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Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2)
Registration No. 333-166373

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

 

Title of Each Class of Securities to Be Registered		Amount to be Registered(1)				Proposed Maximum   Offering Price Per Unit				Proposed Maximum   Aggregate Offering Price				Amount of Registration Fee
Common units representing limited partner interests			6,900,000			$	29.33			$	202,377,000			$	23,495.97

 

(1)	Includes common units issuable upon exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional common units.

 

(2)	The filing fee, calculated in accordance with Rule 457(r), will be transmitted to the SEC in connection with the securities offered from Registration Statement File No. 333-166373 by means of this prospectus supplement.

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PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT

(To Prospectus Dated April 29, 2010)

Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP

6,000,000 Common Units

Representing Limited Partner Interests

 

 

We are selling 6,000,000 common units representing limited partner interests.

Our common units are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “BWP.” On May 26, 2011 the last reported sales price of our common units on the New York Stock Exchange was $30.10 per common unit.

Investing in our common units involves risks. See “Risk Factors” on page S-6 of this prospectus supplement and on page 3 of the accompanying base prospectus.

In order to comply with applicable FERC rate-making policies, we require an owner of our common units to be an Eligible Holder. Eligible Holders are individuals or entities subject to United States federal income taxation on our income or entities not subject to such taxation so long as all of the entity’s owners are subject to such taxation. If you are not an Eligible Holder, you will not be entitled to receive distributions or allocations of income or loss on your common units and your common units will be subject to redemption.

 

		Per Common Unit				Total
Public offering price		$	29.33			$	175,980,000
Underwriting discounts and commissions		$	0.96			$	5,760,000
Proceeds to Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP (before expenses)		$	28.37			$	170,220,000

We have granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 900,000 common units from us on the same terms and conditions as set forth above if the underwriters sell more than 6,000,000 common units in this offering.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus supplement and the accompanying base prospectus are truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

The underwriters expect to deliver the common units on or about June 2, 2011.

Joint Book-Running Managers

 

Barclays Capital		BofA Merrill Lynch		Citi		J.P. Morgan		Wells Fargo Securities

Co-Managers

 

Credit Suisse		UBS Investment Bank		Deutsche Bank Securities		RBC Capital Markets

Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc.		Madison Williams and Company		Morgan Keegan		Oppenheimer & Co.

May 27, 2011

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Prospectus Supplement

 

 

Base Prospectus

 

 

 

This document is in two parts. The first part is the prospectus supplement, which describes the specific terms of this offering and also adds to and updates information contained in the accompanying base prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and the accompanying base prospectus. The second part is the accompanying base prospectus, which gives more general information about securities we may offer from time to time, some of which may not apply to this offering. Generally, when we refer to the “prospectus,” we are referring to both parts combined. If information in this prospectus supplement differs or varies from the information in the accompanying base prospectus, you should rely on the information in this prospectus supplement.

You should rely only on the information contained in or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying base prospectus. Neither we nor the underwriters have authorized anyone to provide you with additional or different information. We are not making an offer of the common units in any state or jurisdiction where the offer is not permitted. You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus supplement or the accompanying base prospectus or the information that is incorporated by reference herein is accurate as of any date other than its respective date. Our business, financial condition, results of operation and cash flow may have changed since such dates. If any statement in one of these documents is inconsistent with a statement in another document having a later date—for example, a document incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement or the accompanying base prospectus—the statement in the document having the later date modifies or supersedes the earlier statement.

 

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RISK FACTORS

An investment in our common units involves risks. You should carefully consider all of the information contained in or incorporated by reference into this prospectus, including the risk factors described in Item 1A, Risk Factors, in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010 and the risk factors relating to our business described under the caption “Risk Factors” beginning on page 3 of the accompanying base prospectus before investing in our common units. These risks are not the only ones we face. Additional risks not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also impair our business operations. Our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows could be materially adversely affected by any of these risks. The trading price of our common units could decline due to any of these risks, and you may lose all or part of your investment.

 

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USE OF PROCEEDS

We estimate that we will receive net proceeds from this offering of approximately $169.9 million (after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses). We expect to use the net proceeds from this offering, together with amounts to be contributed by our general partner to maintain its 2% general partner interest, to repay borrowings outstanding under our revolving credit facility but may use some or all of the proceeds for general partnership purposes, including retirement of other long-term debt. BPHC has agreed to waive the prepayment provisions of its Subordinated Loan Agreement with us to accommodate the intended use of the net proceeds of this offering.

As of May 20, 2011, the amount outstanding under our revolving credit facility was $593.5 million, with a weighted average interest rate of 0.47%. The outstanding borrowings under our revolving credit facility were primarily used to fund our growth projects. Interest on amounts drawn under the credit facility is payable at a floating rate equal to an applicable spread per annum over LIBOR or a base rate defined as the greater of the prime rate or the Federal funds rate plus 50 basis points. Our revolving credit facility has a maturity date of June 29, 2012; however all outstanding revolving loans on such date may be converted to term loans having a maturity date of June 29, 2013.

If the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional common units in full, we estimate that we will receive additional net proceeds of approximately $25.5 million. We will use any such proceeds as described above.

Affiliates of Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, Citigroup Global Markets Inc., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, UBS Securities LLC, Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., and RBC Capital Markets, LLC are lenders under our revolving credit facility and will receive their respective shares of any repayment of amounts outstanding under the facility with the proceeds of this offering. Please read “Underwriting—Conflicts of Interest” in this prospectus supplement.

 

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CASH DISTRIBUTIONS

The following table sets forth, for the periods indicated, the quarterly cash distributions declared per common unit and attributable to the quarter. We expect that the first distribution payable to the purchasers of the common units offered hereby will be paid in August 2011.

 

		Cash Distributions Per Common Unit(a)
Year ended December 31, 2007
First Quarter		$	0.430
Second Quarter			0.440
Third Quarter			0.450
Fourth Quarter			0.460
Year ended December 31, 2008
First Quarter		$	0.465
Second Quarter			0.470
Third Quarter			0.475
Fourth Quarter			0.480
Year ended December 31, 2009
First Quarter		$	0.485
Second Quarter			0.490
Third Quarter			0.495
Fourth Quarter			0.500
Year ended December 31, 2010
First Quarter		$	0.505
Second Quarter			0.510
Third Quarter			0.515
Fourth Quarter			0.520
Year ending December 31, 2011
First Quarter		$	0.5225

 

(a)

Represents cash distributions attributable to the quarter and paid to common unitholders within 60 days of quarter end. The class B units share in quarterly distributions of available cash from operating surplus on a pari passu basis with the common units, until each common unit and class B unit has received a quarterly distribution of $0.30. The class B units do not participate in quarterly distributions of available cash from operating surplus above $0.30 per unit.

 

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TAX CONSIDERATIONS

The tax consequences to you of an investment in our common units will depend in part on your own tax circumstances. For a discussion of the principal federal income tax considerations associated with our operations and the purchase, ownership and disposition of common units, please read “Material Tax Consequences” in the accompanying base prospectus and “Tax Risks” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010. You are urged to consult with your own tax advisor about the federal, state, local and foreign tax consequences particular to your circumstances.

Partnership Tax Treatment

The anticipated after-tax economic benefit of an investment in our common units depends largely on our being treated as a partnership for federal income tax purposes. We have not requested a ruling from the IRS with respect to our partnership status. In order to be treated as a partnership for federal income tax purposes, at least 90% of our gross income must be from specific qualifying sources, such as the transportation of natural gas or other types of passive income such as interest and dividends. We estimate that less than 5% of our current gross income is not qualifying income, however, this estimate could change from time to time. For a more complete description of this qualifying income requirement, please read “Material Tax Consequences—Partnership Status” in the accompanying base prospectus.

If we were treated as a corporation for federal income tax purposes, we would pay federal income tax on our taxable income at the corporate tax rate, which is currently a maximum of 35%, and would likely pay state income tax at varying rates. Distributions to you would generally be taxed again as corporate distributions, and no income, gains, losses or deductions would flow through to you. Because a tax would be imposed upon us as a corporation, our cash available for distribution to you would be substantially reduced. Therefore, treatment of us as a corporation would result in a material reduction in the anticipated cash flow and after-tax return to the unitholders, likely causing a substantial reduction in the value of our common units.

Estimated Ratio of Taxable Income to Distributions

We estimate that if you purchase common units in this offering and own them through the record date for the distribution with respect to the fourth calendar quarter 2013, then you will be allocated, on a cumulative basis, an amount of federal taxable income for that period that will be 20% or less of the amount of cash distributed to you with respect to that period. If you continue to own common units purchased in this offering after that period, the percentage of federal taxable income allocated to you may be higher. Our estimate is based upon many assumptions regarding our business and operations, including assumptions as to tariffs, capital expenditures, cash flows and anticipated cash distributions. Our estimate assumes our available cash will approximate the amount necessary to continue to distribute the current quarterly distribution of $0.5225 per common unit (based on the last quarterly distribution declared by us) throughout the referenced period. This estimate and the assumptions are subject to, among other things, numerous business, economic, regulatory, competitive and political uncertainties beyond our control. Further, this estimate is based on current tax law and certain tax reporting positions that we have adopted. The Internal Revenue Service could disagree with our tax reporting positions. Accordingly, we cannot assure you that the estimate will be correct. The actual ratio of taxable income to distributions could be higher or lower, and any differences could be material and could materially affect the value of common units. For example, the ratio of taxable income to cash distributions to a purchaser of common units in this offering will be greater, and perhaps substantially greater, than our estimate with respect to the period described above if:

 

•

gross income from operations exceeds the amount required to make the current quarterly distribution on all units, yet we only distribute the current quarterly distribution on all units; or

 

•

we make a future offering of common units and use the proceeds of such offering in a manner that does not produce substantial additional deductions during the period described above, such as to repay

 

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indebtedness outstanding at the time of such offering or to acquire property that is not eligible for depreciation or amortization for federal income tax purposes or that is depreciable or amortizable at a rate significantly slower than the rate applicable to our assets at the time of such offering.

Tax Rates

Under current law, the highest marginal U.S. federal income tax rate applicable to ordinary income of individuals is 35% and the highest marginal U.S. federal income tax rate applicable to long-term capital gains (generally, capital gains on certain assets held for more than 12 months) of individuals is 15%. However, absent new legislation extending the current rates, beginning January 1, 2013, the highest marginal U.S. federal income tax rate applicable to ordinary income and long-term capital gains of individuals will increase to 39.6% and 20%, respectively. Moreover, these rates are subject to change by new legislation at any time.

Nominee Reporting

Persons who hold an interest in us as a nominee for another person are required to furnish to us:

 

(1)

the name, address and taxpayer identification number of the beneficial owner and the nominee;

 

(2)

a statement regarding whether the beneficial owner is:

 

(a)

a non-U.S. person;

 

(b)

a non-U.S. government, an international organization or any wholly owned agency or instrumentality of either of the foregoing; or

 

(c)

a tax-exempt entity;

 

(3)

the amount and description of units held, acquired or transferred for the beneficial owner; and

 

(4)

specific information including the dates of acquisitions and transfers, means of acquisitions and transfers, and acquisition cost for purchases, as well as the amount of net proceeds from sales.

Brokers and financial institutions are required to furnish additional information, including whether they are U.S. persons and specific information on units they acquire, hold or transfer for their own account. A penalty of $100 per failure, up to a maximum of $1.5 million per calendar year, is imposed by the Internal Revenue Code for failure to report that information to us. The nominee is required to supply the beneficial owner of the units with the information furnished to us.

Tax-Exempt Organizations and Other Investors

Ownership of common units by tax-exempt entities, including employee benefit plans and individual retirement accounts (IRAs), and foreign investors raises issues unique to such persons. Please read “Material Tax Consequences—Tax-Exempt Organizations and Other Investors” in the accompanying base prospectus.

 

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UNDERWRITING

Barclays Capital Inc, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, Citigroup Global Markets Inc., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC are acting as representatives of the underwriters and joint book-running managers of this offering. Under the terms of an underwriting agreement, which we will file as an exhibit to a current report on Form 8-K and incorporate by reference into this prospectus, each of the underwriters named below has severally agreed to purchase from us the number of common units set forth opposite its name below.

 

Underwriters		Number of Common Units
Barclays Capital Inc.			918,020
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated			918,019
Citigroup Global Markets Inc.			918,019
J.P. Morgan Securities LLC			918,019
Wells Fargo Securities, LLC			918,019
Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC			326,226
UBS Securities LLC			326,226
Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.			216,244
RBC Capital Markets, LLC			216,244
Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc.			81,241
Madison Williams and Company			81,241
Morgan Keegan & Company, Inc.			81,241
Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.			81,241
Total			6,000,000

The underwriting agreement provides that the underwriters’ obligations to purchase the common units depend on the satisfaction of the conditions contained in the underwriting agreement, including:

 

•

the obligation to purchase all of the common units offered hereby (other than the common units covered by the underwriters’ option to purchase additional common units as described below), if any of the common units are purchased;

 

•

the representations and warranties made by us to the underwriters are true;

 

•

there is no material adverse change in our business or in the financial markets; and

 

•

our delivery of customary closing documents to the underwriters.

Commissions and Expenses

The following table summarizes the underwriting discounts and commissions we will pay to the underwriters in connection with this offering. These amounts are shown assuming both no exercise and full exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional common units. The underwriting fee is the difference between the initial price to the public and the amount the underwriters pay to us for the common units.

 

		No Exercise				Full Exercise
Per common unit		$	0.96			$	0.96
Total		$	5,760,000			$	6,624,000

The underwriters have advised us that they propose to offer the common units directly to the public at the public offering price on the cover of this prospectus supplement and to selected dealers, which may include affiliates of the underwriters, at such offering price less a selling concession not in excess of $0.576 per common unit. After the offering, the underwriters may change the offering price and other selling terms.

The expenses of this offering that are payable by us are estimated to be $300,000 (excluding underwriting discounts and commissions).

 

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Option to Purchase Additional Common Units

We have granted the underwriters an option exercisable for 30 days after the date of this prospectus supplement to purchase, from time to time, in whole or in part, up to an aggregate of 900,000 additional common units at the public offering price less underwriting discounts and commissions. This option may be exercised if the underwriters sell more than 6,000,000 common units in connection with this offering. To the extent that this option is exercised, each underwriter will be obligated, subject to certain conditions, to purchase its pro rata portion of these additional common units based on the underwriter’s percentage underwriting commitment in the offering as indicated in the table at the beginning of this Underwriting section.

Lock-Up Agreements

We, our general partner and certain of its affiliates, including the directors and executive officers of our general partner, have agreed that, without the prior written consent of Barclays Capital Inc., we and they will not directly or indirectly (1) offer for sale, sell, pledge, or otherwise dispose of (or enter into any transaction or device that is designed to, or could be expected to, result in the disposition by any person at any time in the future of) any common units or securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for common units, other than certain permitted transfers and issuances and grants of options, (2) sell or grant any options, rights or warrants with respect to any common units or securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for common units, other than certain permitted grants of options, (3) enter into any swap or other derivatives transaction that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic benefits or risks of ownership of the common units, (4) file or cause to be filed a registration statement, including any amendment thereto, with respect to the registration of any of our equity securities or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for our equity securities or (5) publicly disclose the intention to do any of the foregoing for a period of 45 days after the date of this prospectus supplement.

The restrictions described in this paragraph do not apply to:

 

•

the sale of common units to the underwriters pursuant to the underwriting agreement;

 

•

the issuance by us of additional awards under our Unit Appreciation Rights and Cash Bonus Plan; or

 

•

the issuance of common units to sellers of assets or entities in connection with acquisitions by us, provided that the underwriters have received similar lock-up agreements from such sellers.

Barclays Capital Inc., in its sole discretion, may release the common units and other securities subject to lock-up agreements described above in whole or in part at any time with or without notice. When determining whether or not to release the common units and other securities from lock-up agreements, Barclays Capital Inc. will consider, among other factors, the holder’s reasons for requesting the release, the number of common units or other securities for which the release is being requested and market conditions at the time.

Indemnification

We have agreed to indemnify the underwriters against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and to contribute to payments that the underwriters may be required to make for these liabilities.

Stabilization; Short Positions and Penalty Bids

The underwriters may engage in stabilizing transactions, short sales and purchases to cover positions created in short sales, and penalty bids or purchases for the purpose of pegging, fixing or maintaining the price of the common units, in accordance with Regulation M under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 

•

Stabilizing transactions permit bids to purchase the underlying security so long as the stabilizing bids do not exceed a specified maximum.

 

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•

A short position involves a sale by the underwriters of the common units in excess of the number of common units the underwriters are obligated to purchase in the offering, which creates the syndicate short position. This short position may be either a covered short position or a naked short position. In a covered short position, the number of common units involved in the sales made by the underwriters in excess of the number of common units they are obligated to purchase is not greater than the number of common units that they may purchase by exercising their option to purchase additional common units. In a naked short position, the number of common units involved is greater than the number of common units in their option to purchase additional common units. The underwriters may close out any short position by either exercising their option to purchase additional common units and/or purchasing common units in the open market. In determining the source of common units to close out the short position, the underwriters will consider, among other things, the price of common units available for purchase in the open market as compared to the price at which they may purchase common units through their option to purchase additional common units. A naked short position is more likely to be created if the underwriters are concerned that there could be downward pressure on the price of the common units in the open market after pricing that could adversely affect investors who purchase in the offering.

 

•

Syndicate covering transactions involve purchases of the common units in the open market after the distribution has been completed in order to cover syndicate short positions.

 

•

Penalty bids permit the representatives to reclaim a selling concession from a syndicate member when the common units originally sold by the syndicate member are purchased in a stabilizing or syndicate covering transaction to cover syndicate short positions.

These stabilizing transactions, covering transactions and penalty bids may have the effect of raising or maintaining the market price of our common units or preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of the common units. As a result, the price of the common units may be higher than the price that might otherwise exist in the open market. These transactions may be effected on the NYSE or otherwise and, if commenced, may be discontinued at any time.

Neither we nor the underwriters make any representation or prediction as to the direction or magnitude of any effect that the transactions described above may have on the price of the common units. In addition, neither we nor the underwriters make any representation that the underwriters will engage in these stabilizing transactions or that any transaction, once commenced, will not be discontinued without notice.

Electronic Distribution

A prospectus in electronic format may be made available on the Internet sites or through other online services maintained by one or more of the underwriters or by their affiliates. In those cases, prospective investors may view offering terms online and, depending upon the particular underwriter, prospective investors may be allowed to place orders online. The underwriters may agree with us to allocate a specific number of common units for sale to online brokerage account holders. Any such allocation for online distributions will be made by the underwriters on the same basis as other allocations.

Other than the prospectus in electronic format, the information on any underwriter’s website and any information contained in any other website maintained by an underwriter is not part of the prospectus or the registration statement of which the prospectus forms a part, has not been approved and/or endorsed by us or any underwriter in its capacity as underwriter and should not be relied upon by investors.

New York Stock Exchange

Our common units are listed on the NYSE under the symbol “BWP.”

 

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Stamp Taxes

If you purchase common units offered in the prospectus, you may be required to pay stamp taxes and other charges under the laws and practices of the country of purchase, in addition to the offering price listed on the cover page of the prospectus.

Conflicts of Interest

From time to time, certain underwriters and their affiliates have provided, directly or indirectly, investment and commercial banking or financial advisory services to us and our affiliates, including Loews, for which they have received customary fees and commissions, and they expect to provide these services to us and our affiliates in the future, for which they expect to receive customary fees and commissions. Barclays Capital Inc., Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC served as joint book-running managers of the January 2011 offering of senior notes by our subsidiary, Texas Gas.

Affiliates of Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, Citigroup Global Markets Inc., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, UBS Securities LLC, Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., and RBC Capital Markets, LLC are lenders under our revolving credit facility and will receive their respective shares of any repayment of amounts outstanding under the facility with the proceeds of this offering.

FINRA Conduct Rules

Because the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) views the common units offered hereby as interests in a direct participation program, the offering is being made in compliance with FINRA Rule 2310. Investor suitability with respect to the common units should be judged similarly to the suitability with respect to other securities that are listed for trading on a national securities exchange.

Selling Restrictions

European Economic Area

In relation to each member state of the European Economic Area that has implemented the Prospectus Directive (each, a relevant member state), other than Germany, with effect from and including the date on which the Prospectus Directive is implemented in that relevant member state (the relevant implementation date), an offer of securities described in this prospectus may not be made to the public in that relevant member state other than:

 

•

to any legal entity which is a qualified investor as defined in the Prospectus Directive;

 

•

to fewer than 100 or, if the Relevant Member State has implemented the relevant provision of the 2010 PD Amending Directive, 150, natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors as defined in the Prospectus Directive), as permitted under the Prospectus Directive, subject to obtaining the prior consent of the relevant Dealer or Dealers nominated by the Issuer for any such offer; or

 

•

in any other circumstances falling within Article 3(2) of the Prospectus Directive;

provided that no such offer of securities shall require us or any underwriter to publish a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Directive.

For purposes of this provision, the expression an “offer of securities to the public” in any relevant member state means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and the securities to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe for the securities, as the expression may be varied in that member state by any measure implementing the Prospectus Directive in that

 

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member state, and the expression “Prospectus Directive” means Directive 2003/71/EC (and amendments thereto, including the 2010 PD Amending Directive, to the extent implemented in the Relevant Member State), and includes any relevant implementing measure in the Relevant Member State, and includes any relevant implementing measure in each relevant member state. The expression 2010 PD Amending Directive means Directive 2010/73/EU.

We have not authorized and do not authorize the making of any offer of securities through any financial intermediary on their behalf, other than offers made by the underwriters with a view to the final placement of the securities as contemplated in this prospectus. Accordingly, no purchaser of the securities, other than the underwriters, is authorized to make any further offer of the securities on behalf of us or the underwriters.

United Kingdom

We may constitute a “collective investment scheme” as defined by section 235 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (“FSMA”) that is not a “recognized collective investment scheme” for the purposes of FSMA (“CIS”) and that has not been authorized or otherwise approved. As an unregulated scheme, it cannot be marketed in the United Kingdom to the general public, except in accordance with FSMA. This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus are only being distributed in the United Kingdom to, and are only directed at (i) investment professionals falling within the description of persons in Article 14(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Promotion of Collective Investment Schemes) Order 2001, as amended (the “CIS Promotion Order”) or Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, as amended (the “Financial Promotion Order”) or (ii) high net worth companies and other persons falling with Article 22(2)(a) to (d) of the CIS Promotion Order or Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Financial Promotion Order, or (iii) to any other person to whom it may otherwise lawfully be made, (all such persons together being referred to as “relevant persons”). The common units are only available to, and any invitation, offer or agreement to subscribe, purchase or otherwise acquire such common units will be engaged in only with, relevant persons. Any person who is not a relevant person should not act or rely on this document or any of its contents.

Germany

This document has not been prepared in accordance with the requirements for a securities or sales prospectus under the German Securities Prospectus Act (Wertpapierprospektgesetz), the German Sales Prospectus Act (Verkaufsprospektgesetz), or the German Investment Act (Investmentgesetz). Neither the German Federal Financial Services Supervisory Authority (Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht—BaFin) nor any other German authority has been notified of the intention to distribute the common units in Germany. Consequently, the common units may not be distributed in Germany by way of public offering, public advertisement or in any similar manner and this document and any other document relating to the offering, as well as information or statements contained therein, may not be supplied to the public in Germany or used in connection with any offer for subscription of the common units to the public in Germany or any other means of public marketing. The common units are being offered and sold in Germany only to qualified investors which are referred to in Section 3, paragraph 2 no. 1 in connection with Section 2 no. 6 of the German Securities Prospectus Act, Section 8f paragraph 2 no. 4 of the German Sales Prospectus Act, and in Section 2 paragraph 11 sentence 2 no. 1 of the German Investment Act. This document is strictly for use of the person who has received it. It may not be forwarded to other persons or published in Germany.

The Netherlands

The common units may not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, in the Netherlands, other than to qualified investors (gekwalificeerde beleggers) within the meaning of Article 1:1 of the Dutch Financial Supervision Act (Wet op het financieel toezicht).

 

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Switzerland

This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus are being communicated in Switzerland to a small number of selected investors only. Each copy of this document is addressed to a specifically named recipient and may not be copied, reproduced, distributed or passed on to third parties. The common units are not being offered to the public in Switzerland, and neither this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, nor any other offering materials relating to the common units may be distributed in connection with any such public offering.

We have not been registered with the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA as a foreign collective investment scheme pursuant to Article 120 of the Collective Investment Schemes Act of June 23, 2006 (“CISA”). Accordingly, the common units may not be offered to the public in or from Switzerland, and neither this prospectus supplements and the accompanying prospectus, nor any other offering materials relating to the common units may be made available through a public offering in or from Switzerland. The common units may only be offered and this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus may only be distributed in or from Switzerland by way of private placement exclusively to qualified investors (as this term is defined in the CISA and its implementing ordinance).

 

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LEGAL MATTERS

The validity of the common units is being passed upon for us by Vinson & Elkins L.L.P., New York, New York. Certain legal matters are being passed upon for the underwriters by Andrews Kurth LLP.

EXPERTS

The consolidated financial statements, and the related financial statement schedule, incorporated in this prospectus supplement by reference from the Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010, and the effectiveness of Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP internal control over financial reporting have been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their reports, which are incorporated herein by reference. Such financial statements and financial statement schedule have been so incorporated in reliance upon the reports of such firm given upon their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

We file annual, quarterly and other reports with and furnish other information to the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC). You may read and copy any document we file with or furnish to the SEC at the SEC’s public reference room at 100 F Street, N.E., Room 1580, Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call the SEC at 1-800-732-0330 for further information on their public reference room. Our SEC filings are also available at the SEC’s web site at http://www.sec.gov and on our website www.bwpmlp.com under Investor Relations. You can also obtain information about us at the offices of the New York Stock Exchange, 20 Broad Street, New York, New York 10005.

The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” the information we have filed with the SEC. This means that we can disclose important information to you without actually including the specific information in this prospectus by referring you to those documents. The information incorporated by reference is an important part of this prospectus. Information that we file later with the SEC (which does not include any information furnished pursuant to Item 2.02 or Item 7.01 on any Current Report on Form 8-K) will automatically update and may replace information in this prospectus and information previously filed with the SEC. As described in “Information We Incorporate by Reference” on page 2 of the accompanying base prospectus, we incorporate by reference the documents listed below:

 

•

Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010;

 

•

Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended March 31, 2011;

 

•

Current Reports on Form 8-K dated January 19, 2011, February 7, 2011, March 1, 2011 and May 2, 2011 (excluding, in each case, any information furnished pursuant to Item 2.02, 7.01 and Exhibits 99.1 and 99.2 thereto); and

 

•

The description of our common units contained in the Registration Statement on Form 8-A, filed on November 4, 2005.

If information in incorporated documents conflicts with information in this prospectus you should rely on the most recent information. If information in an incorporated document conflicts with information in another incorporated document, you should rely on the most recent incorporated document.

 

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You may request a copy of any document incorporated by reference in this prospectus, at no cost, by writing or calling us at the following address:

Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP

9 Greenway Plaza

Suite 2800

Houston, Texas 77046

(866) 913-2122

Attn: Investor Relations

           IR@bwpmlp.com

You should rely only on the information incorporated by reference or provided in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying base prospectus. We have not authorized anyone else to provide you with any information. You should not assume that the information incorporated by reference or provided in this prospectus supplement or the accompanying base prospectus is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front of each document.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AND ASSOCIATED RISKS

Some of the information contained in or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying base prospectus may contain forward-looking statements. These statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology including “may,” “believe,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “continue,” or other similar words. These statements discuss future expectations, contain projections of results of operations or of financial condition, or state other “forward-looking” information. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. When considering these forward-looking statements, you should keep in mind the risk factors and other cautionary statements in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying base prospectus or incorporated by reference herein, including those described in the “Risk Factors” section of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010. The risk factors and other factors noted in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying base prospectus or incorporated by reference herein could cause our actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. Investors are cautioned that certain statements contained in or incorporated by reference in this prospectus as well as some statements in periodic press releases and some oral statements made by our officials and our subsidiaries during presentations about us, are “forward-looking” statements.

Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and projections about future events and are inherently subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control and could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated or projected.

Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this prospectus supplement or, in the case of forward-looking statements contained in any document incorporated by reference, the date of such document, and we expressly disclaim any obligation or undertaking to update these statements to reflect any change in our expectations or beliefs or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any forward-looking statement is based.

 

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PROSPECTUS

Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP

Common Units Representing Limited Partner Interests

 

 

Boardwalk Pipelines, LP

Debt Securities

Fully and Unconditionally Guaranteed by

Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP

 

 

We or selling unitholders may, in one or more offerings, offer and sell common units representing limited partner interests in us. Our common units are listed for trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “BWP.”

Boardwalk Pipelines, LP, may, in one or more offerings, offer and sell its debt securities, which will be fully and unconditionally guaranteed by us, and may also be guaranteed by one or more of our subsidiaries. We will provide information in the related prospectus supplement for the trading market, if any, for any debt securities Boardwalk Pipelines, LP may offer.

We or selling unitholders may offer the securities in amounts, at prices and on terms to be determined by market conditions and other factors at the time of the offer. This prospectus describes only the general terms of these securities and the general manner in which we or selling unitholders will offer the securities. The specific terms of any securities that we or selling unitholders offer will, if not included in this prospectus or information incorporated by reference herein, be included in a supplement to this prospectus. The prospectus supplement will describe the specific manner in which we or selling unitholders will offer the securities, and also may add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. We or selling unitholders will sell these securities through underwriters on a firm commitment basis. The names of any underwriters and the specific terms of a plan of distribution will be stated in a supplement to this prospectus. Selling unitholders that are affiliates of us may be deemed to be “underwriters” within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, and, as a result, may be deemed to be offering securities, indirectly, on our behalf. We will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale of common units by selling unitholders.

You should read this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement and the documents incorporated by reference herein or therein carefully before you invest in any of our securities. This prospectus may not be used to consummate sales of our securities unless it is accompanied by a prospectus supplement.

 

 

Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. Limited partnerships are inherently different from corporations. You should carefully consider each of the factors referred to under “Risk Factors” beginning on page 3 of this prospectus and contained in the applicable prospectus supplement and in the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein before you make an investment in our securities.

In order to comply with applicable Federal Energy Regulatory Commission rate-making policies, we require an owner of our units to be an Eligible Holder. Eligible Holders are individuals or entities subject to United States federal income taxation on our income or entities not subject to such taxation so long as all of the entity’s owners are subject to such taxation. If you are not an Eligible Holder, you will not be entitled to receive distributions or allocations of income or loss on your units and your units will be subject to redemption.

 

 

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

THE DATE OF THIS PROSPECTUS IS APRIL 29, 2010

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

		Page
ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS			1
ABOUT BOARDWALK PIPELINE PARTNERS, LP			1
ABOUT BOARDWALK PIPELINES, LP			1
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION			1
INFORMATION WE INCORPORATE BY REFERENCE			2
RISK FACTORS			3
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AND ASSOCIATED RISKS			3
RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES			4
USE OF PROCEEDS			5
DESCRIPTION OF THE COMMON UNITS			6
HOW WE MAKE CASH DISTRIBUTIONS			9
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST AND FIDUCIARY DUTIES			18
THE PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT			25
DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES			39
MATERIAL TAX CONSEQUENCES			50
SELLING UNITHOLDERS			67
LEGAL MATTERS			68
EXPERTS			68

 

 

In making your investment decision, you should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement and the documents we have incorporated by reference in this prospectus. We have not authorized anyone else to give you different information. We are not offering these securities in any state where the offer is not permitted. You should not assume that the information in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front of those documents. We will disclose any material changes in our affairs in an amendment to this prospectus, a prospectus supplement or a future filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission incorporated by reference in this prospectus.

 

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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

This prospectus is part of a registration statement on Form S-3 that we have filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, using a “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf registration process, we or selling unitholders may sell, in one or more offerings, common units of Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP or we may sell, in one or more offerings, the debt securities of Boardwalk Pipelines, LP described in this prospectus. This prospectus generally describes us, the common units of Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP, the debt securities of Boardwalk Pipelines, LP and the guarantees of the debt securities. Each time we or selling unitholders sell common units or we sell debt securities with this prospectus, we will provide a prospectus supplement that will contain specific information about the terms of that offering. The prospectus supplement may also add to, update or change information in this prospectus.

Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, references in this prospectus to “Boardwalk,” “we,” “our,” “us” or similar terms, when used in the present tense or for historical periods since November 15, 2005, refer to Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP and, unless the context indicates otherwise, its subsidiaries. References to “Boardwalk Pipelines,” “we,” “our,” “us” or like terms for historical periods prior to November 15, 2005, refer to Boardwalk Pipelines, LLC and its subsidiaries, which were contributed to us at the closing of our initial public offering on November 15, 2005. References in this prospectus to our “general partner” refer to Boardwalk GP, LP and/or Boardwalk GP, LLC, the general partner of Boardwalk GP, LP, as appropriate. References to “Loews” refer to Loews Corporation, the ultimate parent company of our general partner.

The information in this prospectus is accurate as of its date. You should read carefully this prospectus, any prospectus supplement, and the additional information described below under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information.”

ABOUT BOA RDWALK PIPELINE PARTNERS, LP

We are a limited partnership engaged in the interstate transportation and storage of natural gas.

Our principal executive offices are located at 9 Greenway Plaza, Suite 2800, Houston, Texas, 77046, and our phone number is (866) 913-2122. Our website is located at http://www.bwpmlp.com. We make our periodic reports and other information filed with or furnished to the SEC available, free of charge, through our website, as soon as reasonably practicable. Information on our website or any other website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus and does not constitute a part of this prospectus unless specifically so designated and filed with the SEC.

ABOUT BOARDWALK PIPELINES, LP

Boardwalk Pipelines, LP is our wholly owned subsidiary. We have no operations other than through Boardwalk Pipelines, LP.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

We file annual, quarterly and other reports and other information with the SEC. You may read and copy any document we file at the SEC’s public reference room at 100 F Street, NE, Room 1580 Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call the SEC at 1-800-732-0330 for further information on their public reference room. Our SEC filings are also available at the SEC’s web site at http://www.sec.gov which contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC. You can also obtain information about us at the offices of the New York Stock Exchange, 20 Broad Street, New York, New York 10005, or on our website at www.bwpmlp.com. Information on our website or any other website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus and does not constitute a part of this prospectus unless specifically so designated and filed with the SEC.

 

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INFORMATION WE INCORPORATE BY REFERENCE

The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” the information we have filed with the SEC. This means that we can disclose important information to you without actually including the specific information in this prospectus by referring you to those documents. The information incorporated by reference is an important part of this prospectus. Information that we file later with the SEC will automatically update and may replace information in this prospectus and information previously filed with the SEC.

The documents listed below and any future filings made by Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (excluding those furnished to the SEC on Form 8-K) are incorporated by reference in this prospectus.

 

•

Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009.

 

•

Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2010.

 

•

Current Reports on Form 8-K filed February 11, 2010, February 22, 2010 and April 26, 2010.

 

•

The description of our common units contained in the Registration Statement on Form 8-A, filed November 4, 2005.

You may request a copy of any document incorporated by reference in this prospectus, at no cost, by writing or calling us at the following address:

Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP

Attn: Investor Relations

9 Greenway Plaza, Suite 2800

Houston, Texas 77046

(866) 913-2122

You should rely only on the information contained in or incorporated by reference in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement. We have not authorized anyone else to provide you with any information. We are not making an offer of these securities in any state where the offer is not permitted. You should not assume that the information incorporated by reference or provided in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement is accurate as of any date other than its respective date.

 

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RISK FACTORS

An investment in the securities involves a significant degree of risk. Before you invest in our securities you should carefully consider those risk factors included in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, as supplemented by our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q to the extent applicable, each of which is incorporated herein by reference, and those risk factors that may be included in any applicable prospectus supplement, together with all of the other information included in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement and the documents we incorporate by reference in evaluating an investment in our securities.

If any of the risks discussed in the foregoing documents were to occur, our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows could be materially adversely affected. In that case, we may be unable to pay distributions to our unitholders, or pay interest on, or the principal of, any debt securities. In that event, the trading price of our securities could decline and you could lose all or part of your investment.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AND ASSOCIATED RISKS

Some of the information contained in or incorporated by reference in this prospectus may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, any statement that may project, indicate or imply future results, events, performance or achievements, and may contain the words “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “believe,” “will likely result,” and similar expressions. In addition, any statement made by our management concerning future financial performance (including future revenues, earnings or growth rates), ongoing business strategies or prospects, and possible actions by our partnership or its subsidiaries, are also forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. When considering these forward-looking statements, you should keep in mind the risk factors and other cautionary statements in this prospectus or incorporated by reference herein, including those described in the “Risk Factors” section of our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and, to the extent applicable, our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and any prospectus supplement. The risk factors and other factors noted in this prospectus or incorporated by reference herein could cause our actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. Investors are cautioned that certain statements contained in or incorporated by reference in this prospectus, as well as some statements in periodic press releases and some oral statements made by our officials and our subsidiaries during presentations about us, are “forward-looking” statements. Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and projections about future events and are inherently subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated or projected.

Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this prospectus or, in the case of forward-looking statements contained in any document incorporated by reference, the date of such document, and we expressly disclaim any obligation or undertaking to update these statements to reflect any change in our expectations or beliefs or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any forward-looking statement is based.

 

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RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES

The following table sets forth our ratio of consolidated earnings to fixed charges for the periods presented:

 

		Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP
		Three Months Ended March 31,								Year Ended December 31,
		2010				2009				2009				2008				2007				2006				2005
Ratio of earnings to fixed charges			3.26	x			2.37	x			2.05	x			2.67	x			3.23	x			3.93	x			3.58	x

For purposes of calculating the ratio of consolidated earnings to fixed charges:

 

•

“earnings” is the aggregate of the following items: pre-tax income or loss from continuing operations before income or loss from equity investees; plus fixed charges; plus amortization of capitalized interest; plus distributed income of equity investees; less our share of pre-tax losses of equity investees for which charges arising from guarantees are included in fixed charges; less capitalized interest; less preference security dividend requirements of consolidated subsidiaries; and less the non-controlling interest in pre-tax income of subsidiaries that have not incurred fixed charges; and

 

•

“fixed charges” means the sum of the following: interest expensed and capitalized; amortized premiums, discounts and capitalized expenses related to indebtedness; an estimate of the interest within rental expense; and preference security dividend requirements of consolidated subsidiaries. Fixed charges are not reduced by any allowance for funds used during construction.

 

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USE OF PROCEEDS

Except as otherwise provided in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will use the net proceeds we receive from the sale of the securities covered by this prospectus for general partnership purposes, including repayment of debt, acquisitions, capital expenditures and additions to working capital.

The actual application of proceeds we receive from any particular offering of securities using this prospectus will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to such offering.

We will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale of common units by selling unitholders.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF THE COMMON UNITS

General

The common units represent limited partner interests in us that entitle the holders to participate in partnership distributions and to exercise the rights and privileges available to limited partners under our partnership agreement. For a description of the relative rights and preferences of our common units, class B units, incentive distribution rights and general partner interest in and to partnership distributions, please read this section and “How We Make Cash Distributions.” For a description of the rights and privileges of limited partners under our partnership agreement, including voting rights, please read “The Partnership Agreement.”

Our common units are listed on the New York Stock Exchange, or NYSE, under the symbol “BWP.”

Restrictions on Ownership of Common Units

In order to comply with certain Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC, rate-making policies applicable to entities like us that pass their taxable income through to their owners, we have adopted requirements regarding who can be our owners. Our partnership agreement requires that a transferee of common units, including underwriters and those who purchase common units from underwriters, properly complete and deliver to us a transfer application containing a certification as to a number of matters, including the status of the transferee, or all its owners, as being subject to United States federal income taxation on the income generated by us. In addition, our general partner may require any owner of our units to recertify its status as being subject to United States federal income taxation on the income generated by us. The form or forms used for any such recertification will be specified by our general partner and may be changed in any manner our general partner determines necessary or appropriate. If a transferee or other unitholder does not properly complete the transfer application or recertification, for any reason, the transferee or other unitholder will have no right to receive any distributions or allocations of income or loss on its common units or to vote its units on any matter and we will have the right to redeem such units at a price equal to the lower of the transferee’s purchase price or the then-current market price of such units, calculated in accordance with a formula specified in our partnership agreement. The redemption price will be paid in cash or by delivery of a promissory note, as determined by our general partner. See “—Transfer of Common Units” and “The Partnership Agreement—Non-Taxpaying Assignees; Redemption.”

Transfer Agent and Registrar

Duties

American Stock Transfer and Trust Company serves as transfer agent and registrar for the common units. We pay all fees charged by the transfer agent for transfers of common units, except the following that must be paid by unitholders:

 

•

surety bond premiums to replace lost or stolen certificates, or to cover taxes and other governmental charges in connection therewith;

 

•

special charges for services requested by a holder of a common unit; and

 

•

other similar fees or charges.

There is no charge to unitholders for disbursements of our cash distributions. We will indemnify the transfer agent, its agents and each of their respective stockholders, directors, officers and employees against all claims and losses that may arise out of acts performed or omitted for its activities in that capacity, except for any liability due to any gross negligence or intentional misconduct of the indemnified person or entity.

 

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Resignation or Removal

The transfer agent may resign, by notice to us, or be removed by us. The resignation or removal of the transfer agent will become effective upon our appointment of a successor transfer agent and registrar and its acceptance of the appointment. If no successor has been appointed and has accepted the appointment within 30 days after notice of the resignation or removal, our general partner may act as the transfer agent and registrar until a successor is appointed.

Transfer of Common Units

Our partnership agreement requires that persons who purchase common units directly from the underwriters or directly from us properly complete, execute and deliver a transfer application. Any later transfers of a common unit might not be recorded by the transfer agent or recognized by us unless the transferee executes and delivers a properly completed transfer application. By executing and delivering a transfer application, the transferee of common units:

 

•

becomes the record holder of the common units and is an assignee until admitted into our partnership as a substituted limited partner;

 

•

automatically requests admission as a substituted limited partner in our partnership;

 

•

executes and agrees to be bound by the terms and conditions of our partnership agreement;

 

•

represents that the transferee has the capacity, power and authority to enter into our partnership agreement;

 

•

grants powers of attorney to the officers of our general partner and any liquidator of us as specified in our partnership agreement;

 

•

gives the consents, covenants, representations and approvals contained in our partnership agreement; and

 

•

certifies:

 

•

that the transferee is an individual or is an entity subject to United States federal income taxation on the income generated by us; or

 

•

that, if the transferee is an entity not subject to United States federal income taxation on the income generated by us, as in the case, for example, of a mutual fund taxed as a regulated investment company or a partnership, all the entity’s owners are subject to United States federal income taxation on the income generated by us.

An assignee will become a substituted limited partner of our partnership for the transferred common units automatically upon the recording of the transfer on our books and records. Our general partner will cause any unrecorded transfers for which a properly completed and duly executed transfer application has been received to be recorded on our books and records no less frequently than quarterly.

A transferee’s broker, agent or nominee may, but is not obligated to, complete, execute and deliver a transfer application. We are entitled to treat the nominee holder of a common unit as the absolute owner. In that case, the beneficial holder’s rights are limited solely to those that it has against the nominee holder as a result of any agreement between the beneficial owner and the nominee holder.

 

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Common units are securities and are transferable according to the laws governing transfer of securities. In addition to other rights acquired upon transfer, the transferor gives the transferee the right to request admission as a substituted limited partner in our partnership for the transferred common units. A purchaser or transferee of common units who does not execute and deliver a properly completed transfer application obtains only:

 

•

the right to assign the common unit to a purchaser or other transferee; and

 

•

the right to transfer the right to seek admission as a substituted limited partner in our partnership for the transferred common units.

Thus, a purchaser or transferee of common units who does not execute and deliver a properly completed transfer application:

 

•

will not be entitled to receive cash distributions;

 

•

will not be entitled to be allocated any of our income, gain, deduction, losses or credits for federal income tax or other tax purposes;

 

•

may not receive some federal income tax information or reports furnished to record holders of common units; and

 

•

will have no voting rights;

unless the common units are held in a nominee or “street name” account and the nominee or broker has executed and delivered a transfer application and certification as to itself and any beneficial holders.

The transferor of common units has a duty to provide the transferee with all information that may be necessary to transfer the common units. The transferor does not have a duty to ensure the execution of the transfer application by the transferee and has no liability or responsibility if the transferee neglects or chooses not to execute and deliver a properly completed transfer application to the transfer agent. Please read “The Partnership Agreement—Status as Limited Partner or Assignee.”

Until a common unit has been transferred on our books, we and the transfer agent may treat the record holder of the unit as the absolute owner for all purposes, except as otherwise required by law or stock exchange regulations.

 

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HOW WE MAKE CASH DISTRIBUTIONS

General

Rationale for our Cash Distribution Policy

Our cash distribution policy reflects a basic judgment that our unitholders will be better served by our distributing our available cash surplus rather than our retaining it. Our available cash includes cash generated from the operation of our assets and business as described elsewhere in this prospectus and in the documents incorporated by reference herein. Our cash distribution policy is consistent with the terms of our partnership agreement which require us to distribute available cash to unitholders on a quarterly basis.

Limitations on Our Ability to Make Quarterly Distributions

Our ability to make distributions to our unitholders depends on the performance of our subsidiaries and their ability to distribute funds to us. The ability of our subsidiaries to make distributions to us may be restricted by, among other things, the provisions of existing and future indebtedness, applicable state partnership and limited liability company laws and other laws and regulations, including the effect of FERC policies on our regulated pipelines.

There is no guarantee that unitholders will receive quarterly distributions from us. Our distribution policy may be changed at any time and is subject to certain restrictions, including:

 

•

Other than the obligation under our partnership agreement to distribute available cash on a quarterly basis, which is subject to our general partner’s broad discretion to establish reserves and other limitations, our unitholders have no contractual or other legal right to receive distributions.

 

•

Our general partner has broad discretion to establish reserves for the proper conduct of our business and the establishment of those reserves could result in a reduction of our distributions.

 

•

Our pipeline subsidiaries are regulated by FERC, which places restrictions on various types of cash management programs employed by companies in the energy industry, including our regulated subsidiaries. FERC may preclude or limit natural gas companies from participating in such cash management programs unless the parent company and its FERC-regulated affiliates maintain investment-grade credit ratings. If we and our FERC-regulated pipelines do not maintain an investment-grade credit rating, then our regulated subsidiaries could be precluded from making cash distributions to us, which would have an adverse effect on our ability to make distributions to unitholders.

 

•

Our credit agreement requires us, generally, to maintain a ratio of total indebtedness to Consolidated EBITDA (as defined in our credit agreement) of no more than 5.00 to 1.00. In addition, a default by us on the payment of any indebtedness in excess of $25 million constitutes an event of default under our credit agreement, and we would be prohibited from making distributions in such an event. Should we be unable to satisfy these restrictions or if another default or event of default were to occur and be continuing under our credit agreement, we would be prohibited from making a distribution to unitholders notwithstanding our stated distribution policy.

 

•

Even if our cash distribution policy is not modified, the amount of distributions we pay and the decision to make any distribution is determined by our general partner, taking into consideration the terms of our partnership agreement.

 

•

Under Section 17-607 of the Delaware Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act (or the Delaware Act), we may not make a distribution to unitholders if the distribution would cause our liabilities to exceed the fair value of our assets.

 

•

We may lack sufficient cash to pay distributions to our unitholders due to a number of factors that would adversely affect us. See “Risk Factors” for information regarding the factors.

 

•

Although our partnership agreement requires us to distribute our available cash, our partnership agreement may be amended.

 

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Our Cash Distribution Policy May Limit Our Ability to Grow

Because we intend to distribute the majority of the cash generated from our business to our unitholders, we will in large part rely upon external financing sources, including borrowings and issuances of debt and equity securities, to fund our acquisition and capital improvement expenditures. If we are unable to finance growth externally, our cash distribution policy could significantly impair our ability to grow.

Operating Surplus and Capital Surplus

Overview

All cash distributed to unitholders is characterized as either “operating surplus” or “capital surplus.” We treat distributions of available cash from operating surplus differently than distributions of available cash from capital surplus.

Definition of Available Cash

Available cash generally means, for each fiscal quarter, all cash on hand at the end of the quarter:

 

•

less the amount of cash reserves established by our general partner to:

 

•

provide for the proper conduct of our business;

 

•

comply with applicable law, any of our debt instruments, or other agreements; and

 

•

provide funds for distributions to our unitholders and to our general partner for any one or more of the next four quarters;

 

•

plus all cash on hand on the date of determination of available cash for the quarter resulting from working capital borrowings made after the end of the quarter for which the determination is being made. Working capital borrowings are generally borrowings that are made under our credit facility and in all cases are used solely for working capital purposes or to pay distributions to partners and will generally be repaid within 12 months of such borrowings.

Class B Units, General Partner Interest and Incentive Distribution Rights

The class B units will share in any quarterly distributions of available cash from operating surplus on a pari passu basis with our common units, until each common unit and class B unit has received a quarterly distribution of $0.30. The class B units do not participate in quarterly distributions above $0.30 per unit. The class B units will be convertible into common units upon demand by the holder on a one-for-one basis at any time after June 30, 2013.

Our general partner holds a general partner interest that entitles it to 2% of all quarterly distributions that we make prior to our liquidation. This general partner interest is represented by general partner unit equivalents for the purpose of calculating its percentage interest. Our general partner has the right, but not the obligation, to contribute a proportionate amount of capital to us to maintain its current general partner interest. The general partner’s 2% interest in our distributions may be reduced if we issue additional units in the future and our general partner does not contribute a proportionate amount of capital to us to maintain its 2% general partner interest.

Our general partner also currently holds incentive distribution rights that entitle it to receive increasing percentages, up to a maximum of 50%, of the cash we distribute from operating surplus (as defined below) in excess of $0.4025 per unit. The maximum distribution of 50% includes distributions paid to our general partner on its 2% general partner interest, and assumes that our general partner maintains its general partner interest at 2%. Please read “—Incentive Distribution Rights” for additional information.

 

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Definition of Operating Surplus

Operating surplus for any period generally means:

 

•

our cash balance on the closing date of our initial public offering, which was approximately $33 million; plus

 

•

$75 million; plus

 

•

all of our cash receipts after the closing of our initial public offering, excluding cash from (i) borrowings that are not working capital borrowings, (ii) sales of equity and debt securities and (iii) sales or other dispositions of assets outside the ordinary course of business; plus

 

•

cash distributions paid on the equity securities issued by us to finance all or any portion of the construction, expansion or improvement of our facilities during the period from such financing until the earlier to occur of the date the capital asset is put into service or the date it is abandoned or disposed of; plus

 

•

cash distributions paid on the equity securities issued by us to pay the construction period interest on debt incurred, or to pay construction period distributions on equity issued, to finance the construction projects referred to above; plus

 

•

working capital borrowings made after the end of a quarter but before the date of determination of operating surplus for the quarter; less

 

•

all of our operating expenditures (as defined below) after the closing of our initial public offering; less

 

•

the amount of cash reserves established by our general partner to provide funds for future operating expenditures.

If a working capital borrowing, which increases operating surplus, is not repaid during the twelve-month period following the borrowing, it will be deemed repaid at the end of such period, thus decreasing operating surplus at such time. When such working capital is in fact repaid, it will not be treated as a reduction in operating surplus because operating surplus will have been previously reduced by the deemed repayment.

As described above, operating surplus does not reflect actual cash on hand that is available for distribution to our unitholders. For example, it includes a provision that enables us, if we choose, to distribute as operating surplus up to $75 million of cash we receive from non-operating sources such as asset sales, issuances of securities and long-term borrowings that would otherwise be distributed as capital surplus.

Operating expenditures generally means all of our expenditures, including, but not limited to, taxes, reimbursements of expenses to our general partner, repayment of working capital borrowings, debt service payments and capital expenditures, provided that operating expenditures do not include:

 

•

payments (including prepayments) of principal of and premium on indebtedness, other than working capital borrowings;

 

•

capital improvement expenditures;

 

•

payment of transaction expenses relating to interim capital transactions; or

 

•

distributions to partners.

Where capital expenditures are made in part for acquisitions or for capital improvements and in part for other purposes, our general partner, with the concurrence of the conflicts committee, shall determine the allocation between the amounts paid for each.

Maintenance capital expenditures reduce operating surplus, from which we pay the minimum quarterly distribution (as defined in our partnership agreement), but capital expenditures for acquisitions and capital

 

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improvements do not. Maintenance capital expenditures represent capital expenditures to replace partially or fully depreciated assets to maintain the operating capacity of or sales generated by existing assets and extend their useful lives. Maintenance capital expenditures include expenditures required to maintain equipment reliability, storage and pipeline integrity and safety and to address environmental regulations. Capital improvement expenditures include expenditures to acquire assets to grow our business and to expand existing pipeline delivery capacity, such as projects that increase operating capacity by increasing volume throughput or storage capacity or increase cash flow. Repair and maintenance expenses associated with existing assets that are minor in nature and do not extend the useful life of existing assets are charged to operating expenses as incurred. The officers and directors of our general partner determine how to allocate a capital expenditure for the acquisition or expansion of our assets between maintenance capital expenditures and capital improvement expenditures.

Definition of Capital Surplus

We also define capital surplus below, and it is generally generated only by:

 

•

borrowings other than working capital borrowings;

 

•

sales of debt and equity securities; and

 

•

sales or other disposition of assets for cash, other than inventory, accounts receivable and other current assets sold in the ordinary course of business or as part of normal retirements or replacements of assets.

Characterization of Cash Distributions

We treat all available cash distributed as coming from operating surplus until the sum of all available cash distributed since our initial public offering equals the operating surplus as of the most recent date of determination of available cash. We treat any amount distributed in excess of operating surplus, regardless of its source, as capital surplus. As reflected above, operating surplus includes $75 million in addition to our cash balance on the closing date of our initial public offering, cash receipts from our operations and cash from working capital borrowings. This amount does not reflect actual cash on hand that is available for distribution to our unitholders. Rather, it is a provision that enables us, if we choose, to distribute as operating surplus up to $75 million of cash we receive following the date of our initial public offering from non-operating sources, such as asset sales, issuances of securities, and long-term borrowings, that would otherwise be distributed as capital surplus. We do not anticipate that we will make any distributions from capital surplus.

Distributions of Available Cash from Operating Surplus

We will make distributions of available cash from operating surplus for any quarter in the following manner:

 

•

First, 98% to the common unitholders and class B unitholders, pro rata, and 2% to our general partner, until we distribute for each outstanding common unit and class B unit an amount equal to $0.30 (the “Class B quarterly distribution”) for that quarter;

 

•

Second, 98% to all common unitholders, pro rata, and 2% to our general partner, until each outstanding common unit receives a total of $0.4025 per unit for that quarter (the “first target distribution”); and

 

•

Thereafter, in the manner described in “—Incentive Distribution Rights” below.

The preceding discussion is based on the assumptions that our general partner maintains its 2% general partner interest and that we do not issue additional classes of equity securities. Once all of the class B units convert to common units, the first bullet point above will no longer be applicable.

 

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Incentive Distribution Rights

Incentive distribution rights represent the right to receive an increasing percentage of quarterly distributions of available cash from operating surplus after certain target distribution levels have been achieved. Our general partner currently holds the incentive distribution rights, but may transfer these rights separately from its general partner interest, subject to restrictions in our partnership agreement.

If, in any quarter, we have distributed available cash from operating surplus to the common unitholders in an amount equal to the first target distribution ($0.4025 per unit), we will distribute any additional available cash from operating surplus for that quarter among our common unitholders and our general partner in the following manner:

 

•

First, 85% to all common unitholders, pro rata, and 15% to our general partner, until each common unitholder receives a total of $0.4375 per unit for that quarter (the “second target distribution”);

 

•

Second, 75% to all common unitholders, pro rata, and 25% to our general partner, until each common unitholder receives a total of $0.5250 per unit for that quarter (the “third target distribution”); and

 

•

Thereafter, 50% to all common unitholders, pro rata, and 50% to our general partner.

The preceding discussion is based on the assumptions that our general partner maintains its 2% general partner interest and has not transferred its incentive distribution rights and that we do not issue additional classes of equity securities.

Percentage Allocations of Available Cash from Operating Surplus

The following table illustrates the percentage allocations of available cash from operating surplus between the unitholders and our general partner up to and above the various target distribution levels. The amounts set forth under “Marginal Percentage Interest in Distributions” are the percentage interests of our general partner and the unitholders in any available cash from operating surplus we distribute up to and including the corresponding amount in the column “Total Quarterly Distribution,” until available cash from operating surplus we distribute reaches the next target distribution level, if any. The percentage interests shown for the unitholders and our general partner for the first target distribution are also applicable to quarterly distribution amounts that are less than the first target distribution. The percentage interests set forth below for our general partner include its 2% general partner interest and assume our general partner maintains its 2% general partner interest and has not transferred its incentive distribution rights.

 

		Total Quarterly Distribution		Marginal Percentage Interest in Distributions
		Target Amount		Limited  Partner Unitholders(1)				General Partner and IDRs
First Target Distribution		up to $0.4025			98	%			2	%
Second Target Distribution		above $0.4025 up to $0.4375			85	%			15	%
Third Target Distribution		above $0.4375 up to $0.5250			75	%			25	%
Thereafter		above $0.5250			50	%			50	%

 

(1)

Distributions to our unitholders include distributions to the holders of the class B units, who share in quarterly distributions of available cash from operating surplus on a pari passu basis with the common units, until each common unit and class B unit has received a quarterly distribution of $0.30. The class B units will not participate in quarterly distributions of available cash from operating surplus above $0.30 per unit.

 

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Distributions from Capital Surplus

How Distributions from Capital Surplus Will Be Made

We will make distributions of available cash from capital surplus, if any, in the following manner prior to conversion of the class B units to common units:

 

•

First, 2% to our general partner and 98% to the common unitholders and class B unitholders, with the 98% distributed between the holders of class B units, on the one hand, and the holders of common units, on the other hand, in proportion to the following amounts:

 

•

for the class B units, the number of class B units multiplied by $30 (which is the price that was paid for the class B units); and

 

•

for the common units, the number of common units multiplied by $19.50 (which was the initial public offering price for our common units),

until we distribute for each common unit an amount of available cash from capital surplus equal to the initial public offering price;

 

•

Thereafter, we will make all distributions of available cash from capital surplus as if they were from operating surplus.

The preceding discussion is based on the assumptions that our general partner maintains its 2% general partner interest and that we do not issue additional classes of equity securities.

Once all of the class B units convert to common units, we will make distributions of available cash from capital surplus, if any, in the following manner:

 

•

First, 98% to all common unitholders, pro rata, and 2% to our general partner, until we distribute for each common unit an amount of available cash from capital surplus equal to the initial public offering price; and

 

•

Thereafter, we will make all distributions of available cash from capital surplus as if they were from operating surplus.

Effect of a Distribution from Capital Surplus

Our partnership agreement treats a distribution of capital surplus as the repayment of the initial unit price from our initial public offering, which is a return of capital. The initial public offering price in our initial public offering less any distributions of capital surplus per unit is referred to as the “unrecovered initial unit price.” Each time a distribution of capital surplus is made the target distribution levels will be reduced in the same proportion as the corresponding reduction in the unrecovered initial unit price. Similarly, prior to the conversion of the class B units into common units, each time a distribution of capital surplus is made to the class B units, the Class B quarterly distribution will be reduced in the same proportion as the corresponding reduction in the unrecovered class B initial unit price. Because distributions of capital surplus will reduce the target distribution levels, after any of these distributions are made, it may be easier for our general partner to receive incentive distributions.

Once we distribute capital surplus on a unit in an amount equal to the initial unit price, we will reduce the target distribution levels to zero. We will then make all future distributions from operating surplus, with 50% being paid to the unitholders, pro rata, and 50% to our general partner. The percentage interests shown for our general partner include its 2% general partner interest and assume our general partner maintains its 2% general partner interest and has not transferred its incentive distribution rights.

 

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Adjustment to the Target Distribution Levels

In addition to adjusting the target distribution levels to reflect a distribution of capital surplus, if we combine our units into fewer units or subdivide our units into a greater number of units, we will proportionately adjust the Class B unit distribution, the target distribution levels and the unrecovered initial unit price.

For example, if a two-for-one split of the common units should occur, each target distribution level and the unrecovered initial unit price would each be reduced to 50% of its initial level. If we combine our common units into fewer units or subdivide our common units into a greater number of units, we will combine our class B units or subdivide our class B units using the same ratio applied to the common units. We will not make any adjustment by reason of the issuance of additional units for cash or property.

In addition, if legislation is enacted or if existing law is modified or interpreted by a court of competent jurisdiction so that we become taxable as a corporation or otherwise subject to taxation as an entity for federal, state or local income tax purposes, we will reduce the target distribution levels for each quarter by multiplying each distribution level by a fraction, the numerator of which is available cash for that quarter (after deducting our general partner’s estimate of our aggregate liability for the quarter for such income taxes payable by reason of such legislation or interpretation) and the denominator of which is the sum of available cash for that quarter plus our general partner’s estimate of our aggregate liability for the quarter for such income taxes payable by reason of such legislation or interpretation. To the extent that the actual tax liability differs from the estimated tax liability for any quarter, the difference will be accounted for in subsequent quarters.

The amount of distributions paid under our cash distribution policy and the decision to make any distribution is determined by our general partner, taking into consideration the terms of our partnership agreement.

Distributions of Cash Upon Liquidation

General

If we dissolve in accordance with our partnership agreement, we will sell or otherwise dispose of our assets in a process called liquidation. We will first apply the proceeds of liquidation to the payment of our creditors. We will distribute any remaining proceeds to the unitholders and our general partner, in accordance with their capital account balances, as adjusted to reflect any gain or loss upon the sale or other disposition of our assets in liquidation.

The allocations of gain and loss upon liquidation are intended, to the extent possible, to entitle the holders of outstanding common units to receive their unrecovered initial unit price. Subject to a limitation on gain allocated to the class B units based on the $0.30 quarterly distribution, the class B units will share equally with the common units in the initial allocation of gain. There may not be sufficient gain upon our liquidation to enable the holders of common units to fully recover all of these amounts. Any further net gain recognized upon liquidation will be allocated in a manner that takes into account the incentive distribution rights, currently owned by our general partner.

Manner of Adjustments for Gain

The manner of the adjustment for gain is set forth in our partnership agreement. If our liquidation occurs we will allocate any gain to the partners in the following manner:

 

•

First, to our general partner and the holders of units who have negative balances in their capital accounts to the extent of and in proportion to those negative balances;

 

•

Second, 98% to all common unitholders and class B unitholders, pro rata, and 2% to our general partner, until the capital account for each common unit is equal to the sum of the unrecovered initial

 

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unit price for that common unit plus the unpaid minimum quarterly distribution (if any) for the quarter during which the liquidation occurs, provided, however, that allocations to the holders of class B units pursuant to this allocation shall not cause the capital account for each class B unit to exceed the sum of:

 

(1)

the price paid for the class B units; and

 

(2)

any unpaid cumulative arrearages with respect to the $0.30 distribution amount for the class B units;

 

•

Third, if a disparity exists between the capital account of each common unit and the capital account of each class B unit, 98% to the common unitholders, on the one hand, or class B unitholders, on the other hand, whichever has the lower capital account, and 2% to our general partner, until such disparity has been eliminated;

 

•

Fourth, 98% to all common unitholders and class B unitholders, pro rata, and 2% to our general partner, until we allocate under this paragraph an amount per unit equal to:

 

(1)

the sum of the excess of the first target distribution per unit over the minimum quarterly distribution per unit for each quarter of our existence; less

 

(2)

the cumulative amount per unit of any distributions of available cash from operating surplus in excess of the minimum quarterly distribution per unit that we distributed 98% to the unitholders, pro rata, and 2% to our general partner, for each quarter of our existence;

 

•

Fifth, 85% to all common unitholders and class B unitholders, pro rata, and 15% to our general partner, until we allocate under this paragraph an amount per unit equal to:

 

(1)

the sum of the excess of the second target distribution per unit over the first target distribution per unit for each quarter of our existence; less

 

(2)

the cumulative amount per unit of any distributions of available cash from operating surplus in excess of the first target distribution per unit that we distributed 85% to the unitholders, pro rata, and 15% to our general partner for each quarter of our existence;

 

•

Sixth, 75% to all common unitholders and class B unitholders, pro rata, and 25% to our general partner, until we allocate under this paragraph an amount per unit equal to:

 

(1)

the sum of the excess of the third target distribution per unit over the second target distribution per unit for each quarter of our existence; less

 

(2)

the cumulative amount per unit of any distributions of available cash from operating surplus in excess of the second target distribution per unit that we distributed 75% to the unitholders, pro rata, and 25% to our general partner for each quarter of our existence; and

 

•

Thereafter, 50% to all common unitholders and class B unitholders, pro rata, and 50% to our general partner.

The percentages set forth above are based on the assumptions that our general partner maintains its 2% general partner interest and has not transferred its incentive distribution rights and that we do not issue additional classes of equity securities.

Manner of Adjustments for Losses

If our liquidation occurs we will generally allocate any loss to our general partner and the unitholders in the following manner:

 

•

First, if a disparity exists between the capital account of each common unit and the capital account of each class B unit, 98% to the common unitholders or class B unitholders, whichever has the higher capital account, and 2% to our general partner, until such disparity has been eliminated;

 

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•

Second, 98% to all common unitholders and class B unitholders in proportion to the positive balances in their capital accounts and 2% to our general partner, until the capital accounts of the common unitholders have been reduced to zero; and

 

•

Thereafter, 100% to our general partner.

The percentages set forth in the first and second bullet points above for our general partner are based on the assumptions that our general partner maintains its 2% general partner interest and that we do not issue additional classes of equity securities.

Adjustments to Capital Accounts

We will make adjustments to capital accounts upon the issuance of additional units. In doing so, we will allocate any unrealized and, for tax purposes, unrecognized gain or loss resulting from the adjustments to the unitholders and our general partner in the same manner as we allocate gain or loss upon liquidation. In the event that we make positive adjustments to the capital accounts upon the issuance of additional units, we will allocate any later negative adjustments to the capital accounts resulting from the issuance of additional units or upon our liquidation in a manner which results, to the extent possible, in our general partner’s capital account balances equaling the amount which the balances would have been if no earlier positive adjustments to the capital accounts had been made.

The initial public offering price of common units in our initial public offering less any distributions of capital surplus per common unit is referred to as the “unrecovered initial unit price” of a common unit. The “unrecovered initial unit price” for a class B unit will be the price paid for such class B unit (i.e. $30.00), less any distributions of capital surplus in respect of such class B unit.

 

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CONFLICTS OF INTEREST AND FIDUCIARY DUTIES

Conflicts of Interest

Conflicts of interest exist and may arise in the future as a result of the relationships between our general partner and its affiliates, on the one hand, and us and our unaffiliated limited partners, on the other hand. The directors and officers of our general partner have fiduciary duties to manage our general partner in a manner beneficial to subsidiaries of Loews. At the same time, the directors and officers of our general partner have a fiduciary duty to manage us in a manner beneficial to our unitholders and us.

Whenever a conflict arises between our general partner or its affiliates, including Loews, on the one hand, and us or any other partner, on the other, including a transaction with an affiliate, our general partner will resolve that conflict. Our partnership agreement contains provisions that modify and limit our general partner’s fiduciary duties to our unitholders. Our partnership agreement also restricts the remedies available to unitholders for actions taken that, without those limitations, might constitute breaches of fiduciary duty.

Our general partner will not be in breach of its obligations under our partnership agreement or its duties to us or our unitholders if a transaction with an affiliate or the resolution of a conflict is:

 

•

approved by the conflicts committee, although our general partner is not obligated to seek such approval;

 

•

approved by the vote of a majority of the outstanding common units, excluding any common units owned by our general partner or any of its affiliates, including Loews, although our general partner is not obligated to seek such approval;

 

•

on terms no less favorable to us than those generally provided to or available from unrelated third parties; or

 

•

fair and reasonable to us, taking into account the totality of the relationships between the parties involved, including other transactions that may be particularly favorable or advantageous to us.

Our general partner may, but is not required to, seek the approval of such resolution from the conflicts committee of its board of directors or from the common unitholders. If our general partner does not seek approval from the conflicts committee and its board of directors determines that the resolution or course of action taken with respect to the affiliate transaction or conflict of interest satisfies either of the standards set forth in the third and fourth bullet points above, then it will be presumed that, in making its decision, the board of directors, including board members affected by the conflict of interest, acted in good faith, and in any proceeding brought by or on behalf of any limited partner or the partnership the person bringing or prosecuting such proceeding will have the burden of overcoming such presumption. Unless the resolution of, or course of action taken with respect to, an affiliate transaction or a conflict is specifically provided for in our partnership agreement, our general partner or the conflicts committee may consider any factors it determines in good faith to consider when resolving a conflict. When our partnership agreement requires someone to act in good faith, it requires that person to reasonably believe that he is acting in the best interests of the partnership, unless the context otherwise requires.

Conflicts of interest could arise in the situations described below, among others.

Our general partner’s affiliates may compete with us.

Our partnership agreement provides that our general partner is restricted from engaging in any business activities other than acting as our general partner or those activities incidental to its ownership of interests in us. Except as provided in our partnership agreement, Loews and other affiliates of our general partner are not prohibited from engaging in other businesses or activities, including those that might be in direct competition with us.

 

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Our general partner is allowed to take into account the interests of parties other than us in resolving conflicts.

Our partnership agreement contains provisions that reduce the standards to which our general partner would otherwise be held by state fiduciary duty law. For example, our partnership agreement permits our general partner to make a number of decisions in its individual capacity, as opposed to in its capacity as our general partner. This entitles our general partner to consider only the interests and factors that it desires, and it has no duty or obligation to give any consideration to any interest of, or factors affecting, us, our affiliates or any limited partner. Examples include the exercise of its call rights, its voting rights with respect to the units it owns, and its registration rights and its determination whether to consent to any merger or consolidation of the partnership.

Our general partner has limited its liability and reduced its fiduciary duties, and has also restricted the remedies available to our unitholders for actions that, without the limitations, might constitute breaches of fiduciary duty.

In addition to the provisions described above, our partnership agreement contains provisions that limit the fiduciary duties of our general partner and restrict the remedies available to our unitholders for actions that might otherwise constitute breaches of fiduciary duty. For example, our partnership agreement:

 

•

provides that our general partner shall not have any liability to us or our unitholders for decisions made in its capacity as a general partner so long as it acted in good faith, meaning it believed that the decision was in the best interests of the partnership;

 

•

generally provides that affiliate transactions and resolutions of conflicts of interest not approved by the conflicts committee of the board of directors of our general partner and not involving a vote of unitholders must be on terms no less favorable to us than those generally provided to or available from unrelated third parties or be fair and reasonable to us, as determined by our general partner in good faith, and that, in determining whether a transaction or resolution is fair and reasonable, our general partner may consider the totality of the relationships between the parties involved, including other transactions that may be particularly advantageous or beneficial to us; and

 

•

provides that our general partner and its officers and directors will not be liable for monetary damages to us or our limited partners for any acts or omissions unless there has been a final and non-appealable judgment entered by a court of competent jurisdiction determining that our general partner or its officers or directors acted in bad faith or engaged in fraud or willful misconduct or, in the case of a criminal matter, acted with knowledge that the conduct was unlawful.

Actions taken by our general partner may affect the amount of cash distributions to unitholders.

The amount of cash that is available for distribution to unitholders is affected by decisions of our general partner regarding such matters as:

 

•

the amount and timing of asset purchases and sales;

 

•

cash expenditures;

 

•

borrowings;

 

•

the issuance of additional units; and

 

•

the creation, reduction, or increase of reserves in any quarter.

In addition, borrowings by us and our affiliates do not constitute a breach of any duty owed by our general partner to our unitholders, including borrowings that have the purpose or effect of enabling our general partner to receive distributions on the incentive distribution rights.

Our partnership agreement provides that we and our subsidiaries may borrow funds from our general partner or its affiliates. Our general partner and its affiliates may not borrow funds from us or our subsidiaries.

 

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We reimburse our general partner and its affiliates for expenses.

We reimburse our general partner and its affiliates for costs incurred in managing and operating us, including costs incurred in rendering corporate staff and support services to us, including overhead allocated to us by Loews in amounts allowable consistent with accounting and allocation methodologies generally permitted by FERC for rate-making purposes and past business practices. Our partnership agreement provides that our general partner determines in good faith the expenses that are allocable to us and that reimbursement of overhead to Loews as described above is fair and reasonable to us.

Contracts between us, on the one hand, and our general partner or its affiliates, on the other, will not be the result of arm’s-length negotiations.

Our partnership agreement allows our general partner to determine, in good faith, the amounts to pay itself or its affiliates for any services rendered to us. Our general partner may also enter into additional contractual arrangements with Loews or any of its other affiliates on our behalf. Neither our partnership agreement nor any of the other agreements, contracts and arrangements between us and our general partner or its affiliates are or will be the result of arm’s-length negotiations.

Our partnership agreement generally provides that any affiliate transaction, such as an agreement, contract or arrangement between us and our general partner or its affiliates, must be:

 

•

approved by the conflicts committee;

 

•

approved by the vote of a majority of the outstanding common units, excluding any common units owned by our general partner or any of its affiliates, including Loews;

 

•

on terms no less favorable to us than those generally provided to or available from unrelated third parties; or

 

•

fair and reasonable to us, taking into account the totality of the relationships between the parties involved (including other transactions that may be particularly favorable or advantageous to us).

Our general partner determines, in good faith, the terms of any of these transactions.

Our general partner and its affiliates have no obligation to permit us to use any of their facilities or assets, except as may be provided in contracts entered into specifically dealing with that use. There is no obligation of our general partner or its affiliates to enter into any contracts of this kind.

Our general partner intends to limit its liability regarding our obligations.

Our general partner intends to limit its liability under contractual arrangements so that the other party has recourse only to our assets and not against our general partner or its assets. Our partnership agreement provides that any action taken by our general partner to limit its or our liability is not a breach of our general partner’s fiduciary duties, even if we could have obtained terms that were more favorable had the limitation on liability not been included.

Common units are subject to our general partner’s call rights.

Our general partner may exercise its rights to call common units as provided in our partnership agreement or assign this right to one of its affiliates or to us. Our general partner may use its own discretion, free of fiduciary duty restrictions, in determining whether to exercise this right. As a result, a common unitholder may have his common units purchased from him at an undesirable time or price. Please read “The Partnership Agreement—Call Rights.”

 

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Common unitholders have no right to enforce obligations of our general partner and its affiliates under agreements with us.

Any agreements between us, on the one hand, and our general partner or its affiliates, on the other, will not grant to the unitholders, separate and apart from us, the right to enforce the obligations of our general partner or its affiliates in our favor.

We may choose not to retain separate counsel for ourselves or for the holders of common units.

The attorneys, independent accountants and others who perform services for us have been retained by our general partner or its affiliates, are selected by our general partner or the conflicts committee and may perform services for our general partner and its affiliates. We may retain separate counsel for ourselves or the holders of common units in the event of a conflict of interest between our general partner or its affiliates, on the one hand, and us or the holders of common units, on the other, depending on the nature of the conflict. We do not intend to do so in most cases.

Except in limited circumstances, our general partner has the power and authority to conduct our business without unitholder approval.

Under our partnership agreement, our general partner has full power and authority to do all things, other than those items that require unitholder approval or with respect to which our general partner has sought conflicts committee approval, on such terms as it determines to be necessary or appropriate to conduct our business including, but not limited to, the following:

 

•

the making of any expenditures, the lending or borrowing of money, the assumption or guarantee of, or other contracting for, indebtedness and other liabilities, the issuance of evidences of indebtedness, including indebtedness that is convertible into securities of the partnership, and the incurring of any other obligations;

 

•

the making of tax, regulatory and other filings, or rendering of periodic or other reports to governmental or other agencies having jurisdiction over our business or assets;

 

•

the acquisition, disposition, mortgage, pledge, encumbrance, hypothecation or exchange of any or all of our assets or the merger or other combination of us with or into another person;

 

•

the negotiation, execution and performance of any contracts, conveyances or other instruments;

 

•

the distribution of partnership cash;

 

•

the selection and dismissal of employees and agents, outside attorneys, accountants, consultants and contractors and the determination of their compensation and other terms of employment or hiring;

 

•

the maintenance of insurance for our benefit and the benefit of our partners;

 

•

the formation of, or acquisition of an interest in, and the contribution of property and the making of loans to, any further limited or general partnerships, joint ventures, corporations, limited liability companies or other relationships;

 

•

the control of any matters affecting our rights and obligations, including the bringing and defending of actions at law or in equity and otherwise engaging in the conduct of litigation, arbitration or mediation and the incurring of legal expense and the settlement of claims and litigation;

 

•

the indemnification of any person against liabilities and contingencies to the extent permitted by law;

 

•

the purchase, sale or other acquisition or disposition of our securities, or the issuance of additional options, rights, warrants and appreciation rights relating to our securities; and

 

•

the entering into of agreements with any of its affiliates to render services to us or to itself in the discharge of its duties as our general partner.

 

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Fiduciary Duties

Our general partner is accountable to us and our unitholders as a fiduciary. Fiduciary duties owed to unitholders by our general partner are prescribed by law and our partnership agreement. The Delaware Act provides that Delaware limited partnerships may, in their partnership agreements, eliminate, restrict or expand the fiduciary duties otherwise owed by a general partner to limited partners and the partnership.

Our partnership agreement contains various provisions modifying and restricting the fiduciary duties that might otherwise be owed by our general partner. We have adopted these provisions to allow our general partner or its affiliates to engage in transactions with us that would otherwise be prohibited by state law fiduciary standards and to take into account the interests of parties other than us when resolving conflicts of interest. Without such modifications, such transactions could result in violations of our general partner’s state law fiduciary duty standards, and our general partner’s ability to make decisions involving conflicts of interest would be restricted. We believe this is appropriate and necessary because the board of directors of our general partner has fiduciary duties to manage our general partner in a manner beneficial to its owners and fiduciary duties to manage us in a manner beneficial to you. The modifications to the fiduciary standards enable our general partner to take into consideration all parties involved in the proposed action, so long as the resolution is fair and reasonable to us. These modifications also strengthen the ability of our general partner to attract and retain experienced and capable directors. However, these modifications disadvantage the common unitholders because they restrict the rights and remedies that would otherwise be available to unitholders for actions that, without those modifications, might constitute breaches of fiduciary duty, as described below, and permit our general partner to take into account the interests of parties other than us when resolving conflicts of interest. The following is a summary of the material restrictions of the fiduciary duties owed by our general partner to the limited partners:

 

State law fiduciary duty standards

Fiduciary duties are generally considered to include an obligation to act in good faith and with due care and loyalty. The duty of care, in the absence of a provision in a partnership agreement providing otherwise, would generally require a general partner to act for the partnership in the same manner as a prudent person would act on his own behalf. The duty of loyalty, in the absence of a provision in a partnership agreement providing otherwise, would generally prohibit a general partner of a Delaware limited partnership from taking any action or engaging in any transaction where a conflict of interest is present.

 

Partnership agreement modified standards

Our partnership agreement contains provisions that waive or consent to conduct by our general partner and its affiliates that might otherwise raise issues as to compliance with fiduciary duties or applicable law. For example, our partnership agreement provides that when our general partner is acting in its capacity as our general partner, as opposed to in its individual capacity, it must act in good faith and will not be subject to any other standard under applicable law. In addition, when our general partner is acting in its individual capacity, as opposed to in its capacity as our general partner, it may act without any fiduciary obligation to us or the unitholders whatsoever. These provisions reduce the standards to which our general partner would otherwise be held. Our partnership agreement generally provides that affiliate transactions and resolutions of conflicts of interest not approved by a vote of unitholders or approved by the conflicts committee of the board of directors of our general partner must be:

 

•

on terms no less favorable to us than those generally provided to or available from unrelated third parties; or

 

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•

fair and reasonable to us, taking into account the totality of the relationships between the parties involved (including other transactions that may be particularly favorable or advantageous to us).

 

If our general partner does not seek approval from the conflicts committee or the common unitholders and its board of directors determines that the resolution or course of action taken with respect to the conflict of interest satisfies either of the standards set forth in the bullet points above, then it will be presumed that, in making its decision, the board of directors, which may include board members affected by the conflict of interest, acted in good faith, and in any proceeding brought by or on behalf of any limited partner or the partnership, the person bringing or prosecuting such proceeding will have the burden of overcoming such presumption. These provisions reduce the standards to which our general partner would otherwise be held.

 

Our partnership agreement provides that the allocation of overhead costs to us by our general partner and its affiliates (including Loews) consistent with then-applicable accounting and allocation methodologies generally permitted by FERC for rate-making purposes (or in the absence of then-applicable methodologies permitted by FERC, consistent with the most-recently applicable methodologies) and past business practices shall be deemed to be fair and reasonable to us.

 

In addition to the other more specific provisions limiting the obligations of our general partner, our partnership agreement further provides that our general partner and its officers and directors will not be liable for monetary damages to us or our limited partners for any acts or omissions unless there has been a final and non-appealable judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction determining that our general partner or its officers and directors acted in bad faith or engaged in fraud or willful misconduct, or, in the case of a criminal matter, acted with knowledge that the conduct was unlawful.

 

Rights and remedies of unitholders

The Delaware Act generally provides that a limited partner may institute legal action on behalf of the partnership to recover damages from a third party where a general partner has refused to institute the action or where an effort to cause a general partner to do so is not likely to succeed. These actions include actions against a general partner for breach of its fiduciary duties or of a partnership agreement. In addition, the statutory or case law of some jurisdictions may permit a limited partner to institute legal action on behalf of it and all other similarly situated limited partners to recover damages from a general partner for violations of its fiduciary duties to the limited partners.

In order to become one of our limited partners, a common unitholder is required to agree to be bound by our partnership agreement, including the provisions discussed above. Please read “Description of the Common

 

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Units—Transfer of Common Units.” This is in accordance with the policy of the Delaware Act favoring the principle of freedom of contract and the enforceability of partnership agreements. The failure of a limited partner or assignee to sign the partnership agreement does not render our partnership agreement unenforceable against that person.

Under our partnership agreement, we must indemnify our general partner and its officers and directors, to the fullest extent permitted by law, against liabilities, costs and expenses incurred by our general partner or these other persons. We must provide this indemnification unless there has been a final and non-appealable judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction determining that these persons acted in bad faith or engaged in fraud or willful misconduct or, in the case of a criminal matter, acted with knowledge that their conduct was unlawful. Thus, our general partner could be indemnified for its negligent acts if it meets the requirements set forth above. To the extent that these provisions purport to include indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 (or the Securities Act), in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is contrary to public policy and therefore unenforceable. Please read “The Partnership Agreement—Indemnification.”

 

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THE PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT

The following is a summary of the material provisions of our partnership agreement. Our partnership agreement is incorporated by reference as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus constitutes a part. We will provide prospective investors with a copy of this agreement upon request at no charge.

We summarize the following provisions of our partnership agreement elsewhere in this prospectus:

 

•

with regard to distributions of available cash, please read “How We Make Cash Distributions;”

 

•

with regard to the fiduciary duties of our general partner, please read “Conflicts of Interest and Fiduciary Duties;”

 

•

with regard to the transfer of common units, please read “Description of the Common Units—Transfer of Common Units;” and

 

•

with regard to allocations of taxable income and taxable loss, please read “Material Tax Consequences.”

Organization and Duration

We were organized on August 4, 2005, and have a perpetual existence.

Purpose

Our purpose under our partnership agreement is limited to any business activities that relate to the business of gathering, transmitting by pipeline, processing or storing natural gas (either in gaseous or liquid form) (the “transmission business”) or activities now or hereafter customarily conducted in conjunction with the transmission business, that are approved by our general partner in its sole discretion, and any other business that is approved by our general partner, in its sole discretion, and in any event that lawfully may be conducted by a limited partnership organized under Delaware law; provided, that our general partner may not cause us to engage, directly or indirectly, in any business activity that our general partner determines would cause us to be treated as an association taxable as a corporation or otherwise taxable as an entity for federal income tax purposes.

Although our general partner, in its individual capacity, has the power to expand our purpose to activities other than those that relate to the transmission business or activities now or hereafter customarily conducted in conjunction with the transmission business, our general partner has no current plans to do so and may decline to do so free of any fiduciary duty or obligation whatsoever to us or the limited partners, including any duty to act in good faith or in the best interests of us or the limited partners. However, any decision by our general partner to cause us or our subsidiaries to invest in activities will be subject to its fiduciary duties as modified by our partnership agreement. In general, our general partner is authorized to perform all acts it determines to be necessary or appropriate to carry out our purposes and to conduct our business.

Power of Attorney

Each limited partner and each person who acquires a unit from a unitholder and executes and delivers a transfer application and certification grants to our general partner and, if appointed, a liquidator, a power of attorney to, among other things, execute and file documents required for our qualification, continuance or dissolution. The power of attorney also grants our general partner the authority to amend, and to make consents and waivers under, our partnership agreement.

Capital Contributions

Unitholders are not obligated to make additional capital contributions, except as described below under “—Limited Liability.”

 

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Voting Rights

The following matters require the limited partner vote specified below. Various matters require the approval of a “unit majority,” which means:

 

•

prior to the conversion of the class B units into common units, the approval of a majority of the outstanding common units and outstanding class B units voting as a single class; and

 

•

after the conversion of the class B units to common units, the approval of a majority of the outstanding common units.

The class B units have the same voting rights as if they were outstanding common units and are entitled to vote as a separate class on any matters that materially adversely affect the rights or preferences of the class B units in relation to other classes of partnership interests or as required by law. When voting together with the common units as a single class, each class B unit is entitled to the number of votes equal to the number of common units into which a class B unit is convertible at the time of the record date for the vote or written consent on the matter. By virtue of those common units and class B units held by our general partner and its affiliates, our general partner and its affiliates have the ability to ensure passage or defeat of any matter which requires a unit majority.

In voting their common and class B units, our general partner and its affiliates will have no fiduciary duty or obligation whatsoever to us or the limited partners, including any duty to act in good faith or in the best interests of us and our limited partners.

The following is a summary of the vote requirements specified for certain matters under our partnership agreement:

 

Issuance of additional units

No approval required.

 

Amendment of our partnership agreement

Certain amendments may be made by our general partner without the approval of the limited partners. Other amendments generally require the approval of a unit majority. Please read “—Amendment of Our Partnership Agreement.”

 

Merger of our partnership or the sale of all or substantially all of our assets

Unit majority in certain circumstances. Please read “—Merger, Sale, or Other Disposition of Assets.”

 

Continuation of our partnership upon dissolution

Unit majority. Please read “—Termination and Dissolution.”

 

Withdrawal of our general partner

Under some circumstances, the approval of a majority of the common units, excluding common units held by our general partner and its affiliates, is required for the withdrawal of our general partner prior to September 30, 2015, in a manner which would cause a dissolution of our partnership. Please read “—Withdrawal or Removal of Our General Partner.”

 

Removal of our general partner

Not less than 66 2/3% of the outstanding common and class B units, voting as a single class, including common and class B units held by our general partner and its affiliates. Please read “—Withdrawal or Removal of Our General Partner.”

 

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Transfer of our general partner interest

Our general partner may transfer all, but not less than all, of its general partner interest in us, without a vote of our limited partners, to an affiliate or to another person in connection with its merger or consolidation with or into, or sale of all or substantially all of its assets to, such person. The approval of a majority of the outstanding common units, excluding common units held by our general partner and its affiliates, is required in other circumstances for a transfer of the general partner interest to a third party prior to September 30, 2015. Please read “—Transfer of General Partner Interest.”

 

Transfer of incentive distribution rights

Except for transfers to an affiliate or to another person in connection with our general partner’s merger or consolidation with or into, or sale of all or substantially all of its assets to, such person, the approval of a majority of the outstanding common units, excluding common units held by our general partner and its affiliates, is required in most circumstances for a transfer of the incentive distribution rights to a third party prior to September 30, 2015. Please read “—Transfer of Incentive Distribution Rights.”

 

Transfer of ownership interests in our general partner

No approval required at any time. Please read “—Transfer of Ownership Interests in Our General Partner.”

Limited Liability

Participation in the Control of Our Partnership

Assuming that a limited partner does not participate in the control of our business within the meaning of the Delaware Act and that it otherwise acts in conformity with the provisions of our partnership agreement, its liability under the Delaware Act will be limited, subject to possible exceptions, to the amount of capital it is obligated to contribute to us for its common units plus its share of any undistributed profits and assets. If it were determined, however, that the right of, or exercise of the right by, the limited partners as a group:

 

•

to remove or replace our general partner;

 

•

to approve some amendments to our partnership agreement; or

 

•

to take other action under our partnership agreement;

constituted “participation in the control” of our business for the purposes of the Delaware Act, then the limited partners could be held personally liable for our obligations under the laws of Delaware to the same extent as our general partner. This liability would additionally extend to persons who transact business with us who reasonably believe that the limited partner is a general partner. Neither our partnership agreement nor the Delaware Act specifically provides for legal recourse against our general partner if a limited partner were to lose limited liability through any fault of our general partner. While this does not mean that a limited partner could not seek legal recourse, we know of no precedent for such a claim in Delaware case law.

Unlawful Partnership Distribution

Under the Delaware Act, a limited partnership may not make a distribution to a partner if, after the distribution, all liabilities of the limited partnership, other than liabilities to partners on account of their partnership interests and liabilities for which the recourse of creditors is limited to specific property of the partnership, would exceed the fair value of the assets of the limited partnership. For the purpose of determining

 

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the fair value of the assets of a limited partnership, the Delaware Act provides that the fair value of property subject to liability for which recourse of creditors is limited shall be included in the assets of the limited partnership only to the extent that the fair value of that property exceeds the nonrecourse liability. The Delaware Act provides that a limited partner who receives a distribution and knew at the time of the distribution that the distribution was in violation of the Delaware Act shall be liable to the limited partnership for the amount of the distribution for three years. Under the Delaware Act, an assignee who becomes a substituted limited partner of a limited partnership is liable for the obligations of his assignor to make contributions to the partnership, except the assignee is not obligated for liabilities unknown to him at the time he became a limited partner and that could not be ascertained from our partnership agreement.

Failure to Comply with the Limited Liability Provisions of Jurisdictions in Which We Do Business

We conduct business in 12 states. We may conduct business in other states in the future. Maintenance of our limited liability as a limited partner of Boardwalk Pipelines may require compliance with legal requirements in the jurisdictions in which Boardwalk Pipelines conducts business, including qualifying our subsidiaries to do business there.

Limitations on the liability of limited partners for the obligations of a limited partnership have not been clearly established in many jurisdictions. If, by virtue of our limited partner interest in Boardwalk Pipelines or otherwise, it were determined that we were conducting business in any state without compliance with the applicable limited partnership or limited liability company statute, or that the right of, or exercise of the right by, the limited partners as a group, to remove or replace our general partner, to approve some amendments to our partnership agreement, or to take other action under our partnership agreement constituted “participation in the control” of our business for purposes of the statutes of any relevant jurisdiction, then the limited partners could be held personally liable for our obligations under the law of that jurisdiction to the same extent as our general partner under the circumstances. We will operate in a manner that our general partner considers reasonable and necessary or appropriate to preserve the limited liability of the limited partners.

Issuance of Additional Securities

Our partnership agreement authorizes us to issue an unlimited number of additional partnership securities for the consideration and on the terms and conditions determined by our general partner without the approval of the limited partners.

It is possible that we will fund acquisitions through the issuance of additional common units or other partnership securities. Holders of any additional common units we issue will be entitled to share equally with the then-existing holders of common units in our distributions of available cash. In addition, the issuance of additional common units or other partnership securities may dilute the value of the interests of the then-existing holders of common units in our net assets.

In accordance with Delaware law and the provisions of our partnership agreement, we may also issue additional partnership securities that, as determined by our general partner, have special voting rights to which the common units are not entitled. In addition, our partnership agreement does not prohibit the issuance by our subsidiaries of equity securities, which may effectively rank senior to our common units.

Our general partner’s 2% interest in us is represented by unit equivalents for allocation and distribution purposes. Upon issuance of additional partnership securities, our general partner will have the right, but not the obligation, to make additional capital contributions to us in exchange for a proportionate number of general partner unit equivalents, to the extent necessary to maintain its general partner interest of the total units and unit equivalents outstanding prior to the issuance at the same percentage level. Our general partner’s 2% interest in us will thus be reduced if we issue additional partnership securities in the future and our general partner does not elect to maintain its 2% general partner interest. In addition, our general partner will have the right, which it may

 

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from time to time assign in whole or in part to any of its affiliates, to purchase common units or other partnership securities to the extent necessary to maintain its and its affiliates’ percentage interest in us, whenever, and on the same terms that, we issue those securities to persons other than our general partner and its affiliates. The holders of common units will not have preemptive rights to acquire additional common units or other partnership securities.

Amendment of Our Partnership Agreement

General

Amendments to our partnership agreement may be proposed only by our general partner. However, our general partner has no duty or obligation to propose any amendment and may decline to do so free of any fiduciary duty or obligation whatsoever to us or the limited partners, including any duty to act in good faith or in the best interests of us or the limited partners. In order to adopt a proposed amendment, other than the amendments discussed below, our general partner must seek written approval of the holders of the number of units required to approve the amendment or call a meeting of the limited partners to consider and vote upon the proposed amendment. Except as described below, an amendment must be approved by a unit majority.

Prohibited Amendments

No amendment may:

 

•

enlarge the obligations of any limited partner without its consent, unless approved by at least a majority of the type or class of limited partner interests so affected; or

 

•

enlarge the obligations of, restrict in any way any action by or rights of, or reduce in any way the amounts distributable, reimbursable or otherwise payable by us to our general partner or any of its affiliates without the consent of our general partner, which may be given or withheld at its option.

The provision of our partnership agreement preventing the amendments having the effects described in the bullets above can be amended upon the approval of the holders of at least 90% of the outstanding units, voting together as a single class (including units owned by our general partner and its affiliates).

No Limited Partner Approval

Our general partner may generally make amendments to the partnership agreement without the approval of any limited partner or assignee to reflect:

 

•

a change in our name, the location of our principal place of business, our registered agent or our registered office;

 

•

the admission, substitution, withdrawal or removal of partners in accordance with our partnership agreement;

 

•

a change that our general partner determines to be necessary or appropriate for us to qualify or to continue our qualification as a limited partnership or a partnership in which the limited partners have limited liability under the laws of any state or to ensure that neither we, Boardwalk Pipelines, nor its subsidiaries will be treated as an association taxable as a corporation or otherwise taxed as an entity for federal income tax purposes (to the extent not already so treated or taxed);

 

•

an amendment that is necessary, in the opinion of our counsel, to prevent us or our general partner or its directors, officers, agents, or trustees from in any manner being subjected to the provisions of the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Investment Advisors Act of 1940, or “plan asset” regulations adopted under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (or ERISA), whether or not substantially similar to plan asset regulations currently applied or proposed;

 

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•

an amendment that our general partner determines to be necessary or appropriate for the authorization of additional partnership securities or rights to acquire partnership securities;

 

•

any amendment expressly permitted in our partnership agreement to be made by our general partner acting alone;

 

•

an amendment effected, necessitated or contemplated by a merger agreement that has been approved under the terms of our partnership agreement;

 

•

any amendment that our general partner determines to be necessary or appropriate for the formation by us of, or our investment in, any corporation, partnership or other entity, as otherwise permitted by our partnership agreement;

 

•

a change in our fiscal year or taxable year and related changes;

 

•

mergers with or conveyances to another limited liability entity that is newly formed and has no assets, liabilities or operations at the time of the merger or conveyance other than those it receives by way of the merger or conveyance; or

 

•

any other amendments substantially similar to any of the matters described above.

In addition, our general partner may make amendments to our partnership agreement without the approval of any limited partner or assignee if our general partner determines that those amendments:

 

•

do not adversely affect the limited partners (or any particular class of limited partners) in any material respect;

 

•

are necessary or appropriate to satisfy any requirements, conditions, or guidelines contained in any opinion, directive, order, ruling, or regulation of any federal or state agency or judicial authority or contained in any federal or state statute;

 

•

are necessary or appropriate to facilitate the trading of limited partner interests or to comply with any rule, regulation, guideline, or requirement of any securities exchange on which the limited partner interests are or will be listed for trading;

 

•

are necessary or appropriate for any action taken by our general partner relating to splits or combinations of units under the provisions of our partnership agreement; or

 

•

are required to effect the intent expressed in this prospectus or the intent of the provisions of our partnership agreement or are otherwise contemplated by our partnership agreement.

Opinion of Counsel and Limited Partner Approval

Our general partner will not be required to obtain an opinion of counsel that an amendment will not result in a loss of limited liability to the limited partners or result in our being treated as an entity for federal income tax purposes in connection with any of the amendments described under “—No Limited Partner Approval.” No other amendments to our partnership agreement will become effective without the approval of holders of at least 90% of the outstanding units voting as a single class unless we first obtain an opinion of counsel to the effect that the amendment will not affect the limited liability under Delaware law of any of our limited partners. Finally, our general partner may consummate any merger without the prior approval of our limited partners if we are the surviving entity in the transaction, the transaction would not result in a material amendment to our partnership agreement, each of our units will be an identical unit of our partnership following the transaction, the units to be issued do not exceed 20% of our outstanding units immediately prior to the transaction and our general partner has received an opinion of counsel regarding certain limited liability and tax matters.

In addition to the above restrictions, any amendment that would have a material adverse effect on the rights or preferences of any type or class of outstanding units in relation to other classes of units will require the approval of at least a majority of the type or class of units so affected. Any amendment that reduces the voting

 

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percentage required to take any action must be approved by the affirmative vote of holders of outstanding units whose aggregate outstanding units constitute not less than the voting requirement sought to be reduced.

Merger, Sale, or Other Disposition of Assets

A merger or consolidation of us requires the prior consent of our general partner. However, our general partner has no duty or obligation to consent to any merger or consolidation and may decline to do so free of any fiduciary duty or obligation whatsoever to us or the limited partners, including any duty to act in good faith or in the best interest of us or the limited partners.

In addition, our partnership agreement generally prohibits our general partner, without the prior approval of the holders of units representing a unit majority, from causing us to, among other things, sell, exchange or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of our assets in a single transaction or a series of related transactions, including by way of merger, consolidation or other combination, or approving on our behalf the sale, exchange or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of our subsidiaries. Our general partner may, however, mortgage, pledge, hypothecate or grant a security interest in all or substantially all of our assets without that approval. Our general partner may also sell all or substantially all of our assets under a foreclosure or other realization upon those encumbrances without that approval.

If the conditions specified in our partnership agreement are satisfied, our general partner may convert us or any of our subsidiaries into a new limited liability entity or merge us or any of our subsidiaries into, or convey all of our assets to, a newly formed entity if the sole purpose of that merger or conveyance is to effect a mere change in our legal form into another limited liability entity. The limited partners are not entitled to dissenters’ rights of appraisal under our partnership agreement or applicable Delaware law in the event of a conversion, merger or consolidation, a sale of substantially all of our assets or any other transaction or event.

Termination and Dissolution

We will continue as a limited partnership until terminated under our partnership agreement. We will dissolve:

 

•

upon the election of our general partner to dissolve us, if approved by the holders of units representing a unit majority;

 

•

if at any time there are no limited partners, unless we continue to exist in accordance with the Delaware Act;

 

•

upon the entry of a decree of judicial dissolution of our partnership; or

 

•

upon the withdrawal or removal of our general partner or any other event that results in its ceasing to be our general partner other than by reason of a transfer of its general partner interest in accordance with our partnership agreement or withdrawal or removal following approval and admission of a successor.

Upon a dissolution under the fourth bullet point listed above, the holders of a unit majority may also elect, within specific time limitations, to continue our business on the same terms and conditions described in our partnership agreement by appointing as a successor general partner a person or entity approved by the holders of units representing a unit majority, subject to our receipt of an opinion of counsel to the effect that:

 

•

the action would not result in the loss of limited liability under Delaware law of any limited partner; and

 

•

neither our partnership nor any of our subsidiaries would be treated as an association taxable as a corporation or otherwise be taxable as an entity for federal income tax purposes upon the exercise of that right to continue (to the extent not already so treated or taxed).

 

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Liquidation and Distribution of Proceeds

Upon our dissolution, unless our business is continued as described above, the liquidator authorized to wind up our affairs will, acting with all of the powers of our general partner that are necessary or appropriate, liquidate our assets and apply the proceeds of the liquidation as described in “How We Make Cash Distributions—Distributions of Cash Upon Liquidation.” The liquidator may defer liquidation or distribution of our assets for a reasonable period of time or distribute assets to partners in kind if it determines that a sale or distribution, as the case may be, would be impractical or would cause undue loss to our partners.

Withdrawal or Removal of Our General Partner

Except as described below, our general partner has agreed not to withdraw voluntarily as our general partner prior to September 30, 2015, without giving at least 90 days’ written notice of its intention to withdraw, obtaining the approval of the holders of at least a majority of the outstanding common units, excluding common units held by our general partner and its affiliates, and furnishing an opinion of counsel regarding limited liability and tax matters. On or after September 30, 2015, our general partner may withdraw as general partner without first obtaining approval of any unitholder by giving 90 days’ written notice, and that withdrawal will not constitute a violation of our partnership agreement. Notwithstanding the information above, our general partner may withdraw without unitholder approval by giving 90 days’ written notice to the limited partners if at least 50% of the outstanding common units are held or controlled by one person and its affiliates other than our general partner and its affiliates. In addition, our partnership agreement permits our general partner in some instances to sell or otherwise transfer all of its general partner interest in us without the approval of the limited partners. Please read “—Transfer of General Partner Interest” and “—Transfer of Incentive Distribution Rights.”

Upon the voluntary withdrawal of our general partner under any circumstances, other than as a result of a transfer by our general partner of all or a part of its general partner interest in us, the holders of a unit majority may select a successor to that withdrawing general partner. If a successor is not elected, or is elected but an opinion of counsel regarding limited liability and tax matters cannot be obtained, we will be dissolved, wound up and liquidated, unless within a specified period of time after that withdrawal, the holders of a unit majority agree in writing to continue our business and to appoint a successor general partner. Please read “—Termination and Dissolution.”

Our general partner may not be removed unless that removal is approved by the vote of the holders of not less than 66 ²/3% of the outstanding units, voting together as a single class, including units held by our general partner and its affiliates, and we receive an opinion of counsel regarding limited liability and tax matters. Any removal of our general partner is also subject to the approval of a successor general partner by the vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding common units, including units held by our general partner and its affiliates. The ownership of more than 33 ¹/3% of the outstanding common units by our general partner and its affiliates would give them the practical ability to prevent our general partner’s removal.

In the event of the removal of our general partner under circumstances where cause exists or the withdrawal of our general partner under circumstances where that withdrawal violates our partnership agreement, a successor general partner will have the option to purchase the general partner interest and incentive distribution rights of the departing general partner for a cash payment equal to the fair market value of those interests. Under all other circumstances where our general partner withdraws or is removed by the limited partners, the departing general partner will have the option to require the successor general partner to purchase the general partner interest of the departing general partner and its incentive distribution rights for their fair market value. In each case, this fair market value will be determined by agreement between the departing general partner and the successor general partner. If no agreement is reached, an independent investment banking firm or other independent expert selected by the departing general partner and the successor general partner will determine the fair market value. Or, if the departing general partner and the successor general partner cannot agree upon an expert, then an expert chosen by agreement of the experts selected by each of them will determine the fair market value.

 

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Our partnership agreement also provides that if our general partner is removed as our general partner under circumstances where cause does not exist and no units held by our general partner and its affiliates are voted in favor of that removal, our general partner will have the right to convert its general partner interest and its incentive distribution rights into common units or to receive cash in exchange for those interests based on the fair market value of the interests at the time.

If the option described above is not exercised by either the departing general partner or the successor general partner, the departing general partner’s general partner interest and its incentive distribution rights will automatically convert into common units with a value equal to the fair market value of those interests as determined by an investment banking firm or other independent expert selected in the manner described in the preceding paragraph.

In addition, we will be required to reimburse the departing general partner for all amounts due to it, including, without limitation, all employee-related liabilities, including severance liabilities, incurred for the termination of any employees employed by the departing general partner or its affiliates for our benefit.

Transfer of General Partner Interest

Except for the transfer by our general partner of all, but not less than all, of its general partner interest to:

 

•

an affiliate of our general partner (other than an individual), or

 

•

another entity in connection with the merger or consolidation of our general partner with or into such other entity or the transfer by our general partner of all or substantially all of its assets to such other entity,

our general partner may not transfer all or any part of its general partner interest in our partnership to another person prior to September 30, 2015, without the approval of the holders of a majority of the outstanding common units, excluding common units held by our general partner and its affiliates. As a condition of this transfer, the transferee must, among other things, assume the rights and duties of our general partner, agree to be bound by the provisions of our partnership agreement and furnish an opinion of counsel regarding limited liability and tax matters.

Transfer of Common Units by our General Partner

Our general partner and its affiliates may at any time transfer common units to one or more persons, without unitholder approval.

Transfer of Ownership Interests in Our General Partner

At any time, the owners of our general partner may sell or transfer all or part of their ownership interests in our general partner without the approval of our unitholders.

Transfer of Incentive Distribution Rights

Our general partner, its affiliates or a subsequent holder may transfer their incentive distribution rights to an affiliate of the holder (other than an individual) or to another entity as part of the merger or consolidation of such holder with or into such entity, the sale of all of the ownership interest in such holder or the sale of all or substantially all of such holder’s assets to such entity without the prior approval of the unitholders. Prior to September 30, 2015, other transfers of the incentive distribution rights will require the affirmative vote of holders of a majority of the outstanding common units, excluding common units held by our general partner and its affiliates. On or after September 30, 2015, the incentive distribution rights will be transferable without unitholder approval.

 

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Change of Management Provisions

Our partnership agreement contains specific provisions that are intended to discourage a person or group from attempting to remove Boardwalk GP as our general partner or otherwise change management. If any person or group other than our general partner and its affiliates acquires beneficial ownership of 20% or more of any class of units, that person or group loses voting rights on all of its units. This loss of voting rights does not apply to any person or group that acquires the units from our general partner or its affiliates and any transferees of that person or group approved by our general partner or to any person or group who acquires the units with the prior approval of the board of directors of our general partner.

Our partnership agreement also provides that if our general partner is removed without cause and no units held by our general partner and its affiliates are voted in favor of that removal, our general partner will have the right to convert its general partner interest and its incentive distribution rights into common units or to receive cash in exchange for those interests.

Call Rights

If at any time our general partner and its affiliates own more than 80% of the then-issued and outstanding partnership securities of any class, our general partner will have the right, which it may assign in whole or in part to any of its affiliates or to us, to acquire all, but not less than all, of the remaining partnership securities of the class held by unaffiliated persons.

The purchase price in the event of such an acquisition will be the greater of:

 

•

the average of the daily closing prices of the partnership securities of such class for the 20 consecutive trading days preceding the date three days before the date the notice is mailed; and

 

•

the highest price paid by our general partner or any of its affiliates for any partnership securities of the class purchased within the 90 days preceding the date on which our general partner first mails notice of its election to purchase those partnership securities.

In addition, if (a) our general partner receives an opinion of outside counsel to the effect that our being a pass-through entity for federal income tax purposes has or is reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on the maximum applicable rates chargeable to customers by our subsidiaries that are regulated interstate natural gas pipelines and (b) at such time our general partner and its affiliates own more than 50% in the aggregate of the outstanding common units, class B units and other equity securities, then within 90 days of receiving such opinion our general partner will have the right, which it may assign to any of its affiliates or us, but not the obligation, to acquire all, but not less than all, of the equity securities held by unaffiliated persons.

The purchase price in the event of such an acquisition will be equal to the average of the daily closing prices of the equity securities for the 180 consecutive trading days preceding the date three days before the date on which our general partner first mails notice of its election to purchase the equity securities.

The call rights are exercisable by our general partner, acting in its individual capacity, and may be assigned to its affiliates.

As a result of our general partner’s rights to purchase outstanding units, a holder of units may have his units purchased at an undesirable time or price. The tax consequences to a unitholder of the exercise of these call rights are the same as a sale by that unitholder of his common units in the market. Please read “Material Tax Consequences—Disposition of Common Units.”

 

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Non-Taxpaying Assignees; Redemption

To avoid any adverse effect on the maximum applicable rates chargeable to customers by our subsidiaries that are regulated interstate natural gas pipelines, or in order to reverse an adverse determination that has occurred regarding such maximum rates, transferees (including purchasers from the underwriters in offerings) are required to furnish a properly completed transfer application certifying, and our general partner, acting on our behalf, may at any time require each unitholder to re-certify:

 

•

that the transferee or unitholder is an individual or an entity subject to United States federal income taxation on the income generated by us; or

 

•

that, if the transferee unitholder is an entity not subject to United States federal income taxation on the income generated by us, as in the case, for example, of a mutual fund taxed as a regulated investment company or a partnership, all the entity’s owners are subject to United States federal income taxation on the income generated by us.

This certification can be changed in any manner our general partner determines is necessary or appropriate to implement its original purpose.

If a unitholder:

 

•

fails to furnish:

 

—

a transfer application containing the required certification; or

 

—

a re-certification containing the required certification within 30 days after request; or

 

•

provides a false certification; then

we will have the right to acquire all but not less than all of the units held by such unitholder. Further, the units will not be entitled to any allocations of income or loss, distributions or voting rights while held by such unitholder.

The purchase price in the event of such an acquisition for each unit held by such unitholder will be the lesser of:

 

•

the price paid by such unitholder for the relevant unit; and

 

•

the average of the daily closing prices of the partnership securities of such class for the 20 consecutive trading days preceding the date fixed for redemption.

The purchase price will be paid in cash or by delivery of a promissory note, as determined by our general partner. Any such promissory note will bear interest at the rate of 5% annually and be payable in three equal annual installments of principal and accrued interest, commencing one year after the redemption date.

Meetings; Voting

Except as described below regarding a person or group owning 20% or more of any class of units then outstanding, unitholders or assignees who are record holders of units on the record date will be entitled to notice of, and to vote at, meetings of our limited partners and to act upon matters for which approvals may be solicited. Common units that are owned by an assignee who is a record holder, but who has not yet been admitted as a limited partner, will be voted by our general partner at the written direction of the record holder. Absent direction of this kind, the common units will not be voted, except that, in the case of common units held by our general partner on behalf of assignees who are not Eligible Holders (as defined in our partnership agreement), our general partner will distribute the votes on those common units in the same ratios as the votes of limited partners on other units are cast.

 

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Our general partner does not anticipate that any meeting of unitholders will be called in the foreseeable future. Any action that is required or permitted to be taken by the unitholders may be taken either at a meeting of the unitholders or without a meeting if consents in writing describing the action so taken are signed by holders of the number of units necessary to authorize or take that action at a meeting. Meetings of the unitholders may be called by our general partner or by unitholders owning at least 20% of the outstanding units of the class for which a meeting is proposed. Unitholders may vote either in person or by proxy at meetings. The holders of a majority of the outstanding units of the class or classes for which a meeting has been called, represented in person or by proxy, will constitute a quorum unless any action by the unitholders requires approval by holders of a greater percentage of the units, in which case the quorum will be the greater percentage. The unit equivalents representing the general partner interest are unit equivalents for distribution and allocation purposes, do not entitle our general partner to any vote other than its rights as general partner under our partnership agreement, will not be entitled to vote on any action required or permitted to be taken by the unitholders and will not count toward or be considered outstanding when calculating required votes, determining the presence of a quorum, or for similar purposes.

Each record holder of a unit has a vote according to his percentage interest in us, although additional limited partner interests having special voting rights could be issued. Please read “—Issuance of Additional Securities.” However, if at any time any person or group, other than our general partner and its affiliates, or a direct or subsequently approved transferee of our general partner or its affiliates, acquires, in the aggregate, beneficial ownership of 20% or more of any class of units then outstanding, that person or group will lose voting rights on all of its units and the units may not be voted on any matter and will not be considered to be outstanding when sending notices of a meeting of unitholders, calculating required votes, determining the presence of a quorum, or for other similar purposes. Common units held in nominee or street name account will be voted by the broker or other nominee in accordance with the instruction of the beneficial owner unless the arrangement between the beneficial owner and his nominee provides otherwise. Except as our partnership agreement otherwise provides, class B units will vote together with common units as a single class.

Any notice, demand, request, report, or proxy material required or permitted to be given or made to record holders of common units under our partnership agreement will be delivered to the record holder by us or by the transfer agent.

Status as Limited Partner or Assignee

Except as described above under “—Limited Liability,” the common units will be fully paid, and unitholders will not be required to make additional contributions.

An assignee of a common unit, after executing and delivering a transfer application, but while pending admission as a substituted limited partner, is entitled to an interest equivalent to that of a limited partner for the right to share in allocations and distributions from us, including liquidating distributions. Our general partner will vote and exercise other powers attributable to common units owned by an assignee that has not become a substituted limited partner at the written direction of the assignee. Please read “—Meetings; Voting.” Transferees who do not execute and deliver a transfer application and certification will not be treated as assignees or as record holders of common units, and will not be entitled to receive cash distributions, federal income tax allocations, or reports furnished to holders of common units. Please read “Description of the Common Units—Transfer of Common Units.”

Indemnification

Under our partnership agreement we will indemnify the following persons in most circumstances, to the fullest extent permitted by law, from and against all losses, claims, damages, or similar events:

 

•

our general partner;

 

•

any departing general partner;

 

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•

any person who is or was an affiliate of our general partner or any departing general partner;

 

•

any person who is or was an officer, director, member, partner, fiduciary or trustee of any entity described in the three foregoing bullets;

 

•

any person who is or was serving as a director, officer, member, partner, fiduciary or trustee of another person at the request of our general partner or any departing general partner or any of their affiliates; or

 

•

any person designated by our general partner.

Any indemnification under these provisions will only be out of our assets. Unless it otherwise agrees, our general partner will not be personally liable for, or have any obligation to contribute or loan funds or assets to us to enable us to effectuate, indemnification. Our partnership agreement permits us to purchase insurance against liabilities asserted against and expenses incurred by persons for our activities, regardless of whether we would have the power to indemnify the person against liabilities under our partnership agreement.

Reimbursement of Expenses

Our partnership agreement requires us to reimburse our general partner for all direct and indirect expenses it incurs or payments it makes on our behalf and all other expenses allocable to us or otherwise incurred by our general partner in connection with operating our business, including overhead allocated to us by Loews. These expenses include salary, bonus, incentive compensation and other amounts paid to persons who perform services for us or on our behalf, and expenses allocated to our general partner by its affiliates. Our general partner is entitled to determine in good faith the expenses that are allocable to us.

Books and Reports

Our general partner is required to keep appropriate books of our business at our principal offices. The books are maintained for both tax and financial reporting purposes on an accrual basis. For tax and financial reporting purposes, our fiscal year is the calendar year.

We will furnish or make available (by posting on our website or other reasonable means) to record holders of common units, within 120 days after the close of each fiscal year, an annual report containing audited financial statements and a report on those financial statements by our independent public accountants. Except for our fourth quarter, we will also furnish or make available summary financial information within 90 days after the close of each quarter.

We will furnish each record holder of a unit with information reasonably required for tax reporting purposes within 90 days after the close of each calendar year. This information is expected to be furnished in summary form so that some complex calculations normally required of partners can be avoided. Our ability to furnish this summary information to unitholders will depend on the cooperation of unitholders in supplying us with specific information. Every unitholder will receive information to assist him in determining his federal and state tax liability and filing his federal and state income tax returns, regardless of whether he supplies us with information.

Right to Inspect Our Books and Records

Our partnership agreement provides that a limited partner can, for a purpose reasonably related to his interest as a limited partner, upon reasonable demand and at his own expense, have furnished to him:

 

•

a current list of the name and last known address of each partner;

 

•

a copy of our tax returns;

 

•

information as to the amount of cash, and a description and statement of the agreed value of any other property or services, contributed or to be contributed by each partner and the date on which each became a partner;

 

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•

copies of our partnership agreement, our certificate of limited partnership and related amendments and powers of attorney under which they have been executed;

 

•

information regarding the status of our business and financial condition; and

 

•

any other information regarding our affairs as is just and reasonable.

Our general partner may, and intends to, keep confidential from the limited partners trade secrets or other information the disclosure of which our general partner believes in good faith is not in our best interests or that we are required by law or by agreements with third parties to keep confidential.

Registration Rights

Under our partnership agreement, subject to certain limitations, we have agreed to register for resale under the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws any common units, class B units or other partnership securities proposed to be sold by our general partner or any of its affiliates or their assignees if an exemption from the registration requirements is not otherwise available. These registration rights continue for two years following any withdrawal or removal of Boardwalk GP as our general partner. We are obligated to pay all expenses incidental to the registration, excluding underwriting discounts and commissions.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES

The following description sets forth the general terms and provisions that apply to the debt securities. Each prospectus supplement will state the particular terms that will apply to the debt securities included in the supplement. The debt securities will be issued solely by Boardwalk Pipelines, LP, as the issuer. References in this “Description of the Debt Securities” to “us,” “we,” or “our” refer only to Boardwalk Pipelines, LP, as issuer, and not to Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP or to any of Boardwalk Pipelines’ subsidiaries. References in this “Description of the Debt Securities” to “the master partnership” or “the guarantor” refer only to Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP, and not to any of its subsidiaries.

We will issue debt securities under one or more indentures among us, as issuer, The Bank of New York Trust Company, N.A., as trustee, and, if applicable, the master partnership as guarantor. The debt securities will be governed by the provisions of the Indenture (as described below) and those made part of the Indenture by reference to the Trust Indenture Act of 1939. We, the Trustee and the guarantor, if applicable, may enter into supplements to the Indenture from time to time. If we decide to issue subordinated debt securities, we will issue them under a separate Indenture containing subordination provisions.

This description is a summary of the material provisions of the debt securities and the Indentures. We urge you to read the forms of senior indenture and subordinated indenture filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part because those indentures, and not this description, govern your rights as a holder of debt securities. References in this prospectus to an “Indenture” refer to the particular indenture under which we issue a series of debt securities.

General

Debt Securities

Any series of debt securities that we issue:

 

•

will be our general obligations;

 

•

will be general obligations of the master partnership, if it guarantees that series; and

 

•

may be subordinated to our senior indebtedness, with any guarantees also being subordinated to any senior indebtedness.

The Indenture does not limit the total amount of debt securities that we may issue. We may issue debt securities under the Indenture from time to time in separate series, up to the aggregate amount authorized for each such series.

We will prepare a prospectus supplement and either an indenture supplement or a resolution of the board of directors of the master partnership’s general partner and accompanying officers’ certificate relating to any series of debt securities that we offer, which will include specific terms relating to some or all of the following:

 

•

the form and title of the debt securities;

 

•

the total principal amount of the debt securities;

 

•

the date or dates on which the debt securities may be issued;

 

•

the portion of the principal amount which will be payable if the maturity of the debt securities is accelerated;

 

•

any right we may have to defer payments of interest by extending the dates payments are due and whether interest on those deferred amounts will be payable;

 

•

the dates on which the principal and premium, if any, of the debt securities will be payable;

 

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•

the interest rate which the debt securities will bear and the interest payment dates for the debt securities;

 

•

any optional redemption provisions;

 

•

any sinking fund or other provisions that would obligate us to repurchase or otherwise redeem the debt securities;

 

•

whether the debt securities are entitled to the benefits of any guarantees by the master partnership;

 

•

whether the debt securities may be issued in amounts other than $1,000 each or multiples thereof;

 

•

any changes to or additional Events of Default or covenants;

 

•

the subordination, if any, of the debt securities and any changes to the subordination provisions of the Indenture;

 

•

the terms, if any, upon which the debt securities may be convertible into or exchanged for stock, other debt securities or other securities; and

 

•

any other terms of the debt securities.

This description of debt securities will be deemed modified, amended or supplemented by any description of any series of debt securities set forth in a prospectus supplement related to that series.

The prospectus supplement will also describe any material United States federal income tax consequences or other special considerations regarding the applicable series of debt securities, including those relating to:

 

•

debt securities with respect to which payments of principal, premium or interest are determined with reference to an index or formula, including changes in prices of particular securities, currencies or commodities;

 

•

debt securities with respect to which principal, premium or interest is payable in a foreign or composite currency;

 

•

debt securities that are issued at a discount below their stated principal amount, bearing no interest or interest at a rate that at the time of issuance is below market rates; and

 

•

variable rate debt securities that are exchangeable for fixed rate debt securities.

At our option, we may make interest payments by check mailed to the registered holders of any debt securities or, if so stated in the applicable prospectus supplement, at the option of a holder by wire transfer to an account designated by the holder.

Unless otherwise provided in the applicable prospectus supplement, fully registered securities may be transferred or exchanged at the office of the Trustee at which its corporate trust business is principally administered in the United States, subject to the limitations provided in the Indenture, without the payment of any service charge, other than any applicable tax or governmental charge.

Any funds we pay to a paying agent for the payment of amounts due on any debt securities that remain unclaimed for two years will be returned to us, and the holders of the debt securities must look only to us for payment after that time.

The Guarantees

Our payment obligations under any series of debt securities may be jointly and severally, fully and unconditionally guaranteed by the master partnership. If a series of debt securities is so guaranteed, the master partnership will execute a notation of guarantee as further evidence of its guarantee. The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the terms of any guarantee by the master partnership.

