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As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 5, 2016
Registration No. 333-
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM S-3
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
SUNOCO LOGISTICS PARTNERS L.P.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| Delaware | 23-3096839 | |
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
3807 West Chester Pike
Newtown Square, Pennsylvania 19073
(866) 248-4344
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)
Kathleen Shea-Ballay
Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary
Sunoco Partners LLC
3807 West Chester Pike
Newtown Square, Pennsylvania 19073
(866) 248-4344
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
Copies to:
Michael J. Swidler
Vinson & Elkins L.L.P.
666 Fifth Avenue, 26th Floor
New York, New York 10103
(212) 237-0020
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: From time to time after this registration statement becomes effective as determined by market conditions and other factors.
If the only securities being registered on this form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box. ¨
If any of the securities being registered on this form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check the following box. x
If this form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ¨
If this form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ¨
If this form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.D. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box. ¨
If this form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.D. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box. ¨
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
| Large accelerated filer | x | Accelerated filer | ¨ | |||
| Non-accelerated filer | ¨ (Do not check if a smaller reporting company) | Smaller reporting company | ¨ | |||
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
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| Title of each class of securities to be registered |
Proposed Maximum Aggregate Offering Price(1) |
Amount of Registration Fee(2) | ||
| Common Units of Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P. |
$1,000,000,000.00 | $100,700 | ||
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| (1) | The amount of securities to be registered consists of up to $1,000,000,000.00 of an indeterminate number or amount of common units of Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P., estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(o) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. |
| (2) | Calculated in accordance with Rule 457(o) and paid herewith. |
The registrant hereby amends this registration statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the registrant shall file a further amendment that specifically states that this registration statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the registration statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.
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The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state or jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.
SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED AUGUST 5, 2016
PROSPECTUS
Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P.
Common Units
Representing Limited Partner Interests
We may from time to time, in one or more offerings, offer and sell common units representing limited partner interests in us in an amount up to $1,000,000,000 in aggregate initial offering price. Our common units are listed for trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “SXL.”
We may offer and sell these common units to or through one or more underwriters, dealers and agents, or directly to purchasers, on a continuous or delayed basis and in amounts, at prices and on terms to be determined by market conditions and other factors at the time of our offerings. This prospectus describes only the general terms of these common units and the general manner in which we will offer them. The specific terms of any common units that we offer will be included in a supplement to this prospectus. The prospectus supplement will describe the specific manner in which we will offer the common units, and also may add, update or change information contained in this prospectus.
You should carefully read this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement before you invest in our common units. You also should read the documents to which we have referred you in the “Where You Can Find More Information” section of this prospectus for additional information about us and our financial statements. This prospectus may not be used to consummate sales of our common units unless it is accompanied by a prospectus supplement.
Investing in our common units involves risks. Limited partnerships are inherently different from corporations. You should carefully consider the risk factors described under “Risk Factors” on page 5 of this prospectus and in the applicable prospectus supplement before you make an investment in our common units.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The date of this prospectus is , 2016.
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In making your investment decision, you should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by reference into this prospectus, the applicable prospectus supplement and any free writing prospectus relating to such offering. We have not authorized anyone else to provide you with any other information. If anyone provides you with additional, different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it.
We are not offering to sell these securities or seeking offers to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.
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You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus, the applicable prospectus supplement or any related free writing prospectus is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front cover of those documents. You should not assume that the information contained in the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus, the applicable prospectus supplement or any related free writing prospectus is accurate as of any date other than the respective dates of those documents. Our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and prospects may have changed since those dates. We will disclose any material changes regarding those matters in an amendment to this prospectus, a prospectus supplement or a future filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) that is incorporated by reference into this prospectus.
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This prospectus is part of a registration statement on Form S-3 that we have filed with the SEC using a “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf registration process, Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P. (“Sunoco Logistics Partners”) may offer and sell, in one or more offerings from time to time, common units representing limited partner interests in Sunoco Logistics Partners (the “common units”).
This prospectus contains a general description of us and the common units. Each time we sell common units with this prospectus, we will provide a prospectus supplement that will contain specific information about the terms of that offering. The prospectus supplement also may add to, update or change information contained in this prospectus. The information in this prospectus is accurate as of its date. You should carefully read this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement before you invest in our common units. You also should carefully read the documents to which we have referred you in the “Where You Can Find More Information” section of this prospectus for additional information about us and our financial statements. To the extent information in this prospectus is inconsistent with information contained in the applicable prospectus supplement, you should rely on the information in the prospectus supplement.
As used in this prospectus, “we,” “us” and “our” and similar terms mean Sunoco Logistics Partners and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise. References to our “general partner” mean Sunoco Partners LLC, the general partner of Sunoco Logistics Partners.
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SUNOCO LOGISTICS PARTNERS L.P.
Sunoco Logistics Partners is a publicly traded Delaware limited partnership that owns and operates a logistics business, consisting of a geographically diverse portfolio of complementary pipeline, terminalling, and acquisition and marketing assets which are used to facilitate the purchase and sale of crude oil, natural gas liquids (“NGLs”) and refined products. We conduct our business activities in 35 states located throughout the United States.
Sunoco Partners LLC, a Pennsylvania limited liability company and our general partner, is a consolidated subsidiary of Energy Transfer Partners, L.P., a publicly traded Delaware limited partnership (“ETP”). Our general partner holds no assets other than its investment in us and notes receivable and other amounts receivable from affiliates of ETP.
Our principal executive offices are located at 3807 West Chester Pike, Newtown Square, Pennsylvania 19073, and our phone number is 866-248-4344.
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WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We have filed a registration statement with the SEC under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), that registers the offer and sale of the securities offered by this prospectus. The registration statement, including the attached exhibits, contains additional relevant information about us. The rules and regulations of the SEC allow us to omit some information included in the registration statement from this prospectus.
We file annual, quarterly and other reports and other information with the SEC. You may read and copy any materials we file with the SEC at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. You may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-732-0330. The SEC maintains an Internet site (http://www.sec.gov) that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC. Our SEC filings also are available on the SEC’s website. You also can obtain information about us at the offices of the New York Stock Exchange, 20 Broad Street, New York, New York 10005.
The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” the information we have filed with the SEC. This means that we can disclose important information to you without actually including the specific information in this prospectus by referring you to other documents filed separately with the SEC. These other documents contain important information about us, our financial condition and our results of operations. The information incorporated by reference is an important part of this prospectus. Information that we later provide to the SEC, and which is deemed to be “filed” with the SEC, will automatically update and supersede information contained in this prospectus and in the other documents previously filed with the SEC, and may replace information contained in this prospectus. Therefore, before you decide to invest in any securities offered by this prospectus, you should always check for, and carefully read, any reports and other documents that we may have filed with the SEC after the date of this prospectus.
We incorporate by reference into this prospectus the documents listed below filed by us:
| • | Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, filed on February 26, 2016; |
| • | Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2016, filed on May 5, 2016, and June 30, 2016, filed on August 4, 2016; |
| • | Current Reports on Form 8-K filed on January 29, 2016, April 29, 2016, July 12, 2016 and July 25, 2016; and |
| • | the description of our common units contained in our registration statement on Form 8-A, filed on January 28, 2002, as amended by Amendment No. 1 thereto filed on May 13, 2005, Amendment No. 2 thereto filed on January 29, 2010, Amendment No. 3 thereto filed on November 29, 2012 and any subsequent amendment thereto filed for the purpose of updating such description. |
In addition, all documents filed after the date of the filing of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part and prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement and all documents subsequently filed by us with the SEC pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) (excluding any information “furnished” and not “filed” with the SEC on any Current Report on Form 8-K, unless otherwise noted), prior to the completion or termination of the applicable offering under this prospectus and the related prospectus supplement, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference into this prospectus.
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We make available free of charge on or through our Internet website, www.sunocologistics.com, our Annual Reports on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the SEC. Information contained on our Internet website is not a part of this prospectus and is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus (unless specifically incorporated by reference into this prospectus as described above).
You may obtain any of the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus from the SEC through the SEC’s website at the address provided above. We will provide to each person, including any beneficial owner, to whom this prospectus is delivered a copy of any or all of the information that is incorporated by reference into this prospectus (excluding any exhibit to those documents, unless the exhibit is specifically incorporated by reference into such documents), at no cost, by visiting our internet website at www.sunocologistics.com, or by writing or calling us at the following address:
Investor Relations
Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P.
3807 West Chester Pike
Newtown Square, Pennsylvania 19073
Telephone: (866) 248-4344
In making your investment decision, you should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by reference into this prospectus, the applicable prospectus supplement and any free writing prospectus relating to such offering. We have not authorized anyone else to provide you with any other information. If anyone provides you with additional, different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus, the applicable prospectus supplement or any related free writing prospectus is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front cover of those documents. You should not assume that the information contained in the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus, the applicable prospectus supplement or any related free writing prospectus is accurate as of any date other than the respective dates of those documents.
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Limited partner interests are inherently different from the capital stock of a corporation, although many of the business risks to which we are subject are similar to those that would be faced by a corporation engaged in a similar business. An investment in our common units involves risks. Before you invest in our common units, you should carefully consider the risk factors included in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and Current Reports on Form 8-K, which are incorporated herein by reference, and those risk factors that may be included in the applicable prospectus supplement, together with all of the other information contained in or incorporated by reference into this prospectus or any prospectus supplement as provided under “Incorporation by Reference.” This prospectus also contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Please read “Forward-Looking Statements.”
If any of these risks were to materialize, our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows or prospects could be adversely affected. In that case, our ability to make distributions to our unitholders may be reduced, the trading price of our common units could decline and you could lose all or part of your investment.
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Certain statements, other than statements of historical fact, included or incorporated by reference into this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement constitute “forward-looking” statements. These forward-looking statements discuss our goals, intentions and expectations as to future trends, plans, events, results of operations or financial condition, or state other information relating to us, based on the current beliefs of our management as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, our management. Words such as “may,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “expects,” “estimates,” “planned,” “intends,” “projects,” “scheduled” or similar phrases or expressions identify forward-looking statements. When considering forward-looking statements, you should keep in mind the risk factors and other cautionary statements in this prospectus, any accompanying prospectus supplement and the documents we incorporate by reference.
Although we believe these forward-looking statements are reasonable, they are based upon a number of assumptions, any or all of which may ultimately prove to be inaccurate. These statements are also subject to numerous assumptions, uncertainties and risks that may cause future results to be materially different from the results projected, forecasted, estimated or budgeted, including, but not limited to, the following:
| • | Our ability to successfully consummate announced acquisitions or expansions and integrate them into our existing business operations; |
| • | Delays related to construction of, or work on, new or existing facilities and the issuance of applicable permits; |
| • | Changes in the supply of, or demand for crude oil, NGLs and refined products that impact demand for our pipeline, terminalling and storage services; |
| • | Changes in the short-term and long-term demand for crude oil, NGLs and refined products we buy and sell; |
| • | An increase in the competition encountered by our terminals, pipelines and acquisition and marketing operations; |
| • | Changes in the financial condition or operating results of joint ventures or other holdings in which we have an equity ownership interest; |
| • | Changes in the general economic conditions in the United States; |
| • | Changes in laws and regulations to which we are subject, including federal, state, and local tax, safety, environmental and employment laws; |
| • | Changes in regulations governing the composition of the products that we transport, terminal and store; |
| • | Improvements in energy efficiency and development of technology resulting in reduced demand for refined petroleum products; |
| • | Our ability to manage growth and/or control costs; |
| • | The effect of changes in accounting principles and tax laws, and interpretations of both; |
| • | Global and domestic economic repercussions, including disruptions in the crude oil, NGLs and refined products markets, from terrorist activities, international hostilities and other events, and the government’s response thereto; |
| • | Changes in the level of operating expenses and hazards related to operating our facilities (including equipment malfunction, explosions, fires, spills and the effects of severe weather conditions); |
| • | The occurrence of operational hazards or unforeseen interruptions for which we may not be adequately insured; |
| • | The age of, and changes in the reliability and efficiency of our operating facilities; |
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| • | Changes in the expected level of capital, operating, or remediation spending related to environmental matters; |
| • | Changes in insurance markets resulting in increased costs and reductions in the level and types of coverage available; |
| • | Risks related to labor relations and workplace safety; |
| • | Non-performance by or disputes with major customers, suppliers or other business partners; |
| • | Changes in our tariff rates implemented by federal and/or state government regulators; |
| • | The amount of our debt, which could make us vulnerable to adverse general economic and industry conditions, limit our ability to borrow additional funds, place us at competitive disadvantages compared to competitors that have less debt, or have other adverse consequences; |
| • | Restrictive covenants in our credit agreements; |
| • | Changes in our or our general partner’s credit ratings, as assigned by ratings agencies; |
| • | The condition of the debt and equity capital markets in the United States, and our ability to raise capital in a cost-effective way; |
| • | Performance of financial institutions impacting our liquidity, including those supporting our credit facilities; |
| • | The effectiveness of our risk management activities, including the use of derivative financial instruments to hedge commodity risks; |
| • | Changes in interest rates on our outstanding debt, which could increase the costs of borrowing; and |
| • | The costs and effects of legal and administrative claims and proceedings against us or any entity in which we have an ownership interest, and changes in the status of, or the initiation of new litigation, claims or proceedings, to which we, or any entity in which we have an ownership interest, are a party. |
These factors are not necessarily all of the important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any of our forward-looking statements. Other unknown or unpredictable factors could also have material adverse effects on future results. We undertake no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information or future events.
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Unless we specify otherwise in any prospectus supplement, we will use the net proceeds (after the payment of offering expenses and underwriting discounts and commissions) from our sale of common units for general partnership purposes, which may include, among other things:
| • | paying or refinancing all or a portion of our indebtedness outstanding at the time; and |
| • | funding working capital, capital expenditures or acquisitions (which may consist of acquisitions of discrete assets or businesses). |
The actual application of proceeds from the sale of any particular offering of common units using this prospectus will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to such offering. The precise amount and timing of the application of these proceeds will depend upon our funding requirements and the availability and cost of other funds.
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DESCRIPTION OF THE COMMON UNITS
Our common units represent limited partner interests that entitle the holders to participate in our cash distributions and to exercise the rights and privileges available to limited partners under our Third Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership, as amended by Amendment No. 1, Amendment No. 2, Amendment No. 3, Amendment No. 4, Amendment No. 5 and Amendment No. 6 thereto (as amended, our “partnership agreement”). For a description of the rights of holders of our common units to cash distributions, please read “Cash Distributions” in this prospectus. For a description of the rights and privileges of limited partners under our partnership agreement, including voting rights, please read “Description of Our Partnership Agreement” in this prospectus. We urge you to read our partnership agreement, as our partnership agreement, and not this description, governs our common units.
As of August 4, 2016, we had 297,903,172 common units and 9,416,196 Class B Units outstanding; 230,841,898 common units are held by the public and 67,061,274 common units and all of our Class B Units are held by ETP, which is the controlling owner of our general partner. The Class B Units will automatically convert to common units on a one-to-one basis on July 11, 2017, subject to our right to call the Class B Units and ETP’s right to sell the Class B Units to us pursuant to that certain Unitholder Agreement, dated as of October 8, 2015. The common units and Class B Units represent an aggregate approximately 99% limited partner interest in us and the general partner interest held by our general partner represents an approximately 1% general partner interest in us.
We pay distributions no later than 45 days after March 31, June 30, September 30 and December 31 to holders of record on the applicable record date. For additional information, please read “Cash Distributions.”
Issuance of Additional Partnership Securities; Preemptive Rights
In general, we may issue additional partnership securities for any partnership purpose at any time and from time to time to such persons for such consideration and on such terms and conditions as shall be established by our general partner in its sole discretion, all without the approval of any limited partners. The holders of our common units do not have preemptive rights to acquire additional common units or other partnership securities. For additional information, please read “Description of Our Partnership Agreement—Issuance of Additional Partnership Securities; Preemptive Rights.”
Unlike the holders of common stock in a corporation, our limited partners have only limited voting rights on matters affecting our business. Our limited partners have no right to elect our general partner or the directors of our general partner on an annual or other continuing basis. Our general partner may not be removed except by the vote of the holders of at least 66 2/3% of the outstanding units, including units owned by our general partner and its affiliates. Each holder of units is entitled to one vote for each unit on all matters submitted to a vote of the unitholders. For additional information, please read “Description of Our Partnership Agreement—Meetings; Voting.”
If at any time our general partner and its affiliates hold more than 80% of the total limited partner interests of any class then outstanding, our general partner will then have the right, which right it may assign and transfer in whole or in part to us or any affiliate of our general partner, exercisable at its option, to purchase all, but not
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less than all, of such limited partner interests of such class then outstanding held by persons other than our general partner and its affiliates. For additional information, please read “Description of Our Partnership Agreement—Limited Call Right.”
Our common units are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “SXL.”
Transfer Agent and Registrar Duties
American Stock Transfer & Trust Company serves as registrar and transfer agent for our common units. We pay all fees charged by the transfer agent for transfers of common units, except the following that must be paid by unitholders:
| • | surety bond premiums to replace lost or stolen certificates, taxes and other governmental charges; |
| • | special charges for services requested by a holder of common units; and |
| • | other similar fees or charges. |
There is no charge to unitholders for disbursements of our cash distributions. We will indemnify the transfer agent, its agents and each of their stockholders, directors, officers and employees against all claims and losses that may arise out of acts performed or omitted for its activities as transfer agent, except for any liability due to any gross negligence or intentional misconduct of the indemnified person or entity.
Any transfers of a common unit will not be recorded by the transfer agent or recognized by us unless the transferee executes and delivers a transfer application. By executing and delivering a transfer application, the transferee of common units:
| • | becomes the record holder of the common units and is an assignee until admitted as a substituted limited partner; |
| • | automatically requests admission as a substituted limited partner; |
| • | agrees to comply with and be bound by and to have executed our partnership agreement; |
| • | represents and warrants that such transferee has the right, power and authority and, if an individual, the capacity to enter into our partnership agreement; |
| • | grants the powers of attorney set forth in our partnership agreement; and |
| • | gives the consents and approvals and makes the waivers contained in our partnership agreement. |
An assignee will become a substituted limited partner for the transferred common units upon the consent of our general partner and the recording of the name of the assignee on our books and records. Our general partner may withhold its consent in its sole discretion.
