Exhibit
3.1
EXECUTION
COPY
UNITED
STATES GASOLINE FUND, LP
AMENDED
AND RESTATED AGREEMENT OF LIMITED PARTNERSHIP
This
Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership (this
“Agreement”
) executed on
February 11, 2008, is entered into by and among Victoria Bay Asset Management,
LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, as General Partner, Wainwright
Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation, as the Organizational Limited Partner,
and Kellogg Capital Group, LLC as a Limited Partner, together with any Persons
who shall hereafter be admitted as Partners in accordance with this
Agreement.
WHEREAS,
the General Partner and the Organizational Limited Partner are parties to that
certain limited partnership agreement entered into on April 12, 2007 (the
“LP Agreement”
), regarding
the operation of the Partnership and their rights and obligations thereunder;
and
WHEREAS,
the Organizational Limited Partner and the General Partner now desire to amend
and restate the LP Agreement regarding the operation of the
Partnership;
NOW
THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual promises and agreements herein made,
the Partners, intending to be legally bound, hereby agree to amend and restate
the LP Agreement in its entirety as follows:
ARTICLE
1
Definitions
As used
in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the following
meanings:
1.1
“Accounting Period”
shall
mean the following periods: the initial accounting period which shall commence
upon the commencement of operations of the Partnership. Each subsequent
Accounting Period shall commence immediately after the close of the preceding
Accounting Period. Each Accounting Period hereunder shall close on the earliest
of (i) the last Business Day of a month, (ii) the effective date of dissolution
of the Partnership, and (iii) such other day or days in addition thereto or in
substitution therefore as may from time to time be determined by the General
Partner in its discretion either in any particular case or
generally.
1.2
“Act”
shall mean the Revised
Uniform Limited Partnership Act of the State of Delaware, as amended from time
to time.
1.3
“Additional Limited Partner”
shall mean a Person admitted to the Partnership as a Limited Partner pursuant to
this Agreement and who is shown as such on the books and records of the
Partnership.
1.4
“Affiliate”
shall mean, when
used with reference to a specified Person, (i) any Person who directly or
indirectly through one or more intermediaries controls or is controlled by or is
under common control with the specified Person or (ii) any Person that is an
officer of, partner in, or trustee of, or serves in a similar capacity with
respect to, the specified Person or of which the specified Person is an officer,
partner or trustee, or with respect to which the specified Person serves in a
similar capacity.
1.5
“Assignee”
shall mean a
Record Holder that has not been admitted to the Partnership as a Substituted
Limited Partner.
1.6
“Agreement”
shall mean this
Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership as may
be amended, modified, supplemented or restated from time to
time.
1.7
“Authorized Purchaser
Agreement”
shall mean an agreement among the Partnership, the General
Partner and a Participant, as may be amended or supplemented from time to time
in accordance with its terms.
1.8
“Business Day”
shall mean any
day other than a day on which the American Stock Exchange, the New York
Mercantile Exchange or the New York Stock Exchange is closed for regular
trading.
1.9
“Beneficial Owner”
shall mean
the ultimate beneficial owner of Units held by a nominee which has furnished the
identity of the Beneficial Owner in accordance with Section 6031(c) of the Code
(or any other method acceptable to the General Partner in its sole discretion)
and with Section 9.2.2 of this Agreement.
1.10
“Capital Account”
shall have
the meaning assigned to such term in Section 4.1.
1.11
“Capital Contribution”
shall
mean the total amount of money or agreed-upon value of property contributed to
the Partnership by all the Partners or any class of Partners or any one Partner,
as the case may be (or the predecessor holders of the interests of such Partner
or Partners).
1.12
“Capital Transaction”
shall
mean a sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the Partnership not in
the ordinary course of business.
1.13
“Certificate”
shall mean a
certificate issued by the Partnership evidencing ownership of one or more
Units.
1.14
“Close of Business”
shall
mean 5:00 PM New York time.
1.15
“Creation Basket”
shall mean
100,000 Units, or such other number of Units as may be determined by the General
Partner from time to time, purchased by a Participant.
1.16
“Code”
shall mean the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
1.17
“Departing Partner”
shall
mean a former General Partner, from and after the effective date of any
withdrawal or removal of such former General Partner.
1.18
“Depository”
or
“DTC”
shall mean The
Depository Trust Company, New York, New York, or such other depository of Units
as may be selected by the General Partner as specified herein.
1.19
“Depository Agreement”
shall
mean the Letter of Representations from the General Partner to the Depository,
dated as of January 16, 2008, as may be amended or supplemented from time to
time.
1.20
“Distributable Cash”
shall
mean, with respect to any period, all cash revenues of the Partnership (not
including (i) Capital Contributions, (ii) funds received by the Partnership in
respect of indebtedness incurred by the Partnership, (iii) interest or other
income earned on temporary investments of Partnership funds pending utilization,
and (iv) proceeds from any Capital Transaction), less the sum of the following:
(x) all amounts expended by the Partnership pursuant to this Agreement in such
period and (y) such working capital or reserves or other amounts as the General
Partner reasonably deems to be necessary or appropriate for the proper operation
of the Partnership’s business or its winding up and liquidation. The General
Partner in its sole discretion may from time to time declare other funds of the
Partnership to be Distributable Cash.
1.21
“DTC Participants”
shall have
the meaning assigned to such term in Section 9.2.2.
1.22
“General Partner”
shall mean
Victoria Bay Asset Management, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, or any
Person who, at the time of reference thereto, serves as a general partner of the
Partnership.
1.23
“Global Certificates”
shall
mean the global certificate or certificates issued to the Depository as provided
in the Depository Agreement, each of which shall be in substantially the form
attached hereto as Exhibit A.
1.24
“Indirect Participants”
shall
have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 9.2.2.
1.25
“Initial Limited Partner”
shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 3.3.
1.26
“Initial Offering Period”
shall mean the period commencing with the initial effective date of the
Prospectus and terminating no later than the ninetieth (90th) day following such
date unless extended for up to an additional 90 days at the sole discretion of
the General Partner.
1.27
“Limited Partner”
shall mean
the Organizational Limited Partner prior to its withdrawal from the Partnership
and any other Person who is a limited partner (whether the Initial Limited
Partner, a Limited Partner admitted pursuant to this Agreement or an assignee
who is admitted as a Limited Partner) at the time of reference thereto, in such
Person’s capacity as a limited partner of the Partnership.
1.28
“Management Fee”
shall mean
the management fee paid to the General Partner pursuant to this
Agreement.
1.29
“Net Asset Value”
or
“NAV”
shall mean the current
market value of the Partnership’s total assets, less any liabilities, as
reasonably determined by the General Partner or its designee.
1.30
“Opinion of Counsel”
shall
mean a written opinion of counsel (who may be regular counsel to the Partnership
or the General Partner) acceptable to the General Partner.
1.31
“Organizational Limited
Partner”
shall mean Wainwright Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation, in
its capacity as the organizational limited partner of the Partnership pursuant
to this Agreement.
1.32
“Outstanding”
shall mean,
with respect to the Units or other Partnership Securities, as the case may be,
all Units or other Partnership Securities that are issued by the Partnership and
reflected as outstanding on the Partnership’s books and records as of the date
of determination.
1.33
“Participant”
shall mean a
Person that is a DTC Participant and has entered into an Authorized Purchaser
Agreement which, at the relevant time, is in full force and
effect.
1.34
“Partner”
shall mean the
General Partner or any Limited Partner.
“Partners”
shall mean the
General Partner and all Limited Partners (unless otherwise
indicated).
1.35
“Partnership”
shall mean the
limited partnership hereby formed, as such limited partnership may from time to
time be constituted.
1.36
“Partnership Securities”
shall mean any additional Units, options, rights, warrants or appreciation
rights relating thereto, or any other type of equity security that the
Partnership may lawfully issue, any unsecured or secured debt obligations of the
Partnership or debt obligations of the Partnership convertible into any class or
series of equity securities of the Partnership.
1.37
“Person”
shall mean any
natural person, partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company,
trust, estate, corporation, association, custodian, nominee or any other
individual or entity in its own or any representative capacity.
1.38
“Profit or Loss”
with respect
to any Accounting Period shall mean the excess (if any) of:
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(a)
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the
Net Asset Value as of the Valuation Time on the Valuation Date,
less
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(b)
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the
Net Asset Value as of the Valuation Time on the Valuation Date immediately
preceding the commencement of such Accounting Period, adjusted as deemed
appropriate by the General Partner to reflect any Capital Contributions,
redemptions, withdrawals, distributions, or other events occurring or
accounted for during such Accounting Period (including any allocation of
Profit or Loss to a redeeming partner pursuant to Article 4.3.2 with
respect to such Accounting Period).
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If the
amount determined pursuant to the preceding sentence is a positive number, such
amount shall be the
“Profit”
for the Accounting
Period and if such amount is a negative number, such amount shall be the
“Loss”
for the Accounting
Period.
1.39
“Prospectus”
shall mean the
United States Gasoline Fund, LP prospectus, dated
_____________
, as the same may
have been amended or supplemented, used in connection with the offer and sale of
Units in the Partnership.
1.40
“Record Date”
shall mean the
date established by the General Partner for determining (a) the identity of
Limited Partners (or Assignees if applicable) entitled to notice of, or to vote
at any meeting of Limited Partners or entitled to vote by ballot or give
approval of any Partnership action in writing without a meeting or entitled to
exercise rights in respect of any action of Limited Partners or (b) the identity
of Record Holders entitled to receive any report or distribution.
1.41
“Record Holder”
shall mean
the Person in whose name such Unit is registered on the books of the Transfer
Agent as of the open of business on a particular Business Day.
1.42
“Redeemable Units”
shall mean
any Units for which a redemption notice has been given.
1.43
“Redemption Basket”
shall
mean 100,000 Units or such other number of Units as may be determined by the
General Partner from time to time, redeemed by a Participant.
1.44
“Revolving Credit Facility”
shall mean a revolving credit facility that the Partnership may enter into on
behalf of the Partnership with one or more commercial banks or other lenders for
liquidity or other purposes for the benefit of the Partnership.
1.45
“Substituted Limited Partner”
shall mean a Person who is admitted as a Limited Partner to the Partnership
pursuant to Article 11.2 in place of and with all the rights of a Limited
Partner and who is shown as a Limited Partner on the books and records of the
Partnership.
1.46
“Tax Certificate”
shall mean
an Internal Revenue Service Form W-9 (or the substantial equivalent thereof) in
the case of a Limited Partner that is a U.S. person within the meaning of the
Code, or an Internal Revenue Service Form W-8BEN or other applicable form in the
case of a Limited Partner that is not a U.S. person.
1.47
“Transfer Agent”
shall mean
Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. or such bank, trust company or other Person
(including, without limitation, the General Partner or one of its Affiliates) as
shall be appointed from time to time by the Partnership to act as registrar and
transfer agent for the Units or any applicable Partnership
Securities.
1.48
“Transfer Application”
shall
mean an application and agreement for transfer of Units, which shall be
substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit C.
1.49
“Unit”
shall mean an interest
of a Limited Partner or an assignee of the Partnership representing such
fractional part of the interests of all Limited Partners and assignees as shall
be determined by the General Partner pursuant to this Agreement.
1.50
“Unit Register”
shall have
the meaning assigned to such term in Article 9.2.1.
1.51
“Unitholders”
shall mean the
General Partner and all holders of Units, where no distinction is required by
the context in which the term is used.
1.52
“Valuation Date”
shall mean
the last Business Day of any Accounting Period.
1.53
“Valuation Time”
shall mean
(i) Close of Business on a Valuation Date or (ii) such other time or day as the
General Partner in its discretion may determine from time to time either in any
particular case or generally.
ARTICLE
2
General
Provisions
2.1 This
Agreement shall become effective on the date set forth in the preamble of this
Agreement. The rights and liabilities of the Partners shall be as set
forth in the Act, except as herein otherwise expressly provided. The
Partnership shall continue without interruption as a limited partnership
pursuant to the provisions of the Act.
2.2 The
name of the Partnership shall be United States Gasoline Fund, LP; however, the
business of the Partnership may be conducted, upon compliance with all
applicable laws, under any other name designated in writing by the General
Partner to the Limited Partners.
2.3 The
Partnership’s principal place of business shall be located at 1320 Harbor Bay
Parkway, Suite 145, Alameda, California 94502 or such other place as the General
Partner may designate from time to time. The registered agent for the
Partnership is Corporation Service Company and the registered office is located
at 2711 Centerville Road, Suite 400, Wilmington, Delaware 19808, County of New
Castle. The Partnership may maintain such other offices at such other places as
the General Partner deems advisable.
2.4 The
investment objective of the Partnership is for changes in percentage terms of
the Units’ NAV to reflect the changes in percentage terms of the price of
unleaded gasoline (also known as reformulated gasoline blendstock for oxygen
blending, or “RBOB”, for delivery to New York harbor), as measured by the
“Benchmark Futures Contract, less the Partnership’s expenses. It is
not the intent of the Partnership to be operated in such a fashion such that its
NAV will equal, in dollar terms, the dollar price of spot gasoline or any
particular futures contract based on gasoline. The Partnership will
invest in futures contracts for gasoline, crude oil, natural gas, heating oil,
and other petroleum based fuels that are traded on the New York Mercantile
Exchange, ICE Futures or other U.S. and foreign exchanges (collectively,
“Gasoline Futures Contracts”
)
and other gasoline related investments such as cash-settled options on Gasoline
Futures Contracts, forward contracts for gasoline, and over-the-counter
transactions that are based on the price of gasoline, oil and other
petroleum-based fuels, Gasoline Futures Contracts and indices based on the
foregoing.
2.5 The
term of the Partnership shall be from the date of its formation in perpetuity,
unless earlier terminated in accordance with the terms of this
Agreement.
2.6 The
General Partner shall execute, file and publish all such certificates, notices,
statements or other instruments required by law for the formation or operation
of a limited partnership in all jurisdictions where the Partnership may elect to
do business. The General Partner shall not be required to deliver or mail to the
Limited Partners a copy of the certificate of limited partnership of the
Partnership or any certificate of amendment thereto.
2.7 The
Partnership shall be empowered to do any and all acts and things necessary,
appropriate, proper, advisable, incidental to or convenient for the furtherance
and accomplishment of the purposes, business, protection and benefit of the
Partnership.
2.8 The
business and affairs of the Partnership shall be managed by the General Partner
in accordance with Article 7 hereof. The General Partner has seven
directors, a majority of whom may also be executive officers of the General
Partner. The General Partner shall establish and maintain an audit committee of
its board of directors for the Partnership (the
“Audit Committee”
) in
compliance with, and granted the requisite authority and funding pursuant to,
any applicable (1) federal securities laws and regulations, including the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, and (2) rules, policies and procedures of any
national securities exchange on which the securities issued by the Partnership
are listed and traded.
ARTICLE
3
Partners
and Capital Contributions
3.1
General Partner.
3.1.1 The
name of the General Partner is Victoria Bay Asset Management, LLC, which
maintains its principal business office at 1320 Harbor Bay Parkway, Suite 145,
Alameda, California 94502.
3.1.2 In
consideration of management and administrative services rendered by the General
Partner, the Partnership shall pay the Management Fee to the General Partner (or
such other person or entity designated by the General Partner) including the
payment of expenses in the ordinary course of business. Expenses in the
“ordinary course of business” shall not include the payment of (i) brokerage
fees, (ii) licensing fees for the use of intellectual property used by the
Partnership, or (iii) registration or other fees paid to the Securities and
Exchange Commission
(“SEC”)
, the Financial
Industry Regulatory Authority (
“FINRA”
), or any other
regulatory agency in connection with the offer and sale of the Units and
all legal, accounting, printing and other expenses associated therewith;
provided, however, that the fees and expenses incurred under (iii) in connection
with the initial public offering of the Units shall be paid by the General
Partner. The Partnership also pays (i) the fees and expenses,
including directors and officers’ liability insurance, of the independent
directors, and (ii) the fees and expenses associated with its tax accounting and
reporting requirements with the exception of any fees for implementation of
services and base service fees charged by the accounting firm responsible for
preparing the Partnership’s tax reporting forms, as such fees will be paid by
the General Partner. The Management Fee shall be 0.60% of
NAV. Fees and Expenses, including the Management Fee, are calculated
on a daily basis and paid on a monthly basis (accrued at 1/365 of applicable
percentage of NAV on that day). The General Partner may, in its sole
discretion, waive all or part of the Management Fee. The Partnership shall be
responsible for all extraordinary expenses (i.e., expenses not in the ordinary
course of business, including, without limitation, the items listed above in
this Section 3.1.2, the indemnification of any Person against liabilities and
obligations to the extent permitted by law and required under this Agreement and
the bringing and defending of actions at law or in equity and otherwise engaging
in the conduct of litigation and the incurring of legal expense and the
settlement of claims and litigation).
3.1.3 In
connection with the formation of the Partnership under the Act, the General
Partner acquired a 2% interest in the profits and losses of the Partnership and
made an initial capital contribution to the Partnership in the amount of $20.00,
and the Organizational Limited Partner acquired a 98% interest in the profits
and losses of the Partnership and made an initial capital contribution to the
Partnership in the amount of $980.00. As of the date of the initial offering of
Units to the public, the interest of the Organizational Limited Partner shall be
redeemed, the initial capital contribution of the Organizational Limited Partner
shall be refunded, and the Organizational Limited Partner shall thereupon
withdraw and cease to be a Limited Partner. Ninety-eight percent of
any interest or other profit that may have resulted from the investment or other
use of such initial capital contribution was allocated and distributed to the
Organizational Limited Partner, and the balance thereof was allocated and
distributed to the General Partner. The General Partner may but shall
not be required to make Capital Contributions to the Partnership on or after the
date hereof. If the General Partner does make a Capital Contribution to the
Partnership on or after the date hereof, it shall be issued Units based on the
same terms and conditions applicable to the purchase of a Creation Basket under
Article 16 hereof.
3.1.4 The
General Partner may not, without written approval by all of the Limited Partners
or by other written instrument executed and delivered by all of the Limited
Partners subsequent to the date of this Agreement, take any action in
contravention of this Agreement, including, without limitation, (i) any act that
would make it impossible to carry on the ordinary business of the Partnership,
except as otherwise provided in this Agreement; (ii) possess Partnership
property, or assign any rights in specific Partnership property, for other than
a Partnership purpose; (iii) admit a Person as a Partner, except as otherwise
provided in this Agreement; (iv) amend this Agreement in any manner, except as
otherwise provided in this Agreement or under applicable law; or (v) transfer
its interest as general partner of the Partnership, except as otherwise provided
in this Agreement.
3.1.5 Except
as otherwise provided herein, the General Partner may not sell, exchange or
otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of the Partnership’s assets in a
single transaction or a series of related transactions (including by way of
merger, consolidation or other combination with any other Person) or approve on
behalf of the Partnership the sale, exchange or other disposition of all or
substantially all of the assets of the Partnership, taken as a whole, without
the approval of at least a majority of the Limited Partners; provided, however,
that this provision shall not preclude or limit the General Partner’s ability to
mortgage, pledge, hypothecate or grant a security interest in all or
substantially all of the Partnership’s assets and shall not apply to any forced
sale of any or all of the Partnership’s assets pursuant to the foreclosure of,
or other realization upon, any such encumbrance.
3.1.6 Unless
approved by a majority of the Limited Partners, the General Partner shall not
take any action or refuse to take any reasonable action the effect of which, if
taken or not taken, as the case may be, would be to cause the Partnership, to
the extent it would materially and adversely affect the Limited Partners, to be
taxable as a corporation for federal income tax purposes.
3.1.7 Notwithstanding
any other provision of this Agreement, the General Partner is not authorized to
institute or initiate on behalf of, or otherwise cause the Partnership
to:
(a) make
a general assignment for the benefit of creditors;
(b) file
a voluntary bankruptcy petition; or
(c) file
a petition seeking for the Partnership a reorganization, arrangement,
composition, readjustment liquidation, dissolution or similar relief under any
law.
3.2
Issuance of
Units.
Units in the Partnership will only be issued in a
Creation Basket or whole number multiples thereof.
3.3
Initial Limited
Partner.
The name of the Initial Limited Partner is Kellogg
Capital Group, LLC (the
“Initial Limited Partner”
).
The business address and Capital Contribution of the Initial Limited Partner are
55 Broadway, New York, NY 10006. The Initial Limited Partner shall purchase the
initial Creation Basket at an initial offering price per Unit equal to $50 per
Unit.
3.4
Capital
Contribution.
Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement,
no Partner shall have any right to demand or receive the return of its Capital
Contribution to the Partnership. No Partner shall be entitled to interest on any
Capital Contribution to the Partnership or on such Partner’s Capital
Account.
ARTICLE
4
Capital
Accounts of Partners and Operation Thereof
4.1
Capital
Accounts.
There shall be established on the books and records
of the Partnership for each Partner (or Beneficial Owner in the case of Units
held by a nominee) a capital account (a
“Capital Account”
). It is
intended that each Partner’s Capital Account shall be maintained at all times in
a manner consistent with Section 704 of the Code and applicable Treasury
regulations thereunder, and that the provisions hereof relating to the Capital
Accounts shall be interpreted in a manner consistent therewith. For each
Accounting Period, the Capital Account of each Partner shall be:
(i)
credited with the amount of any Capital Contributions made by such Partner
during such Accounting Period;
(ii)
credited with any allocation of Profit made to such Partner for such Accounting
Period;
(iii)
debited with any allocation of Loss made to such Partners for such Accounting
Period; and
(iv)
debited with the amount of cash paid to such Partner as an amount withdrawn or
distributed to such Partner during such Accounting Period, or, in the case of
any payment of a withdrawal or distribution in kind, the fair value of the
property paid or distributed during such Accounting Period.
4.1.1 For
any Accounting Period in which Units are issued or redeemed for cash or other
property, the General Partner shall, in accordance with Treasury Regulation
Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(f), adjust the Capital Accounts of all Partners and
the carrying value of each Partnership asset upward or downward to reflect any
unrealized gain or unrealized loss attributable to each such Partnership asset,
as if such unrealized gain or unrealized loss had been recognized on an actual
sale of the asset and had been allocated to the Partners at such time pursuant
to Article 4.2 of this Agreement in the same manner as any item of gain or loss
actually recognized during such period would have been allocated.
4.1.2 To
the extent an adjustment to the adjusted tax basis of any Partnership asset
pursuant to Section 734(b) or 743(b) of the Code is required, pursuant to
Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(m), to be taken into account in
determining Capital Accounts, the amount of such adjustment to the Capital
Accounts shall be treated as an item of gain (if the adjustment increases the
basis of the asset) or loss (if the adjustment decreases such basis), and such
item of gain or loss shall be specially allocated to the Partners in a manner
consistent with the manner in which their Capital Accounts are required to be
adjusted pursuant to such Section of the Treasury Regulations.
4.2
Allocation of Profit or
Loss.
Profit or Loss for an Accounting Period shall be
allocated among the Partners in proportion to the number of Units each Partner
holds as of the Close of Business on the last Business Day of such Accounting
Period. The General Partner may revise, alter or otherwise modify this method of
allocation to the extent it deems necessary to comply with the requirements of
Section 704 or Section 706 of the Code and Treasury Regulations or
administrative rulings thereunder.
4.3
Allocations for Tax
Purposes
4.3.1 Except
as otherwise provided in this Agreement, for each fiscal year of the
Partnership, items of income, deduction, gain, loss, and credit recognized by
the Partnership for federal income tax purposes shall be allocated among the
Partners in a manner that equitably reflects the amounts credited or debited to
each Partner’s Capital Account for each Accounting Period during such fiscal
year. Allocations under this Article 4.3 shall be made by the General Partner in
accordance with the principles of Sections 704(b) and 704(c) of the Code and in
conformity with applicable Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder
(including, without limitation, Treasury Regulations Sections
1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(f), 1.704-1(b)(4)(i), and 1.704-3(e)).
