Document:

Exhibit 10.1

 

THIRD AMENDED AND RESTATED

 

AGREEMENT OF LIMITED PARTNERSHIP

 

OF

 

ASHFORD HOSPITALITY PRIME LIMITED PARTNERSHIP

 

 

 

Dated:   March 7, 2017

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

	
 
    	
 
    	
Page
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE I
    
	
 
    
	
DEFINED TERMS
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE II
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
PARTNERSHIP CONTINUATION; ADMISSION OF LIMITED PARTNERS;
    
	
NAME; PLACE OF BUSINESS AND REGISTERED AGENT
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Section 2.1
    	
Continuation
    	
11
    
	
Section 2.2
    	
Certificate of Limited   Partnership; Other Filings
    	
11
    
	
Section 2.3
    	
Additional Limited   Partners
    	
11
    
	
Section 2.4
    	
Name, Office and   Registered Agent
    	
12
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE III
    
	
 
    
	
BUSINESS AND TERM OF PARTNERSHIP
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Section 3.1
    	
Business
    	
12
    
	
Section 3.2
    	
Term
    	
12
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE IV
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
CAPITAL CONTRIBUTIONS
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Section 4.1
    	
General Partner
    	
12
    
	
Section 4.2
    	
Limited Partners
    	
12
    
	
Section 4.3
    	
Additional Capital   Contributions and Issuances of Additional Partnership Interests
    	
13
    
	
Section 4.4
    	
Additional Funding
    	
17
    
	
Section 4.5
    	
Interest
    	
17
    
	
Section 4.6
    	
Return of Capital
    	
17
    
	
Section 4.7
    	
Percentage Interest
    	
17
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE V
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
PROFITS, LOSSES AND ACCOUNTING
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Section 5.1
    	
Allocation of Profits   and Losses
    	
18
    
	
Section 5.2
    	
Accounting
    	
19
    
	
Section 5.3
    	
Partners’ Capital   Accounts
    	
20
    
	
Section 5.4
    	
Section 754   Elections
    	
21
    
	
Section 5.5
    	
Special Allocation of   Gain to LTIP Unitholders
    	
21
    

 

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ARTICLE VI
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
POWERS, DUTIES, LIABILITIES, COMPENSATION AND VOTING
    
	
OF GENERAL PARTNER
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Section 6.1
    	
Powers of General   Partner
    	
22
    
	
Section 6.2
    	
Delegation of Authority
    	
25
    
	
Section 6.3
    	
Duties of General   Partner
    	
25
    
	
Section 6.4
    	
Liabilities of General   Partner; Indemnification
    	
26
    
	
Section 6.5
    	
Compensation of General   Partner; Reimbursement
    	
28
    
	
Section 6.6
    	
Reliance on Act of   General Partner
    	
28
    
	
Section 6.7
    	
Outside Services;   Dealings with Affiliates; Outside Activities
    	
28
    
	
Section 6.8
    	
Additional Loans to the   Partnership
    	
29
    
	
Section 6.9
    	
Contribution of Assets
    	
29
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE VII
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
RIGHTS, PROHIBITIONS AND REPRESENTATIONS WITH RESPECT
    
	
TO LIMITED PARTNERS
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Section 7.1
    	
Rights of Limited   Partners
    	
30
    
	
Section 7.2
    	
Prohibitions with   Respect to the Limited Partners
    	
31
    
	
Section 7.3
    	
Ownership by Limited   Partner of Corporate General Partner or Affiliate
    	
31
    
	
Section 7.4
    	
Redemption Right
    	
31
    
	
Section 7.5
    	
Basis Analysis
    	
34
    
	
Section 7.6
    	
Limited Partner   Guarantees
    	
34
    
	
Section 7.7
    	
Conversion of LTIP   Units
    	
34
    
	
Section 7.8
    	
Voting Rights of LTIP   Units
    	
37
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE VIII
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
DISTRIBUTIONS AND PAYMENTS TO PARTNERS
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Section 8.1
    	
Distributions of Cash   Flow
    	
38
    
	
Section 8.2
    	
REIT Distribution   Requirements
    	
39
    
	
Section 8.3
    	
No Right to   Distributions in Kind
    	
39
    
	
Section 8.4
    	
Withdrawals
    	
39
    
	
Section 8.5
    	
Amounts Withheld
    	
39
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE IX
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
TRANSFERS OF INTERESTS
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Section 9.1
    	
General Partner
    	
40
    
	
Section 9.2
    	
Admission of a   Substitute or Additional General Partner
    	
41
    
	
Section 9.3
    	
Effect of Bankruptcy,   Withdrawal, Death or Dissolution of a General Partner
    	
42
    
	
Section 9.4
    	
Removal of a General   Partner
    	
42
    

 

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Section 9.5
    	
Restrictions on   Transfer of Limited Partnership Interests
    	
42
    
	
Section 9.6
    	
Admission of Substitute   Limited Partner
    	
43
    
	
Section 9.7
    	
Rights of Assignees of   Partnership Interests
    	
45
    
	
Section 9.8
    	
Effect of Bankruptcy,   Death, Incompetence or Termination of a Limited Partner
    	
45
    
	
Section 9.9
    	
Joint Ownership of   Interests
    	
45
    
	
Section 9.10
    	
Transferees
    	
46
    
	
Section 9.11
    	
Absolute Restriction
    	
46
    
	
Section 9.12
    	
Investment   Representation
    	
46
    
	
Section 9.13
    	
Certificates
    	
46
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE X
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
TERMINATION OF THE PARTNERSHIP
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Section 10.1
    	
Termination
    	
47
    
	
Section 10.2
    	
Payment of Debts
    	
47
    
	
Section 10.3
    	
Debts to Partners
    	
47
    
	
Section 10.4
    	
Remaining Distribution
    	
47
    
	
Section 10.5
    	
Reserve
    	
48
    
	
Section 10.6
    	
Final Accounting
    	
48
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE XI
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
AMENDMENTS
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Section 11.1
    	
Authority to Amend
    	
49
    
	
Section 11.2
    	
Notice of Amendments
    	
49
    
	
Section 11.3
    	
IMPLEMENTATION OF   AMENDMENT
    	
49
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE XII
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
POWER OF ATTORNEY
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Section 12.1
    	
Power
    	
50
    
	
Section 12.2
    	
Survival of Power
    	
50
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
ARTICLE XIII
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
CONSENTS, APPROVALS, VOTING AND MEETINGS
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Section 13.1
    	
Method of Giving   Consent or Approval
    	
51
    
	
Section 13.2
    	
Meetings of Limited   Partners
    	
51
    
	
Section 13.3
    	
Opinion
    	
51
    
	
Section 13.4
    	
Submissions to Partners
    	
52
    

 

iii

 

	
ARTICLE XIV
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
MISCELLANEOUS
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Section 14.1
    	
Governing Law
    	
52
    
	
Section 14.2
    	
Agreement For Further   Execution
    	
52
    
	
Section 14.3
    	
Entire Agreement
    	
52
    
	
Section 14.4
    	
Severability
    	
52
    
	
Section 14.5
    	
Notices
    	
52
    
	
Section 14.6
    	
Titles and Captions
    	
52
    
	
Section 14.7
    	
Counterparts
    	
53
    
	
Section 14.8
    	
Pronouns
    	
53
    
	
Section 14.9
    	
Survival of Rights
    	
53
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
EXHIBIT A   - List of Partners and Initial Contributed Assets
    	
 
    
	
EXHIBIT B   - Federal Income Tax Matters
    	
 
    
	
EXHIBIT C   - Notice of Exercise of Redemption Right
    	
 
    
	
EXHIBIT D   - Notice of Election by Partner to Convert LTIP Units into Common Partnership   Units
    	
 
    
	
EXHIBIT E   - Notice of Election by Partnership to Force Conversion of LTIP Units into   Common Partnership Units
    	
 
    
	
EXHIBIT F   - Form of Partnership Interest and Partnership Unit Certificate
    	
 
    
	
EXHIBIT G   — Designation of Terms and Conditions of Series B Preferred Partnership   Units
    	
 
    

 

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THIRD AMENDED AND RESTATED 
 AGREEMENT OF LIMITED PARTNERSHIP 
 OF 
 ASHFORD HOSPITALITY PRIME LIMITED PARTNERSHIP

 

R E C I T A L S:

 

This Third Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership is entered into effective March 7, 2017 (the “Effective Date”).

 

WHEREAS, Ashford Hospitality Prime Limited Partnership (the “Partnership”) was formed as a limited partnership under the laws of the State of Delaware by the filing of a Certificate of Limited Partnership with the Secretary of State of Delaware on April 5, 2013;

 

WHEREAS, the Company, which is the sole member of the General Partner and of Ashford Prime OP Limited Partner LLC, has directed the General Partner and Ashford Prime OP Limited Partner LLC to amend the existing limited partnership agreement for the Partnership as set forth in this Agreement; and

 

WHEREAS, the General Partner and Ashford Prime OP Limited Partner LLC desire to so amend and restate the existing limited partnership agreement for the Partnership, as of the Effective Date.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing, of the mutual covenants between the parties hereto, and of other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto hereby amend and restate the prior agreement and agree as follows:

 

ARTICLE I

 

DEFINED TERMS

 

Whenever used in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the meanings respectively assigned to them in this Article I, unless otherwise expressly provided herein or unless the context otherwise requires:

 

“Act” shall mean the Delaware Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act, 6 Del C. § 17-101, et. seq., as amended, supplemented or restated from time to time, and any successor to such statute.

 

“Additional Funds” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.4 hereof.

 

“Additional Limited Partner” shall mean a Person admitted to this Partnership as a Limited Partner pursuant to and in accordance with Section 2.3 of this Agreement.

 

“Additional Securities” means any additional REIT Shares (other than REIT Shares issued in connection with a redemption pursuant to Section 7.4 hereof) or rights, options, warrants or convertible or exchangeable securities containing the right to subscribe for or purchase REIT Shares, as set forth in Section 4.3(a)(ii).

 

 

“Adjustment Event” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4.3(d)(i) hereof.

 

“Advisor” means Ashford Hospitality Advisors LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, in its capacity as advisor to the Partnership pursuant to the Third Amended and Restated Advisory Agreement dated as of June 10, 2015 by and between Ashford Hospitality Advisors LLC, the Company, Ashford Inc., Ashford Prime TRS Corporation, and the Partnership, as it may be amended, and any successor advisor to the Partnership.

 

“Affiliate” of another Person shall mean (a) any Person directly or indirectly owning, controlling or holding with power to vote ten percent (10%) or more of the outstanding voting securities of such other Person; (b) any Person ten percent (10%) or more of whose outstanding voting securities are directly or indirectly owned, controlled or held with power to vote by such other Person; (c) any Person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with, such other Person; (d) any officer, director, member or partner of such other Person; and (e) if such other Person is an officer, director, member or partner in a company, the company for which such Person acts in any such capacity.

 

“Agreed Value” shall mean the fair market value of Contributed Property as agreed to by the contributing partner and the Partnership, using such reasonable method of valuation as they may adopt.

 

“Agreement” shall mean this Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Ashford Hospitality Prime Limited Partnership, as amended from time to time.

 

“Articles of Organization” means the Certificate of Formation of the General Partner filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware, as amended or restated from time to time.

 

“Ashford Prime OP Limited Partner LLC” means Ashford Prime OP Limited Partner LLC, a Delaware limited liability company.

 

“Bankruptcy Code” shall mean the United States Bankruptcy Code, as amended, 11 U.S.C. ss.ss. 101 et seq., and as hereafter amended from time to time.

 

“Business Day” shall mean any day, other than a Saturday or Sunday, that is neither a legal holiday nor a day on which banking institutions in New York, New York are authorized or required by law, regulation or executive order to close.

 

“Capital Account” shall mean, as to any Partner, the account established and maintained for such Partner pursuant to Section 5.3 hereof.

 

“Capital Account Limitation” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7.7(b) hereof.

 

“Capital Contribution” shall mean the amount in cash or the Agreed Value of Contributed Property (net of liabilities secured by the Contributed Property that the Partnership is considered to assume or take subject to under Code Section 752) contributed by each Partner

 

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(or its original predecessor in interest) to the capital of the Partnership for its interest in the Partnership.

 

“Carrying Value” shall mean, with respect to any property, the adjusted basis of such property for federal income tax purposes as of the time of determination except as follows:   (a) the initial Carrying Value of any property contributed by a Partner to the Partnership shall be its Agreed Value, (b) the Carrying Value of property distributed to a Partner shall the fair market value of such property, as determined by the General Partner, and (c) the Carrying Value of property shall be adjusted as provided by Exhibit B, items A.1., B.1(c), B.3., and B.4.

 

“Cash Amount” means an amount of cash per Common Partnership Unit equal to the Value on the Valuation Date of the REIT Common Shares Amount.

 

“Cash Flow” shall mean the excess of cash revenues actually received by the Partnership in respect of Partnership operations for any period, the amount of any reduction in reserves of the Partnership, and to the extent determined by the General Partner, the net proceeds received by the Partnership from disposition of Company Property over Operating Expenses for such period.

 

“Certificate of Limited Partnership” means the certificate of limited partnership of the Partnership filed with the Secretary of State of Delaware, as amended or restated from time to time.

 

“Code” shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and as hereafter amended from time to time.  Reference to any particular provision of the Code shall mean that provision in the Code at the date hereof and any succeeding provision of the Code.

 

“Commission” shall mean the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

“Common Partnership Interest” shall mean a partnership interest in the Partnership, other than a Preferred Partnership Interest, and includes any and all benefits to which the holder of such a partnership interest may be entitled as provided in this Agreement or the Act, together with all obligations of such Person to comply with the terms and provisions of this Agreement and the Act.

 

“Common Partnership Unit” shall mean a fractional, undivided share of the Common Partnership Interests of all Partners issued hereunder.  At all times there shall be maintained an economic equivalency of Common Partnership Units and REIT Common Shares, except as otherwise provided herein.

 

“Common Partnership Unit Distribution” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4.3(d) hereof.

 

“Common Partnership Unit Distribution Period” shall mean any quarter or shorter period with respect to which a distribution is to be made to the holders of the Common Partnership Units.

 

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“Common Partnership Unit Economic Balance” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5.5 hereof.

 

“Common Percentage Interest” shall mean the percentage interest in the Common Partnership Units of each Partner, as determined by dividing the Common Partnership Units owned by a Partner by the total number of Common Partnership Units then outstanding, subject to Sections 4.3(d) and 4.3(e) which treat LTIP Units as Common Partnership Units for this purpose.

 

“Company” means Ashford Hospitality Prime, Inc., a Maryland corporation.

 

“Constituent Person” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7.7(f) hereof.

 

“Contributed Property” shall mean a Partner’s interest in property or other consideration (excluding services and cash) contributed to the Partnership by such Partner.

 

“Conversion Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7.7(b) hereof.

 

“Conversion Factor” shall mean 1.0; provided, however, that if the Company (i) declares or pays a dividend on its outstanding REIT Common Shares in REIT Common Shares or makes a distribution to all holders of its outstanding REIT Common Shares in REIT Common Shares, (ii) subdivides its outstanding REIT Common Shares, or (iii) combines its outstanding REIT Common Shares into a smaller number of REIT Common Shares, the Conversion Factor shall be adjusted by multiplying the Conversion Factor by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the number of REIT Common Shares issued and outstanding on the record date for such dividend, distribution, subdivision or combination (assuming for such purposes that such dividend, distribution, subdivision or combination has occurred as of such time), and the denominator of which shall be the actual number of REIT Common Shares (determined without the above assumption) issued and outstanding on the record date for such dividend, distribution, subdivision or combination. Any adjustment to the Conversion Factor shall become effective immediately after the effective date of such event retroactive to the record date, if any, for such event; provided, however, that if the General Partner receives a Notice of Redemption after the record date, but prior to the effective date of such dividend, distribution, subdivision or combination, the Conversion Factor shall be determined as if the General Partner had received the Notice of Redemption immediately prior to the record date for such dividend, distribution, subdivision or combination.

 

“Conversion Notice” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7.7(b) hereof.

 

“Conversion Right” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7.7(a) hereof.

 

“Defaulting Limited Partner” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 8.5(a) hereof.

 

“Distribution Payment Date” shall mean the dates upon which the General Partner makes distributions in accordance with Section 8.1 hereof.

 

4

 

“Economic Capital Account Balance” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5.5 hereof.

 

“Effective Date” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

“Event of Bankruptcy” shall mean as to any Person the filing of a petition for relief as to such Person as debtor or bankrupt under the Bankruptcy Code or similar provision of law of any jurisdiction (except if such petition is contested by such Person and has been dismissed within ninety (90) days of the filing thereof); insolvency of such Person as finally determined by a court of competent jurisdiction; filing by such Person of a petition or application to accomplish the same or for the appointment of a receiver or a trustee for such Person or a substantial part of such Person’s assets; commencement of any proceedings relating to such Person as a debtor under any other reorganization, arrangement, insolvency, adjustment of debt or liquidation law of any jurisdiction, whether now in existence or hereinafter in effect, either by such Person or by another, but if such proceeding is commenced by another, only if such Person indicates his approval of such proceeding, or such proceeding is contested by such Person and has not been finally dismissed within ninety (90) days.

 

“First Amendment Date” shall mean November 19, 2013.

 

“Forced Conversion” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7.7(c) hereof.

 

“Forced Conversion Notice” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7.7(c) hereof.

 

“Full Distribution Amount” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 8.1(a) hereof.

 

“General Partner” shall mean Ashford Prime OP General Partner LLC and any Person who becomes a substitute or additional General Partner as provided herein, and any of their successors as General Partner, each in its capacity as a general partner of the Partnership.

 

“General Partner Loan” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 8.5(a) hereof.

 

“General Partnership Interest” shall mean the interest of a General Partner in the Partnership, provided that the General Partner shall have no interest in profits or losses of the Partnership with respect to its General Partnership Interest.

 

“Government Obligations” shall mean securities that are (i) direct obligations of the United States of America, for the payment of which its full faith and credit is pledged, or (ii) obligations of a Person controlled or supervised by and acting as an agency or instrumentality of the United States of America, the payment of which is unconditionally guaranteed as a full faith and credit obligation by the United States of America, that are not callable or redeemable at the option of the issuer thereof, and shall also include a depository receipt issued by a bank or trust as custodian with respect to any such obligation held by such custodian for the account of the holder of a depository receipt, provided that (except as required by law) such custodian is not authorized to make any deduction from the amount payable to the holder of such depository receipt from any amount received by the custodian in respect of the Government Obligation or

 

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the specific payment of interest on or principal of the Government Obligation evidenced by such depository receipt.

 

“Indemnitee” shall mean (i) any Person made a party to a proceeding by reason of his, her or its status as (A) the General Partner, (B) the Advisor, or (C) a director, officer, employee or agent of the Partnership, the General Partner or the Advisor, and (ii) such other Persons (including Affiliates of the General Partner, the Advisor or the Partnership) as the General Partner may designate from time to time (whether before or after the event giving rise to potential liability), in its sole and absolute discretion.

 

“Ineligible Unit” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5.5 hereof.

 

“Initial Contributed Assets” shall mean the cash and those properties identified as Initial Contributed Assets on Exhibit A hereto.

 

“Initiating Limited Partner” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7.6 hereof.

 

“IRS” shall mean the Internal Revenue Service.

 

“Limited Partner” shall mean any Person named as a Limited Partner on Exhibit A attached hereto and any Person who becomes a Substitute Limited Partner pursuant to Section 9.6 hereof or an Additional Limited Partner pursuant to Section 2.3 hereof, in such Person’s capacity as a Limited Partner in the Partnership.

 

“Limited Partnership Interest” shall mean the ownership interest of a Limited Partner in the Partnership at any particular time, including the right of such Limited Partner to any and all benefits to which such Limited Partner may be entitled as provided in this Agreement and in the Act, together with the obligations of such Limited Partner to comply with all the provisions of this Agreement and of the Act.

 

“LTIP Unit” shall mean a Partnership Unit that is designated as an LTIP Unit and which has the rights, preferences and other privileges designated in Sections 4.3(d) and 4.3(e) hereof and elsewhere in this Agreement in respect of LTIP Unitholders.  The allocation of LTIP Units among the Partners shall be set forth on Exhibit A, as may be amended from time to time.

 

“LTIP Unitholder” shall mean a Partner that holds LTIP Units.

 

“NASDAQ” shall mean the NASDAQ Global Market or any successor thereto.

 

“Newly Issued Common Partnership Unit” shall mean with respect to any Common Partnership Unit Distribution Period, a Common Partnership Unit issued during such Common Partnership Unit Distribution Period, other than to Ashford Prime OP Limited Partner LLC and other than Common Partnership Units issued on the First Amendment Date.

 

“Notice of Redemption” shall mean the Notice of Exercise of Redemption Right substantially in the form attached as Exhibit C hereto.

 

6

 

“Operating Expenses” shall mean (i) all administrative and operating costs and expenses incurred by the Partnership, (ii) those administrative costs and expenses of the General Partner, including any salaries or other payments to directors, officers or employees of the General Partner, and any accounting and legal expense of the General Partner, which expenses, the Partners have agreed, are expenses of the Partnership and not the General Partner, and (iii) to the extent not included in clause (ii) above, REIT Expenses; provided, however, that Operating Expenses shall not include any administrative costs and expenses incurred by the General Partner that are attributable to Properties or partnership interests in a Subsidiary that are owned by the General Partner or the Company directly.

 

“Original Limited Partner” shall mean Ashford Prime OP Limited Partner LLC.

 

“Partner” shall mean the General Partner or any Limited Partner.

 

“Partnership” shall mean Ashford Hospitality Prime Limited Partnership, a Delaware limited partnership.

 

“Partnership Interest” shall mean a partnership interest in the Partnership and includes any and all benefits to which the holder of such a partnership interest may be entitled as provided in this Agreement or the Act, together with all obligations of such Person to comply with the terms and provisions of this Agreement and the Act.

 

“Partnership Loan” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 8.5(a) hereof.

 

“Partnership Record Date” shall mean the record date established by the General Partner for the distribution of Cash Flow pursuant to Section 8.1 hereof, which record date, as to Common Partnership Units, shall be the corresponding record date established by the Company with respect to the REIT Common Shares and which record date, as to a series of Preferred Partnership Units, shall be the corresponding record date established by the Company with respect to the corresponding series of REIT Preferred Shares.

 

“Partnership Representative” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.2(d) hereof.

 

“Partnership Unit” shall mean a Common Partnership Unit, a Preferred Partnership Unit, an LTIP Unit, or any other fractional, undivided share of the Partnership Interests that the General Partner has authorized pursuant to this Agreement.  The Partnership Units of the Partners shall be set forth on Exhibit A, as may be amended from time to time.

 

“Person” shall mean any individual, partnership, corporation, limited liability company, trust or other entity.

 

“Plan” shall mean each of the Ashford Hospitality Prime, Inc. 2013 Equity Incentive Plan and the Ashford Hospitality Prime, Inc. Advisor Equity Incentive Plan, each as amended and/or one or more successor or additional equity incentive plans or programs that the Company has adopted or may adopt, as amended (each individually and all of them collectively, as the context requires).

 

7

 

“Preferred Partnership Interest” shall mean a partnership interest in the Partnership evidenced by a designated series of Preferred Partnership Units, having a preference in payment of distributions or on liquidation as determined by the General Partner for such series of Preferred Partnership Units and as set forth in an amendment to this Agreement (which may be attached as an Exhibit hereto), and includes all benefits to which the holder of such a partnership interest may be entitled as provided in this Agreement or the Act, together with all obligations of such Person to comply with the terms and provisions of this Agreement and the Act.

 

“Preferred Partnership Unit” shall mean a fractional, undivided share of Preferred Partnership Interests of all Partners in the specified series issued hereunder.

 

“Preferred Percentage Interest” with respect to a series of Preferred Partnership Units, shall mean the percentage interest in the Preferred Partnership Units of each Partner holding Preferred Partnership Units of such specified series, as determined by dividing the Preferred Partnership Units of such series owned by a Partner by the total number of Preferred Partnership Units of that series then outstanding.

 

“Preferred Return” shall mean any payment made or to be made on any Preferred Partnership Unit corresponding to any dividend paid or to be paid on the related series of preferred stock issued by the Company, in accordance with Section 4.3 hereof.

 

“Property” shall mean any hotel property or other investment in which the Partnership holds an ownership interest.

 

“Redeeming Partner” shall have the meaning provided in Section 7.4(a) hereof.

 

“Redemption Right” shall have the meaning provided in Section 7.4(a) hereof.

 

“REIT” shall mean a real estate investment trust under Sections 856 through 860, inclusive, of the Code.

 

“REIT Common Share” shall mean a share of the common stock of the Company.

 

“REIT Common Shares Amount” shall mean a whole number of REIT Common Shares equal to the product of the number of Common Partnership Units offered for redemption by a Redeeming Partner, multiplied by the Conversion Factor in effect on the Specified Redemption Date (rounded down to the nearest whole number if such product is not a whole number); provided, however, that if the Company at any time issues to all holders of REIT Common Shares rights, options, warrants or convertible or exchangeable securities entitling the stockholders to subscribe for or purchase REIT Common Shares, or any other securities or property (collectively, the “Rights”), which Rights have not expired pursuant to their terms, then the REIT Common Shares Amount thereafter shall also include such Rights that a holder of that number of REIT Common Shares would be entitled to receive.

 

“REIT Expenses” means (i) costs and expenses relating to the formation and continuity of existence of the Company and any Subsidiaries thereof (which Subsidiaries shall, for purposes hereof, be included within the definition of Company), including taxes, fees and

 

8

 

assessments associated therewith, any and all costs, expenses or fees payable to any director, officer, or employee of the Company, (ii) costs and expenses relating to the public offering and registration of securities or private offering of securities by the Company and all statements, reports, fees and expenses incidental thereto, including underwriting discounts and selling commissions applicable to any such offering of securities, (iii) costs and expenses associated with the preparation and filing of any periodic reports by the Company under federal, state or local laws or regulations, including filings with the Commission, (iv) costs and expenses associated with compliance by the Company with laws, rules and regulations promulgated by any regulatory body, including the Commission, and (v) all other operating or administrative costs of the Company, including, without limitation, insurance premiums, and legal, accounting and directors’ fees, incurred in the ordinary course of its business on behalf of or in connection with the Partnership.