A transferee’s broker, agent or nominee may complete, execute and deliver a transfer application. We are entitled to treat the nominee holder of a common unit as the absolute owner. In that case, the beneficial holder’s rights are limited solely to those that it has against the nominee holder as a result of any agreement between the beneficial owner and the nominee holder.
Common units are securities and are transferable according to the laws governing transfer of securities. In addition to other rights acquired upon admission as a substituted limited partner for the transferred common units, a purchaser or transferee of common units who does not execute and deliver a transfer application obtains only:
| • | the right to assign the common units to a purchaser or other transferee; and |
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| • | the right to transfer the right to seek admission as a substituted limited partner for the transferred common units. |
Thus, a purchaser or transferee of common units who does not execute and deliver a transfer application:
| • | will not receive cash distributions or federal income tax allocations, unless the common units are held in a nominee or “street name” account and the nominee or broker has executed and delivered a transfer application; and |
| • | may not receive some federal income tax information or reports furnished to record holders of common units. |
The transferor of common units has a duty to provide the transferee with all information that may be necessary to transfer the common units. The transferor does not have a duty to insure the execution of the transfer application by the transferee and has no liability or responsibility if the transferee neglects or chooses not to execute and forward the transfer application to the transfer agent.
Until a common unit has been transferred on our books, we and the transfer agent may treat the record holder of the common unit as the absolute owner for all purposes, except as otherwise required by law or stock exchange regulations.
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Distributions of Available Cash
General. Our partnership agreement provides that we will distribute all of our available cash to unitholders of record on the applicable record date within 45 days after the end of each quarter.
Definition of Available Cash. Available cash generally means, for each fiscal quarter:
| • | all cash on hand at the end of the quarter; |
| • | less the amount of cash reserves that our general partner establishes to: |
| • | provide for the proper conduct of our business; |
| • | comply with applicable law, any of our debt instruments or other agreements; or |
| • | provide funds for distributions to our unitholders and to our general partner for any one or more of the next four quarters; |
| • | plus all cash on hand on the date of determination of available cash for the quarter resulting from working capital borrowings made after the end of the quarter. |
Working capital borrowings are generally borrowings that are made under our credit facilities and in all cases are used solely for working capital purposes or to pay distributions to partners.
Intent to Distribute the Minimum Quarterly Distribution. We intend to distribute to the holders of common units on a quarterly basis at least the minimum quarterly distribution of $0.075 per unit, or $0.30 per year, to the extent we have sufficient cash from our operations after establishment of cash reserves and payment of fees and expenses, including payments to our general partner. However, there is no guarantee that we will pay the quarterly distribution in this amount, or the minimum quarterly distribution on the common units in any quarter, and we will be prohibited from making any distributions to unitholders if it would cause an event of default, or an event of default is existing, under our credit facilities or the debt securities.
Operating Surplus and Capital Surplus
General. All cash distributed to unitholders will be characterized as either “operating surplus” or “capital surplus.” We distribute available cash from operating surplus differently than available cash from capital surplus.
Definition of Operating Surplus. Operating surplus for any period generally means:
| • | our cash balance on the closing date of our initial public offering; plus |
| • | $15.0 million (as described below); plus |
| • | all of our cash receipts after the closing of our initial public offering, excluding cash from borrowings that are not working capital borrowings, sales of equity and debt securities and sales or other dispositions of assets outside the ordinary course of business; plus |
| • | working capital borrowings made after the end of a quarter but before the date of determination of operating surplus for the quarter; less |
| • | all of our operating expenditures after the closing of our initial public offering, including the repayment of working capital borrowings, but not the repayment of other borrowings, and including maintenance capital expenditures; less |
| • | the amount of cash reserves established by our general partner in good faith to provide funds for future operating expenditures. |
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Definition of Capital Surplus. Generally, capital surplus will be generated only by:
| • | borrowings other than working capital borrowings; |
| • | sales of debt and equity securities; and |
| • | sales or other disposition of assets for cash, other than inventory, accounts receivable and other current assets sold in the ordinary course of business or as part of normal retirements or replacements of assets. |
Characterization of Cash Distributions. We will treat all available cash distributed as coming from operating surplus until the sum of all available cash distributed since we began operations equals the operating surplus as of the most recent date of determination of available cash. We will treat any amount distributed in excess of operating surplus, regardless of its source, as capital surplus. As reflected above, operating surplus includes $15.0 million in addition to our cash balance on the closing date of our initial public offering, cash receipts from our operations and cash from working capital borrowings. This amount does not reflect actual cash on hand that is available for distribution to our unitholders. Rather, it is a provision that will enable us, if we choose, to distribute as operating surplus up to $15.0 million of cash we receive in the future from non-operating sources, such as asset sales, issuances of securities and long-term borrowings, that would otherwise be distributed as capital surplus. We do not anticipate that we will make any distributions from capital surplus.
Distributions of Available Cash from Operating Surplus
We will make distributions of available cash from operating surplus for any quarter in the following manner:
| • | First, to all unitholders and our general partner, in accordance with their percentage interests, until we distribute for each outstanding unit an amount equal to the minimum quarterly distribution for that quarter; and |
| • | Thereafter, in the manner described in “—Incentive Distribution Rights” below. |
However, no distributions of available cash from operating surplus shall be made in respect of any Class B Unit.
Incentive distribution rights represent the right to receive an increasing percentage of quarterly distributions of available cash from operating surplus after the minimum quarterly distribution and the target distribution levels have been achieved. Our general partner currently holds all of the incentive distribution rights, but may transfer these rights separately from its general partner interest, subject to restrictions in our partnership agreement.
If for any quarter we have distributed available cash from operating surplus to the unitholders in an amount equal to the minimum quarterly distribution, then we will distribute any additional available cash from operating surplus for that quarter among the unitholders and our general partner in the following manner:
| • | First, to all unitholders and our general partner, in accordance with their percentage interests, until each unitholder receives a total of $0.0833 per unit for that quarter (the “first target distribution”); |
| • | Second, (i) to our general partner in accordance with its percentage interest, (ii) 13% to the holders of the incentive distribution rights, pro rata, and (iii) to all unitholders, pro rata, a percentage equal to 100% less the percentages applicable to our general partner and the holders of the incentive distribution rights, until each unitholder receives a total of $0.0958 per unit for that quarter (the “second target distribution”); |
| • | Third, (i) to our general partner in accordance with its percentage interest, (ii) 35% to the holders of the incentive distribution rights, pro rata, and (iii) to all unitholders, pro rata, a percentage equal to 100% |
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| less the percentages applicable to our general partner and the holders of the incentive distribution rights, until each unitholder receives a total of $0.2638 per unit for that quarter (the “third target distribution”); and |
| • | Thereafter, (i) to our general partner in accordance with its percentage interest, (ii) 48% to the holders of the incentive distribution rights, pro rata, and (iii) to all unitholders, pro rata, a percentage equal to 100% less the percentages applicable to our general partner and the holders of the incentive distribution rights. |
However, no distributions of available cash from operating surplus shall be made in respect of any Class B Unit.
Percentage Allocations of Available Cash from Operating Surplus
The following table illustrates the percentage allocations of the additional available cash from operating surplus between the unitholders and our general partner up to the various target distribution levels, assuming our general partner continues to hold all of our incentive distribution rights and its current approximately 1% general partner interest in us.
The amounts set forth under “Marginal Percentage Interest in Distributions” are the percentage interests of our general partner and the unitholders in any available cash from operating surplus we distribute up to and including the corresponding amount in the column “Total Quarterly Distribution Target Amount,” until available cash from operating surplus we distribute reaches the next target distribution level, if any.
The percentage interests shown for the unitholders and our general partner for the minimum quarterly distribution are also applicable to quarterly distribution amounts that are less than the minimum quarterly distribution.
| Total
Quarterly Distribution Target Amount |
Marginal Percentage Interest in Distributions |
|||||||||
| Unitholders | General Partner |
|||||||||
| Minimum Quarterly Distribution |
up to $0.075 | 99 | % | 1 | % | |||||
| above $0.075 | ||||||||||
| First Target Distribution |
up to $0.0833 | 99 | % | 1 | % | |||||
| above $0.0833 | ||||||||||
| Second Target Distribution |
up to $0.0958 | 86 | % | 14 | %(1) | |||||
| above $0.0958 | ||||||||||
| Third Target Distribution |
up to $0.2638 | 64 | % | 36 | %(1) | |||||
| Thereafter |
above $0.2638 | 51 | % | 49 | %(1) | |||||
| (1) | Includes general partner interest. |
Distributions from Capital Surplus
We will make distributions of available cash from capital surplus, if any, in the following manner:
| • | First, to all unitholders and our general partner, in accordance with their percentage interests, until a hypothetical holder of a common unit acquired in our initial public offering has received with respect to such common unit, during the period since our initial public offering through such date, distributions of available cash that are deemed to be capital surplus in an aggregate amount equal to the initial public offering price; and |
| • | Thereafter, we will make all distributions of available cash from capital surplus as if they were from operating surplus. |
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However, no distributions of available cash from capital surplus shall be made in respect of any Class B Unit.
Our partnership agreement treats a distribution of capital surplus as the repayment of the initial unit price from the initial public offering, which is a return of capital. The initial public offering price less any distributions of capital surplus per unit is referred to as the “unrecovered initial unit price.” Each time a distribution of capital surplus is made, the minimum quarterly distribution and the target distribution levels will be reduced in the same proportion as the corresponding reduction in the unrecovered initial unit price. Because distributions of capital surplus will reduce the minimum quarterly distribution, after any of these distributions are made, it may be easier for our general partner to receive incentive distributions. However, any distribution of capital surplus before the unrecovered initial unit price is reduced to zero cannot be applied to the payment of the minimum quarterly distribution or any arrearages.
Once we distribute capital surplus on a unit in an amount equal to the initial unit price, we will reduce the minimum quarterly distribution and the target distribution levels to zero. We will then make all future distributions from operating surplus, with 48% to the holders of the incentive distribution rights and the remainder to all unitholders and our general partner in accordance with their percentage interests, pro rata.
Adjustment to the Minimum Quarterly Distribution and Target Distribution Levels
In addition to adjusting the minimum quarterly distribution and target distribution levels to reflect a distribution of capital surplus, if we combine our units into fewer units or subdivide our units into a greater number of units, we will proportionately adjust:
| • | the minimum quarterly distribution; |
| • | target distribution levels; and |
| • | the unrecovered initial unit price. |
For example, if a two-for-one split of the common units should occur, the minimum quarterly distribution, the target distribution levels and the unrecovered initial unit price would each be reduced to 50% of its initial level. We will not make any adjustment by reason of the issuance of additional units for cash or property.
In addition, if legislation is enacted or if existing law is modified or interpreted in a manner that causes us to become taxable as a corporation or otherwise subject to taxation as an entity for federal, state or local income tax purposes, we will reduce the minimum quarterly distribution and the target distribution levels by multiplying the same by one minus the sum of the highest marginal federal corporate income tax rate that could apply and any increase in the effective overall state and local income tax rates. For example, if we became subject to a maximum marginal federal and effective state and local income tax rate of 38%, then the minimum quarterly distribution and the target distribution levels would each be reduced to 62% of their previous levels.
Distributions of Cash Upon Liquidation
General. If we dissolve in accordance with our partnership agreement, we will sell or otherwise dispose of our assets in a process called liquidation. We will first apply the proceeds of liquidation to the payment of our creditors. We will distribute any remaining proceeds to the unitholders and our general partner, in accordance with their capital account balances, as adjusted to reflect any gain or loss upon the sale or other disposition of our assets in liquidation.
Manner of Adjustments for Gain. The manner of the adjustment for gain is set forth in our partnership agreement. We generally allocate any gain to the partners in the following manner:
| • | First, to our general partner and the holders of units who have negative balances in their capital accounts to the extent of and in proportion to any such negative balances; |
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| • | Second, to the unitholders and our general partner, in accordance with their percentage interests, until the capital account for each common unit is equal to the sum of: |
| • | the unrecovered initial unit price; and |
| • | the amount of the minimum quarterly distribution for the quarter during which our liquidation occurs. |
| • | Third, to the unitholders and our general partner, in accordance with their percentage interests, until we allocate under this paragraph an amount per unit equal to: |
| • | the sum of the excess of the first target distribution per unit over the minimum quarterly distribution per unit for each quarter of our existence; less |
| • | the cumulative amount per unit of any distributions of available cash from operating surplus in excess of the minimum quarterly distribution per unit for each quarter of our existence that we distributed to the unitholders and to our general partner in accordance with their percentage interests; |
| • | Fourth, 13% to the holders of the incentive distribution rights, pro rata, and the remainder to the unitholders and our general partner in accordance with their percentage interests, pro rata, until we allocate under this paragraph an amount per unit equal to: |
| • | the sum of the excess of the second target distribution per unit over the first target distribution per unit for each quarter of our existence; less |
| • | the cumulative amount per unit of any distributions of available cash from operating surplus in excess of the first target distribution per unit for each quarter of our existence that we distributed 13% to the holders of the incentive distribution rights, pro rata, and the remainder to our unitholders and to our general partner in accordance with their percentage interests, pro rata; |
| • | Fifth, 35% to the holders of the incentive distribution rights, pro rata, and the remainder to the unitholders and our general partner in accordance with their percentage interests, pro rata, until we allocate under this paragraph an amount per unit equal to: |
| • | the sum of the excess of the third target distribution per unit over the second target distribution per unit for each quarter of our existence; less |
| • | the cumulative amount per unit of any distributions of available cash from operating surplus in excess of the second target distribution per unit for each quarter of our existence that we distributed 35% to the holders of the incentive distribution rights, pro rata, and the remainder to the unitholders and our general partner in accordance with their percentage interests, pro rata; and |
| • | Thereafter, 48% to the holders of the incentive distribution rights, pro rata, and the remainder to the unitholders and our general partner in accordance with their percentage interests, pro rata. |
Adjustments to Capital Accounts upon the Issuance of Partnership Interests
We will make adjustments to capital accounts upon the issuance of additional partnership interests. In doing so, we will allocate any unrealized and, for tax purposes, unrecognized gain or loss resulting from the adjustments to the unitholders and our general partner in the same manner as we allocate gain or loss upon liquidation. In the event that we make positive adjustments to the capital accounts upon the issuance of additional partnership interests, we will allocate any later negative adjustments to the capital accounts resulting from the issuance of additional partnership interests or upon our liquidation in a manner that results, to the extent possible, in our general partner’s capital account balances equaling the amount that they would have been if no earlier positive adjustments to the capital accounts had been made.
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DESCRIPTION OF OUR PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT
This description is a summary of the material provisions of our partnership agreement. The following provisions of our partnership agreement are summarized elsewhere in this prospectus:
| • | distributions of our available cash are described under “Cash Distributions”; |
| • | allocations of taxable income and other tax matters are described under “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences”; and |
| • | a general description of our common units is contained under “Description of the Common Units.” |
The description of our partnership agreement contained herein does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the complete text of our Third Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 3.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on January 28, 2010, as amended by Amendment No. 1 thereto, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 3.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on July 5, 2011, Amendment No. 2 thereto, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 3.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on November 28, 2011, Amendment No. 3 thereto, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 3.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on June 17, 2014, Amendment No. 4 thereto, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 3.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on August 4, 2014, Amendment No. 5 thereto, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 3.2 to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on September 1, 2015, and Amendment No. 6 thereto, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 3.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on October 15, 2015, each of which is incorporated by reference into this prospectus. We urge you to read our partnership agreement, as our partnership agreement, and not this description, governs our common units.
We were organized on October 15, 2001 and will continue in existence until we are dissolved pursuant to our partnership agreement and our certificate of limited partnership is cancelled.
Under our partnership agreement, the purpose and nature of the business to be conducted by us is to:
(a) serve as a partner of Sunoco Logistics Partners Operations L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (the “Operating Partnership”), and, in connection therewith, to exercise all the rights and powers conferred upon us as a partner of the Operating Partnership pursuant to the Operating Partnership’s partnership agreement (the “Operating Partnership Agreement”) or otherwise;
(b) engage directly in, or enter into or form any corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company or other arrangement to engage indirectly in, any business activity that the Operating Partnership is permitted to engage in by the Operating Partnership Agreement or that its subsidiaries are permitted to engage in by their limited liability company or partnership agreements and, in connection therewith, to exercise all of the rights and powers conferred upon us pursuant to the agreements relating to such business activity;
(c) engage directly in, or enter into or form any corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company or other arrangement to engage indirectly in, any business activity that is approved by our general partner and which lawfully may be conducted by a limited partnership organized pursuant to the Delaware Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act (the “Delaware Act”) and, in connection therewith, to exercise all of the rights and powers conferred upon us pursuant to the agreements relating to such business activity; provided, however, that our general partner determines, as of the date of the acquisition or commencement of such activity, that such activity (i) generates “qualifying income” (as such term is defined pursuant to Section 7704 of the
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Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”)) or a subsidiary or our activity that generates qualifying income or (ii) enhances the operations of an activity of the Operating Partnership; and
(d) do anything necessary or appropriate to the foregoing, including the making of capital contributions or loans to a member of the partnership group.
Our general partner has no duty or obligation to propose or approve, and may decline to propose or approve, the conduct by us of any business free of any fiduciary duty or obligation whatsoever to us, any limited partner or assignee and, in declining to so propose or approve, is not required to act in good faith or pursuant to any other standard imposed by our partnership agreement, any governing agreement of a member of the partnership group, any other agreement contemplated by our partnership agreement or under the Delaware Act or any other law, rule or regulation.
