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SUBJECT:
Re: Fwd: RSP/RSTP Acknowledge Agreement 2/19/15
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FROM:
R
rwalker@rosemontseneca.com
DATE:
2015-05-23 10:59:32
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<CANpLt5yEuPdervCYJhLt9jKEikhpEawf4_9hU+yXE-UQ40ecnw@mail.gmail.com>
RECIPIENTS:
TO:
H
Hunter Biden
<hbiden@rosemontseneca.com>
CC:
E
Eric Schwerin
<eschwerin@rosemontseneca.com>
CONTENT:
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Thank you. Hard to digest at the moment with a 26 person delegation On May 22, 2015 6:31 PM, "Hunter Biden" <hbiden@rosemontseneca.com> wrote: > Rob, you should have been copied on this exchange from the beginning. > Look at the end of the most recent email. I wanted you to see that I am > proposing that we all be cut in to RSTP I, Alpha and Bravo equally. > > Also, not sure if it was the most recent version, but the GP agreement I > just saw for RSTP II has you being given a non-voting share of RSTP II when > I think you would want to be treated as a full partner. Let me know how > you want to handle. > > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: Hunter Biden <hbiden@rosemontseneca.com> > Date: Thu, May 21, 2015 at 3:07 PM > Subject: Re: RSP/RSTP Acknowledge Agreement 2/19/15 > To: William Lee <will@rstp.com> > Cc: Eric Schwerin <eschwerin@rosemontseneca.com>, Neil Callahan < > neil@rstp.com>, Devon Archer <darcher@rosemontcapital.com>, John DeLoche < > john@rstp.com> > > > Will- > > I understand that Devon has reached out to you to clairfy that he has not > recused himself and that RSP is still voting on this matter as a single > entity. I think that gets to the crux of the fundamental misunderstanding > here. Until the negotiations over my exit from the funds have concluded > and the document we are discussing has been signed, RSP still has 45% > equity in all the RSTP funds. While I agreed in principle to remove myself > from RSTP II, we had not settled on the terms and no agreement has been > signed. Therefore no new RSTP II GP agreement should have been executed. > According to the original agreement we negotiated, the Rosemont Seneca > Technology Partners, LLC operating agreement, it takes an 80% vote of the > partners to make any changes or make any significant financial decisions. > This was always very important to Devon and me so that we could operate the > fund by consensus. This is not something we would ever give up. In fact, > we only agreed to go down from holding a majority of the equity knowing > that the 80% provision would ensure that a majority could not unilaterally > make decisions for the whole partnership. > > I see from the revised agreement you sent me on Monday that there are two > key differences in that agreement from the one you sent on Friday. One, > the counter-party to the agreement is an entity called RSTP Management, > LLC, an entity that was recently registered in Delaware on April 2, 2015 > and then registered with the SEC as an investment adviser on May 11, 2015, > the day before Goldman’s IC approved its investment in RSTP II. Can you > clarify what this entity is and why it would be the counter party to this > agreement? As far as I know RSP has not voted to allow the GP in any of > the RSTP entities to change and the GP, and hence the signatory, should > still be Rosemont Seneca Technology Partners, LLC. Two, I see that the > agreement is now back dated to February 19, 2015. As we are still > negotiating the terms that will govern how we move forward the date of the > agreement should be the date that it is signed. > > Perhaps the major issue Devon and I have with the proposed agreement you > sent is that the new agreement allows a majority in interest of the > partners to remove another partner under what seem to be very broad > reasons. This is unacceptable to us and goes against the spirit of the 80% > rule we negotiated and particularly if under your proposal I am giving up > voting rights. This is why I am opposed to your request for vesting. > Thank you for your clarification on the RSTP I vesting, but I also don’t > see the vesting requirements in the RSTP II Alpha and Bravo LP agreements > or in the Rosemont Seneca Technology Partners, LLC agreement (which should > govern Alpha and Bravo as that is the GP of those funds). > > These funds are closed. We are all incentivized to bring as much value to > Counsyl as possible so it is unclear to me why we would need to include > vesting provisions. You will recall that in the midst of our negotiations > about my exit I still picked up the phone and called Walmart. > > Because these funds are closed and the sole remaining purpose of the GP > partners is to manage the Counsyl investment and develop business for > Counsyl - all of those partners should receive management fees for taking > the time to do so. These funds were created for the sole purpose of > investing in Counsyl. Management fees from those funds should not be used > to grow RSTP II or any other funds. The management fees should go to > compensate the partners of the fund for the time they are expending on > behalf of that specific fund. > > As it relates to the additional attestations you sent - code of ethics, > political contributions, etc. - I also can not sign the political > contribution document and see no reason why I should when the fund is no > longer raising money and not subject to pay to play issues anymore. I also > am concerned about some of the requirements of the code of ethics and some > them would need to be clarified. > > Finally, on how the GP shares for RSTP I, Alpha and Bravo should be split, > I in fact believe that the equity in those three entities should be split > evenly by you, me, John, Devon, Neil and Rob so that we each get 15%, with > Eric and Chris splitting the remaining 10% so that they each get 5% each. > That seems more than fair to me. I also want to make clear that there is > absolutely no objection from me on Rob being given a clear percentage. > Since you were insisting that Rob, Eric and I split our shares out of the > 22.5% I was merely indicating that since none of you are volunteering to > give up anything to cut Rob in, this would have to be something Rob, Eric > and I will have to discuss and determine on our own. I would strongly urge > us to all consider cutting Rob in equally, which is more aligned with the > terms of our operating agreement anyway. > > I look forward to your response to the above points. > > Best, > > Hunter > > > On Mon, May 18, 2015 at 7:38 PM, William Lee <will@rstp.com> wrote: > >> Hi Hunter, >> >> Thanks for clarifying your intention. I am not sure what you mean by >> going back to GS and NB--they were informed that you left RSTP II last year >> when you voluntarily stepped down and the executed RSTP II GP agreement was >> shared with both of them. The important thing here is to resolve the >> outstanding questions constructively and in the spirit of partnership. >> >> Regarding our call last week, I apologize for not mentioning that Devon >> had recused himself from the process of drafting this agreement given his >> close personal relationship with you. He gives his support of the >> agreement that the partnership would reach with you. Therefore, we cannot >> accept the agreement that Devon and you signed. >> >> You are correct the RSTP I agreement does not require vesting. However, >> Alpha, Bravo and all of our other agreements do require vesting consistent >> with best practices at the direction of Goldman Sachs. Every member of the >> partnerships must also sign our annual attestation which includes a code of >> ethics, insider trading policy and political contribution policy, which I >> attached. We now also have a compliance consultant that verifies this >> happens. >> >> It sounds from your message that some version of the 2/19/15 agreement >> may be the solution here. Here are the key points of the original agreement >> on 2/19/15. >> >> a) Eric, Rob and you as individuals would remain as full members of RSTP >> I, Alpha & Bravo subject to an annual attestation and vesting schedule (for >> Alpha and Bravo) in accordance to our partnership’s 5-year vesting >> schedule. This is a requirement for any member to be a member of any of the >> funds now that we have institutional money from GS and others. It is how >> these partnerships work. >> >> b) The $32,000 payment to RSP remains the same. Management fees are for >> fund expenses and salaries paid to individuals who are working full time >> for the benefit of partnership. The partnership is stretched for fee income >> to cover our costs and cannot afford anything more than that offered. As an >> LP as well as a GP of the fund, it is critical to me (and the partnership) >> that fees support activities that are driving the fund forward. If you have >> specific expenses relating to direct business development work on the fund, >> we can reimburse them. >> >> c) Because only individual can vest and sign the attestation annually, >> the original agreement would have to list the % of carried interest shares >> for each individual. This seems to be the point that is the sticking point. >> It is important to the partnership that Rob be given a clear percentage >> that vests and it seems only fair to do so given his involvement in the >> origination of the deal and ongoing business development support. >> >> If you want to be a full member of Alpha and Bravo, you will have to vest >> like the rest of us. If you don't want to vest, then we will have to cut >> back your ownership to what is vested as of now. We would welcome you >> working to advance Counsyl's growth opportunities which is how you would >> continue to vest. >> >> Attached is a revised version of the original agreement from 2/19/15 that >> reflects the removal of vesting in RSTP, LLC. >> >> Thanks for trying to work this out. I hope we are almost there. >> >> -Will >> >> >> >> >> >> >> On May 17, 2015, at 5:40 PM, Hunter Biden <hbiden@rosemontseneca.com> >> wrote: >> >> Will- >> >> Thanks for your email. >> >> There is nothing in the fund docs (either the Rosemont Seneca Technology >> Partners, LLC agreement or the RSTP II, LLC agreement we signed with >> Goldman) that mentions anything about a five year vesting period. >> Furthermore, if Goldman was so insistent on my being removed from the RSTP >> II Alpha and Bravo as far back as February 2014 why did the agreement you >> originally sent me in February 2015 