 

“REIT Preferred Share” shall mean a share of the preferred stock of the Company.

 

“REIT Share” shall mean a REIT Common Share or a REIT Preferred Share.

 

“Safe Harbor” means, the election described in the Safe Harbor Regulation, pursuant to which a partnership and all of its partners may elect to treat the fair market value of a partnership interest that is transferred in connection with the performance of services as being equal to the liquidation value of that interest.

 

“Safe Harbor Election” means the election by a partnership and its partners to apply the Safe Harbor, as described in the Safe Harbor Regulation and Internal Revenue Service Notice 2005-43, issued on May 19, 2005.

 

“Safe Harbor Regulation” means Proposed Treasury Regulations Section 1.83-3(l) issued on May 19, 2005.

 

“Series B Articles Supplementary” shall mean the Articles Supplementary Establishing and Fixing the Rights and Preferences of a Series of Preferred Stock, designating the rights and preferences of the 5.5% Series B Cumulative Preferred Stock, filed as part of the Company’s charter with the State Department of Assessments and Taxation of Maryland, on December 4, 2015, together with the Articles Supplementary Establishing Additional Shares of Series B Preferred Stock, filed as part of the Company’s charter with the State Department of Assessments and Taxation of Maryland, on April 27, 2016 and together with the Articles Supplementary Establishing Additional Shares of Series B Preferred Stock, filed as part of the Company’s charter with the State Department of Assessments and Taxation of Maryland, on March 3, 2017.

 

“Series B Preferred Partnership Interests” shall mean a partnership interest in the Partnership evidenced by the Series B Preferred Partnership Units, having a preference in payment of distributions or on liquidation as set forth in Exhibit G to this Agreement.

 

“Series B Preferred Partnership Units” shall mean the series of Preferred Partnership Units established pursuant to this Agreement, representing a fractional, undivided share of the Series B Preferred Partnership Interests of all Partners issued under this Agreement.

 

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“Series B REIT Preferred Stock” shall mean the Series B Cumulative Convertible Preferred Stock of the Company, with such preferences, rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to distributions, qualifications and terms and conditions of redemption as described in the Series B Articles Supplementary.

 

“Specified Redemption Date” shall mean, with respect to a given Partner and Notice of Redemption, the later of any date so specified in the Notice of Redemption and the fifth (5th) Business Day after receipt by the General Partner of the Notice of Redemption, provided that no Specified Redemption Date may occur with respect to any Partnership Unit before one year after such Partnership Unit is issued by the Partnership.

 

“Subsidiary” shall mean, with respect to any Person, any corporation or other entity of which a majority of (i) the voting power of the voting equity securities, or (ii) the outstanding equity interests, are owned, directly or indirectly, by such Person.

 

“Substitute General Partner” has the meaning set forth in Section 9.2 hereof.

 

“Substitute Limited Partner” shall mean any Person admitted to the Partnership as a Limited Partner pursuant to Section 9.6 hereof.

 

“Surviving Partner” has the meaning set forth in Section 9.1(c) hereof.

 

“Target Balance” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5.5 hereof.

 

“Tax Matters Partner” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.2(d) hereof.

 

“Transaction” has the meaning set forth in Section 9.1(b) hereof.

 

“Transfer” has the meaning set forth in Section 9.5(a) hereof.

 

“Treasury Regulations” means the regulations promulgated by the United States Department of the Treasury pursuant to and in respect of provisions of the Code.

 

“Unit Transaction” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7.7(f) hereof.

 

“Unvested Incentive Units” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4.3(e)(i) hereof.

 

“Valuation Date” shall mean the date of receipt by the General Partner of a Notice of Redemption or, if such date is not a Business Day, the first Business Day thereafter.

 

“Value” shall mean, with respect to a REIT Common Share, the average of the daily market price for the ten (10) consecutive trading days immediately preceding the Valuation Date.  The market price for each such trading day shall be:  (i) if the REIT Common Shares are listed or admitted to trading on any securities exchange or the NASDAQ National Market System, the closing price, regular way, on such day, or if no such sale takes place on such day, the average of the closing bid and asked prices on such day; (ii) if the REIT Common Shares are not listed or admitted to trading on any securities exchange or the NASDAQ National Market

 

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System, the last reported sale price on such day or, if no sale takes place on such day, the average of the closing bid and asked prices on such day, as reported by a reliable quotation source designated by the General Partner; or (iii) if the REIT Common Shares are not listed or admitted to trading on any securities exchange or the NASDAQ National Market System and no such last reported sale price or closing bid and asked prices are available, the average of the reported high bid and low asked prices on such day, as reported by a reliable quotation source designated by the General Partner, or if there shall be no bid and asked prices on such day, the average of the high bid and low asked prices, as so reported, on the most recent day (not more than ten (10) days prior to the date in question) for which prices have been so reported; provided, however, that if there are no bid and asked prices reported during the ten (10) days prior to the date in question, the Value of the REIT Common Shares shall be determined by the General Partner acting in good faith on the basis of such quotations and other information as it considers, in its reasonable judgment, appropriate. If the REIT Common Shares Amount includes rights that a holder of REIT Common Shares would be entitled to receive, and the General Partner acting in good faith determines that the value of such rights is not reflected in the Value of the REIT Common Shares determined as aforesaid, then the Value of such rights shall be determined by the General Partner acting in good faith on the basis of such quotations and other information as it considers, in its reasonable judgment, appropriate.

 

“Vested LTIP Units” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4.3(e)(i) hereof.

 

“Vesting Agreement” shall mean each or any, as the context implies, LTIP Unit Award Agreement entered into by a LTIP Unitholder upon acceptance of an award of LTIP Units under the Plan (as such agreement may be amended, modified or supplemented from time to time).

 

ARTICLE II

 

PARTNERSHIP CONTINUATION; ADMISSION OF LIMITED PARTNERS; 
 NAME; PLACE OF BUSINESS AND REGISTERED AGENT

 

Section 2.1            Continuation.  The Partners hereby agree to continue the Partnership pursuant to the provisions of the Act and upon the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement.  Except as expressly provided herein, the rights and obligations of the Partners and the administration and termination of the Partnership shall be governed by the Act.  The Partnership Interest of each Partner shall be personal property for all purposes.

 

Section 2.2            Certificate of Limited Partnership; Other Filings.  The General Partner shall prepare (or caused to be prepared), execute, acknowledge, record and file at the expense of the Partnership, a Certificate of Limited Partnership and all requisite fictitious name statements and notices in such places and jurisdictions as may be required by the Act or necessary to cause the Partnership to be treated as a limited partnership under, and otherwise to comply with, the laws of each state or other jurisdiction in which the Partnership conducts business.

 

Section 2.3            Additional Limited Partners.  The General Partner shall in timely fashion amend this Agreement and, if required by the Act, the Certificate of Limited Partnership

 

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filed for record to reflect the admission pursuant to the terms of this Agreement of a Person as a Limited Partner.

 

Section 2.4            Name, Office and Registered Agent.  The name of the Partnership shall be Ashford Hospitality Prime Limited Partnership.  The principal place of business of the Partnership shall be at 14185 Dallas Parkway, Suite 1100, Dallas, Texas 75254.  The General Partner may at any time change the location of such office, provided the General Partner gives notice to the Partners of any such change.  The name and address of the Partnership’s statutory agent for service of process on the Partnership in Texas is Ashford Prime OP General Partner LLC, 14185 Dallas Parkway, Suite 1100, Dallas, Texas 75254.  The name and address of the Partnership’s statutory agent for service of process on the Partnership in Delaware is Corporation Service Company, 2711 Centerville Road, Suite 400, Wilmington, Delaware 19808.

 

ARTICLE III

 

BUSINESS AND TERM OF PARTNERSHIP

 

Section 3.1            Business.  The purpose and nature of the business of the Partnership is to conduct any business that may lawfully be conducted by a limited partnership organized pursuant to the Act;  provided, however, that such business shall be limited to and conducted in such a manner as to permit the Company at all times to be qualified as a REIT under the Code, unless the board of directors of the Company determines to cease to qualify as a REIT.  To consummate the foregoing and to carry out the obligations of the Partnership in connection therewith or incidental thereto, the General Partner shall have the authority, in accordance with and subject to the limitations set forth elsewhere in this Agreement, to make, enter into, perform and carry out any arrangements, contracts or agreements of every kind for any lawful purpose, without limit as to amount or otherwise, with any corporation, association, partnership, limited liability company, firm, trustee, syndicate, individual or any political or governmental division, subdivision or agency, domestic or foreign, and generally to make and perform agreements and contracts of every kind and description and to do any and all things necessary or incidental to the foregoing for the protection and enhancement of the assets of the Partnership.

 

Section 3.2            Term.  The Partnership as herein constituted shall continue in perpetuity and shall have perpetual existence, unless earlier dissolved or terminated pursuant to law or the provisions of this Agreement.

 

ARTICLE IV

 

CAPITAL CONTRIBUTIONS

 

Section 4.1            General Partner.  The General Partner has not contributed, and shall not be required to contribute, cash or other assets to the capital of the Partnership.

 

Section 4.2            Limited Partners.  The Limited Partners have contributed cash and their respective ownership interests in the Contributed Property to the Partnership as identified on Exhibit A attached hereto.  The Agreed Values of the Limited Partners’ proportionate

 

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ownership interest in the Contributed Properties as of the date of contribution are set forth on Exhibit A attached hereto.

 

Section 4.3            Additional Capital Contributions and Issuances of Additional Partnership Interests.  Except as provided in this Section 4.3 or in Section 4.4, the Partners shall have no preemptive or other right or obligation to make any additional Capital Contributions or loans to the Partnership.  The General Partner or Ashford Prime OP Limited Partner LLC may contribute additional capital or property to the Partnership, from time to time, and receive additional Partnership Interests in respect thereof, in the manner contemplated in this Section 4.3.

 

(a)   Issuances of Additional Partnership Interests.

 

(i)    General.  The General Partner is hereby authorized to cause the Partnership to issue such additional Partnership Interests in the form of Common Partnership Units and Preferred Partnership Units for any Partnership purpose at any time or from time to time, to the Partners or to other Persons for such consideration and on such terms and conditions as shall be established by the General Partner in its sole and absolute discretion, and to admit any Person as a Limited Partner upon its execution of a counterpart signature page to this Agreement, or as otherwise provided in this Agreement, all without the approval of any of the Limited Partners.  Any additional Partnership Interest issued as provided in the prior sentence may be issued in one or more classes, or one or more series of any of such classes, with such designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights, powers and duties, including rights, powers and duties senior to Limited Partnership Interests, all as shall be determined by the General Partner in its sole and absolute discretion and without the approval of any Limited Partner and all as may be set forth in an Exhibit to this Agreement, each of which Exhibit shall be incorporated into and become part of this Agreement upon adoption by the General Partner, including, without limitation, (i) the allocations of items of Partnership income, gain, loss, deduction and credit to each such class or series of Partnership Interests; (ii) the right of each such class or series of Partnership Interests to share in Partnership distributions; (iii) the rights of each class or series of Partnership Interests upon dissolution and liquidation of the Partnership and (iv) the right to vote; provided, however, that no additional Partnership Interests shall be issued to the General Partner or Ashford Prime OP Limited Partner LLC unless:

 

(ii)   (1) (A) The additional Partnership Interests are issued in connection with an issuance of REIT Shares of or other interests in the Company, all such that the economic interests are substantially similar to the designations, preferences and other rights of the additional Partnership Interests issued to the General Partner or Ashford Prime OP Limited Partner LLC by the Partnership in accordance with this Section 4.3 and (B) the Company shall make, directly or through one or more Affiliates, a Capital Contribution to the Partnership in an amount equal to the proceeds raised or other property received by the Company, directly or through one or more Affiliates, in connection with the issuance of such stock or other interests in the Company, (2) the additional Partnership Interests are issued in exchange for property owned by the Company, the General Partner or Ashford Prime OP Limited Partner LLC, as the case may be, with a fair market value, as determined by the General Partner, in good faith, equal to the value of the Partnership Interests or are issued in connection with issuances by the Company of Additional Securities, or (3) the additional Partnership Interests are issued to all Partners in

 

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proportion to their respective Common Percentage Interests or Preferred Percentage Interests, as applicable.

 

Without limiting the foregoing, the General Partner is expressly authorized to cause the Partnership to issue Common Partnership Units or Preferred Partnership Units for less than fair market value, so long as the General Partner concludes in good faith that such issuance is in the best interests of the Company and the Partnership.

 

(b)   Upon Issuance of Additional Securities.  After the First Amendment Date, the Company shall not issue any additional REIT Shares (other than REIT Shares issued in connection with a redemption pursuant to Section 7.4 hereof) or rights, options, warrants or convertible or exchangeable securities containing the right to subscribe for or purchase REIT Shares (collectively, “Additional Securities”) other than to all holders of REIT Shares, unless (A) the General Partner shall cause the Partnership to issue to the Company or its Affiliates, Partnership Interests or rights, options, warrants or convertible or exchangeable securities of the Partnership having designations, preferences and other rights, all such that the economic interests are substantially similar to those of the Additional Securities, and (B) the Company contributes, directly or through one or more Affiliates, the proceeds or other property received from the issuance of such Additional Securities and from any exercise of rights contained in such Additional Securities to the Partnership. For the avoidance of doubt the Company may in any event issue Additional Securities pursuant to the Plan.

 

Without limiting the foregoing, the Company may issue Additional Securities for less than fair market value, and as a result the General Partner is expressly authorized to cause the Partnership to issue to the Company or its Affiliates corresponding Partnership Interests, so long as (x) the Company concludes in good faith that such issuance is in the best interests of the Company and the Partnership, and (y) the Company, directly or through one or more Affiliates, contributes all proceeds or other property received from such issuance to the Partnership. For example, if the Company issues REIT Common Shares for a cash purchase price and contributes, directly or through one or more Affiliates, all of the proceeds of such issuance to the Partnership as required hereunder, the Company or its Affiliates shall be issued a number of additional Common Partnership Units equal to the product of (A) the number of such REIT Common Shares issued by the Company, the proceeds of which were so contributed, multiplied by (B) a fraction, the numerator of which is 100%, and the denominator of which is the Conversion Factor in effect on the date of such contribution.

 

(c)   Certain Deemed Contributions of Proceeds of Issuance of REIT Shares.  In connection with any and all issuances of REIT Shares, the Company, directly or through one or more Affiliates, shall contribute all of the proceeds raised in connection with such issuance to the Partnership as Capital Contributions, provided that if the proceeds actually received and contributed by the Company or its Affiliates are less than the gross proceeds of such issuance as a result of any underwriter’s discount or other expenses paid or incurred in connection with such issuance, then the Company, directly or through one or more Affiliates, shall be deemed to have made Capital Contributions to the Partnership in the aggregate amount of the gross proceeds of such issuance and the Partnership shall be deemed simultaneously to have paid such offering expenses in connection with the required issuance of additional Partnership Units to the Company or its Affiliates for such Capital Contributions pursuant to Section 4.3(a) hereof.

 

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(d)   LTIP Units.  The General Partner may from time to time issue LTIP Units to Persons who provide services to the Partnership, for such consideration as the General Partner may determine to be appropriate, and admit such Persons as Limited Partners.  The Capital Accounts of such LTIP Unitholders shall be credited with the amount of their respective Capital Contributions pursuant to Section 5.3.  Except to the extent a Capital Contribution is made with respect to an LTIP Unit, an LTIP Unit is intended to qualify as a “profits interest” in the Partnership.  Subject to the provisions of  Sections 4.3(d) and 4.3(e) and the special provisions of  Sections 5.5, 7.7 and 7.8, LTIP Units shall be treated as Common Partnership Units, with all of the rights, privileges and obligations attendant thereto.  For purposes of computing the Common Percentage Interests, holders of LTIP Units shall be treated as Common Partnership Unitholders and LTIP Units shall be treated as Common Partnership Units.  In particular, the Partnership shall comply with the following procedures:

 

(i)    If an Adjustment Event (as defined below) occurs, then the General Partner shall make a corresponding adjustment to the LTIP Units to maintain a one-for-one conversion and economic equivalence ratio between Common Partnership Units and LTIP Units.  The following shall be “Adjustment Events”:   (A) the Partnership makes a distribution on all outstanding Common Partnership Units in Partnership Units, (B) the Partnership subdivides the outstanding Common Partnership Units into a greater number of Partnership Units or combines the outstanding Common Partnership Units into a smaller number of Partnership Units, or (C) the Partnership issues any Partnership Units in exchange for its outstanding Common Partnership Units by way of a reclassification or recapitalization of its Common Partnership Units. If more than one Adjustment Event occurs, the adjustment to the LTIP Units need be made only once using a single formula that takes into account each and every Adjustment Event as if all Adjustment Events occurred simultaneously.  For the avoidance of doubt, the following shall not be Adjustment Events:   (x) the issuance of Partnership Units in a financing, reorganization, acquisition or other similar business transaction, (y) the issuance of Partnership Units pursuant to any employee benefit or compensation plan or distribution reinvestment plan, or (z) the issuance of any Partnership Units to Ashford Prime OP Limited Partner LLC in respect of a capital contribution to the Partnership of proceeds from the sale of securities by the Company. If the Partnership takes an action affecting the Common Partnership Units other than actions specifically described above as “Adjustment Events” and in the opinion of the General Partner such action would require an adjustment to the LTIP Units to maintain the one-to-one correspondence described above, the General Partner shall have the right to make such adjustment to the LTIP Units, to the extent permitted by law and by the Plan, in such manner and at such time as the General Partner, in its sole discretion, may determine to be appropriate under the circumstances. If an adjustment is made to the LTIP Units as provided in this Section 4.3 the Partnership shall promptly file in the books and records of the Partnership an officer’s certificate setting forth such adjustment and a brief statement of the facts requiring such adjustment, which certificate shall be conclusive evidence of the correctness of such adjustment absent manifest error.  Promptly after filing of such certificate, the Partnership shall mail a notice to each LTIP Unitholder setting forth the adjustment to his or her LTIP Units and the effective date of such adjustment; and

 

(ii)   Subject to the provisions of Section 10.4, the LTIP Unitholders shall, in respect of each Distribution Payment Date, when, as and if authorized and declared by the General Partner out of assets legally available for that purpose, be entitled to receive

 

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distributions in an amount per LTIP Unit equal to the distributions per Common Partnership Unit (the “Common Partnership Unit Distribution”), paid to holders of record on the same Partnership Record Date established by the General Partner with respect to such Distribution Payment Date. The term “Newly Issued Common Partnership Unit” shall be deemed to include LTIP Units issued during a Common Partnership Unit Distribution Period and Section 8.1(a) shall apply in full to LTIP Units.  During any Common Partnership Unit Distribution Period, so long as any LTIP Units are outstanding, except upon liquidation of the Partnership and as provided in the following sentence and Section 10.4, no distributions (whether in cash or in kind) shall be authorized, declared or paid on Common Partnership Units, unless equal distributions have been or contemporaneously are authorized, declared and paid on the LTIP Units for such Common Partnership Unit Distribution Period.

 

The LTIP Units shall rank pari passu with the Common Partnership Units as to the payment of regular and special periodic or other distributions and distribution of assets upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up, provided upon liquidation the amount distributed with respect to a LTIP Unit shall be limited to the related Capital Account balance as provided by Section 10.4.  As to the payment of distributions and as to distribution of assets upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up, any class or series of Partnership Units or Partnership Interests which by its terms specifies that it shall rank junior to, on a parity with, or senior to the Common Partnership Units shall also rank junior to, or pari passu with, or senior to, as the case may be, the LTIP Units.  Subject to the terms of any Vesting Agreement, a LTIP Unitholder shall be entitled to transfer his or her LTIP Units to the same extent, and subject to the same restrictions as holders of Common Partnership Units are entitled to transfer their Common Partnership Units pursuant to Article IX.

 

(e)   Terms of LTIP Units.  LTIP Units shall be subject to the following special provisions:

 

(i)    Vesting Agreements.  LTIP Units may, in the sole discretion of the General Partner, be issued subject to vesting, forfeiture and additional restrictions on transfer pursuant to the terms of a Vesting Agreement.  The terms of any Vesting Agreement may be modified by the General Partner from time to time in its sole discretion, subject to any restrictions on amendment imposed by the relevant Vesting Agreement or by the Plan, if applicable.  LTIP Units that have vested under the terms of a Vesting Agreement are referred to as “Vested LTIP Units”; all other LTIP Units shall be treated as “Unvested Incentive Units.”

 

(ii)   Forfeiture.  Unless otherwise specified in the Vesting Agreement, upon the occurrence of any event specified in a Vesting Agreement as resulting in the right of the Partnership to repurchase LTIP Units at a specified purchase price or some other forfeiture of any LTIP Units, then if the Partnership exercises such right to repurchase or forfeiture in accordance with the applicable Vesting Agreement, then the relevant LTIP Units shall immediately, and without any further action, be treated as cancelled and no longer outstanding for any purpose. Unless otherwise specified in the Vesting Agreement, no consideration or other payment shall be due with respect to any LTIP Units that have been forfeited, other than any distributions declared with respect to a Partnership Record Date prior to the effective date of the forfeiture.  In connection with any repurchase or forfeiture of LTIP Units, the balance of the portion of the Capital Account of the LTIP Unitholder that is attributable to all of his or her LTIP

 

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Units shall be reduced by the amount, if any, by which it exceeds the Target Balance contemplated by Section 5.5, calculated with respect to the LTIP Unitholder’s remaining LTIP Units, if any, with such reduction being accomplished by an allocation of gross deductions or losses to the applicable LTIP Unitholder.

 

(iii)  Allocations.  LTIP Units shall generally be treated as Common Partnership Units for purposes of Article V, but LTIP Unitholders shall also be entitled to certain special allocations of gain under Section 5.5.

 

(iv)  Redemption.  The Redemption Right provided to Limited Partners under Section 7.4 shall not apply with respect to LTIP Units unless and until they are converted to Common Partnership Units as provided in clause (vi) below and Section 7.7.

 

(v)   Legend.  Any certificate evidencing an LTIP Unit shall bear an appropriate legend indicating that additional terms, conditions and restrictions on transfer, including without limitation any Vesting Agreement, apply to the LTIP Unit.

 

(vi)  Conversion to Common Partnership Units.  Vested LTIP Units are eligible to be converted into Common Partnership Units under Section 7.7.

 

(vii) Voting.  LTIP Units shall have the voting rights provided in Section 7.8.

 

(viii)    Issuance.  An LTIP Unit shall be considered issued to an LTIP Unitholder upon the later to occur of:   (i) execution by such Person of a counterpart signature page to this Agreement, unless such Person is already a Limited Partner, (ii) execution by such LTIP Unitholder and the Partnership of a Vesting Agreement with respect to such LTIP Unit, if applicable, and (iii) payment to the Partnership of the Capital Contribution, if any, provided for in the related Vesting Agreement.

 

Section 4.4            Additional Funding.  If the General Partner determines that it is in the best interests of the Partnership to provide for additional Partnership funds (“Additional Funds”) for any Partnership purpose, the General Partner may (i) cause the Partnership to obtain such funds from outside borrowings, or (ii) elect to have the General Partner provide such Additional Funds to the Partnership through loans or otherwise.

 

Section 4.5            Interest.  No interest shall be paid on the Capital Contribution of any Partner.

 

Section 4.6            Return of Capital.  Except as expressly provided in this Agreement, no Partner shall be entitled to demand or receive the return of its Capital Contribution.

 

Section 4.7            Percentage Interest.  If the number of outstanding Common Partnership Units increases or decreases during a taxable year, the General Partner shall adjust each holder of Common Partnership Units’ Percentage Interest, as reflected on Exhibit A, to a percentage equal to the number of Common Partnership Units held by such Partner divided by the aggregate number of outstanding Common Partnership Units.

 

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ARTICLE V

 

PROFITS, LOSSES AND ACCOUNTING

 

Section 5.1            Allocation of Profits and Losses.  Except as otherwise provided herein or in Exhibit B, profits earned and losses incurred by the Partnership shall be allocated among the Partners as follows:

 

(a)   Profits for each year shall be allocated among the Partners, and shall be credited to the respective Capital Accounts of the Partners, in the following order and priority:

 

(i)    First, items of gross income to the holders of Preferred Partnership Units in the amount necessary so that the cumulative amount of gross income allocated to holders of Preferred Partnership Units pursuant to this Section 5.1(a)(i) is equal to the cumulative amount of distributions of Preferred Return (as defined, for each series of Preferred Partnership Units, in the exhibit to this Agreement setting forth the terms of such Preferred Partnership Units) distributed to holders of Preferred Partnership Units;

 

(ii)   Second, to the Partners to the extent of losses, in the proportions and in the reverse order in which losses were allocated to them pursuant to Section 5.1(b), until the cumulative amounts allocated to each Partner pursuant to this Section 5.1(a)(ii) are equal to the cumulative losses so allocated to such Partner;

 

(iii)  Third, any remaining profits shall be allocated to the holders of Common Partnership Units in accordance with their Common Percentage Interests.

 

(b)   Losses for each year shall be allocated among the Partners, and shall be debited to the respective Capital Accounts of the Partners, in the following order and priority:

 

(i)    First, to the holders of Common Partnership Units pro rata in accordance with, and to the extent of, the positive balances in their Adjusted Capital Account Balances (as defined in Exhibit B hereto) attributable to Common Partnership Units;

 

(ii)   Second, to the holders of Preferred Partnership Units pro rata in accordance with, and to the extent of, the positive balances in their Adjusted Capital Account Balances (as defined in Exhibit B hereto) attributable to Preferred Partnership Units; and

 

(iii)  Thereafter any remaining losses will be allocated to the holders of Common Partnership Units in accordance with their Common Percentage Interests.

 

(c)   If the Partnership issues additional Partnership Units pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement, the General Partner is hereby authorized to make revisions to this Section 5.1 as it determines are necessary or desirable to reflect the terms of the issuance of such additional Partnership Units, including, without limitation, making preferential allocations to certain classes of Partnership Units.  For purposes of determining the income, gain, loss, deduction or any other items allocable to any period, income, gain, loss, deduction, and any such other items shall be determined on a daily, monthly, or other basis, as determined by the General

 

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Partner using any permissible method under Code Section 706 and the Treasury Regulations thereunder.