Our general partner manages our operations and activities on our behalf through its directors and officers. Our general partner is not elected by our common unitholders and will not be subject to re-election in the future. Common unitholders will not be entitled to elect the directors of our general partner on an annual or other continuing basis. The board of directors of our general partner is chosen by ETP and ETE Common Holdings, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“ETE Common Holdings”), its sole members, and only ETP and ETE Common Holdings have the right to remove directors.
Each limited partner, and each person who acquires a common unit from a unitholder and executes and delivers a transfer application, grants to our general partner and, if appointed, a liquidator, a power of attorney to, among other things, execute and file documents required for our qualification, continuance or dissolution. The power of attorney also grants our general partner the authority to amend, and to make consents and waivers under, our partnership agreement.
Except as described below under “—Limited Liability,” the common units will be fully paid, and common unitholders will not be required to make additional capital contributions to us.
Assuming that a limited partner does not participate in the control of our business within the meaning of the Delaware Act and that it otherwise acts in conformity with the provisions of our partnership agreement, the limited partner’s liability under the Delaware Act will be limited, subject to possible exceptions, to the amount of capital such limited partner is obligated to contribute to us for its common units plus such limited partner’s share of any undistributed profits and assets and any funds wrongfully distributed to it as described below. If it were determined, however, that the right, or exercise of the right, by our limited partners as a group:
| • | to remove or replace our general partner; |
| • | to approve certain amendments to our partnership agreement; or |
| • | to take any other action under our partnership agreement; |
constituted “participation in the control” of our business for the purposes of the Delaware Act, then the limited partners could be held personally liable for our obligations under the laws of Delaware, to the same extent as our general partner. This liability would extend to persons who transact business with us who reasonably believe that
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a limited partner is a general partner based on such limited partner’s conduct. Neither our partnership agreement nor the Delaware Act specifically provides for legal recourse against our general partner if a limited partner were to lose limited liability through any fault of our general partner. While this does not mean that a limited partner could not seek legal recourse, we know of no precedent for this type of a claim in Delaware case law.
Under the Delaware Act, a limited partnership may not make a distribution to a partner if, after the distribution, all liabilities of the limited partnership, other than liabilities to partners on account of their partnership interests and liabilities for which the recourse of creditors is limited to specific property of the limited partnership, would exceed the fair value of the assets of the limited partnership. For the purpose of determining the fair value of the assets of a limited partnership, the Delaware Act provides that the fair value of property subject to liability for which recourse of creditors is limited will be included in the assets of the limited partnership only to the extent that the fair value of that property exceeds the nonrecourse liability. The Delaware Act provides that a limited partner who receives a distribution and knew at the time of the distribution that the distribution was in violation of the Delaware Act will be liable to the limited partnership for the amount of the distribution; provided, however, that such limited partner will have no liability for the amount of the distribution after the expiration of three years from the date of the distribution. Under the Delaware Act, an assignee who becomes a substituted limited partner of a limited partnership is liable for the obligations of its assignor to make contributions to the limited partnership, excluding any obligations of the assignor with respect to wrongful distributions, as described above, except the assignee is not obligated for liabilities unknown to it at the time it became a limited partner and that could not be ascertained from the partnership agreement.
Our subsidiaries conduct business in multiple states. Maintenance of our limited liability as a limited partner or member of our subsidiaries formed as limited partnerships or limited liability companies, respectively, may require compliance with legal requirements in the jurisdictions in which such subsidiaries conduct business, including qualifying our subsidiaries to do business there. Limitations on the liability of a limited partner or member for the obligations of a limited partnership or limited liability company, respectively, have not been clearly established in many jurisdictions. If it were determined that we were, by virtue of our limited partner interest or limited liability company interest in our subsidiaries or otherwise, conducting business in any state without compliance with the applicable limited partnership or limited liability company statute, or that the right or exercise of the right by our limited partners as a group to remove or replace our general partner, to approve certain amendments to our partnership agreement or to take other action under our partnership agreement constituted “participation in the control” of our business for purposes of the statutes of any relevant jurisdiction, then our limited partners could be held personally liable for our obligations under the law of that jurisdiction to the same extent as our general partner under the circumstances. We will operate in a manner that our general partner considers reasonable and necessary or appropriate to preserve the limited liability of the limited partners.
Issuance of Additional Partnership Securities; Preemptive Rights
Our partnership agreement authorizes us to issue an unlimited number of additional partnership securities and options, rights, warrants and appreciation rights relating to the partnership securities for any partnership purpose at any time and from time to time to such persons, for such consideration and on such terms and conditions as our general partner determines, all without the approval of any limited partners.
It is possible that we will fund acquisitions through the issuance of additional common units or other equity securities. Holders of any additional common units we issue will be entitled to share equally with the then-existing holders of common units in our distributions of available cash. In addition, the issuance of additional partnership interests may dilute (i) the percentage interests of the then-existing holders of common units in our net assets and (ii) the voting rights of the then-existing holders of common units under our partnership agreement.
In accordance with Delaware law and the provisions of our partnership agreement, we may also issue additional partnership securities that have special voting rights to which the common units are not entitled.
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Upon issuance of additional partnership securities, our general partner will have the right to make additional capital contributions to the extent necessary to maintain its then-current general partner interest in us; provided, however, that the capital contributions of our general partner will be offset to the extent contributions received by us in exchange for the issuance of additional partnership securities are used by us concurrently with such contributions to redeem or repurchase from any person outstanding partnership securities of the same class as the partnership securities that were issued. Moreover, our general partner will have the right, which it may from time to time assign in whole or in part to any of its affiliates, to purchase common units or other partnership securities whenever, and on the same terms that, we issue those securities to persons other than our general partner and its affiliates, to the extent necessary to maintain its percentage interest, including its interest represented by common units, that existed immediately prior to each issuance.
The holders of our common units do not have preemptive rights to acquire additional common units or other partnership securities.
Amendment of the Partnership Agreement
General
Amendments to our partnership agreement may be proposed only by our general partner. Our general partner has no duty or obligation to propose any amendment to our partnership agreement and may decline to do so free of any fiduciary duty or obligation whatsoever to us, any limited partner or assignee and, in declining to propose an amendment, is not required to act in good faith or pursuant to any other standard imposed by our partnership agreement, any governing agreement of a member of the partnership group, any other agreement contemplated under our partnership agreement or under the Delaware Act or any other law, rule or regulation. A proposed amendment will be effective upon its approval by the holders of a majority of the outstanding common units (a “unit majority”), unless a greater or different percentage is required under our partnership agreement or by Delaware law. Each proposed amendment that requires the approval of the holders of a specified percentage of outstanding units will be set forth in a writing that contains the text of the proposed amendment. If such an amendment is proposed, our general partner will seek the written approval of the requisite percentage of outstanding units or call a meeting of the unitholders to consider and vote on such proposed amendment. Our general partner will notify all record holders upon final adoption of any such proposed amendments.
Restrictions on Certain Amendments
Our partnership agreement provides that:
(1) no provision of our partnership agreement that establishes a percentage of outstanding units (including units deemed owned by our general partner) required to take any action shall be amended, altered, changed, repealed or rescinded in any respect that would have the effect of reducing such voting percentage unless such amendment is approved by the written consent or the affirmative vote of holders of outstanding units whose aggregate outstanding units constitute not less than the voting requirement sought to be reduced;
(2) no amendment to our partnership agreement may (a) enlarge the obligations of any limited partner without its consent, unless such shall be deemed to have occurred as a result of an amendment approved pursuant to clause (3) below, (b) enlarge the obligations of, restrict in any way any action by or rights of, or reduce in any way the amounts distributable, reimbursable or otherwise payable to, our general partner or any of its affiliates without its consent, which consent may be given or withheld at its option, (c) change the provision of our partnership agreement providing for our dissolution upon an election to dissolve our partnership by our general partner that is approved by a unit majority (the “election to dissolve provision”), or (d) change the term of our partnership or, except as set forth in the election to dissolve provision, give any person the right to dissolve our partnership;
(3) except for mergers or consolidations approved pursuant to the partnership agreement, and without limitation of our general partner’s authority to adopt amendments to our partnership agreement described below
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under “—No Unitholder Approval,” any amendment that would have a material adverse effect on the rights or preferences of any class of partnership interests in relation to other classes of partnership interests must be approved by the holders of not less than a majority of the outstanding partnership interests of the class affected;
(4) except for amendments described below under “—No Unitholder Approval” and except in connection with unitholder approval of a merger or consolidation, no amendments shall become effective without the approval of the holders of at least 90% of the outstanding units voting as a single class unless we obtain an opinion of counsel to the effect that such amendment will not affect the limited liability of any limited partner under applicable law; and
(5) except for amendments described below under “—No Unitholder Approval,” the provisions set forth in clauses (1) through (4) above may only be amended with the approval of the holders of at least 90% of the outstanding units.
No Unitholder Approval
Our general partner, without the approval of any limited partner, may amend any provision of our partnership agreement to reflect:
(1) a change in our name, the location of our principal place of business, our registered agent or our registered office;
(2) admission, substitution, withdrawal or removal of partners in accordance with our partnership agreement;
(3) a change that our general partner determines to be necessary or appropriate to qualify or continue the qualification of our partnership as a limited partnership or a partnership in which the limited partners have limited liability under the laws of any state or to ensure that the members of the partnership group will not be treated as associations taxable as corporations or otherwise taxed as entities for federal income tax purposes;
(4) a change that our general partner determines (a) does not adversely affect the limited partners (including any particular class of partnership interests as compared to other classes of partnership interests) in any material respect, (b) to be necessary or appropriate to (i) satisfy any requirements, conditions or guidelines contained in any opinion, directive, order, ruling or regulation of any federal or state agency or judicial authority or contained in any federal or state statute (including the Delaware Act) or (ii) facilitate the trading of our units (including the division of any class or classes of outstanding units into different classes to facilitate uniformity of tax consequences within such classes of units) or comply with any rule, regulation, guideline or requirement of any national securities exchange on which the units are or will be listed for trading, (c) to be necessary or appropriate in connection with action taken by our general partner pursuant to the provisions of our partnership agreement governing distributions, subdivisions and combinations of partnership securities or (d) is required to effect the intent of the provisions of our partnership agreement or is otherwise contemplated by our partnership agreement;
(5) a change in our fiscal year or taxable year and any other changes that our general partner determines to be necessary or appropriate as a result of a change in our fiscal year or taxable year, including, if our general partner shall so determine, a change in the definition of “Quarter” under our partnership agreement and the dates on which distributions are to be made by us;
(6) an amendment that is necessary, in the opinion of counsel, to prevent us, or our general partner or its directors, officers, trustees or agents from in any manner being subjected to the provisions of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, or “plan asset” regulations adopted under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, regardless of whether such are substantially similar to plan asset regulations currently applied or proposed by the United States Department of Labor;
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(7) subject to certain limitations, an amendment that our general partner determines to be necessary or appropriate in connection with the authorization of issuance of any class or series of partnership securities pursuant to our partnership agreement;
(8) any amendment expressly permitted in our partnership agreement to be made by our general partner acting alone;
(9) an amendment effected, necessitated or contemplated by a merger agreement approved in accordance with the provisions of our partnership agreement;
(10) an amendment that our general partner determines to be necessary or appropriate to reflect and account for the formation by us of, or investment by us in, any corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company or other entity, in connection with the conduct by us of activities permitted by the terms of our partnership agreement;
(11) a merger or conveyance pursuant to which (a) our general partner has received an opinion of counsel that the conversion, merger or conveyance, as the case may be, would not result in the loss of the limited liability of any limited partner or any member of the partnership group or cause us or any member of the partnership group 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 previously treated as such), (b) the sole purpose of such conversion, merger or conveyance is to effect a mere change in the legal form of us into another limited liability entity and (c) the governing instruments of the new entity provide the limited partners and our general partner with the same rights and obligations as are contained in our partnership agreement; or
(12) any other amendments substantially similar to the foregoing.
Action Relating to the Operating Partnership Agreement
Without the approval of holders of a unit majority, our general partner may not, on our behalf as a limited partner of the Operating Partnership, consent to any amendment to the Operating Partnership Agreement or, except as expressly permitted by our partnership agreement, take any action permitted to be taken by a partner of the Operating Partnership, in either case, that would adversely affect our limited partners (including any particular class of partnership interests as compared to any other class of partnership interests) in any material respect.
Merger, Sale or Other Disposition of Assets
Our partnership agreement generally prohibits our general partner, without the prior approval of a unit majority, from causing us to, among other things, sell, exchange or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of our assets in a single transaction or a series of related transactions, including by way of merger, consolidation or other combination, or approving on our behalf the sale, exchange or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Operating Partnership. The general partner may, however, mortgage, pledge, hypothecate or grant a security interest in all or substantially all of our assets or the Operating Partnership’s assets without the approval of a unit majority. The general partner may also sell all or substantially all of our assets or the Operating Partnership’s assets under a foreclosure or other realization upon those encumbrances without the approval of a unit majority.
If certain conditions specified in our partnership agreement are satisfied and without the prior approval of our limited partners, our general partner may convert us or any of our subsidiaries into a limited liability entity, merge us or any of our subsidiaries into, or convey some or all of our assets to, a newly formed entity if the sole purpose of that merger or conveyance is to change our legal form into another limited liability entity.
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Our unitholders are not entitled to dissenters’ rights of appraisal under the partnership agreement or applicable Delaware law in the event of a merger or consolidation, a sale of substantially all of our assets, or any other transaction or event.
Reimbursement of Our General Partner
Our general partner is not compensated for its services as a general partner or managing member of any member of the partnership group. Our general partner is reimbursed on a monthly basis, or such other basis as our general partner may determine, for (i) all direct and indirect expenses it incurs or payments it makes on our behalf (including salary, bonus, incentive compensation and other amounts paid to any person including affiliates of our general partner to perform services for us or for our general partner in the discharge of its duties to us), and (ii) all other expenses allocable to us or otherwise incurred by our general partner in connection with operating our business (including expenses allocated to our general partner by its affiliates). Our general partner determines the expenses that are allocable to us.
Withdrawal or Removal of Our General Partner
Our general partner may withdraw as general partner without first obtaining approval of any unitholder by giving 90 days’ notice to our unitholders, and that withdrawal will not constitute a breach of our partnership agreement. In addition, our partnership agreement permits our general partner in some instances to sell or otherwise transfer all of its general partner interest in us without the approval of the unitholders.
If our general partner gives a notice of withdrawal, the holders of a unit majority, may, prior to the effective date of such withdrawal, elect a successor general partner. The person so elected as successor general partner will automatically become the successor general partner or managing member, to the extent applicable, of the other members of the partnership group of which our general partner is a general partner or a managing member. If, prior to the effective date of our general partner’s withdrawal, a successor is not selected by our unitholders or we do not receive a withdrawal opinion of counsel regarding limited liability and tax matters, our partnership will be dissolved in accordance with our partnership agreement.
Our general partner may be removed if such removal is approved by our unitholders holding at least 66 2/3% of the outstanding units (including units held by our general partner and its affiliates). The right of the holders of outstanding units to remove our general partner may not be exercised unless we have received a withdrawal opinion of counsel regarding limited liability and tax matters. The ownership of more than 33 1/3% of our outstanding units by our general partner and its affiliates would give it the practical ability to prevent its removal.
We will be required to reimburse the departing general partner for all amounts due the departing general partner, including, without limitation, all employee-related liabilities, including severance liabilities, incurred in connection with the termination of any employees employed by the departing general partner or its affiliates for the benefit of us or the other members of the partnership group.
We will continue as a limited partnership until dissolved under our partnership agreement. We will dissolve upon:
(1) the withdrawal, removal, bankruptcy or dissolution of our general partner, unless a successor general partner is elected prior to or on the effective date of such withdrawal, removal, bankruptcy or dissolution and a withdrawal opinion of counsel is received by us;
(2) an election to dissolve us by our general partner that is approved by the holders of a unit majority;
(3) the entry of a decree of judicial dissolution of us pursuant to the provisions of the Delaware Act; or
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(4) the sale, exchange or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets and properties of the partnership group.
Upon (a) our dissolution following the withdrawal or removal of our general partner and the failure of the partners to select a successor general partner, then within 90 days thereafter, or (b) our dissolution upon the bankruptcy or dissolution of our general partner, then, to the maximum extent permitted by law, within 180 days thereafter, the holders of a unit majority may elect to reconstitute us and continue our business on the same terms and conditions set forth in our partnership agreement by forming a new limited partnership on terms identical to those set forth in our partnership agreement and having as the successor general partner a person approved by the holders of a unit majority. Unless such an election is made within the applicable time period as set forth above, we shall conduct only activities necessary to wind up our affairs.
Transfer of the General Partner’s General Partner Interest
Our general partner may transfer all or any of its general partner interest without unitholder approval. As a condition to such transfer, (i) the transferee must agree to assume the rights and duties of the general partner under our partnership agreement and to be bound by the provisions of our partnership agreement, (ii) we must receive an opinion of counsel that such transfer would not result in the loss of limited liability of any limited partner or of any limited partner of the Operating Partnership or cause us or the Operating Partnership 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) and (iii) such transferee must also agree to purchase all (or the appropriate portion thereof, if applicable) of the partnership or membership interest of our general partner as the general partner or managing member, if any, of each other member of the partnership group.
Transfer of Ownership Interests in Our General Partner
At any time, the members of our general partner may sell or transfer all or part of their membership interests in our general partner to an affiliate or a third party without the approval of our unitholders.
Transfer of Incentive Distribution Rights
Our general partner or any other holder of our incentive distribution rights may transfer any or all of its incentive distribution rights without unitholder approval. As a condition to such transfer, the transferee must agree to be bound by the provisions of our partnership agreement.
