As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 23, 2018
 
Registration No. 333-       

 
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

 
Form S-8
 
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 
TRAVELCENTERS OF AMERICA LLC
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

Delaware	 	20-5701514	
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)	 	(I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)	
 
24601 Center Ridge Road, Suite 200
Westlake, OH 44145-5639 
 (Address of principal executive offices) (zip code)
 
TravelCenters of America LLC
2016 Equity Compensation Plan, as amended
(Full title of the plan)

 
William E. Myers
Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
TravelCenters of America LLC
24601 Center Ridge Road
Westlake, Ohio 44145
(Name and address of agent for service)
 
(440) 808-9100
(Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
 
Copies to:

Mark R. Young, Esq. 
Executive Vice President and General Counsel
TravelCenters of America LLC
Two Newton Place
255 Washington Street
Newton, MA 02458
(617) 796-8157	 	Margaret R. Cohen, Esq. 
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP
500 Boylston Street
Boston, MA 02116
(617) 573-4800	
 
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of  “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Large accelerated filer o	Accelerated filer x	
Non-accelerated filer o (Do not check if a smaller reporting company)	Smaller reporting company o	
 	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 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. o

 
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

Title of Securities
to be Registered	 	Amount to be
Registered (1)	 	Proposed
Maximum
Offering Price
per Share (3)	 	Proposed
Maximum
Aggregate
Offering
Price (3)	 	Amount of
Registration
Fee (4)	 	
Common shares, no par value	 	2,000,000 (2)	 	$3.25	 	$6,500,000	 	$809.25	 	
(1)           Pursuant to Rule 416 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), this registration statement on Form S-8 (this “Registration Statement”) shall also cover, in addition to the number of shares stated above, an indeterminate number of additional common shares, no par value (“Common Shares”), of TravelCenters of America LLC (the “Registrant”), which may become issuable under the TravelCenters of America LLC 2016 Equity Compensation Plan, as amended (the “Plan”), by reason of certain corporate transactions or events, including any stock dividend, stock split, recapitalization or any other similar transaction effected which results in an increase in the number of the Registrant’s outstanding Common Shares.
 
(2)           Represents solely the additional 2,000,000 Common Shares newly available for grant under the Plan.
 
(3)           This amount is estimated in accordance with paragraphs (c) and (h) of Rule 457 under the Securities Act solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee based upon the average of the high and low sales prices per Common Share as reported on The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC on May 16, 2018.
 
(4)           The registration fee has been calculated pursuant to Section 6(b) of the Securities Act by multiplying .0001245 by the proposed maximum aggregate offering price (as computed in accordance with Rule 457 under the Securities Act solely for the purpose of determining the registration fee of the securities registered hereby).

 

 
EXPLANATORY NOTE
 
At the 2018 Annual Meeting of Shareholders of the Registrant held on May 23, 2018, the Registrant’s shareholders approved an amendment to the Plan, to increase by 2,000,000 the total number of Common Shares available for grant under the Plan to 4,300,000 Common Shares.
 
This Registration Statement is intended to register the additional 2,000,000 Common Shares available for grant under the Plan, as such number may be adjusted under the Plan.
 
Part I
 
INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS
 
Item 1.                                  Plan Information.*
 
Item 2.                                  Registrant Information and Employee Plan Annual Information.*

* All information required by Part I to be contained in the Section 10(a) prospectus is omitted from this Registration Statement in accordance with Rule 428 under the Securities Act and the Note to Part I of Form S-8.
 
Part II
 
INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT
 
Item 3.                                  Incorporation of Documents by Reference.
 