4.3.2 Notwithstanding
anything else contained in this Article 4, if any Partner has a deficit Capital
Account for any Accounting Period as a result of any adjustment of the type
described in Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(d)(5) or
1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(d) (6), then the Partnership’s income and gain shall be
specially allocated to such Partner in an amount and manner sufficient to
eliminate such deficit as quickly as possible. Any special allocation of items
of income or gain pursuant to this Article 4.3.2 shall be taken into account in
computing subsequent allocations pursuant to this Article 4 so that the
cumulative net amount of all items allocated to each Partner shall, to the
extent possible, be equal to the amount that would have been allocated to such
Partner if there had never been any allocation pursuant to the first sentence of
this Article 4.3.2.
4.3.3 Allocations
that would otherwise be made to a Limited Partner under the provisions of this
Article 4 shall instead be made to the Beneficial Owner of Units held by a
nominee.
4.4
Compliance.
In
applying the provisions of this Article 4, the General Partner is authorized to
utilize such reasonable accounting conventions, valuation methods and
assumptions as the General Partner shall determine to be appropriate and in
compliance with the Code and applicable Treasury Regulations. The General
Partner may amend the provisions of this Agreement to the extent it determines
to be necessary to comply with the Code and Treasury Regulations.
ARTICLE
5
Records
and Accounting; Reports
5.1
Records and
Accounting.
The Partnership will keep proper books of record
and account of the Partnership at its office located in 1320 Harbor Bay Parkway,
Suite 145, Alameda, California 94502 or such office, including that of an
administrative agent, as it may subsequently designate upon notice to the
Limited Partners. These books and records are open to inspection by any person
who establishes to the Partnership’s satisfaction that such person is a Limited
Partner upon reasonable advance notice at all reasonable times during the usual
business hours of the Partnership.
5.2
Annual
Reports.
Within 90 days after the end of each fiscal year, the
General Partner shall cause to be delivered to each Person who was a Partner at
any time during the fiscal year, an annual report containing the
following:
(i)
financial statements of the Partnership, including, without limitation, a
balance sheet as of the end of the Partnership’s fiscal year and statements of
income, Partners’ equity and changes in financial position, for such fiscal
year, which shall be prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting
principles consistently applied and shall be audited by a firm of independent
certified public accountants registered with the Public Company Accounting
Oversight Board,
(ii) a
general description of the activities of the Partnership during the period
covered by the report, and
(iii) a
report of any material transactions between the Partnership and the General
Partner or any of its Affiliates, including fees or compensation paid by the
Partnership and the services performed by the General Partner or any such
Affiliate for such fees or compensation.
5.3
Quarterly
Reports.
Within 45 days after the end of each quarter of each
fiscal year, the General Partner shall cause to be delivered to each Person who
was a Partner at any time during the quarter then ended, a quarterly report
containing a balance sheet and statement of income for the period covered by the
report, each of which may be unaudited but shall be certified by the General
Partner as fairly presenting the financial position and results of operations of
the Partnership during the period covered by the report. The report shall also
contain a description of any material event regarding the business of the
Partnership during the period covered by the report.
5.4
Monthly
Reports.
Within 30 days after the end of each month, the
General Partner shall cause to be delivered to each Person who was a Partner at
any time during the month then ended, a monthly report containing an account
statement, which will include a statement of income (or loss) and a statement of
changes in NAV, for the prescribed period. In addition, the account statement
will disclose any material business dealings between the Partnership, General
Partner, commodity trading advisor (if any), futures commission merchant, or the
principals thereof that previously have not been disclosed in the Partnership’s
Prospectus or any amendment thereto, other account statements or annual
reports.
5.5
Tax
Information.
The General Partner shall use its best efforts to
prepare and to transmit a U.S. federal income tax form K-1 for each Partner,
Assignee, or Beneficial Owner or a report setting forth in sufficient detail
such transactions effected by the Partnership during each fiscal year as shall
enable each Partner, Assignee, or Beneficial Owner to prepare its U.S. federal
income tax return, if any, within a reasonable period after the end of such
fiscal year.
5.6
Tax Returns.
The
General Partner shall cause income tax returns of the Partnership to be prepared
and timely filed with the appropriate authorities.
5.7
Tax Matters
Partner.
The General Partner is hereby designated as the
Partnership’s
“Tax Matters
Partner,”
as defined under Section 6231(a)(7) of the Code. The General
Partner is specifically directed and authorized to take whatever steps the
General Partner, in its discretion, deems necessary or desirable to perfect such
designation, including filing any forms or documents with the U.S. Internal
Revenue Service and taking such other action as may from time to time be
required under U.S. Treasury regulations. Any Partner shall have the right to
participate in any administrative proceedings relating to the determination of
Partnership items at the Partnership level. Expenses of such administrative
proceedings undertaken by the Tax Matters Partner shall be expenses of the
Partnership. Each Partner who elects to participate in such proceedings shall be
responsible for any expenses incurred by such Partner in connection with such
participation. The cost of any resulting audits or adjustments of a Partner’s
tax return shall be borne solely by the affected Partner. In the event of any
audit, investigation, settlement or review, for which the General Partner is
carrying out the responsibilities of Tax Matters Partner, the General Partner
shall keep the Partners reasonably apprised of the status and course of such
audit, investigation, settlement or review and shall forward copies of all
written communications from or to any regulatory, investigative or judicial
authority with regard thereto.
ARTICLE
6
Fiscal
Affairs
6.1
Fiscal Year.
The
fiscal year of the Partnership shall be the calendar year. The General Partner
may select an alternate fiscal year.
6.2
Partnership
Funds.
Pending application or distribution, the funds of the
Partnership shall be deposited in such bank account or accounts, or invested in
such interest-bearing or non-interest bearing investment, including, without
limitation, checking and savings accounts, certificates of deposit and time or
demand deposits in commercial banks, U.S. government securities and securities
guaranteed by U.S. government agencies as shall be designed by the General
Partner. Such funds shall not be commingled with funds of any other Person.
Withdrawals therefrom shall be made upon such signatures as the General Partner
may designate.
6.3
Accounting
Decisions.
All decisions as to accounting principles, except
as specifically provided to the contrary herein, shall be made by the General
Partner.
6.4
Tax Elections.
The
General Partner shall, from time to time, make such tax elections as it deems
necessary or desirable in its sole discretion to carry out the business of the
Partnership or the purposes of this Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing,
the General Partner shall make a timely election under Section 754 of the
Code.
6.5
Partnership
Interests.
Title to the Partnership assets shall be deemed to
be owned by the Partnership as an entity, and no Partner or Assignee,
individually or collectively, shall have any ownership interest in such
Partnership assets or any portion thereof. Title to any or all of the
Partnership assets may be held in the name of the Partnership, the General
Partner or one or more nominees, as the General Partner may determine. The
General Partner hereby declares and warrants that any Partnership assets for
which record title is held in the name of the General Partner shall be held by
the General Partner for the exclusive use and benefit of the Partnership in
accordance with the provisions of this Agreement; provided, however, that the
General Partner shall use its reasonable efforts to cause record title to such
assets (other than those assets in respect of which the General Partner
determines that the expense and difficulty of conveyancing makes transfer of
record title to the Partnership impracticable) to be vested in the Partnership
as soon as reasonably practicable; provided, that prior to the withdrawal or
removal of the General Partner or as soon thereafter as practicable, the General
Partner will use reasonable efforts to effect the transfer of record title to
the Partnership and, prior to any such transfer, will provide for the use of
such assets in a manner satisfactory to the Partnership. All Partnership assets
shall be recorded as the property of the Partnership in its books and records,
irrespective of the name in which record title to such Partnership assets are
held.
ARTICLE
7
Rights
and Duties of the General Partner
7.1
Management
Power.
The General Partner shall have exclusive management and
control of the business and affairs of the Partnership, and all decisions
regarding the management and affairs of the Partnership shall be made by the
General Partner. The General Partner shall have all the rights and powers of
general partner as provided in the Act and as otherwise provided by law. Except
as otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement, the General Partner is hereby
granted the right, power and authority to do on behalf of the Partnership all
things which, in its sole judgment, are necessary, proper or desirable to carry
out the aforementioned duties and responsibilities, including but not limited
to, the right, power and authority from time to time to do the
following:
(a) the
making of any expenditures, the lending or borrowing of money, the assumption or
guarantee of, or other contracting for, indebtedness and other liabilities, the
issuance of evidences of indebtedness and the incurring of any other obligations
and the securing of same by mortgage, deed of trust or other lien or
encumbrance;
(b) the
making of tax, regulatory and other filings, or rendering of periodic or other
reports to governmental or other agencies having jurisdiction over the business
or assets of the Partnership;
(c) the
acquisition, disposition, mortgage, pledge, encumbrance, hypothecation or
exchange of any or all of the assets of the Partnership, or the merger or other
combination of the Partnership with or into another Person (the matters
described in this clause (c) being subject, however, to any prior approval that
may be required in accordance with this Agreement);
(d) the
use of the assets of the Partnership (including, without limitation, cash on
hand) for any purpose consistent with the terms of this Agreement including,
without limitation, the financing of the conduct of the operations of the
Partnership, the lending of funds to other Persons, and the repayment of
obligations of the Partnership;
(e) the
negotiation, execution and performance of any contracts, conveyances or other
instruments (including, without limitation, instruments that limit the liability
of the Partnership under contractual arrangements to all or particular assets of
the Partnership with the other party to the contract to have no recourse against
the General Partner or its assets other than its interest in the Partnership,
even if same results in the terms of the transaction being less favorable to the
Partnership than would otherwise be the case);
(f) the
distribution of Distributable Cash;
(g) the
selection and dismissal of employees (including, without limitation, employees
having titles such as
“president,” “vice president,”
“secretary”
and
“treasurer”
), agents, outside
attorneys, accountants, consultants and contractors and the determination of
their compensation and other terms of employment or hiring;
(h) the
maintenance of insurance for the benefit of the Partners and the Partnership
(including, without limitation, the assets and operations of the
Partnership);
(i) the
formation of, or acquisition of an interest in, and the contribution of property
to, any further limited or general partnerships, joint ventures or other
relationships;
(j) the
control of any matters affecting the rights and obligations of the Partnership,
including, without limitation, the bringing and defending of actions at law or
in equity and otherwise engaging in the conduct of litigation and the incurring
of legal expense and the settlement of claims and litigation;
(k) the
indemnification of any Person against liabilities and contingencies to the
extent permitted by law;
(l) the
entering into of listing agreements with the American Stock Exchange and any
other securities exchange and the delisting of some or all of the Units from, or
requesting that trading be suspended on, any such exchange; and
(m) the
purchase, sale or other acquisition or disposition of Units.
7.2
Best Efforts.
The
General Partner will use its best efforts to cause the Partnership to be formed,
reformed, qualified or registered under assumed or fictitious name statutes or
similar laws in any state in which the Partnership owns property or transacts
business if such formation, reformation, qualification or registration is
necessary in order to protect the limited liability of the Limited Partners or
to permit the Partnership lawfully to own property or transact
business.
7.3
Right of Public to Rely on Authority
of a General Partner.
No person shall be required to determine
the General Partner’s authority to make any undertaking on behalf of the
Partnership.
7.4
Obligation of the General
Partner.
The General Partner shall:
(a) devote
to the Partnership and apply to the accomplishment of the Partnership purposes
so much of its time and attention as is necessary or advisable to manage
properly the affairs of the Partnership;
(b) maintain
the Capital Account for each Partner; and
(c) cause
the Partnership to enter into and carry out the obligations of the Partnership
contained in the agreements with Affiliates of the General Partner as described
in the Prospectus and cause the Partnership not to take any action in violation
of such agreements.
7.5
Good Faith.
The
General Partner has a responsibility to the Limited Partners to exercise good
faith and fairness in all dealings. In the event that a Limited Partner believes
that the General Partner has violated its fiduciary duty to the Limited
Partners, he may seek legal relief individually or on behalf of the Partnership
under applicable laws, including under the Act and under securities and
commodities laws, to recover damages from or require an accounting by the
General Partner. Limited Partners should be aware that performance by the
General Partner of its fiduciary duty is measured by the terms of this Agreement
as well as applicable law. Limited Partners may also have the right, subject to
applicable procedural and jurisdictional requirements, to bring class actions in
federal court to enforce their rights under the federal securities laws and the
rules and regulations promulgated thereunder by the SEC. Limited Partners who
have suffered losses in connection with the purchase or sale of the Units may be
able to recover such losses from the General Partner where the losses result
from a violation by the General Partner of the federal securities laws. State
securities laws may also provide certain remedies to limited partners. Limited
Partners are afforded certain rights to institute reparations proceedings under
the Commodity Exchange Act for violations of the Commodity Exchange Act or of
any rule, regulation or order of the Commodities Futures Trading Commission
(“CFTC”)
by the General
Partner.
7.6
Indemnification
7.6.1 Notwithstanding
any other provision of this Agreement, neither a General Partner nor any
employee or other agent of the Partnership nor any officer, director,
stockholder, partner, employee or agent of a General Partner (a
“Protected Person”
) shall be
liable to any Partner or the Partnership for any mistake of judgment or for any
action or inaction taken, nor for any losses due to any mistake of judgment or
to any action or inaction or to the negligence, dishonesty or bad faith of any
officer, director, stockholder, partner, employee or agent of the Partnership or
any officer, director, stockholder, partner, employee or agent of such General
Partner, provided that such officer, director, stockholder, partner, employee or
agent of the Partner or officer, director, stockholder, partner, employee or
agent of such General Partner was selected, engaged or retained by such General
Partner with reasonable care, except with respect to any matter as to which such
General Partner shall have been finally adjudicated in any action, suit or other
proceeding not to have acted in good faith in the reasonable belief that such
Protected Person’s action was in the best interests of the Partnership and
except that no Protected Person shall be relieved of any liability to which such
Protected Person would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance,
gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of
the Protected Person’s office. A General Partner and its officers, directors,
employees or partners may consult with counsel and accountants (except for the
Partnership’s independent auditors) in respect of Partnership affairs and be
fully protected and justified in any action or inaction which is taken in
accordance with the advice or opinion of such counsel or accountants (except for
the Partnership’s independent auditors), provided that they shall have been
selected with reasonable care.
Notwithstanding
any of the foregoing to the contrary, the provisions of this Article 7.6.1 and
of Article 7.6.2 hereof shall not be construed so as to relieve (or attempt to
relieve) a General Partner (or any officer, director, stockholder, partner,
employee or agent of such General Partner) of any liability to the extent (but
only to the extent) that such liability may not be waived, modified or limited
under applicable law, but shall be construed so as to effectuate the provisions
of this Article 7.6.1 and of Article 7.6.2 hereof to the fullest extent
permitted by law.
7.6.2 The
Partnership shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, but only out of
Partnership assets, indemnify and hold harmless a General Partner and each
officer, director, stockholder, partner, employee or agent thereof (including
persons who serve at the Partnership’s request as directors, officers or
trustees of another organization in which the Partnership has an interest as a
Unitholder, creditor or otherwise) and their respective legal representatives
and successors (hereinafter referred to as a
“Covered Person”
) against all
liabilities and expenses, including but not limited to amounts paid in
satisfaction of judgments, in compromise or as fines and penalties, and counsel
fees reasonably incurred by any Covered Person in connection with the defense or
disposition of any action, suit or other proceedings, whether civil or criminal,
before any court or administrative or legislative body, in which such Covered
Person may be or may have been involved as a party or otherwise or with which
such Covered Person may be or may have been threatened, while in office or
thereafter, by reason of an alleged act or omission as a General Partner or
director or officer thereof, or by reason of its being or having been such a
General Partner, director or officer, except with respect to any matter as to
which such Covered Person shall have been finally adjudicated in any such
action, suit or other proceeding not to have acted in good faith in the
reasonable belief that such Covered Person’s action was in the best interest of
the Partnership, and except that no Covered Person shall be indemnified against
any liability to the Partnership or Limited Partners to which such Covered
Person would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith,
gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of
such Covered Person’s office. Expenses, including counsel fees so incurred by
any such Covered Person, may be paid from time to time by the Partnership in
advance of the final disposition of any such action, suit or proceeding on the
condition that the amounts so paid shall be repaid to the Partnership if it is
ultimately determined that the indemnification of such expenses is not
authorized hereunder.
As to any
matter disposed of by a compromise payment by any such Covered Person, pursuant
to a consent decree or otherwise, no such indemnification either for said
payment or for any other expenses shall be provided unless such compromise shall
be approved as in the best interests of the Partnership, after notice that it
involved such indemnification by any disinterested person or persons to whom the
questions may be referred by the General Partner, provided that there has been
obtained an opinion in writing of independent legal counsel to the effect that
such Covered Person appears to have acted in good faith in the reasonable belief
that his or her action was in the best interests of the Partnership and that
such indemnification would not protect such persons against any liability to the
Partnership or its Limited Partners to which such person would otherwise by
subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or
reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of office. Approval by
any disinterested person or persons shall not prevent the recovery from persons
of indemnification if such Covered Person is subsequently adjudicated by a court
of competent jurisdiction not to have acted in good faith in the reasonable
belief that such Covered Person’s action was in the best interests of the
Partnership or to have been liable to the Partnership or its Limited Partners by
reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard
of the duties involved in the conduct of such Covered Person’s
office.
The right
of indemnification hereby provided shall not be exclusive of or affect any other
rights to which any such Covered Person may be entitled. As used in this Article
7.6.2, an
“interested Covered
Person”
is one against whom the action, suit or other proceeding on the
same or similar grounds is then or has been pending and a
“disinterested person”
is a
person against whom no actions, suits or other proceedings or another action,
suit or other proceeding on the same or similar grounds is then or has been
pending. Nothing contained in this Article 7.6.2 shall affect any rights to
indemnification to which personnel of a General Partner, other than directors
and officers, and other persons may be entitled by contract or otherwise under
law, nor the power of the Partnership to purchase and maintain liability
insurance on behalf of any such person.
Nothing
in this Article 7.6.2 shall be construed to subject any Covered Person to any
liability to which he or she is not already liable under this Agreement or
applicable law.
7.6.3 Each
Limited Partner agrees that it will not hold any Affiliate or any officer,
director, stockholder, partner, employee or agent of any Affiliate of the
General Partner liable for any actions of such General Partner or any
obligations arising under or in connection with this Agreement or the
transactions contemplated hereby.
7.7
Resolutions of Conflicts of
Interest; Standard of Care.
7.7.1 Unless
otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement or any other agreement
contemplated hereby, whenever a conflict of interest exists or arises between
the General Partner on the one hand, and the Partnership or any Limited Partner,
on the other hand, any resolution or course of action by the General Partner in
respect of such conflict of interest shall be permitted and deemed approved by
all Partners and shall not constitute a breach of this Agreement or of any
agreement contemplated hereby or of a duty stated or implied by law or equity,
if the resolution or course of action is, or by operation of this Agreement is
deemed to be, fair and reasonable to the Partnership. If a dispute arises, it
will be resolved through negotiations with the General Partner or by a court
located in the State of Delaware. Any resolution of a dispute is deemed to be
fair and reasonable to the Partnership if the resolution is:
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approved
by the Audit Committee, although no party is obligated to seek such
approval and the General Partner may adopt a resolution or course of
action that has not received such
approval;
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|
·
|
on
terms no less favorable to the Limited Partners than those generally being
provided to or available from unrelated third parties;
or
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fair
to the Limited Partners, taking into account the totality of the
relationships of the parties involved including other transactions that
may be particularly favorable or advantageous to the Limited
Partners.
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7.7.2 Whenever
this Agreement or any other agreement contemplated hereby provides that the
General Partner is permitted or required to make a decision (i) in its
discretion or under a grant of similar authority or latitude, the General
Partner shall be entitled to the extent permitted by applicable law, to consider
only such interest and factors as it desires and shall have no duty or
obligation to give any consideration to any interest of or factors affecting the
partnership or the Limited Partners, or (ii) in its good faith or under another
express standard, the General Partner shall act under such express standard and
except as required by applicable law, shall not be subject to any other
different standards imposed by this Agreement, any other agreement contemplated
hereby or applicable law.
7.8
Other Matters Concerning the General
Partner.
7.8.1 The
General Partner (including the Audit Committee) may rely on and shall be
protected in acting or refraining from acting upon any certificate, document or
other instrument believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or
presented by the proper party or parties.
7.8.2 The
General Partner (including the Audit Committee) may consult with legal counsel,
accountants, appraisers, management consultants, investment bankers and other
consultants and advisors selected by it and any opinion or advice of any such
person as to matters which the General Partner (including the Audit Committee)
believes to be within such person’s professional or expert competence shall be
the basis for full and complete authorization of indemnification and provide
legal protection with respect to any action taken or suffered or omitted by the
General Partner (including the Audit Committee) hereunder in good faith and in
accordance with such opinion or advice.
7.8.3 The
General Partner (including the Audit Committee) may exercise any of the powers
granted to it by this Agreement and perform any of the duties imposed upon it
hereunder either directly or by or through its agents, and the General Partner
(including the Audit Committee) shall not be responsible for any misconduct or
negligence on the part of any such agent appointed by the General Partner in
good faith.
7.9
Other Business
Ventures.
Any Partner, director, employee, Affiliate or other
person holding a legal or beneficial interest in any entity which is a Partner,
may engage in or possess an interest in other business ventures of every nature
and description, independently or with others, whether such ventures are
competitive with the Partnership or otherwise; and, neither the Partnership nor
the Partners shall have any right by virtue of this Agreement in or to such
independent ventures or to the income or profits derived there
from.
7.10
Contracts with the General Partner
or its Affiliates.
The General Partner may, on behalf of the
Partnership, enter into contracts with any Affiliate. The validity of any
transaction, agreement or payment involving the Partnership and any General
Partner or any Affiliate of a General Partner otherwise permitted by the terms
of this Agreement shall not be affected by reason of (i) the relationship
between the Partnership and the Affiliate of the General Partner, or (ii) the
approval of said transaction agreement or payment by officers or directors of
the General Partner.
7.11
Additional General
Partners.
Additional general partners may be admitted with the
consent of the General Partner.
ARTICLE
8
Rights
and Obligations of Limited Partners
8.1
No Participation in
Management.
No Limited Partner (other than a General Partner
if it has acquired an interest of a Limited Partner) shall take part in the
management of the Partnership’s business, transact any business in the
Partnership’s name or have the power to sign documents for or otherwise bind the
Partnership.
8.2
Limitation of
Liability.
Except as provided in the Act, the debts,
obligations, and liabilities of the Partnership, whether arising in contract,
tort or otherwise, shall be solely the debts, obligations and liabilities of the
Partnership. A Limited Partner will not be liable for assessments in addition to
its initial capital investment in any capital securities representing limited
partnership interests. However, a Limited Partner may be required to repay to
the Partnership any amounts wrongfully returned or distributed to it under some
circumstances.
8.3
Indemnification and Terms of
Admission.
Each Limited Partner shall indemnify and hold
harmless the Partnership, the General Partner and every Limited Partner who was
or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or
completed action, suit or proceedings, whether civil, criminal, administrative
or investigative, by reason of or arising from any actual or alleged
misrepresentation or misstatement of facts or omission to state facts made (or
omitted to be made) by such Limited Partner in connection with any assignment,
transfer, encumbrance or other disposition of all or any part of an interest, or
the admission of a Limited Partner to the Partnership, against expenses for
which the Partnership or such other Person has not otherwise been reimbursed
(including attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement)
actually and reasonably incurred by him in connection with such action, suit or
proceeding.
8.4
Effective
Date.
The effective date of admission of a Limited Partner
shall be the date designated by the General Partner in writing to such assignee
or transferee.
8.5
Death or Incapacity of Limited
Partner.
The death or legal incapacity of a Limited Partner
shall not cause dissolution of the Partnership.
