Exhibit 5.1
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2001 ROSS AVENUE
DALLAS, TEXAS
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AUSTIN
BEIJING |
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75201-2980
TEL +1 214.953.6500
FAX +1 214.953.6503
www.bakerbotts.com
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DALLAS
DUBAI
HONG KONG
HOUSTON
LONDON
MOSCOW
NEW YORK
RIYADH
WASHINGTON |
April 9, 2008
Crosstex Energy, L.P.
2501 Cedar Springs
Dallas, Texas 75201
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as counsel to Crosstex Energy, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (the
Partnership), in connection with the proposed offering and sale of up to 3,333,334 common units
representing limited partner interests in the Partnership (the Common Units) pursuant to that
certain Common Unit Purchase Agreement, dated April 8, 2008 (the Purchase Agreement), by and
among the Partnership and each of the purchasers set forth on Schedule A thereto (the
Purchasers).
We refer to the registration statement on Form S-3, as amended (Registration Statement No.
333-134712), with respect to the Common Units being sold by the Partnership (the Registration
Statement), as filed by the Partnership with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
Commission) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act). The prospectus
supplement dated April 9, 2008 (the Prospectus Supplement), which
together with the accompanying prospectus dated July 18, 2006 (the Prospectus) filed with
the Registration Statement, has been filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) promulgated under the Securities
Act.
As the basis for the opinion hereinafter expressed, we examined the Sixth Amended and Restated
Agreement of Limited Partnership of the Partnership dated as of March 23, 2007, as amended to date
(the Partnership Agreement), the Purchase Agreement, the Delaware Revised Uniform Limited
Partnership Act (the Act), partnership records and documents, certificates of the Partnership,
certain of its affiliates and public officials, and other instruments and documents as we deemed
necessary or advisable for the purposes of this opinion. In making our examination, we have
assumed that all signatures on documents examined by us are genuine, that all documents submitted
to us as originals are authentic and that all documents submitted to us as certified or photostatic
copies conform with the original copies of such documents.
Based on the foregoing and on such legal considerations as we deem relevant, we are of the
opinion that:
1. The Partnership has been duly formed and is validly existing as a limited
partnership under the Act.
2. The Common Units, when issued and delivered on behalf of the Partnership
against payment therefor as described in the Purchase Agreement, will be duly authorized, validly
issued, fully paid (to the extent required by the Partnership Agreement) and
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April 9, 2008
nonassessable (except as such nonassessability may be affected by Sections 17-303, 17-607 and
17-804 of the Act).
This opinion is limited in all respects to the federal laws of the United States of America
and the Act, each as in effect on the date hereof.
At your request, this opinion is being furnished to you for filing as an exhibit to the
Partnerships Current Report on Form 8-K filed on the date hereof. We hereby consent to the
statements with respect to us under the heading Legal Matters in the Prospectus Supplement and
the Prospectus and to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Partnerships Current Report
on Form 8-K filed on the date hereof. In giving this consent, we do not hereby admit that we are
within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act, or
the rules and regulations of the Commission issued thereunder.
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Very truly yours,
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/s/ BAKER BOTTS L.L.P.
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