Change of Management Provisions
Our partnership agreement contains specific provisions that are intended to discourage a person or group from attempting to remove Sunoco Partners LLC as our general partner or otherwise change management. If at any time any person or group (other than our general partner or its affiliates) beneficially owns 20% or more of any outstanding partnership securities of any class then outstanding, all partnership securities owned by such person or group shall not be voted on any matter and shall not be considered to be outstanding when sending notices of a meeting of limited partners to vote on any matter (unless otherwise required by law), calculating required votes, determining the presence of a quorum or for other similar purposes under our partnership agreement. The foregoing limitation does not apply (i) to any person or group who acquired 20% or more of any outstanding partnership securities of any class then outstanding directly from our general partner or its affiliates, (ii) to any person or group who acquired 20% or more of any outstanding partnership securities of any class then outstanding directly or indirectly from a person or group described in clause (i) provided that our general partner has notified such person or group in writing that such limitation will not apply, or (iii) to any person or group who acquired 20% or more of any partnership securities issued by us with the prior approval of the board of directors of our general partner.
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If at any time our general partner and its affiliates hold more than 80% of the total limited partner interests of any class then outstanding, our general partner will then have the right, which right it may assign and transfer in whole or in part to us or any affiliate of our general partner, exercisable at its option, to purchase all, but not less than all, of such limited partner interests of such class then outstanding held by persons other than our general partner and its affiliates, at the greater of:
(1) the current market price as of the date three days prior to the date that notice of the election to purchase is mailed; and
(2) the highest price paid by our general partner or any of its affiliates for any such limited partner interest of such class purchased during the 90-day period preceding the date that notice of the election to purchase is mailed.
Except as described above under “—Change of Management Provisions,” unitholders or assignees who are record holders of units on the record date will be entitled to notice of, and to vote at, meetings of our limited partners and to act upon matters for which approvals may be solicited. Units that are owned by an assignee who is a record holder, but who has not yet been admitted as a limited partner, will be voted by the general partner at the written direction of the record holder.
Absent direction of this kind, the units will not be voted, except that, in the case of units held by our general partner on behalf of non-citizen assignees, our general partner will distribute the votes on those common units in the same ratios as the votes of limited partners on other units are cast.
Any action that is required or permitted to be taken by the unitholders may be taken either at a meeting of the unitholders or without a meeting if consents in writing describing the action so taken are signed by holders of the number of units necessary to authorize or take that action at a meeting.
Meetings of the unitholders may be called by the general partner or by unitholders owning at least 20% of the outstanding units of the class for which a meeting is proposed. Unitholders may vote either in person or by proxy at meetings. The holders of a majority of the outstanding units of the class or classes for which a meeting has been called, represented in person or by proxy, will constitute a quorum unless any action by the unitholders requires approval by holders of a greater percentage of the units, in which case the quorum will be the greater percentage.
Each record holder of a unit has a vote according to its percentage interest in us, although additional limited partner interests having special voting rights could be issued. Please read “—Issuance of Additional Partnership Securities; Preemptive Rights” above. However, if at any time any person or group, other than the general partner and its affiliates, or a direct or subsequently approved transferee of the general partner or its affiliates, acquires, in the aggregate, beneficial ownership of 20% or more of any class of units then outstanding, that person or group will lose voting rights on all of its units and the units may not be voted on any matter and will not be considered to be outstanding when sending notices of a meeting of unitholders, calculating required votes, determining the presence of a quorum or for other similar purposes. Please read “—Change of Management Provisions” above. Units held in nominee or street name account will be voted by the broker or other nominee in accordance with the instructions of the beneficial owner unless the arrangement between the beneficial owner and its nominee provides otherwise.
Any notice, demand, request, report or proxy material required or permitted to be given or made to record holders of units under our partnership agreement will be delivered to the record holder by us or by the transfer agent.
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Holders of common units have very limited voting rights and may vote on the following matters:
| • | a sale or exchange of all or substantially all of our assets; |
| • | the election of a successor general partner in connection with the withdrawal or removal of our general partner; |
| • | dissolution or reconstitution of our partnership; |
| • | a merger of our partnership; |
| • | issuance of limited partner interests in some circumstances; and |
| • | some amendments to the partnership agreement, including any amendment that would cause us to be treated as an association taxable as a corporation. |
Removal of our general partner requires:
| • | a 66 2/3% vote of all outstanding units; and |
| • | the election of a successor general partner by the holders of a unit majority. |
Status as Limited Partner or Assignee
An assignee of a common unit, after executing and delivering a transfer application, but pending its admission as a substituted limited partner, is entitled to an interest equivalent to that of a limited partner for the right to share in allocations and distributions from us, including liquidating distributions. Our general partner will vote and exercise other powers attributable to any of our common units owned by an assignee that has not become a substituted limited partner at the written direction of the assignee. Please read “—Meetings; Voting.” Transferees that do not execute and deliver a transfer application will not be treated as assignees or as record holders of our common units and will not receive cash distributions, federal income tax allocations or reports furnished to holders of our common units. Please read “Description of the Common Units—Transfer of Common Units.”
Non-Citizen Assignees; Redemption
If we are or become subject to federal, state or local laws or regulations that, in the reasonable determination of our general partner, create a substantial risk of cancellation or forfeiture of any property that we have an interest in because of the nationality, citizenship or other related status of any limited partner or assignee, we may redeem the units held by the limited partner or assignee at their current market price. In order to avoid any cancellation or forfeiture, our general partner may require each limited partner or assignee to furnish information about its nationality, citizenship or related status. If a limited partner or assignee fails to furnish information about its nationality, citizenship or other related status within 30 days after a request for the information or our general partner determines after receipt of the information that the limited partner or assignee is not an eligible citizen, the limited partner or assignee may be treated as a non-citizen assignee. In addition to other limitations on the rights of an assignee that is not a substituted limited partner, a non-citizen assignee does not have the right to direct the voting of its units and may not receive distributions in kind upon our liquidation.
Our general partner is required to keep appropriate books and records with respect to our business at our principal offices. Our books are maintained, for both federal income tax and financial reporting purposes, on an accrual basis. For both federal income tax and financial reporting purposes, our fiscal year end is December 31.
We will furnish or make available to record holders of common units, no later than 120 days after the close of each fiscal year, an annual report containing audited financial statements and a report on those financial
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statements by our independent registered public accounting firm. Except for the fourth quarter of each fiscal year, we will also furnish or make available unaudited financial statements no later than 90 days after the close of each quarter.
We will furnish each record holder with information reasonably required for tax reporting purposes within 90 days after the close of each calendar year.
Right to Inspect Our Books and Records
Except as described below, each limited partner has the right, for a purpose reasonably related to such limited partner’s interest as a limited partner in our partnership, upon reasonable written demand and at such limited partner’s own expense:
| • | to obtain true and full information regarding the status of our business and financial condition; |
| • | promptly after becoming available, to obtain a copy of our federal, state and local income tax returns for each year; |
| • | to have furnished to it a current list of the name and last known business, residence or mailing address of each partner; |
| • | to have furnished to it a copy of our partnership agreement and our certificate of limited partnership and all amendments thereto, together with copies of all powers of attorney pursuant to which our partnership agreement, our certificate of limited partnership and all amendments thereto have been executed; |
| • | to obtain true and full information regarding the amount of cash and a description and statement of the net agreed value of any other capital contribution by each partner and that each partner has agreed to contribute in the future, and the date on which each became a partner; and |
| • | to obtain such other information regarding our affairs as is just and reasonable. |
The general partner may, and intends to, keep confidential from the limited partners trade secrets or other information the disclosure of which the general partner believes in good faith is not in our best interests, could damage the partnership group or that we are required by law or by agreements with third parties to keep confidential.
Under the partnership agreement, we have agreed to register for resale under the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws any common units or other partnership securities proposed to be sold by our general partner or any of its affiliates or their assignees if an exemption from the registration requirements is not otherwise available. These registration rights continue for two years following any withdrawal or removal of Sunoco Partners LLC as our general partner. We are obligated to pay all expenses incidental to such registration, excluding underwriting discounts and commissions.
Section 17-108 of the Delaware Act empowers a Delaware limited partnership to indemnify and hold harmless any partner or other person from and against all claims and demands whatsoever. Under our partnership agreement, in most circumstances, we will indemnify the following persons (each an “indemnitee”) to the fullest extent permitted by law, from and against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities, joint or several, expenses (including legal fees and expenses), judgments, fines, penalties, interest, settlements or other amounts arising from any and all claims, demands, actions, suits or proceedings, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, in which any indemnitee may be involved, or is threatened to be involved, as a party or otherwise, by reason of its status as an indemnitee:
| • | our general partner; |
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| • | any departing general partner; |
| • | any person who is or was an affiliate of our general partner or any departing general partner; |
| • | any person who is or was a member, partner, officer, director, fiduciary or trustee of any member of the partnership group, our general partner or any departing partner or any affiliate of any member of the partnership group, our general partner or any departing partner; |
| • | any person who is or was serving at the request of our general partner or any departing partner or any affiliate of our general partner or any departing partner as an officer, director, member, partner, fiduciary or trustee of another person (provided, that a person will not be an indemnitee by reason of providing, on a fee-for-services basis, trustee, fiduciary or custodial services); or |
| • | any person that our general partner designates as an “indemnitee” for purposes of our partnership agreement. |
Any indemnification under these provisions will only be out of our assets. Unless it otherwise agrees in its sole discretion, our general partner will not be personally liable for, or have any obligation to contribute or loan funds or assets to us to enable us to effectuate, such indemnification. We may purchase insurance against liabilities asserted against and expenses incurred by persons for our activities, regardless of whether we would have the power to indemnify the person against liabilities under the partnership agreement.
Under our partnership agreement, an indemnitee will not be indemnified and held harmless if there has been a final and non-appealable judgment entered by a court of competent jurisdiction determining that, in respect of the matter for which the indemnitee is seeking indemnification pursuant to our partnership agreement, the indemnitee acted in bad faith or engaged in fraud, willful misconduct or gross negligence or, in the case of a criminal matter, acted with knowledge that the indemnitee’s conduct was unlawful.
In the opinion of the SEC, indemnification provisions that purport to include indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act are contrary to public policy and are, therefore, unenforceable.
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CONFLICTS OF INTEREST AND FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITIES
Conflicts of interest exist and may arise in the future as a result of the relationships between our general partner and its affiliates, including ETP and ETE Common Holdings, on the one hand, and our partnership and our limited partners, on the other hand. The directors and officers of our general partner have fiduciary duties to manage our general partner in a manner beneficial to ETP. At the same time, our general partner has a fiduciary duty to manage our partnership in a manner beneficial to us and our unitholders.
Whenever a conflict arises between our general partner or its affiliates, on the one hand, and us or any other partner, on the other hand, our general partner will resolve that conflict. Our partnership agreement contains provisions that modify and limit our general partner’s fiduciary duties to the unitholders. Our partnership agreement also restricts the remedies available to unitholders for actions taken that, without those limitations, might constitute breaches of fiduciary duty.
Our general partner will not be in breach of its obligations under our partnership agreement or its duties to us or our unitholders if the resolution of the conflict is:
| • | approved by the conflicts committee of the board of directors of our general partner, although our general partner is not obligated to seek such approval; |
| • | approved by the vote of a majority of the outstanding common units, excluding any common units owned by our general partner or any of its affiliates; |
| • | on terms no less favorable to us than those generally being provided to or available from unrelated third parties; or |
| • | fair and reasonable to us, taking into account the totality of the relationships among the parties involved, including other transactions that may be particularly favorable or advantageous to us. |
As indicated above, our general partner may, but is not required to, seek the approval of such resolution from the conflicts committee of its board of directors. If our general partner does not seek approval from the conflicts committee and its board of directors determines that the resolution or course of action taken with respect to the conflict of interest satisfies either of the standards set forth in the third or fourth bullet points above, then it will be presumed that, in making its decision, the board of directors acted in good faith, and in any proceeding brought by or on behalf of any limited partner or the partnership, the person bringing or prosecuting such proceeding will have the burden of overcoming such presumption. Unless the resolution of a conflict is specifically provided for in our partnership agreement, our general partner or the conflicts committee may consider any factors it determines in good faith to consider when resolving a conflict. When our partnership agreement requires someone to act in good faith, it requires that person to reasonably believe that he is acting in the best interests of the partnership, unless the context otherwise requires.
Conflicts of interest could arise in the situations described below, among others.
Actions taken by our general partner may affect the amount of cash available for distribution to unitholders or to our general partner in respect of the incentive distribution rights.
The amount of cash that is available for distribution to unitholders is affected by decisions of our general partner regarding such matters as:
| • | amount and timing of asset purchases and sales; |
| • | cash expenditures; |
| • | borrowings; |
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| • | the issuance of additional units; and |
| • | the creation, reduction or increase of cash reserves in any quarter. |
In addition, borrowings by us and our affiliates do not constitute a breach of any duty owed by our general partner to our unitholders, including borrowings that have the purpose or effect of enabling our general partner to receive distributions on the incentive distribution rights.
For example, in the event we have not generated sufficient cash from our operations to pay the minimum quarterly distribution on our common units, our partnership agreement permits us to borrow funds, which may enable us to make this distribution on all outstanding units. Please read “Cash Distributions” in this prospectus.
Our partnership agreement provides that we and our subsidiaries may borrow funds from our general partner and its affiliates. Our general partner and its affiliates may not borrow funds from us, the Operating Partnership or its operating subsidiaries, other than as provided in the treasury services agreement between us and an affiliate of ETP, which is the controlling owner of our general partner.
We do not have any officers or employees and rely solely on officers and employees of our general partner and its affiliates.
Affiliates of our general partner conduct businesses and activities of their own in which we have no economic interest. If these separate activities are significantly greater than our activities, there could be material competition for the time and effort of certain of the officers and employees who provide services to our general partner. Generally, the officers of our general partner spend substantially all of their time managing our business and affairs. However, certain of our general partner’s officers currently devote time to the affairs of affiliates of ETP, which is the controlling owner of our general partner, and such officers are compensated by such ETP affiliates for the services rendered to them.
We will reimburse our general partner and its affiliates for expenses.
We will reimburse our general partner and its affiliates for costs incurred in managing and operating us, including costs incurred in rendering staff and support services to us. Our partnership agreement provides that our general partner will determine the expenses that are allocable to us in good faith.
Our general partner intends to limit its liability regarding our obligations.
Our general partner intends to limit its liability under contractual arrangements so that the other party has recourse only to our assets, and not against our general partner or its assets. Our partnership agreement provides that any action taken by our general partner to limit its liability or our liability is not a breach of our general partner’s fiduciary duties, even if we could have obtained more favorable terms without the limitation on liability.
Common unitholders will have no right to enforce obligations of our general partner and its affiliates under agreements with us.
Any agreements between us, on the one hand, and our general partner and its affiliates, on the other, will not grant to the unitholders, separate and apart from us, the right to enforce the obligations of our general partner and its affiliates in our favor.
Contracts between us, on the one hand, and our general partner and its affiliates, on the other, may not be the result of arm’s-length negotiations.
Our partnership agreement allows our general partner to determine, in good faith, any amounts to pay itself or its affiliates for any services rendered to us. Our general partner may also enter into additional contractual
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arrangements with any of its affiliates on our behalf. Neither our partnership agreement nor any of the other agreements, contracts and arrangements between us, on the one hand, and our general partner and its affiliates, on the other, are required to be the result of arm’s-length negotiations. Our general partner will determine, in good faith, the terms of any of these transactions.
Our general partner and its affiliates will have no obligation to permit us to use any facilities or assets of our general partner and its affiliates, except as may be provided in contracts entered into specifically dealing with that use. There will not be any obligation of our general partner and its affiliates to enter into any contracts of this kind.
Common units are subject to our general partner’s limited call right.
If, at any time, our general partner and its affiliates own more than 80% of our common units then outstanding, our general partner has the right, but not the obligation, which it may assign to any of its affiliates or to us, to acquire all, but not less than all, of the remaining common units at a price not less than the then-current market price of the common units. Our general partner may exercise this right at its option, free of any fiduciary duty or obligation to us or our unitholders. As a result, a unitholder may have its common units purchased from it at an undesirable time or price. For a description of this right, please read “Description of Our Partnership Agreement—Limited Call Right.”
We may choose not to retain separate counsel for ourselves or for the holders of common units.
Attorneys, independent registered public accountants and others who will perform services for us in the future will be selected by our general partner or the conflicts committee and may also perform services for our general partner and its affiliates. We may, but are not required to, retain separate counsel for ourselves or the holders of common units in the event of a conflict of interest arising between our general partner and its affiliates, on the one hand, and us or the holders of common units, on the other, depending on the nature of the conflict. Such conflicts may arise out of extraordinary transactions between us and ETP or its affiliates, such as transfers of material assets or mergers or material amendments to our agreements with ETP and its affiliates. We do not intend to retain separate counsel in most cases.
Our general partner’s affiliates may compete with us.
Our partnership agreement provides that the general partner will be restricted from engaging in any business activities other than those incidental to its ownership of interests in us and certain services the employees of our general partner provide to ETP and its affiliates. Except as provided in our partnership agreement and in our omnibus agreement with affiliates of ETP, neither ETP nor its affiliates, other than our general partner, are prohibited from engaging in other businesses or activities, including those that might be in direct competition with us.
Conflicts of interest may arise between us and ETP, as the controlling owner of our general partner which, due to limited fiduciary responsibilities, may permit ETP and its affiliates to favor their own interests to the detriment of our unitholders.
