nor any member of its Controlled Group has incurred, or reasonably expects to incur, any liability under Title IV of ERISA (other than contributions to the Plan or premiums to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation in the ordinary course and without default) in respect of a Plan (including a “multiemployer plan,” within the meaning of Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA) that will,

 

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individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; and (iv) each Plan that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code is so qualified and nothing has occurred, to the knowledge of the Partnership or any member of its Controlled Group, whether by action or by failure to act, which would cause the loss of such qualification, except for any such actions or failures to act that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(xx)                           Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions . No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among any of the Partnership Entities, on the one hand, and any “affiliate,” equity holder, director, manager, officer, customer or supplier of any of the Partnership Entities, on the other hand, that is required by the Securities Act to be disclosed in the SEC Reports that is not so disclosed. There are no outstanding personal loans, advances (except normal advances for business expenses in the ordinary course of business) or guarantees of indebtedness by any Partnership Entity to or for the benefit of any of the executive officers, directors or managers of any Partnership Entity or their respective family members.

 

(yy)                           Brokers . There is not a broker, finder or other party that is entitled to receive from any Partnership Entity any brokerage or finder’s fee or other fee or commission as a result of any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

 

(zz)                             No Restrictions on Distributions . The Partnership is not prohibited, directly or indirectly, from paying or making distributions with respect to its equity securities, except as described in the SEC Reports.

 

(aaa)                    Restrictions on Subsidiary Payments to the Partnership .  No Operating Subsidiary is currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, from paying any dividends to the Partnership, from making any other distribution on such subsidiary’s capital units, from repaying to the Partnership any loans or advances to such subsidiary from the Partnership or from transferring any of such subsidiary’s property or assets to the Partnership or any Operating Subsidiary, except as described in the SEC Reports.

 

(bbb)                    Other Sales . The Partnership has not offered, sold or issued any securities that would be integrated with the offering, issuance and sale of the Investor Units contemplated by this Agreement pursuant to the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder or the interpretations thereof by the Commission.

 

(ccc)                       No General Solicitation .  None of the Partnership Entities or any of its controlled affiliates or any other person acting on its or their behalf has solicited offers for, or offered or sold, the Investor Units by means of any form of general solicitation or general advertising within the meaning of Rule 502(c) of Regulation D or in any manner involving a public offering within the meaning of Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act.

 

(ddd)                    Securities Law Exemptions .  Assuming the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Investor and its compliance with its agreements set forth herein, it is not necessary, in connection with the offer, issuance and sale of the Investor Units in the manner contemplated by this Agreement to register the Investor Units under the Securities Act. The Partnership agrees that neither it nor any of its controlled affiliates nor any person acting on its behalf will, directly or indirectly, make offers or sales of any security, or solicit offers to buy any security, under circumstances that would require the registration of the issuance of the Investor Units under the Securities Act.

 

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(eee)                       Securities Law Compliance .  The offer, issuance and sale of the Investor Units, the execution, delivery and performance of the Subject Documents (other than the Organizational Agreements) and all other actions by the Partnership contemplated in this Agreement comply and will comply in all material respects with all applicable requirements of the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, applicable state securities or “blue sky” laws, and other applicable laws, and all applicable rules and regulations of the Commission or any other governmental authority.

 

2.                                 The Investor represents and warrants to, and agrees with, the Partnership as follows:

 

(a)                                  Existence . The Investor is duly organized and validly existing and in good standing under Delaware law, with all requisite power and authority to own, lease, use and operate its properties and to conduct its business as currently conducted, except where the failure to have such power or authority would not prevent the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the Registration Rights Agreement.

 

(b)                                  Authorization, Enforceability . The Investor has all necessary corporate power and authority to execute, deliver and perform its obligations under this Agreement and the Registration Rights Agreement and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby, and the execution, delivery and performance by the Investor of this Agreement and the Registration Rights Agreement has been duly authorized by all necessary action on the part of the Investor; and this Agreement and the Registration Rights Agreement constitute the legal, valid and binding obligations of the Investor, enforceable in accordance with their terms, subject to the Enforceability Exceptions.