 

(d)   Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 5.1(a) and Section 5.1(b), upon liquidation of the Partnership or upon redemption of any redeemable Preferred Partnership Units, items of gross income and/or items of deduction or loss shall be allocated to the holder of the Preferred Partnership Units and/or the Common Partnership Units, such that the Capital Accounts attributable to the Preferred Partnership Units equal, after all allocations of profit and loss are completed, the amount to be distributed to the Preferred Partnership Units.

 

Section 5.2            Accounting.  (a) The books of the Partnership shall be kept on the accrual basis and in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles consistently applied.

 

(b)   The fiscal year of the Partnership shall be the calendar year.

 

(c)   The terms “profits” and “losses,” as used herein, shall mean all items of income, gain, expense or loss as determined utilizing federal income tax accounting principles and shall also include each Partner’s share of income described in Section 705(a)(1)(B) of the Code, any expenditures described in Section 705(a)(2)(B) of the Code, any expenditures described in Section 709(a) of the Code which are not deducted or amortized in accordance with Section 709(b) of the Code, losses not deductible pursuant to Sections 267(a) and 707(b) of the Code and adjustments made pursuant to Exhibit B attached hereto.

 

(d)   For any taxable year during which the new partnership audit rules (which are set forth in Subchapter C of Chapter 63 of Subtitle F of the Code (Sections 6221 through 6241 of the Code as amended by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015) that are generally effective for tax years beginning after December 31, 2017) are not in effect, the General Partner shall be the Tax matters partner (“Tax Matters Partner”) of the Partnership within the meaning of Section 6231(a)(7) of the Code.  As Tax Matters Partner, the General Partner shall have the right and obligation to take all actions authorized and required, respectively, by the Code for the tax matters partner.  The General Partner shall have the right to retain professional assistance in respect of any audit of the Partnership by the IRS, and all out-of-pocket expenses and fees incurred by the General Partner on behalf of the Partnership as Tax Matters Partner shall constitute Operating Expenses of the Partnership.  If the General Partner receives notice of a final Partnership adjustment under Section 6223(a)(2) of the Code, the General Partner shall either (i) file a court petition for judicial review of such final adjustment within the period provided under Section 6226(a) of the Code, a copy of which petition shall be mailed to each Limited Partner on the date such petition is filed, or (ii) mail a written notice to each Limited Partner, within such period, that describes the General Partner’s reasons for determining not to file such a petition.  For any taxable year during which the new partnership audit rules are in effect, the General Partner (or such other Person as may be designated by the General Partner from time to time) shall be the “partnership representative” as that term is defined in Section 6223(a) of the Code, as added by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 (the “Partnership Representative”), and each Partner shall take all actions necessary to cause such Person to be so designated in accordance with any procedures prescribed therefor. The Partnership Representative shall inform each other Partner of all significant matters that may come to his, her

 

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or its attention in his, her or its capacity as Partnership Representative by giving notice thereof after becoming aware thereof and, within that time, shall forward to each other Partner copies of all significant written communications he, she or it may receive in that capacity. Any Partner who is designated as Partnership Representative shall not take any action contemplated by Sections 6222 through 6232 of the Code without the consent of Partners whose aggregate Common Percentage Interests exceed 50%, and may not in any case take any action left to the determination of an individual Partner under Sections 6222 through 6231 of the Code.

 

(e)   Except as specifically provided herein, all elections required or permitted to be made by the Partnership under the Code shall be made by the General Partner in its sole discretion.

 

(f)    Any Partner shall have the right to a private audit of the books and records of the Partnership, provided such audit is made at the expense of the Partner desiring it, and it is made during normal business hours.

 

(g)   The Partners agree that the Partnership shall be authorized and directed to make the Safe Harbor Election and the Partnership and each Partner (including any person to whom Partnership Interest is transferred in connection with the performance of services) agrees to comply with all requirements of the Safe Harbor Election with respect to all Partnership Interests transferred in connection with the performance of services while the Safe Harbor Election remains effective.  The General Partner, as the Tax Matters Partner, shall be authorized to (and shall) prepare, execute, and file the Safe Harbor Election.

 

Section 5.3            Partners’ Capital Accounts.  (a) There shall be maintained a Capital Account for each Partner in accordance with this Section 5.3 and the principles set forth in Exhibit B attached hereto and made a part hereof.  The amount of cash and the Agreed Value of property contributed to the Partnership by each Partner, net of liabilities assumed by the Partnership or securing property contributed by such Partner, shall be credited to its Capital Account, and from time to time, but not less often than annually, the share of each Partner in profits, losses and Carrying Value of distributions (net of liabilities secured by the distributed property that such Partner is considered to assume or take subject to) shall be credited or charged to its Capital Account. The determination of Partners’ Capital Accounts, and any adjustments thereto, shall be made consistent with tax accounting and other principles set forth in Section 704(b) of the Code and applicable Treasury Regulations thereunder and Exhibit B attached hereto.

 

(b)   Except as otherwise specifically provided herein, in a deficit restoration obligation agreement or in a guarantee of a Partnership liability, signed by a Limited Partner, no Limited Partner shall be required to make any further contribution to the capital of the Partnership to restore a loss, to discharge any liability of the Partnership or for any other purpose, nor shall any Limited Partner personally be liable for any liabilities of the Partnership or of the General Partner except as provided by law or this Agreement. All Limited Partners hereby waive their right of contribution which they may have against other Partners in respect of any payments made by them under any guarantee of Partnership debt.

 

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(c)   Immediately following the transfer of any Partnership Interest, the Capital Account of the transferee Partner shall be equal to the Capital Account of the transferor Partner attributable to the transferred interest.

 

(d)   For purposes of computing the amount of any item of income, gain, deduction or loss to be reflected in the Partners’ Capital Accounts, the determination, recognition and classification of any such item shall be the same as its determination, recognition and classification for federal income tax purposes, taking into account any adjustments required pursuant to Section 704(b) of the Code and the applicable Treasury Regulations thereunder as more fully described in Exhibit B attached hereto.

 

(e)   The provisions of the Agreement relating to the maintenance of Capital Accounts are intended to comply with Treasury Regulations Section 1.704-1(b), and shall be interpreted and applied in a manner consistent with such Treasury Regulations.  If the General Partner shall determine that it is prudent to modify the manner in which the Capital Accounts, or any debits or credits thereto (including, without limitation, debits or credits relating to liabilities which are secured by contributed or distributed property or which are assumed by the Partnership, the General Partner, or the Limited Partners) are computed in order to comply with such Treasury Regulations, the General Partner may make such modification, provided that it is not likely to have a material effect on the amounts distributable to any Person upon the dissolution of the Partnership. The General Partner also shall (i) make any adjustments that are necessary or appropriate to maintain equality between the Capital Accounts of the Partners and the amount of Partnership capital reflected on the Partnership’s balance sheet, as computed for book purposes, in accordance with Treasury Regulations Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(q) and (ii) make appropriate modifications if unanticipated events might otherwise cause this Agreement not to comply with Treasury Regulations Section 1.704-1(b) or 1.704-2.

 

Section 5.4            Section 754 Elections.  The General Partner shall elect, pursuant to Section 754 of the Code, to adjust the basis of the Partnership’s assets for (i) all transfers of Partnership Interests, and (ii) any distribution of Company property as described in Section 734 of the Code, if such election would benefit any Partner or the Partnership.

 

Section 5.5            Special Allocation of Gain to LTIP Unitholders.  Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 5.1 above, but subject to the prior allocation of income, gain, deduction and loss under the terms of the Agreement in respect of any class of Partnership Interests ranking senior to the LTIP Units with respect to return of capital or any preferential or priority return, any gains realized in connection with the actual or hypothetical sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the Partnership, including but not limited to gain realized in connection with an adjustment to the Carrying Value of Partnership assets under Section 704(b) of the Code, shall first be allocated to the LTIP Unitholders until the Economic Capital Account Balances of such Limited Partners, to the extent attributable to their ownership of LTIP Units, are equal to (i) the Common Partnership Unit Economic Balance, multiplied by (ii) the number of their LTIP Units. For this purpose, the “Economic Capital Account Balances” of the LTIP Unitholders will be equal to their Capital Account balances, plus the amount of their shares of any Partner Minimum Gain or Partnership Minimum Gain, in each case to the extent attributable to their ownership of LTIP Units.  For clarification, each Limited Partner will have only one Capital Account as to all Partnership Interests it owns, but solely for determining the Economic Capital Account Balance

 

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of LTIP Units of an LTIP Unitholder its Capital Account will be separately computed for each group of LTIP Units having the same issue date.  Similarly, the “Common Partnership Unit Economic Balance” shall mean (i) the Capital Account Balance of Ashford Prime OP Limited Partner LLC, plus the amount of Ashford Prime OP Limited Partner LLC’s share of any Partner Minimum Gain or Partnership Minimum Gain, in either case to the extent attributable to Ashford Prime OP Limited Partner LLC’s ownership of Common Partnership Units and computed on a hypothetical basis after taking into account all allocations under Article V through the date on which any allocation is made under this Section 5.5, divided by (ii) the number of Ashford Prime OP Limited Partner LLC’s Partnership Common Partnership Units (with respect to each holder, the “Target Balance”). Any such allocations shall be made among the LTIP Unitholders in proportion to the amounts required to be allocated to each under this Section 5.5, provided, however, that no amounts will be allocated with respect to any particular LTIP Unit (each, an “Ineligible Unit”) until all special allocations pursuant to Part A of Exhibit B with respect to such LTIP Unit have been reversed to the extent required by paragraph 10 of Part A of Exhibit B.  If, notwithstanding the foregoing, not all LTIP Units (including Ineligible Units) are fully booked up, an LTIP Unitholder may determine how gains shall be allocated among such LTIP Unitholder’s LTIP Units (other than Ineligible Units); provided, however, if such LTIP Unitholder does not make such a determination, gains shall generally be allocated so that the Economic Capital Account Balance of the maximum amount of Vested LTIP Units held by such LTIP Unitholder is equal to the Common Partnership Unit Economic Balance on a per LTIP Unit basis; provided, further, that such gains may only be allocated to LTIP Units that are held by such LTIP Unitholder on the date of the allocation under this Section 5.5. The parties agree that the intent of this Section 5.5 is to make the Capital Account balances of the LTIP Unitholders with respect to their LTIP Units economically equivalent to the Capital Account balance of Ashford Prime OP Limited Partner LLC (on a per-Partnership Unit basis) with respect to its Common Partnership Units.

 

ARTICLE VI

 

POWERS, DUTIES, LIABILITIES, COMPENSATION AND VOTING 
 OF GENERAL PARTNER

 

Section 6.1            Powers of General Partner.  Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, the General Partner’s discretion and authority are subject to the limitations imposed by law, and by the General Partner’s Articles of Organization and operating agreement.  Subject to the foregoing and to other limitations imposed by this Agreement, the General Partner shall have full, complete and exclusive discretion to manage and control the business and affairs of the Partnership and make all decisions affecting the business and assets of the Partnership.  Without limiting the generality of the foregoing (but subject to the restrictions specifically contained in this Agreement), the General Partner shall have the power and authority to take the following actions on behalf of the Partnership:

 

(a)   to acquire, purchase, own, manage, operate, lease and dispose of any real property and any other property or assets that the General Partner determines are necessary or appropriate or in the best interests of conducting the business of the Partnership in each case not inconsistent with the Company’s qualification as a REIT;

 

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(b)   to construct buildings and make other improvements (including renovations) on or to the properties owned or leased by the Partnership;

 

(c)   to borrow money for the Partnership, issue evidences of indebtedness in connection therewith, refinance, guarantee, increase the amount of, modify, amend or change the terms of, or extend the time for the payment of, any indebtedness or obligation of or to the Partnership, and secure such indebtedness by mortgage, deed of trust, pledge or other lien on the Partnership’s assets;

 

(d)   to pay, either directly or by reimbursement, for all Operating Expenses to third parties or to the General Partner (as set forth in this Agreement);

 

(e)   to lease all or any portion of any of the Partnership’s assets, whether or not the terms of such leases extend beyond the termination date of the Partnership and whether or not any portion of the Partnership’s assets so leased are to be occupied by the lessee, or, in turn, subleased in whole or in part to others, for such consideration and on such terms as the General Partner may determine;

 

(f)    to prosecute, defend, arbitrate, or compromise any and all claims or liabilities in favor of or against the Partnership, on such terms and in such manner as the General Partner may reasonably determine, and similarly to prosecute, settle or defend litigation with respect to the Partners, the Partnership, or the Partnership’s assets;

 

(g)   to file applications, communicate, and otherwise deal with any and all governmental agencies having jurisdiction over, or in any way affecting, the Partnership’s assets or any other aspect of the Partnership business;

 

(h)   to make or revoke any election permitted or required of the Partnership by any taxing authority;

 

(i)    to maintain such insurance coverage for public liability, fire and casualty, and any and all other insurance for the protection of the Partnership, for the conservation of Partnership assets, or for any other purpose convenient or beneficial to the Partnership, in such amounts and such types as the General Partner shall determine from time to time;

 

(j)    to determine whether or not to apply any insurance proceeds for any Property to the restoration of such Property or to distribute the same;

 

(k)   to retain providers of services of any kind or nature in connection with the Partnership business and to pay therefor such reasonable remuneration as the General Partner may deem proper, including the Advisor;

 

(l)    to negotiate and conclude agreements on behalf of the Partnership with respect to any of the rights, powers and authority conferred upon the General Partner, including, without limitation, management agreements, franchise agreements, agreements with federal, state or local liquor licensing agencies and agreements with operators of restaurants and bars;

 

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(m)  to maintain accurate accounting records and to file promptly all federal, state and local income tax returns on behalf of the Partnership;

 

(n)   to form or acquire an interest in, and contribute property to, any further limited or general partnerships, joint ventures or other relationships that it deems desirable (including, without limitation, the acquisition of interests in, and the contributions of property to, the Partnership’s Subsidiaries and any other Person in which it has an equity interest from time to time);

 

(o)   to distribute Partnership cash or other Partnership assets in accordance with this Agreement;

 

(p)   to establish Partnership reserves for working capital, capital expenditures, contingent liabilities or any other valid Partnership purpose;

 

(q)   to authorize, issue, sell, redeem or otherwise purchase any Partnership Interests or any securities (including secured and unsecured debt obligations of the Partnership, debt obligations of the Partnership convertible into any class or series of Partnership Interests, or options, rights, warrants or appreciation rights relating to any Partnership Interests) of the Partnership;

 

(r)    subject to the provisions of  Section 9.1, to merge, consolidate or combine the Partnership with or into another Person (to the extent permitted by applicable law);

 

(s)    to do any and all acts and things necessary or prudent to ensure that the Partnership will not be classified as a “publicly traded partnership” for purposes of Section 7704 of the Code;

 

(t)    to issue additional Partnership Interests pursuant to Section 4.3 hereof;

 

(u)   to pay cash to redeem Partnership Units held by a Limited Partner in connection with a Limited Partner’s exercise of its Redemption Right under Section 7.4 hereof;

 

(v)   to amend and restate Exhibit A hereto to reflect accurately at all times the Capital Contributions, Common Percentage Interests and Preferred Percentage Interests of the Partners as the same are adjusted from time to time to the extent necessary to reflect redemptions, Capital Contributions, the issuance of Partnership Units, the admission of any Additional Limited Partner or any Substitute Limited Partner or otherwise, which amendment and restatement, notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, shall not be deemed an amendment to this Agreement, as long as the matter or event being reflected in Exhibit A hereto otherwise is authorized by this Agreement;

 

(w)  to take whatever action the General Partner deems appropriate to maintain the economic equivalency of Common Partnership Units and REIT Common Shares and Preferred Partnership Units and REIT Preferred Shares, respectively; and

 

(x)   to take such other action, execute, acknowledge, swear to or deliver such other documents and instruments, and perform any and all other acts the General Partner deems

 

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necessary or appropriate for the formation, continuation and conduct of the business and affairs of the Partnership (including, without limitation, all actions consistent with qualification of the Company as a REIT) and to possess and enjoy all of the rights and powers of a general partner as provided by the Act.

 

Each of the Limited Partners agrees that the General Partner is authorized to execute, deliver and perform the above-mentioned agreements and transactions on behalf of the Partnership without any further act, approval or vote of the Partners (except as provided in Section 7.8, Section 9.1 or Article XI), notwithstanding any other provisions of the Act or any applicable law, rule or regulation to the fullest extent permitted under the Act or other applicable law, rule or regulation. The execution, delivery or performance by the General Partner or the Partnership of any agreement authorized or permitted under this Agreement shall not constitute a breach by the General Partner of any duty that the General Partner may owe the Partnership or the Limited Partners or any other persons under this Agreement or of any duty stated or implied by law or equity.

 

Except as otherwise provided herein, to the extent the duties of the General Partner require expenditures of funds to be paid to third parties, the General Partner shall not have any obligations hereunder except to the extent that Partnership funds are reasonably available to it for the performance of such duties, and nothing herein contained shall be deemed to authorize or require the General Partner, in its capacity as such, to expend its individual funds for payment to third parties or to undertake any individual liability or obligation on behalf of the Partnership.

 

Section 6.2            Delegation of Authority.  The General Partner may delegate any or all of its powers, rights and obligations hereunder, and may appoint, employ, contract or otherwise deal with any Person for the transaction of the business of the Partnership, which Person may, under supervision of the General Partner, perform any acts or services for the Partnership as the General Partner may approve.

 

Section 6.3            Duties of General Partner.  (a) The General Partner, subject to the limitations contained elsewhere in this Agreement, shall manage or cause to be managed the affairs of the Partnership in a prudent and businesslike manner and shall devote sufficient time and effort to the Partnership affairs.

 

(b)   In carrying out its obligations, the General Partner shall:

 

(i)    Render annual reports to all Partners with respect to the operations of the Partnership;

 

(ii)   Mail to all persons who were Partners at any time during the Partnership’s prior fiscal year an annual report of the Partnership, including all necessary tax information, and any other information regarding the Partnership and its operations during the prior fiscal year deemed by the General Partner to be material;

 

(iii)  Maintain complete and accurate records of all business conducted by the Partnership and complete and accurate books of account (containing such information as shall be necessary to record allocations and distributions), and make such books of account available for

 

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inspection and audit by any Limited Partner (at the sole expense of such Limited Partner) to the extent provided in Section 7.1(b); and

 

(iv)  Cause to be filed such certificates and do such other acts as may be required by law to qualify and maintain the Partnership as a limited partnership under the laws of the State of Delaware.

 

(c)   The General Partner shall take such actions as it deems necessary to maintain the economic equivalency of Common Partnership Units and REIT Common Shares and Preferred Partnership Units and REIT Preferred Shares, respectively, required by this Agreement.

 

Section 6.4            Liabilities of General Partner; Indemnification.  (a) The General Partner shall not be liable for the return of all or any part of the Capital Contributions of the Limited Partners.  Any returns shall be made solely from the assets of the Partnership according to the terms of this Agreement.

 

(b)   Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth in this Agreement, none of the General Partner or the Company nor any of their officers, directors, agents or employees shall be liable or accountable in damages or otherwise to the Partnership, any Partners or any assignees, or any of their successors or assigns, for any losses sustained, liabilities incurred or benefits not derived as a result of errors in judgment or mistakes of fact or law or any act or omission if the General Partner acted in good faith. The General Partner shall not be responsible for any misconduct or negligence on the part on any agent appointed by it in good faith pursuant to Section 6.2 hereof.  The Limited Partners expressly acknowledge that the General Partner is acting on behalf of the Partnership, the General Partner, the General Partner’s members and the Company’s stockholders collectively, and that, notwithstanding any duty otherwise existing at law or in equity to the fullest extent permitted by law, the General Partner is under no obligation to consider the separate interests of the Limited Partners (including, without limitation, the tax consequences to Limited Partners or their assignees) in deciding whether to cause the Partnership to take (or decline to take) any actions.  In the event of a conflict between the interests of the members of the General Partner or stockholders of the Company on one hand and the Limited Partners on the other, the General Partner shall endeavor in good faith to resolve the conflict in a manner not adverse to either the stockholders of the Company or the Limited Partners; provided, however, that notwithstanding any duty otherwise existing at law or in equity, to the fullest extent permitted by law, for so long as the Company owns a controlling interest, directly or indirectly, in the Partnership, any such conflict that cannot be resolved in a manner not adverse to either the stockholders of the Company or the Limited Partners shall be resolved in favor of the stockholders of the Company. The General Partner shall not be liable for monetary damages for losses sustained, liabilities incurred, or benefits not derived by Limited Partners in connection with such decisions, provided that the General Partner has acted in good faith.

 

(c)   The Partnership shall indemnify an Indemnitee to the fullest extent permitted by law and save and hold it harmless from and against, and in respect of, any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities (joint or several), expenses (including legal fees and expenses), judgments, fines, settlements, and other amounts arising from any and all claims, demands, actions, suits or proceedings, civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, that relate to the

 

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operations of the Partnership as set forth in this Agreement in which any Indemnitee may be involved, or is threatened to be involved, as a party or otherwise; provided, however, that this indemnification shall not apply if:   (A) the act or omission of the Indemnitee was material to the matter giving rise to the proceeding and either was committed in bad faith or was the result of active and deliberate dishonesty; (B) the Indemnitee actually received an improper personal benefit in money, property or services; or (C) in the case of any criminal proceeding, the Indemnitee had reasonable cause to believe that the act or omission was unlawful. The termination of any proceeding by judgment, order or settlement does not create a presumption that the Indemnitee did not meet the requisite standard of conduct set forth in this Section 6.4(c).  The termination of any proceeding by conviction or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, or an entry of an order of probation prior to judgment, creates a rebuttable presumption that the Indemnitee acted in a manner contrary to that specified in this Section 6.4(c).  Any indemnification pursuant to this Section 6.4 shall be made only out of the assets of the Partnership, and any insurance proceeds from the liability policy covering the General Partner and any Indemnitee.

 

(d)   The Partnership shall reimburse an Indemnitee for reasonable expenses incurred by an Indemnitee who is a party to a proceeding in advance of the final disposition of the proceeding upon receipt by the Partnership of (i) a written affirmation by the Indemnitee of the Indemnitee’s good faith belief that the standard of conduct necessary for indemnification by the Partnership as authorized in this Section 6.4 has been met, and (ii) a written undertaking by or on behalf of the Indemnitee to repay the amount if it shall ultimately be determined that the standard of conduct has not been met.

 

(e)   The indemnification provided by this Section 6.4 shall be in addition to any other rights to which an Indemnitee or any other Person may be entitled under any agreement, pursuant to any vote of the Partners, as a matter of law or otherwise, and shall continue as to an Indemnitee who has ceased to serve in such capacity.

 

(f)    The Partnership may purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of the Indemnitees, and such other Persons as the General Partner shall determine, against any liability that may be asserted against or expenses that may be incurred by such Person in connection with the Partnership’s activities, regardless of whether the Partnership would have the power to indemnify such Person against such liability under the provisions of this Agreement.

 

(g)   For purposes of this Section 6.4, the Partnership shall be deemed to have requested an Indemnitee to serve as fiduciary of an employee benefit plan whenever the performance by the Indemnitee of its duties to the Partnership also imposes duties on, or otherwise involves services by, the Indemnitee to the plan or participants or beneficiaries of the plan; excise taxes assessed on an Indemnitee with respect to an employee benefit plan pursuant to applicable law shall constitute fines within the meaning of this Section 6.4; and actions taken or omitted by the Indemnitee with respect to an employee benefit plan in the performance of its duties for a purpose reasonably believed by the Indemnitee to be in the interest of the participants and beneficiaries of the plan shall be deemed to be for a purpose which is not opposed to the best interests of the Partnership.

 

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(h)   In no event may an Indemnitee subject the Limited Partners to personal liability by reason of the indemnification provisions set forth in this Agreement.

 

(i)    An Indemnitee shall not be denied indemnification in whole or in part under this Section 6.4 because the Indemnitee had an interest in the transaction with respect to which the indemnification applies if the transaction was otherwise permitted by the terms of this Agreement.

 

(j)    Any amendment, modification or repeal of this Section 6.4 or any provision of this Section 6.4 shall be prospective only and shall not in any way affect the limitations on the General Partner’s liability to the Partnership and the Limited Partners under this Section 6.4 as in effect immediately prior to such amendment, modification or repeal with respect to matters occurring, in whole or in part, prior to such amendment, modification or repeal, regardless of when claims relating to such matters may arise or be asserted.  The provisions of this Section 6.4 are for the benefit of the Indemnitees, their heirs, successors, assigns and administrators and shall not be deemed to create any rights for the benefit of any other Persons.

 

(k)   Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Agreement or the Act, any action of the General Partner on behalf of the Partnership or any decision of the General Partner to refrain from acting on behalf of the Partnership, undertaken in the good faith belief that such action or omission is necessary or advisable in order (i) to protect the ability of the Company to continue to qualify as a REIT, or (ii) to prevent the Company from incurring any taxes under Section 857 or Section 4981 of the Code, is expressly authorized under this Agreement and is deemed approved by all of the Limited Partners. Further, any provision of this Agreement that might jeopardize the Company’s REIT status shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be (i) void and of no effect, or (ii) reformed, as necessary, to avoid the Company’s loss of REIT status.

 

Section 6.5            Compensation of General Partner; Reimbursement.  The General Partner, as such, shall not receive any compensation for services rendered to the Partnership.  Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, the General Partner shall be entitled, in accordance with the provisions of Section 6.7 below, to pay reasonable compensation to its Affiliates and other entities in which it may be associated for services performed.  The General Partner shall be reimbursed on a monthly basis, or such other basis as the General Partner may determine in its sole and absolute discretion, for all REIT Expenses.

 

Section 6.6            Reliance on Act of General Partner.  No financial institution or any other person, firm or corporation dealing with the General Partner or the Partnership shall be required to ascertain whether the General Partner is acting in accordance with this Agreement, but such financial institution or such other person, firm or corporation shall be protected in relying solely upon the assurance of and the execution of any instrument or instruments by the General Partner.

 

Section 6.7            Outside Services; Dealings with Affiliates; Outside Activities.  (a) Notwithstanding any provision of this Article VI to the contrary, the General Partner may employ such agents, accountants, attorneys and others as it shall deem advisable, including its directors, officers, members, and its Affiliates and entities with which the General Partner, any Limited Partner or their respective Affiliates may be associated, the Company’s directors,

 

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officers and stockholders, and may pay them reasonable compensation from Partnership funds for services performed, which compensation shall be reasonably believed by the General Partner to be comparable to and competitive with fees charged by unrelated Persons who render comparable services which could reasonably be made available to the Partnership. The General Partner shall not be liable for the neglect, omission or wrongdoing of any such Person so long as it appointed such Person in good faith.

 

(b)   The Partnership may lend or contribute to its Subsidiaries or other Persons in which it has an equity investment Partnership funds on terms and conditions established in the sole and absolute discretion of the General Partner.  The foregoing authority shall not create any right or benefit in favor of any Subsidiary or any other Person.

 

(c)   The Partnership may transfer assets to joint ventures, other partnerships, corporations or other business entities in which it is or thereby becomes a participant upon such terms and subject to such conditions as are consistent with this Agreement and applicable law.

 

(d)   Except as expressly permitted by this Agreement, neither the General Partner nor any of its Affiliates nor any Limited Partner shall sell, transfer or convey any property to, or purchase any property from, the Partnership, directly or indirectly, except pursuant to transactions that are on terms that are fair and reasonable to the Partnership.

 

(e)   Subject to the Articles of Organization and any agreements entered into by the General Partner or its Affiliates with the Partnership or a Subsidiary, any officer, director, employee, agent, trustee, Affiliate or member of the General Partner shall be entitled to and may have business interests and engage in business activities in addition to those relating to the Partnership, including business interests and activities substantially similar or identical to those of the Partnership.  Neither the Partnership nor any of the Limited Partners shall have any rights by virtue of this Agreement in any business ventures of such person.

 

(f)    If the Company exercises its rights under its Articles of Incorporation to redeem REIT Common Shares, then the General Partner shall cause the Partnership to purchase from the Company a number of Common Partnership Units determined based on the application of the Conversion Factor on the same terms as those on which the Company redeemed such REIT Common Shares.

 

Section 6.8            Additional Loans to the Partnership.  If additional funds are required by the Partnership for any purpose relating to the business of the Partnership or for any of its obligations, expenses, costs, or expenditures, including operating deficits, the Partnership may borrow such funds as are needed from time to time from any Person (including, without limitation, the General Partner or any Affiliate of the General Partner; provided, however, that the terms of any loan from the General Partner or any Affiliate of the General Partner shall be substantially equivalent to the terms that could be obtained from a third party on an arm’s-length basis) on such terms as the General Partner and such other Person may agree.

 

Section 6.9            Contribution of Assets.  The Company, directly or through one or more of its Affiliates, shall contribute to the capital of the Partnership from time to time each

 

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asset it owns from time to time during the existence of the Partnership, but it is not required to so contribute:

 

(a)   its interests in the General Partner or Ashford Prime OP Limited Partner LLC;

 

(b)   its direct or indirect interest in any entity in a chain of entities of which the Company is the sole beneficial owner, so long as all of the assets or other ownership interests in the entity in that chain furthest removed from the General Partner are contributed directly or indirectly to the Partnership; or

 

(c)   any equity interest in any entity of which the Company is the sole beneficial owner that is created or used solely by the General Partner in connection with any borrowing transaction in whole or in part for the benefit of the Partnership.

 

ARTICLE VII

 

RIGHTS, PROHIBITIONS AND REPRESENTATIONS WITH RESPECT 
 TO LIMITED PARTNERS

 

Section 7.1            Rights of Limited Partners.  (a) The Partnership may engage the Limited Partners or persons or firms associated with them for specific purposes and may otherwise deal with such Partners on terms and for compensation to be agreed upon by any such Partner and the Partnership; provided, however, that no Limited Partner shall be entitled to participate in the management or control of the business of the Partnership.

 

(b)   Each Limited Partner shall be entitled to have the Partnership books kept at the principal place of business of the Partnership and at all times, during reasonable business hours and at such Limited Partner’s sole expense, upon written demand shall be entitled to inspect and copy any of them for any purpose reasonably related to the Limited Partner’s interest as a Limited Partner and demand in writing true and full information of all things affecting the Partnership and a formal accounting of Partnership affairs whenever circumstances render it just and reasonable and reasonably related to the Limited Partner’s interest as a Limited Partner; provided, however, that any such demand shall state the purpose of such demand and provided further for such period of time as the General Partner determines in its sole and absolute discretion to be reasonable, the General Partner may keep confidential from the Limited Partners any information that (i) the General Partner believes to be in the nature of trade secrets or other information the disclosure of which the General Partner in good faith believes is not in the best interest of the Partnership or could damage the Partnership or its business or (ii) the Partnership or the General Partner is required by law or by agreements with unaffiliated third parties to keep confidential; provided, further, that as long as Ashford Hospitality Limited Partnership is a Partner in the Partnership, the Partnership and the General Partner shall timely provide such information as Ashford Hospitality Limited Partnership reasonably requests such that Ashford Hospitality Trust, Inc. may determine that it qualifies as a REIT for purposes of the Code, may prepare all of its tax returns and prepare its financial statements and filings with the applicable government authorities.

 

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(c)   No Limited Partner shall be liable for any debts, liabilities, contracts or obligations of the Partnership.  A Limited Partner shall be liable to the Partnership only to make payments of its Capital Contribution, if any, as and when due hereunder.  After its Capital Contribution is fully paid, no Limited Partner shall, except as otherwise required by the Act, be required to make any further Capital Contributions or other payments or lend any funds to the Partnership.

 

Section 7.2            Prohibitions with Respect to the Limited Partners.  No Limited Partner shall have the right:

 

(a)   To take part in the control or management of the Partnership business, to transact business for or on behalf of the Partnership or to sign for or to bind the Partnership, such powers being vested solely in the General Partner as set forth herein;

 

(b)   To have such Partner’s Capital Contributions repaid except to the extent provided in this Agreement;

 

(c)   To require partition of Partnership property or to compel any sale or appraisement of Partnership assets or sale of a deceased Partner’s interests therein, notwithstanding any provisions of law to the contrary; or

 

(d)   To sell or assign all or any portion of such Partner’s Limited Partnership Interest in the Partnership or to constitute the vendee or assignee thereunder a Substitute Limited Partner, except as provided in Article IX hereof.

 

Section 7.3            Ownership by Limited Partner of Corporate General Partner or Affiliate.  No Limited Partner shall at any time, either directly or indirectly, own any shares or other interest in the General Partner or in any Affiliate thereof if such ownership by itself or in conjunction with other shares or other interests owned by other Limited Partners would, in the opinion of counsel for the Partnership, jeopardize the classification of the Partnership as a partnership or the Company as a REIT for federal income tax purposes.  The General Partner shall be entitled to make such reasonable inquiry of the Limited Partners as is required to establish compliance by the Limited Partners with the provisions of this Section 7.3 and the Limited Partners shall promptly and fully respond to such inquiries.

 

Section 7.4            Redemption Right.  (a) Subject to Section 7.4(b) and Section 7.4(c), and the provisions of any agreements between the Partnership and one or more Limited Partners, each Limited Partner, other than Ashford Prime OP Limited Partner LLC, shall have the right (the “Redemption Right”) to require the Partnership to redeem on a Specified Redemption Date all or a portion of the Common Partnership Units held by such Limited Partner (the “Redeeming Partner”) at a redemption price per Common Partnership Unit equal to and in the form of the Cash Amount to be paid by the Partnership on the Specified Redemption Date. The Redemption Right shall be exercised pursuant to a Notice of Redemption delivered to the Partnership (with a copy to the General Partner) by the Redeeming Partner.  A Limited Partner may not exercise the Redemption Right for less than one thousand (1,000) Common Partnership Units or, if such Limited Partner holds less than one thousand (1,000) Common Partnership Units, all of the Common Partnership Units held by such Partner.  Neither the Redeeming

 

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Partner nor any permitted or purported assignee of any Limited Partner shall have any right, with respect to any Common Partnership Units so redeemed, to receive any distributions paid after the Specified Redemption Date except as provided in Section 7.4(b).  Each Redeeming Partner agrees to provide such representations and related indemnities regarding good and unencumbered title, and to execute such documents, as the General Partner may reasonably require in connection with any redemption.

 

(b)   Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 7.4(a), if a Limited Partner elects to exercise the Redemption Right, the General Partner at the direction of the Company, directly or indirectly through one or more Affiliates, may, in its sole and absolute discretion, elect to assume directly and satisfy a Redemption Right by paying to the Redeeming Partner either (i) the Cash Amount, as provided for in Section 7.4(a), or (ii) the REIT Common Shares Amount, as elected by the General Partner, as directed by the Company (in its sole and absolute discretion), on the Specified Redemption Date, provided that if the General Partner has not affirmatively notified the Redeeming Partner on or before one Business Day before the Specified Redemption Date that either the Partnership, the General Partner or its Affiliates will pay the Cash Amount then the General Partner shall be deemed to have elected, directly or through one or more Affiliates, to pay the REIT Common Shares Amount to the Redeeming Partner on the Specified Redemption Date, and the Company agrees that it will provide such REIT Common Shares on the Specified Redemption Date, subject to the other provisions of this Section 7.4. On any such election of the General Partner to assume and satisfy a Redemption Right, the Company, directly or indirectly through one or more Affiliates, shall acquire the Common Partnership Units offered for redemption by the Redeeming Partner and shall be treated for all purposes of this Agreement as the owner of such Common Partnership Units.  Unless the General Partner, as directed by the Company (in its sole and absolute discretion), shall exercise its right to assume and satisfy the Redemption Right, or unless the General Partner has been deemed to assume the Redemption Right as provided in this Section 7.4(b), neither the General Partner nor the Company itself shall have any obligation to the Redeeming Partner or to the Partnership with respect to the Redeeming Partner’s exercise of the Redemption Right.  If the General Partner, as directed by the Company, shall exercise its right, or shall be deemed to have elected, to satisfy the Redemption Right in the manner described in the first sentence of this Section 7.4(b), except as provided in the following paragraph, the Partnership shall have no obligation to pay any amount to the Redeeming Partner with respect to such Redeeming Partner’s exercise of the Redemption Right, and each of the Redeeming Partner, the Partnership, and the Company shall treat the transaction between the Company and the Redeeming Partner for federal income tax purposes as a sale of the Redeeming Partner’s Common Partnership Units to the Company or its Affiliates; provided that if the Redeeming Partner is redeeming all of its Common Partnership Units, the Partnership shall redeem any fractional Common Partnership Unit (constituting less than one Common Partnership Unit owned by the Redeeming Partner by paying the Cash Amount with respect to such fractional Common Partnership Unit to such Redeeming Partner.  Each Redeeming Partner agrees to provide such representations and related indemnities regarding good title, and to execute such documents, as the Company may reasonably require in connection with the issuance of REIT Common Shares upon exercise of the Redemption Right.  If the Redemption Right is satisfied by the delivery of REIT Common Shares, the Redeeming Partner shall be deemed to become a holder of REIT Common Shares as of the close of business on the Specified Redemption Date or on such later date permitted by this Section 7.4(b) that the Company delivers REIT Common Shares, as the case may be.

 

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Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in Section 7.4(a) or this Section 7.4(b), and in addition to the right of the Company to deliver REIT Common Shares in satisfaction of the Redemption Right, as provided above, should the General Partner, as directed by the Company elect, or be deemed to elect, to satisfy a Redemption Right by paying the Redeeming Partner the REIT Common Shares Amount, and it is necessary to obtain Company stockholder approval in order for it to issue sufficient REIT Common Shares to satisfy such Redemption Right in full, then the Company shall have one hundred twenty (120) days beyond the Specified Redemption Date in which to obtain such stockholder approval and to pay the REIT Common Shares Amount, and the redemption date shall be required to occur by ten (10) days after stockholder approval of the issuance of the REIT Common Shares has been obtained, if it is obtained. If such stockholder approval is not obtained within one hundred thirty (130) days after such Common Partnership Units are presented for redemption or the stockholders have voted against the issuance of the REIT Common Shares and payment of the REIT Common Shares, the Partnership will distribute to the Redeeming Partner any distributions pursuant to Section 8.1 that were not made after the Specified Redemption Date with respect to the Common Partnership Units redeemed because of the provisions of Section 7.4(a), the Partnership shall pay to the Redeeming Partner the Cash Amount no later than the earlier of (i) ten (10) days after stockholders have voted against the issuance of the REIT Common Shares, or (ii) one hundred thirty (130) days after such Common Partnership Units are presented for redemption, together with interest on such Cash Amount from the Specified Redemption Date to the date of payment at the rate equal to the lesser of (i) the Company’s annual dividend rate on REIT Common Shares for the twelve (12) month period prior to the Valuation Date and based upon the Cash Amount for Common Partnership Units redeemed, or (ii) eight percent (8%).

 

(c)   Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 7.4(a) and Section 7.4(b), a Limited Partner shall not be entitled to receive REIT Common Shares if the delivery of REIT Common Shares to such Partner on the Specified Redemption Date (or such later date permitted by Section 7.4(b), as applicable) by the Company pursuant to Section 7.4(b) would be prohibited under the Articles of Incorporation of the Company, as amended or restated from time to time.  Without limiting the effect of the preceding sentence, no Person shall be permitted to receive REIT Common Shares if as a result of, and after giving effect to, such exercise any Person would Beneficially Own (as defined in the Articles of Incorporation of the Company, as amended or restated from time to time) more than 9.8% of the total number of issued and outstanding REIT Common Shares, unless waived by the board of directors of the Company in its sole discretion.  To the extent any attempted redemption for REIT Common Shares would be a violation of this Section 7.4(c), it shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be null and void ab initio.  The Cash Amount shall be paid in such instances, in accordance with the terms set forth in Section 7.4(a) or Section 7.4(b).

 

(d)   Each Limited Partner covenants and agrees with the General Partner that all Common Partnership Units delivered for redemption shall be delivered to the Partnership, the Company or its Affiliates, as the case may be, free and clear of all liens and, notwithstanding anything herein contained to the contrary, neither the General Partner, the Company (nor any of its Affiliates) nor the Partnership shall be under any obligation to acquire Common Partnership Units which are or may be subject to any liens. Each Limited Partner further agrees that, if any state or local property transfer tax is payable as a result of the transfer of its Common Partnership

 

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Units to the General Partner, Partnership or the Company, such Limited Partner shall assume and pay such transfer tax.

 

(e)   REIT Common Shares issued pursuant to Section 7.4(b) may contain such legends regarding restrictions on transfer as the Company in good faith determines to be necessary or advisable in order to (1) comply with restrictions on transfer under the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws and (2) protect the ability of the Company to continue to qualify as a REIT.

 

Section 7.5            Basis Analysis.  Upon the request of any Limited Partner but subject to the General Partner’s agreement, which may be withheld in the General Partner’s sole discretion, the General Partner may, prior to the end of each calendar year, beginning in 2013, cause accountants to prepare and provide to the Limited Partners a study analyzing each refinancing, reduction (other than scheduled periodic amortization of principal) of debt or other event that occurred during that year that reduced the amount of any nonrecourse liabilities of the Partnership that a Limited Partner may include in the tax basis of its Partnership Interests.

 

Section 7.6            Limited Partner Guarantees.  Upon the request of the General Partner, or upon a Limited Partner’s own election but subject to the General Partner’s agreement, which may be withheld in the General Partner’s sole discretion, a Limited Partner (the “Initiating Limited Partner”) from time to time, may, but shall not be required to, guarantee or otherwise provide credit support for Partnership indebtedness or a deficit restoration obligation as such Limited Partner may elect; provided, however, that the Limited Partner shall be entitled to take such action only if the General Partner determines that any such action would not have a material adverse effect on the tax position of the General Partner. All Partners are entitled to notice of any such guarantee or credit support, and shall have the right to provide guarantees or credit support on the same terms and conditions as the Initiating Limited Partner does, and all Limited Partners interested in providing such guarantee or credit support shall cooperate with the General Partner and each other in considering any guarantee or credit support proposal, and the General Partner will cooperate in permitting or obtaining any consents for such guarantees or credit support.

 

Section 7.7            Conversion of LTIP Units.  (a) An LTIP Unitholder shall have the right (the “Conversion Right”), at his or her option, at any time to convert all or a portion of his or her Vested LTIP Units into Common Partnership Units; provided, however, that a holder may not exercise the Conversion Right for less than one thousand (1,000) Vested LTIP Units or, if such holder holds less than one thousand Vested LTIP Units, all of the Vested LTIP Units held by such holder.  LTIP Unitholders shall not have the right to convert Unvested Incentive Units into Common Partnership Units until they become Vested LTIP Units; provided, however, that when a LTIP Unitholder is notified of the expected occurrence of an event that will cause his or her Unvested Incentive Units to become Vested LTIP Units, such LTIP Unitholder may give the Partnership a Conversion Notice conditioned upon and effective as of the time of vesting and such Conversion Notice, unless subsequently revoked by the LTIP Unitholder, shall be accepted by the Partnership subject to such condition. The General Partner shall have the right at any time to cause a conversion of Vested LTIP Units into Common Partnership Units.  In all cases, the conversion of any LTIP Units into Common Partnership Units shall be subject to the conditions and procedures set forth in this Section 7.7.

 

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(b)   A holder of Vested LTIP Units may convert such LTIP Units into an equal number of fully paid and non-assessable Common Partnership Units, giving effect to all adjustments (if any) made pursuant to Sections 4.3(d), 4.3(e) and 5.5.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event may a holder of Vested LTIP Units convert a number of Vested LTIP Units that exceeds (x) the Economic Capital Account Balance of such LTIP Unitholder, to the extent attributable to its ownership of LTIP Units, divided by (y) the Common Partnership Unit Economic Balance, in each case as determined as of the effective date of conversion (the “Capital Account Limitation”).

 

In order to exercise his or her Conversion Right, a LTIP Unitholder shall deliver a notice (a “Conversion Notice”) in the form attached as Exhibit D (with a copy to the General Partner) not less than 3 Business Days nor more than 10 Business Days prior to a date for conversion (the “Conversion Date”) specified in such Conversion Notice; provided, however, that if the General Partner has not given to the LTIP Unitholders notice of a proposed or upcoming Unit Transaction (as defined below) at least thirty (30) days prior to the effective date of such Unit Transaction, then LTIP Unitholders shall have the right to deliver a Conversion Notice until the earlier of (x) the tenth (10th) day after such notice from the General Partner of a Unit Transaction or (y) the third Business Day immediately preceding the effective date of such Unit Transaction. A Conversion Notice shall be provided in the manner provided in Section 14.5.  Each LTIP Unitholder covenants and agrees with the Partnership that all Vested LTIP Units to be converted pursuant to this Section 7.7 shall be free and clear of all liens.  Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, a holder of LTIP Units may deliver a Redemption Notice pursuant to Section 7.4 relating to those Common Partnership Units that will be issued to such holder upon conversion of such LTIP Units into Common Partnership Units in advance of the Conversion Date; provided, however, that the redemption of such Common Partnership Units by the Partnership shall in no event take place until on or after the Conversion Date.  For clarity, it is noted that the objective of this paragraph is to put a LTIP Unitholder in a position where, if he or she so wishes, the Common Partnership Units into which his or her Vested LTIP Units will be converted can be redeemed by the Partnership simultaneously with such conversion, with the further consequence that, if the General Partner elects to assume the Partnership’s redemption obligation with respect to such Common Partnership Units under Section 7.4(b) by delivering to such holder REIT Common Shares rather than cash, then such holder can have such REIT Common Shares issued to him or her simultaneously with the conversion of his or her Vested LTIP Units into Common Partnership Units. The General Partner shall cooperate with a LTIP Unitholder to coordinate the timing of the different events described in the foregoing sentence.

 

(c)   The Partnership, at any time at the election of the General Partner, may cause any number of Vested LTIP Units held by a LTIP Unitholder to be converted (a “Forced Conversion”) into an equal number of Common Partnership Units, giving effect to all adjustments (if any) made pursuant to Sections 4.3(d), 4.3(e) and 5.5; provided, however, that the Partnership may not cause a Forced Conversion of any LTIP Units that would not at the time be eligible for conversion at the option of such LTIP Unitholder pursuant to Section 7.7(b). In order to exercise its right of Forced Conversion, the Partnership shall deliver a notice (a “Forced Conversion Notice”) in the form attached as Exhibit E to the applicable LTIP Unitholder not less than 10 nor more than 60 days prior to the Conversion Date specified in such Forced Conversion Notice. A Forced Conversion Notice shall be provided in the manner provided in Section 14.5.

 

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(d)   A conversion of Vested LTIP Units for which the holder thereof has given a Conversion Notice or the Partnership has given a Forced Conversion Notice shall occur automatically after the close of business on the applicable Conversion Date without any action on the part of such LTIP Unitholder, as of which time such LTIP Unitholder shall be credited on the books and records of the Partnership with the issuance as of the opening of business on the next day of the number of Common Partnership Units issuable upon such conversion. After the conversion of LTIP Units as aforesaid, the Partnership shall deliver to such LTIP Unitholder, upon his or her written request, a certificate of the General Partner certifying the number of Common Partnership Units and remaining LTIP Units, if any, held by such person immediately after such conversion. The assignee of any Limited Partner pursuant to Article IX hereof may exercise the rights of such Limited Partner pursuant to this Section 7.7 and such Limited Partner shall be bound by the exercise of such rights by the assignee.

 

(e)   For purposes of making future allocations under Section 5.5 and applying the Capital Account Limitation, the portion of the Economic Capital Account Balance of the applicable LTIP Unitholder that is treated as attributable to his or her LTIP Units shall be reduced, as of the date of conversion, by the product of the number of LTIP Units converted and the Common Partnership Unit Economic Balance.

 

(f)    If the Partnership, the General Partner or the Company shall be a party to any transaction (including without limitation a merger, consolidation, unit exchange, self tender offer for all or substantially all Common Partnership Units or other business combination or reorganization, or sale of all or substantially all of the Partnership’s assets, but excluding any transaction which constitutes an Adjustment Event) in each case as a result of which Common Partnership Units shall be exchanged for or converted into the right, or the holders of such Partnership Units shall otherwise be entitled, to receive cash, securities or other property or any combination thereof (each of the foregoing being referred to herein as a “Unit Transaction”), then the General Partner may, immediately prior to the Unit Transaction, exercise its right to cause a Forced Conversion with respect to the maximum number of LTIP Units then eligible for conversion, taking into account any allocations that occur in connection with the Unit Transaction or that would occur in connection with the Unit Transaction if the assets of the Partnership were sold at the Unit Transaction price or, if applicable, at a value determined by the General Partner in good faith using the value attributed to the Partnership Units in the context of the Unit Transaction (in which case the Conversion Date shall be the effective date of the Unit Transaction).

 

In anticipation of such Forced Conversion and the consummation of the Unit Transaction, the Partnership shall use commercially reasonable efforts to cause each LTIP Unitholder to be afforded the right to receive in connection with such Unit Transaction in consideration for the Common Partnership Units into which his or her LTIP Units will be converted the same kind and amount of cash, securities and other property (or any combination thereof) receivable upon the consummation of such Unit Transaction by a holder of the same number of Common Partnership Units, assuming such holder of Common Partnership Units is not a Person with which the Partnership consolidated or into which the Partnership merged or which merged into the Partnership or to which such sale or transfer was made, as the case may be (a “Constituent Person”), or an Affiliate of a Constituent Person. If holders of Common Partnership Units have the opportunity to elect the form or type of consideration to be received

 

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upon consummation of the Unit Transaction, prior to such Unit Transaction the General Partner shall give written notice to each LTIP Unitholder of such election, and shall use commercially reasonable efforts to afford the LTIP Unitholders the right to elect, by written notice to the General Partner, the form or type of consideration to be received upon conversion of each LTIP Unit held by such holder into Common Partnership Units in connection with such Unit Transaction. If a LTIP Unitholder fails to make such an election, such holder (and any of its transferees) shall receive upon conversion of each LTIP Unit held him or her (or by any of his or her transferees) the same kind and amount of consideration that a holder of a Common Partnership Unit would receive if such Common Partnership Unit holder failed to make such an election.

 

Subject to the rights of the Partnership, the General Partner and the Company, under any Vesting Agreement and the Plan, the Partnership shall use commercially reasonable effort to cause the terms of any Unit Transaction to be consistent with the provisions of this Section 7.7(f) and to enter into an agreement with the successor or purchasing entity, as the case may be, for the benefit of any LTIP Unitholders whose LTIP Units will not be converted into Common Partnership Units in connection with the Unit Transaction that will (i) contain provisions enabling the holders of LTIP Units that remain outstanding after such Unit Transaction to convert their LTIP Units into securities as comparable as reasonably possible under the circumstances to the Common Partnership Units and (ii) preserve as far as reasonably possible under the circumstances the distribution, special allocation, conversion, and other rights set forth in this Agreement for the benefit of the LTIP Unitholders.

 

Section 7.8            Voting Rights of LTIP Units. LTIP Unitholders shall (a) have those voting rights required from time to time by applicable law, if any, (b) have the same voting rights as a holder of Common Partnership Units, with the LTIP Units voting as a single class with the Common Partnership Units and having one vote per LTIP Unit; and (c) have the additional voting rights that are expressly set forth below. So long as any LTIP Units remain outstanding, the Partnership shall not, without the affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority of the LTIP Units outstanding at the time, given in person or by proxy, either in writing or at a meeting (voting separately as a class), amend, alter or repeal, whether by merger, consolidation or otherwise, the provisions of this Agreement applicable to LTIP Units so as to materially and adversely affect any right, privilege or voting power of the LTIP Units or the LTIP Unitholders as such, unless such amendment, alteration, or repeal affects equally, ratably and proportionately the rights, privileges and voting powers of the holders of Common Partnership Units; but subject, in any event, to the following provisions:

 

(a)   With respect to any Unit Transaction, so long as the LTIP Units are treated in accordance with Section 7.7(f) hereof, the consummation of such Unit Transaction shall not be deemed to materially and adversely affect such rights, preferences, privileges or voting powers of the LTIP Units or the LTIP Unitholders as such; and

 

(b)   Any creation or issuance of any Partnership Units or of any class or series of Partnership Interest including without limitation additional Common Partnership Units, LTIP Units or Preferred Partnership Units, whether ranking senior to, junior to, or on a parity with the LTIP Units with respect to distributions and the distribution of assets upon liquidation,

 

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dissolution or winding up, shall not be deemed to materially and adversely affect such rights, preferences, privileges or voting powers of the LTIP Units or the LTIP Unitholders as such.