The Registrant hereby incorporates by reference into this Registration Statement the following documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”):

(a)	 	The Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017 filed on February 28, 2018, as amended by Amendment No. 1 to the Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017 filed on March 6, 2018;	
 	 	 	
(b)	 	The Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2018 filed on May 7, 2018;	
 	 	 	
(c)	 	The Registrant’s Current Reports on Form 8-K filed on February 26, 2018, March 16, 2018 and April 13, 2018;	
 	 	 	
(d)	 	The information identified as incorporated by reference under Items 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 of Part III of the Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017 to the Registrant’s definitive Proxy Statement for the Registrant’s 2018 Annual Meeting of Shareholders filed on March 16, 2018; and	
 	 	 	
(e)	 	The description of the Registrant’s Common Shares contained in the Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed on June 30, 2016, including any amendments or reports filed for the purpose of updating that description (File No. 001-33274).	
 
All documents subsequently filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered hereby have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement and to be a part hereof from the date of filing of such documents.

 
Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this Registration Statement to the extent that a statement contained herein or in any other subsequently filed document which also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes such statement. Any statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this Registration Statement.
 
Item 4.                                  Description of Securities.
 
Not Applicable.
 
Item 5.                                  Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.
 
Not Applicable.
 
Item 6.                                  Indemnification of Directors and Officers .
 
Subject to standards and restrictions as are set forth in the Registrant’s Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement (the “LLC Agreement”), Section 18-108 of the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act empowers a Delaware limited liability company to indemnify and hold harmless any member or manager or other persons from and against any and all claims and demands whatsoever.
 
To the fullest extent permitted by law but subject to the limitations expressly provided in the LLC Agreement or in the bylaws of the Registrant, all current and former officers and directors of the Registrant or any subsidiary of the Registrant and other specified indemnitees (referred to herein collectively as the “Indemnitees”) shall be indemnified and held harmless by the Registrant from and against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities, joint or several, expenses (including legal fees and expenses), judgments, fines, penalties, interest, settlements or other amounts arising from any and all claims, demands, actions, suits or proceedings, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, whether or not by or in the right of the Registrant, in which any such Indemnitee may be involved, or is threatened to be involved, as a party or otherwise, in connection with any act or omission performed, or omitted to be performed, by such Indemnitee in good faith on behalf of or with respect to the Registrant or by reason of its status as an Indemnitee; provided that the Indemnitee shall not be indemnified and held harmless if there has been a final and non-appealable judgment entered by a court of competent jurisdiction determining that, in respect of the matter for which the Indemnitee is seeking indemnification, the Indemnitee acted in bad faith or engaged in fraud, willful misconduct, or in the case of a criminal matter, acted with knowledge that the Indemnitee’s conduct was unlawful.  To the fullest extent permitted by law, expenses (including legal fees and expenses) incurred by an Indemnitee who is indemnified pursuant to the LLC Agreement in defending any claim, demand, action, suit or proceeding shall, from time to time, be advanced by the Registrant prior to a determination that the Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified upon receipt by the Registrant of any undertaking by or on behalf of the Indemnitee to repay such amount if it shall be determined that the Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified as authorized in the LLC Agreement.  The indemnification, advancement of expenses and other provisions of the LLC Agreement shall be in addition to any other rights to which an Indemnitee may be entitled under any agreement, pursuant to any vote of the shareholders entitled to vote on such matter, pursuant to a vote of the board of directors of the Registrant, as a matter of law or otherwise, both as to actions in the Indemnitee’s capacity as an Indemnitee and as to actions in any other capacity, and shall continue as to an Indemnitee who has ceased to serve in such capacity and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, successors, assigns and administrators of the Indemnitee.
 
The personal liability of each member of the Registrant’s board of directors to the Registrant, its shareholders or any other person or entity bound by the LLC Agreement is eliminated for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director; provided, however, that, the foregoing shall not eliminate the liability of a director (i) for any breach of such director’s duty of loyalty to the Registrant or its shareholders as modified by the LLC Agreement, (ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law or (iii) for any transaction from which such director derived an improper personal benefit.
 
