UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
 
FORM 8-K
 
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
 
Date of Report (date of earliest event reported):  December 12, 2017
 
ENLINK MIDSTREAM PARTNERS, LP
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

DELAWARE	 	001-36340	 	16-1616605	
(State or Other Jurisdiction of
Incorporation or Organization)	 	(Commission File
Number)	 	(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)	

1722 ROUTH STREET, SUITE 1300
DALLAS, TEXAS	 	75201	
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)	 	(Zip Code)	
 
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code:  (214) 953-9500

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
 
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions ( see General Instruction A.2. below):
 
o Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
o Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))
 
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
 
Emerging growth company     o
 
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.     o

 

 
Item 5.03.                                        Amendments to Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws; Change in Fiscal Year.
 
On December 12, 2017, EnLink Midstream GP, LLC (the “General Partner”), the general partner of EnLink Midstream Partners, LP (the “Partnership”), entered into Amendment No. 1 (the “Amendment”) to Ninth Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of the Partnership, dated as of September 21, 2017 (the “Partnership Agreement”), in response to certain changes to the Internal Revenue Code enacted by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 (the “BBA”) relating to partnership audit and adjustment procedures.  The Amendment makes certain revisions to the Partnership Agreement that are designed to facilitate the General Partner’s obligations as the “Partnership Representative” under the BBA.  The Amendment is effective as of December 12, 2017.
 
The foregoing description of the Amendment does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the complete text of the Amendment, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 3.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and incorporated herein by reference.
 
Item 9.01.                                        Financial Statements and Exhibits.
 
(d)                                 Exhibits.

EXHIBIT
NUMBER	 	 	 	DESCRIPTION	
 	 	 	 	 	
3.1	 	—	 	Amendment No. 1 to Ninth Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of EnLink Midstream Partners, LP, dated as of December 12, 2017.	
 
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SIGNATURES
 
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 	ENLINK MIDSTREAM PARTNERS, LP	
 	 	 	
 	By:	EnLink Midstream GP, LLC,	
 	 	its General Partner	

Date: December 14, 2017	By:	/s/ Michael J. Garberding	
 	 	Michael J. Garberding	
 	 	President and Chief Financial Officer	
 
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Exhibit 3.1 
 
AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO
NINTH AMENDED AND RESTATED
AGREEMENT OF LIMITED PARTNERSHIP
OF
ENLINK MIDSTREAM PARTNERS, LP
 
This AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO NINTH AMENDED AND RESTATED AGREEMENT OF LIMITED PARTNERSHIP OF ENLINK MIDSTREAM PARTNERS, LP (this “ Amendment ”), dated as of December 12, 2017, is entered into by EnLink Midstream GP, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “ General Partner ”), as general partner of EnLink Midstream Partners, LP, a Delaware limited partnership (the “ Partnership ”).  Capitalized terms used but not defined herein are used as defined in the Ninth Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of EnLink Midstream Partners, LP, dated as of September 21, 2017 (the “ Partnership Agreement ”).
 
RECITALS :
 
WHEREAS, the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 eliminates the concept of a “Tax Matters Partner,” replaces it with the concept of a “Partnership Representative,” and makes certain changes to the manner in which partnerships and their partners are audited and taxes may be assessed therefrom, each effective for tax years commencing after December 31, 2017;
 
WHEREAS, the General Partner desires to replace and restate Section 9.3 (Tax Controversies) and Section 9.4 (Withholding) of the Partnership Agreement in their entirety as a result of amendments made to the Code by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015;
 
WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 6.3(c) and Section 9.4 of the Partnership Agreement, the General Partner shall have the discretion to treat taxes paid by the Partnership on behalf of, or amounts withheld with respect to, all or less than all of the Partners, as a distribution of Available Cash to such Partners;
 
WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 9.2(c) of the Partnership Agreement, the General Partner shall determine whether the Partnership should make elections permitted by the Code;
 
WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 9.3 of the Partnership Agreement, the General Partner is designated as the Tax Matters Partner (as defined in the Code) and is authorized and required to represent the Partnership (at the Partnership’s expense) in connection with all examinations of the Partnership’s affairs by tax authorities, including resulting administrative and judicial proceedings, and to expend Partnership funds for professional services and costs associated therewith, and each Partner agrees to cooperate with the General Partner and to do or refrain from doing any or all things reasonably required by the General Partner to conduct such proceedings;
 