 

The foregoing voting provisions will not apply if, at or prior to the time when the act with respect to which such vote would otherwise be required will be effected, all outstanding LTIP Units shall have been converted into Common Partnership Units.

 

ARTICLE VIII

 

DISTRIBUTIONS AND PAYMENTS TO PARTNERS

 

Section 8.1            Distributions of Cash Flow. (a) The General Partner shall cause the Partnership to distribute on a quarterly basis such portion of the Cash Flow of the Partnership as the General Partner shall determine in its sole discretion. Except as provided in Section 10.4, such distributions shall be made to the Partners who are Partners on the applicable Partnership Record Date as follows:

 

FIRST:   to the holders of the Preferred Partnership Units, an amount equal to the unpaid portion of the Preferred Return due to the holders of the Preferred Partnership Units on the applicable Partnership Record Date, as determined pursuant to the applicable exhibit hereto setting forth the terms of such Preferred Partnership Units;

 

SECOND:   to all Partners who are Partners on the applicable Partnership Record Date and who beneficially own Common Partnership Units, in accordance with their respective Common Percentage Interests;

 

provided, however, if for any Common Partnership Unit Distribution Period, a Newly Issued Common Partnership Unit is outstanding on the Partnership Record Date for such period, there shall not be distributed in respect of such Newly Issued Common Partnership Unit the amount (the “Full Distribution Amount”) that would otherwise be distributed in respect of such Partnership Unit in accordance with its respective Common Percentage Interest, but rather, the General Partner shall cause to be distributed with respect to each such Newly Issued Common Partnership Unit an amount equal to the Full Distribution Amount multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which equals the number of days such Newly Issued Common Partnership Unit has been outstanding during the Common Partnership Unit Distribution Period and the denominator of which equals the total number of days in such Common Partnership Unit Distribution Period.

 

Any Cash Flow not distributed to the holders of Partnership Units by operation of this provision shall be retained by the Partnership and applied toward future distributions or payment of Partnership expenses.

 

(b)   In no event may a Partner receive a distribution of Cash Flow with respect to a Partnership Unit if such Partner is entitled to receive a dividend out of the Company’s share of such Cash Flow with respect to a REIT Share for which all or part of such Partnership Unit has been exchanged.

 

(c)   If the Partnership issues additional Partnership Units pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement, the General Partner is hereby authorized to make such revisions to

 

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this Article VIII as it determines are necessary or desirable to reflect the issuance of such additional Partnership Units, including without limitation, making preferential distributions to certain classes of Partnership Units.

 

Section 8.2            REIT Distribution Requirements. Unless the General Partner determines that such a distribution would not be in the best interests of the Partnership, the General Partner shall cause the Partnership to distribute sufficient amounts to enable the Company (i) to meet its distribution requirement for qualification as a REIT as set forth in Section 857(a)(1) of the Code, and (ii) to avoid the excise tax imposed by Section 4981 of the Code.

 

Section 8.3            No Right to Distributions in Kind. No Partner shall be entitled to demand property other than cash in connection with any distribution by the Partnership.

 

Section 8.4            Withdrawals. No Partner shall be entitled to make withdrawals from its Capital Account, or withdraw as a Limited Partner, except as expressly provided herein.

 

Section 8.5            Amounts Withheld. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the General Partner is authorized to take any action that it determines to be necessary or appropriate to cause the Partnership to comply with any withholding requirements established under the Code or any other federal, state or local law including, without limitation, pursuant to Sections 1441, 1442, 1445 and 1446 of the Code. To the extent that the Partnership is required to withhold and pay over to any taxing authority any amount resulting from the allocation or distribution of income to any Partner or assignee (including by reason of Section 1446 of the Code), either (i) if the actual amount to be distributed to the Partner equals or exceeds the amount required to be withheld by the Partnership, the amount withheld shall be treated as a distribution of cash in the amount of such withholding to such Partner, or (ii) if the actual amount to be distributed to the Partner is less than the amount required to be withheld by the Partnership, the actual amount shall be treated as a distribution of cash in the amount of such withholding and the additional amount required to be withheld shall be treated as a loan (a “Partnership Loan”) from the Partnership to the Partner on the day the Partnership pays over such amount to a taxing authority. A Partnership Loan shall be repaid through withholding by the Partnership with respect to subsequent distributions to the applicable Partner or assignee. If a Limited Partner (a “Defaulting Limited Partner”) fails to pay any amount owed to the Partnership with respect to the Partnership Loan within ten (10) days after demand for payment thereof is made by the Partnership on the Limited Partner, the General Partner, in its sole and absolute discretion, may elect to make the payment to the Partnership on behalf of such Defaulting Limited Partner. In such event, on the date of payment, the General Partner shall be deemed to have extended a loan (a “General Partner Loan”) to the Defaulting Limited Partner in the amount of the payment made by the General Partner and shall succeed to all rights and remedies of the Partnership against the Defaulting Limited Partner as to that amount. Without limitation, the General Partner shall have the right to receive any distributions that otherwise would be made by the Partnership to the Defaulting Limited Partner until such time as the General Partner Loan has been paid in full, and any such distributions so received by the General Partner shall be treated as having been received by the Defaulting Limited Partner and immediately paid to the General Partner.

 

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Any amounts treated as a Partnership Loan or a General Partner Loan pursuant to this Section 8.5(a) shall bear interest at the lesser of (i) the base rate on corporate loans at large United States money center commercial banks, as published from time to time in The Wall Street Journal, or (ii) the maximum lawful rate of interest on such obligation, such interest to accrue from the date the Partnership or the General Partner, as applicable, is deemed to extend the loan until such loan is repaid in full.

 

(b)   All amounts withheld pursuant to the Code or any provisions of any state or local tax law and Section 8.5(a) with respect to any allocation, payment or distribution to any Partner shall be treated as amounts paid or distributed to such Partner pursuant to Section 8.1 hereof for all purposes under this Agreement.

 

(c)   Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the Partnership, and the General Partner on behalf of the Partnership, shall not make any distribution or other payment to a Partner in respect of it Partnership Interest to the extent that such distribution would violate the Act or other applicable law.

 

ARTICLE IX

 

TRANSFERS OF INTERESTS

 

Section 9.1            General Partner. (a) Other than to an Affiliate of the General Partner, the General Partner may not transfer any of its General Partnership Interest or withdraw as General Partner except (i) the General Partner may grant a security interest in or pledge its General Partnership Interest in the Partnership to secure debt for borrowed money, or any guaranty thereof, now existing or hereinafter incurred, (ii) as provided in Section 9.1(b) or (iii) in connection with a transaction described in Section 9.1(c).

 

(b)   Except as otherwise provided in Section 6.7 or Section 9.1(c), the General Partner, the Company or their Subsidiaries shall not engage in any merger, consolidation or other combination with or into another Person or in any sale of all or substantially all of its assets, or any reclassification, or recapitalization or change of outstanding REIT Common Shares (other than a change in par value, or from par value to no par value, or as a result of a subdivision or combination as described in the definition of “Conversion Factor”) (each of the foregoing being herein referred to as a “Transaction”), unless the Transaction also includes a merger of the Partnership or sale of substantially all of the assets of the Partnership or other transaction as a result of which all Limited Partners will receive for each Common Partnership Unit an amount of cash, securities or other property equal to the product of the Conversion Factor and the greatest amount of cash, securities or other property paid to a holder of one REIT Common Share in consideration of one REIT Common Share as a result of the Transaction; provided, however, that if, in connection with the Transaction, a purchase, tender or exchange offer shall have been made to and accepted by the holders of more than fifty percent (50%) of the outstanding REIT Common Shares, the holders of Common Partnership Units shall receive the greatest amount of cash, securities or other property which a Limited Partner would have received had it exercised the Redemption Right and the General Partner at the direction of the Company had exercised its election to satisfy the Redemption Right by the issuance of REIT Common Shares immediately prior to the expiration of such purchase, tender or exchange offer.

 

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(c)   Notwithstanding Section 9.1(b), the General Partner, the Company or their Subsidiaries may merge into or consolidate with another entity if immediately after such merger or consolidation (i) substantially all of the assets of the successor or surviving entity (the “Surviving Partner”), other than Partnership Units held by the General Partner, the Company or their Subsidiaries, are contributed to the Partnership as a Capital Contribution in exchange for Partnership Units with a fair market value equal to the value of the assets so contributed as determined by the Surviving Partner in good faith and (ii) the Surviving Partner or one of its Subsidiaries expressly agrees to assume all obligations of the General Partner hereunder. Upon such contribution and assumption, the Surviving Partner shall have the right and duty to amend this Agreement as set forth in this Section 9.1(c). The Surviving Partner shall in good faith arrive at a new method for the calculation of the Cash Amount and Conversion Factor for a Common Partnership Unit after any such merger or consolidation so as to approximate the existing method for such calculation as closely as reasonably possible. Such calculation shall take into account, among other things, the kind and amount of securities, cash and other property that was receivable upon such merger or consolidation by a holder of REIT Shares or options, warrants or other rights relating thereto, and which a holder of Common Partnership Units could have acquired had such Common Partnership Units been redeemed immediately prior to such merger or consolidation. Such amendment to this Agreement shall provide for adjustment to such method of calculation, which shall be as nearly equivalent as may be practicable to the adjustments provided for with respect to the Conversion Factor. The above provisions of this Section 9.1(c) shall similarly apply to successive mergers or consolidations permitted hereunder.

 

Section 9.2            Admission of a Substitute or Additional General Partner. A Person shall be admitted as a Substitute or Additional General Partner of the Partnership only if the transaction giving rise to such substitution or admission is otherwise permitted under this Agreement and the following terms and conditions are satisfied:

 

(a)   the Person to be admitted as a Substitute or Additional General Partner shall have accepted and agreed to be bound by all the terms and provisions of this Agreement by executing a counterpart thereof and such other documents or instruments as may be required or appropriate in order to effect the admission of such Person as a General Partner, and a certificate evidencing the admission of such Person as a General Partner shall have been filed for recordation and all other actions required by the Act in connection with such admission shall have been performed;

 

(b)   if the Person to be admitted as a Substitute or Additional General Partner is a corporation or a partnership, it shall have provided the Partnership with evidence satisfactory to counsel for the Partnership of such Person’s authority to become a General Partner and to be bound by the terms and provisions of this Agreement; and

 

(c)   counsel for the Partnership shall have rendered an opinion (relying on such opinions from counsel of the state or any other jurisdiction as may be necessary) that the admission of the Person to be admitted as a Substitute or Additional General Partner is in conformity with the Act and that none of the actions taken in connection with the admission of such Person as a Substitute or Additional General Partner will cause the termination of the Partnership under Section 708 of the Code, or will cause it to be classified as other than a

 

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partnership for federal income tax purposes, or will result in the loss of any Limited Partner’s limited liability status.

 

Section 9.3            Effect of Bankruptcy, Withdrawal, Death or Dissolution of a General Partner. (a) Upon the occurrence of an Event of Bankruptcy as to a General Partner (and its automatic removal pursuant to Section 9.4(a) hereof) or the withdrawal or dissolution of a General Partner (except that, if a General Partner is on the date of such occurrence a partnership, the withdrawal, death, dissolution, Event of Bankruptcy as to or removal of a general partner or the last remaining partner in such partnership shall be deemed not to be a dissolution of such General Partner if the business of such General Partner is continued within ninety (90) days by the remaining general partners or all remaining partners of such partnership), the Partnership shall be dissolved and wound up unless the Partnership is continued pursuant to Section 9.3(b).

 

(b)   Following the occurrence of an Event of Bankruptcy as to a General Partner or the withdrawal or dissolution of a General Partner (except that, if a General Partner is on the date of such occurrence a partnership, the withdrawal, death, dissolution, Event of Bankruptcy as to or removal of a general partner or the last remaining partner in such partnership shall be deemed not be a dissolution of such General Partner if the business of such General Partner is continued within ninety (90) days by all remaining general partners or all remaining partners of such partnership), Limited Partners holding at least a majority of the Limited Partnership interests, within ninety (90) days after such occurrence, may elect to continue the business of the Partnership by selecting, subject to Section 9.2 and any other applicable provisions of this Agreement, a Substitute General Partner by majority consent of the Limited Partners. If the Limited Partners elect to continue the Partnership and admit a Substitute General Partner, the relationship between the Partners and any Person who has acquired an interest of a Partner in the Partnership shall continue to be governed by this Agreement.

 

Section 9.4            Removal of a General Partner.  (a) Upon the occurrence of an Event of Bankruptcy as to, or the dissolution of, a General Partner, such General Partner shall be deemed to be removed automatically; provided, however, that if a General Partner is on the date of such occurrence a partnership, the withdrawal, death, dissolution, Event of Bankruptcy as to or removal of a general partner or the last remaining limited partner in such partnership shall be deemed not to be a dissolution of the General Partner if the business of such General Partner is continued within ninety (90) days by the remaining general partners or all remaining members of such Partnership.

 

(b)   If a General Partner has been removed pursuant to Section 9.4(a) and the Partnership is not continued pursuant to Section 9.3(b), the Partnership shall be dissolved.

 

(c)   A General Partner may not be removed by the Limited Partners with or without cause.

 

Section 9.5            Restrictions on Transfer of Limited Partnership Interests.  (a) Except as otherwise provided in this Article IX, no Limited Partner may offer, sell, assign, hypothecate, pledge or otherwise transfer its Limited Partnership Interest, in whole or in part, whether voluntarily or by operation of law or at judicial sale or otherwise (collectively, a “Transfer”), without the written consent of the General Partner, which consent may be withheld

 

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in the sole and absolute discretion of the General Partner. The General Partner may require, as a condition of any Transfer, that the transferor assume all costs incurred by the Partnership in connection therewith. The General Partner consents to the following Transfers of Common Partnership Units on the First Amendment Date:   (i) by Ashford Hospitality Limited Partnership to its limited partners, (ii) by Ashford OP Limited Partner LLC to Ashford Hospitality Trust, Inc., (iii) by Ashford Hospitality Trust, Inc. to the Company and (iv) by the Company to Ashford Prime OP Limited Partner LLC.

 

(b)   No Limited Partner may effect a Transfer of its Limited Partnership Interest if, (i) in the opinion of legal counsel for the Partnership, such proposed Transfer would require the registration of the Limited Partnership Interest under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or would otherwise violate any applicable federal or state securities or “Blue Sky” law (including investment suitability standards) or (ii) the assignee is not an Accredited Investor within the meaning of Rule 501 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

(c)   No Transfer by a Limited Partner of its Partnership Units may be made to any Person if (i) in the opinion of legal counsel for the Partnership, the Transfer would result in the Partnership’s being treated as an association taxable as a corporation (other than a qualified REIT subsidiary within the meaning of Section 856(i) of the Code), (ii) such transfer is effectuated through an “established securities market” or a “secondary market” (or the substantial equivalent thereof) within the meaning of Section 7704 of the Code, (iii) the Transfer would create a risk that the Company would not be taxed as a REIT for federal income tax purposes or (iv) assuming the Partnership Units subject to the Transfer were redeemed for REIT Shares, the redemption would create a risk that the Company would not be taxed as a REIT for federal income tax purposes.

 

(d)   Subject to the other provisions of this Section 9, Section 9.5(a) shall not prevent any donative Transfer by an individual Limited Partner to his immediate family members or any trust in which the individual or his immediate family members own, collectively, one hundred percent (100%) of the beneficial interests, provided that the transferor assumes all costs of the Partnership in connection therewith and any such transferee shall not have the rights of a Substitute Limited Partner (unless and until admitted as a Substitute Limited Partner pursuant to this Section 9.5 and Section 9.6 of this Agreement).

 

(e)   Any Transfer in contravention of any of the provisions of this Article IX shall be void and ineffectual and shall not be binding upon, or recognized by, the Partnership.

 

Except as required by operation of law Transfers of Partnership Interests and Partnership Units shall be made on the books of the Partnership, and in the case of certificated Partnership Interests and Partnership Units, only by the person named in the certificate or by such person’s attorney lawfully constituted in writing and upon the surrender of the certificate therefor, properly endorsed; or, in the case of uncertificated Partnership Interests and Partnership Units, upon receipt of proper transfer instructions from the registered holder of the Partnership Interests and Partnership Units and upon compliance with the other provisions of this Article IX.

 

Section 9.6            Admission of Substitute Limited Partner. (a) Subject to the other provisions of this Article IX (including, without limitation, the provisions of Section 9.5(a)

 

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regarding consent of the General Partner), an assignee of the Limited Partnership Interest of a Limited Partner (including, without limitation, any purchaser, transferee, donee, or other recipient of any disposition of such Limited Partnership Interest) shall be deemed admitted as a Limited Partner of the Partnership only upon the satisfactory completion of the following:

 

(i)    the assignee has obtained the prior written consent of the General Partner as to its admission as a Substitute Limited Partner, which consent may be given or denied in the exercise of the General Partner’s sole and absolute discretion; provided, however, that this Section 9.6(a)(i) shall not apply in the case of assignee resulting from a Transfer by a Limited Partner that was a partner as of the First Amendment Date to any of its partners;

 

(ii)   the assignee shall have accepted and agreed to be bound by the terms and provisions of this Agreement by executing a counterpart or an amendment thereof, including a revised Exhibit A, and such other documents or instruments as the General Partner may require in order to effect the admission of such Person as a Limited Partner;

 

(iii)  to the extent required, an amended certificate of limited partnership evidencing the admission of such Person as a Limited Partner shall have been signed, acknowledged and filed for record in accordance with the Act;

 

(iv)  the assignee shall have delivered a letter containing the representation and warranty set forth in Section 9.12 and the agreement set forth in Section 9.12;

 

(v)   if the assignee is a corporation, partnership or trust, the assignee shall have provided the General Partner with evidence satisfactory to counsel for the Partnership of the assignee’s authority to become a Limited Partner under the terms and provisions of this Agreement;

 

(vi)  the assignee shall have executed a power of attorney containing the terms and provisions set forth in Article XII; and

 

(vii) the assignee shall have paid all reasonable legal fees of the Partnership and the General Partner and all filing and publication costs incurred in connection with its substitution as a Limited Partner.

 

(b)   Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 9.6(a), any assignee of Ashford Hospitality Limited Partnership on the First Amendment Date shall be admitted to the Partnership as a Limited Partner and be bound by the terms of this Agreement pursuant to Act § 17-101-(12)a.(ii) without any written execution by such assignee if such assignee does not object to such admittance in writing to the General Partner within thirty (30) days of being notified by the General Partner of such assignment and upon such objection shall continue to be an assignee for purposes of this Agreement and the Act.

 

(c)   For the purpose of allocating profits and losses and distributing cash received by the Partnership, a Substitute Limited Partner shall be treated as having become, and appearing in the records of the Partnership as, a Partner upon the filing of the certificate described in Section 9.6(a)(iii) or, if no such filing is required, the later of the date specified in the transfer

 

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documents, or the date on which the General Partner has received all necessary instruments of transfer and substitution.

 

(d)   The General Partner shall as promptly as practicable take all action required to effectuate the admission of the Person seeking to become a Substitute Limited Partner, including preparing the documentation required by this Section 9.6 and making all official filings and publications.

 

Section 9.7            Rights of Assignees of Partnership Interests. (a) Subject to the provisions of Sections 9.5 and 9.6 hereof, except as required by operation of law, the Partnership shall not be obligated for any purposes whatsoever to recognize the assignment by any Limited Partner of his Partnership Interest until the Partnership has received notice thereof. If the General Partner, in its sole and absolute discretion, does not consent (subject to the proviso in Section 9.6(a)(i)) to the admission of any transferee of any Partnership Interest as a Substitute Limited Partner in connection with a Transfer permitted by Section 9.5, such transferee shall be considered an assignee for the purposes of this Agreement. An assignee shall be entitled to all the rights of an assignee of a partnership interest under the Act, including the right to receive distributions attributable to the Partnership Units assigned, but such assignee shall not be entitled to effect a consent or vote on any matter presented to the Limited Partners for approval or, except as waived by the General Partner, effect a Redemption Right with respect to such Partnership Units (such right to consent or vote or effect a Redemption Right, to the extent provided in this Agreement or under the Act, fully remaining with the transferor Limited Partner).

 

(b)   Any Person who is the assignee of all or any portion of a Limited Partner’s Limited Partnership Interest, but does not become a Substitute Limited Partner and desires to make a further assignment of such Limited Partnership Interest, shall be subject to all of the provisions of this Article IX to the same extent and in the same manner as any Limited Partner desiring to make an assignment of its Limited Partnership Interest.

 

Section 9.8            Effect of Bankruptcy, Death, Incompetence or Termination of a Limited Partner. The occurrence of an Event of Bankruptcy as to a Limited Partner, the death of a Limited Partner or a final adjudication that a Limited Partner is incompetent (which term shall include, but not be limited to, insanity) shall not cause the termination or dissolution of the Partnership, and the business of the Partnership shall continue. If an order for relief in a bankruptcy proceeding is entered against an individual Limited Partner, the trustee or receiver of his estate or, if he dies, his executor, administrator or trustee, or, if he is finally adjudicated incompetent, his committee, guardian or conservator, shall have the rights of such Limited Partner for the purpose of settling or managing his estate property and such power as the bankrupt, deceased or incompetent Limited Partner possessed to assign all or any part of his Partnership Interest and to join with the assignee in satisfying conditions precedent to the admission of the assignee as a Substitute Limited Partner.

 

Section 9.9            Joint Ownership of Interests. A Partnership Interest may be acquired by two (2) individuals as joint tenants with right of survivorship (but not as tenants in common), provided that such individuals either are married or are related and share the same home as tenants in common. The written consent or vote of both owners of any such jointly held Partnership Interest shall be required to constitute the action of the owners of such Partnership

 

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Interest; provided, however, that the written consent of only one (1) joint owner will be required if the Partnership has been provided with evidence satisfactory to counsel for the Partnership that the actions of a single joint owner can bind both owners under the applicable laws of the state of residence of such joint owners. Upon the death of one (1) owner of a Partnership Interest held in a joint tenancy with a right of survivorship, the Partnership Interest shall become owned solely by the survivor as a Limited Partner and not as an assignee. The Partnership need not recognize the death of one (1) of the owners of a jointly held Partnership Interest until it shall have received notice of such death. Upon notice to the General Partner from either owner that the tenancy satisfying the first sentence of this Section 9.9 has been destroyed, the General Partner shall cause the Partnership Interest to be divided into two (2) equal Partnership Interests, which shall thereafter be owned separately by each of the former owners.

 

Section 9.10          Transferees. Any Partnership Interests owned by the Partners and transferred pursuant to this Article IX shall be and remain subject to all of the provisions of this Agreement.

 

Section 9.11          Absolute Restriction. Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, unless waived in writing by the General Partner, the sale or exchange of any interest in the Partnership will not be permitted if the interest sought to be sold or exchanged, when added to the total of all other interests sold or exchanged within the period of twelve (12) consecutive months ending with the proposed date of the sale or exchange, would result in the termination of the Partnership under Section 708 of the Code, if such termination would materially and adversely affect the Partnership or any Partner.

 

Section 9.12          Investment Representation. Each Limited Partner hereby represents and warrants to the General Partner and to the Partnership that the acquisition of his Partnership Interest is made as a principal for his account for investment purposes only and not with a view to the resale or distribution of such Partnership Interest. Each Limited Partner agrees that he will not sell, assign or otherwise transfer his Partnership Interest or any fraction thereof, whether voluntarily or by operation of law or at judicial sale or otherwise, to any Person who does not similarly represent and warrant and similarly agree not to sell, assign or transfer such Partnership Interest or any fraction thereof to any Person who does not similarly represent, warrant and agree.

 

Section 9.13          Certificates. Partnership Interest and Partnership Unit ownership in the Partnership shall be maintained in the books and records of the Partnership, set forth on Exhibit A, as amended from time to time, and shall not be certificated, except that at the request of any Partner its Partnership Interest and Partnership Unit shall also be evidenced by a certificate in the form and substance of Exhibit F hereto with such legends, notations and endorsements, if any, as determined by the General Partner in its sole discretion. Any certificates issued representing Partnership Interests and Partnership Units shall be issued in consecutive order, shall be identified by the class of the Partnership Interest and shall be numbered in the order of their issue and shall be signed by, or in the name of, the Partnership by or on behalf of the General Partner. The General Partner shall note on Exhibit A as to any Partnership Interests and Partnership Units evidenced by a certificate the certificate number thereof. If any certificate representing Partnership Interests and Partnership Units is subject to any loss, theft, destruction or mutilation, the Partnership may issue to the holder a new certificate or certificates for such

 

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Partnership Interests and Partnership Units, upon the surrender of the mutilated certificate or, in the case of loss, theft or destruction of the certificate, upon satisfactory proof of such loss, theft or destruction; provided that the General Partner may, in its discretion, require the owner of the lost, stolen or destroyed certificate, or such person’s legal representative, to give the Partnership a bond in such sum and with such surety or sureties as it may direct to indemnify the Partnership and the General Partner against any claim that may be made on account of the alleged loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of any such certificate or the issuance of such new certificate. Partnership Interests and Partnership Units shall be securities governed by (and for purposes of) Article 8 of the Uniform Commercial Code.

 

ARTICLE X

 

TERMINATION OF THE PARTNERSHIP

 

Section 10.1          Termination. The Partnership shall be dissolved upon (i) an Event of Bankruptcy as to the General Partner or the dissolution or withdrawal of the General Partner (unless within ninety (90) days thereafter Limited Partners holding a majority of the Limited Partnership Interests elect to continue the Partnership and to elect one or more persons to serve as the General Partner or General Partners of the Partnership in accordance with Section 9.2), (ii) ninety (90) days following the sale of all or substantially all of the Partnership’s assets (provided that if the Partnership receives an installment obligation as consideration for such sale or other disposition, the Partnership shall continue, unless sooner dissolved under the provisions of this Agreement, until such time as such obligation is paid in full), (iii) the expiration of the term specified in Section 3.2, (iv) the redemption of all Limited Partnership Interests (other than any of such interests held by the General Partner or Ashford Prime OP Limited Partner LLC), or (v) the election by the General Partner (but only in accordance with and as permitted by applicable law) that the Partnership should be dissolved. Upon dissolution of the Partnership (unless the business of the Partnership is continued as set forth above), the General Partner (or its trustee, receiver, successor or legal representative) shall proceed with the winding up of the Partnership, and its assets shall be applied and distributed as herein provided.

