0001193125-23-148093.txt : 20230518 0001193125-23-148093.hdr.sgml : 20230518 20230518155609 ACCESSION NUMBER: 0001193125-23-148093 CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE: 10-12G/A PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT: 6 FILED AS OF DATE: 20230518 DATE AS OF CHANGE: 20230518 FILER: COMPANY DATA: COMPANY CONFORMED NAME: Goldman Sachs Private Credit Corp. CENTRAL INDEX KEY: 0001920145 IRS NUMBER: 000000000 STATE OF INCORPORATION: DE FISCAL YEAR END: 1231 FILING VALUES: FORM TYPE: 10-12G/A SEC ACT: 1934 Act SEC FILE NUMBER: 000-56531 FILM NUMBER: 23935923 BUSINESS ADDRESS: STREET 1: 200 WEST STREET CITY: NEW YORK STATE: NY ZIP: 10282 BUSINESS PHONE: 212-902-0300 MAIL ADDRESS: STREET 1: 200 WEST STREET CITY: NEW YORK STATE: NY ZIP: 10282 FORMER COMPANY: FORMER CONFORMED NAME: Goldman Sachs Private Credit Fund LLC DATE OF NAME CHANGE: 20220518 FORMER COMPANY: FORMER CONFORMED NAME: Goldman Sachs Loan Fund LLC DATE OF NAME CHANGE: 20220329 10-12G/A 1 d410243d1012ga.htm GOLDMAN SACHS PRIVATE CREDIT CORP. Goldman Sachs Private Credit Corp.

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 18, 2023

File No. 000-56531

 

 

 

U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

Amendment No. 1

to

FORM 10

 

 

GENERAL FORM FOR REGISTRATION OF SECURITIES

PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(b) OR 12(g) OF

THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

 

Goldman Sachs Private Credit Corp.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)

 

 

 

Delaware   92-3241797

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or registration)

 

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification No.)

200 West Street

New York, New York

  10282
(Address of principal executive offices)   (Zip Code)

(312) 655-4419

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

with copies to:

 

Joshua Wechsler, Esq.

Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver &

Jacobson LLP

One New York Plaza

New York, New York 10004

Telephone: (212) 859-8000

Facsimile: (212) 859-4000

 

Thomas J. Friedmann, Esq.

William Bielefeld, Esq.

Dechert LLP

One International Place

40th Floor

100 Oliver Street

Boston, MA 02110

Telephone: (617) 728-7100

Facsimile: (617) 426-6567

Securities to be registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act:

None

Securities to be registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Exchange Act:

Class I Shares, par value $0.001 per share

(Title of class)

 

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See 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      Accelerated filer  
Non-accelerated filer      Smaller reporting company  
     Emerging growth company  

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.   ☒

 

 

 

 


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

EXPLANATORY NOTE

     1  

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

     3  

ITEM 1.

 

BUSINESS

     5  

ITEM 1A.

 

RISK FACTORS

     50  

ITEM 2.

 

FINANCIAL INFORMATION

     90  

ITEM 3.

 

PROPERTIES

     98  

ITEM 4.

 

SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT

     99  

ITEM 5.

 

DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

     100  

ITEM 6.

 

EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

     112  

ITEM 7.

 

CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE

     113  

ITEM 8.

 

LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

     127  

ITEM 9.

 

MARKET PRICE OF AND DIVIDENDS ON THE REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS

     128  

ITEM 10.

 

RECENT SALES OF UNREGISTERED SECURITIES

     135  

ITEM 11.

 

DESCRIPTION OF REGISTRANT’S SECURITIES TO BE REGISTERED

     136  

ITEM 12.

 

INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS

     148  

ITEM 13.

 

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA

     149  

ITEM 14.

 

CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE

     149  

ITEM 15.

 

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS

     149  

ANNEX A

 

GOLDMAN SACHS ASSET MANAGEMENT PROXY VOTING GUIDELINES SUMMARY

     A-1  


EXPLANATORY NOTE

Goldman Sachs Private Credit Corp. (f/k/a Goldman Sachs Private Credit Fund LLC) is filing this registration statement on Form 10 (this “Registration Statement”) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), on a voluntary basis in connection with its election to be regulated as a business development company (a “BDC”), under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”), and to provide current information to the investment community while conducting a private offering of its securities. In this Registration Statement, the “Fund,” “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to Goldman Sachs Private Credit Fund LLC for the periods prior to consummation of the BDC Conversion (as defined below), and refer to Goldman Sachs Private Credit Corp., a Delaware corporation, for the periods following the BDC Conversion. The “Investment Adviser” refers to Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P. (“GSAM” or “Goldman Sachs Asset Management”), unless otherwise specified. Goldman Sachs Asset Management in certain instances also refers to the Asset & Wealth Management business within Goldman Sachs (as defined below). “GS Group Inc.” refers to The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. GS Group Inc., together with Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC (including its predecessors, “GS & Co.”), the Investment Adviser and its other respective subsidiaries and affiliates, are referred to collectively herein as “Goldman Sachs.”

Goldman Sachs advises clients in all markets and transactions and purchases, sells, holds and recommends a broad array of investments for its own accounts and for the accounts of clients and of its personnel, through client accounts and the relationships and products it sponsors, manages and advises (such as Goldman Sachs or other client accounts (including the Fund, Goldman Sachs BDC, Inc., a publicly traded BDC (“GS BDC”), Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit LLC (“GS PMMC”), a private BDC that commenced operations in the third quarter of 2016, Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit II LLC (“GS PMMC II”), a private BDC that commenced operations in the second quarter of 2019, Goldman Sachs Middle Market Lending Corp. II (“GS MMLC II”), a private BDC that commenced operations in the fourth quarter of 2021, and Phillip Street Middle Market Lending Fund LLC (“PSLF”), a private BDC that commenced operations in the fourth quarter of 2022), relationships and products sponsored, managed or advised by the Investment Adviser, collectively, the “Accounts”). The Investment Adviser, through Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit (as defined below), manages certain Accounts, including the Fund, GS BDC, GS PMMC, GS PMMC II, GS MMLC II and PSLF, and may manage one or more additional BDCs or other Accounts. The Investment Adviser through Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit may in the future establish additional Accounts, which will pursue strategies similar to ours.

We are an “emerging growth company”, as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012. As a result, we are eligible to take advantage of certain reduced disclosure and other requirements that are otherwise applicable to public companies including, but not limited to, not being subject to the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”). See “Item 1(c). Business—Compliance with the JOBS Act.”

Once this Registration Statement is effective, we will be subject to the requirements of Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act, including the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, which will require us, among other things, to file annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and current reports on Form 8-K, and we will be required to comply with all other obligations of the Exchange Act applicable to issuers filing registration statements pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Exchange Act. Upon effectiveness of this Registration Statement, we will also be subject to the proxy rules in Section 14 of the Exchange Act, and we and our directors, officers and principal stockholders will be subject to the reporting requirements of Sections 13 and 16 of the Exchange Act. The SEC maintains an Internet Website (http://www.sec.gov) that contains the reports mentioned in this section.

Following the initial filing of this Registration Statement, we filed an election to be regulated as a BDC under the Investment Company Act and are subject to the Investment Company Act requirements applicable to BDCs. In addition, we intend to elect to be treated as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), for the taxable year that includes the Initial Issuance Date (as defined below), and we intend to qualify for tax treatment as a RIC annually thereafter.

Investing in our Shares (as defined below) involves a high degree of risk. See “Item 1A. Risk Factors” beginning on page 50 of this Registration Statement. Also consider the following:

 

   

We are a new company with a limited operating history, and there is no assurance that we will achieve our investment objective.

 

   

This is a “blind pool” offering, and thus you will not have the opportunity to evaluate our investments before we make them.

 

   

You should not expect to be able to sell your Shares regardless of how we perform.

 

   

You should consider that you may not have access to the money you invest for an extended period of time.

 

1


   

We do not intend to list our Shares on any national securities exchange, and we do not expect a secondary market in our Shares to develop prior to any listing.

 

   

Because you may be unable to sell your Shares, you will be unable to reduce your exposure in any market downturn.

 

   

We intend to implement a share repurchase program, but only a limited number of Shares will be eligible for repurchase, and repurchases will be subject to available liquidity and other significant restrictions. See “Item 9. Market Price of and Dividends on the Registrant’s Common Equity and Stockholder Matters—Share Repurchase Program.

 

   

An investment in our Shares is not suitable for you if you need access to the money you invest.

 

   

We cannot guarantee that we will make distributions. If we do, we may fund such distributions from sources other than cash flow from operations, including sales of assets, borrowings, or returns of capital. We have no limits on the amounts we may pay from such sources.

 

   

We expect to use leverage, which will magnify the potential for loss on amounts invested in us. See Item 1A. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Business and Structure—We may borrow money, which may magnify the potential for gain or loss and may increase the risk of investing in us.

 

   

We qualify as an “emerging growth company” as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act (the “JOBS Act”), and we cannot be certain if the reduced disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies will make our Shares less attractive to investors.

 

   

We intend to invest primarily in securities that are rated below investment grade by rating agencies or that would be rated below investment grade if they were rated. Below investment grade securities, which are often referred to as “junk,” have predominantly speculative characteristics with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal. They may also be illiquid and difficult to value.

 

2


FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Registration Statement contains forward-looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. You can identify these statements by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “project,” “target,” “estimate,” “intend,” “continue” or “believe” or the negatives of, or other variations on, these terms or comparable terminology. You should read statements that contain these words carefully because they discuss our plans, strategies, prospects and expectations concerning our business, operating results, financial condition and other similar matters. We believe that it is important to communicate our future expectations to our stockholders. Our forward-looking statements include information in this Registration Statement regarding general domestic and global economic conditions, our future financing plans, our ability to operate as a BDC and the expected performance of our portfolio companies. There may be events in the future, however, that we are not able to predict accurately or control.

The factors listed under “Item 1A. Risk Factors,” as well as any cautionary language in this Registration Statement, provide examples of risks, uncertainties and events that may cause our actual results to differ materially from the expectations we describe in the forward-looking statements contained in this Registration Statement. The occurrence of the events described in these risk factors and elsewhere in this Registration Statement could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial position. Any forward-looking statement made by us in this Registration Statement speaks only as of its date. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ from our forward-looking statements may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. We undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. You are advised to consult any additional disclosures that we may make directly to you or through reports that we in the future may file with the SEC, including our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K. Under Section 21E(b)(2)(B) of the Exchange Act, the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 do not apply to the forward-looking statements made in this Registration Statement or in reports we file under the Exchange Act, because we are an investment company.

The following factors are among those that may cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this Registration Statement:

 

   

our future operating results;

 

   

disruptions in the capital markets, market conditions, and general economic uncertainty;

 

   

changes in political, economic, social or industry conditions, the interest rate environment or conditions affecting the financial and capital markets, including the effect of any pandemic or epidemic;

 

   

uncertainty surrounding the financial and political stability of the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union and China, and the war between Russia and Ukraine;

 

   

our business prospects and the prospects of our portfolio companies;

 

   

the impact of investments that we expect to make;

 

   

the impact of increased competition;

 

   

our contractual arrangements and relationships with third parties;

 

   

the dependence of our future success on the general economy and its impact on the industries in which we invest;

 

   

the ability of our current and prospective portfolio companies to achieve their objectives;

 

   

the relative and absolute performance of the Investment Adviser;

 

   

the use of borrowed money to finance a portion of our investments;

 

   

our ability to make distributions;

 

   

the adequacy of our cash resources and working capital;

 

   

changes in interest rates, including the decommissioning of London InterBank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”);

 

   

the timing of cash flows, if any, from the operations of our portfolio companies;

 

   

the impact of future acquisitions and divestitures;

 

   

the effect of changes in tax laws and regulations and interpretations thereof;

 

3


   

our ability to maintain our status as a BDC;

 

   

our ability to maintain our status under Subchapter M of the Code as a RIC and our qualification for tax treatment as a RIC;

 

   

actual and potential conflicts of interest with the Investment Adviser and its affiliates;

 

   

the ability of the Investment Adviser to attract and retain highly talented professionals;

 

   

the impact on our business from new or amended legislation or regulations, including the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022;

 

   

the availability of credit and/or our ability to access the equity and capital markets;

 

   

currency fluctuations, particularly to the extent that we receive payments denominated in foreign currency rather than U.S. dollars;

 

   

the impact of rising inflation and the risk of recession on our portfolio companies;

 

   

the effect of global climate change on our portfolio companies;

 

   

the impact of interruptions in the supply chain on our portfolio companies; and

 

   

the increased public scrutiny of and regulation related to corporate social responsibility.

 

4


ITEM 1.

BUSINESS.

(a) General Development of Business

We were formed as a Delaware limited liability company on March 25, 2022 with the name Goldman Sachs Loan Fund LLC, which we changed to Goldman Sachs Private Credit Fund LLC on May 18, 2022. An affiliate of the Investment Adviser made an initial capital contribution to us of $1,000 and became our initial member. In connection with the Initial Issuance Date (as defined below), the equity interest of the initial member of Goldman Sachs Private Credit Fund LLC was cancelled. Effective April 6, 2023, Goldman Sachs Private Credit Fund LLC was converted from a Delaware limited liability company to a Delaware corporation named Goldman Sachs Private Credit Corp., which succeeded to the business of, and by operation of law is deemed for purposes of Delaware law to be the same entity as, Goldman Sachs Private Credit Fund LLC (the “BDC Conversion”).

We are a newly organized, externally managed specialty finance company that is a non-diversified, closed-end management investment company, which elected to be regulated as a BDC under the Investment Company Act. We are externally managed by the Investment Adviser and seek to invest primarily in directly originated senior secured corporate credit issued by private companies.

We also intend to elect to be treated, and expect to qualify annually, as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, commencing with our taxable year that includes the date of the initial closing of the private offering of our Shares on April 6, 2023 (as described below) (the “Initial Issuance Date”). As a BDC and a RIC, we will be required to comply with certain tax and regulatory requirements. See “Item 1(c). Description of Business—Regulation as a Business Development Company” and “Item 1(c). Description of Business—Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations.

We are offering shares of our common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Shares”), on a continuous basis in transactions exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), including in reliance on Section 4(a)(2) thereof and Regulation D and Regulation S thereunder. We are currently only offering Class I shares for sale. We have submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) an application for an exemptive order to permit us to offer multiple classes of Shares. Subject to receiving a satisfactory exemptive order from the SEC, we intend to offer to sell any combination of three classes of Shares, Class S shares, Class D shares, and Class I shares, which have different ongoing stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees. See “Item 1(c). Description of Business—The Private Offering” and “Item 11. Description of the Registrant’s Securities to be Registered.

On April 6, 2023, we completed the initial closing of the private offering of our Shares, pursuant to which we issued and sold approximately 10,081,173 Class I shares for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $252,029,333, satisfied our minimum offering amount of $100,000,000 and broke escrow for the private offering of our Shares, and commenced operations. On May 1, 2023, we completed our subsequent monthly closing of the private offering of our Shares, pursuant to which we issued and sold Class I shares for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $75,890,000.

On April 6, 2023, we also completed a private offering of shares of our 12.0% Series A Cumulative Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Series A Preferred Stock”), to accredited investors in reliance on Regulation D under the Securities Act, pursuant to which we issued and sold 515 shares of Series A Preferred Stock for an aggregate purchase price of $515,000. The holders of the Series A Preferred Stock are subject to certain dividend, voting, liquidation and other rights. See “Item 11. Description of Registrant’s Securities to be Registered—Preferred Stock.”

(b) Financial Information about Industry Segments

Our operations comprise only a single reportable segment. See “Item 2. Financial Information.”

(c) Description of Business

The Fund – Goldman Sachs Private Credit Corp.

Our investment objective is to generate current income and, to a lesser extent, long-term capital appreciation. Our investment strategy is consistent with that of the broader Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit platform with a focus on capital preservation and capital appreciation and includes:

 

   

Leveraging Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit’s position within GSAM: The Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit Team, which is responsible for sourcing, diligencing, negotiating, structuring, monitoring and harvesting investment opportunities for the private credit portion of the Fund, is able to draw on the broader Goldman Sachs platform, network and relationships across the investment lifecycle to identify potentially attractive opportunities. Goldman Sachs is a leading global financial services firm and one of the world’s most experienced alternatives investors, and the Fund is expected to benefit not only from the Goldman Sachs network and relationships to identify potentially attractive opportunities, but also from a broad range of other resources offered by Goldman Sachs, including market insights, structuring capabilities and industry experts whose insights can enhance due diligence, structuring and investment monitoring processes.

 

5


   

Direct origination with borrowers: Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit believes that evaluating investment opportunities through direct discussions with borrowers leads to a better understanding of the underlying drivers of performance and business risks. Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit’s direct origination platform has been developed over its more-than-25-year history of private credit investing and includes approximately 165 investment professionals as of March 31, 2023. Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit’s investment team’s local relationships with companies, private equity sponsors and advisors combined with deep industry expertise provides us with access to a wide range of opportunities and allows us to gain early and direct access to due diligence materials and management teams. We will seek to lead the structuring and negotiation of the loans or securities in which we invest with a collaborative, solutions-oriented approach.

 

   

Prudent investment selection with intensive due diligence and credit analysis: We believe that Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit’s substantial flow of potential investment opportunities, in combination with diligence practices developed over its more-than-25-year history of private credit investing, will enable us to invest in and selectively develop a diversified portfolio of high-quality companies. Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit’s seasoned team and underwriting approach reflects deep sector expertise and seeks to identify attractive trends and pursue investments accordingly, through its approach to fundamental credit analysis driven by intensive investment research.

 

   

Provision of large-sized commitments: We believe that Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit’s capability to hold large-sized, directly originated investments drives our ability to source, negotiate and commit capital in attractive opportunities. We intend to invest substantially alongside institutional and retail-focused private credit Accounts, which may include proprietary accounts of Goldman Sachs, which we believe will provide us with access to a wide range of opportunities and allow us to commit to larger investment across the Goldman Sachs Asset Management platform.

 

   

Structuring expertise with a focus on risk mitigation: Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit has significant structuring capabilities with a seasoned team of investment professionals, including the Private Credit Investment Committee (as defined below), who have over 20 years of experience on average. We seek to mitigate risk by investing primarily in senior secured debt, which is secured by a collateral package that often results in a higher rate of recovery in the event of default as compared to unsecured and subordinated investments. Senior secured debt has favorable characteristics that typically include a senior ranking in the capital structure of the borrower with priority of repayment, security of collateral and protective contractual rights that may include affirmative and negative covenants that restrict the borrower’s ability to incur additional indebtedness, make restricted payments or execute other transactions or implement changes that may be negative to lenders. In addition, Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit has experience investing across the capital structure which will enable us to consider different investment structures and expand our opportunity funnel.

 

   

Rigorous portfolio management: Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit’s active approach to portfolio management centers on team continuity through the lifecycle of an investment, from sourcing and underwriting through investment monitoring and maturity. Investment professionals actively monitor portfolio companies’ activities and financial condition, and senior secured loan agreements typically provide for regular reporting which includes borrower performance, compliance and notification of adverse events. We believe the Goldman Sachs platform adds additional value to our portfolio companies through its extensive network, research capabilities and connectivity across the global capital markets.

 

   

Focus on companies with attractive business fundamentals: Capital preservation is central to our investment strategy. Generally, we will seek to target companies with the following characteristics: (i) strong and defensible market positions, (ii) stable or growing revenues and free cash flow, (iii) attractive business models, (iv) experienced and well-regarded management teams, (v) reputable private equity or private family sponsors, as applicable, (vi) a meaningful amount of equity cushion or junior capital (i.e., any equity or debt in the capital structure that is subordinated to the Fund’s investment) and (vii) viable exit strategies. We intend to make investments in companies located primarily in the United States and, to a lesser extent, in non-US jurisdictions.

Under normal circumstances, we will invest at least 80% of our total assets (which include net assets plus borrowings for investment purposes) in private credit instruments, which may include loans, notes, bonds and other corporate debt securities issued by corporate issuers. If we change our 80% test, we will provide stockholders with at least 60 days’ notice of such change.

 

6


We expect the Fund to hold primarily directly originated, first lien senior secured, floating rate debt of companies located primarily in the United States and, to a lesser extent, in non-US jurisdictions. The Fund may also invest to a lesser extent in second lien loans, unsecured, subordinated or payment-in-kind (“PIK”) debt and equity and equity-like instruments. We also expect to invest a portion of the Fund’s portfolio in more liquid credit investments, such as broadly syndicated loans and other fixed-income securities, to provide the portfolio with additional liquidity.

We will invest primarily in private companies based in the United States, but we also expect to invest, to a lesser extent, in non-U.S. based companies (subject to compliance with BDC requirements to invest at least 70% of our assets in U.S. companies). We intend to focus our lending across a spectrum of directly sourced opportunities in companies ranging from lower middle market to large capitalization in size. We may invest in companies of any size or capitalization. We will generally seek to lead the origination of our investments as the primary lender, and we may participate in club deals (which are generally investments made by a small group of firms). Subject to the limitations of the Investment Company Act, we may invest in loans or other securities, the proceeds of which may refinance or otherwise repay debt or securities of companies whose debt is owned by other Goldman Sachs credit funds or affiliates. We also intend to invest alongside institutional and retail-focused private credit Accounts, which may include proprietary accounts of Goldman Sachs. See Item 1. BusinessAllocation of Investment Opportunities—Co-Investments Alongside Goldman Sachs and other Accounts; the Relief.” In addition, we expect to acquire or originate revolving credit facilities from time to time in connection with our investments in other assets.

The loans in which we invest will generally pay floating interest rates based on a variable base rate. We generally expect the senior secured loans, unitranche loans and senior secured bonds in which we invest to have stated terms of five to eight years, and our mezzanine, unsecured or subordinated debt investments may have stated terms of up to ten years, but will generally have an expected average life of between three and five years. However, there is no limit on the maturity or duration of the loans or securities we may hold in our portfolio. We may also originate “covenant-lite” loans, which are loans with fewer financial maintenance covenants than other obligations, or no financial maintenance covenants. We expect the loans and securities that we purchase in the secondary market to have generally shorter remaining terms to maturity than newly issued investments. Our debt investments may be rated by one or more NRSROs and, in such cases, generally will carry ratings below investment grade (rated lower than “Baa3” by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or lower than “BBB-” by Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services). We may also invest in debt instruments that are not rated by an NRSRO, though we expect that our unrated debt investments will generally have credit quality consistent with below investment grade instruments. These securities, which may be referred to as “junk bonds,” “high yield bonds” or “leveraged loans,” have predominantly speculative characteristics with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal.

Our investment strategy will also allocate a portion of the overall portfolio to more liquid credit investments, such as broadly syndicated loans and other fixed-income securities, to provide the portfolio with additional liquidity and to manage our payment obligations under our share repurchase program. These more liquid credit instruments may include senior secured loans, senior secured high yield bonds, senior unsecured high yield bonds, and fixed-income ETFs and government securities. We intend to use these investments to maintain liquidity for our share repurchase program and manage cash before investing subscription proceeds into originated loans, while also seeking attractive investment returns. Prior to raising or investing sufficient capital, the portfolio may display a greater percentage of assets within more liquid credit investments or government securities than we otherwise would expect for a fully invested portfolio. Investment decisions related to more liquid credit investments, such as broadly syndicated loans and other fixed-income securities, will be made by the Goldman Sachs Asset Management High Yield and Bank Loan team within the Global Fixed Income and Liquidity Solutions group of Goldman Sachs Asset Management.

“Unitranche” loans are first lien loans that extend deeper in a borrower’s capital structure than traditional first lien debt and may provide for a waterfall of cash flow priority between different lenders in such loan. In a number of instances, we may find another lender to provide the “first-out” portion of a unitranche loan while we retain the “last-out” portion of such loan, in which case, the “first-out” portion of the loan would generally receive priority with respect to the payment of principal, interest and any other amounts due thereunder as compared to the “last-out” portion that we would continue to hold. In exchange for taking greater risk of loss, the “last-out” portion generally earns a higher interest rate than the “first-out” portion of the loan. We use the term “mezzanine” to refer to debt that ranks senior in right of payment only to a borrower’s equity securities and ranks junior in right of payment to all of such borrower’s other indebtedness. We may make multiple investments in the same portfolio company.

We seek to privately negotiate credit documentation. We may originate loans that have one or two financial maintenance covenants. We may also originate “covenant-lite” loans, which are loans with fewer financial maintenance covenants than other obligations, or no financial maintenance covenants. Such covenant-lite loans may not include terms that allow the lender to monitor the performance of the borrower or to declare a default if certain criteria are breached. These flexible covenants (or the absence of covenants) could permit borrowers to experience a significant downturn in their results of operations without triggering any default that would permit holders of their debt (such as the Fund) to accelerate indebtedness or negotiate terms and pricing. In the event of default, covenant-lite loans may recover less value than traditional loans as the lender may not have an opportunity to negotiate with the borrower prior to such default. Accordingly, to the extent we invest in “covenant-lite” loans, we may have fewer rights against a borrower and may have a greater risk of loss on such investments as compared to investments in or exposure to loans with financial maintenance covenants. Therefore, our investments may result in an above-average amount of risk and volatility or loss of principal. We also may invest in other assets, including U.S. government securities and structured securities. These investments entail additional risks that could adversely affect our investment returns.

 

7


We may, but are not required to, enter into interest rate, foreign exchange or other derivative agreements to hedge interest rate, currency, credit or other risks, but we do not intend to enter into any such derivative agreements for speculative purposes. These hedging activities, which comply with applicable legal and regulatory requirements, may include the use of futures, options and forward contracts. We will bear any costs incurred in connection with entering into, administering and settling any such derivative contracts. There can be no assurance any hedging strategy we employ will be successful.

We do not currently intend to invest more than 15% of our net assets in entities that rely on the exclusions from the definition of an “investment company” in Section 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the Investment Company Act.

In compliance with the limitations set forth in the Investment Company Act, we intend to employ leverage as market conditions permit and at the discretion of the Investment Adviser. Our initial member and our Board of Directors (“Board of Directors” or “Board”) each approved a proposal that permits us to have an asset coverage ratio of 150% under the Investment Company Act. As a result, we are currently subject to an asset coverage ratio of 150%, which represents an approximately 2:1 debt-to-equity ratio. This means that, generally, we can borrow up to $2 for every $1 of investor equity. We intend to use leverage in the form of borrowings, including loans from financial institutions as well as the issuance of debt securities. We also intend to use leverage in the form of the issuance of preferred shares, including the Series A Preferred Stock. In determining whether to borrow money, we will analyze the maturity, covenant package and rate structure of the proposed borrowings as well as the risks of such borrowings compared to our investment outlook. Leverage may be incurred by us or by any of our subsidiaries. Any such leverage, if incurred, would be expected to increase the total capital available for investment by the Fund. See “Item 1A. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Business and Structure—We may borrow money, which may magnify the potential for gain or loss and may increase the risk of investing in us.

If we form or acquire a wholly owned subsidiary through which we make any investments, we expect such subsidiary would be organized as a corporation or limited liability company, and would not be registered under the Investment Company Act. We do not currently intend to create or acquire primary control of any entity which primarily engages in investment activities in securities or other assets, other than entities wholly owned by us. Our wholly owned subsidiaries may be formed to enable us to maintain favorable RIC tax treatment or to obtain financing on favorable terms due to their bankruptcy-remote characteristics. The Board of Directors has oversight responsibility for our investment activities, including our investment in any subsidiary, and our role as sole stockholder of any subsidiary. To the extent applicable to the investment activities of a subsidiary, the subsidiary would follow the same compliance policies and procedures that we follow. We would “look through” any such subsidiary to determine compliance with our investment policies, and would generally expect to consolidate any such wholly owned subsidiary for purposes of our financial statements and compliance with the Investment Company Act. Furthermore, we intend to comply with the current requirements under the Code and Treasury Regulations (defined below) for income derived from our investment in the subsidiary to be treated as “qualifying income” from which a RIC must derive at least 90% of its annual gross income. See “Item 1(c). Business—Description of Business—Regulation as a Business Development Company” and “Item 1(c). Description of Business—Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations.

For a further description of our ability to borrow, please see “Item 1A. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Legal and Regulatory Matters—Regulations governing our operations as a BDC affect our ability to, and the way in which we, raise additional capital. These constraints may hinder our Investment Adviser’s ability to take advantage of attractive investment opportunities and to achieve our investment objective.

Our investments are subject to a number of risks. There can be no assurance that our investment objective will be achieved or that the investment strategies employed by the Investment Adviser will be successful. See “Item 1A. Risk Factors.”

The Investment Adviser

Goldman Sachs Asset Management serves as our Investment Adviser and has been registered as an investment adviser with the SEC since 1990. Subject to the supervision of our Board of Directors, a majority of which is made up of Independent Directors (as defined below) (including an independent Chairman), Goldman Sachs Asset Management manages our day-to-day operations and provides us with investment advisory and management services and certain administrative services. Goldman Sachs Asset Management is an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of GS Group Inc. and an affiliate of GS & Co. Founded in 1869, GS Group Inc. is a publicly held financial holding company (“FHC”) and a leading global financial institution that provides investment banking, securities and investment management services to a diversified client base, including companies and high net worth individuals, among others. GS & Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of GS Group Inc., serves as the placement agent for us in connection with the private offering of our Shares to U.S. persons and Goldman Sachs International, a wholly owned subsidiary of GS Group Inc., serves as a sub-placement agent for us in connection with the private offering of our Shares to non-U.S. persons. See “Item 1(c). Business—Description of Business—The Private Offering.

 

8


As a registered investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the “Advisers Act”), the Investment Adviser is required to file a Form ADV with the SEC. Form ADV contains information about assets under management, types of fee arrangements, types of investments, potential conflicts of interest and other relevant information regarding the Investment Adviser. A copy of Part 1 and Part 2A of the Investment Adviser’s Form ADV is available on the SEC’s website (www.adviserinfo.sec.gov).

Goldman Sachs Asset Management

GSAM is an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of GS Group Inc., and an affiliate of GS & Co. GS Group Inc. is a leading global financial institution that provides a broad range of financial services to a substantial and diversified client base, including companies and high net worth individuals, among others. The firm is headquartered in New York and maintains offices across the United States and in all major financial centers around the world. Goldman Sachs, with approximately $2.67 trillion in firmwide assets under supervision as of March 31, 2023, provides investment management services to a diverse set of clients worldwide, including private institutions, public entities and individuals.

The Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit Team

The Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit Team is dedicated to the direct origination investment strategy of the Fund and other Accounts that share a similar investment strategy with us. The Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit Team is comprised of approximately 165 investment professionals as of March 31, 2023. Within the Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit Team, there are approximately 79 private credit investment professionals across six offices in the Americas led by Alex Chi and David Miller, our Co-CEOs and Co-Presidents, who oversee and lead our day-to-day portfolio management. The Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit Team is responsible for identifying investment opportunities, conducting research and due diligence on prospective investments, and negotiating, structuring, monitoring, and servicing our investments. In addition, the Investment Adviser and Goldman Sachs have risk management, legal, accounting, tax, information technology and compliance personnel, among other personnel, who provide services to us. We benefit from the expertise provided by these personnel in our operations.

The Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit Team utilizes a bottom-up, fundamental research approach to lending. The managing directors of this team had an average industry experience of over 19 years coupled with an average tenure at Goldman Sachs of over 12 years as of March 31, 2023.

The Goldman Sachs Asset Management High Yield and Bank Loan team within the Global Fixed Income and Liquidity Solutions group of Goldman Sachs Asset Management is responsible for investing in more liquid credit investments, such as broadly syndicated loans and other fixed-income securities, for the Fund.

The Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit Team and the Goldman Sachs Asset Management High Yield and Bank Loan team are subject to information barriers established by Goldman Sachs. As a result, each team will at times be restricted from sharing with one another certain information relating to their portfolio holdings and investment process.

Private Credit Investment Committee

All investment decisions related to directly originated private credit opportunities will be made by the Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit Investment Committee or a sub-committee thereof (the “Private Credit Investment Committee”). The Private Credit Investment Committee currently consists of 12 investment professionals across Goldman Sachs Asset Management and Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit’s leadership as well as representatives from Goldman Sachs Asset Management’s Real Estate and Corporate Equity investing businesses, and representatives from five Goldman Sachs control-side divisions (Controllers, Compliance, Credit Risk, Legal, and Tax).

The Private Credit Investment Committee has an average Goldman Sachs tenure of 20-plus years and has cumulative investing experience of greater than 250 years. Investment professionals on the Private Credit Investment Committee are currently Julian Salisbury, Rich Friedman, Greg Olafson, James Reynolds, Kevin Sterling, Alex Chi, David Miller, Beat Cabiallavetta, Nicole Agnew, Stephanie Rader, Moritz Jobke, and Greg Watts. The name, structure, size, membership, voting rights and the authority of the members of the Private Credit Investment Committee and the sub-committees thereof are subject to change from time to time without prior notice.

Investments with certain middle-market characteristics may be referred to a Private Credit Investment Committee sub-committee, which would comprise, in addition to certain members of Private Credit Investment Committee, other senior investment professionals from the Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit business.

The size, membership, authority and voting rights of members of the Private Credit Investment Committee and its sub-committees are subject to change from time to time without prior notice.

 

9


The purpose of the Private Credit Investment Committee and its sub-committees is to evaluate and approve investments by Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit. The Private Credit Investment Committee process is intended to bring the diverse experience and perspectives of the Private Credit Investment Committee’s members to the analysis and consideration of investments. The Private Credit Investment Committee also serves to provide investment consistency and adherence to the investment objectives and strategies of the Fund and other Accounts. The Private Credit Investment Committee also determines appropriate investment sizing.

High Yield and Bank Loan Team

Investment decisions related to more liquid credit investments, such as broadly syndicated loans and other fixed-income securities, will be made by the Goldman Sachs Asset Management High Yield and Bank Loan team within the Global Fixed Income and Liquidity Solutions group of Goldman Sachs Asset Management.

The High Yield and Bank Loan team currently is comprised of approximately 42 dedicated professionals across the High Yield, Bank Loans and Opportunistic Credit asset classes. In managing our more liquid credit investments, the High Yield and Bank Loan team will employ the broad resources and expertise of the whole Goldman Sachs Asset Management Global Fixed Income and Liquidity Solutions team, which in total comprises over 444 professionals located across Bengaluru, Boston, Burlington, Hong Kong, London, New York, Salt Lake City, Singapore, The Hague and Tokyo, as of March 31, 2023.

The investment culture of the High Yield and Bank Loan team encourages strong dialogue and debate among research analysts, traders and portfolio managers, resulting in a research-intensive process where each team member feels accountable for the strategy’s performance. The investment decisions of the High Yield and Bank Loan team are supported by the Fixed Income Strategy Group (the “FISG”), which comprises the senior members of the Goldman Sachs Asset Management Global Fixed Income and Liquidity Solutions team. The FISG provides direction, context and oversight for the team to work within. The FISG will consider global growth, inflation, interest rates amongst other inputs to deliver a macro backdrop for the investment strategy teams. The FISG’s members average over 22 years of experience and more than 14 years at Goldman Sachs Asset Management as of March 31, 2023.

Investments

We expect the Fund to hold primarily directly originated, first lien senior secured, floating rate debt of companies located primarily in the United States and, to a lesser extent, in non-US jurisdictions. The Fund may also invest to a lesser extent in second lien loans, unsecured, subordinated or PIK debt and equity and equity-like instruments. We also expect to invest a portion of the Fund’s portfolio in more liquid credit investments, such as broadly syndicated loans and other fixed-income securities, to provide the portfolio with additional liquidity.

We will invest primarily in private companies based in the United States, but we also expect to invest, to a lesser extent, in non-U.S. based companies (subject to compliance with BDC requirements to invest at least 70% of our assets in U.S. companies). We intend to focus our lending across a spectrum of directly sourced opportunities in companies ranging from lower middle market to large capitalization in size. We may invest in companies of any size or capitalization. We will generally seek to lead the origination of our investments as the primary lender, and we may participate in club deals (which are generally investments made by a small group of firms). Subject to the limitations of the Investment Company Act, we may invest in loans or other securities, the proceeds of which may refinance or otherwise repay debt or securities of companies whose debt is owned by other Goldman Sachs credit funds or affiliates. We also intend to invest alongside institutional and retail-focused private credit Accounts, which may include proprietary accounts of Goldman Sachs. See “—Co-Investments Alongside Goldman Sachs and other Accounts; the Relief.” In addition, we expect to acquire or originate revolving credit facilities from time to time in connection with our investments in other assets.

In the future, we may also securitize a portion of our investments in any or all of our assets. We expect that our primary use of funds will be to make investments in portfolio companies, distribute cash to holders of our Shares and pay our operating expenses, including debt service to the extent we borrow or issue senior securities to fund our investments.

In certain circumstances, we can make negotiated co-investments pursuant to an order from the SEC permitting us to do so. On November 16, 2022, the SEC granted to the Investment Adviser, the BDCs advised by the Investment Adviser and certain other affiliated applicants exemptive relief on which we expect to rely to co-invest alongside certain other Accounts, which may include proprietary accounts of Goldman Sachs, in a manner consistent with our investment objectives and strategies, certain Board-established criteria, the conditions of such exemptive relief and other pertinent factors (the “Relief”). Additionally, if our Investment Adviser forms other funds in the future, we may co-invest alongside such other affiliates, subject to compliance with the Relief, applicable regulations and regulatory guidance, as well as applicable allocation procedures. As a result of the Relief, there could be significant overlap in our investment portfolio and the investment portfolios of other Accounts, including, in some cases, proprietary accounts of Goldman Sachs. See “Item 1(c). Business—Allocation of Investment Opportunities—Co-Investments Alongside Goldman Sachs and other Accounts; the Relief.”

 

10


In addition, we have filed an application to amend the Relief to permit us to participate in follow-on investments in our existing portfolio companies with certain affiliates covered by the Relief if such affiliates, that are not BDCs or registered investment companies, did not have an investment in such existing portfolio company. There can be no assurance if and when we will receive the amended exemptive order.

Investment Criteria

We seek to manage our portfolio for income distribution, capital preservation and capital appreciation. Our evaluation and management of directly originated investments is subject to a process framework that applies to all opportunities across Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit. Sourcing, investment diligence, approvals and ultimately investment management are undertaken across Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit in a manner that emphasizes governance and oversight of deal teams to ensure that opportunities are in line with our investing philosophy and objectives. Our process draws on the expertise of our seasoned team as well as other subject matter experts, including legal, tax, compliance, environmental, and other stakeholders.

With respect to opportunity identification and diligence, the criteria outlined below provide general guidelines for the companies in which we may seek to invest, though not all of these criteria may be met by each prospective portfolio company in which we choose to invest. Generally, we seek to use our experience and access to market information to identify investment candidates and to structure investments efficiently and effectively.

 

   

Strong and defensible competitive market position. We seek to invest in companies that have developed leading market positions within their respective markets and are well-positioned to capitalize on growth opportunities. We also seek companies that we believe demonstrate significant competitive advantages versus their peers. We believe such competitive advantages will help our portfolio companies to preserve their market positions and profitability while enabling us to seek to protect our principal and avoid capital losses.

 

   

Stable or growing revenues and free cash flow. We seek to invest in companies that we believe will generate a steady stream of cash flow to pay interest (and ultimately principal) on our investments. We evaluate companies’ historical revenue, margin and cash flow profiles to inform our forecasts and understand how our investments would be repaid. We consider factors including revenue drivers, fixed and variable costs, and unit level economics.

 

   

Experienced and well-regarded management teams. We generally seek to invest in companies we believe have experienced, well-regarded management teams. We conduct background checks, inquire about prior lending relationships, often seek references, and prefer that the owners and management teams have capital invested in the business.

 

   

Backed by reputable financial sponsors, as applicable. Our diligence of investment opportunities in companies backed by financial sponsors extends to the financial sponsors themselves; we seek to invest in companies backed by reputable financial sponsors with a history of value creation, although not all of our investments will be in financial sponsor-backed companies.

 

   

Viable exit strategies. We seek to invest in companies whose business models and expected future cash flows offer what we believe to be attractive exit possibilities. Potential exits may include acquisition by other industry participants and / or initial public offerings of common stock or other capital markets transactions that could result in the repayment of our investments.

Our due diligence process typically includes, but is not limited to: (i) review of historical and projected financial and operating performance; (ii) review of the capital structure; (iii) analysis of the business and industry in which the company operates; (iv) research relating to the portfolio company’s management, industry, markets, products and services and competitors; (v) on-site visits; (vi) interviews with company management of the potential portfolio company and industry experts; and (vii) background checks. Our underwriting process also emphasizes terms and document negotiation. We typically include negative covenants (including but not limited to restrictions on incurring debt, incurring liens, and making restricted payments), affirmative covenants (including but not limited to financial reporting, notices of material events, and books and records) and financial maintenance covenants in the documents governing our investments, as applicable. However, some of our investments may be “covenant-lite” loans, which are loans with fewer financial maintenance covenants than other obligations, or no financial maintenance covenants.

The Investment Adviser may integrate environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) risk considerations within its process for originating loans and investing directly in credit obligations and related instruments. As part of its due diligence process, the Investment Adviser may consider, alongside other relevant factors, ESG risks, events or conditions that have or could have a material negative impact on the operating and performance metrics of these borrowers in the portfolio. The Investment Adviser may utilize proprietary research to assess ESG risks that are relevant to our investment. In addition, the Investment Adviser may invest in a security or sector without integrating ESG considerations into its process for originating loans. No one factor or consideration is determinative in the investment process. The Investment Adviser may originate loans and invest directly in credit obligations and related instruments without integrating ESG risk considerations into its investment process.

 

11


Upon the completion of due diligence and finalizing investment structure, the deal team will seek approval to pursue the potential investment from the Private Credit Investment Committee or a subcommittee thereof, depending on deal characteristics, subject to any other internal or external approvals as necessary. The members of the Private Credit Investment Committee do not receive separate compensation from us or our Investment Adviser for serving on the Private Credit Investment Committee or a sub-committee thereof. Additional due diligence with respect to any investment may be conducted on our behalf (and at our expense) by attorneys prior to the closing of the investment, as well as other outside advisers, as appropriate.

Investment Structure

Once we determine that a prospective portfolio company is suitable for investment, we work with the management of that company and its other capital providers, including senior, junior and equity capital providers, to structure an investment. We negotiate among these parties and seek to use creative and flexible approaches to structure our investment relative to the other capital in the portfolio company’s capital structure.

The loans in which we invest will generally pay floating interest rates based on a variable base rate. We generally expect the senior secured loans, unitranche loans and senior secured bonds in which we invest to have stated terms of five to eight years, and our mezzanine, unsecured or subordinated debt investments may have stated terms of up to ten years, but will generally have an expected average life of between three and five years. However, there is no limit on the maturity or duration of the loans or securities we may hold in our portfolio. We may also originate “covenant-lite” loans, which are loans with fewer financial maintenance covenants than other obligations, or no financial maintenance covenants. We expect the loans and securities that we purchase in the secondary market to have generally shorter remaining terms to maturity than newly issued investments.

We also invest in “unitranche” loans, which are first lien loans that extend deeper in a borrower’s capital structure than traditional first lien debt and may provide for a waterfall of cash flow priority between different lenders in such loan. In a number of instances, we may find another lender to provide the “first-out” portion of a unitranche loan while we retain the “last-out” portion of such loan, in which case, the “first-out” portion of the loan would generally receive priority with respect to the payment of principal, interest and any other amounts due thereunder as compared to the “last-out” portion that we would continue to hold. In exchange for taking greater risk of loss, the “last-out” portion generally earns a higher interest rate than the “first-out” portion of the loan. We use the term “mezzanine” to refer to debt that ranks senior in right of payment only to a borrower’s equity securities and ranks junior in right of payment to all of such borrower’s other indebtedness. We may make multiple investments in the same portfolio company.

In the case of our secured debt and unsecured debt, including mezzanine debt investments, we seek to tailor the terms of the investments to the facts and circumstances of the transactions and the prospective portfolio companies, negotiating a structure that seeks to protect our rights and manage our risk while creating incentives for the portfolio companies to achieve their business plan and improve their profitability. For example, in addition to seeking a senior position in the capital structure of our portfolio companies, we may seek to limit the downside potential of our investments by (i) requiring a total return on our investments (including both interest and potential equity appreciation) that compensates us for credit risk; (ii) incorporating “put” rights and call protection into the investment structure; and (iii) negotiating covenants in connection with our investments that afford our portfolio companies as much flexibility in managing their businesses as possible, consistent with preservation of our capital. Such covenants may include affirmative and negative covenants, default penalties, lien protection, change of control provisions and board rights, including either observation or participation rights. We may not be able to negotiate to get any or all of these protections with respect to our investments. Our investments may include equity features, such as direct investments in the equity or convertible securities of portfolio companies or warrants or options to buy a minority interest in a portfolio company. Any warrants we may receive with our debt securities generally require only a nominal cost to exercise, so as a portfolio company appreciates in value, we may achieve additional investment return from these equity investments. We may structure the warrants to provide provisions protecting our rights as a minority-interest holder, as well as puts, or rights to sell such securities back to the company, upon the occurrence of specified events. In many cases, we may also obtain registration rights in connection with these equity investments, which may include demand and “piggyback” registration rights.

We expect to hold most of our investments to maturity or repayment but may sell certain investments earlier if a liquidity event takes place, such as the sale or refinancing of a portfolio company. We also may turn over our investments to better position the portfolio as market conditions change or to raise liquidity.

 

12


Warehouse Investments

The Fund entered into multiple purchase agreements (as amended, the “Purchase Agreements”) with Macquarie Bank Limited (the “Financing Provider”) and an affiliate of the Investment Adviser, whereby we agreed, subject to certain conditions, to purchase certain assets from the Financing Provider (the “Warehousing Transactions”), as described below. On April 10, 2023, we satisfied the Warehouse Conditions (as defined below) and purchased the Warehouse Investments (as defined below) from the Financing Provider. The Warehousing Transactions were designed to assist the Fund in deploying capital quickly upon receipt of subscription proceeds.

Under the Purchase Agreements, the Fund had a forward obligation to settle the purchase of certain investments (the “Warehouse Investments”), including those set forth below, from the Financing Provider, and the Financing Provider was obligated to settle the sale of such investments to the Fund. The obligations of the Fund and the Financing Provider under the Purchase Agreements were subject to the following conditions: (a) that the Fund received aggregate subscriptions of at least $200 million that were deposited in its custody account and (b) that the Board approved the purchase of the specific Warehouse Investments (collectively, the “Warehouse Conditions”). Prior to the satisfaction of the Warehouse Conditions, an affiliate of the Investment Adviser was the primary obligor of the Purchase Agreements, and the Fund’s obligations to the Financing Provider under the Purchase Agreements were guaranteed by such affiliate of the Investment Adviser. The Warehouse Investments primarily consist of directly originated, first lien senior secured floating rate debt of companies located in the United States.

After we met the Warehouse Conditions, we were obligated to purchase the Warehouse Investments from the Financing Provider at the price determined under the Purchase Agreements. As a general matter, the price we paid to purchase any Warehouse Investment equaled the cash amount paid by the Financing Provider for the Warehouse Investments, subject to an increase for a financing fee paid by the Fund to the Financing Provider. The cash amount at which the Fund purchased the Warehouse Investments could be greater than the fair value of such Warehouse Investments at the time when they were purchased by the Financing Provider. In addition, at the time of our purchase of the Warehouse Investment, the Financing Provider remitted to us any interest and fees it received during the warehousing period for the Warehouse Investments.

The Financing Provider had purchased and held the Warehouse Investments pursuant to requests we made prior to our election to be regulated as a BDC under the Investment Company Act. The Financing Provider retained full discretion whether to purchase the Warehouse Investments in accordance with our requests. After we elected to be regulated as a BDC, (i) we would not enter into any additional Warehousing Transactions pursuant to the Purchase Agreements; (ii) we imposed on ourselves a requirement, not an option (subject to Board approval, as set forth in the Purchase Agreements), to purchase the then-existing Warehouse Investments from the Financing Provider at such time as we had sufficient assets to purchase all of the Warehouse Investments in whole; and (iii) we would comply with the requirements of Rule 18f-4 under the Investment Company Act with respect to our obligation to purchase the Warehouse Investments when triggered. We may rely on the Relief only with respect to investments we purchase concurrently with other Accounts. As a result, we may not rely on the Relief with respect to Warehouse Investments that we hold solely due to the purchase of such assets from the Financing Provider under the Purchase Agreements.

 

13


As of April 10, 2023, there were 26 Warehouse Investments across 12 portfolio companies, with an aggregate cost of $384.46 million and an aggregate fair value of $383.90 million, that we purchased from the Financing Provider as described above, which are set forth in the following table:

 

Investment

  

Industry

  

Reference Rate +
Spread (1)

   Maturity      Currency      Par(2)      Cost ($)     Fair Value
($)
    Percentage
of Fair
Value (%)
 

Computer Services, Inc.

   Diversified Financial Services    S + 6.75%      11/15/29        $        50,000        48,500       48,500       12.63  

Coretrust Purchasing Group LLC

   Diversified Financial Services    S + 6.75%      10/01/29           37,853        36,711       36,717       9.56  

Coretrust Purchasing Group LLC(3)

   Diversified Financial Services    S + 6.75%      10/01/29           5,526        (83     (166     (0.04

Coretrust Purchasing Group LLC(3)

   Diversified Financial Services    S + 6.75%      10/01/29           5,526        (166     (166     (0.04

CST Buyer Company (dba Intoxalock)

   Diversified Consumer Services    S + 6.75%      11/01/28           45,575        44,208       44,208       11.51  

CST Buyer Company (dba Intoxalock) (3)

   Diversified Consumer Services    S + 6.75%      11/01/28           4,310        302       302       0.08  

DFS Holding Company, Inc.

   Distributors    S + 7.00%      01/31/29           40,552        39,335       39,943       10.40  

DFS Holding Company, Inc.(3)

   Distributors    S + 7.00%      01/31/29           8,448        (127     (127     (0.03

Frontgrade Technologies Holdings Inc.

   Aerospace & Defense    S + 6.75%      01/09/30           35,658        34,588       34,588       9.01  

Frontgrade Technologies Holdings Inc.(3)

   Aerospace & Defense    S + 6.75%      01/09/28           3,689        (111     (111     (0.03

Groundworks, LLC

   Diversified Consumer Services    S + 6.50%      03/14/30           8,584        8,326       8,326       2.17  

Groundworks, LLC(3)

   Diversified Consumer Services    S + 6.50%      03/14/29           501        (15     (15     (0.00

Groundworks, LLC(3)

   Diversified Consumer Services    S + 6.50%      03/14/30           1,566        (23     (23     (0.01

iCIMS, Inc.

   Professional Services    S + 7.25% (Incl. 3.88% PIK)      08/18/28           32,534        31,965       31,314       8.16  

iCIMS, Inc.

   Professional Services    S + 7.25%      08/18/28           6,000        5,895       5,895       1.54  

iCIMS, Inc.(3)

   Professional Services    S + 7.25% (Incl. 3.88% PIK)      08/18/28           3,067        (54     (115     (0.03

iCIMS, Inc.(3)

   Professional Services    S + 7.25% (Incl. 3.88% PIK)      08/18/28           8,225        -       (308     (0.08

iWave Information Systems, Inc.

   Software    S + 6.75%      11/23/28           19,560        19,071       19,071       4.97  

iWave Information Systems, Inc.(3)

   Software    S + 6.75%      11/23/28           2,391        (60     (60     (0.02

LCG Vardiman Black, LLC (dba Specialty Dental Brands)(3)

   Health Care Providers & Services    S + 7.00%      03/18/27           27,329        25,582       25,582       6.66  

Solaris (dba Urology Management Holdings, Inc.)

   Health Care Providers & Services    S + 6.25%      06/15/26           14,836        14,392       14,391       3.75  

Solaris (dba Urology Management Holdings, Inc.)(3)

   Health Care Providers & Services    S + 6.25%      06/15/26           7,437        (223     (223     (0.06

Spotless Brands, LLC

   Diversified Consumer Services    S + 6.75%      07/25/28           32,769        31,781       31,786       8.28  

Spotless Brands, LLC(3)

   Diversified Consumer Services    S + 6.75%      07/25/28           5,067        (76     (152     (0.04

Trader Corporation

   Automobiles    C + 6.75%      12/21/29        CAD        62,113        44,829       44,829       11.68  

Trader Corporation(3)

   Automobiles    C + 6.75%      12/22/28        CAD        4,658        (86     (86     (0.02
                 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total

                  $ 384,461     $ 383,900       100.00  
                 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(1)

Variable rate loans bear interest at a rate that may be determined by the larger of the floor or the reference to either SOFR including SOFR adjustment, if any, (“S”), SONIA (“SN”), CDOR (“C”) or alternate base rate (commonly based on the U.S. Prime Rate (“P”), unless otherwise noted) at the borrower’s option, which reset periodically based on the terms of the credit agreement. S loans are typically indexed to 12 month, 6 month, 3 month or 1 month S rates.

(2)

Par amount is denominated in U.S. Dollars (“$”) unless otherwise noted for Canadian dollar (“CAD”).

(3)

Position or portion thereof is an unfunded loan commitment, and no interest is being earned on the unfunded portion. The unfunded loan commitment may be subject to a commitment termination date that may expire prior to the maturity date stated. The negative cost, if applicable, is the result of the capitalized discount being greater than the principal amount outstanding on the loan. The negative fair value, if applicable, is the result of the capitalized discount on the loan.

 

PIK

Payment-In-Kind.

 

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Although there can be no assurances, we may in the future enter into additional warehousing transactions, from time to time, with third parties, subject to compliance with the Investment Company Act.

Allocation of Investment Opportunities

Our investment objectives and investment strategies are similar to those of other Accounts, and an investment appropriate for us may also be appropriate for such other Accounts (which may include proprietary accounts of Goldman Sachs). This creates potential conflicts in allocating investment opportunities among us and such other Accounts, particularly in circumstances where the availability of such investment opportunities is limited, where the liquidity of such investment opportunities is limited or where co-investments by us and such other Accounts are not permitted under applicable law.

To address these and other potential conflicts, a selection of which are outlined below, the Investment Adviser has developed allocation policies and procedures that provide that personnel of our Investment Adviser making portfolio decisions for Accounts will make purchase and sale decisions and allocate investment opportunities among Accounts consistent with their fiduciary obligations. To the extent permitted by applicable law, these policies and procedures may result in the pro rata allocation of limited opportunities across eligible Accounts managed by a particular portfolio management team, but in many other cases the allocations may reflect numerous other factors as described below. There will be cases where certain Accounts receive an allocation of an investment opportunity when we do not, and vice versa.

In some cases, due to information barriers that may be in place, other Accounts may compete with us for specific investment opportunities without being aware that we are competing against each other. Goldman Sachs has a conflicts system in place in addition to these information barriers to identify potential conflicts early in the process and determine if an allocation decision needs to be made. If the conflicts system detects a potential conflict with respect to a particular investment opportunity, such investment opportunity will be assessed to determine whether it must be allocated to, or prohibited from being allocated to, a particular Account.

Personnel of our Investment Adviser involved in decision-making for Accounts may make allocation related decisions in accordance with the Investment Adviser’s allocations policies and procedures for us and Accounts by reference to one or more factors, including but not limited to: the strategy, objectives, guidelines and restrictions (including legal and regulatory restrictions) of potentially in-scope Accounts, as well as those Accounts’ current portfolios and investment horizons; strategic fit and other portfolio management considerations, including different desired levels of investment for different strategies; the expected future capacity of the potentially in-scope Accounts; cash and liquidity considerations; and the availability of other appropriate investment opportunities. The Investment Adviser may also consider reputational matters and other factors. The application of these considerations may cause differences in the portfolios and performance of different Accounts that have similar strategies. In addition, in some cases the Investment Adviser may make investment recommendations to Accounts where the Accounts make the investment independently of our Investment Adviser, which may result in a reduction in the availability of the investment opportunity for other Accounts (including us), irrespective of our Investment Adviser’s policies regarding allocation of investments. Additional information about our Investment Adviser’s allocation policies is set forth in Item 6 (“Performance-based Fees and Side-by-Side Management—Side-by-Side Management of Advisory Accounts; Allocation of Opportunities”) of our Investment Adviser’s Form ADV.

The Investment Adviser, including the Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit Team, may develop and implement new trading strategies or seek to participate in new investment opportunities and strategies. These opportunities and strategies may not be employed in all Accounts even if the opportunity or strategy is consistent with the objectives of such Accounts.

During periods of unusual market conditions, our Investment Adviser may deviate from its normal trade allocation practices. For example, this may occur with respect to the management of unlevered and/or long-only Accounts that are typically managed on a side-by-side basis with levered and/or long-short Accounts.

We may or may not receive opportunities referred by Goldman Sachs businesses and affiliates, but in no event do we have any rights with respect to such opportunities. Subject to applicable law, including the Investment Company Act, such opportunities or any portion thereof may be offered to other Accounts, Goldman Sachs, certain of our investors, or such other persons or entities as determined by Goldman Sachs in its sole discretion. We will have no rights and will not receive any compensation related to such opportunities. Certain of such opportunities may be referred to us by employees or other personnel of Goldman Sachs, or by third parties. If we invest in any such opportunities, Goldman Sachs may be entitled, to the extent permitted by applicable law, including the limitations set forth in Section 57(k) of the Investment Company Act, to receive compensation from us or from the borrowers in connection with such investments. Any compensation we pay in connection with such referrals will be an operating expense and will accordingly be borne by us (and will not serve to offset any Management Fee (as defined below) or Incentive Fee (as defined below) payable to the Investment Adviser).

 

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In connection with certain of our investments, the Investment Adviser may determine that the appropriate amount to allocate to us and other Accounts may be less than the full amount of the investment opportunity, due to considerations related to, among other things, diversification, portfolio management, leverage management, investment profile, risk tolerance or other exposure guidelines or limitations, cash flow or other considerations. In such situations, “excess amounts” that can be allocated may be offered to other persons or entities. Subject to applicable law, such opportunities may be structured as an investment alongside us or as a purchase of a portion of the investment from us (through a syndication, participation or otherwise).

In all cases, subject to applicable law, our Investment Adviser has broad discretion in determining to whom and in what relative amounts to offer such opportunities, and factors our Investment Adviser may take into account, in its sole discretion, include whether such potential recipient is able to assist or provide a benefit to us in connection with the potential transaction or otherwise, whether our Investment Adviser believes the potential recipient is able to execute a transaction quickly, whether the potential recipient is expected to provide expertise or other advantages in connection with a particular investment, whether our Investment Adviser is aware of such potential recipient’s expertise or interest in these types of opportunities generally or in a subset of such opportunities or, the potential recipient’s target investment sizing. Recipients of these opportunities may, in accordance with applicable law, include one or more investors in us, one or more investors in other funds managed by the Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit Team, clients or potential clients of Goldman Sachs, or funds or Accounts established for any such persons. These opportunities may give rise to potential conflicts of interest. These opportunities will be offered to the recipients thereof on such terms as our Investment Adviser determines in its sole discretion, subject to applicable law, including on a no-fee basis or at prices higher or lower than those paid by us. As a result of these and other reasons, returns with respect to an opportunity may exceed investors’ returns with respect to our investment in the same opportunity.

Transactions with affiliates. We are prohibited under the Investment Company Act from participating in certain transactions with our affiliates without the prior approval of our Independent Directors and, in some cases, of the SEC. Any person that owns, directly or indirectly, five percent or more of our outstanding voting securities is our affiliate for purposes of the Investment Company Act, and we are generally prohibited from buying or selling any assets from or to, or entering into, certain “joint” transactions (which could include investments in the same portfolio company) with such affiliates, absent the prior approval of the Independent Directors. Our Investment Adviser and its affiliates, including persons that control, or are under common control with, us or our Investment Adviser, are also considered our affiliates under the Investment Company Act, and we are generally prohibited from buying or selling any assets from or to, or entering into “joint” transactions with, such affiliates without exemptive relief from the SEC.

Co-Investments Alongside Goldman Sachs and other Accounts; the Relief. Subject to applicable law, we may invest alongside Goldman Sachs and other Accounts. In certain circumstances, we and such other Accounts (which may include proprietary accounts of Goldman Sachs) can make negotiated co-investments pursuant to the Relief permitting us to do so. Additionally, if our Investment Adviser forms other funds in the future, co-investments may be made alongside those other affiliates, subject to compliance with the Relief, applicable regulations and regulatory guidance, as well as applicable allocation procedures. Any such co-investments are subject to certain conditions, including that co-investments are made in a manner consistent with our investment objectives and strategies, certain Board-established criteria, and the other applicable conditions of the Relief. Under the terms of the Relief, a “required majority” (as defined in Section 57(o) of the Investment Company Act) of the Fund’s Independent Directors must make certain conclusions in connection with a co-investment transaction, including that (i) the terms of the proposed transaction are reasonable and fair to the Fund and the Fund’s stockholders and do not involve overreaching in respect of the Fund or its stockholders on the part of any person concerned, and (ii) the transaction is consistent with the interests of the Fund’s stockholders and is consistent with the then-current investment objectives and strategies of the Fund. As a result of the Relief, there could be significant overlap in our investment portfolio and the investment portfolios of other Accounts, including, in some cases, proprietary accounts of Goldman Sachs.

If our Investment Adviser identifies an investment and we are unable to rely on the Relief for that particular opportunity, our Investment Adviser will be required to determine which Accounts should make the investment at the potential exclusion of other Accounts. In such circumstances, the Investment Adviser will adhere to its investment allocation policy in order to determine the Accounts to which to allocate investment opportunities. Accordingly, it is possible that we may not be given the opportunity to participate in investments made by other Accounts.

We may invest alongside other Accounts advised by our Investment Adviser in certain circumstances where doing so is consistent with applicable law and SEC staff guidance and interpretations. For example, we may invest alongside such Accounts consistent with guidance promulgated by the staff of the SEC permitting us and such other Accounts to purchase interests in a single class of privately placed securities so long as certain conditions are met, including that our Investment Adviser, acting on our behalf and on behalf of its other clients, negotiates no term other than price. We may also invest alongside our Investment Adviser’s other clients as otherwise permissible under SEC staff guidance and interpretations, applicable regulations and the allocation policy of our Investment Adviser.

 

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In addition, we have filed an application to amend the Relief to permit us to participate in follow-on investments in our existing portfolio companies with certain affiliates covered by the Relief if such affiliates, that are not BDCs or registered investment companies, did not have an investment in such existing portfolio company. There can be no assurance if and when we will receive the amended exemptive order.

For a further explanation of the allocation of opportunities and other conflicts and the risks related thereto, please see “Item 1A. Risk Factors—Risk Relating to Our Business and Structure—Potential conflicts of interest with other businesses of Goldman Sachs could impact our investment returns.

Market Opportunity

We believe the market opportunity for direct origination of private credit is significant and attractive. We expect the following factors to drive demand for private credit:

 

   

Future Senior Secured Debt Maturities. According to LCD News as of December 31, 2022, approximately $1.6 trillion of leveraged loans in North America and Europe outstanding will mature by 2029, which is expected to drive significant new debt issuance in the coming years. According to Preqin as of December 31, 2022, the global private credit market represents $1.4 trillion in assets under management and is now on par with the $1.3 trillion market values of the Bloomberg USD HY Corporate Index and the S&P LSTA Leveraged Loan Index.

 

   

Increasing Financial Sponsor Activity, as Indicated by Amount of Private Equity Capital Raised and “Dry Powder” Available for Investment. Private equity fundraising has increased considerably since the most recent low in 2010 and, as of December 31, 2022, private equity dry powder was at its highest level since the great financial crisis, with, according to Preqin data as of December 2022, over $950 billion of committed buyout private equity capital available to fund new leveraged buyout (“LBO”) transactions (including global buyout fundraising). We expect this substantial pool of investment capital to drive strong levels of sponsor-led buyout activity, which, in turn, will fuel demand for private credit, including senior secured debt.

 

   

Changes in Business Strategy by Banks Further Reducing the Supply of Capital to Private Companies. The trend of consolidation of regional banks into money center banks has reduced the focus of these businesses on private lending. Money center banks traditionally focus on lending and providing other services to large listed corporate clients to whom they can deploy larger amounts of capital more efficiently. The Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit Team believes that this has resulted in fewer bank lenders to U.S. private companies and reduced the availability of debt capital to the companies that we expect to target.

 

   

Advantageous Positioning of Direct Lenders. We anticipate additional borrowing needs as LBO and corporate acquisition activity continues. At the same time, we expect several factors to limit borrowers’ ability to issue senior secured debt in the syndicated credit markets, including regulatory constraints, the overall health of and outlook for the economy, volatility in end markets exposed to commodity price fluctuations and idiosyncratic events impacting specific industry sectors. Each of these factors may contribute to overall credit market volatility and dislocation. As a result, senior secured debt market participants, including banks, may become less willing to provide attractive syndicated loans to borrowers. We believe that the Fund is well-positioned to provide financing in response to the next wave of maturities and can provide attractive financing alternatives if banks elect to reduce their exposure to senior secured debt.

 

   

Increase in Size and Frequency of Private Market Transactions. More deal flow migrated to the private market in 2022 as the liquid credit market seized mid-year. Annual volume in the KBRA DLD Private Data set closed at $144.8 billion, up from $110.3 billion in 2021. Two main trends drove the 31% increase: (i) jumbo loans took a larger share; and (ii) the private market remained open as volatility shut down syndicated loans and high yield. According to Direct Lending Deals as of February 2022, this trend has continued into 2022, demonstrating that borrowers can turn to private financing providers to manage large hold sizes while also providing dry powder for future growth. We expect demand will remain robust following a record year of fundraising and continued uncertainty around inflation and COVID-related disruptions, emphasizing the appeal of the private market.

 

   

Barriers to Entry for New Lending Platforms. While the private market is a very large component of the U.S. economy, it is a highly fragmented space with thousands of companies operating in many different geographies and industries. Typically, companies that need capital find lenders and investors based on pre-existing relationships, referrals and word of mouth. Developing the many relationships and widespread recognition required to become source of capital is a time consuming, highly resource-intensive endeavor. As a result, the Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit Team believes that it is difficult for new lending platforms to successfully enter the private market, thereby providing insulation from rapid shifts in the supply of capital to the private market that might otherwise disrupt pricing of capital.

 

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If Interest Rates Rise, Attractiveness of Floating Rate Instruments Increases. The U.S. Federal Reserve raised interest rates multiple times in 2022 and suggested additional rate increases into 2023. We expect key base interest rates, such as SOFR, to fluctuate over time as well. We expect to target investments in cash-paying floating rate instruments and should therefore remain relatively insulated from future increases in interest rates.

Competitive Advantages

GS Group Inc. is a leading global financial institution that provides a broad range of financial services to a substantial and diversified client base, including companies and high net worth individuals, among others. The firm is headquartered in New York and maintains offices across the United States and in all major financial centers around the world. Goldman Sachs, with approximately $2.67 trillion in firmwide assets under supervision as of March 31, 2023, provides investment management services to a diverse set of clients worldwide, including private institutions, public entities and individuals.

Within GSAM, the Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit Team is the primary center for private credit investing. Since 1996, Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit and its predecessors have invested over $170 billion, leveraging Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit’s deep expertise and long-standing relationships with financial sponsors, companies, investors, entrepreneurs and financial intermediaries globally. Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit invests across senior credit, mezzanine, hybrid capital and asset finance strategies and has significant experience investing in debt instruments across industries, geographic regions, economic cycles and financing structures.

We believe our competitive advantages and strengths include: (i) alignment of interest between the Fund and the Goldman Sachs private credit platform through side by side investments alongside institutional and retail-focused private credit Accounts, which may include proprietary accounts of Goldman Sachs, (ii) Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit’s embeddedness within Goldman Sachs, given the associated relationship, sourcing and expertise advantages, (iii) Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit’s experience and breadth as an investor, (iv) Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit’s experienced team and history of investment performance and (v) Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit’s depth, breadth and duration of relationships with financial sponsors, companies, borrowers and other industry participants. For a further discussion of our competitive strengths, see Item 1(c). Business—Competition.

Investment Management Agreement

We have entered into an Investment Management Agreement, dated as of March 20, 2023 (as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Investment Management Agreement”), with the Investment Adviser.

Pursuant to the terms of our Investment Management Agreement, the Investment Adviser, subject to the overall supervision of our Board, manages our day-to-day investment-related operations and provides investment management services to us. We will pay the Investment Adviser a fee for its services under the Investment Management Agreement consisting of two components: a management fee (the “Management Fee”) and an incentive fee (the “Incentive Fee”).

Subject to compliance with applicable law and published SEC guidance, nothing contained in the Investment Management Agreement in any way precludes, restricts or limits the activities of our Investment Adviser or any of its respective subsidiaries or affiliated parties. See Item 1A. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Business and Structure—Our Investment Adviser, its principals, investment professionals and employees and the members of its Private Credit Investment Committee may have certain conflicts of interest.

Management Fee

The Management Fee is payable monthly in arrears at an annual rate of 1.25% of the value of our net assets as of the beginning of the first calendar day of the applicable month. For purposes of the Investment Management Agreement, net assets means our total assets less liabilities determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP. For the first calendar month in which we have operations, net assets will be measured as the beginning net assets as of the date on which the Fund broke escrow. The Investment Adviser has agreed to waive the Management Fee for the first two fiscal quarters of our operations, commencing on and including the date on which we broke escrow for the private offering of the Shares. The waiver of the Management Fee is expected to end on September 30, 2023.

 

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Incentive Fee

The Incentive Fee will consist of two components that are independent of each other, with the result that one component may be payable even if the other is not. A portion of the Incentive Fee is based on a percentage of our income and a portion is based on a percentage of our capital gains, each as described below.

Incentive Fee Based on Income

The portion based on our income is based on Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns. “Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns” means, as the context requires, either the dollar value of, or percentage rate of return on the value of our net assets at the end of the immediate preceding quarter from, interest income, dividend income and any other income (including any other fees (other than fees for providing managerial assistance), such as commitment, origination, structuring, diligence and consulting fees or other fees that we receive from portfolio companies) accrued during the calendar quarter, minus our operating expenses accrued for the quarter (including the Management Fee and any interest expense or fees on any credit facilities or outstanding debt and dividends paid on any issued and outstanding preferred shares, but excluding the incentive fee and any distribution and/or stockholder servicing fees).

Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns include, in the case of investments with a deferred interest feature (such as OID, debt instruments with PIK interest and zero coupon securities), accrued income that we have not yet received in cash. Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns do not include any realized capital gains, realized capital losses or unrealized capital appreciation or depreciation.

Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns, expressed as a rate of return on the value of our net assets at the end of the immediate preceding quarter, is compared to a “hurdle rate” of return of 1.25% per quarter (5.0% annualized).

We will pay the Investment Adviser an incentive fee quarterly in arrears with respect to our Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns in each calendar quarter as follows:

 

   

No incentive fee based on Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns in any calendar quarter in which our Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns do not exceed the hurdle rate of 1.25% per quarter (5.0% annualized);

 

   

100% of the dollar amount of our Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns with respect to that portion of such Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns, if any, that exceeds the hurdle rate but is less than a rate of return of 1.43% (5.72% annualized). We refer to this portion of our Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns (which exceeds the hurdle rate but is less than 1.43%) as the “catch-up.” The “catch-up” is meant to provide the Investment Adviser with approximately 12.5% of our Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns as if a hurdle rate did not apply if this net investment income exceeds 1.43% in any calendar quarter; and

 

   

12.5% of the dollar amount of our Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns, if any, that exceed a rate of return of 1.43% (5.72% annualized). This reflects that once the hurdle rate is reached and the catch-up is achieved, 12.5% of all Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns thereafter are allocated to the Investment Adviser.

The following is a graphical representation of the calculation of the Incentive Fee based on income.

Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income

(expressed as a percentage of the value of net assets per quarter)

 

LOGO

 

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Percentage of Pre-Incentive Fee Investment Income

Allocated to Quarterly Incentive Fee

These calculations are pro-rated for any period of less than three months and adjusted for any share issuances or repurchases during the relevant quarter. You should be aware that a rise in the general level of interest rates can be expected to lead to higher interest rates applicable to our debt investments. Accordingly, an increase in interest rates would make it easier for us to meet or exceed the incentive fee hurdle rate and may result in a substantial increase of the amount of incentive fees payable to the Investment Adviser with respect to Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns. Because of the structure of the incentive fee, it is possible that we may pay an incentive fee in a calendar quarter in which we incur an overall loss taking into account capital account losses. For example, if we receive Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns in excess of the quarterly hurdle rate, we will pay the applicable incentive fee even if we have incurred a loss in that calendar quarter due to realized and unrealized capital losses.

The Investment Adviser has agreed to waive the Incentive Fee based on income for the first two fiscal quarters of our operations, commencing on and including the date on which we broke escrow for the private offering of the Shares. The waiver of the Incentive Fee on income is expected to end on September 30, 2023.

Incentive Fee Based on Capital Gains

The second component of the Incentive Fee, the capital gains incentive fee, is payable at the end of each calendar year in arrears. The amount payable equals:

 

   

12.5% of cumulative realized capital gains from inception through the end of such calendar year, computed net of all realized capital losses and unrealized capital depreciation on a cumulative basis, less the aggregate amount of any previously paid incentive fee on capital gains as calculated in accordance with GAAP.

Each year, the fee paid for the capital gains incentive fee is net of the aggregate amount of any previously paid capital gains incentive fee for all prior periods. We will accrue, but will not pay, a capital gains incentive fee with respect to unrealized appreciation because a capital gains incentive fee would be owed to the Investment Adviser if we were to sell the relevant investment and realize a capital gain. In no event will the capital gains incentive fee payable pursuant to the Investment Management Agreement be in excess of the amount permitted by the Advisers Act, including Section 205 thereof.

The fees that are payable under the Investment Management Agreement for any partial period will be appropriately prorated.

Board Approval of the Investment Management Agreement

Our Board, including the Independent Directors, determined to approve the Investment Management Agreement at a meeting held in person on August 3, 2022. Our initial member approved the Investment Management Agreement on December 19, 2022. In its consideration of the Investment Management Agreement, the Board focused on information it had received relating to, among other things:

 

 

the nature, quality and extent of the advisory and other services to be provided to us by the Investment Adviser;

 

 

the contractual terms of the Investment Management Agreement, including the structure of the Management Fee imposed on net assets and the Incentive Fee imposed on net investment income and capital gains;

 

 

comparative data with respect to advisory fees and other expenses paid by other externally managed BDCs with similar investment objectives and strategies;

 

   

information about the services to be performed and the personnel performing such services under the Investment Management Agreement;

 

   

our projected operating expenses and expense ratio, and a comparison of expenses borne by other externally managed BDCs with similar investment objectives and strategies;

 

   

the Investment Adviser’s anticipated revenues and pre-tax profit margins with respect to its management of us;

 

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any existing and potential benefits to the Investment Adviser or its affiliates from its relationship with us;

 

   

other potential benefits to us as a result of our relationship with the Investment Adviser; and

 

   

such other matter as our Board determined was relevant to their consideration of the Investment Management Agreement.

In connection with its consideration of approving the Investment Management Agreement, our Board gave weight to each of the factors described above, but did not identify any one particular factor as controlling its decision. After deliberation and consideration of all of the information provided, including the factors described above, the Board concluded, in the exercise of its business judgment, that the management fees to be paid by us are reasonable in light of the services to be provided to us by the Investment Adviser, the Investment Adviser’s anticipated costs, and our reasonably foreseeable asset levels. The Board, including all of the directors who are not “interested persons” (as defined in the Investment Company Act), unanimously concluded that the Investment Adviser’s management of us pursuant to the Investment Management Agreement likely would benefit us and our stockholders and that the Investment Management Agreement should be approved.

Duration and Termination

The Investment Management Agreement will remain in full force and effect for an initial period of two years from its effective date, and thereafter will continue for successive annual periods, but only so long as such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by (a) the vote of a majority of our Independent Directors and (b) a vote of a majority of our Board or of a majority of our outstanding voting securities, as defined in the Investment Company Act. The Investment Management Agreement may be terminated in its entirety at any time on 60 days’ written notice by us, by our Board, or by vote of a majority of our outstanding voting Shares without the payment of any penalty. In addition, the Investment Management Agreement may be terminated in its entirety at any time on 120 days’ written notice by our Investment Adviser without the payment of penalty. The Investment Management Agreement will automatically terminate in the event of its assignment. See Item 1A. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Competition—We depend upon management personnel of our Investment Adviser for our future success.