ETP is the controlling owner of our current approximately 1% general partner interest and owns 25% of our limited partnership interests. Conflicts of interest may arise, from time to time, between ETP and its affiliates (including our general partner), on the one hand, and us and our unitholders, on the other hand. As a result of these conflicts, our general partner may favor its own interests and the interests of its affiliates (including ETP) over the interests of our unitholders. These conflicts may include, among others, the following situations:
| • | ETP and its affiliates may engage in competition with us. Neither our partnership agreement nor any other agreement requires ETP to pursue a business strategy that favors us or utilizes our assets, and our general partner may consider the interests of parties other than us, such as ETP, in resolving conflicts of interest; |
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| • | under our partnership agreement, our general partner’s fiduciary duties are restricted, and our unitholders have only limited remedies available in the event of conduct constituting a potential breach of fiduciary duty by our general partner; |
| • | our general partner determines the amount and timing of asset purchases and sales, capital expenditures, borrowings, issuance of additional partnership securities, and reserves, each of which can affect the amount of cash available for distribution to our unitholders and the amount received by our general partner in respect of its incentive distribution rights; |
| • | our general partner determines which costs incurred by ETP and its affiliates are reimbursable by us; and |
| • | our partnership agreement does not restrict our general partner from causing us to pay it or its affiliates for services rendered, or from entering into additional contractual arrangements with any of these entities on our behalf, so long as the terms of any additional contractual arrangements are fair and reasonable to us; and our general partner controls the enforcement of obligations owed to us by our general partner and its affiliates. |
Our general partner is accountable to us and our unitholders as a fiduciary. Fiduciary duties owed to unitholders by our general partner are prescribed by law and our partnership agreement. The Delaware Act provides that Delaware limited partnerships may, in their partnership agreements, restrict, eliminate or otherwise modify the fiduciary duties otherwise owed by a general partner to limited partners and the partnership.
Our partnership agreement contains various provisions modifying and restricting the fiduciary duties that might otherwise be owed by our general partner. These modifications, among other things, restrict the remedies available to unitholders for actions that, without those limitations, might constitute breaches of fiduciary duty, as described below. The following is a summary of the material restrictions of the fiduciary duties owed by our general partner to the limited partners:
| State-law fiduciary duty standards |
Fiduciary duties are generally considered to include an obligation to act in good faith and with due care and loyalty. The duty of care, in the absence of a provision in a partnership agreement providing otherwise, would generally require a general partner to act for the partnership in the same manner as a prudent person would act on his own behalf. The duty of loyalty, in the absence of a provision in a partnership agreement providing otherwise, would generally prohibit a general partner of a Delaware limited partnership from taking any action or engaging in any transaction where a conflict of interest is present. |
| Partnership agreement modified standards |
Our partnership agreement contains provisions that waive or consent to conduct by our general partner and its affiliates that might otherwise raise issues about compliance with fiduciary duties or applicable law. For example, our partnership agreement provides that when our general partner is acting in its capacity as our general partner, as opposed to in its individual capacity, it must act in “good faith” and will not be subject to any other standard under applicable law. In addition, when our general partner is acting in its individual capacity, as opposed to in its capacity as our general partner, it may act without any fiduciary obligation to us or the unitholders whatsoever. These standards reduce the obligations to which our general partner would otherwise be held. |
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| Our partnership agreement generally provides that affiliated transactions and resolutions of conflicts of interest not involving a vote of unitholders and that are not approved by the conflicts committee of the board of directors of our general partner must be: |
| • | on terms no less favorable to us than those generally being provided to or available from unrelated third parties; or |
| • | “fair and reasonable” to us, taking into account the totality of the relationships between the parties involved (including other transactions that may be particularly favorable or advantageous to us). |
| If our general partner does not seek approval from the conflicts committee and its board of directors determines that the resolution or course of action taken with respect to the conflict of interest satisfies either of the standards set forth in the bullet points above, then it will be presumed that, in making its decision, the board of directors acted in good faith, and in any proceeding brought by or on behalf of any limited partner or the partnership, the person bringing or prosecuting such proceeding will have the burden of overcoming such presumption. These standards reduce the obligations to which our general partner would otherwise be held. |
| In addition to the other more specific provisions limiting the obligations of our general partner, our partnership agreement further provides that our general partner and its officers and directors will not be liable for monetary damages to us, our limited partners or assignees for errors of judgment or for any acts or omissions unless there has been a final and non-appealable judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction determining that the general partner or its officers and directors acted in bad faith or engaged in fraud, willful misconduct or gross negligence. |
| Rights and remedies of unitholders under Delaware law |
The Delaware Act generally provides that a limited partner may institute legal action on behalf of the partnership to recover damages from a third party where a general partner has refused to institute the action or where an effort to cause a general partner to do so is not likely to succeed. These actions include actions against a general partner for breach of its fiduciary duties or of the partnership agreement. In addition, the statutory or case law of some jurisdictions may permit a limited partner to institute legal action on behalf of himself and all other similarly situated limited partners to recover damages from a general partner for violations of its fiduciary duties to the limited partners. |
| In order to become one of our limited partners, a common unitholder is required to agree to be bound by the provisions in our partnership agreement, including the provisions discussed above. This is in accordance with the policy of the Delaware Act favoring the principle of freedom of contract and the enforceability of partnership agreements. The failure of a limited partner or assignee to sign a partnership agreement does not render the partnership agreement unenforceable against that person. |
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MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES
This section summarizes the material U.S. federal income tax consequences that may be relevant to prospective common unitholders and is based upon current provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), existing and proposed Treasury regulations thereunder (the “Treasury Regulations”), and current administrative rulings and court decisions, all of which are subject to change. Changes in these authorities may cause the federal income tax consequences to a prospective common unitholder to vary substantially from those described below. Unless the context otherwise requires, references in this section to “we” or “us” are references to Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P. and Sunoco Logistics Partners Operations L.P., our operating partnership.
Legal conclusions contained in this section, unless otherwise noted, are the opinion of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. and are based on the accuracy of representations made by us to them for this purpose. However, this section does not address all federal income tax matters that affect us or our unitholders and does not describe the application of the alternative minimum tax that may be applicable to certain unitholders. Furthermore, this section focuses on unitholders who are individual citizens or residents of the United States (for federal income tax purposes), who have the U.S. dollar as their functional currency, who use the calendar year as their taxable year, and who hold units as capital assets (generally, property that is held for investment). This section has limited applicability to corporations, partnerships (including entities treated as partnerships for federal income tax purposes), estates, trusts, non-resident aliens or other unitholders subject to specialized tax treatment, such as tax-exempt institutions, non-U.S. persons, individual retirement accounts (“IRAs”), employee benefit plans, real estate investment trusts or mutual funds. Accordingly, we encourage each common unitholder to consult the unitholder’s own tax advisor in analyzing the federal, state, local and non-U.S. tax consequences particular to that common unitholder resulting from ownership or disposition of units and potential changes in applicable tax laws.
We will rely on the opinions and advice of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. with respect to the matters described herein. An opinion of counsel represents only that counsel’s best legal judgment and does not bind the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) or a court. Accordingly, the opinions and statements made herein may not be sustained by a court if contested by the IRS. Any such contest of the matters described herein may materially and adversely impact the market for units and the prices at which our units trade. In addition, our costs of any contest with the IRS will be borne indirectly by our unitholders because the costs will reduce our cash available for distribution. Furthermore, the tax consequences of an investment in us may be significantly modified by future legislative or administrative changes or court decisions, which may be retroactively applied.
For the reasons described below, Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. has not rendered an opinion with respect to the following federal income tax issues: (1) the treatment of a unitholder whose units are the subject of a securities loan (e.g., a loan to a short seller to cover a short sale of units) (please read “—Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership—Treatment of Securities Loans”); (2) whether our monthly convention for allocating taxable income and losses is permitted by existing Treasury Regulations (please read “—Disposition of Common Units—Allocations Between Transferors and Transferees”); and (3) whether our method for taking into account Section 743 adjustments is sustainable in certain cases (please read “—Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership—Section 754 Election” and “—Uniformity of Units”).
We expect to be treated as a partnership for federal income tax purposes and, therefore, generally will not be liable for entity-level federal income taxes. Instead, as described below, each of our common unitholders will take into account its respective share of our items of income, gain, loss and deduction in computing its federal income tax liability as if the common unitholder had earned such income directly, even if no cash distributions are made to the common unitholder. Distributions by us to a common unitholder generally will not give rise to income or gain taxable to such unitholder, unless the amount of cash distributed to a common unitholder exceeds the unitholder’s adjusted tax basis in its units.
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Section 7704 of the Code generally provides that publicly traded partnerships will be treated as corporations for federal income tax purposes. However, if 90% or more of a partnership’s gross income for every taxable year it is publicly traded consists of “qualifying income,” the partnership may continue to be treated as a partnership for federal income tax purposes (the “Qualifying Income Exception”). Qualifying income includes income and gains derived from the exploration, development, mining or production, processing, transportation, and marketing of natural resources, including oil, gas, and products thereof. Other types of qualifying income include interest (other than from a financial business), dividends, gains from the sale of real property and gains from the sale or other disposition of capital assets held for the production of qualifying income. We estimate that approximately 3% of our current gross income is not qualifying income; however, this estimate could change from time to time.
Based upon factual representations made by us and our general partner regarding the composition of our income and the other representations set forth below, Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. is of the opinion that we will be treated as a partnership and each of our non-corporate subsidiaries will be treated as a partnership or will be disregarded as an entity separate from us for federal income tax purposes. In rendering its opinion, Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. has relied on factual representations made by us and our general partner. The representations made by us and our general partner upon which Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. has relied include, without limitation:
(a) Neither we nor any of our partnership or limited liability company subsidiaries has elected to be treated as a corporation for federal income tax purposes; and
(b) For each taxable year, more than 90% of our gross income has been and will be income of a character that Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. has opined is “qualifying income” within the meaning of Section 7704(d) of the Code.
We believe that these representations are true and will be true in the future.
If we fail to meet the Qualifying Income Exception, other than a failure that is determined by the IRS to be inadvertent and that is cured within a reasonable time after discovery (in which case the IRS may also require us to make adjustments with respect to our common unitholders or pay other amounts), we will be treated as transferring all of our assets, subject to liabilities, to a newly formed corporation, on the first day of the year in which we fail to meet the Qualifying Income Exception, in return for stock in that corporation and then distributing that stock to our common unitholders in liquidation of their units. This deemed contribution and liquidation generally will not result in the recognition of taxable income by our common unitholders or us so long as our liabilities do not exceed the tax basis of our assets. Thereafter, we would be treated as an association taxable as a corporation for federal income tax purposes.
The present U.S. federal income tax treatment of publicly traded partnerships, including us, or an investment in our common units may be modified by administrative, legislative or judicial changes or differing interpretations at any time. For example, from time to time, members of the U.S. Congress and the President propose and consider substantive changes to the existing federal income tax laws that affect publicly traded partnerships, including the elimination of the Qualifying Income Exception upon which we rely for our treatment as a partnership for federal income tax purposes.
In addition, the IRS has issued proposed regulations regarding qualifying income under Section 7704(d)(1)(E) of the Code (the “Proposed Regulations”). We do not believe the Proposed Regulations affect our ability to qualify as a publicly traded partnership. However, there are no assurances that final regulations will not include changes that interpret Section 7704(d)(1)(E) in a manner that is contrary to the Proposed Regulations, which could modify the amount of our gross income that we are able to treat as qualifying income for the purposes of the Qualifying Income Exception. We are unable to predict whether any such changes will ultimately be enacted. However, it is possible that a change in law could affect us and may be applied retroactively. Any such changes could negatively impact the value of an investment in our common units.
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If for any reason we are taxable as a corporation in any taxable year, our items of income, gain, loss and deduction would be taken into account by us in determining the amount of our liability for federal income tax, rather than being passed through to our common unitholders. Our taxation as a corporation would materially reduce the cash available for distribution to unitholders and thus would likely substantially reduce the value of our units. Any distribution made to a common unitholder at a time we are treated as a corporation would be (i) a taxable dividend to the extent of our current or accumulated earnings and profits, then (ii) a nontaxable return of capital to the extent of the unitholder’s tax basis in its units, and thereafter (iii) taxable capital gain.
The remainder of this discussion is based on the opinion of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. that we will be treated as a partnership for federal income tax purposes.
Unitholders who have become limited partners of Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P. will be treated as partners of Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P. for federal income tax purposes. Also, assignees who have executed and delivered transfer applications, and are awaiting admission as limited partners, and unitholders whose common units are held in street name or by a nominee and who have the right to direct the nominee in the exercise of all substantive rights attendant to the ownership of their common units will be treated as partners of Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P. for federal income tax purposes. As there is no direct or indirect controlling authority addressing assignees of common units who are entitled to execute and deliver transfer applications and thereby become entitled to direct the exercise of attendant rights, but who fail to execute and deliver transfer applications, Vinson & Elkins L.L.P.’s opinion does not extend to these persons. Furthermore, a purchaser or other transferee of common units who does not execute and deliver a transfer application may not receive some federal income tax information or reports furnished to record holders of common units unless the common units are held in a nominee or street name account and the nominee or broker has executed and delivered a transfer application for those common units.
For a discussion related to the risks of losing partner status as a result of short sales, please read “—Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership—Treatment of Securities Loans.” Common unitholders who are not treated as partners in us as described above are urged to consult their own tax advisors with respect to the tax consequences applicable to them under the circumstances.
Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership
Flow-Through of Taxable Income. Subject to the discussion below under “—Entity-Level Collections of Unitholder Taxes” with respect to payments we may be required to make on behalf of our common unitholders, we will not pay any federal income tax. Rather, each common unitholder will be required to report on its income tax return its share of our income, gains, losses and deductions for our taxable year or years ending with or within its taxable year without regard to whether we make cash distributions to such unitholder. Consequently, we may allocate income to a common unitholder even if that unitholder has not received a cash distribution.
Treatment of Distributions. Distributions made by us to a common unitholder generally will not be taxable to the common unitholder, unless such distributions are of cash or marketable securities that are treated as cash and exceed the common unitholder’s tax basis in its units, in which case the common unitholder will recognize gain taxable in the manner described below under “—Disposition of Common Units.”
Any reduction in a common unitholder’s share of our nonrecourse liabilities will be treated as a distribution by us of cash to that common unitholder. A decrease in a common unitholder’s percentage interest in us because of our issuance of additional units will decrease the common unitholder’s share of our nonrecourse liabilities. For purposes of the foregoing, a common unitholder’s share of our nonrecourse liabilities generally will be based upon that common unitholder’s share of the unrealized appreciation (or depreciation) in our assets, to the extent thereof, with any excess liabilities allocated based on the common unitholder’s share of our profits. Please read “—Disposition of Common Units.”
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A non-pro rata distribution of money or property (including a deemed distribution described above) may cause a common unitholder to recognize ordinary income, if the distribution reduces the common unitholder’s share of our “unrealized receivables,” including depreciation recapture and substantially appreciated “inventory items,” both as defined in Section 751 of the Code (“Section 751 Assets”).
To the extent of such reduction, the common unitholder would be deemed to receive its proportionate share of the Section 751 Assets and exchange such assets with us in return for an allocable portion of the non-pro rata distribution. This latter deemed exchange generally will result in the common unitholder’s realization of ordinary income in an amount equal to the excess of (1) the non-pro rata portion of that distribution over (2) the common unitholder’s tax basis (generally zero) in the Section 751 Assets deemed to be relinquished in the exchange.
Basis of Common Units. A unitholder’s tax basis in its units initially will be the amount it paid for those units plus its initial share of our liabilities. That basis generally will be (i) increased by the common unitholder’s share of our income and any increases in such unitholder’s share of our “nonrecourse liabilities” (liabilities for which no partner, including our general partner, bears the economic risk of loss), and (ii) decreased, but not below zero, by distributions to it, by its share of our losses, any decreases in its share of our nonrecourse liabilities and its share of our expenditures that are neither deductible nor required to be capitalized.
Limitations on Deductibility of Losses. A unitholder may not be entitled to deduct the full amount of loss we allocate to it because its share of our losses will be limited to the lesser of (i) the common unitholder’s tax basis in its units and (ii) in the case of a common unitholder that is an individual, estate, trust or certain types of closely-held corporations, the amount for which the unitholder is considered to be “at risk” with respect to our activities. In general, a common unitholder will be at risk to the extent of its tax basis in its units, reduced by (1) any portion of that basis attributable to the unitholder’s share of our liabilities, (2) any portion of that basis representing amounts otherwise protected against loss because of a guarantee, stop loss agreement or similar arrangement and (3) any amount of money the unitholder borrows to acquire or hold its units, if the lender of those borrowed funds owns an interest in us, is related to another unitholder or can look only to the units for repayment. A unitholder subject to the at risk limitation must recapture losses deducted in previous years to the extent that distributions (including distributions deemed to result from a reduction in a unitholder’s share of nonrecourse liabilities) cause the unitholder’s at risk amount to be less than zero at the end of any taxable year.
Losses disallowed to a unitholder or recaptured as a result of the basis or at risk limitations will carry forward and will be allowable as a deduction in a later year to the extent that the unitholder’s tax basis or at risk amount, whichever is the limiting factor, is subsequently increased. Upon a taxable disposition of units, any gain recognized by a unitholder can be offset by losses that were previously suspended by the at-risk limitation but not losses suspended by the basis limitation. Any loss previously suspended by the at risk limitation in excess of that gain can no longer be used and will not be available to offset a unitholder’s salary or active business income.
In addition to the basis and at risk limitations, passive activity loss limitations generally limit the deductibility of losses incurred by individuals, estates, trusts, some closely held corporations and personal service corporations from “passive activities” (generally, trade or business activities in which the taxpayer does not materially participate). The passive loss limitations are applied separately with respect to each publicly-traded partnership. Consequently, any passive losses we generate will only be available to offset our passive income generated in the future and will not be available to offset income from other passive activities or investments, including any dividend or interest income we derive or from our investments or investments in other publicly-traded partnerships or salary or active business income. Passive losses that are not deductible because they exceed a unitholder’s share of income we generate may be deducted in full when the unitholder disposes of all of its units in a fully taxable transaction with an unrelated party. The passive activity loss rules are applied after other applicable limitations on deductions, including the at risk and basis limitations.