WHEREAS, Section 13.1(c) of the Partnership Agreement provides that the General Partner, without the approval of any Partner or Assignee, may amend any provision of the Partnership Agreement to reflect a change that, in the sole discretion of the General Partner, is necessary or advisable to ensure that the Group Members will not be treated as associations taxable as corporations or otherwise taxed as entities for federal income tax purposes;
 
WHEREAS, Section 13.1(d)(i) of the Partnership Agreement provides that the General Partner, without the approval of any Partner or Assignee, may amend any provision of the Partnership Agreement to reflect a change that, in the discretion of the General Partner, does not

 
adversely affect the Limited Partners (including any particular class of Partnership Interests as compared to other classes of Partnership Interests) in any material respect;
 
WHEREAS, Section 13.1(d)(ii)(A) of the Partnership Agreement provides that the General Partner, without the approval of any Partner or Assignee, may amend any provision of the Partnership Agreement to reflect a change that, in the discretion of the General Partner, is necessary or advisable 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 (including the Delaware Act);
 
WHEREAS, Section 13.1(d)(iv) of the Partnership Agreement provides that the General Partner, without the approval of any Partner or Assignee, may amend any provision of the Partnership Agreement to reflect a change that, in the discretion of the General Partner, is required to effect the intent expressed in the Registration Statement or the intent of the provisions of the Partnership Agreement or is otherwise contemplated by the Partnership Agreement;
 
WHEREAS , acting pursuant to the power and authority granted to it under Section 13.1(c) of the Partnership Agreement, the General Partner has determined that the following amendment to the Partnership Agreement is necessary or advisable to ensure that the Group Members will not be treated as associations taxable as corporations or otherwise taxed as entities for federal income tax purposes;
 
WHEREAS, acting pursuant to the power and authority granted to it under Section 13.1(d)(i) of the Partnership Agreement, the General Partner has determined that the following amendment to the Partnership Agreement does not adversely affect the Limited Partners (including any particular class of Partnership Interests as compared to other classes of Partnership Interests) in any material respect;
 
WHEREAS, acting pursuant to the power and authority granted to it under Section 13.1(d)(ii)(A) of the Partnership Agreement, the General Partner has determined that the following amendment to the Partnership Agreement is necessary or advisable to satisfy certain requirements, conditions or guidelines contained in the Code and the Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder; and
 
WHEREAS, acting pursuant to the power and authority granted to it under Section 13.1(d)(iv) of the Partnership Agreement, the General Partner has determined that the following amendment to the Partnership Agreement is required to effect the intent expressed in the Registration Statement or the intent of the provisions of the Partnership Agreement or is otherwise contemplated by the Partnership Agreement.
 
NOW, THEREFORE, the Partnership Agreement is hereby amended as follows:
 
Section 1.                                            Amendments .
 
(a)                                  Section 9.3 of the Partnership Agreement is hereby amended and restated in its entirety as follows:
 
Section 9.3                                     Tax Controversies .
 
(a)                                  For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2017, the General Partner is designated as the “tax matters partner” (as defined in Section 6231(a)(7) of the
 
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Code, prior to amendment by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 (the “BBA”)).  For each taxable year beginning after December 31, 2017, the General Partner shall be or shall designate the “partnership representative” (as defined in Section 6223 of the Code, as amended by the BBA) and any other Persons necessary to conduct proceedings under Subchapter C of Chapter 63 of the Code (as amended by the BBA) for such year.  Any such designated Person or Persons shall serve at the pleasure of, and act at the direction of, the General Partner.  The partnership representative, as directed by the General Partner, shall exercise any and all authority of the “partnership representative” under the Code (as amended by the BBA), including, without limitation, (i) binding the Partnership and its Partners with respect to actions taken under Subchapter C of Chapter 63 of the Code (as amended by the BBA) and (ii) determining whether to make any available election under Section 6226 of the Code (as amended by the BBA).
 