8.6
Rights of Limited Partner Relating
to the Partnership.
(a) In
addition to other rights provided by this Agreement or by applicable law, and
except as otherwise limited under this Agreement, each Limited Partner shall
have the right, for a purpose reasonably related to such Limited Partner’s
interest as a Limited Partner in the Partnership, upon reasonable demand and at
such Limited Partner’s own expense:
(i) to
obtain true and full information regarding the status of the business and
financial condition of the Partnership;
(ii)
promptly after becoming available, to obtain a copy of the Partnership’s
federal, state and local tax returns for each year;
(iii) to
have furnished to it, upon notification to the General Partner, a current list
of the name and last known business, residence or mailing address of each
Partner;
(iv) to
have furnished to it, upon notification to the General Partner, a copy of this
Agreement and the Certificate of Limited Partnership and all amendments
thereto;
(v) to
obtain true and full information regarding the amount of cash contributed by and
a description and statement of the value of any other Capital Contribution by
each Partner and which each Partner has agreed to contribute in the future, and
the date on which each became a Partner; and
(vi) to
obtain such other information regarding the affairs of the Partnership as is
just and reasonable.
(b)
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the General Partner may
keep confidential from the Limited Partners and Assignees for such period of
time as the General Partner deems reasonable, any information that the General
Partner reasonably believes to be in the nature of trade secrets or other
information, the disclosure of which the General Partner in good faith believes
is not in the best interests of the Partnership or could damage the Partnership
or that the Partnership is required by law or by agreements with third parties
to keep confidential (other than agreements with Affiliates the primary purpose
of which is to circumvent the obligations set forth in this Article
8.6).
ARTICLE
9
Unit
Certificates
9.1
Unit
Certificates.
Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the
Partnership by any officer either of the General Partner or, if any, of the
Partnership.
9.2
Registration Form, Registration of
Transfer and Exchange.
9.2.1 The
General Partner shall cause to be kept on behalf of the Partnership a register
(the
“Unit Register”
)
in which, subject to such reasonable regulations as it may prescribe, the
General Partner will provide for the registration and the transfer of Units. The
Transfer Agent has been appointed registrar and transfer agent for the purpose
of registering and transferring Units as herein provided. The Partnership shall
not recognize transfers of Certificates representing Units unless same are
effected in the manner described in this Article 9.2. Upon surrender for
registration of transfer of any Units evidenced by a Certificate, the General
Partner on behalf of the Partnership will execute, and the Transfer Agent will
countersign and deliver, in the name of the holder or the designated transferee
or transferees, as required pursuant to the holder’s instructions, one or more
new Certificates evidencing the same aggregate number of Units as was evidenced
by the Certificate so surrendered.
9.2.2
Book-Entry-Only
System.
(a)
Global Certificate
Only.
Unless otherwise authorized by the General Partner,
Certificates for Units will not be issued, other than the one or more Global
Certificates issued to the Depository. So long as the Depository Agreement is in
effect, Creation Baskets will be issued and redeemed and Units will be
transferable solely through the book-entry systems of the Depository and the DTC
Participants and their Indirect Participants as more fully described
below.
(1)
Global
Certificate.
The Partnership and the General Partner will
enter into the Depository Agreement pursuant to which the Depository will act as
securities depository for the Units. Units will be represented by the Global
Certificate (which may consist of one or more certificates as required by the
Depository), which will be registered, as the Depository shall direct, in the
name of Cede & Co., as nominee for the Depository and deposited with, or on
behalf of, the Depository. No other certificates evidencing Units will be
issued. The Global Certificate shall be in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A
and shall represent such Units as shall be specified therein, and may provide
that it shall represent the aggregate amount of outstanding Units from time to
time endorsed thereon and that the aggregate amount of outstanding Units
represented thereby may from time to time be increased or decreased to reflect
creations or redemptions of Baskets (as defined in Section 16.1). Any
endorsement of a Global Certificate to reflect the amount, or any increase or
decrease in the amount, of outstanding Units represented thereby shall be made
in such manner and upon instructions given by the General Partner on behalf of
the Partnership as specified in the Depository Agreement.
(2)
Legend.
Any Global
Certificate issued to the Depository or its nominee shall bear a legend
substantially to the following effect:
“UNLESS
THIS CERTIFICATE IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY
TRUST COMPANY, A NEW YORK CORPORATION (“DTC”), TO THE FUND OR ITS AGENT FOR
REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE OR PAYMENT, AND ANY CERTIFICATE ISSUED IS
REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR IN SUCH OTHER NAME AS IS REQUESTED
BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC (AND ANY PAYMENT IS MADE TO CEDE &
CO. OR TO SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS IS REQUIRED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF
DTC), ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE, OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO
ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL INASMUCH AS THE REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF, CEDE & CO.,
HAS AN INTEREST HEREIN.”
(3)
The
Depository.
The Depository has advised the Partnership and the
General Partner as follows: the Depository is a limited-purpose trust company
organized under the laws of the State of New York, a member of the U.S. Federal
Reserve System, a
“clearing
corporation”
within the meaning of the New York Uniform Commercial Code,
and a
“clearing agency”
registered pursuant to the provisions of Section 17A of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, as amended. The Depository was created to hold securities of DTC
Participants and to facilitate the clearance and settlement of securities
transactions among the DTC Participants in such securities through electronic
book-entry changes in accounts of the DTC Participants, thereby eliminating the
need for physical movement of securities certificates. “
DTC Participants
” include
securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations,
and certain other organizations, some of whom (and/or their representatives) own
the Depository. Access to the Depository’s system is also available to others
such as banks, brokers, dealers and trust companies that clear through or
maintain a custodial relationship with a DTC Participant, either directly or
indirectly
(“Indirect
Participants”)
. The Depository may determine to discontinue providing its
service with respect to Creation Baskets and Units by giving notice to the
General Partner pursuant to and in conformity with the provisions of the
Depository Agreement and discharging its responsibilities with respect thereto
under applicable law. Under such circumstances, the General Partner shall take
action either to find a replacement for the Depository to perform its functions
at a comparable cost and on terms acceptable to the General Partner or, if such
a replacement is unavailable, to terminate the Partnership.
(4)
Beneficial
Owners.
As provided in the Depository Agreement, upon the
settlement date of any creation, transfer or redemption of Units, the Depository
will credit or debit, on its book-entry registration and transfer system, the
number of Units so created, transferred or redeemed to the accounts of the
appropriate DTC Participants. The accounts to be credited and charged shall be
designated by the General Partner on behalf of the Partnership and each
Participant, in the case of a creation or redemption of Baskets. Ownership of
beneficial interest in Units will be limited to DTC Participants, Indirect
Participants and persons holding interests through DTC Participants and Indirect
Participants. Beneficial Owners will be shown on, and the transfer of beneficial
ownership by Beneficial Owners will be effected only through, in the case of DTC
Participants, records maintained by the Depository and, in the case of Indirect
Participants and Beneficial Owners holding through a DTC Participant or an
Indirect Participant, through those records or the records of the relevant DTC
Participants. Beneficial Owners are expected to receive, from or through the
broker or bank that maintains the account through which the Beneficial Owner has
purchased Units, a written confirmation relating to their purchase of
Units.
(5)
Reliance on
Procedures.
Except for those who have provided Transfer
Applications to the General Partner, so long as Cede & Co., as nominee of
the Depository, is the registered owner of Units, references herein to the
registered or record owners of Units shall mean Cede & Co. and shall not
mean the Beneficial Owners of Units. Beneficial Owners of Units will not be
entitled to have Units registered in their names, will not receive or be
entitled to receive physical delivery of certificates in definitive form and
will not be considered the record or registered holder of Units under this
Agreement. Accordingly, to exercise any rights of a holder of Units under the
Agreement, a Beneficial Owner must rely on the procedures of the Depository and,
if such Beneficial Owner is not a DTC Participant, on the procedures of each DTC
Participant or Indirect Participant through which such Beneficial Owner holds
its interests. The Partnership and the General Partner understand that under
existing industry practice, if the Partnership requests any action of a
Beneficial Owner, or a Beneficial Owner desires to take any action that the
Depository, as the record owner of all outstanding Units, is entitled to take,
the Depository will notify the DTC Participants regarding such request, such DTC
Participants will in turn notify each Indirect Participant holding Units through
it, with each successive Indirect Participant continuing to notify each person
holding Units through it until the request has reached the Beneficial Owner, and
in the case of a request or authorization to act that is being sought or given
by a Beneficial Owner, such request or authorization is given by the Beneficial
Owner and relayed back to the Partnership through each Indirect Participant and
DTC Participant through which the Beneficial Owner’s interest in the Units is
held.
(6)
Communication between the
Partnership and the Beneficial Owners.
As described above, the
Partnership will recognize the Depository or its nominee as the owner of all
Units for all purposes except as expressly set forth in this Agreement.
Conveyance of all notices, statements and other communications to Beneficial
Owners will be effected in accordance with this paragraph. Pursuant
to the Depository Agreement, the Depository is required to make available to the
Partnership, upon request and for a fee to be charged to the Partnership, a
listing of the Unit holdings of each DTC Participant. The Partnership shall
inquire of each such DTC Participant as to the number of Beneficial Owners
holding Units, directly or indirectly, through such DTC Participant. The
Partnership shall provide each such DTC Participant with sufficient copies of
such notice, statement or other communication, in such form, number and at such
place as such DTC Participant may reasonably request, in order that such notice,
statement or communication may be transmitted by such DTC Participant, directly
or indirectly, to such Beneficial Owners. In addition, the Partnership shall pay
to each such DTC Participant an amount as reimbursement for the expenses
attendant to such transmittal, all subject to applicable statutory and
regulatory requirements.
(7)
Distributions.
Distributions
on Units pursuant to this Agreement shall be made to the Depository or its
nominee, Cede & Co., as the registered owner of all Units. The Partnership
and the General Partner expect that the Depository or its nominee, upon receipt
of any payment of distributions in respect of Units, shall credit immediately
DTC Participants’ accounts with payments in amounts proportionate to their
respective beneficial interests in Units as shown on the records of the
Depository or its nominee. The Partnership and the General Partner also expect
that payments by DTC Participants to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners
held through such DTC Participants and Indirect Participants will be governed by
standing instructions and customary practices, as is now the case with
securities held for the accounts of customers in bearer form or registered in a
“street name,”
and will
be the responsibility of such DTC Participants and Indirect Participants.
Neither the Partnership nor the General Partner will have any responsibility or
liability for any aspects of the records relating to or notices to Beneficial
Owners, or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in Units,
or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to such
beneficial ownership interests or for any other aspect of the relationship
between the Depository and the DTC Participants or the relationship between such
DTC Participants and the Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners owning
through such DTC Participants or Indirect Participants or between or among the
Depository, any Beneficial Owner and any person by or through which such
Beneficial Owner is considered to own Units.
(8)
Limitation of
Liability.
The Global Certificate to be issued hereunder is
executed and delivered solely on behalf of the Partnership by the General
Partner in its capacity as such and in the exercise of the powers and authority
conferred and vested in it by this Agreement. The representations, undertakings
and agreements made on the part of the Partnership in the Global Certificate are
made and intended not as personal representations, undertakings and agreements
by the General Partner, but are made and intended for the purpose of binding
only the Partnership. Nothing in the Global Certificate shall be construed as
creating any liability on the General Partner, individually or personally, to
fulfill any representation, undertaking or agreement other than as provided in
this Agreement.
(9)
Successor
Depository.
If a successor to the Depository shall be employed
as Depository hereunder, the Partnership and the General Partner shall establish
procedures acceptable to such successor with respect to the matters addressed in
this Section 9.2.2.
(10)
Transfer of
Units.
Beneficial Owners that are not DTC Participants may
transfer Units by instructing the DTC Participant or Indirect Participant
holding the Units for such Beneficial Owner in accordance with standard
securities industry practice. Beneficial Owners that are DTC Participants may
transfer Units by instructing the Depository in accordance with the rules of the
Depository and standard securities industry practice.
9.2.3 Except
as otherwise provided in this Agreement, the Partnership shall not recognize any
transfer of Units until the Certificates (if applicable) and a Transfer
Application have been provided to the General Partner evidencing such Units are
surrendered for registration of transfer. Such Certificates must be
accompanied by a Transfer Application duly executed by the transferee (or the
transferee’s attorney-in-fact duly authorized in writing). No charge shall be
imposed by the Partnership for such transfer, provided, that, as a condition to
the issuance of any new Certificate under this Article 9.2, the General Partner
may require the payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other
governmental charge that may be imposed with respect thereto.
9.3
Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen
Certificates.
9.3.1 If
any mutilated Certificate is surrendered to the Transfer Agent, the General
Partner on behalf of the Partnership, shall execute, and upon its request, the
Transfer Agent shall countersign and deliver in exchange therefore, a new
Certificate evidencing the same number of Units as the Certificate so
surrendered.
9.3.2 The
General Partner, on behalf of the Partnership, shall execute, and upon its
request, the Transfer Agent shall countersign and deliver a new Certificate in
place of any Certificate previously issued if the Record Holder of the
Certificate:
(a) makes
proof by affidavit, in form and substance satisfactory to the General Partner,
that a previously issued Certificate has been lost, destroyed or
stolen;
(b)
requests the issuance of a new Certificate before the Partnership has received
notice that the Certificate has been acquired by a purchaser for value in good
faith and without notice of an adverse claim;
(c) if
requested by the General Partner, delivers to the Partnership a bond or such
other form of security or indemnity as may be required by the General Partner,
in form and substance satisfactory to the General Partner, with surety or
sureties and with fixed or open penalty as the General Partner may direct, in
its sole discretion, to indemnify the Partnership, the General Partner and the
Transfer Agent against any claim that may be made on account of the alleged
loss, destruction or theft of the Certificate; and
(d)
satisfies any other reasonable requirements imposed by the General
Partner.
If a
Limited Partner or Assignee fails to notify the Partnership within a reasonable
time after it has notice of the loss, destruction or theft of a Certificate, and
a transfer of the Units represented by the Certificate is registered before the
Partnership, the General Partner or the Transfer Agent receives such
notification, the Limited Partner or Assignee shall be precluded from making any
claim against the Partnership, the General Partner or the Transfer Agent for
such transfer or for a new Certificate.
9.3.3 As
a condition to the issuance of any new Certificate under this Article 9.3, the
General Partner may require the payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or
other governmental charge that may be imposed in relation thereto and any other
expenses (including, without limitation, the fees and expenses of the Transfer
Agent) connected therewith.
9.4
Record Holder.
The
Partnership shall be entitled to recognize the Record Holder as the Limited
Partner or Assignee with respect to any Units and, accordingly, shall not be
bound to recognize any equitable or other claim to or interest in such Units on
the part of any other Person, whether or not the Partnership shall have actual
or other notice thereof, except as otherwise provided by law or any applicable
rule, regulation, guideline or requirement of any national securities exchange
on which the Units are listed for trading. Without limiting the foregoing, when
a Person (such as a broker, dealer, bank trust company or clearing corporation
or an agent of any of the foregoing) is acting as nominee, agent or in some
other representative capacity for another Person in acquiring and/or holding
Units, as between the Partnership on the one hand and such other Persons on the
other hand such representative Person (a) shall be the Limited Partner or
Assignee (as the case may be) of record and beneficially, (b) must execute and
deliver a Transfer Application and (c) shall be bound by this Agreement and
shall have the rights and obligations of a Limited Partner or Assignee (as the
case may be) hereunder and as provided for herein.
9.5
Partnership
Securities.
The General Partner is hereby authorized to cause
the Partnership to issue Partnership Securities, for any Partnership purpose, at
any time or from time to time, to the Partners or to other Persons for such
consideration and on such terms and conditions as shall be established by the
General Partner in its sole discretion, all without the approval of any Limited
Partners. The General Partner shall have sole discretion, subject to the
requirements of the Act, in determining the consideration and terms and
conditions with respect to any future issuance of Partnership
Securities.
9.5.1 The
General Partner shall do all things necessary to comply with the Act and is
authorized and directed to do all things it deems to be necessary or advisable
in connection with any future issuance of Partnership Securities, including,
without limitation, compliance with any statute, rule, regulation or guideline
of any federal, state or other governmental agency or any national securities
exchange on which the Units or other Partnership Securities are listed for
trading.
ARTICLE
10
Transfer
of Interests
10.1
Transfer.
10.1.1 The
term
“transfer,”
when
used in this Article 10 with respect to an interest, shall be deemed to refer to
an appropriate transaction by which the General Partner assigns its interest as
General Partner to another Person or by which the holder of a Unit assigns such
Unit to another Person who is or becomes an Assignee and includes a sale,
assignment, gift, pledge, encumbrance, hypothecation, mortgage, exchange or any
other disposition by law or otherwise.
10.1.2 No
interest shall be transferred in whole or in part, except in accordance with the
terms and conditions set forth in this Article 10. Any transfer or purported
transfer of an interest not made in accordance with this Article 10 shall be
null and void.
10.2
Transfer of General Partner’s
Interest.
10.2.1 Except
as set forth in this Article 10.2.1, the General Partner may transfer all, but
not less than all, of its interest as the general partner to a single transferee
if, but only if, (i) at least a majority of the Limited Partners approve of such
transfer and of the admission of such transferee as general partner, (ii) the
transferee agrees to assume the rights and duties of the General Partner and be
bound by the provisions of this Agreement and other applicable agreements, and
(iii) the Partnership receives an Opinion of Counsel that such transfer would
not result in the loss of limited liability of any Limited Partner or of the
Partnership or cause the Partnership to be taxable as a corporation or otherwise
taxed as an entity for federal income tax purposes. The foregoing
notwithstanding, the General Partner is expressly permitted to pledge its
interest as General Partner to secure the obligations of the Partnership under a
Revolving Credit Facility, as the same may be amended, supplemented, replaced,
refinanced or restated from time to time, or any successor or subsequent loan
agreement.
10.2.2 Neither
Article 10.2.1 nor any other provision of this Agreement shall be construed to
prevent (and all Partners do hereby consent to) (i) the transfer by the General
Partner of all of its interest as a general partner to an Affiliate or (ii) the
transfer by the General Partner of all its interest as a general partner upon
its merger or consolidation with or other combination into any other Person or
the transfer by it of all or substantially all of its assets to another Person
if, in the case of a transfer described in either clause (i) or (ii) of this
sentence, the rights and duties of the General Partner with respect to the
interest so transferred are assumed by the transferee and the transferee agrees
to be bound by the provisions of this Agreement; provided, that in either such
case, such transferee furnishes to the Partnership an Opinion of Counsel that
such merger, consolidation, combination, transfer or assumption will not result
in a loss of limited liability of any Limited Partner or of the Partnership or
cause the Partnership to be taxable as a corporation or otherwise taxed as an
entity for federal income tax purpose. In the case of a transfer pursuant to
this Article 10.2.2, the transferee or successor (as the case may be) shall be
admitted to the Partnership as the General Partner immediately prior to the
transfer of the interest, and the business of the Partnership shall continue
without dissolution.
10.3
Transfer of
Units.
10.3.1 Units
may be transferred only in the manner described in Article 9.2. The transfer of
any Units and the admission of any new Partner shall not constitute an amendment
to this Agreement.
10.3.2 Until
admitted as a Substituted Limited Partner pursuant to Article 11, the Record
Holder of a Unit shall be an Assignee in respect of such Unit. Limited Partners
may include custodians, nominees or any other individual or entity in its own or
any representative capacity.
10.3.3 Each
distribution in respect of Units shall be paid by the Partnership, directly or
through the Transfer Agent or through any other Person or agent, only to the
Record Holders thereof as of the Record Date set for the distribution. Such
payment shall constitute full payment and satisfaction of the Partnership’s
liability in respect of such payment, regardless of any claim of any Person who
may have an interest in such payment by reason of an assignment or
otherwise.
10.3.4 A
transferee who has completed and delivered a Transfer Application provided by
the seller of the Units (or if purchased on an exchange directly from the
Partnership), shall be deemed to have (i) requested admission as a Substituted
Limited Partner, (ii) agreed to comply with and be bound by and to have executed
this Agreement, (iii) represented and warranted that such transferee has the
capacity and authority to enter into this Agreement, (iv) made the powers of
attorney set forth in this Agreement, and (v) given the consents and made the
waivers contained in this Agreement.
10.4
Restrictions on
Transfers.
Notwithstanding the other provisions of this
Article 10, no transfer of any Unit or interest therein of any Limited Partner
or Assignee shall be made if such transfer would (a) violate the then applicable
federal or state securities laws or rules and regulations of the SEC, any state
securities commission, the CFTC, or any other governmental authorities with
jurisdiction over such transfer, (b) cause the Partnership to be taxable as a
corporation or (c) affect the Partnership’s existence or qualification as a
limited partnership under the Act. The General Partner may request each Record
Holder to furnish certain information, including that holder’s nationality,
citizenship or other related status. A transferee who is not a U.S. resident may
not be eligible to become a Record Holder or a Limited Partner if such ownership
would subject the Partnership to the risk of cancellation or forfeiture of any
of its assets under any federal, state or local law or regulation. If the Record
Holder fails to furnish the information or if the General Partner determines, on
the basis of the information furnished by the holder in response to the request,
that such holder is not qualified to become a Limited Partner, the General
Partner may be substituted as a holder for the Record Holder, who will then be
treated as a non-citizen assignee, and the Partnership will have the right to
redeem those securities held by the Record Holder.
10.5
Tax
Certificates.
10.5.1 All
Limited Partners or Assignees (or, if the Limited Partner or Assignee is a
nominee holding for the account of a Beneficial Owner, the Beneficial Owner) are
required to provide the Partnership with a properly completed Tax
Certificate.
10.5.2 If
a Limited Partner or Assignee (or, if the Limited Partner or Assignee is a
nominee holding for the account of a Beneficial Owner, the Beneficial Owner)
fails to provide the Partnership with a properly completed Tax Certificate, the
General Partner may request at any time and from time to time, that such Limited
Partner or Assignee (or Beneficial Owner) shall, within 15 days after request
(whether oral or written) therefore by the General Partner, furnish to the
Partnership, a properly completed Tax Certificate. If a Limited Partner or
Assignee fails to furnish to the General Partner within the aforementioned
15-day period such Tax Certificate, the Units owned by such Limited Partner or
Assignee (or in the case of a Limited Partner or Assignee that holds Units on
behalf of a Beneficial Owner, the Units held on behalf of the Beneficial Owner)
shall be subject to redemption in accordance with the provisions of Article
10.6.
10.6
Redemption of Units for Failure to
Provide Tax Certificate.
10.6.1 If
at any time a Limited Partner or Assignee fails to furnish a properly completed
Tax Certificate within the 15-day period specified in Article 10.5.2, the
Partnership may redeem the Units of such Limited Partner or Assignee as
follows:
(a) The
General Partner shall not later than the tenth (10th) Business Day before the
date fixed for redemption, give notice of redemption to the Limited Partner or
Assignee, at its last address designated on the records of the Partnership or
the Transfer Agent, by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid. The notice
shall be deemed to have been given when so mailed (the
“Notice Date”
). The notice
shall specify the Redeemable Units, the date fixed for redemption, the place of
payment, and that payment of the redemption price will be made upon surrender of
the certification evidencing the Redeemable Units.
(b) The
aggregate redemption price for Redeemable Units shall be an amount equal to the
market price as of the Close of Business on the Business Day immediately prior
to the date fixed for redemption of Units to be so redeemed multiplied by the
number of Units included among the Redeemable Units. The redemption price shall
be paid in the sole discretion of the General Partner, in cash or by delivery of
a promissory note of the Partnership in the principal amount of the redemption
price, bearing interest at the Prime Rate (as established by the Federal Reserve
Board) and payable in three equal annual installments of principal together with
accrued interest commencing one year after the redemption date.