Limitation of Liability of Our Investment Adviser and the Fund

The Investment Management Agreement provides that our Investment Adviser will not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by us in connection with the matters to which the Investment Management Agreement relates, except a loss resulting from our Investment Adviser’s willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard by our Investment Adviser of its obligations and duties under the Investment Management Agreement. Any person, even though also employed by our Investment Adviser, who may be or become an employee of and paid by us will be deemed, when acting within the scope of such employment, to be acting in such employment solely for us and not as our Investment Adviser’s employee or agent. These protections may lead our Investment Adviser to act in a riskier manner when acting on our behalf than it would when acting for its own account. See Item 1A. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Business and Structure—The Investment Adviser faces conflicts of interest caused by compensation arrangements with us, which could result in actions that are not in the best interests of our stockholders.

 

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Expenses

Our Investment Adviser pays all costs incurred by it in connection with the performance of its duties under the Investment Management Agreement. Our Investment Adviser pays the compensation and expenses of all its personnel and makes available, without expense to us, the services of such of its partners, officers and employees as may duly be elected as our officers or directors, subject to their individual consent to serve and to any limitations imposed by law. Our Investment Adviser is not required to pay any of our expenses other than those specifically allocated to it, including as set forth below. In particular, but without limiting the generality of the foregoing, our Investment Adviser is not required to pay: (i) organization and offering expenses associated with the private offering of the Shares and other securities, including the Series A Preferred Stock, (including legal, accounting, printing, mailing, subscription processing and filing fees and expenses and other offering expenses, including costs associated with technology integration between the Fund’s systems and those of participating intermediaries, reasonable bona fide due diligence expenses of participating intermediaries supported by detailed and itemized invoices, costs in connection with preparing sales materials and other marketing expenses, design and website expenses, fees and expenses of the Fund’s Transfer Agent, fees to attend retail seminars sponsored by participating intermediaries, if any, and costs, expenses and reimbursements for travel, meals, accommodations, entertainment and other similar expenses related to meetings or events with prospective investors, intermediaries, registered investment advisors or financial or other advisors, but excluding the stockholder servicing fee); (ii) fees and expenses, including travel expenses, incurred by our Investment Adviser or payable to third parties related to our investments, including, among others, professional fees (including the fees and expenses of consultants and experts) and fees and expenses from evaluating, monitoring, researching and performing due diligence on investments and prospective investments; (iii) interest payable on debt, if any, incurred to finance our investments; (iv) fees and expenses incurred by us in connection with membership in investment company organizations; (v) brokers’ commissions; (vi) fees and expenses associated with calculating our NAV (including the costs and expenses of any independent valuation firm); (vii) legal, auditing or accounting expenses; (viii) taxes or governmental fees; (ix) the fees and expenses of our Administrator, Transfer Agent or sub-transfer agent; (x) the cost of preparing share certificates or any other expenses, including clerical expenses of issue, redemption or repurchase of our Shares; (xi) the expenses of and fees for registering or qualifying our Shares for sale and of maintaining our federal and/or state registration or exemptions, and registering us as a broker or a dealer, as applicable; (xii) the fees and expenses of our directors (the “Directors”) who are not affiliated with our Investment Adviser; (xiii) the cost of preparing and distributing reports, proxy statements and notices to our stockholders, the SEC and other regulatory authorities; (xiv) costs of holding stockholder meetings; (xv) the fees or disbursements of custodians of our assets, including expenses incurred in the performance of any obligations enumerated by our certificate of incorporation or bylaws insofar as they govern agreements with any such custodian; (xvi) insurance premiums; or (xvii) costs incurred in connection with any claim, litigation, arbitration, mediation, government investigation or dispute in connection with our business and the amount of any judgment or settlement paid in connection therewith, or the enforcement of our rights against any person and indemnification or contribution expenses payable by us to any person and other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of our business. Our Investment Adviser is not required to pay expenses of activities which are primarily intended to result in sales of our Shares, including, all costs and expenses associated with the preparation and distribution of any private placement memorandum, subscription agreements, registration statements, prospectuses or stockholder application forms, including any amendments, restatements and/or supplements thereto.

Our Investment Adviser may impose a voluntary cap on the amount of expenses that will be borne by us on a monthly or annual basis. Any such expense cap may be increased, decreased, waived or eliminated at any time at our Investment Adviser’s sole discretion.

To the extent that expenses to be borne by us pursuant to the Investment Management Agreement are paid by our Investment Adviser, we will reimburse our Investment Adviser for such expenses, provided, however, that our Investment Adviser may elect, from time to time and in its sole discretion, to bear certain of our expenses set forth above, including organizational and other expenses.

With respect to the expenses of the private offering of Shares, the Investment Adviser has agreed to advance all of our organization, offering and other operating expenses on our behalf through the date on which we broke escrow for the private offering of the Shares. Pursuant to the Expense Support Agreement, the Investment Adviser may elect to pay certain of our expenses on our behalf, provided that no portion of the payment will be used to pay any interest expense or distribution and/or stockholder servicing fees of the Fund. We may reimburse the Investment Adviser for such advanced expenses only if certain conditions are met. See “—Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement.” Any reimbursements will not exceed actual expenses incurred by the Investment Adviser and its affiliates.

From time to time, Goldman Sachs Asset Management (in its capacity as the Investment Adviser) or its affiliates may pay third-party providers of goods or services. We will reimburse Goldman Sachs Asset Management (in its capacity as the Investment Adviser) or such affiliates thereof for any such amounts paid on our behalf. From time to time, Goldman Sachs Asset Management (in its capacity as the Investment Adviser) may defer or waive fees and/or rights to be reimbursed for expenses. All of the foregoing expenses will ultimately be borne by our stockholders.

Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement

We have entered into an Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement, dated as of March 20, 2023 (as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Expense Support Agreement”), with the Investment Adviser. Pursuant to the Expense Support Agreement, the Investment Adviser may elect to pay certain of our expenses on our behalf (each, an “Expense Payment”), provided that no portion of the payment will be used to pay any interest expense or distribution and/or stockholder servicing fees of the Fund. Any Expense Payment must be paid by the Investment Adviser to us in any combination of cash or other immediately available funds and/or offset against amounts due from us to the Investment Adviser or its affiliates.

Following any calendar month in which Available Operating Funds (as defined below) exceed the cumulative distributions accrued to the Fund’s common stockholders based on distributions declared with respect to record dates occurring in such calendar month (the amount of such excess being hereinafter referred to as “Excess Operating Funds”), we will pay such Excess Operating Funds, or a portion thereof, to the Investment Adviser until such time as all Expense Payments made by the Investment Adviser to the Fund within three years prior to the last business day of such calendar month have been reimbursed. Any payments required to be made by the Fund will be referred to herein as a “Reimbursement Payment.” “Available Operating Funds” means the sum of (i) our net investment company income and (ii) dividends and other distributions paid to us on account of investments in portfolio companies (to the extent such amounts listed in clause (ii) are not included under clause (i) above).

 

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The Fund’s obligation to make a Reimbursement Payment will automatically become a liability of the Fund on the last business day of the applicable calendar month, except to the extent the Investment Adviser has waived its right to receive such payment for the applicable month.

Custodian, Transfer and Dividend Disbursing Agent and Registrar

Our assets, including any assets of our wholly owned subsidiaries, are held by State Street Bank and Trust Company (“State Street”) pursuant to an Amended and Restated Custody Agreement, dated as of January 26, 2023 in accordance with the requirements of the Investment Company Act. State Street also acts as our administrator (the “Administrator”) and provides us with various accounting and administrative services. See “—Administration Agreement.” The principal business address of State Street is One Lincoln Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02111.

GS & Co. serves as the Fund’s transfer agent, distribution paying agent and registrar (the “Transfer Agent”) pursuant to a transfer agency agreement, dated as of March 20, 2023 (the “Transfer Agency Agreement”). The principal business address of GS & Co. is 200 West Street, New York, NY 10282. Pursuant to the Transfer Agency Agreement, the Transfer Agent will: (i) record the issuance, transfer and repurchase of shares of our common stock and preferred stock; (ii) provide purchase and repurchase confirmations, as well as certain other statements; (iii) provide dividend crediting and certain disbursing agent services; (iv) maintain stockholder accounts; and (v) render certain other miscellaneous services. Under the terms of the Transfer Agency Agreement, we will indemnify and hold harmless the Transfer Agent, its affiliates and any agent under certain circumstances and to the extent permitted by the Investment Company Act. We compensate the Transfer Agent at an annual rate of 0.05% of our average NAV at the end of the then-current quarter and the prior calendar quarter (and, in the case of the Fund’s first quarter, our NAV as of such quarter-end) for serving as our transfer agent. As our transfer agent and dividend disbursing agent, GS & Co. expects to engage a third party to assist in certain related functions. The Transfer Agency Agreement provides that we generally bear all expenses incurred by the Transfer Agent or us in connection with the performance of the Transfer Agent’s duties pursuant to the Transfer Agency Agreement (including any costs associated with engaging such third parties). The amount of such expenses that will be borne by us is capped at the quarterly fee payable under the Transfer Agency Agreement and will reduce the fee otherwise owed for such quarter on a dollar-for-dollar basis.

Administration Agreement

We have entered into an Amended and Restated Administration Agreement, dated as of January 26, 2023 (as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Administration Agreement”), with the Administrator. Pursuant to the Administration Agreement, our Administrator will be responsible for providing various accounting and administrative services to us. The Administration Agreement provides that the Administrator is not liable to us for any damages or other losses arising out of the performance of its services thereunder, except under certain circumstances, and contains provisions for the indemnification of the Administrator by us against liabilities to other parties arising in connection with the performance of its services to us. We pay the Administrator fees for its services as we determine are commercially reasonable in our sole discretion. We also reimburse the Administrator for all reasonable expenses. To the extent that our Administrator outsources any of its functions, the Administrator pays any compensation associated with such functions. We are not obligated to retain our Administrator. The Administration Agreement may be terminated by either party without penalty upon 30 days’ written notice to the other party. The terms of any administration agreement that we may enter with any subsequent administrator may differ materially from the terms of the Administration Agreement with our Administrator in effect prior to such retention, including providing for a fee structure that results in us, directly or indirectly, bearing higher fees for similar services and other terms that are potentially less advantageous to us. Our stockholders will not be entitled to receive prior notice of the engagement of an alternate administrator or of the terms of any agreement that is entered into with such administrator.

License Agreement

We have entered into a license agreement, dated as of March 20, 2023 (as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “License Agreement”), with an affiliate of Goldman Sachs pursuant to which we have been granted a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use the “Goldman Sachs” name. Under this agreement, we do not have a right to use the Goldman Sachs name if Goldman Sachs Asset Management or another affiliate of Goldman Sachs is not our Investment Adviser or if our continued use of such license results in a violation of applicable law, results in a regulatory burden or has adverse regulatory consequences. Other than with respect to this limited license, we have no legal right to the “Goldman Sachs” name.

Revolving Credit Facility

On April 6, 2023, we entered into a revolving credit facility (the “Truist Revolving Credit Facility”) with Truist Bank, as administrative agent, and the lenders and issuing banks party thereto. As of April 10, 2023, there was approximately USD $98.01 million and CAD 60.68 million in total outstanding borrowings under the Truist Credit Facility.

Borrowings thereunder denominated in U.S. dollars (“USD”), including amounts drawn in respect of letters of credit, bear interest (at our election) of either (i) term SOFR plus a margin of either 2.00% or 1.75% (subject to certain gross borrowing base conditions), plus an additional 0.10% credit adjustment spread, (ii) an alternate base rate, which is the highest of (x) Prime Rate in effect on such day, (y) Federal Funds Effective Rate for such day plus 1/2 of 1.00% and (z) term SOFR for an interest period of one (1) month plus 1.00%, plus a margin of either 1.00% or 0.75% (subject to certain gross borrowing base conditions). Borrowings thereunder denominated in non-USD bear interest of the applicable term benchmark rate or daily simple risk-free rate (“RFR”) plus a margin of either 2.00% or 1.75% (subject to certain gross borrowing base conditions), plus, in the case of borrowings denominated in Pound Sterling (GBP) only, an additional 0.0326% credit adjustment spread or 0.1193% credit adjustment spread, for 1-month tenor and 3-months tenor borrowings, respectively. With respect to borrowings denominated in USD, we may elect either term SOFR, or an alternative base rate at the time of borrowing, and such borrowings may be converted from one benchmark to another at any time, subject to certain conditions.

Any amounts borrowed under the Truist Revolving Credit Facility will mature, and all accrued and unpaid interest will be due and payable, on April 6, 2028.

The total commitments under the Truist Revolving Credit Facility are $725.00 million, $600.00 million is under a multicurrency sub-facility and $125.00 million is under a USD sub-facility. The Truist Revolving Credit Facility also has an accordion feature, subject to the satisfaction of various conditions, which could bring total commitments under the Truist Revolving Credit Facility to $1,450.00 million.

The Truist Revolving Credit Facility may be guaranteed by certain of our wholly owned subsidiaries that are formed or acquired by us in the future. Proceeds from borrowings may be used for general corporate purposes, including the funding of portfolio investments.

Our obligations to the lenders under the Truist Revolving Credit Facility are secured by a first priority security interest in substantially all of our portfolio of investments and cash, with certain exceptions. The Truist Revolving Credit Facility contains certain customary covenants, including: (i) maintaining a minimum shareholders’ equity, (ii) maintaining an asset coverage ratio of at least 1.50 to 1 and (iii) restrictions on industry concentrations in our investment portfolio. As of April 10, 2023, we are in compliance with these covenants.

The Truist Revolving Credit Facility also includes customary representations and warranties, conditions precedent to funding of draws and events of default (including a change in control event of default trigger).

Prohibited Activities

Our activities are subject to compliance with the Investment Company Act. In addition, effective upon the commencement of a public offering of our Shares registered under the Securities Act, if at all, in which our Shares are not listed for trading on a national securities exchange (a “Public Offering of Non-Listed Shares”), our certificate of incorporation prohibits the following activities among us, our Investment Adviser and its affiliates, to the extent required under the Omnibus Guidelines Statement of Policy adopted by the North American Securities Administrators Association on March 29, 1992 and as amended on May 7, 2007 and from time to time (the “Omnibus Guidelines), and otherwise subject to compliance with the Investment Company Act:

 

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We may not purchase or lease assets in which our Investment Adviser or its affiliates has an interest unless (i) we disclose the terms of the transaction to our stockholders, the terms are reasonable to us and the price does not exceed the lesser of cost or fair market value, as determined by an independent expert or (ii) such purchase or lease of assets is consistent with the Investment Company Act or an exemptive order under the Investment Company Act issued to us by the SEC;

 

   

We may not invest in general partnerships or joint ventures with affiliates and non-affiliates unless certain conditions are met;

 

   

The Investment Adviser and its affiliates may not acquire assets from us unless (i) approved by our stockholders entitled to cast a majority of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter or (ii) such acquisition is consistent with the Investment Company Act or an exemptive order under the Investment Company Act issued to us by the SEC;

 

   

We may not lease assets to our Investment Adviser or its affiliates unless we disclose the terms of the transaction to our stockholders and such terms are fair and reasonable to us;

 

   

We may not make any loans, credit facilities, credit agreements or otherwise to our Investment Adviser or its affiliates except for the advancement of funds as permitted by our certificate of incorporation or unless otherwise permitted by the Investment Company Act or applicable guidance or exemptive relief of the SEC;

 

   

We may not acquire assets from our affiliates in exchange for our common stock without approval of a majority of our Board, including a majority of our Independent Directors;

 

   

We may not pay a commission or fee, either directly or indirectly to our Investment Adviser or its affiliates, except as otherwise permitted by our certificate of incorporation, in connection with the reinvestment of cash flows from operations and available reserves or of the proceeds of the resale, exchange or refinancing of our assets;

 

   

The Investment Adviser may not charge duplicate fees to us; and

 

   

The Investment Adviser may not provide financing to us with a term in excess of 12 months.

In addition, in the Investment Management Agreement, our Investment Adviser agrees that its activities will at all times be in compliance in all material respects with all applicable federal and state securities laws governing its operations and investments.

Compliance with the Omnibus Guidelines

Rebates, Kickbacks and Reciprocal Arrangements

Effective upon the commencement of a Public Offering of Non-Listed Shares and to the extent required under the Omnibus Guidelines, our certificate of incorporation prohibits our Investment Adviser from: (i) receiving or accepting any rebate, give-ups or similar arrangement that is prohibited under applicable federal or state securities laws, (ii) participating in any reciprocal business arrangement that would circumvent provisions of applicable federal or state securities laws and the Omnibus Guidelines governing conflicts of interest or investment restrictions, or (iii) entering into any agreement, arrangement or understanding that would circumvent the restrictions against dealing with affiliates or promoters under applicable federal or state securities laws and the Omnibus Guidelines. In addition, our Investment Adviser may not directly or indirectly pay or award any fees or commissions or other compensation to any person or entity engaged to sell our stock or give investment advice to a potential stockholder; provided, however, that our Investment Adviser may pay a registered broker-dealer or other properly licensed agent a sales commission or other compensation (including cash compensation and non-cash compensation (as such terms are defined under FINRA Rule 2310)) for selling or distributing our common stock, including out of the Investment Adviser’s own assets, including those amounts paid to the Investment Adviser under the Investment Management Agreement.

Commingling

The Investment Adviser may not permit our funds to be commingled with the funds of any other entity.

 

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Competition

We generally have two sources of competition – the syndicated loan market and other private credit investors.

Our platform’s ability to hold large sized investments on a “buy and hold” basis as an alternative to a syndicated loan solution provides borrowers with numerous benefits, including customized financings, greater certainty of pricing and closing, speed of execution, ability to make long-dated commitments and on-going support post-close. Furthermore, our willingness to serve as a significant lender across market environments, particularly during periods of market volatility and dislocation, is valuable to lenders considering syndicated solutions that would be subject to loan market dynamics.

With respect to other private credit investors, our primary competitors invest in directly originated, first lien senior secured, floating rate debt of private companies and include other BDCs, commercial and investment banks, commercial financing companies, private funds, including hedge funds, and, to the extent they provide an alternative form of financing, private equity funds. Some of our existing and potential competitors may have certain advantages including lower cost of funds and access to funding sources that are not available to us.

In addition, some of our competitors may have higher risk tolerances or different risk assessments, which could allow them to consider a wider variety of investments and establish more relationships than us. Furthermore, many of our competitors are not subject to the regulatory restrictions that the Investment Company Act imposes on us as a BDC.

While we expect to use the industry information to which we have access to assess investment risks and determine appropriate pricing for our investments in portfolio companies, we do not seek to compete primarily based on the interest rates we offer, and Goldman Sachs Asset Management believes that some of our competitors may make loans with interest rates that are comparable to or lower than the rates we offer. Rather, we compete with our peers based on our reputation in the market, our existing investment platform, the seasoned investment professionals of our Investment Adviser, our experience and focus on directly originated senior secured corporate credit, our disciplined investment philosophy, its extensive industry focus and relationships and our flexible transaction structuring.

Employees

We do not currently have any employees and do not expect to have any employees. Services necessary to execute our business are provided by individuals who are employees of the Investment Adviser or its affiliates pursuant to the terms of the Investment Management Agreement. Each of our executive officers described under “Item 5. Directors and Executive Officers” is employed by the Investment Adviser or its affiliates. Our day-to-day investment operations will be managed by the Investment Adviser. The services necessary for the sourcing of our investment portfolio will be provided by investment professionals employed by the Investment Adviser. The investment team will focus on origination and transaction development and the ongoing monitoring of our investments.

The Private Offering

We are offering our Shares on a continuous, “best efforts” basis through GS & Co. as placement agent (the “Placement Agent”), and any sub-placement agent appointed thereby, including Goldman Sachs International. Because this is a “best efforts” offering, the Placement Agent must only use its best efforts to sell the Shares, which means that no placement agent, broker or other person will be obligated to purchase any Shares. The Placement Agent is headquartered at 200 West Street New York, New York 10282.

On April 6, 2023, we completed the initial closing of the private offering of our Shares, pursuant to which we issued and sold approximately 10,081,173 Class I shares for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $252,029,333, satisfied our minimum offering amount of $100,000,000 and broke escrow for the private offering of our Shares. See —Escrow Arrangement.” On May 1, 2023, we completed our subsequent monthly closing of the private offering of our Shares, pursuant to which we issued and sold Class I shares for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $75,890,000.

The Fund intends that the Shares offered will not be listed on any national securities exchange, and neither the Placement Agent nor any participating brokers intend to act as market-makers with respect to our Shares. Because no public market is expected for the shares, stockholders will likely have limited ability to sell their shares.

We are currently only offering Class I shares for sale. We have submitted to the SEC an application for an exemptive order to permit us to offer multiple classes of Shares. Subject to receiving a satisfactory exemptive order from the SEC, we intend to offer to sell any combination of three classes of Shares: Class S shares, Class D shares and Class I shares. These share classes have different ongoing stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees. Commencing upon receipt of such exemptive order from the SEC, we expect to elect to conduct the private offering of our Shares in compliance with FINRA Rule 2310 as a condition to such exemptive relief. There is no assurance we will obtain this exemptive relief.

Class S shares, when offered, will be available for purchase in the private offering of the Shares through brokerage and transaction-based accounts.

 

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Class D shares, when offered, generally will be available for purchase in the private offering of the Shares only (1) through fee-based programs, also known as wrap accounts, sponsored by participating brokers or other intermediaries that provide access to Class D shares, (2) through participating brokers that have alternative fee arrangements with their clients to provide access to Class D shares, (3) through transaction/ brokerage platforms at participating brokers, (4) through certain registered investment advisers, (5) through bank trust departments or any other organization or person authorized to act in a fiduciary capacity for its clients or customers or (6) by other categories of investors that we name in an amendment or supplement to the private placement memorandum relating to the private offering of the Shares (as amended, supplemented or otherwise modified, the “Private Placement Memorandum”).

Class I shares are generally available for purchase in the private offering of the Shares only (1) through fee-based programs, also known as wrap accounts, sponsored by participating brokers or other intermediaries that provide access to Class I shares, (2) by endowments, foundations, pension funds and other institutional investors, (3) through participating brokers that have alternative fee arrangements with their clients to provide access to Class I shares, (4) through transaction/brokerage platforms at participating brokers, (5) by our executive officers and directors and their immediate family members, as well as officers and employees of the Investment Adviser or other affiliates and their immediate family members, and, if approved by our Board, joint venture partners, consultants and other service providers, (6) by Goldman Sachs’ private wealth management clients or (7) by other categories of investors that we name in an amendment or supplement to the Private Placement Memorandum.

In certain cases, where a holder of Class S or Class D shares exits (when such classes of shares are offered and sold) a relationship with a participating broker for the private offering of the Shares and does not enter into a new relationship with a participating broker for the private offering of the Shares, such holder’s shares may be exchanged into an equivalent NAV amount of Class I shares. We intend to also offer Class I shares to certain feeder vehicles primarily created to hold our Class I shares, which, in turn, will offer interests in themselves to qualified investors. We expect to conduct such offerings pursuant to available exemptions from registration under the Securities Act. Such feeder vehicles may have additional costs and expenses, which would be disclosed in connection with the offering of their interests. We may also offer Class I shares to other investment vehicles.

As of the date of this Registration Statement, the Fund is only offering Class I shares for sale. To purchase Class I shares in the private offering of Shares, an investor must make a minimum initial investment of $2,500, unless waived by the Placement Agent. To purchase Class S or Class D shares when available for sale in any private offering of Shares, an investor must make a minimum initial investment in our Shares of $2,500, unless waived by the Placement Agent. All subsequent purchases of Class I, Class S, or Class D shares, except for those made under our distribution reinvestment plan, are subject to a minimum investment size of $500 per transaction. The Placement Agent can waive the initial or subsequent minimum investment at its discretion.

Without limiting the foregoing, the Placement Agent will waive or reduce to $10,000 or less Class I share investment minimums for purchases: (1) through fee-based programs, also known as wrap accounts, sponsored by participating brokers or other intermediaries that provide access to Class I shares, (2) by endowments, foundations, pension funds and other institutional investors, (3) through participating brokers that have alternative fee arrangements with their clients to provide access to Class I shares, (4) through transaction/brokerage platforms at participating brokers, (5) by our executive officers and directors and their immediate family members, as well as officers and employees of the Investment Adviser or other affiliates and their immediate family members, and, if approved by our Board, joint venture partners, consultants and other service providers, (6) by Goldman Sachs’ private wealth management clients, and (7) by other categories of investors that we name in an amendment or supplement to the Private Placement Memorandum. The foregoing categories of investors who are granted waivers or reductions by the Placement Agent from the Class I investment minimums include investors described in the foregoing sentence who make purchases for eligible retirement plans and IRAs. Waivers and reductions are subject to the terms and conditions of agreements that the Placement Agent enters into with participating intermediaries, as applicable.

If an investor is eligible to purchase all three classes of shares, the investor should be aware that Class I shares have no stockholder servicing or distribution fees, as described below, which will reduce the NAV or distributions of the other share classes. However, Class I shares will not receive stockholder services.

Before making an investment decision, investors should consult with their investment adviser regarding their account type and the classes of Shares they may be eligible to purchase. Neither the Placement Agent nor its affiliates will directly or indirectly compensate any person engaged as an investment advisor or bank trust department by a potential investor as an inducement for such investment advisor or bank trust department to advise favorably for an investment in us.

We reserve the right to terminate the private offering of the Shares at any time and to extend our offering term to the extent permissible under applicable law.

 

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Purchase Price

During the escrow period, the per share purchase price for the class of shares purchased was $25.00. Following the close of the escrow period, shares are sold at the then-current NAV per share. Each class of shares may have a different NAV per share because stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees differ with respect to each class.

If an investor participates in our distribution reinvestment plan, the cash distributions attributable to the class of shares that the investor purchased in our primary offering will be automatically invested in additional shares of the same class. The purchase price for Shares purchased under our distribution reinvestment plan will be equal to the most recent available NAV per share for such shares at the time the distribution is payable.

We will generally adhere to the following procedures relating to purchases of Shares in the continuous private offering of our Shares:

 

   

On each business day, our Transfer Agent will collect purchase orders. Notwithstanding the submission of an initial purchase order, we can reject purchase orders, in whole or in part, for any reason. Investors may only purchase our Shares pursuant to accepted subscription orders as of the first day of each month (based on the NAV per share as determined as of the previous day, being the last day of the preceding month), and to be accepted, a subscription request must be made with a completed and executed subscription agreement in good order at least ten business days prior to the first day of the month (unless waived by the Placement Agent) and payment of the full purchase price of our Shares being subscribed for at least seven business days prior to the first day of the month (unless waived by the Placement Agent), provided that for the initial closing of the private offering of our Shares, payment of the full purchase price for our Shares must have been made at least ten business days prior to the date on which we broke escrow for the private offering of our Shares (unless waived), which occurred on April 6, 2023. If a purchase order is received less than ten business days prior to the first day of the month, unless waived by the Placement Agent, the purchase order will be executed in the next month’s closing at the transaction price applicable to that month. At its discretion, the Placement Agent may include a purchase order from a prior month in a subsequent monthly closing. As a result of this process, the price per share at which an investor’s order is executed may be different than the price per share for the month in which the investor submitted its purchase order.

 

   

Generally, within 20 business days after the first calendar day of each month, we will determine our NAV per share for each share class as of the last calendar day of the immediately preceding month, which will be the purchase price for Shares purchased with that effective date.

 

   

Subscribers are not committed to purchase Shares at the time their subscription orders are submitted, and any subscription may be cancelled at any time before the time it has been accepted, as described above, or at such other time as permitted in our sole discretion. An investor may withdraw its purchase request by notifying the Transfer Agent through your financial intermediary.

 

   

Investors will receive a confirmation statement of each new transaction in their account from us or their financial advisor, participating broker or financial intermediary as soon as practicable but generally not later than seven business days after the stockholder transactions are settled when the applicable NAV per share is determined.

Our NAV may vary significantly from one month to the next.

In contrast to securities traded on an exchange or over-the-counter, where the price often fluctuates as a result of, among other things, the supply and demand of securities in the trading market, our NAV is calculated once monthly using our valuation methodology, and the price at which we sell new shares and repurchase outstanding shares will not change depending on the level of demand by investors or the volume of requests for repurchases.

Escrow Arrangement

We accepted purchase orders and held investors’ funds in an escrow account until we received purchase orders for at least $100,000,000, excluding Shares purchased by our Investment Adviser, its affiliates and our Directors and officers, in any combination of purchases of Class S shares, Class D shares, and Class I shares, and our Board authorized the release to us of funds in the escrow account. On April 6, 2023, we satisfied the minimum offering amount of $100,000,000 and broke escrow for the private offering of our Shares.

 

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Placement Compensation

We have entered into a Placement Agent Agreement, dated as of March 20, 2023 (as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Placement Agent Agreement”) with the Placement Agent, pursuant to which the Placement Agent has agreed to, among other things, assist us in conducting the private offering of the Shares, including managing our relationships with third-party brokers engaged by the Placement Agent to participate in the distribution of Shares, which we refer to as “participating brokers,” and financial advisors. The Placement Agent will also coordinate our marketing and distribution efforts with participating brokers and their registered representatives with respect to communications related to the terms of the private offering of the Shares, our investment strategies, material aspects of our operations and subscription procedures. The Placement Agent is not expected to be compensated by us for its services, but may charge stockholders certain stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees and stockholders may be charged fees by their financial intermediaries with respect to their investment in us, as discussed below and elsewhere in this Registration Statement. See “Item 11. Description of Registrant’s Securities to be Registered.” We will not pay referral or similar fees to any accountants, attorneys or other persons in connection with the distribution of our Shares.

Upfront Sales Loads

No upfront sales load will be paid with respect to Class S shares, Class D shares or Class I shares. However, if an investor purchases Class S shares or Class D shares, when offered, or Class I shares, through certain third-party financial intermediaries, they may directly charge investors transaction or other fees, including upfront placement fees or brokerage commissions, in such amounts as they may determine, provided that they limit such charges to a 3.5% cap on NAV for Class S shares, a 1.5% cap on NAV for Class D shares, and a 3.5% cap on NAV for Class I shares.

Stockholder Servicing and/or Distribution Fees — Class S, Class D and Class I

The following table shows the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees we will pay the Placement Agent with respect to the Class S, Class D and Class I shares on an annualized basis as a percentage of our NAV for such class, assuming all of such classes are available for sale in the private offering of the Shares. The stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees will be paid monthly in arrears, calculated using the NAV of the applicable class as of the beginning of the first calendar day of the month.

 

     Stockholder
Servicing and/or
Distribution Fee
as a % of NAV
 

Class S shares

     0.85

Class D shares

     0.25

Class I shares

    

Subject to FINRA and other limitations on underwriting compensation described in “—Limitations on Placement Compensation” below, we will pay a stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee equal to 0.85% per annum of the aggregate NAV for the Class S shares, and a stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee equal to 0.25% per annum of the aggregate NAV for the Class D shares, in each case, payable monthly in arrears. No stockholder servicing or distribution fees will be paid with respect to the Class I shares. Commencing upon receipt of an exemptive order from the SEC permitting us to offer multiple classes of Shares, we expect to elect to be subject to FINRA limitations on underwriting compensation as a condition to such exemptive relief. There is no assurance we will obtain this exemptive relief.

The stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees will be paid monthly in arrears. The Placement Agent will reallow (pay) all or a portion of the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees to participating brokers and servicing brokers for ongoing stockholder services performed by such brokers, and will waive stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees to the extent a broker is not eligible to receive it for failure to provide such services. Because the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees with respect to Class S shares and Class D shares, when offered, will be calculated based on the aggregate NAV for all of the outstanding shares of each such class, it will reduce the NAV with respect to all shares of each such class, including shares issued under our distribution reinvestment plan.

 

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Eligibility to receive the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee is conditioned on a broker providing the following ongoing services with respect to the Class S or Class D shares, which may include the following: assistance with recordkeeping, answering investor inquiries regarding us, including regarding distribution payments and reinvestments, helping investors understand their investments upon their request, and assistance with share repurchase requests. If the applicable broker is not eligible to receive the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee due to failure to provide these services, the Placement Agent will waive the stockholder servicing fee and/or distribution that broker would have otherwise been eligible to receive. The stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees are ongoing fees that are not paid at the time of purchase.

Other Compensation

We or the Investment Adviser may also pay directly, or reimburse the Placement Agent if the Placement Agent pays on our behalf, any organization and offering expenses (other than any upfront selling commissions and stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees).

Limitations on Placement Compensation

We will cease paying the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee on the Class S shares and Class D shares, when offered, on the earlier to occur of the following: (i) a listing of Class I shares, (ii) our merger or consolidation with or into another entity, or the sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of our assets or (iii) the date following the completion of the primary portion of the private offering of Shares on which, in the aggregate, underwriting compensation from all sources in connection with the private offering of Shares, including the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee and other underwriting compensation, is equal to 10% of the gross proceeds from our primary offering.

Commencing upon receipt of an exemptive order from the SEC permitting us to offer multiple classes of Shares, we expect to elect to conduct the private offering of Shares in compliance with FINRA Rule 2310 as a condition to such exemptive relief. There is no assurance we will obtain this exemptive relief. As required by such exemptive relief, at the end of the month in which the Placement Agent in conjunction with the Transfer Agent determines that total transaction or other fees, including upfront placement fees or brokerage commissions, and stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees paid with respect to any single share held in a stockholder’s account would exceed, in the aggregate, 10% of the gross proceeds from the sale of such share (or a lower limit as determined by the Placement Agent or the applicable selling agent), we will cease paying the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee on either (i) each such share that would exceed such limit or (ii) all Class S shares and Class D shares in such stockholder’s account. We may modify this requirement if permitted by applicable exemptive relief. At the end of such month, the applicable Class S shares or Class D shares in such stockholder’s account will convert into a number of Class I shares (including any fractional shares), with an equivalent aggregate NAV as such Class S or Class D shares.

Under the rules of FINRA, as and when applied to us, all items of underwriting compensation, including any upfront selling commissions, Placement Agent fees, reimbursement fees for bona fide due diligence expenses, training and education expenses, non-transaction based compensation paid to registered persons associated with the Placement Agent in connection with the wholesaling of our offering and all other forms of underwriting compensation, will not exceed 10% of the gross offering proceeds (excluding Shares purchased through our distribution reinvestment plan).

Term of the Placement Agent Agreement

Unless terminated earlier, as described below, the Placement Agent Agreement will automatically continue in effect for successive one-year terms, beginning with the one-year anniversary of its effective date. Either party may terminate the Placement Agent Agreement by providing written notice to the other party at least 60 days’ prior to the end of the then current term of the Placement Agent Agreement or immediately upon notice to the other party in the event such other party failed to comply with a material provision of the Placement Agent Agreement. Our obligations under the Placement Agent Agreement to pay the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees with respect to the Class S and Class D shares when distributed in the private offering of the Shares as described therein will survive termination of the agreement until such shares are no longer outstanding (including such shares that have been converted into Class I shares, as described above).

Indemnification

To the extent permitted by law and our certificate of incorporation, we will indemnify the participating brokers and the Placement Agent against some civil liabilities, including certain liabilities under the Securities Act, and liabilities arising from an untrue statement of material fact contained in, or omission to state a material fact in, the Private Placement Memorandum, blue sky applications or approved sales literature.

 

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Share Distribution Channels and Special Discounts

We expect our Placement Agent to use multiple distribution channels to sell our Shares. These channels may charge different brokerage fees for purchases of our Shares. Our Placement Agent is expected to engage participating brokers in connection with the sale of the Shares in connection with the private offering of the Shares in accordance with participating broker agreements.

Share Repurchase Program

Beginning no later than the first full calendar quarter from the date on which we broke escrow for the private offering of the Shares, and at the discretion of our Board, we intend to commence a share repurchase program in which we intend to repurchase, in each quarter, up to 5% of our Shares outstanding (by number of shares) as of the close of the previous calendar quarter. For additional information, see “Item 9. Market Price of and Dividends on the Registrant’s Common Equity and Related Stockholder Maters—Share Repurchase Program.”

Non-Exchange Traded, Perpetual-Life BDC

The Fund is non-exchange traded, meaning its Shares are not listed for trading on a national securities exchange. The Fund is also a perpetual-life BDC, meaning it is an investment vehicle of indefinite duration, whose Shares are intended to be sold by the Fund monthly on a continuous basis at a price generally equal to its monthly NAV per share. The Fund’s Shares are privately offered in transactions exempt from registration under the Securities Act. In our perpetual-life structure, we may, at our discretion, offer investors an opportunity to have their Shares repurchased by us on a quarterly basis, but we are not obligated to offer to repurchase any in any particular quarter. We believe that our perpetual nature enables us to execute a patient and opportunistic strategy and be able to invest across different market environments. This may reduce the risk of the Fund being a forced seller of assets in market downturns compared to non-perpetual funds. We do not intend to undertake a liquidity event, and we are not obligated by our certificate of incorporation or otherwise to effect a liquidity event at any time.

Regulation as a Business Development Company

The following discussion is a general summary of the material prohibitions and restrictions governing BDCs generally. It does not purport to be a complete description of all of the laws and regulations affecting BDCs.

Regulation

We have elected to be treated as a BDC under the Investment Company Act. As with other companies regulated by the Investment Company Act, a BDC must adhere to certain substantive regulatory requirements. The Investment Company Act contains prohibitions and restrictions relating to transactions between BDCs and their affiliates (including any investment advisers or sub-advisers), principal underwriters and affiliates of those affiliates or underwriters and requires that a majority of the directors be persons other than “interested persons,” as that term is defined in the Investment Company Act. In addition, the Investment Company Act provides that we may not change the nature of our business so as to cease to be, or to withdraw our election as, a BDC unless approved by a majority of our outstanding voting securities. A majority of the outstanding voting securities of a company is defined under the Investment Company Act as the vote: (i) of 67% or more of the voting securities present at such meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of such company are present or represented by proxy, or (ii) of more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of such company, whichever is less.

Any issuance of preferred shares must comply with the requirements of the Investment Company Act. The Investment Company Act requires, among other things, that (1) immediately after issuance and before any dividend or other distribution is made with respect to our Shares and before any purchase of Shares is made, such preferred shares together with all other senior securities must not exceed an amount equal to 50% of our total assets after deducting the amount of such dividend, distribution or purchase price, as the case may be, and (2) the holders of preferred shares, if any are issued, must be entitled as a class to elect two directors at all times and to elect a majority of the directors if dividends on such preferred shares are in arrears by two full years or more. Certain other matters under the Investment Company Act require a separate class vote of the holders of any issued and outstanding preferred shares. For example, holders of preferred shares would be entitled to vote separately as a class from the holders of Shares on a proposal involving a plan of reorganization adversely affecting such securities.

 

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We may invest up to 100% of our assets in securities acquired directly from issuers in privately negotiated transactions. With respect to such securities, we may, for the purpose of public resale, be deemed an “underwriter” as that term is defined under the Securities Act. As such, we would be prospectively liable for any material misstatements or omissions made by us in connection with any resale of such securities. We may purchase or otherwise receive warrants, which offer an opportunity (not a requirement) to purchase common stock of a portfolio company in connection with an acquisition financing or other investments. Similarly, we may acquire rights that obligate an issuer of acquired securities or their affiliates to repurchase the securities at certain times, under certain circumstances. We do not intend to acquire securities issued by any investment company whereby our investment would exceed the limits imposed by the Investment Company Act. Under these limits, we generally cannot (1) acquire more than 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of any registered investment company, (2) invest more than 5% of the value of our total assets in the securities of one registered investment company or (3) invest more than 10% of the value of our total assets in the securities of registered investment companies in general. These limitations do not apply where we acquire interests in a money market fund as long as we do not pay a sales charge or service fee in connection with the purchase. With respect to the portion of our portfolio invested in securities issued by investment companies, it should be noted that such investments might subject our stockholders to additional expenses. None of our policies described above are fundamental and each such policy may be changed without stockholder approval, subject to any limitations imposed by the Investment Company Act.

Private funds that are excluded from the definition of “investment company” pursuant to either Section 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the Investment Company Act and certain other unregistered investment companies are also subject to certain of the limits under the Investment Company Act noted above. Specifically, except as otherwise permitted under the Investment Company Act, such private funds and other unregistered investment companies may not acquire directly or through a controlled entity more than 3% of our total outstanding voting stock other than in accordance with the Investment Company Act (measured at the time of the acquisition, including through conversion of convertible securities). Investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act and BDCs are also subject to this restriction as well as other regulatory limitations that restrict the amount that they are able to invest in our securities. As a result, certain investors may be precluded from acquiring additional shares at a time that they might desire to do so.

Qualifying Assets

Under the Investment Company Act, a BDC may not acquire any asset other than assets of the type listed in Section 55(a) of the Investment Company Act, which are referred to as “qualifying assets,” unless, at the time the acquisition is made, qualifying assets (not including certain assets specified in the Investment Company Act) represent at least 70% of the company’s total assets. The principal categories of qualifying assets relevant to our proposed business are the following:

 

  (1)

Securities purchased in transactions not involving any public offering from the issuer of such securities, which issuer (subject to certain exceptions) is an eligible portfolio company, or from any person who is, or has been during the preceding thirteen months, an affiliated person of an eligible portfolio company, or from any other person, subject to such rules and regulations as may be prescribed by the SEC. An eligible portfolio company is defined in the Investment Company Act as any issuer that:

 

  (a)

is organized under the laws of, and has its principal place of business in, the United States;

 

  (b)

is not an investment company (other than a SBIC wholly owned by the BDC) or a company that would be an investment company but for certain exclusions under the Investment Company Act; and

 

  (c)

satisfies any of the following:

 

   

does not have any class of securities listed on a national securities exchange or has a class of securities listed on a national securities exchange but has an aggregate market value of outstanding common equity of less than $250 million;

 

   

is controlled by a BDC or a group of companies including a BDC, and the BDC has an affiliated person who is a director of the eligible portfolio company; or

 

   

is a small and solvent company having total assets of not more than $4 million and capital and surplus of not less than $2 million.

 

  (2)

Securities of any eligible portfolio company that we control.

 

  (3)

Securities purchased in a private transaction from a U.S. issuer that is not an investment company or from an affiliated person of the issuer, or in transactions incident thereto, if the issuer is in bankruptcy and subject to reorganization or if the issuer, immediately prior to the purchase of its securities, was unable to meet its obligations as they came due without material assistance other than conventional lending or financing arrangements.

 

  (4)

Securities of an eligible portfolio company purchased from any person in a private transaction if there is no ready market for such securities and we already own at least 60% of the outstanding equity of the eligible portfolio company.

 

  (5)

Securities received in exchange for or distributed on or with respect to securities described in (1) through (4) above, or pursuant to the exercise of options, warrants or rights relating to such securities.

 

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  (6)

Cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities or high-quality debt securities maturing in one year or less from the time of investment.

Managerial Assistance to Portfolio Companies

A BDC must be organized and have its principal place of business in the United States and must be operated for the purpose of making investments in the types of securities described in (1), (2) or (3) above under “—Qualifying Assets.” However, in order to count portfolio securities as qualifying assets for the purpose of the 70% test, the BDC must also either control the issuer of the securities or offer to make available to the issuer of the securities (other than small and solvent companies described above) significant managerial assistance; except that, where the BDC purchases such securities in conjunction with one or more other persons acting together, one of the other persons in the group may make available such managerial assistance (as long as the BDC does not make available significant managerial assistance solely in this fashion). Making available significant managerial assistance means, among other things, any arrangement whereby the BDC, through its directors, officers or employees, offers to provide, and, if accepted, does so provide, significant guidance and counsel concerning the management, operations or business objectives and policies of a portfolio company.

Temporary Investments

As a BDC, pending investment in other types of “qualifying assets,” as described above, our investments may consist of cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities or high-quality debt securities maturing in one year or less from the time of investment, which we refer to, collectively, as temporary investments, so that 70% of our assets are qualifying assets. We may invest in U.S. Treasury bills or in repurchase agreements, provided that such agreements are fully collateralized by cash or securities issued by the U.S. government or its agencies. A repurchase agreement involves the purchase by an investor, such as us, of a specified security and the simultaneous agreement by the seller to repurchase it at an agreed-upon future date and at a price which is greater than the purchase price by an amount that reflects an agreed-upon interest rate. There is no percentage restriction on the proportion of our assets that may be invested in such repurchase agreements. However, if more than 25% of our total assets constitute repurchase agreements from a single counterparty, we would generally not meet the asset diversification requirements in order to qualify as a RIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Thus, we do not intend to enter into repurchase agreements with a single counterparty in excess of this limit. Our Investment Adviser will monitor the creditworthiness of the counterparties with which we enter into repurchase agreement transactions.

Indebtedness and Senior Securities

As a BDC, we are permitted, under specified conditions, to issue multiple classes of indebtedness and one class of shares of stock senior, including the Series A Preferred Stock, to our common stock if our asset coverage ratio, as defined under the Investment Company Act, is at least equal to 150% immediately after each such issuance. The Small Business Credit Availability Act modified the applicable provisions of the Investment Company Act to reduce the required asset coverage ratio applicable to BDCs from 200% to 150%, subject to certain approval and disclosure requirements. Our Board and initial member approved the application of the 150% asset coverage ratio to us in accordance with the requirements of the Investment Company Act. While the leverage we employ may be greater or less than these levels from time to time, we intend to comply with the limitations set forth in the Investment Company Act, which currently allows us to borrow up to $2 of debt for each $1 of equity. In addition, except in limited circumstances, while any indebtedness and senior securities remain outstanding, we must make provisions to prohibit any distribution to our stockholders or the repurchase of such securities or stock unless we meet the applicable asset coverage ratios at the time of the distribution or repurchase. We may also borrow amounts up to 5% of the value of our total assets for temporary or emergency purposes without regard to asset coverage. A loan is presumed to be made for temporary purposes if it is repaid within 60 days and is not extended or renewed; otherwise, it is presumed to not be for temporary purposes. For a discussion of the risks associated with leverage, see Item 1A. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Legal and Regulatory Matters—Regulations governing our operations as a BDC affect our ability to, and the way in which we, raise additional capital. These constraints may hinder our Investment Adviser’s ability to take advantage of attractive investment opportunities and to achieve our investment objective.” See “Item 10. Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities” and see “Item 11. Description of Registrant’s Securities to be Registered—Preferred Shares.

Code of Ethics

We have adopted a Code of Ethics (the “Code of Ethics”) in compliance with Section 17j-1 under the Investment Company Act, and we have also approved our Investment Adviser’s Code of Ethics that it adopted in accordance with Rule 17j-1 and Rule 204A-1 under the Advisers Act. These Codes of Ethics establish, among other things, procedures for personal investments and restrict certain personal securities transactions, including transactions in securities that are held by us. Personnel subject to each code may invest in securities for their personal investment accounts, so long as such investments are made in accordance with the code’s requirements. The Codes of Ethics are available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s Internet site at http://www.sec.gov. Copies may also be obtained by electronic request to publicinfo@sec.gov.

 

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Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures

We have delegated the voting of portfolio securities to our Investment Adviser. For client accounts for which our Investment Adviser has voting discretion, our Board has adopted policies and procedures (the “Proxy Voting Policy”) for the voting of proxies. Under the Proxy Voting Policy, our Investment Adviser’s guiding principles in performing proxy voting are to make decisions that favor proposals that tend to maximize a company’s stockholder value and are not influenced by conflicts of interest. To implement these guiding principles for investments in publicly traded equities, our Investment Adviser has developed customized proxy voting guidelines (the “Guidelines”) that it generally applies when voting on behalf of client accounts. Attached as Annex A is a summary of the Guidelines. These Guidelines address a wide variety of individual topics, including, among other matters, stockholder voting rights, anti-takeover defenses, board structures, the election of directors, executive and director compensation, reorganizations, mergers, issues of corporate social responsibility and various stockholder proposals.

The Proxy Voting Policy, including the Guidelines, is reviewed periodically to assure that it continues to be consistent with our Investment Adviser’s guiding principles. The Guidelines embody the positions and factors our Investment Adviser generally considers important in casting proxy votes.

Our Investment Adviser has retained a third-party proxy voting service (the “Proxy Service”), currently Institutional Shareholder Services, Inc., to assist in the implementation and administration of certain proxy voting-related functions including operational, recordkeeping, and reporting services. The Proxy Service also prepares a written analysis and recommendation (a “Recommendation”) of each proxy vote that reflects the Proxy Service’s application of the Guidelines to particular proxy issues. While it is our Investment Adviser’s policy generally to follow the Guidelines and Recommendations from the Proxy Service, our Investment Adviser’s portfolio management teams may, on certain proxy votes, seek approval to diverge from the Guidelines or a Recommendation by following an “override” process. Such decisions are subject to a review and approval process, including a determination that the decision is not influenced by any conflict of interest. A portfolio management team that receives approval through the override process to cast a proxy vote that diverges from the Guidelines and/or a Recommendation may vote differently than other portfolio management teams that did not seek to override the vote. In forming their views on particular matters, the portfolio management teams are also permitted to consider applicable regional rules and practices, including codes of conduct and other guides, regarding proxy voting, in addition to the Guidelines and Recommendations. Our Investment Adviser may hire other service providers to replace or supplement the Proxy Service with respect to any of the services our Investment Adviser currently receives from the Proxy Service.

From time to time, our Investment Adviser may face regulatory, compliance, legal or logistical limits with respect to voting securities that it may purchase or hold for client accounts, which can affect our Investment Adviser’s ability to vote such proxies, as well as the desirability of voting such proxies. Among other limits, federal, state and foreign regulatory restrictions or company specific ownership limits, as well as legal matters related to consolidated groups, may restrict the total percentage of an issuer’s voting securities that our Investment Adviser can hold for clients and the nature of our Investment Adviser’s voting in such securities. Our Investment Adviser’s ability to vote proxies may also be affected by, among other things: (i) late receipt of meeting notices; (ii) requirements to vote proxies in person; (iii) restrictions on a foreigner’s ability to exercise votes; (iv) potential difficulties in translating the proxy; (v) requirements to provide local agents with unrestricted powers of attorney to facilitate voting instructions; and (vi) requirements that investors who exercise their voting rights surrender the right to dispose of their holdings for some specified period in proximity to the stockholder meeting.

Our Investment Adviser conducts periodic due diligence meetings with the Proxy Service which include a review of the Proxy Service’s general organizational structure, new developments with respect to research and technology, work flow improvements and internal due diligence with respect to conflicts of interest.

Our Investment Adviser has adopted policies and procedures designed to prevent conflicts of interest from influencing its proxy voting decisions that our Investment Adviser makes on behalf of a client account and to help assure that such decisions are made in accordance with our Investment Adviser’s fiduciary obligations to its clients. These policies and procedures include our Investment Adviser’s use of the Guidelines and Recommendations from the Proxy Service and the override approval process previously discussed Notwithstanding such proxy voting policies and procedures, actual proxy voting decisions of our Investment Adviser may have the effect of benefitting the interest of other clients or businesses of other divisions or units of Goldman Sachs and/or its affiliates; provided that our Investment Adviser believes such voting decisions to be in accordance with its fiduciary obligations.

Voting decisions with respect to fixed income securities and the securities of privately held issuers generally will be made by our Investment Adviser based on its assessment of the particular transactions or other matters at issue.

 

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Privacy Principles

The following information is provided to help investors understand what personal information we collect, how we protect that information and why, in certain cases, we may share information with select other parties.

We generally will not receive any nonpublic personal information relating to stockholders who purchase our Shares. We may collect nonpublic personal information regarding our existing investors from sources such as subscription agreements, investor questionnaires and other forms; individual investors’ account histories; and correspondence between us and individual investors. We may share information that we collect regarding an investor with our affiliates and the employees of such affiliates for everyday business purposes, for example, to service the investor’s accounts and, unless an investor opts out, provide the investor with information about other products and services offered by us or our affiliates that may be of interest to the investor. In addition, we may disclose information that we collect regarding investors to third parties who are not affiliated with us (i) as authorized by our investors in investor subscription agreements or our organizational documents; (ii) as required by applicable law or in connection with a properly authorized legal or regulatory investigation, subpoena or summons, or to respond to judicial process or government regulatory authorities having property jurisdiction; (iii) as required to fulfill investor instructions; or (iv) as otherwise permitted by applicable law to perform support services for investor accounts or process investor transactions with us or our affiliates.

Any party not affiliated with us that receives nonpublic personal information relating to investors from us is required to adhere to confidentiality agreements and to maintain appropriate safeguards to protect your information. Additionally, for officers, employees and agents of ours and our affiliates, access to such information is restricted to those who need such access to provide services to us and investors. We maintain physical, electronic and procedural safeguards to seek to guard investor nonpublic personal information. For a discussion of the risks associated with cyber incidents, see Item 1A. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Operations—Cybersecurity risks and cyber incidents may adversely affect our business or the business of our portfolio companies by causing a disruption to our operations or the operations of our portfolio companies, a compromise or corruption of our confidential information or the confidential information of our portfolio companies and/or damage to our business relationships or the business relationships of our portfolio companies, all of which could negatively impact the business, financial condition and operating results of us or our portfolio companies.

Other

We may also be prohibited under the Investment Company Act from knowingly participating in certain transactions with our affiliates without the prior approval of the members of our Board who are not interested persons and, in some cases, prior approval by the SEC. The SEC has interpreted the prohibition on transactions by BDCs with affiliates to prohibit “joint” transactions among entities that share a common investment adviser or are under common control with the investment adviser. The staff of the SEC has granted no-action relief permitting purchases of a single class of privately placed securities provided that the adviser negotiates no term other than price and certain other conditions are met. Except in certain limited circumstances, we will be unable to invest in any issuer in which Goldman Sachs or another client sponsored or managed by our Investment Adviser has previously invested, including certain Accounts.
See “—Co-Investments Alongside Goldman Sachs and other Accounts; the Relief.

As a BDC, the SEC will periodically examine us for compliance with the Investment Company Act.

We are required to provide and maintain a bond issued by a reputable fidelity insurance company, to protect against larceny and embezzlement, covering each of our officers and employees, who may singly, or jointly with others, have access to our securities or funds. Furthermore, as a BDC, we are prohibited from protecting any director, officer, investment adviser or underwriter against any liability to us or our stockholders arising from willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such person’s office.

We and our Investment Adviser are each required to adopt and implement written policies and procedures reasonably designed to prevent violation of the federal securities laws, review these policies and procedures annually for their adequacy and the effectiveness of their implementation and designate a chief compliance officer to be responsible for administering the policies and procedures.

 

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Compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act imposes a wide variety of regulatory requirements on publicly held companies and their insiders. Once this Registration Statement becomes effective, we will be subject to many of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act requirements. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires us to review our policies and procedures to determine whether we comply with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder. We will continue to monitor our compliance with all future regulations that are adopted under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and will take actions necessary to ensure that we are in compliance therewith.

Compliance with the JOBS Act

We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined by the JOBS Act. As an emerging growth company, we are eligible to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting and disclosure requirements that are applicable to public reporting companies that are not emerging growth companies. For so long as we remain an emerging growth company, we will not be required to:

 

   

have an auditor attestation report on our internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act;

 

   

submit certain executive compensation matters to stockholder advisory votes pursuant to the “say on frequency” and “say on pay” provisions (requiring a non-binding stockholder vote to approve compensation of certain executive officers) and the “say on golden parachute” provisions (requiring a non-binding stockholder vote to approve golden parachute arrangements for certain executive officers in connection with mergers and certain other business combinations) of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (the “Dodd-Frank Act”); or

 

   

disclose certain executive compensation related items, such as the correlation between executive compensation and performance and comparisons of the chief executive officer’s compensation to median employee compensation.

In addition, the JOBS Act provides that an emerging growth company may take advantage of an extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards that have different effective dates for public and private companies. This means that an emerging growth company can delay adopting certain accounting standards until such standards are otherwise applicable to private companies.

We will remain an emerging growth company until the earliest of: (1) the last date of the fiscal year during which we had total annual gross revenues of $1.235 billion or more; (2) the date on which we have, during the previous three-year period, issued more than $1 billion in non-convertible debt; (3) the date on which we are deemed to be a “large accelerated filer” as defined under Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act; or (4) the last day of the fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of the date of the first sale of our common equity securities pursuant to an effective Securities Act registration statement.

We do not believe that being an emerging growth company will have a significant impact on our business or the private offering of the Shares. We have elected to opt in to the extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards available to emerging growth companies. Also, because we are not a large accelerated filer or an accelerated filer under Section 12b-2 of the Exchange Act, and will not be for so long as our Shares are not traded on a national securities exchange, we will not be subject to auditor attestation requirements of Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act even once we are no longer an emerging growth company. In addition, so long as we are externally managed by the Investment Adviser and we do not directly compensate our executive officers, or reimburse the Investment Adviser or its affiliates for the salaries, bonuses, benefits and severance payments for persons who also serve as our executive officers or as executive officers of the Investment Adviser, we do not expect to include disclosures relating to executive compensation in our periodic reports or proxy statements. As a result, we do not expect to be required to seek stockholder approval of executive compensation and golden parachute compensation arrangements pursuant to Section 14A(a) and (b) of the Exchange Act.

 

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Compliance with the Bank Holding Company Act (the “BHCA”)

As a bank holding company (“BHC”) and FHC, the activities of GS Group Inc. and its affiliates are subject to certain restrictions imposed by the BHCA and related regulations. BHCs and FHCs are subject to supervision and regulation by the Federal Reserve Board (the “Federal Reserve”). Because GS Group Inc. may be deemed to “control” us within the meaning of the BHCA, restrictions under the BHCA could apply to us as well. Accordingly, the BHCA and other applicable banking laws, rules, regulations and guidelines, and their interpretation and administration by the appropriate regulatory agencies, including the Federal Reserve, may restrict our investments, transactions and operations and may restrict the transactions and relationships between our Investment Adviser, GS Group Inc. and their affiliates, on the one hand, and us on the other hand. For example, the BHCA regulations applicable to GS Group Inc. and us may, among other things, restrict our ability to make certain investments or the size of certain investments, impose a maximum holding period on some or all of our investments and restrict our and our Investment Adviser’s ability to participate in the management and operations of the companies in which we invest. In addition, certain BHCA regulations may require aggregation of the positions owned, held or controlled by related entities. Thus, in certain circumstances, positions held by GS Group Inc. and its affiliates (including our Investment Adviser) for client and proprietary accounts may need to be aggregated with positions held by us. In this case, where BHCA regulations impose a cap on the amount of a position that may be held, Goldman Sachs may utilize available capacity to make investments for its proprietary accounts or for the accounts of other clients, which may require us to limit and/or liquidate certain investments. Additionally, Goldman Sachs may in the future, in its sole discretion and without notice to investors, engage in activities impacting us and/or our Investment Adviser in order to comply with the BHCA or other legal requirements applicable to, or reduce or eliminate the impact or applicability of any bank regulatory or other restrictions on, Goldman Sachs, us or other funds and accounts managed by our Investment Adviser and its affiliates. In addition, Goldman Sachs may cease in the future to qualify as a FHC, which may subject us to additional restrictions. Moreover, we can offer no assurance that the bank regulatory requirements applicable to Goldman Sachs and us, or the interpretation thereof, will not change, or that any such change will not have a material adverse effect on us. See “Item 1A. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Legal and Regulatory Matters—Our activities may be limited as a result of potentially being deemed to be controlled by GS Group Inc., a bank holding company.

U.S. Investment Advisers Act of 1940

The Investment Adviser is registered as an investment adviser with the SEC pursuant to the Advisers Act. The principal executive offices of our Investment Adviser are located at 200 West Street, New York, New York 10282.

Reporting Obligations

In order to be regulated as a BDC under the Investment Company Act, we have filed this Registration Statement for our Shares with the SEC under the Exchange Act.

Once this Registration Statement is effective, we will be subject to the requirements of Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act, including the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, which will require us, among other things, to file annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and current reports on Form 8-K and we will be required to comply with all other obligations of the Exchange Act applicable to issuers filing registration statements pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Exchange Act. Upon effectiveness of this Registration Statement, we will also be subject to the proxy rules in Section 14 of the Exchange Act, and we and our directors, officers and principal stockholders will be subject to the reporting requirements of Sections 13 and 16 of the Exchange Act. The SEC maintains an Internet Website (http://www.sec.gov) that contains the reports mentioned in this section.

CERTAIN U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS

GOLDMAN SACHS DOES NOT PROVIDE LEGAL, TAX OR ACCOUNTING ADVICE. EACH PROSPECTIVE INVESTOR SHOULD OBTAIN INDEPENDENT TAX ADVICE BASED ON ITS PARTICULAR SITUATION.

The following discussion is a general summary of certain material U.S. federal income tax considerations applicable to us and an investment in shares of our common stock or preferred stock. The discussion is based upon the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, which we refer to as the “Code,” the regulations of the U.S. Department of Treasury promulgated thereunder, which we refer to as the “Treasury regulations,” the legislative history of the Code, current administrative interpretations and practices of the IRS, which we refer to as the “IRS” (including administrative interpretations and practices of the IRS expressed in private letter rulings which are binding on the IRS only with respect to the particular taxpayers that requested and received those rulings) and judicial decisions, each as of the date of this Registration Statement and all of which are subject to change or differing interpretations, possibly retroactively, which could affect the continuing validity of this discussion. Subsequent developments and changes in the tax laws of the United States and any countries in which we directly or indirectly invest could have a material effect on the tax consequences to us, beneficial owners of shares of our common stock or preferred stock, which we refer to as “stockholders,” and/or any intermediate vehicle through which we invest. We have not sought, and will not seek, any ruling from the IRS or any other U.S. federal, state, local, or non-U.S. taxing authority with respect to any of the tax issues affecting us, or our stockholders, or regarding any other matter discussed in this summary, and this summary is not binding on the IRS. Accordingly, we can offer no assurance that the IRS or any other taxing authority will not assert, and a court will not sustain, a position contrary to any of the tax considerations discussed below.

 

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You should note that this summary is necessarily general and does not purport to be a complete description of all the tax aspects affecting us or our stockholders. For example, this summary does not describe all of the U.S. federal income tax consequences and other considerations that may be relevant to certain types of stockholders subject to special treatment under the U.S. federal income tax laws, including stockholders subject to the alternative minimum tax, tax-exempt organizations, insurance companies, partnerships or other pass-through entities and their owners, Non-U.S. stockholders (as defined below) engaged in a trade or business in the United States or entitled to claim the benefits of an applicable income tax treaty, persons who have ceased to be U.S. citizens or to be taxed as residents of the United States, U.S. stockholders (as defined below) whose functional currency is not USD, persons holding our common stock or preferred stock in connection with a hedging, straddle, conversion or other integrated transaction, dealers in securities, traders in securities that elect to use a mark-to-market method of accounting for securities holdings, pension plans, trusts, and financial institutions. This summary assumes that our stockholders hold shares of our common stock or preferred stock as capital assets for U.S. federal income tax purposes (generally, assets held for investment). This summary does not discuss any aspects of U.S. estate or gift taxation, U.S. state or local taxation or non-U.S. taxation. It does not discuss the special treatment under U.S. federal income tax laws that could result if we invest in tax-exempt securities or certain other investment assets.

U.S. stockholders that use an accrual method of accounting for U.S. federal income tax purposes generally are required to include certain amounts in income no later than the time such amounts are reflected on certain applicable financial statements. The application of this rule may require the accrual of income earlier than would be the case under the general U.S. federal income tax rules described below, although it is not clear to what types of income this rule applies. U.S. stockholders that use an accrual method of accounting for U.S. federal income tax purposes should consult with their tax advisers regarding the potential applicability of this rule to their particular situation.

For purposes of this discussion, a “U.S. stockholder” is a beneficial owner of shares of our common stock or preferred stock that is, for U.S. federal income tax purposes:

 

   

an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States;

 

   

a corporation, or other entity treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, created or organized in or under the laws of the United States or any state thereof, including, for this purpose, the District of Columbia;

 

   

a trust if (i) a court within the United States is able to exercise primary supervision over the administration of the trust and one or more “United States persons” (as defined in the Code) have the authority to control all substantive decisions of the trust, or (ii) the trust has in effect a valid election to be treated as a domestic trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes; or

 

   

an estate, the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source.

For purposes of this discussion, a “Non-U.S. stockholder” is a beneficial owner of shares of our common stock or preferred stock that is not a U.S. stockholder and not a partnership (or an entity or arrangement treated as a partnership) for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

If a partnership (or other entity or arrangement treated as a partnership) for U.S. federal income tax purposes holds shares of our common stock or preferred stock, the U.S. federal income tax treatment of a partner in the partnership generally will depend on the status of the partner, the activities of the partnership and certain determinations made at the partner level. A stockholder that is a partnership holding shares of our common stock or preferred stock, and each partner in such a partnership, should consult his, her or its own tax adviser with respect to the tax consequences of the purchase, ownership and disposition of shares of our common stock or preferred stock.

If we issue preferred stock that may be convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for securities or other property or preferred stock with other terms that may have different U.S. federal income tax consequences than those described in this summary, the U.S. federal income tax consequences of such preferred stock will be described in the relevant amendment or supplement to the Private Placement Memorandum. This summary does not discuss the consequences of an investment in our subscription rights, debt securities or warrants representing rights to purchase shares of our preferred stock, common stock or debt securities. The U.S. federal income tax consequences of such an investment will be discussed in the relevant amendment or supplement to the Private Placement Memorandum.

Tax matters are very complicated and the tax consequences to each stockholder of the ownership and disposition of shares of our common stock or preferred stock will depend on the facts of his, her or its particular situation. You should consult your own tax adviser regarding the specific tax consequences of the ownership and disposition of shares of our common stock or preferred stock to you, including tax reporting requirements, the applicability of U.S. federal, state and local tax laws and non-U.S. tax laws, eligibility for the benefits of any applicable income tax treaty and the effect of any possible changes in the tax laws.

We intend to pay monthly distributions to our common stockholders and semi-annual distributions to holders of our Series A Preferred Stock out of assets legally available for distribution, but will reinvest distributions on behalf of those common stockholders that do not elect to receive their distributions in cash. See “Item 9. Market Price of and Dividends on the Registrant’s Common Equity and Related Stockholder Matters—Distributions” and “Item 9. Market Price of Dividends on the Registrant’s Common Equity and Related Stockholder Matters—Distribution Reinvestment Plan” for a description of our dividend policy and obligations.

 

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Election to be Taxed as a RIC

We will elect to be treated as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code for the taxable year that includes the Initial Issuance Date, and we intend to qualify for tax treatment as a RIC annually thereafter. As a RIC, we generally will not be required to pay corporate-level U.S. federal income taxes on any investment company taxable income or net capital gains that we timely distribute to our stockholders as dividends. Rather, dividends we distribute generally will be taxable to our stockholders, and any net operating losses, foreign tax credits and other of our tax attributes generally will not pass through to our stockholders, subject to special rules for certain items such as net capital gains and qualified dividend income we recognize. See —Taxation of U.S. Stockholders” and “—Taxation of Non-U.S. Stockholders” below.

To maintain our status as a RIC, we must, among other things, meet certain source-of-income and asset diversification requirements (as described below). In addition, to maintain our status as a RIC, we must satisfy the Annual Distribution Requirement.

Taxation as a RIC

If we maintain our status as a RIC and satisfy the Annual Distribution Requirement, then we will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on the portion of our investment company taxable income and net capital gain (generally, realized net long-term capital gain in excess of realized net short-term capital loss) that we timely distribute (or are deemed to timely distribute) to our stockholders. We will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the regular corporate rates on any income or capital gain not distributed (or deemed distributed) to our stockholders.

We generally will be subject to a 4% nondeductible U.S. federal excise tax on certain undistributed income for a calendar year unless we distribute in a timely manner an amount at least equal to the sum of (1) 98% of our net ordinary income (taking into account certain deferrals and elections) for the calendar year, (2) 98.2% of our capital gains in excess of capital losses for the one-year period ending October 31 in that calendar year and (3) any net ordinary income and capital gains in excess of capital losses recognized, but not distributed, in preceding years (the “Excise Tax Avoidance Requirement”). We will not be subject to the U.S. federal excise tax on amounts on which we are required to pay U.S. federal income tax (such as retained net capital gains). Depending upon the level of taxable income and net capital gain earned in a year, we may retain certain net capital gain for reinvestment and carry forward taxable income for distribution in the following year and pay any applicable tax.

In order to maintain our status as a RIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes, we must, among other things:

 

   

have in effect an election to be treated as a BDC under the Investment Company Act at all times during each taxable year;

 

   

derive in each taxable year at least 90% of our gross income from dividends, interest, payments with respect to loans of certain securities, gains from the sale of stock or other securities or foreign currencies, net income derived from an interest in a “qualified publicly traded partnership” (as defined in the Code), or other income derived with respect to our business of investing in such stock or securities or foreign currencies (the “90% Income Test”); and

 

   

diversify our holdings so that at the end of each quarter of the taxable year:

 

   

at least 50% of the value of our assets consists of cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities, securities of other RICs and other securities if such other securities of any one issuer do not represent more than 5% of the value of our assets or more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of the issuer; and

 

   

no more than 25% of the value of our assets is invested in (a) the securities, other than U.S. government securities or securities of other RICs, of one issuer or of two or more issuers that are controlled, as determined under applicable Code rules, by us and that are engaged in the same or similar or related trades or businesses or (b) the securities of one or more “qualified publicly traded partnerships” (the “Diversification Tests”).

For U.S. federal income tax purposes, we will include in our taxable income certain amounts that we have not yet received in cash. For example, if we hold debt obligations that are treated under applicable U.S. federal income tax rules as having OID (such as debt instruments with PIK interest or, in certain cases, that have increasing interest rates or are issued with warrants), we must include in our taxable income in each year a portion of the OID that accrues over the life of the obligation, regardless of whether we receive cash representing such income in the same taxable year. We may also be required to include in our taxable income other amounts that we have not yet received in cash, such as accruals on a contingent payment debt instrument, accruals of interest income and/or OID on defaulted debt or deferred loan origination fees that are paid after origination of the loan or are paid in non-cash compensation such as warrants or stock. Moreover, we generally will be required to take certain amounts in income no later than the time such amounts are reflected on our financial statements. Because such OID or other amounts accrued will be included in our investment company taxable income for the year of accrual, we may be required to make distributions to our stockholders in order to satisfy the Annual Distribution Requirement and/or the Excise Tax Avoidance Requirement, even though we will have not received any corresponding cash payments. Accordingly, to enable us to make distributions to our stockholders that will be sufficient to enable us to satisfy the Annual Distribution Requirement, we may need to sell some of our assets at times and/or at prices that we would not consider advantageous, we may need to raise additional equity or debt capital or we may need to forego new investment opportunities or otherwise take actions that are disadvantageous to our business (or be unable to take actions that are advantageous to our business). If we are unable to obtain cash in the amount required for us to make, or if we are restricted from making, sufficient distributions to our stockholders to satisfy the Annual Distribution Requirement, we may fail to qualify for the U.S. federal income tax benefits allowable to RICs and, thus, become subject to a corporate-level U.S. federal income tax (and any applicable state and local taxes).

 

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Because we expect to use debt financing, we may be prevented by covenants contained in our debt financing agreements from making distributions to our stockholders in certain circumstances. In addition, under the Investment Company Act, we are generally not permitted to make distributions to our stockholders while our debt obligations and other senior securities are outstanding unless certain “asset coverage” tests are met. See Item 1. Business—Regulation.” See also “Item 1. Business—Indebtedness and Senior Securities.” Restrictions on our ability to make distributions to our stockholders may prevent us from satisfying the Annual Distribution Requirement and, therefore, may jeopardize our qualification for taxation as a RIC, or subject us to the 4% U.S. federal excise tax.

Although we do not presently expect to do so, we may borrow funds and sell assets in order to make distributions to our stockholders that are sufficient for us to satisfy the Annual Distribution Requirement. However, our ability to dispose of assets may be limited by (1) the illiquid nature of our portfolio and/or (2) other requirements relating to our status as a RIC, including the Diversification Tests. If we dispose of assets in order to meet the Annual Distribution Requirement or the Excise Tax Avoidance Requirement, we may make such dispositions at times and/or values that, from an investment standpoint, are not advantageous. Alternatively, although we currently do not intend to do so, to satisfy the Annual Distribution Requirement, we may declare a taxable dividend payable in our stock or cash at the election of each stockholder. In such case, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the amount of the dividend paid in our common stock will generally be equal to the amount of cash that could have been received instead of our stock. See —Taxation of U.S. Stockholders” below for a discussion of the tax consequences to stockholders upon receipt of such dividends.

A RIC is limited in its ability to deduct expenses in excess of its investment company taxable income. If our expenses in a given year exceed our investment company taxable income, we would experience a net operating loss for that year. However, a RIC is not permitted to carry forward net operating losses to subsequent years and such net operating losses do not pass through to its stockholders. In addition, expenses can be used only to offset investment company taxable income, not net capital gain. A RIC may not use any net capital losses (that is, realized capital losses in excess of realized capital gains) to offset the RIC’s investment company taxable income, but may carry forward such losses, and use them to offset future capital gains, indefinitely. As a result of these limits on the deductibility of expenses and net capital losses, we may for tax purposes have aggregate taxable income for several years that we are required to distribute and that is taxable to our stockholders even if such income is greater than the aggregate net income we actually earned during those years. In addition, if future capital gains are offset by carried forward capital losses, such future capital gains are not subject to any corporate-level U.S. federal income tax, regardless of whether they are distributed to our stockholders. Accordingly, we do not expect to distribute any such offsetting capital gains.

Distributions we make to our stockholders may be made from our cash assets or by liquidation of our investments, if necessary. We may recognize gains or losses from such liquidations. In the event we recognize net capital gains from such transactions, you may receive a larger capital gain distribution than you would have received in the absence of such transactions.

Failure to Qualify as a RIC

If we were to fail to satisfy the 90% Income Test for any taxable year or the Diversification Tests for any quarter of a taxable year, we might nevertheless continue to qualify as a RIC for such year if certain relief provisions of the Code applied (which might, among other things, require us to pay certain corporate-level U.S. federal taxes or to dispose of certain assets). If we were to fail to qualify for treatment as a RIC and such relief provisions did not apply to us, we would be subject to U.S. federal income tax on all of our taxable income at regular corporate U.S. federal income tax rates (and we also would be subject to any applicable state and local taxes), regardless of whether we make any distributions to our stockholders. We would not be able to deduct distributions to our stockholders, nor would distributions to our stockholders be required to be made for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Any distributions we make generally would be taxable to our U.S. stockholders as ordinary dividend income and, subject to certain limitations under the Code, would be eligible for the 20% maximum rate applicable to individuals and other non-corporate U.S. stockholders, to the extent paid out of our current or accumulated earnings and profits. Subject to certain limitations under the Code, U.S. stockholders that are corporations for U.S. federal income tax purposes would be eligible for the dividends-received deduction. Distributions in excess of our current and accumulated earnings and profits would be treated first as a return of capital that would reduce the stockholder’s adjusted tax basis in its common stock or preferred stock (and correspondingly increase such stockholder’s gain, or reduce such stockholder’s loss, on disposition of such common stock or preferred stock), and any remaining distributions in excess of the stockholder’s adjusted tax basis would be treated as a capital gain.

 

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Subject to a limited exception applicable to RICs that qualified as such under Subchapter M of the Code for at least one year prior to disqualification and that requalify as a RIC no later than the second year following the non-qualifying year, we could be subject to U.S. federal income tax on any unrealized net built-in gains in the assets held by us during the period in which we failed to qualify as a RIC that are recognized during the 5-year period after our requalification as a RIC, unless we made a special election to pay corporate-level U.S. federal income tax on such net built-in gains at the time of our requalification as a RIC. We may decide to be taxed as a regular corporation even if we would otherwise qualify as a RIC if we determine that treatment as a corporation for a particular year would be in our best interests.