(b)                                  The General Partner (acting through the partnership representative to the extent permitted by Section 9.3(a)) is authorized and required to act on behalf of and represent the Partnership (at the Partnership’s expense) in connection with all examinations of the Partnership’s affairs by tax authorities, including resulting administrative and judicial proceedings, and the General Partner is authorized to expend Partnership funds for professional services and costs associated therewith.
 
(c)                                   Each Partner agrees to cooperate with the General Partner (or its designee) and to do or refrain from doing any or all things reasonably requested by the General Partner (or its designee) in its capacity as the “tax matters partner” or the “partnership representative,” or as a person otherwise authorized and required to act on behalf of and represent the Partnership pursuant to Section 9.3(b).
 
(d)                                  Each Partner agrees that notice of or updates regarding tax controversies shall be deemed conclusively to have been given or made by the General Partner if the Partnership has either (i) filed the information for which notice is required with the Commission via its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval system and such information is publicly available on such system or (ii) made the information for which notice is required available on any publicly available website maintained by the Partnership, whether or not such Partner remains a Partner in the Partnership at the time such information is made publicly available. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, nothing in this provision shall obligate the Partnership Representative to provide notice to the Partners other than as required by the Code.
 
(e)                                   The General Partner is authorized to amend the provisions of this Agreement as appropriate to reflect the proposal or promulgation of Treasury Regulations implementing or interpreting the partnership audit, assessment, and collection rules adopted by the BBA, including any amendments to those rules.
 
(b)                                  Section 9.4 of the Partnership Agreement is hereby amended and restated in its entirety as follows:
 
Section 9.4                                     Withholding and Other Tax Payments by the Partnership .
 
(a)                                  If taxes and related interest, penalties, or additions to tax are paid by the Partnership on behalf of all or less than all the Partners or former Partners (including, without limitation, any payment by the Partnership of an imputed underpayment under Section 6225 of
 
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the Code (as amended by the BBA) (an “Imputed Underpayment”)), the General Partner may treat such payment as a distribution of cash to such Partners, treat such payment as a general expense of the Partnership, or, in the case of an Imputed Underpayment, require that persons who were Partners of the Partnership in the taxable year to which the payment relates (including former Partners) indemnify the Partnership upon request for their allocable share of that payment, in each case as determined appropriate under the circumstances by the General Partner.  The amount of any such indemnification obligation of, or deemed distribution of cash to, a Partner or former Partner in respect of an Imputed Underpayment shall be reduced to the extent that the Partnership receives a reduction in the amount of the Imputed Underpayment which, in the determination of the General Partner, is attributable to actions taken by, the tax status or attributes of, or tax information provided by or attributable to, such Partner or former Partner pursuant to or described in Section 6225(c) of the Code (as amended by the BBA).
 
(b)                                  The General Partner is authorized to take any action that it determines in its discretion to be necessary or appropriate to cause the Partnership and other Group Members to comply with any withholding requirements established under the Code or any other federal, state or local law including, without limitation, pursuant to Sections 1441, 1442, 1445, and 1446 of the Code. To the extent that the Partnership is required or elects to withhold and pay over to any taxing authority any amount resulting from the allocation or distribution of income to any Partner or Assignee (including, without limitation, by reason of Section 1446 of the Code), the amount withheld may at the discretion of the General Partner be treated by the Partnership as a distribution of cash pursuant to the then applicable provision of this Agreement in the amount of such withholding from such Partner.
 
Section 2.                                            General Authority . The appropriate officers of the General Partner are hereby authorized to make such further clarifying and conforming changes they deem necessary or appropriate, and to interpret the Partnership Agreement, to give effect to the intent and purpose of this Amendment.
 
Section 3.                                            Ratification of Partnership Agreement . Except as expressly modified and amended herein, all of the terms and conditions of the Partnership Agreement shall remain in full force and effect.
 
Section 4.                                            Governing Law . This Amendment will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to the principles of conflicts of law.
 
[Signature page follows]
 
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the General Partner has executed this Amendment to be effective as of the date first set forth above.

 	GENERAL PARTNER:	
 	 	
 	EnLink Midstream GP, LLC	

 	By:	/s/ Michael J. Garberding	
 	 	Michael J. Garberding	
 	 	President and Chief Financial Officer	
 
[Signature Page to Amendment No. 1 to
Ninth Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership]