In connection with this opinion, we have assumed that (i) the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto (including post-effective amendments) will have become effective; (ii) all Securities will be issued and sold in compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws and in the manner stated in the Registration Statement and any applicable prospectus supplement; (iii) a definitive purchase, underwriting or similar agreement with respect to any Securities offered will have been duly authorized and validly executed and delivered by the Partnership and the other parties thereto; (iv) any securities issuable upon conversion, redemption, exchange or exercise of any Securities being offered will be duly authorized, created and, if appropriate, reserved for issuance upon such conversion, redemption, exchange or exercise; (v) the certificates for the Common Units and Partnership Securities, if any, will conform to the specimens thereof examined by us and will have been duly countersigned by a transfer agent and duly registered by a registrar of the Common Units or Partnership Securities, or, if uncertificated, valid book-entry notations will have been made in the unit register of the Partnership in accordance with the provisions of the governing documents of the Partnership; and (vi) each document submitted to us for review is accurate and complete, each such document that is an original is authentic, each such document that is a copy conforms to an authentic original and all signatures on each such document are genuine.
Based upon and subject to the foregoing, we are of the opinion that with respect to the Common Units and Partnership Securities, when (a) the Partnership has taken all necessary action to approve the issuance of such Common Units or Partnership Securities, the terms of the offering thereof and related matters, and (b) such Common Units or Partnership Securities have been issued and delivered in accordance with the terms of the applicable definitive purchase, underwriting or similar agreement approved by the Partnership upon payment of the consideration therefor provided for therein, such Common Units or Partnership Securities will be duly authorized and validly issued and will be fully paid and nonassessable.
The opinion set forth above is limited in all respects to matters of the Delaware Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act, the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act and applicable federal law of the United States of America, in each case as in effect on the date hereof. We express no opinion as to the effect of the laws of any other jurisdiction.
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion of counsel as Exhibit 5.1 to the Registration Statement. We also consent to the reference to our Firm under the heading “Legal Matters” in the Prospectus forming a part of the Registration Statement. In giving this consent, we do not hereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.
Very truly yours,
/s/ Baker Botts L.L.P.
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