(c) Upon
surrender by or on behalf of the Limited Partner or Assignee, at the place
specified in the notice of redemption, of the certification evidencing the
Redeemable Units, duly endorsed in blank or accompanied by an assignment duly
executed in blank, the Limited Partner or Assignee or its duly authorized
representative shall be entitled to receive the payment therefore.
(d) In
the event the Partnership is required to pay withholding tax or otherwise
withhold any amount on behalf of, or with respect to, a Limited Partner or
Assignee (or Beneficial Owner) who has failed to provide a properly completed
Tax Certificate, such amounts paid or withheld by the Partnership shall be
deemed to have been paid to such Limited Partner or Assignee (or Beneficial
Owner) as part of the redemption price for the Redeemable Units and the
Partnership shall reduce the amount of the payment made to such Limited Partner
or Assignee (or Beneficial owner) in redemption of such Redeemable Units by any
amounts so withheld.
10.6.2 After
the Notice Date, Redeemable Units shall no longer constitute issued and
Outstanding Units and no allocations or distributions shall be made with respect
to such Redeemable Units. In addition, after the Notice Date, the Redeemable
Units shall not be transferable.
10.6.3 The
provisions of this Article 10.6 shall also be applicable to Units held by a
Limited Partner or Assignee as nominee of a Beneficial Owner.
ARTICLE
11
Admission
of Partners
11.1
Admission of Initial Limited
Partners and Other Creation Basket Purchases.
Subject to the
requirements of this Article 11, upon the issuance by the Partnership of Units
to the Initial Limited Partner and any other purchasers of a Creation Basket,
the General Partner shall admit the Initial Limited Partner and such other
purchasers of the Creation Basket to the Partnership as Limited Partners in
respect of the Units purchased.
11.2
Admission of Substituted Limited
Partners.
By transfer of a Unit in accordance with Article 10,
the transferor shall be deemed to have given the transferee the right to seek
admission as a Substituted Limited Partner subject to the conditions of, and in
the manner permitted under, this Agreement. A transferor of a Certificate shall,
however, only have the authority to convey to a purchaser or other transferee
who does not execute and deliver a Transfer Application (i) the right to
negotiate such Certificate to a purchaser or other transferee, and (ii) the
right to transfer the right to request admission as a Substituted Limited
Partner to such purchaser or other transferee in respect of the transferred
Units. Each transferee of a Unit (including, without limitation, any nominee
holder or an agent acquiring such Unit for the account of another Person) who
executes and delivers a Transfer Application shall, by virtue of such execution
and delivery, be an Assignee and be deemed to have applied to become a
Substituted Limited Partner with respect to the Units so transferred to such
Person. Such Assignee shall become a Substituted Limited Partner (i) at such
time as the General Partner consents thereto, which consent may be given or
withheld in the General Partner’s sole discretion, and (ii) when any such
admission is shown on the books and records of the Partnership, following the
consent of the General Partner to such admission. If such consent is
withheld, such transferee shall be an Assignee. An Assignee shall have an
interest in the Partnership equivalent to that of a Limited Partner with respect
to allocations and distributions, including, without limitation, liquidating
distributions, of the Partnership. With respect to voting rights attributable to
Units that are held by Assignees, the General Partner shall be deemed to be the
Limited Partner with respect thereto and shall, in exercising the voting rights
in respect of such Units on any matter, vote such Units at the written direction
of the Assignee who is the Record Holder of such Units. If no such written
direction is received, such Units will not be voted. An Assignee shall have none
of the other rights of a Limited Partner.
11.3
Admission of Successor General
Partner.
A successor General Partner approved pursuant to this
Article 11.3 or the transferee of or successor to all of the General Partner’s
interest pursuant to Article 10.2 who is proposed to be admitted as a successor
General Partner shall be admitted to the Partnership as the General Partner,
effective immediately prior to the withdrawal or removal of the General Partner
pursuant to Article 12 or the transfer of the General Partner’s interest
pursuant to Article 10.2; provided, however, that no such successor shall be
admitted to the Partnership until compliance with the terms of Article 10.2 has
occurred. Any such successor shall carry on the business of the Partnership
without dissolution. In each case, the admission shall be subject to the
successor General Partner executing and delivering to the Partnership an
acceptance of all of the terms and conditions of this Agreement and such other
documents or instruments as may be required to effect the
admission.
11.4
Admission of Additional Limited
Partners.
11.4.1 A
Person (other than the General Partner, an Initial Limited Partner or a
Substituted Limited Partner) who makes a Capital Contribution to the Partnership
in accordance with this Agreement shall be admitted to the Partnership as an
Additional Limited Partner only upon furnishing to the General Partner (i)
evidence of acceptance in form satisfactory to the General Partner of all of the
terms and conditions of this Agreement, including, without limitation, the power
of attorney granted in this Agreement, and (ii) such other documents or
instruments as may be required in the discretion of the General Partner to
effect such Person’s admission as an Additional Limited Partner.
11.4.2 Notwithstanding
anything to the contrary in this Article 11.4, no Person shall be admitted as an
Additional Limited Partner without the consent of the General Partner, which
consent may be given or withheld in the General Partner’s sole discretion. The
admission of any Person as an Additional Limited Partner shall become effective
on the date upon which the name of such Person is recorded on the books and
records of the Partnership, following the consent of the General Partner to such
admission.
11.5
Amendment of Agreement and
Certificate of Limited Partnership.
To effect the admission to
the Partnership of any Partner, the General Partner shall take all steps
necessary and appropriate under the Act to amend the records of the Partnership
and if necessary, to prepare as soon as practical an amendment of this Agreement
and if required by law, to prepare and file an amendment to the Certificate of
Limited Partnership and may for this purpose, among others, exercise the power
of attorney granted pursuant to Article 15.
ARTICLE
12
Withdrawal
or Removal of Partners
12.1
Withdrawal of the General
Partner.
12.1.1 The
General Partner shall be deemed to have withdrawn from the Partnership upon the
occurrence of any one of the following events (each such event herein referred
to as an
“Event of
Withdrawal”
):
(a) the
General Partner voluntarily withdraws from the Partnership by giving written
notice to the other Partners;
(b) the
General Partner transfers all of its rights as general partner pursuant to this
Agreement;
(c) the
General Partner is removed;
(d) the
General Partner (1) makes a general assignment for the benefit of creditors; (2)
files a voluntary bankruptcy petition; (3) files a petition or answer seeking
for itself a reorganization, arrangement, composition, readjustment liquidation,
dissolution or similar relief under any law; (4) files an answer or other
pleading admitting or failing to contest the material allegations of a petition
filed against the General Partner in a proceeding of the type described in
clauses (1) — (3) of this sentence; or (5) seeks, consents to or acquiesces in
the appointment of a trustee, receiver or liquidator of the General Partner or
of all or any substantial part of its properties;
(e) a
final and non-appealable judgment is entered by a court with appropriate
jurisdiction ruling that the General Partner is bankrupt or insolvent or a final
and non-appealable order for relief is entered by a court with appropriate
jurisdiction against the General Partner, in each case under any federal or
state bankruptcy or insolvency laws as now or hereafter in effect;
or
(f) a
certificate of dissolution or its equivalent is filed for the General Partner,
or 90 days expire after the date of notice to the General Partner of revocation
of its charter without a reinstatement of its charter, under the laws of its
state of incorporation.
If an
Event of Withdrawal specified in this Article 12.1.1(d), (e) or (f) occurs, the
withdrawing General Partner shall give written notice to the Limited Partners
within 30 days after such occurrence. The Partners hereby agree that only the
Events of Withdrawal described in this Article 12.1 shall result in the
withdrawal of the General Partner from the Partnership.
12.1.2 Withdrawal
of the General Partner from the Partnership upon the occurrence of an Event of
Withdrawal will not constitute a breach of this Agreement under the following
circumstances: (i) the General Partner voluntarily withdraws by giving at least
90 days’ advance notice to the Limited Partners, such withdrawal to take effect
on the date specified in such notice; or (ii) at any time that the General
Partner ceases to be a General Partner pursuant to Article 12.1.1(b) or is
removed pursuant to Article 12.2. If the General Partner gives a
notice of withdrawal pursuant to Article 12.1.1(a), holders of at least a
majority of such Outstanding Units (excluding for purposes of such determination
any Units owned by the General Partner and its Affiliates) may, prior to the
effective date of such withdrawal, elect a successor General Partner. If, prior
to the effective date of the General Partner’s withdrawal, a successor is not
selected by the Unitholders as provided herein, the Partnership shall be
dissolved in accordance with Article 13. If a successor General Partner is
elected, such successor shall be admitted immediately prior to the effective
time of the withdrawal or removal of the Departing Partner and shall continue
the business of the Partnership without dissolution.
12.2
Removal of the General
Partner.
The General Partner may be removed only if such
removal is approved by the Unitholders holding at least 66 2/3% of the
Outstanding Units (excluding for this purpose any Units held by the General
Partner and its Affiliates). Any such action by such holders for removal of the
General Partner must also provide for the election of a successor General
Partner by the Unitholders holding a majority of the Outstanding Units
(excluding for this purpose any Units held by the General Partner and its
Affiliates). Such removal shall be effective immediately following the admission
of a successor General Partner.
12.3
Withdrawal of a Limited Partner
other than the Organizational Limited Partner.
In addition to
withdrawal of a Limited Partner due to its redemption of Units constituting a
Redemption Basket under this Agreement, the General Partner may, at any time, in
its sole discretion, require any Limited Partner to withdraw entirely from the
Partnership or to withdraw a portion of its Partner Capital Account, by giving
not less than 15 days’ advance written notice to the Limited Partner thus
designated. In addition, the General Partner without notice may require at any
time, or retroactively, withdrawal of all or any portion of the Capital Account
of any Limited Partner: (i) that made a misrepresentation to the General Partner
in connection with its purchase of Units; or (ii) whose ownership of Units would
result in the violation of any law or regulations applicable to the Partnership
or a Partner. The Limited Partner thus designated shall withdraw from the
Partnership or withdraw that portion of its Partner Capital Account specified in
such notice, as the case may be, as of the Close of Business on such date as
determined by the General Partner. The Limited Partner thus designated shall be
deemed to have withdrawn from the Partnership or to have made a partial
withdrawal from its Partner Capital Account, as the case may be, without further
action on the part of said Limited Partner and the provisions of Article 17.6
shall apply.
ARTICLE
13
Termination
and Distribution
13.1
Termination.
The
Partnership shall continue in effect from the date of its formation in
perpetuity, unless sooner terminated upon the occurrence of any one or more of
the following events:
(a) The
death, adjudication of incompetence, bankruptcy, dissolution, withdrawal, or
removal of a General Partner who is the sole remaining General Partner, unless a
majority in interest of the Limited Partners within 90 days after such event
elects to continue the Partnership and appoints a successor General Partner;
or
(b) The
affirmative vote of a majority in interest of the Limited Partners; provided,
however, that any such termination shall be subject to the conditions set forth
in this Agreement.
13.2
Assumption of
Agreements.
No vote by the Limited Partners to terminate the
Partnership pursuant to Section 13.1(b) shall be effective unless, prior to or
concurrently with such vote, there shall have been established procedures for
the assumption of the Partnership’s obligations arising under any agreement to
which the Partnership is a party and which is still in force immediately prior
to such vote regarding termination, and there shall have been an irrevocable
appointment of an agent who shall be empowered to give and receive notices,
reports and payments under such agreements, and hold and exercise such other
powers as are necessary to permit all other parties to such agreements to deal
with such agent as if the agent were the sole owner of the Partnership’s
interest, which procedures are agreed to in writing by each of the other parties
to such agreements.
13.3
Distribution
13.3.1 Upon
termination of the Partnership, the affairs of the Partnership shall be wound up
and all of its debts and liabilities discharged or otherwise provided for in the
order of priority as provided by law. The fair market value of the remaining
assets of the Partnership shall then be determined by the General Partner.
Thereupon, the assets of the Partnership shall be distributed to the Partners
pro rata in accordance with their Units. Each Partner shall receive its share of
the assets in cash or in kind, and the proportion of such share that is received
in cash may vary from Partner to Partner, all as the General Partner in its sole
discretion may decide. If such distributions are insufficient to return to any
Partner the full amount of its Capital Contributions, such Partner shall have no
recourse against any other Partner.
13.3.2 The
winding up of the affairs of the Partnership and the distribution of its assets
shall be conducted exclusively by the General Partner or its successor, which is
hereby authorized to do all acts authorized by law for these purposes. Without
limiting the generality of the foregoing, the General Partner, in carrying out
such winding up and distribution, shall have full power and authority to sell
all or any of the Partnership’s assets or to distribute the same in kind to the
Partners.
ARTICLE
14
Meetings
14.1
Meeting of Limited
Partners.
Upon the written request of 20% or more in interest
of the Limited Partners, the General Partner may, but is not required to, call a
meeting of the Limited Partners. Notice of such meeting shall be given within 30
days after, and the meeting shall be held within 60 days after, receipt of such
request. The General Partner may also call a meeting not less than 20 and not
more than 60 days prior to the meeting. Any such notice shall state briefly the
purpose of the meeting, which shall be held at a reasonable time and
place.
ARTICLE
15
Power of
Attorney
15.1
Appointment.
Each
Limited Partner and each Assignee hereby constitutes and appoints each of the
General Partner and, if a liquidator shall have been selected, the liquidator
severally (and any successor to either thereof by merger, transfer, assignment,
election or otherwise) and each of their respective authorized officers and
attorneys-in-fact with full power of substitution, as its true and lawful agent
and attorney-in-fact with full power and authority in its name, place and stead
to:
(a)
execute, swear to, acknowledge, deliver, file and record in the appropriate
public offices (i) all certificates, documents and other instruments (including,
without limitation, this Agreement and the Certificate of Limited Partnership
and all amendments or restatements thereof) that the General Partner or the
liquidator deems necessary or appropriate to form, qualify or continue the
existence or qualification of the Partnership as a limited partnership (or a
partnership in which the limited partners have limited liability) in the State
of Delaware and in all other jurisdictions in which the Partnership may conduct
business or own property, (ii) all certificates, documents and other instruments
that the General Partner or the liquidator deems necessary or appropriate to
reflect, in accordance with its terms, any amendment, change, modification or
restatement of this Agreement, (iii) all certificates, documents and other
instruments (including, without limitation, conveyances and a certificate of
cancellation) that the General Partner or the liquidator deems necessary or
appropriate to reflect the dissolution and liquidation of the Partnership
pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, (iv) all certificates, documents and
other instruments relating to the admission, withdrawal, removal or substitution
of any Partner or the Capital Contribution of any Partner, (v) all certificates,
documents and other instruments relating to the determination of the rights,
preferences and privileges of Units issued, and (vi) all certificates documents
and other instruments (including, without limitation, agreements and a
certificate of merger) relating to a merger or consolidation of the
Partnership;
(b)
execute, swear to, acknowledge, deliver, file and record all ballots, consents,
approval waivers, certificates and other instruments necessary or appropriate,
in the sole discretion of the General Partner or the liquidator, to make,
evidence, give, confirm or ratify any vote, consent, approval, agreement or
other action that is made or given by the Partners hereunder or is consistent
with the terms of this Agreement or is necessary or appropriate, in the sole
discretion of the General Partner or the liquidator, to effectuate the terms or
intent of this Agreement, provided, that when required by this Agreement that
establishes a percentage of the Limited Partners or of the Limited Partners of
any class or series required to take any action, the General Partner or the
liquidator may exercise the power of attorney made in this Article 15 only after
the necessary vote, consent or approval of the Limited Partners or of the
Limited Partners of such class or series;
15.2
Survival.
The
foregoing power of attorney is hereby declared to be irrevocable and a power
coupled with an interest and it shall survive and not be affected by the
subsequent death, incompetence, disability, incapacity, dissolution, bankruptcy
or termination of any Limited Partner or Assignee and the transfer of all or any
portion of such Limited Partner’s or Assignee’s Partnership interest and shall
extend to such Limited Partners or Assignee’s heirs, successors, assigns and
personal representatives. Each such Limited Partner or Assignee hereby agrees to
be bound by any representation made by the General Partner or the liquidator
acting in good faith pursuant to such power of attorney; and each such Limited
Partner or Assignee hereby waives any and all defenses that may be available to
contest, negate or disaffirm the action of the General Partner or the liquidator
taken in good faith under such power of attorney. Each Limited Partner or
Assignee shall execute and deliver to the General Partner or the liquidator,
within 15 days after receipt of the General Partner’s or the liquidator’s
request therefor, such further designations, powers of attorney and other
instruments as the General Partner or the liquidator deems necessary to
effectuate this Agreement and the purposes of the Partnership.
ARTICLE
16
Creation
of Units
16.1
General.
The
Partnership will create and redeem Units from time to time, but only in one or
more Creation Baskets or Redemption Baskets (a block of 100,000 Units shall be
referred to as a “Basket”). The creation and redemption of Baskets will only be
made in exchange for delivery to the Partnership or the distribution by the
Partnership of the amount of United States government securities with maturities
of 2 years or less (
“Treasuries”
) and any cash
represented by the Baskets being created or redeemed, the amount of which will
be based on the combined NAV of the number of Units included in the Baskets
being created or redeemed determined on the day the order to create or redeem
Baskets is properly received.
16.2
Creation
Procedures.
On any Business Day, a Participant, may place an
order with the Partnership’s marketing agent to create one or more Baskets.
Purchase orders must be placed by 12:00 PM New York time or the close of regular
trading on the American Stock Exchange, whichever is earlier; except in the case
of the Initial Limited Partner’s initial order to purchase one or more Creation
Baskets on the first day the Baskets are to be offered and sold, when such
orders shall be placed by 9:00 AM New York time on the day agreed to by the
General Partner and the Initial Limited Partner. The day on which the marketing
agent receives a valid purchase order is the purchase order date. By placing a
purchase order, a Participant agrees to (1) deposit Treasuries, cash, or a
combination of Treasuries and cash with the Partnership, and (2) if required by
the General Partner in its sole discretion, enter into or arrange for a block
trade, an exchange for physical or exchange for swap, or any other
over-the-counter energy transaction (through itself or a designated acceptable
broker) with the Partnership for the purchase of a number and type of futures
contracts at the closing settlement price for such contracts on the
purchase order date, as specified in the purchase order form attached to the
Authorized Purchaser Agreement. Failure to consummate (1) and (2)
above shall result in the cancellation of the order. The number and type of
contracts specified shall be determined by the General Partner, in its sole
discretion, to meet the Partnership’s investment objective and shall
be purchased as a result of the Participant’s purchase of
Units. Prior to the delivery of Baskets for a purchase order, the
Participant must also have wired to the custodian the non-refundable creation
transaction fee described in this Article 16.
16.3
Determination of Required
Deposits.
The total deposit required to create each Basket
(“Creation Basket
Deposit”)
is an amount of Treasuries and cash with a value that is in the
same proportion to the total assets of the Partnership (net of estimated accrued
but unpaid fees, expenses and other liabilities) on the date the order to
purchase is properly received as the number of Units to be created under the
purchase order is in proportion to the total number of Units outstanding on the
date the order is received. The General Partner determines, in its sole
discretion or in consultation with the administrator of the Partnership, the
requirements for Treasuries that may be included in deposits to create Baskets
and publishes, or its agent publishes on its behalf, such requirements at the
beginning of each Business Day. The amount of cash deposit required is the
difference between (i) the aggregate market value of the Treasuries included in
a Creation Basket Deposit as of 4:00 PM on the date the order to purchase
properly was made and (ii) the total required deposit.
16.4
Delivery of Required
Deposits.
A Participant who places a purchase order is
responsible for transferring to the Partnership’s account with the custodian the
required amount of Treasuries and cash by the end of the third Business Day
following the purchase order date. Upon receipt of the deposit amount, the
administrator will direct DTC to credit the number of Baskets ordered to the
Participant’s DTC account on the third Business Day following the purchase order
date. The expense and risk of delivery and ownership of Treasuries until such
Treasuries have been received by the custodian on behalf of the Partnership
shall be borne solely by the Participant.
16.5
Rejection of Purchase
Orders.
The General Partner, or its marketing agent on its
behalf, may reject a purchase order or a Creation Basket Deposit if: (1) it
determines that the purchase order or the Creation Basket Deposit is not in
proper form; (2) the General Partner believes that the purchase order or the
Creation Basket Deposit would have adverse tax consequences to the Partnership
or Limited Partners; (3) the acceptance or receipt of the Creation Basket
Deposit would, in the opinion of counsel to the General Partner, be unlawful; or
(4) circumstances outside the control of the General Partner, marketing agent or
custodian make it, for all practical purposes, not feasible to process creations
of Baskets. None of the General Partner, marketing agent or custodian will be
liable for the rejection of any purchase order or Creation Basket
Deposit.
16.6
Creation Transaction
Fee.
To compensate the Partnership for its expenses in
connection with the creation of Baskets, a Participant is required to pay a
transaction fee to the Partnership of $1,000 per order to create Baskets. An
order may include multiple Baskets. The transaction fee may be reduced,
increased or otherwise changed by the General Partner. The General Partner shall
notify DTC in advance of any change in the transaction fee and will not
implement any increase in the fee for the creation of Baskets until 30 days
after the date of the notice.
ARTICLE
17
Redemption
of Units
17.1
General.
The
procedures by which a Participant can redeem one or more Baskets mirror the
procedures for the creation of Baskets. On any Business Day, a Participant may
place an order with the marketing agent to redeem one or more Baskets.
Redemption orders must be placed by 12:00 PM New York time or the close of
regular trading on the American Stock Exchange, whichever is earlier. A
redemption order so received is effective on the date it is received in
satisfactory form by the marketing agent. The day on which the marketing agent
receives a valid redemption order is the redemption order date. By placing a
redemption order, a Participant agrees to (1) deliver the redemption basket to
be redeemed through DTC’s book-entry system to the Partnership’s account with
its custodian not later than 3:00 PM New York time on the third Business Day
following the effective date of the redemption order, and (2) if required by the
General Partner in its sole discretion, enter into or arrange for a block trade,
an exchange for physical or exchange for swap, or any other over-the-counter
energy transaction (through itself or a designated acceptable broker) with the
Partnership for the sale of a number and type of futures contracts at the
closing settlement price for such contracts on the redemption order
date, as specified in the redemption order form attached to the Authorized
Purchaser Agreement. Failure to consummate (1) and (2) above
shall result in the cancellation of the order. The number and type of contracts
specified shall be determined by the General Partner, in its sole discretion, to
meet the Partnership’s investment objective and shall be sold as a result of the
Participant’s sale of Units. Prior to the delivery of the redemption
distribution for a redemption order, the Participant must also have wired to the
Partnership’s account with the custodian the non-refundable redemption
transaction fee described in this Article 17.
17.2
Determination of Redemption
Distribution.
The redemption distribution from the Partnership
consists of a transfer to the redeeming Participant of an amount of Treasuries
and/or cash with a value that is in the same proportion to the total assets of
the Partnership (net of estimated accrued but unpaid fees, expenses and other
liabilities) on the date the order to redeem is properly received as the number
of Units to be redeemed under the redemption order is in proportion to the total
number of Units outstanding on the date the order to redeem is received. The
General Partner, directly or through its agent, will determine the requirements
for Treasuries and the amount of cash, including the maximum permitted remaining
maturity of a Treasury, and the proportions of Treasuries and cash, that may be
included in distributions to redeem Baskets. The marketing agent will publish
such requirements as of 4:00 PM New York time on the redemption order
date.
17.3
Delivery of Redemption
Distribution.