2 

 
The Registrant has entered into indemnification agreements with its directors and officers, which provide for the indemnification of such persons to the maximum extent permitted under Delaware law in the event such a person is involved or threatened to be involved, as a party or otherwise, in connection with any proceeding by reason of his or her status with or service to the Registrant or to another entity at the Registrant’s request. The indemnification agreements also provide for advancement of expenses incurred by a director or officer in connection with an indemnifiable claim, subject to the Registrant’s receipt of a written undertaking requiring reimbursement in certain circumstances. In addition, the indemnification agreements govern various procedural matters related to indemnification. The rights of a director and officer under an indemnification agreement with the Registrant are in addition to any other rights under the LLC Agreement and the Registrant’s bylaws, as they may be amended from time to time, and Delaware law.
 
The Registrant has also previously entered into agreements with some former directors and officers which provide for the indemnification of such directors and officers.
 
The Registrant currently maintains an insurance policy on behalf of its directors and officers against any liability asserted against them or which they incur acting in such capacity or arising out of their status as directors or officers.
 
Item 7.                                  Exemption from Registration Claimed.
 
Not applicable.
 
Item 8.                                  Exhibits.

Exhibit
Number	 	Description	
 	 	 	
4.1	 	Form of Common Share Certificate (1)	
 	 	 	
4.2	 	Composite copy of Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement of TravelCenters of America LLC dated as of January 31, 2007, as amended to date (2)	
 	 	 	
4.3	 	Amended and Restated Bylaws of TravelCenters of America LLC, as amended and restated on September 7, 2016 (3)	
 	 	 	
5.1	 	Opinion of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP	
 	 	 	
23.1	 	Consent of RSM US LLP	
 	 	 	
23.2	 	Consent of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP (contained in the opinion filed as Exhibit 5.1 to this Registration Statement)	
 	 	 	
24.1	 	Power of Attorney (included on signature page herein)	
 	 	 	
99.1	 	TravelCenters of America LLC 2016 Equity Compensation Plan, as amended (4)	

(1)          Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009, filed with the SEC on February 24, 2010.
 
(2)          Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended September 30, 2016, filed with the SEC on November 8, 2016.
 
3 

 
(3)          Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.3 to the Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016, filed with the SEC on February 28, 2017, as amended by Amendment No. 1 to the Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016 filed with the SEC on May 17, 2017.
 
(4)          Incorporated by reference to Annex A to the Registrant’s definitive Proxy Statement for the Registrant’s 2018 Annual Meeting of Shareholders filed with the SEC on March 16, 2018.
 
4 

 
Item 9.                                  Undertakings.
 
(a)                                  The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:
 
(1)                                  To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:
 
(i)                                                 To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;
 
(ii)                                              To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the Registration Statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the Registration Statement.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective Registration Statement; and
 
(iii)                                           To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the Registration Statement or any material change to such information in the Registration Statement;
 
provided, however , that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement.
 
(2)                                  That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
 
(3)                                  To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.
 
(b)                                  The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the Registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
 
(c)                                   Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act of 1933 and is, therefore, unenforceable.  In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act of 1933 and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
 
5 

 
EXHIBIT INDEX
 
TravelCenters of America LLC

Exhibit
Number	 	Description	
 	 	 	
4.1	 	Form of Common Share Certificate (1)	
 	 	 	
4.2	 	Composite copy of Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement of TravelCenters of America LLC dated as of January 31, 2007, as amended to date (2)	
 	 	 	
4.3	 	Amended and Restated Bylaws of TravelCenters of America LLC, as amended and restated on September 7, 2016 (3)	
 	 	 	
5.1	 	Opinion of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP	
 	 	 	
23.1	 	Consent of RSM US LLP	
 	 	 	
23.2	 	Consent of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP (contained in the opinion filed as Exhibit 5.1 to this Registration Statement)	
 	 	 	
24.1	 	Power of Attorney (included on signature page herein)	
 	 	 	
99.1	 	TravelCenters of America LLC 2016 Equity Compensation Plan, as amended (4)	

(1)          Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009, filed with the SEC on February 24, 2010.
 