 

Section 10.2          Payment of Debts. Upon a winding up of the Partnership, the assets shall first be applied to the satisfaction of the creditors of the Partnership (other than Partners who are creditors in light of any loans or advances that may have been made by Partners to the Partnership), including the expenses of liquidation, whether by payment or the making of reasonable provision for payment thereof. A reasonable time shall be allowed for the orderly liquidation of the assets of the Partnership and the satisfaction of liabilities to creditors so as to enable the General Partner to minimize any losses resulting from liquidation.

 

Section 10.3          Debts to Partners. After the application of Section 10.2 the remaining assets shall next be applied to the repayment of any loans made by any Partner to the Partnership.

 

Section 10.4          Remaining Distribution. (a) After the application of Section 10.3, the remaining assets shall then be distributed first, to the holders of the Preferred Partnership Units as provided in the exhibit hereto setting forth the terms of such Preferred Partnership Units, and second, to the holders of the Common Partnership Units in accordance with their positive

 

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Capital Account balances, determined after taking into account all Capital Account adjustments for all prior periods and the Partnership taxable year during which the liquidation occurs.

 

(b)   If the Partnership is liquidated within the meaning of Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(g), distributions shall be made pursuant to Section 10.4(a) in compliance with Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(b)(2) of the Treasury Regulations, except as provided in Section 10.4(c).  In the discretion of the General Partner, a pro rata portion of the distributions that would otherwise be made to the Partners pursuant to Section 10.4(a) may be:

 

(i)    distributed to a trust established for the benefit of the Partners for the purposes of liquidating Partnership assets, collecting amounts owed to the Partnership, and paying any contingent or unforeseen liabilities or obligations of the Partnership or the Partners arising out of or in connection with the Partnership. The assets of any such trust shall be distributed to the Partners from time to time, in the reasonable discretion of the General Partner, in the same proportions as the amount distributed to such trust by the Partnership would otherwise have been distributed to the Partners pursuant to Section 10.4(a); or

 

(ii)   in furtherance of satisfaction of the Partnership’s creditors, pursuant to Section 10.2, withheld to provide a reasonable reserve for Partnership liabilities (contingent or otherwise) and to reflect the unrealized portion of any installment obligations owed to the Partnership, provided that such withheld amounts shall be distributed to the Partners pursuant to Section 10.4 as soon as practicable.

 

(c)   Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Article X, if the Partnership is liquidated within the meaning of Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(g) of the Treasury Regulations but no event resulting in the termination of the Partnership pursuant to Section 10.1 has occurred, the Property shall not be liquidated, the Partnership’s liabilities shall not be paid or discharged, and the Partnership’s affairs shall not be wound up. Instead, solely for federal income tax purposes, the Partnership shall be deemed to have contributed all its Property and liabilities to a new partnership in exchange for an interest in such new partnership and, immediately thereafter, the Partnership will be deemed to liquidate by distributing interests in the new partnership to the Partners.

 

Section 10.5          Reserve. Notwithstanding the provisions of Sections 10.3 and 10.4, the General Partner may retain such amount as it deems necessary as a reserve for any contingent liabilities or obligations of the Partnership in furtherance of satisfaction of the Partnership’s creditors, pursuant to Section 10.2, which reserve, after the passage of a reasonable period of time, shall be distributed pursuant to the provisions of this Article X.

 

Section 10.6          Final Accounting. Each of the Partners shall be furnished with a statement examined by the Partnership’s independent accountants, which shall set forth the assets and liabilities of the Partnership as of the date of the complete liquidation. Upon the compliance by the General Partner with the foregoing distribution plan, the Limited Partners shall cease to be such, and the General Partner, as the sole remaining Partner of the Partnership, shall execute and cause to be filed a certificate of cancellation of the Certificate of Limited Partnership and any and all other documents necessary with respect to termination and cancellation of the Partnership.

 

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ARTICLE XI

 

AMENDMENTS

 

Section 11.1          Authority to Amend. (a) This Agreement may be amended by the General Partner without the approval of any other Partner if such amendment (i) is solely for the purpose of clarification or is of an inconsequential nature and (ii) does not change the substance hereof and the Partnership has obtained an opinion of counsel to that effect.

 

(b)   This Agreement may be amended by the General Partner without the approval of any other Partner if such amendment is to reflect the admission, substitution or withdrawal of Limited Partners; to create, issue or reflect the creation or issuance of additional Partnership Interests or to amend the calculation of the Cash Amount and the Conversion Factor pursuant to a transaction described in Section 9.1(c).  For avoidance of doubt, the General Partner may amend Exhibit A without the approval of any Limited Partner as provided in Section 6.1(v).

 

(c)   This Agreement may be amended by the General Partner without the approval of any other Partner if such amendment is, in the opinion of counsel for the Partnership, necessary or appropriate to satisfy requirements of the Code with respect to partnerships or REITs or of any federal or state securities laws or regulations. Any amendment made pursuant to this Section 11.1(c) may be made effective as of the date of this Agreement.

 

(d)   Notwithstanding any contrary provision of this Agreement, any amendment to this Agreement or other act which would (i) adversely affect the limited liabilities of the Limited Partners, (ii) impose on the existing Limited Partners any obligation to make additional Capital Contributions to the Partnership, (iii) except as provided in Section 11.1(b), change the method of allocation of profit and loss as provided in Article V or the distribution provisions of Articles VIII and X hereof, (iv) seek to impose personal liability on a Limited Partner without that Limited Partner’s consent, or (v) affect the operation of the Conversion Factor of the Redemption Right shall require the consent and approval of Limited Partners holding more than sixty-six and two-thirds percent (66 2/3%) of the Common Percentage Interests of the Limited Partners.

 

(e)   Except as otherwise specifically provided in this Section 11.1, amendments to this Agreement shall require the approval of the General Partner and Limited Partners holding more than fifty percent (50%) of the Common Percentage Interests of the Limited Partners.

 

Section 11.2          Notice of Amendments. A copy of any amendment to be approved by the Partners pursuant to Sections 11.1(d) or 11.1(e) shall be mailed in advance to such Partners. Partners shall be notified as to the substance of any amendment pursuant to Sections 11.1(a), (b) or (c), and upon request shall be furnished a copy thereof.

 

Section 11.3          IMPLEMENTATION OF AMENDMENT. Upon obtaining such approvals required by this Agreement and without any further action or execution by any other Person, including any Limited Partner, (i) any amendment, restatement, modification or waiver of this Agreement may be implemented and reflected in a writing executed solely by the General Partner, and (ii) each of the Partners and any other party to or bound by this Agreement shall be

 

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deemed a party to and bound by such amendment, restatement, modification or waiver of this Agreement.

 

ARTICLE XII

 

POWER OF ATTORNEY

 

Section 12.1          Power. Each of the Limited Partners irrevocably constitutes and appoints the General Partner as such Limited Partner’s true and lawful attorney in such Limited Partner’s name, place and stead to make, execute, swear to, acknowledge, deliver and file:

 

(a)   Any certificates or other instruments which may be required to be filed by the Partnership under the laws of the State of Delaware or of any other state or jurisdiction in which the General Partner shall deem it advisable to file;

 

(b)   Any documents, certificates or other instruments, including, but not limited to, (i) any and all amendments and modifications of this Agreement or of the instruments described in Section 12.1(a) which may be required or deemed desirable by the General Partner to effectuate the provisions of any part of this Agreement, (ii) all instruments relating to the admission, withdrawal, removal or substitution of any Partner, and (iii) by way of extension and not limitation, to do all such other things as shall be necessary to continue and to carry on the business of the Partnership; and

 

(c)   All documents, certificates or other instruments that may be required to effectuate the dissolution, winding up and termination of the Partnership, to the extent such dissolution, winding up and termination is authorized hereby. The power of attorney granted hereby shall not constitute a waiver of, or be used to avoid, the rights of the Partners to approve certain amendments to this Agreement pursuant to Sections 11.1(d) and 11.1(e) or be used in any other manner inconsistent with the status of the Partnership as a limited partnership or inconsistent with the provisions of this Agreement. Each such Limited Partner hereby agrees to be bound by any representation made by the General Partner, acting in good faith pursuant to such power of attorney; and each such Limited Partner hereby waives any and all defenses which may be available to contest, negate or disaffirm the action of the General Partner taken in good faith under such power of attorney.

 

Section 12.2          Survival of Power. It is expressly intended by each of the Partners that the foregoing power of attorney is coupled with an interest, is irrevocable and shall survive the death, incompetence, dissolution, liquidation or adjudication of insanity or bankruptcy or insolvency of each such Partner. The foregoing power of attorney shall survive the delivery of an assignment by any of the Partners of such Partner’s entire interest in the Partnership, except that where an assignee of such entire interest has become a substitute Limited Partner, then the foregoing power of attorney of the assignor Partner shall survive the delivery of such assignment for the sole purpose of enabling the General Partner to execute, acknowledge and file any and all instruments necessary to effectuate such substitution.

 

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ARTICLE XIII

 

CONSENTS, APPROVALS, VOTING AND MEETINGS

 

Section 13.1          Method of Giving Consent or Approval. Any consent or approval required by this Agreement may be given as follows:

 

(a)   by a written consent given by the consenting Partner and received by the General Partner at or prior to the doing of the act or thing for which the consent is solicited, provided that such consent shall not have been nullified by:

 

(i)    Notice to the General Partner of such nullification by the consenting Partner prior to the doing of any act or thing, the doing of which is not subject to approval at a meeting called pursuant to Section 13.2, or

 

(ii)   Notice to the General Partner of such nullification by the consenting Partner prior to the time of any meeting called pursuant to Section 13.2 to consider the doing of such act or thing, or

 

(iii)  The negative vote by such consenting Partner at any meeting called pursuant to Section 13.2 to consider the doing of such act or thing;

 

(b)   by the affirmative vote by the consenting Partner for the doing of the act or thing for which the consent is solicited at any meeting called pursuant to Section 13.2 to consider the doing of such act or thing; or

 

(c)   by the failure of the Partner to respond or object to a request from the General Partner for such Partner’s consent within thirty (30) days from its receipt of such request (or such shorter period of time as the General Partner may indicate in such request in order to ensure that the General Partner has sufficient time to respond, if required, to any third party with respect to the subject matter of such request).

 

Section 13.2          Meetings of Limited Partners. Any matter requiring the consent or vote of all or any of the Partners may be considered at a meeting of the Partners held not less than five (5) nor more than sixty (60) days after notice thereof shall have been given by the General Partner to all Partners. Such notice (i) may be given by the General Partner, in its discretion, at any time, or (ii) shall be given by the General Partner within fifteen (15) days after receipt from Limited Partners holding more than fifty percent (50%) of the Common Percentage Interests of the Limited Partners of a request for such meeting.

 

Section 13.3          Opinion. Except for Consents obtained pursuant to Sections 13.1 or 13.2, no Limited Partner shall exercise any consent or voting rights unless either (a) at the time of the giving of consent or casting of any vote by the Partners hereunder, counsel for the Partnership or counsel employed by the Limited Partners shall have delivered to the Partnership an opinion satisfactory to the Partners to the effect that such conduct (i) is permitted by the Act, (ii) will not impose personal liability on a Limited Partner without that Limited Partner’s consent, and (iii) will not adversely affect the classification of the Partnership as a partnership for federal income tax purposes, or (b) irrespective of the delivery or non-delivery of such opinion of

 

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counsel, Limited Partners holding more than seventy-five percent (75%) of the Common Percentage Interests of the Limited Partners determine to exercise their consent or voting rights.

 

Section 13.4          Submissions to Partners. The General Partner shall give the Partners notice of any proposal or other matter required by any provision of this Agreement, or by law, to be submitted for consideration and approval of the Partners. Such notice shall include any information required by the relevant provision or by law.

 

ARTICLE XIV

 

MISCELLANEOUS

 

Section 14.1          Governing Law. The Partnership and this Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware.

 

Section 14.2          Agreement For Further Execution. At any time or times upon the request of the General Partner, the Limited Partners hereby agree to sign, swear to, acknowledge and deliver all further documents and certificates required by the laws of Delaware, or any other jurisdiction in which the Partnership does, or proposes to do, business, or which may be reasonable, necessary, appropriate or desirable to carry out the provisions of this Agreement or the Act. This Section 14.2 shall not prejudice or affect the rights of the Limited Partners to approve certain amendments to this Agreement pursuant to Sections 11.1(d) and 11.1(e).

 

Section 14.3          Entire Agreement. This Agreement and the Exhibits attached hereto contain the entire understanding among the parties and supersede any prior understandings or agreements among them respecting the within subject matter. There are no representations, agreements, arrangements or understandings, oral or written, between or among the parties hereto relating to the subject matter of this Agreement which are not fully expressed in this Agreement; provided that an LTIP Unit may be subject to a Vesting Agreement.

 

Section 14.4          Severability. This Agreement is intended to be performed in accordance with, and only to the extent permitted by, all applicable laws, ordinances, rules and regulations of the jurisdictions in which the Partnership does business. If any provision of this Agreement, or the application thereof to any person or circumstance, shall, for any reason and to any extent, be invalid or unenforceable, the remainder of this Agreement and the application of such provision to other persons or circumstances shall not be affected thereby, but rather shall be enforced to the greatest extent permitted by law.

 

Section 14.5          Notices. Notices to Partners or to the Partnership shall be deemed to have been given when personally delivered or mailed, by prepaid registered or certified mail, addressed as set forth in Exhibit A attached hereto, unless a notice of change of address has previously been given in writing by the addressee to the addressor, in which case such notice shall be addressed to the address set forth in such notice of change of address.

 

Section 14.6          Titles and Captions. All titles and captions are for convenience only, do not form a substantive part of this Agreement, and shall not restrict or enlarge any substantive provisions of this Agreement.

 

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Section 14.7          Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in multiple counterparts, each one of which shall constitute an original executed copy of this Agreement.

 

Section 14.8          Pronouns.  All pronouns and any variations thereof shall be deemed to refer to the masculine, feminine, neuter, singular or plural, as the identity of the person or persons may require.  Any reference to the Code or other statutes or laws include all amendments, modifications or replacements of the specific sections and provisions concerned. Unless otherwise specified, all references to “Section”, “Article” or “Exhibit” contained in this Agreement refer to sections, articles or exhibits of this Agreement. Unless the context of this Agreement clearly requires otherwise, the use of the word “including” is not limiting and the use of the word “or” has the inclusive meaning of both “or” and “and.”

 

Section 14.9          Survival of Rights. Subject to the provisions hereof limiting transfers, this Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the Partners and the Partnership and their respective legal representatives, successors, transferees and assigns.

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have hereunto set their hands as of the day and year first above written.

 

	
GENERAL PARTNER:
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Ashford   Prime OP General Partner LLC, 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
a   Delaware limited liability company
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
By:
    	
/s/   David A. Brooks
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
David A. Brooks, Vice   President
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
LIMITED PARTNER:
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Ashford   Prime OP Limited Partner LLC, 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
a   Delaware limited liability company
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
as   a Limited Partner of Ashford Hospitality Prime Limited Partnership
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
By:
    	
/s/   David A. Brooks
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
David A. Brooks, Vice   President
    	
 
    	
 
    

 

 

The undersigned has executed this Agreement not as a Partner of the Partnership but to agree to the provisions of this Agreement imposing obligations on, and granting rights to, the Company.

 

 

	
ASHFORD HOSPITALITY PRIME, INC.
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
By:
    	
/s/   David A. Brooks
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
David A. Brooks, Chief   Operating Officer and General Counsel
    	
 
    	
 
    
					

 

 

EXHIBIT A

 

LIST OF PARTNERS AND CONTRIBUTED ASSETS 
 Ashford Hospitality Prime 
 as of February 1, 2016

 

Exh. A-1

 

EXHIBIT B

 

FEDERAL INCOME TAX MATTERS

 

For purposes of interpreting and implementing Article V of the Partnership Agreement, the following rules shall apply and shall be treated as part of the terms of the Partnership Agreement:

 

A. SPECIAL ALLOCATION PROVISIONS.

 

1.     To the extent an adjustment to the adjusted tax basis of any Partnership asset pursuant to Code Section 734(b) or Section 743(b) is required pursuant to Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(m)(2) or Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(m)(4) of the Treasury Regulations to be taken into account in determining Capital Accounts as the result of a distribution to a Partner in complete liquidation of its Partnership Interest, the amount of such adjustment to the Capital Accounts shall be treated as an item of gain (if the adjustment increases the basis of the asset) or loss (if the adjustment decreases such basis) and such gain or loss shall be specially allocated to the Partners in accordance with their interests in the Partnership if Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(m)(2) of the Treasury Regulations applies, or to the Partnership to whom such distribution was made if Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(m)(4) of the Treasury Regulations applies.

 

2.     If a Partner transfers any part or all of its Partnership Interest or if Common Percentage Interests or Preferred Percentage Interests vary during a taxable year of the Partnership, the General Partner, in its sole and absolute discretion, shall determine which method authorized under the Code (including Section 706 of the Code) and the Treasury Regulations shall be used to allocate the distributive shares.

 

3.     To the extent required by law, income, gain, loss and deduction attributable to property contributed to the Partnership by a Partner shall be shared among the Partners so as to take into account any variation between the basis of the property and the fair market value of the property at the time of contribution in accordance with the requirements of Section 704(c) of the Code and the applicable Treasury Regulations thereunder as more fully described in Part B hereof. Treasury Regulations under Section 704(c) of the Code allow partnerships to use any reasonable method for accounting for Book-Tax Differences for contributions of property so that a contributing partner receives the tax benefits and burdens of any built-in gain or loss associated with Contributed Property. The Partnership shall account for Book-Tax Differences using a method specifically approved in the Treasury Regulations, such as the traditional method. An allocation of remaining built-in gain under Section 704(c) will be made when Section 704(c) property is sold.

 

4.     If the Partnership is entitled to a deduction for interest imputed under any provision of the Code on any loan or advance from a Partner (whether such interest is currently deducted, capitalized or amortized), such deduction shall be allocated solely to such Partner.

 

5.     To the extent any payments in the nature of fees made to a Partner or reimbursements of expenses to any Partner are finally determined by the Internal Revenue

 

Exh. B-1

 

Service to be distributions to a Partner for federal income tax purposes, there will be a gross income allocation to such Partner in the amount of such distribution.

 

6.     (a) Notwithstanding any provision of the Partnership Agreement to the contrary and subject to the exceptions set forth in Section 1.704-2(f)(2)-(5) of the Treasury Regulations, if there is a net decrease in Partnership Minimum Gain during any Partnership fiscal year, each Partner shall be specially allocated items of Partnership income and gain for such year (and, if necessary, subsequent years) in an amount equal to such Partner’s share of the net decrease in Partnership Minimum Gain determined in accordance with Section 1.704-2(g)(2) of the Treasury Regulations. Allocations pursuant to the previous sentence shall be made in proportion to the respective amounts required to be allocated to each Partner pursuant thereto. The items to be so allocated shall be determined in accordance with Section 1.704-2(f) of the Treasury Regulations. This paragraph 6(a) is intended to comply with the minimum gain chargeback requirement in such Section of the Treasury Regulations and shall be interpreted consistently therewith. To the extent permitted by such Section of the Treasury Regulations and for purposes of this paragraph 6(a) only, each Partner’s Adjusted Capital Account Balance shall be determined prior to any other allocations pursuant to Article V of the Partnership Agreement with respect to such fiscal year and without regard to any net decrease in Partner Minimum Gain during such fiscal year.

 

(b) Notwithstanding any provision of the Partnership Agreement to the contrary, except paragraph 6(a) of this Exhibit B and subject to the exceptions set forth in Section 1.704-2(i)(4) of the Treasury Regulations, if there is a net decrease in Partner Nonrecourse Debt Minimum Gain during any Partnership fiscal year, each Partner who has a share of the Partner Nonrecourse Debt Minimum Gain, determined in accordance with Section 1.704-2(i)(3) of the Treasury Regulations, shall be specially allocated items of Partnership income and gain for such year (and, if necessary, subsequent years) in an amount equal to such Partner’s share of the net decrease in Partner Nonrecourse Debt Minimum Gain, determined in accordance with Section 1.704-2(i)(5) of the Treasury Regulations. Allocations pursuant to the previous sentence shall be made in proportion to the respective amounts required to be allocated to each Partner pursuant thereto. The items to be so allocated shall be determined in accordance with Section 1.704-2(i)(4) of the Treasury Regulations. This paragraph 6(b) is intended to comply with the minimum gain chargeback requirement in such Section of the Treasury Regulations and shall be interpreted consistently therewith. Solely for purposes of this paragraph 6(b), each Partner’s Adjusted Capital Account Balance shall be determined prior to any other allocations pursuant to Article V of the Partnership Agreement with respect to such fiscal year, other than allocations pursuant to paragraph 6(a) hereof.

 

7.     If any Partners unexpectedly receive any adjustments, allocations or distributions described in Treasury Regulation Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(d)(4), 1.704-(b) (2)(ii)(d)(5) or 1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(d)(6), items of Partnership income and gain shall be specially allocated to such Partners in an amount and manner sufficient to eliminate the deficits in their Adjusted Capital Account Balances created by such adjustments, allocations or distributions as quickly as possible, provided that an allocation pursuant to this paragraph 7 shall be made only if and to the extent that the Partner would have a deficit balance in its Adjusted Capital Account Balance after all other allocations provided for Article V of the Partnership

 

Exh. B-2

 

Agreement and this Exhibit B have been tentatively made as if this paragraph 7 were not in this Exhibit B.

 

8.     No loss shall be allocated to any Partner to the extent that such allocation would result in a deficit in its Adjusted Capital Account Balance while any other Partner continues to have a positive Adjusted Capital Account Balance; in such event, losses shall first be allocated to any Partners with positive Adjusted Capital Account Balances, and in proportion to such balances, to the extent necessary to reduce their positive Adjusted Capital Account Balances to zero. Any excess shall be allocated to the General Partner.

 

9.     If any Partner has a deficit balance in its Adjusted Capital Account Balance at the end of any fiscal year or other period, such Partner shall be specially allocated items of Partnership gross income and gain in the amount of such excess as quickly as possible; provided, however, that an allocation pursuant to this paragraph 9 shall be made only if and to the extent that such Partner would have a deficit balance in its Adjusted Capital Account Balance after all other allocations provided in this Part A have been tentatively made as if paragraph 7 and this paragraph 9 were not in this Exhibit B.

 

10.  Any special allocations of items pursuant to this Part A shall be taken into account in computing subsequent allocations so that the net amount of any items so allocated and the profits, losses and all other items allocated to each such Partner pursuant to Article V of the Partnership Agreement shall, to the extent possible, be equal to the net amount that would have been allocated to each such Partner pursuant to the provisions of Article V of the Partnership Agreement if such special allocations had not occurred.

 

11.  Nonrecourse Deductions for any fiscal year or other period shall be specially allocated to the Partners in the manner set forth in Section 5.1(b)(iii) of the Partnership Agreement.

 

12.  Any Partner Nonrecourse Deduction for any fiscal year or other period shall be specially allocated to the Partner who bears the economic risk of loss with respect to the Partner Nonrecourse Debt to which such Partner Nonrecourse Deductions are attributable in accordance with Section 1.704-2(i) of the Treasury Regulations. If more than one Partner bears the economic risk of loss (in accordance with Section 1.704-2(i) of the Treasury Regulations) with respect to a Partner Nonrecourse Debt, Partner Nonrecourse Deductions attributable thereto shall be allocated between or among such Partners in accordance with the ratios in which they share such economic risk of loss.

 

13.  Notwithstanding any provision in Article V of the Partnership Agreement or this Exhibit B to the contrary, if the Partnership disposes of all or substantially all of its assets in a transaction that will lead to a liquidation of the Partnership pursuant to Article X, then any profits or losses realized in connection with such transaction and thereafter (and, if necessary, constituent items of income, gain, loss and deduction) shall be specially allocated for such taxable year of the Partnership (and to the extent permitted by Section 761(c) of the Code, for the immediately preceding taxable year of the Partnership) among the Partners as required so as to cause liquidating distributions pursuant to Section 10.4(a) of the Partnership Agreement to be

 

Exh. B-3

 

made in the same amounts and proportions as would have resulted had such distributions instead been made pursuant to Article VIII of the Partnership Agreement.

 

B. CAPITAL ACCOUNT ADJUSTMENTS AND TAX ALLOCATIONS.

 

1.     For purposes of computing the amount of any item of income, gain, deduction or loss to be reflected in the Partners’ Capital Accounts, the determination, recognition and classification of any such item shall be the same as its determination, recognition and classification for federal income tax purposes; provided, however, that:

 

(a)   Any income, gain or loss attributable to the taxable disposition of any property shall be determined by the Partnership as if the adjusted basis of such property as of such date of disposition was equal in amount to the Carrying Value.

 

(b)   The computation of all items of income, gain, loss and deduction shall be made by the Partnership and, as to those items described in Section 705(a)(1)(B) or Section 705(a)(2)(B) of the Code, without regard to the fact that such items are not includable in gross income or are neither currently deductible nor capitalizable for federal income tax purposes.

 

(c)   In lieu of the depreciation, amortization, and other cost recovery deductions taken into account in computing the Partnership’s taxable income or loss, there shall be taken into account Depreciation for a fiscal year or other period.

 

(d)   The Partnership shall be treated as owning directly its proportionate share (as determined by the General Partner based upon the provisions of the applicable partnership agreement of a Subsidiary of the Partnership) of all property owned by (i) a Subsidiary of the Partnership that is classified as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes and (ii) any other partnership, limited liability company, unincorporated business or other entity classified as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes of which the Partnership or a Subsidiary of the Partnership is, directly or indirectly, a partner, member or other equity holder.

 

2.     A transferee of a Partnership Interest will succeed to the Capital Account relating to the Partnership Interest transferred.