 

(c)                                   No Breach . The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the Registration Rights Agreement by the Investor and the consummation by the Investor of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby will not (A) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, any material agreement to which the Investor is a party or by which the Investor is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Investor is subject, (B) conflict with or result in any violation of the provisions of the organizational documents of the Investor, or (C) violate any statute, order, rule or regulation of any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Investor or the property or assets of the Investor, except in the cases of clauses (A) and (C), for such conflicts, breaches, violations or defaults as would not prevent the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the Registration Rights Agreement.

 

(d)                                  Brokers . There is not a broker, finder or other party that is entitled to receive from the Investor any brokerage or finder’s fee or other fee or commission as a result of any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

 

(e)                                   Investment . The Investor Units are being acquired for the Investor’s own account or the account of its affiliates, and with no present intention of distributing the Investor Units or any part thereof, and the Investor has no present intention of selling or granting any participation in or otherwise distributing the same in any transaction in violation of the securities laws of the United States of America or any state, without prejudice, however, to the Investor’s right at all times to sell or otherwise dispose of all or any part of the Investor Units under a registration statement under the Securities Act and applicable state securities Laws or under an exemption from such registration available thereunder (including, if available, Rule 144 promulgated thereunder). If the Investor should in the future decide to

 

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dispose of any of the Investor Units, the Investor understands and agrees (A) that it may do so only (i) in compliance with the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws, as then in effect, or pursuant to an exemption therefrom or (ii) in the manner contemplated by any registration statement pursuant to which such securities are being offered, and (B) that stop-transfer instructions to that effect will be in effect with respect to such securities.

 

(f)                                    Accredited Investor . The Investor is an “accredited investor,” as such term is defined in Rule 501(a) of Regulation D promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the investment by the Investor in the Partnership is for its own account and not for the account of others. The Investor Units are being acquired for investment and with no intention of distributing or reselling such Investor Units or any portion thereof or interest therein in any transaction which would be a violation of the securities laws of the United States of America or any state or foreign country or jurisdiction.

 

(g)                                   Reasonable Access . The Investor has been given reasonable access to full and fair disclosure of all material information regarding the Partnership and the Investor Units, including reasonable access to the books and records of the Partnership. The Investor acknowledges and agrees that it has been provided, to its full satisfaction, with the opportunity to ask questions concerning the terms and conditions of an investment in the Partnership and has knowingly and voluntarily elected instead to rely solely on its own investigation.

 

(h)                                  Restricted Securities . The Investor understands that the Investor Units are “restricted securities” and have not been registered under the Securities Act or any applicable state securities laws. The Investor acknowledges that the Investor Units will bear a restrictive legend to that effect. The Investor acknowledges and agrees that the Investor must bear the economic risk of this investment indefinitely, that the Investor Units purchased by the Investor hereunder may not be sold or transferred or offered for sale or transfer by it without registration under the Securities Act and any applicable state securities or Blue Sky laws or the availability of exemptions therefrom.

 

(i)                                      Independent Evaluation . The Investor has such knowledge, sophistication and experience in business and financial matters so as to be capable of evaluating the merits and risks of the prospective investment in the Investor Units, and has so evaluated the merits and risks of such investment. The Investor is able to bear the economic risk of an investment in the Investor Units and, at the present time and in the foreseeable future, is able to afford a complete loss of such investment.

 

(j)                                     Exemption from Registration . The Investor understands that the Investor Units are being offered and sold to the Investor in reliance upon specific exemptions from the registration requirements of United States federal and state securities laws and that the Partnership is relying upon the truth and accuracy of, and Investor’s compliance with, the representations, warranties, agreements, acknowledgments and understandings, which are true, correct and complete, of the Investor set forth herein in order to determine the availability of such exemptions and the eligibility of the Investor to acquire the Investor Units.

 

(k)                                  Pre-Existing Relationship . The Investor has a substantive pre-existing relationship with the Partnership and was directly contacted by the Partnership or its agents. The Investor was not identified or contacted through any marketing by the Partnership.

 

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(l)                                      Short Selling . The Investor represents that it has not entered into any “short sales” (as defined in Rule 200 promulgated under Regulation SHO under the Exchange Act), whether or not against the box, nor any forward sale contracts, options, puts, calls, short sales, “put equivalent positions” (as defined in Rule 16a-1(h) under the Exchange Act) nor any other similar arrangements, or sales and other transactions through non-U.S. broker dealers or foreign regulated brokers of the Common Units owned by it since the time it first began discussions with the Partnership about the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

 

3.                                 Subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Partnership agrees to issue and sell the Investor Units to the Investor, and the Investor agrees to purchase the Investor Units from the Partnership, at a purchase price per Common Unit of $11.00.