(2)          Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended September 30, 2016, filed with the SEC on November 8, 2016.
 
(3)          Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.3 to the Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016, filed with the SEC on February 28, 2017, as amended by Amendment No. 1 to the Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016 filed with the SEC on May 17, 2017.
 
(4)          Incorporated by reference to Annex A to the Registrant’s definitive Proxy Statement for the Registrant’s 2018 Annual Meeting of Shareholders filed with the SEC on March 16, 2018.
 
6 

 
SIGNATURES 
 
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Newton, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, on May 23, 2018.

 	TRAVELCENTERS OF AMERICA LLC	

 	By:	/s/ William E. Myers	
 	 	William E. Myers	
 	 	Executive Vice President,	
 	 	Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer	
 
KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below hereby constitutes and appoints Andrew J. Rebholz, William E. Myers and Mark R. Young, and each of them, his or her true and lawful attorneys in fact and agents, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments, including post-effective amendments, to this Registration Statement, and to file the same, with exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys in fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and conforming all that said attorneys in fact and agents, and each of them, or their respective substitutes, and each of them, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
 
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the date indicated.

Date:	May 23, 2018	 	by:	/s/ Andrew J. Rebholz	
 	 	 	 	Andrew J. Rebholz, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer)	
 	 	 	 	 	
Date:	May 23, 2018	 	by:	/s/ William E. Myers	
 	 	 	 	William E. Myers, Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer (Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer)	
 	 	 	 	 	
Date:	May 23, 2018	 	by:	/s/ Adam D. Portnoy	
 	 	 	 	Adam D. Portnoy, Managing Director	
 	 	 	 	 	
Date:	May 23, 2018	 	by:	/s/ Barbara D. Gilmore	
 	 	 	 	Barbara D. Gilmore, Independent Director	
 	 	 	 	 	
Date:	May 23, 2018	 	by:	/s/ Lisa Harris Jones	
 	 	 	 	Lisa Harris Jones, Independent Director	
 	 	 	 	 	
Date:	May 23, 2018	 	by:	/s/ Joseph L. Morea	
 	 	 	 	Joseph L. Morea, Independent Director	

Exhibit 5.1 

 	SKADDEN, ARPS, SLATE, MEAGHER & FLOM LLP	 	
 	500 BOYLSTON STREET	FIRM/AFFILIATE	
 	BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS  02116	OFFICES	

 	
 	TEL: (617) 573-4800	CHICAGO	
 	FAX: (617) 573-4822	HOUSTON	
 	www.skadden.com	LOS ANGELES	
 	 	NEW YORK	
 	 	PALO ALTO	
 	 	WASHINGTON, D.C.	
 	 	WILMINGTON	

 	 	BEIJING	
 	 	BRUSSELS	
 	 	FRANKFURT	
 	 	HONG KONG	
 	 	LONDON	
 	 	MOSCOW	
 	 	MUNICH	
 	 	PARIS	
 	 	SÃO PAULO	
 	 	SEOUL	
 	May 23, 2018	SHANGHAI	
 	 	SINGAPORE	
 	 	TOKYO	
 	 	TORONTO	

 
TravelCenters of America LLC
24601 Center Ridge Road, Suite 200
Westlake, Ohio 44145
 
Re:                              TravelCenters of America LLC Registration Statement on Form S-8
 
Ladies and Gentlemen:
 
We have acted as special counsel to TravelCenters of America LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Company”), in connection with the registration statement on Form S-8 (the “Registration Statement”) to be filed on the date hereof by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). The Registration Statement relates to the issuance by the Company from time to time, pursuant to Rules 415 and 416, as applicable, of the General Rules and Regulations of the Commission promulgated under the Securities Act (the “Rules and Regulations”), of (i) 2,000,000 common shares representing limited liability company interests in the Company, no par value (the “Common Shares”), authorized for issuance pursuant to awards to be granted under the TravelCenters of America LLC 2016 Equity Compensation Plan, as amended (the “Plan”) and (ii) such indeterminate number of Common Shares which may become issuable under the Plan by reason of certain corporate transactions or events, including any stock dividend, stock split, recapitalization or any other similar transaction effected by the Company which results in an increase in the number of the Company’s outstanding Common Shares (the “Indeterminate Securities”).  The Common Shares and the Indeterminate Securities offered pursuant to the Registration Statement are collectively referred to herein as the “Securities.”
 
This opinion is being furnished in accordance with the requirements of Item 601(b)(5) of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act.

 
TravelCenters of America LLC
May 23, 2018
Page 2 
 
In rendering the opinion stated herein, we have examined and relied upon the following:
 
(a) the Registration Statement in the form filed with the Commission on the date hereof;
 
(b) an executed copy of a certificate of Mark R. Young, Executive Vice President, and General Counsel of the Company, dated the date hereof (the “General Counsel’s Certificate”);
 
(c) a copy of the Plan, certified pursuant to the General Counsel’s Certificate;
 
(d) a specimen certificate representing the Common Shares, certified pursuant to the General Counsel’s Certificate;
 
(e) a copy of the Company’s Certificate of Formation, certified by the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware as of May 23, 2018, and certified pursuant to the General Counsel’s Certificate;
 
(f) a copy of the Company’s Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement, dated as of January 31, 2007, as amended June 15, 2007, November 9, 2009, January 25, 2010, May 13, 2010, February 21, 2013, May 20, 2013 and September 7, 2016, and in effect as of the date hereof, by and among Hospitality Properties Trust (as initial shareholder) and all other shareholders of the Company, certified pursuant to the General Counsel’s Certificate, among other things, as the only limited liability company agreement, as defined under the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act (the “DLLCA”), of the Company (the “LLC Agreement”);
 
(g) a copy of the Company’s Amended and Restated Bylaws, as amended and in effect as of the date hereof, certified pursuant to the General Counsel’s Certificate (“Bylaws”);
 
(h) a copy of certain resolutions of the Board of Directors of the Company adopted on March 15, 2018 and May 23, 2018 relating to the Plan, the issuance of the Securities pursuant thereto, the filing of the Registration Statement and certain related matters, certified pursuant to the General Counsel’s Certificate; and
 
(i) a copy of the Final Report of the Inspector of Elections for the Company’s 2018 Annual Meeting of Shareholders reporting the presence in person or by proxy of a quorum of the Company’s shareholders at such meeting and the approval of the adoption of the amendment to the Plan (Item 4), by a majority of the votes cast by shareholders in person or by proxy at such meeting.

 
TravelCenters of America LLC
May 23, 2018
Page 3 
 
We have also examined originals or copies, certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of such records of the Company and such agreements, certificates and receipts of public officials, certificates of officers or other representatives of the Company and others, and such other documents as we have deemed necessary or appropriate as a basis for the opinion stated below.
 
In our examination, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, including endorsements, the legal capacity and competency of all natural persons, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as facsimile, electronic, certified or photostatic copies, and the authenticity of the originals of such copies.  In making our examination of executed documents, we have assumed that the parties thereto, other than the Company, had or will have the power, corporate or other, to enter into and perform all obligations thereunder and have also assumed the due authorization by all requisite action, corporate or other, and the execution and delivery by such parties of such documents and the validity and binding effect thereof on such parties.  We have assumed that the Securities will not be transferred in violation of the ownership limitations or restrictions under the LLC Agreement and Bylaws.  We have also assumed that the Company has, and since the time of its formation has had, at least one validly admitted and existing member of the Company and (i) no procedures have been instituted for, and no other event has occurred, including, without limitation, any action taken by the Company, the Board of Directors or members or shareholders of the Company that would result in the liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the Company, (ii) no event has occurred that has adversely affected the good standing of the Company under the laws of its jurisdiction of formation, and the Company has taken all actions required by the laws of its jurisdiction of formation to maintain such good standing and (iii) no grounds exist for the revocation or forfeiture of the Company’s Certificate of Formation.  Further, we have assumed that, at the time of issuance and delivery of the Common Shares, (i) each agreement setting forth the terms of each grant under the Plan will be consistent with the Plan and will be duly authorized and validly executed and delivered by the parties thereto, and (ii) the certificates evidencing the Common Shares in the form examined by us will be manually signed by an authorized officer of the transfer agent and registrar for the Common Shares and registered by such transfer agent and registrar. As to any facts relevant to the opinion stated herein that we did not independently establish or verify, we have relied upon statements and representations of officers and other representatives of the Company and others and of public officials, including the facts and conclusions set forth in the General Counsel’s Certificate.
 