allow me to remain in the fund and >> ultimately collect 100% of the carried interest due to me? Clearly that >> agreement would have gone against the request you say Goldman made. If >> this was so important to Goldman why wouldn’t they have demanded that this >> agreement be signed and executed before they agreed to invest money >> directly into RSTP II? >> >> I want to make it clear that the solution we all agreed to on the phone >> back in October was that a) I would remove myself from RSTP II and b) I >> would remain a full member of RSTP I, RSTP II Alpha and RSTP II Bravo. >> That’s it. >> >> However, after after some thought and clearly some pressure I made it >> clear that I am willing to go ever further and give up my management fees >> to RSTP I, Alpha and Bravo and allow the partnership percentages of RSTP II >> to be reduced so that Rob is cut into RSTP II solely out of the RSP side. >> I thought this was more than fair and equitable, despite the fact that many >> of us didn’t think that was necessary. >> >> In exchange I keep 100% of the carried interest in the funds that are now >> closed - RSTP I, RSTP Alpha and RSTP Bravo - and I receive a settlement >> payment of $250,000 (the equivalent of approx. 60% of fees DC office would >> have generated in 2016 under a status quo scenario) payable to me over the >> course of 18 months. I will distribute the carried interest fees between >> myself, Eric and Rob when the time comes. I’m also willing to discuss >> stretching the $250K payment out as far as necessary for the fund to >> function properly. I still intend to continue cultivating relationships >> for the advancement of Counsyl’s business interests, like Walmart, as I >> have all along. >> >> I want to be clear that under the fund documents, there is nothing that >> could lead anyone to say I violated the agreement in any way. If anyone >> has acted contrary to the fund docs it is members who have authorized or >> held back distributions from the fund contrary to the wishes of 80% of the >> partners. >> >> I feel that I have gone above and beyond and agreed to remove myself from >> RSTP II so that the fund can survive and not suffer having GS or NB pull >> out. And I am doing so in a way that that allows those who are dedicating >> a majority of their time on the fund to receive a far greater share of the >> management fees. >> >> If the agreement Devon and I signed isn’t acceptable, I am happy to keep >> the status quo and reach out to NB and Goldman directly and explain that I >> am still a member of the funds. Let me know which solution you prefer. >> >> Best, >> >> Hunter >> >> On Fri, May 15, 2015 at 2:46 PM, William Lee <will@rstp.com> wrote: >> >>> Hi Hunter, >>> >>> Thanks for the call this morning. Hope your brother’s condition is >>> improving. My thoughts and prayers are with you. >>> >>> Here are the key points of the attached agreement. >>> >>> a) We removed the individual names from the original proposed >>> agreement. The revised agreement is between RSP and RSTP. >>> >>> b) RSP gets paid $32,000. >>> >>> c) RSP gets 22.5% of the carried interest of RSTP I, Alpha and Bravo in >>> accordance to all of our partnership’s 5-year vesting schedule. >>> >>> d) The partnership agrees to grant 100% vested carried interest for RSP >>> in RSTP I. This is an accelerated increase from 70% to 100% from our call >>> this morning. This is based on good faith of our relationship. >>> >>> e) As for Alpha & Bravo, Goldman’s entities are the sole LPs of Alpha >>> and Bravo. They requested the removal of you from Alpha, Bravo and all the >>> RSTP entities that Goldman is a part of starting October 2014, and asked us >>> to consider doing so back to February 2014. Once again, under good faith, >>> the partnership is granting you extra 8 months of vesting from October 2014 >>> to May 2015. >>> >>> I am in complete agreement with you that we should get this resolved >>> within 72 hours. Please feel free to reach out to me any time today or >>> over the weekend to discuss. >>> >>> All the best, >>> Will >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> William Lee, Managing Director >>> RSTP >>> 333 Bush Street, 21st Floor >>> San Francisco, California 94104 >>> Office: 415.767.1289 >>> Mobile: 617.407.5958 >>> www.rstp.com >>> >>> This email communication is privileged and confidential and is intended >>> only for the individuals or entities named above. Any unauthorized >>> dissemination of any of the contents of this email is strictly prohibited. >>> If you are not the intended recipient, please do not read, copy, use or >>> disclose to others the contents of this communication. Please notify the >>> sender that you have received this e-mail in error and then delete the >>> e-mail. >>> >>> >>> >>> >> >> >> -- >> R. Hunter Biden >> Rosemont Seneca Partners, LLC >> 1010 Wisconsin Ave., NW >> Suite 705 >> Washington, DC 20007 >> (202) 333-1880 >> >> >> >> > > > -- > R. Hunter Biden > Rosemont Seneca Partners, LLC > 1010 Wisconsin Ave., NW > Suite 705 > Washington, DC 20007 > (202) 333-1880 > > > > -- > R. Hunter Biden > Rosemont Seneca Partners, LLC > 1010 Wisconsin Ave., NW > Suite 705 > Washington, DC 20007 > (202) 333-1880
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