such terms and conditions and for such capital contributions as we may establish in our sole and absolute discretion, without the approval or consent of any limited partner.
The operating agreement authorizes our operating company to issue common units, LTIP Units and preferred units, and our operating company may issue additional membership interests in one or more additional classes, or one or more series of any of such classes, with such designations, preferences, conversion and other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to distributions, qualifications and terms and conditions of redemption (including, without limitation, terms that may be senior or otherwise entitled to preference over existing units) as we may determine, in our sole and absolute discretion, without the approval of any additional members or any other person. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, we may specify, as to any such class or series of membership interest, the allocations of items of operating company income, gain, loss, deduction and credit to each such class or series of membership interest.
Ability to Engage in Other Businesses; Conflicts of Interest
Without the consent of the members of the operating company, not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned, or delayed, we may not conduct any business other than in connection with the ownership, acquisition and disposition of membership interests, the management of the business and affairs of our operating company, our operation as a reporting company with a class (or classes) of securities registered under the Exchange Act, our operations as a REIT, the offering, sale, syndication, private placement or public offering of stock, bonds, securities or other interests, financing or refinancing of any type related to our operating company or its assets or activities and such activities as are incidental to those activities discussed above. In general, we must contribute any assets or funds that we acquire to our operating company whether as capital contributions, loans or otherwise, as appropriate, in exchange for additional membership interests. We may, however, in our sole and absolute discretion, from time to time hold or acquire assets in our own name or otherwise other than through our operating company so long as we take commercially reasonable measures to ensure that the economic benefits and burdens of such property are otherwise vested in our operating company.
Distributions
Our operating company will distribute such amounts, at such times, as we may in our sole and absolute discretion determine:
•
first, with respect to any membership interests that are entitled to any preference in distribution, including the preferred units, in accordance with the rights of the holders of such class(es) of membership interest, and, within each such class, among the holders of such class pro rata in proportion to their respective percentage interests of such class; and
•
second, with respect to any membership interests that are not entitled to any preference in distribution, including the common units and, except as described below with respect to liquidating distributions and as may be provided in any incentive award plan or any applicable award agreement and the LTIP Units, in accordance with the rights of the holders of such class(es) of membership interest, and, within each such class, among the holders of each such class, pro rata in proportion to their respective percentage interests of such class.
Exculpation and Indemnification of Managing Member
The operating agreement provides that we are not liable to our operating company or any member for any action or omission taken in our capacity as managing member, for the debts or liabilities of our operating company or for the obligations of our operating company under the operating agreement, except for liability for our fraud, willful misconduct or gross negligence, or pursuant to any express indemnity we may give to our operating company or in connection with a redemption as described in the section entitled “— Redemption Rights of Qualifying Parties.” The operating agreement also provides that any obligation or liability in our capacity as the managing member of our operating company that may arise at any time under the operating agreement or any other instrument, transaction or undertaking contemplated by the operating agreement will be satisfied, if at all, out of our assets or the assets of our operating company only,