We do not express any opinion with respect to the laws of any jurisdiction other than the DLLCA (hereinafter being referred to as “Opined on Law”).  We do not express any opinion as to the effect of any non-Opined on Law on the opinion stated herein.  The Securities may be issued from time to time on a delayed or continuous basis, and this opinion is limited to the laws as in effect on the date hereof, which laws are subject to change with possible retroactive effect.

 
TravelCenters of America LLC
May 23, 2018
Page 4 
 
The opinion stated below presumes that all of the following (collectively, the “general conditions”) shall have occurred prior to the issuance of the Securities referred to therein: (i) the Registration Statement as finally amended (including all post-effective amendments) has become effective under the Securities Act; (ii) each agreement setting forth the terms of each grant of an award under the Plan is or will be consistent with the Plan and has been or will be duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and the other parties thereto; (iii) the Board of Directors of the Company, including any duly authorized committee thereof, shall have taken all necessary limited liability company action to approve the issuance of such Securities and related matters in accordance with the then applicable provisions of the DLLCA, the LLC Agreement and Bylaws, and appropriate officers of the Company have taken all related action as directed by or under the direction of the Board of Directors of the Company; and (iv) the issuance of such Securities have been duly established in conformity with the LLC Agreement and Bylaws, each as then in effect, so as not to violate any applicable law, the LLC Agreement or Bylaws, each as then in effect, or result in a default under or breach of any agreement or instrument binding upon the Company, and so as to comply with any requirement or restriction imposed by any court or governmental body having jurisdiction over the Company.
 
Based upon the foregoing and subject to the qualifications and assumptions stated herein, we are of the opinion that, when (a) the general conditions shall have been satisfied, (b) if any of the Securities are to be certificated, certificates conforming to the specimen certificate examined by us representing such Securities are duly executed and countersigned and (c) the Securities are registered in the Company’s share registry, the Securities, when issued, delivered and paid for pursuant to and in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Plan and any applicable award agreement, will be duly authorized by all requisite limited liability company action on the part of the Company under the DLLCA and validly issued and fully paid, and under the DLLCA, the holders of the Securities will have no obligation to make further payments for the purchase of the Securities or contributions to the Company solely by reason of their ownership of such Securities except for their obligation to repay any funds wrongfully distributed to them.
 
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion with the Commission as an exhibit to the Registration Statement.  In giving this consent, we do not thereby admit that we are included in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the Rules and Regulations.  This opinion is expressed as of the date hereof unless otherwise expressly stated, and we disclaim any undertaking to advise you of any subsequent changes in the facts stated or assumed herein or of any subsequent changes in applicable laws.

 	Very truly yours,	
 	 	
 	/s/ Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP	
MRC	 	

Exhibit 23.1 
 
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
 
We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form S-8 pertaining to the TravelCenters of America LLC 2016 Equity Compensation Plan, as amended, of our reports dated February 28, 2018, relating to our audits of the consolidated financial statements and the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting which appears in the Annual Report on Form 10-K of TravelCenters of America LLC for the year ended December 31, 2017.
 
/s/ RSM US LLP
 
Cleveland, Ohio
May 23, 2018