 

4.                                       (a)                                  The Investor Units to be purchased by the Investor hereunder, shall be delivered by the Partnership to the Investor against payment by or on behalf of the Investor of the purchase price therefor by wire transfer of Federal (same-day) funds to the account specified by the Partnership to the Investor at least forty-eight hours in advance.  Settlement for the Investor Units shall be effected by free delivery of such Investor Units by the Partnership or its transfer agent to the Investor’s account, or to the account of the Investor’s designee, at The Depository Trust Company through its Deposit and Withdrawal at Custodian System or by such other means of delivery as may be mutually agreed upon by the parties hereto.  The time and date of such delivery and payment shall be, 9:30 a.m., New York City time, on November 22, 2016 or such other time and date as the Investor and the Partnership may agree upon in writing. Such time and date for delivery of the Investor Units is herein called the “ Closing Date .”

 

(b)                                  The documents to be delivered on the Closing Date by or on behalf of the parties hereto pursuant to Section 7 hereof, including the cross receipt for the Investor Units and any additional documents requested by the Investor pursuant to Section 7(e)  hereof, will be delivered at the offices of Andrews Kurth Kenyon LLP, 600 Travis Street, Suite 4200, Houston, Texas 77002 (the “ Closing Location ”) on the Closing Date.  A meeting will be held at the Closing Location at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on the New York Business Day next preceding the Closing Date, at which meeting the final drafts of the documents to be delivered pursuant to the preceding sentence will be available for review by the parties hereto.  For the purposes of this Section 4 , “ New York Business Day ” shall mean each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday which is not a day on which banking institutions in New York are generally authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.

 

5.                                 The Partnership agrees with the Investor to:

 

(a)                                  use the net proceeds received by it from the sale of the Investor Units for repayment of indebtedness outstanding under the Credit Agreement; and

 

(b)                                  use its best efforts to list, subject to notice of issuance, the Investor Units on the Exchange.

 

6.                                       Each of the parties hereto shall use its commercially reasonable efforts promptly to take or cause to be taken all action and promptly to do or cause to be done all things necessary, proper or advisable under applicable laws and regulations to consummate and make effective the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. Without limiting the foregoing, the Partnership and the Investor shall each use its commercially reasonable efforts to make all filings and obtain all Governmental Licenses that may be necessary or, in the

 

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reasonable opinion of the other parties, as the case may be, advisable for the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein. The Partnership shall promptly and accurately respond, and shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause its transfer agent to respond, to reasonable requests for information (which is otherwise not publicly available) made by the Investor or its auditors relating to the actual holdings of the Investor or its accounts; provided, that the Partnership shall not be obligated to provide any such information that could reasonably result in a violation of applicable laws or conflict with the Partnership’s insider trading policy or a confidentiality obligation of the Partnership. The Partnership shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause its transfer agent to reasonably cooperate with the Investor to ensure that the Investor Units are validly and effectively issued to the Investor and that the Investor’s ownership of the Investor Units following the Closing Date is accurately reflected on the appropriate books and records of the Partnership’s transfer agent.

 

7.                                       The obligations of the Investor hereunder, as to the Investor Units to be issued and sold on the Closing Date, shall be subject, in its discretion, to the condition that all representations and warranties and other statements of the Partnership herein are, as of the date hereof and of the Closing Date, true and correct, the condition that the Partnership shall have performed all of its obligations hereunder theretofore to be performed by it, and the following additional conditions:

 

(a)                                  Andrews Kurth Kenyon LLP, counsel for the Partnership, shall have furnished to the Investor their written opinion, dated as of the Closing Date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Investor;

 

(b)                                  None of the Partnership Entities shall have sustained since the date of the latest audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the SEC Reports any loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as set forth SEC Reports, the effect of which, is in the Investor’s judgment so material and adverse as to make it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the purchase of the Investor Units on the terms and in the manner contemplated in this Agreement;

 

(c)                                   The Investor Units at the Closing Date shall have been duly listed, subject to notice of issuance, on the Exchange;