 

3.     Upon (i) an issuance of additional Partnership Interests in exchange for more than a de minimis capital contribution to the Partnership, (ii) an issuance of additional Partnership Interests (other than a de minimis interest) as consideration for the provision of services to or for the benefit of the Partnership by an existing Partner acting in a partner capacity or by a new Partner acting in a partner capacity or in anticipation of being a Partner, (iii) the distribution by the Partnership to a Partner of more than a de minimis amount of property as consideration for an interest in the Partnership, or (iv) the acquisition of an interest in the Partnership by any new or existing Member upon the exercise of a concompensatory option or upon the conversion of a Preferred Partnership Unit into a Common Partnership Unit in accordance with Treasury Regulations Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(s), the Capital Accounts of all Partners (and the Carrying Values of all Partnership properties) shall, immediately prior to such event, be adjusted (consistent with the provisions hereof) upward or downward to reflect any unrealized gain or unrealized loss attributable to each Partnership property (as if such unrealized gain or unrealized loss had been recognized upon an actual sale of such property at the fair

 

Exh. B-4

 

market value thereof, immediately prior to such issuance, and had been allocated to the Partners, at such time, pursuant to Article V of the Partnership Agreement). In determining such unrealized gain or unrealized loss attributable to the properties, the fair market value of Partnership properties shall be determined by the General Partner using such reasonable methods of valuation as it may adopt.  If any noncompensatory options are outstanding upon the occurrence of an event described in this paragraph (3)(i) through (3)(iv), General Partner shall adjust the Gross Asset Values of its properties in accordance with Treasury Regulations Sections 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(f)(1) and 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(h)(2).

 

4.     Immediately prior to the distribution of any Partnership property, the Capital Accounts of all Partners shall be adjusted (consistent with the provisions hereof and Section 704 of the Code) upward or downward to reflect any unrealized gain or unrealized loss attributable to the Partnership property distributed (as if such unrealized gain or unrealized loss had been recognized upon an actual sale of each such property, immediately prior to such distribution, and had been allocated to the Partners, at such time, pursuant to Article V of the Partnership Agreement). In determining such unrealized gain or unrealized loss attributable to property, the fair market value of Partnership property distributed shall be determined by the General Partner using such reasonable methods of valuation as it may adopt.

 

5.     In accordance with Section 704(c) of the Code and the Treasury Regulations thereunder, income, gain, loss and deduction with respect to any property shall, solely for tax purposes, and not for Capital Account purposes, be allocated among the Partners so as to take account of any variation between the adjusted basis of such property to the Partnership for federal income tax purposes and its Carrying Value. The General Partner shall make any elections or other decisions relating to such allocations.

 

6.     If the Carrying Value of any Partnership asset is adjusted as described in paragraph 3 above, subsequent allocations of income, gain, loss and deduction with respect to such asset shall take account of any variation between the adjusted basis of such asset for federal income tax purposes and its Carrying Value immediately after such adjustment in the same manner as under Section 704(c) of the Code and the Treasury Regulations thereunder.

 

7.     Any elections or other decisions relating to such allocations shall be made by the General Partner in any manner that reasonably reflects the purpose and intention of the Partnership Agreement and this Exhibit B.

 

C. DEFINITIONS. For the purposes of this Exhibit B, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

 

“ADJUSTED CAPITAL ACCOUNT BALANCE”:   means the balance in the Capital Account of a Partner as of the end of the relevant fiscal year of the Partnership, after giving effect to the following:   (i) credit to such Capital Account any amounts the Partner is obligated to restore, pursuant to the terms of the Partnership Agreement or otherwise, or is deemed obligated to restore pursuant to the penultimate sentences of Sections 1.704-2(g)(1) and 1.704-2(i)(5) of the Treasury Regulations, and (ii) debit to such capital account the items described in Sections 1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(d)(4), (5) and (6) of the Treasury Regulations.

 

Exh. B-5

 

“DEPRECIATION”:   means, for each fiscal year or other period, an amount equal to the depreciation, amortization or other cost recovery deduction allowable for federal income tax purposes with respect to property for such fiscal year or other period, except that (a) with respect to any property the Carrying Value of which differs from its adjusted tax basis for federal income tax purposes and which difference is being eliminated by use of the remedial allocation method pursuant to Section 1.704-3(d) of the Treasury Regulations, Depreciation for such fiscal year or other period shall be the amount of book basis recovered for such fiscal year or other period under the rules prescribed by Section 1.704-3(d)(2) of the Treasury Regulations, and (b) with respect to any other property the Carrying Value of which differs from its adjusted tax basis at the beginning of such fiscal year or other period, Depreciation shall be an amount which bears the same ratio to such beginning Carrying Value as the federal income tax depreciation, amortization or other cost recovery deduction for such fiscal year or other period bears to such beginning adjusted tax basis; provided, that if the adjusted tax basis of any property at the beginning of such fiscal year or other period is zero, Depreciation with respect to such property shall be determined with reference to such beginning value using any reasonable method selected by the General Partner.

 

“NONRECOURSE DEDUCTIONS”:   shall have the meaning set forth in Section 1.704-2(b)(1) of the Treasury Regulations. The amount of Nonrecourse Deductions for a Partnership fiscal year equals the excess, if any, of the net increase, if any, in the amount of Partnership Minimum Gain during that fiscal year over the aggregate amount of any distributions during that fiscal year of proceeds of a Nonrecourse Liability, that are allocable to an increase in Partnership Minimum Gain, determined according to the provisions of Section 1.704-2(c) of the Treasury Regulations.

 

“NONRECOURSE LIABILITY”:   shall have the meaning set forth in Section 1.704-2(b)(3) of the Treasury Regulations.

 

“PARTNER NONRECOURSE DEBT MINIMUM GAIN”:   means an amount, with respect to each Partner Nonrecourse Debt, determined in accordance with Section 1.704-2(i) of the Treasury Regulations.

 

“PARTNER NONRECOURSE DEBT”:   shall have the meaning set forth in Section 1.704-2(b)(4) of the Treasury Regulations.

 

“PARTNER NONRECOURSE DEDUCTIONS”:   shall have the meaning set forth in Section 1.704-2(i)(2) of the Treasury Regulations. For any Partnership taxable year, the amount of Partner Nonrecourse Deductions with respect to a Partner Nonrecourse Debt equal the net increase during the year, if any, in the amount of Partner Nonrecourse Debt Minimum Gain reduced (but not below zero) by proceeds of the liability that are both attributable to the liability and allocable to an increase in the Partner Nonrecourse Debt Minimum Gain.

 

“PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT”:   shall mean this Third Amended and Restated Limited Partnership Agreement of Ashford Hospitality Prime Limited Partnership, as amended.

 

Exh. B-6

 

“PARTNERSHIP MINIMUM GAIN”:   shall have the meaning set forth in Sections 1.704-2(b)(2) and 1.704-2(d) of the Treasury Regulations.

 

For purposes of this Exhibit B, all other capitalized terms will have the same definition as in the Partnership Agreement.

 

Exh. B-7

 

EXHIBIT C

 

NOTICE OF EXERCISE OF REDEMPTION RIGHT

 

The undersigned hereby irrevocably (i) presents for redemption on        (such date being at least five (5) Business Days after the date set forth below) Partnership Units (as defined in the Partnership Agreement defined below)         in Ashford Hospitality Prime Limited Partnership, in accordance with the terms of the Third Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Ashford Hospitality Prime Limited Partnership, as amended (the “Partnership Agreement”), and the Redemption Right (as defined in the Partnership Agreement) referred to therein, (ii) surrenders such Partnership Units and all right, title and interest therein, and (iii) directs that the Cash Amount or REIT Shares (both as defined in the Partnership Agreement) deliverable upon exercise of the Redemption Right be delivered to the address specified below, and if REIT Shares are to be delivered, such REIT Shares be registered or placed in the name(s) and at the addresses specified below.

 

	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Name of Limited   Partner:
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
(Signature of Limited   Partner)
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
(Street Address)
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
(City State Zip Code)
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
IF REIT Shares are to   be issued, issue to:
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
(Name)
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
(Social Security or   Identifying Number)
    	
 
    

 

Exh. C-1

 

EXHIBIT D

 

NOTICE OF ELECTION BY PARTNER TO CONVERT 
 LTIP UNITS INTO COMMON PARTNERSHIP UNITS

 

The undersigned LTIP Unitholder hereby irrevocably (i) elects to convert the number of LTIP Units in Ashford Hospitality Prime Limited Partnership (the “Partnership”) set forth below into Common Partnership Units in accordance with the terms of the Third Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of the Partnership, as amended; and (ii) directs that any cash in lieu of Common Partnership Units that may be deliverable upon such conversion be delivered to the address specified below. The undersigned hereby represents, warrants, and certifies that the undersigned (a) has title to such LTIP Units, free and clear of the rights or interests of any other person or entity other than the Partnership; (b) has the full right, power, and authority to cause the conversion of such LTIP Units as provided herein; and (c) has obtained the consent or approval of all persons or entities, if any, having the right to consent or approve such conversion.

 

	
Name of LTIP Unitholder:
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
(Please Print: Exact Name as Registered with Partnership)
    
	
 
    
	
Number of LTIP Units to be Converted:
    
	
 
    
	
Date to be Converted                      (such date being not less than 3 Business Days nor more than 10 Business   Days prior to the Date of this Notice set forth below)
    
	
 
    
	
Date of this Notice:
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
(Signature of Limited Partner: Sign Exact Name as Registered   with Partnership)
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
(Street Address)
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    
	
(City) (State) (Zip Code)
    	
 
    
						

 

Exh. D-1

 

EXHIBIT E

 

NOTICE OF ELECTION BY PARTNERSHIP TO FORCE CONVERSION 
 OF LTIP UNITS INTO COMMON PARTNERSHIP UNITS

 

Ashford Hospitality Prime Limited Partnership (the “Partnership”) hereby irrevocably elects to cause the number of LTIP Units held by the LTIP Unitholder set forth below to be converted into Common Partnership Units in accordance with the terms of the Third Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of the Partnership, as amended.

 

 

	
Name of LTIP Unitholder:
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
(Please Print: Exact Name as Registered with Partnership)
    
	
 
    
	
Number of LTIP Units to be Converted:
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    
	
Date of this Notice:
    	
 
    	
 
    
							

 

Exh. E-1

 

EXHIBIT F

 

FORM OF PARTNERSHIP INTEREST 
 AND PARTNERSHIP UNIT CERTIFICATE

 

THE LIMITED PARTNERSHIP INTERESTS (THE “INTERESTS”) REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “ACT”). SUCH INTERESTS MAY NOT BE SOLD, TRANSFERRED, ASSIGNED, PLEDGED, HYPOTHECATED OR OTHERWISE DISPOSED OF IN THE ABSENCE OF REGISTRATION OF SAID ACT AND THE RULES AND REGULATIONS THEREUNDER AND ALL APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES OR “BLUE SKY LAWS.”

 

THE INTERESTS REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE ARE SUBJECT TO CERTAIN TRANSFER AND OTHER RESTRICTIONS SET FORTH IN THE AGREEMENT OF LIMITED PARTNERSHIP OF THE PARTNERSHIP, A COPY OF WHICH MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE PARTNERSHIP AT ITS PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICE, AND MAY NOT BE SOLD, TRANSFERRED, ASSIGNED, PLEDGED, HYPOTHECATED OR OTHERWISE DISPOSED OR WITHOUT COMPLYING WITH THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SUCH AGREEMENT.

 

CERTIFICATE FOR 
 [CLASS] 
 UNITS(S) OF PARTNERSHIP INTEREST AND PARTNERSHIP UNITS 
 IN 
 ASHFORD HOSPITALITY PRIME LIMITED PARTNERSHIP

 

Class

 

No.      Unit(s)

 

This certifies that        is a [limited] [general] partner of Ashford Hospitality Prime Limited Partnership (the “Partnership”) whose Partnership Interest in the Partnership, as set forth in the Limited Partnership Agreement of the Partnership, as amended and restated from time to time (the “Partnership Agreement”) represents           Unit(s) of [Class] Partnership Interest and [Class] Partnership Units in the Partnership.

 

In witness whereof, the General Partner of the Partnership has caused this Certificate to be signed by its duly authorized officer this     day of         , 20   .

 

ASHFORD PRIME OP
 GENERAL PARTNER LLC

 

Exh. F-1

 

ASSIGNMENT

 

FOR VALUE RECEIVED the undersigned hereby sells, assigns and transfers unto

 

	
TIN
    	
 
    	
 
    	
(Please insert taxpayer   identification number of assignee)
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
(Please print or type name and   address, including postal zip 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
code, of assignee)
    
						

 

the within Certificate No.    , issued by Ashford Hospitality Prime Limited Partnership, and all rights thereunder, hereby irrevocably constituting and appointing

 

Attorney to transfer said Certificate on the books of Ashford Hospitality Prime Limited Partnership, with full power of substitution in the premises.

 

	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
(name of registered   holder)
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
By:
    	
 
    	
 
    	
(authorized signature)
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
(printed name &   title)
    

 

 

[NO SIGNATURE GUARANTEE REQUIRED]

 

Exh. F-2

 

EXHIBIT G

 

DESIGNATION OF TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SERIES B PREFERRED PARTNERSHIP UNITS

 

A.            Designation and Number.  A series of Preferred Partnership Units, designated as Series B Preferred Partnership Units, is hereby established.  The number of authorized Series B Preferred Partnership Units shall be 5,200,000.

 

B.            Rank.  The Series B Preferred Partnership Units, with respect to distribution rights and rights upon the liquidation, winding-up or dissolution of the Partnership, rank:  (i) senior to all classes or series of the Common Partnership Units and to all other equity securities issued by the Partnership other than equity securities referred to in clauses (ii) and (iii); (ii) junior to all equity securities whose terms specifically provide that those equity securities rank senior to the Series B Preferred Partnership Units with respect to rights to distributions or the distribution of the Partnership’s assets upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up; and (iii) on parity with all other equity securities issued by the Partnership whose terms provide that those equity securities rank on parity with the Series B Preferred Partnership Units with respect to rights to distributions or the distribution of the Partnership’s assets upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up.  The term “equity securities” does not include convertible debt securities, which will rank senior to the Series B Preferred Partnership Units.

 

C.            Maturity.  The Series B Preferred Partnership Units have no stated maturity and will not be subject to any sinking fund or mandatory redemption.  The Series B Preferred Partnership Units will remain outstanding indefinitely unless the Company redeems or otherwise repurchases the related shares of Series B REIT Preferred Stock.  The Partnership is not required to set aside funds to redeem the Series B Preferred Partnership Units.

 

D.            Distributions.

 

(i)            Holders of the Series B Preferred Partnership Units are entitled to receive, when, as and if authorized by the General Partner, out of funds legally available for the payment of distributions, cumulative cash distributions at the rate of 5.50% per annum on the $25.00 per Series B Preferred Partnership Unit liquidation preference (equivalent to $1.375 per annum per Series B Preferred Partnership Unit).  Distributions on the Series B Preferred Partnership Units shall be cumulative from the date of original issuance and shall be payable quarterly on the 15th day of each January, April, July, October (each, a “distribution date”), starting January 15, 2016; provided that if any distribution date is not a Business Day, then the distribution which would otherwise have been payable on that distribution date may be paid on the next succeeding Business Day, and no interest, additional distributions or other sums will accrue on the amount so payable for the period from and after that distribution date to that next succeeding Business Day.  Any distribution payable on the Series B Preferred Partnership Units, including distributions payable for any partial distribution period, will be computed on the basis of a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months.  Distributions will be payable to holders of record as they appear in the Partnership’s records for the Series B Preferred Partnership Units at the close of business on the applicable record date, which shall be, whether or not a Business Day,

 

Exh. G-1

 

the 30th calendar day of the month preceding the next applicable distribution date (each, a “Partnership Record Date”); provided that the Partnership Record Date for the first distribution date scheduled for January 15, 2016 shall be January 1, 2016.

 

(ii)           No distributions on Series B Preferred Partnership Units shall be authorized by the General Partner or paid or set apart for payment by the Partnership at any time when the authorization or payment thereof would be unlawful.

 

(iii)          Notwithstanding the foregoing, distributions on the Series B Preferred Partnership Units will accrue whether or not there are funds legally available for the payment of those distributions and whether or not those distributions are authorized by the General Partner.  No interest, or sum in lieu of interest, will be payable in respect of any distribution or payments on the Series B Preferred Partnership Units which may be in arrears, and holders of the Series B Preferred Partnership Units will not be entitled to any distributions in excess of full cumulative distributions described above.  Any distribution made on the Series B Preferred Partnership Units shall first be credited against the earliest accumulated, accrued but unpaid distribution due with respect to those Series B Preferred Partnership Units.

 

(iv)          When distributions are not paid in full (or a sum sufficient for such full payment is not so set apart) upon the Series B Preferred Partnership Units and any other series of Preferred Partnership Units that the Partnership may issue ranking on parity as to distributions with the Series B Preferred Partnership Units, all distributions authorized by the General Partner upon the Series B Preferred Partnership Units and any other series of Preferred Partnership Units ranking on parity that the Partnership may issue as to distributions with the Series B Preferred Partnership Units shall be authorized by the General Partner pro rata in proportion to the respective amounts of distributions accumulated, accrued and unpaid on the Series B Preferred Partnership Units and accumulated, accrued and unpaid on such parity Partnership Units.  Except as set forth in the preceding sentence, unless distributions on the Series B Preferred Partnership Units equal to the full amount of accumulated, accrued and unpaid distributions have been or contemporaneously are authorized by the General Partner and paid, or authorized by the General Partner and a sum sufficient for the payment thereof set apart for such payment for all past distribution periods, no distributions shall be authorized by the General Partner or paid or set aside for payment by the Partnership with respect to any class or series of parity Partnership Units.  Unless full cumulative distributions on the Series B Preferred Partnership Units have been paid or authorized by the General Partner and set apart for payment for all past distribution periods, no distributions (other than distributions paid in Partnership Units junior in rank to the Series B Preferred Partnership Units or options, warrants or rights to subscribe for or purchase such junior Partnership Units) shall be authorized by the General Partner or paid or set apart for payment by the Partnership with respect to any junior Partnership Units, nor shall any junior Partnership Units or parity Partnership Units be redeemed, purchased or otherwise acquired (except for purposes of an employee benefit plan) for any consideration, or any monies be paid to or made available for a sinking fund for the redemption of any junior Partnership Units or parity Partnership Units (except by conversion or exchange for junior Partnership Units, or options, warrants or rights to subscribe for or purchase junior Partnership Units), nor shall any other cash or property be paid or distributed to or for the benefit of holders of junior Partnership Units.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Partnership shall not be prohibited from (i) authorizing or paying or setting apart for payment any distribution on any parity or junior

 

Exh. G-2

 

Partnership Units or (ii) redeeming, purchasing or otherwise acquiring any parity or junior Partnership Units, in each case, if such authorization, payment, redemption, purchase or other acquisition is necessary to maintain the Company’s qualification as a REIT.

 

(v)           No interest shall be payable in respect of any distribution or payments on the Series B Preferred Partnership Units which may be in arrears.

 

(vi)          Whenever distributions on Series B Preferred Partnership Units are in arrears for six or more quarterly distribution periods, whether or not consecutive (a “Penalty Event”), the distribution rate shall be increased by 200 basis points per annum (equivalent to $1.875 per annum per Series B Preferred Partnership Unit) (as increased, the “Penalty Rate”).  This Penalty Rate shall remain in effect until all accumulated, accrued but unpaid distributions on the Series B Preferred Partnership Units have been paid in full, at which time the distribution rate shall revert to the rate of 5.50% of the $25.00 per Series B Preferred Partnership Unit stated liquidation preference per annum.

 

E.            Liquidation Preference.

 

(i)            In the event of the Partnership’s voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up, the holders of Series B Preferred Partnership Units will be entitled to be paid out of the assets the Partnership has legally available for distribution to the Partners, subject to the preferential rights of any class or series of the equity securities the Partnership may issue ranking senior to the Series B Preferred Partnership Units with respect to the distribution of assets upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up, a liquidation preference of $25.00 per Series B Preferred Partnership Unit, plus an amount equal to any accumulated, accrued and unpaid distributions to, but not including, the date of final distribution to such holders.  Until the holders of the Series B Preferred Partnership Units have been paid the liquidation preference in full, plus an amount equal to all accumulated, accrued and unpaid distributions to, but not including, the date of final distribution to such holders, no payment shall be made to any holder of the Common Partnership Units or any other class or series of Partnership Units the Partnership may issue that ranks junior to the Series B Preferred Partnership Units upon the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Partnership.

 

(ii)           In the event that, upon any such voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up, the Partnership’s available assets, or proceeds thereof, distributable among the holders of Series B Preferred Partnership Units are insufficient to pay the amount of the liquidating distributions on all outstanding Series B Preferred Partnership Units and the corresponding amounts payable on all Partnership Units of other classes or series of the equity securities that the Partnership may issue ranking on parity with the Series B Preferred Partnership Units upon the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Partnership, then the holders of the Series B Preferred Partnership Units and all other such classes or series of equity securities shall share ratably in any such distribution of assets or the proceeds thereof in proportion to the full liquidating distributions or amounts to which they would otherwise be respectively entitled.

 

(iii)          After payment of the full amount of the liquidating distributions to which they are entitled, the holders of Series B Preferred Partnership Units will have no right or claim to any of

 

Exh. G-3

 

the Partnership’s remaining assets.  The Partnership’s voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up shall not include the Partnership’s consolidation or merger with or into one or more entities, a sale or transfer of all or substantially all of the assets of the Partnership or a statutory security exchange (although such events may give rise to the other rights as described herein).

 

F.             Redemption of Series B REIT Preferred Stock.  In connection with the redemption by the Company of any shares of Series B REIT Preferred Stock in accordance with the provisions of the Series B Articles Supplementary, the Partnership shall provide cash to Ashford Prime OP Limited Partner LLC for such purpose which shall be equal to the redemption price (as set forth in the Series B Articles Supplementary), plus all distributions accumulated and unpaid to, but not including, the redemption date, and one Series B Preferred Partnership Unit shall be concurrently redeemed with respect to each share of Series B REIT Preferred Stock so redeemed by the Company.  From and after the applicable redemption date, the Series B Preferred Partnership Units so redeemed shall no longer be outstanding and all rights hereunder, to distributions or otherwise, with respect to such Series B Preferred Partnership Units shall cease.

 

G.            Conversion.

 

(i)            Conversion by the Company.  In connection with the conversion of any shares of Series B REIT Preferred Stock into shares of REIT Common Shares in accordance with the provisions of the Series B Articles Supplementary, the Partnership shall convert Series B Preferred Partnership Units into Common Partnership Units and issue such Common Partnership Units to Ashford Prime OP Limited Partner LLC.  The number of Common Partnership Units into which the Series B Preferred Partnership Units are convertible shall be equal to the number of REIT Common Shares into which the Series B REIT Preferred Stock is then being converted, as set forth in the Series B Articles Supplementary.  From and after the date of such conversion (as determined under the Series B Articles Supplementary), the Series B Preferred Partnership Units so converted shall no longer be outstanding and all rights hereunder, to distributions or otherwise, with respect to such Series B Preferred Partnership Units shall cease.

 

(ii)           Fractional Partnership Units.  If, in connection with a conversion by the Company of any shares of Series B REIT Preferred Stock into shares of REIT Common Shares, the Company makes a cash payment or payments with respect to fractional shares of REIT Common Shares, the Partnership shall redeem a corresponding amount of Series B Preferred Partnership Units in consideration of a payment equal to the aggregate cash payment or payments made by the Company.

 

H.            Restriction on Ownership.  Unless approved by the General Partner in its sole discretion, the Series B Preferred Partnership Units shall be owned and held solely by Ashford Prime OP Limited Partner LLC.  If the Series B Preferred Partnership Units are allowed to be owned and held by a Person other than Ashford Prime OP Limited Partner LLC, the General Partner is authorized to amend this Exhibit G to the extent the General Partner deems necessary or appropriate to allow such ownership.

 

Exh. G-4

 

I.             Allocations.  Allocations of the Partnership’s items of income, gain, loss and deduction allocable with respect to Series B Preferred Partnership Units outstanding from time to time shall be allocated pro rata among holders of such Series B Preferred Partnership Units in accordance with Article V of the Partnership Agreement.

 

J.             Make-Whole Premium.  If the Company makes a payment (“Make-Whole Premium”) pursuant to paragraph 10 of the Series B Articles Supplementary, the Partnership shall make a distribution equal to the Make-Whole Premium to the Ashford Prime OP Limited Partner LLC at such time as to allow Ashford Prime OP Limited Partner LLC to provide such payment to the Company to make such payment to the Company’s stockholders so affected.

 

K.            Voting Rights.  Except as required by applicable law, each holder of the Series B Preferred Partnership Units, as such, shall have no voting rights.

 

Exh. G-5Exhibit
10.1

 

March 6,
2017

 

MR Argent Advisor LLC

900 3rd Avenue, 11th Floor 

New York, New York 10022

Attn: Paul C. Hilal

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

CSX Corporation
(the “Company”), on the one hand, and MR Argent Advisor LLC (“Mantle Ridge”), on behalf
of itself and its affiliated funds (such funds, together with Mantle Ridge, collectively, the “Mantle Ridge Group”),
on the other hand, have mutually agreed to the terms contained in this letter agreement (this “Letter Agreement”).
For purposes of this Letter Agreement, we refer to each of the Company and the Mantle Ridge Group as a “Party”
and, collectively, as the “Parties.”

 

1.            Board
Matters.

 

(a)       As
of the date of this Letter Agreement, the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) has taken the following
actions:

 

(i)       the
Board has received and accepted the resignation from the Board of Michael Ward;

 

(ii)       the
Board has duly adopted a resolution, effective as of the date hereof, to increase the size of the Board to sixteen directors;

 

(iii)       the
Board has duly appointed Paul C. Hilal, E. Hunter Harrison, Dennis H. Reilley, Linda H. Riefler, and John J. Zillmer (the “New
Directors”) as directors of the Company with terms expiring at the Company’s next annual meeting of shareholders
(including any adjournments or postponements thereof, the “2017 Annual Meeting”) to fill the vacancies resulting
from the foregoing resignation of Mr. Ward and the increase in the size of the Board;

 

(iv)       the
Board has duly amended and restated the Bylaws of the Company (the “Bylaws”) so that they now read in full
as set forth in Exhibit A; and

 

(v)       the
Board has duly appointed Edward J. Kelly, III as Chairman of the Board and Mr. Hilal as Vice Chairman of the Board and the Company
agrees to maintain such positions until the conclusion of the 2018 annual meeting of the Company’s shareholders (including
any adjournments or postponements thereof, the “2018 Annual Meeting”).

 

     

     

    

(b)       The
Company agrees to promptly amend the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines (the “Corporate Governance Guidelines”)
to reflect the separation of the roles of Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board, the existence of a non-executive
Chairman of the Board and the addition of the role of Vice Chairman of the Board.

