This is in response to your correspondence regarding whether certain proposed transactions (the “Proposed Transactions”), which would be undertaken in connection with an acquisition, would require the approval of the Partnership’s unitholders or the Corporation’s shareholders. The Partnership and Corporation are each listed on NASDAQ. The Corporation’s assets consist almost entirely of interests in the Partnership, including approximately 25% of its units and a 100% interest in its general partner.

The Proposed Transactions are designed to allow the Partnership to acquire a privately-held company (the “Target”) in exchange for a combination of Partnership units, cash (the “Cash Consideration”), and shares of the Corporation’s common or non-voting preferred stock (the “Shares”) (collectively, the “Acquisition Consideration”). Three members of the Corporation’s board, one of whom is also on the Partnership’s board (the “Partnership Director”), have an indirect economic interest in the Target, representing an aggregate indirect ownership of approximately 10% of the Target. The Acquisition Consideration would be paid to the owners of the Target. To the extent the Target’s owners are entities, rather than individuals, each such entity would individually determine whether, and to what extent, to distribute its share of the Acquisition Consideration to its owners.

To raise funds that would be used as a part of the Cash Consideration, the Partnership is considering a private placement of its common units (or units that would be convertible into its common units) to several institutional investors at a discount to market value (the “Partnership Private Placement”). A member of the Partnership’s board is a senior managing director (the “Board Member”) of one of the potential investors (the “Investor”). The Board Member has not participated, and would not participate, in the discussions and board meetings with respect to the Partnership Private Placement and would resign from the Partnership’s board prior to the execution of any definitive agreement with respect to the Partnership Private Placement. You asked whether the Partnership Private Placement would be considered equity compensation, requiring approval by the Partnership’s unitholders under Listing Rule 5615(a)(4)(H).

The Partnership may raise additional cash to be used as part of the Cash Consideration by selling common units to the Corporation at a price not less than their market value. The Corporation would raise the funds for this purchase through the issuance of non-voting preferred stock to one or more investors, including the Investor (the “Corporation Private Placement”). No shares of common stock would be issuable in the Corporation Private Placement until the Corporation’s shareholders approve the transaction, at which time the preferred shares would automatically convert into common shares at a discount to their market value at the time of the issuance of the preferred shares. The preferred stock would receive a quarterly cash dividend, which, if the preferred stock remains outstanding one year after issuance, could be adjusted up to 115% of the per share dividend paid on the Corporation’s common stock. You stated that these terms are based on, and are consistent with, similar transactions of other companies in the same industry. An investor in the Corporation Private Placement would be allowed to designate one member of the Corporation’s board of directors (the “New Director”). You asked: (i) whether the adjustment in the dividend rate would be an “alternative outcome” under IM-5635-2; and (ii) whether the Corporation Private Placement would be considered equity compensation with respect to the New Director, requiring shareholder approval under Rule 5635(c).

In order for the Partnership to obtain the Shares that would be used as part of the Acquisition Consideration, it would issue common units in exchange for shares of non-voting preferred stock of the Corporation (the “Preferred Exchange Shares”). The Preferred Exchange Shares would be convertible into shares of the Corporation’s common stock only after shareholder approval is obtained (the “Share Exchange”). The Share Exchange would be at prices not less than the respective market values of the common units and the common stock. The Preferred Exchange Shares would not be entitled to cash distributions for six quarters but would receive distributions in-kind, which also would be convertible into common stock only after shareholder approval is obtained. Dividends on the Preferred Exchange Shares would be subject to adjustment after six quarters. You stated that these terms are based on, and are consistent with, similar transactions of other companies in the same industry.

Although several directors and officers of the Corporation own common units of the Partnership, the ownership of each is less than 5% and in the aggregate is less than 10%. Currently, no substantial shareholder of the Corporation has a 5% or greater interest in the Partnership. The Investor, however, currently owns a 5% interest in the Partnership and is considering purchasing shares of common stock of the Corporation currently held by another party. Upon the completion of that purchase, which could occur prior to the closing of the Proposed Transactions, the Investor would be a substantial shareholder in the Corporation. You asked whether the proposed structure of the Share Exchange would satisfy the shareholder approval requirements.

Finally, in connection with the acquisition, the Corporation contemplates that it may amend its agreement with the Partnership, which sets forth the amount of quarterly cash distributions the Corporation is entitled to receive from the Partnership. Under the revised agreement, the amount of the distributions would be reduced for a specified period of time to allocate the accretion of the acquisition between the Corporation and the Partnership. You stated that this revision is unrelated to the financing transactions described above and would be contemplated with respect to the acquisition irrespective of such financing transactions.

Following our review of the information that you provided, we have reached the following conclusions. The Partnership Private Placement would not be considered equity compensation under Rule 5615(a)(4)(H) with respect to the Board Member because the Board Member would resign from the Partnership’s board prior to the execution of an agreement and would not participate in the discussions and board meetings with respect to the Proposed Transactions. In addition, the provisions of Rule 5635, which may require shareholder approval for certain below market issuances and in connection with certain acquisitions, do not apply to limited partnerships. As such, consummating the Partnership Private Placement as described would not require approval of the Partnership’s unitholders under NASDAQ’s rules.

The proposed Corporation Private Placement also satisfies the shareholder approval requirements. While we would aggregate the Corporation Private Placement with the shares to be issued in the Share Exchange, the Corporation would obtain shareholder approval prior to issuing any common stock in the Corporation Private Placement, and we would not consider the proposed adjustment in the dividend rate to be an “alternative outcome” under IM-5635-2. We have reached this determination because (i) the adjustment is not a function of the outcome of a shareholder vote; and (ii) you represented that the adjusted rate is consistent with similar transactions by other companies in the industry. The Corporation Private Placement also would not require shareholder approval as equity compensation because the New Director would not join the Corporation’s board until after the transaction is consummated.

We would consider the shares issued by the Corporation in the Share Exchange to be issued in connection with the acquisition of the Partnership’s units. Structured as you described, however, the Share Exchange satisfies the shareholder approval requirement of Rule 5635(a) because no shares of the Corporation’s common stock could be issued unless shareholder approval is first obtained. We would not consider the adjustment in the dividend of the Preferred Exchange Shares to be an “alternative outcome” under IM-5635-2 because (i) the adjustment is not a function of the outcome of a shareholder vote; and (ii) you represented that the adjusted rate is consistent with similar transactions by other companies in the industry. In addition, because the Share Exchange would be done at the respective market values of the Corporation’s common stock and the Partnership’s common units, shareholder approval would not be required by the Corporation or Partnership under Rules 5635(c) or 5615(a)(4)(H), respectively.

Rule 5635(a) is not applicable to a limited partnership. As such, the issuance of units by the Partnership in the Share Exchange does not require approval under that rule. Similarly, the issuance of units to the owners of the Target by the Partnership as Acquisition Consideration also would not require shareholder approval. The issuance of Partnership units as part of the consideration for the Target also would not require shareholder approval as equity compensation with respect to the Partnership Director. The Partnership would not be issuing units to the Partnership Director, and any units ultimately distributed to him would be solely in consideration of his ownership interest in the Target. As a result, shareholder approval would not be required under Rule 5615(a)(4)(H) by the Partnership for the issuance of Partnership units to the Target.

Finally, the contemplated amendment to the agreement between the Partnership and Corporation does not impact any aspect of the above analysis because it would not result in the issuance of any securities by either the Corporation or the Partnership and it would not affect the pricing analysis in determining whether any issuance is at or above market value.