 

(d)                                  The conditions to closing the Public Offering under the Underwriting Agreement have been satisfied without the waiver of any such conditions thereunder;

 

(e)                                   The Partnership shall have furnished or caused to be furnished to the Investor, certificates of officers of the General Partner, dated as of the Closing Date, reasonably satisfactory to the Investor as to such matters as the Investor may reasonably request, including, without limitation:

 

(i)                                      the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Partnership herein at the Closing Date;

 

(ii)                                   the performance by the Partnership of all of its obligations hereunder to be performed at or prior the Closing Date; and

 

(iii)                                the matters set forth in subsection (b) of this Section;

 

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(f)                                    The Partnership shall have executed and delivered to the Investor the Registration Rights Agreement;

 

(g)                                   The Public Offering shall have been consummated; and

 

(h)                                  The acquisitions contemplated by that certain Purchase and Sale Agreement, dated October 6, 2016, by and among Sanchez Energy Corporation, SN Midstream, LLC and the Partnership and that certain Purchase and Sale Agreement, dated October 6, 2016, by and among SN Cotulla Assets, LLC, SN Palmetto, LLC, SEP Holdings IV, LLC and the Partnership shall have been consummated.

 

8.                                       (a)  The Partnership agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Investor, the directors, officers, employees, affiliates and agents of the Investor and each person who controls the Investor within the meaning of either the Securities Act or the Exchange Act (the “ Investor Related Parties ”) against any and all losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof), joint or several, to which they or any of them may become subject that arise out of or are in any way related to the breach of any representations, warranties or covenants of the Partnership contained herein; provided , however , that such claim for indemnification relating to a breach of the representations or warranties is made prior to the expiration of the survival period for such representations or warranties; and provided, further, that no Investor Related Party shall be entitled to recover special, consequential (including lost profits) or punitive damages other than those of third parties for which Investor is or may be liable. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, consequential damages shall not be deemed to include diminution in value of the Investor Units, which is specifically included in damages covered by Investor Related Parties’ indemnification above. This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability which the Partnership may otherwise have.

 

(b)                                  The Investor agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Partnership, the General Partner, each of their respective directors, each of their respective officers, and each person who controls the Partnership within the meaning of either the Securities Act or the Exchange Act (the “ Partnership Related Parties ”), against any and all losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof), joint or several, to which they or any of them may become subject that arise out of or are in any way related to the breach of any representations, warranties or covenants of the of the Partnership contained herein; provided , however , such claim for indemnification relating to a breach of the representations or warranties is made prior to the expiration of the survival period for such representations or warranties; and provided, further, that no Partnership Related Party shall be entitled to recover special, consequential (including lost profits) or punitive damages other than those of third parties for which the Partnership is or may be liable.

 

(c)                                   Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 8 of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying party under this Section 8 , notify the indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof; but the failure so to notify the indemnifying party (i) will not relieve it from liability under paragraph (a) or (b) above unless and to the extent it did not otherwise learn of such action and such failure results in the forfeiture by the indemnifying party of substantial rights and defenses and (ii) will not, in any event, relieve the indemnifying party from any obligations to any indemnified party other than the indemnification obligation provided in paragraph (a) or (b) above.  The indemnifying party shall be entitled to appoint counsel of the indemnifying party’s choice at the indemnifying party’s expense to represent the indemnified party in any action for which indemnification is sought (in which case the indemnifying party shall not thereafter be responsible for the fees and expenses of any separate counsel retained by the indemnified

 

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party or parties except as set forth below); provided , however , that such counsel shall be satisfactory to the indemnified party.  Notwithstanding the indemnifying party’s election to appoint counsel to represent the indemnified party in an action, the indemnified party shall have the right to employ separate counsel (including local counsel), and the indemnifying party shall bear the reasonable fees, costs and expenses of such separate counsel if (i) the use of counsel chosen by the indemnifying party to represent the indemnified party would present such counsel with a conflict of interest, (ii) the actual or potential defendants in, or targets of, any such action include both the indemnified party and the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have reasonably concluded that there may be legal defenses available to it and/or other indemnified parties which are different from or additional to those available to the indemnifying party, (iii) the indemnifying party shall not have employed counsel satisfactory to the indemnified party to represent the indemnified party within a reasonable time after notice of the institution of such action or (iv) the indemnifying party shall authorize the indemnified party to employ separate counsel at the expense of the indemnifying party.  An indemnifying party will not, without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any pending or threatened claim, action, suit or proceeding in respect of which indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties to such claim or action) unless such settlement, compromise or consent (i) includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such claim, action, suit or proceeding and (ii) does not include an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act, by or on behalf of any indemnified party .

