Attached files
Exhibit 8.1
300 North LaSalle
Chicago, Illinois 60654
(312) 862-2000 |
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Facsimile: (312) 862-2200 |
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www.kirkland.com |
June , 2011
YRC Worldwide Inc.
10990 Roe Avenue
Overland Park, Kansas 66211
Dear YRC Worldwide Inc.:
We are acting as United States tax counsel to YRC Worldwide Inc., a Delaware corporation (the Company), and each of the Companys subsidiaries listed on Schedule I hereto (collectively, the Guarantors), in connection with the preparation of the Registration Statement on Form S-1 (as amended or supplemented, the Registration Statement) (Registration No. 333-174277) originally filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the Commission) on May 17, 2011, under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), by the Company and the Guarantors. The Registration Statement relates to the registration of $140,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of the Companys 10% Series A Convertible Senior Secured Notes due 2015 (the Series A Notes) and $61,918,911 in aggregate principal amount of Series A Notes paid-in-kind in respect of interest on the Series A Notes (the Additional Series A Notes), $100,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of the Companys 10% Series B Convertible Senior Secured Notes due 2015 (the Series B Notes and together with the Series A Notes, the Initial Notes) and $44,227,794 in aggregate principal amount of Series B Notes paid-in-kind in respect of interest or make whole premium on the Series B Notes (the Additional Series B Notes and together with the Additional Series A Notes, the Additional Notes, the Additional Notes together with the Initial Notes, the Notes), 4,999,999 shares of the Companys Series B Convertible Preferred Stock, par value $1.00 per share (the Series B Preferred Stock), 5,978,390,212 shares of the Companys common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the Common Shares) issuable in respect of the Series A Notes, the Additional Series A Notes, the Series B Notes, the Additional Series B Notes and the Series B Preferred Stock, and the guarantees of the Guarantors with respect to the Series A Notes, the Additional Series A Notes, the Series B Notes and the Additional Series B Notes (collectively, the Guarantees and together with the Series A Notes, the Additional Series A Notes, the Series B Notes, the Additional Series B Notes, the Series B Preferred Stock and the Common Shares, the Securities), as described in the Registration Statement.
YRC Worldwide, Inc.
June , 2011
Page 2
The issuance of the Initial Notes, the Guarantees in respect of the Initial Notes (collectively, the Initial Guarantees) and the Series B Preferred Stock (collectively, the Initial Securities) is subject to certain conditions set forth under the caption The Exchange OfferConditions to the Exchange Offer (the Closing Conditions) in the prospectus forming a part of the Registration Statement (the Prospectus). In the event the Closing Conditions are satisfied or waived in accordance with the terms of the Prospectus, the Series A Notes and Guarantees in respect of the Series A Notes will be issued pursuant to an indenture (the Series A Indenture) dated as of the closing date of the exchange offer as described in the Prospectus (the Closing Date) by and among the Company, the Guarantors and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee (the Trustee), the Series B Notes and Guarantees in respect of the Series B Notes will be issued pursuant to an indenture dated as of the Closing Date by and among the Company, the Guarantors and the Trustee (the Series B Indenture and together with the Series A Indenture, the Indentures), and the Series B Preferred Stock will be issued pursuant to a certificate of designations (the Certificate of Designations, together with the Indentures, the Transaction Documents) filed with the Secretary of State of Delaware on or before the Closing Date.
Pursuant to the Registration Statement, the Company has offered to exchange claims (the Exchange Offer) under the Companys existing credit agreement (i) with respect to outstanding letters of credit issued under the revolving credit facility (the LC claims), (ii) with respect to the outstanding principal amount of term loans, (iii) with respect to the outstanding principal amount of loans issued under the revolving credit facility and (iv) with respect to deferred interest and fees due and outstanding (collectively, the credit agreement claims). If the Exchange Offer is consummated, the credit agreement claims will be exchanged for a combination of (A) approximately 3,717,948 shares of Series B Preferred Stock, (B) $140.0 million in aggregate principal amount of Series A Notes, to be allocated among all holders of credit agreement claims other than LC claims on a pro rata basis and (C) subscription rights to all eligible holders of credit agreement claims to purchase for cash on a pro rata basis (subject to oversubscription rights) up to $100.0 million in aggregate principal amount of Series B Notes.
Capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein shall have the same meanings attributed to such terms in the Registration Statement.
You have requested our opinion concerning the discussion set forth in the section entitled MATERIAL UNITED STATES FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS in the Registration Statement. In providing this opinion, we have assumed (without any independent investigation or review thereof) that:
a. | Original documents submitted to us (including signatures thereto) are authentic, documents submitted to us as copies conform to the original documents, and that all |
YRC Worldwide, Inc.
June , 2011
Page 3
such documents have been duly and validly executed and delivered where due execution and delivery are a prerequisite to the effectiveness thereof; |
b. | All factual representations, warranties and statements made or agreed to by the parties to the Registration Statement, and other documents relating to the Exchange Offer, are true and accurate as of the date hereof; and |
c. | The description of the Exchange Offer in the Registration Statement is accurate, the Exchange Offer will be consummated in accordance with such description, without any waiver or breach of any material provision thereof, and the Exchange Offer will be effective under applicable corporate law. |
This opinion is based on current provisions of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the Code), the United States Treasury regulations promulgated thereunder, and the interpretation of the Code and such regulations by the courts and the Internal Revenue Service, as they are in effect and exist at the date of this opinion. It should be noted that statutes, regulations, judicial decisions and administrative interpretations are subject to change at any time and, in some circumstances, with retroactive effect. A material change that is made after the date hereof in any of the foregoing bases for our opinion could adversely affect our conclusion.
Based upon the foregoing, the statements set forth in the Prospectus under the heading MATERIAL UNITED STATES FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS, insofar as they address the consequences of the Exchange Offer to U.S. holders and Non-U.S. holders and discuss matters of U.S. federal tax law and regulations or legal conclusions with respect thereto, and except to the extent stated otherwise therein, are accurate in all material respects, subject to the assumptions, qualifications and limitations stated herein and therein.
YRC Worldwide, Inc.
June , 2011
Page 4
This opinion is furnished to you solely for use in connection with the Registration Statement. We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as Exhibit 8.1 to the Registration Statement and to the reference to our firm in the Registration Statement. In giving such consent, we do not thereby concede that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act of 1933 or the rules and regulations of the SEC thereunder. This opinion is based on facts and circumstances existing on the date hereof.
Very truly yours,
Kirkland & Ellis LLP
Schedule I
Subsidiary Guarantors
Exact Name as Specified in its Charter |
State of Incorporation or Organization |
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YRC Inc. |
Delaware | |||||
Roadway LLC |
Delaware | |||||
Roadway Next Day Corporation |
Pennsylvania | |||||
YRC Enterprise Services, Inc. |
Delaware | |||||
YRC Regional Transportation, Inc. |
Delaware | |||||
USF Sales Corporation |
Delaware | |||||
USF Holland Inc. |
Michigan | |||||
USF Reddaway Inc. |
Oregon | |||||
USF Glen Moore Inc. |
Pennsylvania | |||||
YRC Logistics Services, Inc. |
Illinois | |||||
IMUA Handling Corporation |
Hawaii | |||||
YRC Association Solutions, Inc. |
Delaware | |||||
Express Lane Service, Inc. |
Delaware | |||||
YRC International Investments, Inc. |
Delaware | |||||
USF RedStar LLC |
Delaware | |||||
USF Dugan Inc. |
Kansas | |||||
USF Technology Services Inc. |
Illinois | |||||
YRC Mortgages, LLC |
Delaware | |||||
New Penn Motor Express, Inc. |
Pennsylvania | |||||
Roadway Express International, Inc. |
Delaware | |||||
Roadway Reverse Logistics, Inc. |
Ohio | |||||
USF Bestway Inc. |
Arizona | |||||
USF Canada Inc. |
Delaware | |||||
USF Mexico Inc. |
Delaware | |||||
USFreightways Corporation |
Delaware |