Our Investments—General

Certain of our investment practices may be subject to special and complex U.S. federal income tax provisions that may, among other things, (1) treat dividends that would otherwise constitute qualified dividend income as non-qualified dividend income, (2) disallow, suspend or otherwise limit the allowance of certain losses or deductions, (3) convert lower-taxed long-term capital gain into higher-taxed short-term capital gain or ordinary income, (4) convert an ordinary loss or a deduction into a capital loss (the deductibility of which is more limited), (5) cause us to recognize income or gain without receipt of a corresponding cash payment, (6) adversely affect the time as to when a purchase or sale of stock or securities is deemed to occur, (7) adversely alter the characterization of certain complex financial transactions and (8) produce income that will not be qualifying income for purposes of the 90% Income Test. We intend to monitor our transactions and may make certain tax elections to mitigate the potential adverse effect of these provisions, but we can offer no assurance that we will be eligible for any such tax elections or that any adverse effects of these provisions will be mitigated.

We expect to invest a portion of our assets in below investment grade instruments. Investments in these types of instruments may present special tax issues for us. U.S. federal income tax rules are not entirely clear about issues such as when we may cease to accrue interest, OID or market discount, when and to what extent deductions may be taken for bad debts or worthless instruments, how payments received on obligations in default should be allocated between principal and income and whether exchanges of debt obligations in a bankruptcy or workout context are taxable. We intend to address these and other issues to the extent necessary in order to seek to ensure that we distribute sufficient income to satisfy the Annual Distribution Requirement and/or the Excise Tax Avoidance Requirement.

Gain or loss recognized by us from warrants or other securities acquired by us, as well as any loss attributable to the lapse of such warrants, generally will be treated as capital gain or loss. Such gain or loss generally will be long-term or short-term depending on how long we held a particular warrant or security.

A portfolio company in which we invest may face financial difficulties that require us to work-out, modify or otherwise restructure our investment in the portfolio company. Any such transaction could, depending upon the specific terms of the transaction, result in unusable capital losses and future non-cash income. Any such transaction could also result in our receiving assets that give rise to non-qualifying income for purposes of the 90% Income Test or otherwise would not count toward satisfying the Diversification Tests.

Our investment in non-U.S. securities may be subject to non-U.S. income, withholding and other taxes. In that case, our yield on those securities would be decreased. Stockholders generally will not be entitled to claim a U.S. foreign tax credit or deduction with respect to non-U.S. taxes paid by us.

If we purchase shares in a “passive foreign investment company” (a “PFIC”), we may be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a portion of any “excess distribution” received on, or any gain from the disposition of, such shares even if we distribute such income as a taxable dividend to our stockholders. Additional charges in the nature of interest generally will be imposed on us in respect of deferred taxes arising from any such excess distribution or gain. If we invest in a PFIC and elect to treat the PFIC as a “qualified electing fund” under the Code (a “QEF”), in lieu of the foregoing requirements, we will be required to include in income each year our proportionate share of the ordinary earnings and net capital gain of the QEF, even if such income is not distributed by the QEF. Alternatively, we may be able to elect to mark-to-market at the end of each taxable year our shares in a PFIC; in this case, we will recognize as ordinary income any increase in the value of such shares, and as ordinary loss any decrease in such value to the extent that any such decrease does not exceed prior increases included in our income. Our ability to make a QEF election will depend on factors beyond our control, and is subject to restrictions which may limit the availability of the benefit of this election. Under either election, we may be required to recognize in a year income in excess of any distributions we receive from PFICs and any proceeds from dispositions of PFIC stock during that year, and such income will nevertheless be subject to the Annual Distribution Requirement and will be taken into account for purposes of determining whether we satisfy the Excise Tax Avoidance Requirement. See —Taxation as a RIC” above.

 

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Under Section 988 of the Code, gains or losses attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates between the time we accrue income, expenses or other liabilities denominated in a foreign currency and the time we actually collect such income or pay such expenses or liabilities are generally treated as ordinary income or loss. Similarly, gains or losses on foreign currency forward contracts and the disposition of debt obligations denominated in a foreign currency, to the extent attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates between the acquisition and disposition dates, are also treated as ordinary income or loss.

Some of the income that we might otherwise earn, such as fees for providing managerial assistance, certain fees earned with respect to our investments, income recognized in a work-out or restructuring of a portfolio investment or income recognized from an equity investment in an operating partnership, may not be qualifying income for purposes of the 90% Income Test. To manage the risk that such income might disqualify us as a RIC for failure to satisfy the 90% Income Test, one or more subsidiary entities treated as U.S. corporations for U.S. federal income tax purposes may be employed to earn such income and (if applicable) hold the related asset. Such subsidiary entities will be required to pay U.S. federal income tax on their earnings, which ultimately will reduce the yield to our stockholders on such fees and income.

The remainder of this discussion assumes that we qualify as a RIC for each taxable year.

Taxation of U.S. Stockholders

The following discussion only applies to U.S. stockholders. Prospective stockholders that are not U.S. stockholders should refer to “—Taxation of Non-U.S. Stockholders” below.

Distributions

Distributions by us (including distributions where stockholders can elect to receive cash or stock) generally are taxable to U.S. stockholders as ordinary income or capital gains. Distributions of our investment company taxable income will be taxable as ordinary income to U.S. stockholders to the extent paid out of our current or accumulated earnings and profits, whether paid in cash or stock. To the extent that such distributions paid by us to non-corporate U.S. stockholders (including individuals) are attributable to dividends from U.S. corporations and certain qualified foreign corporations, such distributions (“Qualifying Dividends”) may be eligible for a reduced maximum U.S. federal income tax rate of 20%. In this regard, it is anticipated that our distributions generally will not be attributable to dividends received by us and, therefore, generally will not qualify for the 20% maximum rate applicable to Qualifying Dividends. Distributions of net capital gain (which is generally realized net long-term capital gains in excess of realized net short-term capital losses) properly reported by us as “capital gain dividends” will be taxable to U.S. stockholders as long-term capital gains (currently taxable at a maximum U.S. federal income tax rate of 20% in the case of non-corporate U.S. stockholders (including individuals)), regardless of the U.S. stockholder’s holding period for his, her or its common stock or preferred stock and regardless of whether paid in cash or stock. Distributions in excess of our earnings and profits first will reduce a U.S. stockholder’s adjusted tax basis in such stockholder’s common stock or preferred stock and, after the adjusted tax basis is reduced to zero, will constitute capital gains to such U.S. stockholder.

Certain distributions reported by us as Section 163(j) interest dividends may be treated as interest income by U.S. stockholders for purposes of the tax rules applicable to interest expense limitations under Section 163(j) of the Code. Such treatment by U.S. stockholders is generally subject to holding period requirements and other potential limitations, although the holding period requirements are generally not applicable to dividends declared by money market funds and certain other funds that declare dividends daily and pay such dividends on a monthly or more frequent basis. The amount that we are eligible to report as a Section 163(j) dividend for a tax year is generally limited to the excess of our business interest income over the sum of our (i) business interest expense and (ii) other deductions properly allocable to our business interest income.

We may decide to retain some or all of our net capital gain for reinvestment, but designate the retained net capital gain as a “deemed distribution.” In that case, among other consequences, (i) we will pay tax on the retained amount, (ii) each U.S. stockholder will be required to include his, her or its share of the deemed distribution in income as if it had been actually distributed to the U.S. stockholder and (iii) the U.S. stockholder will be entitled to claim a credit equal to his, her or its allocable share of the tax paid thereon by us. Because we expect to pay tax on any retained net capital gains at the regular corporate U.S. federal income tax rate, and because that rate is in excess of the maximum U.S. federal income tax rate currently payable by individuals (and other non-corporate U.S. stockholders) on long-term capital gains, the amount of tax that individuals (and other non-corporate U.S. stockholders) will be treated as having paid will exceed the tax they owe on the capital gain distribution. Such excess generally may be claimed as a credit against the U.S. stockholder’s other federal income tax obligations or may be refunded to the extent it exceeds the U.S. stockholder’s U.S. federal income tax liability. The amount of the deemed distribution net of such tax will be added to the U.S. stockholder’s tax basis for his, her or its common stock or preferred stock. In order to utilize the deemed distribution approach, we must provide written notice to our stockholders prior to the expiration of 60 days after the close of the relevant taxable year. We cannot treat any of our investment company taxable income as a “deemed distribution.”

 

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For purposes of determining (1) whether the Annual Distribution Requirement is satisfied for any year and (2) the amount of capital gain dividends paid for that year, under certain circumstances, we may elect to treat a dividend that is paid during the following taxable year as if it had been paid during the taxable year in question.

If we make such an election, U.S. stockholders will still be treated as receiving the dividend in the taxable year in which the distribution is made. However, any dividend declared by us in October, November or December of any calendar year, payable to stockholders of record on a specified date in such a month and actually paid during January of the following year, will be treated as if it had been received by our U.S. stockholders on December 31 of the year in which the dividend was declared.

Although we currently do not intend to do so, we have the ability to declare a large portion of a distribution in shares of our stock. We are not subject to restrictions on the circumstances in which we may declare a portion of a distribution in shares of our stock, but would generally anticipate doing so only in unusual situations, such as, for example, if we did not have sufficient cash to meet our RIC distribution requirements under the Code. Generally, were we to declare such a distribution, we would allow stockholders to elect payment in cash and/or shares of equivalent value. Under published IRS guidance, the entire distribution by a publicly offered RIC will generally be treated as a taxable distribution for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and count towards RIC distribution requirements under the Code, if certain conditions are satisfied. Among other things, the aggregate amount of cash available to be distributed to all stockholders is required to be at least 20% of the aggregate declared distribution. If too many stockholders elect to receive cash, the cash available for distribution is required to be allocated among the stockholders electing to receive cash (with the balance of the distribution paid in stock) under a formula provided in the applicable IRS guidance. Each stockholder electing to receive cash would be entitled to receive cash in an amount equal to at least the lesser of (i) the portion of the distribution such stockholder elected to receive in cash and (ii) such stockholder’s entire distribution multiplied by the percentage limitation on cash available for distribution. The number of shares of our stock distributed would thus depend on the applicable percentage limitation on cash available for distribution, the stockholders’ individual elections to receive cash or stock, and the value of the shares of stock. Each U.S. stockholder generally would be treated as having received a taxable distribution on the date the distribution is received in an amount equal to the cash that such U.S. stockholder would have received if the entire distribution had been paid in cash, even if such U.S. stockholder received all or most of the distribution in shares of our stock. This may result in a U.S. stockholder having to pay tax on such distribution, even if no cash is received.

We expect to be treated as a “publicly offered regulated investment company” (within the meaning of Section 67 of the Code) as a result of shares of our common stock and our preferred stock collectively being held by at least 500 persons at all times during a taxable year. However, we cannot assure you that we will be treated as a publicly offered regulated investment company for any tax year. In particular, we may not be treated as a publicly offered regulated investment company for our first taxable year. If we are not treated as a publicly offered regulated investment company for any calendar year, for purposes of computing the taxable income of U.S. stockholders that are individuals, trusts or estates, (i) our earnings and profits will be computed without taking into account such U.S. stockholders’ allocable shares of the management and incentive fees paid to our Investment Adviser and certain of our other expenses, (ii) each such U.S. stockholder will be treated as having received or accrued a dividend from us in the amount of such U.S. stockholder’s allocable share of these fees and expenses for the calendar year, (iii) each such U.S. stockholder will be treated as having paid or incurred such U.S. stockholder’s allocable share of these fees and expenses for the calendar year, and (iv) each such U.S. stockholder’s allocable share of these fees and expenses will be treated as miscellaneous itemized deductions by such U.S. stockholder. Miscellaneous itemized deductions of a U.S. stockholder that is an individual, trust or estate are disallowed for tax years beginning before January 1, 2026, and thereafter generally are (i) deductible by such U.S. stockholders only to the extent that the aggregate of such U.S. stockholder’s miscellaneous itemized deductions exceeds 2% of such U.S. stockholder’s adjusted gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes, (ii) not deductible for purposes of the alternative minimum tax and (iii) subject to the overall limitation on itemized deductions under Section 67 of the Code. In addition, if we are not treated as a publicly offered regulated investment company, we will be subject to limitations on the deductibility of certain “preferential dividends” that are distributed to stockholders on a non-pro rata basis.

If an investor purchases shares of our common stock or preferred stock shortly before the record date of a distribution, the price of the shares will include the value of the distribution, and the investor will be subject to tax on the distribution, even though economically it may represent a return of his, her or its investment. We have the potential to build up large amounts of unrealized gain which, when realized and distributed, could have the effect of a taxable return of capital to U.S. stockholders.

The IRS currently requires that a RIC that has two or more classes of stock allocate to each such class proportionate amounts of each type of its income (such as ordinary income and capital gains) based upon the percentage of total dividends paid to each class for the tax year. Accordingly, if we issue preferred stock, we intend each year to allocate capital gain dividends, if any, between our shares of common stock and shares of preferred stock in proportion to the total dividends paid to each class with respect to such tax year.

 

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Each U.S. stockholder will receive, as promptly as possible after the end of each calendar year, a notice reporting the amounts includible in such U.S. stockholder’s taxable income for such year as ordinary income and as long-term capital gain. In addition, the U.S. federal tax status of each year’s distributions from us generally will be reported to the IRS (including the amount of any distributions that are Qualifying Dividends eligible for the 20% maximum capital gains tax rate). Dividends paid by us generally will not be eligible for the dividends-received deduction or the preferential tax rate applicable to Qualifying Dividends because our income generally will not consist of dividends. Distributions may also be subject to additional state, local and non-U.S. taxes depending on a U.S. stockholder’s particular situation.

We have adopted a distribution reinvestment plan under which stockholders who do not “opt out” will receive distributions in the form of additional shares instead of in cash. If a U.S. stockholder reinvests distributions in additional shares, such U.S. stockholder will generally be subject to the same U.S. federal, state and local tax consequences as if it had received a distribution in cash and, for this purpose, a U.S. stockholder receiving a distribution in the form of additional shares will generally be treated as receiving a distribution in the amount of cash that the U.S. stockholder would have received if it had elected to receive the distribution in cash (or the fair market value of the distributed shares if we issue additional shares with a fair market value equal to or greater than net asset value). Any such additional shares will have a tax basis equal to the amount treated as a distribution for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The additional shares will have a new holding period commencing on the day following the day on which the shares are credited to the U.S. stockholder’s account.

Dispositions

A U.S. stockholder generally will recognize taxable gain or loss if the U.S. stockholder sells or otherwise disposes of his, her or its shares of our common stock or preferred stock. The amount of gain or loss will be measured by the difference between such stockholder’s adjusted tax basis in the common stock or preferred stock sold and the amount of the proceeds received in exchange for such stock. Any gain or loss arising from such sale or disposition generally will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the U.S. stockholder has held his, her or its shares for more than one year; otherwise, any such gain or loss will be classified as short-term capital gain or loss. However, any capital loss arising from the sale or disposition of shares of our common stock or preferred stock held for six months or less will be treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of the amount of capital gain dividends received, or undistributed capital gain deemed received, with respect to such shares. In addition, all or a portion of any loss recognized upon a disposition of shares of our common stock or preferred stock may be disallowed if other shares of such common stock or preferred stock are purchased (whether through reinvestment of distributions or otherwise) within 30 days before or after the disposition.

From time to time, we may offer to repurchase shares of our common stock or preferred stock (if any). U.S. stockholders who tender all shares held, or considered to be held, by them will be treated as having sold such shares and generally will realize a capital gain or loss. If a stockholder tenders fewer than all of its shares or fewer than all shares tendered are repurchased, such stockholder may be treated as having received a taxable dividend upon the tender of such shares. In such a case, there is a risk that non-tendering stockholders, and stockholders who tender some but not all of their shares or fewer than all of whose shares are repurchased, in each case whose percentage interests in us increase as a result of such tender, will be treated as having received a taxable distribution from us. The extent of such risk will vary depending upon the particular circumstances of the share repurchase program, and in particular whether such program is a single and isolated event or is part of a plan for periodically redeeming shares.

In general, non-corporate U.S. stockholders (including individuals) currently are subject to a maximum U.S. federal income tax rate of 20% on their net capital gain (i.e., the excess of realized net long-term capital gains over realized net short-term capital losses), including any long-term capital gain derived from an investment in shares of our common stock or preferred stock. Such rate is lower than the maximum rate on ordinary income currently payable by individuals. Corporate U.S. stockholders currently are subject to U.S. federal income tax on net capital gain at the maximum 21% rate also applied to ordinary income. Non-corporate U.S. stockholders (including individuals) with net capital losses for a year (i.e., capital losses in excess of capital gains) generally may deduct up to $3,000 of such losses against their ordinary income each year; any net capital losses of a non-corporate U.S. stockholder (including an individual) in excess of $3,000 generally may be carried forward and used in subsequent years as provided in the Code. Corporate U.S. stockholders generally may not deduct any net capital losses for a year, but may carry back such losses for three years or carry forward such losses for five years.

We or your financial intermediary is also generally required by law to report to each U.S. stockholder and to the IRS cost basis information for shares of our stock sold by or redeemed from the U.S. stockholder. This information includes the adjusted cost basis of the shares, the gross proceeds from disposition and whether the gain or loss is long-term or short-term. The adjusted cost basis of shares will be based on the default cost basis reporting method selected by us, unless a U.S. stockholder, before the sale or redemption, informs us that it has selected a different IRS-accepted method offered by us. These requirements, however, will not apply for investments through an IRA or other tax-advantaged account. U.S. stockholders should consult their financial intermediaries and tax advisers to determine the best cost basis method for their tax situation, and to obtain more information about how these cost basis reporting requirements apply to them.

 

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Medicare Tax on Net Investment Income

A U.S. stockholder that is an individual or estate, or a trust that does not fall into a special class of trusts that is exempt from such tax, will generally be subject to a 3.8% tax on the lesser of (i) the U.S. stockholder’s “net investment income” (or “undistributed net investment income” for an estate or trust) for a taxable year and (ii) the excess of the U.S. stockholder’s modified adjusted gross income for such taxable year, over a certain threshold, which for individuals is $200,000 in the case of single filers ($250,000 in the case of joint filers). For these purposes, “net investment income” will generally include taxable distributions and deemed distributions paid with respect to stock, including our common stock or preferred stock, and net gain attributable to the disposition of stock, including our common stock or preferred stock (in each case, unless such stock is held in connection with certain trades or businesses), but will be reduced by any deductions properly allocable to such distributions or net gain.

Tax Shelter Reporting Regulations

Under applicable Treasury regulations, if a U.S. stockholder recognizes a loss with respect to our common stock or preferred stock of $2 million or more for a non-corporate U.S. stockholder or $10 million or more for a corporate U.S. stockholder in any single taxable year (or a greater loss over a combination of years), the U.S. stockholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on Form 8886. Direct U.S. stockholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but, under current guidance, U.S. stockholders of a RIC are not excepted. Future guidance may extend the current exception from this reporting requirement to U.S. stockholders of most or all RICs. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer’s treatment of the loss is proper. Significant monetary penalties apply to a failure to comply with this reporting requirement. States may also have a similar reporting requirement. U.S. stockholders should consult their own tax advisers to determine the applicability of these Treasury regulations in light of their individual circumstances.

Backup Withholding

The relevant withholding agent may be required to withhold U.S. federal income tax (“Backup Withholding”), at a current rate of 24%, from any taxable distribution to a U.S. stockholder (other than a corporation, a financial institution or a stockholder that otherwise qualifies for an exemption) (1) that fails to provide a correct taxpayer identification number or a certification that such stockholder is exempt from Backup Withholding or (2) with respect to whom the IRS notifies the withholding agent that such stockholder has failed to properly report certain interest and dividend income to the IRS and to respond to notices to that effect. An individual’s taxpayer identification number is his or her social security number. Backup Withholding is not an additional tax, and any amount withheld under the Backup Withholding rules is allowed as a credit against the U.S. stockholder’s U.S. federal income tax liability (which may entitle the U.S. stockholder to a refund), provided that proper information is timely provided to the IRS.

Withholding and Information Reporting on Foreign Financial Accounts

Under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act rules of the Code and applicable Treasury regulations (collectively referred to as “FATCA”), the applicable withholding agent generally will be required to withhold 30% of (a) any dividends on our common stock or preferred stock and (b) the gross proceeds from a sale or other disposition of our common stock or preferred stock, in each case, paid to (i) a non-U.S. financial institution (whether such financial institution is the beneficial owner or an intermediary) unless such non-U.S. financial institution agrees to verify, report and disclose its U.S. accountholders and meets certain other specified requirements or (ii) a non-financial non-U.S. entity (whether such entity is the beneficial owner or an intermediary) unless such entity certifies that it does not have any substantial U.S. owners or provides the name, address and taxpayer identification number of each substantial U.S. owner and such entity meets certain other specified requirements. Proposed Treasury regulations that may be relied on pending finalization provide that FATCA withholding on gross proceeds will be eliminated and, consequently, this withholding tax on gross proceeds is not currently expected to apply. An intergovernmental agreement between the United States and an applicable foreign country, or future Treasury regulations or other guidance, may modify these requirements. We will not pay any additional amounts in respect of any amounts withheld.

Taxation of Tax-Exempt U.S. Stockholders

A U.S. stockholder that is a tax-exempt organization for U.S. federal income tax purposes and therefore generally exempt from U.S. federal income taxation may nevertheless be subject to taxation to the extent that it is considered to derive unrelated business taxable income (“UBTI”). The direct conduct by a tax-exempt U.S. stockholder of the activities that we propose to conduct could give rise to UBTI. However, a RIC is a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes and its business activities generally will not be attributed to its stockholders for purposes of determining their treatment under current law. Therefore, a tax-exempt U.S. stockholder should not be subject to U.S. federal income taxation solely as a result of such stockholder’s direct or indirect ownership of our shares and receipt of distributions with respect to such shares (regardless of whether we incur indebtedness). Moreover, under current law, if we incur indebtedness, such indebtedness will not be attributed to a tax-exempt U.S. stockholder. Therefore, a tax-exempt U.S. stockholder should not be treated as earning income from “debt-financed property” and distributions we pay should not be treated as “unrelated debt-financed income” solely as a result of indebtedness that it incurs. Certain tax-exempt private universities are subject to an additional 1.4% excise tax on their “net investment income,” including income from interest, dividends, and capital gains. Proposals periodically are made to change the treatment of “blocker” investment vehicles interposed between tax-exempt investors and non-qualifying investments. In the event that any such proposals were to be adopted and applied to RICs, the treatment of dividends payable to tax-exempt investors could be adversely affected. In addition, special rules would apply if we were to invest in certain real estate mortgage investment conduits or taxable mortgage pools, which we do not currently plan to do, that could result in a tax-exempt U.S. stockholder recognizing income that would be treated as UBTI.

 

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Taxation of Non-U.S. Stockholders

The following discussion applies only to Non-U.S. stockholders. Whether an investment in shares of our common stock or preferred stock is appropriate for a Non-U.S. stockholder will depend upon that stockholder’s particular circumstances. An investment in shares of our common stock or preferred stock by a Non-U.S. stockholder may have adverse tax consequences to such Non-U.S. stockholder. Non-U.S. stockholders should consult their own tax advisers before investing in our common stock or preferred stock.

Distributions; Dispositions

Subject to the discussion below, distributions of our investment company taxable income to a Non-U.S. stockholder that are not effectively connected with the Non-U.S. stockholder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States will be subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax at a 30% rate (or lower rate provided by an applicable income tax treaty) to the extent paid out of our current or accumulated earnings and profits.

Certain properly reported distributions are generally exempt from withholding of U.S. federal income tax where they are paid in respect of our (i) “qualified net interest income” (generally, U.S.-source interest income, other than certain contingent interest and interest from obligations of a corporation or partnership in which we or the Non-U.S. stockholder are at least a 10% stockholder, reduced by expenses that are allocable to such income) or (ii) “qualified short-term capital gains” (generally, the excess of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss for such taxable year), and certain other requirements are satisfied. No assurance can be given as to whether any of our distributions will be eligible for this exemption from withholding of U.S. federal income tax or, if eligible, will be reported as such by us. In particular, this exemption will not apply to our distributions paid in respect of our non-U.S. source interest income or our dividend income (or any other type of income other than generally our non-contingent U.S.-source interest income received from unrelated obligors and our qualified short-term capital gains). In the case of our common stock or preferred stock held through an intermediary, the intermediary may withhold U.S. federal income tax even if we report the payment as qualified net interest income or qualified short-term capital gain.

Distributions of our investment company taxable income to a Non-U.S. stockholder that are effectively connected with the Non-U.S. stockholder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, are attributable to a U.S. permanent establishment of the Non-U.S. stockholder) generally will not be subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax if the Non-U.S. stockholder complies with applicable certification and disclosure requirements, although the distributions (to the extent of our current or accumulated earnings and profits) will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net basis at the rates and in the manner applicable to U.S. stockholders generally.

Actual or deemed distributions of our net capital gains to a Non-U.S. stockholder, and gains realized by a Non-U.S. stockholder upon the sale of our common stock or preferred stock, will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax or any withholding of such tax, unless (a) the distributions or gains, as the case may be, are effectively connected with the Non-U.S. stockholder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, are attributable to a U.S. permanent establishment of the Non-U.S. stockholder), in which case the distributions or gains will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net basis at the rates and in the manner applicable to U.S. stockholders generally, or (b) the Non-U.S. stockholder is an individual who has been present in the United States for 183 days or more during the taxable year and satisfies certain other conditions, in which case, except as otherwise provided by an applicable income tax treaty, the distributions or gains, which may be offset by certain U.S.-source capital losses, generally will be subject to a flat 30% U.S. federal income tax, even though the Non-U.S. stockholder is not considered a resident alien under the Code.

If we distribute our net capital gains in the form of deemed rather than actual distributions, a Non-U.S. stockholder will be entitled to a U.S. federal income tax credit or tax refund equal to the stockholder’s allocable share of the tax we pay on the capital gains deemed to have been distributed. In order to obtain the refund, the Non-U.S. stockholder must obtain a U.S. taxpayer identification number and file a U.S. federal income tax return, even if the Non-U.S. stockholder would not otherwise be required to obtain a U.S. taxpayer identification number or file a U.S. federal income tax return.

 

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For a corporate Non-U.S. stockholder, both distributions (actual or deemed) and gains realized upon the sale of our common stock or preferred stock that are effectively connected with the Non-U.S. stockholder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States may, under certain circumstances, be subject to an additional “branch profits tax” at a 30% rate (or at a lower rate if provided for by an applicable income tax treaty).

Although we currently do not intend to do so, we have the ability to declare a large portion of a distribution in shares of our stock. We are not subject to restrictions on the circumstances in which we may declare a portion of a distribution in shares of our stock, but would generally anticipate doing so only in unusual situations, such as, for example, if we did not have sufficient cash to meet our RIC distribution requirements under the Code. Generally, were we to declare such a distribution, we would allow stockholders to elect payment in cash and/or shares of equivalent value. Under published IRS guidance, the entire distribution by a publicly offered RIC will generally be treated as a taxable distribution for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and count towards our RIC distribution requirements under the Code, if certain conditions are satisfied. Among other things, the aggregate amount of cash available to be distributed to all stockholders is required to be at least 20% of the aggregate declared distribution. If too many stockholders elect to receive cash, the cash available for distribution is required to be allocated among the stockholders electing to receive cash (with the balance of the distribution paid in stock) under a formula provided in the applicable IRS guidance. Each stockholder electing to receive cash would be entitled to receive cash in an amount equal to at least the lesser of (i) the portion of the distribution such stockholder elected to receive in cash and (ii) such stockholder’s entire distribution multiplied by the percentage limitation on cash available for distribution. The number of shares of our stock distributed would thus depend on the applicable percentage limitation on cash available for distribution, the stockholders’ individual elections to receive cash or stock, and the value of the shares of stock. Each Non-U.S. stockholder generally would be treated as having received a taxable distribution (including for purposes of the application of the withholding tax rules discussed above) on the date the distribution is received in an amount equal to the cash that such Non-U.S. stockholder would have received if the entire distribution had been paid in cash, even if such Non-U.S. stockholder received all or most of the distribution in shares of our stock. In such a circumstance, all or substantially all of the cash that would otherwise be distributed to a Non-U.S. stockholder may be withheld or shares of our stock may be withheld and sold to fund the applicable withholding.

We have adopted a distribution reinvestment plan under which stockholders who do not “opt out” receive distributions in the form of additional shares instead of in cash. If a Non-U.S. stockholder reinvests distributions in additional shares, such Non-U.S. stockholder will generally be subject to the same U.S. federal, state and local tax consequences as if it had received a distribution in cash and, for this purpose, a Non-U.S. stockholder receiving a distribution in the form of additional shares will generally be treated as receiving a distribution in the amount of cash that the Non-U.S. stockholder would have received if it had elected to receive the distribution in cash (or the fair market value of the distributed shares if we issue additional shares with a fair market value equal to or greater than net asset value). If the distribution is subject to withholding tax as described above, only the net after-tax amount will be reinvested in additional shares. If the distribution is effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business of the Non-U.S. stockholder (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, is attributable to a U.S. permanent establishment of the Non-U.S. stockholder), and the Non-U.S. stockholder complies with the applicable certification and disclosure requirements, the full amount of the distribution generally will be reinvested in additional shares and will nevertheless be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the rates and in the manner applicable to U.S. stockholders generally. The Non-U.S. stockholder will have an adjusted tax basis in the additional shares of our common stock purchased through the distribution reinvestment plan equal to the total dollar amount treated as a distribution (net of any withholding tax, as described above) for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The additional shares will have a new holding period commencing on the day following the day on which the shares are credited to the Non-U.S. stockholder’s account.

Jurisdiction of Tax Residence

The tax treatment of a Non-U.S. stockholder in its jurisdiction of tax residence will depend entirely on the laws of such jurisdiction, and may vary considerably from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Depending on (i) the laws of such Non-U.S. stockholder’s jurisdiction of tax residence, (ii) how we are treated in such jurisdiction, and (iii) our activities, an investment in us could result in such Non-U.S. stockholder recognizing adverse tax consequences in its jurisdiction of tax residence, including with respect to any generally required or additional tax filings and/or additional disclosure required in such filings in relation to the treatment for tax purposes in the relevant jurisdiction of an interest in us and/or of distributions from us and any uncertainties arising in that respect (our not being established under the laws of the relevant jurisdiction), the possibility of taxable income significantly in excess of cash distributed to a Non-U.S. stockholder, and possibly in excess of our actual economic income, the possibilities of losing deductions or the ability to utilize tax basis and of sums invested being returned in the form of taxable income or gains, and the possibility of being subject to tax at unfavorable tax rates. A Non-U.S. stockholder may also be subject to restrictions on the use of its share of our deductions and losses in its jurisdiction of tax residence. Each Non-U.S. stockholder is urged to consult its own tax advisers with respect to the tax and tax filing consequences, if any, in its jurisdiction of tax residence of an investment in us, as well as any other jurisdiction in which such Non-U.S. stockholder is subject to taxation.

 

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Backup Withholding

A Non-U.S. stockholder generally will be subject to information reporting and may be subject to Backup Withholding on taxable distributions unless the Non-U.S. stockholder provides the applicable withholding agent with an IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E or an acceptable substitute form or otherwise establishes an exemption from Backup Withholding. Backup Withholding is not an additional tax, and any amount withheld under the Backup Withholding rules is allowed as a credit against the Non-U.S. stockholder’s U.S. federal income tax liability (which may entitle the Non-U.S. stockholder to a refund), provided that proper information is timely provided to the IRS.

Withholding and Information Reporting on Foreign Financial Accounts

Under FATCA, the applicable withholding agent generally will be required to withhold 30% of (a) any dividends on our common stock or preferred stock and (b) the gross proceeds from a sale or other disposition of our common stock or preferred stock, in each case, paid to (i) a non-U.S. financial institution (whether such financial institution is the beneficial owner or an intermediary) unless such non-U.S. financial institution agrees to verify, report and disclose its U.S. accountholders and meets certain other specified requirements or (ii) a non-financial non-U.S. entity (whether such entity is the beneficial owner or an intermediary) unless such entity certifies that it does not have any substantial U.S. owners or provides the name, address and taxpayer identification number of each substantial U.S. owner and such entity meets certain other specified requirements. Proposed Treasury regulations that may be relied on pending finalization provide that FATCA withholding on gross proceeds will be eliminated and, consequently, this withholding tax on gross proceeds is not currently expected to apply. An intergovernmental agreement between the United States and an applicable foreign country, or future Treasury regulations or other guidance, may modify these requirements. If payment of this withholding tax is made, Non-U.S. stockholders that are otherwise eligible for an exemption from, or a reduction in, withholding of U.S. federal income taxes with respect to such dividends or proceeds will be required to seek a credit or refund from the IRS to obtain the benefit of such exemption or reduction. We will not pay any additional amounts in respect of any amounts withheld.

Each Non-U.S. stockholder should consult its own tax advisers with respect to the U.S. federal income and withholding tax consequences, and state, local and non-U.S. tax consequences, of an investment in shares of our common stock or preferred stock.

Change in Tax Laws

Each prospective investor should be aware that tax laws and regulations are changing on an ongoing basis, and such laws and/or regulations may be changed with retroactive effect. Moreover, the interpretation and/or application of tax laws and regulations by certain tax authorities may not be clear, consistent or transparent. Uncertainty in the tax law may require us to accrue potential tax liabilities even in situations in which we and/or our stockholders do not expect to be ultimately subject to such tax liabilities. In that regard, accounting standards and/or related tax reporting obligations may change, giving rise to additional accrual and/or other obligations.

Developments in the tax laws of the United States or other jurisdictions could have a material effect on the tax consequences to the stockholders, us, and/or our direct and indirect subsidiaries, and stockholders may be required to provide certain additional information to us (which may be provided to the IRS or other taxing authorities) and may be subject to other adverse consequences as a result of such change in tax laws. In the event of any such change in tax law, each stockholder is urged to consult its own advisors.

Certain ERISA Considerations

Each prospective investor that is, or is acting on behalf of, any (i) “employee benefit plan” (within the meaning of Section 3(3) of ERISA) subject to Title I of ERISA, (ii) “plan” described in Section 4975(e)(1) of the Code, subject to Section 4975 of the Code (including for e.g., IRA and a “Keogh” plan), (iii) plan, account or other arrangement that is subject to provisions under any Similar Laws, or (iv) entity whose underlying assets are considered to include the assets of any of the foregoing described in clauses (i), (ii) and (iii), pursuant to ERISA or otherwise (each of the foregoing described in clauses (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) referred to herein as a “Plan”), must independently determine that our Shares are an appropriate investment, taking into account its obligations under ERISA, the Code and applicable Similar Laws.

In contemplating an investment in the Fund, each fiduciary of the Plan who is responsible for making such an investment should carefully consider, taking into account the facts and circumstances of the Plan, whether such investment is consistent with the applicable provisions of ERISA, Section 4975 of the Code or any Similar Law relating to a fiduciary’s duties to the Plan including, without limitation, the prudence, diversification, delegation of control and prohibited transaction provisions of ERISA, Section 4975 of the Code and any other applicable Similar Laws. Furthermore, absent satisfying all the requirements of a prohibited transaction exemption, the fiduciaries of a Plan should not invest in the Fund with the assets of any Plan if the Investment Adviser or any of its affiliates is a fiduciary with respect to such assets of the Plan. Each purchaser of Shares that is or may become a Plan is responsible for determining the extent, if any, to which the purchase and holding of Shares will constitute a non-exempt prohibited transaction under ERISA, Section 4975 of the Code or any Similar Laws, and otherwise for determining compliance with ERISA, Section 4975 of the Code and any applicable Similar Law.

 

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In contemplating an investment in the Fund, fiduciaries of a Plan that is a Benefit Plan Investor (defined below) subject to Title I of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code should also carefully consider the definition of the term “plan assets” in ERISA and the Plan Assets Regulation. Under ERISA and the Plan Assets Regulation, when a Benefit Plan Investor invests in an equity interest of an entity that is neither a “publicly-offered security” (within the meaning of the Plan Assets Regulation) nor a security issued by an investment company registered under the Investment Company Act, the Benefit Plan Investor’s assets include both the equity interest and an undivided interest in each of the entity’s underlying assets, unless it is established that the entity is an “operating company” or that equity participation in the entity by Benefit Plan Investors is not “significant” (each within the meaning of the Plan Assets Regulation). The term “Benefit Plan Investor” is defined in the Plan Assets Regulation to include (i) any employee benefit plan (as defined in section 3(3) of ERISA) subject to the provisions of Title I of ERISA, (ii) any plan described in Section 4975(e)(1) of the Code subject to Section 4975 of the Code, and (iii) any entity whose underlying assets include plan assets by reason of such an employee benefit plan’s or plan’s investment in the entity.

Under the Plan Assets Regulation, equity participation in an entity by Benefit Plan Investors is “significant” on any date if, immediately after the most recent acquisition of any equity interest in the entity, 25% or more of the total value of any class of equity interests is held by Benefit Plan Investors. For purposes of this determination, the value of equity interests held by a person (other than a Benefit Plan Investor) who has discretionary authority or control with respect to the assets of the entity or that provides investment advice for a fee (direct or indirect) with respect to such assets (or any affiliate of such a person) is disregarded (each such person, a “Controlling Person”). The Plan Assets Regulation defines the term “publicly-offered security” as a security that is “widely-held,” “freely transferrable” and either part of a class of securities registered under the Exchange Act or sold pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act if the securities are registered under the Exchange Act within 120 days after the end of the fiscal year of the issuer during which the public offering occurred. A security is considered “widely held” only if it is part of a class of securities that is owned by 100 or more investors independent of the issuer and of one another. A security will not fail to be “widely held” because the number of independent investors falls below 100 subsequent to the initial public offering as a result of events beyond the issuer’s control. The Plan Assets Regulation provides that whether a security is “freely transferable” is a factual question to be determined on the basis of all relevant facts and circumstances. It is noted that the Plan Assets Regulation only establishes a presumption in favor of the finding of free transferability where the restrictions are consistent with the particular types of restrictions listed in the Plan Assets Regulation.

If the assets of the Fund were deemed to be “plan assets” under the Plan Assets Regulation, the obligations and other responsibilities of Plan sponsors, Plan fiduciaries and Plan administrators, and of parties in interest and disqualified persons, under ERISA and Section 4975 of the Code, as applicable, may be expanded, and there may be an increase in their liability under these and other provisions of ERISA and the Code (except to the extent (if any) that a favorable statutory or administrative exemption or exception applies); in addition, various providers of fiduciary or other services to the entity, and any other parties with authority or control with respect to the entity, could be deemed to be Plan fiduciaries or otherwise parties in interest or disqualified persons by virtue of their provision of such services (and there could be an improper delegation of authority to such providers). Additionally, if the assets of the Fund were deemed to be “plan assets,” this would result, among other things, in (i) the application of the prudence and other fiduciary responsibility standards of ERISA to investments made by the Fund, and (ii) the possibility that certain transactions in which the Fund might seek to engage could constitute “prohibited transactions” under ERISA and Section 4975 of the Code. If a prohibited transaction occurs for which no exemption is available, the Investment Adviser and/or any other fiduciary that has engaged in the prohibited transaction could be required to (i) restore to the covered Plan any profit realized on the transaction and (ii) reimburse the Benefit Plan Investor for any losses suffered by the Benefit Plan Investor as a result of the investment. In addition, each disqualified person (within the meaning of Section 4975 of the Code) involved could be subject to an excise tax equal to 15% of the amount involved in the prohibited transaction for each year the transaction continues and, unless the transaction is corrected within statutorily required periods, to an additional tax of 100%. Fiduciaries of Benefit Plan Investors who decide to invest in the Fund could, under certain circumstances, be liable for prohibited transactions or other violations as a result of their investment in the Fund or as co-fiduciaries for actions taken by or on behalf of the Fund or the Adviser. With respect to an IRA that invests in the Fund, the occurrence of a prohibited transaction involving the individual who established the IRA, or his or her beneficiaries, would cause the IRA to lose its tax-exempt status.

 

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Accordingly, for so long as our Shares are not considered a “publicly-offered security” within the meaning of the Plan Assets Regulation, the Fund will endeavor to limit investments such that Benefit Plan Investors in the aggregate hold less than 25% of the value of each class of our Shares, disregarding equity interests held by Controlling Persons, based on assurances provided by investors, within the meaning of the Plan Assets Regulation. In this respect, in order to avoid the possibility that our assets could be treated as “plan assets,” within the meaning of the Plan Assets Regulation, until such time as each class of our Shares constitutes “publicly-offered securities” within the meaning of the Plan Assets Regulation (i) we may require any person proposing to acquire Shares to furnish such information as may be necessary to determine whether such person is a Benefit Plan Investor or a Controlling Person and (ii) we will have the power to take any actions deemed reasonably necessary to prevent the assets of the Fund from being considered “plan assets,” which actions may include (a) excluding any stockholder or potential stockholder from purchasing Shares; (b) prohibiting any redemption of Shares; and (c) redeeming some or all Shares held by any holder if, and to the extent that, our Board determines that there is a substantial likelihood that such holder’s purchase, ownership or redemption of Shares would result in any portion of our assets being characterized as plan assets for purposes of the fiduciary responsibility or prohibited transaction provisions of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code. After such time as our Shares constitute “publicly-offered securities” under the Plan Assets Regulation, the assets of the Fund would not be considered to be plan assets.

 

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ITEM 1A.

RISK FACTORS.

Investing in our Shares involves certain risks relating to our structure and investment objective. The following information is a discussion of the material risk factors associated with an investment in our Shares specifically, as well as those factors generally associated with an investment in a company with investment objectives, investment policies, capital structure or trading markets similar to ours. In addition to the other information contained in this Registration Statement, you should consider carefully the following information before making an investment in our Shares. The risks set forth below are not the only risks we face, and we may face other risks that we have not yet identified, which we do not currently deem material or which are not yet predictable. If any of the following risks occur, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected. In such case, the NAV of our securities could decline, and you may lose all or part of your investment. In addition, as our investment program develops and changes over time, an investment in the Shares may be subject to additional and different risk factors.

 

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Summary Risk Factors

Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. The following is a summary of certain of the principal risks that should be carefully considered before investing in our securities:

 

   

The capital markets are currently in a period of disruption and economic uncertainty. Such market conditions have materially and adversely affected debt and equity capital markets, which have had, and may continue to have, a negative impact on our business and operations.

 

   

Political, social and economic uncertainty, including uncertainty related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine, create and exacerbate risks.

 

   

Terrorist attacks, acts of war, global health emergencies or natural disasters may impact the businesses in which we invest and harm our business, operating results and financial condition.

 

   

Our operation as a BDC imposes numerous constraints on us and significantly reduces our operating flexibility. In addition, if we fail to maintain our status as a BDC, we might be regulated as a closed-end investment company, which would subject us to additional regulatory restrictions.

 

   

We will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at corporate rates (and any applicable U.S. state and local taxes) on all of our income if we are unable to qualify for tax treatment as a RIC, which would have a material adverse effect on our financial performance.

 

   

Regulations governing our operations as a BDC affect our ability to, and the way in which we, raise additional capital. These constraints may hinder our Investment Adviser’s ability to take advantage of attractive investment opportunities and to achieve our investment objective.

 

   

Our ability to enter into transactions with our affiliates is restricted.

 

   

Our activities may be limited as a result of potentially being deemed to be controlled by GS Group Inc., a bank holding company.

 

   

Commodity Futures Trading Commission rules may have a negative impact on us and our Investment Adviser.

 

   

Our ability to enter into transactions involving derivatives and financial commitment transactions may be limited.

 

   

Certain investors are limited in their ability to make significant investments in us.

 

   

We are subject to risks related to being an “emerging growth company”.

 

   

We are subject to risks arising from compliance with Regulation Best Interest.

 

   

We depend upon management personnel of our Investment Adviser for our future success.

 

   

We operate in a highly competitive market for investment opportunities.

 

   

Failures in information systems and cyber incidents may have adverse impacts on us and/or our portfolio companies.

 

   

We are a new company and have a limited operating history. Investors have limited information to evaluate historical data or assess any of our investments prior to participating in the private offering of the Shares.

 

   

Global economic, political and market conditions may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations, including our revenue growth and profitability.

 

   

Our Investment Adviser, its principals, investment professionals and employees and the members of its Private Credit Investment Committee may have certain conflicts of interest.

 

   

Goldman Sachs’s financial and other interests may incentivize our Investment Adviser to favor other Accounts.

 

   

Our financial condition and results depend on our Investment Adviser’s ability to manage our future growth effectively.

 

   

Our ability to grow depends on our access to adequate capital.

 

   

We may borrow money, which may magnify the potential for gain or loss and may increase the risk of investing in us.

 

   

The Investment Adviser faces conflicts of interest caused by compensation arrangements with us, which could result in actions that are not in the best interests of our stockholders.

 

   

We may be obligated to pay the Investment Adviser incentive compensation even if we incur a net loss due to a decline in the value of our portfolio.

 

   

Potential conflicts of interest with other businesses of Goldman Sachs could impact our investment returns.

 

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Our Board of Directors may change our investment objective, operating policies and strategies without prior notice or stockholder approval.

 

   

We may experience fluctuations in our quarterly results.

 

   

Our investments will be very risky and highly speculative.

 

   

We will have exposure to credit risk and other risks related to credit investments.

 

   

Inflation may adversely affect the business, results of operations and financial condition of our portfolio companies.

 

   

We will be exposed to risks associated with changes in interest rates, including the current rising interest rate environment.

 

   

Many of our portfolio securities do not have a readily available market price, and we will value these securities at fair value as determined in good faith in accordance with the Investment Company Act, which valuation is inherently subjective and may not reflect what we may actually realize for the sale of the investment.

 

   

The lack of liquidity in our investments may adversely affect our business.

 

   

Our portfolio may be focused initially in a limited number of portfolio companies, which will subject us to a risk of significant loss if any of these companies defaults on its obligations under any of its debt instruments or if there is a downturn in a particular industry.

 

   

We may not be in a position to exercise control over our portfolio companies or to prevent decisions by management of our portfolio companies that could decrease the value of our investments.

 

   

We may be subject to various risks associated with our debt investments.

 

   

Our portfolio companies may prepay loans, which may reduce stated yields in the future if the capital returned cannot be invested in transactions with equal or greater expected yields.

 

   

Declines in market prices and liquidity in the corporate debt markets can result in significant net unrealized depreciation of our portfolio, which in turn would affect our results of operations.

 

   

Economic recessions or downturns could impair our portfolio companies and harm our operating results.

 

   

Our portfolio companies may be highly leveraged.

 

   

We face risks associated with the deployment of our capital.

 

   

Investing in our securities involves an above-average degree of risk.

 

   

Investors purchasing Shares after the initial closing could receive fewer Shares than anticipated.

 

   

Our Shares and shares of our Series A Preferred Stock will be subject to significant transfer restrictions, and an investment in such shares generally will be illiquid.

 

   

The NAV of our Shares may fluctuate significantly.

 

   

Our stockholders may experience dilution in their ownership percentage if they opt out of our distribution reinvestment plan.

 

   

Our stockholders that do not opt out of our distribution reinvestment plan should generally expect to have current tax liabilities without receiving cash to pay such liabilities.

 

   

Our preferred stock, including the Series A Preferred Stock and any additional series of preferred stock we may determine to issue in the future, could adversely affect the value of our common stock.

 

   

Our preferred stock, including the Series A Preferred Stock, will be subject to a risk of early redemption, and holders may not be able to reinvest their funds.

 

   

Holders of any preferred stock we issue, including the Series A Preferred Stock, will have the right to elect members of the Board and class voting rights on certain matters.

 

   

Investors may face various tax risks and consequences as a result of their investment in us.

 

   

Investors may face various risks and consequences related to repurchases of Shares by us.

 

   

To the extent OID and PIK interest constitute a portion of our income, we will be exposed to typical risks associated with such income being required to be included in taxable and accounting income prior to receipt of cash representing such income.

 

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Risks Relating to Market Developments and General Business Environment

The capital markets are currently in a period of disruption and economic uncertainty. Such market conditions have materially and adversely affected debt and equity capital markets, which have had, and may continue to have, a negative impact on our business and operations.

From time to time, capital markets experience periods of disruption and instability. Social and political tensions in the United States and around the world, may contribute to increased market volatility, may have long-term effects on the U.S. and worldwide financial markets, and may cause economic uncertainties or deterioration in the United States and worldwide. The U.S. capital markets have experienced extreme disruption since the global outbreak of COVID-19. Such disruptions have been evidenced by volatility in global stock markets as a result of, among other things, uncertainty regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, the fluctuating price of commodities such as oil, and Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine. Despite remedial actions of the U.S. federal government and foreign governments, these events have contributed to worsening general economic conditions that are materially and adversely impacting broader financial and credit markets and reducing the availability of debt and equity capital for the market as a whole. These and any other unfavorable economic conditions could increase our funding costs and/or limit our access to the capital markets. These conditions could continue for a prolonged period of time or worsen in the future.

Significant changes or volatility in the capital markets may negatively affect the valuations of our investments. While we expect that approximately 80% of our investments will not be publicly traded, applicable accounting standards require us to assume as part of our valuation process that our investments are sold in a principal market to market participants (even if we plan to hold an investment to maturity). Significant changes in the capital markets may also affect the pace of our investment activity and the potential for liquidity events involving our investments. Our valuations, and particularly valuations of private investments and private companies, are inherently uncertain, fluctuate over short periods of time and are often based on estimates, comparisons and qualitative evaluations of private information that may not reflect the full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine, and measures taken in response thereto. Any public health emergency, including the COVID-19 pandemic or an outbreak of other existing or new epidemic diseases, or the threat thereof, and the resulting financial and economic market uncertainty could have a significant adverse impact on us and the fair value of our investments and our portfolio companies.

Disruptions in economic activity, such as those caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine, have limited and could continue to limit our investment originations, limit our ability to grow, increase our funding costs, and have a material negative impact on our and our portfolio companies’ operating results and the fair values of our debt and equity investments. Additionally, the recent disruption in economic activity caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine has had, and may continue to have, a negative effect on the potential for liquidity events involving our investments. The illiquidity of our investments may make it difficult for us to sell such investments to access capital, if required. As a result, we could realize significantly less than the value at which we have recorded our investments if we were required to sell them to increase our liquidity. An inability on our part to raise incremental capital, and any required sale of all or a portion of our investments as a result, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

Current market conditions may make it difficult to raise equity capital, extend the maturity of or refinance our existing indebtedness or obtain new indebtedness with similar terms and any failure to do so could have a material adverse effect on our business. In addition, market conditions (including inflation, supply chain issues and decreased consumer demand) could adversely impact, and could in the future have further negative impact on the operations of certain of our portfolio companies. The debt capital available to us in the future, if available at all, may bear a higher interest rate and may be available only on terms and conditions less favorable than those of our existing debt and such debt may need to be incurred in a rising interest rate environment. If we are unable to raise new debt or refinance our existing debt, then our equity investors will not benefit from the potential for increased returns on equity resulting from leverage, and we may be unable to make new commitments or to fund existing commitments to our portfolio companies. Any inability to extend the maturity of or refinance our existing debt, or to obtain new debt, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

 

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Political, social and economic uncertainty, including uncertainty related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine, create and exacerbate risks.

Social, political, economic and other conditions and events in the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union and China (such as natural disasters, epidemics and pandemics, terrorism, military conflicts and social unrest) may occur that create uncertainty and have significant impacts on issuers, industries, governments and other systems, including the financial markets, to which companies and their investments are exposed.

The uncertainties caused by these conditions and events could result in or coincide with, among other things: increased volatility in the financial markets for securities, derivatives, loans, credit and currency; a decrease in the reliability of market prices and difficulty in valuing assets (including portfolio company assets); greater fluctuations in spreads on debt investments and currency exchange rates; increased risk of default (by both government and private obligors and issuers); changes to governmental regulation and supervision of the loan, securities, derivatives and currency markets and market participants; limitations on the activities of investors in the financial markets; and substantial, and in some periods extremely high, rates of inflation, which can last many years and have substantial negative effects on credit and securities markets.

While financial markets have rebounded from the significant declines that occurred early in the pandemic and global economic conditions generally improved in 2021, certain of the circumstances that arose or became more pronounced after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic have persisted, including (i) relatively weak consumer confidence; (ii) ongoing heightened credit risk with regard to industries that have been most severely impacted by the pandemic, including, at times, oil and gas, gaming and lodging, and airlines; (iii) higher cyber security, information security and operational risks; and (iv) interruptions in the supply chain that have adversely affected many businesses and have contributed to higher rates of inflation. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic has created disruptions in supply chains and economic activity and contributed to labor difficulties.

Depending on the duration and severity of the pandemic going forward, as well as the effects of the pandemic on consumer and corporate confidence, the conditions noted above could continue for an extended period and other adverse developments may occur or reoccur, including (i) the decline in value and performance of us and our portfolio companies, (ii) the ability of our borrowers to continue to meet loan covenants or repay loans provided by us on a timely basis or at all, which may require us to restructure our investments or write down the value of our investments, (iii) our ability to comply with the covenants and other terms of our debt obligations and to repay such obligations, on a timely basis or at all, (iv) our ability to comply with certain regulatory requirements, such as asset coverage requirements under the Investment Company Act, (v) our ability to maintain our distributions at their current level or to pay them at all, or (vi) our ability to source, manage and divest investments and achieve our investment objectives, all of which could result in significant losses to us. We will also be negatively affected if the operations and effectiveness of any of our portfolio companies (or any of the key personnel or service providers of the foregoing) is compromised or if necessary or beneficial systems and processes are disrupted. Even after the COVID-19 pandemic subsides, the U.S. economy, as well as most other major economies, may experience economic recession, and we anticipate our businesses could be materially and adversely affected by a prolonged recession in the United States and other major global markets. See —The capital markets are currently in a period of disruption and economic uncertainty. Such market conditions have materially and adversely affected debt and equity capital markets, which have had, and may continue to have, a negative impact on our business and operations.

Disruptions in the capital markets, including disruptions resulting from inflation, a rising interest-rate environment, and uncertainties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine, have increased the spread between the yields realized on risk-free and higher risk securities, resulting in illiquidity in parts of the capital markets, significant write-offs in the financial sector, and re-pricing of credit risk in the broadly syndicated market. These and future market disruptions and/or illiquidity can be expected to have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Unfavorable economic conditions also would be expected to increase our funding costs, limit our access to the capital markets or result in a decision by lenders not to extend credit to us. These events could limit our investment originations, limit our ability to grow and have a material negative impact on our and our portfolio companies’ operating results and the fair values of our debt and equity investments.

In addition, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and corresponding events have had, and could continue to have, severe adverse effects on regional and global economic markets. Following Russia’s actions, various governments, including the government of the United States, have issued broad-ranging economic sanctions against Russia, including, among other actions, a prohibition on doing business with certain Russian companies, large financial institutions, officials and oligarchs; a commitment by certain countries and the European Union to remove selected Russian banks from the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications, the electronic banking network that connects banks globally; and restrictive measures to prevent the Russian Central Bank from undermining the impact of the sanctions. The duration of hostilities and the vast array of sanctions and related events (including cyber incidents and espionage) cannot be predicted. Those events present material uncertainty and risk with respect to markets globally, which pose potential adverse risks to us and the performance of our investments and operations. Any such market disruptions could affect our portfolio companies’ operations and, as a result, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

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Terrorist attacks, acts of war, global health emergencies or natural disasters may impact the businesses in which we invest and harm our business, operating results and financial condition.

Terrorist acts, acts of war, global health emergencies or natural disasters may disrupt our operations, as well as the operations of the businesses in which we invest. Such acts have created, and continue to create, economic and political uncertainties and have contributed to global economic instability. See “— Political, social and economic uncertainty, including uncertainty related to the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine, create and exacerbate risks. Any market disruptions as a result of such acts could affect our portfolio companies’ operations and, as a result, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our business and the businesses of our portfolio companies are dependent on bank relationships and recent concerns associated with the banking system may adversely impact us.

The financial markets have recently experienced volatility in connection with concerns that some banks, especially small and regional banks, may have significant investment-related losses that might make it difficult to fund demands to withdraw deposits and other liquidity needs. Although the federal government has announced measures to assist certain banks and protect depositors, some banks have already been impacted and others may be adversely impacted, by such volatility. Our business and the businesses of our portfolio companies are dependent on bank relationships and we are proactively monitoring the financial health of these relationships. Continued strain on the banking system may adversely impact the business, financial condition and results of operations of us and our portfolio companies.

Risks Relating to Legal and Regulatory Matters

Our operation as a BDC imposes numerous constraints on us and significantly reduces our operating flexibility. In addition, if we fail to maintain our status as a BDC, we might be regulated as a closed-end investment company, which would subject us to additional regulatory restrictions.

The Investment Company Act imposes numerous constraints on the operations of BDCs. For example, BDCs generally are required to invest at least 70% of their total assets primarily in securities of qualifying U.S. private companies or thinly traded public companies, cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities and other high-quality debt investments that mature in one year or less from the time of investment. These constraints may hinder our Investment Adviser’s ability to take advantage of attractive investment opportunities and to achieve our investment objective. Furthermore, any failure to comply with the requirements imposed on BDCs by the Investment Company Act could cause the SEC to bring an enforcement action against us and/or expose us to claims of private litigants.

We may be precluded from investing in what our Investment Adviser believes are attractive investments if such investments are not qualifying assets for purposes of the Investment Company Act. If we do not invest a sufficient portion of our assets in qualifying assets, we will be prohibited from making any additional investment that is not a qualifying asset and could be forced to forgo attractive investment opportunities. Similarly, these rules could prevent us from making follow-on investments in existing portfolio companies (which could result in the dilution of our position).

If we fail to maintain our status as a BDC, we might be regulated as a closed-end investment company that is required to register under the Investment Company Act. This would subject us to additional regulatory restrictions and significantly decrease our operating flexibility. In addition, any such failure could cause us to lose our RIC status or cause an event of default under any outstanding indebtedness we might have, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

We will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at corporate rates (and any applicable U.S. state and local taxes) on all of our income if we are unable to qualify for tax treatment as a RIC, which would have a material adverse effect on our financial performance.

Although we intend to elect to be treated as a RIC, and we intend to qualify for tax treatment as a RIC annually thereafter, we cannot assure you that we will be able to do so. To obtain and maintain RIC status and be relieved of U.S. federal income taxes on income and gains distributed to our stockholders, we must meet the annual distribution and source-of-income and quarterly asset diversification requirements described below.

 

   

The annual distribution requirement for a RIC will generally be satisfied if we distribute to our stockholders on an annual basis at least 90% of our investment company taxable income (generally, our net ordinary income plus the excess of our realized net short-term capital gains over realized net long-term capital losses, determined without regard to the dividends paid deduction) for each taxable year (the “Annual Distribution Requirement”). Because we intend to use debt financing, we are subject to an asset coverage ratio requirement under the Investment Company Act, and we expect to be subject to certain covenants contained in our credit agreements and other debt financing agreements. This asset coverage ratio requirement and these covenants could, under certain circumstances, restrict us from making distributions to our stockholders that are necessary for us to satisfy the Annual Distribution Requirement. If we are unable to obtain cash from other sources, and thus are unable to make sufficient distributions to our stockholders, we could fail to maintain our qualification for RIC tax treatment and thus become subject to corporate-level U.S. federal income tax (and any applicable U.S. state and local taxes).

 

   

The source-of-income requirement will be satisfied if at least 90% of our gross income for each year is derived from dividends, interest, gains from the sale of stock or securities or foreign currencies, payments with respect to loans of certain securities, net income derived from an interest in a “qualified publicly traded partnership” or other income derived with respect to our business of investing in such stock or securities or foreign currencies.

 

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The asset diversification requirement will be satisfied if, at the end of each quarter of our taxable year, at least 50% of the value of our assets consists of cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities, securities of other RICs and other acceptable securities, and no more than 25% of the value of our assets is invested in (i) the securities (other than U.S. government securities or securities of other RICs) of one issuer, (ii) the securities (other than the securities of other RICs) of two or more issuers that are controlled, as determined under applicable Code rules, by us and that are engaged in the same or similar or related trades or businesses or (iii) the securities of certain “qualified publicly traded partnerships.” Failure to meet these requirements may result in our having to dispose of certain investments quickly in order to prevent the loss of our RIC status. Because most of our investments will be made in private companies, and therefore will be relatively illiquid, any such dispositions could be made at disadvantageous prices and could result in substantial losses.

If we fail to maintain our qualification for tax treatment as a RIC for any reason, and we do not qualify for certain relief provisions under the Code, we would be subject to U.S. federal income tax at corporate rates (and any applicable U.S. state and local taxes). In this event, the resulting taxes and any resulting penalties could substantially reduce our net assets, the amount of our income available for distribution and the amount of our distributions to our stockholders, which would have a material adverse effect on our financial performance.

Regulations governing our operations as a BDC affect our ability to, and the way in which we, raise additional capital. These constraints may hinder our Investment Adviser’s ability to take advantage of attractive investment opportunities and to achieve our investment objective.

Regulations governing our operation as a BDC affect our ability to raise additional capital, and the ways in which we can do so. Raising additional capital may expose us to risks, including the typical risks associated with leverage, and may result in dilution to our current stockholders. The Investment Company Act limits our ability to borrow amounts or issue debt securities or preferred stock, including the Series A Preferred Stock, which we refer to collectively as “senior securities,” to amounts such that our asset coverage ratio, as defined under the Investment Company Act, equals at least 150% immediately after such borrowing or issuance if certain requirements are met, rather than 200%, as previously required and as described below. Consequently, if the value of our assets declines, we may be required to sell a portion of our investments and, depending on the nature of our leverage, repay a portion of our indebtedness at a time when this may be disadvantageous to us and, as a result, our stockholders. The Small Business Credit Availability Act modified the applicable provisions of the Investment Company Act to reduce the required asset coverage ratio applicable to BDCs to 150%, subject to certain approval and disclosure requirements. Under this legislation, BDCs are able to increase their leverage capacity if stockholders approve a proposal to do so. Prior to the commencement of the private offering of the Shares, our Board and our initial member approved a proposal to apply to us the modified asset coverage requirement of 150% set forth in Section 61(a)(2) of the Investment Company Act to us.

Shares of our preferred stock, including the Series A Preferred Stock, are another form of leverage and rank “senior” to our common stock in our capital structure. Preferred stockholders will have separate voting rights on certain matters and might have other rights, preferences or privileges more favorable than those of our common stockholders, and the issuance of preferred stock, including the Series A Preferred Stock, could have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a transaction or a change of control that might involve a premium price for holders of our common stock or otherwise be in the best interest of our common stockholders. Holders of our common stock will directly or indirectly bear all of the costs associated with offering and servicing any preferred stock, including the Series A Preferred Stock, that we issue. In addition, any interests of preferred stockholders may not necessarily align with the interests of holders of our common stock and the rights of holders of shares of preferred stock, including the Series A Preferred Stock, to receive distributions would be senior to those of holders of shares of common stock. Other than our Series A Preferred Stock, which was issued on April 6, 2023, we do not anticipate issuing any additional series of preferred stock in the next 12 months.

We are generally not able to issue and sell our common stock at a price per share below NAV per share. We may, however, sell our common stock, or warrants, options or rights to acquire our common stock, at a price below the then-current NAV per share of our common stock (i) with the consent of a majority of our common stockholders (and a majority of our common stockholders who are not affiliates of ours), and (ii) if, among other things, a majority of our Independent Directors and a majority of our directors who have no financial interest in the transaction determine that a sale is in the best interests of us and our stockholders.

 

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We will incur significant costs as a result of being subject to the reporting requirements under the Exchange Act.

We will incur legal, accounting and other expenses, including costs associated with the periodic reporting requirements applicable to a company whose securities are registered under the Exchange Act, as well as additional corporate governance requirements, including requirements under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and other rules implemented by the SEC, once this Registration Statement on Form 10 becomes effective. These requirements may place a strain on our systems and resources. The Exchange Act requires that we file annual, quarterly and current reports with respect to our business and financial condition. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires that we maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting, which requires significant resources and management oversight. See “Item 1. Business—Compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.” We will implement procedures, processes, policies and practices for the purpose of addressing the standards and requirements applicable to public companies. These activities may divert management’s attention from other business concerns, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. We expect to incur significant annual expenses related to these steps and directors’ and officers’ liability insurance, director fees, reporting requirements of the SEC, transfer agent fees, additional administrative expenses payable to our Administrator to compensate it for hiring additional accounting, legal and administrative personnel, increased auditing and legal fees and similar expenses associated with being subject to these reporting requirements.

The systems and resources necessary to comply with public company reporting requirements will increase further once we cease to be an “emerging growth company” under the JOBS Act. As long as we remain an emerging growth company we intend to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public reporting companies, including not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

Efforts to comply with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act involve significant expenditures, and noncompliance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may adversely affect us.

While we will not be required to comply with certain requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act until we have been subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act for a specified period of time or cease to be classified as an emerging growth company, under current SEC rules, we will be required to report on our internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes Oxley Act starting with the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023. Thereafter, we will be required to review on an annual basis our internal control over financial reporting, and on a quarterly and annual basis to evaluate and disclose changes in our internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, our internal control over financial reporting does not currently meet all of the standards contemplated by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act that we will eventually be required to meet. We will establish formal procedures, policies, processes and practices related to financial reporting and to the identification of key financial reporting risks, assessment of their potential impact and linkage of those risks to specific areas and activities within our organization.

Our independent registered public accounting firm will not be required to formally attest to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting until the date on which we are a “large accelerated filer” or an “accelerated filer” or the date we are no longer classified as an emerging growth company under the JOBS Act. Because we do not currently have comprehensive documentation of our internal control and have not yet tested our internal control in accordance with Section 404, we cannot conclude, as required by Section 404, that we do not have a material weakness in our internal control or a combination of significant deficiencies that could result in the conclusion that we have a material weakness in our internal control. As a public reporting company under the Exchange Act, we will be required to complete our initial assessment in a timely manner. If we are not able to implement the requirements of Section 404 in a timely manner or with adequate compliance, our operations, financial reporting or financial results could be adversely affected. Matters impacting our internal control may cause us to be unable to report our financial information on a timely basis and thereby subject us to adverse regulatory consequences, including sanctions by the SEC.

Changes in laws or regulations governing our operations or the operations of our portfolio companies, changes in the interpretation thereof or newly enacted laws or regulations, or any failure by us or our portfolio companies to comply with these laws or regulations, could require changes to certain of our or our portfolio companies’ business practices, negatively impact our or our portfolio companies’ operations, cash flows or financial condition, impose additional costs on us or our portfolio companies or otherwise adversely affect our business or the business of our portfolio companies.

We and our portfolio companies are subject to regulation at the local, state, federal and, in some cases, foreign levels. These laws and regulations, as well as their interpretation, are likely to change from time to time, and new laws and regulations may be enacted. Accordingly, any change in these laws or regulations, changes in their interpretation, or newly enacted laws or regulations, or any failure by us or our portfolio companies to comply with these laws or regulations, could require changes to certain of our or our portfolio companies’ business practices, negatively impact our or our portfolio companies’ operations, cash flows or financial condition, impose additional costs on us or our portfolio companies or otherwise adversely affect our business or the business of our portfolio companies. In addition to the legal, tax and regulatory changes that are expected to occur, there may be unanticipated changes and uncertainty regarding any such changes. The legal, tax and regulatory environment for BDCs, investment advisers and the instruments that they utilize (including derivative instruments) is continuously evolving. In addition, there is significant uncertainty regarding certain legislation and the regulations that have been adopted (and future regulations that will need to be adopted pursuant to such legislation) and, consequently, the full impact that such legislation will ultimately have on us and the markets in which we trade and invest is not fully known. Such uncertainty and any resulting confusion may itself be detrimental to the efficient functioning of the markets and the success of certain investment strategies.

 

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Legislative and regulatory proposals directed at the financial services industry that are proposed or pending in the U.S. Congress may negatively impact the operations, cash flows or financial condition of us and our portfolio companies, impose additional costs on us and our portfolio companies, intensify the regulatory supervision of us and our portfolio companies or otherwise adversely affect our business or the business of our portfolio companies.

Over the last several years, there also has been an increase in regulatory attention to the extension of credit outside of the traditional banking sector, raising the possibility that some portion of the non-bank financial sector will be subject to new regulation. While we do not know whether any such regulation will be implemented or what form it would take, increased regulation of non-bank credit extension would negatively impact our operations, cash flows or financial condition, impose additional costs on us, intensify the regulatory supervision of us or otherwise adversely affect our business.

We may be materially affected by market, economic and political conditions globally and in the jurisdictions and sectors in which we invest or operate, including economic outlook, factors affecting interest rates, the availability of credit, currency exchange rates and trade barriers. Recent populist and anti-globalization movements, particularly in the United States, may result in material changes in economic trade and immigration policies, all of which could lead to significant disruption of global markets and could have adverse consequences for our investments.

We cannot predict how new tax legislation will affect us, our investments, or our stockholders, and any such legislation could adversely affect our business.

Legislative or other actions relating to taxes could have a negative effect on us. The rules dealing with U.S. federal income taxation are constantly under review by persons involved in the legislative process and by the Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Treasury Department. Congress has recently enacted significant changes to the existing U.S. tax rules. The likelihood of any new legislation being enacted in the future is uncertain, but new legislation and any U.S. Treasury regulations, administrative interpretations or court decisions interpreting such legislation could significantly and negatively affect our ability to qualify for tax treatment as a RIC or the U.S. federal income tax consequences to us and our stockholders of such qualification and could have other adverse consequences. Stockholders are urged to consult with their tax advisor regarding tax legislative, regulatory, or administrative developments and proposals and their potential effect on an investment in our Shares.

Our ability to enter into transactions with our affiliates is restricted.

As a BDC, we are prohibited under the Investment Company Act from knowingly participating in certain transactions with our affiliates without the prior approval of a majority of our Independent Directors who have no financial interest in the transaction, or in some cases, the prior approval of the SEC. For example, any person that owns, directly or indirectly, 5% or more of our outstanding voting securities is deemed our affiliate for purposes of the Investment Company Act. If this is the only reason such person is our affiliate, we are generally prohibited from buying any asset from, or selling any asset (other than our capital stock) to, such affiliate, absent the prior approval of such directors. The Investment Company Act also prohibits “joint” transactions with an affiliate, which could include joint investments in the same portfolio company, without approval of our Independent Directors or in some cases the prior approval of the SEC. Moreover, except in certain limited circumstances, we are prohibited from buying any asset from or selling any asset to a holder of more than 25% of our voting securities, absent prior approval of the SEC. The analysis of whether a particular transaction constitutes a joint transaction requires a review of the relevant facts and circumstances then existing.

In certain circumstances, we and other Accounts (which may include proprietary accounts of Goldman Sachs) can make negotiated co-investments pursuant to an order from the SEC permitting us to do so. On November 16, 2022, the SEC granted the Relief to the Investment Adviser, the BDCs advised by the Investment Adviser and certain other affiliated applicants. Additionally, if our Investment Adviser forms other funds in the future, we may co-invest alongside such other affiliates, subject to compliance with the Relief, applicable regulations and regulatory guidance, as well as applicable allocation procedures. As a result of the Relief, there could be significant overlap in our investment portfolio and the investment portfolios of other Accounts, including, in some cases, proprietary accounts of Goldman Sachs.

In addition, we have filed an application to amend the Relief to permit us to participate in follow-on investments in our existing portfolio companies with certain affiliates covered by the Relief if such affiliates, that are not BDCs or registered investment companies, did not have an investment in such existing portfolio company. There can be no assurance if and when we will receive the amended exemptive order.

 

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Our activities may be limited as a result of potentially being deemed to be controlled by GS Group Inc., a bank holding company.

GS Group Inc. is a BHC under the BHCA and therefore subject to supervision and regulation by the Federal Reserve. In addition, GS Group Inc. is a FHC under the BHCA, which is a status available to BHCs that meet certain criteria. FHCs may engage in a broader range of activities than BHCs that are not FHCs. However, the activities of FHCs and their affiliates remain subject to certain restrictions imposed by the BHCA and related regulations. Because GS Group Inc. may be deemed to “control” us within the meaning of the BHCA, these restrictions could apply to us as well. Accordingly, the BHCA and other applicable banking laws, rules, regulations and guidelines, and their interpretation and administration by the appropriate regulatory agencies, including the Federal Reserve, may restrict our investments, transactions and operations and may restrict the transactions and relationships between our Investment Adviser, GS Group Inc. and their respective affiliates, on the one hand, and us, on the other hand. For example, the BHCA regulations applicable to GS Group Inc. and to us may restrict our ability to make certain investments or the size of certain investments, impose a maximum holding period on some or all of our investments and restrict our and our Investment Adviser’s ability to participate in the management and operations of the companies in which we invest. In addition, certain BHCA regulations may require aggregation of the positions owned, held or controlled by related entities. Thus, in certain circumstances, positions held by GS Group Inc. and its affiliates (including our Investment Adviser) for client and proprietary accounts may need to be aggregated with positions held by us. In this case, where BHCA regulations impose a cap on the amount of a position that may be held, GS Group Inc. may utilize available capacity to make investments for its proprietary accounts or for the accounts of other clients, which may require us to limit and/or liquidate certain investments.

These restrictions may materially adversely affect us by affecting our Investment Adviser’s ability to pursue certain strategies within our investment program or trade in certain securities. In addition, GS Group Inc. may cease in the future to qualify as an FHC, which may subject us to additional restrictions. Moreover, we can offer no assurance that the bank regulatory requirements applicable to GS Group Inc. and us, or the interpretation thereof, will not change, or that any such change will not have a material adverse effect on us.

GS Group Inc. may in the future, in its sole discretion and without notice to investors, engage in activities impacting us and/or our Investment Adviser in order to comply with the BHCA or other legal requirements applicable to, or reduce or eliminate the impact or applicability of any bank regulations or other restrictions on, GS Group Inc., us or other accounts managed by our Investment Adviser and its affiliates. GS Group Inc. may seek to accomplish this result by causing Goldman Sachs Asset Management to resign as our Investment Adviser, voting for changes to our Board of Directors, causing Goldman Sachs personnel to resign from our Board of Directors, reducing the amount of GS Group Inc.’s investment in us (if any), revoking our right to use the Goldman Sachs name or any combination of the foregoing, or by such other means as it determines in its sole discretion. Any replacement investment adviser appointed by us may be unaffiliated with Goldman Sachs.

Commodity Futures Trading Commission rules may have a negative impact on us and our Investment Adviser.

The CFTC and the SEC have issued final rules establishing that certain swap transactions are subject to CFTC regulation. Engaging in such swap or other commodity interest transactions such as futures contracts or options on futures contracts may cause us to fall within the definition of “commodity pool” under the Commodity Exchange Act and related CFTC regulations. Our Investment Adviser has claimed relief from CFTC registration and regulation as a commodity pool operator pursuant to CFTC Rule 4.5 with respect to our operations, with the result that we will be limited in our ability to use futures contracts or options on futures contracts or engage in swap transactions. Specifically, CFTC Rule 4.5 imposes strict limitations on using such derivatives other than for hedging purposes, whereby the use of derivatives not used solely for hedging purposes is generally limited to situations where (i) the aggregate initial margin and premiums required to establish such positions does not exceed five percent of the liquidation value of our portfolio, after taking into account unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such contracts it has entered into; or (ii) the aggregate net notional value of such derivatives does not exceed 100% of the liquidation value of our portfolio. Moreover, we anticipate entering into transactions involving such derivatives to a very limited extent solely for hedging purposes or otherwise within the limitations of CFTC Rule 4.5.

Our ability to enter into transactions involving derivatives and financial commitment transactions may be limited.