 

9.                                       The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Partnership and the Investor, as set forth in this Agreement or made by or on behalf of them, respectively, pursuant to this Agreement, shall remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation (or any statement as to the results thereof) made by or on behalf of the Investor or any controlling person of the Investor, or the Partnership, or any officer or director of the General Partner or controlling person of the Partnership, and shall survive delivery of and payment for the Investor Units.

 

10.                                If for any reason other than a breach of the Investor of any of its representations, warranties and covenants hereunder, any Investor Units are not delivered by or on behalf of the Partnership as provided herein, the Partnership will reimburse the Investor for all out-of-pocket expenses of the Investor, including fees and disbursements of counsel, reasonably incurred by the Investor in making preparations for the purchase, sale and delivery of the Investor Units not so delivered, but the Partnership shall then be under no further liability to the Investor except as provided in Section 8 hereof.

 

11.                                All statements, requests, notices and agreements hereunder shall be in writing, and if to the Investor shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to SN UR Holdings, LLC at 1000 Main Street, Suite 300, Houston, Texas 77002 Attention: President, facsimile number (713) 756-2784; and if to the Partnership shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to Sanchez Production Partners LP at 1000 Main Street, Suite 300, Houston, Texas 77002, Attention: Chief Financial Officer, facsimile number (832) 742-3823.  Any such statements, requests, notices or agreements shall take effect upon receipt thereof.

 

12.                                This Agreement shall be binding upon, and inure solely to the benefit of, the Investor, the Partnership and, to the extent provided in Section 8 hereof, the officers and directors of the General Partner and each person who controls the Partnership or the Investor, and their respective heirs, executors, administrators, successors and assigns, and no other person shall acquire or have any right under or by virtue

 

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of this Agreement.  No purchaser of any of the Investor Units from the Investor shall be deemed a successor or assign by reason merely of such purchase.

 

13.                                Time shall be of the essence of this Agreement.  As used herein, the term “ business day ” shall mean any day when the Commission’s office in Washington, D.C. is open for business.

 

14.                                This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements and understandings (whether written or oral) between the Partnership and the Investor, or any of them, with respect to the subject matter hereof.

 

15.                                THIS AGREEMENT AND ANY MATTERS RELATED TO THIS TRANSACTION SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF TEXAS WITHOUT REGARD TO PRINCIPLES OF CONFLICT OF LAWS THAT WOULD RESULT IN THE APPLICATION OF ANY LAW OTHER THAN THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF TEXAS.  The Partnership and the Investor agree that any suit or proceeding arising in respect of this agreement or our engagement will be tried exclusively in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas or, if that court does not have subject matter jurisdiction, in any state court located in The City of Houston, Harris County and the Partnership and the Investor agree to submit to the jurisdiction of, and to venue in, such courts.

 

16.                                The Partnership and the Investor hereby irrevocably waive, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.

 

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If the foregoing is in accordance with the Investor’s understanding, please sign and return to us counterparts hereof, and upon the acceptance hereof by the Investor, this letter and such acceptance hereof shall constitute a binding agreement between the Investor and the Partnership.

 

 

SANCHEZ PRODUCTION PARTNERS LP

 

 

 

By:

Sanchez Production Partners GP LLC,

 

 

its general partner

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Charles C. Ward

 

 

 

 

Name:

Charles C. Ward

 

 

 

 

Title:

Chief Financial Officer

 

Signature Page to Common Unit Purchase Agreement

 



 

The foregoing Agreement is hereby

 

confirmed and accepted as of the

 

date first above written.

 

 

 

 

 

SN UR HOLDINGS, LLC

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Antonio R. Sanchez, III

 

 

Name: Antonio R. Sanchez, III

 

 

Title: Chief Executive Officer

 

 

Signature Page to Common Unit Purchase Agreement