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Limitations on Interest Deductions. The deductibility of a non-corporate taxpayer’s “investment interest expense” is generally limited to the amount of that taxpayer’s “net investment income.” Investment interest expense includes:
| (a) | interest on indebtedness properly allocable to property held for investment; |
| (b) | our interest expense attributed to portfolio income; and |
| (c) | the portion of interest expense incurred to purchase or carry an interest in a passive activity to the extent attributable to portfolio income. |
The computation of a unitholder’s investment interest expense will take into account interest on any margin account borrowing or other loan incurred to purchase or carry a unit. Net investment income includes gross income from property held for investment and amounts treated as portfolio income under the passive loss rules, less deductible expenses, other than interest, directly connected with the production of investment income, but generally does not include gains attributable to the disposition of property held for investment or (if applicable) qualified dividend income. The IRS has indicated that the net passive income earned by a publicly traded partnership will be treated as investment income to its unitholders. In addition, the unitholder’s share of our portfolio income will be treated as investment income.
Entity-Level Collections of Unitholder Taxes. If we are required or elect under applicable law to pay any federal, state, local or foreign income tax on behalf of any unitholder or our general partner or any former unitholder, we are authorized to pay those taxes from our funds. That payment, if made, will be treated as a distribution of cash to the unitholder on whose behalf the payment was made. If the payment is made on behalf of a person whose identity cannot be determined, we are authorized to treat the payment as a distribution to all current unitholders. We are authorized to amend our partnership agreement in the manner necessary to maintain uniformity of intrinsic tax characteristics of units and to adjust later distributions, so that after giving effect to these distributions, the priority and characterization of distributions otherwise applicable under our partnership agreement is maintained as nearly as is practicable. Payments by us as described above could give rise to an overpayment of tax on behalf of an individual unitholder in which event the unitholder would be required to file a claim in order to obtain a credit or refund.
Allocation of Income, Gain, Loss and Deduction. In general, if we have a net profit, our items of income, gain, loss and deduction will be allocated among our general partner and the unitholders in accordance with their percentage interests in us. At any time that incentive distributions are made to our general partner, gross income will be allocated to the recipients to the extent of these distributions. If we have a net loss, that loss will be allocated first to our general partner and the unitholders in accordance with their percentage interests in us to the extent of their positive capital accounts and, second, to our general partner.
Specified items of our income, gain, loss and deduction will be allocated under Section 704(c) of the Code to account for any difference between the tax basis and fair market value of our assets at the time such assets are contributed to us and at the time of any subsequent offering of our units (a “Book-Tax Disparity”). In addition, items of recapture income will be specially allocated to the extent possible to the common unitholder who was allocated the deduction giving rise to that recapture income in order to minimize the recognition of ordinary income by other unitholders.
An allocation of items of our income, gain, loss or deduction, generally must have “substantial economic effect” as determined under Treasury Regulations. If an allocation does not have substantial economic effect, it will be reallocated to our common unitholders the basis of their interests in us, which will be determined by taking into account all the facts and circumstances, including:
| (a) | his relative contributions to us; |
| (b) | the interests of all the partners in profits and losses; |
| (c) | the interest of all the partners in cash flow; and |
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| (d) | the rights of all the partners to distributions of capital upon liquidation. |
Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. is of the opinion that, with the exception of the issues described in “—Section 754 Election” and “—Disposition of Common Units—Allocations Between Transferors and Transferees,” allocations under our partnership agreement will have substantial economic effect.
Treatment of Securities Loans. A common unitholder whose units are loaned (for example, a loan to “short seller” to cover a short sale of units) may be treated as having disposed of those units. If so, such common unitholder would no longer be treated for tax purposes as a partner with respect to those units during the period of the loan and may recognize gain or loss from the disposition. As a result, during this period, (i) any of our income, gain, loss or deduction allocated to those units would not be reportable by the lending unitholder and (ii) any cash distributions received by the common unitholder as to those units may be treated as ordinary taxable income.
Due to a lack of controlling authority, Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. has not rendered an opinion regarding the tax treatment of a common unitholder that enters into a securities loan with respect to its units. Common unitholders desiring to assure their status as partners and avoid the risk of income recognition from a loan of their units are urged to modify any applicable brokerage account agreements to prohibit their brokers from borrowing and lending their units. The IRS has announced that it is studying issues relating to the tax treatment of short sales of partnership interests. Please read “—Disposition of Common Units—Recognition of Gain or Loss.”
Tax Rates. Under current law, the highest marginal federal income tax rates for individuals applicable to ordinary income and long-term capital gains (generally, gains from the sale or exchange of certain investment assets held for more than one year) are 39.6% and 20%, respectively. These rates are subject to change by new legislation at any time.
In addition, a 3.8% net investment income tax (“NIIT”) applies to certain net investment income earned by individuals, estates and trusts. For these purposes, net investment income generally includes a common unitholder’s allocable share of our income and gain realized by a common unitholder from a sale of units. In the case of an individual, the tax will be imposed on the lesser of (i) the common unitholder’s net investment income from all investments and (ii) the amount by which the common unitholder’s modified adjusted gross income exceeds $250,000 (if the unitholder is married and filing jointly or a surviving spouse), $125,000 (if married filing separately) or $200,000 (if the unitholder is unmarried or in any other case). In the case of an estate or trust, the tax will be imposed on the lesser of (i) undistributed net investment income and (ii) the excess adjusted gross income over the dollar amount at which the highest income tax bracket applicable to an estate or trust begins.
Section 754 Election. We have made the election permitted by Section 754 of the Code that permits us to adjust the tax bases in our assets as to specific purchased units under Section 743(b) of the Code to reflect the unit purchase price. The Section 743(b) adjustment separately applies to each purchaser of units based upon the values and bases of our assets at the time of the relevant purchase. The Section 743(b) adjustment does not apply to a person who purchases units directly from us. For purposes of this discussion, a common unitholder’s basis in our assets will be considered to have two components: (1) its share of the tax basis in our assets as to all common unitholders (“common basis”) and (2) its Section 743(b) adjustment to that tax basis (which may be positive or negative).
Under Treasury Regulations, a Section 743(b) adjustment attributable to property depreciable under Section 168 of the Code, such as our storage assets, may be amortizable over the remaining cost recovery period for such property, while a Section 743(b) adjustment attributable to properties subject to depreciation under Section 167 of the Code, must be amortized straight-line or using the 150% declining balance method. As a result, if we owned any assets subject to depreciation under Section 167 of the Code, the amortization rates could give rise to differences in the taxation of common unitholders purchasing units from us and common unitholders purchasing from other unitholders.
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Under our partnership agreement, we are authorized to take a position to preserve the uniformity of units even if that position is not consistent with these or any other Treasury Regulations. Please read “—Disposition of Common Units—Uniformity of Units.” Consistent with this authority, we intend to treat properties depreciable under Section 167, if any, in the same manner as properties depreciable under Section 168 for this purpose. These positions are consistent with the methods employed by other publicly traded partnerships but are inconsistent with the existing Treasury Regulations, and Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. has not opined on the validity of this approach.
The IRS may challenge our position with respect to depreciating or amortizing the Section 743(b) adjustment we take to preserve the uniformity of units due to lack of controlling authority. Because a common unitholder’s tax basis for its units is reduced by its share of our items of deduction or loss, any position we take that understates deductions will overstate a common unitholder’s basis in its units, and may cause the common unitholder to understate gain or overstate loss on any sale of such units. Please read “—Disposition of Common Units—Recognition of Gain or Loss.” If a challenge to such treatment were sustained, the gain from the sale of units may be increased without the benefit of additional deductions.
The calculations involved in the Section 754 election are complex and will be made on the basis of assumptions as to the value of our assets and other matters. The IRS could seek to reallocate some or all of any Section 743(b) adjustment we allocated to our assets subject to depreciation to goodwill or nondepreciable assets. Goodwill, as an intangible asset, is generally nonamortizable or amortizable over a longer period of time or under a less accelerated method than our tangible assets. We cannot assure any common unitholder that the determinations we make will not be successfully challenged by the IRS or that the resulting deductions will not be reduced or disallowed altogether. Should the IRS require a different tax basis adjustment to be made, and should, in our opinion, the expense of compliance exceed the benefit of the election, we may seek permission from the IRS to revoke our Section 754 election. If permission is granted, a subsequent purchaser of units may be allocated more income than it would have been allocated had the election not been revoked.
Accounting Method and Taxable Year. We use the year ending December 31 as our taxable year and the accrual method of accounting for federal income tax purposes. Each unitholder will be required to include in income his share of our income, gain, loss and deduction for our taxable year ending within or with his taxable year. In addition, a unitholder who has a taxable year ending on a date other than December 31 and who disposes of all of his units following the close of our taxable year but before the close of his taxable year must include his share of our income, gain, loss and deduction in income for his taxable year, with the result that he will be required to include in income for his taxable year his share of more than twelve months of our income, gain, loss and deduction. Please read “—Disposition of Common Units—Allocations Between Transferors and Transferees.”
Tax Basis, Depreciation and Amortization. The tax basis of our assets will be used for purposes of computing depreciation and cost recovery deductions and, ultimately, gain or loss on the disposition of these assets. The federal income tax burden associated with the difference between the fair market value of our assets and their tax basis immediately prior to an offering will be borne by our partners holding interests in us prior to this offering. Please read “—Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership—Allocation of Income, Gain, Loss and Deduction.”
If we dispose of depreciable property by sale, foreclosure or otherwise, all or a portion of any gain, determined by reference to the amount of depreciation previously deducted and the nature of the property, may be subject to the recapture rules and taxed as ordinary income rather than capital gain. Similarly, a common unitholder who has taken cost recovery or depreciation deductions with respect to property we own will likely be required to recapture some or all of those deductions as ordinary income upon a sale of its interest in us. Please read “—Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership—Allocation of Income, Gain, Loss and Deduction” and “—Disposition of Common Units—Recognition of Gain or Loss.”
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The costs we incur in offering and selling our units (called “syndication expenses”) must be capitalized and cannot be deducted currently, ratably or upon our termination. While there are uncertainties regarding the classification of costs as organization expenses, which may be amortized by us, and as syndication expenses, which may not be amortized by us, the underwriting discounts and commissions we incur will be treated as syndication expenses.
Valuation and Tax Basis of Our Properties. The federal income tax consequences of the ownership and disposition of units will depend in part on our estimates of the relative fair market values and the initial tax bases of our assets. Although we may from time to time consult with professional appraisers regarding valuation matters, we will make many of the relative fair market value estimates and tax basis determinations ourselves. These estimates and determinations of tax basis are subject to challenge and will not be binding on the IRS or the courts. If the estimates of fair market value or basis are later found to be incorrect, the character and amount of items of income, gain, loss or deduction previously reported by common unitholders could change, and common unitholders could be required to adjust their tax liability for prior years and incur interest and penalties with respect to those adjustments.
Recognition of Gain or Loss. A common unitholder will be required to recognize gain or loss on a sale of units equal to the difference between the common unitholder’s amount realized and tax basis for the units sold. A common unitholder’s amount realized will equal the sum of the cash or the fair market value of other property it receives plus its share of our liabilities with respect to such units. Because the amount realized includes a common unitholder’s share of our liabilities, the gain recognized on the sale of units could result in a tax liability in excess of any cash received from the sale.
Except as noted below, gain or loss recognized by a common unitholder on the sale or exchange of a unit held for more than one year generally will be taxable as long-term capital gain or loss. However, gain or loss recognized on the disposition of units will be separately computed and taxed as ordinary income or loss under Section 751 of the Code to the extent attributable to Section 751 Assets, primarily depreciation recapture. Ordinary income attributable to Section 751 Assets may exceed net taxable gain realized on the sale of a unit and may be recognized even if there is a net taxable loss realized on the sale of a unit. Thus, a common unitholder may recognize both ordinary income and a capital loss upon a sale of units. Net capital loss may offset capital gains and, in the case of individuals, up to $3,000 of ordinary income per year.
The IRS has ruled that a partner who acquires interests in a partnership in separate transactions must combine those interests and maintain a single adjusted tax basis for all those interests. Upon a sale or other disposition of less than all of those interests, a portion of that tax basis must be allocated to the interests sold using an “equitable apportionment” method, which generally means that the tax basis allocated to the interest sold equals an amount that bears the same relation to the partner’s tax basis in its entire interest in the partnership as the value of the interest sold bears to the value of the partner’s entire interest in the partnership.
Treasury Regulations under Section 1223 of the Code allow a selling common unitholder who can identify units transferred with an ascertainable holding period to elect to use the actual holding period of the units transferred. Thus, according to the ruling discussed above, a common unitholder will be unable to select high or low basis units to sell as would be the case with corporate stock, but, according to the Treasury Regulations, it may designate specific units sold for purposes of determining the holding period of units transferred. A common unitholder electing to use the actual holding period of units transferred must consistently use that identification method for all subsequent sales or exchanges of our units. A common unitholder considering the purchase of additional units or a sale of units purchased in separate transactions is urged to consult its tax advisor as to the possible consequences of this ruling and application of the Treasury Regulations.
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Specific provisions of the Code affect the taxation of some financial products and securities, including partnership interests, by treating a taxpayer as having sold an “appreciated” partnership interest, one in which gain would be recognized if it were sold, assigned or terminated at its fair market value, if the taxpayer or related persons enter(s) into:
| • | a short sale; |
| • | an offsetting notional principal contract; or |
| • | a futures or forward contract with respect to the partnership interest or substantially identical property. |
Moreover, if a taxpayer has previously entered into a short sale, an offsetting notional principal contract or a futures or forward contract with respect to the partnership interest, the taxpayer will be treated as having sold that position if the taxpayer or a related person then acquires the partnership interest or substantially identical property. The Secretary of the Treasury is also authorized to issue regulations that treat a taxpayer that enters into transactions or positions that have substantially the same effect as the preceding transactions as having constructively sold the financial position.
Allocations Between Transferors and Transferees. In general, our taxable income or loss will be determined annually, will be prorated on a monthly basis and will be subsequently apportioned among the common unitholders in proportion to the number of units owned by each of them as of the opening of the applicable exchange on the first business day of the month (the “Allocation Date”). Nevertheless, we allocate certain deductions for depreciation of capital additions based upon the date the underlying property is placed in service, and gain or loss realized on a sale or other disposition of our assets or, in the discretion of the general partner, any other extraordinary item of income, gain, loss or deduction will be allocated among the common unitholders on the Allocation Date in the month in which such income, gain, loss or deduction is recognized. As a result, a common unitholder transferring units may be allocated income, gain, loss and deduction realized after the date of transfer.
Although simplifying conventions are contemplated by the Code and most publicly traded partnerships use similar simplifying conventions, the use of this method may not be permitted under existing Treasury Regulations. Recently, however, the Department of the Treasury and the IRS issued final Treasury Regulations that provide a safe harbor pursuant to which a publicly traded partnership may use a similar monthly simplifying convention to allocate tax items among transferor and transferee common unitholders. We are currently evaluating these regulations, which apply beginning with our taxable year that begins on January 1, 2016. Nonetheless, the regulations do not specifically authorize the proration method we have adopted. Accordingly, Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. is unable to opine on the validity of this method of allocating income and deductions between transferee and transferor common unitholders. If the IRS were to determine that our method is not allowed under the Treasury Regulations, or only applies to transfers of less than all of the common unitholder’s interest, our taxable income or losses might be reallocated among the common unitholders. We are authorized to revise our method of allocation between transferee and transferor common unitholders, as well as among common unitholders whose interests vary during a taxable year, to conform to a method permitted under the Treasury Regulations.
A common unitholder who disposes of units prior to the record date set for a cash distribution for that quarter will be allocated items of our income, gain, loss and deduction attributable to the month of disposition but will not be entitled to receive a cash distribution for that period.
Notification Requirements. A unitholder who sells or purchases any units is generally required to notify us in writing of that transaction within 30 days after the transaction (or, if earlier, January 15 of the year following the transaction). Upon receiving such notifications, we are required to notify the IRS of that transaction and to furnish specified information to the transferor and transferee. Failure to notify us of a transfer of units may, in some cases, lead to the imposition of penalties. However, these reporting requirements do not apply to a sale by an individual who is a citizen of the United States and who effects the sale through a broker who will satisfy such requirements.
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Constructive Termination. We will be considered to have terminated our partnership for federal income tax purposes upon the sale or exchange of 50% or more of the total interests in our capital and profits within a twelve-month period. For such purposes, multiple sales of the same unit are counted only once. A constructive termination results in the closing of our taxable year for all common unitholders. In the case of a common unitholder reporting on a taxable year other than a fiscal year ending December 31, the closing of our taxable year may result in more than twelve months of our taxable income or loss being includable in such common unitholder’s taxable income for the year of termination.
A constructive termination occurring on a date other than December 31 will result in us filing two tax returns for one fiscal year and the cost of the preparation of these returns will be borne by all common unitholders. However, pursuant to an IRS relief procedure the IRS may allow, among other things, a constructively terminated partnership to provide a single Schedule K-1 for the calendar year in which a termination occurs. We would be required to make new tax elections after a termination, including a new election under Section 754 of the Code, and a termination would result in a deferral of our deductions for depreciation and thus may increase the taxable income allocable to our unitholders. A termination could also result in penalties if we were unable to determine that the termination had occurred. Moreover, a termination might either accelerate the application of, or subject us to, any tax legislation enacted before the termination.
Uniformity of Units. Because we cannot match transferors and transferees of units and for other reasons, we must maintain uniformity of the economic and tax characteristics of the units to a purchaser of these units. In the absence of uniformity, we may be unable to completely comply with a number of federal income tax requirements, both statutory and regulatory. A lack of uniformity could result from a literal application of Treasury Regulation Section 1.167(c)-1(a)(6), which is not anticipated to apply to a material portion of our assets. Any non-uniformity could have a negative impact on the value of the units. Please read “—Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership—Section 754 Election.”
If necessary to preserve the uniformity of our units, our partnership agreement permits our general partner to take positions in filing our tax returns even when contrary to a literal application of regulations like the one described above. These positions may include reducing for some common unitholders the depreciation, amortization or loss deductions to which they would otherwise be entitled or reporting a slower amortization of Section 743(b) adjustments for some common unitholders than that to which they would otherwise be entitled. The general partner does not anticipate needing to take such positions, but if they were necessary, Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. would be unable to opine as to validity of such filing positions in the absence of direct and controlling authority.