In August 2022, Rule 18f-4 under the Investment Company Act, regarding the ability of a BDC (or a registered investment company) to use derivatives and other transactions that create future payment or delivery obligations (including reverse repurchase agreements and similar financing transactions), became effective. Under the newly adopted rule, BDCs that make significant use of derivatives are subject to a value-at-risk leverage limit, a derivatives risk management program, testing requirements, and requirements related to board reporting. These new requirements will apply unless the BDC qualifies as a “limited derivatives user,” as defined in the rule. Under the new rule, a BDC may enter into an unfunded commitment agreement that is not a derivatives transaction, such as an agreement to provide financing to a portfolio company, if the BDC has, among other things, a reasonable belief, at the time it enters into such an agreement, that it will have sufficient cash and cash equivalents to meet its obligations with respect to all of its unfunded commitment agreements, in each case as it becomes due. Under the final rule, when we trade reverse repurchase agreements or similar financing transactions, including certain tender option bonds, we need to aggregate the amount of indebtedness associated with the reverse repurchase agreements or similar financing transactions with the aggregate amount of any other senior securities representing indebtedness (e.g., bank borrowings, if applicable) when calculating our asset coverage ratio. Collectively, these requirements may limit our ability to use derivatives and/or enter into certain other financial contracts.

 

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Certain investors are limited in their ability to make significant investments in us.

Private funds that are excluded from the definition of “investment company” either pursuant to Section 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the Investment Company Act and certain other unregistered investment companies are restricted from acquiring directly or through a controlled entity more than 3% of our total outstanding voting stock other than in accordance with the Investment Company Act (measured at the time of the acquisition, including through conversion of convertible securities). Investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act and BDCs are also subject to this restriction as well as other regulatory limitations that restrict the amount that they are able to invest in our securities. As a result, certain investors may be precluded from acquiring additional shares at a time that they might desire to do so.

We are subject to risks related to being an “emerging growth company”.

We are and we will remain an “emerging growth company” as defined in the JOBS Act until the earliest of: (1) the last date of the fiscal year during which we had total annual gross revenues of $1.235 billion or more; (2) the date on which we have, during the previous three-year period, issued more than $1 billion in non-convertible debt; (3) the date on which we are deemed to be a “large accelerated filer” as defined under Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act; or (4) the last day of the fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of the first sale of our common equity securities pursuant to an effective Securities Act registration statement. For so long as we remain an “emerging growth company,” we may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public reporting companies that are not “emerging growth companies” including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. We cannot predict if investors will find our shares less attractive because we will rely on some or all of these exemptions. If some investors find our shares less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our shares and our share price may be more volatile.

In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act also provides that an “emerging growth company” can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the 1933 Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. In other words, an “emerging growth company” can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We will take advantage of the extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards, which may make it more difficult for investors and securities analysts to evaluate us since our financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with public company effective dates and may result in less investor confidence.

We are subject to risks arising from compliance with Regulation Best Interest.

Broker-dealers must comply with Regulation Best Interest, which, among other requirements, enhances the existing standard of conduct for broker-dealers and natural persons who are associated persons of a broker-dealer when recommending to a retail customer any securities transaction or investment strategy involving securities to a retail customer. Regulation Best Interest imposes a duty of care for broker-dealers to evaluate reasonably available alternatives in the best interests of their clients. There are likely alternatives to us that are reasonably available to you, through your broker or otherwise, and those alternatives may be less costly or have a lower investment risk. Among other alternatives, listed BDCs may be reasonable alternatives to an investment in our common stock, and may feature characteristics like lower cost, less complexity, and lesser or different risks. Investments in listed securities also often involve nominal or zero commissions at the time of initial purchase. The impact of Regulation Best Interest on broker-dealers participating in our offering cannot be determined at this time, but it may negatively impact whether broker-dealers and their associated persons recommend the private offering of Shares to retail customers. If Regulation Best Interest reduces our ability to raise capital in the private offering of the Shares, it would harm our ability to create a diversified portfolio of investments and achieve our investment objective and would result in our fixed operating costs representing a larger percentage of our gross income.

Risks Relating to Competition

We depend upon management personnel of our Investment Adviser for our future success.

We do not have any employees. We depend on the experience, diligence, skill and network of business contacts of Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit, together with other investment professionals that our Investment Adviser currently retains or may subsequently retain, to identify, evaluate, negotiate, structure, close, monitor and manage our investments. Our future success will depend to a significant extent on the continued service and coordination of our Investment Adviser’s senior investment professionals. The departure of any of our Investment Adviser’s key personnel, including members of the Private Credit Investment Committee, or of a significant number of the investment professionals of our Investment Adviser, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations. In addition, we cannot assure stockholders that our Investment Adviser will remain our investment adviser or that we will continue to have access to our Investment Adviser or its investment professionals. See “—Risks Relating to Our Business and Structure—Our Investment Adviser can resign on 120 days’  notice. We may not be able to find a suitable replacement within that time, resulting in a disruption in our operations that could adversely affect our financial condition, business and results of operations.”

 

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We operate in a highly competitive market for investment opportunities.

A number of entities, including the Accounts and other entities, compete with us to make the types of investments that we make. We compete with other BDCs, commercial and investment banks, commercial financing companies, collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”), private funds, including hedge funds, and, to the extent they provide an alternative form of financing, private equity funds. Many of our competitors are more experienced, substantially larger and have considerably greater financial, technical and marketing resources than we do. Some competitors may have a lower cost of funds and/or access to funding sources that are not available to us. In addition, some of our competitors may have higher risk tolerances or different risk assessments, which could allow them to consider a wider variety of investments and establish more relationships than us. Certain of our competitors are not subject to the regulatory restrictions that the Investment Company Act imposes on us as a BDC and that the Code imposes on us as a RIC. Additionally, an investment opportunity may be appropriate for one or more of us and other Accounts or any other entities managed by our Investment Adviser, and co-investment may not be possible. In such circumstances, the Investment Adviser will adhere to its investment allocation policy in order to determine the Accounts to which to allocate investment opportunities. Also, as a result of this competition, we may not be able to secure attractive investment opportunities from time to time.

We do not seek to compete primarily based on the interest rates we offer, and the Investment Adviser believes that some of our competitors may make loans with interest rates that are comparable to or lower than the rates we offer. Rather, we believe our competitive strengths include: (i) the positioning of Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit within Goldman Sachs, given its associated relationship, sourcing and expertise advantages; (ii) Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit’s experience and breadth as an investor; (iii) Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit’s experienced team and history of investment performance; (iv) Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit’s depth, breadth and duration of relationships with financial sponsors, companies, borrowers and other industry participants; and (v) the alignment of interest between the Fund and the Goldman Sachs private credit platform through side-by-side investments alongside institutional and retail-focused private credit Accounts, which may include proprietary accounts of Goldman Sachs. For a further discussion of our competitive strengths, see Item 1. Business—Competition.”

We may lose investment opportunities if we do not match our competitors’ pricing, terms and structure. If we match our competitors’ pricing, terms and structure, we may experience decreased net interest income and increased risk of credit loss. As a result of operating in such a competitive environment, we may make investments that are on less favorable terms than what we may have originally anticipated, which may impact our return on these investments. We cannot assure investors that the competitive pressures we face will not have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Risks Relating to Our Operations

We are dependent on information systems, and systems failures, as well as operating failures, could significantly disrupt our business, which may, in turn, negatively affect our liquidity, financial condition or results of operations.

Our business is dependent on our Investment Adviser’s and third parties’ communications and information systems. Any failure or interruption of those systems, including as a result of the termination of the Investment Management Agreement or an agreement with any third-party service providers, could cause delays or other problems in our activities. Our financial, accounting, data processing, backup or other operating systems and facilities may fail to operate properly or become disabled or damaged as a result of a number of factors including events that are wholly or partially beyond our control and adversely affect our business. There could be:

 

   

sudden electrical or telecommunications outages;

 

   

natural disasters such as earthquakes, tornadoes and hurricanes;

 

   

disease pandemics;

 

   

events arising from local or larger scale political or social matters, including terrorist acts and acts of war; and/or

 

   

cyber incidents.

 

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In addition to our dependence on information systems, poor operating performance by our service providers could adversely impact us.

These events, in turn, could have a material adverse effect on our operating results and negatively affect the market price of our securities and our ability to pay distributions to our stockholders.

Cybersecurity risks and cyber incidents may adversely affect our business or the business of our portfolio companies by causing a disruption to our operations or the operations of our portfolio companies, a compromise or corruption of our confidential information or the confidential information of our portfolio companies and/or damage to our business relationships or the business relationships of our portfolio companies, all of which could negatively impact the business, financial condition and operating results of us or our portfolio companies.

Cybersecurity risks and cyber incidents have been occurring globally at a more frequent and severe level, and will likely continue to increase in frequency in the future. The occurrence of a disaster, such as a cyber incident against us, any of our portfolio companies, or against a third-party that has access to our data or networks, a natural catastrophe, an industrial accident, failure of our disaster recovery systems, or consequential employee error, could have an adverse effect on our ability to communicate or conduct business, negatively impacting our operations and financial condition. This adverse effect can become particularly acute if those events affect our electronic data processing, transmission, storage, and retrieval systems, or impact the availability, integrity, or confidentiality of our data.

We depend, and our portfolio companies may depend, heavily upon computer systems to perform necessary business functions. Despite the implementation of a variety of security measures, computer systems, networks, and data, like those of other companies, could be subject to cyber incidents and unauthorized access, use, alteration, or destruction, such as from physical and electronic break-ins or unauthorized tampering. If one or more of these events occurs, it could potentially jeopardize the confidential, proprietary, and other information processed, stored in, and transmitted through our computer systems and networks, or otherwise cause interruptions or malfunctions in our operations, which could result in financial losses, litigation, regulatory penalties, client dissatisfaction or loss, reputational damage, and increased costs associated with mitigation of damages and remediation.

Third-party service providers with which we do business may also be sources of cybersecurity or other technological risk. We outsource certain functions and these relationships allow for the storage and processing of our information, as well as client, counterparty, employee, and borrower information. While we engage in actions to reduce our exposure resulting from outsourcing, ongoing threats may result in unauthorized access, loss, exposure, destruction, or other cybersecurity incidents that adversely affects our data, resulting in increased costs and other consequences as described above.

Moreover, the increased use of mobile and cloud technologies due to the proliferation of remote work resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic could heighten these and other operational risks as certain aspects of the security of such technologies may be complex and unpredictable. Reliance on mobile or cloud technology or any failure by mobile technology and cloud service providers to adequately safeguard their systems and prevent cyber incidents could disrupt our operations, the operations of a portfolio company or the operations of our or their service providers and result in misappropriation, corruption or loss of personal, confidential or proprietary information or the inability to conduct ordinary business operations. In addition, there is a risk that encryption and other protective measures may be circumvented, particularly to the extent that new computing technologies increase the speed and computing power available. Extended periods of remote working, whether by us, our portfolio companies, or our service providers, could strain technology resources, introduce operational risks and otherwise heighten the risks described above. Remote working environments may be less secure and more susceptible to hacking attacks, including phishing and social engineering attempts. Accordingly, the risks described above, are heightened under the current conditions.

Goldman Sachs and these third-party service providers have implemented processes, procedures and internal controls to help mitigate cybersecurity risks and cyber intrusions, but these measures, as well as our increased awareness of the nature and extent of a risk of a cyber incident, do not guarantee that a cyber incident will not occur and/or that our financial results, operations or confidential information will not be negatively impacted by such an incident.

In addition, cybersecurity has become a top priority for lawmakers and regulators around the world, and some jurisdictions have proposed or enacted laws requiring companies to notify regulators and individuals of data security breaches involving certain types of personal data. Compliance with such laws and regulations may result in cost increases due to system changes and the development of new administrative processes. If we or our Investment Adviser or certain of its affiliates, fail to comply with the relevant and increasing laws and regulations, we could suffer financial losses, a disruption of our businesses, liability to investors, regulatory intervention or reputational damage.

 

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Risks Relating to Our Business and Structure

We are a new company and have a limited operating history. Investors have limited information to evaluate historical data or assess any of our investments prior to participating in the private offering of the Shares.

We are a new company with a limited operating history, and as a result, we have minimal financial information on which to evaluate an investment in us or our prior performance. Stockholders must rely on us to implement our investment policies, to evaluate all of our investment opportunities and to structure the terms of our investments rather than evaluating our investments in advance of purchasing Shares. Because stockholders are not able to thoroughly evaluate our investments in advance of purchasing our Shares, the private offering of Shares may entail more risk than other types of offerings. This additional risk may hinder the ability of our investors to achieve their own personal investment objectives related to portfolio diversification, risk-adjusted investment returns and other objectives. Additionally, the results of any other Accounts that have or have had an investment program which is similar to, or different from, our investment program are not indicative of the results that we may achieve. We expect to have a different investment portfolio from other Accounts, although as a result of the Relief, there could be significant overlap in our investment portfolio and the investment portfolios of other Accounts (which may include proprietary accounts of Goldman Sachs). Accordingly, our results may differ from and are independent of the results obtained by such other Accounts. Moreover, past performance is no assurance of future returns.

We are subject to all of the business risks and uncertainties associated with any new business, including the risk that we will not achieve our investment objective and that the value of a stockholder’s investment could decline substantially or could become worthless. We anticipate that it could take some time to invest substantially all of the capital we expect to raise due to market conditions generally and the time necessary to identify, evaluate, structure, negotiate and close suitable investments. In order to comply with the RIC diversification requirements during the startup period, we may invest proceeds in temporary investments, such as cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities and other high-quality debt investments that mature in one year or less from the time of investment, which we expect will earn yields substantially lower than the interest, dividend or other income that we seek to receive in respect of suitable portfolio investments. We may not be able to pay any significant distributions during this period, and any such distributions may be substantially lower than the distributions we expect to pay when our portfolio is fully invested. We will pay a Management Fee to our Investment Adviser throughout this interim period irrespective of our performance. If the Management Fee and our other expenses exceed the return on the temporary investments, our equity capital will be eroded.

Global economic, political and market conditions may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations, including our revenue growth and profitability.

The current worldwide financial market situation, as well as various social and political tensions in the United States and around the world, have contributed and may continue to contribute to increased market volatility, may have long-term effects on the United States and worldwide financial markets, and may cause economic uncertainties or deterioration in the United States and worldwide. We monitor developments and seek to manage our investments in a manner consistent with achieving our investment objective, but we can offer no assurance that we will be successful in doing so.

Our business is directly influenced by the economic cycle, and could be negatively impacted by a downturn in economic activity in the United States as well as globally. Fiscal and monetary actions taken by United States and non-U.S. government and regulatory authorities could have a material adverse impact on our business. To the extent uncertainty regarding the U.S. or global economy negatively impacts consumer confidence and consumer credit factors, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected. Moreover, Federal Reserve policy, including with respect to certain interest rates, along with the general policies of the current Presidential administration, may also adversely affect the value, volatility and liquidity of dividend- and interest-paying securities. These conditions, government actions and future developments may cause interest rates and borrowing costs to rise, which may adversely affect our ability to access debt financing on favorable terms and may increase the interest costs of our borrowers, hampering their ability to repay us. Continued or future adverse economic conditions could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

If key economic indicators, such as the unemployment rate or inflation, do not progress at a rate consistent with the Federal Reserve’s objectives, the target range for the federal funds rate may increase and cause interest rates and borrowing costs to rise, which may negatively impact our ability to access the debt markets on favorable terms and may also increase the costs of our borrowers, hampering their ability to repay us. In addition, in 2022, the Federal Reserve raised short-term interest rates and has indicated additional interest rate increases may come.

 

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Legislation may be adopted that could significantly affect the regulation of U.S. financial markets. Areas subject to potential change, amendment or repeal include the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd-Frank Act”) and the authority of the Federal Reserve and the Financial Stability Oversight Council. These or other regulatory changes could result in greater competition from banks and other lenders with which we compete for lending and other investment opportunities. The United States may also potentially withdraw from or renegotiate various trade agreements and take other actions that would change current trade policies of the United States. We cannot predict which, if any, of these actions will be taken or, if taken, their effect on the financial stability of the United States. Such actions could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our Investment Adviser, its principals, investment professionals and employees and the members of its Private Credit Investment Committee may have certain conflicts of interest.

Our Investment Adviser, its principals, affiliates, investment professionals and employees, the members of its Private Credit Investment Committee and our officers and directors serve and may serve in the future as investment advisers, officers, directors, principals of, or in other capacities with respect to, public or private entities (including other BDCs and other investment funds) that operate in the same or a related line of business as us. Certain of these individuals could have obligations to investors in other Accounts, the fulfillment of which is not in our best interests or the best interests of our stockholders, and we expect that investment opportunities will satisfy the investment criteria for both us and such other Accounts. In addition, Goldman Sachs Asset Management and its affiliates also manage other accounts, and expect to manage other vehicles or accounts in the future, that have investment mandates that are similar, in whole or in part, to ours and, accordingly, may invest in asset classes similar to those targeted by us. As a result, the Investment Adviser and/or its affiliates may face conflicts in allocating investment opportunities between us and such other entities. The fact that our investment advisory fees may be lower than those of certain other funds advised by Goldman Sachs Asset Management could result in this conflict of interest affecting us adversely relative to such other funds.

Subject to applicable law, we may invest alongside Goldman Sachs and other Accounts.

As a result of the Relief, there could be significant overlap in our investment portfolio and the investment portfolios of other Accounts, including, in some cases, proprietary accounts of Goldman Sachs. In such circumstances, the Investment Adviser will adhere to its investment allocation policy in order to determine the Accounts to which to allocate investment opportunities. If we are unable to rely on the Relief for a particular opportunity, when our Investment Adviser identifies certain investments, it will be required to determine which Accounts should make the investment at the potential exclusion of other Accounts. Accordingly, it is possible that we may not be given the opportunity to participate in investments made by other Accounts. See—Risks Relating to Legal and Regulatory Matters—Our ability to enter into transactions with our affiliates is restricted.

Goldman Sachs’s financial and other interests may incentivize our Investment Adviser to favor other Accounts.

Our Investment Adviser receives performance-based compensation in respect of its investment management activities on our behalf, which rewards our Investment Adviser for positive performance of our investment portfolio. As a result, our Investment Adviser may make investments for us that present a greater potential for return but also a greater risk of loss or that are more speculative than would be the case in the absence of performance-based compensation. In addition, the Investment Adviser may simultaneously manage other Accounts for which the Investment Adviser may be entitled to receive greater fees or other compensation (as a percentage of performance or otherwise) than it receives in respect of us. In addition, subject to applicable law, Goldman Sachs may invest in other Accounts, and such investments may constitute all or substantial percentages of such other Accounts’ outstanding equity interests. Therefore, the Investment Adviser may have an incentive to favor such other Accounts over us. To address these types of conflicts, the Investment Adviser has adopted policies and procedures under which investment opportunities will be allocated in a manner that it believes is consistent with its obligations as an investment adviser. However, the amount, timing, structuring or terms of an investment by us may differ from, and performance may be different from, the investments and performance of other Accounts.

Our financial condition and results of operations depend on our Investment Adviser’s ability to manage our future growth effectively.

Our ability to achieve our investment objective depends on our Investment Adviser’s ability to identify, invest in and monitor companies that meet our investment criteria. Accomplishing this result on a cost-effective basis is largely a function of the structuring of our investment process and the ability of our Investment Adviser to provide competent, attentive and efficient services to us. Our executive officers and the members of the Private Credit Investment Committee have substantial responsibilities in connection with their roles at our Investment Adviser, with the Accounts, as well as responsibilities under the Investment Management Agreement. We may also be called upon to provide significant managerial assistance to certain of our portfolio companies. These demands on their time, which will increase as the number of investments grow, may distract them or slow the rate of investment. In order to grow, our Investment Adviser may need to hire, train, supervise, manage and retain new employees. However, we cannot assure investors that they will be able to do so effectively. Any failure to manage our future growth effectively could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

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Our ability to grow depends on our access to adequate capital.

If we do not have adequate capital available for investment, our performance could be adversely affected. In addition, we intend to elect to be treated as a RIC, and we intend to qualify for tax treatment as a RIC annually thereafter. To qualify, and to maintain our qualification for tax treatment as a RIC, among other requirements, we are required to timely distribute to our stockholders at least 90% of our investment company taxable income (determined without regard to the dividends paid deduction), which is generally our net ordinary income plus the excess of realized net short-term capital gains over realized net long-term capital losses, if any, for each taxable year. Consequently, such distributions will not be available to fund new investments. We expect to use debt financing and issue additional securities to fund our growth, if any. Unfavorable economic or capital market conditions may increase our funding costs, limit our access to the capital markets or result in a decision by lenders not to extend credit to us. An inability to successfully access the capital markets could limit our ability to grow our business and fully execute our business strategy and could decrease our earnings, if any.

We may borrow money, which may magnify the potential for gain or loss and may increase the risk of investing in us.

As part of our business strategy, we may borrow from and issue senior debt securities to banks, insurance companies and other lenders or investors. Holders of these senior securities or other credit facilities will have claims on our assets that are superior to the claims of our common stockholders. If the value of our assets decreases, leveraging would cause NAV to decline more sharply than it otherwise would have if we did not employ leverage. Similarly, any decrease in our income would cause net income to decline more sharply than it would have had we not borrowed. Such a decline could negatively affect our ability to make distributions to our common stockholders. In addition, we would have to service any additional debt that we incur, including interest expense on debt and dividends on preferred stock that we may issue, as well as the fees and costs related to the entry into or amendments to debt facilities. These expenses (which may be higher than the expenses on our current borrowings due to the rising interest rate environment) would decrease net investment income, and our ability to pay such expenses will depend largely on our financial performance and will be subject to prevailing economic conditions and competitive pressures. Additionally, we will be able to incur additional leverage if we are able to obtain exemptive relief from the SEC to exclude the debt of any small business investment company (“SBIC”) subsidiary we may form in the future from the leverage requirements otherwise applicable to BDCs. We have not yet applied to the Small Business Administration for approval to form a SBIC and may decide not to do so. We can offer no assurances as to whether or when we may form a SBIC subsidiary.

In addition to having claims on our assets that are superior to the claims of our common stockholders, any obligations to the lenders will be secured by a first priority security interest in our portfolio of investments and cash. In the case of a liquidation event, those lenders would receive proceeds to the extent of their security interest before any distributions are made to our stockholders.

We may be unable to obtain our desired leverage, which would, in turn, affect a stockholder’s return on investment.

The Investment Adviser faces conflicts of interest caused by compensation arrangements with us, which could result in actions that are not in the best interests of our stockholders.

The Investment Adviser receives substantial fees from us in return for its services, and these fees could influence the advice provided to us. We pay to the Investment Adviser the Incentive Fee that is based on the performance of our portfolio and the Management Fee that is based on the value of our net assets as of the beginning of the first business day of the month. Because the Incentive Fee is based on the performance of our portfolio, the Investment Adviser may be incentivized to make investments on our behalf that are riskier or more speculative than would be the case in the absence of such compensation arrangement. The way in which the Incentive Fee is determined may also encourage the Investment Adviser to use leverage to increase the return on our investments. The Management Fee is payable even in the event the value of your investment declines. Our compensation arrangements could therefore result in our making riskier or more speculative investments than would otherwise be the case. This could result in higher investment losses, particularly during cyclical economic downturns.

We may be obligated to pay the Investment Adviser incentive compensation even if we incur a net loss due to a decline in the value of our portfolio.

Our Investment Management Agreement entitles the Investment Adviser to receive Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns regardless of any capital losses. In such case, we may be required to pay the Investment Adviser incentive compensation for a fiscal quarter even if there is a decline in the value of our portfolio or if we incur a net loss for that quarter.

In addition, any Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns may be computed and paid on income that may include interest that has been accrued but not yet received. If a portfolio company defaults on a loan that is structured to provide accrued interest, it is possible that accrued interest previously included in the calculation of the Incentive Fee will become uncollectible. The Investment Adviser is not under any obligation to reimburse us for any part of the Incentive Fee it received that was based on accrued income that we never received as a result of a default by an entity on the obligation that resulted in the accrual of such income, and such circumstances would result in our paying an incentive fee on income we never received. In addition, as leverage generally would magnify positive returns, if any, on our portfolio, the use of leverage may cause our Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns to exceed the quarterly hurdle rate for the Incentive Fee on income payable to our Investment Adviser at a lower average return on our portfolio.

 

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Potential conflicts of interest with other businesses of Goldman Sachs could impact our investment returns.

There are significant potential conflicts of interest that could negatively impact our investment returns. A number of these potential conflicts of interest with affiliates of our Investment Adviser and GS Group Inc. are discussed in more detail elsewhere in this Registration Statement.

GS Group Inc. is a publicly held FHC and a leading global financial institution that provides investment banking, securities and investment management services to a diversified client base, including companies and high-net-worth individuals, among others. As such, it acts as an investor, investment banker, research provider, investment manager, financier, adviser, market maker, trader, prime broker, derivatives dealer, lender, counterparty, agent and principal. In those and other capacities, Goldman Sachs and its affiliates advise clients in all markets and transactions and purchase, sell, hold and recommend a broad array of investments, including securities, derivatives, loans, commodities, currencies, credit default swaps, indices, baskets and other financial instruments and products for its own accounts or for the accounts of their customers, and have other direct and indirect interests in the global fixed income, currency, commodity, equity, bank loans and other markets in which we invest or may invest. Such additional businesses and interests will likely give rise to potential conflicts of interest and may restrict the way we operate our business. For example, (1) we may not be able to conduct transactions relating to investments in portfolio companies because our Investment Adviser is not permitted to obtain or use material nonpublic information in effecting purchases and sales in public securities transactions for us or (2) Goldman Sachs, the clients it advises, and its personnel may engage (or consider engaging) in commercial arrangements or transactions with us (subject to any limitations under the law), and/or may compete for commercial arrangements or transactions in the same types of companies, assets, securities or other assets or instruments as us. Transactions by, advice to and activities of such accounts (including potentially Goldman Sachs acting on a proprietary basis), may involve the same or related companies, securities or other assets or instruments as those in which we invest and may negatively affect us (including our ability to engage in a transaction or other activities) or the prices or terms at which our transactions or other activities may be affected. For example, Goldman Sachs may be engaged to provide advice to an account that is considering entering into a transaction with us, and Goldman Sachs may advise the account not to pursue the transaction with us, or otherwise in connection with a potential transaction provide advice to the account that would be adverse to us. See “—Risks Relating to Our Business and Structure—Our Investment Adviser, its principals, investment professionals and employees and the members of its Private Credit Investment Committee may have certain conflicts of interest” and “—Risks Relating to Legal and Regulatory Matters—Our ability to enter into transactions with our affiliates is restricted.”

In addition, subject to applicable law, GS & Co. may, to the extent permitted by applicable law, including the limitations set forth in Section 57(k) of the Investment Company Act, receive compensation from us or from the borrowers if we make any investments based on opportunities that such employees or personnel of GS & Co. have referred to us. Such compensation might incentivize GS & Co. or its employees or personnel to refer opportunities or to recommend investments that might otherwise be unsuitable for us. Further, any such compensation paid by us, or paid by the borrower (to which we would otherwise have been entitled) in connection with such investments, may negatively impact our returns. Furthermore, Goldman Sachs is currently, and in the future expects to be, raising capital for new public and private investment vehicles that have, or when formed will have, the primary purpose of directly originating senior secured corporate credit. These investment vehicles, as well as existing investment vehicles (including other Accounts), will compete with us for investments. Although our Investment Adviser and its affiliates will endeavor to allocate investment opportunities among its clients, including us, in a fair and equitable manner and consistent with applicable allocation procedures, it is expected that, in the future, we may not be given the opportunity to participate in investments made by other Accounts or that we may participate in such investments to a lesser extent due to participation by such other Accounts.

In addition, Goldman Sachs or another investment account or vehicle managed or controlled by Goldman Sachs or another client of the Investment Adviser may hold securities, loans or other instruments of a portfolio company in a different class or a different part of the capital structure than securities, loans or other instruments of such portfolio company held by us. As a result, Goldman Sachs or such other investment account or vehicle or such other client of the Investment Adviser may pursue or enforce rights or activities, or refrain from pursuing or enforcing rights or activities, on behalf of its own account, that could have an adverse effect on us. In addition, to the extent Goldman Sachs has invested in a portfolio company for its own account, Goldman Sachs may limit the transactions engaged in by us with respect to such portfolio company or issuer for reputational, legal, regulatory or other reasons.

Stockholders should note the matters discussed in “—Legal and RegulatoryOur ability to enter into transactions with our affiliates is restricted.

 

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Our Board of Directors may change our investment objective, operating policies and strategies without prior notice or stockholder approval.

Our Board of Directors has the authority to modify or waive certain of our operating policies and strategies without prior notice (except as required by the Investment Company Act or other applicable laws) and without stockholder approval. However, absent stockholder approval, we may not change the nature of our business so as to cease to be, or withdraw our election as, a BDC. We cannot predict the effect any changes to our current operating policies and strategies would have on our business, operating results and market price of our securities. Nevertheless, the effects may adversely affect our business and impact our ability to make distributions or make payments with respect to our indebtedness.

Our Investment Adviser can resign on 120 days’ notice. We may not be able to find a suitable replacement within that time, resulting in a disruption in our operations that could adversely affect our financial condition, business and results of operations.

Our Investment Adviser has the right, under the Investment Management Agreement, to resign at any time upon 120 days’ written notice, regardless of whether we have found a replacement. If our Investment Adviser resigns, we may not be able to find a new external investment adviser or hire internal management with similar expertise and ability to provide the same or equivalent services on acceptable terms within 120 days, or at all. If we are unable to do so quickly, our operations are likely to experience a disruption, our financial condition, business and results of operations as well as our ability to pay distributions are likely to be adversely affected, and the market price of our securities may decline.

Our Investment Adviser’s responsibilities and its liability to us are limited under the Investment Management Agreement, which may lead our Investment Adviser to act in a riskier manner on our behalf than it would when acting for its own account.

Our Investment Adviser has not assumed any responsibility to us other than to render the services described in the Investment Management Agreement, and it will not be responsible for any action of our Board of Directors in declining to follow our Investment Adviser’s advice or recommendations. Pursuant to the Investment Management Agreement, our Investment Adviser and its directors, members, stockholders, partners, officers, employees or controlling persons will not be liable to us for its acts under the Investment Management Agreement, absent willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of its duties, or by reason of its reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under the Investment Management Agreement. These protections may lead our Investment Adviser to act in a riskier manner when acting on our behalf than it would when acting for its own account. See “—The Investment Adviser faces conflicts of interest caused by compensation arrangements with us, which could result in actions that are not in the best interests of our stockholders.

We may experience fluctuations in our quarterly results.

We could experience fluctuations in our quarterly operating results due to a number of factors, including interest rates payable on debt investments we make, default rates on such investments, the level of our expenses, variations in and the timing of the recognition of realized and unrealized gains or losses, the degree to which we encounter competition in certain markets and general economic conditions. As a result of these factors, results for any period should not be relied upon as being indicative of performance in future periods or the full fiscal year.

We are subject to risks related to corporate social responsibility.

Our business faces increasing public scrutiny related to ESG activities, which are increasingly considered to contribute to the long-term sustainability of a company’s performance. A variety of organizations measure the performance of companies on ESG topics, and the results of these assessments are widely publicized. In addition, investment in funds that specialize in companies that perform well in such assessments are increasingly popular, and major institutional investors have publicly emphasized the importance of such ESG measures to their investment decisions.

Our brand and reputation may be negatively impacted if we fail to act responsibly in a number of areas, such as considering ESG factors in our investment processes. Adverse incidents with respect to ESG activities could impact the value of our brand and our relationships with investors, which could adversely affect our business and results of operations.

Additionally, new regulatory initiatives related to ESG could adversely affect our business. The SEC has proposed rules that, in addition to other matters, would establish a framework for reporting of climate-related risks. For example, the SEC has announced that it may require disclosure of certain ESG-related matters. There is a risk that a significant reorientation in the market following the implementation of these and further measures could be adverse to our portfolio companies if they are perceived to be less valuable as a consequence of, for example, their carbon footprint or “greenwashing” (i.e., the holding out of a product as having green or sustainable characteristics where this is not, in fact, the case). We are, and our portfolio companies may be, or could in the future become subject to the risk that similar measures might be introduced in other jurisdictions in the future. At this time, there is uncertainty regarding the scope of such proposals or when they would become effective (if at all). Compliance with any new laws or regulations increases our regulatory burden and could make compliance more difficult and expensive, affect the manner in which we or our portfolio companies conduct our businesses and adversely affect our profitability.

 

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Risks Relating to Our Investments

Our investments will be very risky and highly speculative.

We expect the Fund to hold primarily directly originated, first lien senior secured, floating rate debt of companies located primarily in the United States and, to a lesser extent, in non-US jurisdictions. The Fund may also invest to a lesser extent in second lien loans, unsecured, subordinated or PIK debt and equity and equity-like instruments. Our debt investments may be rated by an NRSRO, and, in such case, generally will carry a rating below investment grade (rated lower than “Baa3” by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or lower than “BBB-” by Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services). We may also invest in debt instruments that are not rated by an NRSRO, though we expect that our unrated debt investments will generally have credit quality consistent with below investment grade instruments. These securities, which may be referred to as “junk bonds,” “high yield bonds” or “leveraged loans,” have predominantly speculative characteristics with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal. These securities are subject to greater risk of loss of principal and interest than higher-rated and comparable non-rated securities. They are also generally considered to be subject to greater risk than securities with higher ratings or comparable non-rated securities in the case of deterioration of general economic conditions. Because investors generally perceive that there are greater risks associated with lower-rated and comparable non-rated securities, the yields and prices of such securities may be more volatile than those for higher-rated and comparable non-rated securities. The market for lower-rated and comparable non-rated securities is thinner, often less liquid and less active than that for higher-rated or comparable non-rated securities, which can adversely affect the prices at which these securities can be sold and may even make it impractical to sell such securities.

In addition, we may also originate “covenant-lite” loans, which are loans with fewer financial maintenance covenants than other obligations, or no financial maintenance covenants. Such covenant-lite loans may not include terms that allow the lender to monitor the performance of the borrower or to declare a default if certain criteria are breached. These flexible covenants (or the absence of covenants) could permit borrowers to experience a significant downturn in their results of operations without triggering any default that would permit holders of their debt (such as the Fund) to accelerate indebtedness or negotiate terms and pricing. Accordingly, to the extent we invest in “covenant-lite” loans, we may have fewer rights against a borrower and may have a greater risk of loss on such investments as compared to investments in or exposure to loans with financial maintenance covenants. Therefore, our investments may result in an above-average amount of risk and volatility or loss of principal. We also may invest in other assets, including U.S. government securities and structured securities. These investments entail additional risks that could adversely affect our investment returns.

Secured Debt. When we make a secured debt investment, we generally take a security interest in the available assets of the portfolio company, including the equity interests of any subsidiaries, which we expect to help mitigate the risk that we will not be repaid. However, there is a risk that the collateral securing our debt investment may decrease in value over time, may be difficult to sell in a timely manner, may be difficult to appraise and may fluctuate in value based upon the success of the business and market conditions, including as a result of the inability of the portfolio company to raise additional capital. In some circumstances, our lien could be subordinated to claims of other creditors, such as trade creditors. In addition, deterioration in a portfolio company’s financial condition and prospects, including its inability to raise additional capital, may be accompanied by deterioration in the value of the collateral for the debt investment. Consequently, the fact that our debt is secured does not guarantee that we will receive principal and interest payments according to the debt investment’s terms, or at all, or that we will be able to collect on the loan, in full or at all, should we enforce our remedies.

Unsecured Debt, including Mezzanine Debt. Our unsecured debt investments, including mezzanine debt investments, generally will be subordinated to senior debt in the event of an insolvency. This may result in an above average amount of risk and loss of principal.

Revolving Credit Facilities. We intend to acquire or originate revolving credit facilities from time to time in connection with our investments in other assets, which may result in the Fund holding unemployed funds, negatively impacting our returns.

Equity Investments. When we invest in secured debt or unsecured debt, including mezzanine debt, we may acquire equity securities from the company in which we make the investment. In addition, we may invest in the equity securities of portfolio companies independent of any debt investment. Our goal is ultimately to dispose of such equity interests and realize gains upon our disposition of such interests. However, the equity interests we hold may not appreciate in value and, in fact, may decline in value. Accordingly, we may not be able to realize gains from our equity interests, and any gains that we do realize on the disposition of any equity interests may not be sufficient to offset any other losses we experience.

 

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We will have exposure to credit risk and other risks related to credit investments.

Our investments will be subject to liquidity, market value, credit, interest rate and certain other risks. In addition, we cannot assure you that the Investment Adviser will correctly evaluate the nature and magnitude of the various factors that could affect the value and return of our investments. These risks could be exacerbated to the extent that the portfolio is concentrated in one or more particular types of investments or industry sectors or regions.

Prices of our investments may be volatile and may fluctuate as a result of a variety of factors that are inherently difficult to predict, including changes in interest rates, prevailing credit spreads, general economic conditions, financial market conditions, domestic and international economic or political events, developments or trends in any particular industry, and the financial condition of the issuers or obligors of the investments. Investments that become non-performing, or defaulted loans or securities may become subject to a workout negotiation or restructuring. This may entail a substantial reduction in the interest rate, a substantial write-down of principal, and a substantial change in the terms, conditions and covenants of these investments. To the extent that defaulted investments are sold, it is unlikely that the sale proceeds will be equal to the amount of unpaid principal and interest thereon. In addition, we may incur additional expenses to the extent we are required to seek recovery upon a default or to participate in the restructuring of a non-performing or defaulted investment. We can offer no assurance as to the levels of defaults and / or recoveries that may be experienced on the investments.

Secured investments may also be subject to the risk that the security interests granted by the portfolio company obligors in the underlying collateral are not properly or fully perfected in favor of lenders (or their agents). Compounding these risks, the collateral securing the secured investments may be subject to casualty, impairment or devaluation risks.

Portfolio companies may also be permitted to issue additional indebtedness that would increase the overall leverage and fixed charges to which the portfolio companies are subject. Such additional indebtedness could have structural or contractual priority, either as to specific assets or generally, over the ranking of the investments held by us or could rank on a parity or seniority basis with respect to our investments. In the event of any default, restructuring or insolvency event of a portfolio company, we could be subordinated to, or be required to share on a ratable basis with, any recoveries in favor of the holders of such other or additional indebtedness. Our recoveries may be impaired as a result of the rights of holders of other indebtedness under any intercreditor agreement governing the relative rights of the indebtedness.

Our debt investments may also have no amortization and limited interim repayment requirements, which may increase the risk that a portfolio company will not be able to repay or refinance the debt investment when it comes due at its final stated maturity.

Inflation may adversely affect the business, results of operations and financial condition of our portfolio companies.

Certain of our portfolio companies may be impacted by inflation, such as current inflation related to global supply chain disruptions. Recent inflationary pressures have increased the costs of labor, energy and raw materials and have adversely affected consumer spending, economic growth and our portfolio companies’ operations. Certain of our portfolio companies may be in industries that have been, or are expected to be, affected by inflation. If such portfolio companies are unable to pass any increases in their costs along to their customers, it could adversely affect their results and impact their ability to pay interest and principal on our loans. In addition, any projected future decreases in our portfolio companies’ operating results due to inflation could adversely impact the fair value of those investments. Any decreases in the fair value of our investments could result in unrealized losses and therefore reduce our net assets resulting from operations.

While the United States and other developed economies are experiencing higher-than-normal inflation rates, it remains uncertain whether substantial inflation will be sustained over an extended period of time or have a significant effect on the U.S. economy or other economies. Inflation may affect our investments adversely in a number of ways, including those noted above. During periods of rising inflation, interest and dividend rates of any instruments we or our portfolio companies may have issued could increase, which would tend to reduce returns to our investors. Inflationary expectations or periods of rising inflation could also be accompanied by the rising prices of commodities that are critical to the operation of portfolio companies as noted above. Portfolio companies may have fixed income streams and, therefore, be unable to pay their debts when they become due. The market value of such investments may decline in value in times of higher inflation rates. Some of our portfolio investments may have income linked to inflation through contractual rights or other means. However, as inflation may affect both income and expenses, any increase in income may not be sufficient to cover increases in expenses. Governmental efforts to curb inflation often have negative effects on the level of economic activity. In an attempt to stabilize inflation, certain countries have imposed wage and price controls at times. Past governmental efforts to curb inflation have also involved more drastic economic measures that have had a materially adverse effect on the level of economic activity in the countries where such measures were employed. We can offer no assurance that continued and more widespread inflation in the United States and/or other economies will not become a serious problem in the future and have a material adverse impact on us.

 

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We will be exposed to risks associated with changes in interest rates, including the current rising interest rate environment.

Debt investments that we make may be based on floating rates, such as SOFR (as defined below), LIBOR, the Euro Interbank Offered Rate, the Federal Funds Rate or the Prime Rate. General interest rate fluctuations may have a substantial negative impact on our investments, the value of our securities and our rate of return on invested capital. It is unclear how increased regulatory oversight and the future of LIBOR may affect market liquidity and the value of the financial obligations to be held by or issued to us that are linked to LIBOR, or how such changes could affect our investments and transactions and financial condition or results of operations. Historically, the London Inter-Bank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) was the basic rate of interest used in lending transactions between banks on the London interbank market and is widely used as a reference for setting the interest rate on loans globally. In July 2017, the Financial Conduct Authority announced its intention to cease sustaining the LIBOR, by the end of 2021. As of January 1, 2023, US-dollar (“USD”) LIBOR is available in five settings (overnight, one-month, three-month, six-month and 12-month). The ICE Benchmark Administration has stated that it will cease to publish all remaining USD LIBOR settings immediately following their publication on June 30, 2023. Recently the ICE Benchmark Administration further announced that it will publish “synthetic” USD LIBOR rates until September 2024. It is not yet known how synthetic LIBOR will be incorporated into credit facilities, if at all.

In April 2018, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York began publishing its alternative rate, the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”). The Bank of England followed suit in April 2018 by publishing its proposed alternative rate, the Sterling Overnight Index Average (“SONIA”). Each of SOFR and SONIA significantly differ from LIBOR in how each rate is calculated and potentially in the actual rate as well. Because we intend to borrow money, and may issue preferred stock to finance investments, our net investment income depends, in part, upon the difference between the rate at which we borrow funds or pay distributions on preferred stock and the rate that our investments yield. As a result, we can offer no assurance that a significant change in market interest rates will not have a material adverse effect on our net investment income.

A reduction in the interest rates on new investments relative to interest rates on current investments could also have an adverse impact on our net interest income. However, an increase in interest rates could decrease the value of any investments we hold which earn fixed interest rates, including subordinated loans, senior and junior secured and unsecured debt securities and loans and high yield bonds, and also could increase our interest expense, thereby decreasing our net income. Also, an increase in interest rates available to investors could make an investment in our common stock less attractive if we are not able to increase our dividend rate, which could reduce the value of our common stock. Further, rising interest rates could also adversely affect our performance if such increases cause our borrowing costs to rise at a rate in excess of the rate that our investments yield.

In 2022, the Federal Reserve raised short-term interest rates and has indicated additional interest rate increases may come. Changing interest rates may have unpredictable effects on markets, may result in heightened market volatility and may detract from our performance to the extent we are exposed to such interest rates and/or volatility. In periods of rising interest rates, such as the current interest rate environment, to the extent we borrow money subject to a floating interest rate, our cost of funds would increase, which could reduce our net investment income. Further, rising interest rates could also adversely affect our performance if such increases cause our borrowing costs to rise at a rate in excess of the rate that our investments yield. Further, rising interest rates could also adversely affect our performance if we hold investments with floating interest rates, subject to specified minimum interest rates (such as a LIBOR or SOFR floor, as applicable), while at the same time engaging in borrowings subject to floating interest rates not subject to such minimums. In such a scenario, rising interest rates may increase our interest expense, even though our interest income from investments is not increasing in a corresponding manner as a result of such minimum interest rates.

If general interest rates continue to rise, there is a risk that the portfolio companies in which we hold floating rate securities will be unable to pay escalating interest amounts, which could result in a default under their loan documents with us. Rising interest rates could also cause portfolio companies to shift cash from other productive uses to the payment of interest, which may have a material adverse effect on their business and operations and could, over time, lead to increased defaults. In addition, rising interest rates may increase pressure on us to provide fixed rate loans to our portfolio companies, which could adversely affect our net investment income, as increases in our cost of borrowed funds would not be accompanied by increased interest income from such fixed-rate investments.

A change in the general level of interest rates can be expected to lead to a change in the interest rates we receive on many of our debt investments. Accordingly, a change in the interest rate could make it easier for us to meet or exceed the performance threshold in the Investment Management Agreement and may result in a substantial increase in the amount of incentive fees payable to our Investment Adviser with respect to the portion of the Incentive Fee based on income.

 

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Many of our portfolio securities do not have a readily available market price, and we will value these securities at fair value as determined in good faith in accordance with the Investment Company Act, which valuation is inherently subjective and may not reflect what we may actually realize for the sale of the investment.

The majority of our investments are, and are expected to continue to be, in debt instruments that do not have readily ascertainable market prices. The fair value of assets that are not publicly traded or whose market prices are not readily available will be determined in good faith under procedures adopted by the Investment Adviser, as the valuation designee. As the valuation designee, the Investment Adviser is primarily responsible for the valuation of our assets, subject to the oversight of the Board, in accordance with Rule 2a-5 under the Investment Company Act. As the valuation designee, the Investment Adviser utilizes the services of independent third-party valuation firms (“Independent Valuation Advisors”) engaged by us in determining the fair value of a portion of the securities in our portfolio. Investment professionals from our Investment Adviser will also recommend portfolio company valuations using sources and/or proprietary models depending on the availability of information on our assets and the type of asset being valued, all in accordance with our valuation policy. The participation of our Investment Adviser in our valuation process could result in a conflict of interest because our Investment Adviser is receiving a performance-based Incentive Fee.

In addition, the Investment Adviser may value an identical asset differently than Goldman Sachs, another division or unit within Goldman Sachs, or another Account values the asset, including because Goldman Sachs, or such other division, or unit, or Account has information or uses valuation techniques and models that it does not share with, or that are different from those of the Investment Adviser or from us. These valuation differences for the same asset can result in significant differences in the treatment of such asset by the Investment Adviser, Goldman Sachs, and other divisions or units of Goldman Sachs, and/or among Accounts (for example, with respect to an asset that is a loan, there can be differences when it is determined that such loan is deemed to be on nonaccrual status and/or in default). See Item 7. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence—Potential Categories of Conflicts of Interest—Management of the Fund by the Investment Adviser—Valuation and Accounting Treatment of the Fund’s Investments.”

Because fair valuations, and particularly fair valuations of private securities and private companies, are inherently uncertain, may fluctuate over short periods of time and are often based to a large extent on estimates, comparisons and qualitative evaluations of private information, it may be more difficult for investors to value accurately our investments and could lead to undervaluation or overvaluation of our common stock. In addition, the valuation of these types of securities may result in substantial write-downs and earnings volatility.

On December 3, 2020, the SEC announced that it adopted Rule 2a-5 under the Investment Company Act, which establishes an updated regulatory framework for determining fair value in good faith for purposes of the Investment Company Act. The new rule clarifies how fund boards can satisfy their valuation obligations in light of recent market developments. The rule will permit boards, subject to board oversight and certain other conditions, to designate certain parties to perform the fair value determinations. The new rule went into effect on March 8, 2021 and had a compliance date of September 8, 2022. In accordance with this rule and as discussed above, our Board of Directors has designated our Investment Adviser as the valuation designee primarily responsible for the valuation of our assets, subject to the oversight of the Board of Directors, and we are in compliance with this rule.

Our NAV as of a particular date may be materially greater than or less than the value that would be realized if our assets were to be liquidated as of such date. For example, if we were required to sell a certain asset or all or a substantial portion of our assets on a particular date, the actual price that we would realize upon the disposition of such asset or assets could be materially less than the value of such asset or assets as reflected in our NAV. Volatile market conditions could also cause reduced liquidity in the market for certain assets, which could result in liquidation values that are materially less than the values of such assets as reflected in our NAV.

The lack of liquidity in our investments may adversely affect our business.

Various restrictions will render our investments relatively illiquid, which may adversely affect our business. As we will generally make investments in private companies, substantially all of these investments are subject to legal and other restrictions on resale or are otherwise less liquid than publicly traded securities. Our Investment Adviser is not permitted to obtain or use material non-public information in effecting purchases and sales in public securities transactions for us, which could create an additional limitation on the liquidity of our investments. The illiquidity of our investments may make it difficult for us to sell such investments if the need arises. Therefore, if we are required to or desire to liquidate all or a portion of our portfolio quickly, we could realize significantly less than the value at which we have recorded our investments or could be unable to dispose of our investments in a timely manner or at such times as we deem advisable.

 

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Our portfolio may be focused initially in a limited number of portfolio companies, which will subject us to a risk of significant loss if any of these companies defaults on its obligations under any of its debt instruments or if there is a downturn in a particular industry.

We are classified as a non-diversified investment company within the meaning of the Investment Company Act, which means that we are not limited by the Investment Company Act with respect to the proportion of our assets that we may invest in securities of a single issuer, excluding limitations on investments in certain other financial and investment companies. To the extent that we assume large positions in the securities of a small number of issuers or industries, our NAV may fluctuate to a greater extent than that of a diversified investment company as a result of changes in the financial condition or the market’s assessment of the issuer. We may also be more susceptible to any single economic or regulatory occurrence than a diversified investment company. In addition, the aggregate returns we realize may be significantly adversely affected if a small number of investments perform poorly or if we need to write down the value of any one investment. Additionally, a downturn in any particular industry in which we are invested could significantly affect our aggregate returns. Further, any industry in which we are meaningfully concentrated at any given time could be subject to significant risks that could adversely impact our aggregate returns.

We may not be in a position to exercise control over our portfolio companies or to prevent decisions by management of our portfolio companies that could decrease the value of our investments.

We will not generally hold controlling equity positions in our portfolio companies. While we are obligated as a BDC to offer to make managerial assistance available to our portfolio companies, we can offer no assurance that management personnel of our portfolio companies will accept or rely on such assistance. To the extent that we do not hold a controlling equity interest in a portfolio company, we are subject to the risk that such portfolio company may make business decisions with which we disagree, and the stockholders and management of such portfolio company may take risks or otherwise act in ways that are adverse to our interests. Due to the lack of liquidity for the debt and equity investments that we may hold in our portfolio companies, we may not be able to dispose of our investments in the event we disagree with the actions of a portfolio company and may therefore suffer a decrease in the value of our investments.

In addition, we may not be in a position to control any portfolio company by investing in its debt securities. As a result, we are subject to the risk that a portfolio company in which we invest may make business decisions with which we disagree and the management of such company, as representatives of the holders of their common equity, may take risks or otherwise act in ways that do not serve our interests as debt investors.

We may be subject to risks arising from mezzanine debt investments.

Mezzanine debt investments are typically junior in right of payment or by reason of being unsecured or secured on a junior lien basis to the obligations of the entity to senior or senior secured lenders. Mezzanine debt may also be issued by holding companies or by operating companies with subsidiaries that are not guarantors, in which case, such mezzanine debt would be effectively subordinated to all obligations of non-guarantor subsidiaries of any such operating company, including trade creditors and employees. Further, the enforceability or effectiveness of guarantees by subsidiaries of indebtedness of issuers of mezzanine debt may be limited by applicable laws. If a portfolio company defaults on our investment or debt senior to our investment, or in the event of a portfolio company bankruptcy, our mezzanine security may be satisfied only after the senior debt is paid in full. As a result, we may not recover some or all of our investment, which could result in losses.

Mezzanine debt generally will be subject to the prior repayment of different classes of senior debt that may be “layered” ahead of the debt held by us by reason of being senior in right of payment or secured or secured on a senior basis or issued by subsidiaries of the portfolio company that are not guarantors. In the event of financial difficulty on the part of a portfolio company, such class or classes of senior indebtedness ranking prior to the debt investment held by us, and interest thereon and related expenses, generally must first be repaid in full before any recovery may be had on our mezzanine debt investment. Mezzanine debt investments are characterized by greater credit risks than those associated with the most senior obligations of the same borrower, in particular where those senior obligations are secured. In addition, under certain circumstances the holders of the senior indebtedness will have the right to block the payment of interest and principal on our investment and to prevent us from pursuing remedies on account of such non-payment against the company. Further, in the event of any debt restructuring or workout of the indebtedness of any company, the holders of the senior indebtedness may often exert significant control over the outcome of the creditor side of such negotiations.

Mezzanine debt investments may also be in the form of PIK loans or bonds, where all or a portion of the interest is not paid in cash but is capitalized periodically. These investments typically experience greater volatility in market value due to changes in the interest rates than loans or bonds that provide for regular payments of interest.

 

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We may be subject to risks arising from investing in distressed debt and undervalued debt.

We may invest in distressed debt and portfolios of distressed debt and in debt that the Investment Adviser views as having an attractive risk-reward profile. Although these types of purchases may result in significant returns, they involve a high degree of risk and may not show any return for a considerable period of time, if ever. In addition, certain debt of the Fund may become distressed after investment. If a portfolio company, expected to be stable, deteriorates and becomes involved in a reorganization or liquidation proceeding, we may lose our entire investment or may be required to accept cash or other assets with a value less than our original investment. In addition, distressed investments may require active participation by the Investment Adviser and its representatives. This may expose us to greater litigation risks than may be present with other types of investing or may restrict our ability to dispose of our investment. We may also be required to hold such assets for a substantial period of time before realizing their anticipated value and/or to sell assets which were believed to be undervalued when acquired at a substantial loss if such assets are not in fact undervalued.

We may be subject to risks associated with subordinated debt.

We may acquire and/or originate junior lien or subordinated debt investments. If a borrower defaults on a junior lien or subordinated loan or on debt senior in right of payment or as to the proceeds of collateral to our debt investment, or in the event of the bankruptcy of a borrower, the debt investment will be satisfied only after, in the case of junior lien debt, the proceeds of collateral are applied to repay senior lien debt or, in the case of subordinated debt, the senior debt is repaid in full. Under the terms of typical intercreditor or subordination agreements, senior creditors may be able to block the exercise of remedies or the acceleration of the subordinated debt or the exercise by holders of junior lien or subordinated debt of other rights they may have as creditors or in respect of collateral. Accordingly, we may not be able to take the steps necessary or sufficient to protect our investments in a timely manner or at all. In addition, junior lien or subordinated debt may not always be protected by financial covenants or limitations upon additional indebtedness, may have limited liquidity and may not be rated by a credit rating agency. If a borrower declares bankruptcy, we may not have full or any recourse to the assets of the borrower, or the assets of the borrower may not be sufficient to satisfy the loan. Further, the Investment Adviser’s ability to amend the terms of our loans, assign its loans, accept prepayments, exercise its remedies and control decisions made in bankruptcy proceedings may be limited by intercreditor arrangements. In addition, the risks associated with junior lien or subordinated debt include a greater possibility that adverse changes in the financial condition of the obligor or in general economic conditions (including a sustained period of rising interest rates or an economic downturn) may adversely affect the borrower’s ability to pay principal and interest on its debt. Many obligors on junior lien or subordinated loan securities are highly leveraged, and specific developments affecting such obligors, including reduced cash flow from operations or the inability to refinance debt at maturity, may also adversely affect such obligors’ ability to meet debt service obligations. The level of risk associated with investments in subordinated debt increases if such investments are debt of distressed or below investment grade issuers. Default rates for junior lien or subordinated debt securities have historically been higher than has been the case for investment grade securities.

We may be subject to risks associated with unsecured debt.

We may invest in unsecured indebtedness in portfolio companies where a significant portion of such companies’ senior or junior lien indebtedness may be secured. In such situations, our ability to influence such portfolio company’s affairs, especially during periods of financial distress or following an insolvency, is likely to be substantially less than that of senior or junior lien creditors.

We may be subject to risks arising from revolving credit facilities.

We intend to acquire or originate revolving credit facilities from time to time in connection with our investments in other assets, including term loans. A revolving credit facility is a line of credit in which the borrower pays the lender a commitment fee during a commitment period and is then allowed to draw from the line of credit from time to time until the end of such commitment period. The borrower of a revolving credit facility is typically permitted to draw thereunder for any reason, including to fund its operational requirements, to make acquisitions or to reserve cash, so long as certain customary conditions are met. Outstanding draw-downs under such revolving credit facilities can therefore fluctuate on a day-to-day basis, which may generate operational and other costs for us. If the borrower of a revolving credit facility draws down on the facility, we would be obligated to fund the amounts due.

We can offer no assurance that a borrower of a revolving credit facility will fully draw down its available credit thereunder, and in many cases a borrower with sufficient liquidity may forego drawing down its available credit thereunder in favor of obtaining other liquidity sources. As a result, we are likely to hold unemployed funds, and investments in revolving credit facilities may therefore adversely affect our returns.

 

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We may be subject to risks arising from purchases of secondary debt.

We may invest in secondary loans and secondary debt securities. We are unlikely to be able to negotiate the terms of secondary debt as part of its acquisition and, as a result, these investments likely will not include some of the covenants and protections we may generally seek. Even if such covenants and protections are included in the investments, the terms of the investments may provide portfolio companies substantial flexibility in determining compliance with such covenants. In addition, the terms on which secondary debt is traded may represent a combination of the general state of the market for such investments and either favorable or unfavorable assessments of particular investments by the sellers thereof.

We may be subject to risks arising from assignments and participations.

We may acquire investments directly (by way of assignment) or indirectly (by way of participation). As described in more detail below, holders of participation interests are subject to additional risks not applicable to a holder of a direct interest in a debt obligation.

The purchaser of an assignment of a debt obligation typically succeeds to all the rights and obligations of the selling institution and becomes a party to the applicable documentation relating to the debt obligation. In contrast, participations acquired by us in a portion of a debt obligation held by a seller typically result in a contractual relationship only with such seller, not with the obligor. We would have the right to receive payments of principal, interest and any fees to which it is entitled under the participation only from the seller and only upon receipt by the seller of such payments from the obligor. In purchasing a participation, we generally will have neither the right to enforce compliance by the obligor with the terms of the documentation relating to the debt obligation nor any rights of set-off against the obligor, and we may not directly benefit from the collateral supporting the debt obligation in which it has purchased the participation. As a result, we will assume the credit risk of both the obligor and the seller, which will remain the legal owner of record of the applicable debt obligation. In the event of the insolvency of the seller, we may be treated as a general creditor of the seller in respect of the participation, may not benefit from any set-off exercised by the seller against the obligor and may be subject to any set-off exercised by the obligor against the seller. In addition, we may purchase a participation from a seller that does not itself retain any portion of the applicable debt obligation and, therefore, may have limited interest in monitoring the terms of the documentation relating to such debt obligation and the continuing creditworthiness of the borrower.

In addition, when we hold a participation in a debt obligation, we may not have the right to vote to waive enforcement of any default by an obligor. Sellers commonly reserve the right to administer the debt obligations sold by them as they see fit and to amend the documentation relating to such debt obligations in all respects. A seller may have interests different from ours, and the seller might not consider our interests when taking actions with respect to the debt obligation underlying the participation. In addition, some participation agreements that provide voting rights to the participant further provide that if the participant does not vote in favor of amendments, modifications or waivers to the documentation relating to the debt obligation, the seller may repurchase such participation at par. Assignments and participations are typically sold strictly without recourse to the seller thereof, and the seller will generally make no representations or warranties about the underlying debt obligation, the borrowers, the documentation relating to the debt obligations or any collateral securing the debt obligations.

We may be exposed to risks associated with convertible securities.

We may invest in convertible securities. Convertible securities include bonds, debentures, notes, preferred stock or other securities that may be converted into or exchanged for a specified amount of equity securities of the same or different issuer within a particular period of time at a specified price or formula. A convertible security entitles its holder to receive interest that is generally paid or accrued on debt or a dividend that is paid or accrued on preferred stock until the convertible security matures or is redeemed, converted or exchanged. Convertible securities have unique investment characteristics in that they generally (i) have higher yields than common stocks, but lower yields than comparable non-convertible securities; (ii) are less subject to fluctuation in value than the underlying common stock due to their fixed-income characteristics; and (iii) provide the potential for capital appreciation if the market price of the underlying common stock increases.

The investment value of a convertible security is influenced by changes in interest rates, with investment value declining as interest rates increase and increasing as interest rates decline. The credit standing of the issuer and other factors may also have an effect on the convertible security’s investment value. The conversion value of a convertible security is determined by the market price of the underlying equity securities. To the extent the value of the underlying equity securities approaches or exceeds the conversion price, the price of the convertible security will be increasingly influenced by its conversion value. A convertible security generally will sell at a premium over its conversion value by the extent to which investors place value on the right to acquire the underlying equity securities while holding a fixed-income security. Generally, the amount of the premium decreases as the convertible security approaches maturity. A convertible security may be subject to redemption at the option of the issuer at a price established in the convertible security’s governing instrument. If a convertible security is called for redemption, we will be required to permit the issuer to redeem the security, convert it into the underlying common stock or sell it to a third party. Any of these actions could have an adverse effect on our ability to achieve our investment objective.

 

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The effect of global climate change may impact the operations of our portfolio companies.

There may be evidence of global climate change. Climate change creates physical and financial risk and some of our portfolio companies may be adversely affected by climate change. For example, the needs of customers of energy companies vary with weather conditions, primarily temperature and humidity. To the extent weather conditions are affected by climate change, energy use could increase or decrease depending on the duration and magnitude of any changes. Increases in the cost of energy could adversely affect the cost of operations of our portfolio companies if the use of energy products or services is material to their business. A decrease in energy use due to weather changes may affect the financial condition of some of our portfolio companies through, for example, decreased revenues. Extreme weather conditions in general require more system backup, adding to costs, and can contribute to increased system stresses, including service interruptions.

We may have difficulty sourcing investment opportunities.

We cannot assure investors that we will be able to identify a sufficient number of suitable investment opportunities to allow us to deploy the capital available to us. Privately negotiated investments in loans and illiquid securities of private companies require substantial due diligence and structuring, and we cannot assure investors that we will achieve our anticipated investment pace. Our Investment Adviser will select our investments, and our stockholders will have no input with respect to such investment decisions. These factors increase the uncertainty, and thus the risk, of investing in our Shares. To the extent we are unable to deploy all investments, our investment income and, in turn, our results of operations, will likely be materially adversely affected.

Our failure or inability to make follow-on investments in our portfolio companies could impair the value of our portfolio.

Following an initial investment in a portfolio company, we may make additional investments in that portfolio company as “follow-on” investments, in order to:

 

   

increase or maintain in whole or in part our equity ownership percentage or debt participation;

 

   

exercise warrants, options or convertible securities that were acquired in the original or subsequent financing; or

 

   

attempt to preserve or enhance the value of our investment.

We may elect not to, or be unable to, make follow-on investments or may lack sufficient funds to make those investments.

 

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We will have the discretion to make any follow-on investments, subject to the availability of capital resources and applicable law. The failure to make, or inability to make, follow-on investments may, in some circumstances, jeopardize the continued viability of a portfolio company and our initial investment, or may result in a missed opportunity for us to increase our participation in a successful operation. Even if we have sufficient capital to make a desired follow-on investment, we may elect not to make a follow-on investment because we may not want to increase our concentration of risk, because we prefer other opportunities or because we are inhibited by compliance with BDC requirements, including the conditions of the Relief, compliance with covenants contained in the agreements governing our indebtedness or compliance with the requirements for maintenance of our qualification for tax treatment as a RIC.

Our portfolio companies may prepay loans, which may reduce stated yields in the future if the capital returned cannot be invested in transactions with equal or greater expected yields.

Certain of the loans we make will be prepayable at any time, with some prepayable at no premium to par. We cannot predict when such loans may be prepaid. Whether a loan is prepaid will depend both on the continued positive performance of the portfolio company and the existence of favorable financing market conditions that permit such portfolio company to replace existing financing with less expensive capital. In periods of rising interest rates, the risk of prepayment of floating rate loans may increase if other financing sources are available. As market conditions change frequently, it is unknown when, and if, this may be possible for each portfolio company. In the case of some of these loans, having the loan prepaid early may reduce the achievable yield for us in the future below the current yield disclosed for our portfolio if the capital returned cannot be invested in transactions with equal or greater expected yields.

Investments in common and preferred equity securities, many of which are illiquid with no readily available market, involve a substantial degree of risk.

Although common stock has historically generated higher average total returns than fixed income securities over the long term, common stock also has experienced significantly more volatility in those returns. Our equity investments may fail to appreciate and may decline in value or become worthless, and our ability to recover our investment will depend on our portfolio company’s success. Investments in equity securities involve a number of significant risks, including:

 

   

any equity investment we make in a portfolio company could be subject to further dilution as a result of the issuance of additional equity interests and to serious risks as a junior security that will be subordinate to all indebtedness (including trade creditors) or senior securities in the event that the issuer is unable to meet its obligations or becomes subject to a bankruptcy process;

 

   

to the extent that the portfolio company requires additional capital and is unable to obtain it, we may not recover our investment; and

 

   

in some cases, equity securities in which we invest will not pay current dividends, and our ability to realize a return on our investment, as well as to recover our investment, will be dependent on the success of the portfolio company.

Even if the portfolio company is successful, our ability to realize the value of our investment may depend on the occurrence of a liquidity event, such as a public offering or the sale of the portfolio company. It is likely to take a significant amount of time before a liquidity event occurs or we can otherwise sell our investment. In addition, the equity securities we receive or invest in may be subject to restrictions on resale during periods in which it could be advantageous to sell them.

There are special risks associated with investing in preferred securities, including:

 

   

preferred securities may include provisions that permit the issuer, at its discretion, to defer distributions for a stated period without any adverse consequences to the issuer. If we own a preferred security that is deferring its distributions, we may be required to report income for tax purposes before we receive such distributions;

 

   

preferred securities are subordinated to debt in terms of priority to income and liquidation payments, and therefore will be subject to greater credit risk than debt;

 

   

preferred securities may be substantially less liquid than many other securities, such as common stock or U.S. government securities; and

 

   

generally, preferred security holders have no voting rights with respect to the issuing company, subject to limited exceptions.

 

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Additionally, when we invest in debt securities, we may acquire warrants or other equity securities as well. Our goal is ultimately to dispose of such equity interests and realize gains upon our disposition of such interests. However, the equity interests we receive may not appreciate in value and, in fact, may decline in value. Accordingly, we may not be able to realize gains from our equity interests and any gains that we do realize on the disposition of any equity interests may not be sufficient to offset any other losses we experience.

We may invest, to the extent permitted by law, in the equity securities of investment funds that are operating pursuant to certain exceptions to the Investment Company Act. To the extent we so invest, we will bear our ratable share of any such company’s expenses, including management and performance fees. We will also remain obligated to pay the Management Fee and Incentive Fee to our Investment Adviser with respect to the assets invested in the securities and instruments of such companies. With respect to each of these investments, each of our common stockholders will bear his or her share of the Management Fee and Incentive Fee due to our Investment Adviser as well as indirectly bearing the management and performance fees and other expenses of any such investment funds or advisers.

In the event that we originate loans to companies that are experiencing significant financial or business difficulties, we may be exposed to distressed lending risks.

As part of our lending activities, we may originate loans to companies that are experiencing significant financial or business difficulties, including companies involved in bankruptcy or other reorganization and liquidation proceedings. Although the terms of such financing may result in significant financial returns to us, they involve a substantial degree of risk. The level of analytical sophistication, both financial and legal, necessary for successful financing to companies experiencing significant business and financial difficulties is unusually high. There is no assurance that we will correctly evaluate the value of the assets collateralizing our loans or the prospects for a successful reorganization or similar action. In any reorganization or liquidation proceeding relating to a company that we fund, we may lose all or part of the amounts advanced to the borrower or may be required to accept collateral with a value less than the amount of the loan advanced by us to the borrower.

We may be subject to risks related to guarantees of certain investments.

Guarantees by subsidiaries or other affiliates of portfolio companies that are the issuers of debt investments may be subject to fraudulent conveyance or similar avoidance claims made by other creditors of such subsidiaries or other affiliates resulting in such creditors taking priority over our claims under such guarantees. Under U.S. federal or state fraudulent transfer law, a court may void or otherwise decline to enforce such guarantees, and as a result we would no longer have any claim against the applicable guarantor. Sufficient funds to repay the investments may not be otherwise available to the applicable portfolio company that are the issuers thereof. In addition, the court might direct us to repay back to the portfolio company amounts that we already received from the borrower or a guarantor.

The repayment of our investments may depend on cash flow from subsidiaries of portfolio companies that are not themselves guarantors of the parent company’s obligations or that can be released as guarantors of the parent company’s obligations.

We may be exposed to special risks associated with bankruptcy cases.

Many of the events within a bankruptcy case are adversarial and often beyond the control of the creditors. While creditors generally are afforded an opportunity to object to significant actions, we can offer no assurance that a bankruptcy court would not approve actions that may be contrary to our interests. Furthermore, there are instances where creditors can lose their ranking and priority if they are considered to have taken over management of a borrower.

The reorganization of a company can involve substantial legal, professional and administrative costs to a lender and the borrower; it is subject to unpredictable and lengthy delays; and during the process a company’s competitive position may erode, key management may depart and a company may not be able to invest its capital adequately. In some cases, the debtor company may not be able to reorganize and may be required to liquidate assets. The debt of companies in financial reorganization will, in most cases, not pay current interest, may not accrue interest during reorganization and may be adversely affected by an erosion of the issuer’s fundamental value.

In addition, lenders can be subject to lender liability claims for actions taken by them where they become too involved in the borrower’s business or exercise control over the borrower. For example, we could become subject to a lender’s liability claim, if a borrower requests significant managerial assistance from us and we provide such assistance as contemplated by the Investment Company Act.

 

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We may be subject to risks related to exit financings.

We may invest in portfolio companies that are in the process of exiting, or that have recently exited, the bankruptcy process. Post-reorganization securities typically entail a higher degree of risk than investments in securities that have not undergone a reorganization or restructuring. Moreover, post-reorganization securities can be subject to heavy selling or downward pricing pressure after the completion of a bankruptcy reorganization or restructuring. If the Investment Adviser’s evaluation of the anticipated outcome of an investment situation should prove incorrect, we could incur substantial losses.

Declines in market prices and liquidity in the corporate debt markets can result in significant net unrealized depreciation of our portfolio, which in turn would affect our results of operations.

As a BDC, we are required to carry our investments at market value or, if no market value is ascertainable, at fair value as determined in good faith under procedures adopted by Goldman Sachs Asset Management, as valuation designee. We may take into account the following types of factors, if relevant, in determining the fair value of our investments: the enterprise value of a portfolio company (the entire value of the portfolio company to a market participant, including the sum of the values of debt and equity securities used to capitalize the enterprise at a point in time), the nature and realizable value of any collateral, the portfolio company’s ability to make payments and its earnings and discounted cash flow (taking into consideration current market interest rates and credit spreads), the markets in which the portfolio company does business, a comparison of the portfolio company’s securities to similar publicly traded securities and other relevant factors. When an external event such as a purchase transaction, public offering or subsequent equity sale occurs, we use the pricing indicated by the external event to corroborate our valuation. While most of our investments are not publicly traded, applicable accounting standards require us to assume as part of our valuation process that our investments are sold in a principal market to market participants (even if we plan on holding an investment through its maturity). As a result, volatility in the capital markets can also adversely affect our investment valuations. Decreases in the market values or fair values of our investments are recorded as unrealized depreciation. The effect of all of these factors on our portfolio can reduce our NAV by increasing net unrealized depreciation in our portfolio. Depending on market conditions, we could incur substantial realized losses and may suffer unrealized losses, which could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Economic recessions or downturns could impair our portfolio companies and harm our operating results.

Our portfolio companies may be susceptible to economic downturns or recessions and may be unable to repay our loans during these periods. Therefore, during these periods our non-performing assets may increase and the value of our portfolio may decrease if we are required to write down the values of our investments. Adverse economic conditions may also decrease the value of collateral securing some of our loans and the value of our equity investments. Economic slowdowns or recessions could lead to financial losses in our portfolio and a decrease in revenues, net income and assets. Unfavorable economic conditions also could increase our funding costs, limit our access to the capital markets or result in a decision by lenders not to extend credit to us. These events could prevent us from increasing investments and harm our operating results.

A portfolio company’s failure to satisfy financial or operating covenants imposed by us or other lenders could lead to defaults and, potentially, acceleration of the time when the loans are due and foreclosure on the portfolio company’s assets representing collateral for its obligations. This could trigger cross defaults under other agreements and jeopardize our portfolio company’s ability to meet its obligations under the debt that we hold and the value of any equity securities we own.

In addition, we may originate “covenant-lite” loans, which are loans with fewer financial maintenance covenants than other obligations, or no financial maintenance covenants. Such covenant-lite loans may not include terms that allow the lender to monitor the performance of the borrower or to declare a default if certain criteria are breached. These flexible covenants (or the absence of covenants) could permit borrowers to experience a significant downturn in their results of operations without triggering any default that would permit holders of their debt (such as the Fund) to accelerate indebtedness or negotiate terms and pricing. Accordingly, to the extent we invest in “covenant-lite” loans, we may have fewer rights against a borrower and may have a greater risk of loss on such investments as compared to investments in or exposure to loans with financial maintenance covenants. Therefore, our investments may result in an above-average amount of risk and volatility or loss of principal.

Our portfolio companies may have incurred or issued, or may in the future incur or issue, debt or equity securities that rank equally with, or senior to, our investments in such companies, which could have an adverse effect on us in any liquidation of the portfolio company.

Our portfolio companies may have, or may be permitted to incur, other debt, or issue other equity securities that rank equally with, or senior to, our investments. By their terms, such instruments may provide that the holders are entitled to receive payment of dividends, interest or principal on or before the dates on which we are entitled to receive payments in respect of our investments. These debt instruments would usually prohibit the portfolio companies from paying interest on or repaying our investments in the event and during the continuance of a default under such debt. Also, in the event of insolvency, liquidation, dissolution, reorganization or bankruptcy of a portfolio company, holders of securities ranking senior to our investment in that portfolio company typically are entitled to receive payment in full before we receive any distribution in respect of our investment. After repaying such holders, the portfolio company may not have any remaining assets to use for repaying its obligation to us. In the case of securities ranking equally with our investments, we would have to share on an equal basis any distributions with other security holders in the event of an insolvency, liquidation, dissolution, reorganization or bankruptcy of the relevant portfolio company.

 

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Additionally, certain loans that we make to portfolio companies may be secured on a second priority basis by the same collateral securing senior secured debt, which will be secured on a first priority basis. The first priority liens on the collateral will secure the portfolio company’s obligations under any outstanding senior debt and may secure certain other future debt that may be permitted to be incurred by the portfolio company under the agreements governing the loans. The holders of obligations secured by the first priority liens on the collateral will generally control the liquidation of and be entitled to receive proceeds from any realization of the collateral to repay their obligations in full before us. In addition, the value of the collateral in the event of liquidation will depend on market and economic conditions, the availability of buyers and other factors. We can offer no assurance that the proceeds, if any, from the sale or sales of all of the collateral would be sufficient to satisfy the loan obligations secured by the second priority liens after payment in full of all obligations secured by the first priority liens. If such proceeds are not sufficient to repay amounts outstanding under the loan obligations secured by the second priority liens, then we, to the extent not repaid from the proceeds of the sale of the collateral, will only have an unsecured claim against the portfolio company’s remaining assets, if any.

The rights we may have with respect to the collateral securing any junior priority loans we make to our portfolio companies may also be limited pursuant to the terms of one or more intercreditor agreements that we enter into with the holders of senior debt. Under such an intercreditor agreement, at any time that senior obligations are outstanding, we may forfeit certain rights with respect to the collateral to the holders of the senior obligations. These rights may include the right to commence enforcement proceedings against the collateral, the right to control the conduct of such enforcement proceedings, the right to approve amendments to collateral documents, the right to release liens on the collateral and the right to waive past defaults under collateral documents. We may not have the ability to control or direct such actions, even if our rights as junior lenders are adversely affected. In addition, a bankruptcy court may choose not to enforce an intercreditor agreement or other arrangement with creditors. Similar risks to the foregoing may apply where we hold the last-out piece of a unitranche loan.