The redemption distribution due from the
Partnership is delivered to the Participant by 3:00 PM New York time on the
third Business Day following the redemption order date if, by 3:00 PM New York
time on such third Business Day, the Partnership’s DTC account has been credited
with the Baskets to be redeemed. If the Partnership’s DTC account has not been
credited with all of the Baskets to be redeemed by such time, the redemption
distribution is delivered to the extent of whole Baskets received. Any remainder
of the redemption distribution is delivered on the next Business Day to the
extent of remaining whole Baskets received if the Partnership (1) receives the
fee applicable to the extension of the redemption distribution date which the
General Partner may, from time to time, determine and (2) the remaining Baskets
to be redeemed are credited to the Partnership’s DTC account by 3:00 PM New York
time on such next Business Day. Any further remaining amount of the redemption
order shall be cancelled and the Participant will indemnify the Partnership for
any losses, if any, due to such cancellation, including but not limited to the
difference in the price of investments sold as a result of the redemption order
and investments made to reflect that such order has been cancelled. The
custodian is also authorized to deliver the redemption distribution
notwithstanding that the Baskets to be redeemed are not credited to the
Partnership’s DTC account by 3:00 PM New York time on the third Business Day
following the redemption order date if the Participant has collateralized its
obligation to deliver the Baskets through DTC’s book entry system on such terms
as the General Partner may from time to time determine.
17.4
Suspension or Rejection of
Redemption orders.
The General Partner may, in its discretion,
suspend the right of redemption, or postpone the redemption settlement date, (1)
for any period during which any of the New York Mercantile Exchange, the
American Stock Exchange or the New York Stock Exchange is closed other than
customary weekend or holiday closings, or trading on the American Stock Exchange
is suspended or restricted, (2) for any period during which an emergency exists
as a result of which delivery, disposal or evaluation of Treasuries is not
reasonably practicable, or (3) for such other period as the General Partner
determines to be necessary for the protection of the Limited Partners. None of
the General Partner, the marketing agent or the custodian will be liable to any
person or in any way for any loss or damages that may result from any such
suspension or postponement. The General Partner will reject a redemption order
if the order is not in proper form or if the fulfillment of the order, in the
opinion of its counsel, might be unlawful.
17.5
Redemption Transaction
Fee.
To compensate the Partnership for its expenses in
connection with the redemption of Baskets, a Participant is required to pay a
transaction fee to the Partnership of $1,000 per order to redeem Baskets. An
order may include multiple Baskets. The transaction fee may be reduced,
increased or otherwise changed by the General Partner. The General Partner shall
notify DTC in advance of any change in the transaction fee and will not
implement any increase in the fee for the redemption of Baskets until 30 days
after the date of the notice.
17.6
Required
Redemption.
The General Partner may, at any time, in its sole
discretion, require any Limited Partner to withdraw entirely from the
Partnership or to withdraw a portion of its Partner Capital Account, by giving
not less than 15 days’ advance written notice to the Limited Partner thus
designated. In addition, the General Partner without notice may require at any
time, or retroactively, withdrawal of all or any portion of the Capital Account
of any Limited Partner: (i) that the General Partner determines is a benefit
plan investor (within the meaning of the Department of Labor Regulation (s)
2510.3-101(f)(2)) in order for the assets of the Partnership not to be treated
as plan assets under ERISA; (ii) that made a misrepresentation to the General
Partner in connection with its purchase of Units; or (iii) whose ownership of
Units would result in the violation of any law or regulations applicable to the
Partnership or a Partner. The Limited Partner thus designated shall withdraw
from the Partnership or withdraw that portion of its Partner Capital Account
specified in such notice, as the case may be, as of the Close of Business on
such date as determined by the General Partner. The Limited Partner thus
designated shall be deemed to have withdrawn from the Partnership or to have
made a partial withdrawal from its Partner Capital Account, as the case may be,
without further action on the part of said Limited Partner.
ARTICLE
18
Miscellaneous
18.1
Notices.
Any
notice, offer, consent or other communication required or permitted to be given
or made hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been
sufficiently given or made when delivered personally to the party (or an officer
of the party) to whom the same is directed, or (except in the event of a mail
strike) 5 Business Days after being mailed by first-class mail, postage prepaid,
if to the Partnership or to a General Partner, or if to a Limited Partner, to
the address set forth on Exhibit B hereof. Any Partner may change its address
for the purpose of this Article by giving notice of such change to the
Partnership, such change to become effective on the tenth Business Day after
such notice is given.
18.2
Waiver of
Partition.
Each Partner hereby irrevocably waives during the
term of the Partnership any right that it may have to maintain any action for
partition with respect to any Partnership property.
18.3
Governing Law, Successors,
Severability.
This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of
the State of Delaware, as such laws are applied by Delaware courts to agreements
entered into and to be performed in Delaware by and between residents of
Delaware and shall, subject to the restrictions on transferability set forth
herein, bind and inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors, personal
representatives successors and assigns of the parties hereto. If any provision
of this Agreement shall be held to be invalid, the remainder of this Agreement
shall not be affected thereby.
18.4
Consent to
Jurisdiction.
The General Partner and the Limited Partners
hereby (i) irrevocably submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of any Delaware
state court or federal court sitting in Wilmington, Delaware in any action
arising out of or relating to this Agreement, and (ii) consent to the service of
process by mail. Nothing herein shall affect the right of any party to serve
legal process in any manner permitted by law or affect its right to bring any
action in any other court. Each party agrees that, in the event that any dispute
arising from or relating to this Agreement becomes subject to any judicial
proceeding, such party, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law,
waives any right it may otherwise have to (a) seek punitive or consequential
damages, or (b) request a trial by jury.
18.5
Entire
Agreement.
This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement
among the parties; it supercedes any prior agreement or understanding among
them, oral or written, all of which are hereby canceled. This Agreement may not
be modified or amended other than pursuant to Articles 3 and 15.
18.6
Headings.
The
headings in this Agreement are inserted for convenience of reference only and
shall not affect interpretation of this Agreement. Wherever from the context it
appears appropriate, each term stated in either the singular or the plural shall
include the singular and the plural and pronouns stated in either the masculine
or the neuter gender shall include the masculine, the feminine and the
neuter.
18.7
No Waiver.
The
failure of any Partner to seek redress for violation, or to insist on strict
performance, of any covenant or condition of this Agreement shall not prevent a
subsequent act which would have constituted a violation from having the effect
of an original violation.
18.8
Legends.
If
certificates for any interest or interests are issued evidencing a Limited
Partner’s interest in the Partnerships, each such certificate shall bear such
legends as may be required by applicable federal and state laws, or as may be
deemed necessary or appropriate by the General Partner to reflect restrictions
upon transfer contemplated herein.
18.9
Counterparts.
This
Agreement may be executed in several counterparts, each of which shall be deemed
an original but all of which shall constitute one and the same
instrument.
18.10
Relationship between the Agreement
and the Act.
Regardless of whether any provisions of this
Agreement specifically refer to particular Default Rules (as defined below), (a)
if any provision of this Agreement conflicts with a Default Rule, the provision
of this Agreement controls and the Default Rule is modified or negated
accordingly, and (b) if it is necessary to construe a Default Rule as modified
or negated in order to effectuate any provision of this Agreement, the Default
Rule is modified or negated accordingly. For purposes of this Article 18.10,
“Default Rule”
shall
mean a rule stated in the Act that applies except to the extent it is negated or
modified through the provisions of the Partnership’s certificate of limited
partnership or this Agreement.
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement on the date
first appearing above.
General
Partner
|
Victoria
Bay Asset Management, LLC
|
|
|
|
By:
|
|
/s/ Howard Mah
|
|
Name:
|
Howard
Mah
|
|
Title:
|
Management
Director
|
|
|
|
Organizational
Limited Partner
|
Wainwright
Holdings, Inc.
|
|
|
|
By:
|
|
/s/ Howard Mah
|
|
Name:
|
Howard
Mah
|
|
Title:
|
Management
Director
|
|
|
|
Initial
Limited Partner
|
Kellogg
Capital Group, LLC
|
|
|
|
By:
|
|
/s/ Stephen G. O’Grady
|
|
Name:
|
Stephen
G. O’Grady
|
|
Title:
|
Senior
Managing Director
|
|
|
Equity
Partner
|
EXHIBIT
A
FORM
OF GLOBAL CERTIFICATE
Evidencing
Units Representing Limited Partner Interests
in
United States Gasoline Fund, LP
UNLESS
THIS CERTIFICATE IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY
TRUST COMPANY, A NEW YORK CORPORATION (“DTC”), TO THE FUND OR ITS AGENT FOR
REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE OR PAYMENT, AND ANY CERTIFICATE ISSUED IS
REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR IN SUCH OTHER NAME AS IS REQUESTED
BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC (AND ANY PAYMENT IS MADE TO CEDE &
CO. OR TO SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS IS REQUIRED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF
DTC), ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO
ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL INASMUCH AS THE REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF, CEDE & CO.,
HAS AN INTEREST HEREIN.
This is
to certify that Cede & Co. is the owner and registered holder of this
Certificate evidencing the ownership of issued and outstanding Limited Partner
Units
(“Units”)
, each
of which represents a fractional undivided unit of a beneficial interest in
United States Gasoline Fund, LP (the
“Fund”
), a Delaware limited
partnership. Capitalized terms used not defined herein have the
meaning given to such terms in the Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited
Partnership, as amended, supplemented or restated to the date hereof (the
“Limited Partnership Agreement”).
At any
given time, this Certificate shall represent the limited units of beneficial
interest in the Fund purchased by a particular authorized Participant on the
date of this Certificate. The Limited Partnership Agreement of the Fund provides
for the deposit of cash with the Fund from time to time and the issuance by the
Fund of additional Creation Baskets representing the undivided units of
beneficial interest in the assets of the Fund. At the request of the registered
holder, this Certificate may be exchanged for one or more Certificates issued to
the registered holder in such denominations as the registered holder may
request; provided, however, that in the aggregate, the Certificates issued to
the registered holder hereof shall represent all Units outstanding at any given
time.
Each
authorized Participant hereby grants and conveys all of its rights, title and
interest in and to the Fund to the extent of the undivided interest represented
hereby to the registered holder of this Certificate subject to and in pursuance
of the Limited Partnership Agreement, all the terms, conditions and covenants of
which are incorporated herein as if fully set forth at length.
The
registered holder of this Certificate is entitled at any time upon tender of
this Certificate to the Fund, endorsed in blank or accompanied by all necessary
instruments of assignment and transfer in proper form, at its principal office
in the State of California and, upon payment of any tax or other governmental
charges, to receive at the time and in the manner provided in the Limited
Partnership Agreement, such holder’s ratable portion of the assets of the Fund
for each Redemption Basket tendered and evidenced by this
Certificate.
The
holder of this Certificate, by virtue of the purchase and acceptance hereof,
assents to and shall be bound by the terms of the Limited Partnership Agreement,
copies of which are on file and available for inspection at reasonable times
during business hours at the principal business office of the General
Partner.
The Fund
may deem and treat the person in whose name this Certificate is registered upon
the books of the Fund as the owner hereof for all purposes and the Fund shall
not be affected by any notice to the contrary.
The
Limited Partnership Agreement and this Certificate are executed and delivered by
Victoria Bay Asset Management, LLC as General Partner of the Fund, in the
exercise of the powers and authority conferred and vested in it by the Limited
Partnership Agreement. The representations, undertakings and agreements made on
the part of the Fund in the Limited Partnership Agreement or this Certificate
are made and intended not as personal representations, undertakings and
agreements by the General Partner, other than acting in its capacity as such,
but are made and intended for the purpose of binding only the Fund. Nothing in
the Limited Partnership Agreement or this Certificate shall be construed as
imposing any liability on the General Partner, individually or personally, to
fulfill any representation, undertaking or agreement other than as provided in
the Limited Partnership Agreement or this Certificate.
THE
HOLDER OF THIS SECURITY ACKNOWLEDGES FOR THE BENEFIT OF UNITED STATES GASOLINE
FUND, LP THAT THIS SECURITY MAY NOT BE SOLD, OFFERED, RESOLD, PLEDGED OR
OTHERWISE TRANSFERRED IF SUCH TRANSFER WOULD VIOLATE THE THEN APPLICABLE FEDERAL
OR STATE SECURITIES LAWS OR RULES AND REGULATIONS OF THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION, ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION OR ANY OTHER GOVERNMENTAL AUTHORITY
WITH JURISDICTION OVER SUCH TRANSFER, TERMINATE THE EXISTENCE OR QUALIFICATION
OF UNITED STATES GASOLINE FUND, LP UNDER THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE, OR
CAUSE UNITED STATES GASOLINE FUND, LP TO BE TREATED AS AN ASSOCIATION TAXABLE AS
A CORPORATION OR OTHERWISE TO BE TAXED AS AN ENTITY FOR FEDERAL INCOME TAX
PURPOSES (TO THE EXTENT NOT ALREADY SO TREATED OR TAXED). VICTORIA BAY ASSET
MANAGEMENT, LLC, THE GENERAL PARTNER OF UNITED STATES GASOLINE FUND, LP, MAY
IMPOSE ADDITIONAL RESTRICTIONS ON THE TRANSFER OF THIS SECURITY IF IT RECEIVES
AN OPINION OF COUNSEL THAT SUCH RESTRICTIONS ARE NECESSARY TO AVOID A
SIGNIFICANT RISK OF UNITED STATES GASOLINE FUND, LP BECOMING TAXABLE AS A
CORPORATION OR OTHERWISE BECOMING TAXABLE AS AN ENTITY FOR FEDERAL INCOME TAX
PURPOSES. THE RESTRICTIONS SET FORTH ABOVE SHALL NOT PRECLUDE THE SETTLEMENT OF
ANY TRANSACTIONS INVOLVING THIS SECURITY ENTERED INTO THROUGH THE FACILITIES OF
ANY NATIONAL SECURITIES EXCHANGE ON WHICH THIS SECURITY IS LISTED OR ADMITTED TO
TRADING.
This
Certificate shall not become valid or binding for any purpose until properly
executed by the General Partner.
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the General Partner of the Fund has caused this Certificate to
be executed in its name by the manual or facsimile signature of one of its
Authorized Persons.
Victoria
Bay Asset Management, LLC,
|
as
General Partner
|
By:
|
|
|
Date:
|
EXHIBIT
B
ADDRESSES
FOR NOTICE
Victoria
Bay Asset Management, LLC
1320
Harbor Bay Parkway, Suite 145
Alameda,
California 9450
with a
copy to
Brown
Brothers Harriman & Co.
40 Water
Street
Boston,
MA 02109
Attention:
Manager, Fund Administration Department
EXHIBIT
C
APPLICATION
FOR TRANSFER OF UNITS
Transferees
of Units must execute and deliver this application to
United States Gasoline Fund, LP, c/o
Victoria Bay Asset Management, LLC, 1320 Harbor Bay Parkway, Suite 145, Alameda,
California 94502,
to be admitted as limited partners to United States
Gasoline Fund, LP.
The
undersigned (
“Assignee”
) hereby applies
for transfer to the name of the Assignee of the Units evidenced hereby and
hereby certifies to United States Gasoline Fund, LP (the
“Partnership”
) that the
Assignee (including to the best of Assignee’s knowledge, any person for whom the
Assignee will hold the Units) is an Eligible Holder.*
The
Assignee (a) requests admission as a Limited Partner and agrees to comply with
and be bound by, and hereby executes, the Amended and Restated Agreement of
Limited Partnership of the Partnership, as amended, supplemented or restated to
the date hereof (the
“Limited
Partnership Agreement”
), (b) represents and warrants that the Assignee
has all right, power and authority and, if an individual, the capacity necessary
to enter into the Limited Partnership Agreement, (c) appoints the General
Partner of the Partnership and, if a Liquidator shall be appointed, the
Liquidator of the Partnership as the Assignee’s attorney-in-fact to execute,
swear to, acknowledge and file any document, including, without limitation, the
Limited Partnership Agreement and any amendment thereto and the Certificate of
Limited Partnership of the Partnership and any amendment thereto, necessary or
appropriate for the Assignee’s admission as a Substituted Limited Partner and as
a party to the Limited Partnership Agreement, (d) gives the powers of attorney
provided for in the Limited Partnership Agreement, and (e) makes the waivers and
gives the consents and approvals contained in the Limited Partnership Agreement.
Capitalized terms used but not defined herein have the meanings given to such
terms in the Limited Partnership Agreement.
Date:
_______________________
|
|
|
Social
Security or other identifying
|
|
Signature
of Assignee
|
number
of Assignee
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Purchase
Price including commissions, if any
|
|
Name
and Address of Assignee
|
Type of
Entity (check one):
¨
Individual
|
¨
Partnership
|
¨
Corporation
|
¨
Trust
|
¨
Other (specify)
|
|
If not an
Individual (check one):
¨
|
the
entity is subject to United States federal income taxation on the income
generated by the Partnership;
|
¨
|
the
entity is not subject to United States federal income taxation, but it is
a pass-through entity and all of its beneficial owners are subject to
United States federal income taxation on the income generated by the
Partnership;
|
¨
|
the
entity is not subject to United States federal income taxation and it is
(a) not a pass-through entity or (b) a pass-through entity, but not all of
its beneficial owners are subject to United States federal income taxation
on the income generated by the Partnership.
Important Note
— by
checking this box, the Assignee is contradicting its certification that it
is an Eligible Holder.
|
*
|
The
Term
“Eligible
Holder”
means (a) an individual or entity subject to United States
federal income taxation on the income generated by the Partnership; or (b)
an entity not subject to United States federal income taxation on the
income generated by the Partnership, so long as all of the entity’s owners
are subject to United States federal income taxation on the income
generated by the Partnership. Individuals or entities are subject to
taxation, in the context of defining an Eligible Holder, to the extent
they are taxable on the items of income and gain allocated by the
Partnership. Schedule I hereto contains a list of various types of
investors that are categorized and identified as either “Eligible Holders”
or “Non-Eligible Holders.”
|
Nationality
(check one):
¨
U.S.
Citizen, Resident or Domestic Entity**
¨
Non-resident Alien**
¨
Foreign Corporation**
** As those terms are defined in the
Code.
If the
U.S. Citizen, Resident or Domestic Entity box is checked, the following
certification must be completed.
Under
Section 1445(e) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the
“Code”
), the Partnership must
withhold tax with respect to certain transfers of property if a holder of an
interest in the Partnership is a foreign person. To inform the Partnership that
no withholding is required with respect to the undersigned interestholder’s
interest in it, the undersigned hereby certifies the following (or, if
applicable, certifies the following on behalf of the
interestholder).
Complete
Either A or B:
A.
|
Individual
Interestholder
|
1.
|
I
am not a non-resident alien for purposes of U.S. income
taxation.
|
2.
|
My
U.S. taxpayer identification number (Social Security Number) is
____________
|
3.
|
My
home address is __________________
|
B.
|
Partnership,
Corporation or Other Interestholder
|
1.
The interestholder is not a foreign corporation, foreign partnership,
foreign trust or foreign estate (as those terms are defined in the Code and
Treasury Regulations).
2.
The interestholder’s U.S. employer identification number is
__________________
3.
The interestholder’s office address and place of incorporation (if applicable)
is __________________
The
interestholder agrees to notify the Partnership within sixty (60) days of the
date the interestholder becomes a foreign person.
The
interestholder understands that this certificate may be disclosed to the
Internal Revenue Service by the Partnership and that any false statement
contained herein could be punishable by fine, imprisonment or both.
Under
penalties of perjury, I declare that I have examined this certification and, to
the best of my knowledge and belief, it is true, correct and complete and, if
applicable, I further declare that I have authority to sign this document on
behalf of:
Note: If
the Assignee is a broker, dealer, bank, trust company, clearing corporation,
other nominee holder or an agent of any of the foregoing, and is holding for the
account of any other person, this application should be completed by an officer
thereof or, in the case of a broker or dealer, by a registered representative
who is a member of a registered national securities exchange or a member of
FINRA, or, in the case of any other nominee holder, a person performing a
similar function. If the Assignee is a broker, dealer, bank, trust company,
clearing corporation, other nominee owner or an agent of any of the foregoing,
the above certification as to any person for whom the Assignee will hold the
Units shall be made to the best of the Assignee’s knowledge.
Exhibit
10.4
EXECUTION
COPY
CUSTODIAN
AGREEMENT
THIS CUSTODIAN
AGREEMENT
(this “Agreement”), dated as of January 16, 2008, is entered
into among
UNITED STATES
GASOLINE FUND, LP
, a limited partnership organized under the laws of the
State of Delaware (the
Fund
),
VICTORIA BAY ASSET MANAGEMENT,
LLC
, a Delaware limited liability company and General Partner of the Fund
(the
General Partner
),
and
BROWN BROTHERS HARRIMAN
& CO.
, a limited partnership formed under the laws of the State of
New York (
BBH&Co.
or
the
Custodian
),
WITNESSETH:
WHEREAS
,
the General Partner has exclusive responsibility for the management and control
of the business and affairs of the Fund; and
WHEREAS
,
the General Partner wishes to employ BBH&Co. to act as custodian for the
Fund’s Investments (as defined in Section 13.15) and to provide related
services, all as provided herein, and BBH&Co. is willing to accept such
employment, subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth;
NOW,
THEREFORE
, in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements herein
contained, the Fund and BBH&Co. hereby agree, as follows:
1.
Appointment of
Custodian.
The Fund and the General Partner hereby
appoint BBH&Co. as the Fund’s custodian for its Investments, and BBH&Co.
hereby accepts such appointment. All Investments of the Fund
delivered to the Custodian or its agents or Subcustodians (as defined in Section
13) shall be dealt with as provided in this Agreement. The duties of
the Custodian with respect to the Fund’s Investments shall be only as set forth
expressly in this Agreement, which duties are generally comprised of safekeeping
and various administrative duties that will be performed in accordance with
Instructions and as reasonably required to effect Instructions.
2.
Representations,
Warranties and Covenants of the Fund.
The Fund and the
General Partner each hereby represents, warrants and covenants each of the
following:
2.1 This
Agreement has been, and at the time of delivery of each Instruction (as defined
in Section 4) such Instruction will have been, duly authorized, executed and
delivered by the Fund and the General Partner. This Agreement does
not violate any Applicable Law (as defined in Section 13) or conflict with or
constitute a default under the Fund’s prospectus or other organic document,
agreement, judgment, order or decree to which the Fund or the General Partner is
a party or by which it or its Investments is bound.
2.2 By
providing an Instruction with respect to the first acquisition of an Investment
in a jurisdiction other than the United States of America, the Fund and the
General Partner shall be deemed to have confirmed to the Custodian that the Fund
has (a) made all determinations required to be made by the Fund under Applicable
Law, and (b) appropriately and adequately disclosed to its unitholders and all
persons who have rights in or to such Investments, all material investment
risks, including those relating to the custody and settlement infrastructure or
the servicing of securities in such jurisdiction.
2.3 The
Fund and the General Partner shall safeguard and shall be solely responsible for
the safekeeping of any testkeys, identification codes, passwords, other security
devices or statements of account with which the Custodian provides
them. In furtherance and not limitation of the foregoing, in the
event the Fund and/or the General Partner utilizes any on-line service offered
by the Custodian, the Fund, the General Partner and the Custodian shall be fully
responsible for the security of each party’s respective connecting terminal,
access thereto and the proper and authorized use thereof and the initiation and
application of continuing effective safeguards in respect
thereof. Additionally, if the Fund and/or the General Partner uses
any on-line or similar communications service made available by the Custodian,
the Fund and the General Partner shall be solely responsible for ensuring the
security of their access to the service and for the use of the service, and
shall only attempt to access the service and the Custodian’s computer systems as
directed by the Custodian. If the Custodian provides any computer
software to the Fund and/or the General Partner relating to the services
described in this Agreement, the Fund and/or the General Partner will only use
the software for the purposes for which the Custodian provided the software to
the Fund and/or the General Partner, and will abide by the license agreement
accompanying the software and any other security policies which the Custodian
provides to the Fund and the General Partner.
3.
Representations
and Warranties of BBH&Co.