 

(c)       At
all times prior to the date of the 2017 Annual Meeting, the size of the Board will be not more than sixteen directors. Effective
at the 2017 Annual Meeting and until the 2018 Annual Meeting, the size of the Board will be not more than thirteen directors.

 

(d)       The
Company agrees that the slate of nominees recommended by the Board in the Company’s proxy statement and on its proxy card
relating to the 2017 Annual Meeting shall consist of the New Directors and Donna M. Alvarado, John B. Breaux, Pamela L. Carter,
Steven T. Halverson, Edward J. Kelly, III, John D. McPherson, David M. Moffett and J. Steven Whisler, and that the slate of nominees
recommended by the Board in the Company’s proxy statement and on its proxy card relating to the 2018 Annual Meeting will
include the New Directors and Donna M. Alvarado, John B. Breaux, Pamela L. Carter, Steven T. Halverson, Edward J. Kelly, III,
John D. McPherson, David M. Moffett and J. Steven Whisler, subject in each case to such nominees (i) promptly providing to
the Company all information that the Company is entitled to receive from all directors regarding each of them and is required
to be or is customarily disclosed for directors, candidates for directors, and their affiliates and representatives in a proxy
statement filed pursuant to the proxy rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) or any other
filings under applicable law or stock exchange rules or listing standards, including consents to be named in the Company’s
proxy statement and to serve as a director of the Company if elected, information in connection with assessing eligibility, independence
and other criteria applicable to directors or satisfying compliance and legal obligations and (ii) executing all documents
required to be executed by directors nominated for election, such documents to be in substantially the same form as documents
executed and provided by directors in connection with the prior year’s annual meeting of shareholders and provided by the
Company to Mantle Ridge prior to the date hereof, subject to Section 4 (such conditions, the “Director Nomination
Conditions”). Subject to the Director Nomination Conditions, the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to cause
the election of the New Directors at the 2017 Annual Meeting and the 2018 Annual Meeting (including listing such persons in the
proxy statement and proxy card prepared, filed and delivered in connection with such meeting and advocating that the Company’s
shareholders vote in favor of the election of such individuals along with all other Company nominees (and otherwise supporting
each of them for election in a manner no less rigorous and favorable than the manner in which the Company supports its other nominees)).
Except as set forth in Section 4, the Mantle Ridge Group acknowledges that the policies, procedures, processes, codes,
rules, standards and guidelines applicable to other directors of the Company, including the Corporate Governance Guidelines, Code
of Ethics and Insider Trading Policy, (as may be amended from time to time, collectively, “Company Policies”)
will be applicable to the New Directors as well during their respective
terms of service. The Company represents and warrants that all Company Policies currently in effect are publicly available on
the Company’s website or have been provided to the Mantle Ridge Group. Except as required by applicable law or stock exchange
rules or listing standards, the Company will not alter or adopt any Company Policies or amend its Bylaws in a manner that would
materially interfere with the purpose of this Letter Agreement.

 

    -2-

     

    

 

(e)       The
Company agrees that the Company’s proxy statement and proxy card relating to the 2017 Annual Meeting (i) shall include the
proposal and related disclosure set forth on Exhibit B (the “Proposal”) and (ii) shall not include any
statement inconsistent with disclosure set forth on Exhibit B. The Company further agrees that the Mantle Ridge Group will
have the opportunity to review the Company’s proxy statement and proxy card and any additional solicitation materials relating
to the 2017 Annual Meeting in advance of filing or first use and that the Company will consider in good faith any comments provided
by the Mantle Ridge Group. Although the Company does not plan to solicit shareholders on the advisory vote for the Proposal (and
will make no solicitation inconsistent with the disclosure set forth on Exhibit B in connection with the 2017 Annual Meeting),
the Company will provide information in connection with the Mantle Ridge Group’s efforts to do so upon reasonable request
from the Mantle Ridge Group. The Company further agrees that within 15 days following the 2017 Annual Meeting it will make a determination
on the Reimbursement (as defined in Exhibit B) and (A) whether to pay $55,000,000 to Mantle Ridge (such payment to be made
without deduction or withholding for any taxes and paid in a lump sum within five days of such determination if the determination
is to make such payment) and (B) whether to pay Mr. Harrison $29,000,000 and assume the tax indemnities set forth in Sections
4(c) and 14(b) of the Consulting Agreement entered into between Mr. Harrison and Mantle Ridge, effective January 18, 2017 (and
the Company will agree with Mr. Harrison in writing to pay Mr. Harrison such $29,000,000 in a lump sum on or before March 15,
2018 and assume such tax indemnity within five days of such determination if the determination is to make such payment and assume
such indemnity).

 

(f)       Immediately
following the 2017 Annual Meeting, the leadership and composition of committees of the Board shall be as set forth on Exhibit
C, and the Company shall maintain such committee leadership and composition until at least the conclusion of the 2018 Annual
Meeting. Each director will have access to all Board committee materials and be entitled to attend any and all Board committee
meetings at his or her discretion.

 

(g)       If
prior to the Termination Date, any of the New Directors is unable to serve or to continue to serve as a member of the Board, the
Mantle Ridge Group shall be entitled to have another individual appointed to the Board (a “Successor Director”)
who (i) is reasonably acceptable to the Governance Committee, acting in good faith, (ii) meets all director independence and other
standards of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC or any successor thereto and the SEC, to serve as a director of the Company in place
of such New Director, (iii) is not an advisory board member, partner (other than solely a limited partner), director, officer
or employee of the Mantle Ridge Group (other than if filling a vacancy
resulting from Mr. Hilal ceasing to serve on the Board) and (iv) has met the Director Nomination Conditions (with it being understood
that (A) the appointment of any individual satisfying the criteria set forth above shall not be unreasonably denied and (B) if
a proposed replacement is not appointed to the Board, the Mantle Ridge Group shall be entitled to continue proposing replacements
for consideration by the Board) and all references to such New Director, for purposes of this Letter Agreement, shall be deemed
references to such Successor Director.

 

    -3-

     

    

(h)       If
at any time prior to the 2017 Annual Meeting the Mantle Ridge Group’s beneficial ownership of shares of the Company’s
common stock, par value $1.00 per share (“Common Stock”), is less than 2.0% (the “Minimum Ownership
Requirement”) of the outstanding Common Stock (other than as a result of an issuance of shares by the Company or similar
transaction that increases the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock), the Mantle Ridge Group shall (i) promptly notify
the Company that the Mantle Ridge Group ceases to satisfy the Minimum Ownership Requirement and (ii) cause Mr. Hilal to tender
his resignation from the Board, any committee thereof and any other position at the Company or any of its subsidiaries. Upon the
request of the Company, the Mantle Ridge Group will apprise the Company of its beneficial ownership with respect to the Company’s
securities.

 

(i)       The
Company shall hold the 2017 Annual Meeting as promptly as reasonably practicable but in no event later than June 15, 2017, and
shall cooperate with Mantle Ridge in setting a record date with a view to setting a record date, consistent with applicable law
and regulation, that seeks to provide shareholders ample time for consideration while also minimizing the number of “empty”
shares (i.e., shares that are transferred following the record date and therefore unlikely to be voted). Through the 2017 Annual
Meeting, each member of the Mantle Ridge Group will i) cause, in the case of all shares of Common Stock owned of record, such
shares and ii) cause the record owner, in the case of all shares of Common Stock beneficially owned but not owned of record, in
each case directly or indirectly, by any member of the Mantle Ridge Group and any of its or their affiliates and associates (such
terms are defined for purposes of this Letter Agreement as they are defined in Rule 12b-2 promulgated by the SEC under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)) (collectively, the “Mantle Ridge Affiliates”),
as of the record date for the 2017 Annual Meeting to cause such shares, (x) to be present for quorum purposes and (y) to be voted
in favor of all nominees of the Company in its proxy statement for the 2017 Annual Meeting for election to the Board that are
nominated in accordance with and as required by this Letter Agreement. Except as required by applicable law, the Company shall
not call or hold any interim special meeting of stockholders prior to the 2017 Annual Meeting.

 

(j)       The
Company agrees to select five or, to the extent necessary, more of the sets of dates set forth on Exhibit D as the dates
of the meetings of the Board in 2017. The Company will seek to minimize conflicts of the Board members in setting the other meetings
of the Board through December 31, 2019.

 

    -4-

     

    

2.       Chief
Executive Officer. As of the date of this Letter Agreement, the Board (a) has received and accepted, effective upon the execution
of this Letter Agreement, the resignation of Mr. Ward as Chief Executive Officer of the Company and (b) has duly appointed Mr.
Harrison as Chief Executive Officer of the Company. Mr. Ward shall assume the title of consultant and retire from the Company
as of May 31, 2017.

 

3.       Registration
Rights. Promptly following the execution of this Letter Agreement (but in no event later than thirty days following the date
hereof), the Company and the Mantle Ridge Group shall enter into a registration rights agreement granting to the Mantle Ridge
Group customary and reasonable registration rights with respect to shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by the Mantle Ridge
Group, which shall include customary and reasonable limitations on such registration rights.

 

4.       Company
Policies. The Company acknowledges and agrees that none of the confidentiality provisions contained in the Company Policies
or any other provision contained in any other document, agreement or policy of the Company shall be deemed to restrict Mr. Hilal
from sharing any “confidential information” (as such term is defined in the Corporate Governance Guidelines, and such
information and any notes, analyses, reports, models, compilations, studies, interpretations, documents, records or extracts thereof
containing or based upon such information, in whole or in part, “Company Information”) with any of the Mantle
Ridge Group’s employees or advisors who need to know such Company Information for the purpose of assisting the Mantle Ridge
Group in evaluating and monitoring its investment in the Company, and Mr. Hilal is hereby expressly permitted to share Company
Information only with such employees and advisors; provided, that, such employees or advisors agree to maintain
the confidentiality of Company Information to the same extent as required by Mr. Hilal as a director of the Company or are otherwise
bound (by fiduciary or other professional duty) to maintain the confidentiality of Company Information; provided, further,
that if such employees or advisors fail to maintain the confidentiality of Company Information, Mantle Ridge shall be responsible
for any non-compliance by such employees or advisors. The Mantle Ridge Group shall maintain the confidentiality of the Company
Information to the same extent as required by Mr. Hilal as a director of the Company and shall only use, and shall cause its employees
and advisors to only use, Company Information for purposes of the Mantle Ridge Group’s investment in the Company. To the
same extent as required by Mr. Hilal as a director of the Company, Mantle Ridge will, promptly following the Company’s written
request, return to the Company or destroy, at the Company’s option, all hard copies of Company Information and use commercially
reasonable efforts to permanently erase or delete all electronic copies of the Company Information in the Mantle Ridge Group’s
or any of its employees’ or advisors’ possession or control (and, upon the request of the Company, the Mantle Ridge
Group shall promptly certify to the Company that such Company Information has been erased or deleted, as the case may be);
provided, however, that neither the Mantle Ridge Group nor any of its employees or advisors shall be required to
destroy any computer records or files containing any Company Information that have been created pursuant to automatic electronic
archiving and back-up procedures in the ordinary course of business where it would be unduly burdensome to do so or would be contrary
to applicable law or applicable rules or regulations of any national securities exchange. The Company further acknowledges and
agrees that, except for restrictions prohibiting insider trading and, subject to the preceding sentence, confidentiality, none
of the restrictions contained in the Company
Policies applicable to Mr. Hilal (as director) shall be deemed to apply to the Mantle Ridge Group. Notwithstanding anything to
the contrary set forth in this Letter Agreement, nothing herein shall restrict or limit the ability of the Mantle Ridge Group
from engaging in a proxy contest, it being agreed that the Mantle Ridge Group and its representatives shall be entitled to disclose
that portion of (and only such portion of) Company Information required to be disclosed by applicable law in order to engage in
such a proxy contest.

 

    -5-

     

    

5.       Certain
Actions. The Board and each director of the Board (including each New Director) will not utilize committees of the Board for
the purpose of discriminating against any director of the Board in order to limit any of their participation in substantive deliberations
of the Board.

 

6.       Non-Disparagement.
(a) The Mantle Ridge Group agrees that it will not, and will cause its controlled affiliates, managing members, advisory board
members, partners (other than partners who are solely limited partners), directors, officers and employees not to, and will direct
its agents and representatives in their capacity as such not to, make, or cause to be made, any statement or announcement (including
social media or in any written communication to the Company or in any document or report filed with or furnished to the SEC or
through the press, media, analysts or other persons) that constitutes an ad hominem attack on, or disparages, the Company,
its officers, directors, advisory board members, or employees or any person who has served as an officer, director or employee
of the Company on or following the date hereof in any public communication or in any communication that would reasonably be expected
to enter the public domain and (b) the Company agrees that it will not, and will cause its controlled affiliates, directors, officers
and employees (but only to the extent acting at the direction of a Company director or officer) not to, and will direct its agents
and representatives in their capacity as such not to, make, or cause to be made, any statement or announcement (including social
media or in any written communication to any member of the Mantle Ridge Group or in any document or report filed with or furnished
to the SEC or through the press, media, analysts or other persons) that constitutes an ad hominem attack on, or disparages,
any member of the Mantle Ridge Group, their respective officers, directors, advisory board members, partners or employees, or
any person who has served as an officer, director, advisory board member, partner or employee of any member of the Mantle Ridge
Group on or following the date hereof in any public communication or in any communication that would reasonably be expected to
enter the public domain. The foregoing shall not prevent (i) the making of any factual statement in the event that either Party
or any of its representatives are required to make that statement by applicable subpoena, legal process, other legal requirement
or the rules of any securities exchange to which it is subject or (ii) a response by a Party to any statement made by the other
Party or any of its controlled affiliates, managing members, directors, officers, partners (other than partners who are solely
limited partners), employees, agents or representatives which is in violation of this Section 6. For the avoidance of doubt,
nothing in this Section 6 shall be deemed to restrict either Party from making any true statement relating to the other
Party in connection with the solicitation of proxies from the Company’s shareholders at any annual or special meeting of
stockholders following the 2017 Annual Meeting.

 

7.       Press
Release. The Parties agree that the Company will issue the press release attached to this Letter Agreement as Exhibit E
promptly following the execution and delivery of this Letter Agreement by the Parties. On the date of the announcement of
this Letter Agreement, the Parties agree not to (i) issue a press release in connection with this Letter Agreement or the actions
contemplated hereby (other than the press release in Exhibit E) or (ii) make any other public statement, disclosure or
announcement with respect to this Letter Agreement or the actions contemplated hereby, other than, in each case of (i) and (ii),
as mutually agreed to by the Company and Mantle Ridge.

 

    -6-

     

    

8.       Power
and Authority of the Company. The Company represents and warrants to the Mantle Ridge Group that (a) the Company has
the corporate power and authority to execute and deliver this Letter Agreement and to bind it hereto, (b) this Letter Agreement
has been duly and validly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company, constitutes a valid and binding obligation and agreement
of the Company, and is enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, and (c) the execution, delivery and
performance of this Letter Agreement by the Company does not and will not violate or conflict with (i) any law, rule, regulation,
order, judgment or decree applicable to the Company, or (ii) result in any breach or violation of or constitute a default
(or an event which with notice or lapse of time or both could constitute such a breach, violation or default) under or pursuant
to, or result in the loss of a material benefit under, or give any right of termination, amendment, acceleration or cancellation
of, any organizational document, agreement, contract, commitment, understanding or arrangement to which the Company is a party
or by which it is bound.

 

9.       Power
and Authority of the Mantle Ridge Group. Each member of the Mantle Ridge Group represents and warrants to the Company that
(a) Mantle Ridge, as the authorized signatory of such member of the Mantle Ridge Group, has the power and authority to execute
and deliver this Letter Agreement and to bind such member of the Mantle Ridge Group hereto, (b) this Letter Agreement has
been duly authorized, executed and delivered by such member of the Mantle Ridge Group, constitutes a valid and binding obligation
of such member of the Mantle Ridge Group, and is enforceable against each such member of the Mantle Ridge Group in accordance
with its terms, (c) the execution of this Letter Agreement by such member of the Mantle Ridge Group does not and will not
violate or conflict with (i) any law, rule, regulation, order, judgment or decree applicable to such member of the Mantle
Ridge Group, or (ii) result in any breach or violation of or constitute a default (or an event which with notice or lapse
of time or both could constitute such a breach, violation or default) under or pursuant to, or result in the loss of a material
benefit under, or give any right of termination, amendment, acceleration or cancellation of, any organizational document, agreement,
contract, commitment, understanding or arrangement to which such member is a party or by which it is bound and (d) the Mantle
Ridge Group beneficially owns in the aggregate approximately 44,352,702 shares of Common Stock and has additional economic exposure
to 570,600 shares of Common Stock under certain cash settled total return swaps. Other than as set forth in this Letter Agreement,
the Mantle Ridge Group does not have any economic exposure to or voting power with respect to the Company.

 

10.       Termination.
Each Party’s obligations under this Letter Agreement will extend until, and terminate upon the conclusion of, the 2018
Annual Meeting (such date, the “Termination Date”); provided, that (x) Section 4 shall
continue in full force and effect until the date that is 12 months after the date Mr. Hilal ceases to serve as a director of
the Company and (y)
the Mantle Ridge Group’s rights under Section ‎1(g) and the Company’s obligation to include Mr. Hilal on
its proxy card relating to the 2017 Annual Meeting shall each cease upon the earlier of the Termination Date and the date that
the Mantle Ridge Group ceases to satisfy the Minimum Ownership Requirement.

 

    -7-

     

    

11.       Fiduciary
Duties; New Directors.

 

(a)       Nothing
in this Letter Agreement will be deemed to require the violation of the fiduciary duties of any director of the Company under
Virginia law in the director’s capacity as such.

 

(b)       Mantle
Ridge acknowledges that the New Directors shall have all of the rights and obligations, including fiduciary duties to the Company
and its shareholders, of a director under applicable law and the Company’s organizational documents while such New Directors
are serving on the Board.

 

12.       Trading
in Company Securities. Each member of the Mantle Ridge Group acknowledges that it, and its employees and advisors, may have
access to information concerning the Company constituting material non-public information under applicable federal and state securities
laws, and each member of the Mantle Ridge Group agrees that neither it nor any of its employees or advisors shall trade or engage
in any derivative or other transaction on the basis of such information in violation of such laws.

 

13.       Counterparts.
This Letter Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which will be considered one and the same agreement
and will become effective when counterparts have been signed by each of the Parties and delivered to the other Party (including
by means of electronic delivery or facsimile).

 

14.       Specific
Performance. Each Party acknowledges and agrees that irreparable injury to the other Party would occur in the event that any
of the provisions of this Letter Agreement were not performed in accordance with their specific terms or were otherwise breached
and that money damages are not an adequate remedy for such a breach. It is accordingly agreed that each Party may be entitled
to specific enforcement of, and injunctive relief to prevent any violation of, the terms hereof. Each Party agrees to waive any
bonding requirement under any applicable law in the case any other Party seeks to enforce the terms by way of equitable relief.

 

15.       APPLICABLE
LAW AND JURISDICTION. THIS LETTER AGREEMENT WILL BE GOVERNED BY, AND ENFORCED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF
NEW YORK WITHOUT REFERENCE TO CONFLICTS OF LAWS PRINCIPLES. EACH OF THE PARTIES IRREVOCABLY AGREES THAT ANY LEGAL ACTION OR PROCEEDING
BASED ON OR ARISING OUT OF THIS LETTER AGREEMENT WILL BE BROUGHT EXCLUSIVELY IN THE U.S. DISTRICT COURT FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT
OF NEW YORK (OR, IF SUCH COURT DECLINES TO ACCEPT JURISDICTION, ANY STATE OR FEDERAL COURT SITTING IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK, NEW
YORK COUNTY). EACH OF THE PARTIES IRREVOCABLY WAIVES THE RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY SUCH ACTION OR PROCEEDING. EACH OF THE
PARTIES HEREBY IRREVOCABLY SUBMITS TO THE PERSONAL JURISDICTION OF
THE AFORESAID COURTS, AND IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ANY ARGUMENT THAT SUCH COURTS ARE AN INCONVENIENT OR IMPROPER FORUM. EACH PARTY CONSENTS
TO SERVICE OF PROCESS BY A REPUTABLE OVERNIGHT DELIVERY SERVICE, SIGNATURE REQUESTED, TO THE ADDRESS OF SUCH PARTY’S PRINCIPAL
PLACE OF BUSINESS OR AS OTHERWISE PROVIDED BY APPLICABLE LAW.

 

    -8-

     

    

16.       Notice.
All notices, consents, requests, instructions, approvals and other communications provided for herein and all legal process in
regard hereto shall be in writing and shall be deemed validly given, made or served, (a) if given by telecopy, when such telecopy
is transmitted to the telecopy number set forth below, and the appropriate confirmation is received or (b) if given by any other
means, when actually received during normal business hours at the address specified in this Section:

 

If
to the Company:

CSX Corporation

500 Water Street, 15th Floor

Jacksonville,
FL 32202

Attention: Ellen M. Fitzsimmons, Executive Vice President of Law and Public Affairs,

   General
Counsel and Corporate Secretary 

Facsimile:
(904) 359-1216

 

With
a copy to (which shall not constitute notice):

Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP 

450
Lexington Avenue 

New
York, NY 10017 

Attention:
George R. Bason, Jr. and Marc O. Williams 

Facsimile:
(212) 701-5340; (212) 701-5843

 

If
to Mantle Ridge: 

MR Argent Advisor LLC

c/o Mantle Ridge, LP

900 Third Avenue, 11th Floor

New York, NY 10022 

Attention:
Paul C. Hilal 

Facsimile:
(646) 762-8541

 

    -9-

     

    

With
a copy to (which shall not constitute notice):

 

Cadwalader,
Wickersham & Taft LLP 

One
World Financial Center 

New
York, New York 10281 

Attention:
Richard M. Brand; William P. Mills 

Facsimile:
(212) 504-6666

 

 

17.       Entire
Agreement; Amendment. This Letter Agreement, including exhibits and schedules attached to this Letter Agreement, contains
the entire understanding of the Parties with respect to the subject matter hereof. This Letter Agreement may be amended only by
an agreement in writing executed by the Parties, and no waiver of compliance with any provision or condition of this Letter Agreement
and no consent provided for in this Letter Agreement shall be effective unless evidenced by a written instrument executed by the
Party against whom such waiver or consent is to be effective. No failure or delay by a Party in exercising any right, power or
privilege hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise thereof preclude any other or
further exercise thereof or the exercise of any right, power or privilege hereunder.

 

18.       Severability.
If at any time subsequent to the date hereof, any provision of this Letter Agreement shall be held by any court of competent jurisdiction
to be illegal, void or unenforceable, such provision shall be of no force and effect, but the illegality or unenforceability of
such provision shall have no effect upon the legality or enforceability of any other provision of this Letter Agreement.

 

19.       No
Third Party Beneficiaries; Assignment. This Letter Agreement is solely for the benefit of the Parties and is not binding
upon or enforceable by any other persons. No Party may assign its rights or delegate its obligations under this Letter Agreement,
whether by operation of law or otherwise, and any assignment in contravention hereof shall be null and void. Nothing in this Letter
Agreement, whether express or implied, is intended to or shall confer any rights, benefits or remedies under or by reason of this
Letter Agreement on any persons other than the Parties, nor is anything in this Letter Agreement intended to relieve or discharge
the obligation or liability of any third persons to any party.

 

 

    -10-

     

    

20.       Interpretation
and Construction. When a reference is made in this Letter Agreement to a Section, such reference shall be to a Section of
this Letter Agreement, unless otherwise indicated. The headings contained in this Letter Agreement are for reference purposes
only and shall not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of this Letter Agreement. Whenever the words “include,”
“includes” and “including” are used in this Letter Agreement, they shall be deemed to be followed by the
words “without limitation.” The words “hereof, “herein” and “hereunder” and words of
similar import when used in this Letter Agreement shall refer to this Letter Agreement as a whole and not to any particular provision
of this Letter Agreement. The word “will” shall be construed to have the same meaning as the word “shall.”
The words “dates hereof” will refer to the date of this Letter Agreement. The word “or” is not exclusive.
The definitions contained in this Letter Agreement are applicable to the singular as well
as the plural forms of such terms. Any agreement, instrument, law, rule or statute defined or referred to herein means, unless
otherwise indicated, such agreement, instrument, law, rule or statute as from time to time amended, modified or supplemented.
For purposes of this Letter Agreement the terms “person” or “persons” shall mean any individual, corporation
(including not-for-profit), general or limited partnership, limited liability or unlimited liability company, joint venture, estate,
trust, association, organization or other entity of any kind or nature. Each of the Parties acknowledges that it has been represented
by counsel of its choice throughout all negotiations that have preceded the execution of this Letter Agreement, and that it has
executed the same with the advice of said independent counsel. Each Party cooperated and participated in the drafting and preparation
of this Letter Agreement and the documents referred to herein, and any and all drafts relating thereto exchanged among the Parties
shall be deemed the work product of all of the Parties and may not be construed against any Party by reason of its drafting or
preparation. Accordingly, any rule of law or any legal decision that would require interpretation of any ambiguities in this Letter
Agreement against any Party that drafted or prepared it is of no application and is hereby expressly waived by each of the Parties,
and any controversy over interpretations of this Letter Agreement shall be decided without regards to events of drafting or preparation.

 

[Signature
Page Follows]

 

    -11-

     

    

If
the terms of this Letter Agreement are in accordance with your understanding, please sign below and this Letter Agreement will
constitute a binding agreement among us.

 

 

	 	CSX
CORPORATION
	 	 
	 	 
	 	 
	 	By:	 	/s/ Ellen M. Fitzsimmons
	 	Name:	  	Ellen M. Fitzsimmons
	 	Title:	 	Executive Vice President
        of Law and Public Affairs, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary

         

Acknowledged
and agreed to as of the date

first written above:

 

MR
ARGENT ADVISOR LLC, on behalf of itself and its affiliated funds

 

By:
Mantle Ridge LP, its managing member

 

By:
Mantle Ridge GP LLC, its managing member

 

By:
PCH MR Advisor Holdings LLC, its managing member

 

 

By:___/s/ Paul C. Hilal____________________

Name: Paul C. Hilal

Title: Sole Member

 

 

 

 

[Signature
Page to Letter Agreement]

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