We may also make unsecured loans to portfolio companies, meaning that such loans will not benefit from any interest in collateral of such portfolio companies. Liens on such portfolio companies’ collateral, if any, will secure the portfolio company’s obligations under its outstanding secured debt and may secure certain future debt that is permitted to be incurred by the portfolio company under its secured loan agreements. The holders of obligations secured by such liens will generally control the liquidation of, and be entitled to receive proceeds from, any realization of such collateral to repay their obligations in full before us. In addition, the value of such collateral in the event of liquidation will depend on market and economic conditions, the availability of buyers and other factors. We can offer no assurance that the proceeds, if any, from sales of such collateral would be sufficient to satisfy our unsecured loan obligations after payment in full of all secured loan obligations. If such proceeds were not sufficient to repay the outstanding secured loan obligations, then the unsecured claims would rank equally with the unpaid portion of such secured creditors’ claims against the portfolio company’s remaining assets, if any.

Our portfolio companies may be highly leveraged.

Some of our portfolio companies may be highly leveraged, which may have adverse consequences to these portfolio companies and to us as an investor. These portfolio companies may be subject to restrictive financial and operating covenants and the leverage may impair these portfolio companies’ ability to finance their future operations and capital needs. As a result, these portfolio companies’ flexibility to respond to changing business and economic conditions and to take advantage of business opportunities may be limited. Further, a leveraged company’s income and net assets will tend to increase or decrease at a greater rate than if borrowed money were not used.

Our investments in non-U.S. companies may involve significant risks in addition to the risks inherent in U.S. investments.

Our investment strategy contemplates potential investments in securities of non-U.S. companies to the extent permissible under the Investment Company Act. Investing in non-U.S. companies may expose us to additional risks not typically associated with investing in U.S. companies. These risks include changes in exchange control regulations, political and social instability, expropriation, imposition of non-U.S. taxes (potentially at confiscatory levels), less liquid markets, less available information than is generally the case in the United States, higher transaction costs, less government supervision of exchanges, brokers and issuers, less developed bankruptcy laws, difficulty in enforcing contractual obligations, lack of uniform accounting and auditing standards and greater price volatility. These risks are likely to be more pronounced for investments in companies located in emerging markets.

 

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Although we expect that most of our investments will be denominated in USD, our investments that are denominated in a non-USD currency will be subject to the risk that the value of a particular currency will change in relation to the USD. Among the factors that may affect currency values are trade balances, the level of short-term interest rates, differences in relative values of similar assets in different currencies, long-term opportunities for investment and capital appreciation and political developments. We may employ hedging techniques to minimize these risks, but we cannot assure investors that such strategies will be effective or without risk to us.

We may expose ourselves to risks if we engage in hedging transactions.

Subject to applicable provisions of the Investment Company Act, the regulations promulgated thereunder, and applicable CFTC regulations, we may enter into hedging transactions in a manner consistent with SEC guidance, which may expose us to risks associated with such transactions. Such hedging may utilize instruments such as forward contracts, currency options and interest rate swaps, caps, collars and floors to seek to hedge against fluctuations in the relative values of our portfolio positions from changes in currency exchange rates and market interest rates. Use of these hedging instruments may include counter-party credit risk. To the extent we have non-U.S. investments, particularly non-USD-denominated investments, our hedging costs may increase.

Hedging against a decline in the values of our portfolio positions does not eliminate the possibility of fluctuations in the values of such positions or prevent losses if the values of such positions decline. However, such hedging can establish other positions designed to gain from those same developments, thereby offsetting the decline in the value of such portfolio positions. Such hedging transactions may also limit the opportunity for gain if the values of the underlying portfolio positions should increase. Moreover, it may not be possible to hedge against an exchange rate or interest rate fluctuation that is so generally anticipated that we are not able to enter into a hedging transaction at an acceptable price.

The success of any hedging transactions we may enter into will depend on our ability to correctly predict movements in currencies and interest rates. Therefore, while we may enter into such transactions to seek to reduce currency exchange rate and interest rate risks, unanticipated changes in currency exchange rates or interest rates may result in poorer overall investment performance than if we had not engaged in any such hedging transactions. In addition, the degree of correlation between price movements of the instruments used in a hedging strategy and price movements in the portfolio positions being hedged may vary. Moreover, for a variety of reasons, we may not seek to (or be able to) establish a perfect correlation between such hedging instruments and the portfolio holdings being hedged. Any such imperfect correlation may prevent us from achieving the intended hedge and expose us to risk of loss. In addition, it may not be possible to hedge fully or perfectly against currency fluctuations affecting the value of securities denominated in non-U.S. currencies because the value of those securities is likely to fluctuate as a result of factors not related to currency fluctuations. Income derived from hedging transactions also is generally not eligible to be distributed to non-U.S. stockholders free from withholding taxes. Changes to the regulations applicable to the financial instruments we use to accomplish our hedging strategy could impair the effectiveness of that strategy. See also “—Risks Relating to Our Investments—We will be exposed to risks associated with changes in interest rates, including the current rising interest rate environment.

We may form one or more CLOs, which may subject us to certain structured financing risks.

To the extent permissible under risk retention rules adopted pursuant to Section 941 of the Dodd-Frank Act and applicable provisions of the Investment Company Act, to finance investments, we may securitize certain of our investments, including through the formation of one or more CLOs, while retaining all or most of the exposure to the performance of these investments. This would involve contributing a pool of assets to a special purpose entity, and selling debt interests in such entity on a non-recourse or limited-recourse basis to purchasers. Any interest in any such CLO held by us may be considered a “non-qualifying asset” for purposes of Section 55 of the Investment Company Act.

If we create a CLO, we will depend on distributions from the CLO’s assets out of its earnings and cash flows to enable us to make distributions to our stockholders. The ability of a CLO to make distributions will be subject to various limitations, including the terms and covenants of the debt it issues. For example, tests (based on interest coverage or other financial ratios or other criteria) may restrict our ability, as holder of a CLO’s equity interests, to receive cash flow from these investments. There is no assurance any such performance tests will be satisfied. Also, a CLO may take actions that delay distributions in order to preserve ratings and to keep the cost of present and future financings lower or the CLO may be obligated to retain cash or other assets to satisfy over-collateralization requirements commonly provided for holders of the CLO’s debt. As a result, there may be a lag, which could be significant, between the repayment or other realization on a loan or other assets in, and the distribution of cash out of, a CLO, or cash flow may be completely restricted for the life of the CLO. If we do not receive cash flow from any such CLO that is necessary to satisfy the Annual Distribution Requirement for maintaining our qualification for tax treatment as a RIC, and we are unable to obtain cash from other sources necessary to satisfy this requirement, we could fail to maintain our qualification for tax treatment as a RIC, which would have a material adverse effect on our financial performance.

 

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In addition, a decline in the credit quality of loans in a CLO due to poor operating results of the relevant borrower, declines in the value of loan collateral or increases in defaults, among other things, may force a CLO to sell certain assets at a loss, reducing their earnings and, in turn, cash potentially available for distribution to us for distribution to our stockholders.

To the extent that any losses are incurred by the CLO in respect of any collateral, such losses will be borne first by us as owner of equity interests. Finally, any equity interests that we retain in a CLO will not be secured by the assets of the CLO and we will rank behind all creditors of the CLO.

We may initially invest a significant portion of the net proceeds from the private offering of Shares in short-term investments, which will generate lower rates of return than those expected from the interest generated on our intended investment program.

We may initially invest a portion of the net proceeds from the private offering of Shares in cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities and other short-term investments. These securities may earn yields substantially lower than the income that we anticipate receiving once we are fully invested in accordance with our investment objective. As a result, we may not be able to achieve our investment objective and/or pay any dividends during this period or, if we are able to do so, such dividends may be substantially lower than the dividends that we expect to pay when our portfolio is fully invested in accordance with our investment objectives. If we do not realize yields in excess of our expenses, we may incur operating losses.

Risks Relating to Our Securities

There is no public market for our Shares or shares of our Series A Preferred Stock, and we do not expect there to be a market for such shares.

There is no existing trading market for our Shares or shares of our Series A Preferred Stock, and no market for such shares may develop in the future. If developed, any such market may not be sustained. In the absence of a trading market, holders of our Shares and holders of shares of our Series A Preferred Stock may be unable to liquidate an investment in such shares.

Our Shares and shares of our Series A Preferred Stock have not been registered under the Securities Act or any state securities laws and, unless so registered, may not be offered or sold except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws.

We face risks associated with the deployment of our capital.

In light of the nature of our continuous offering in relation to our investment strategy and the need to be able to deploy potentially large amounts of capital quickly to capitalize on potential investment opportunities, if we have difficulty identifying investments on attractive terms, there could be a delay between the time we receive net proceeds from the sale of our Shares in the private offering of Shares or any other private offering and the time we invest the net proceeds. Our proportion of privately-negotiated investments may be lower than expected. We may also from time to time hold cash pending deployment into investments or have less than our targeted leverage, which cash or shortfall in target leverage may at times be significant, particularly at times when we are receiving high amounts of offering proceeds and/or times when there are few attractive investment opportunities. Such cash may be held in an account for the benefit of our stockholders that may be invested in money market accounts or other similar temporary investments, each of which are subject to the management fees.

In the event we are unable to find suitable investments such cash may be maintained for longer periods which would be dilutive to overall investment returns. This could cause a substantial delay in the time it takes for your investment to realize its full potential return and could adversely affect our ability to pay regular distributions of cash flow from operations to you. It is not anticipated that the temporary investment of such cash into money market accounts or other similar temporary investments pending deployment into investments will generate significant interest, and investors should understand that such low interest payments on the temporarily invested cash may adversely affect overall returns. In the event we fail to timely invest the net proceeds of sales of our Shares or do not deploy sufficient capital to meet our targeted leverage, our results of operations and financial condition may be adversely affected.

Investing in our securities involves an above-average degree of risk.

The investments we make in accordance with our investment objective may result in a higher amount of risk than alternative investment options and volatility or loss of principal. Our investments in portfolio companies may be highly speculative and aggressive. Therefore, an investment in our securities may not be suitable for an investor with a lower risk tolerance.

 

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Investors purchasing Shares after the initial closing could receive fewer Shares than anticipated.

The purchase price per share of our common stock in any closing after the initial closing is expected to be determined to ensure that such price is equal to our then-current NAV per share. As a result, in the event of an increase in our NAV per share, the purchase price for Shares purchased in any closing after the initial closing may be higher than the prior monthly NAV per share, and therefore an investor may receive a smaller number of Shares than if it had purchased Shares in a prior closing.

Our Shares and shares of our Series A Preferred Stock will be subject to significant transfer restrictions, and an investment in such shares generally will be illiquid.

Our Shares and shares of our Series A Preferred Stock are subject to the restrictions on transfer as described in this Registration Statement, in the subscription agreement and as set forth in our certificate of incorporation (as amended, restated and/or supplemented). Purchasers of such shares will be prohibited from selling or otherwise transferring their Shares without our approval and/or compliance with federal, state and other securities laws. For further details about circumstances pursuant to which we will give our approval to such a transfer, eligible offerees and resale restrictions, see “Item 11. Description of Registrant’s Securities to be Registered—Transfer and Resale Restrictions; Required Transfers” and “—Preferred Shares—Series A Cumulative Preferred Stock—Transfer Restrictions.” An investment in our Shares and/or shares of our Series A Preferred Stock is of further limited liquidity since such shares are not freely transferable under federal, state and other securities laws. Each investor in such shares must be prepared to bear the economic risk of an investment in such shares for an indefinite period. We have no obligation or intent to conduct a liquidity event, including an IPO and listing of any of such shares on a national securities exchange, at any time.

Our Shares and shares of Series A Preferred Stock have not been registered under the Securities Act and, therefore, under federal and state securities laws, cannot be sold unless such shares are subsequently registered under the Securities Act, state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. See “Item 11. Description of Registrant’s Securities to be Registered—Transfer and Resale Restrictions; Required Transfers” and “—Preferred Shares—Series A Cumulative Preferred Stock—Transfer Restrictions.” Our Shares and shares of Series A Preferred Stock are illiquid assets for which there is not a secondary market and there is no guarantee that a secondary market will develop in the future. An investment in such shares is therefore suitable only for certain sophisticated investors that can bear the risks associated with the illiquidity of their shares.

Liquidity for our Shares will be limited to participation in our share repurchase program, which we have no obligation to maintain. When we make quarterly repurchase offers pursuant to the share repurchase program, we will offer to repurchase Shares at a price that is estimated to be equal to our NAV per share on the last calendar day of such quarter, which may be lower than the price that you paid for our Shares. As a result, to the extent you paid a price that includes the related sales load and to the extent you have the ability to sell your Shares pursuant to our share repurchase program, the price at which you may sell Shares may be lower than the amount you paid in connection with the purchase of Shares in the private offering of Shares.

Further, the Investment Adviser, through an affiliate, may determine to make an investment of capital in us. As a result, the Investment Adviser may initially own a substantial amount of our outstanding Shares. The Investment Adviser may periodically elect to tender any or all of its Shares for repurchase under our share repurchase program. Any such tenders by the Investment Adviser could have a negative impact on us, including on our liquidity, and could reduce the opportunity for other stockholders to tender the full amount of their Shares in a given quarter.

The NAV of our Shares may fluctuate significantly.

The NAV and liquidity, if any, of the market for our Shares may be significantly affected by numerous factors, some of which are beyond our control and may not be directly related to our operating performance. These factors include:

 

   

changes in regulatory policies or tax guidelines, particularly with respect to RICs or BDCs;

 

   

any loss of qualification for RIC tax treatment or BDC status;

 

   

changes in earnings or perceived changes or variations in operating results;

 

   

changes or perceived changes in the value of our portfolio of investments;

 

   

changes in accounting guidelines governing valuation of our investments;

 

   

any shortfall in revenue or net income or any increase in losses from levels expected by investors or securities analysts;

 

   

resignation of the Investment Adviser or departure of certain of its key personnel;

 

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general economic trends and other external factors; and

 

   

loss of a major funding source.

Our stockholders may experience dilution in their ownership percentage if they opt out of our distribution reinvestment plan.

We have adopted a distribution reinvestment plan, pursuant to which we will reinvest all cash dividends declared by the Board of Directors on behalf of our stockholders who do not elect to receive their dividends in cash as provided below. As a result, if the Board of Directors authorizes, and we declare, a cash dividend or other distribution, then our stockholders who have not opted out of our distribution reinvestment plan will have their cash distributions automatically reinvested in additional Shares as described below, rather than receiving the cash dividend or other distribution. Stockholders that opt out of our distribution reinvestment plan may experience dilution in their ownership percentage of our common stock over time. See “Item 9. Market Price of and Dividends on the Registrant’s Common Equity and Related Stockholder Matters—Distribution Reinvestment Plan” for a description of our distribution policy and obligations.

We intend to offer our Shares on a continuous basis for an extended period of time, and holders of our Shares will not have preemptive rights to purchase any shares we issue in the future. As a result, to the extent we issue additional Shares after your purchase in the private offering of Shares, your percentage ownership interest in us may be diluted. In addition, depending upon our NAV per share at the time of any closings subsequent to your purchase, you may also experience dilution in the book value and fair value of your Shares.

Our stockholders that do not opt out of our distribution reinvestment plan should generally expect to have current tax liabilities without receiving cash to pay such liabilities.

Under our distribution reinvestment plan, if we declare a cash dividend, our stockholders who have not elected to “opt out” will have their cash dividends automatically reinvested in additional shares of our common stock, rather than receiving the cash distributions. Stockholders who receive distributions in the form of Shares generally are subject to the same U.S. federal, state and local tax consequences as stockholders who elect to receive their distributions in cash. However, because their distributions will be reinvested, those stockholders will not receive cash with which to pay any applicable taxes on such reinvested distributions. As a result, stockholders that have not opted out of our distribution reinvestment plan may have to use funds from other sources to pay any tax liabilities imposed upon them based on the value of the Shares received. See “Item 9. Market Price of and Dividends on the Registrant’s Common Equity and Related Stockholder Matters—Distribution Reinvestment Plan.

Our preferred stock, including the Series A Preferred Stock and any additional series of preferred stock we may determine to issue in the future, could adversely affect the value of our common stock.

The issuance of shares of preferred stock, including the Series A Preferred Stock and any additional series of preferred stock we may determine to issue in the future, with dividend or conversion rights, liquidation preferences or other economic terms favorable to the holders of preferred stock could adversely affect our common stock by making an investment in the common stock less attractive. In addition, the dividends on any preferred stock, including the Series A Preferred Stock, we issue must be cumulative. Payment of dividends and repayment of the liquidation preference of preferred stock, including the Series A Preferred Stock, must take preference over any distributions or other payments to our common stockholders, and holders of preferred stock, including the Series A Preferred Stock, are not subject to any of our expenses or losses and are not entitled to participate in any income or appreciation in excess of their stated preference (other than convertible preferred stock that converts into common stock). In addition, under the Investment Company Act, any such preferred stock, including the Series A Preferred Stock, would constitute a “senior security” for purposes of the 150% asset coverage test. See “—Risks Relating to Legal and Regulatory Matters—Regulations governing our operations as a BDC affect our ability to, and the way in which we, raise additional capital. These constraints may hinder our Investment Adviser’s ability to take advantage of attractive investment opportunities and to achieve our investment objective.

An investment in our preferred stock with a fixed interest rate, such as the Series A Preferred Stock, will bear interest rate risk.

Our Series A Preferred Stock will pay dividends at a fixed dividend rate. Prices of fixed income investments vary inversely with changes in market yields. The market yields on securities comparable to our preferred stock, including the Series A Preferred Stock, may increase, which would likely result in a decline in the value of such preferred stock.

 

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Our preferred stock, including the Series A Preferred Stock, will be subject to a risk of early redemption, and holders may not be able to reinvest their funds.

We may voluntarily redeem some or all of the outstanding shares of our Series A Preferred Stock at any time. We also may be forced to redeem some or all of the outstanding shares of our preferred stock, including the Series A Preferred Stock, to meet regulatory requirements and the asset coverage requirements of such shares. Any such redemption may occur at a time that is unfavorable to holders of our Series A Preferred Stock. Additionally, pursuant to Rule 23c-2 of the Investment Company Act, if less than all the outstanding securities of a class or series are to be redeemed, such redemption shall be made on a pro rata basis. We may have an incentive to redeem our Series A Preferred Stock if market conditions allow us to issue other preferred stock or debt securities at a rate that is lower than the dividend rate on the outstanding preferred stock. If we redeem shares of our Series A Preferred Stock, the holders of such redeemed shares face the risk that the return on an investment purchased with proceeds from such redemption may be lower than the return previously obtained from the investment in our Series A Preferred Stock.

Our preferred stock, including the Series A Preferred Stock, will be subordinate to the rights of holders of senior indebtedness.

While our preferred stockholders, including holders of our Series A Preferred Stock, will have equal liquidation and distribution rights to any other series of our preferred stock, they will be subordinated to the rights of holders of any of other senior indebtedness we may incur. Therefore, dividends, distributions and other payments to preferred stockholders, including holders of our Series A Preferred Stock, in liquidation or otherwise may be subject to prior payments due to the holders of senior indebtedness. In addition, the Investment Company Act may provide debtholders with voting rights that are superior to the voting rights of our preferred stock, including the Series A Preferred Stock.

Holders of any preferred stock we issue, including the Series A Preferred Stock, will bear dividend risk.

We may be unable to pay dividends on any preferred stock we issue, including the Series A Preferred Stock, under certain circumstances. The terms of any future indebtedness we may incur could preclude the payment of dividends in respect of equity securities, including preferred stock we may issue, such as the Series A Preferred Stock, under certain conditions.

Holders of any preferred stock we issue, including the Series A Preferred Stock, will have the right to elect members of the Board and class voting rights on certain matters.

Holders of any preferred stock we issue, including the Series A Preferred Stock, voting separately as a single class, will have the right to elect two members of the Board at all times that such preferred stock is outstanding, and in the event that dividends with respect thereto become two full years in arrears will have the right to elect a majority of the members of the Board until such arrearage is completely eliminated. In addition, preferred stockholders, including holders of the Series A Preferred Stock, have class voting rights on certain matters, including changes in fundamental investment restrictions and conversion to open-end status, and accordingly can veto any such changes. Restrictions imposed on the declarations and payment of dividends or other distributions to the holders of our common stock and preferred stock, both by the Investment Company Act and by requirements imposed by rating agencies or the terms of any credit facility, may impair our ability to maintain our qualification as a RIC for federal income tax purposes. While we would intend to redeem our preferred stock, including the Series A Preferred Stock, to the extent necessary to enable us to distribute our income as required to maintain our qualification as a RIC, we can offer no assurance that such actions could be effected in time to meet the tax requirements.

An investor may be subject to filing requirements under the Exchange Act as a result of its investment in us.

When this Registration Statement on Form 10 becomes effective, ownership information for any person or group that beneficially owns more than 5% of the Shares will have to be disclosed in a Schedule 13G or other filings with the SEC. Beneficial ownership for these purposes is determined in accordance with the rules of the SEC, and includes having voting or investment power over the securities. Although we will provide in our quarterly statements the amount of outstanding Shares, the responsibility for determining the filing obligation and preparing the filing remains with the investor. In addition, beneficial owners of 10% or more of our Shares will be subject to reporting obligations under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act.

 

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We expect that certain provisions of our certificate of incorporation and bylaws and the Delaware General Corporation Law (“DGCL”), as well as other aspects of our structure, could deter takeover attempts and have an adverse impact on the price of our common stock.

Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws, along with the DGCL, contain provisions that may have the effect of discouraging a third party from making an acquisition proposal for us. Among other things, our certificate of incorporation and bylaws:

 

   

provide that our Board of Directors is classified, which may delay the ability of our stockholders to change the membership of a majority of our Board of Directors;

 

   

do not provide for cumulative voting;

 

   

provide that vacancies on our Board of Directors, including newly created directorships, may be filled only by a majority vote of directors then in office;

 

   

provide that our directors may be removed only for cause, and only by a supermajority vote of the stockholders entitled to elect such directors;

 

   

provide that stockholders may take action only at an annual or special meeting of stockholders, and may not act by written consent;

 

   

restrict stockholders’ ability to call special meetings;

 

   

require a supermajority vote of stockholders to effect certain amendments to our certificate of incorporation and bylaws; and

 

   

require stockholders to provide advance notice of new business proposals and director nominations under specific procedures.

We have provisions comparable to those of Section 203 of the DGCL (other than with respect to GS Group Inc. and its affiliates and certain of its or their direct or indirect transferees and any group as to which such persons are a party). These provisions generally prohibit us from engaging in mergers, business combinations and certain other types of transactions with “interested stockholders” (generally defined as persons or entities that beneficially own 15% or more of our voting stock), other than the exempt parties as described above, for a period of three years following the date the person became an interested stockholder unless, prior to such stockholder becoming an interested stockholder, our Board of Directors has approved the “business combination” that would otherwise be restricted or the transaction that resulted in the interested stockholder becoming an interested stockholder or the subsequent transaction with the interested stockholder has been approved by our Board of Directors and 66 2/3% of our outstanding voting stock (other than voting stock owned by the interested stockholder). Such provisions may discourage third parties from trying to acquire control of us and increase the difficulty of consummating such an offer.

These anti-takeover provisions may inhibit a change of control in circumstances that could give the holders of our common stock the opportunity to realize a premium over the market price for the common stock. In addition, certain aspects of our structure may have the effect of discouraging a third party from making an acquisition proposal for us.

We may not be able to pay distributions to holders of our common stock or preferred stock, our distributions to holders of our common stock or preferred stock may not grow over time, and a portion of our distributions to holders of our common stock or preferred stock may be a return of capital for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

We intend to pay monthly distributions to our stockholders and semi-annual distributions to holders of our Series A Preferred Stock out of assets legally available for distribution. We cannot assure you that we will achieve investment results that will allow us to make a specified level of cash distributions or year-to-year increases in cash distributions. If we are unable to satisfy the asset coverage test applicable to us as a BDC, our ability to pay distributions to our stockholders will be limited. All distributions will be paid at the discretion of our Board of Directors and will depend on our earnings, financial condition, maintenance of our qualification for RIC tax treatment, compliance with applicable BDC regulations, compliance with covenants under our debt financing agreements, if any, and such other factors as our Board of Directors may deem relevant from time to time.

The distributions we pay to our stockholders in a year may exceed our net ordinary income and capital gains for that year and, accordingly, a portion of such distributions may constitute a return of capital for U.S. federal income tax purposes that would reduce a stockholder’s adjusted tax basis in its Shares or shares of preferred stock and correspondingly increase such stockholder’s gain, or reduce such stockholder’s loss, on disposition of such shares. Distributions in excess of a stockholder’s adjusted tax basis in its Shares or shares of preferred stock will generally constitute capital gains to such stockholder.

 

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Stockholders who periodically receive the payment of a distribution from a RIC consisting of a return of capital for U.S. federal income tax purposes may be under the impression that they are receiving a distribution of the RIC’s net ordinary income or capital gains when they are not. Accordingly, stockholders should read carefully any written disclosure accompanying a distribution from us and the information about the specific tax characteristics of our distributions provided to stockholders after the end of each calendar year, and should not assume that the source of any distribution is our net ordinary income or capital gains.

The tax treatment of a non-U.S. stockholder in its jurisdiction of tax residence will depend entirely on the laws of such jurisdiction, and may vary considerably from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.

Depending on (i) the laws of such non-U.S. stockholder’s jurisdiction of tax residence, (ii) how we, the investments and/or any other investment vehicles through which we directly or indirectly invest are treated in such jurisdiction, and (iii) the activities of any such entities, an investment in us could result in such non-U.S. stockholder recognizing adverse tax consequences in its jurisdiction of tax residence, including (a) with respect to any generally required or additional tax filings and/or additional disclosure required in such filings in relation to the treatment for tax purposes in the relevant jurisdiction of an interest in us, the investments and/or any other investment vehicles through which we directly or indirectly invest and/or of distributions from such entities and any uncertainties arising in that respect (such entities not being established under the laws of the relevant jurisdiction), (b) the possibility of taxable income significantly in excess of cash distributed to a non-U.S. stockholder, and possibly in excess of our actual economic income, (c) the possibilities of losing deductions or the ability to utilize tax basis and of sums invested being returned in the form of taxable income or gains, and (d) the possibility of being subject to tax at unfavorable tax rates. A non-U.S. stockholder may also be subject to restrictions on the use of its share of our deductions and losses in its jurisdiction of tax residence. Each prospective investor is urged to consult its own tax advisors with respect to the tax and tax filing consequences, if any, in its jurisdiction of tax residence of an investment in us, as well as any other jurisdiction in which such prospective investor is subject to taxation.

We may have difficulty paying our required distributions if we recognize taxable income before or without receiving cash representing such income.

For U.S. federal income tax purposes, we will include in our taxable income certain amounts that we have not yet received in cash, such as OID, which may occur if we receive warrants in connection with the origination of a loan or possibly in other circumstances or contracted PIK interest, which generally represents contractual interest added to the loan balance and due at the end of the loan term. Such OID, which could be significant relative to our overall investment assets, and increases in loan balances as a result of PIK interest will be included in our taxable income before we receive any corresponding cash payments. We also may be required to include in our taxable income certain other amounts that we have not yet received or will not receive in cash, such as accruals on a contingent payment debt instrument, accruals of interest income and/or OID on defaulted debt, or deferred loan origination fees that are paid after origination of the loan or are paid in non-cash compensation such as warrants or stock. Moreover, we generally will be required to take certain amounts into income no later than the time such amounts are reflected on our financial statements. The credit risk associated with the collectability of deferred payments may be increased as and when a portfolio company increases the amount of interest on which it is deferring cash payment through deferred interest features. Our investments with a deferred interest feature may represent a higher credit risk than loans for which interest must be paid in full in cash on a regular basis. For example, even if the accounting conditions for income accrual are met, the borrower could still default when our actual collection is scheduled to occur upon maturity of the obligation.

Because in certain cases we may recognize taxable income before or without receiving cash representing such income, we may have difficulty making distributions to our stockholders that will be sufficient to enable us to meet the Annual Distribution Requirement necessary for us to maintain our qualification for tax treatment as a RIC. Accordingly, we may need to sell some of our assets at times and/or at prices that we would not consider advantageous, we may need to raise additional equity or debt capital, or we may need to forego new investment opportunities or otherwise take actions that are disadvantageous to our business (or be unable to take actions that are advantageous to our business) to enable us to make distributions to our stockholders that will be sufficient to enable us to meet the Annual Distribution Requirement. If we are unable to obtain cash in the amount required for us to make, or if we are restricted from making, sufficient distributions to our stockholders to meet the Annual Distribution Requirement, we may fail to qualify for the U.S. federal income tax benefits allowable to RICs and, thus, become subject to a corporate-level U.S. federal income tax (and any applicable U.S. state and local taxes).

 

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Our stockholders may receive Shares or shares of preferred stock as distributions, which could result in adverse tax consequences to them.

In order to satisfy the Annual Distribution Requirement applicable to RICs, we will have the ability to declare a large portion of a distribution in shares of our common stock or preferred stock instead of in cash. We are not subject to restrictions on the circumstances in which we may declare a portion of a distribution in shares of our stock but would generally anticipate doing so only in unusual situations, such as, for example, if we do not have sufficient cash to meet our RIC distribution requirements under the Code. Generally, were we to declare such a distribution, we would allow stockholders to elect payment in cash and/or shares of our stock of equivalent value. Under published IRS guidance, the entire distribution by a publicly offered RIC will generally be treated as a taxable distribution for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and count towards our RIC distribution requirements under the Code, if certain conditions are satisfied. Among other things, the aggregate amount of cash available to be distributed to all stockholders is required to be at least 20% of the aggregate declared distribution. If too many stockholders elect to receive cash, the cash available for distribution is required to be allocated among the stockholders electing to receive cash (with the balance of the distribution paid in stock) under a formula provided in the applicable IRS guidance. The number of shares of our stock distributed would thus depend on the applicable percentage limitation on cash available for distribution, the stockholders’ individual elections to receive cash or stock, and the value of the shares of our stock. Each stockholder generally would be treated as having received a taxable distribution (including for purposes of the withholding tax rules applicable to a Non-U.S. stockholder) on the date the distribution is received in an amount equal to the cash that such stockholder would have received if the entire distribution had been paid in cash, even if the stockholder received all or most of the distribution in shares of our common stock or preferred stock. We currently do not intend to pay distributions in shares of our common stock or preferred stock, but we can offer no assurance that we will not do so in the future.

If we are not treated as a “publicly offered regulated investment company,” as defined in the Code, U.S. stockholders that are individuals, trusts or estates will be taxed as though they received a distribution of some of our expenses.

We expect to be treated as a “publicly offered regulated investment company” (within the meaning of Section 67 of the Code) as a result of shares of our common stock and our preferred stock collectively being held by at least 500 persons at all times during a taxable year. However, we cannot assure investors that we will be treated as a publicly offered regulated investment company for all years. In particular, we may not be treated as a publicly offered regulated investment company for our first taxable year. If we are not treated as a publicly offered regulated investment company for any calendar year, each U.S. stockholder that is an individual, trust or estate will be treated as having received a dividend from us in the amount of such U.S. stockholder’s allocable share of the management and incentive fees paid to our Investment Adviser and certain of our other expenses for the calendar year, and these fees and expenses will be treated as miscellaneous itemized deductions of such U.S. stockholder. Miscellaneous itemized deductions of a U.S. stockholder that is an individual, trust or estate are disallowed for tax years beginning before January 1, 2026 and thereafter generally are (i) deductible by such U.S. stockholders only to the extent that the aggregate of such U.S. stockholder’s miscellaneous itemized deductions exceeds 2% of such U.S. stockholder’s adjusted gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes, (ii) not deductible for purposes of the alternative minimum tax and (iii) subject to the overall limitation on itemized deductions under the Code.

Non-U.S. stockholders may be subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax on distributions we pay.

Distributions of our “investment company taxable income” to a non-U.S. stockholder that are not effectively connected with the non-U.S. stockholder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States will generally be subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax at a 30% rate (or lower rate provided by an applicable income tax treaty) to the extent paid out of our current or accumulated earnings and profits.

Certain properly reported distributions are generally exempt from withholding of U.S. federal income tax where they are paid in respect of our (i) “qualified net interest income” (generally, our U.S.-source interest income, other than certain contingent interest and interest from obligations of a corporation or partnership in which we or the non-U.S. stockholder are at least a 10% stockholder, reduced by expenses that are allocable to such income) or (ii) “qualified short-term capital gains” (generally, the excess of our net short-term capital gain over our net long-term capital loss for such taxable year), and certain other requirements are satisfied.

NO ASSURANCE CAN BE GIVEN AS TO WHETHER ANY OF OUR DISTRIBUTIONS WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR THIS EXEMPTION FROM WITHHOLDING OF U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX. IN PARTICULAR, THIS EXEMPTION WILL NOT APPLY TO OUR DISTRIBUTIONS PAID IN RESPECT OF OUR NON-U.S. SOURCE INTEREST INCOME OR OUR DIVIDEND INCOME (OR ANY OTHER TYPE OF INCOME OTHER THAN GENERALLY OUR NON-CONTINGENT U.S. SOURCE INTEREST INCOME RECEIVED FROM UNRELATED OBLIGORS AND OUR QUALIFIED SHORT-TERM CAPITAL GAINS). IN THE CASE OF OUR COMMON STOCK OR PREFERRED STOCK HELD THROUGH AN INTERMEDIARY, THE INTERMEDIARY MAY WITHHOLD U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX EVEN IF WE REPORT THE PAYMENT AS QUALIFIED NET INTEREST INCOME OR QUALIFIED SHORT-TERM CAPITAL GAIN.

 

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The Board has the discretion to not repurchase Shares, to suspend the share repurchase program, and to cease repurchases.

Our Board may not adopt a share repurchase program, and if such a program is adopted, may amend, suspend or terminate the share repurchase program at any time in its discretion. You may not be able to sell your Shares at all in the event our Board amends, suspends or terminates the share repurchase program, absent a liquidity event, and we currently do not intend to undertake a liquidity event, and we are not obligated by our certificate of incorporation or otherwise to effect a liquidity event at any time. We will notify you of such developments in our quarterly reports or other filings. If less than the full amount of Shares requested to be repurchased in any given repurchase offer are repurchased, funds will be allocated pro rata based on the total number of Shares being repurchased without regard to class. The share repurchase program has many limitations and should not be relied upon as a method to sell shares promptly or at a desired price.

The timing of repurchases may be disadvantageous.

In the event a stockholder chooses to participate in our share repurchase program, the stockholder will be required to provide us with notice of intent to participate prior to knowing what the NAV per share of the class of shares being repurchased will be on the repurchase date. Although a stockholder will have the ability to withdraw a repurchase request prior to the repurchase date, to the extent a stockholder seeks to sell Shares to us as part of our periodic share repurchase program, the stockholder will be required to do so without knowledge of what the repurchase price of our Shares will be on the repurchase date.

To the extent OID and PIK interest constitute a portion of our income, we will be exposed to typical risks associated with such income being required to be included in taxable and accounting income prior to receipt of cash representing such income.

Our investments may include OID instruments and PIK interest arrangements, which represents contractual interest added to a loan balance and due at the end of such loan’s term. To the extent OID or PIK interest constitute a portion of our income, we are exposed to typical risks associated with such income being required to be included in taxable and accounting income prior to receipt of cash, including the following:

 

   

The higher interest rates of OID and PIK instruments reflect the payment deferral and increased credit risk associated with these instruments, and OID and PIK instruments generally represent a significantly higher credit risk than coupon loans.

 

   

Even if the accounting conditions for income accrual are met, the borrower could still default when our actual collection is supposed to occur at the maturity of the obligation.

 

   

OID and PIK instruments may have unreliable valuations because their continuing accruals require continuing judgments about the collectability of the deferred payments and the value of any associated collateral. OID and PIK income may also create uncertainty about the source of our cash distributions.

 

   

For accounting purposes, any cash distributions to stockholders representing OID and PIK income are not treated as coming from paid-in capital, even if the cash to pay them comes from offering proceeds. As a result, despite the fact that a distribution representing OID and PIK income could be paid out of amounts invested by our stockholders, the Investment Company Act does not require that stockholders be given notice of this fact by reporting it as a return of capital.

In addition, investments in PIK and OID instruments may provide certain benefits to the Investment Adviser, including increasing Management Fees and Incentive Fees prior to the receipt of cash with respect to accrued interest payments.

There is a risk that investors in our equity securities may not receive distributions or that our distributions may not grow over time and that investors in our debt securities may not receive all of the interest income to which they are entitled.

We intend to make distributions on a monthly basis to our stockholders out of assets legally available for distribution. We cannot assure you that we will achieve investment results that will allow us to make a specified level of cash distributions or year-to-year increases in cash distributions. In addition, due to the asset coverage test applicable to us as a BDC, we may in the future be limited in our ability to make distributions. If we do not distribute a certain percentage of our income annually, we will suffer adverse tax consequences, including possible loss of the tax benefits available to us as a RIC. In addition, in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles and tax rules, we include in income certain amounts that we have not yet received in cash, such as contractual PIK interest, which represents contractual interest added to the loan balance that becomes due at the end of the loan term, or the accrual of original issue or market discount. Since we may recognize income before or without receiving cash representing such income, we may have difficulty meeting the requirement to distribute at least 90% of our investment company taxable income to obtain tax benefits as a RIC.

 

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We will be subject to a 4% nondeductible federal excise tax on certain undistributed income for a calendar year unless we distribute in a timely manner an amount at least equal to the sum of (1) 98% of our ordinary income (taking into account certain deferrals and elections) for the calendar year, (2) 98.2% of our capital gain net income for the one-year period ending October 31 in that calendar year and (3) any income recognized, but not distributed, in preceding years. We will not be subject to excise taxes on amounts on which we are required to pay corporate income taxes (such as retained net capital gains). Finally, if more stockholders opt to receive cash distributions rather than participate in our distribution reinvestment plan, we may be forced to liquidate some of our investments and raise cash in order to make cash distribution payments.

 

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ITEM 2.

FINANCIAL INFORMATION.

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

The information in this section contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Please see “Item 1A. Risk Factors” and “Forward-Looking Statements” for a discussion of the uncertainties, risks and assumptions associated with these statements. You should read the following discussion in conjunction with the financial statements and related notes and other financial information appearing elsewhere in this Registration Statement.

Overview

We are a newly organized, externally managed specialty finance company that is a non-diversified, closed-end management investment company that has elected to be regulated as a BDC under the Investment Company Act. We were formed as a Delaware limited liability company on March 25, 2022 with the name Goldman Sachs Loan Fund LLC, which we changed to Goldman Sachs Private Credit Fund LLC on May 18, 2022. Following our election to be regulated as a BDC, we completed the BDC Conversion under which Goldman Sachs Private Credit Corp., a Delaware corporation, succeeded to the business of Goldman Sachs Private Credit Fund LLC. In connection with the Initial Issuance Date, the equity interest of the member of Goldman Sachs Private Credit Fund LLC was cancelled and we commenced our operations. The Investment Adviser is responsible for identifying investment opportunities, conducting research and due diligence on prospective investments, negotiating and structuring such prospective investments, and monitoring our investments for the private credit portion of the Fund. Our Investment Adviser is registered as investment adviser with the SEC. We intend to elect to be treated for federal income tax purposes as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code for the taxable year that includes the Initial Issuance Date, and we intend to qualify for tax treatment as a RIC annually thereafter.

We entered into the Investment Management Agreement with our Investment Adviser, pursuant to which we will pay the Investment Adviser a Management Fee as well as an Incentive Fee based on our investment performance. Also, under the Administration Agreement, we have agreed to reimburse the Administrator for the allocable portion of overhead and other expenses incurred by the Administrator in performing its obligations under the Administration Agreement, including our allocable portion of the costs of compensation and related expenses of our chief compliance officer, chief financial officer and their respective staffs.

Our investment objective is to generate current income and, to a lesser extent, long-term capital appreciation. Our investment strategy is consistent with that of the broader Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit platform with a focus on capital preservation and capital appreciation and includes:

 

   

Leveraging Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit’s position within GSAM: The Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit Team, which is responsible for sourcing, diligencing, negotiating, structuring monitoring and harvesting investment opportunities for the private credit portion of the Fund, is able to draw on the broader Goldman Sachs platform, network and relationships across the investment lifecycle to identify potentially attractive opportunities. Goldman Sachs is a leading global financial services firm and one of the world’s most experienced alternatives investors, and the Fund is expected to benefit not only from the Goldman Sachs network and relationships to identify potentially attractive opportunities, but also from a broad range of other resources offered by Goldman Sachs, including market insights, structuring capabilities and industry experts whose insights can enhance due diligence, structuring and investment monitoring processes.

 

   

Direct origination with borrowers: Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit believes that evaluating investment opportunities through direct discussions with borrowers leads to a better understanding of the underlying drivers of performance and business risks. Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit’s direct origination platform has been developed over its more-than-25-year history of private credit investing and includes approximately 165 investment professionals as of March 31, 2023. Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit’s investment team’s local relationships with companies, private equity sponsors and advisors combined with deep industry expertise provides us with access to a wide range of opportunities and allows us to gain early and direct access to due diligence materials and management teams. We seek to lead the structuring and negotiation of the loans or securities in which we invest with a collaborative, solutions-oriented approach.

 

   

Prudent investment selection with intensive due diligence and credit analysis: We believe that Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit’s substantial flow of potential investment opportunities, in combination with diligence practices developed over its more-than-25-year history of private credit investing, will enable us to invest in and selectively develop a diversified portfolio of high-quality companies. Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit’s seasoned team and underwriting approach reflects deep sector expertise and seeks to identify attractive trends and pursue investments accordingly through our approach to fundamental credit analysis driven by intensive investment research.

 

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Provision of large-sized commitments: We believe that Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit’s capability to hold large-sized, directly originated investments drives our ability to source, negotiate and commit capital in attractive opportunities. We intend to invest alongside institutional and retail-focused private credit Accounts, which may include proprietary accounts of Goldman Sachs, that we believe will provide us with access to a wide range of opportunities and the ability to commit to larger investment across the GSAM platform.

 

   

Structuring expertise with a focus on risk mitigation: Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit has significant structuring capabilities with a seasoned team of investment professionals, including our Private Credit Investment Committee (as defined below), which has over 20 years of experience on average. We seek to mitigate risk by investing primarily in senior secured debt, which is secured by a collateral package that often results in a higher rate of recovery in the event of default as compared to unsecured and subordinated investments. Senior secured debt has favorable characteristics that typically include a senior ranking in the capital structure of the borrower with priority of repayment, security of collateral and protective contractual rights that may include affirmative and negative covenants that restrict the borrower’s ability to incur additional indebtedness, make restricted payments or execute other transactions or implement changes that may be negative to lenders. In addition, Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit has experience investing across the capital structure which will enable us to consider different investment structures and expand our opportunity funnel.

 

   

Rigorous portfolio management: Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit’s active approach to portfolio management centers on team continuity through the lifecycle of an investment, from sourcing and underwriting through investment monitoring and maturity. Investment professionals actively monitor portfolio companies’ activities and financial condition, and senior secured loan agreements typically provide for regular reporting which includes borrower performance, compliance and notification of adverse events. We believe the Goldman Sachs platform adds additional value to our portfolio companies through its extensive network, research capabilities and connectivity across the global capital markets.

 

   

Focus on companies with attractive business fundamentals: Capital preservation is central to the Fund’s investment strategy. Generally, we seek to target companies with the following characteristics: (i) strong and defensible market positions, (ii) stable or growing revenues and free cash flow, (iii) attractive business models, (iv) experienced and well-regarded management teams, (v) reputable private equity or private family sponsors, as applicable, (vi) a meaningful amount of equity cushion or junior capital, which means any equity or debt in the capital structure that is subordinated to the Fund’s investment and (vii) viable exit strategies. The Fund intends to make investments in companies located primarily in the United States and, to a lesser extent, in non-US jurisdictions.

Under normal circumstances, we will invest at least 80% of our total assets (which include net assets plus borrowings for investment purposes) in private credit instruments, which may include loans, notes, bonds and other corporate debt securities issued by corporate issuers. If we change our 80% test, we will provide stockholders with at least 60 days’ notice of such change.

We expect the Fund to hold primarily directly originated, first lien senior secured, floating rate debt of companies located primarily in the United States and, to a lesser extent, in non-U.S. jurisdictions. The Fund may also invest to a lesser extent in second lien loans, unsecured, subordinated or PIK debt and equity and equity-like instruments. We also expect to invest a portion of the Fund’s portfolio in more liquid credit investments, such as broadly syndicated loans and other fixed-income securities, to provide the portfolio with additional liquidity.

We will invest primarily in private companies based in the United States, but we also expect to invest, to a lesser extent, in non-U.S. based companies (subject to compliance with BDC requirements to invest at least 70% of our assets in U.S. companies). We intend to focus our lending across a spectrum of directly sourced opportunities in companies ranging from lower middle market to large capitalization in size. We may invest in companies of any size or capitalization. We will generally seek to lead the origination of our investments as the primary lender, and we may participate in club deals (which are generally investments made by a small group of firms). Subject to the limitations of the Investment Company Act, we may invest in loans or other securities, the proceeds of which may refinance or otherwise repay debt or securities of companies whose debt is owned by other Goldman Sachs credit funds or affiliates. We also intend to invest alongside institutional and retail-focused private credit Accounts, which may include proprietary accounts of Goldman Sachs. See Item 1. Business—Allocation of Investment Opportunities—Co-Investments Alongside Goldman Sachs and other Accounts; the Relief.” In addition, we expect to acquire or originate revolving credit facilities from time to time in connection with our investments in other assets.

 

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Our investment strategy also allocates a portion of the overall portfolio to more liquid credit investments, such as broadly syndicated loans and other fixed-income securities, to provide the portfolio with additional liquidity and to manage our payment obligations under our share repurchase program. These more liquid credit instruments may include senior secured loans, senior secured high yield bonds, senior unsecured high yield bonds, and fixed-income ETFs and government securities. We intend to use these investments to maintain liquidity for our share repurchase program and manage cash before investing subscription proceeds into originated loans, while also seeking attractive investment returns. Prior to raising or investing sufficient capital, the portfolio may display a greater percentage of assets within more liquid credit investments or government securities than we otherwise would expect for a fully invested portfolio. Investment decisions related to more liquid credit investments, such as broadly syndicated loans and other fixed-income securities, will be made by the Goldman Sachs Asset Management High Yield and Bank Loan team within the Global Fixed Income and Liquidity Solutions group of Goldman Sachs Asset Management.

We intend to employ leverage as market conditions permit and at the discretion of the Investment Adviser, but we intend to comply with the limitations set forth in the Investment Company Act, which currently allows us to borrow up to $2 of debt for each $1 of equity. We intend to use leverage in the form of borrowings, including loans from financial institutions as well as the issuance of debt securities. We may also use leverage in the form of preferred shares. In determining whether to borrow money, we will analyze the maturity, covenant package and rate structure of the proposed borrowings as well as the risks of such borrowings compared to our investment outlook. We would expect any such leverage, if incurred, to increase the total capital available for investment by the Fund.

See “Item 1. Business” for more information about our investment strategies. Our investments are subject to a number of risks. See “Item 1A. Risk Factors.”

Revenues

We plan to generate revenues in the form of interest income on debt investments and, to a lesser extent, fee income and capital gains and distributions, if any, on equity securities that we may acquire in portfolio companies. Some of our investments may provide for deferred interest payments or PIK income. We expect that principal amount of the debt investments and any accrued but unpaid interest generally will become due at the maturity date.

We expect to generate revenues primarily through receipt of interest income from the investments we hold. In addition, we may generate revenue in the form of commitment, origination, structuring, syndication, exit fees or diligence fees, fees for providing managerial assistance and consulting fees. Portfolio company fees (directors’ fees, consulting fees, administrative fees, tax advisory fees and other similar compensation) will be paid to us, unless, to the extent required by applicable law or exemptive relief, if any, therefrom, we receive our allocable portion of such fees when invested in the same portfolio company as other Accounts. We do not expect to receive material fee income as it is not our principal investment strategy. We will record contractual prepayment premiums on loans and debt securities as interest income.

Dividend income on preferred equity investments, if any, will be recorded on an accrual basis to the extent that such amounts are payable by the portfolio company and are expected to be collected. Dividend income on common equity investments, if any, will be recorded on the record date for private portfolio companies and on the ex-dividend date for publicly traded portfolio companies. Interest and dividend income will be presented net of withholding tax, if any.

Expenses

Our primary operating expenses include the payment of the Management Fee and the Incentive Fee to our Investment Adviser, legal and other professional fees, interest and other debt expenses and other operating related expenses. The Management Fee and Incentive Fee compensate our Investment Adviser for its work in identifying, evaluating, negotiating, structuring, and monitoring our investments. We bear all other expenses of our operations and transactions, including in accordance with the Investment Management Agreement. See “Item 1. Business—Expenses” for additional information.

Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement

We have entered into an Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement, dated as of March 20, 2023, with the Investment Adviser. Pursuant to the Expense Support Agreement, the Investment Adviser may elect to pay certain of our expenses on our behalf (each, an “Expense Payment”), provided that no portion of the payment will be used to pay any interest expense or distribution and/or stockholder servicing fees of the Fund. Any Expense Payment must be paid by the Investment Adviser to us in any combination of cash or other immediately available funds and/or offset against amounts due from us to the Investment Adviser or its affiliates. See “Item 1. Business—Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement” for additional information.

 

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Leverage

As a BDC, we are permitted, under specified conditions, to issue multiple classes of indebtedness and one class of shares of stock senior to our common stock, including the Series A Preferred Stock, if our asset coverage ratio, as defined under the Investment Company Act, is at least equal to 150% immediately after each such issuance. The Small Business Credit Availability Act modified the applicable provisions of the Investment Company Act to reduce the required asset coverage ratio applicable to BDCs from 200% to 150%, subject to certain approval and disclosure requirements. Our Board and initial member approved the application of the 150% asset coverage ratio to us in accordance with the requirements of the Investment Company Act. While the leverage we employ may be greater or less than these levels from time to time, we intend to comply with the limitations set forth in the Investment Company Act, which currently allows us to borrow up to $2 of debt for each $1 of equity. In addition, except in limited circumstances, while any indebtedness and senior securities remain outstanding, we must make provisions to prohibit any distribution to our stockholders or the repurchase of such securities or stock unless we meet the applicable asset coverage ratios at the time of the distribution or repurchase. We may also borrow amounts up to 5% of the value of our total assets for temporary or emergency purposes without regard to asset coverage. A loan is presumed to be made for temporary purposes if it is repaid within 60 days and is not extended or renewed; otherwise, it is presumed to not be for temporary purposes. For a discussion of the risks associated with leverage, see Item 1A. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Legal and Regulatory Matters—Regulations governing our operations as a BDC affect our ability to, and the way in which we, raise additional capital. These constraints may hinder our Investment Adviser’s ability to take advantage of attractive investment opportunities and to achieve our investment objective.

We intend to employ leverage as market conditions permit and at the discretion of the Investment Adviser, but we intend to comply with the limitations set forth in the Investment Company Act, which currently allows us to borrow up to $2 of debt for each $1 of equity. We intend to use leverage in the form of borrowings, including loans from financial institutions as well as the issuance of debt securities. We may also use leverage in the form of preferred shares. In determining whether to borrow money, we will analyze the maturity, covenant package and rate structure of the proposed borrowings as well as the risks of such borrowings compared to our investment outlook. We would expect any such leverage, if incurred, to increase the total capital available for investment by the Fund.

Our leverage may take the form of revolving or term loans from financial institutions, such as the Truist Revolving Credit Facility, secured or unsecured bonds, securitization of portions of our investment portfolio, or preferred shares, such as the Series A Preferred Stock. The Truist Revolving Credit Facility allows us to borrow money and lever our investment portfolio, subject to the limitations of the Investment Company Act, with the objective of increasing our yield. This is known as “leverage.” When determining whether to borrow money and assessing the various borrowing structure alternatives, we analyze the maturity, rate structure and covenant package of the proposed borrowings in the context of our investment portfolio, pre-existing borrowings and market outlook. The use of leverage magnifies returns, including losses. See “Item 1A. Risk Factors.

Financial Condition, Liquidity and Capital Resources

We expect to generate cash primarily from the net proceeds of the private offering of Shares, the net proceeds of any future offerings of securities, future borrowings and cash flows from operation. On April 6, 2023, we satisfied our minimum offering requirement of $100 million, broke escrow for the private offering of Shares and commenced operations. We are currently selling our Shares on a continuous monthly basis at a per share price equal to the then-current NAV per share. See “Item 1. Business—The Private Offering” for additional information.

Our primary use of funds is expected to be for our investments in portfolio companies, cash distributions to our stockholders or for other general corporate purposes, including paying for operating expenses or debt service to the extent we borrow or issue senior securities.

Critical Accounting Policies

This discussion of our expected operating plans is based upon our expected financial statements, which will be prepared in accordance with GAAP. The preparation of these financial statements will require our management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses. Changes in the economic environment, financial markets and any other parameters used in determining such estimates could cause actual results to differ. In addition to the discussion below, we will describe our critical accounting policies in the notes to our future financial statements.

 

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Revenue Recognition

The Fund records its investment transactions on a trade date basis, which is the date when the Fund assumes the risks for gains and losses related to that instrument. Realized gains and losses are based on the specific identification method.

Interest income, adjusted for amortization of premium and accretion of discount, is recorded on an accrual basis. Discounts and premiums to par value on investments purchased are accreted and amortized into interest income over the life of the respective investment using the effective interest method. Loan origination fees, OID and market discounts or premiums are capitalized and amortized into interest income using the effective interest method or straight-line method, as applicable. Exit fees that are receivable upon repayment of a loan or debt security are amortized into interest income over the life of the respective investment. Upon prepayment of a loan or debt security, any prepayment premiums, unamortized upfront loan origination fees and unamortized discounts are recorded as interest income.

Fees received from portfolio companies (directors’ fees, consulting fees, administrative fees, tax advisory fees and other similar compensation) generally are paid to the Fund, unless, to the extent permitted or required by applicable law or exemptive relief, the Fund only receives its allocable portion of such fees when invested in the same portfolio company as another Account or, in the case of certain brokerage or underwriting compensation, such compensation is permitted to be retained by an affiliate of the Fund.

Certain structuring fees, amendment fees, syndication fees and commitment fees are recorded as other income when earned. Administrative agent fees received by the Fund are recorded as other income when the services are rendered over time.

Dividend income on preferred equity investments is recorded on an accrual basis to the extent that such amounts are payable by the portfolio company and are expected to be collected. Dividend income on common equity investments is recorded on the record date for private portfolio companies and on the ex-dividend date for publicly traded portfolio companies. Interest and dividend income are presented net of withholding tax, if any.

Certain investments may have contractual PIK interest or dividends. PIK represents accrued interest or accumulated dividends that are added to the principal amount or shares (if equity) of the investment on the respective interest or dividend payment dates rather than being paid in cash and generally becomes due at maturity or upon the investment being called by the issuer. PIK is recorded as interest or dividend income, as applicable. If at any point the Fund believes PIK is not expected to be realized, the investment generating PIK will be placed on non-accrual status. When a PIK investment is placed on non-accrual status, the accrued, uncapitalized interest or dividends are generally reversed through interest or dividend income, respectively.

Non-Accrual Investments

Investments are placed on non-accrual status when it is probable that principal, interest or dividends will not be collected according to the contractual terms. Accrued interest or dividends generally are reversed when an investment is placed on non-accrual status. Interest or dividend payments received on non-accrual investments may be recognized as income or applied to principal depending upon management’s judgment. Non-accrual investments are restored to accrual status when past due principal and interest or dividends are paid and, in management’s judgment, principal and interest or dividend payments are likely to remain current.

Valuations

The Fund carries its investments in accordance with ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures (“ASC 820”), issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB), which defines fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value and requires disclosures about fair value measurements. Fair value is generally based on quoted market prices provided by independent price sources. In the absence of quoted market prices, investments are measured at fair value as determined by the Investment Adviser, as valuation designee (the “Valuation Designee”) in accordance with Rule 2a-5 under the Investment Company Act.

Due to the inherent uncertainties of valuation, certain estimated fair values may differ significantly from the values that would have been realized had a ready market for these investments existed, and these differences could be material.

We expect the Fund to hold primarily directly originated, first lien senior secured, floating rate debt of companies located primarily in the United States and, to a lesser extent, in non-U.S. jurisdictions. The Fund may also invest to a lesser extent in second lien loans, unsecured, subordinated or PIK debt and equity and equity-like instruments. The Board has delegated to the Investment Adviser, through the Valuation Oversight Group (“VOG”), day-to-day responsibility for implementing and maintaining internal controls and procedures related to the valuation of the Fund’s portfolio investments. Market quotations are generally used to assess the value of the investments for which market quotations are readily available. We obtain these market values from independent pricing sources. If market quotations are not readily available, the Investment Adviser prices securities based upon trading on national securities markets, or otherwise by a principal

 

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market maker or a primary market dealer. To assess the continuing appropriateness of pricing sources and methodologies, the Investment Adviser regularly performs price verification procedures and issues challenges as necessary to independent pricing services or brokers, and any differences are reviewed in accordance with the valuation procedures. If the Investment Adviser, as valuation designee, believes any such market quotation does not reflect the fair value of an investment, the Investment Adviser, as valuation designee, may independently value such investment in accordance with valuation procedures for investments for which market quotations are not readily available.

Our investment strategy will also allocate a portion of the overall portfolio to more liquid credit investments, such as broadly syndicated loans and other fixed-income securities, to provide the portfolio with additional liquidity and to manage our payment obligations under our share repurchase program. These more liquid credit instruments may include senior secured loans, senior secured high yield bonds, senior unsecured high yield bonds, and fixed-income ETFs and government securities. We intend to use these investments to seek to maintain liquidity for our share repurchase program and manage cash before investing subscription proceeds into originated loans, while also seeking attractive investment returns. Prior to raising or investing sufficient capital, the portfolio may display a greater percentage of assets within more liquid credit investments or government securities than we otherwise would expect for a fully invested portfolio. Investment decisions related to more liquid credit investments, such as broadly syndicated loans and other fixed-income securities, will be made by the Goldman Sachs Asset Management High Yield and Bank Loan team within the Global Fixed Income and Liquidity Solutions group of Goldman Sachs Asset Management.

With respect to investments for which market quotations are not readily available, or for which market quotations are deemed not reflective of the fair value, the valuation procedures approved by the Board and adopted by the Valuation Designee, contemplate a multi-step valuation process conducted by the Investment Adviser each quarter and more frequently as needed. As the Valuation Designee, the Investment Adviser is primarily responsible for the valuation of the Fund’s assets, subject to the oversight of the Board, as described below:

 

  1.

The quarterly valuation process begins with each portfolio company or investment being initially valued by the investment professionals of the Investment Adviser responsible for the valuation of the portfolio investment;

 

  2.

The Valuation Designee also engages the Independent Valuation Advisors to provide independent valuations of the investments for which market quotations are not readily available, or are readily available but deemed not reflective of the fair value of an investment. The Independent Valuation Advisors independently value such investments using quantitative and qualitative information. The Independent Valuation Advisors also provide analyses to support their valuation methodology and calculations. The Independent Valuation Advisors provide an opinion on a final range of values on such investments to the Valuation Designee. The Independent Valuation Advisors define fair value in accordance with ASC 820 and utilize valuation approaches including the market approach, the income approach or both. A portion of the portfolio is reviewed on a quarterly basis, and all investments in the portfolio for which market quotations are not readily available, or are readily available, but deemed not reflective of the fair value of an investment, are reviewed at least annually by an Independent Valuation Advisor;

 

  3.

The Independent Valuation Advisors’ preliminary valuations are reviewed by the Investment Adviser and the VOG, a team that is part of the controllers group of Goldman Sachs. The Independent Valuation Advisors’ valuation ranges are compared to the Investment Adviser’s valuations to ensure the Investment Adviser’s valuations are reasonable. VOG presents the valuations to the Asset Management Private Investment Valuation and Side Pocket Working Group of the Asset Management Valuation Committee (the “Asset Management Private Investment Valuation and Side Pocket Working Group”), which is comprised of a number of representatives from different functions and areas of expertise related to GSAM’s business and controls who are independent of the investment decision making process;

 

  4.

The Asset Management Private Investment Valuation and Side Pocket Working Group reviews and preliminarily approves the fair valuations and makes fair valuation recommendations to the Asset Management Valuation Committee;

 

  5.

The Asset Management Valuation Committee reviews the valuation information provided by the Asset Management Private Investment Valuation and Side Pocket Working Group, the VOG, the investment professionals of the Investment Adviser responsible for valuations, and the Independent Valuation Advisors. The Asset Management Valuation Committee then assesses such valuation recommendations; and

 

  6.

Through the Asset Management Valuation Committee, the Valuation Designee discusses the valuations, provides written reports to the Board of Directors on at least a quarterly basis, and, within the meaning of the Investment Company Act, determines the fair value of the investments in good faith, based on the inputs of the Asset Management Valuation Committee, the Asset Management Private Investment Valuation and Side Pocket Working Group, the VOG, the investment professionals of the Investment Adviser responsible for valuations, and the Independent Valuation Advisors.

 

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Foreign Currency Translation

Amounts denominated in foreign currencies are translated into US dollars on the following basis: (i) investments and other assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into US dollars based upon currency exchange rates effective on the last business day of the period; and (ii) purchases and sales of investments, borrowings and repayments of such borrowings, income, and expenses denominated in foreign currencies are translated into US dollars based upon currency exchange rates prevailing on the transaction dates.

The Fund does not isolate the portion of the results of operations resulting from changes in foreign exchange rates on investments from fluctuations arising from changes in market prices of securities held. Such fluctuations are included within the net realized and unrealized gains or losses on investments. Fluctuations arising from the translation of non-investment assets and liabilities are included with the net change in unrealized gains (losses) on foreign currency translations.

Foreign security and currency translations may involve certain considerations and risks not typically associated with investing in U.S. companies and U.S. government securities. These risks include, but are not limited to, currency fluctuations and revaluations and future adverse political, social and economic developments, which could cause investments in foreign markets to be less liquid and prices more volatile than those of comparable U.S. companies or U.S. government securities.

Derivatives

The Fund may enter into foreign currency forward contracts to reduce the Fund’s exposure to foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations in the value of foreign currencies. In a foreign currency forward contract, the Fund agrees to receive or deliver a fixed quantity of one currency for another, at a pre-determined price at a future date. Forward foreign currency contracts are marked-to-market at the applicable forward rate. Unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on foreign currency forward contracts is recorded by counterparty on a net basis, not taking into account collateral posted which is recorded separately, if applicable. Notional amounts of foreign currency forward contract assets and liabilities are presented separately. Purchases and settlements of foreign currency forward contracts having the same settlement date and counterparty are generally settled net and any realized gains or losses are recognized on the settlement date.

The Fund does not utilize hedge accounting and as such, the Fund recognizes its derivatives at fair value with changes in the net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on foreign currency forward contracts recorded on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Income Taxes

The Fund recognizes tax positions in its consolidated financial statements only when it is more likely than not that the position will be sustained upon examination by the relevant taxing authority based on the technical merits of the position. A position that meets this standard is measured at the largest amount of benefit that will more likely than not be realized upon settlement. The Fund reports any interest expense related to income tax matters in income tax expense, and any income tax penalties under expenses.

The Fund’s tax positions have been reviewed based on applicable statutes of limitation for tax assessments, which may vary by jurisdiction, and based on such review, the Fund has concluded that no additional provision for income tax is required in the consolidated financial statements. The Fund is subject to potential examination by certain taxing authorities in various jurisdictions. The Fund’s tax positions are subject to ongoing interpretation of laws and regulations by taxing authorities.

The Fund intends to elect to be treated as a RIC commencing with its taxable year that includes the Initial Issuance Date. So long as the Fund maintains its tax treatment as a RIC, it will generally not be required to pay corporate-level U.S. federal income tax on any investment company taxable income or net capital gain that it distributes at least annually to its stockholders as dividends. As a result, any U.S. federal income tax liability related to income earned and distributed by the Fund represents obligations of the Fund’s stockholders and will not be reflected in the consolidated financial statements of the Fund.

To maintain its tax treatment as a RIC, the Fund must meet specified source-of-income and asset diversification requirements and timely distribute to its stockholders for each taxable year at least 90% of its investment company taxable income (generally, its net ordinary income plus the excess of its realized net short-term capital gains over realized net long-term capital losses, determined without regard to the dividends paid deduction). In order for the Fund not to be subject to U.S. federal excise taxes, it must distribute annually an amount at least equal to the sum of (i) 98% of its net ordinary income (taking into account certain deferrals and elections) for the calendar year, (ii) 98.2% of its capital gains in excess of capital losses for the one-year period ending on October 31 of the calendar year and (iii) any net ordinary income and capital gains in excess of capital losses for preceding years that were not distributed during such years. The Fund, at its discretion, may carry forward taxable income in excess of calendar year dividends and pay a 4% nondeductible U.S. federal excise tax on this income. If the Fund chooses to do so, this generally would increase expenses and reduce the amount available to be distributed to stockholders.

 

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Certain of the Fund’s expected consolidated subsidiaries are expected to be subject to U.S. federal and state corporate-level income taxes. Income tax expense, if any, is included under the income category for which it applies.

Distributions

Distributions from net investment income and net realized capital gains are determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations, which may differ from those amounts determined in accordance with GAAP. The Fund may pay distributions in excess of its taxable net investment income. This excess would be a tax-free return of capital in the period and reduce the stockholder’s tax basis in its shares. These book/tax differences are either temporary or permanent in nature. To the extent these differences are permanent they are charged or credited to paid-in capital in excess of par or distributable earnings, as appropriate, in the period that the differences arise. Temporary and permanent differences are primarily attributable to differences in the tax treatment of certain loans and the tax characterization of income and non-deductible expenses. These differences are generally determined in conjunction with the preparation of the Fund’s annual RIC tax return. Distributions to common stockholders are recorded on the ex-dividend date. The amount to be paid out as a distribution is determined by the Board each month and is generally based upon the earnings estimated by the Investment Adviser. The Fund may pay distributions to its stockholders in a year in excess of its net ordinary income and capital gains for that year and, accordingly, a portion of such distributions may constitute a return of capital for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The Fund intends to timely distribute to its stockholders substantially all of its annual taxable income for each year, except that the Fund may retain certain net capital gains for reinvestment and may carry forward taxable income for distribution in the following year and pay any applicable tax. The specific tax characteristics of the Fund’s distributions will be reported to stockholders after the end of the calendar year. All distributions will be subject to available funds, and no assurance can be given that the Fund will be able to declare such distributions in future periods.

The Fund has adopted a distribution reinvestment plan that provides for reinvestment of all cash distributions declared by the Board unless a stockholder elects to “opt out” of the plan. As a result, if the Board declares a cash distribution, then the stockholders who have not “opted out” of the distribution reinvestment plan will have their cash distributions automatically reinvested in additional Shares, rather than receiving the cash distribution. Stockholders who receive distributions in the form of Shares will generally be subject to the same U.S. federal, state and local tax consequences as if they received cash distributions and, for this purpose, stockholders receiving distributions in the form of stock will generally be treated as receiving distributions equal to the fair market value of the stock received through the plan. However, since the cash distributions of participants in the plan will be reinvested, those stockholders will not receive cash with which to pay any applicable taxes.

We intend to make dividends and distributions to holders of the Series A Preferred Stock semi-annually on or before June 30 and December 31 of each year. Such dividends and distributions will be payable to such holders of record at the close of business on the applicable record date, which shall be the fifteenth day of the calendar month in which the applicable dividend payment date falls or on such other date designated by the Board for the payment of dividends to such preferred stockholders that is not more than 30 nor less than ten days prior to such dividend payment date.

Contractual Obligations

We have entered into the Investment Management Agreement with Goldman Sachs Asset Management (in its capacity as the Investment Adviser) to provide us with investment advisory services and the Administration Agreement with State Street (in its capacity as the Administrator) to provide us with administrative services. Payments for investment advisory services under the Investment Management Agreement are described in “Item 1. Business—Investment Management Agreement.”

We may establish credit facilities in addition to the Truist Revolving Credit Facility or enter into other financing arrangements to facilitate investments and the timely payment of our expenses. It is anticipated that any such credit facilities will bear interest at floating rates at to-be-determined spreads over SOFR (or other applicable reference rate). We cannot assure stockholders that we will be able to enter into a credit facility on favorable terms or at all. In connection with a credit facility or other borrowings, lenders may require us to pledge assets, commitments and/or drawdowns (and the ability to enforce the payment thereof) and may ask to comply with positive or negative covenants that could have an effect on our operations.

We entered into the Purchase Agreements with the Financing Provider and an affiliate of the Investment Adviser, pursuant to which we purchased the Warehouse Investments from the Financing Provider at the prices determined under the Purchase Agreements. See “Item 1. BusinessWarehouse Investments” for additional information.

Revolving Credit Facility

On April 6, 2023, we entered into the Truist Revolving Credit Facility with Truist Bank, as administrative agent, and the lenders and issuing banks party thereto. As of April 10, 2023, there was approximately USD $98.01 million and CAD 60.68 million in total outstanding borrowings under the Truist Credit Facility.

The total commitments under the Truist Revolving Credit Facility are $725.00 million, $600.00 million is under a multicurrency sub-facility and $125.00 million is under a USD sub-facility. The Truist Revolving Credit Facility also has an accordion feature, subject to the satisfaction of various conditions, which could bring total commitments under the Truist Revolving Credit Facility to $1,450.00 million.

Any amounts borrowed under the Truist Revolving Credit Facility will mature, and all accrued and unpaid interest will be due and payable, on April 6, 2028.

Borrowings thereunder denominated in USD, including amounts drawn in respect of letters of credit, bear interest (at our election) of either (i) term SOFR plus a margin of either 2.00% or 1.75% (subject to certain gross borrowing base conditions), plus an additional 0.10% credit adjustment spread, (ii) an alternate base rate, which is the highest of (x) Prime Rate in effect on such day, (y) Federal Funds Effective Rate for such day plus 1/2 of 1.00% and (z) term SOFR for an interest period of one (1) month plus 1.00%, plus a margin of either 1.00% or 0.75% (subject to certain gross borrowing base conditions). Borrowings thereunder denominated in non-USD bear interest of the applicable term benchmark rate or daily simple RFR plus a margin of either 2.00% or 1.75% (subject to certain gross borrowing base conditions), plus, in the case of borrowings denominated in Pound Sterling (GBP) only, an additional 0.0326% credit adjustment spread or 0.1193% credit adjustment spread, for 1-month tenor and 3-months tenor borrowings, respectively. With respect to borrowings denominated in USD, we may elect either term SOFR, or an alternative base rate at the time of borrowing, and such borrowings may be converted from one benchmark to another at any time, subject to certain conditions.

For further information, see “Item 1(c). Description of Business—Revolving Credit Facility.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

Other than contractual commitments and other legal contingencies incurred in the normal course of our business, we do not expect to have any off-balance sheet financings or liabilities.

 

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Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

We will be subject to financial market risks, most significantly changes in interest rates. Interest rate sensitivity refers to the change in our earnings that may result from changes in the level of interest rates. Because we expect to fund a portion of our investments with borrowings, our net investment income is expected to be affected by the difference between the rate at which we invest and the rate at which we borrow. As a result, we can offer be no assurance that a significant change in market interest rates will not have a material adverse effect on our net investment income.

We plan to measure our exposure to interest rate risk quarterly, or more frequently as we determine is needed. We plan to assess interest rate risk and manage our interest rate exposure on an ongoing basis by comparing our interest rate sensitive assets to our interest rate sensitive liabilities.

We may, in the future, hedge against interest rate fluctuations by using standard hedging instruments such as futures, options and forward contracts subject to the requirements of the Investment Company Act, applicable CFTC regulations and in a manner consistent with SEC guidance. While hedging activities may insulate us against adverse changes in interest rates, they may also limit our ability to participate in benefits of lower interest rates with respect to our portfolio of investments with fixed interest rates.

We plan to invest primarily in illiquid debt securities of private companies. Most of our investments will not have a readily available market price, and we will value these investments at fair value as determined in good faith by the Investment Adviser, as valuation designee, pursuant to procedures adopted by the Investment Adviser, as valuation designee, subject to the oversight of the Board in accordance with our valuation policy. There is no single standard for determining fair value in good faith. As a result, determining fair value requires that judgment be applied to the specific facts and circumstances of each portfolio investment while employing a consistently applied valuation process for the types of investments we make. See Item 9. Market Price of and Dividends on the Registrant’s Common Equity and Related Stockholder Matters—Valuation of Portfolio Investments. Our investment strategy will also allocate a portion of the overall portfolio to more liquid credit investments, such as broadly syndicated loans and other fixed-income securities, to provide the portfolio with additional liquidity and to manage our payment obligations under our share repurchase program. Investment decisions related to more liquid credit investments, such as broadly syndicated loans and other fixed-income securities, will be made by the Goldman Sachs Asset Management High Yield and Bank Loan team within the Global Fixed Income and Liquidity Solutions group of Goldman Sachs Asset Management.

 

ITEM 3.

PROPERTIES.

We do not own any real estate or other properties materially important to our operations. Our executive offices are located at 200 West Street, New York, New York 10282 and our telephone number is (312) 655-4419. We believe that our office facilities will be suitable and adequate for our business as it is contemplated to be conducted.

 

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ITEM 4.

SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT.

Ownership of Equity Securities

The Fund cancelled our initial member’s equity interest in the Fund in connection with and concurrent with the Initial Issuance Date.

The following table sets forth, as of May 17, 2023, certain ownership information with respect to our Class I shares for each of the Fund’s current directors, executive officers, directors and executive officers as a group, and each person known to the Fund to beneficially own 5% or more of the Fund’s outstanding Class I shares. None of our executive officers or directors own shares of our Series A Preferred Stock, and, to our knowledge, no person beneficially owns more than 5% of our outstanding Series A Preferred Stock, as of May 17, 2023, 515 shares of which were outstanding as of such date.

Beneficial ownership has been determined in accordance with the rules and regulations of the SEC and includes voting or investment power with respect to the Class I shares and the Series A Preferred Stock, respectively. Unless otherwise indicated, the persons named in the table below have sole voting and investment power with respect to the number of shares indicated as beneficially owned by them.

 

     Class I Shares(4)  
Name and Address    Type of
Ownership
    

Number of

Shares Owned

            Percent
of Class
 

5% Owners

           

GSAM Holdings LLC(1)(2)

     Direct        2,000,000           15.27%  

Interested Director

           

Katherine (“Kaysie”) P. Uniacke

                       

Independent Directors

           

Jaime Ardila

     Indirect        3,200           *  

Carlos E. Evans

     Direct        1,990           *  

Ross J. Kari

     Indirect        6,400           *  

Timothy J. Leach

                       

Richard A. Mark

                       

Susan B. McGee

                       

Executive Officers

           

Alex Chi

     Direct        3,979           *  

David Miller

     Direct        10,000           *  

Stephanie Rader

                       

Gabriella N. Skirnick

                       

David Pessah

                       

Julien Yoo

                       

Caroline Kraus

                       

Justin Betzen

                       

Greg Watts

     Direct        6,000           *  

Tucker Greene

                       

Jennifer Yang

                       

All officers and directors as a group (18 persons) (2)

        31,569           *  
*

Less than 1%.

(1)

The address for GSAM Holdings LLC is c/o Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P., 200 West Street, New York, New York 10282.

(2)

GSAM Holdings LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of GS Group Inc.

(3)

The address for each of our directors and executive officers is c/o Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P., 200 West Street, New York, New York 10282

(4)

The information presented in this table gives effect to the May 2023 issuance of shares of our Class I shares. See Item 10. Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities.

 

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ITEM 5.

DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS.