 

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Any guarantee of the master partnership may be released under certain circumstances. If no default has occurred and is continuing under the Indenture, and to the extent not otherwise prohibited by the Indenture, the master partnership will be unconditionally released and discharged from the guarantee:

 

•

automatically upon any sale, exchange or transfer, to any person that is not our affiliate, by the master partnership of all of direct or indirect equity interests in us; or

 

•

automatically upon the merger of the master partnership into us or the liquidation and dissolution of the master partnership.

If a series of debt securities is guaranteed by the master partnership and is designated as subordinate to our senior indebtedness, then the guarantees by the master partnership will be subordinated to the senior indebtedness of the master partnership to substantially the same extent as the series is subordinated to our senior indebtedness. See “—Subordination.”

Covenants

The Indenture contains the following covenant for the benefit of the holders of all series of debt securities.

Reports

So long as any debt securities are outstanding, we will file with the Trustee, within 15 days after we or the master partnership would have been required to file the same with the SEC, copies of the annual reports and of the information, documents and other reports that we or the master partnership are required to file with the SEC pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”).

A series of debt securities may contain additional financial and other covenants. The applicable prospectus supplement will contain a description of any such covenants that are added to the Indenture specifically for the benefit of holders of a particular series.

Merger, Amalgamation, Consolidation and Sale of Assets

We will not merge, amalgamate or consolidate with or into any other person or sell, convey, transfer, lease or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of our assets to any person, whether in a single transaction or series of related transactions, unless:

 

•

we are the surviving person in the case of a merger, or the surviving or transferee person, if other than us:

 

•

is a partnership, limited liability company or corporation organized under the laws of the United States, a state thereof or the District of Columbia; and

 

•

expressly assumes, by supplemental indenture satisfactory to the Trustee, all of our obligations under the Indenture and the debt securities issued under the Indenture;

 

•

immediately after giving effect to the transaction or series of transactions, no Default or Event of Default would occur or be continuing;

 

•

if we are not the surviving person, then each guarantor, unless it is the person with which we have consummated a transaction under this provision, has confirmed that its guarantee of the debt securities will continue to apply to the obligations under the debt securities and the Indenture; and

 

•

we have delivered to the Trustee an officers’ certificate and opinion of counsel, each stating that the merger, amalgamation, consolidation, sale, conveyance, transfer, lease or other disposition, and if a supplemental indenture is required, the supplemental indenture, comply with the conditions set forth above and any other applicable provisions of the Indenture.

 

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Thereafter, if we are not the surviving person, the surviving or transferee person will be substituted for us under the Indenture. If we sell or otherwise dispose of (except by lease) all or substantially all of our assets and the above stated requirements are satisfied, we will be released from all of our liabilities and obligations under the Indenture and the debt securities. If we lease all or substantially all of our assets, we will not be so released from our obligations under the Indenture and the debt securities.

Events of Default, Remedies and Notice

Events of Default

Each of the following events will be an “Event of Default” under the Indenture with respect to a series of debt securities:

 

•

default in any payment of interest on any debt securities of that series when due that continues for 30 days;

 

•

default in the payment of principal of or premium, if any, on any debt securities of that series when due at its stated maturity, upon redemption, upon required repurchase or otherwise;

 

•

default in the payment of any sinking fund payment on any debt securities of that series when due;

 

•

failure by us or, if the series of debt securities is guaranteed by the master partnership, by the guarantor, to comply for 60 days (180 days in the case of a failure to comply with the covenant described under “—Covenants—Reports” above) after notice with the other agreements contained in the Indenture, any supplement to the Indenture or any board resolution authorizing the issuance of that series;

 

•

certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization of the issuer or, if applicable, the guarantor; and

 

•

if such series of debt securities is entitled to the benefits of a guarantee, such guarantee (i) ceases to be in full force and effect, except as specifically permitted under the Indenture, (ii) is declared null and void in a judicial proceeding or (iii) is denied or disaffirmed by the guarantor.

Exercise of Remedies

If an Event of Default, other than an Event of Default described in the fifth bullet point above, occurs and is continuing, the Trustee or the holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series may declare the entire principal of, premium, if any, and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on all the debt securities of that series to be due and payable immediately.

A default under the fourth bullet point above will not constitute an Event of Default until the Trustee or the holders of 25% in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series notify us and, if the series of debt securities is guaranteed by the guarantor, the guarantor, of the default and such default is not cured within 60 days after receipt of notice (180 days in the case of a failure to comply with the covenant described under “—Covenants—Reports” above).

If an Event of Default described in the fifth bullet point above occurs and is continuing, the principal of, premium, if any, and accrued and unpaid interest on all outstanding debt securities of all series will become immediately due and payable without any declaration of acceleration or other act on the part of the Trustee or any holders.

The holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of a series may:

 

•

waive all past defaults, except with respect to nonpayment of principal, premium or interest; and

 

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•

rescind any declaration of acceleration by the Trustee or the holders with respect to the debt securities of that series, but only if:

 

•

rescinding the declaration of acceleration would not conflict with any judgment or decree of a court of competent jurisdiction; and

 

•

all existing Events of Default have been cured or waived, other than the nonpayment of principal, premium, if any, or interest on the debt securities of that series that have become due solely by the declaration of acceleration.

If an Event of Default occurs and is continuing, the Trustee will be under no obligation, except as otherwise provided in the Indenture, to exercise any of the rights or powers under the Indenture at the request or direction of any of the holders unless such holders have offered to the Trustee reasonable indemnity or security against any costs, liability or expense. No holder may pursue any remedy with respect to the Indenture or the debt securities of any series, except to enforce the right to receive payment of principal, premium, if any, or interest when due, unless:

 

•

such holder has previously given the Trustee notice that an Event of Default with respect to that series is continuing;

 

•

holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series have requested that the Trustee pursue the remedy;

 

•

such holders have offered the Trustee reasonable indemnity or security against any cost, liability or expense;

 

•

the Trustee has not complied with such request within 60 days after the receipt of the request and the offer of indemnity or security; and

 

•

the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series have not given the Trustee a direction that, in the opinion of the trustee, is inconsistent with such request within such 60-day period.

The holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of a series have the right, subject to certain restrictions, to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee or of exercising any right or power conferred on the trustee with respect to that series of debt securities. The Trustee, however, may refuse to follow any direction that:

 

•

conflicts with law;

 

•

is inconsistent with any provision of the Indenture;

 

•

the Trustee determines is unduly prejudicial to the rights of any other holder; or

 

•

would involve the Trustee in personal liability.

Notice of Event of Default

Within 30 days after the occurrence of an Event of Default, we are required to give written notice to the Trustee and indicate the status of the default and what action we are taking or propose to take to cure the default. In addition, we are required to deliver to the Trustee, on or before January 31 in each year, a compliance certificate indicating that we have complied with all covenants contained in the Indenture or whether any default or Event of Default has occurred during the previous year.

If an Event of Default occurs and is continuing and is known to the Trustee, the Trustee must mail to each holder a notice of the Event of Default by the later of 90 days after the Event of Default occurs or 30 days after the Trustee knows of the Event of Default. Except in the case of a default in the payment of principal, premium,

 

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if any, or interest with respect to any debt securities, the Trustee may withhold such notice, but only if and so long as the board of directors, the executive committee or a committee of directors or responsible officers of the Trustee in good faith determines that withholding such notice is in the interests of the holders.

Amendments and Waivers

The issuer may amend the Indenture without the consent of any holder of debt securities to:

 

•

cure any ambiguity, omission, defect or inconsistency;

 

•

convey, transfer, assign, mortgage or pledge any property to or with the Trustee;

 

•

provide for the assumption by a successor of the issuer’s obligations under the Indenture;

 

•

add guarantors with respect to the debt securities or reflect the release of any guarantor in accordance with the Indenture;

 

•

secure the debt securities;

 

•

add covenants for the benefit of the holders or surrender any right or power conferred upon the issuer;

 

•

make any change that does not adversely affect the rights under the Indenture of any holder;

 

•

add or appoint a successor or separate Trustee;

 

•

comply with any requirement of the SEC in connection with the qualification of the Indenture under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939; or

 

•

establish the form or terms of any new series of debt securities.

In addition, the issuer may amend the Indenture if the holders of a majority in principal amount of all debt securities of each series that would be affected then outstanding under the Indenture consent to it. The issuer may not, however, without the consent of each holder of outstanding debt securities of each series that would be affected, amend the Indenture to:

 

•

reduce the percentage in principal amount of debt securities of any series whose holders must consent to an amendment;

 

•

reduce the rate of or extend the time for payment of interest on any debt securities;

 

•

reduce the principal of or extend the stated maturity of any debt securities;

 

•

reduce any premium payable upon the redemption of any debt securities or change the time at which any debt securities may or shall be redeemed;

 

•

make any debt securities payable in other than U.S. dollars;

 

•

impair the right of any holder to receive payment of premium, if any, principal or interest with respect to such holder’s debt securities on or after the applicable due date;

 

•

impair the right of any holder to institute suit for the enforcement of any payment with respect to such holder’s debt securities;

 

•

release any security that has been granted in respect of the debt securities, other than in accordance with the Indenture;

 

•

make any change in the amendment provisions which require each holder’s consent;

 

•

make any change in the waiver provisions; or

 

•

release any guarantor or modify a guarantor’s guarantee in any manner adverse to the holders.

 

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The consent of the holders is not necessary under the Indenture to approve the particular form of any proposed amendment. It is sufficient if such consent approves the substance of the proposed amendment. After an amendment under the Indenture requiring the consent of the holders of any series of debt securities becomes effective, the issuer is required to mail to all holders a notice briefly describing the amendment with respect to other holders. The failure to give, or any defect in, such notice to any holder, however, will not impair or affect the validity of the amendment with respect to other holders.

The holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of each affected series, on behalf of all such holders, and subject to certain rights of the Trustee, may waive:

 

•

compliance by the issuer or a guarantor with certain restrictive provisions of the Indenture; and

 

•

any past default under the Indenture, subject to certain rights of the Trustee under the Indenture;

except that such majority of holders may not waive a default:

 

•

in the payment of principal, premium, if any, or interest; or

 

•

in respect of a provision that under the Indenture cannot be amended

without the consent of all holders of the series of debt securities that is affected.

Satisfaction and Discharge

The issuer may discharge all its obligations under the Indenture with respect to any series of debt securities, other than its obligation to register the transfer and exchange of debt securities of such series, provided that either:

 

•

the issuer delivers all outstanding debt securities of such series to the Trustee for cancellation; or

 

•

all such debt securities not so delivered for cancellation have either become due and payable, will become due and payable at their stated maturity within one year or are scheduled for redemption within one year, and the issuer has deposited with the Trustee in trust an amount of cash sufficient to pay the entire indebtedness of such debt securities, including interest to the stated maturity or applicable redemption date,

and, in either case, the issuer has paid all other sums payable under the Indenture.

Defeasance

At any time, the issuer may terminate, with respect to debt securities of a particular series, all its obligations under such series of debt securities and the Indenture, which we call a “legal defeasance.” If the issuer decides to make a legal defeasance, however, the issuer may not, among other things, terminate its obligations:

 

•

relating to the defeasance trust;

 

•

to register the transfer or exchange of the debt securities of that series;

 

•

to replace mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen debt securities of that series;

 

•

to maintain one or more offices or agencies where the debt securities of that series may be presented or surrendered for payment and may be surrendered for transfer or exchange; or

 

•

to compensate the Trustee in accordance with the Indenture.

If the issuer exercises its legal defeasance option, any guarantee will terminate with respect to that series of debt securities.

 

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At any time the issuer may also effect a “covenant defeasance,” which means it has elected to terminate its obligations with respect to debt securities of a particular series under the covenants applicable to such series of debt securities and described in the prospectus supplement applicable to such series, other than as described in such prospectus supplement.

The legal defeasance option may be exercised notwithstanding a prior exercise of the covenant defeasance option. If the legal defeasance option is exercised, payment of the affected series of debt securities may not be accelerated because of an Event of Default with respect to that series. If the covenant defeasance option is exercised, payment of the affected series of debt securities may not be accelerated because of an Event of Default specified in the fourth and sixth (and with respect to any guarantor, the fifth) bullet points in the first paragraph under “—Events of Default, Remedies and Notice—Events of Default” or an Event of Default that is added specifically for such series and described in the prospectus supplement applicable to such series.

In order to exercise either defeasance option, the issuer must:

 

•

irrevocably deposit in trust with the Trustee money or certain U.S. government obligations for the payment of principal, premium, if any, and interest on the series of debt securities to redemption or maturity, as the case may be;

 

•

deliver to the Trustee an opinion of counsel to the effect that holders of the series of debt securities will not recognize income, gain or loss for federal income tax purposes as a result of such defeasance and will be subject to federal income tax on the same amount and in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such deposit and defeasance had not occurred. In the case of legal defeasance only, such opinion of counsel must be based on a ruling of the Internal Revenue Service or other change in applicable federal income tax law; and

 

•

comply with certain other conditions, including that no default has occurred and is continuing after the deposit in trust.

Subordination

Debt securities of a series may be subordinated to our “Senior Indebtedness,” which we define generally to include any obligation created or assumed by us (or, if the series is guaranteed, the guarantor) for the repayment of borrowed money and any guarantee therefor, whether outstanding or hereafter issued, unless, by the terms of the instrument creating or evidencing such obligation, it is provided that such obligation is subordinate or not superior in right of payment to such debt securities (or, if the series is guaranteed, the guarantee of the guarantor), or to other obligations which are pari passu with or subordinated to such debt securities (or, if the series is guaranteed, the guarantee of the guarantor). Subordinated debt securities will be subordinate in right of payment, to the extent and in the manner set forth in the Indenture and the prospectus supplement relating to such series, to the prior payment of all of our indebtedness and that of the guarantor, if applicable, that is designated as “Senior Indebtedness” with respect to such series.

The holders of our Senior Indebtedness or, if applicable, of the Senior Indebtedness of a guarantor, will receive payment in full of the Senior Indebtedness before holders of subordinated debt securities will receive any payment of principal, premium, if any, or interest with respect to the subordinated debt securities:

 

•

upon any payment or distribution of our assets or, if applicable to any series of outstanding debt securities, the guarantor’s assets, to creditors;

 

•

upon a liquidation or dissolution of us or, if applicable to any series of outstanding debt securities, the guarantor; or

 

•

in a bankruptcy, receivership or similar proceeding relating to us or, if applicable to any series of outstanding debt securities, to the guarantor.

 

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Until the Senior Indebtedness is paid in full, any distribution to which holders of subordinated debt securities would otherwise be entitled will be made to the holders of Senior Indebtedness, except that the holders of subordinated debt securities may receive units representing limited partner interests in us and any debt securities that are subordinated to Senior Indebtedness to at least the same extent as the subordinated debt securities.

If the issuer does not pay any principal, premium, if any, or interest with respect to Senior Indebtedness within any applicable grace period (including at maturity), or any other default on Senior Indebtedness occurs and the maturity of the Senior Indebtedness is accelerated in accordance with its terms, the issuer and any guarantor may not:

 

•

make any payments of principal, premium, if any, or interest with respect to subordinated debt securities;

 

•

make any deposit for the purpose of defeasance of the subordinated debt securities; or

 

•

repurchase, redeem or otherwise retire any subordinated debt securities, except that in the case of subordinated debt securities that provide for a mandatory sinking fund, the issuer may deliver subordinated debt securities to the Trustee in satisfaction of its sinking fund obligation,

unless, in either case,

 

•

the default has been cured or waived and any declaration of acceleration has been rescinded;

 

•

the Senior Indebtedness has been paid in full in cash; or

 

•

the issuer and the Trustee receive written notice approving the payment from the representatives of each issue of “Designated Senior Indebtedness.”

Generally, “Designated Senior Indebtedness” will include:

 

•

any specified issue of Senior Indebtedness of at least $100 million; and

 

•

any other Senior Indebtedness that we may designate in respect of any series of subordinated debt securities.

During the continuance of any default, other than a default described in the paragraph prior to the immediately preceding paragraph, that may cause the maturity of any Designated Senior Indebtedness to be accelerated immediately without further notice, other than any notice required to effect such acceleration, or the expiration of any applicable grace periods, the issuer may not make any payments on the subordinated debt securities or any related guarantee for a period called the “Payment Blockage Period.” A Payment Blockage Period will commence on the receipt by the issuer and the Trustee of written notice of the default, called a “Blockage Notice,” from the representative of any Designated Senior Indebtedness specifying an election to effect a Payment Blockage Period and will end 179 days thereafter.

The Payment Blockage Period may be terminated before its expiration:

 

•

by written notice from the person or persons who gave the Blockage Notice;

 

•

by repayment in full in cash of the Designated Senior Indebtedness with respect to which the Blockage Notice was given; or

 

•

if the default giving rise to the Payment Blockage Period is no longer continuing.

Unless the holders of the Designated Senior Indebtedness have accelerated the maturity of the Designated Senior Indebtedness, the issuer may resume payments on the subordinated debt securities after the expiration of the Payment Blockage Period.

 

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Generally, not more than one Blockage Notice may be given in any period of 360 consecutive days. The total number of days during which any one or more Payment Blockage Periods are in effect, however, may not exceed an aggregate of 179 days during any period of 360 consecutive days.

After all Senior Indebtedness is paid in full and until the subordinated debt securities are paid in full, holders of the subordinated debt securities shall be subrogated to the rights of holders of Senior Indebtedness to receive distributions applicable to Senior Indebtedness.

As a result of the subordination provisions described above, in the event of insolvency, the holders of Senior Indebtedness, as well as certain of the issuer’s general creditors, may recover more, ratably, than the holders of the subordinated debt securities.

No Personal Liability of General Partner

Our general partner and its directors, officers, employees, incorporators and equity owners, as such, will not be liable for:

 

•

any of our obligations or the obligations of any guarantor under the debt securities or the indentures; or

 

•

any claim based on, in respect of, or by reason of, such obligations or their creation.

By accepting a debt security, each holder will be deemed to have waived and released all such liability. This waiver and release are part of the consideration for our issuance of the debt securities. This waiver may not be effective, however, to waive liabilities under the federal securities laws and it is the view of the SEC that such a waiver is against public policy.

Book Entry, Delivery and Form

A series of debt securities may be issued in the form of one or more global certificates deposited with a depositary. We expect that The Depository Trust Company, New York, New York, or “DTC,” will act as depositary. If a series of debt securities is issued in book-entry form, one or more global certificates will be issued and deposited with or on behalf of DTC and physical certificates will not be issued to each holder. A global security may not be transferred unless it is exchanged in whole or in part for a certificated security, except that DTC, its nominees and their successors may transfer a global security as a whole to one another.

DTC will keep a computerized record of its participants, such as a broker, whose clients have purchased the debt securities. The participants will then keep records of their clients who purchased the debt securities. Beneficial interests in global securities will be shown on, and transfers of beneficial interests in global securities will be made only through, records maintained by DTC and its participants.

DTC advises us that it is:

 

•

a limited-purpose trust company organized under the New York Banking Law;

 

•

a “banking organization” within the meaning of the New York Banking Law;

 

•

a member of the United States Federal Reserve System;

 

•

a “clearing corporation” within the meaning of the New York Uniform Commercial Code; and

 

•

a “clearing agency” registered under the provisions of Section 17A of the Exchange Act.

DTC is owned by a number of its participants and by the New York Stock Exchange, Inc., The American Stock Exchange, Inc. and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. The rules that apply to DTC and its participants are on file with the SEC.

 

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DTC holds securities that its participants deposit with DTC. DTC also records the settlement among participants of securities transactions, such as transfers and pledges, in deposited securities through computerized records for participants’ accounts. This eliminates the need to exchange certificates. Participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and certain other organizations.

Principal, premium, if any, and interest payments due on the global securities will be wired to DTC’s nominee. The issuer, any guarantor, the Trustee and any paying agent will treat DTC’s nominee as the owner of the global securities for all purposes. Accordingly, the issuer, the trustee and any paying agent will have no direct responsibility or liability to pay amounts due on the global securities to owners of beneficial interests in the global securities.

It is DTC’s current practice, upon receipt of any payment of principal, premium, if any, or interest, to credit participants’ accounts on the payment date according to their respective holdings of beneficial interests in the global securities as shown on DTC’s records. In addition, it is DTC’s current practice to assign any consenting or voting rights to participants, whose accounts are credited with debt securities on a record date, by using an omnibus proxy.

Payments by participants to owners of beneficial interests in the global securities, as well as voting by participants, will be governed by the customary practices between the participants and the owners of beneficial interests, as is the case with debt securities held for the account of customers registered in “street name.” Payments to holders of beneficial interests are the responsibility of the participants and not of DTC, the Trustee, any guarantor or us.

Beneficial interests in global securities will be exchangeable for certificated securities with the same terms in authorized denominations only if:

 

•

DTC notifies the issuer that it is unwilling or unable to continue as depositary or if DTC ceases to be a clearing agency registered under applicable law and a successor depositary is not appointed by the issuer within 90 days; or

 

•

the issuer determines not to require all of the debt securities of a series to be represented by a global security and notifies the trustee of the decision.

The Trustee

A separate trustee may be appointed for any series of debt securities. We use the term “Trustee” to refer to the trustee appointed with respect to any such series of debt securities. We may maintain banking and other commercial relationships with the Trustee and its affiliates in the ordinary course of business, and the Trustee may own debt securities.

Governing Law

The Indenture and the debt securities will be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York.

 

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MATERIAL TAX CONSEQUENCES

This section is a summary of the material tax considerations that may be relevant to prospective unitholders who are individual citizens or residents of the United States and, unless otherwise noted in the following discussion, is the opinion of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P., counsel to our general partner and us, insofar as it relates to legal conclusions with respect to matters of U.S. federal income tax law. This section is based upon current provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Internal Revenue Code”), existing and proposed Treasury regulations promulgated under the Internal Revenue Code (the “Treasury Regulations”), and current administrative rulings and court decisions, all of which are subject to change. Later changes in these authorities may cause the tax consequences to vary substantially from the consequences described below. Unless the context otherwise requires, references in this section to “us” or “we” are references to Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP and our operating partnership.

The following discussion does not comment on all federal income tax matters affecting us or the unitholders. Moreover, the discussion focuses on unitholders who are individual citizens or residents of the United States and has only limited application to corporations, estates, trusts, nonresident aliens or other unitholders subject to specialized tax treatment, such as tax-exempt institutions, foreign persons, individual retirement accounts (IRAs), employee benefits plans, real estate investment trusts (REITs) or mutual funds. Accordingly, we urge each prospective unitholder to consult, and depend on, his own tax advisor in analyzing the federal, state, local and foreign tax consequences particular to him of the ownership or disposition of common units.

The IRS has made no determination regarding any matter affecting us or prospective unitholders. Instead, we will rely on opinions of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. Unlike a ruling, an opinion of counsel represents only that counsel’s best legal judgment and does not bind the IRS or the courts. Accordingly, the opinions and statements made herein may not be sustained by a court if contested by the IRS. Any contest of this sort with the IRS may materially and adversely impact the market for the common units and the prices at which the common units trade. In addition, the costs of any contest with the IRS, principally legal, accounting and related fees, will result in a reduction in cash available for distribution to our unitholders and our general partner and thus will be borne indirectly by our unitholders and our general partner. Furthermore, the tax treatment of us, or of an investment in us, may be significantly modified by future legislative or administrative changes or court decisions. Any modifications may or may not be retroactively applied.

All statements as to matters of law and legal conclusions, but not as to factual matters, contained in this section, unless otherwise noted, are the opinion of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. and are based on the accuracy of the representations made by us.

For the reasons described below, Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. has not rendered an opinion with respect to the following specific federal income tax issues: (1) the treatment of a unitholder whose common units are loaned to a short seller to cover a short sale of common units (please read “—Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership—Treatment of Short Sales”); (2) whether our monthly convention for allocating taxable income and losses is permitted by existing Treasury Regulations (please read “—Disposition of Common Units—Allocations Between Transferors and Transferees”); and (3) whether our method for depreciating Section 743 adjustments is sustainable in certain cases (please read “—Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership—Section 754 Election” and “— Uniformity of Units”).

Partnership Status

A partnership is not a taxable entity and incurs no federal income tax liability. Instead, each partner of a partnership is required to take into account his share of items of income, gain, loss and deduction of the partnership in computing his federal income tax liability, regardless of whether cash distributions are made to

 

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him by the partnership. Distributions by a partnership to a partner are generally not taxable to the partnership or the partner unless the amount of cash distributed is in excess of the partner’s adjusted basis in his partnership interest.