BBH&Co. hereby represents
and warrants that this Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and
delivered by BBH&Co. and does not violate any Applicable Law or conflict
with or constitute a default under BBH&Co.’s limited partnership agreement
or any agreement, instrument, judgment, order or decree to which BBH&Co. is
a party or by which it is bound.
4.
Instructions.
Unless
otherwise explicitly indicated herein, the Custodian shall perform its duties
pursuant to Instructions. As used herein, the term
Instruction
shall mean a
directive initiated by the Fund and/or the General Partner, acting directly or
through its board of directors, officers or other Authorized Persons, which
directive shall conform to the requirements of this Section 4.
4.1
Authorized
Persons.
For purposes hereof, an
Authorized Person
shall be a
person or entity authorized to give Instructions for or on behalf of the Fund
and/or the General Partner by written notices to the Custodian or otherwise
in accordance with procedures delivered to and acknowledged by the
Custodian, including without limitation the Fund’s Investment Advisor (as
defined in Section 13). The Custodian may treat any Authorized Person
as having full authority of the Fund and/or the General Partner to issue
Instructions hereunder unless the notice of authorization contains explicit
limitations as to said authority. The Custodian shall be entitled to
rely upon the authority of Authorized Persons until it receives appropriate
written notice from the Fund to the contrary.
The Fund hereby designates the
Marketing Agent (as such term is defined under an Authorized Purchaser Agreement
entered into by the General Partner on behalf of the Fund, as approved by the
Custodian (the
Authorized
Purchaser Agreement
)) as an Authorized Person from whom the Custodian is
hereby authorized to receive Instructions to accept deposits of cash and
securities in connection with the purchase of Units (as such term is defined
under the Authorized Purchaser Agreement) and the distribution of cash and
securities in connection with the redemption of Units.
4.2
Form of
Instruction.
Each Instruction shall be transmitted by such
secured or authenticated electro-mechanical means as the Custodian shall make
available to the Fund from time to time unless the Fund and/or the General
Partner shall elect to transmit such Instruction in accordance with Subsections
4.2.1 through 4.2.3 of this Section.
4.2.1
Fund
Designated Secured-Transmission Method.
Instructions may be transmitted
through a secured or tested electro-mechanical means identified by the Fund, the
General Partner or by an Authorized Person entitled to give Instructions and
acknowledged and accepted by the Custodian; it being understood that such
acknowledgment shall authorize the Custodian to receive and process such means
of delivery but shall not represent a judgment by the Custodian as to the
reasonableness or security of the method determined by the Authorized
Person.
4.2.2
Written
Instructions.
Instructions may be transmitted in a writing
that bears the manual signature of Authorized Persons.
4.2.3
Other Forms
of Instruction.
Instructions may also be transmitted by
another means determined by the Fund, the General Partner or Authorized Persons
and acknowledged and accepted by the Custodian (subject to the same limits as to
acknowledgements as is contained in Subsection 4.2.1, above) including
Instructions given orally or by SWIFT, telex or telefax (whether tested or
untested).
When an
Instruction is given by means established under Subsections 4.2.1 through 4.2.3,
it shall be the responsibility of the Custodian to use reasonable care to adhere
to any security or other procedures established in writing between the Custodian
and the Authorized Person with respect to such means of Instruction, but such
Authorized Person shall be solely responsible for determining that the
particular means chosen is reasonable under the circumstances. Oral Instructions
shall be binding upon the Custodian only if and when the Custodian takes action
with respect thereto. With respect to telefax instructions, the
parties agree and acknowledge that receipt of legible instructions cannot be
assured, that the Custodian cannot verify that authorized signatures on telefax
instructions are original or properly affixed, and that the Custodian shall not
be liable for losses or expenses incurred through actions taken in reliance on
inaccurately stated, illegible or unauthorized telefax
instructions. The provisions of Section 4A of the Uniform Commercial
Code as currently in effect in the State of New York shall apply to the Fund’s
transfers performed in accordance with Instructions. The Funds
Transfer Services Schedule (as defined in Section 13) and the Electronic and
Online Services Schedule to this Agreement shall each comprise a designation of
form of a means of delivering Instructions for purposes of this Section
4.2.
4.3
Completeness and
Contents of Instructions.
The Authorized Person shall be responsible for
assuring the adequacy and accuracy of Instructions. Particularly,
upon any acquisition or disposition or other dealing in the Fund’s Investments
and upon any delivery and transfer of any Investment or moneys, the person
initiating such Instruction shall give the Custodian an Instruction with
appropriate detail, including, without limitation:
4.3.1 The
transaction date and the date and location of settlement;
4.3.2 The
specification of the type of transaction;
4.3.3 A
description of the Investments or moneys in question, including, as appropriate,
quantity, price per unit, amount of money to be received or delivered and
currency information. Where an Instruction is communicated by
electronic means, or otherwise where an Instruction contains an identifying
number such as a CUSIP, SEDOL or ISIN number, the Custodian shall be entitled to
rely on such number as controlling notwithstanding any inconsistency contained
in such Instruction, particularly with respect to the Investment description;
and
4.3.4 The
name of the broker or similar entity concerned with execution of the
transaction.
If the Custodian shall determine that
an Instruction is either unclear or incomplete, the Custodian may give prompt
notice of such determination to the Fund and/or the General Partner, and the
Fund and/or the General Partner shall thereupon amend or otherwise reform such
Instruction. In such event, the Custodian shall have no obligation to
take any action in response to the Instruction initially delivered until the
redelivery of an amended or reformed Instruction.
4.4
Timeliness of
Instructions.
In giving an Instruction, the Fund and/or the
General Partner shall take into consideration delays which may occur due to the
involvement of a Subcustodian or agent, differences in time zones, and other
factors particular to a given market, exchange or issuer. When the
Custodian has established specific timing requirements or deadlines with respect
to particular classes of Instruction, or when an Instruction is received by the
Custodian at such a time that it could not reasonably be expected to have acted
on such Instruction due to time zone differences or other factors beyond its
reasonable control, the execution of any Instruction received by the Custodian
after such deadline or at such time (including any modification or revocation of
a previous Instruction) shall be at the risk of the Fund.
5.
Safekeeping of
Fund Assets.
The Custodian shall hold Investments delivered to
it or Subcustodians for the Fund in accordance with the provisions of this
Section. The Custodian shall not be responsible for (a) the
safekeeping of Investments not delivered or that are not caused to be issued to
it or its Subcustodians; (b) pre-existing faults or defects in Investments that
are delivered to the Custodian or its Subcustodians; or (c) the safekeeping of
Gasoline Interests and Gasoline Forward Contracts (each as defined in the Fund’s
prospectus). The Custodian is hereby authorized to hold with itself
or a Subcustodian, and to record in one or more accounts, all Investments
delivered to and accepted by the Custodian, any Subcustodian or their respective
agents pursuant to an Instruction or in consequence of any corporate
action. The Custodian shall hold Investments for the account of the
Fund and shall segregate Investments from assets belonging to the Custodian and
shall cause its Subcustodians to segregate Investments from assets belonging to
the Subcustodian in an account held for the Fund or in an account maintained by
the Subcustodian generally for non-proprietary assets of the
Custodian.
5.1
Use of Securities
Depositories.
The Custodian may deposit and maintain Investments in any
Securities Depository (as defined in Section 13), either directly or through one
or more Subcustodians appointed by the Custodian. Investments held in
a Securities Depository shall be held (a) subject to the agreement, rules,
statement of terms and conditions or other document or conditions effective
between the Securities Depository and the Custodian or the Subcustodian, as the
case may be, and (b) in an account for the Fund or in bulk segregation in an
account maintained for the non-proprietary assets of the entity holding such
Investments in the Securities Depository. If market practice or the
rules and regulations of the Securities Depository prevent the Custodian, the
Subcustodian or any agent of either from holding its client assets in such a
separate account, the Custodian, the Subcustodian or other agent shall as
appropriate segregate such Investments for benefit of the Fund or for the
benefit of clients of the Custodian generally on its own books.
5.2
Certificated
Assets.
Investments which are certificated may be held in
registered or bearer form: (a) in the Custodian’s vault; (b) in the vault of a
Subcustodian or agent of the Custodian or a Subcustodian; or (c) in an account
maintained by the Custodian, Subcustodian or agent at a Securities Depository;
all in accordance with customary market practice in the jurisdiction in which
any Investments are held.
5.3
Registered
Assets
.
Investments which
are registered may be registered in the name of the Custodian, a Subcustodian,
or in the name of the Fund or a nominee for any of the foregoing, and may be
held in any manner set forth in Section 5.2 above with or without any
identification of fiduciary capacity in such registration.
5.4
Book Entry
Assets.
Investments which are represented by book-entry may be
so held in an account maintained by the Book-entry Agent (as defined in Section
13) on behalf of the Custodian, a Subcustodian or another agent of the
Custodian, or a Securities Depository.
5.5
Replacement of
Lost Investments.
In the event of a loss of Investments for
which the Custodian is responsible under the terms of this Agreement, the
Custodian shall replace such Investment, or in the event that such replacement
cannot be effected, the Custodian shall pay to the Fund the fair market value of
such Investment based on the last available price as of the close of business in
the relevant market on the date that a claim was first made to the Custodian
with respect to such loss, or, if less, such other amount as shall be agreed by
the parties as the date for settlement.
6.
Administrative
Duties of the Custodian.
The Custodian shall perform the following
administrative duties with respect to Investments of the Fund.
6.1
Purchase of
Investments.
Pursuant to Instructions, Investments purchased for the
account of the Fund shall be paid for (a) against delivery thereof to the
Custodian or a Subcustodian, as the case may be, either directly or through a
Clearing Corporation (as defined in Section 13) or a Securities Depository (in
accordance with the rules of such Securities Depository or such Clearing
Corporation), or (b) otherwise in accordance with an Instruction, Applicable
Law, generally accepted trade practices, or the terms of the instrument
representing such Investment.
6.2
Sale of
Investments.
Pursuant to Instructions, Investments sold for
the account of the Fund shall be delivered (a) against payment therefor in cash,
by check or by bank wire transfer, (b) by credit to the account of the Custodian
or the applicable Subcustodian, as the case may be, with a Clearing Corporation
or a Securities Depository (in accordance with the rules of such Securities
Depository or such Clearing Corporation), or (c) otherwise in accordance with an
Instruction, Applicable Law, generally accepted trade practices, or the terms of
the instrument representing such Investment.
6.3
Delivery and
Receipt in Connection with Borrowings of the Fund or other Collateral and Margin
Requirements.
Pursuant to Instructions and subject to the last
sentence in Section 6.4 below, the Custodian may deliver or receive Investments
or cash of the Fund in connection with borrowings or loans by the Fund and other
collateral and margin requirements.
6.4
Futures and
Over-the-Counter (OTC) Contracts.
If, pursuant to an
Instruction, the Custodian shall become a party to an agreement with the Fund
and a futures commission merchant regarding margin or a counterparty to an OTC
contract (
Tri-Party
Agreement
), the Custodian shall (a) receive and retain, to the extent the
same is provided to the Custodian, confirmations or other documents evidencing
the purchase or sale by the Fund of exchange-traded futures contracts or the
entering into of an option, forward or other derivatives transaction by the
Fund; (b) when required by such Tri-Party Agreement, deposit and maintain in an
account opened pursuant to such Agreement (
Margin Account
) segregated
either physically or by book-entry in a Securities Depository for the benefit of
any futures commission merchant, such Investments as the Fund shall have
designated as initial, maintenance or variation “margin” deposits or other
collateral intended to secure the Fund’s performance of its obligations under
the terms of any exchange-traded futures contracts and commodity options; and
(c) thereafter pay, release or transfer Investments into or out of the Margin
Account in accordance with the provisions of such Tri-Party Agreement.
Alternatively, the Custodian may deliver Investments, in accordance with an
Instruction, to a futures commission merchant for margin purposes or to the
counterparty or its custodian. The Custodian shall in no event be
responsible for the acts and omissions of any futures commission merchant or the
counterparty or its custodian, to whom Investments are delivered pursuant to
this Section; for the sufficiency of Investments held in any Margin Account; for
funding margin deposits or otherwise providing Advances (as defined in Section
13) for the purpose of margin or other collateral in any Margin Account; or, for
the performance of any terms of any exchange-traded futures contracts, commodity
options, forward contracts and other derivative transactions. In
addition, the Custodian shall not be required to transfer margin or any other
assets of the Fund to a Margin Account if at the time of such request, such
transfer would reduce the aggregate market value of all unencumbered securities,
cash, cash equivalents and other unencumbered liquid assets of the Fund in the
custody of the Custodian to less than ten (10) percent of the then current net
asset value of the Fund.
6.5
Contractual
Obligations and Similar Investments.
From time to time, the
Fund’s Investments may include Investments that are not ownership interests as
may be represented by certificate (whether registered or bearer), by entry in a
Securities Depository or by book entry agent, registrar or similar agent for
recording ownership interests in the relevant Investment. If the Fund
shall at any time acquire such Investments, including without limitation deposit
obligations, loan participations, repurchase agreements and derivative
arrangements, the Custodian shall (a) receive and retain, to the extent the same
are provided to the Custodian, confirmations or other documents evidencing the
arrangement; and (b) perform on the Fund’s account in accordance with the terms
of the applicable arrangement, but only to the extent directed to do so by an
Instruction. The Custodian shall have no responsibility for
agreements running to the Fund as to which it is not a party other than to
retain, to the extent the same are provided to the Custodian, documents or
copies of documents evidencing the arrangement and, in accordance with an
Instruction, to include such arrangements in reports made to the
Fund.
6.6
Exchange of
Securities.
Unless otherwise directed by an Instruction, the
Custodian shall: (a) exchange securities held for the account of the
Fund for other securities in connection with any reorganization,
recapitalization, conversion, split-up, change of par value of shares or similar
event, and (b) deposit any such securities in accordance with the terms of any
reorganization or protective plan.
6.7
Surrender of
Securities.
Unless otherwise directed by an Instruction, the
Custodian may surrender securities: (a) in temporary form for definitive
securities; (b) for transfer into the name of an entity allowable under Section
5.3; and (c) for a different number of certificates or instruments representing
the same number of shares or the same principal amount of
indebtedness.
6.8
Rights, Warrants,
Etc.
Pursuant to an Instruction, the Custodian shall (a)
deliver warrants, puts, calls, rights or similar securities to the issuer or
trustee thereof, or to any agent of such issuer or trustee, for purposes of
exercising such rights or selling such securities, and (b) deposit securities in
response to any invitation for the tender thereof.
6.9
Mandatory
Corporate Actions.
Unless otherwise directed by an
Instruction, the Custodian shall: (a) comply with the terms of all mandatory or
compulsory exchanges, calls, tenders, redemptions or similar rights of
securities ownership affecting securities held on the Fund’s account and
promptly notify the Fund of such action, and (b) collect all stock dividends,
rights and other items of like nature with respect to such
securities.
6.10
Income
Collection.
Unless otherwise directed by an Instruction, the
Custodian shall collect any amount due and payable to the Fund with respect to
Investments and promptly credit the amount collected to a Principal Account or
an Agency Account (each defined in Section 13); provided, however, that the
Custodian shall not be responsible for: (a) the collection of amounts due and
payable with respect to Investments that are in default, or (b) the collection
of cash or share entitlements with respect to Investments that are
not registered in the name of the Custodian or its
Subcustodians. The Custodian is hereby authorized to endorse and
deliver any instrument required to be so endorsed and delivered to effect
collection of any amount due and payable to the Fund with respect to
Investments.
6.11
Ownership
Certificates and Disclosure of the Fund’s Interest
.
The Custodian is
hereby authorized to execute on behalf of the Fund ownership certificates,
affidavits or other disclosure required under Applicable Law or established
market practice in connection with the receipt of income, capital gains or other
payments by the Fund with respect to Investments, or in connection with the
sale, purchase or ownership of Investments.
With
respect to securities issued in the United States of America, the Custodian
[ ] may [ X ] may not release the identity of the
Fund to an issuer which requests such information pursuant to the Shareholder
Communications Act of 1985 for the specific purpose of direct communications
between such issuer and the Fund. IF NO BOX IS CHECKED, THE CUSTODIAN
SHALL RELEASE
SUCH INFORMATION UNTIL IT RECEIVES CONTRARY INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE
FUND. With respect to securities issued outside of the United States
of America, information shall be released in accordance with law or custom of
the particular country in which such security is located.
6.12
Proxy Materials.
The Custodian shall deliver, or cause to be delivered, to the Fund proxy
forms, notices of meeting, and any other notices or announcements materially
affecting or relating to Investments received by the Custodian or any
nominee.
6.13
Taxes.
The
Custodian shall, where applicable, assist the Fund in the reclamation of taxes
withheld on dividends and interest payments received by the Fund. In
the performance of its duties with respect to tax withholding and reclamation,
the Custodian shall be entitled to rely on the advice of counsel and upon
information and advice regarding the Fund’s tax status that is received from or
on behalf of the Fund without duty of separate inquiry.
6.14
Other
Dealings.
The Custodian shall otherwise act as directed by
Instructions, including without limitation effecting the free payments of moneys
or the free delivery of securities, provided that such Instruction shall
indicate the purpose of such payment or delivery and that the Custodian shall
record the party to whom such payment or delivery is made.
The Custodian shall attend to all
nondiscretionary details in connection with the sale or purchase or other
administration of Investments, except as otherwise directed by an Instruction,
and may make payments to itself or others for minor expenses of administering
Investments under this Agreement; provided that the Fund shall have the right to
request an accounting with respect to such expenses.
In fulfilling the duties set forth in
Sections 6.6 through 6.10 above, the Custodian shall provide to the Fund all
material information pertaining to a corporate action which the Custodian
actually receives; provided that the Custodian shall not be responsible for the
completeness or accuracy of such information. Information relative to any
pending corporate action made available to the Fund via any of the services
described in the Electronic and Online Services Schedule shall constitute the
delivery of such information by the Custodian hereunder. Any advance
credit of cash or shares expected to be received as a result of any corporate
action shall be subject to actual collection and may, when the Custodian deems
collection unlikely, be reversed by the Custodian.
The Custodian may at any time or times
in its discretion appoint (and may at any time remove) agents (other than
Subcustodians) to carry out some or all of the administrative provisions of this
Agreement (
Agents
),
provided, however, that the appointment of such agent shall not relieve the
Custodian of its administrative obligations under this Agreement.
7.
Cash Accounts,
Deposits and Money Movements.
Subject to the terms and
conditions set forth in this Section 7, the Fund and the General Partner each
hereby authorizes the Custodian to open and maintain, with itself or with
Subcustodians, cash accounts in United States Dollars, in such other currencies
as are the currencies of the countries in which the Fund maintains Investments
or in such other currencies as the Fund shall from time to time request by
Instruction.
7.1
Types of Cash
Accounts
.
Cash accounts
opened on the books of the Custodian (
Principal Accounts
) shall be
opened in the name of the Fund. Such accounts collectively shall be a
deposit obligation of the Custodian and shall be subject to the terms of this
Section 7 and the general liability provisions contained in Section
9. Cash accounts opened on the books of a Subcustodian may be opened
in the name of the Fund or the Custodian or in the name of the Custodian for its
customers generally (
Agency
Accounts
). Such deposits shall be obligations of the Subcustodian and
shall be treated as an Investment of the Fund. Accordingly, the
Custodian shall be responsible for exercising reasonable care in the
administration of such accounts but shall not be liable for their repayment in
the event such Subcustodian, by reason of its bankruptcy, insolvency or
otherwise, fails to make repayment.
7.2
Payments and
Credits with Respect to the Cash Accounts
.
The Custodian
shall make payments from or deposits to any of said accounts in the course of
carrying out its administrative duties, including but not limited to income
collection with respect to the Fund’s Investments, and otherwise in accordance
with Instructions. The Custodian and its Subcustodians shall be
required to credit amounts to the cash accounts only when moneys are actually
received in cleared funds in accordance with banking practice in the country and
currency of deposit. Any credit made to any Principal or Agency
Account before actual receipt of cleared funds shall be provisional and may be
reversed by the Custodian in the event such payment is not actually collected.
Unless otherwise specifically agreed in writing by the Custodian or any
Subcustodian, all deposits shall be payable only at the branch of the Custodian
or Subcustodian where the deposit is made or carried.
7.3
Currency and
Related Risks.
The Fund and the General Partner each bears
risks of holding or transacting in any currency, including any mark to market
exposure associated with a foreign exchange transaction undertaken with the
Custodian. The Custodian shall not be liable for any loss or
damage arising from the applicability of any law or regulation now or hereafter
in effect, or from the occurrence of any event, which may delay or affect the
transferability, convertibility or availability of any currency in the country
(a) in which such Principal or Agency Accounts are maintained or (b) in which
such currency is issued, and in no event shall the Custodian be obligated to
make payment of a deposit denominated in a currency during the period during
which its transferability, convertibility or availability has been affected by
any such law, regulation or event. Without limiting the generality of
the foregoing, neither the Custodian nor any Subcustodian shall be required to
repay any deposit made at a foreign branch of either the Custodian or
Subcustodian if such branch cannot repay the deposit due to a cause for which
the Custodian would not be responsible in accordance with the terms of Section 9
of this Agreement unless the Custodian or such Subcustodian expressly agrees in
writing to repay the deposit under such circumstances. All currency
transactions in any account opened pursuant to this Agreement are subject to
exchange control regulations of the United States and of the country where such
currency is the lawful currency or where the account is maintained. Any taxes,
costs, charges or fees imposed on the convertibility of a currency held by the
Fund shall be for the account of the Fund.
7.4
Foreign Exchange
Transactions
.
The
Custodian shall, subject to the terms of this Section, settle foreign exchange
transactions (including contracts, futures, options and options on futures) on
behalf and for the account of the Fund with such currency brokers or banking
institutions, including Subcustodians, as the Fund may direct pursuant to
Instructions. The Custodian may act as principal in any
foreign exchange transaction with the Fund in accordance with Section 7.4.2 of
this Agreement. The obligations of the Custodian in respect of
all foreign exchange transactions (whether or not the Custodian shall act as
principal in such transaction) shall be contingent on the free, unencumbered
transferability of the currency transacted on the actual settlement date of the
transaction.
7.4.1
Third Party
Foreign Exchange Transactions
.
The Custodian
shall process foreign exchange transactions (including without limitation
contracts, futures, options, and options on futures), where any third party acts
as principal counterparty to the Fund on the same basis it performs duties as
agent for the Fund with respect to any other of the Fund’s Investments.
Accordingly, the Custodian shall only be responsible for delivering or receiving
currency on behalf of the Fund in respect of such contracts pursuant to
Instructions. The Custodian shall not be responsible for the failure of any
counterparty (including any Subcustodian) in such agency transaction to perform
its obligations thereunder. The Custodian (a) shall transmit cash and
Instructions to and from the currency broker or banking institution with which a
foreign exchange contract or option has been executed pursuant hereto, (b) may
make free outgoing payments of cash in the form of United States Dollars or
foreign currency without receiving confirmation of a foreign exchange contract
or option or confirmation that the countervalue currency completing the foreign
exchange contract has been delivered or received or that the option has been
delivered or received, and (c) shall hold all confirmations, certificates and
other documents and agreements received by the Custodian and evidencing or
relating to such foreign exchange transactions in safekeeping. The
Fund accepts full responsibility for its use of third-party foreign exchange
dealers and for execution of said foreign exchange contracts and options and
understands that the Fund shall be responsible for any and all costs and
interest charges which may be incurred by the Fund or the Custodian as a result
of the failure or delay of third parties to deliver foreign
exchange.
7.4.2
Foreign Exchange
with the Custodian as Principal
.