Board

The Fund’s business and affairs are managed under the direction of the Board. The Board currently consists of seven members, six of whom are Independent Directors. “Independent Directors” are directors who (1) are not deemed to be “interested persons,” of ours (as defined in the Investment Company Act), (2) meet the definition of “independent directors” under the corporate governance standards of the New York Stock Exchange and (3) meet the independence requirements of Section 10A(m)(3) of the Exchange Act. The Board elects the Fund’s officers, who serve at the discretion of the Board. The responsibilities of the Board include oversight of valuation of the Fund’s assets, corporate governance activities, oversight of the Fund’s financing arrangements and oversight of its investment activities.

Under our certificate of incorporation, our Board is divided into three classes with staggered three-year terms. However, the initial members of the three classes have initial terms of one, two and three years, respectively. At each annual meeting of our stockholders, the successors to the class of directors whose terms expire at such meeting will be elected to hold office for a term expiring at the annual meeting of stockholders held in the third year following the year of their election. Each director will hold office for the term to which he or she is elected and until his or her successor is duly elected and qualified or until his or her earlier death, resignation, removal or disqualification.

 

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Directors

Information regarding the initial members of the Board is as follows:

 

Name, Age and

Address (1)

  

Position with the Fund

  

Length of Service

  

Principal

Occupation(s) During

Past 5 Years

  

Other Directorships

Interested Director*

           
Katherine (“Kaysie”) P. Uniacke (62)    Class II Director    Director since May 2022; term expires 2025 (2028 if re-elected)   

Ms. Uniacke is Chair of the Board—Goldman Sachs Asset Management International (2013–Present); Director—Goldman Sachs Dublin and Luxembourg family of funds (2013–Present); and Advisory Director—Goldman Sachs (2013–Present). Formerly, she was Global Chief Operating Officer—Goldman Sachs Asset Management (2007–2012); Partner, Goldman Sachs (2002–2012); and Managing Director—Goldman Sachs (1997–2002).

 

Director—the Fund, GS BDC, GS PMMC, GS PMMC II, GS MMLC II and PSLF.

   Goldman Sachs Asset Management International; Goldman Sachs Dublin and Luxembourg family of funds; GS BDC; GS PMMC; GS PMMC II; GS MMLC II; PSLF

Name, Age and

Address (1)

  

Position with the Fund

  

Length of Service

  

Principal

Occupation(s) During

Past 5 Years

  

Other Directorships

Independent Directors

           
Jaime Ardila (67)    Class II Director    Director since May 2022; term expires 2025 (2028 if re-elected)    Mr. Ardila is retired. He is Director, Accenture plc (2013–Present) and Director, Nexa Resources (2019-Present). Formerly, he was Director of Ecopetrol (2016–2019); and held senior management positions with General Motors Company (an automobile manufacturer) (1984–1996 and 1998–2016), most recently as Executive Vice President, and President of General Motors’ South America region (2010–2016).    Accenture plc (a management consulting services company); Nexa Resources (a mining company); GS BDC; GS PMMC; GS PMMC II; PSLF

 

101


Name, Age and

Address (1)

 

Position with the Fund

 

Length of Service

  

Principal

Occupation(s) During

Past 5 Years

  

Other Directorships

      

Chairman of the Board of Directors —GS PMMC, GS PMMC II and PSLF.

 

Independent Director — the Fund and GS BDC

  
Carlos E. Evans (71)   Class I Director   Director since May 2022; term expires 2024 (2027 if re-elected)   

Mr. Evans is retired. He is Chairman, Highwoods Properties, Inc. (2018–Present); Director, Highwoods Properties, Inc. (2015–2018); Director, National Coatings and Supplies Inc. (2015–Present); Director, Warren Oil Company, LLC (2016–Present); Director, American Welding & Gas Inc. (2015–Present); and Director, Johnson Management (2015–Present). He was formerly Director, Sykes Enterprises, Inc. (2016–2021); Executive Vice President and Group Head of Wells Fargo Eastern Commercial Banking and National Head of Government and Institutional Banking (2009–2014).

 

Independent Director—the Fund, GS BDC and GS MMLC II.

   Highwoods Properties, Inc. (a real estate investment trust); National Coatings and Supplies Inc.; Warren Oil Company, LLC; American Welding & Gas Inc.; Johnson Management; GS MMLC II; GS BDC
Ross J. Kari (64)   Class III Director   Director since May 2022; term expires 2023 (2026 if re-elected)    Mr. Kari is retired. Formerly, he was Director, Summit Bank (2014-2022); Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer,    GS BDC; GS PMMC; GS PMMC II; PSLF

 

102


Name, Age and

Address (1)

 

Position with the Fund

 

Length of Service

  

Principal

Occupation(s) During

Past 5 Years

  

Other Directorships

      

Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) (2009–2013); and was a Member of the Board of Directors of KKR Financial Holdings, LLC (2007–2014).

 

Independent Director—the Fund, GS BDC, GS PMMC, GS PMMC II and PSLF.

  
Timothy J. Leach (67)   Chairman, Class I Director   Director since May 2022; term expires 2024 (2027 if re-elected)   

Mr. Leach is retired. He is Chairman, MN8 Energy Inc. (2021–Present); Chairman, Habitat for Humanity of Sonoma County (2019–Present); Director, Habitat for Humanity of Sonoma County (2017–2019); and Chairman, GS Renewable Power LLC (2021-Present). He was formerly Chief Investment Officer, US Bank Wealth Management (2008–2016) and Treasurer and Director, National Committee to Preserve Social Security & Medicare (2014–2019).

 

Independent Director and Chairman of the Board of Directors—the Fund, GS BDC and GS MMLC II.

   Habitat for Humanity of Sonoma County; GS Renewable Power LLC; GS BDC; GS MMLC II
Richard A. Mark (69)   Class II Director   Director since May 2022; term expires 2025 (2028 if re-elected)    Mr. Mark is retired. He is Director, Viatris Inc. (2020–Present); and Director, Home Centered Care Institute (2021 – Present). He was formerly Director, Almost Home Kids    Viatris Inc. (a global pharmaceutical company); Home Centered Care Institute; GS BDC; GS MMLC II

 

103


Name, Age and

Address (1)

 

Position with the Fund

 

Length of Service

  

Principal

Occupation(s) During

Past 5 Years

  

Other Directorships

      

(2016–2021); Director, Mylan N.V. (2019–2020); Partner, Deloitte & Touche LLP (2002–2015) and Chairman and member of the Audit Committee, Katy Industries, Inc. (2015–2016).

 

Independent Director—the Fund, GS BDC and GS MMLC II.

  
Susan B. McGee (64)   Class I Director   Director since May 2022; term expires 2024 (2027 if re-elected)   

Ms. McGee is retired. She is Director, ETTL Engineers and Consultants (2018-Present); and Director, HIVE Blockchain Technologies Ltd (2021-Present). She was formerly Director, Nobul Corporation (2019-2022) and held senior management positions with U.S. Global Investors, Inc. (an investment management firm), including Chief Compliance Officer (2016–2018), President (1998–2018) and General Counsel (1997–2018). She was also formerly Vice President of the U.S. Global Investors Funds (2016–2018).

 

Independent Director—the Fund, GS BDC, GS PMMC, GS PMMC II and PSLF.

   ETTL Engineers and Consultants; HIVE Blockchain Technologies Ltd; GS BDC; GS PMMC; GS PMMC II; PSLF

 

* 

Ms. Uniacke is considered to be an “Interested Director” because she holds positions with Goldman Sachs and owns securities issued by GS Group Inc. Ms. Uniacke holds comparable positions with certain other companies of which Goldman Sachs, GSAM or an affiliate thereof is the investment adviser, administrator and/or distributor.

(1)

Each director may be contacted by writing to the director, c/o Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P., 200 West Street, New York, New York 10282.

The significance or relevance of a Director’s particular experience, qualifications, attributes and/or skills is considered by the Board on an individual basis. Experience, qualifications, attributes and/or skills common to all Directors include the ability to critically review, evaluate and discuss information provided to them and to interact effectively with the other Directors and with representatives of the Investment Adviser and its affiliates, other service providers, legal counsel and the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm, the capacity to address financial and legal issues and exercise reasonable business judgment, and a commitment to the representation of the interests of the Fund and the stockholders. The Governance and Nominating Committee’s charter contains certain other factors that are considered by the Governance and Nominating Committee in identifying and evaluating potential nominees to serve as Independent Directors. Below is a brief discussion of the experience, qualifications, attributes and/or skills of each Director that led the Board to conclude that such individual should serve as a director.

 

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Interested Director:

Katherine P. Uniacke. Ms. Uniacke is the sole interested director on the Board and has served in such capacity since May 2022. Ms. Uniacke is the chair of the board of Goldman Sachs Asset Management International; serves on the boards of the Goldman Sachs Luxembourg and Dublin family of funds, several Goldman Sachs Asset Management-managed pooled vehicles organized in the Cayman Islands, GS BDC, GS PMMC, GS PMMC II, GS MMLC II and PSLF; and is an advisory director to GS Group Inc. Previously, she was global chief operating officer of the Investment Adviser’s portfolio management business until 2012 and served on the Investment Management Division Client and Business Standards Committee. Prior to this, she was president of Goldman Sachs Trust, the GS mutual fund family, and was head of the Fiduciary Management business within Global Manager Strategies, responsible for business development and client service globally. Earlier in her career, Ms. Uniacke managed the Investment Adviser’s U.S. and Canadian Distribution groups. In that capacity, she was responsible for overseeing all North American institutional and third-party sales channels, marketing and client service functions, for which client assets exceeded $200 billion. Before that, Ms. Uniacke was head of the Investment Adviser’s Global Cash Services business, where she was responsible for overseeing the management of assets exceeding $100 billion. Ms. Uniacke worked at Goldman Sachs from 1983 to 2012 where she was named managing director in 1997 and partner in 2002. Ms. Uniacke serves on the board of Person-to-Person, a non-profit organization that supports the working poor in lower Fairfield County, CT. Based on the foregoing, Ms. Uniacke is experienced with financial and investment matters, which we believe makes her well qualified to serve on the Board of Directors.

Independent Directors:

Jaime Ardila. Mr. Ardila is retired. Mr. Ardila has served on the Board of Directors of the Fund since May 2022, including as Chairman of the Board until January 2023. He also serves as a member of the Board of Directors of GS BDC and serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of GS PMMC, GS PMMC II and PSLF. Mr. Ardila is a member of the Board of Directors of Accenture plc, a management consulting services company, where he serves as Chair of the Finance Committee and a member of the Audit Committee, and a member of the Board of Directors of Nexa Resources S.A., a mining company. Previously, he was a member of the Board of Directors of Ecopetrol, an integrated oil company, where he served as Chair of the Audit Committee and a member of the Business Committee and the Corporate Governance and Sustainability Committee, from 2016 to 2019. Mr. Ardila also worked for 29 years at General Motors Company, an automobile manufacturer, where he held several senior management positions, most recently as Executive Vice President of the company and President of General Motors’ South America region. Mr. Ardila joined General Motors in 1984. From 1996 to 1998, Mr. Ardila served as the managing director, Colombian Operations, of N M Rothschild & Sons Ltd, before rejoining General Motors in 1998. Based on the foregoing, Mr. Ardila is experienced with financial and investment matters, which we believe makes him well qualified to serve on the Board of Directors.

Carlos E. Evans. Mr. Evans is retired. Mr. Evans has served on the Board of Directors of the Fund since May 2022. He also serves on the Board of Directors of GS BDC and GS MMLC II. Mr. Evans is currently chairman of the Board of Directors of Highwoods Properties, Inc., a real estate investment trust, where he serves as chair of the Compensation/Governance Committee and as a member of the Executive Committee. Prior to his retirement in 2014, Mr. Evans worked for Wells Fargo Bank, most recently serving as executive vice president and group head of the eastern division of Wells Fargo commercial banking. From 2006 until Wachovia Corporation’s merger with Wells Fargo in 2009, Mr. Evans served as wholesale banking executive and an executive vice president for the Wachovia general banking group. Previously, he held senior management positions with First Union National Bank and with Bank of America and its predecessors, including NationsBank, North Carolina National Bank and Bankers Trust of South Carolina, which he joined in 1973. Mr. Evans is chairman emeritus of the board of the Spoleto Festival USA and was previously chairman of the board of the Medical University of South Carolina Foundation. Mr. Evans serves on the boards of four private companies, National Coatings and Supplies Inc., Warren Oil Company, LLC, American Welding & Gas Inc. and Johnson Management. He also previously served on the Board of Directors of Sykes Enterprises, Incorporated, an international provider of outsourced customer contact management services. Based on the foregoing, Mr. Evans is experienced with financial and investment matters, which we believe makes him well qualified to serve on the Board of Directors.

Ross J. Kari. Mr. Kari is retired. Mr. Kari has served on the Board of Directors of the Fund since May 2022. He also serves on the Board of Directors of GS BDC, GS PMMC, GS PMMC II and PSLF. Previously, Mr. Kari was Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac), where he worked for four years. Previously, he held senior management positions at SAFECO Corporation, a personal insurance company, Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco, and Wells Fargo & Company, where he began his career and worked for 19 years. Mr. Kari also served as a Director and a member of the Audit Committee and ALCO Chairman of Summit Bank. Based on the foregoing, Mr. Kari is experienced with financial and investment matters, which we believe makes him well qualified to serve on the Board of Directors.

Timothy J. Leach. Mr. Leach is retired. Mr. Leach has served on the Board of Directors of the Fund since May 2022 and has served as Chairman of the Board since January 2023. He also serves as a member and Chairman of the Board of Directors of GS BDC and GS MMLC II. From 2008 until his retirement in July 2016, Mr. Leach served as chief investment officer of US Bank Wealth Management. Prior to joining US Bank, Mr. Leach held senior management positions with U.S. Trust Company and various investment advisers and asset managers, including Wells Fargo Private Investment Advisors, Wells Fargo Alternative Asset Management, ABN Amro Global Asset Management, ABN Amro Asset Management (USA) and Qualivest Capital Management. Mr. Leach currently serves as chairman of the board of directors of Habitat for Humanity of Sonoma County and as chairman of the board of directors for GS Renewable Power LLC. Based on the foregoing, Mr. Leach is experienced with financial and investment matters, which we believe makes him well qualified to serve on the Board of Directors.

 

105


Richard A. Mark. Mr. Mark is retired. Mr. Mark has served on the Board of Directors of the Fund since May 2022. Mr. Mark has been designated as the Board’s “audit committee financial expert” given his extensive accounting and finance experience. He also serves on the Board of Directors and as the chair of the audit committee of GS BDC and GS MMLC II. Prior to his retirement in 2015, Mr. Mark was a partner at Deloitte & Touche LLP, most recently leading the corporate development function of the advisory business of Deloitte. Mr. Mark began his career at Arthur Andersen & Co. and held various positions with Arthur Andersen, including audit partner, before joining Deloitte in 2002. Since November 2020, Mr. Mark has served on the Board of Directors of Viatris Inc. (“Viatris”), a global pharmaceuticals company. Prior to the closing of the transaction that combined Mylan N.V. and Pfizer Inc.’s off-patent branded and generic established medicines business which resulted in the formation of Viatris, Mr. Mark served on the Board of Directors of Mylan N.V. from June 2019 until November 2020. Mr. Mark also served from July 2015 until August 2016 as chairman of the board of directors and as a member of the audit committee of Katy Industries, Inc., a manufacturer, importer and distributor of commercial cleaning and consumer storage products. Since December 2021, Mr. Mark has served on the Board of Directors of the Home Centered Care Institute, a nonprofit organization focused on scaling home-based primary care. From May 2016 to December 2021, Mr. Mark served as a Director of Almost Home Kids, an affiliate of Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, which provides care to children with complicated health needs. Mr. Mark is a certified public accountant. Based on the foregoing, Mr. Mark is experienced with accounting, financial and investment matters, which we believe makes him well qualified to serve on the Board of Directors.

Susan B. McGee. Ms. McGee is retired. Ms. McGee has served on the Board of Directors of the Fund since May 2022. She also serves on the Board of Directors of GS BDC, GS PMMC, GS PMMC II and PSLF. Ms. McGee also serves on the Board of Directors for ETTL Engineers and Consultants, and HIVE Blockchain Technologies Ltd. Ms. McGee formerly served as a Director for Nobul Corporation, a digital real estate company, from 2019 to 2022. Ms. McGee worked for 26 years at U.S. Global Investors, Inc., an investment management firm, until June 2018, during which time she held several senior management positions, including President, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer. She has also been involved in the governance of the U.S. Global Investors Funds, serving as Vice President until June 2018. In addition, Ms. McGee serves on the Board of Governors of the Investment Company Institute and as Chairperson of the Investment Company Institute Small Funds Committee. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of the San Antonio Sports Foundation, a not-for-profit organization. Based on the foregoing, Ms. McGee is experienced with financial and investment matters, which we believe makes her well qualified to serve on the Board of Directors.

Board Composition and Leadership Structure

The Fund’s business and affairs are managed under the direction of the Board. The Board currently consists of seven members, six of whom are Independent Directors. The Board elects the Fund’s officers, who serve at the discretion of the Board. The responsibilities of the Board include oversight of valuation of the Fund’s assets, corporate governance activities, oversight of the Fund’s financing arrangements and oversight of its investment activities.

The Board’s role in the management of the Fund is one of oversight. Oversight of the Fund’s investment activities extends to oversight of the risk management processes employed by Goldman Sachs Asset Management as part of its day-to-day management of the Fund’s investment activities. The Board reviews risk management processes at both regular and special Board meetings throughout the year, consulting with appropriate representatives of Goldman Sachs Asset Management as necessary and periodically requesting the production of risk management reports or presentations. The goal of the Board’s risk oversight function is to ensure that risks associated with the Fund’s investment activities are accurately identified, investigated and responsibly addressed. Stockholders should note, however, that the Board’s oversight function cannot eliminate all risks or ensure that particular events do not adversely affect the value of the Fund’s investments. The Board also oversees the valuation of the Fund’s assets.

The Board has established an Audit Committee, Governance and Nominating Committee, Compliance Committee and Contract Review Committee. The scope of each committee’s responsibilities is discussed in greater detail below.

Timothy J. Leach, an Independent Director, serves as Chairman of the Board. The Board believes that it is in the best interests of the stockholders for Mr. Leach to lead the Board because of his broad corporate background and experience with financial and investment matters and his significant senior management experience, as described above. Mr. Leach will generally act as a liaison between management, officers and attorneys between meetings of the Board and presides over all executive sessions of the Independent Directors without management. The Board believes that its leadership structure is appropriate because the structure allocates areas of responsibility among the individual directors and the committees in a manner that enhances effective oversight. The Board also believes that its size creates an efficient corporate governance structure that provides opportunity for direct communication and interaction between management and the Board.

 

106


To promote effectiveness of the Board, under normal circumstances Directors are strongly encouraged to attend regularly scheduled Board meetings in person.

Committees of the Board

Audit Committee. The initial members of the Audit Committee are Mr. Ardila, Mr. Evans, Mr. Kari, Mr. Leach, Mr. Mark and Ms. McGee, each of whom is an Independent Director. Mr. Mark serves as Chairman of the Audit Committee. The Board and the Audit Committee have determined that Mr. Mark is an “audit committee financial expert,” as defined in Item 407 of Regulation S-K under the Exchange Act. The Audit Committee is responsible for overseeing matters relating to the appointment and activities of our auditors, audit plans and procedures, various accounting and financial reporting issues and changes in accounting policies, and reviewing the results and scope of the audit and other services provided by our independent public accountants. The Audit Committee is also responsible for aiding the Board in its oversight of the Investment Adviser’s fair value determinations and processes of our portfolio investments.

Governance and Nominating Committee. The initial members of the Governance and Nominating Committee are Mr. Ardila, Mr. Evans, Mr. Kari, Mr. Leach, Mr. Mark and Ms. McGee, each of whom is an Independent Director. Mr. Leach serves as the Chairman of the Governance and Nominating Committee. The Governance and Nominating Committee is responsible for identifying, researching and nominating Independent Directors, selecting nominees to fill vacancies on the Board or a committee of the Board, determining, or recommending to the Board for determination, the compensation of the interested Directors, developing and recommending to the Board a set of corporate governance principles and overseeing the evaluation of the Board and management.

All candidates nominated for an Independent Director position must meet applicable independence requirements and have the capacity to address financial and legal issues and exercise reasonable business judgment. The Governance and Nominating Committee will consider a variety of criteria in evaluating candidates (including candidates nominated by a stockholder), including (1) experience in business, financial or investment matters or in other fields of endeavor; (2) financial literacy and/or whether he or she is an “audit committee financial expert,” as defined in Item 407 of Regulation S-K; (3) reputation; (4) ability to attend scheduled Board and committee meetings; (5) general availability to attend to Board business on short notice; (6) actual or potential business, family or other conflicts bearing on either the candidate’s independence or the business of the Fund; (7) length of potential service; (8) commitment to the representation of the interests of the Fund and the stockholders; (9) commitment to maintaining and improving his or her skills and education; (10) experience in corporate governance and best business practices; and (11) the diversity that he or she would bring to the Board’s composition.

The Governance and Nominating Committee will consider nominees properly recommended by a stockholder. Our bylaws provide that for any nomination to be properly brought by a stockholder for a meeting, such stockholder must comply with advance notice requirements and provide us with certain information. Generally, to be timely, a stockholder’s notice must be received at our principal executive offices not less than 90 days nor more than 120 days prior to the first anniversary date of the immediately preceding annual meeting of stockholders. Our bylaws further provide that nominations of persons for election to the Board at a special meeting of stockholders at which directors are to be elected may be made only by or at the direction of the Board or, provided that the Board has determined that Directors will be elected at the meeting, by a stockholder who is entitled to vote at the meeting and who has complied with the advance notice provisions of the bylaws.

Compliance Committee. The initial members of the Compliance Committee are Mr. Ardila, Mr. Evans, Mr. Kari, Mr. Leach, Mr. Mark, and Ms. McGee, each of whom is an Independent Director. Mr. Leach serves as Chairman of the Compliance Committee. The Compliance Committee is responsible for overseeing our compliance processes, and insofar as they relate to services provided to us, the compliance processes of the Investment Adviser, underwriters (if any), Administrator and Transfer Agent, except that compliance processes relating to the accounting and financial reporting processes and certain related matters are overseen by the Audit Committee. In addition, the Compliance Committee provides assistance to the full Board with respect to compliance matters.

Contract Review Committee. The initial members of the Contract Review Committee are Mr. Ardila, Mr. Evans, Mr. Kari, Mr. Leach, Mr. Mark, and Ms. McGee, each of whom is an Independent Director. Mr. Leach serves as Chairman of the Contract Review Committee. The Contract Review Committee is responsible for overseeing the processes of the Board for reviewing and monitoring performance under our investment management, placement agent (if any), principal underwriting (if any) and certain other agreements with Goldman Sachs Asset Management and its affiliates. The Contract Review Committee also provides appropriate assistance to the Board in connection with the Board’s approval, oversight and review of our other service providers, including our custodian/accounting agent, Transfer Agent, printing firms, and professional firms (other than the our independent auditor, which is the responsibility of the Audit Committee).

 

107


Executive Officers Who Are Not Directors

Information regarding our executive officers who are not directors is as follows:

 

Name

  

Age

  

Position(s)

Alex Chi

   50    Co-Chief Executive Officer and Co-President

David Miller

   53    Co-Chief Executive Officer and Co-President

Stephanie Rader

   40    Executive Vice President and Head of Business Development

Gabriella N. Skirnick

   45    Chief Operating Officer

David Pessah

   37    Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer, Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer

Julien Yoo

   51    Chief Compliance Officer

Caroline Kraus

   46    Chief Legal Officer

Justin Betzen

   43    Vice President

Greg Watts

   46    Vice President

Tucker Greene

   48    Vice President

Jennifer Yang

   39    Vice President

The address for each executive officer is c/o Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P., 200 West Street, New York, New York 10282. Each officer holds office at the pleasure of the Board until the next election of officers or until his or her successor is duly elected and qualifies.

Alex Chi. Mr. Chi is the co-chief executive officer and co-president of the Fund and has served in such capacity since May 2022. Mr. Chi is also the co-chief executive officer and co-president of GS BDC, GS PMMC, GS PMMC II, GS MMLC II and PSLF. Mr. Chi is co-head of Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit in the Americas. Before assuming his current role, Mr. Chi spent 25 years in Goldman Sachs’ Investment Banking Division. Mr. Chi worked in the Financial and Strategic Investors Group from 2006 to 2019, managing Goldman Sachs’ relationships with private equity and related portfolio company clients. Prior to that, Mr. Chi worked in Leveraged Finance, where he spent six years structuring and executing leveraged loan and high yield debt financings for corporate and private equity clients across industries. He also spent three years in Asia focused on mergers and acquisitions and corporate finance transactions. Mr. Chi was named managing director in 2006 and partner in 2012.

David Miller. Mr. Miller is the co-chief executive officer and co-president of the Fund and has served in such capacity since May 2022. Mr. Miller is also the co-chief executive officer and co-president of GS BDC, GS PMMC, GS PMMC II, GS MMLC II and PSLF. Mr. Miller is co-head of Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit in the Americas. He has spent his nearly 30-year career as an investor in middle market companies and has originated billions of dollars in commitments across all industries to companies in various stages of the lifecycle. He co-founded in 2004 Goldman Sachs’ middle market origination effort investing primarily firm capital and has led that business since 2013. Prior to joining Goldman Sachs in 2004, Mr. Miller was senior vice president of originations for GE Capital, where he was responsible for structuring and originating loans in the media and telecommunications sectors. Previously, Mr. Miller was a director at SunTrust Bank, responsible for originating and managing a portfolio of middle market loans. Mr. Miller was named managing director in 2012 and partner in 2014.

Stephanie Rader. Ms. Rader is the executive vice president and head of business development of the Fund and has served in such capacity since May 2022. Ms. Rader is also the head of business development of PSLF. Ms. Rader is a partner in Client Solutions & Capital Markets within Goldman Sachs Asset Management, serving as global head of capital raising, strategic partnerships and product strategy for the private credit and hedge fund strategies. Prior to her current role, she was head of Distressed and Bank Loan Sales within the Global Markets Division. Ms. Rader joined Goldman Sachs in 2004 in Mortgage Sales within the Industry Sales Group. She moved to the Leveraged Finance Sales Group in 2006, where she covered both asset managers and hedge funds. Ms. Rader was named managing director in 2015 and partner in 2018.

 

108


Gabriella N. Skirnick. Ms. Skirnick is the chief operating officer of the Fund and has served in such capacity since May 2022. Ms. Skirnick also is the chief operating officer of GS BDC, GS PMMC, GS PMMC II, GS MMLC II and PSLF. Ms. Skirnick is global chief operating officer of Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit. Prior to joining the Merchant Banking Division as global chief operating officer of the Private Credit investing platform in 2017, she spent six years in the Investment Banking Division in the Technology, Media and Telecom Group, where she focused on technology mergers and acquisitions, as well as in the Americas Financing Group. Ms. Skirnick joined Goldman Sachs as an analyst in the Communications, Media and Entertainment Group within the Investment Banking Division in 2000 and rejoined the firm in 2010. Before re-joining Goldman Sachs, Ms. Skirnick worked in distressed investing at Aurelius Capital Management and Perella Weinberg Partners. She was named managing director of Goldman Sachs in 2017.

David Pessah. Mr. Pessah is the chief financial officer, treasurer, and principal financial officer of the Fund and has served in such capacity since August 2022. Mr. Pessah has also served as the principal accounting officer since May 2022. Mr. Pessah is also the chief financial officer, treasurer, principal financial officer and principal accounting officer of GS BDC, GS PMMC, GS PMMC II, GS MMLC II and PSLF. Mr. Pessah is a Vice President in Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit. Mr. Pessah is responsible for fund accounting and financial reporting oversight as well as the continuous improvement of our internal control over financial reporting. Prior to joining Goldman Sachs in September 2010, he worked in the audit practice at Ernst & Young LLP.

Caroline Kraus. Ms. Kraus is the chief legal officer and secretary of the Fund and has served in such capacity since August 2022. Ms. Kraus is also a Managing Director and Senior Counsel at GSAM and the chief legal officer and secretary of GS BDC, GS PMMC, GS PMMC II, GS MMLC II and PSLF as well as various other Goldman Sachs funds. Ms. Kraus joined Goldman Sachs in 2006. Prior to joining Goldman Sachs, she was an associate at Weil, Gotshal & Manges, LLP.

Julien Yoo. Ms. Yoo is the chief compliance officer of the Fund and has served in such capacity since May 2022. Ms. Yoo is also the Managing Director of Goldman Sachs Asset Management Compliance, Head of the U.S. Regulatory Compliance team with Goldman Sachs Asset Management Compliance, and Chief Compliance Officer of GS BDC, GS PMMC, GS PMMC II, GS MMLC II and PSLF. Ms. Yoo joined Goldman Sachs in 2013. Prior to joining Goldman Sachs, Ms. Yoo was a Vice President in the legal department of Morgan Stanley Investment Management. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, she was an associate at Shearman & Sterling, LLP and at Swidler Berlin Shereff Friedman, LLP.

Justin Betzen. Mr. Betzen is a vice president of the Fund and has served in such capacity since August 2022. Mr. Betzen is also a vice president of GS BDC, GS PMMC, GS PMMC II, GS MMLC II and PSLF. He is also a managing director and senior underwriter in Private Credit within Goldman Sachs Asset Management, focused on middle market lending in the Americas. He is a member of the BDC Investment Committee and the Private Credit Investment Subcommittee, which focuses on middle market lending primarily via the Goldman Sachs Balance Sheet. Justin initially joined Goldman Sachs in 2006 as an associate and rejoined the firm as a vice president in 2013. He was named managing director in 2019. Prior to rejoining Goldman Sachs, Mr. Betzen worked at Newstone Capital Partners, focused on second lien, mezzanine and minority equity investing. Prior to initially joining Goldman Sachs, he worked at JPMorgan Chase in the Technology Corporate Banking Group, focused on software, services and payments companies.

Greg Watts. Mr. Watts is a vice president of the Fund and has served in such capacity since August 2022. Mr. Watts is also a vice president of GS BDC, GS PMMC, GS PMMC II, GS MMLC II and PSLF. He also serves as head of underwriting and portfolio management for Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit in the Americas. He has spent greater than 20 years as a credit investor in middle market companies and has overseen billions of dollars of investments from origination to exit as well as a significant amount of experience in workouts and restructurings. Mr. Watts is a member of the BDC Investment Committee and the Private Credit Investment Subcommittee, which focuses on middle market lending primarily via the Goldman Sachs Balance Sheet. Mr. Watts joined Goldman Sachs in 2007 and was named managing director in 2015. Prior to joining Goldman Sachs, Mr. Watts spent five years with GE Capital’s Technology, Media and Telecom Finance Group as a senior vice president and risk team leader in underwriting and portfolio management. Before working at GE Capital, Mr. Watts was an associate at Investcorp International after beginning his career as an investment banking analyst in Salomon Smith Barney’s Mergers and Acquisitions Group.

Tucker Greene. Mr. Greene is a vice president of the Fund and has served in such capacity since August 2022. Mr. Greene is also a vice president of GS BDC, GS PMMC, GS PMMC II, GS MMLC II and PSLF. He is also a managing director in Private Credit within Goldman Sachs Asset Management. He is focused on the firm’s middle market credit investing strategies, including sourcing, structuring and managing senior credit facilities. Mr. Greene joined Goldman Sachs Asset Management in 2004 in the Specialty Lending Group and was named managing director in 2021. Prior to joining Goldman Sachs Asset Management, Mr. Greene worked at GE Capital. Previously, he was an associate in underwriting and portfolio management for two years within GE Capital’s Media and Communications Group.

Jennifer Yang. Ms. Yang is a vice president of the Fund and has served in such capacity since August 2022. Ms. Yang is also a vice president of GS BDC, GS PMMC, GS PMMC II, GS MMLC II and PSLF. She is also a managing director in Credit Alternatives within Goldman Sachs Asset Management, with oversight of Healthcare. She is responsible for leading and managing the healthcare investment strategy and portfolio. Ms. Yang joined Goldman Sachs in 2018 as a vice president and was named managing director in 2021. Prior to joining Goldman Sachs, Jennifer was an executive director at Varagon Capital Partners, where she was responsible for structuring, executing and managing credit investments in the healthcare sector. Previously, she was a vice president at Fifth Street Asset Management, focused on healthcare deal execution.

 

109


The Investment Adviser

Private Credit Investment Committee

All investment decisions related to directly originated private credit opportunities will be made by the Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit Investment Committee or a sub-committee thereof. The Private Credit Investment Committee currently consists of 12 investment professionals across Goldman Sachs Asset Management and Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit’s leadership as well as representatives from Goldman Sachs Asset Management’s Real Estate and Corporate Equity investing businesses, and representatives from five Goldman Sachs control-side divisions (Controllers, Compliance, Credit Risk, Legal, and Tax).

The Private Credit Investment Committee has an average Goldman Sachs tenure of 20-plus years and has cumulative investing experience of greater than 250 years. Investment professionals on the Private Credit Investment Committee are currently Julian Salisbury, Rich Friedman, Greg Olafson, James Reynolds, Kevin Sterling, Alex Chi, David Miller, Beat Cabiallavetta, Nicole Agnew, Stephanie Rader, Moritz Jobke, and Greg Watts.

Investments with certain middle-market characteristics may be referred to a Private Credit Investment Committee sub-committee, which would comprise, in addition to certain members of Private Credit Investment Committee, other senior investment professionals from the Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit business.

The size, membership, authority and voting rights of members of the Private Credit Investment Committee and its sub-committees are subject to change from time to time without prior notice.

The purpose of the Private Credit Investment Committee and its sub-committees is to evaluate and approve investments by Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit. The Private Credit Investment Committee process is intended to bring the diverse experience and perspectives of the Private Credit Investment Committee’s members to the analysis and consideration of investments. The Private Credit Investment Committee also serves to provide investment consistency and adherence to the investment objectives and strategies of the Fund and other Accounts. The Private Credit Investment Committee also determines appropriate investment sizing.

Investment decisions related to more liquid credit investments, such as broadly syndicated loans and other fixed-income securities, will be made by the Goldman Sachs Asset Management High Yield and Bank Loan team within the Global Fixed Income and Liquidity Solutions group of Goldman Sachs Asset Management. The High Yield and Bank Loan team currently is comprised of approximately 42 dedicated professionals across the High Yield, Bank Loans and Opportunistic Credit asset classes. In managing our more liquid credit investments, the High Yield and Bank Loan team will employ the broad resources and expertise of the whole Goldman Sachs Asset Management Global Fixed Income and Liquidity Solutions team, which in total comprises over 444 professionals located across Bengaluru, Boston, Burlington, Hong Kong, London, New York, Salt Lake City, Singapore, The Hague and Tokyo, as of March 31, 2023.

The Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit Team and the Goldman Sachs Asset Management High Yield and Bank Loan team are subject to information barriers established by Goldman Sachs. As a result, each team will at times be restricted from sharing with one another certain information relating to their portfolio holdings and investment process.

Members of the Private Credit Investment Committee Who Are Not Our Directors or Executive Officers

Set forth below are biographies of the investment professionals on the Private Credit Investment Committee who are not our directors or executive officers.

Richard A. Friedman. Mr. Friedman is chairman of Goldman Sachs Asset Management. He joined Goldman Sachs in 1981 and became a partner in 1990. He is a member of the Goldman Sachs Management Committee, co-chair of the Firmwide Investment Policy Committee and a member of the Firmwide Business Planning Committee. Mr. Friedman is chairman of the Goldman Sachs Asset Management Corporate Investment Committee, co-chairman of the Private Credit Investment Committee, chairman of the Goldman Sachs Asset Management Cooperation Fund Investment Committee, chairman of the Goldman Sachs Asset Management Infrastructure Investment Committee and co-chairman of the Goldman Sachs Asset Management Real Estate Investment Committee. Mr. Friedman received a B.A. from Brown University and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business.

 

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Julian Salisbury. Mr. Salisbury is global head of Goldman Sachs Asset Management. He joined Goldman Sachs in 1998, became a managing director in 2005 and became a partner in 2008. He is a member of the Goldman Sachs Management Committee, co-chairman of the Firmwide Investment Policy Committee and the Partnership Committee, and a member of the Business Planning Committee. He is co-chairman of the Private Credit Investment Committee, co-chairman of the Goldman Sachs Asset Management Real Estate Investment Committee and a member of the Goldman Sachs Asset Management Growth Investment Committee. Mr. Salisbury received a B.S. and a M.Sc. from Loughborough University.

Greg Olafson. Mr. Olafson is co-president of Alternatives within Goldman Sachs Asset Management. Previously, he was co-head of Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit. He joined Goldman Sachs in 2001, became a managing director in 2007 and became a partner in 2012. Prior to his current role, Mr. Olafson was the head of the European Special Situations Group (ESSG). He is a member of the Private Credit Investment Committee, the Goldman Sachs Asset Management Growth Investment Committee, and the Firmwide Risk Council. Mr. Olafson received a Bachelor of Commerce (Hons) from University of Windsor Canada and an M.B.A. from the Darden School of Business at University of Virginia, where he was a Shermet Scholar.

James H. Reynolds. Mr. Reynolds is global co-head of Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit. He joined Goldman Sachs in 2000, became a managing director in 2007 and became a partner in 2010. He is a member of the Goldman Sachs Asset Management Corporate Investment Committee, the Private Credit Investment Committee, and co-chairman of the Goldman Sachs BDC Investment Committee. Mr. Reynolds received a B.S. from the École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées and an MSc. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Kevin Sterling. Mr. Sterling is global co-head of Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit. He joined Goldman Sachs in 1998, was named managing director in 2006 and became a partner in 2014. He is a member of the Private Credit Investment Committee and co-chairman of the Goldman Sachs BDC Investment Committee. Before assuming his current role, Mr. Sterling spent 24 years in Goldman Sachs’ Investment Banking Division, where he most recently was head of Americas Leveraged Finance, served as co-chair of the Firmwide Capital Committee and a member of the Firmwide Risk Council and Investment Banking Division Risk Council. Mr. Sterling earned a BS in Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1996.

Beat Cabiallavetta. Mr. Cabiallavetta is head of Goldman Sachs Asset Management Hybrid Capital. He joined Goldman Sachs in 2005, became a managing director in 2013, and became a partner in 2018. He is a member of the Private Credit Investment Committee. Mr. Cabiallavetta received a B.S.E. from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, with a concentration in Finance and Accounting, and a minor in Mathematics.

Nicole Agnew. Ms. Agnew is focused on consumer private equity investing in the Americas for Goldman Sachs Asset Management. She joined Goldman Sachs in 2005, became a managing director in 2010, and became a partner in 2016. She is a member of the Goldman Sachs Asset Management Corporate Investment Committee and the Private Credit Investment Committee. She is also a lead investor for Launch With GS, Goldman Sachs’ $500 million commitment to narrow the gender investing gap. Ms. Agnew received an A.B. from Harvard College.

Moritz Jobke. Mr. Jobke is a partner within Goldman Sachs Asset Management, serving as head of the Hybrid Capital team in Europe. He joined Goldman Sachs in 2007, became a managing director in 2015, and became a partner in 2022. He is a member of the Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit Investment Subcommittee. Previously, Mr. Jobke was co-head of European multi-strategy investing in the Merchant Banking Division. Prior to joining Goldman Sachs Asset Management, Mr. Jobke previously worked at McKinsey & Company in Germany. Mr. Jobke received a lic.oec. in Finance, Accounting and Controlling from the University of St. Gallen in 2003 and an MBA from Harvard Business School in 2007, where he was a Baker Scholar.

 

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ITEM 6.

EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION.

Compensation of Executive Officers

None of our executive officers are currently compensated by us. We do not currently have any employees. Our day-to-day operations are managed by the Investment Adviser.

Compensation of Directors

Each Independent Director will be compensated with a $50,000 (or $100,000 upon the Fund’s NAV being at or above $1,500,000,000) annual fee for his or her services as Director. In addition, the Chairman of the Board will earn an additional annual fee of $12,500 (or $25,000 upon the Fund’s NAV being at or above $1,500,000,000), and the director designated as the “audit committee financial expert,” as defined in Item 407 of Regulation S-K, will earn an additional annual fee of $7,500 (or $15,000 upon the Fund’s NAV being at or above $1,500,000,000) for his or her additional services in this capacity. The Independent Directors are reimbursed for travel and other reasonable expenses incurred in connection with attending Board and committee meetings. The Fund may also pay the incidental costs of a director to attend training or other types of conferences relating to the BDC industry. In addition, the Fund purchases directors’ and officers’ liability insurance on behalf of the Directors. No compensation will be paid to directors who are “interested persons,” as that term is defined in the Investment Company Act.

It is the responsibility of the Independent Directors to review their own compensation and recommend to all of the Directors the appropriate level of compensation. This level of compensation may be adjusted from time to time. In conducting their review, the Independent Directors use such information as they deem relevant, including compensation paid to directors of other BDCs of similar size and the time and effort required of the Directors in fulfilling their responsibilities to the Fund.

Compensation of Private Credit Investment Committee

None of the Private Credit Investment Committee members receive any direct compensation from us.

 

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ITEM 7.

CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE.

 

(a)

Transactions with Related Persons; Review, Approval or Ratification of Transactions with Related Persons

Shares of Common Stock

On April 6, 2023, an affiliate of the Investment Adviser purchased approximately two million Shares for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $50 million in a transaction exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act, including Section 4(a)(2) thereof and Regulation D thereunder. This issuance and sale was completed pursuant to the Fund’s subscription agreement, the form of which is included as an exhibit to this Registration Statement. See “Item 4. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management” and Item 10. Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities.

Investment Management Agreement

We have entered into the Investment Management Agreement with the Investment Adviser, pursuant to which the Investment Adviser manages our investment program and related activities. See “Item 1. Business—Investment Management Agreement.”

License Agreement

We have entered into the License Agreement with an affiliate of Goldman Sachs pursuant to which we have been granted a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use the “Goldman Sachs” name. See “Item 1(c). Business—License Agreement.

Potential Categories of Conflicts

General Categories of Conflicts Associated with the Fund

Goldman Sachs (which, for purposes of this “Potential Conflicts of Interest” section, means, collectively, GS Group Inc., the Investment Adviser and their affiliates, directors, partners, Directors, managers, members, officers and employees) is a global, full-service investment banking, broker-dealer, asset management and financial services organization and a major participant in global financial markets. As such, it provides a wide range of financial services to a diversified client base. In those and other capacities, Goldman Sachs advises clients in all markets and transactions and purchases, sells, holds and recommends a broad array of investments for its own accounts and for the accounts of clients and of its personnel, through client accounts and the relationships and products it sponsors, manages and advises. Goldman Sachs has direct and indirect interests in the global fixed income, currency, commodity, equities, bank loan and other markets, and the securities and issuers, in which the Fund may directly and indirectly invest. As a result, Goldman Sachs’ activities and dealings, including on behalf of the Fund, may affect the Fund in ways that may disadvantage or restrict the Fund and/or benefit Goldman Sachs or other Accounts. In managing conflicts of interest that may arise as a result of the foregoing, Goldman Sachs Asset Management generally will be subject to fiduciary requirements.

The following are descriptions of certain conflicts and potential conflicts of interest that may be associated with the financial or other interests that the Investment Adviser and Goldman Sachs may have in transactions effected by, with or on behalf of the Fund. The conflicts herein do not purport to be a complete list or explanation of the conflicts or potential conflicts associated with the financial or other interests the Fund or Goldman Sachs may have now or in the future. Additional information about potential conflicts of interest regarding the Investment Adviser and Goldman Sachs is set forth in the Investment Adviser’s Form ADV. A copy of Part 1 and Part 2A of the Investment Adviser’s Form ADV is available on the SEC’s website (www.adviserinfo.sec.gov). A copy of Part 2 of the Investment Adviser’s Form ADV will be provided to investors or prospective investors upon request.

Other Activities of Goldman Sachs, the Sale of the Fund’s Shares and the Allocation of Investment Opportunities

Sales Incentives and Related Conflicts Arising from Goldman Sachs’ Financial and Other Relationships with Intermediaries

Goldman Sachs and its personnel, including employees of the Investment Adviser, may receive benefits and earn fees and compensation for services provided to Accounts (including the Fund). Moreover, Goldman Sachs and its personnel, including employees of the Investment Adviser, may have relationships (both involving and not involving the Fund, and including without limitation placement, brokerage, advisory and board relationships) with distributors, consultants and others who recommend, or engage in transactions with or for, the Fund. Such distributors, consultants and other parties may receive compensation from Goldman Sachs or the Fund in connection with such relationships. As a result of these relationships, distributors, consultants and other parties may have conflicts that create incentives for them to promote the Fund.

To the extent permitted by applicable law, the Fund and Goldman Sachs may make payments to authorized dealers and other financial intermediaries and to salespersons (collectively, “Intermediaries”) from time to time to promote the Fund. These payments may be made out of Goldman Sachs’ assets or amounts payable to Goldman Sachs. These payments may create an incentive for a particular Intermediary to highlight, feature or recommend the Fund.

 

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Allocation of Investment Opportunities and Expenses Among the Fund and other Accounts

Our investment objectives and investment strategies are similar to those of other Accounts, and an investment appropriate for us may also be appropriate for such other Accounts (which may include proprietary accounts of Goldman Sachs). This creates potential conflicts in allocating investment opportunities among us and such Accounts, particularly in circumstances where the availability of such investment opportunities is limited, where the liquidity of such investment opportunities is limited or where co-investments by us and such other Accounts are not permitted under applicable law. To address these and other potential conflicts, a selection of which are outlined below, our Investment Adviser has developed allocation policies and procedures that provide that personnel of our Investment Adviser making portfolio decisions for Accounts will make purchase and sale decisions and allocate investment opportunities among the Accounts consistent with their fiduciary obligations. To the extent permitted by applicable law, these policies and procedures may result in the pro rata allocation of limited opportunities across eligible Accounts managed by a particular portfolio management team, but in many other cases the allocations may reflect numerous other factors as described below. There will be cases where certain Accounts receive an allocation of an investment opportunity when we do not, and vice versa. Accounts managed outside of Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit are generally viewed separately for allocation purposes.

In some cases, due to information segregation policies that may be in place, other Accounts may compete with us for specific investment opportunities without being aware that we are competing against each other. Goldman Sachs has a conflicts system in place in addition to these segregation policies to identify potential conflicts early in the process and determine if an allocation decision needs to be made. If the conflicts system detects a potential conflict with respect to a particular investment opportunity, such investment opportunity will be assessed to determine whether it must be allocated to, or prohibited from being allocated to, a particular Account.

Personnel of our Investment Adviser involved in decision-making for Accounts may make allocation related decisions in accordance with the Investment Adviser’s allocations policies and procedures for us and other Accounts by reference to one or more factors, including but not limited to: the strategy, objectives, guidelines and restrictions (including legal and regulatory restrictions) of potentially in-scope Accounts, as well as those Accounts’ current portfolios and investment horizons; strategic fit and other portfolio management considerations, including different desired levels of investment for different strategies; the expected future capacity of the potentially in-scope Accounts; cash and liquidity considerations; and the availability of other appropriate investment opportunities. The Investment Adviser may also consider reputational matters and other considerations. The application of these considerations may cause differences in the portfolios and performance of different Accounts that have similar strategies. In addition, in some cases our Investment Adviser may make investment recommendations to Accounts where such Accounts make the investment independently of our Investment Adviser, which may result in a reduction in the availability of the investment opportunity for other Accounts (including us), irrespective of our Investment Adviser’s policies regarding allocation of investments. Additional information about our Investment Adviser’s allocation policies is set forth in Item 6 (“Performance-based Fees and Side-by-Side Management—Side-by-Side Management of Advisory Accounts; Allocation of Opportunities”) of our Investment Adviser’s Form ADV.

Our Investment Adviser, including Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit, may develop and implement new trading strategies or seek to participate in new investment opportunities and strategies. These opportunities and strategies may not be employed in all Accounts even if the opportunity or strategy is consistent with the objectives of such Accounts.

During periods of unusual market conditions, our Investment Adviser may deviate from its normal trade allocation practices. For example, this may occur with respect to the management of unlevered Accounts that are typically managed on a side-by-side basis with levered Accounts.

We may or may not receive opportunities referred by Goldman Sachs businesses and affiliates, but in no event do we have any rights with respect to such opportunities. Subject to applicable law, including the Investment Company Act, such opportunities or any portion thereof may be offered to other Accounts, Goldman Sachs, certain investors in us, or such other persons or entities as determined by Goldman Sachs in its sole discretion. We will have no rights and will not receive any compensation related to such opportunities. Certain of such opportunities may be referred to us by employees or other personnel of Goldman Sachs, or by third parties. If we invest in any such opportunities, Goldman Sachs or such third parties may be entitled, to the extent permitted by applicable law, including the limitations set forth in Section 57(k) of the Investment Company Act, to receive compensation from us or from the borrowers in connection with such investments. Any compensation we pay in connection with such referrals will be an operating expense and will accordingly be borne by us (and will not serve to offset any Management Fee or Incentive Fee payable to the Investment Adviser).

In connection with certain of our investments, the Investment Adviser may determine that the appropriate amount to allocate to us and other Accounts may be less than the full amount of the investment opportunity, due to considerations related to, among other things, diversification, portfolio management, leverage management, investment profile, risk tolerance or other exposure guidelines or limitations, cash flow or other considerations. In such situations, “excess amounts” that can be allocated may be offered to other persons or entities. Subject to applicable law, such opportunities may be structured as an investment alongside us or as a purchase of a portion of the investment from us (through a syndication, participation or otherwise).

 

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In all cases, subject to applicable law, our Investment Adviser has broad discretion in determining to whom and in what relative amounts to offer such opportunities, and factors our Investment Adviser may take into account, in its sole discretion, include whether such potential recipient is able to assist or provide a benefit to us in connection with the potential transaction or otherwise, whether our Investment Adviser believes the potential recipient is able to execute a transaction quickly, whether the potential recipient is expected to provide expertise or other advantages in connection with a particular investment, whether our Investment Adviser is aware of such potential recipient’s expertise or interest in these types of opportunities generally or in a subset of such opportunities or, the potential recipient’s target investment sizing. Recipients of these opportunities may, in accordance with applicable law, include one or more investors in us, one or more investors in other funds managed by Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit, clients or potential clients of Goldman Sachs, or funds or accounts established for any such persons. These opportunities may give rise to potential conflicts of interest. These opportunities will be offered to the recipients thereof on such terms as our Investment Adviser determines in its sole discretion, subject to applicable law, including on a no-fee basis or at prices higher or lower than those paid by us. As a result of these and other reasons, returns with respect to an opportunity may exceed investors’ returns with respect to our investment in the same opportunity.

Transactions with affiliates. We are prohibited under the Investment Company Act from participating in certain transactions with our affiliates without the prior approval of our Independent Directors and, in some cases, of the SEC. Any person that owns, directly or indirectly, five percent or more of our outstanding voting securities will be an affiliate of the Fund for purposes of the Investment Company Act, and we are generally prohibited from buying or selling any assets from or to, or entering into, certain “joint” transactions (which could include investments in the same portfolio company) with such affiliates, absent the prior approval of the Independent Directors. The Investment Adviser and its affiliates, including persons that control, or are under common control with, the Fund or the Investment Adviser, are also considered our affiliates under the Investment Company Act, and we are generally prohibited from buying or selling any assets from or to, or entering into “joint” transactions with, such affiliates without exemptive relief from the SEC.

Co-Investments Alongside Goldman Sachs and Other Accounts, and the Relief. Subject to applicable law, we may invest alongside Goldman Sachs and other Accounts. In certain circumstances, we and such other Accounts (which may include proprietary accounts of Goldman Sachs) can make negotiated co-investments pursuant to an order from the SEC permitting us to do so. On November 16, 2022, the SEC granted the Relief to the Investment Adviser, the BDCs advised by the Investment Adviser, and certain other affiliated applicants. Additionally, if the Investment Adviser forms other funds in the future, we may co-invest alongside such other affiliates, subject to compliance with the Relief, applicable regulations and regulatory guidance, as well as applicable allocation procedures. Any such co-investments are subject to certain conditions, including that co-investments are made in a manner consistent with our investment objectives and strategies, certain Board-established criteria, and the other applicable conditions of the Relief. Under the terms of the Relief, a “required majority” (as defined in Section 57(o) of the Investment Company Act) of our Independent Directors must reach certain conclusions in connection with a co-investment transaction, including that (i) the terms of the proposed transaction are reasonable and fair to us and our stockholders and do not involve overreaching in respect of us or our stockholders on the part of any person concerned, and (ii) the transaction is consistent with the interests of our stockholders and is consistent with our then-current investment objectives and strategies.

As a result of the Relief, there could be significant overlap in our investment portfolio and the investment portfolios of other Accounts, including, in some cases, proprietary accounts of Goldman Sachs.

If the Investment Adviser identifies an investment and we are unable to rely on the Relief for that particular opportunity, the Investment Adviser will be required to determine which Accounts should make the investment at the potential exclusion of other Accounts. In such circumstances, the Investment Adviser will adhere to its investment allocation policy in order to determine the Account to which to allocate investment opportunities. Accordingly, it is possible that we may not be given the opportunity to participate in investments made by other Accounts.

We may invest alongside other Accounts advised by our Investment Adviser in certain circumstances where doing so is consistent with applicable law and SEC staff guidance and interpretations. For example, we may invest alongside such Accounts consistent with guidance promulgated by the staff of the SEC permitting us and such other Accounts to purchase interests in a single class of privately placed securities so long as certain conditions are met, including that our Investment Adviser, acting on our behalf and on behalf of its other clients, negotiates no term other than price. We may also invest alongside our Investment Adviser’s other clients as otherwise permissible under SEC staff guidance and interpretations, applicable regulations and the allocation policy of our Investment Adviser.

 

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In addition, we have filed an application to amend the Relief to permit us to participate in follow-on investments in our existing portfolio companies with certain affiliates covered by the Relief if such affiliates, that are not BDCs or registered investment companies, did not have an investment in such existing portfolio company. There can be no assurance if and when we will receive the amended exemptive order.

For a further explanation of the allocation of opportunities and other conflicts and the risks related thereto, please see “Item 1A. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Business and Structure—Potential conflicts of interest with other businesses of Goldman Sachs could impact our investment returns.

Expenses are generally allocated to Accounts (including the Fund) based on whose behalf the expenses are incurred. Where the Fund and one or more other Accounts participate in a particular investment or collectively incur other expenses, the Investment Adviser generally allocates investment-related and other expenses in a manner the Investment Adviser determines to be fair and equitable, which may be pro rata or on a different basis.

We and other Accounts may contract for and incur expenses in connection with certain services provided by third parties, including valuation agents, rating agencies, attorneys, accountants and other professional service providers, while other Accounts that did not contract for such services may not incur such expenses even though they directly or indirectly receive benefit from such services. For example, the work of valuation firms retained by the Fund at the request of our Board benefit certain Accounts that invest in the same assets as the Fund, but because such other Accounts did not request such services, they are not allocated any costs associated therewith. While it is generally expected that the Accounts requesting third party services will bear the full expense associated therewith, GSAM may in its sole discretion determine to bear the portion of such expenses that would be allocable to the non-requesting Accounts had such Accounts requested the services.

Allocation of Personnel, Services and/or Resources.

Conflicts of interest may arise in allocating time, personnel and/or resources of the Investment Adviser among the investment activities of multiple Accounts. The Investment Adviser and other Goldman Sachs personnel who play key roles in managing the Accounts may spend a portion of their time on matters other than or only tangentially related to any particular Account or may leave the Investment Adviser for another investment group of Goldman Sachs (or may leave Goldman Sachs entirely). Time may be spent on other Goldman Sachs investment activities, including without limitation, investments made on behalf of Goldman Sachs. As a result, the other obligations of these individuals could conflict with their responsibilities to us. Further, the Investment Adviser may devote less time, services or resources to sourcing for investments of insufficient size to be expected to be shared with the other Accounts, even where such investment opportunities may be appropriate for the Fund.

Goldman Sachs’ Financial and Other Interests May Incentivize Goldman Sachs to Promote the Sale of Our Shares or Favor Other Accounts.

The Investment Adviser receives performance-based compensation in respect of its investment management activities on the Fund’s behalf, which rewards the Investment Adviser for positive performance of the Fund’s investment portfolio. As a result, the Investment Adviser may make investments for the Fund that present a greater potential for return but also a greater risk of loss or that are more speculative than would be the case in the absence of performance-based compensation. In addition, the Investment Adviser may simultaneously manage other Accounts for which the Investment Adviser may be entitled to receive greater fees or other compensation (as a percentage of performance or otherwise) than it receives in respect of us. In addition, subject to applicable law, Goldman Sachs may invest in other Accounts, and such investments may constitute all or substantial percentages of such other Accounts’ outstanding equity interests. Therefore, the Investment Adviser may have an incentive to favor such other Accounts over us. To address these types of conflicts, the Investment Adviser has adopted policies and procedures under which investment opportunities will be allocated in a manner that it believes is consistent with its obligations as an investment adviser. However, the amount, timing, structuring or terms of an investment by the Fund may differ from, and performance may be different than, the investments and performance of other Accounts.

 

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Management of the Fund by the Investment Adviser

Considerations Relating to Information Held by Goldman Sachs

Goldman Sachs has established certain information barriers and other policies to address the sharing of information between different businesses within Goldman Sachs. As a result of information barriers, the Investment Adviser generally will not have access, or will have limited access, to information and personnel in other areas of Goldman Sachs, and generally will not be able to manage the Fund with the benefit of information held by such other areas. Such other areas will have broad access to detailed information that is not available to the Investment Adviser, including information in respect of markets and investments, which, if known to the Investment Adviser, might cause the Investment Adviser to seek to dispose of, retain or increase interests in investments held by the Fund or acquire certain positions on the Fund’s behalf, or take other actions. Goldman Sachs will be under no obligation or fiduciary or other duty to make any such information available to the Investment Adviser or personnel of the Investment Adviser involved in decision-making for the Fund. There may be circumstances in which, as a result of information held by certain of the Investment Adviser’s portfolio management teams, the Investment Adviser limits an activity or a transaction for the Fund, including if the team holding such information is not managing the Fund. In addition, regardless of the existence of information barriers, Goldman Sachs will not have any obligation or other duty to make available any information regarding its trading activities, strategies or views, or the activities, strategies or views used for other Accounts, for the benefit of the Fund. Different areas of the Investment Adviser and Goldman Sachs may take views, and make decisions or recommendations, that are different than those of other areas of the Investment Adviser and Goldman Sachs. Different portfolio management teams within the Investment Adviser may make decisions based on information or take (or refrain from taking) actions with respect to Accounts they advise in a manner that may be different than with respect, or adverse, to the Fund. Such teams may not share information with the Fund’s portfolio management team, including as a result of certain information barriers and other policies and will not have any obligation to do so.

Valuation and Accounting Treatment of the Fund’s Investments

The Investment Adviser serves as the Board appointed valuation designee and in such capacity is primarily responsible for the valuation of the Fund’s assets, subject to the oversight of the Board. As the valuation designee, the Investment Adviser values the Fund’s securities and assets according to valuation procedures adopted by it and approved by the Board, and may value an identical asset differently than Goldman Sachs, another division or unit within Goldman Sachs or another Account values the asset, including because such other division or unit or Account has information or uses valuation techniques and models that it does not share with, or that are different from those of, the Investment Adviser or the Fund. This is particularly the case in respect of difficult-to-value assets. The Investment Adviser may face a conflict with respect to valuations generally because of their effect on the Investment Adviser’s fees and other compensation.

These valuation differences for the same asset can result in significant differences in the treatment of such asset by the Investment Adviser, Goldman Sachs, and other divisions or units of Goldman Sachs, and/or among Accounts (e.g., with respect to an asset that is a loan, there can be differences when it is determined that such loan is deemed to be on nonaccrual status and/or in default).

Goldman Sachs’ and the Investment Adviser’s Activities on Behalf of Other Accounts

The Investment Adviser’s decisions and actions on behalf of the Fund may differ from those on behalf of other Accounts (which may include proprietary accounts of Goldman Sachs). Advice given to, or investment or voting decisions made for, one or more Accounts, may compete with, affect, differ from, conflict with, or involve timing different from, advice given to or investment or voting decisions made for the Fund.

Goldman Sachs engages in a variety of activities in the global financial markets. The extent of Goldman Sachs’ activities in the global financial markets, including without limitation in its capacity as an investment banker, market maker, financier, lender, investor, prime broker, derivatives dealer, adviser, counterparty, agent, principal and research provider, may have potential adverse effects on the Fund. Goldman Sachs, the clients it advises, and its personnel have interests in and advise accounts which have investment objectives or portfolios similar to, related to or opposed to those of the Fund.

 

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Goldman Sachs (including Goldman Sachs Asset Management), the clients it advises, and its personnel have interests in and advise client accounts that have investment objectives or portfolios similar to, related to or opposed to those of the Fund. Goldman Sachs may receive greater fees or other compensation (including performance-based fees) from such accounts than it does from the Fund. In addition, Goldman Sachs (including Goldman Sachs Asset Management), the clients it advises, and its personnel may engage (or consider engaging) in commercial arrangements or transactions with accounts, and/or may compete for commercial arrangements or transactions in the same types of companies, assets, securities and other instruments, as the Fund. Decisions and actions of the Investment Adviser on behalf of the Fund may differ from those by Goldman Sachs (including the Investment Adviser) on behalf of other accounts. Advice given to, or investment or voting decisions made for, the Fund may compete with, affect, differ from, conflict with, or involve timing different from, advice given to, or investment or voting decisions made for, other accounts. Transactions by, advice to and activities of such accounts may involve the same or related companies, securities or other assets or instruments as those in which the Fund invests, and such accounts may engage in a strategy while the Fund is undertaking the same or a differing strategy, any of which could directly or indirectly disadvantage the Fund (including its ability to engage in a transaction or other activities) or the prices or terms at which the Fund’s transactions or other activities may be effected. For example, Goldman Sachs may be engaged to provide advice to an account that is considering entering into a transaction with the Fund, and Goldman Sachs may advise the account not to pursue the transaction with the Fund, or otherwise in connection with a potential transaction provide advice to the account that would be adverse to the Fund. Additionally, the Fund may buy a security and Goldman Sachs may establish a short position in that same security or in similar securities. This short position may result in the impairment of the price of the security that the Fund holds or may be designed to profit from a decline in the price of the security. The Fund could similarly be adversely impacted if it establishes a short position, following which Goldman Sachs takes a long position in the same security or in similar securities. To the extent the Fund engages in transactions in the same or similar types of securities or other investments as other accounts, the Fund and other accounts may compete for such transactions or investments, and transactions or investments by such other accounts may negatively affect the investments of the Fund (including the ability of the Fund to engage in such a transaction or investment or other activities), or the price or terms at which the Fund’s transactions or investments or other activities may be effected. Moreover, Goldman Sachs or accounts, on the one hand, and the Fund, on the other hand, may vote differently on or take or refrain from taking different actions with respect to the same security, which may be disadvantageous to the Fund.

Goldman Sachs (including, as applicable, the Investment Adviser) and its personnel, when acting as an investment banker, market maker, financier, lender, investor, prime broker, derivatives dealer, adviser, counterparty, agent, principal or research provider, or in other capacities, may advise on transactions, may make investment decisions or recommendations, provide differing investment views or have views with respect to research or valuations that are inconsistent with, or adverse to, the Fund’s interests and activities. Stockholders may be offered access to advisory services through several different Goldman Sachs advisory businesses (including GS & Co. and Goldman Sachs Asset Management). Different advisory businesses within Goldman Sachs manage client accounts according to different strategies and may also apply different criteria to the same or similar strategies and may have differing investment views in respect of an issuer or a security or other investment. Similarly, within the Investment Adviser, certain portfolio management teams may have differing or opposite investment views in respect of an issuer or a security, and the actions the Fund’s portfolio management team takes in respect of the Fund’s investments may be inconsistent with, or adversely affected by, the interests and activities of the Accounts advised by other portfolio management teams of the Investment Adviser. Research analyses or viewpoints may be available to clients or potential clients at different times. Goldman Sachs will not have any obligation or other duty to make available to the Fund any research or analysis prior to its public dissemination. The Investment Adviser is responsible for making investment decisions on the Fund’s behalf, and such investment decisions can differ from investment decisions or recommendations by Goldman Sachs on behalf of other client accounts. Goldman Sachs may, on behalf of other client accounts and in accordance with its management of such accounts, implement an investment decision or strategy ahead of, or contemporaneously with, or behind similar investment decisions or strategies made for the Fund. The relative timing for the implementation of investment decisions or strategies among other accounts and the Fund may disadvantage the Fund. Certain factors, for example, market impact, liquidity constraints, or other circumstances, could result in the Fund less favorable trading results or incurring increased costs associated with implementing such investment decisions or strategies, or being otherwise disadvantaged.

Subject to applicable law, the Investment Adviser may cause the Fund to invest in securities, loans or other obligations of companies affiliated with Goldman Sachs or in which Goldman Sachs or client accounts have an equity, debt or other interest, or to engage in investment transactions that may result in other accounts being relieved of obligations or otherwise divesting of investments, which may enhance the profitability of Goldman Sachs’ or other accounts’ investments in and activities with respect to such companies.

Goldman Sachs may, in its discretion, recommend that the Fund have ongoing business dealings, arrangements or agreements with persons who are former employees of Goldman Sachs. The Fund may bear, directly or indirectly, the costs of such dealings, arrangements or agreements. These recommendations and recommendations relating to continuing any such dealings, arrangements or agreements may pose conflicts of interest.

Potential Conflicts Relating to Follow-On Investments

To the extent permitted by law, from time to time, the Investment Adviser may provide opportunities to Accounts (including potentially the Fund) to make investments in companies in which certain Accounts and/or Goldman Sachs have already invested. Such follow-on investments can create conflicts of interest, such as the determination of the terms of the new investment and the allocation of such opportunities among Accounts (including the Fund). Subject to applicable law and the conditions of the Relief, follow-on investment opportunities may be available to the Fund notwithstanding that the Fund has no existing investment in the issuer, resulting in the assets of the Fund potentially providing value to, or otherwise supporting the investments of, other Accounts and/or Goldman Sachs. Accounts (including the Fund) may also participate in releveraging, recapitalization, and similar transactions involving companies in which other Accounts and/or Goldman Sachs have invested or will invest (subject to applicable law). Conflicts of interest in these and other transactions may arise between Accounts (including the Fund) with existing investments in a company and Accounts making subsequent investments in the company, which may have opposing interests regarding pricing and other terms. The subsequent investments may dilute or otherwise adversely affect the interests of the previously-invested Accounts (including the Fund).

 

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Diverse Interests

The various types of investors in and beneficiaries of the Fund, including to the extent applicable the Investment Adviser and its affiliates, may have conflicting investment, tax and other interests with respect to their interest in the Fund. When considering a potential investment for the Fund, the Investment Adviser will generally consider the investment objectives of the Fund, not the investment objectives of any particular investor or beneficiary. The Investment Adviser may make decisions, including with respect to tax matters, from time to time that may be more beneficial to one type of investor or beneficiary than another, or to the Investment Adviser and its affiliates than to investors or beneficiaries unaffiliated with the Investment Adviser. In addition, Goldman Sachs may face certain tax risks based on positions taken by the Fund, including as a withholding agent. Goldman Sachs reserves the right on behalf of itself and its affiliates to take actions adverse to the Fund or other Accounts in these circumstances, including withholding amounts to cover actual or potential tax liabilities.

Selection of Service Providers

The Fund expects to engage service providers (including attorneys and consultants) that may also provide services to other Goldman Sachs affiliates. The Investment Adviser intends to select and recommend these service providers to the Board based on a number of factors, including expertise and experience, knowledge of related or similar products, quality of service, reputation in the marketplace, relationships with the Investment Adviser, Goldman Sachs or others, and price. These service providers may have business, financial, or other relationships with Goldman Sachs, which may or may not influence the Investment Adviser’s selection of these service providers for the Fund. In such circumstances, there may be a conflict of interest between Goldman Sachs (acting on behalf of the Fund) and the Fund, if the Fund determines not to engage or continue to engage these service providers. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the selection of service providers for the Fund will be conducted in accordance with the Investment Adviser’s fiduciary obligations to the Fund. The service providers selected by the Investment Adviser may charge different rates to different recipients based on the specific services provided, the personnel providing the services, or other factors. As a result, the rates paid to these service providers by the Fund, on the one hand, may be more or less favorable than the rates paid by Goldman Sachs or other Accounts, on the other hand. Goldman Sachs (including Goldman Sachs Asset Management) may hold investments in companies that provide services to entities in which the Fund invests generally, and, subject to applicable law, Goldman Sachs Asset Management may refer or introduce such companies’ services to entities that have issued securities held by the Fund.

Investments in Goldman Sachs Funds

To the extent permitted by applicable law, the Fund may invest in money market and other funds sponsored, managed or advised by Goldman Sachs. The Investment Adviser expects to waive a portion of its management fee payable by the Fund in an amount equal to any management fees it earns as an investment adviser for any affiliated money market funds in which the Fund invests (the “Money Market Fund Waiver”). However, the Investment Adviser is not obligated to continue the Money Market Fund Waiver at any time and may in its discretion elect to discontinue the Money Market Fund Waiver in the future. As a result, if the Money Market Fund Waiver is discontinued, there could be “double fees” involved in making an investment in the Fund because Goldman Sachs could receive fees with respect to both the Fund’s management and such money market fund.

Goldman Sachs May In-Source or Outsource

Subject to applicable law, Goldman Sachs, including the Investment Adviser, may from time to time and without notice to investors in-source or outsource certain processes or functions in connection with a variety of services that it provides to the Fund in its administrative or other capacities. Such in-sourcing or outsourcing may give rise to additional conflicts of interest and could result in additional expenses for the Fund.

Potential Merger with or Asset Sale to Another Fund Managed by Goldman Sachs Asset Management

Our Investment Adviser may in the future recommend to the Board that we merge with or acquire all or substantially all of the assets of one or more funds including a fund that could be managed by our Investment Adviser (including another BDC). We do not expect that our Investment Adviser would recommend any such merger or asset purchase unless it determines that it would be in our best interests, with such determination dependent on factors it deems relevant, which may include historical and projected financial performance of us and any proposed merger partner, portfolio composition, potential synergies from the merger or asset purchase, available alternative options and market conditions. In addition, no such merger or asset sale would be consummated absent the meeting of various conditions required by applicable law or contract, at such time, which may include approval of the board of directors and common equity holders of both funds and/or accounts. If our Investment Adviser is the investment adviser of both funds, various conflicts of interest exist with respect to such transaction. Such conflicts of interest may potentially arise from, among other things, differences between the compensation payable to the Investment Adviser by us and by the entity resulting from such a merger or asset purchase or efficiencies or other benefits to our Investment Adviser as a result of managing a single, larger fund or account instead of two separate funds and/or accounts.

 

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Goldman Sachs May Act in a Capacity Other Than Investment Adviser to the Fund

Investments in Different Parts of an Issuer’s Capital Structure

When permitted by applicable law, Goldman Sachs or other Accounts, on the one hand, and the Fund, on the other hand, may invest in or extend credit to different classes of securities or different parts of the capital structure of a single issuer. As a result, Goldman Sachs (including Goldman Sachs Asset Management) or other Accounts may take actions that adversely affect the Fund. In addition, when permitted by applicable law, Goldman Sachs Asset Management may advise other Accounts with respect to different parts of the capital structure of the same issuer, or classes of securities that are subordinate or senior to securities, in which the Fund invests. Goldman Sachs (including Goldman Sachs Asset Management) may pursue rights, provide advice or engage in other activities, or refrain from pursuing rights, providing advice or engaging in other activities, on behalf of itself or other Accounts with respect to an issuer in which the Fund has invested, and such actions (or refraining from action) may have a material adverse effect on the Fund.

For example, in the event that Goldman Sachs (including Goldman Sachs Asset Management) or another Account holds loans, securities or other positions in the capital structure of an issuer that ranks senior in preference to the holdings of the Fund in the same issuer, and the issuer experiences financial or operational challenges, Goldman Sachs (including Goldman Sachs Asset Management), acting on behalf of itself or the Account, may seek a liquidation, reorganization or restructuring of the issuer, or terms in connection with the foregoing, that may have an adverse effect on or otherwise conflict with the interests of the Fund’s holdings in the issuer. In connection with any such liquidation, reorganization or restructuring, the Fund’s holdings in the issuer may be extinguished or substantially diluted, while Goldman Sachs (including Goldman Sachs Asset Management) or another Account may receive a recovery of some or all of the amounts due to them. In addition, in connection with any lending arrangements involving the issuer in which Goldman Sachs (including Goldman Sachs Asset Management) or an Account participates, Goldman Sachs (including Goldman Sachs Asset Management) or the Account may seek to exercise its rights under the applicable loan agreement or other document, which may be detrimental to the Fund. Alternatively, in situations in which the Fund holds a more senior position in the capital structure of an issuer experiencing financial or other difficulties as compared to positions held by other Accounts (which may include those of Goldman Sachs, including Goldman Sachs Asset Management), the Investment Adviser may determine not to pursue actions and remedies that may be available to the Fund or particular terms that might be unfavorable to the Accounts holding the less senior position. In addition, in the event that Goldman Sachs (including Goldman Sachs Asset Management) or other Accounts hold voting securities of an issuer in which the Fund holds loans, bonds or other credit-related assets or securities, Goldman Sachs (including Goldman Sachs Asset Management) or other Accounts may vote on certain matters in a manner that has an adverse effect on the positions held by the Fund. Conversely, Accounts may hold voting securities of an issuer in which Goldman Sachs (including Goldman Sachs Asset Management) or other Accounts hold credit-related assets or securities, and the Investment Adviser may determine on behalf of the Accounts not to vote in a manner adverse to Goldman Sachs (including Goldman Sachs Asset Management) or the Accounts. These potential issues are examples of conflicts that Goldman Sachs (including Goldman Sachs Asset Management) will face in situations in which the Fund and Goldman Sachs (including Goldman Sachs Asset Management) or other Accounts invest in or extend credit to different parts of the capital structure of a single issuer. Goldman Sachs (including Goldman Sachs Asset Management) addresses these issues based on the circumstances of particular situations. For example, Goldman Sachs (including Goldman Sachs Asset Management) may determine to rely on information barriers between different Goldman Sachs (including Goldman Sachs Asset Management) business units or portfolio management teams. Also, in connection with a conflicted situation regarding the Fund, or an Account other than the Fund or its own account, Goldman Sachs may determine to rely on the actions of similarly situated holders of loans or securities rather than, or in connection with, taking such actions itself on behalf of the Account. As a result of the various conflicts and related issues described in this paragraph, the Fund could sustain losses during periods in which Goldman Sachs and other Accounts achieve profits generally or with respect to particular holdings, or could achieve lower profits or higher losses than would have been the case had the conflicts described above not existed. The negative effects described above may be more pronounced in connection with transactions in, or the Fund’s use of, small capitalization, emerging market, distressed or less liquid strategies.

Cross Transactions

When permitted by applicable law and the Investment Adviser’s and the Fund’s policies, the Investment Adviser, acting on behalf of the Fund, may enter into transactions in securities and other instruments with or through Goldman Sachs or in Accounts managed by the Investment Adviser or its affiliates, and may (but is under no obligation or other duty to) cause the Fund to engage in transactions in which the Investment Adviser, advises both sides of a transaction (cross transactions) and acts as broker for, and receives a commission from, the Fund on one side of a transaction and a brokerage account on the other side of the transaction (agency cross transactions). There may be potential conflicts of interest or regulatory restrictions relating to these transactions which could limit the Investment Adviser’s decision to engage in these transactions for the Fund. Goldman Sachs will have potentially conflicting division of loyalties and responsibilities to the parties in such transactions, including with respect to a decision to enter into such transactions as well as with respect to valuation, pricing and other terms. The Investment Adviser has developed policies and procedures in relation to such transactions and conflicts. However, we can offer no assurance that such transactions will be effected, or that such transactions will be effected in the manner that is most favorable to the Fund as a party to any such transaction. Cross transactions may disproportionately benefit some Accounts relative to other Accounts, including the Fund, due to the relative amount of market savings obtained by the Accounts. Cross or agency cross transactions will be effected in accordance with fiduciary requirements and applicable law.