Section 7704 of the Internal Revenue Code provides that publicly traded partnerships will, as a general rule, be taxed as corporations. However, an exception, referred to in this discussion as the “Qualifying Income Exception,” exists with respect to publicly traded partnerships of which 90% or more of the gross income for every taxable year consists of “qualifying income.” Qualifying income includes income and gains derived from the transportation, storage and marketing of crude oil, natural gas and products thereof. Other types of qualifying income include interest (other than from a financial business), dividends, gains from the sale of real property and gains from the sale or other disposition of capital assets held for the production of income that otherwise constitutes qualifying income. We estimate that less than 5% of our current gross income is not qualifying income; however, this estimate could change from time to time. Based upon and subject to this estimate, the factual representations made by us and our general partner and a review of the applicable legal authorities, Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. is of the opinion that at least 90% of our current gross income constitutes qualifying income. The portion of our income that is qualifying income may change from time to time.

The IRS has made no determination as to our status or the status of the operating partnership for federal income tax purposes or whether our operations generate “qualifying income” under Section 7704 of the Internal Revenue Code. Instead, we will rely on the opinion of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. on such matters. It is the opinion of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. that, based upon the Internal Revenue Code, its Treasury Regulations, published revenue rulings and court decisions and the representations described below, we will be classified as a partnership and our operating partnership will be disregarded as an entity separate from us for federal income tax purposes.

In rendering its opinion, Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. has relied on factual representations made by us and our general partner. Among the representations made by us and our general partner upon which Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. has relied are the following:

 

•

neither we, our operating partnership, nor any of its subsidiary entities has elected or will elect to be treated as a corporation;

 

•

for each taxable year of the Partnership, more than 90% of our gross income has been and will be income from sources that Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. has opined or will opine as generating “qualifying income” within the meaning of Section 7704(d) of the Internal Revenue Code; and

 

•

each hedging transaction that we treat as resulting in qualifying income has been and will be appropriately identified as a hedging transaction pursuant to applicable Treasury Regulations, and has been and will be associated with oil, gas, or products thereof that are held or to be held by us in activities that Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. has opined or will opine result in qualifying income.

 

•

We believe that these representations have been true in the past and expect that these representations will be true in the future.

If we fail to meet the Qualifying Income Exception, other than a failure that is determined by the IRS to be inadvertent and that is cured within a reasonable time after discovery (in which case the IRS may also require us to make adjustments with respect to our unitholders or pay other amounts), we will be treated as if we had transferred all of our assets, subject to liabilities, to a newly formed corporation, on the first day of the year in which we fail to meet the Qualifying Income Exception, in return for stock in that corporation, and then distributed that stock to the unitholders in liquidation of their interests in us. This deemed contribution and liquidation should be tax-free to unitholders and us so long as we, at that time, do not have liabilities in excess of the tax basis of our assets. Thereafter, we would be treated as a corporation for federal income tax purposes.

 

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If we were treated as an association taxable as a corporation in any taxable year, either as a result of a failure to meet the Qualifying Income Exception or otherwise, our items of income, gain, loss and deduction would be reflected only on our tax return rather than being passed through to the unitholders, and our net income would be taxed to us at corporate rates. In addition, any distribution made to a unitholder would be treated as either taxable dividend income, to the extent of our current or accumulated earnings and profits, or, in the absence of earnings and profits, a nontaxable return of capital, to the extent of the unitholder’s tax basis in his common units, or taxable capital gain, after the unitholder’s tax basis in his common units is reduced to zero. Accordingly, taxation as a corporation would result in a material reduction in a unitholder’s cash flow and after-tax return and thus would likely result in a substantial reduction of the value of the units.

The discussion below is based on Vinson & Elkins L.L.P.’s opinion that we will be classified as a partnership for federal income tax purposes.

Limited Partner Status

Unitholders who have become limited partners of Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP will be treated as partners of Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP for federal income tax purposes. Also:

 

•

assignees who have executed and delivered transfer applications, and are awaiting admission as limited partners, and

 

•

unitholders whose common units are held in street name or by a nominee and who have the right to direct the nominee in the exercise of all substantive rights attendant to the ownership of their common units

will be treated as partners of Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP for federal income tax purposes. As there is no direct or indirect controlling authority addressing the federal income tax treatment of assignees of common units who are entitled to execute and deliver transfer applications and thereby become entitled to direct the exercise of attendant rights, but who fail to execute and deliver transfer applications, Vinson & Elkins L.L.P.’s opinion does not extend to these persons. Furthermore, a purchaser or other transferee of common units who does not execute and deliver a transfer application may not receive some federal income tax information or reports furnished to record holders of common units unless the common units are held in a nominee or street name account and the nominee or broker has executed and delivered a transfer application for those common units.

A beneficial owner of common units whose units have been transferred to a short seller to complete a short sale would appear to lose his status as a partner with respect to those units for federal income tax purposes. Please read “—Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership—Treatment of Short Sales.”

Income, gain, deductions or losses would not appear to be reportable by a unitholder who is not a partner for federal income tax purposes, and any cash distributions received by a unitholder who is not a partner for federal income tax purposes would therefore appear to be fully taxable as ordinary income. These holders are urged to consult their own tax advisors with respect to their tax consequences of holding our common units.

The references to “unitholders” in the discussion that follows are to persons who are treated as partners in Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP for federal income tax purposes.

Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership

Flow Through of Taxable Income

We do not pay any federal income tax. Instead, each unitholder will be required to report on his income tax return his share of our income, gains, losses and deductions without regard to whether corresponding cash distributions are received by him. Consequently, we may allocate income to a unitholder even if he has not

 

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received a cash distribution. Each unitholder will be required to include in income his allocable share of our income, gains, losses and deductions for our taxable year ending with or within his taxable year. Our taxable year ends on December 31.

Treatment of Distributions

Distributions by us to a unitholder generally will not be taxable to the unitholder for federal income tax purposes except to the extent the amount of any such cash distribution exceeds his tax basis in his common units immediately before the distribution. Our cash distributions in excess of a unitholder’s tax basis generally will be considered to be gain from the sale or exchange of the common units, taxable in accordance with the rules described under “—Disposition of Common Units” below. Any reduction in a unitholder’s share of our liabilities for which no partner, including our general partner, bears the economic risk of loss, known as “nonrecourse liabilities,” will be treated as a distribution of cash by us to that unitholder. To the extent our distributions cause a unitholder’s “at risk” amount to be less than zero at the end of any taxable year, he must recapture any losses deducted in previous years. Please read “—Limitations on Deductibility of Losses.”

A decrease in a unitholder’s percentage interest in us because of our issuance of additional common units will decrease his share of our nonrecourse liabilities, and thus will result in a corresponding deemed distribution of cash. This deemed distribution may constitute a non-pro rata distribution. A non-pro rata distribution of money or property may result in ordinary income to a unitholder, regardless of his tax basis in his common units, if the distribution reduces the unitholder’s share of our “unrealized receivables,” including depreciation recapture, and/or substantially appreciated “inventory items,” both as defined in Section 751 of the Internal Revenue Code, and collectively, “Section 751 Assets.” To that extent, he will be treated as having been distributed his proportionate share of the Section 751 Assets and then having exchanged those assets with us in return for the non-pro rata portion of the actual distribution made to him. This latter deemed exchange will generally result in the unitholder’s realization of ordinary income, which will equal the excess of (1) the non-pro rata portion of that distribution over (2) the unitholder’s tax basis (generally zero) for the share of Section 751 Assets deemed relinquished in the exchange.

Basis of Common Units

A unitholder’s initial tax basis for his common units will be the amount he paid for the common units plus his share of our nonrecourse liabilities. That basis will be increased by his share of our income and by any increases in his share of our nonrecourse liabilities. That basis will be decreased, but not below zero, by distributions from us, by the unitholder’s share of our losses, by any decreases in his share of our nonrecourse liabilities and by his share of our expenditures that are not deductible in computing taxable income and are not required to be capitalized. A unitholder will have no share of our debt that is recourse to our general partner, but will have a share, generally based on his share of profits, of our nonrecourse liabilities. Please read “—Disposition of Common Units—Recognition of Gain or Loss.”

Limitations on Deductibility of Losses

The deduction by a unitholder of his share of our losses will be limited to the tax basis in his units and, in the case of an individual unitholder, estate, trust, or a corporate unitholder (if more than 50% of the value of the corporate unitholder’s stock is owned directly or indirectly by or for five or fewer individuals or some tax-exempt organizations) to the amount for which the unitholder is considered to be “at risk” with respect to our activities, if that is less than his tax basis. A unitholder subject to these limitations must recapture losses deducted in previous years to the extent that distributions cause his at-risk amount to be less than zero at the end of any taxable year. Losses disallowed to a unitholder or recaptured as a result of these limitations will carry forward and will be allowable as a deduction to the extent that his at-risk amount is subsequently increased, provided such losses do not exceed such unitholder’s tax basis in his units. Upon the taxable disposition of a unit, any gain recognized by a unitholder can be offset by losses that were previously suspended by the at-risk limitation but may not be offset by losses suspended by the basis limitation. Any loss previously suspended by the at-risk limitation in excess of that gain would no longer be utilizable.

 

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In general, a unitholder will be at risk to the extent of the tax basis of his units, excluding any portion of that basis attributable to his share of our nonrecourse liabilities, reduced by (i) any portion of that basis representing amounts otherwise protected against loss because of a guarantee, stop loss agreement, or other similar arrangement and (ii) any amount of money he borrows to acquire or hold his units, if the lender of those borrowed funds owns an interest in us, is related to the unitholder or can look only to the units for repayment. A unitholder’s at risk amount will increase or decrease as the tax basis of the unitholder’s units increases or decreases, other than tax basis increases or decreases attributable to increases or decreases in his share of our nonrecourse liabilities.

In addition to the basis and at-risk limitations on the deductibility of losses, the passive loss limitations generally provide that individuals, estates, trusts and some closely-held corporations and personal service corporations can deduct losses from passive activities, which are generally trade or business activities in which the taxpayer does not materially participate, only to the extent of the taxpayer’s income from those passive activities. The passive loss limitations are applied separately with respect to each publicly traded partnership. Consequently, any passive losses we generate will be available to offset only our passive income generated in the future and will not be available to offset income from other passive activities or investments (including our investments or a unitholder’s investments in other publicly traded partnerships), or a unitholder’s salary or active business income. Passive losses that are not deductible because they exceed a unitholder’s share of income we generate may be deducted by the unitholder in full when he disposes of his entire investment in us in a fully taxable transaction with an unrelated party. The passive loss limitations are applied after other applicable limitations on deductions, including the at risk rules and the basis limitation.

A unitholder’s share of our net income may be offset by any of our suspended passive losses, but it may not be offset by any other current or carryover losses from other passive activities, including those attributable to other publicly traded partnerships.

Limitations on Interest Deductions

The deductibility of a non-corporate taxpayer’s “investment interest expense” is generally limited to the amount of that taxpayer’s “net investment income.” Investment interest expense includes:

 

•

interest on indebtedness properly allocable to property held for investment;

 

•

our interest expense attributed to portfolio income; and

 

•

the portion of interest expense incurred to purchase or carry an interest in a passive activity to the extent attributable to portfolio income.

The computation of a unitholder’s investment interest expense will take into account interest on any margin account borrowing or other loan incurred to purchase or carry a unit. Net investment income includes gross income from property held for investment and amounts treated as portfolio income under the passive loss rules, less deductible expenses, other than interest, directly connected with the production of investment income, but generally does not include gains attributable to the disposition of property held for investment or qualified dividend income. The IRS has indicated that the net passive income earned by a publicly traded partnership will be treated as investment income to its unitholders for purposes of the investment interest deduction limitation. In addition, the unitholder’s share of our portfolio income will be treated as investment income.

Entity-Level Collections

If we are required or elect under applicable law to pay any federal, state, local or foreign income tax on behalf of any unitholder or our general partner or any former unitholder, we are authorized to pay those taxes from our funds. That payment, if made, will be treated as a distribution of cash to the partner on whose behalf the

 

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payment was made. If the payment is made on behalf of a person whose identity cannot be determined, we are authorized to treat the payment as a distribution to all current unitholders. We are authorized to amend our partnership agreement in the manner necessary to maintain uniformity of intrinsic tax characteristics of units and to adjust later distributions, so that after giving effect to these distributions, the priority and characterization of distributions otherwise applicable under our partnership agreement is maintained as nearly as is practicable. Payments by us as described above could give rise to an overpayment of tax on behalf of an individual partner in which event the partner would be required to file a claim in order to obtain a credit or refund.

Allocation of Income, Gain, Loss and Deduction

In general, if we have a net profit, our items of income, gain, loss and deduction will be allocated among our general partner and the unitholders in accordance with their percentage interests in us. At any time that distributions are made to the common units in excess of distributions to the class B units, or incentive distributions are made to our general partner, gross income will be allocated to the recipients to the extent of these distributions. If we have a net loss, that loss will be allocated first to our general partner and the unitholders in accordance with their percentage interests in us to the extent of their positive capital accounts and, second, to our general partner.

Specified items of our income, gain, loss and deduction will be allocated to account for (i) any difference between the tax basis and fair market value of our assets at the time of an offering and (ii) any difference between the tax basis and fair market value of any property contributed to us by the general partner and its affiliates that exists at the time of such contribution, together, referred to in this discussion as the “Contributed Property.” These “Section 704(c) Allocations” are required to eliminate the difference between a partner’s “book” capital account, credited with the fair market value of Contributed Property, and “tax” capital account, credited with the tax basis of Contributed Property, referred to in this discussion as the “Book-Tax Disparity.” The effect of these allocations to a unitholder purchasing common units from us in an offering will be essentially the same as if the tax bases of our assets were equal to their fair market value at the time of such offering. In the event we issue additional common units or engage in certain other transactions in the future “reverse Section 704(c) Allocations,” similar to the Section 704(c) Allocations described above, will be made to the general partner and our other unitholders immediately prior to such issuance or other transactions to account for the Book-Tax Disparity of all property held by us at the time of such issuance or the future transaction. In addition, items of recapture income will be allocated to the extent possible to the unitholder who was allocated the deduction giving rise to the treatment of that gain as recapture income in order to minimize the recognition of ordinary income by some unitholders. Finally, although we do not expect that our operations will result in the creation of negative capital accounts, if negative capital accounts nevertheless result, items of our income and gain will be allocated in an amount and manner sufficient to eliminate the negative balance as quickly as possible.

An allocation of items of our income, gain, loss or deduction, other than an allocation required by the Internal Revenue Code to eliminate Book-Tax Disparities will generally be given effect for federal income tax purposes in determining a partner’s share of an item of income, gain, loss or deduction only if the allocation has substantial economic effect. In any other case, a partner’s share of an item will be determined on the basis of his interest in us, which will be determined by taking into account all the facts and circumstances, including:

 

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his relative contributions to us;

 

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the interests of all the partners in profits and losses;

 

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the interest of all the partners in cash flow; and

 

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the rights of all the partners to distributions of capital upon liquidation.

Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. is of the opinion that, with the exception of the issues described in “—Section 754 Election” and “—Disposition of Common Units—Allocations Between Transferors and Transferees,” allocations under our partnership agreement will be given effect for federal income tax purposes in determining a partner’s share of an item of income, gain, loss or deduction.

 

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Treatment of Short Sales

A unitholder whose units are loaned to a “short seller” to cover a short sale of units may be considered as having disposed of those units. If so, he would no longer be treated for tax purposes as a partner with respect to those units during the period of the loan and may recognize gain or loss from the disposition. As a result, during this period:

 

•

any of our income, gain, loss or deduction with respect to those units would not be reportable by the unitholder;

 

•

any cash distributions received by the unitholder as to those units would be fully taxable; and

 

•

all of these distributions would appear to be ordinary income.

Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. has not rendered an opinion regarding the tax treatment of a unitholder whose common units are loaned to a short seller to cover a short sale of common units; therefore, unitholders desiring to assure their status as partners and avoid the risk of gain recognition from a loan to a short seller are urged to modify any applicable brokerage account agreements to prohibit their brokers from borrowing and loaning their units. The IRS has previously announced that it is studying issues relating to the tax treatment of short sales of partnership interests. Please also read “—Disposition of Common Units—Recognition of Gain or Loss.”

Alternative Minimum Tax

Each unitholder will be required to take into account his distributive share of any items of our income, gain, loss or deduction for purposes of the alternative minimum tax. The current minimum tax rate for noncorporate taxpayers is 26% on the first $175,000 of alternative minimum taxable income in excess of the exemption amount and 28% on any additional alternative minimum taxable income. Prospective unitholders are urged to consult with their tax advisors as to the impact of an investment in units on their liability for the alternative minimum tax.

Tax Rates

Under current law, the highest marginal U.S. federal income tax rate applicable to ordinary income of individuals is 35% and the highest marginal U.S. federal income tax rate applicable to long-term capital gains (generally, capital gains on certain assets held for more than 12 months) of individuals is 15%. However, absent new legislation extending the current rates, beginning January 1, 2011, the highest marginal U.S. federal income tax rate applicable to ordinary income and long-term capital gains of individuals will increase to 39.6% and 20%, respectively. Moreover, these rates are subject to change by new legislation at any time.

The recently enacted Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, will impose a 3.8% Medicare tax on certain investment income earned by individuals for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2012. For these purposes, investment income generally includes a unitholder’s allocable share of our income and gain realized by a unitholder from a sale of units. The tax will be imposed on the lesser of (1) the unitholder’s net income from all of its investments, or (2) the amount by which the unitholder’s modified adjusted gross income exceeds $250,000 (if the unitholder is married and filing jointly), $125,000 (if the unitholder is married and filing separately), and $200,000 (for all others).

Section 754 Election

We have made the election permitted by Section 754 of the Internal Revenue Code. That election is irrevocable without the consent of the IRS. The election will generally permit us to adjust a common unit purchaser’s tax basis in our assets (“inside basis”) under Section 743(b) of the Internal Revenue Code to reflect his purchase price of units acquired from another unitholder. This election does not apply to a person who

 

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purchases common units directly from us. The Section 743(b) adjustment belongs to the purchaser and not to other unitholders. For purposes of this discussion, a unitholder’s inside basis in our assets will be considered to have two components: (1) his share of our tax basis in our assets (“common basis”) and (2) his Section 743(b) adjustment to that basis.

Where the remedial allocation method is adopted (which we have adopted and will adopt, except as otherwise determined by our general partner with respect to certain goodwill properties), the Treasury Regulations under Section 743 of the Internal Revenue Code require a portion of the Section 743(b) adjustment that is attributable to recovery property subject to depreciation under Section 168 of the Internal Revenue Code whose book basis is in excess of its tax basis to be depreciated over the remaining cost recovery period for the property’s unamortized Book-Tax Disparity. If we elect a method other than the remedial method with respect to a goodwill property, Treasury Regulation Section 1.197-2(g)(3) generally requires that the Section 743(b) adjustment attributable to an amortizable Section 197 intangible, which includes goodwill properties, should be treated as a newly-acquired asset placed in service in the month when the purchaser acquires the common unit. Under Treasury Regulation Section 1.167(c)-1(a)(6), a Section 743(b) adjustment attributable to property subject to depreciation under Section 167 of the Internal Revenue Code, rather than cost recovery deductions under Section 168, is generally required to be depreciated using either the straight-line method or the 150% declining balance method. If we elect a method other than the remedial method, the depreciation and amortization methods and useful lives associated with the Section 743(b) adjustment, therefore, may differ from the methods and useful lives generally used to depreciate the inside basis in such properties. Under our partnership agreement, our general partner is authorized to take a position to preserve the uniformity of units even if that position is not consistent with these and any other Treasury Regulations. If we elect a method other than the remedial method with respect to a goodwill property, the common basis of such property is not amortizable. Please read “—Uniformity of Units.”

Although Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. is unable to opine as to the validity of this approach because there is no direct or indirect controlling authority on this issue, we intend to depreciate the portion of a Section 743(b) adjustment attributable to unrealized appreciation in the value of Contributed Property, to the extent of any unamortized Book-Tax Disparity, using a rate of depreciation or amortization derived from the depreciation or amortization method and useful life applied to the property’s unamortized Book-Tax Disparity, or treat that portion as non-amortizable to the extent attributable to property which is not amortizable. This method is consistent with the methods employed by other publicly traded partnerships but is arguably inconsistent with Treasury Regulation Section 1.167(c)-1(a)(6), which is not expected to directly apply to a material portion of our assets, and Treasury Regulation Section 1.197-2(g)(3). To the extent this Section 743(b) adjustment is attributable to appreciation in value in excess of the unamortized Book-Tax Disparity, we will apply the rules described in the Treasury Regulations and legislative history. If we determine that this position cannot reasonably be taken, we may take a depreciation or amortization position under which all purchasers acquiring units in the same month would receive depreciation or amortization, whether attributable to common basis or a Section 743(b) adjustment, based upon the same applicable rate as if they had purchased a direct interest in our assets. This kind of aggregate approach may result in lower annual depreciation or amortization deductions than would otherwise be allowable to some unitholders. Please read “—Uniformity of Units.” A unitholder’s tax basis for his common units is reduced by his share of our deductions (whether or not such deductions were claimed on an individual’s income tax return) so that any position we take that understates deductions will overstate the common unitholder’s basis in his common units, which may cause the unitholder to understate gain or overstate loss on any sale of such units. Please read “—Disposition of Common Units—Recognition of Gain or Loss.” The IRS may challenge our position with respect to depreciating or amortizing the Section 743(b) adjustment we take to preserve the uniformity of the units. If such a challenge were sustained, the gain from the sale of units might be increased without the benefit of additional deductions.

A Section 754 election is advantageous if the transferee’s tax basis in his units is higher than the units’ share of the aggregate tax basis of our assets immediately prior to the transfer. In that case, as a result of the election, the transferee would have, among other items, a greater amount of depreciation and depletion deductions and his

 

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share of any gain or loss on a sale of our assets would be less. Conversely, a Section 754 election is disadvantageous if the transferee’s tax basis in his units is lower than those units’ share of the aggregate tax basis of our assets immediately prior to the transfer. Thus, the fair market value of the units may be affected either favorably or unfavorably by the election. A basis adjustment is required regardless of whether a Section 754 election is made in the case of a transfer of an interest in us if we have a substantial built-in loss immediately after the transfer, or if we distribute property and have a substantial basis reduction. Generally a built-in loss or a basis reduction is substantial if it exceeds $250,000.

The calculations involved in the Section 754 election are complex and will be made on the basis of assumptions as to the value of our assets and other matters. For example, the allocation of the Section 743(b) adjustment among our assets must be made in accordance with the Internal Revenue Code. The IRS could seek to reallocate some or all of any Section 743(b) adjustment allocated by us to our tangible assets to goodwill instead. Goodwill, as an intangible asset, is generally nonamortizable or amortizable over a longer period of time or under a less accelerated method than our tangible assets. We cannot assure you that the determinations we make will not be successfully challenged by the IRS and that the deductions resulting from them will not be reduced or disallowed altogether. Should the IRS require a different basis adjustment to be made, and should, in our opinion, the expense of compliance exceed the benefit of the election, we may seek permission from the IRS to revoke our Section 754 election. If permission is granted, a subsequent purchaser of units may be allocated more income than he would have been allocated had the election not been revoked.

Tax Treatment of Operations

Accounting Method and Taxable Year

We use the year ending December 31 as our taxable year and the accrual method of accounting for federal income tax purposes. Each unitholder will be required to include in income his share of our income, gain, loss and deduction for our taxable year ending within or with his taxable year. In addition, a unitholder who has a taxable year ending on a date other than December 31 and who disposes of all of his units following the close of our taxable year but before the close of his taxable year must include his share of our income, gain, loss and deduction in income for his taxable year, with the result that he will be required to include in his taxable income for his taxable year his share of more than one year of our income, gain, loss and deduction. Please read “—Disposition of Common Units—Allocations Between Transferors and Transferees.”

Tax Basis, Depreciation and Amortization

The tax basis of our assets will be used for purposes of computing depreciation and cost recovery deductions and, ultimately, gain or loss on the disposition of these assets. The federal income tax burden associated with the difference between the fair market value of our assets and their tax basis immediately prior to an offering will be borne by our partners holding interest in us prior to such offering. Please read “—Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership—Allocation of Income, Gain, Loss and Deduction.”

To the extent allowable, we may elect to use the depreciation and cost recovery methods that will result in the largest deductions being taken in the early years after assets subject to these allowances are placed in service. Because our general partner may determine not to adopt the remedial method of allocation with respect to any difference between the tax basis and the fair market value of goodwill immediately prior to any future offering, we may not be entitled to any amortization deductions with respect to any goodwill properties conveyed to us on formation or held by us at the time of any future offering. Please read “—Uniformity of Units.” Property we subsequently acquire or construct may be depreciated using accelerated methods permitted by the Internal Revenue Code.