The Custodian may as
principal undertake foreign exchange transactions with the Fund as the Custodian
and the Fund may agree from time to time. In such event, the foreign
exchange transaction will be performed in accordance with the particular
agreement of the parties, or in the event a principal foreign exchange
transaction is initiated by an Instruction in the absence of specific agreement,
such transaction will be performed in accordance with the usual commercial terms
of the Custodian. In the event that the Fund defaults on the settlement of
any such foreign exchange transaction with the Custodian, the Fund shall be
liable for contracted currency of the transaction together with any mark to
market exposure associated with the replacement purchase of the contracted
currency undertaken with the Custodian.
7.5
Delays
.
If no event of
Force Majeure shall have occurred and be continuing and in the event that a
delay shall have been caused by the negligence or willful misconduct of the
Custodian in carrying out an Instruction to credit or transfer cash, the
Custodian shall be liable to the Fund: (a) with respect to Principal
Accounts, for interest to be calculated at the rate customarily paid on such
deposit and currency by the Custodian on overnight deposits at the time the
delay occurs for the period from the day when the transfer should have been
effected until the day it is in fact effected; and, (b) with respect to Agency
Accounts, for interest to be calculated at the rate customarily paid on such
deposit and currency by the Subcustodian on overnight deposits at the time the
delay occurs for the period from the day when the transfer should have been
effected until the day it is in fact effected. The Custodian shall not be liable
for delays in carrying out such Instructions to transfer cash which are not due
to the Custodian’s own negligence or willful misconduct.
7.6
Advances.
If, for any reason in connection with this Agreement the Custodian or any
Subcustodian makes an Advance to facilitate settlement or otherwise for the
benefit of the Fund (whether or not any Principal or Agency Account shall be
overdrawn either during, or at the end of, any Business Day (defined as any day
other than a day on which the American Stock Exchange, the New York Mercantile
Exchange or the New York Stock Exchange is closed for regular trading)), the
Fund and the General Partner each hereby does:
7.6.1 acknowledge
that the Fund shall have no right, title or interest in or to any Investments
purchased with such Advance or proceeds of such Investments, and that any credit
to an account of Fund shall be provisional, until: (a) the debit of the
Principal or Agency Account by Custodian for an amount equal to Advance Costs;
and/or (b) if such debit produces an overdraft in such account, reimbursement to
the Custodian or Subcustodian for the amount of such
overdraft;
7.6.2 acknowledge
that the Custodian has an automatically perfected statutory security interest in
Investments purchased with any such Advance (as defined in Section 13) pursuant
to Section 9-206 of the Uniform Commercial Code as in effect in the State
of New York from time to time;
7.6.3 in
addition, in order to secure the obligations of the Fund to pay or perform any
and all obligations of the Fund pursuant to this Agreement, including without
limitation to repay any Advance made pursuant to this Agreement, grant to the
Custodian a security interest in all Investments and proceeds thereof (as
defined in the Uniform Commercial Code as currently in effect in the State of
New York); and agree to take, and agree that the Custodian may take, in respect
of the security interest referenced above, any further actions that the
Custodian may reasonably require.
7.7
Custodian’s
Rights
Neither the Custodian nor any Subcustodian shall be
obligated to make any Advance or to allow an Advance to occur to the Fund, and
in the event that the Custodian or any Subcustodian does make or allow an
Advance, any such Advance and any transaction giving rise to such Advance shall
be for the account and risk of the Fund and shall not be deemed to be a
transaction undertaken by the Custodian for its own account and
risk. If such Advance shall have been made or allowed by a
Subcustodian or any other person, the Custodian may assign all or part of its
security interest referenced above and any other rights granted to the Custodian
hereunder to such Subcustodian or other person. If the Fund shall
fail to repay the Advance Costs when due, the Custodian or its assignee, as the
case may be, shall be entitled to a portion of the available cash balance in any
Agency or Principal Account equal to such Advance Costs, and the Fund authorizes
the Custodian, on behalf of the Fund, to pay an amount equal to such Advance
Costs irrevocably to such Subcustodian or other person, and to dispose of any
property in such Account to the extent necessary to make such
payment. Any Investments and funds credited to accounts subject to
this Agreement created pursuant hereto shall be treated as financial assets
credited to securities accounts under Articles 8 and 9 of the Uniform Commercial
Code as in effect in the State of New York from time to
time. Accordingly, the Custodian and any Subcustodian shall have the
rights and benefits of a secured creditor that is a securities intermediary
under such Articles 8 and 9.
7.8
Integrated
Account
.
For purposes
hereof, deposits maintained in all Principal Accounts (whether or not
denominated in United States Dollars) shall collectively constitute a single and
indivisible current account with respect to the Fund’s obligations to the
Custodian or its assignee, and balances in the Principal Accounts shall be
available for satisfaction of the Fund’s obligations under this Section
7. The Custodian shall further have a right of offset against the
balances in any Agency Account maintained hereunder to the extent that the
aggregate of all Principal Accounts is overdrawn.
8.
Subcustodians and
Securities Depositories.
Subject to the provisions hereinafter
set forth in this Section 8, the Fund and the General Partner each hereby
authorizes the Custodian to utilize Securities Depositories to act on behalf of
the Fund and to appoint from time to time and to utilize Subcustodians. With
respect to securities and funds held by a Subcustodian, either directly or
indirectly (including by a Securities Depository or Clearing Corporation),
notwithstanding any provisions of this Agreement to the contrary, payment for
securities purchased and delivery of securities sold may be made prior to
receipt of securities or payment, respectively, and securities or payment may be
received in a form, in accordance with (a) governmental regulations, (b) rules
of Securities Depositories and the Clearing Corporations, (c) generally accepted
trade practice in the applicable local market, (d) the terms and characteristics
of the particular Investment, or (e) the terms of the
Instructions.
8.1
Domestic
Subcustodians and Securities Depositories
.
The Custodian may
deposit and/or maintain, either directly or through one or more agents appointed
by the Custodian, Investments of the Fund in any Securities Depository in the
United States of America, including The Depository Trust Company, provided such
Securities Depository meets applicable requirements of the Federal Reserve Bank
or of the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Custodian may, at any time and
from time to time, appoint any bank meeting the requirements of a custodian and
the rules and regulations thereunder, to act on behalf of the Fund as a
Subcustodian for purposes of holding Investments of the Fund in the United
States.
8.2
Responsibility
for Subcustodians
.
The Custodian
shall be liable to the Fund for any loss or damage to the Fund caused by or
resulting from the acts or omissions of any domestic Subcustodian to the extent
that such acts or omissions would be deemed to be negligence, gross negligence
or willful misconduct in accordance with the terms of the relevant subcustodian
agreement under the laws, circumstances and practices prevailing in the place
where the act or omission occurred.
9.
Responsibility of
the Custodian.
In performing its duties and obligations
hereunder, the Custodian shall use reasonable care under the facts and
circumstances prevailing in the market where performance is
effected. Subject to the specific provisions of this Section, the
Custodian shall be liable for any direct damage incurred by the Fund in
consequence of the Custodian’s negligence, bad faith or willful
misconduct. In no event shall the Custodian be liable hereunder for
any special, indirect, punitive or consequential damages arising out of,
pursuant to or in connection with this Agreement even if the Custodian has been
advised of the possibility of such damages. It is agreed that the
Custodian shall have no duty to assess the risks inherent in the Fund’s
Investments or to provide investment advice with respect to such Investments and
that the Fund as principal shall bear any risks attendant to particular
Investments such as failure of a counterparty or issuer.
9.1
Limitations of
Performance
.
The Custodian
shall not be responsible under this Agreement for any failure to perform its
duties, and shall not be liable hereunder for any loss or damage in association
with such failure to perform, for or in consequence of the following
causes:
9.1.1
Force
Majeure.
Force
Majeure
shall mean any circumstance or event which is beyond the
reasonable control of the Custodian, a Subcustodian or any agent of the
Custodian or a Subcustodian and which adversely affects the performance by the
Custodian of its obligations hereunder, by the Subcustodian of its obligations
under its Subcustody Agreement or by any other agent of the Custodian or the
Subcustodian, including any event caused by, arising out of or involving (a) an
act of God, (b) accident, fire, water damage or explosion, (c) any computer,
system or other equipment failure or malfunction caused by any computer virus or
the malfunction or failure of any communications medium, (d) any interruption of
the power supply or other utility service, (e) any strike or other work
stoppage, whether partial or total, (f) any delay or disruption resulting from
or reflecting the occurrence of any Sovereign Risk, (g) any disruption of, or
suspension of trading in, the securities, commodities or foreign exchange
markets, whether or not resulting from or reflecting the occurrence of any
Sovereign Risk, (h) any encumbrance on the transferability of a currency or a
currency position on the actual settlement date of a foreign exchange
transaction, whether or not resulting from or reflecting the occurrence of any
Sovereign Risk, or (i) any other cause similarly beyond the reasonable control
of the Custodian.
9.1.2
Sovereign
Risk.
Sovereign
Risk
shall mean, in respect of any jurisdiction, including the United
States of America, where Investments are acquired or held hereunder or under a
subcustody agreement, (a) any act of war, terrorism, riot, insurrection or civil
commotion, (b) the imposition of any investment, repatriation or exchange
control restrictions by any Governmental Authority, (c) the confiscation,
expropriation or nationalization of any Investments by any Governmental
Authority, whether de facto or de jure, (d) any devaluation or revaluation of
the currency, (e) the imposition of taxes, levies or other charges affecting
Investments, (f) any change in the Applicable Law, or (g) any other economic or
political risk incurred or experienced.
9.2
Limitations on
Liability.
The Custodian shall not be liable for any loss,
claim, damage or other liability arising from the following causes:
9.2.1
Failure of Third
Parties.
The failure of any third party
including: (a) the General Partner; (b) any futures commission
merchant(s); (c) any issuer of Investments or book-entry or other agent of and
issuer; (d) any counterparty with respect to any Investment, including any
issuer of exchange-traded or other futures, option, derivative or commodities
contract; (e) failure of an Investment Advisor or other agent of the Fund; or
(f) failure of other third parties similarly beyond the control or choice of the
Custodian.
9.2.2
Information
Sources.
The Custodian may rely upon information received from
issuers of Investments or agents of such issuers, information received from
Subcustodians and from other commercially reasonable sources such as commercial
data bases and the like, but shall not be responsible for specific inaccuracies
in such information, provided that the Custodian has relied upon such
information in good faith, or for the failure of any commercially reasonable
information provider.
9.2.3
Reliance on
Instruction
.
Action by the
Custodian or the Subcustodian in accordance with an Instruction, even when such
action conflicts with, or is contrary to any provision of, the Fund’s or the
General Partner’s limited partnership agreement, certificate of incorporation or
by-laws, Applicable Law, or actions by the directors or unitholders of the Fund
or the General Partner.
9.2.4
Restricted
Securities.
The limitations inherent in the rights,
transferability or similar investment characteristics of a given Investment of
the Fund.
10.
Indemnification.
10.1 The
Fund and the General Partner each hereby indemnifies the Custodian and each
Subcustodian, and their respective agents, nominees and the partners, employees,
officers and directors, and agrees to hold each of them harmless from and
against all claims and liabilities, including counsel fees and taxes, reasonably
incurred or assessed against any of them in connection with the performance of
this Agreement and any Instruction.
10.2 The
Custodian hereby indemnifies the Fund and the General Partner, and their
respective agents, nominees and the partners, employees, officers and directors,
and agrees to hold each of them harmless from and against all claims and
liabilities, including counsel fees and taxes, reasonably incurred or assessed
against any of them as a direct result of the Custodian’s negligence, willful
misconduct or bad faith in its performance of this Agreement and any
Instruction.
11.
Reports and
Records.
The Custodian shall:
11.1 create
and maintain records relating to the performance of its obligations under this
Agreement;
11.2 make
available to the Fund and/or the General Partner, its auditors, agents and
employees, upon reasonable request and during normal business hours of the
Custodian, all records maintained by the Custodian pursuant to Section 11.1
above, subject, however, to all reasonable security requirements of the
Custodian then applicable to the records of its custody customers generally;
and
11.3 make
available to the Fund all Electronic Reports (as defined in Section 13); it
being understood that the Custodian shall not be liable hereunder for the
inaccuracy or incompleteness thereof or for errors in any information included
therein.
The Fund and the General Partner shall
examine all records, howsoever produced or transmitted, promptly upon receipt
thereof and notify the Custodian promptly of any discrepancy or error
therein. Unless the Fund or the General Partner delivers written
notice of any such discrepancy or error within a reasonable time after its
receipt thereof, such records shall be deemed to be true and
accurate. It is understood that the Custodian now obtains and
will in the future obtain information on the value of assets from outside
sources which may be utilized in certain reports made available to the Fund and
the General Partner. The Custodian deems such sources to be reliable but it is
acknowledged and agreed that the Custodian does not verify nor represent nor
warrant as to the accuracy or completeness of such information and accordingly
shall be without liability in selecting and using such sources and furnishing
such information.
12.
Miscellaneous.
12.1
Proxies,
etc.
The Fund and/or the General Partner will promptly execute
and deliver, upon request, such proxies, powers of attorney or other instruments
as may be necessary or desirable for the Custodian to provide, or to cause any
Subcustodian to provide, custody services.
12.2
Entire
Agreement.
This Agreement (including any schedules and exhibits
attached hereto and thereto) contains all of the agreements among the parties
hereto and thereto with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby and
thereby and supersedes all prior agreements or understandings, whether written
or oral, among the parties with respect thereto.
12.3
Amendment and
Modification
. This Agreement may be amended, modified or supplemented
only by a written instrument executed by all parties hereto.
12.4
Successors and
Assigns; Assignment.
All the terms and provisions of this Agreement shall
be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties and their respective
successors and permitted assigns. This Agreement shall not be assigned by any
party without the prior written consent of the other parties and any assignment
without such consent shall be null and void.
12.5
Waiver of
Compliance.
Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, any failure
of any of the parties to comply with any obligation, covenant, agreement or
condition herein may be waived by the party entitled to the benefits thereof
only by a written instrument signed by the party granting such waiver, but any
such waiver, or the failure to insist upon strict compliance with any
obligation, covenant, agreement or condition herein, shall not operate as a
waiver of, or estoppel with respect to, any subsequent or other failure or
breach.
12.6
Severability
.
The parties hereto desire that the provisions of this Agreement be enforced to
the fullest extent permissible under the law and public policies applied in each
jurisdiction in which enforcement is sought. Accordingly, in the event that any
provision of this Agreement would be held in any jurisdiction to be invalid,
prohibited or unenforceable for any reason, such provision, as to such
jurisdiction, shall be ineffective, without invalidating the remaining
provisions of this Agreement or affecting the validity or enforceability of such
provision in any other jurisdiction. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if such
provision could be more narrowly drawn so as not to be invalid, prohibited or
unenforceable in such jurisdiction, it shall, as to such jurisdiction, be so
narrowly drawn, without invalidating the remaining provisions of this Agreement
or affecting the validity or enforceability of such provision in any other
jurisdiction.
12.7
Notices
.
All notices, waivers, or other communications pursuant to this Agreement shall
be in writing and shall be deemed to be sufficient if delivered personally, by
facsimile (and, if sent by facsimile, followed by delivery by
nationally-recognized express courier), sent by nationally-recognized express
courier or mailed by registered or certified mail (return receipt requested),
postage prepaid, to the parties at the following addresses (or at such other
address for a party as shall be specified by like notice):
(1)
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if
to General Partner, to:
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Victoria
Bay Asset Management, LLC
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c/o
Nicholas D. Gerber
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P.O.
Box 6919
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Moraga,
CA 94570
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(2)
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if
to the Custodian, to:
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Brown
Brothers Harriman &
Co.
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40
Water Street
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Boston,
Massachusetts 02109
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Attn:
Manager, Securities Department
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Telephone:
(617) 772-1818
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Facsimile:
(617) 772-2263,
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or such
other address as the Fund or the Custodian may have designated in writing to the
other.
All such
notices and other communications shall be deemed to have been delivered and
received (i) in the case of personal delivery or delivery by a
nationally-recognized express courier, on the date of such delivery if delivered
during business hours on a Business Day or, if not delivered during business
hours on a Business Day, the first Business Day thereafter, and (ii) in the case
of mailing or delivery by facsimile, upon receipt by the intended
party.
12.8
Governing Law;
Jurisdiction.
12.8.1 All questions
concerning the construction, interpretation and validity of this Agreement shall
be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the domestic laws
of the State of New York, without giving effect to any choice or conflict of law
provision or rule (whether in the State of New York or any other jurisdiction)
that would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the
State of New York. In furtherance of the foregoing, the internal law of the
State of New York will control the interpretation and construction of this
Agreement, even if under such jurisdiction’s choice of law or conflict of law
analysis, the substantive law of some other jurisdiction would ordinarily or
necessarily apply.
12.8.2 Each party
irrevocably consents and agrees, for the benefit of the other parties, that any
legal action, suit or proceeding against it with respect to its obligations,
liabilities or any other matter arising out of or in connection with this
Agreement or any related agreement may be brought in the courts of the State of
New York and hereby irrevocably consents and submits to the non-exclusive
jurisdiction of each such court in personam, generally and unconditionally with
respect to any action, suit or proceeding for itself and in respect of its
properties, assets and revenues. Each party irrevocably waives any immunity to
jurisdiction to which it may otherwise be entitled or become entitled (including
sovereign immunity, immunity to pre-judgment attachment and execution) in any
legal suit, action or proceeding against it arising out of or based on this
Agreement or any related agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby or
thereby which is instituted in any court of the State of New York.
The
provisions of this Section 12.8 shall survive any termination of this Agreement,
in whole or in part.
12.9
No
Partnership
. The Custodian acts as an independent contractor
with respect to the services provided under this Agreement. The terms
and conditions of this Agreement do not create a partnership relationship
between the Custodian and the General Partner or between the Custodian and the
Fund. Each of the General Partner and the Fund acknowledges that the
Custodian may enter into similar agreements with others without the consent of
the General Partner or the Fund.
12.10
Interpretation
.
The article and section headings contained in this Agreement are solely for the
purpose of reference, are not part of the agreement of the parties and shall not
in any way affect the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement.
12.11
No Strict
Construction
. The language used in this Agreement will be deemed to be
the language chosen by the parties to express their mutual intent, and no rule
of strict construction will be applied against any party.
12.12
Counterparts;
Facsimile Signatures
. This Agreement may be executed in two or more
counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original but all of which
together shall constitute one and the same instrument. Facsimile
counterpart signatures to this Agreement shall be acceptable and
binding.
12.13
Other
Usages
. The following usages shall apply in interpreting this Agreement:
(i) references to a governmental or quasi-governmental agency, authority or
instrumentality shall also refer to a regulatory body that succeeds to the
functions of such agency, authority or instrumentality; and (ii) “including”
means “including, but not limited to.”
12.14
Confidentiality
. The
parties hereto agree that each shall treat confidentially the terms and
conditions of this Agreement and all information provided by each party to the
other regarding its business and operations. All confidential
information provided by a party hereto shall be used by the other party hereto
solely for the purpose of rendering or obtaining services pursuant to this
Agreement and, except as may be required in carrying out this Agreement, shall
not be disclosed to any third party without the prior consent of such providing
party. The foregoing shall not apply to any information that is
publicly available when provided or thereafter becomes publicly available other
than through a breach of this Agreement, or that is required to be disclosed by
or to any bank examiner of the Custodian or any Subcustodian, any Regulatory
Authority, any auditor of the parties hereto, or by judicial or administrative
process or otherwise by Applicable Law.
12.15
Counsel
. In
fulfilling its duties hereunder, the Custodian shall be entitled to receive and
act upon the advice of (i) counsel regularly retained by the Custodian in
respect of such matters, (ii) counsel for the Fund or (iii) such counsel as the
Fund, the General Partner and the Custodian may agree upon, with respect to all
matters. The Custodian shall not be considered to have engaged in any
misconduct or to have acted negligently when soliciting and following such
advice.
12.16
Conflict
. Nothing
contained in this Agreement shall prevent the Custodian and its associates from
(i) dealing as a principal or an intermediary in the sale, purchase or loan of
the Fund’s Investments to, or from the Custodian or its associates; (ii) acting
as a custodian, a subcustodian, a trustee, an agent, securities dealer, an
investment manager or in any other capacity for any other client; or (iii)
buying, holding, lending, and dealing in any way in any assets for the benefit
of its own account, for the account of any other client, or for the account of
the Fund.
12.17
Privacy
. In
the course of carrying out its obligations under this Agreement, each party
shall maintain physical, procedural and/or electronic safeguards reasonably
designed to protect information regarding the Fund and its investors that such
party has obtained or to which such party has gained access.
13.
Definitions.
The
following defined terms will have the respective meanings set forth
below.
13.1
Advance(s)
shall mean any extension of credit by or through the Custodian or by or through
any Subcustodian and shall include, without limitation, amounts due to the
Custodian as the principal counterparty to any foreign exchange transaction with
the Fund as described in Section 7.4.2 hereof, or paid to third parties for
account of the Fund or in discharge of any expense, tax or other item payable by
the Fund.
13.2
Advance Costs
shall mean any Advance, interest on the Advance and any related expenses,
including without limitation any mark to market loss of the Custodian or
Subcustodian on any Investment to which Section 7.6.1 applies.
13.3
Agency
Account(s)
shall mean any deposit account opened on the books of a
Subcustodian or other banking institution in accordance with Section
7.1.
13.4
Agent(s)
shall have the meaning set forth in the last sentence of Section 6.
13.5
Applicable
Law
shall mean with respect to each jurisdiction, all (a) laws, statutes,
treaties, regulations, guidelines (or their equivalents); (b) orders,
interpretations, licenses and permits; and (c) judgments, decrees, injunctions,
writs, orders and similar actions by a court of competent jurisdiction;
compliance with which is required or customarily observed in such
jurisdiction.
13.6
Authorized
Person(s)
shall mean any person or entity authorized to give Instructions
on behalf of the Fund and/or the General Partner in accordance with Section
4.1.
13.7
Book-entry
Agent
shall mean an entity acting as agent for the issuer of Investments
for purposes of recording ownership or similar entitlement to Investments,
including without limitation a transfer agent or registrar.
13.8
Business
Day
shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7.6 hereof.
13.9
Clearing
Corporation
shall mean any entity or system established for purposes of
providing securities settlement and movement and associated functions
for a given market.
13.10
Electronic and
Online Services Schedule
shall mean any separate agreement entered into
among the Custodian, the General Partner and the Fund or its authorized
representative with respect to certain matters concerning certain electronic and
online services as described therein and as may be made available from time to
time by the Custodian to the Fund.
13.11
Electronic
Reports
shall mean any reports prepared by the Custodian and remitted to
the Fund, the General Partner or its authorized representative via the internet
or electronic mail.
13.12
Funds Transfer
Services Schedule
shall mean any separate agreement entered into among
the Custodian, the General Partner and the Fund or its authorized representative
with respect to certain matters concerning the processing of payment orders from
Principal Accounts of the Fund.
13.13
Instruction(s)
shall have the meaning assigned in Section 4.
13.14
Investment
Advisor
shall mean any person or entity who is an Authorized Person to
give Instructions with respect to the investment and reinvestment of the Fund’s
Investments.
13.15
Investment(s)
shall mean any investment asset of the Fund issued in the United States of
America, including without limitation: securities, bonds, notes, and debentures
as well as receivables, derivatives, contractual rights or entitlements and
other intangible assets, but excluding Gasoline Forward Contracts and Gasoline
Interests (each as defined in the Fund’s prospectus).
13.16
Margin Account
shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6.4 hereof.
13.17
Principal
Account(s)
shall mean deposit accounts of the Fund carried on the books
of BBH&Co. as principal in accordance with Section 7.
13.18
Safekeeping
Account
shall mean an account established on the books of the Custodian
or any Subcustodian for purposes of segregating the interests of the Fund (or
clients of the Custodian or Subcustodian) from the assets of the Custodian or
any Subcustodian.