 

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Goldman Sachs May Act in Multiple Commercial Capacities

To the extent permitted by applicable law, Goldman Sachs may act as broker, dealer, agent, lender or advisor or in other commercial capacities for the Fund or issuers of debt instruments held by the Fund. Goldman Sachs may be entitled to compensation in connection with the provision of such services, and the Fund will not be entitled to any such compensation. Goldman Sachs will have an interest in obtaining fees and other compensation in connection with such services that are favorable to Goldman Sachs, and may take commercial steps in its own interests, or may advise the parties to which it is providing such services to take steps or engage in transactions, that negatively affect the Fund. For example, Goldman Sachs may require repayment of all or part of a loan at any time and from time to time or declare a default under an agreement with the Fund or a portfolio company of the Fund, liquidate the Fund’s assets or redeem positions more rapidly (and at significantly lower prices) than might otherwise be desirable. In addition, due to its access to and knowledge of funds, markets and securities based on its other businesses, Goldman Sachs may make decisions based on information or take (or refrain from taking) actions with respect to interests in investments of the kind held directly or indirectly by the Fund in a manner that may be adverse to the Fund. Goldman Sachs may also derive benefits from providing services to the Fund, which may enhance Goldman Sachs’ relationships with various parties, facilitate additional business development and enable Goldman Sachs to obtain additional business and generate additional revenue.

Goldman Sachs has acted in the past, and is expected to act in the future, as an underwriter, placement agent, dealer or in other capacities in connection with fundraising by the Fund. Goldman Sachs has been compensated by the Fund for such activities in the past and would be compensated by the Fund for any such activities undertaken in the future.

Goldman Sachs is frequently engaged as a financial advisor or financing provider to corporations and other entities and their management teams in connection with the sale of those companies or some or all of their assets, and Goldman Sachs’ compensation in connection with these engagements may be substantial. Goldman Sachs’ compensation for those engagements is usually based upon sales proceeds and is contingent, in substantial part, upon a sale. As a result, because sellers generally require Goldman Sachs to act exclusively on their behalf, the Fund will be precluded in many instances from attempting to acquire securities of, or providing financing to, the business being sold or otherwise participate as a buyer in the transaction. Goldman Sachs’ decision to take on seller engagements is based upon a number of factors, including the likelihood in any particular situation that the successful buyer will be a financial purchaser rather than a strategic purchaser, the likelihood that any Account will be involved in the financing of that transaction and the compensation Goldman Sachs might receive by representing the seller. On occasion, Goldman Sachs may be given a choice by a seller of acting as its agent, as a potential purchaser of securities or assets, or as a buyer’s source of financing through the Fund or other Accounts. Goldman Sachs reserves the right to act as the seller’s agent in those circumstances, even where this choice may preclude the Fund from acquiring the relevant securities or assets. Goldman Sachs also represents potential buyers of businesses, including private equity sponsors, and Goldman Sachs’ compensation in connection with these representations may be substantial. In these cases, Goldman Sachs’ compensation is usually a flat fee that is contingent, in substantial part, upon a purchase. Accordingly, Goldman Sachs may have an incentive to direct an acquisition opportunity to one of these parties rather than to the Fund or other Accounts or to form a consortium with one or more of these parties to bid for the acquisition opportunity, thereby eliminating or reducing the investment opportunity available to the Fund. Furthermore, Goldman Sachs may seek to provide acquisition financing to one or more other bidders in these auctions, including in situations where the Fund and/or other Accounts is bidding for the asset. Moreover, Goldman Sachs may provide financing to the Fund in situations where it is also offering financing to one or more other bidders. When Goldman Sachs represents a buyer seeking to acquire a particular business or provides financing to a buyer in connection with an acquisition, the Fund may be precluded from participating in the financing of the acquisition of that business. Goldman Sachs’ buyer and financing assignments may include representation of clients who would not permit either Goldman Sachs or affiliates thereof, potentially including the Fund, to invest in the acquired company. In this case, none of the Investment Adviser or its affiliates, including the Fund, would be allowed to participate as an investor. In some cases, a buyer represented by Goldman Sachs may invite the Investment Adviser and certain Accounts to participate in the investment. Alternatively, the Investment Adviser and certain Accounts may be invited to provide financing for this type of purchase. Each of these situations is likely to present difficult competing considerations involving conflicts of interest. In addition, Goldman Sachs may accept buyer advisory assignments in respect of a company in which the Fund and/or other Accounts have an investment. The Fund may be precluded from selling its investment during the assignment. Goldman Sachs evaluates potential buyer assignments in light of factors similar to those that will be considered in engaging in seller assignments.

 

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Goldman Sachs’ activities on behalf of its clients may also restrict investment opportunities that may be available to the Fund. For example, Goldman Sachs is often engaged by companies as a financial advisor, or to provide financing or other services, in connection with commercial transactions that may be potential investment opportunities for the Fund. There may be circumstances in which the Fund is precluded from participating in such transactions as a result of Goldman Sachs’ engagement by such companies. Goldman Sachs reserves the right to act for these companies in such circumstances, notwithstanding the potential adverse effect on the Fund. Goldman Sachs may also represent creditor or debtor companies in proceedings under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code (and equivalent non-U.S. bankruptcy laws) or prior to these proceedings. From time to time, Goldman Sachs may serve on creditor or equity committees. These actions, for which Goldman Sachs may be compensated, may limit or preclude the flexibility that the Fund may otherwise have to buy or sell securities issued by those companies, as well as certain other assets. Please also refer to “—Management of the Fund by the Investment Adviser—Considerations Relating to Information Held by Goldman Sachs” above and “—Potential Limitations and Restrictions on Investment Opportunities and Activities of the Investment Adviser and the Fund” below.

Subject to applicable law, Goldman Sachs or other Accounts may invest in the Fund and such investments may constitute all or substantial percentages of the Fund’s outstanding equity interests.

To the extent permitted by applicable law, Goldman Sachs may create, write, sell, issue, invest in or act as placement agent or distributor of derivative instruments related to the Fund, or with respect to the Fund’s underlying securities or assets, or which may be otherwise based on or seek to replicate or hedge the Fund’s performance. Such derivative transactions, and any associated hedging activity, may differ from and be adverse to the interests of the Fund.

Goldman Sachs may make loans or enter into margin, asset-based or other credit facilities or similar transactions that may be secured by a client’s assets or interests, including the Fund’s equity, interests in an Account or assets in which the Fund or another Account has an interest. Some of these borrowers may be public or private companies, or founders, officers or stockholders in companies in which the Fund (directly or indirectly) invests, and such loans may be secured by securities of such companies, which may be the same as, pari passu with, or more senior or junior to, interests held (directly or indirectly) by the Fund. In connection with its rights as lender, Goldman Sachs may take actions that adversely affect the Account and which may in turn adversely affect the Fund (e.g., if the Fund holds the same type of security that is providing the credit support to the borrower Account, such holding may be disadvantaged when the borrower Account liquidates assets in response to an action taken by Goldman Sachs).

Code of Ethics and Personal Trading

Each of the Fund, Goldman Sachs Asset Management, as the Fund’s investment adviser, and GS & Co. and Goldman Sachs International, as principal underwriters (if applicable), has adopted a Code of Ethics in compliance with Section 17(j) of the Investment Company Act designed to provide that the Fund’s directors, personnel of the Investment Adviser, and certain additional Goldman Sachs personnel who support the Investment Adviser, comply with applicable federal securities laws and place the interests of clients first in conducting personal securities transactions. The Code of Ethics imposes certain restrictions on securities transactions in the personal accounts of covered persons to help avoid conflicts of interest. Subject to the limitations of the Code of Ethics, covered persons may buy and sell securities or other investments for their personal accounts, including investments in the Fund, and may also take positions that are the same as, different from, or made at different times than, positions taken by the Fund. Additionally, Goldman Sachs personnel, including personnel of the Investment Adviser, are subject to firm-wide policies and procedures regarding confidential and proprietary information, information barriers, private investments, outside business activities and personal trading.

Related Party Transaction Review Policy

The Audit Committee will review any potential related party transactions brought to its attention and, during these reviews, will consider any conflicts of interest brought to its attention pursuant to the Fund’s Code of Ethics. Each of the Fund’s directors and executive officers completes a questionnaire on an annual basis designed to elicit information about any potential related party transactions.

Proxy Voting by the Investment Adviser

The Investment Adviser has implemented processes designed to prevent conflicts of interest from influencing proxy voting decisions that it makes on behalf of advisory clients, including the Fund, and to help ensure that such decisions are made in accordance with its fiduciary obligations to its clients. Notwithstanding such proxy voting processes, proxy voting decisions made by the Investment Adviser with respect to securities held by the Fund may benefit the interests of Goldman Sachs and Accounts other than the Fund.

Potential Limitations and Restrictions on Investment Opportunities and Activities of the Investment Adviser and the Fund

The Investment Adviser may restrict its investment decisions and activities on behalf of the Fund in various circumstances, including as a result of applicable regulatory requirements, information held by Goldman Sachs, Goldman Sachs’ roles in connection with other clients and in the capital markets (including in connection with advice it may give to such clients or commercial arrangements or transactions that may be undertaken by such clients or by Goldman Sachs), Goldman Sachs’ internal policies and/or potential reputational risk or disadvantage to Accounts, including the Fund, and Goldman Sachs. The Investment Adviser might not engage in transactions or other activities for, or enforce certain rights in favor of, the Fund due to Goldman Sachs’ activities outside services provided to the Fund and regulatory requirements, policies and reputational risk assessments.

 

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In addition, the Investment Adviser may restrict or limit the amount of the Fund’s investment, or restrict the type of governance or voting rights it acquires or exercises, where the Fund (potentially together with Goldman Sachs and other Accounts) exceeds a certain ownership interest, or possesses certain degrees of voting or control or have other interests. For example, such limitations may exist if a position or transaction could require a filing or license or other regulatory or corporate consent, which could, among other things, result in additional costs and disclosure obligations for, or impose regulatory restrictions on, Goldman Sachs, including Goldman Sachs Asset Management, or on other Accounts, or where exceeding a threshold is prohibited or may result in regulatory or other restrictions. In certain cases, restrictions and limitations will be applied to avoid approaching such threshold. Circumstances in which such restrictions or limitations may arise include, without limitation: (i) a strict prohibition against owning more than a certain percentage of an issuer’s securities; (ii) a “poison pill” that would have a material dilutive impact on the holdings of the Fund in the issuer should a threshold be exceeded; (iii) provisions that would cause Goldman Sachs to be considered an “interested stockholder” of an issuer should a threshold be exceeded; (iv) provisions that may cause Goldman Sachs to be considered an “affiliate” or “control person” of the issuer; and (v) the imposition by an issuer (through charter amendment, contract or otherwise) or governmental, regulatory or self-regulatory organization (through law, rule, regulation, interpretation or other guidance) of other restrictions or limitations.

When faced with the foregoing limitations, Goldman Sachs will generally avoid exceeding the threshold because exceeding the threshold could have an adverse impact on the ability of Goldman Sachs to conduct its business activities. The Investment Adviser may also reduce the Fund’s interest in, or restrict the Fund from participating in, an investment opportunity that has limited availability or where Goldman Sachs has determined to cap its aggregate investment in consideration of certain regulatory or other requirements so that other Accounts that pursue similar investment strategies may be able to acquire an interest in the investment opportunity. The Investment Adviser may determine not to engage in certain transactions or activities which may be beneficial to the Fund because engaging in such transactions or activities in compliance with applicable law would result in significant cost to, or administrative burden on, the Investment Adviser or create the potential risk of trade or other errors. In circumstances in which the Fund and one or more registered investment funds are permitted under applicable law to make side-by-side investments, Goldman Sachs, acting on behalf of the Fund, may be limited in the terms of the transactions that it may negotiate under applicable law. This may have the effect of limiting the ability of the Fund from participating in certain transactions or result in terms to the Fund that are less favorable than would have otherwise been the case.

The Investment Adviser is not permitted to use material non-public information in effecting purchases and sales in public securities transactions for the Fund. The Investment Adviser may limit an activity or transaction (such as a purchase or sale transaction) which might otherwise be engaged in by the Fund, including as a result of information held by Goldman Sachs (including information held by a portfolio management team in Goldman Sachs Asset Management other than the team managing the Fund). For example, directors, officers and employees of Goldman Sachs may take seats on the boards of directors of, or have board of directors observer rights with respect to, companies in which the Investment Adviser invests on behalf of the Fund. To the extent a director, officer or employee of Goldman Sachs were to take a seat on the board of directors of, or have board of directors observer rights with respect to, a public company, the Investment Adviser (or certain of its investment teams) would be limited and/or restricted in its or their ability to trade in the securities of the company.

The Investment Adviser may also limit the activities and transactions engaged in by the Fund, and may limit its exercise of rights on the Fund’s behalf or in respect of the Fund, for reputational or other reasons, including where Goldman Sachs is providing (or may provide) advice or services to an entity involved in such activity or transaction, where Goldman Sachs or another Account is or may be engaged in the same or a related activity or transaction to that being considered on behalf of the Fund, where Goldman Sachs or another Account has an interest in an entity involved in such activity or transaction, or where such activity or transaction or the exercise of such rights on behalf of the Fund or in respect of the Fund could affect Goldman Sachs, the Investment Adviser or their activities.

Furthermore, Goldman Sachs Asset Management operates a program reasonably designed to ensure compliance generally with economic and trade sanctions-related obligations applicable directly to its activities (although such obligations are not necessarily the same obligations that the Fund may be subject to). Such economic and trade sanctions prohibit, among other things, transactions with and the provision of services to, directly or indirectly, certain countries, territories, entities and individuals. These economic and trade sanctions, and the application by Goldman Sachs Asset Management of its compliance program in respect thereof, may significantly restrict or limit the Fund’s intended investment activities.

 

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In light of the BHCA and the Volcker Rule, the Investment Adviser may be required to, or may choose to, dispose of certain investments on behalf of the Fund earlier or at a different time than the Investment Adviser would otherwise have determined to do so (or earlier or at a different time than may be the case for Accounts that are not pooled investment vehicles).

In order to engage in certain transactions on behalf of the Fund, the Investment Adviser will also be subject to (or cause the Fund to become subject to) the rules, terms and/or conditions of any venues through which it trades securities, derivatives or other instruments. This includes, but is not limited to, where the Investment Adviser and/or the Fund may be required to comply with the rules of certain exchanges, execution platforms, trading facilities, clearinghouses and other venues, or may be required to consent to the jurisdiction of any such venues. The rules, terms and/or conditions of any such venue may result in the Investment Adviser and/or the Fund being subject to, among other things, margin requirements, additional fees and other charges, disciplinary procedures, reporting and recordkeeping, position limits and other restrictions on trading, settlement risks and other related conditions on trading set out by such venues.

From time to time, the Fund, the Investment Adviser or its affiliates and/or their service providers or agents may be required, or may determine that it is advisable, to disclose certain information about the Fund, including, but not limited to, investments held by the Fund, and the names and percentage interest of beneficial owners thereof, to third parties, including local governmental authorities, regulatory organizations, taxing authorities, markets, exchanges, clearing facilities, custodians, brokers and trading counterparties of, or service providers to, the Investment Adviser or the Fund. The Investment Adviser generally expects to comply with requests to disclose such information as it so determines, including through electronic delivery platforms; however, the Investment Adviser may determine to cause the sale of certain assets for the Fund rather than make certain required disclosures, and such sale may be at a time that is inopportune from a pricing or other standpoint.

Pursuant to the BHCA, for so long as Goldman Sachs Asset Management acts as Investment Adviser of the Fund or in certain other capacities, the periods during which certain investments may be held are limited. As a result, the Fund may be required to dispose of investments at an earlier date than would otherwise have been the case had the BHCA not been applicable. In addition, under the Volcker Rule, the size of Goldman Sachs’ and Goldman Sachs’ personnel’s ownership interest in certain types of funds is limited, and as a result, Goldman Sachs and Goldman Sachs’ personnel may be required to dispose of all or a portion of its investment in the Fund, if applicable, including at times that other investors in the Fund may not have the opportunity to dispose of their investments in the Fund. Any such disposition of Fund interests by Goldman Sachs and Goldman Sachs’ personnel could reduce the alignment of interest of Goldman Sachs with other investors in the Fund.

Goldman Sachs may become subject to additional restrictions on its business activities that could have an impact on the Fund’s activities. In addition, to the extent permitted by law, the Investment Adviser may restrict its investment decisions and activities on behalf of the Fund and not other Accounts.

Brokerage Transactions

The Investment Adviser may select broker-dealers (including affiliates of the Investment Adviser) that furnish the Investment Adviser, the Fund, their affiliates and other Goldman Sachs personnel with proprietary or third-party brokerage and research services (collectively, “Brokerage and Research Services”) that provide, in the Investment Adviser’s view, appropriate assistance to the Investment Adviser in the investment decision-making process. Subject to applicable law, the Investment Adviser may pay for such Brokerage and Research Services with “soft” or commission dollars.

Subject to applicable law, Brokerage and Research Services may be used to service the Fund and any or all other Accounts, including Accounts that do not pay commissions to the broker-dealer relating to the Brokerage and Research Services arrangements. As a result, the Brokerage and Research Services (including soft dollar benefits) may disproportionately benefit other Accounts relative to the Fund based on the amount of commissions paid by the Fund in comparison to such other Accounts. The Investment Adviser does not attempt to allocate soft dollar benefits proportionately among clients or to track the benefits of Brokerage and Research Services to the commissions associated with a particular Account or group of Accounts.

Since the Fund will generally acquire and dispose of investments in privately negotiated transactions, it will infrequently use brokers in the normal course of its business. Subject to policies established by the Fund’s Board, the Investment Adviser will be primarily responsible for the execution of the publicly traded securities portion of its portfolio transactions and the allocation of brokerage commissions. The Investment Adviser does not expect to execute transactions through any particular broker or dealer, but will seek to obtain the best net results for the Fund, taking into account such factors as price (including the applicable brokerage commission or dealer spread), size of order, difficulty of execution, and operational facilities of the firm and the firm’s risk and skill in positioning blocks of securities. While the Investment Adviser generally will seek reasonably competitive trade execution costs, the Fund will not necessarily pay the lowest spread or commission available. Subject to applicable legal requirements, the Investment Adviser may select a broker based partly upon Brokerage and Research Services provided to the Investment Adviser and the Fund and any other Accounts. In return for such services, the Fund may pay a higher commission than other brokers would charge if the Investment Adviser determines in good faith that such commission is reasonable in relation to the services provided.

 

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Since we generally acquire and dispose of investments in privately negotiated transactions, we infrequently use brokers in connection with our investments in directly originated senior secured corporate credit issued by private companies. We may use brokers in connection with the portion of our portfolio that is invested in more liquid credit investments, which we expect to be a portion of our overall portfolio. Subject to policies established by our Board, our Investment Adviser is primarily responsible for the execution of the publicly traded securities and the liquid credit investments portions of our portfolio transactions and the allocation of brokerage commissions. Our Investment Adviser does not execute transactions through any particular broker or dealer, but seeks to obtain the best net results for us, taking into account such factors as price (including the applicable brokerage commission or dealer spread), size of order, difficulty of execution and operational facilities of the firm and the firm’s risk and skill in positioning blocks of securities. While our Investment Adviser generally seeks reasonably competitive trade execution costs, we do not necessarily pay the lowest spread or commission available. Subject to applicable legal requirements, our Investment Adviser may select a broker based partly upon Brokerage and Research Services provided to us, our Investment Adviser and any other Accounts. Such Brokerage and Research Services may include research reports on companies, industries and securities; economic and financial data; financial publications; computer data bases; quotation equipment and services; and research-oriented computer hardware, software and other services. In return for such services, we may pay a higher commission than other brokers would charge if our Investment Adviser determines in good faith that such commission is reasonable in relation to the services provided.

The Investment Management Agreement permits our Investment Adviser, subject to review by the Board from time to time, to purchase and sell portfolio securities to and from brokers who provide our Investment Adviser with access to supplemental investment and market research and security and economic analyses. Such brokers may execute brokerage transactions at a higher cost to us than may result when allocating brokerage to other brokers on the basis of seeking the most favorable price and efficient execution. Brokerage and Research Services furnished by firms through which we effect our securities transactions may be used by our Investment Adviser in servicing other clients, and not all of these services may be used by our Investment Adviser in connection with the client generating the brokerage credits. The fees received under the Investment Management Agreement are not reduced by reason of an investment adviser receiving such Brokerage and Research Services.

Our portfolio transactions are generally effected at a net price without a broker’s commission (i.e., a dealer is dealing with us as principal and receives compensation equal to the spread between the dealer’s cost for a given security and the resale price of such security). In certain foreign countries, debt securities are traded on exchanges at fixed commission rates. The Investment Management Agreement provides that our Investment Adviser, on occasions when it deems the purchase or sale of a security to be in the best interests of us as well as other customers, to aggregate, to the extent permitted by applicable laws and regulations, the securities to be sold or purchased for us with those to be sold or purchased for other customers in order to obtain the best net price and the most favorable execution. In such event, allocation of the securities so purchased or sold, is made by our Investment Adviser in the manner it considers to be equitable. In some instances, this procedure may adversely affect the size and price of the position obtainable for us.

Subject to the above considerations, our Investment Adviser may use an affiliate as our broker. In order for an affiliate, acting as agent, to effect securities or futures transactions for us, the commissions, fees or other remuneration received by such affiliate must be reasonable and fair compared to the commissions, fees or other remuneration received by other brokers in connection with comparable transactions involving similar services, securities or futures contracts. Furthermore, our Board, including a majority of our Independent Directors, has adopted procedures which are reasonably designed to provide that any commissions, fees or other remuneration paid to Goldman Sachs are consistent with the foregoing standard. Brokerage transactions with Goldman Sachs are also subject to such fiduciary standards as may be imposed upon Goldman Sachs by applicable law. The amount of brokerage commissions paid by us may vary substantially from year to year because of differences in portfolio turnover rates and other factors.

Aggregation of Trades by the Investment Adviser

The Investment Adviser follows policies and procedures pursuant to which, subject to applicable law, it may combine or aggregate purchase or sale orders for the same security or other instrument for multiple clients (sometimes referred to as “bunching”) (including Accounts that are proprietary to Goldman Sachs), so that the orders can be executed at the same time and block trade treatment of any such orders can be elected when available. The Investment Adviser aggregates orders, when subject to applicable law, the Investment Adviser considers doing so appropriate and in the interests of its clients generally and may elect block trade treatment when available. In addition, under certain circumstances and subject to applicable law, trades for the Fund may be aggregated with Accounts that contain Goldman Sachs assets.

When a bunched order or block trade is completely filled, or, if the order is only partially filled, at the end of the day, the Investment Adviser generally will allocate the securities or other instruments purchased or the proceeds of any sale pro rata among the participating Accounts, based on the Fund’s relative size order. If an order is filled at several different prices, through multiple trades (whether at a particular broker-dealer or among multiple broker-dealers), generally all participating Accounts will receive the average price and pay the average commission. However, this may not always be the case (due to, e.g., odd lots, rounding, market practice or constraints applicable to particular Accounts).

 

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Although it may do so in certain circumstances, the Investment Adviser does not always bunch or aggregate orders for different Accounts, elect block trade treatment or net buy and sell orders for the same Account, if portfolio management decisions relating to the orders are made separately, or if bunching, aggregating, electing block trade treatment or netting is not appropriate or practicable from the Investment Adviser’s operational or other perspective. The Investment Adviser may be able to negotiate a better price and lower commission rate on aggregated trades than on trades that are not aggregated and incur lower transaction costs on netted trades than trades that are not netted. Where transactions for an Account are not aggregated with other orders, or not netted against orders for the Fund or other Accounts, the Fund may not benefit from a better price and lower commission rate or lower transaction cost. Aggregation and netting of trades may disproportionately benefit some Accounts relative to other Accounts, including the Fund, due to the relative amount of market savings obtained by the Accounts.

Other present and future activities of Goldman Sachs may give rise to additional conflicts of interest.

Certain Business Relationships

Certain of our current directors and officers are directors or officers of affiliated Goldman Sachs entities.

Indebtedness of Management

None.

 

(b)

Promoters and Certain Control Persons

The Investment Adviser may be deemed a promoter of us. We have entered into the Investment Management Agreement with the Investment Adviser. The Investment Adviser, for its services to us, will be entitled to receive Management Fees and Incentive Fees. In addition, under the Investment Management Agreement, we expect, to the extent permitted by applicable law and in the discretion of our Board, to indemnify the Investment Adviser and certain of its affiliates. See “Item 1(c). Description of Business—Investment Management Agreement.

 

(c)

Director Independence

For information regarding the independence of our directors, see “Item 5. Directors and Executive Officers.”

 

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ITEM 8.

LEGAL PROCEEDINGS.

We are not currently subject to any material legal proceedings, nor, to our knowledge, is any material legal proceeding threatened against us. From time to time, we may be a party to certain legal proceedings in the ordinary course of business, including proceedings relating to the enforcement of our rights under loans to or other contracts with our portfolio companies. While the outcome of these legal proceedings cannot be predicted with certainty, we do not expect that these proceedings will have a material effect upon our financial condition or results of operations.

 

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ITEM 9.

MARKET PRICE OF AND DIVIDENDS ON THE REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS.

Market Information

Our Shares are offered and sold in transactions exempt from registration under the Securities Act under Section 4(a)(2) thereof and Regulation D and Regulation S thereunder. Each purchaser will be required to represent that it is (i) either an “accredited investor” as defined in Rule 501 of Regulation D under the Securities Act or, in the case of Shares sold outside the United States, is not a “U.S. person” in accordance with Regulation S of the Securities Act, and (ii) acquiring the Shares purchased by it for investment and not with a view to resale or distribution.

Because the Shares are being acquired by investors in one or more transactions “not involving a public offering,” they are “restricted securities” and may be required to be held indefinitely. Our Shares may not be sold, transferred, assigned, pledged or otherwise disposed of unless (i) our consent is granted, and (ii) the sale, transfer, assignment, pledge or other disposal of Shares is registered under applicable securities laws or specifically exempted from registration (in which case the stockholder may, at our option, be required to provide us with a legal opinion, in form and substance satisfactory to us, that registration is not required). Accordingly, an investor must be willing to bear the economic risk of investment in the Shares until we are liquidated. No sale, transfer, assignment, pledge or other disposition, whether voluntary or involuntary, of Shares may be made except by registration of the transfer on our books. Each purchaser of our Shares will be required to complete and deliver to the appropriate Placement Agent, if any, and us, prior to the acceptance of any order, a subscription agreement substantiating the purchaser’s eligibility to purchase shares and including limitations on resales and transfers of our Shares.

There is currently no public market for the Shares, and we do not expect one to develop in the future.

Stockholders

Please see “Item 4. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management” and “Item 10. Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities” for disclosure regarding the stockholders.

Valuation of Portfolio Investments

In accordance with the procedures approved by our Board, the NAV per share of our outstanding Shares is determined by dividing the value of total assets minus liabilities by the total number of Shares outstanding.

As a BDC, we generally invest in illiquid securities, including debt and equity investments, across a spectrum of directly sourced opportunities in companies ranging from lower middle market to large capitalization in size. Market quotations are generally used to assess the value of our investments for which market quotations are readily available. We obtain these market values from independent pricing services based upon trading on national securities markets, or otherwise by a principal market maker or a primary market dealer. If the Investment Adviser, as the Board appointed valuation designee, believes any such market quotation does not reflect the fair value of an Investment, the Investment Adviser, as valuation designee, may independently value such Investments by using the valuation procedure that it uses with respect to assets for which market quotations are not readily available.

As a BDC, we conduct the valuation of our assets, pursuant to which our NAV is determined, at all times consistent with GAAP and the Investment Company Act. Pursuant to Rule 2a-5 under the Investment Company Act, our Board of Directors has designated the Investment Adviser as the Valuation Designee primarily responsible for the valuation of our assets, subject to the oversight of the Board of Directors. The Investment Adviser, through its Asset Management Valuation Committee (the “Asset Management Valuation Committee”), determines the fair value of our assets on at least a quarterly basis, in accordance with such rule and the terms of Financial Accounting Standards Board ASC Codification Topic 820, Fair Value Measurement and Disclosures (“ASC 820”), subject to the oversight of the Board of Directors. Our valuation procedures are described in more detail below.

 

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ASC 820 defines fair value as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. Fair value is a market-based measurement, not an entity-specific measurement. For some assets and liabilities, observable market transactions or market information might be available. For other assets and liabilities, observable market transactions and market information might not be available. However, the objective of a fair value measurement in both cases is the same—to estimate the price when an orderly transaction to sell the asset or transfer the liability would take place between market participants at the measurement date under current market conditions (that is, an exit price at the measurement date from the perspective of a market participant that holds the asset or owes the liability).

ASC 820 establishes a hierarchal disclosure framework which ranks the observability of inputs used in measuring financial instruments at fair value. The observability of inputs is impacted by a number of factors, including the type of financial instruments and their specific characteristics. Financial instruments with readily available quoted prices, or for which fair value can be measured from quoted prices in active markets, generally will have a higher degree of market price observability and a lesser degree of judgment applied in determining fair value. The levels used for classifying investments are not necessarily an indication of the risk associated with investing in these securities.

The three-level hierarchy for fair value measurement is defined as follows:

Level 1 – inputs to the valuation methodology are quoted prices available in active markets for identical instruments as of the reporting date. The types of financial instruments included in Level 1 include unrestricted securities, including equities and derivatives, listed in active markets.

Level 2 – inputs to the valuation methodology are other than quoted prices in active markets, which are either directly or indirectly observable as of the reporting date. The types of financial instruments in this category include less liquid and restricted securities listed in active markets, securities traded in other than active markets, government and agency securities, and certain over-the-counter derivatives where the fair value is based on observable inputs.

Level 3 – inputs to the valuation methodology are unobservable and significant to overall fair value measurement. The inputs into the determination of fair value require significant management judgment or estimation. Financial instruments that are included in this category include investments in privately held entities and certain over-the-counter derivatives where the fair value is based on unobservable inputs.

In certain cases, the inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, the determination of which category within the fair value hierarchy is appropriate for any given financial instrument is based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. Our assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement requires judgment and considers factors specific to the financial instrument.

We expect the majority of our investments to fall within Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy. We do not expect that there will be readily available market values for most of the Investments that will be in our portfolio, and we value such investments at fair value as determined in good faith by or under the direction of the Valuation Designee using a documented valuation policy, described below, and a consistently applied valuation process. The factors that may be taken into account in pricing our investments at fair value include, as relevant, the nature and realizable value of any collateral, the portfolio company’s ability to make payments and its earnings and discounted cash flow, and the markets in which the portfolio company does business, comparison to publicly traded securities and other relevant factors. Available current market data are considered such as applicable market yields and multiples of publicly traded securities, comparison of financial ratios of peer companies, and changes in the interest rate environment and the credit markets that may affect the price at which similar investments would trade in their principal market, and other relevant factors. When an external event such as a purchase transaction, public offering or subsequent equity sale occurs, the Valuation Designee will consider the pricing indicated by the external event to corroborate or revise its valuation.

 

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With respect to investments for which market quotations are not readily available, or for which market quotations are deemed not reflective of the fair value, the valuation procedures approved by the Board and adopted by the Valuation Designee, contemplate a multi-step valuation process conducted by the Investment Adviser each quarter and more frequently as needed. As the valuation designee, the Investment Adviser is primarily responsible for the valuation of the Fund’s assets, subject to the oversight of the Board, as described below:

 

  1.

The quarterly valuation process begins with each portfolio company or investment being initially valued by the investment professionals of the Investment Adviser responsible for the valuation of the portfolio investment;

 

  2.

The Valuation Designee also engages the Independent Valuation Advisors to provide independent valuations of the investments for which market quotations are not readily available or are readily available but deemed not reflective of the fair value of an investment. The Independent Valuation Advisors independently value such investments using quantitative and qualitative information. The Independent Valuation Advisors also provide analyses to support their valuation methodology and calculations. The Independent Valuation Advisors provide an opinion on a final range of values on such investments to the Valuation Designee. The Independent Valuation Advisors define fair value in accordance with ASC 820 and utilize valuation approaches including the market approach, the income approach or both. A portion of the portfolio is reviewed on a quarterly basis, and all Investments in the portfolio for which market quotations are not readily available, or are readily available, but deemed not reflective of the fair value of an investment, are reviewed at least annually by an Independent Valuation Advisor;

 

  3.

The Independent Valuation Advisors’ preliminary valuations are reviewed by the Investment Adviser and the VOG, a team that is part of the controllers group of Goldman Sachs. The Independent Valuation Advisors’ valuation ranges are compared to the Investment Adviser’s valuations to ensure the Investment Adviser’s valuations are reasonable. VOG presents the valuations to the Asset Management Private Investment Valuation and Side Pocket Working Group, which is comprised of a number of representatives from different functions and areas of expertise related to GSAM’s business and controls who are independent of the investment decision making process;

 

  4.

The Asset Management Private Investment Valuation and Side Pocket Working Group reviews and preliminarily approves the fair valuations and makes fair valuation recommendations to the Asset Management Valuation Committee;

 

  5.

The Asset Management Valuation Committee reviews the valuation information provided by the Asset Management Private Investment Valuation and Side Pocket Working Group, the VOG, the investment professionals of the Investment Adviser responsible for valuations, and the Independent Valuation Advisors. The Asset Management Valuation Committee then assesses such valuation recommendations; and

 

  6.

Through the Asset Management Valuation Committee, the Valuation Designee, discusses the valuations, provides written reports to the Board of Directors on at least a quarterly basis, and, within the meaning of the Investment Company Act, determines the fair value of the investments in good faith, based on the inputs of the Asset Management Valuation Committee, the Asset Management Private Investment Valuation and Side Pocket Working Group, the VOG, the investment professionals of the Investment Adviser responsible for valuations, and the Independent Valuation Advisors.

We expect that Shares will not be issued at a purchase price below the then-current NAV per Share except as permitted by the Investment Company Act.

When our NAV is determined other than on a quarter-end (such as in connection with issuances of Shares on dates occurring mid-quarter), it is determined by our Investment Adviser, as Valuation Designee, acting under delegated authority from, and subject to the supervision of, our Board and in accordance with procedures adopted by our Board. See “Item 1A. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Investments— Many of our portfolio securities do not have a readily available market price, and we will value these securities at fair value as determined in good faith in accordance with the Investment Company Act, which valuation is inherently subjective and may not reflect what we may actually realize for the sale of the investment.”

Distributions

We expect to pay regular monthly distributions to our common stockholders. Any distributions we make will be at the discretion of our Board, considering factors such as our earnings, cash flow, capital needs and general financial condition and the requirements of Delaware law. As a result, our distribution rates and payment frequency may vary from time to time.

Our Board’s discretion as to the payment of distributions will be directed, in substantial part, by its determination to cause us to comply with the RIC requirements. To maintain our treatment as a RIC, we generally are required to make aggregate annual distributions to our stockholders of at least 90% of investment company taxable income. See “Item 11. Description of Registrant’s Securities to be Registered” and “Item 1. Business—Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations.

 

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The per share amount of distributions on Class S, Class D, and Class I shares will generally differ because of different class-specific stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees that are deducted from the gross distributions for each share class. Specifically, distributions on Class S shares will be lower than Class D shares and Class I shares, and distributions on Class D shares will be lower than Class I shares because we are required to pay higher ongoing stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees with respect to the Class S shares (compared to Class D shares and Class I shares ), and we are required to pay higher ongoing stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees with respect to Class D shares (compared to Class I shares). As of the date of this Registration Statement, we are only offering Class I shares for sale.

There is no assurance we will pay distributions in any particular amount, if at all. We may fund any distributions from sources other than cash flow from operations, including, without limitation, the sale of assets, borrowings or return of capital, and we have no limits on the amounts we may pay from such sources. The extent to which we pay distributions from sources other than cash flow from operations will depend on various factors, including the level of participation in our distribution reinvestment plan, how quickly we invest the proceeds from this and any future offering and the performance of our investments. Funding distributions from the sales of assets, borrowings, return of capital or proceeds of the private offering of the Shares will result in us having less funds available to acquire investments. As a result, the return you realize on your investment may be reduced. Doing so may also negatively impact our ability to generate cash flows. Likewise, funding distributions from the sale of additional securities will dilute your interest in us on a percentage basis and may impact the value of your investment especially if we sell these securities at prices less than the price you paid for your shares. We believe the likelihood that we pay distributions from sources other than cash flow from operations will be higher in the early stages of the private offering of Shares.

From time to time, we may also pay special interim distributions in the form of cash or Shares at the discretion of our Board.

We have not established limits on the amount of funds we may use from any available sources to make distributions. We can offer no assurance that we will achieve the performance necessary to sustain our distributions or that we will be able to pay distributions at a specific rate or at all. The Investment Adviser and its affiliates have no obligation to waive advisory fees or otherwise reimburse expenses in future periods. See Item 1. Business.”

Consistent with the Code, stockholders will be notified of the source of our distributions. Our distributions may exceed our earnings and profits, especially during the period before we have substantially invested the proceeds from the private offering of the Shares. As a result, a portion of the distributions we make may represent a return of capital for tax purposes. The tax basis of shares must be reduced by the amount of any return of capital distributions, which will result in an increase in the amount of any taxable gain (or a reduction in any deductible loss) on the sale of shares.

For a period of time following the date of this Registration Statement, which time period may be significant, we expect a portion of our distributions may be funded indirectly through the reimbursement of certain expenses by the Investment Adviser and its affiliates that are subject to conditional reimbursement by us within three years. Any such distributions funded through expense reimbursements are not based on our investment performance, and can only be sustained if we achieve positive investment performance in future periods and/or the Investment Adviser or its affiliates continues to advance such expenses. Our future reimbursement of amounts advanced by the Investment Adviser and its affiliates will reduce the distributions that you would otherwise receive in the future. Other than as set forth in this Registration Statement, the Investment Adviser and its affiliates have no obligation to advance expenses.

We intend to elect to be treated as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code for the taxable year that includes the Initial Issuance Date, and we intend to qualify for tax treatment as a RIC annually thereafter. To obtain and maintain RIC tax treatment, we must distribute at least 90% of our investment company taxable income (net ordinary taxable income and net short-term capital gains in excess of net long-term capital losses, determined without regard to the dividends paid deduction), if any, to our stockholders. A RIC may satisfy the 90% distribution requirement by actually distributing dividends (other than capital gain dividends) during the taxable year. In addition, a RIC may, in certain cases, satisfy the 90% distribution requirement by distributing dividends relating to a taxable year after the close of such taxable year under the “spillback dividend” provisions of Subchapter M. If a RIC makes a spillback dividend, the amounts will be included in a stockholder’s gross income for the year in which the spillback dividend is paid.

We currently intend to distribute net capital gains (i.e., net long-term capital gains in excess of net short-term capital losses), if any, at least annually out of the assets legally available for such distributions. However, we may decide in the future to retain such capital gains for investment and elect to treat such gains as deemed distributions to you. If this happens, you will be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as if you had received an actual distribution of the capital gains that we retain and reinvested the net after tax proceeds in us. In this situation, you would be eligible to claim a tax credit (or, in certain circumstances, a tax refund) equal to your allocable share of the tax we paid on the capital gains deemed distributed to you. We can offer no assurance that we will achieve results that will permit the payment of any cash distributions. See Item 1. Business—Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations.

 

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In addition, we intend to make dividends and distributions to holders of the Series A Preferred Stock semi-annually on or before June 30 and December 31 of each year. Such dividends and distributions will be payable to such holders of record at the close of business on the applicable record date, which shall be the fifteenth day of the calendar month in which the applicable dividend payment date falls or on such other date designated by the Board for the payment of dividends to such preferred stockholders that is not more than 30 nor less than ten days prior to such dividend payment date.

If we issue senior securities, we may be prohibited from making distributions if doing so causes us to maintain the asset coverage ratios stipulated by the Investment Company Act or if distributions are limited by the terms of any of our borrowings.

We have adopted a distribution reinvestment plan pursuant to which you may elect to have the full amount of your cash distributions reinvested in additional Shares. See “—Distribution Reinvestment Plan.

On April 26, 2023, the Board of Directors declared a distribution of $0.1736 per share, payable on or about May 30, 2023 to stockholders of record as of April 28, 2023.

Distribution Reinvestment Plan

We have adopted a distribution reinvestment plan, pursuant to which we will reinvest all cash dividends declared by the Board on behalf of our stockholders who do not elect to receive their dividends in cash as provided below. As a result, if the Board authorizes, and we declare, a cash dividend or other distribution, then our stockholders who have not opted out of our distribution reinvestment plan will have their cash distributions automatically reinvested in additional shares as described below, rather than receiving the cash dividend or other distribution. Distributions on fractional shares will be credited to each participating stockholder’s account to three decimal places.

No action is required on the part of a registered stockholder to have his, her or its cash dividend or other distribution reinvested in our Shares, except stockholders who are clients of selected participating brokers, as described below. Stockholders who are eligible for default enrollment can elect to “opt out” of the Fund’s distribution reinvestment plan in their subscription agreements. Certain investors, including those who are clients of certain participating brokers that do not permit automatic enrollment in our distribution reinvestment plan, will automatically receive their distributions in cash unless they elect to participate in our distribution reinvestment plan and have their cash distributions reinvested in additional shares.

If any stockholder initially elects not to participate or is defaulted to non-participation by virtue of being a client of a participating broker dealer that does not permit automatic enrollment in distribution reinvestment plans, they may later become a participant by subsequently completing and executing an enrollment form or any distribution authorization form as may be available from their financial advisor, broker or other financial intermediary, or otherwise State Street (the “Plan Administrator”). Participation in the distribution reinvestment plan will begin with the next distribution payable after acceptance of a participant’s subscription, enrollment or authorization. Shares will be purchased under the distribution reinvestment plan as of the first calendar day of the month following the record date of the distribution.

If a stockholder seeks to terminate its participation in the distribution reinvestment plan, notice of termination must be received by the Plan Administrator ten business days in advance of the first calendar day of the next month in order for a stockholder’s termination to be effective for such month. Any transfer of Shares by a participant to a non-participant will terminate participation in the distribution reinvestment plan with respect to the transferred Shares. If a participant elects to tender its Shares in full, any Shares issued to the participant under the Plan subsequent to the expiration of the tender offer will be considered part of the participant’s prior tender, and participant’s participation in the Plan will be terminated as of the valuation date of the applicable tender offer. Any distributions to be paid to such stockholders on or after such date will be paid in cash on the scheduled dividend payment date.

If you elect to opt out of the distribution reinvestment plan, you will receive any dividends we declare in cash. There will be no upfront selling commissions or Placement Agent fees charged to you if you participate in the distribution reinvestment plan. We will pay the Plan Administrator fees under the distribution reinvestment plan. If your Shares are held by a broker or other financial intermediary, you may change your election by notifying your broker or other financial intermediary of your election.

The purchase price for Shares purchased under our distribution reinvestment plan will be equal to the most recent available NAV per share for such Shares at the time the dividend is payable. Shares issued pursuant to our distribution reinvestment plan will have the same voting rights as the Shares. Stockholders will not pay transaction related charges when purchasing Shares under our distribution reinvestment plan, but all outstanding Class S and Class D shares, including those purchased under our distribution reinvestment plan, will be subject to ongoing servicing fees.

See our Distribution Reinvestment Plan, which is filed as an exhibit hereto, for more information.

Share Repurchase Program

We do not intend to list our shares on a national securities exchange, and we do not expect there to be a public market for our shares. As a result, if you purchase our Shares, your ability to sell your Shares will be limited.

 

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Beginning no later than the first full calendar quarter from the date on which we broke escrow for the private offering of the Shares offering, and at the discretion of our Board, we intend to commence a share repurchase program in which we intend to repurchase, in each quarter, up to 5% of our Shares outstanding (by number of shares) as of the close of the previous calendar quarter. Our Board may amend, suspend or terminate the share repurchase program if it deems such action to be in our best interest and the best interest of our stockholders. As a result, share repurchases may not be available each quarter. Upon a suspension of our share repurchase program, our Board will consider at least quarterly whether the continued suspension of our share repurchase program remains in our best interest and the best interest of our stockholders. However, our Board is not required to authorize the recommencement of our share repurchase program within any specified period of time. Our Board may also terminate our share repurchase program if required to do so by applicable law or in connection with a transaction in which our stockholders receive liquidity for their Shares, such as a sale or merger of the Fund or listing of our Shares on a national securities exchange.

We expect to repurchase shares pursuant to tender offers each quarter using a purchase price equal to the NAV per share as of the last calendar day of the applicable quarter, except that shares that have not been outstanding for at least one year will be subject to an “early repurchase deduction” of 2% of the aggregate NAV of the Shares repurchased (the “Early Repurchase Deduction”). The one-year holding period is measured as of the subscription closing date immediately following the prospective repurchase date and does not include shares received under the Fund’s distribution reinvestment plan. The Early Repurchase Deduction may be waived in the case of repurchase requests arising from the death, divorce, or qualified disability of the holder. The Early Repurchase Deduction will be retained by the Fund for the benefit of remaining stockholders. We intend to conduct repurchase offers in accordance with the requirements of Rule 13e-4 promulgated under the Exchange Act and the Investment Company Act. All shares purchased by us pursuant to the terms of each tender offer will be retired and thereafter will be authorized and unissued shares.

You may tender all of the Shares that you own. There is no repurchase priority for a stockholder under the circumstances of death or disability of such stockholder.

In the event the amount of shares tendered exceeds the repurchase offer amount, we will repurchase shares on a pro rata basis. All unsatisfied repurchase requests must be resubmitted in the next quarterly tender offer, or upon the recommencement of the share repurchase program, as applicable. We will have no obligation to repurchase shares, including if the repurchase would violate the restrictions on distributions under federal law or Delaware law. The limitations and restrictions described above may prevent us from accommodating all repurchase requests made in any quarter. Our share repurchase program has many limitations, including the limitations described above, and should not in any way be viewed as the equivalent of a secondary market. Further, the Investment Adviser, through an affiliate, may determine to make an investment of capital in us, which may result in the Investment Adviser initially owning a substantial amount of our outstanding Shares. The Investment Adviser may periodically elect to tender any or all of its Shares for repurchase under our share repurchase program. Any such tenders by the Investment Adviser could reduce the opportunity for other stockholders to tender the full amount of their Shares in a given quarter.

We will offer to repurchase shares on such terms as may be determined by our Board in its complete and absolute discretion unless, in the judgment of our Independent Directors, such repurchases would not be in the best interests of us and our stockholders or would violate applicable law. There is no assurance that our Board will exercise its discretion to offer to repurchase shares or that there will be sufficient funds available to accommodate all of our stockholders’ requests for repurchase. As a result, we may repurchase less than the full amount of shares that you request to have repurchased. If we do not repurchase the full amount of your shares that you have requested to be repurchased, or we determine not to make repurchases of our shares, you will likely not be able to dispose of your shares, even if we underperform. Any periodic repurchase offers will be subject in part to our available cash and compliance with the RIC qualification and diversification rules and the Investment Company Act. Stockholders will not pay a fee to us in connection with our repurchase of shares under the share repurchase program.

The Fund will repurchase shares from stockholders pursuant to written tenders on terms and conditions that the Board determines to be fair to the Fund and to all stockholders. When the Board determines that the Fund will repurchase shares, notice will be provided to stockholders describing the terms of the offer, containing information stockholders should consider in deciding whether to participate in the repurchase opportunity and containing information on how to participate. Stockholders deciding whether to tender their shares during the period that a repurchase offer is open may obtain the Fund’s most recent NAV per share by contacting the Fund. However, our repurchase offers will generally use the NAV on or around the last calendar day of the applicable quarter, which will not be available until after the expiration of the applicable tender offer, so you will not know the exact price of shares in the tender offer when you make your decision whether to tender your shares.

 

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Stockholders who tender their Shares for repurchase will receive their redemption proceeds no later than 65 days after the expiration of the applicable tender offer. Repurchases will be effective after receipt and acceptance by the Fund of eligible written tenders of shares from stockholders by the applicable repurchase offer deadline. The Fund does not impose any charges in connection with repurchases of shares, except for the Early Repurchase Deduction. All shares purchased by us pursuant to the terms of each tender offer will be retired and thereafter will be authorized and unissued shares.

In the event that any stockholder fails to maintain the minimum balance of $500 of our shares, we may, at the time of such failure or any time subsequent to such failure, repurchase all of the shares held by that stockholder at the repurchase price in effect on the date we determine that the stockholder has failed to meet the minimum balance, less any Early Repurchase Deduction. Minimum account repurchases will apply even in the event that the failure to meet the minimum balance is caused solely by a decline in our NAV. Minimum account repurchases may be subject to the Early Repurchase Deduction.

Payment for repurchased shares may require us to liquidate portfolio holdings earlier than our Investment Adviser would otherwise have caused these holdings to be liquidated, potentially resulting in losses, and may increase our investment-related expenses as a result of higher portfolio turnover rates. Our Investment Adviser intends to take measures, subject to policies as may be established by our Board, to attempt to avoid or minimize potential losses and expenses resulting from the repurchase of shares.

Reports to Stockholders

In order to be regulated as a BDC under the Investment Company Act, we have filed this Registration Statement for our Shares with the SEC under the Exchange Act. Subsequent to the effectiveness of this Registration Statement, we will be required to file annual reports, quarterly reports and current reports with the SEC.

 

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ITEM 10.

RECENT SALES OF UNREGISTERED SECURITIES.

Our initial member, an affiliate of the Investment Adviser, was the sole owner of our limited liability company interests, which were acquired for an initial capital contribution of $1,000 on December 19, 2022 in reliance upon the available exemptions from registration requirements of Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act. In connection with the Initial Issuance Date, the equity interest of the initial member of Goldman Sachs Private Credit Fund LLC was cancelled.

On April 6, 2023, we issued and sold approximately 10,081,173 Class I shares for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $252,029,333. On May 1, 2023, we issued and sold Class I shares for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $75,890,000.

Each of the above issuances and sales of our Class I shares were completed pursuant to subscription agreements with the investors and were exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and Regulation D and/or Regulation S under the Securities Act.

Each purchaser of our Shares was and is required to represent that it is (i) either an “accredited investor” as defined in Rule 501 of Regulation D under the Securities Act or, in the case of Shares sold outside the United States, is not a “U.S. person” in accordance with Regulation S of the Securities Act, and (ii) acquiring the Shares purchased by it for investment and not with a view to resale or distribution.

On April 6, 2023, we issued and sold 515 shares of Series A Preferred Stock for an aggregate purchase price of $515,000 to accredited investors, pursuant to subscription agreements with the investors, in reliance on Regulation D under the Securities Act.

 

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ITEM 11.

DESCRIPTION OF REGISTRANT’S SECURITIES TO BE REGISTERED.

The following description is based on relevant portions of Delaware law and on our certificate of incorporation and bylaws. This summary is not necessarily complete, and we refer you to Delaware law, our certificate of incorporation and bylaws for a more detailed description of the provisions summarized below.

General

Our authorized stock consists of 1,000,000,000 shares of Class S common stock, par value $0.001 per share, 1,000,000,000 shares of Class D common stock, par value $0.001 per share, 1,000,000,000 shares of Class I common stock, par value $0.001 per share, and 1,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share (together, the “Authorized Stock”). There is currently no market for our Authorized Stock, and we can offer no assurances that a market for our Authorized Stock will develop in the future. We do not intend for the Shares to be listed on any national securities exchange. There are no outstanding options or warrants to purchase our shares. No Shares have been authorized for issuance under any equity compensation plans.

Common Stock

All shares of our common stock have equal rights as to earnings, assets, dividends and other distributions and voting and, when they are issued, will be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable. Distributions may be made or paid to the holders of our common stock if, as and when declared by our Board out of funds legally available therefor, subject to the rights of holders of shares of any series of our preferred stock then outstanding. Shares of our common stock have no exchange, conversion or redemption rights. Shares of our common stock are subject to the transfer restrictions set forth in our certificate of incorporation, as described more fully below, as well as any restrictions on transfer arising under federal and state securities laws or by contract. Following the time at which the transfer restrictions contained in our certificate of incorporation terminate, shares of our common stock will be freely transferable, except when their transfer is restricted by federal and state securities laws or by contract. In the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, each share of our common stock would be entitled to share ratably in all of our assets that are legally available for distribution after we pay all debts and other liabilities and subject to any preferential rights of holders of shares of any series of our preferred stock then outstanding. Each share of our common stock is entitled to one vote on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders generally, including the election of directors elected by a vote of stockholders generally. Except as provided with respect to any other class or series of stock, including our preferred stock, as more fully described below, the holders of our common stock possess exclusive voting power. There is no cumulative voting in the election of our Board, which means that holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of our capital stock entitled to vote in the election of such directors are entitled to elect that number of nominees equal to the number of directors to be elected by such holders, and holders of less than a majority of such shares will be unable to elect one or more specific directors for any available directorship. In addition, holders of our common stock may participate in our distribution reinvestment plan.

Class S Shares

No upfront selling commissions will be paid for sales of any Class S shares when available for purchase in the private offering of the Shares. However, if you purchase Class S shares from certain financial intermediaries, they may directly charge you transaction or other fees, including upfront placement fees or brokerage commissions, in such amount as they may determine, provided that they limit such charges to a 3.5% cap on NAV for Class S shares.

We will pay the Placement Agent selling commissions over time as a stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee with respect to our outstanding Class S shares, when offered, equal to 0.85% per annum of the aggregate NAV of our outstanding Class S shares, including any Class S shares issued pursuant to our distribution reinvestment plan. The stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees will be paid monthly in arrears. The Placement Agent reallows (pays) all or a portion of the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees to participating brokers and servicing brokers for ongoing stockholder services performed by such brokers and will waive stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees to the extent a broker is not eligible to receive it for failure to provide such services.

The Investment Adviser or its affiliates may, in its discretion, pay additional compensation to selected brokers, dealers or other financial intermediaries out of its own funds and not as an additional charge to the Fund or stockholders.

Class S shares, when offered, will be available for purchase in the private offering of the Shares through brokerage and transaction-based accounts.

 

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Class D Shares

No upfront selling commissions will be paid for sales of any Class D shares when available for purchase in the private offering of the Shares. However, if you purchase Class D shares from certain financial intermediaries, they may directly charge you transaction or other fees, including upfront placement fees or brokerage commissions, in such amount as they may determine, provided that they limit such charges to a 1.5% cap on NAV for Class D shares.

We will pay the Placement Agent selling commissions over time as a stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee with respect to our outstanding Class D shares, when offered, equal to 0.25% per annum of the aggregate NAV of all our outstanding Class D shares, including any Class D shares issued pursuant to our distribution reinvestment plan. The stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees will be paid monthly in arrears. The Placement Agent reallows (pays) all or a portion of the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees to participating brokers and servicing brokers for ongoing stockholder services performed by such brokers and will waive stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees to the extent a broker is not eligible to receive it for failure to provide such services.

The Investment Adviser or its affiliates may, in its discretion, pay additional compensation to selected brokers, dealers or other financial intermediaries out of its own funds and not as an additional charge to the Fund or stockholders.

Class D shares, when offered, generally will be available for purchase in the private offering of Shares only (1) through fee-based programs, also known as wrap accounts, sponsored by participating brokers or other intermediaries that provide access to Class D shares, (2) through participating brokers that have alternative fee arrangements with their clients to provide access to Class D shares, (3) through transaction/ brokerage platforms at participating brokers, (4) through certain registered investment advisers, (5) through bank trust departments or any other organization or person authorized to act in a fiduciary capacity for its clients or customers or (6) by other categories of investors that we name in an amendment or supplement to the Private Placement Memorandum.

Class I Shares

No upfront selling commissions or stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees are paid for sales of any Class I shares. However, if you purchase Class I shares from certain third-party financial intermediaries, they may directly charge you transaction or other fees, including upfront placement fees or brokerage commissions, in such amount as they may determine, provided that they limit such charges to a 3.5% cap on NAV for Class I shares. The Investment Adviser or its affiliates may, in its discretion, pay additional compensation to selected brokers, dealers or other financial intermediaries out of its own funds and not as an additional charge to the Fund or stockholders.

Class I shares generally are available for purchase in the private offering of Shares only (1) through fee-based programs, also known as wrap accounts, sponsored by participating brokers or other intermediaries that provide access to Class I shares, (2) by endowments, foundations, pension funds and other institutional investors, (3) through participating brokers that have alternative fee arrangements with their clients to provide access to Class I shares, (4) through transaction/brokerage platforms at participating brokers, (5) by our executive officers and directors and their immediate family members, as well as officers and employees of the Investment Adviser or other affiliates and their immediate family members, and, if approved by our Board, joint venture partners, consultants and other service providers, (6) by Goldman Sachs’ private wealth management clients or (7) by other categories of investors that we name in an amendment or supplement to the Private Placement Memorandum.

In certain cases, where a holder of Class S or Class D shares (when such classes of shares are offered and sold) exits a relationship with a participating broker for the private offering of the Shares and does not enter into a new relationship with a participating broker for the private offering of the Shares, such holder’s shares may be exchanged into an equivalent NAV amount of Class I shares. We intend to also offer Class I shares to certain feeder vehicles primarily created to hold our Class I shares, which, in turn, will offer interests in themselves to qualified investors. We expect to conduct such offerings pursuant to available exemptions from registration under the Securities Act. Such feeder vehicles may have additional costs and expenses, which would be disclosed in connection with the offering of their interests. We may also offer Class I shares to other investment vehicles.

If you are eligible to purchase all three classes of shares (when all of such classes are available for sale), you should be aware that Class I shares have no stockholder servicing or distribution fees, which will reduce the NAV or distributions of the other share classes. However, Class I shares will not receive stockholder services.

Other Terms of Shares

We will cease paying the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee on the Class S shares and Class D shares, when offered, on the earlier to occur of the following: (i) a listing of Class I shares, (ii) our merger or consolidation with or into another entity, or the sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of our assets or (iii) the date following the completion of the primary portion of the private offering of Shares on which, in the aggregate, underwriting compensation from all sources in connection with the private offering of Shares, including the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee and other underwriting compensation, is equal to 10% of the gross proceeds from our primary offering.

 

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Commencing upon receipt of an exemptive order from the SEC permitting us to offer multiple classes of Shares, we expect to elect to conduct the private offering of the Shares in compliance with FINRA Rule 2310 as a condition to such exemptive relief. There is no assurance we will obtain this exemptive relief. As required by such exemptive relief, at the end of the month in which the Placement Agent in conjunction with the Transfer Agent determines that total transaction or other fees, including upfront placement fees or brokerage commissions, and stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees paid with respect to any single share held in a stockholder’s account would exceed, in the aggregate, 10% of the gross proceeds from the sale of such share (or a lower limit as determined by the Placement Agent or the applicable selling agent), we will cease paying the stockholder servicing and/or distribution fee on either (i) each such share that would exceed such limit or (ii) all Class S shares and Class D shares in such stockholder’s account. We may modify this requirement if permitted by applicable exemptive relief. At the end of such month, the applicable Class S shares or Class D shares in such stockholder’s account will convert into a number of Class I shares (including any fractional shares), with an equivalent aggregate NAV as such Class S or Class D shares.

Transfer and Resale Restrictions; Required Transfers

Our Shares have not been registered under the Securities Act or the securities laws of any other jurisdiction. Accordingly, we, the Placement Agent and any sub-placement agent are offering our Shares only (1) to “accredited investors” (as defined in Rule 501 under the Securities Act) and/or (2) outside the United States in compliance with Regulation S, in reliance upon exemptions from the registration requirements of the Securities Act.

Each purchaser of our Shares will be required to complete and deliver to the Placement Agent and us, prior to the acceptance of any order, a subscription agreement substantiating the purchaser’s eligibility to purchase Shares and including limitations on resales and transfers of our Shares.

We may seek to register our Shares for sale under the Securities Act and state securities laws (as applicable) at some point in the future, if at all. However, there can be no assurances as to when or whether we may complete such registration. Prior to such registration, if at all, our common stockholders will be prohibited from transferring their Shares without our approval and compliance with the registration requirements of the Securities Act or exemptions therefrom. In addition, as a perpetual life BDC, as described in this Registration Statement, we do not expect to complete an initial public offering and listing of our Shares on a national securities exchange, a merger or similar transaction. If we were to ever undergo any such transaction, if at all, transfer restrictions may be imposed on our Shares or the shares of another entity received by our stockholders in connection with a merger transaction, which transfer restrictions may be for a significant amount of time after the consummation of any such transaction. While we expect not to unreasonably withhold our approval to transfers by our common stockholders, adverse tax consequences for certain of our U.S. stockholders may arise if we have fewer than 500 beneficial owners of our capital stock. Accordingly, we expect to withhold our approval if any such transfer would or may result in our having fewer than 550 beneficial owners of our capital stock. We may also require as a condition to our approval to any such transfer that the transferring stockholder retain an amount of our Shares worth at least $1,000 until the first day of our taxable year following our taxable year in which any of the aforementioned transactions, if any, occur. We also expect to withhold approval if any such transfer would (i) be prohibited by or trigger a prepayment under our debt or other credit facilities, (ii) result in a violation of applicable securities law, (iii) result in the Fund being subject to additional regulatory or compliance requirements imposed by laws other than the Exchange Act or the Investment Company Act, or (iv) result in our assets becoming “plan assets” within the meaning of the Plan Assets Regulation (as defined herein).

Our Shares are subject to the transfer restrictions set forth in our certificate of incorporation, the subscription agreement and the Private Placement Memorandum. Additionally, to the extent we approve any transfers or the foregoing restriction lapses, investors will be subject to restrictions on resale and transfer associated with securities sold pursuant to Regulation D, Regulation S, and/or other exemptions from registration under the Securities Act. Following the time at which the transfer restrictions contained in our certificate of incorporation terminate, the subscription agreement and the Private Placement Memorandum, our Shares will be freely transferable, except when their transfer is restricted by federal, state or other securities laws or by contract.

Any transfers of shares of our Shares in violation of the foregoing provisions will be void, and any intended recipient of our Shares will acquire no rights in such Shares and will not be treated as our stockholder for any purpose. We also reserve the right to charge fees for the review and processing of any transfer requests.

 

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Preferred Shares

Our certificate of incorporation authorizes our Board to create and issue one or more series of preferred stock to the extent permitted by the Investment Company Act. Prior to the issuance of shares of each series of preferred stock, our Board will be required by Delaware law and by our certificate of incorporation to establish the voting powers (full or limited, or no voting powers), and the designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights, and the qualifications, limitations and restrictions thereof, of each series of our preferred stock. Thus, to the extent permitted by the Investment Company Act, the Board could authorize the issuance of shares of a series of our preferred stock with terms and conditions which could have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a transaction or a change in control that might involve a premium price for holders of our common stock or otherwise be in their best interest.

Any issuance of preferred stock must comply with the requirements of the Investment Company Act. The Investment Company Act requires, among other things, that (1) immediately after issuance and before any dividend or other distribution is made with respect to our common stock and before any purchase of common stock is made, such preferred stock together with all other senior securities must not exceed an amount equal to 50% of our total assets after deducting the amount of such dividend, distribution or purchase price, as the case may be, and (2) the holders of shares of preferred stock, if any are issued, must be entitled as a class voting separately to elect two directors at all times and to elect a majority of the directors if dividends on such preferred stock are in arrears by two full years or more. Certain matters under the Investment Company Act require the affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority of the outstanding shares of preferred stock (as determined in accordance with the Investment Company Act), including any outstanding perpetual preferred stock, voting together as a separate class. For example, the vote of such holders of preferred stock would be required to approve a proposal involving a plan of reorganization adversely affecting such securities.

Series A Cumulative Preferred Stock

Of the 1,000,000 shares of our authorized stock designated as preferred stock, 515 shares are designated as 12.0% Series A Cumulative Preferred Stock. All shares of our Series A Preferred Stock are duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable. The shares of the Series A Preferred Stock issued and sold are not registered under the Securities Act and, as a result, are subject to legal restrictions on transfer. Holders of shares of the Series A Preferred Stock are not entitled to participate in the appreciation of the value of the Fund. We will incur expenses in connection with the ongoing administration of the outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock.

The following is a summary of the material terms of the Series A Preferred Stock. The following summary is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Certificate of Designation of 12.0% Series A Cumulative Preferred Stock, which is included as an exhibit to this Registration Statement.

Priority. Each holder of Series A Preferred Stock is entitled to a liquidation preference of $1,000.00 per share (the “Liquidation Value”), plus additional amounts described under the caption “Liquidation” below. With respect to distributions, including the payment of dividends and distribution of the Fund’s assets upon dissolution, liquidation, or winding up, the Series A Preferred Stock will be senior to all classes and series of our common stock, and will rank on parity with any other class or series of preferred stock that the Fund is authorized to issue pursuant to its certificate of incorporation (as amended, restated and/or supplemented from time to time) (the “Preferred Stock”), whether such class or series is now existing or is created in the future, to the extent of the aggregate Liquidation Value and all accrued but unpaid dividends and any applicable redemption premium on the Series A Preferred Stock. Holders of shares of the Series A Preferred Stock will not, however, participate in any appreciation in the value of the Fund. The consent of the holders of a majority of the outstanding Preferred Stock, including the Series A Preferred Stock, voting as a separate class, is required to authorize or issue any class or series of Preferred Stock ranking on parity with the Series A Preferred Stock.

Dividends. Dividends on each share of Series A Preferred Stock will accrue on a daily basis at the rate of 12.0% per annum of the sum of the Liquidation Value thereof plus all accumulated and unpaid dividends thereon, from and including the earlier of (1) the date of issuance or (2) May 1, 2023, to and including the earlier of (1) the date of any liquidation, dissolution, or winding up of the Fund or (2) the date on which such share of Series A Preferred Stock is redeemed. Dividends will accrue whether or not they have been authorized or declared, whether or not the Fund has earnings, and whether are not there are funds legally available for the payment of dividends. Except as otherwise provided herein, such dividends shall be cumulative such that all accrued and unpaid dividends shall be fully paid or declared with funds irrevocably set apart for payment for all past dividend periods before any dividend, distribution or payment may be made to holders of outstanding shares of common stock. If at any time we pay less than the total amount of dividends then accrued with respect to the Preferred Stock, including the Series A Preferred Stock, all dividends declared upon the Preferred Stock, including the Series A Preferred Stock, will be declared and paid pro rata based on the number of shares of Preferred Stock, including Series A Preferred Stock, then outstanding. Dividends on shares of the Series A Preferred Stock will be payable semi-annually in arrears on June 30 and December 31 of each year. Accrued but unpaid dividends on the Series A Preferred Stock will accumulate as of the dividend payment date on which they first become payable. The first dividend on the Series A Preferred Stock may be for less than a full half year and may include periods prior to the date of issuance. This dividend and other dividends payable on shares of the Series A Preferred Stock for any other partial period will be computed on the basis of a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months. We will pay dividends to holders of record as they appear in our share records at the close of business as of June 15 and December 15 of each year.

 

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Voting. Each holder of Series A Preferred Stock or other series of Preferred Stock (if any such series is created in the future) shall be entitled to one vote for each share of Preferred Stock held by such holder on each matter submitted to a vote of stockholders of the Fund, and the holders of the outstanding shares of common stock, Series A Preferred Stock and all other series of Preferred Stock will vote together as a single class; provided, however, that the holders of outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock together with the holders of all other series of Preferred Stock outstanding, if any, will be entitled, voting as a separate class, to elect two directors of the Fund at all times. In addition, the holders of outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock together with the holders of all other series of Preferred Stock outstanding, if any, will be entitled, voting as a separate class, to elect a majority of the Fund’s Board of Directors (i) if, at the close of business on any dividend payment date, dividends (whether or not declared) on outstanding shares of Preferred Stock, including Series A Preferred Stock, are unpaid in an amount equal to at least two full years’ dividends on the Preferred Stock, including Series A Preferred Stock, or (ii) if at any time holders of Preferred Stock, including Series A Preferred Stock, are otherwise entitled under the Investment Company Act, to elect a majority of the Board.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the consent of the holders of a majority of the outstanding Series A Preferred Stock, voting as a separate class, shall be required for (a) authorization or issuance of any equity security of the Fund senior to or on a parity with the Series A Preferred Stock, (b) any amendment to our certificate of incorporation which has a material adverse effect on the rights and preferences of the Series A Preferred Stock or which increases the number of authorized shares of Series A Preferred Stock, (c) any reclassification of the Series A Preferred Stock. In addition, the affirmative vote of the holders of at least a “majority of the outstanding shares of Preferred Stock,” including Series A Preferred Stock, voting as a separate class, shall be required (d) to approve any plan of reorganization (as such term is used in the Investment Company Act) adversely affecting such shares, or (e) to the extent required under the Investment Company Act, to approve any action requiring a vote of security holders as in Section 13(a) of the Investment Company Act. For purposes of clauses (d) and (e) above, the vote of a “majority of the outstanding shares of Preferred Stock” means the vote at an annual or special meeting duly called of (i) sixty-seven percent (67%) or more of such shares present at a meeting, if the holders of more than fifty percent (50%) of such shares are present or represented by proxy at such meeting, or (ii) more than fifty percent (50%) of such shares, whichever is less.

Redemption. The outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock are subject to redemption at any time by notice of such redemption on a date selected by us for such redemption (the “Redemption Date”). If we elect to cause the redemption of the Series A Preferred Stock, each share of Series A Preferred Stock will be redeemed for a price, payable in cash on the Redemption Date, equal to 100% of such share’s Liquidation Value, plus all accrued and unpaid dividends to and including the Redemption Date, plus a redemption premium per share as follows: (1) until the date that is two (2) years from the date of original issuance, $100; and (2) thereafter, no redemption premium. From and after the close of business on the Redemption Date, all dividends on the outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock will cease to accrue, such shares will no longer be deemed to be outstanding, and all rights of the holders of such shares (except the right to receive the redemption price for such shares from us) will cease.

Liquidation. In the event of any dissolution, liquidation, or winding up of the Fund, the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock will be entitled to receive pro rata in cash out of the assets of the Fund legally available therefore, before any distribution of the assets may be made to the holders of common stock, an amount equal to the Liquidation Value, plus all accrued and unpaid dividends thereon through and including the date of payment, plus, if applicable, the redemption premium described above. Upon payment of such amount, the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock will have no other rights or claims to any of the remaining assets of the Fund either upon distribution of such assets or upon dissolution, liquidation, or winding up. A consolidation or merger of the Fund with one or more entities, a sale or transfer of all or substantially all of the Fund’s assets, or a statutory share exchange shall not be deemed a dissolution, liquidation, or winding up of the Fund.

Conversion. The shares of Series A Preferred Stock are not convertible into any other class or series of shares.

Transfer restrictions. The shares of Series A Preferred Stock offered are not registered (or qualified) under the Securities Act in reliance on the exemption provided by Section 4(a)(2) thereof and Rule 506 promulgated thereunder. Therefore, these securities are “restricted securities” for purposes of the Securities Act. Accordingly, shares of Series A Preferred Stock may not be offered, sold, transferred or delivered, directly or indirectly, unless (i) such shares are registered under the Securities Act and any other applicable state securities laws, or (ii) an exemption from registration under the Securities Act and any other applicable state securities laws is available. During the period ending on the date of any listing of the shares of Series A Preferred Stock on a national securities exchange, no transfer of Series A Preferred Stock may be made without (a) registration of the transfer on the Fund’s books and (b) the prior written consent of the Fund, which may be given or withheld in our sole discretion for any or no reason, except in the event of a request to transfer shares of Series A Preferred Stock necessitated by the death or divorce of a holder of Series A Preferred Stock, in which case, our consent shall not be required provided that certain certifications are provided to us in advance of such transfer, including, without limitation, that such transfer would not violate the Securities Act or any state (or other jurisdiction) securities or “blue sky” laws applicable to us or the transfer of such shares of Series A Preferred Stock. The investors will have no rights to require registration of shares of Series A Preferred Stock under the Securities Act or other applicable securities laws and registration is not presently contemplated. See “Item 1A. Risk Factors”.

 

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Other matters. Unless full cumulative dividends on all outstanding shares of preferred stock, including Series A Preferred Stock, have been or contemporaneously are declared and paid or declared and a sum sufficient for the payment thereof is set apart for payment for all past dividend periods, we shall not: (i) declare any dividend or other distribution (other than a dividend or distribution paid in shares of common stock) in respect of shares of our common stock, (ii) purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of common stock or (iii) pay any proceeds of the liquidation of the Fund in respect of common stock, provided, further, that the “asset coverage” (as defined under the Investment Company Act) on the Preferred Stock, including Series A Preferred Stock, must be at least 150%(or such other amount as provided under the Investment Company Act), giving effect to any exemptive relief granted to us by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, after deducting the amount of such dividend, distribution or purchase price.

Provisions of the DGCL and Our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws

Limitation on Liability of Directors and Officers; Indemnification and Advancement of Expenses

The indemnification of our officers and directors is governed by Section 145 of the DGCL and our certificate of incorporation and bylaws. Section 145(a) of the DGCL empowers the Fund to indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the Fund) by reason of the fact that the person is or was a Director, officer, employee or agent of the Fund, or is or was serving at the request of the Fund as a Director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding if (1) such person acted in good faith, (2) in a manner such person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Fund and (3) with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, such person had no reasonable cause to believe the person’s conduct was unlawful.

Section 145(b) of the DGCL empowers the Fund to indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of the Fund to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that the person is or was a Director, officer, employee or agent of the Fund, or is or was serving at the request of the Fund as a Director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit if such person acted in good faith and in a manner the person reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of the Fund, and except that no indemnification may be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which such person has been adjudged to be liable to the Fund unless and only to the extent that the Delaware Court of Chancery or the court in which such action or suit was brought determines upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which the Court of Chancery or such other court deems proper.

Section 145(c) of the DGCL provides that to the extent that a present or former Director or officer of the Fund has been successful, on the merits or otherwise, in defense of any action, suit or proceeding referred to in subsections (a) and (b) of Section 145, or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, such person will be indemnified against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding.

Section 145(d) of the DGCL provides that in all cases in which indemnification is permitted under subsections (a) and (b) of Section 145 (unless ordered by a court), it will be made by the Fund only if it is consistent with the Investment Company Act and as authorized in the specific case upon a determination that indemnification of the present or former Director, officer, employee or agent is proper in the circumstances because the person to be indemnified has met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in those subsections. Such determination must be made, with respect to a person who is a Director or officer at the time of such determination, (1) by a majority vote of the Directors who are not parties to such action, suit or proceeding, even though less than a quorum, or (2) by a committee of such Directors designated by majority vote of such Directors, even though less than a quorum, or (3) if there are no such Directors, or if such directors so direct, by independent legal counsel in a written opinion or (4) by the stockholders.

 

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Section 145(e) authorizes the Fund to pay expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by an officer or Director of the Fund in defending any civil, criminal, administrative or investigative action, suit or proceeding in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of the person to whom the advancement will be made to repay the advanced amounts if it is ultimately determined that he or she was not entitled to be indemnified by the Fund as authorized by Section 145. Section 145(e) also provides that such expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by former Directors and officers or other employees and agents of the Fund, or persons serving at the request of the Fund as Directors, officers, employees or agents of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise may be so paid upon such terms and conditions, if any, as the Fund deems appropriate.

Section 145(f) provides that indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by, or granted pursuant to, the other subsections of such Section are not to be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which those seeking indemnification or advancement of expenses may be entitled under any bylaw, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested Directors, or otherwise.

Section 145(g) authorizes the Fund to purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of its current and former Directors, officers, employees and agents (and on behalf of any person who is or was serving at the request of the Fund as a Director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise) against any liability asserted against such person and incurred by such person in any such capacity, or arising out of such person’s status as such, regardless of whether the Fund would have the power to indemnify such persons against such liability under Section 145.