If we dispose of depreciable property by sale, foreclosure or otherwise, all or a portion of any gain, determined by reference to the amount of depreciation previously deducted and the nature of the property, may be subject to the recapture rules and taxed as ordinary income rather than capital gain. Similarly, a unitholder

 

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who has taken cost recovery or depreciation deductions with respect to property we own will likely be required to recapture some or all of those deductions as ordinary income upon a sale of his interest in us. Please read “—Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership—Allocation of Income, Gain, Loss and Deduction” and “—Disposition of Common Units—Recognition of Gain or Loss.”

The costs incurred in selling our units (called “syndication expenses”) must be capitalized and cannot be deducted currently, ratably or upon our termination. There are uncertainties regarding the classification of costs as organization expenses, which may be amortized by us, and as syndication expenses, which may not be amortized by us. The underwriting discounts and commissions we incur will be treated as syndication expenses.

Valuation and Tax Basis of Our Properties

The federal income tax consequences of the ownership and disposition of units will depend in part on our estimates of the relative fair market values, and the initial tax bases, of our assets. Although we may from time to time consult with professional appraisers regarding valuation matters, we will make many of the relative fair market value estimates ourselves. These estimates and determinations of basis are subject to challenge and will not be binding on the IRS or the courts. If the estimates of fair market value or basis are later found to be incorrect, the character and amount of items of income, gain, loss or deductions previously reported by unitholders might change, and unitholders might be required to adjust their tax liability for prior years and incur interest and penalties with respect to those adjustments.

Disposition of Common Units

Recognition of Gain or Loss

Gain or loss will be recognized on a sale of units equal to the difference between the amount realized and the unitholder’s tax basis for the units sold. A unitholder’s amount realized will be measured by the sum of the cash or the fair market value of other property received by him plus his share of our nonrecourse liabilities. Because the amount realized includes a unitholder’s share of our nonrecourse liabilities, the gain recognized on the sale of units could result in a tax liability in excess of any cash received from the sale.

Prior distributions from us in excess of cumulative net taxable income for a common unit that decreased a unitholder’s tax basis in that common unit will, in effect, become taxable income if the common unit is sold at a price greater than the unitholder’s tax basis in that common unit, even if the price received is less than his original cost.

Except as noted below, gain or loss recognized by a unitholder, other than a “dealer” in units, on the sale or exchange of a unit will generally be taxable as capital gain or loss. Capital gain recognized by an individual on the sale of units held for more than twelve months will generally be taxed at a maximum U.S. federal income tax rate of 15% through December 31, 2010, and 20% thereafter (absent new legislation extending or adjusting the current rate). However, a portion, which may be substantial, of this gain or loss will be separately computed and taxed as ordinary income or loss under Section 751 of the Internal Revenue Code to the extent attributable to assets giving rise to depreciation recapture or other “unrealized receivables” or to “inventory items” we own. The term “unrealized receivables” includes potential recapture items, including depreciation recapture. Ordinary income attributable to unrealized receivables, inventory items and depreciation recapture may exceed net taxable gain realized upon the sale of a unit and may be recognized even if there is a net taxable loss realized on the sale of a unit. Thus, a unitholder may recognize both ordinary income and a capital loss upon a sale of units. Net capital losses may offset capital gains and no more than $3,000 of ordinary income, in the case of individuals, and may only be used to offset capital gains in the case of corporations.

The IRS has ruled that a partner who acquires interests in a partnership in separate transactions must combine those interests and maintain a single adjusted tax basis for all those interests. Upon a sale or other disposition of less than all of those interests, a portion of that tax basis must be allocated to the interests sold

 

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using an “equitable apportionment” method, which generally means that the tax basis allocated to the interest sold equals an amount that bears the same relation to the partner’s tax basis in his entire interest in the partnership as the value of the interest sold bears to the value of the partner’s entire interest in the partnership. Treasury Regulations under Section 1223 of the Internal Revenue Code allow a selling unitholder who can identify common units transferred with an ascertainable holding period to elect to use the actual holding period of the common units transferred. Thus, according to the ruling discussed above, a common unitholder will be unable to select high or low basis common units to sell as would be the case with corporate stock, but, according to the Treasury Regulations, he may designate specific common units sold for purposes of determining the holding period of units transferred. A unitholder electing to use the actual holding period of common units transferred must consistently use that identification method for all subsequent sales or exchanges of common units. A unitholder considering the purchase of additional units or a sale of common units purchased in separate transactions is urged to consult his tax advisor as to the possible consequences of this ruling and application of the Treasury Regulations.

Specific provisions of the Internal Revenue Code affect the taxation of some financial products and securities, including partnership interests, by treating a taxpayer as having sold an “appreciated” partnership interest, one in which gain would be recognized if it were sold, assigned or terminated at its fair market value, if the taxpayer or related persons enter(s) into:

 

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a short sale;

 

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an offsetting notional principal contract; or

 

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a futures or forward contract with respect to the partnership interest or substantially identical property.

Moreover, if a taxpayer has previously entered into a short sale, an offsetting notional principal contract or a futures or forward contract with respect to the partnership interest, the taxpayer will be treated as having sold that position if the taxpayer or a related person then acquires the partnership interest or substantially identical property. The Secretary of the Treasury is also authorized to issue Treasury Regulations that treat a taxpayer that enters into transactions or positions that have substantially the same effect as the preceding transactions as having constructively sold the financial position.

Allocations Between Transferors and Transferees

In general, our taxable income and losses will be determined annually, will be prorated on a monthly basis and will be subsequently apportioned among the unitholders in proportion to the number of units owned by each of them as of the opening of the applicable exchange on the first business day of the month, which we refer to in this prospectus as the “Allocation Date.” However, gain or loss realized on a sale or other disposition of our assets other than in the ordinary course of business will be allocated among the unitholders on the Allocation Date in the month in which that gain or loss is recognized. As a result, a unitholder transferring units may be allocated income, gain, loss and deduction realized after the date of transfer.

Although simplifying conventions are contemplated by the Internal Revenue Code and most publicly traded partnerships use similar simplifying conventions, the use of this method may not be permitted under existing Treasury Regulations. Recently, however, the Department of the Treasury and the IRS issued proposed Treasury Regulations that provide a safe harbor pursuant to which a publicly traded partnership may use a similar monthly simplifying convention to allocate tax items among transferor and transferee unitholders, although such tax items must be prorated on a daily basis. Existing publicly traded partnerships are entitled to rely on these proposed Treasury Regulations; however, they are not binding on the IRS and are subject to change until final Treasury Regulations are issued. Accordingly, Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. is unable to opine on the validity of this method of allocating income and deductions between transferor and transferee unitholders. If this method is not allowed under the Treasury Regulations, or only applies to transfers of less than all of the unitholder’s interest, our taxable income or losses might be reallocated among the unitholders. We are authorized to revise our method of allocation between transferor and transferee unitholders, as well as unitholders whose interests vary during a taxable year, to conform to a method permitted under future Treasury Regulations.

 

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A unitholder who owns units at any time during a quarter and who disposes of them prior to the record date set for a cash distribution for that quarter will be allocated items of our income, gain, loss and deductions attributable to that quarter but will not be entitled to receive that cash distribution.

Notification Requirements

A unitholder who sells any of his units is generally is required to notify us in writing of that sale within 30 days after the sale (or, if earlier, January 15 of the year following the sale). A purchaser of units who purchases units from another unitholder is also generally required to notify us in writing of that purchase within 30 days after the purchase. Upon receiving such notifications, we are required to notify the IRS of that transaction and to furnish specified information to the transferor and transferee. Failure to notify us of a purchase may, in some cases, lead to the imposition of penalties. However, these reporting requirements do not apply to a sale by an individual who is a citizen of the United States and who effects the sale or exchange through a broker who will satisfy such requirements.

Constructive Termination

We will be considered to have been terminated for tax purposes if there are sales or exchanges which, in the aggregate, constitute 50% or more of the total interests in our capital and profits within a twelve-month period. For purposes of measuring whether the 50% threshold is reached, multiple sales of the same interest are counted only once. A constructive termination results in the closing of our taxable year for all unitholders. In the case of a unitholder reporting on a taxable year other than a fiscal year ending December 31, the closing of our taxable year may result in more than twelve months of our taxable income or loss being includable in his taxable income for the year of termination. A constructive termination occurring on a date other than December 31 will result in us filing two tax returns (and could result in unitholders receiving two Schedules K-1) for one fiscal year and the cost of the preparation of these returns will be borne by all unitholders. We would be required to make new tax elections after a termination, including a new election under Section 754 of the Internal Revenue Code, and a termination would result in a deferral of our deductions for depreciation. A termination could also result in penalties if we were unable to determine that the termination had occurred. Moreover, a termination might either accelerate the application of, or subject us to, any tax legislation enacted before the termination. The IRS has recently announced a relief procedure whereby if a publicly traded partnership that has technically terminated requests and the IRS grants special relief, among other things, the partnership will be required to provide only a single set of Schedules K-1 to unitholders for the tax year in which the termination occurs.

Uniformity of Units

Because we cannot match transferors and transferees of units, we must maintain uniformity of the economic and tax characteristics of the units to a purchaser of these units. In the absence of uniformity, we may be unable to completely comply with a number of federal income tax requirements, both statutory and regulatory. A lack of uniformity can result from a literal application of Treasury Regulation Section 1.167(c)-1(a)(6) and Treasury Regulation Section 1.197-2(g)(3). Any non-uniformity could have a negative impact on the value of the units. Please read “—Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership—Section 754 Election.”

We intend to depreciate the portion of a Section 743(b) adjustment attributable to unrealized appreciation in the value of Contributed Property, to the extent of any unamortized Book-Tax Disparity, using a rate of depreciation or amortization derived from the depreciation or amortization method and useful life applied to the property’s unamortized Book-Tax Disparity, or treat that portion as nonamortizable, to the extent attributable to property the common basis of which is not amortizable, consistent with the regulations under Section 743 of the Internal Revenue Code, even though that position may be inconsistent with Treasury Regulation Section 1.167(c)-1(a)(6), which is not expected to directly apply to a material portion of our assets , and Treasury Regulation Section 1.197-2(g)(3). Please read “—Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership—Section 754 Election.”

 

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To the extent that the Section 743(b) adjustment is attributable to appreciation in value in excess of the unamortized Book-Tax Disparity, we will apply the rules described in the Treasury Regulations and legislative history. If we determine that this position cannot reasonably be taken, we may adopt a depreciation and amortization position under which all purchasers acquiring units in the same month would receive depreciation and amortization deductions, whether attributable to a common basis or Section 743(b) adjustment, based upon the same applicable methods and lives as if they had purchased a direct interest in our property. If this position is adopted, it may result in lower annual depreciation and amortization deductions than would otherwise be allowable to some unitholders and risk the loss of depreciation and amortization deductions not taken in the year that these deductions are otherwise allowable. This position will not be adopted if we determine that the loss of depreciation and amortization deductions will have a material adverse effect on the unitholders. If we choose not to utilize this aggregate method, we may use any other reasonable depreciation and amortization method to preserve the uniformity of the intrinsic tax characteristics of any units that would not have a material adverse effect on the unitholders. The IRS may challenge any method of depreciating the Section 743(b) adjustment described in this paragraph. If this challenge were sustained, the uniformity of units might be affected, and the gain from the sale of units might be increased without the benefit of additional deductions. Please read “—Disposition of Common Units—Recognition of Gain or Loss.”

Tax-Exempt Organizations and Other Investors

Ownership of units by employee benefit plans, other tax-exempt organizations, regulated investment companies, non-resident aliens, foreign corporations and other non-U.S. persons raises issues unique to those investors and, as described below, may have substantially adverse tax consequences to them. If you are a tax-exempt entity or a non-U.S. person, you should consult your tax advisor before investing in our units.

Employee benefit plans and most other organizations exempt from federal income tax, including individual retirement accounts and other retirement plans, are subject to federal income tax on unrelated business taxable income. Virtually all of our income less certain allowable deductions allocated to a unitholder that is a tax-exempt organization will be unrelated business taxable income and will be taxable to them.

Non-resident aliens and foreign corporations, trusts or estates that own units will be considered to be engaged in business in the United States because of the ownership of units. As a consequence, they will be required to file federal tax returns to report their share of our income, gain, loss or deduction and pay federal income tax at regular rates on their share of our net income or gain. Moreover, under rules applicable to publicly traded partnerships, distributions to foreign unitholders will be subject to withholding at the highest applicable effective tax rate. Each foreign unitholder must obtain a taxpayer identification number from the IRS and submit that number to our transfer agent on a Form W-8BEN or applicable substitute form in order to obtain credit for these withholding taxes. A change in applicable law may require us to change these procedures.

In addition, because a foreign corporation that owns units will be treated as engaged in a U.S. trade or business, that corporation may be subject to the U.S. branch profits tax at a rate of 30%, in addition to regular federal income tax, on its share of our income and gain, as adjusted for changes in the foreign corporation’s “U.S. net equity,” which is effectively connected with the conduct of a U.S. trade or business. That tax may be reduced or eliminated by an income tax treaty between the United States and the country in which the foreign corporate unitholder is a “qualified resident.” In addition, this type of unitholder is subject to special information reporting requirements under Section 6038C of the Internal Revenue Code.

A foreign unitholder who sells or otherwise disposes of a common unit will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on gain realized from the sale or disposition of that unit to the extent the gain is effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business of the foreign unitholder. Under a ruling published by the IRS, interpreting the scope of “effectively connected income,” a foreign unitholder would be considered to be engaged in a trade or business in the U.S. by virtue of the U.S. activities of the partnership, and part or all of that unitholder’s gain would be effectively connected with that unitholder’s indirect U.S. trade or business. Moreover, under the

 

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Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act, a foreign common unitholder generally will be subject to U.S. federal income tax upon the sale or disposition of a common unit if (i) he owned (directly or constructively applying certain attribution rules) more than 5% of our common units at any time during the five-year period ending on the date of such disposition and (ii) 50% or more of the fair market value of all of our assets consisted of U.S. real property interests at any time during the shorter of the period during which such unitholder held the common units or the 5-year period ending on the date of disposition. Currently, more than 50% of our assets consist of U.S. real property interests and we do not expect that to change in the foreseeable future. Therefore, foreign unitholders may be subject to federal income tax on gain from the sale or disposition of their units.

Administrative Matters

Information Returns and Audit Procedures

We intend to furnish to each unitholder, within 90 days after the close of each calendar year, specific tax information, including a Schedule K-1, which describes his share of our income, gain, loss and deduction for our preceding taxable year. In preparing this information, which will not be reviewed by counsel, we will take various accounting and reporting positions, some of which have been mentioned earlier, to determine his share of income, gain, loss and deduction. We cannot assure you that those positions will yield a result that conforms to the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code, Treasury Regulations or administrative interpretations of the IRS. Neither we nor Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. can assure prospective unitholders that the IRS will not successfully contend in court that those positions are impermissible. Any challenge by the IRS could negatively affect the value of the units.

The IRS may audit our federal income tax information returns. Adjustments resulting from an IRS audit may require each unitholder to adjust a prior year’s tax liability, and possibly may result in an audit of his return. Any audit of a unitholder’s return could result in adjustments not related to our returns as well as those related to our returns.

Partnerships generally are treated as separate entities for purposes of federal tax audits, judicial review of administrative adjustments by the IRS and tax settlement proceedings. The tax treatment of partnership items of income, gain, loss and deduction are determined in a partnership proceeding rather than in separate proceedings with the partners. The Internal Revenue Code requires that one partner be designated as the “Tax Matters Partner” for these purposes. Our partnership agreement names Boardwalk GP as our Tax Matters Partner.

The Tax Matters Partner has made and will make some elections on our behalf and on behalf of unitholders. In addition, the Tax Matters Partner can extend the statute of limitations for assessment of tax deficiencies against unitholders for items in our returns. The Tax Matters Partner may bind a unitholder with less than a 1% profits interest in us to a settlement with the IRS unless that unitholder elects, by filing a statement with the IRS, not to give that authority to the Tax Matters Partner. The Tax Matters Partner may seek judicial review, by which all the unitholders are bound, of a final partnership administrative adjustment and, if the Tax Matters Partner fails to seek judicial review, judicial review may be sought by any unitholder having at least a 1% interest in profits or by any group of unitholders having in the aggregate at least a 5% interest in profits. However, only one action for judicial review will go forward, and each unitholder with an interest in the outcome may participate.

A unitholder must file a statement with the IRS identifying the treatment of any item on his federal income tax return that is not consistent with the treatment of the item on our return. Intentional or negligent disregard of this consistency requirement may subject a unitholder to substantial penalties.

Nominee Reporting

Persons who hold an interest in us as a nominee for another person are required to furnish to us:

 

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the name, address and taxpayer identification number of the beneficial owner and the nominee;

 

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whether the beneficial owner is:

 

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a person that is not a U.S. person;

 

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a foreign government, an international organization or any wholly owned agency or instrumentality of either of the foregoing; or

 

•

a tax-exempt entity;

 

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the amount and description of units held, acquired or transferred for the beneficial owner; and

 

•

specific information including the dates of acquisitions and transfers, means of acquisitions and transfers, and acquisition cost for purchases, as well as the amount of net proceeds from sales.

Brokers and financial institutions are required to furnish additional information, including whether they are U.S. persons and specific information on units they acquire, hold or transfer for their own account. A penalty of $50 per failure, up to a maximum of $100,000 per calendar year, is imposed by the Internal Revenue Code for failure to report that information to us. The nominee is required to supply the beneficial owner of the units with the information furnished to us.

Accuracy-Related Penalties

An additional tax equal to 20% of the amount of any portion of an underpayment of tax that is attributable to one or more specified causes, including negligence or disregard of rules or Treasury Regulations, substantial understatements of income tax and substantial valuation misstatements, is imposed by the Internal Revenue Code. No penalty will be imposed, however, for any portion of an underpayment if it is shown that there was a reasonable cause for that portion and that the taxpayer acted in good faith regarding that portion.

For individuals, a substantial understatement of income tax in any taxable year exists if the amount of the understatement exceeds the greater of 10% of the tax required to be shown on the return for the taxable year or $5,000. The amount of any understatement subject to penalty generally is reduced if any portion is attributable to a position adopted on the return:

 

•

for which there is, or was, “substantial authority”; or

 

•

as to which there is a reasonable basis and the pertinent facts of that position are disclosed on the return.

If any item of income, gain, loss or deduction included in the distributive shares of unitholders might result in that kind of an “understatement” of income for which no “substantial authority” exists, we must disclose the pertinent facts on our return. In addition, we will make a reasonable effort to furnish sufficient information for unitholders to make adequate disclosure on their returns and to take other actions as may be appropriate to permit unitholders to avoid liability for this penalty. More stringent rules apply to “tax shelters,” which we do not believe includes us, or any of our investments, plans or arrangements.

A substantial valuation misstatement exists if (a) the value of any property, or the adjusted tax basis of any property, claimed on a tax return is 150% or more of the amount determined to be the correct amount of the valuation or adjusted tax basis, (b) the price for any property or services (or for the use of property) claimed on any such return with respect to any transaction between persons described in Internal Revenue Code Section 482 is 200% or more (or 50% or less) of the amount determined under Section 482 to be the correct amount of such price, or (c) the net Internal Revenue Code Section 482 transfer price adjustment for the taxable year exceeds the lesser of $5 million or 10% of the taxpayer’s gross receipts. No penalty is imposed unless the portion of the underpayment attributable to a substantial valuation misstatement exceeds $5,000 ($10,000 for most corporations). The penalty is increased to 40% in the event of a gross valuation misstatement. We do not anticipate making any valuation misstatements.

 

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Reportable Transactions

If we were to engage in a “reportable transaction,” we (and possibly you and others) would be required to make a detailed disclosure of the transaction to the IRS. A transaction may be a reportable transaction based upon any of several factors, including the fact that it is a type of tax avoidance transaction publicly identified by the IRS as a “listed transaction” or that it produces certain kinds of losses for partnerships, individuals, S corporations, and trusts in excess of $2 million in any single year, or $4 million in any combination of 6 successive tax years. Our participation in a reportable transaction could increase the likelihood that our federal income tax information return (and possibly your tax return) would be audited by the IRS. Please read “—Information Returns and Audit Procedures.”

Moreover, if we were to participate in a reportable transaction with a significant purpose to avoid or evade tax, or in any listed transaction, you may be subject to the following provisions of the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004:

 

•

accuracy-related penalties with a broader scope, significantly narrower exceptions, and potentially greater amounts than described above at “—Accuracy-Related Penalties,”

 

•

for those persons otherwise entitled to deduct interest on federal tax deficiencies, nondeductibility of interest on any resulting tax liability, and

 

•

in the case of a listed transaction, an extended statute of limitations.

We do not expect to engage in any reportable transactions.

State, Local, Foreign and Other Tax Considerations

In addition to federal income taxes, you likely will be subject to other taxes, such as state, local and foreign income taxes, unincorporated business taxes, and estate, inheritance or intangible taxes that may be imposed by the various jurisdictions in which we do business or own property or in which you are a resident. Although an analysis of those various taxes is not presented here, each prospective unitholder should consider their potential impact on his investment in us. We currently do business or own property or do business in 12 states. We may also own property or do business in other jurisdictions in the future. Although you may not be required to file a return and pay taxes in some jurisdictions because your income from that jurisdiction falls below the filing and payment requirement, you will be required to file income tax returns and to pay income taxes in many of these jurisdictions in which we do business or own property and may be subject to penalties for failure to comply with those requirements. In some jurisdictions, tax losses may not produce a tax benefit in the year incurred and may not be available to offset income in subsequent taxable years. Some of the jurisdictions may require us, or we may elect, to withhold a percentage of income from amounts to be distributed to a unitholder who is not a resident of the jurisdiction. Withholding, the amount of which may be greater or less than a particular unitholder’s income tax liability to the jurisdiction, generally does not relieve a nonresident unitholder from the obligation to file an income tax return. Amounts withheld will be treated as if distributed to unitholders for purposes of determining the amounts distributed by us. Please read “—Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership—Entity-Level Collections.” Based on current law and our estimate of our future operations, our general partner anticipates that any amounts required to be withheld will not be material.

It is the responsibility of each unitholder to investigate the legal and tax consequences, under the laws of pertinent jurisdictions, of his investment in us. Accordingly, each prospective unitholder is urged to consult, and depend upon, his tax counsel or other advisor with regard to those matters. Further, it is the responsibility of each unitholder to file all state, local and foreign, as well as U.S. federal tax returns, that may be required of him. Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. has not rendered an opinion on the state, local or foreign tax consequences of an investment in us.

 

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Tax Consequences of Ownership of Debt Securities

A description of the material federal income tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership and disposition of any series of debt securities that we may offer hereunder will be set forth in the prospectus supplement relating to the offering of such debt securities.

 

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SELLING UNITHOLDERS

We are registering for resale an indeterminate number of our common units held by, or that may in the future be held by, unitholders to be named in a prospectus supplement.

The prospectus supplement for any offering of common units by a selling unitholder hereunder will include, among other things, the following information:

 

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the name of each selling unitholder;

 

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the nature of any position, office or other material relationship which each selling unitholder has had within the last three years with us or any of our predecessors or affiliates;

 

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the number of common units held by such selling unitholder’s account; and

 

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the number and (if one percent or more) the percentage of common units held by each of the selling unitholders after the offering.

 

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LEGAL MATTERS

Certain legal matters in connection with the securities will be passed upon by Vinson & Elkins L.L.P., New York, New York, as our counsel. Any underwriters will be advised about other issues relating to any offering by their own legal counsel.

EXP ERTS

The consolidated financial statements, and related financial statement schedule, incorporated in this prospectus by reference from the Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009, and the effectiveness of Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP’s internal control over financial reporting have been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their reports, which are incorporated herein by reference. Such financial statements and financial statement schedule have been so incorporated in reliance upon the reports of such firm given upon their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.

 

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Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP

Common Units

Representing Limited Partner Interests

 

 

PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT

May 27, 2011

 

 

Barclays Capital

BofA Merrill Lynch

Citi

J.P. Morgan

Wells Fargo Securities

 

 

Credit Suisse

UBS Securities LLC

Deutsche Bank Securities

RBC Capital Markets

Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc.

Madison Williams and Company

Morgan Keegan

Oppenheimer & Co.