A common unitholder’s basis in units is reduced by its share of our deductions (whether or not such deductions were claimed on an individual income tax return) so that any position that we take that understates deductions will overstate the common unitholder’s basis in its units, and may cause the common unitholder to understate gain or overstate loss on any sale of such units. Please read “—Disposition of Common Units—Recognition of Gain or Loss” above and “—Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership—Section 754 Election” above. The IRS may challenge one or more of any positions we take to preserve the uniformity of units. If such a challenge were sustained, the uniformity of units might be affected, and, under some circumstances, the gain from the sale of units might be increased without the benefit of additional deductions.
Tax-Exempt Organizations and Other Investors
Ownership of common units by employee benefit plans and other tax-exempt organizations as well as by non-resident alien individuals, non-U.S. corporations and other non-U.S. persons (collectively, “Non-U.S. Unitholders”) raises issues unique to those investors and, as described below, may have substantially adverse tax consequences to them. Prospective unitholders that are tax-exempt entities or Non-U.S. Unitholders should consult their tax advisors before investing in our common units. Employee benefit plans and most other tax-exempt organizations, including IRAs and other retirement plans, are subject to federal income tax on unrelated business taxable income. Virtually all of our income will be unrelated business taxable income and will be taxable to a tax-exempt unitholder.
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Non-U.S. Unitholders are taxed by the United States on income effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business (“effectively connected income”) and on certain types of U.S.-source non-effectively connected income (such as dividends), unless exempted or further limited by an income tax treaty. Non-U.S. Unitholders will be considered to be engaged in business in the United States because of their ownership of our units. Furthermore, it is probable that they will be deemed to conduct such activities through permanent establishments in the U.S. within the meaning of applicable tax treaties. Consequently, they will be required to file federal tax returns to report their share of our income, gain, loss or deduction and pay federal income tax on their share of our net income or gain. Moreover, under rules applicable to publicly traded partnerships, distributions to Non-U.S. Unitholders are subject to withholding at the highest applicable effective tax rate. Each Non-U.S. Unitholder must obtain a taxpayer identification number from the IRS and submit that number to our transfer agent on a Form W-8BEN or applicable substitute form in order to obtain credit for these withholding taxes.
In addition, because a Non-U.S. Unitholder classified as a corporation will be treated as engaged in a United States trade or business, that corporation may be subject to the U.S. branch profits tax at a rate of 30%, in addition to regular federal income tax, on its share of our income and gain as adjusted for changes in the foreign corporation’s “U.S. net equity” to the extent reflected in the corporation’s effectively connected earnings and profits. That tax may be reduced or eliminated by an income tax treaty between the United States and the country in which the foreign corporate unitholder is a “qualified resident.” In addition, this type of unitholder is subject to special information reporting requirements under Section 6038C of the Code.
A Non-U.S. Unitholder who sells or otherwise disposes of a unit will be subject to federal income tax on gain realized from the sale or disposition of that common unit to the extent the gain is effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business of the Non-U.S. Unitholder. Under a ruling published by the IRS interpreting the scope of “effectively connected income,” gain recognized by a Non-U.S. Unitholder from the sale of its interest in a partnership that is engaged in a trade or business in the United States will be considered to be “effectively connected” with a U.S. trade or business. Thus, part or all of a Non-U.S. Unitholder’s gain from the sale or other disposition of its units may be treated as effectively connected with a common unitholder’s indirect U.S. trade or business constituted by its investment in us. Moreover, under the Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act, a Non-U.S. Unitholder generally will be subject to federal income tax upon the sale or disposition of a common unit if (i) it owned (directly or indirectly constructively applying certain attribution rules) more than 5% of our common units at any time during the five-year period ending on the date of such disposition and (ii) 50% or more of the fair market value of our worldwide real property interests and our other assets used or held for use in a trade or business consisted of U.S. real property interests (which include U.S. real estate, including land, improvements, and associated personal property, and interests in certain entities holding U.S. real estate) at any time during the shorter of the period during which such unitholder held the units or the 5-year period ending on the date of disposition. More than 50% of our assets may consist of U.S. real property interests. Therefore, Non-U.S. Unitholders may be subject to federal income tax on gain from the sale or disposition of their common units.
Information Returns and Audit Procedures. We intend to furnish to each common unitholder, within 90 days after the close of each taxable year, specific tax information, including a Schedule K-1, which describes its share of our income, gain, loss and deduction for our preceding taxable year. In preparing this information, which will not be reviewed by counsel, we will take various accounting and reporting positions, some of which have been mentioned earlier, to determine each common unitholder’s share of income, gain, loss and deduction. We cannot assure our common unitholders that those positions will yield a result that conforms to the requirements of the Code, Treasury Regulations or administrative interpretations of the IRS.
The IRS may audit our federal income tax information returns. Neither we, nor Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. can assure prospective common unitholders that the IRS will not successfully contend in court that those positions are impermissible, and such a contention could negatively affect the value of the units. Adjustments resulting
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from an IRS audit may require each common unitholder to adjust a prior year’s tax liability, and possibly may result in an audit of its own return. Any audit of a common unitholder’s return could result in adjustments not related to our returns as well as those related to its returns.
Publicly traded partnerships generally are treated as entities separate from their owners for purposes of federal income tax audits, judicial review of administrative adjustments by the IRS and tax settlement proceedings. The tax treatment of partnership items of income, gain, loss and deduction are determined in a partnership proceeding rather than in separate proceedings with the partners. The Code requires that one partner be designated as the “Tax Matters Partner” for these purposes, and our partnership agreement designates our general partner.
The Tax Matters Partner has made and will make elections on our behalf and on behalf of common unitholders. In addition, the Tax Matters Partner can extend the statute of limitations for assessment of tax deficiencies against common unitholders for items in our returns. The Tax Matters Partner may bind a common unitholder with less than a 1% profits interest in us to a settlement with the IRS unless that common unitholder elects, by filing a statement with the IRS, not to give that authority to the Tax Matters Partner. The Tax Matters Partner may seek judicial review, by which all the common unitholders are bound, of a final partnership administrative adjustment and, if the Tax Matters Partner fails to seek judicial review, judicial review may be sought by any common unitholder having at least a 1% interest in profits or by any group of common unitholders having in the aggregate at least a 5% interest in profits. However, only one action for judicial review will go forward, and each common unitholder with an interest in the outcome may participate in that action.
A common unitholder must file a statement with the IRS identifying the treatment of any item on its federal income tax return that is not consistent with the treatment of the item on our return. Intentional or negligent disregard of this consistency requirement may subject a common unitholder to substantial penalties.
Nominee Reporting. Persons who hold an interest in us as a nominee for another person are required to furnish to us:
| (a) | the name, address and taxpayer identification number of the beneficial owner and the nominee; |
| (b) | a statement regarding whether the beneficial owner is: |
| 1. | a non-U.S. person; |
| 2. | a non-U.S. government, an international organization or any wholly owned agency or instrumentality of either of the foregoing; or |
| 3. | a tax-exempt entity; |
| (c) | the amount and description of units held, acquired or transferred for the beneficial owner; and |
| (d) | specific information including the dates of acquisitions and transfers, means of acquisitions and transfers, and acquisition cost for purchases, as well as the amount of net proceeds from dispositions. |
Brokers and financial institutions are required to furnish additional information, including whether they are U.S. persons and specific information on units they acquire, hold or transfer for their own account. A penalty of $250 per failure, up to a maximum of $3 million per calendar year, is imposed by the Code for failure to report that information to us. The nominee is required to supply the beneficial owner of the units with the information furnished to us.
Accuracy-Related Penalties. Certain penalties may be imposed as a result of an underpayment of tax that is attributable to one or more specified causes, including negligence or disregard of rules or regulations, substantial understatements of income tax and substantial valuation misstatements. No penalty will be imposed, however, for any portion of an underpayment if it is shown that there was a reasonable cause for the underpayment of that portion and that the taxpayer acted in good faith regarding the underpayment of that portion. We do not anticipate that any accuracy-related penalties will be assessed against us.
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State, Local, Foreign and Other Tax Considerations
In addition to federal income taxes, common unitholders will be subject to other taxes, including state and local income taxes, unincorporated business taxes, and estate, inheritance or intangibles taxes that may be imposed by the various jurisdictions in which we conduct business or own property or in which the common unitholder is a resident. We currently conduct business or own property in many states in the United States. Most of these states impose an income tax on individuals, corporations and other entities. As we make acquisitions or expand our business, we may own property or conduct business in other states in additional states that impose a personal income tax. Although an analysis of those various taxes is not presented here, each prospective unitholder should consider their potential impact on its investment in us.
A unitholder may be required to file income tax returns and pay income taxes in some or all of the jurisdictions in which we do business or own property, though such unitholder may not be required to file a return and pay taxes in certain jurisdictions because its income from such jurisdictions falls below the jurisdiction’s filing and payment requirement. Further, a common unitholder may be subject to penalties for a failure to comply with any filing or payment requirement applicable to such unitholder. Some of the jurisdictions may require us, or we may elect, to withhold a percentage of income from amounts to be distributed to a common unitholder who is not a resident of the jurisdiction. Withholding, the amount of which may be greater or less than a particular common unitholder’s income tax liability to the jurisdiction, generally does not relieve a nonresident common unitholder from the obligation to file an income tax return.
It is the responsibility of each common unitholder to investigate the legal and tax consequences, under the laws of pertinent states and localities, of its investment in us. Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. has not rendered an opinion on the state, local, or non-U.S. tax consequences of an investment in us. We strongly recommend that each prospective common unitholder consult, and depend on, its own tax counsel or other advisor with regard to those matters. It is the responsibility of each common unitholder to file all tax returns that may be required of the common unitholder.
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INVESTMENT IN OUR COMMON UNITS BY EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS
The following is a summary of certain considerations associated with an investment in our common units by an employee benefit plan that is subject to certain additional considerations because the investments of these plans are subject to the fiduciary responsibility and prohibited transaction provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), and the prohibited transaction restrictions imposed by Section 4975 of the Code or provisions under any federal, state, local, non-U.S. or other laws, rules or regulations that are similar to such provisions of the Code or ERISA, which we refer to collectively as “Similar Laws.” As used herein, the term “employee benefit plan” includes, but is not limited to, qualified pension, profit-sharing and stock bonus plans, certain Keogh plans, certain simplified employee pension plans and tax deferred annuities, individual retirement accounts or annuities (“IRAs”) or other arrangements established or maintained by an employer or employee organization, and entities whose underlying assets are considered to include “plan assets” of such plans, accounts and arrangements.
This summary is based on the provisions of ERISA and the Code (and related regulations and administrative and judicial interpretations) as of the date of this prospectus. This summary does not purport to be complete, and no assurance can be given that future legislation, court decisions, regulations, rulings or administrative pronouncements will not significantly modify the requirements summarized below. Any of these changes may be retroactive and, therefore, may apply to transactions entered into prior to the date of their enactment or release.
ERISA and the Code impose certain duties on persons who are fiduciaries of an employee benefit plan that is subject to Title I of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, which we refer to as an “ERISA Plan,” and prohibit certain transactions involving the assets of an ERISA Plan and its fiduciaries or other interested parties. Under ERISA and the Code, any person who exercises any discretionary authority or control over the administration of an ERISA Plan or the management or disposition of the assets of an ERISA Plan, or who renders investment advice for a fee or other compensation to an ERISA Plan, is generally considered to be a fiduciary of the ERISA Plan.
Governmental plans (as defined in Section 3(32) of ERISA), certain church plans (as defined in Section 3(33) of ERISA) and non-U.S. plans (as defined in Section 4(b)(4) of ERISA), while generally not subject to the fiduciary responsibility provisions of ERISA or the provisions of Section 4975 of the Code, may nevertheless be subject to Similar Laws. Fiduciaries of any such plans should consult with their counsel before acquiring our common units.
In considering an investment in our common units with any portion of the assets of an employee benefit plan, a fiduciary of the employee benefit plan should consider, among other things, whether the investment is in accordance with the documents and instruments governing the employee benefit plan and the applicable provisions of ERISA, the Code or any applicable Similar Law relating to the fiduciary’s duties to the employee benefit plan, including, without limitation:
(a) whether such investment is prudent under Section 404(a)(1)(B) of ERISA and any other applicable Similar Laws;
(b) whether in making such investment, the employee benefit plan will satisfy the diversification requirements of Section 404(a)(1) (C) of ERISA and any other applicable Similar Laws;
(c) whether making such an investment will comply with the delegation of control and prohibited transaction provisions of ERISA, the Code and any other applicable Similar Laws;
(d) whether the investment will constitute a “prohibited transaction” under Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code (please read the discussion under “—Prohibited Transaction Issues” below);
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(e) whether in making such an investment in our common units, the employee benefit plan will be considered to hold, as plan assets, (i) only the investment in our common units or (ii) an undivided interest in our underlying assets (please read the discussion under “—Plan Asset Issues” below); and
(f) whether such investment will result in recognition of unrelated business taxable income by the employee benefit plan and, if so, the potential after-tax investment return (please read the discussion under “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences—Tax-Exempt Organizations and Other Investors”).
Section 406 of ERISA and Section 4975 of the Code prohibit employee benefit plans (and certain IRAs that are not considered part of an employee benefit plan) from engaging in certain transactions involving “plan assets” with parties that are “parties in interest” under Section 406 ERISA or “disqualified persons” under Section 4975 of the Code with respect to the employee benefit plan or IRA, unless an exemption is applicable. A party in interest or disqualified person who engages in a non-exempt prohibited transaction may be subject to excise taxes and other penalties and liabilities under ERISA and the Code. In addition, a fiduciary of an ERISA Plan or IRA that engages in such a non-exempt prohibited transaction may be subject to excise taxes, penalties and liabilities under ERISA and the Code. Employee benefit plans that are governmental plans (as defined in Section 3(32) of ERISA), certain church plans (as defined in Section 3(33) of ERISA or Section 4975(g) (3) of the Code) and non-U.S. plans (as described in Section 4(b)(4) of ERISA) are not subject to the requirements of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code but may be subject to similar prohibitions under other applicable Similar Laws.
Because of the foregoing, our common units may not be purchased or held by any person investing “plan assets” of any employee benefit plan, unless such purchase and holding will not constitute a non-exempt prohibited transaction under ERISA or the Code or similar violation of any applicable Similar Laws.
In connection with an investment in our common units with any portion of the assets of an employee benefit plan, in addition to considering whether the purchase of our common units is a prohibited transaction, a fiduciary of an employee benefit plan should consider whether such plan will, by investing in our common units, be deemed to own an undivided interest in our assets, with the result that our general partner also would be a fiduciary of such plan and our operations would be subject to the regulatory restrictions of ERISA, including its prohibited transaction rules, as well as the prohibited transaction rules of the Code and any other applicable Similar Laws. In addition, if our assets are deemed to be “plan assets” under ERISA, this would result, among other things, in (a) the application of the prudence and other fiduciary responsibility standards of ERISA to investments made by us, and (b) the possibility that certain transactions in which we seek to engage could constitute a “prohibited transaction” under the Code, ERISA and any other applicable Similar Laws.
The Department of Labor regulations, as modified by Section 3(42) of ERISA, provide guidance with respect to whether, in certain circumstances, the assets of an entity in which employee benefit plans acquire equity interests would be deemed “plan assets.” Under these regulations, an entity’s underlying assets generally would not be considered to be “plan assets” if, among other things:
(a) the equity interests acquired by the employee benefit plan are “publicly offered securities”—i.e., the equity interests are part of a class of securities that is widely held by 100 or more investors independent of the issuer and each other, are “freely transferable” (as defined in the applicable Department of Labor regulations), and are either part of a class of securities registered pursuant to certain provisions of the federal securities laws or sold to the plan as part of a public offering under certain conditions;
(b) the entity is an “operating company” —i.e., it is primarily engaged in the production or sale of a product or service other than the investment of capital, either directly or through a majority-owned subsidiary or subsidiaries, or it qualifies as a “venture capital operating company” or a “real estate operating company”; or
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(c) there is no “significant” investment by “benefit plan investors” (as defined in Section 3(42) of ERISA), which is defined to mean that, immediately after the most recent acquisition by an employee benefit plan of any equity interest in the entity by such benefit plan investor, less than 25% of the total value of each class of equity interest (disregarding certain interests held by our general partner, its affiliates, and certain other persons who have discretionary authority or control with respect to the assets of the entity or provide investment advice for a fee with respect to such assets), is held by the employee benefit plans that are subject to part 4 of Title I of ERISA (which excludes governmental plans and non-electing church plans) and/or Section 4975 of the Code, IRAs and certain other employee benefit plans not subject to ERISA (such as electing church plans).
With respect to an investment in our common units, we believe that our assets should not be considered “plan assets” under these regulations because it is expected that the investment will satisfy the requirements in (a) and (b) above and may also satisfy the requirement in (c) above (although we do not monitor the level of investment by benefit plan investors as required for compliance with (c)). However, although we do not intend for our assets to be deemed “plan assets” under these regulations, there can be no, and we do not provide any, assurance regarding this issue to any investor.
The foregoing discussion of issues arising for employee benefit plan investments under ERISA, the Code and applicable Similar Laws is general in nature and is not intended to be all inclusive, and is based on laws in effect on the date of this prospectus. This discussion should not be construed as legal advice. Plan fiduciaries and other persons contemplating a purchase of our common units should consult with their own counsel regarding the potential applicability of and consequences of such purchase under ERISA, the Code and other Similar Laws in light of the complexity of these rules and the serious penalties, excise taxes and liabilities imposed on persons who engage in non-exempt prohibited transactions or other violations. Investors in our common units have exclusive responsibility for ensuring that their purchase of our common units complies with the fiduciary responsibility rules of ERISA and does not violate the prohibited transaction rules of ERISA or the Code or any similar provisions of Similar Laws. The sale of any common units by or to any employee benefit plan is in no respect a representation by us or any of our affiliates or representatives that such an investment meets all relevant legal requirements with respect to investments by such employee benefit plans generally or any particular employee benefit plan, or that such an investment is appropriate for such employee benefit plans generally or any particular employee benefit plan.