13.19
Securities
Depository
shall mean a central or book entry system or agency
established under Applicable Law for purposes of recording the ownership and/or
entitlement to investment securities for a given market.
13.20
Subcustodian(s)
shall mean each bank appointed by the Custodian pursuant to Section 8 hereof,
but shall not include Securities Depositories.
13.21
Tri-Party
Agreement
shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6.4
hereof.
14.
Compensation.
The
Fund and the General Partner agree to pay to the Custodian (a) a fee in an
amount set forth in the fee letter among the Fund, the General Partner and the
Custodian in effect on the date hereof or as amended from time to time, and (b)
all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Custodian, including the
fees and expenses of all Subcustodians, and payable from time to
time. Amounts payable by the Fund under and pursuant to this Section
14 shall be payable by wire transfer to the Custodian at BBH&Co. in New
York, New York.
15.
Termination.
This
Agreement may be terminated by either party in accordance with the provisions of
this Section. The provisions of this Agreement and any other rights
or obligations incurred or accrued by any party hereto prior to termination of
this Agreement shall survive any termination of this Agreement.
15.1
Term, Notice and
Effect
. This Agreement shall have an initial term of two (2)
years from the date hereof. Thereafter, this Agreement shall
automatically renew for successive one (1) year periods unless either party
terminates this Agreement by written notice effective no sooner than
seventy-five (75) days following the date that notice to such effect shall be
delivered to the other party at its address set forth in Section 12.5
hereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions, either party may
terminate this Agreement at any time upon thirty (30) calendar days’ written
notice to the other party in the event that the either party is adjudged
bankrupt or insolvent, or there shall be commenced against such party a case
under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, or other similar law now or
hereafter in effect.
15.2
Successor
Custodian
.
In the event of
the appointment of a successor custodian, it is agreed that the Investments of
the Fund held by the Custodian or any Subcustodian shall be delivered to the
successor Custodian in accordance with reasonable Instructions. The
Custodian agrees to cooperate with the Fund in the execution of documents and
performance of other actions necessary or desirable in order to facilitate the
succession of the new custodian. If no successor custodian shall be
appointed, the Custodian shall in like manner transfer the Fund’s Investments in
accordance with Instructions.
15.3
Delayed
Succession.
If no Instruction has been given as of the
effective date of termination, the Custodian may at any time on or after such
termination date and upon ten (10) consecutive calendar days written notice to
the Fund and the General Partner either (a) deliver the Investments of the Fund
held hereunder to the Fund at the address designated for receipt of notices
hereunder; or (b) deliver any Investments held hereunder to a bank or trust
company having a capitalization of $50,000,000 equivalent and operating under
the Applicable Law of the jurisdiction where such Investments are located, such
delivery to be at the risk of the Fund. In the event that Investments
or moneys of the Fund remain in the custody of the Custodian or its
Subcustodians after the date of termination owing to the failure of the Fund to
issue Instructions with respect to their disposition or owing to the fact that
such disposition could not be accomplished in accordance with such Instructions
despite diligent efforts of the Custodian, the Custodian shall be entitled to
compensation for its services with respect to such Investments and moneys during
such period as the Custodian or its Subcustodians retain possession of such
items and the provisions of this Agreement shall remain in full force
and effect until disposition in accordance with this Section is
accomplished.
The
undersigned acknowledges that (I/we) have received a copy of this
document.
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the parties hereto has caused this Agreement to be duly
executed as of the date first above written.
BROWN
BROTHERS HARRIMAN & CO.
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By:
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/s/ James R. Kent
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Name:
James R. Kent
|
Title:
Managing Director
|
Date:
January 25, 2008
|
UNITED
STATES GASOLINE FUND, LP
|
By: Victoria
Bay Asset Management, LLC, as General Partner
|
|
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By:
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/s/
Howard Mah
|
Name:
Howard
Mah
|
Title:
Management
Director
|
Date:
January
16,
2008
|
VICTORIA
BAY ASSET MANAGEMENT, LLC
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|
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By:
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/s/
Howard Mah
|
Name:
Howard
Mah
|
Title:
Management
Director
|
Date:
January
16, 2008
|
FUNDS
TRANSFER SERVICES SCHEDULE
1.
Execution of Payment
Orders
. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. (the Custodian) is
hereby instructed by United States Gasoline Fund, LP (the Fund) and Victoria Bay
Asset Management, LLC (the General Partner) to execute each payment order,
whether denominated in United States Dollars or other applicable currencies,
received by the Custodian in the Fund’s name as sender and authorized and
confirmed by an Authorized Person as defined in a Custodian Agreement dated as
of January 16, 2008 by and among the Custodian, the General Partner and the
Fund, as amended or restated from time thereafter (the Agreement), provided that
the Fund has sufficient available funds on deposit in a Principal Account as
defined in the Agreement and provided that the order (i) is received by the
Custodian in the manner specified in this Funds Transfer Services Schedule or
any amendment hereafter; (ii) complies with any written instructions and
restrictions of the Fund as set forth in this Funds Transfer Services Schedule
or any amendment hereafter; (iii) is authorized by the Fund or is verified by
the Custodian in compliance with a security procedure set forth in Paragraph 2
below for verifying the authenticity of a funds transfer communication sent to
the Custodian in the name of the Fund or for the detection of errors set forth
in any such communication; and (iv) contains sufficient data to enable the
Custodian to process such transfer.
2.
Security
Procedure
. The Fund and the General Partner hereby elect to
use the procedure selected below as its security procedure (the Security
Procedure). The Security Procedure will be used by the Custodian to verify the
authenticity of a payment order or a communication amending or canceling a
payment order. The Custodian will act on instructions received provided the
instruction is authenticated by the Security Procedure. The Fund and the General
Partner agree and acknowledge in connection with (i) the size, type and
frequency of payment orders normally issued or expected to be issued by the Fund
to the Custodian, (ii) all of the security procedures offered to the Fund and
the General Partner by the Custodian, and (iii) the usual security procedures
used by customers and receiving banks similarly situated, that authentication
through the Security Procedure shall be deemed commercially reasonable for the
authentication of all payment orders submitted to the
Custodian. The Fund and the General Partner hereby elect
(please choose one)
the
following Security Procedure as described below:
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¨
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BIDS and BIDS
Worldview Payment Products
. BIDS and BIDS Worldview
Payment Products, are on-line payment order authorization facilities with
built-in authentication procedures. The Custodian, the General Partner and
the Fund shall each be responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of
passwords or other codes to be used by them in connection with BIDS. The
Custodian will act on instructions received through BIDS without duty of
further confirmation unless the Fund and/or the General Partner notifies
the Custodian that its password is not
secure.
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x
|
SWIFT
. The
Custodian, the General Partner and the Fund shall comply with SWIFT’s
authentication procedures. The Custodian will act on instructions received
via SWIFT provided the instruction is authenticated by the SWIFT
system.
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¨
|
Tested
Telex
. The Custodian will accept payment orders sent by
tested telex, provided the test key matches the algorithmic key the
Custodian, the General Partner and Fund have agreed to
use.
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¨
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C
omputer
Transmission
. The Custodian is able to accept
transmissions sent from the Fund’s and/or the General Partner’s computer
facilities to the Custodian’s computer facilities provided such
transmissions are encrypted and digitally certified or are otherwise
authenticated in a reasonable manner based on available
technology. Such procedures shall be established in an
operating protocol among the Custodian, the General Partner and the
Fund.
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¨
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Telefax
Instructions
. A payment order transmitted to the Custodian by
telefax transmission shall be transmitted by the Fund and/or the General
Partner to a telephone number specified from time to time by the Custodian
for such purposes. If it detects no discrepancies, the
Custodian will then either:
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1.
|
if
the telefax requests a repetitive payment order, the Custodian may call
the Fund and/or the General Partner at its last known telephone number,
request to speak to the Fund, the General Partner or Authorized Person,
and confirm the authorization and details of the payment order (a
Callback); or
|
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2.
|
if
the telefax requests a non-repetitive order, the Custodian will perform a
Callback.
|
All faxes
must be accompanied by a fax cover sheet which indicates the sender’s name, Fund
name, telephone number, fax number, number of pages, and number of transactions
or instructions attached.
¨
Telephonic
. A
telephonic payment order shall be called into the Custodian at the telephone
number designated from time to time by the Custodian for that purpose. The
caller shall identify herself/himself as an Authorized Person. The
Custodian shall obtain the payment order data from the caller. The
Custodian shall then:
|
1.
|
if
a telephonic repetitive payment order, the Custodian may perform a
Callback; or
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2.
|
if
a telephonic non-repetitive payment order, the Custodian will perform a
Callback.
|
In the
event the Fund and the General Partner choose a procedure which is not a
Security Procedure as described above, the Fund and the General Partner agree to
be bound by any payment order (whether or not authorized) issued in their name
and accepted by the Custodian in compliance with the procedure selected by the
Fund and the General Partner.
3.
Rejection of Payment
Orders
. The Custodian shall give the Fund and the General
Partner timely notice of the Custodian’s rejection of a payment order. Such
notice may be given in writing or orally by telephone, each of which is hereby
deemed commercially reasonable. In the event the Custodian fails to
execute a properly executable payment order and fails to give the Fund and/or
the General Partner notice of the Custodian’s non-execution, the Custodian shall
be liable only for the Fund’s actual damages and only to the extent that such
damages are recoverable under UCC 4A (as defined in Paragraph 7
below). Notwithstanding anything in this Funds Transfer Services
Schedule and the Agreement to the contrary, the Custodian shall in no event be
liable for any consequential or special damages under this Funds Transfer
Services Schedule, whether or not such damages relate to services covered by UCC
4A, even if the Custodian has been advised of the possibility of such damages.
Whenever compensation in the form of interest is payable by the Custodian to the
Fund pursuant to this Funds Transfer Services Schedule, such compensation will
be payable in accordance with UCC 4A.
4.
Cancellation of Payment
Orders
. The Fund or the General Partner may cancel a payment
order but the Custodian shall have no liability for the Custodian’s failure to
act on a cancellation instruction unless the Custodian has received such
cancellation instruction at a time and in a manner affording the Custodian
reasonable opportunity to act prior to the Custodian’s execution of the
order. Any cancellation shall be sent and confirmed in the manner set
forth in Paragraph 2 above.
5.
Responsibility for the
Detection of Errors and Unauthorized Payment Orders
. Except as
may be provided in the Agreement, the Custodian is not responsible for detecting
any Fund or General Partner error contained in any payment order sent by the
Fund or the General Partner to the Custodian. In the event that the Fund’s or
the General Partner’s payment order to the Custodian either (i) identifies the
beneficiary by both a name and an identifying or bank account number and the
name and number identify different persons or entities, or (ii) identifies any
bank by both a name and an identifying number and the number identifies a person
or entity different from the bank identified by name, execution of the payment
order, payment to the beneficiary, cancellation of the payment order or actions
taken by any bank in respect of such payment order may be made solely on the
basis of the number. The Custodian shall not be liable for interest on the
amount of any payment order that was not authorized or was erroneously executed
unless the Fund and/or the General Partner so notifies the Custodian within
thirty (30) Business Days following the Fund’s and/or the General Partner’s
receipt of notice that such payment order had been processed. If a
payment order in the name of the Fund and accepted by the Custodian was not
authorized by the Fund or the General Partner, the liability of the parties will
be governed by the applicable provisions of UCC 4A.
6.
Laws and
Regulations
. The rights and obligations of the
Custodian, the General Partner and the Fund with respect to any payment order
executed pursuant to this Funds Transfer Services Schedule will be governed by
any applicable laws, regulations, circulars and funds transfer system rules, the
laws and regulations of the United States of America and of other relevant
countries including exchange control regulations and limitations on dealings or
other sanctions, and including without limitation those sanctions imposed under
the law of the United States of America by the Office of Foreign Assets
Control. Any taxes, fines, costs, charges or fees imposed by relevant
authorities on such transactions shall be for the account of the
Fund.
7.
Miscellaneous
. All
accounts opened by the Fund, the General Partner or its authorized agents at the
Custodian subsequent to the date hereof shall be governed by this Funds Transfer
Schedule. All terms used in this Funds Transfer Services Schedule
shall have the meaning set forth in Article 4A of the Uniform Commercial Code as
currently in effect in the State of New York (UCC 4A) unless otherwise set forth
herein. The terms and conditions of this Funds Transfer Services Schedule are in
addition to, and do not modify or otherwise affect, the terms and conditions of
the Agreement and any other agreement or arrangement between the parties
hereto.
8.
Indemnification
. The
Custodian does not recommend the sending of instructions by telefax or
telephonic means as provided in Paragraph 2.
BY ELECTING TO SEND INSTRUCTIONS BY
TELEFAX OR TELEPHONIC MEANS, THE FUND AND THE GENERAL PARTNER AGREE TO INDEMNIFY
THE CUSTODIAN AND ITS PARTNERS, OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES FOR LOSSES
THEREFROM
.
_____________________________________________
OPTIONAL
: The
Custodian will perform a Callback if instructions are sent by telefax or
telephonic means as provided in Paragraph 2.
THE FUND AND/OR THE GENERAL PARTNER
MAY, AT ITS OWN RISK AND BY HEREBY AGREEING TO INDEMNIFY THE CUSTODIAN AND ITS
PARTNERS, OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES FOR ALL LOSSES THEREFROM,
ELECT TO WAIVE
A CALLBACK BY THE CUSTODIAN BY INITIALING HERE: ____
_____________________________________________
The
undersigned acknowledges that (I/we) have received a copy of this
document.
BROWN
BROTHERS HARRIMAN & CO.
By:
|
/s/ James R. Kent
|
Name:
James R. Kent
|
Title:
Managing Director
|
Date:
January 25, 2008
|
UNITED
STATES GASOLINE FUND, LP
By: Victoria
Bay Asset Management, LLC, as General Partner
By:
|
/s/ Howard Mah
|
Name:
Howard Mah
|
Title:
Management Director
|
Date:
January 16, 2008
|
VICTORIA
BAY ASSET MANAGEMENT, LLC
By:
|
/s/ Howard Mah
|
Name: Howard
Mah
|
Title: Management
Director
|
Date: January
16, 2008
|
ELECTRONIC
AND ON-LINE SERVICES SCHEDULE
This
Electronic and On-Line Services Schedule (this
Schedule
) to a Custodian
Agreement dated as of January 16, 2008 (as amended from time to time hereafter,
the
Agreement
) by and
among Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. (
we, us our
), Victoria Bay
Asset Management, LLC (the
General
Partner
) and United States Gasoline Fund, LP (the
Fund
) (the General Partner and
the Fund collectively,
you,
your
), provides general provisions governing your use of and access to
the Services (as hereinafter defined) provided to you by us via the Internet (at
www.bbhco.com
or such other
URL as we may instruct you to use to access our products
) and via a
direct dial-up connection between your computer and our computers, as of January
16, 2008 (the
Effective
Date).
Use of the Services constitutes acceptance of the terms
and conditions of this Schedule, any Appendices hereto, the Terms and Conditions
posted on our web site, and any terms and conditions specifically governing a
particular Service or our other products, which may be set forth in the
Agreement or in a separate related agreement (collectively, the
Related
Agreements
).
You will
be granted access to our suite of online products, which may include, but shall
not be limited to the following services via the Internet or dial-up connection
(each separate service is a
Service
; collectively referred
to as the
Services
):
|
1.1.
|
BIDS®
and BIDS WorldView, a system for effectuating securities and fund trade
instruction and execution, processing and handling instructions, and for
the input and retrieval of other
information;
|
|
1.2.
|
F/X
WorldView, a system for executing foreign exchange
trades;
|
|
1.3.
|
Fund
WorldView, a system for receiving fund and prospectus
information;
|
|
1.4.
|
BBHCOnnect,
a system for placing securities trade instructions and following the
status and detail of trades;
|
|
1.5.
|
ActionView
SM
,
a system for receiving certain corporate action
information;
|
|
1.6.
|
Risk
View, an interactive portfolio risk analysis tool;
and
|
|
1.7.
|
Such
other services as we shall from time to time
offer.
|
|
2.1.
|
A
digital certificate and/or an encryption key may be required to access
certain Services. You may apply for a digital certificate
and/or an encryption key by following the procedures set forth at
http://www.bbh.com/certs/
.
You also will need
an identification code (
ID
) and password(s)
(
Password
) to
access the Services.
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|
2.2.
|
You
agree to safeguard your digital certificate and/or encryption key, ID, and
Password and not to give or make available, intentionally or otherwise,
your digital certificate, ID, and/or Password to any unauthorized
person. You must immediately notify us in writing if you
believe that your digital certificate and/or encryption key, Password, or
ID has been compromised or if you suspect unauthorized access to your
account by means of the Services or otherwise, or when a person to whom a
digital certificate and/or an encryption key, Password, or ID has been
assigned leaves or is no longer permitted to access the
Services.
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|
2.3.
|
We
will not be responsible for any breach of security, or for any
unauthorized trading or theft by any third party, caused by your failure
(be it intentional, unintentional, or negligent) to maintain the
confidentiality of your ID and/or Password and/or the security of your
digital certificate and/or encryption
key.
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|
3.1.
|
Proper
instructions under this Schedule shall be provided as designated in the
Related Agreements (
Instructions
).
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|
3.2.
|
The
following additional provisions apply to Instructions provided via the
Services:
|
|
a.
|
Instructions
sent by electronic mail will not be accepted or acted
upon.
|
|
b.
|
You
authorize us to act upon Instructions received through the Services
utilizing your digital certificate, ID, and/or Password as though they
were duly authorized written instructions, without any duty of
verification or inquiry on our part, and agree to hold us harmless for any
losses you experience as a
result.
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c.
|
From
time to time, the temporary unavailability of third party
telecommunications or computer systems required by the Services may result
in a delay in processing Instructions. In such an event, we
shall not be liable to you or any third party for any liabilities, losses,
claims, costs, damages, penalties, fines, obligations, or expenses of any
kind (including without limitation, reasonable attorneys’, accountants’,
consultants’, or experts’ fees and disbursements) that you experience due
to such a delay.
|
We may
make periodic statements, disclosures, notices, and other documents available to
you electronically, and, subject to any delivery and receipt verification
procedures required by law, you agree to receive such documents electronically
and to check the statements for accuracy. If you believe any such
statement contains incorrect information, you must follow the procedures set
forth in the Related Agreement(s).
You
understand and agree that you will be responsible for the introduction (by you,
your employees, agents, or representatives) into the Services, whether
intentional or unintentional, of (i) any virus or other code, program, or
sub-program that damages or interferes with the operation of the computer system
containing the code, program or sub-program, or halts, disables, or interferes
with the operation of the Services themselves; or (ii) any device, method, or
token whose knowing or intended purpose is to permit any person to circumvent
the normal security of the Services or the system containing the software code
for the Services (
Malicious
Code
). You agree to take all necessary actions and precautions
to prevent the introduction and proliferation of any Malicious Code into those
systems that interact with the Services.
For
avoidance of doubt, you hereby agree that the provisions in the Related
Agreement(s) related to your indemnification of us and any limitations on our
liability and responsibilities to you shall be applicable to this Agreement, and
are hereby expressly incorporated herein. You agree that the Services are
comprised of telecommunications and computer systems, and that it is possible
that Instructions, information, transactions, or account reports might be added
to, changed, or omitted by electronic or programming malfunction, unauthorized
access, or other failure of the systems which comprise the Services, despite the
security features that have been designed into the Services. You agree that we
will not be liable for any action taken or not taken in complying with the terms
of this Schedule, except for our willful misconduct or gross
negligence. The provisions of this paragraph shall survive the
termination of this Schedule and the Related Agreements.
You may
be charged for services hereunder as set forth in a fee schedule from time to
time agreed by us.
|
8.1.
|
This
Schedule is effective as of the date you sign it or first use the
Services, whichever is first, and continues in effect until such time as
either you or we terminate the Schedule in accordance with this Section 8
and/or until your off-line use of the Services is
terminated.
|
|
8.2.
|
We
may terminate your access to the Services at any time, for any reason,
with five (5) Business Days’ (as defined in the Agreement) prior notice;
provided that we may terminate your access to the Services with no prior
notice if (i) your account with us is closed, (ii) you fail to comply with
any of the terms of this Agreement, (iii) we believe that your continued
access to the Services poses a security risk, or (iv) we believe that you
are violating or have violated Applicable Laws (as defined in the
Agreement), and we will not be liable for any loss you may experience as a
result of such termination. You may terminate your access to
the Services at any time by giving us ten (10) Business Days
notice. Upon termination, we will cancel all your Passwords and
IDs and any in-process or pending Instructions will be carried out or
cancelled, at our sole discretion.
|
|
9.1.
|
Notices.
All
notices, requests, and demands (other than routine operational
communications, such as Instructions) shall be in such form and effect as
provided in the Related
Agreement(s).
|
|
9.2.
|
Inconsistent
Provisions.
Each Service may be governed by separate
terms and conditions in addition to this Schedule and the Related
Agreement(s). Except where specifically provided to the
contrary in this Schedule, in the event that such separate terms and
conditions conflict with this Schedule and the Related Agreement(s), the
provisions of this Schedule shall prevail to the extent this Schedule
applies to the transaction in
question.
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|
9.3.
|
Binding Effect; Assignment;
Severability.
This Schedule shall be binding on you,
your employees, officers and agents. We may assign or delegate
our rights and duties under this Schedule at any time without notice to
you. Your rights under this Schedule may not be assigned
without our prior written consent. In the event that any provision of this
Schedule conflicts with the law under which this Schedule is to be
construed or if any such provision is held invalid or unenforceable by a
court with jurisdiction over you and us, such provision shall be deemed to
be restated to effectuate as nearly as possible the purposes of the
Schedule in accordance with applicable law. The remaining
provisions of this Schedule and the application of the challenged
provision to persons or circumstances other than those as to which it is
invalid or unenforceable shall not be affected thereby, and each such
provision shall be valid and enforceable to the full extent permitted by
law.
|
|
9.4.
|
Choice of Law; Jury
Trial.
This Schedule shall be governed by and construed, and the
legal relations between the parties shall be determined, in accordance
with the laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to the
principles of conflicts of laws. Each party agrees to waive its right to
trial by jury in any action or proceeding based upon or related to this
Schedule. The parties agree that all actions and proceedings
based upon or relating to this Schedule shall be litigated exclusively in
the federal and state courts located within New York City, New
York.
|
|
9.5.
|
Confidentiality.
The parties hereto agree that each shall treat confidentially the
terms and conditions of this Schedule and all information provided by each
party to the other regarding its business and operations. All
confidential information provided by a party hereto shall be used by any
other party hereto solely for the purpose of rendering or obtaining
services pursuant to this Schedule and, except as may be required in
carrying out this Schedule, shall not be disclosed to any third party
without the prior consent of such providing party. The
foregoing shall not be applicable to any information that is publicly
available when provided or thereafter becomes publicly available other
than through a breach of this Schedule, or that is required to be
disclosed by or to any bank examiner of the Custodian or any Subcustodian,
any Regulatory Authority, any auditor of the parties hereto, or by
judicial or administrative process or otherwise by Applicable
Law.
|
The
undersigned acknowledges that (I/we) have received a copy of this
document.
BROWN
BROTHERS HARRIMAN & CO.
|
|
|
By:
|
/
s/ James R. Kent
|
Name:
James R. Kent
|
Title:
Managing Director
|
Date:
January 25, 2008
|
UNITED
STATES GASOLINE FUND, LP
By: Victoria
Bay Asset Management, LLC, as General Partner
By:
|
/s/ Howard Mah
|
|
Name:
Howard Mah
|
|
Title:
Management Director
|
|
Date:
January 16, 2008
|
VICTORIA
BAY ASSET MANAGEMENT, LLC
|
|
|
By:
|
/s/ Howard Mah
|
|
Name:
Howard Mah
|
|
Title:
Management Director
|
|
Date:
January 16, 2008
|