By purchase or acceptance of our common units or any interest therein, each purchaser and subsequent transferee of our common units will be deemed to have represented and warranted that either (i) no portion of the assets used by such purchaser or transferee to acquire and hold our common units constitutes assets of any employee benefit plan or (ii) the purchase and holding of our common units by such purchaser or transferee will not constitute a non-exempt prohibited transaction under Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code or similar violation under any applicable Similar Laws.
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Under this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement, we may sell our common units in and outside the United States (1) through one or more broker-dealers, (2) through underwriters, (3) through agents, (4) directly to investors, (5) through a combination of any of these methods of sale or (6) through any other methods permitted by applicable law. The prospectus supplement will set forth the following information:
| • | the terms of the offering; |
| • | the names of any underwriters or agents; |
| • | the name or names of any managing underwriter or underwriters; |
| • | the purchase price of our common units; |
| • | the net proceeds we will receive from the sale of the common units; |
| • | any delayed delivery arrangements; |
| • | any underwriting discounts, commissions and other items constituting underwriters’ compensation; |
| • | the initial public offering price; |
| • | any discounts or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers; and |
| • | any commissions paid to agents. |
We will fix a price of our common units at:
| • | market prices prevailing at the time of any sale under this registration statement; |
| • | prices related to market prices; or |
| • | negotiated prices. |
We may change the price of the common units offered from time to time.
We will pay or allow distributors’ or sellers’ commissions that will not exceed those customary in the types of transactions involved. Broker-dealers may act as agents or may purchase securities as principal and thereafter resell the common units from time to time:
| • | in or through one or more transactions or distributions; |
| • | on the New York Stock Exchange; |
| • | in the over-the-counter market; or |
| • | in private transactions. |
Sale Through Underwriters or Dealers
If we use underwriters in the sale of our common units, the underwriters will acquire the common units for their own account. The underwriters may resell the common units from time to time in one or more transactions, including negotiated transactions, at a fixed public offering price or at varying prices determined at the time of sale. Underwriters may offer securities to the public either through underwriting syndicates represented by one or more managing underwriters or directly by one or more firms acting as underwriters. Unless we inform you otherwise in the prospectus supplement, the obligations of the underwriters to purchase the common units will be subject to certain conditions, and the underwriters will be obligated to purchase all of the offered common units if they purchase any of them. The underwriters may sell common units to or through dealers, and the dealers may receive compensation in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions from the underwriters and/or
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commissions from the purchasers for whom they may act as agent. The underwriters may change from time to time the public offering price and any discounts, concessions or commissions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers.
During and after an offering through underwriters, the underwriters may purchase and sell the common units in the open market. These transactions may include overallotment and stabilizing transactions and purchases to cover syndicate short positions created in connection with the offering. The underwriters may also impose a penalty bid, which means that selling concessions allowed to syndicate members or other broker-dealers for the common units sold for their account may be reclaimed by the syndicate if the offered common units are repurchased by the syndicate in stabilizing or covering transactions. These activities may stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the market price of the offered common units, which may be higher than the price that might otherwise prevail in the open market. If commenced, these activities may be discontinued at any time.
If we use dealers in the sale of securities, we may sell the securities to them as principals. They may then resell those securities to the public at varying prices determined by the dealers at the time of resale. The dealers participating in any sale of the securities may be deemed to be underwriters within the meaning of the Securities Act with respect to any sale of these securities. We will include in the prospectus supplement the names of the dealers and the terms of the transaction.
Direct Sales and Sales Through Agents
We may sell the common units directly. In that event, no underwriters or agents would be involved. We may sell the common units directly to institutional investors or others who may be deemed to be underwriters within the meaning of the Securities Act with respect to any sale of those common units. We may use electronic media, including the Internet, to sell the common units directly.
We may also sell the common units through agents we designate from time to time. We will describe the terms of any such sales in the prospectus supplement. In the prospectus supplement, we will name any agent involved in the offer or sale of the common units, and we will describe any commissions payable by us to the agent. Unless we inform you otherwise in the prospectus supplement, any agent will agree to use its reasonable best efforts to solicit purchases for the period of its appointment.
To the extent that we make sales of the common units through one or more underwriters or agents in at-the-market offerings, we will do so pursuant to the terms of a sales agency financing agreement or other at-the-market offering arrangement between us and the underwriters or agents. If we engage in at-the-market sales of the common units pursuant to any such agreement, we will issue and sell our common units through one or more underwriters or agents, which may act on an agency basis or on a principal basis. During the term of any such agreement, we may sell our common units on a daily basis in exchange transactions or otherwise as we agree with the underwriters or agents. The agreement will provide that any common units sold will be sold at prices related to the then-prevailing market prices for our common units. Therefore, exact figures regarding proceeds that will be raised or commissions to be paid cannot be determined at this time. Pursuant to the terms of the agreement, we also may agree to sell, and the relevant underwriters or agents may agree to solicit offers to purchase, blocks of our common units. The terms of each such agreement will be set forth in more detail in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Delayed Delivery Contracts or Forward Contracts
If we so indicate in the prospectus supplement, we may authorize agents, underwriters or dealers to solicit offers from selected types of institutions to purchase the common units from us at the public offering price under delayed delivery contracts or forward contracts providing for payment or delivery on a specified date in the
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future at prices determined as described in the prospectus supplement. The contracts would be subject only to those conditions described in the prospectus supplement. The prospectus supplement will describe the commission payable for solicitation of such contracts.
We may have agreements with firms, agents, dealers and underwriters to indemnify them against civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, or to contribute with respect to payments that the firms, agents, dealers or underwriters may be required to make. Such firms, agents, dealers and underwriters may be customers of, engage in transactions with or perform services for us in the ordinary course of their businesses.
Because the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) views our common units as interests in a direct participation program, any offering of common units under the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part will be made in compliance with Rule 2310 of the FINRA Conduct Rules. Any compensation to be received by underwriters in connection with an offering of securities pursuant to this prospectus will not exceed 8% of the gross proceeds of such offering.
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The validity of the common units offered in this prospectus will be passed upon for us by Vinson & Elkins L.L.P., New York, NY. Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. will also render an opinion on the material federal income tax considerations regarding the securities. If certain legal matters in connection with an offering of the securities made by this prospectus and a related prospectus supplement are passed on by counsel for the underwriters of such offering, that counsel will be named in the applicable prospectus supplement related to that offering.
The audited consolidated financial statements and management’s assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting incorporated by reference in this prospectus and elsewhere in the registration statement have been so incorporated by reference in reliance upon the reports of Grant Thornton LLP, independent registered public accountants, upon the authority of said firm as experts in accounting and auditing.
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INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
| ITEM 14. | Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution. |
Set forth below are the expenses (other than underwriting discounts and commissions) expected to be incurred in connection with the issuance and distribution of the securities registered hereby:
| SEC registration fee |
$ | 100,700 | ||
| Legal fees and expenses |
* | |||
| Accounting fees and expenses |
* | |||
| Printing and engraving expenses |
* | |||
| Listing fees |
* | |||
| Miscellaneous |
* | |||
|
|
|
|||
| TOTAL |
$ | * | ||
|
|
|
| * | These fees are calculated based on the number of issuances and amount of securities offered and accordingly cannot be estimated at this time. |
| ITEM 15. | Indemnification of Directors and Officers. |
Section 17-108 of the Delaware Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act empowers a Delaware limited partnership to indemnify and hold harmless any partner or other persons from and against any and all claims and demands whatsoever. The partnership agreement of Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P. provides that the partnership will, to the fullest extent permitted by law but subject to the limitations expressly provided therein, indemnify and hold harmless its general partner, any Departing Partner (as defined therein), any person who is or was an affiliate of its general partner or any Departing Partner, any person who is or was a member, partner, officer, director, fiduciary or trustee of the general partner, any Departing Partner, any Group Member (as defined therein) or any affiliate of the general partner, any Departing Partner or any Group Member, or any person who is or was serving at the request of the general partner or any Departing Partner, or any affiliate of the general partner or any Departing Partner, as an officer, director, member, partner, fiduciary or trustee of another person, or any person that the general partner designates as a Partnership Indemnitee for purposes of the partnership agreement (each, a “Partnership Indemnitee”) from and against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities (joint or several), expenses (including legal fees and expenses), judgments, fines, penalties, interest, settlements or other amounts arising from any and all claims, demands, actions, suits or proceedings, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, in which any Partnership Indemnitee may be involved, or is threatened to be involved, as a party or otherwise, by reason of its status as a Partnership Indemnitee, provided that the Partnership Indemnitee shall not be indemnified and held harmless if there has been a final and non-appealable judgment entered by a court of competent jurisdiction determining that, in respect of the matter for which the Partnership Indemnitee is seeking indemnification, the Partnership Indemnitee acted in bad faith or engaged in fraud, willful misconduct or gross negligence or, in the case of a criminal matter, acted with knowledge that the Partnership Indemnitee’s conduct was unlawful. This indemnification would under certain circumstances include indemnification for liabilities under the Securities Act. To the fullest extent permitted by law, expenses (including legal fees and expenses) incurred by a Partnership Indemnitee who is indemnified pursuant to the partnership agreement in defending any claim, demand, action, suit or proceeding shall, from time to time, be advanced by the partnership prior to a determination that the Partnership Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified upon receipt by the partnership of any undertaking by or on behalf of the Partnership Indemnitee to repay such amount if it shall be determined that the Partnership Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified under the partnership agreement. Any indemnification under these provisions will be only out of the assets of the partnership.
We are authorized to purchase and maintain (or to reimburse our general partner for the costs of) insurance against liabilities that may be asserted against and expenses that may be incurred by our general partner, its
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affiliates and such other persons as our general partner may determine and described in the paragraphs above in connection with their activities, whether or not we would have the power to indemnify such person against such liabilities under the provisions described in the paragraphs above. Our general partner has purchased insurance covering its officers and directors against liabilities that may be asserted and expenses that may be incurred in connection with their activities as officers and directors of our general partner or any of its direct or indirect subsidiaries.
Any underwriting or purchase agreement entered into in connection with the sale of the securities offered pursuant to this registration statement will provide for indemnification of officers and directors of our general partner, including liabilities under the Securities Act.
| ITEM 16. | Exhibits. |
| Exhibit |
Exhibit Title | |
| 1.1** | Form of Underwriting Agreement. | |
| 4.1 | Third Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P., dated as of January 26, 2010 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 of Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P.’s Current Report on Form 8-K, File No. 1-31219, filed January 28, 2010). | |
| 4.2 | Amendment No. 1 to Third Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P., dated as of July 1, 2011 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 of Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P.’s Current Report on Form 8-K, File No. 1-31219, filed July 5, 2011). | |
| 4.3 | Amendment No. 2 to Third Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P., dated as of November 21, 2011 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 of Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P.’s Current Report on Form 8-K, File No. 1-31219, filed November 28, 2011). | |
| 4.4 | Amendment No. 3 to Third Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P., dated as of June 12, 2014 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 of Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P.’s Current Report on Form 8-K, File No. 1-31219, filed June 17, 2014). | |
| 4.5 | Amendment No. 4 to Third Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P., dated as of July 30, 2014 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 of Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P.’s Current Report on Form 8-K, File No. 1-31219, filed August 4, 2014). | |
| 4.6 | Amendment No. 5 to Third Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P., dated as of August 28, 2015 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 of Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P.’s Current Report on Form 8-K, File No. 1-31219, filed September 1, 2015). | |
| 4.7 | Amendment No. 6 to Third Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P., dated as of October 8, 2015 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 of Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P.’s Current Report on Form 8-K, File No. 1-31219, filed October 15, 2015). | |
| 4.8 | Form of certificate representing Common Units of Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P. (filed as Exhibit A to the Third Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P., dated as of January 26, 2010 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 of Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P.’s Current Report on Form 8-K, File No. 1-31219, filed January 28, 2010)). | |
| 5.1* | Opinion of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. as to the legality of the securities being registered. | |
| 8.1* | Opinion of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. relating to tax matters. | |
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| Exhibit |
Exhibit Title | |
| 23.1* | Consent of Grant Thornton LLP, independent registered public accounting firm. | |
| 23.2* | Consent of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. (contained in Exhibits 5.1 and 8.1 hereto). | |
| 24.1* | Power of Attorney (contained on the signature pages to this registration statement). | |
| * | Filed herewith. |
| ** | To be filed as an exhibit to a report filed by Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P. pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act or in a post-effective amendment to this registration statement. |
| ITEM 17. | Undertakings. |
The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:
| 1. | To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement: |
| a. | To include any prospectus required by section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”); |
| b. | To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement; |
| c. | To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement; |
Provided, however, that paragraphs 1(a), 1(b) and 1(c) of this section do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrant pursuant to section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), that are incorporated by reference into the registration statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of the registration statement.
| 2. | That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. |
| 3. | To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering. |
| 4. | That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser: |
| a. | Each prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and |
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| b. | Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii), or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by section 10(a) of the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date. |
| 5. | That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser: |
| a. | Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424; |
| b. | Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant; |
| c. | The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and |
| d. | Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser. |
| 6. | That, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to section 13(a) or section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that is incorporated by reference into the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. |
| 7. | Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue. |
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| 8. | That, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, |
| a. | the information omitted from the form of prospectus or any prospectus supplement filed as part of this registration statement in reliance on Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus or prospectus supplement filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the time it was declared effective. |
| b. | each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus or prospectus supplement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. |
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Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Newtown Square, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, on August 5, 2016.
| SUNOCO LOGISTICS PARTNERS L.P. | ||
| By: | SUNOCO PARTNERS LLC | |
| its General Partner | ||
| By: | /s/ Peter J. Gvazdauskas | |
| Name: | Peter J. Gvazdauskas | |
| Title: | Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer | |
Power of Attorney
Each person whose signature appears below appoints Michael J. Hennigan and Kathleen Shea-Ballay, and each of them, any of whom may act without the joinder of the other, as his or her true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this Registration Statement and any Registration Statement (including any amendment thereto) for this offering that is to be effective upon filing pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and all other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or would do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in fact and agents or any of them or their or his or her substitute and substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
| Signature |
Capacity |
Date | ||
| /s/ Marshall S. McCrea, III |
Chairman of the Board of Directors of Sunoco Partners LLC | August 5, 2016 | ||
| Marshall S. McCrea, III | ||||
| /s/ Steven R. Anderson |
Director of Sunoco Partners LLC | August 5, 2016 | ||
| Steven R. Anderson | ||||
| /s/ Scott A. Angelle |
Director of Sunoco Partners LLC | August 5, 2016 | ||
| Scott A. Angelle | ||||
| /s/ Basil Leon Bray |
Director of Sunoco Partners LLC | August 5, 2016 | ||
| Basil Leon Bray | ||||
| /s/ Michael J. Hennigan Michael J. Hennigan |
President and Chief Executive Officer and Director of Sunoco Partners LLC (Principal Executive Officer) |
August 5, 2016 | ||
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| Signature |
Capacity |
Date | ||
| /s/ Thomas P. Mason |
Director of Sunoco Partners LLC | August 5, 2016 | ||
| Thomas P. Mason | ||||
| /s/ James R. Perry |
Director of Sunoco Partners LLC | August 5, 2016 | ||
| James R. Perry | ||||
| /s/ Michael D. Galtman |
Controller and Chief Accounting Officer | August 5, 2016 | ||
| Michael D. Galtman | (Principal Accounting Officer) | |||
| /s/ Peter J. Gvazdauskas |
Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer | August 5, 2016 | ||
| Peter J. Gvazdauskas | (Principal Financial Officer) | |||
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Exhibit Index
| Exhibit |
Exhibit Title | |
| 1.1** | Form of Underwriting Agreement. | |
| 4.1 | Third Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P., dated as of January 26, 2010 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 of Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P.’s Current Report on Form 8-K, File No. 1-31219, filed January 28, 2010). | |
| 4.2 | Amendment No. 1 to Third Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P., dated as of July 1, 2011 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 of Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P.’s Current Report on Form 8-K, File No. 1-31219, filed July 5, 2011). | |
| 4.3 | Amendment No. 2 to Third Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P., dated as of November 21, 2011 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 of Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P.’s Current Report on Form 8-K, File No. 1-31219, filed November 28, 2011). | |
| 4.4 | Amendment No. 3 to Third Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P., dated as of June 12, 2014 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 of Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P.’s Current Report on Form 8-K, File No. 1-31219, filed June 17, 2014). | |
| 4.5 | Amendment No. 4 to Third Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P., dated as of July 30, 2014 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 of Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P.’s Current Report on Form 8-K, File No. 1-31219, filed August 4, 2014). | |
| 4.6 | Amendment No. 5 to Third Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P., dated as of August 28, 2015 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 of Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P.’s Current Report on Form 8-K, File No. 1-31219, filed September 1, 2015). | |
| 4.7 | Amendment No. 6 to Third Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P., dated as of October 8, 2015 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 of Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P.’s Current Report on Form 8-K, File No. 1-31219, filed October 15, 2015). | |
| 4.8 | Form of certificate representing Common Units of Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P. (filed as Exhibit A to the Third Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P., dated as of January 26, 2010 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 of Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P.’s Current Report on Form 8-K, File No. 1-31219, filed January 28, 2010)). | |
| 5.1* | Opinion of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. as to the legality of the securities being registered. | |
| 8.1* | Opinion of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. relating to tax matters. | |
| 23.1* | Consent of Grant Thornton LLP, independent registered public accounting firm. | |
| 23.2* | Consent of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. (contained in Exhibits 5.1 and 8.1 hereto). | |
| 24.1* | Power of Attorney (contained on the signature pages to this registration statement). | |
| * | Filed herewith. |
| ** | To be filed as an exhibit to a report filed by Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P. pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act or in a post-effective amendment to this registration statement. |
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