Section 102(b)(7) of the DGCL allows the Fund to provide in its certificate of incorporation a provision that limits or eliminates the personal liability of a Director of the Fund to the Fund or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a Director, provided that such provision may not limit or eliminate the liability of a Director (1) for any breach of the Director’s duty of loyalty to the Fund or its stockholders, (2) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (3) under Section 174 of the DGCL, relating to unlawful payment of dividends or unlawful stock purchases or redemption of stock or (4) for any transaction from which the Director derived an improper personal benefit. Our certificate of incorporation provides that our Directors will not be liable to us or our stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a Director to the fullest extent permitted by the current DGCL or as the DGCL may hereafter be amended.

Our certificate of incorporation requires us to indemnify to the full extent permitted by Section 145 of the DGCL all persons whom we may indemnify under that section. Our certificate of incorporation also provides that expenses incurred by our officers or directors in defending any action, suit or proceeding for which they may be entitled to indemnification under our certificate of incorporation will be paid in advance of the final disposition of the action, suit or proceeding. However, any indemnification or payment or reimbursement of expenses made pursuant to such provisions of our certificate of incorporation will be subject to the applicable requirements of the Investment Company Act. In addition, our bylaws provide that, except for certain proceedings initiated by our Directors or officers, we must indemnify, and advance expenses to, our current and former Directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, but provide that any indemnification or reimbursement of expenses thereunder is subject to the applicable requirements of the Investment Company Act.

Delaware Anti-Takeover Law

The DGCL contains, and our certificate of incorporation and bylaws also contain, provisions that could make it more difficult for a potential acquirer to acquire us by means of a tender offer, proxy contest or otherwise. These provisions are expected to discourage certain coercive takeover practices and inadequate takeover bids and to encourage persons seeking to acquire control of us to negotiate first with our Board. These measures may delay, defer or prevent a transaction or a change in control that might otherwise be in the best interests of our stockholders. We believe, however, that the benefits of these provisions outweigh the potential disadvantages of discouraging any such acquisition proposals because the negotiation of such proposals may improve their terms.

We have elected in our certificate of incorporation not to be subject to Section 203 of the DGCL, an antitakeover law. However, our certificate of incorporation contains provisions that, at any point in time in which our common stock is registered under Section 12(b) or Section 12(g) of the Exchange Act, have the same effect as Section 203, except that it exempts GS Group Inc. and its affiliates, and certain of its or their respective direct or indirect transferees and any group as to which such persons are a party, from the effect of those provisions. In general, these provisions will prohibit us from engaging in any “business combination” with any “interested stockholder” for a period of three years following the date that the stockholder became an interested stockholder, unless:

 

   

prior to such time, the Board approved either the business combination or the transaction which resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder;

 

   

upon consummation of the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder, the interested stockholder owned at least 85% of the voting stock of the Fund outstanding at the time the transaction commenced, excluding for purposes of determining the voting stock outstanding (but not the outstanding voting stock owned by the interested stockholder) those shares owned by persons who are Directors and also officers of the Fund; or

 

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at or subsequent the such time the business combination is approved by the Board and authorized at a meeting of stockholders, and not by written consent, by at least two-thirds of the outstanding voting stock that is not owned by the interested stockholder.

These provisions define “business combination” to include the following:

 

   

any merger or consolidation involving the Fund or any direct or indirect majority-owned subsidiary of the Fund with the interested stockholder;

 

   

any sale, lease, exchange, mortgage, pledge, transfer or other disposition (in one transaction or a series of transactions), except proportionately as a stockholder of such corporation, to or with the interested stockholder, of 10% or more of either the aggregate market value of all the assets of the Fund or the aggregate market value of all the outstanding stock of the Fund; subject to certain exceptions, any transaction that results in the issuance or transfer by the Fund or by any direct or indirect majority-owned subsidiary of the Fund of any stock of the Fund or of such subsidiary to the interested stockholder;

 

   

any transaction involving the Fund or any direct or indirect majority-owned subsidiary of the Fund that has the effect, directly or indirectly, of increasing the proportionate share of the stock of any class or series (or securities convertible into the stock of any class or series) of the Fund or of any such subsidiary owned by the interested stockholder, except as to immaterial changes due to fractional share adjustments or as a result of any purchase or redemption of any shares of stock not caused, directly or indirectly, by the interested stockholder; or

 

   

the receipt by the interested stockholder of the benefit, directly or indirectly (except proportionately as a stockholder of the Fund), of any loans, advances, guarantees, pledges or other financial benefits provided by or through the Fund or any direct or indirect majority-owned subsidiary.

In general, these provisions define an “interested stockholder” as any entity or person that is the beneficial owner of 15% or more of our outstanding voting stock or is an affiliate or associate of us and was the beneficial owner of 15% or more of our outstanding voting stock at any time within the three-year period immediately prior to the relevant date, and the affiliates or associates of any such entity or person, but GS Group Inc. and its affiliates and certain of its or their respective direct or indirect transferees and any group as to which such persons are a party are excluded from the definition of interested stockholder.

These provisions could prohibit or delay mergers or other takeover or change in control attempts and, accordingly, may discourage attempts to acquire us.

Election of Directors

Our bylaws provide that, unless otherwise provided in our certificate of incorporation (including with respect to the special rights of holders of one or more series of our preferred stock, including the Series A Preferred Stock, to elect directors), our Directors are elected by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the votes cast by stockholders entitled to vote thereon present in person or by proxy at a meeting of stockholders called for the purpose of electing Directors. Under our certificate of incorporation, our Board has the power to amend our bylaws, including the provisions specifying the vote required to elect Directors. Under Section 216 of the DGCL, however, a bylaw amendment adopted by stockholders which specifies the votes that will be necessary for the election of directors will not be further amended or repealed by the Board.

Holders of any outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock together with the holders of all other series of our outstanding Preferred Stock, if any, will be entitled, voting as a separate class, to elect two directors of the Fund at all times that such preferred stock is outstanding. In addition, the holders of any outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock together with the holders of all other series of Preferred Stock outstanding, if any, will be entitled, voting as a separate class, to elect a majority of the Board of Directors (i) if, at the close of business on any dividend payment date, dividends (whether or not declared) on outstanding shares of Preferred Stock, including Series A Preferred Stock, are unpaid in an amount equal to at least two full years’ dividends on such preferred stock, including Series A Preferred Stock, or (ii) if at any time holders of Preferred Stock, including Series A Preferred Stock, are otherwise entitled under the Investment Company Act to elect a majority of the Board of Directors.

Classified Board of Directors

Under our certificate of incorporation, subject to the special right of the holders of one or more series of preferred stock to elect additional preferred Directors, our Directors are divided into three classes of Directors, serving staggered three-year terms, with the term of office of Directors in only one of the three classes expiring each year. As a result, one-third of such Directors will then be elected each year. A classified Board may render a change in control of us or removal of our incumbent management more difficult. We believe, however, that, the longer time required to elect a majority of a classified Board will help to ensure the continuity and stability of our management and policies.

 

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Commissions on Financing, Refinancing or Reinvestment

Our certificate of incorporation provides that, unless otherwise permitted by the Investment Company Act or applicable guidance or exemptive relief of the SEC, we generally may not pay, directly or indirectly, a commission or fee to the Investment Adviser or any of its affiliates in connection with the reinvestment of cash available for distribution, available reserves, or the proceeds of the resale, exchange or refinancing of assets.

Number of Directors; Removal; Vacancies

Our certificate of incorporation provides that, subject to any rights of holders of one or more series of preferred stock to elect additional preferred Directors, the total number of Directors is fixed from time to time exclusively pursuant to a resolution adopted by the Board. Under the DGCL, unless the certificate of incorporation provides otherwise (which our certificate of incorporation does not), Directors on a classified Board may be removed only for cause. Our certificate of incorporation provides that our Directors are divided into classes serving staggered three-year terms and such directors may only be removed for cause, and only upon the affirmative vote of holders of at least two-thirds of the outstanding shares entitled to vote generally in the election of Directors. Under our certificate of incorporation, subject to the applicable requirements of the Investment Company Act and the rights of the holders of one or more series of preferred stock, any vacancy on the Board resulting from the death, resignation, retirement, removal or disqualification of a Director or other cause, or any vacancy resulting from an increase in the number of Directors, may be filled only by vote of a majority of the Directors then in office, even though less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining Director; provided that when the holders of any class or series of our stock are entitled under the certificate of incorporation to elect Directors, vacancies in directorships elected by such class, classes or series may be filled by a majority of the remaining Directors so elected. Any such limitations on the ability of our stockholders to remove Directors and fill vacancies could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire, or discourage a third party from seeking to acquire, control of us.

Action by Stockholders

Our certificate of incorporation provides that our stockholders are only able to take action at an annual or special meeting of stockholders and may not take action by written consent of stockholders in lieu of a meeting. This may have the effect of delaying consideration of a stockholder proposal until the next annual meeting.

Advance Notice Provisions for Stockholder Nominations and Stockholder Proposals

Our bylaws provide that with respect to an annual meeting of stockholders, nominations of persons for election to the Board and the proposal of other business to be considered by stockholders may be made only (1) by or at the direction of the Board (or a duly authorized committee thereof), (2) pursuant to our notice of meeting or (3) by a stockholder who is entitled to vote at the meeting and who has complied with the advance notice procedures of the bylaws. For any nomination or business proposal to be properly brought by a stockholder for a meeting, such stockholder will have to comply with advance notice requirements and provide us with certain information. Generally, to be timely, a stockholder’s notice must be received at our principal executive offices not less than 90 days nor more than 120 days prior to the first anniversary date of the immediately preceding annual meeting of stockholders. Our bylaws specify requirements as to the form and content of any such stockholder’s notice. Our bylaws also allow the presiding officer at a meeting of the stockholders to adopt rules and regulations for the conduct of meetings which may have the effect of precluding the conduct of certain business at a meeting if the rules and regulations are not followed. Our bylaws further provide that nominations of persons for election to the Board at a special meeting may be made only by or at the direction of the Board, and provided that the Board has determined that Directors will be elected at the meeting, by a stockholder who is entitled to vote at the meeting and who has complied with the advance notice provisions of the bylaws.

The purpose of requiring stockholders to give us advance notice of nominations and other business is to afford our Board a meaningful opportunity to consider the qualifications of the proposed nominees and the advisability of any other proposed business and, to the extent deemed necessary or desirable by our Board, to inform stockholders and make recommendations about such qualifications or business, as well as to provide a more orderly procedure for conducting meetings of stockholders. Although our bylaws do not give our Board any power to disapprove stockholder nominations for the election of Directors or proposals recommending certain action that are made in compliance with applicable advance notice procedures, they may have the effect of precluding a contest for the election of Directors or the consideration of stockholder proposals if proper procedures are not followed and of discouraging or deterring a third party from conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect its own slate of Directors or to approve its own proposal without regard to whether consideration of such nominees or proposals might be harmful or beneficial to us and our stockholders.

 

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Stockholder Meetings

Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws provide that any action required or permitted to be taken by stockholders at an annual meeting or special meeting of stockholders may only be taken if it is properly brought before such meeting. Stockholders at an annual meeting may only consider proposals or nominations specified in the notice of meeting or brought before the meeting by or at the direction of the Board, or by a stockholder of record on the record date for the meeting who is entitled to vote at the meeting and who has delivered timely written notice in proper form to the secretary of the stockholder’s intention to bring such business before the meeting. These provisions could have the effect of delaying until the next stockholder meeting stockholder actions that are favored by the holders of a majority of our outstanding voting securities.

Calling of Special Meetings of Stockholders

Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws provide that special meetings of stockholders may be called by our Board, the chairman of the Board and our chief executive officer(s), and not by any other person.

Amendments to the Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws

Section 242 of the DGCL generally provides any amendment to the certificate of incorporation must be approved and declared advisable by the Board and adopted by the affirmative vote of holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of capital stock entitled to vote thereon, and by a majority of the outstanding stock of each class entitled to vote thereon as a class. Section 109 of the DGCL provides that, after a corporation has received payment for its capital stock, the power to adopt, amend or repeal the bylaws will be in the stockholders entitled to vote, but any corporation may, in its certificate of incorporation, confer the power to adopt, amend or repeal bylaws upon the Directors. Our certificate of incorporation provides our Board with such power. The DGCL provides that the certificate of incorporation may contain provisions requiring for any corporate action the vote of a larger portion of the stock or of any class or series thereof than is required by the DGCL. Our certificate of incorporation provides that the following provisions, among others, may be amended by our stockholders only by a vote of at least two-thirds of the outstanding shares of our capital stock entitled to vote thereon:

 

   

the provisions regarding the classification of our Board;

 

   

the provisions specifying the percentage of votes required to remove Directors for cause;

 

   

the provisions limiting stockholder action by written consent;

 

   

the provisions regarding the calling of special meetings;

 

   

the provisions regarding the number of Directors and filling vacancies on our Board and newly created directorships;

 

   

the provision requiring a supermajority vote to amend our bylaws;

 

   

the limitation of directors’ personal liability to us or our stockholders for breach of fiduciary duty as a director;

 

   

the provisions regarding indemnification and advancement of expenses under our certificate of incorporation;

 

   

the provision regarding restrictions on business combinations with interested stockholders; and

 

   

the amendment provision requiring that the above provisions be amended only with a two-thirds supermajority vote.

Our bylaws generally are able to be amended by approval of (i) a majority of the total number of authorized Directors or (ii) the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the outstanding shares of our capital stock entitled to vote thereon.

Restrictions on Roll-Up Transactions

Under our certificate of incorporation, the following conditions and requirements with respect to a proposed “roll-up transaction” shall be effective upon the commencement of a Public Offering of Non-Listed Shares, and to the extent required under the Omnibus Guidelines. In connection with a proposed “roll-up transaction,” which, in general terms, is any transaction involving the acquisition, merger, conversion or consolidation, directly or indirectly, of us and the issuance of securities of an entity that would be created or would survive after the successful completion of the roll-up transaction, we will obtain an appraisal of all of our properties from an independent expert. In order to qualify as an independent expert for this purpose, the person or entity must have no material current or prior business or personal relationship with us and must be engaged to a substantial extent in the business of rendering opinions regarding the value of assets of the type held by us, who is qualified to perform such work. Our assets will be appraised on a consistent basis, and the appraisal will be based on the evaluation of all relevant information and will indicate the value of our assets as of a date immediately prior to the announcement of the proposed roll-up transaction. The appraisal will assume an orderly liquidation of our assets over a 12-month period. The terms of the engagement of such independent expert will clearly state that the engagement is for our benefit and the benefit of our stockholders. We will include a summary of the appraisal, indicating all material assumptions underlying the appraisal, in a report to the stockholders in connection with the proposed roll-up transaction. If the appraisal will be included in a prospectus used to offer the securities of the roll-up entity, the appraisal will be filed with the SEC and the states as an exhibit to the applicable registration statement, if any.

 

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In connection with a proposed roll-up transaction, the person sponsoring the roll-up transaction must offer to the stockholders who vote against the proposal a choice of:

 

   

accepting the securities of the entity that would be created or would survive after the successful completion of the roll-up transaction offered in the proposed roll-up transaction; or

 

   

one of the following:

 

   

remaining as stockholders and preserving their interests in us on the same terms and conditions as existed previously; or

 

   

receiving cash in an amount equal to their pro rata share of the appraised value of the net assets of the class of shares that they hold.

We are prohibited from participating in any proposed roll-up transaction:

 

   

which would result in stockholders having voting rights in the entity that would be created or would survive after the successful completion of the roll-up transaction that are less than those provided in the certificate of incorporation, including rights with respect to the election and removal of directors, annual and special meetings, amendments to the certificate of incorporation and our dissolution;

 

   

which includes provisions that would operate as a material impediment to, or frustration of, the accumulation of shares of our common stock by any purchaser of the securities of the entity that would be created or would survive after the successful completion of the roll-up transaction, except to the minimum extent necessary to preserve the tax status of such entity, or which would limit the ability of an investor to exercise the voting rights of its securities of the entity that would be created or would survive after the successful completion of the roll-up transaction on the basis of the number of shares held by that investor;

 

   

in which stockholders’ rights to access to records of the entity that would be created or would survive after the successful completion of the roll-up transaction will be less than those provided in the certificate of incorporation;

 

   

in which we would bear any of the costs of the roll-up transaction if the stockholders reject the roll-up transaction; or

 

   

unless the organizational documents of the entity that would survive the roll-up transaction provide that neither its adviser nor its placement agent may vote or consent on matters submitted to its stockholders regarding the removal of its adviser or any transaction between it and its adviser or any of its affiliates.

Access to Records

Any stockholder will be permitted access to all of our records to which they are entitled under applicable law at all reasonable times and may inspect and copy any of them for a reasonable copying charge. Inspection of our records by the office or agency administering the securities laws of a jurisdiction will be provided upon reasonable notice and during normal business hours. An alphabetical list of the names, addresses and business telephone numbers of our stockholders, along with the number of shares of our common stock held by each of them, will be maintained as part of our books and records and will be available for inspection by any stockholder or the stockholder’s designated agent at our office, each to the extent required by applicable law. The stockholder list will be updated at least quarterly to reflect changes in the information contained therein. A copy of the list will be mailed to any stockholder who requests the list within ten days of the request if we are subject to the Omnibus Guidelines and to the extent required thereby. A stockholder may request a copy of the stockholder list for any proper and legitimate purpose, including, without limitation, in connection with matters relating to voting rights and the exercise of stockholder rights under federal proxy laws. A stockholder requesting a list will be required to pay reasonable costs of postage and duplication. Such copy of the stockholder list shall be printed in alphabetical order, on white paper, and in readily readable type size (no smaller than 10 point font).

 

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A stockholder may also request access to any other corporate records. If we are subject to the Omnibus Guidelines and to the extent required thereby, if a proper request for the stockholder list or any other corporate records is not honored, then the requesting stockholder will be entitled to recover certain costs incurred in compelling the production of the list or other requested corporate records as well as actual damages suffered by reason of the refusal or failure to produce the list. However, a stockholder will not have the right to, and we may require a requesting stockholder to represent that it will not, secure the stockholder list or other information for the purpose of selling or using the list for a commercial purpose not related to the requesting stockholder’s interest in our affairs. We may also require that such stockholder sign a confidentiality agreement in connection with the request.

Reports to Stockholders

Within 60 days after each fiscal quarter, we will distribute our quarterly report on Form 10-Q to all stockholders of record. In addition, we will distribute our annual report on Form 10-K to all stockholders within 120 days after the end of each calendar year, which must contain, among other things, a breakdown of the expenses reimbursed by us to our Investment Adviser. These reports will also be available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

Conflict with Investment Company Act

Our bylaws provide that, if and to the extent that any provision of the DGCL or any provision of our certificate of incorporation or bylaws conflicts with any provision of the Investment Company Act, the applicable provision of the Investment Company Act will control.

Exclusive Forum

Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws provide that, to the fullest extent permitted by law, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, a federal or state court located in the state of Delaware shall be the sole and exclusive forum for (1) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Fund, (2) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer or other employee of the Fund to the Fund or the Fund’s stockholders, (3) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL, our certificate of incorporation or bylaws or the securities, antifraud, unfair trade practices or similar laws of any international, national, state, provincial, territorial, local or other governmental or regulatory authority, including, in each case, the applicable rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, or (4) any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine. This forum selection provision does not apply to claims brought under the federal securities laws, with the sole exception that any claim under Section 11 of the Securities Act must be brought in a federal court. However, there is a question regarding the enforceability of this portion of this provision since the Securities Act permits stockholders to bring claims arising under the Securities Act in state and federal court. This forum selection provision may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds convenient or favorable for disputes, which may discourage such lawsuits with respect to such claims and increase costs for a stockholder to pursue such claims. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of our capital stock will be deemed, to the fullest extent permitted by law, to have notice of and consented to these exclusive forum provisions and to have irrevocably submitted to, and waived any objection to, the exclusive jurisdiction of such courts in connection with any such action or proceeding and consented to process being served in any such action or proceeding, without limitation, by U.S. mail addressed to the stockholder at the stockholder’s address as it appears on the records of the Fund, with postage thereon prepaid.

 

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ITEM 12.

INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS.

See “Item 11. Description of Registrant’s Securities to be Registered—Provisions of the DGCL and Our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws—Limitation on Liability of Directors and Officers; Indemnifications and Advancement of Expenses.”

 

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ITEM 13.

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA.

Set forth below is a list of our audited financial statements included in this Registration Statement.

 

     Page  

Index to Financial Statements

     F-1  

Statements of Financial Condition as of March 31, 2023 (unaudited) and December 31, 2022

     F-2  

Statements of Operations for the three months ended March  31, 2023 and for the period from March 25, 2022 (inception) to March 31, 2022 (unaudited)

     F-3  

Statements of Changes in Member’s Capital for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and for the period from March 25, 2022 (inception) to March 31, 2022 (unaudited)

     F-4  

Statements of Cash Flows for the three months ended March  31, 2023 and for the period from March 25, 2022 (inception) to March 31, 2022 (unaudited)

     F-5  

Notes to the Financial Statements (unaudited)

     F-6  

 

     Page  

Index to Financial Statements

     F-14  

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

     F-15  

Statement of Financial Condition as of December 31, 2022

     F-16  

Statement of Operations for the period from March  25, 2022 (inception) to December 31, 2022

     F-17  

Statement of Changes in Member’s Capital for the period from March 25, 2022 (inception) to December 31, 2022

     F-18  

Statement of Cash Flows for the period from March  25, 2022 (inception) to December 31, 2022

     F-19  

Notes to the Financial Statements

     F-20  

 

ITEM 14.

CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE.

There are not and have not been any disagreements between us and our accountant on any matter of accounting principles, practices, or financial statement disclosure.

 

ITEM 15.

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS.

 

(a)

List separately all financial statements filed

The financial statements included in this Registration Statement are listed in Item 13 and commence on page F-1.

 

(b)

Exhibits

Exhibit Index

 

  3.1   

Certificate of Incorporation.

  3.2   

Certificate of Designation of 12.0% Series A Cumulative Preferred Stock.

  3.3   

Bylaws.

10.1*   

Investment Management Agreement, dated as of March 20, 2023, between the Fund and Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P.

10.2*   

Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement, dated as of March 20, 2023, between the Fund and Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P.

10.3*   

Amended and Restated Administration Agreement, dated as of January 26, 2023, by and between State Street Bank and Trust Company and the entities set forth on Appendix A thereto.

10.4*   

Amended and Restated Custodian Contract, dated as of January 26, 2023, by and between State Street Bank and Trust Company and the entities set forth on Appendix A thereto.

10.5*   

License Agreement, dated as of March 20, 2023, between the Fund and Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC.

10.6*   

Distribution Reinvestment Plan.

10.7*   

Form of Subscription Agreement.

10.8†   

Senior Secured Revolving Credit Agreement, dated as of April 6, 2023, between the Fund, as Borrower, the Lenders and Issuing Banks party thereto, and Truist Bank, as Administrative Agent.

 

*

Previously filed on March 23, 2023, as an exhibit to this Registration Statement.

Certain schedules have been omitted pursuant to Item 601(a)(5) of Regulation S-K. The Company agrees to furnish supplementally a copy of any omitted schedule to the SEC upon its request.

 

149


SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

 

    GOLDMAN SACHS PRIVATE CREDIT CORP.

Date: May 18, 2023

   

By:

 

/s/ David Pessah

     

Name: David Pessah

     

Title:   Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer

 

150


    

INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

     Page  

Statements of Financial Condition as of March 31, 2023 (unaudited) and December 31, 2022

     F-2  

Statements of Operations for the three months ended March  31, 2023 and for the period from March 25, 2022 (inception) to March 31, 2022 (unaudited)

     F-3  

Statements of Changes in Member’s Capital for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and for the period from March 25, 2022 (inception) to March 31, 2022 (unaudited)

     F-4  

Statements of Cash Flows for the three months ended March  31, 2023 and for the period from March 25, 2022 (inception) to March 31, 2022 (unaudited)

     F-5  

Notes to the Financial Statements (unaudited)

     F-6  

 

F-1


Goldman Sachs Private Credit Fund LLC

Statements of Financial Condition

 

     As of
March 31, 2023

(Unaudited)
     As of
December 31, 2022
 

Assets

     

Cash

   $ 1,000      $ 1,000  

Unrealized gain on purchase agreements

     1,944,381        —    
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total Assets

   $ 1,945,381      $ 1,000  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Commitments and Contingencies (Note 5)

     

Member’s capital

     

Preferred units (no units issued and outstanding)

   $ —      $ —  

Common units (40 units issued and outstanding)

     1,000        1,000  

Distributable earnings

     1,944,381        —    
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total member’s capital

   $ 1,945,381      $ 1,000  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net asset value per unit

   $ 48,634.52      $ 25.00  

The accompanying notes are part of these unaudited financial statements.

 

F-2


Goldman Sachs Private Credit Fund LLC

Statements of Operations

(Unaudited)

 

     For the Three Months Ended
March 31, 2023
    For the period from
March 25, 2022
(inception) to March
31, 2022
 

Revenue

   $ —       $ —    

Expenses

    

Organization costs

     222,089       106,526  

Directors’ fees

     78,904       —    

Directors’ and officers’ liability insurance

     49,207       —    
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total expenses

   $ 350,200     $ 106,526  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Reimbursable expenses paid by Investment Adviser (See Note 5. Commitments and Contingencies)

   $ (350,200 )    $ (106,526 ) 
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net expenses

   $ —       $ —    
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Unrealized gain on purchase agreements

   $ 1,944,381     $ —    
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net income/(loss)

   $ 1,944,381     $ —    
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Weighted average units outstanding

     40.00       —    
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net income/(loss) per unit

   $ 48,609.52     $ —    
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are part of these unaudited financial statements.

 

F-3


Goldman Sachs Private Credit Fund LLC

Statements of Changes in Member’s Capital

(Unaudited)

 

     For the Three Months
Ended March 31, 2023
     For the period from March 25,
2022 (inception) to

March 31, 2022
 

Member’s capital at beginning of period

   $ 1,000      $ —  

Increase (decrease) in member’s capital from operations:

     

Unrealized gain on purchase agreements

     1,944,381        —    
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in member’s capital from operations

   $ 1,944,381      $ —  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total increase in member’s capital

   $ 1,944,381      $ —  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Member’s capital at end of period

   $ 1,945,381      $ —  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are part of these unaudited financial statements.

 

F-4


Goldman Sachs Private Credit Fund LLC

Statements of Cash Flows

(Unaudited)

 

     For the Three Months
Ended March 31, 2023
    For the period from March 25,
2022 (inception) to March 31,
2022
 

Cash flows from operating activities

    

Net increase in member’s capital from operations:

   $ 1,944,381     $     

Unrealized gain on purchase agreements

     (1,944,381   $     
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net cash provided by (used for) operating activities

   $ —       $ —    
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase in cash

   $ —       $ —  

Cash, beginning of period

     1,000       —    
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Cash, end of period

   $ 1,000     $ —  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are part of these unaudited financial statements.

 

F-5


Goldman Sachs Private Credit Fund LLC

Notes to Financial Statements

(Unaudited)

1. ORGANIZATION

Goldman Sachs Private Credit Fund LLC (formerly known as Goldman Sachs Loan Fund LLC) is a Delaware limited liability company formed on March 25, 2022 that intends to elect to be treated, and expects to qualify annually, as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) and elect to be treated as a business development company (“BDC”) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”). Concurrent with the election to be regulated as a BDC, Goldman Sachs Private Credit Fund LLC intends to convert into a Delaware corporation (the “BDC Conversion”) named Goldman Sachs Private Credit Corp. (the “Company”, which term refers to either Goldman Sachs Private Credit Fund LLC or Goldman Sachs Private Credit Corp.).

The Company’s investment objective is to generate current income and, to a lesser extent, capital appreciation primarily through direct originations of secured debt, including first lien debt, unitranche loans, including last-out portions of such loans, second lien debt, and unsecured debt, including mezzanine debt, as well as through select equity investments. The Company will also invest a portion of the portfolio in more liquid credit investments, such as broadly syndicated loans and other fixed-income securities, to provide the portfolio with additional liquidity.

Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P. (“GSAM”), a Delaware limited partnership and an affiliate of Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC (including its predecessors, “GS & Co.”), is the investment adviser (the “Investment Adviser”) of the Company. The term “Goldman Sachs” refers to The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., together with GS & Co., GSAM and its other subsidiaries.

The Company is conducting an offering of the Company’s common stock on a continuous basis (the “Offering”). The offering and sale of common stock will be exempt from registration in reliance on Section 4(a)(2) of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and Regulation D and Regulation S thereunder, for offers and sales of securities that do not involve a public offering and for offers and sales of securities outside of the United States. The Company is currently only offering Class I shares for sale. The Company has submitted to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) an application for an exemptive order to permit the Company to offer multiple classes of shares. Subject to receiving a satisfactory exemptive order from the SEC, the Company intends to offer to sell any combination of three classes of shares, Class S shares, Class D shares, and Class I shares, which have different ongoing stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees.

The Company is also conducting an offering to accredited investors to purchase shares of the Company’s 12.0% Series A Cumulative Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Series A Preferred Stock”), in reliance on Regulation D under the Securities Act. The holders of the Series A Preferred Stock will be subject to certain dividend, voting, liquidation and other rights.

GS & Co. will assist the Company in conducting the Offering pursuant to agreements between the Company and GS & Co.

As of March 31, 2023, the Company received a capital contribution of $1,000 from an affiliate of the Investment Adviser (the “Initial Member”). The Initial Member will be the sole owner of the Company’s interests until the initial closing of the Offering (the “Initial Issuance Date”). In connection with the Initial Issuance Date, such equity interests will be cancelled.

2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) and pursuant to Regulation S-X. This requires the Company’s management to make estimates and assumptions that may affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

 

F-6


As an investment company, the Company applies the accounting and reporting guidance in Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 946, Financial Services – Investment Companies (“ASC 946”) issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”).

Cash

Cash consists of deposits held at a custodian bank. As of March 31, 2023, the Company held $1,000 in cash.

Income Taxes

As of March 31, 2023, the Company is a single member limited liability company, which is a disregarded entity for U.S. federal income tax purposes. As such the Company did not record a tax provision.

The Company intends to elect to be treated, and expects to qualify annually, as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code. So long as the Company maintains its status as a RIC, it generally will not be required to pay corporate-level U.S. federal income taxes on any ordinary income or capital gains that it distributes at least annually to its shareholders as dividends. As a result, any U.S. federal income tax liability related to income earned by the Company and distributed by the Company to its shareholders represents obligations of the Company’s shareholders and will not be reflected in the financial statements of the Company.

Offering Costs

Offering costs consist primarily of fees incurred in connection with the Offering, including legal, printing and other costs, as well as costs associated with the preparation of the Company’s registration statement on Form 10. Offering costs will be recognized as a deferred charge and will be amortized on a straight line basis over 12 months beginning on the date of commencement of operations, subsequent to the Company breaking escrow in connection with the Offering. The offering costs, which were borne by the Investment Adviser on behalf of the Company, do not presently represent a liability of the Company since the obligation to reimburse the Investment Adviser is conditional as of March 31, 2023 on the Company breaking escrow in connection with the Offering and the Investment Adviser requesting reimbursement of offering expenses paid pursuant to the Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement as described below.

Organization Costs

Organization costs include costs relating to the formation and organization of the Company. These costs, which were borne by the Investment Adviser on behalf of the Company, are expensed as incurred. The reimbursement of organization expenses is conditional, as of March 31, 2023, on the Company breaking escrow in connection with the Offering and the Investment Adviser requesting reimbursement of organization expenses paid pursuant to the Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement as described below.

 

F-7


Directors’ and Officers’ Liability Insurance

The Company has obtained liability insurance for its directors and officers (the “Directors’ and Officers’ Liability Insurance”). These costs, which were borne by the Investment Adviser on behalf of the Company, are expensed over the term of the insurance policy, beginning on the date the Company enters into the insurance policy agreement. Costs related to the Directors’ and Officers’ Liability Insurance do not presently represent a liability of the Company since the obligation to reimburse the Investment Adviser is conditional as of March 31, 2023 on the Company breaking escrow in connection with the Offering and the Investment Adviser requesting reimbursement of such expenses paid pursuant to the Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement as described below.

New Accounting Pronouncements

Management does not believe any recently issued, but not yet effective, accounting standards, if currently adopted, would have a material effect on the accompanying financial statements.

3. SIGNIFICANT AGREEMENTS AND RELATED PARTIES

Investment Management Agreement

The Company entered into an investment management agreement effective as of March 20, 2023 (the “Investment Management Agreement”) with the Investment Adviser, pursuant to which the Investment Adviser manages the Company’s investment program and related activities.

Under the terms of the Investment Management Agreement, the Company will pay the Investment Adviser a base management fee and may also pay an incentive fee. The cost of both the management fee and the incentive fee will ultimately be borne by the Company’s shareholders. The Investment Adviser has agreed to waive the management fee and incentive fee for the first two fiscal quarters of operations, commencing on and including the date on which the Company breaks escrow and commences operations.

There were no management fees or incentive fees incurred for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and for the period from March 25, 2022 (inception) to March 31, 2022.

Administration and Custodian Fees

The Company has entered into an administration agreement with State Street Bank and Trust Company (the “Administrator”) under which the Administrator provides various accounting and administrative services to the Company. The Company will pay the Administrator fees for its services as the Company determines are commercially reasonable in its sole discretion. The Company will also reimburse the Administrator for all reasonable expenses. To the extent that the Administrator outsources any of its functions, the Administrator pays any compensation associated with such functions. The Administrator also serves as the Company’s custodian (the “Custodian”).

There were no administration and custodian fees incurred for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and for the period from March 25, 2022 (inception) to March 31, 2022.

Transfer Agent Fees

The Company has entered into a transfer agency agreement (the “Transfer Agency Agreement”), with GS & Co. pursuant to which GS & Co. serves as the Company’s transfer agent (“Transfer Agent”), registrar and distribution paying agent.

There were no transfer agent fees incurred for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and for the period from March 25, 2022 (inception) to March 31, 2022.

 

F-8


Placement Agent Agreement

The Company has entered into an agreement with GS & Co. (the “Placement Agent”) pursuant to which GS & Co. will assist the Company in conducting the Offering. GS & Co. has entered into or will enter into sub-placement agreements (together with the agreement with GS & Co., the “Placement Agent Agreements”) with various sub-placement agents to assist in conducting the Offering. Stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees will be payable to the Placement Agent. The Placement Agent may also be compensated by the Investment Adviser, in its discretion, for certain services including promotional and marketing support, shareholder servicing, operational and recordkeeping, sub-accounting, networking or administrative services. These payments are made out of the Investment Adviser’s own resources and/or assets, including from the revenues or profits derived from the advisory fees the Investment Adviser receives from the Company.

Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement

The Investment Adviser has agreed to advance all of the organization, offering and other operating expenses on behalf of the Company through the date on which the Company breaks escrow.

The Company entered into an expense support and conditional reimbursement agreement (the “Expense Support Agreement”) with the Investment Adviser. Pursuant to the Expense Support Agreement, the Investment Adviser may elect to pay certain of the Company’s expenses on its behalf, provided that no portion of the payment will be used to pay any interest expense or distribution and/or stockholder servicing fees of the Company. Any expense payment must be paid by the Investment Adviser to the Company in any combination of cash or other immediately available funds and/or offset against amounts due from the Company to the Investment Adviser or its affiliates.

Following any calendar month in which Available Operating Funds (as defined below) exceed the cumulative distributions accrued to the Company’s stockholders based on distributions declared with respect to record dates occurring in such calendar month (the amount of such excess being hereinafter referred to as “Excess Operating Funds”), the Company will pay such Excess Operating Funds, or a portion thereof, to the Investment Adviser until such time as all expense payments made by the Investment Adviser to the Company within three years prior to the last business day of such calendar month have been reimbursed. Any payments required to be made by the Company will be referred to herein as a “Reimbursement Payment.”

“Available Operating Funds” means the sum of (i) the Company’s net investment company income and (ii) dividends and other distributions paid to the Company on account of investments in portfolio companies (to the extent such amounts listed in clause (ii) are not included under clause (i) above).

The Company’s obligation to make a Reimbursement Payment will automatically become a liability of the Company on the last business day of the applicable calendar month, except to the extent the Investment Adviser has waived its right to receive such payment for the applicable month.

Director Fees

Each of the Company’s independent directors is compensated an annual fee of $50,000 (or $100,000 upon the Company’s NAV being at or above $1,500,000,000) for his or her services as one of the Company’s directors and as a member of the Audit Committee and Governance and Nominating Committee. The Chairperson receives an additional annual fee of $12,500 (or $25,000 upon the Company’s NAV being at or above $1,500,000,000) for his services in such capacity and the director designated as “audit committee financial expert” receives an additional annual fee of $7,500 (or $15,000 upon the Company’s NAV being at or above $1,500,000,000) for his services in such capacity.

As of March 31, 2023, the Company’s independent directors were owed $291,945 in director fees. Directors fees, which were borne by the Investment Adviser on behalf of the Company, do not presently represent a liability of the Company since the obligation to reimburse the Investment Adviser-paid director fees is conditional, as of March 31, 2023, on the Company breaking escrow in connection with the Offering and the Investment Adviser requesting reimbursement of such expenses paid pursuant to the Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement.

 

F-9


4. SHARE REPURCHASE PROGRAM

Beginning no later than the first full calendar quarter from the date on which the Company breaks escrow, and at the discretion of the Board of Directors, the Company intends to commence a share repurchase program in which the Company intends to repurchase in each quarter, up to 5% of the Company’s common shares outstanding (by number of shares) as of the close of the previous calendar quarter. The Board of Directors may amend, suspend or terminate the share repurchase program if it deems such action to be in the best interest of shareholders. As a result, share repurchases may not be available each quarter. The Company intends to conduct such repurchase offers in accordance with the requirements of Rule 13e-4 promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Investment Company Act. All shares purchased pursuant to the terms of each tender offer will be retired and thereafter will be authorized and unissued shares.

Under the share repurchase plan, to the extent the Company offers to repurchase shares in any particular quarter, it is expected that the Company will repurchase shares pursuant to tender offers as of the last calendar day of that quarter using a purchase price equal to the NAV per share as of the last calendar day of the applicable quarter, except that shares that have not been outstanding for at least one year will be repurchased at 98% of such NAV (an “Early Repurchase Deduction”). The one-year holding period is measured as of the subscription closing date immediately following the prospective repurchase date and does not include shares received under the Company’s distribution reinvestment plan. The Early Repurchase Deduction may be waived by the Company in accordance with the share repurchase plan. The Early Repurchase Deduction will be retained by the Company for the benefit of remaining shareholders.

5. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Contingencies

In the normal course of business, the Company enters into contracts that provide a variety of general indemnifications. Any exposure to the Company under these arrangements could involve future claims that may be made against the Company. Currently, no such claims exist or are expected to arise and, accordingly, the Company has not accrued any liability in connection with such indemnifications.

The Investment Adviser has agreed to bear all of the Company’s expenses through the date on which the Company breaks escrow. The Company will be obligated to reimburse the Investment Adviser for such advanced expenses upon breaking escrow in connection with the Offering and the Investment Adviser requesting reimbursement of these expenses paid pursuant to the Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement. The total organization costs, Directors’ and Officers’ Liability Insurance, and directors’ fees as of March 31, 2023 was $1,335,113, all of which had been borne by the Investment Adviser. The total offering expenses incurred as of March 31, 2023 was $1,349,795, all of which had been borne by the Investment Adviser.

Warehousing Transactions

Beginning August 25, 2022, the Company entered into multiple purchase agreements (as amended, the “Purchase Agreements”) with Macquarie Bank Limited (the “Financing Provider”) and an affiliate of the Investment Adviser. Under the Purchase Agreements, the Company has forward arrangements to settle the purchase of certain investments (the “Portfolio Investments”) from the Financing Provider, who is obligated to settle the sale of such investments subject to the following conditions (the “Warehouse Conditions”); (a) that the Company has received subscriptions of at least $200,000,000; and (b) that the Board of Directors has approved the purchase of the specific investment or investments. The Company’s obligations to the Financing Provider under the Purchase Agreements were guaranteed by an affiliate of the Investment Adviser. Prior to the satisfaction of the Warehouse Conditions, an affiliate of the Investment Adviser is the primary obligor of the Purchase Agreements. As of March 31, 2023, the Warehouse Conditions have not been met.

The Portfolio Investments primarily consist of newly originated, privately negotiated senior secured term loans to middle market companies consistent with the Company’s investment strategy.

The Company records its investment transactions on a trade date basis, which is the date when the Company assumes the risks for gains and losses related to that instrument.

As of March 31, 2023, the Company had contingent forward arrangements through the Purchase Agreements representing aggregate par amounts denominated in USD of $407.00 million and in Canadian Dollars (CAD) of CAD 66.77 million.

 

F-10


Basis of Fair Value Measurement

The fair value of a financial instrument is the amount that would be received to sell an asset or would be paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date (i.e., the exit price).

The Company carries its investments in accordance with ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures (“ASC 820”), issued by the FASB, which defines fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value and requires disclosures about fair value measurements. The fair value hierarchy under ASC 820 prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value. The hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1 measurements) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3 measurements). The levels used for classifying investments are not necessarily an indication of the risk associated with investing in these securities. The three levels of the fair value hierarchy are as follows:

Level 1 – Inputs to the valuation methodology are quoted prices available in active markets for identical instruments as of the reporting date. The types of financial instruments included in Level 1 include unrestricted securities, including equities and derivatives, listed in active markets.

Level 2 – Inputs to the valuation methodology are other than quoted prices in active markets, which are either directly or indirectly observable as of the reporting date. The types of financial instruments in this category include less liquid and restricted securities listed in active markets, securities traded in other than active markets, government and agency securities and certain over-the-counter derivatives where the fair value is based on observable inputs.

Level 3 – Inputs to the valuation methodology are unobservable and significant to overall fair value measurement. The inputs into the determination of fair value require significant management judgment or estimation. Financial instruments that are included in this category include investments in privately held entities and certain over-the-counter derivatives where the fair value is based on unobservable inputs.

A financial instrument’s level within the fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level of any input that is significant to the fair value measurement.

Our Investment Adviser has determined the fair value of the Company’s Purchase Agreements, as market quotations for the instrument were not readily available. The Purchase Agreements are recognized at fair value in the Company’s financial statements based on the mark-to-market gain/loss of all investments held by the Financing Provider, in addition to other economic rights and obligations held by the Company.

As of March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, the Purchase Agreements were categorized as level 3 within the fair value hierarchy and had a fair value of $1,944,381 and $0. As March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, there were no unobservable inputs developed by the Investment Adviser for any level 3 assets as all level 3 assets were valued based on contractual terms of the Purchase Agreements.

 

F-11


6. NET ASSETS

Upon conversion into a corporation, the Company will have the authority to issue up to 1,000,000,000 shares of Class I common stock, par value $0.001 per share, 1,000,000,000 shares of Class D common stock, par value $0.001 per share, 1,000,000,000 shares of Class S common stock, par value $0.001 per share, and 1,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share. The Company has submitted to the SEC an application for an exemptive order to permit the Company to offer multiple classes of shares. Subject to receiving a satisfactory exemptive order from the SEC, the Company expects to offer to sell any combination of three classes of common shares, Class S shares, Class D shares and Class I shares. The common share classes have different ongoing distribution and/or shareholder servicing fees.

Until the release of proceeds from escrow, the per share purchase price for common shares in the Offering will be $25.00 per share. Thereafter, the purchase price per share for each class of common shares will equal the NAV per share, as of the effective date of the monthly share purchase date. The Placement Agents will use their best efforts to sell shares but are not obligated to purchase or sell any specific amount of shares.

The Company will hold shareholders’ funds received in relation to the sale of Class I shares in an escrow account until it breaks escrow. The Company will break escrow when (i) it has received purchase orders for shares of at least $100,000,000, excluding shares purchased by the Investment Adviser, its affiliates and directors and officers, of purchases of Class I shares, (ii) the Board of Directors has authorized the release of funds in the escrow account and (iii) the Warehouse Conditions have been met.

7. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

Subsequent events after the date of the Statement of Financial Condition have been evaluated through May 18, 2023, the date the financial statements were available to be issued. Other than the items discussed below, the Company has concluded that there are no items requiring adjustments or disclosure in the financial statements.

BDC Election and Conversion to Corporation

On April 5, 2023, the Company elected to be regulated as a BDC and, effective April 6, 2023, converted into a Delaware corporation named Goldman Sachs Private Credit Corp., which succeeded to the business of, and by operation of law is deemed for purposes of Delaware law to be the same entity as, Goldman Sachs Private Credit Fund LLC.

Escrow Break

On April 6, 2023, the Company broke escrow in connection with the initial closing of the Offering and received approximately $252,029,333 of proceeds, relating to the issuance of 10,081,173 Class I shares. In connection with the Initial Issuance Date, the Initial Member’s equity interests were cancelled. Included in the aforementioned proceeds is $60,700,000 that the Company received from affiliates of the Investment Adviser.

On April 6, 2023, the Company received $515,000 relating to the issuance of 515 shares of the Company’s Series A Preferred Stock at a price of $1,000 per share.

Truist Revolving Credit Facility

On April 6, 2023, the Company entered into a revolving credit facility (the “Truist Revolving Credit Facility”) with Truist Bank, as administrative agent, and the lenders and issuing banks party thereto.

Borrowings thereunder denominated in U.S. dollars (“USD”), including amounts drawn in respect of letters of credit, bear interest (at the Company’s election) of either (i) term SOFR plus a margin of either 2.00% or 1.75% (subject to certain gross borrowing base conditions), plus an additional 0.10% credit adjustment spread, (ii) an alternate base rate, which is the highest of (x) Prime Rate in effect on such day, (y) Federal Funds Effective Rate for such day plus 1/2 of 1.00% and (z) term SOFR for an interest period of one (1) month plus 1.00%, plus a margin of either 1.00% or 0.75% (subject to certain gross borrowing base conditions). Borrowings thereunder denominated in non-USD bear interest of the applicable term benchmark rate or daily simple risk-free rate (“RFR”) plus a margin of either 2.00% or 1.75% (subject to certain gross borrowing base conditions), plus, in the case of borrowings denominated in Pound Sterling (GBP) only, an additional 0.0326% credit adjustment spread or 0.1193% credit adjustment spread, for 1-month tenor and 3-months tenor borrowings, respectively. With respect to borrowings denominated in USD, the Company may elect either term SOFR, or an alternative base rate at the time of borrowing, and such borrowings may be converted from one benchmark to another at any time, subject to certain conditions.

Any amounts borrowed under the Truist Revolving Credit Facility will mature, and all accrued and unpaid interest will be due and payable, on April 6, 2028.

 

F-12


The total commitments under the Truist Revolving Credit Facility are $725.00 million, $600.00 million is under a multicurrency sub-facility and $125.00 million is under a USD sub-facility. The Truist Revolving Credit Facility also has an accordion feature, subject to the satisfaction of various conditions, which could bring total commitments under the Truist Revolving Credit Facility to $1,450.00 million. Proceeds from borrowings may be used for general corporate purposes, including the funding of portfolio investments. The Truist Revolving Credit Facility may be guaranteed by certain of the Company’s wholly owned subsidiaries that are formed or acquired by the Company in the future.

The Company’s obligations to the lenders under the Truist Revolving Credit Facility are secured by a first priority security interest in substantially all of the Company’s portfolio of investments and cash, with certain exceptions. The Truist Revolving Credit Facility contains certain customary covenants, including: (i) maintaining a minimum shareholders’ equity, (ii) maintaining an asset coverage ratio of at least 1.50 to 1 and (iii) restrictions on industry concentrations in the Company’s investment portfolio. The Company is in compliance with these covenants.

The Truist Revolving Credit Facility also includes customary representations and warranties, conditions precedent to funding of draws and events of default (including a change in control event of default trigger

Acquisition of Portfolio Investments

On April 10, 2023, the Warehouse Conditions were met and the Company acquired all of the Portfolio Investments from the Financing Provider pursuant to the terms of the Purchase Agreements. The Company acquired aggregate par amounts denominated in USD of $407.00 million and in Canadian Dollars (CAD) of CAD 66.77 million from the Financing Provider, resulting in net realized gains of $2.62 million.

Dividend Declaration

On April 26, 2023, the Board of Directors declared a distribution of $0.17 per share, payable on or about May 30, 2023 to shareholders of record as of April 28, 2023.

May Subscriptions

On May 1, 2023, the Company received approximately $75,890,000 of proceeds, relating to the issuance of Class I shares.

 

F-13


INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

     Page  

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

     F-15  

Statement of Financial Condition as of December 31, 2022

     F-16  

Statement of Operations for the period from March  25, 2022 (inception) to December 31, 2022

     F-17  

Statement of Changes in Member’s Capital for the period from March 25, 2022 (inception) to December 31, 2022

     F-18  

Statement of Cash Flows for the period from March  25, 2022 (inception) to December 31, 2022

     F-19  

Notes to the Financial Statements

     F-20  

 

F-14


REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

To the Board of Directors and the Initial Member of Goldman Sachs Private Credit Fund LLC

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying statement of financial condition of Goldman Sachs Private Credit Fund LLC (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2022, and the related statements of operations, of changes in member’s capital, and of cash flows for the period from March 25, 2022 (inception) to December 31, 2022, including the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2022 and the results of its operations, changes in its member’s capital and its cash flows for the period from March 25, 2022 (inception) to December 31, 2022 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

Basis for Opinion

These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audit of these financial statements in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB and in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud.

Our audit included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audit also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

/s/PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Boston, Massachusetts

March 23, 2023

We have served as the auditor of one or more investment companies in the following group of business development companies since 2012;

Goldman Sachs Private Credit Fund LLC,

Goldman Sachs BDC, Inc.,

Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit LLC,

Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit II LLC,

Goldman Sachs Middle Market Lending Corp. II, and

Phillip Street Middle Market Lending Fund LLC

 

F-15


Goldman Sachs Private Credit Fund LLC

Statement of Financial Condition

 

 

     As of
December 31, 2022
 

Assets

  

Cash

   $ 1,000  
  

 

 

 

Total Assets

   $ 1,000  
  

 

 

 

Commitments and Contingencies (Note 5)

  

Member’s capital

  

Preferred units (no units issued and outstanding)

   $ —    

Common units (40 units issued and outstanding)

     1,000  
  

 

 

 

Total member’s capital

   $ 1,000  
  

 

 

 

Net asset value per unit

   $ 25.00  

The accompanying notes are part of these financial statements.

 

F-16


Goldman Sachs Private Credit Fund LLC

Statement of Operations

 

     For the
period from
March 25,
2022
(inception) to
December 31,
2022
 

Revenue

   $ —    

Expenses

  

Organization costs

     724,851  

Directors’ fees

     213,041  

Directors’ and officers’ liability insurance

     47,020  
  

 

 

 

Total expenses

   $ 984,912  
  

 

 

 

Reimbursable expenses paid by Investment Adviser (See Note 5. Commitments and Contingencies)

   $ (984,912

Net expenses

   $ —    
  

 

 

 

Net income/(loss)

   $ —    

Weighted average units outstanding

     40.00  
  

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are part of these financial statements.

 

F-17


Goldman Sachs Private Credit Fund LLC

Statement of Changes in Member’s Capital

 

     For the
period from
March 25,
2022
(inception) to
December 31,
2022
 

Member’s capital at beginning of period

   $ —    

Increase (decrease) in member’s capital from operations:

  

Net income/(loss)

     —    
  

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in member’s capital from operations

   $ —    

Capital transactions:

  

Issuance of common units

   $ 1,000  
  

 

 

 

Net increase in member’s capital from capital transactions

   $ 1,000  
  

 

 

 

Total increase in member’s capital

   $ 1,000  
  

 

 

 

Member’s capital at end of period

   $ 1,000  
  

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are part of these financial statements.

 

F-18


Goldman Sachs Private Credit Fund LLC

Statement of Cash Flows

 

     For the period from
March 25, 2022
(inception) to
December 31, 2022
 

Cash flows from financing activities

  

Proceeds from issuance of common units

   $ 1,000  
  

 

 

 

Net cash provided by (used for) financing activities

   $ 1,000  
  

 

 

 

Net increase in cash

   $ 1,000  

Cash, beginning of period

     —    
  

 

 

 

Cash, end of period

   $ 1,000  
  

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are part of these financial statements.

 

F-19


Goldman Sachs Private Credit Fund LLC

Notes to Financial Statements

1. ORGANIZATION

Goldman Sachs Private Credit Fund LLC (formerly known as Goldman Sachs Loan Fund LLC) is a Delaware limited liability company formed on March 25, 2022 that intends to elect to be treated as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) and elect to be treated as a business development company (“BDC”) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”). Concurrent with the election to be regulated as a BDC, Goldman Sachs Private Credit Fund LLC intends to convert into a Delaware corporation (the “BDC Conversion”) named Goldman Sachs Private Credit Corp. (the “Company”, which term refers to either Goldman Sachs Private Credit Fund LLC or Goldman Sachs Private Credit Corp.).

The Company’s investment objective is to generate current income and, to a lesser extent, capital appreciation primarily through direct originations of secured debt, including first lien debt, unitranche loans, including last-out portions of such loans, second lien debt, and unsecured debt, including mezzanine debt, as well as through select equity investments. The Company will also invest a portion of the portfolio in more liquid credit investments, such as broadly syndicated loans and other fixed-income securities, to provide the portfolio with additional liquidity.

Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P. (“GSAM”), a Delaware limited partnership and an affiliate of Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC (including its predecessors, “GS & Co.”), is the investment adviser (the “Investment Adviser”) of the Company. The term “Goldman Sachs” refers to The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., together with GS & Co., GSAM and its other subsidiaries.

The Company is conducting an offering of the Company’s common stock on a continuous basis (the “Offering”). The offering and sale of common stock will be exempt from registration in reliance on Section 4(a)(2) of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) or pursuant to Regulation D and Regulation S thereof, for offers and sales of securities that do not involve a public offering and for offers and sale of securities outside of the United States. The Company is currently only offering Class I shares for sale. The Company has submitted to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) an application for an exemptive order to permit the Company to offer multiple classes of shares. Subject to receiving a satisfactory exemptive order from the SEC, the Company intends to offer to sell any combination of three classes of shares, Class S shares, Class D shares, and Class I shares, which have different ongoing stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees.

The Company is also conducting an offering to accredited investors to purchase shares of the Company’s 12.0% Series A Cumulative Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Series A Preferred Stock”), in reliance on Regulation D under the Securities Act. The holders of the Series A Preferred Stock will be subject to certain dividend, voting, liquidation and other rights.

GS & Co. will assist the Company in conducting the Offering pursuant to agreements between the Company and GS & Co.

As of December 31, 2022, the Company received a capital contribution of $1,000 from an affiliate of the Investment Adviser (the “Initial Member”). The Initial Member will be the sole owner of the Company’s interests until the initial closing of the Offering (the “Initial Issuance Date”). In connection with the Initial Issuance Date, such equity interests will be cancelled.

2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) and pursuant to Regulation S-X. This requires the Company’s management to make estimates and assumptions that may affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

 

F-20


As an investment company, the Company applies the accounting and reporting guidance in Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 946, Financial Services – Investment Companies (“ASC 946”) issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”).

Cash

Cash consists of deposits held at a custodian bank. As of December 31, 2022, the Company held $1,000 in cash.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of the financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements. Such estimates could differ from those estimates and such differences could be material.

Income Taxes

As of December 31, 2022, the Company is a single member limited liability company, which is a disregarded entity for U.S. federal income tax purposes. As such the Company did not record a tax provision.

The Company intends to elect to be treated as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code. So long as the Company maintains its status as a RIC, it generally will not be required to pay corporate-level U.S. federal income taxes on any ordinary income or capital gains that it distributes at least annually to its shareholders as dividends. As a result, any U.S. federal income tax liability related to income earned by the Company and distributed by the Company to its shareholders represents obligations of the Company’s shareholders and will not be reflected in the financial statements of the Company.

Offering Costs

Offering costs consist primarily of fees incurred in connection with the Offering, including legal, printing and other costs, as well as costs associated with the preparation of the Company’s registration statement on Form 10. Offering costs will be recognized as a deferred charge and will be amortized on a straight line basis over 12 months beginning on the date of commencement of operations, subsequent to the Company breaking escrow in connection with the Offering. The offering costs, which were borne by the Investment Adviser on behalf of the Company, do not presently represent a liability of the Company since the obligation to reimburse the Investment Adviser is conditional as of December 31, 2022 on the Company breaking escrow in connection with the Offering and the Investment Adviser requesting reimbursement of offering expenses paid pursuant to the Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement as described below.

Organization Costs

Organization costs include costs relating to the formation and organization of the Company. These costs, which were borne by the Investment Adviser on behalf of the Company, are expensed as incurred. The reimbursement of organization expenses is conditional, as of December 31, 2022, on the Company breaking escrow in connection with the Offering and the Investment Adviser requesting reimbursement of organization expenses paid pursuant to the Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement as described below.

 

F-21


Directors’ and Officers’ Liability Insurance

The Company has obtained liability insurance for its directors and officers (the “Directors’ and Officers’ Liability Insurance”). These costs, which were borne by the Investment Adviser on behalf of the Company, are expensed over the term of the insurance policy, beginning on the date the Company enters into the insurance policy agreement. Costs related to the Directors’ and Officers’ Liability Insurance do not presently represent a liability of the Company since the obligation to reimburse the Investment Adviser is conditional as of December 31, 2022 on the Company breaking escrow in connection with the Offering and the Investment Adviser requesting reimbursement of such expenses paid pursuant to the Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement as described below.

New Accounting Pronouncements

Management does not believe any recently issued, but not yet effective, accounting standards, if currently adopted, would have a material effect on the accompanying financial statements.

3. SIGNIFICANT AGREEMENTS AND RELATED PARTIES

Investment Management Agreement

The Company entered into an investment management agreement effective as of March 20, 2023 (the “Investment Management Agreement”) with the Investment Adviser, pursuant to which the Investment Adviser manages the Company’s investment program and related activities.

Under the terms of the Investment Management Agreement, the Company will pay the Investment Adviser a base management fee and may also pay an incentive fee. The cost of both the management fee and the incentive fee will ultimately be borne by the Company’s shareholders. The Investment Adviser has agreed to waive the management fee and incentive fee for the first two fiscal quarters of our operations, commencing on and including the date on which the Company breaks escrow and commences operations.

There were no management fees or incentive fee incurred for the period from March 25, 2022 (inception) to December 31, 2022.

Administration and Custodian Fees

The Company has entered into an administration agreement with State Street Bank and Trust Company (the “Administrator”) under which the Administrator provides various accounting and administrative services to the Company. The Company will pay the Administrator fees for its services as the Company determines are commercially reasonable in its sole discretion. The Company will also reimburse the Administrator for all reasonable expenses. To the extent that the Administrator outsources any of its functions, the Administrator pays any compensation associated with such functions. The Administrator also serves as the Company’s custodian (the “Custodian”).

There were no administration and custodian fees incurred for the period from March 25, 2022 (inception) to December 31, 2022.

Transfer Agent Fees

The Company has entered into a transfer agency agreement (the “Transfer Agency Agreement”), with GS & Co. pursuant to which GS & Co. serves as the Company’s transfer agent (“Transfer Agent”), registrar and distribution paying agent.

There were no transfer agent fees incurred for the period from March 25, 2022 (inception) to December 31, 2022.

 

F-22


Placement Agent Agreement

The Company has entered into an agreement with GS & Co. (the “Placement Agent”) pursuant to which GS & Co. will assist the Company in conducting the Offering. GS & Co. has entered into or will enter into sub-placement agreements (together with the agreements with GS & Co., the “Placement Agent Agreements”) with various sub-placement agents to assist in conducting the Offering. Stockholder servicing and/or distribution fees will be payable to the Placement Agent. The Placement Agent may also be compensated by the Investment Adviser, in its discretion, for certain services including promotional and marketing support, shareholder servicing, operational and recordkeeping, sub-accounting, networking or administrative services. These payments are made out of the Investment Adviser’s own resources and/or assets, including from the revenues or profits derived from the advisory fees the Investment Adviser receives from the Company.

Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement

The Investment Adviser has agreed to advance all of the organization, offering and other operating expenses on behalf of the Company through the date on which the Company breaks escrow.

The Company entered into an expense support and conditional reimbursement agreement (the “Expense Support Agreement”) with the Investment Adviser. Pursuant to the Expense Support Agreement, the Investment Adviser may elect to pay certain of the Company’s expenses on its behalf, provided that no portion of the payment will be used to pay any interest expense or distribution and/or stockholder servicing fees of the Company. Any expense payment must be paid by the Investment Adviser to the Company in any combination of cash or other immediately available funds and/or offset against amounts due from the Company to the Investment Adviser or its affiliates.

Following any calendar month in which Available Operating Funds (as defined below) exceed the cumulative distributions accrued to the Company’s stockholders based on distributions declared with respect to record dates occurring in such calendar month (the amount of such excess being hereinafter referred to as “Excess Operating Funds”), the Company will pay such Excess Operating Funds, or a portion thereof, to the Investment Adviser until such time as all expense payments made by the Investment Adviser to the Company within three years prior to the last business day of such calendar month have been reimbursed. Any payments required to be made by the Company will be referred to herein as a “Reimbursement Payment.”

“Available Operating Funds” means the sum of (i) the Company’s net investment company income and (ii) dividends and other distributions paid to the Company on account of investments in portfolio companies (to the extent such amounts listed in clause (ii) are not included under clause (i) above).

The Company’s obligation to make a Reimbursement Payment will automatically become a liability of the Company on the last business day of the applicable calendar month, except to the extent the Investment Adviser has waived its right to receive such payment for the applicable month.

Director Fees

Each of the Company’s independent directors is compensated an annual fee of $50,000 (or $100,000 upon the Company’s NAV being at or above $1,500,000,000) for his or her services as one of the Company’s directors and as a member of the Audit Committee and Governance and Nominating Committee. The Chairperson receives an additional annual fee of $12,500 (or $25,000 upon the Company’s NAV being at or above $1,500,000,000) for his services in such capacity and the director designated as “audit committee financial expert” receives an additional annual fee of $7,500 (or $15,000 upon the Company’s NAV being at or above $1,500,000,000) for his services in such capacity.

As of December 31, 2022, the Company’s independent directors were owed $213,041 in director fees. Directors fees, which were borne by the Investment Adviser on behalf of the Company, do not presently represent a liability of the Company since the obligation to reimburse the Investment Adviser-paid director fees is conditional, as of December 31, 2022, on the Company breaking escrow in connection with the Offering and the Investment Adviser requesting reimbursement of such expenses paid pursuant to the Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement.

 

F-23


4. SHARE REPURCHASE PROGRAM

Beginning no later than the first full calendar quarter from the date on which the Company breaks escrow, and at the discretion of the Board of Directors, the Company intends to commence a share repurchase program in which the Company intends to repurchase in each quarter, up to 5% of the Company’s common shares outstanding (by number of shares) as of the close of the previous calendar quarter. The Board of Directors may amend, suspend or terminate the share repurchase program if it deems such action to be in the best interest of shareholders. As a result, share repurchases may not be available each quarter. The Company intends to conduct such repurchase offers in accordance with the requirements of Rule 13e-4 promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the 1940 Act. All shares purchased pursuant to the terms of each tender offer will be retired and thereafter will be authorized and unissued shares.

Under the share repurchase plan, to the extent the Company offers to repurchase shares in any particular quarter, it is expected that the Company will repurchase shares pursuant to tender offers as of the last calendar day of that quarter using a purchase price equal to the NAV per share as of the last calendar day of the applicable quarter, except that shares that have not been outstanding for at least one year will be repurchased at 98% of such NAV (an “Early Repurchase Deduction”). The one-year holding period is measured as of the subscription closing date immediately following the prospective repurchase date and does not include shares received under the Company’s distribution reinvestment plan. The Early Repurchase Deduction may be waived by the Company in accordance with the share repurchase plan. The Early Repurchase Deduction will be retained by the Company for the benefit of remaining shareholders.

5. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Contingencies

In the normal course of business, the Company enters into contracts that provide a variety of general indemnifications. Any exposure to the Company under these arrangements could involve future claims that may be made against the Company. Currently, no such claims exist or are expected to arise and, accordingly, the Company has not accrued any liability in connection with such indemnifications.

The Investment Adviser has agreed to bear all of the Company’s expenses through the date on which the Company breaks escrow. The Company will be obligated to reimburse the Investment Adviser for such advanced expenses upon breaking escrow in connection with the Offering and the Investment Adviser requesting reimbursement of these expenses paid pursuant to the Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement. The total organization costs, Directors’ and Officers’ Liability Insurance, and directors’ fees as of December 31, 2022 was $984,912, all of which had been borne by the Investment Adviser. The total offering expenses incurred as of December 31, 2022 was $1,059,085, all of which had been borne by the Investment Adviser.

Warehousing Transactions

Beginning August 25, 2022, the Company entered into multiple purchase agreements (the “Purchase Agreements”) with Macquarie Bank Limited (the “Financing Provider”) and an affiliate of the Investment Adviser. Under the Purchase Agreements, the Company has forward arrangements to settle the purchase of certain investments (the “Portfolio Investments”) from the Financing Provider, who is obligated to settle the sale of such investments subject to the following conditions (the “Warehouse Conditions”); (a) that the Company has received subscriptions of at least $400,000,000; and (b) that the Board of Directors has approved the purchase of the specific investment or investments. The Company’s obligations to the Financing Provider under the Purchase Agreements were guaranteed by an affiliate of the Investment Adviser. Prior to the satisfaction of the Warehouse Conditions, an affiliate of the Investment Adviser is the primary obligor of the Purchase Agreements. As of December 31, 2022, the Warehouse Conditions have not been met.

The Portfolio Investments primarily consist of newly originated, privately negotiated senior secured term loans to middle market companies consistent with the Company’s investment strategy.

 

F-24


As of December 31, 2022, the Company had contingent forward arrangements through the Purchase Agreements representing aggregate par amounts denominated in USD of $374.55 million and in Canadian Dollars (CAD) of CAD 66.77 million.

The Purchase Agreements are recognized at fair value in the Company’s financial statements based on the mark-to-market gain/loss of all investments held by the Financing Provider, in addition to other economic rights and obligations held by the Company.

6. NET ASSETS

Upon conversion into a corporation, the Company will have the authority to issue up to 1,000,000,000 shares of Class I common stock, par value $0.001 per share, 1,000,000,000 shares of Class D common stock, par value $0.001 per share, 1,000,000,000 shares of Class S common stock, par value $0.001 per share, and 1,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share. The Company has submitted to the SEC an application for an exemptive order to permit the Company to offer multiple classes of shares. Subject to receiving a satisfactory exemptive order from the SEC, the Company expects to offer to sell any combination of three classes of common shares, Class S shares, Class D shares and Class I shares. The common share classes have different ongoing distribution and/or shareholder servicing fees.

Until the release of proceeds from escrow, the per share purchase price for common shares in the Offering will be $25.00 per share. Thereafter, the purchase price per share for each class of common shares will equal the NAV per share, as of the effective date of the monthly share purchase date. The Placement Agents will use its best efforts to sell shares but is not obligated to purchase or sell any specific amount of shares.

The Company will hold shareholders’ funds received in relation to the sale of Class I shares in an escrow account until it breaks escrow. The Company will break escrow when (i) it has received purchase orders for shares of at least $100,000,000, excluding shares purchased by the Investment Adviser, its affiliates and directors and officers, of purchases of Class I shares, (ii) the Board of Directors has authorized the release of funds in the escrow account and (iii) the Warehouse Conditions have been met.

7. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

Subsequent events after the date of the Statement of Financial Condition have been evaluated through March 23, 2023, the date the financial statements were available to be issued. Other than the items discussed below, the Company has concluded that there are no items requiring adjustments or disclosure in the financial statements.

Through March 23, 2023, the Company had contingent forward arrangements through the Purchase Agreements representing aggregate par amounts denominated in USD of $407.84 million and in Canadian Dollars (CAD) of CAD 66.77 million. The Company’s obligations to the Financing Provider under the Purchase Agreements were guaranteed by an affiliate of the Investment Adviser.

 

F-25


Table of Contents

 

GOLDMAN SACHS ASSET MANAGEMENT’S PROXY VOTING GUIDELINES SUMMARY

     A-2  

Region: Americas

     A-2  

1.

  Business Items      A-2  

2.

  Board of Directors      A-3  

3.

  Executive and Non- Executive Compensation      A-7  

4.

  Shareholders Rights and Defenses      A-10  

5.

  Strategic Transactions and Capital Structures      A-11  

6.

  Environmental and Social Issues      A-13  

Region: Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Proxy Items

     A-17  

1.

  Business Items      A-17  

2.

  Board of Directors      A-19  

3.

  Remuneration      A-23  

4.

  Shareholder Rights and Defenses      A-24  

5.

  Strategic Transactions, Capital Structures and other Business Considerations      A-25  

6.

  Environmental and Social Issues      A-27  

Region: Asia Pacific (APAC) Proxy Items

     A-31  

1.

  Business Items      A-31  

2.

  Board of Directors      A-32  

3.

  Remuneration      A-37  

4.

  Shareholder Rights and Defenses      A-38  

5.

  Strategic Transactions, Capital Structures and other Business Considerations      A-38  

6.

  Environmental and Social Issues      A-41  

Region: Japan Proxy Items

     A-45  

1.

  Operational Items      A-45  

2.

  Board of Directors      A-46  

3.

  Compensation      A-49  

4.

  Shareholder Rights and Defenses      A-50  

5.

  Strategic Transactions and Capital Structures      A-50  

6.

  Environmental and Social Issues      A-52  

 

A-1


GOLDMAN SACHS ASSET MANAGEMENT’S PROXY VOTING GUIDELINES SUMMARY

The following is a summary of the material Proxy Voting Guidelines (the “Guidelines”), which form the substantive basis of our Policy and Procedures on Proxy Voting for Investment Advisory Clients (the “Policy”). As described in the main body of the Policy, one or more Portfolio Management Teams and/or the Global Stewardship Team may diverge from the Guidelines and a related Recommendation on any particular proxy vote or in connection with any individual investment decision in accordance with the Policy.

Region: Americas

The following section is a summary of the Guidelines, which form the substantive basis of the Policy with respect to North, Central and South American public equity investments of operating and/or holding companies. Applying these guidelines is subject to certain regional and country-specific exceptions and modifications and is not inclusive of all considerations in each market.

 

1.

Business Items

Auditor Ratification

Vote FOR proposals to ratify auditors, unless any of the following apply within the last year:

 

   

An auditor has a financial interest in or association with the company, and is therefore not independent;

 

   

There is reason to believe that the independent auditor has rendered an opinion that is neither accurate nor indicative of the company’s financial position;

 

   

Poor accounting practices are identified that rise to a serious level of concern, such as: fraud; misapplication of GAAP; or material weaknesses identified in Section 404 disclosures; or

 

   

Fees for non-audit services are excessive (generally over 50% or more of the audit fees).

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on shareholder proposals asking companies to prohibit or limit their auditors from engaging in non-audit services or asking for audit firm rotation.

Reincorporation Proposals

We may support management proposals to reincorporate as long as the reincorporation would not substantially diminish shareholder rights. We may not support shareholder proposals for reincorporation unless the current state of incorporation is substantially less shareholder friendly than the proposed reincorporation, there is a strong economic case to reincorporate or the company has a history of making decisions that are not shareholder friendly.

Exclusive Venue for Shareholder Lawsuits

Generally vote FOR on exclusive venue proposals, taking into account:

 

   

Whether the company has been materially harmed by shareholder litigation outside its jurisdiction of incorporation, based on disclosure in the company’s proxy statement;

 

A-2


   

Whether the company has the following governance features:

 

 

Majority independent board;

 

 

Independent key committees;

 

 

An annually elected board;

 

 

A majority vote standard in uncontested director elections;

 

 

The absence of a poison pill, unless the pill was approved by shareholders; and/or

 

 

Separate Chairman CEO role or, if combined, an independent chairman with clearly delineated duties.

Virtual Meetings

Generally vote FOR proposals allowing for the convening of hybrid* shareholder meetings if it is clear that it is not the intention to hold virtual-only AGMs. Generally vote AGAINST proposals allowing for the convening of virtual-only* shareholder meetings.

 

*

The phrase “virtual-only shareholder meeting” refers to a meeting of shareholders that is held exclusively through the use of online technology without a corresponding in-person meeting. The term “hybrid shareholder meeting” refers to an in-person, or physical, meeting in which shareholders are permitted to participate online.

Public Benefit Corporation Proposals

Generally vote FOR management proposals and CASE-BY-CASE on shareholder proposals related to the conversion of the company into a public benefit corporation.

Amend Articles of Incorporation to Provide for Officer and Director Exculpation

Generally vote FOR management proposals to amend the company’s certificate of incorporation to reflect new Delaware law provisions regarding officer and director exculpation.

Transact Other Business

Vote AGAINST other business when it appears as a voting item.

Administrative Requests

Generally vote FOR non-contentious administrative management requests.

 

2.

Board of Directors

The board of directors should promote the interests of shareholders by acting in an oversight and/or advisory role; should consist of a majority of independent directors and/or meet local best practice expectations; and should be held accountable for actions and results related to their responsibilities. Vote on director nominees should be determined on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Voting on Director Nominees in Uncontested Elections

Board Composition

We generally believe diverse teams have the potential to outperform and we expect the companies that we invest in to focus on the importance of diversity. When evaluating board composition, we believe a diversity of ethnicity, gender and experience is an important consideration. We encourage companies to disclose the composition of their board in the proxy statement and may vote against members of the board without disclosure. See below how we execute our vote at companies that do not meet our diversity expectations.

 

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Vote AGAINST or WITHHOLD from members of the Nominating Committee:

 

   

At companies incorporated in the US if the board does not have at least 10% women directors and at least one other diverse board director;

 

   

At companies within the S&P 500, if, in addition to our gender expectations, the board does not have at least one diverse director from a minority ethnic group;

 

   

At companies not incorporated in the US, if the board does not have at least 10% women directors or does not meet the requirements of local listing rules or corporate governance codes or national targets

Vote AGAINST or WITHHOLD from the full board at companies incorporated in the US that do not have at least one woman director.

Vote AGAINST or WITHHOLD from individual directors who:

 

   

Sit on more than five public company boards;

 

   

Are CEOs of public companies who sit on the boards of more than two public companies besides their own—withhold only at their outside boards.

Vote AGAINST or WITHHOLD from members of the Nominating Committee if the average board tenure exceeds 15 years, and there has not been a new nominee in the past 5 years.

Director Independence

At companies incorporated in the US, where applicable, the New York Stock Exchange or NASDAQ Listing Standards definition is to be used to classify directors as inside directors, affiliated outside directors, or independent outside directors.

Additionally, we will consider compensation committee interlocking directors to be affiliated (defined as CEOs who sit on each other’s compensation committees).

Vote AGAINST or WITHHOLD from inside directors and affiliated outside directors (as described above) when:

 

   

The inside director or affiliated outside director serves on the Audit, Compensation or Nominating Committees; and

 

   

The company lacks an Audit, Compensation or Nominating Committee so that the full board functions as such committees and inside directors or affiliated outside directors are participating in voting on matters that independent committees should be voting on.

Director Accountability

Vote AGAINST or WITHHOLD from individual directors who attend less than 75% of the board and committee meetings without a disclosed valid excuse.

Generally, vote FOR the bundled election of management nominees, unless adequate disclosures of the nominees have not been provided in a timely manner or if one or more of the nominees does not meet the expectation of our policy.

Other items considered for an AGAINST vote include specific concerns about the individual or the company, such as criminal wrongdoing or breach of fiduciary responsibilities, sanctions from government or authority, violations of laws and regulations, the presence of inappropriate related party transactions, or other issues related to improper business practices

 

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Vote AGAINST or WITHHOLD from members of the full board or appropriate committee (or only the independent chairman or lead director as may be appropriate in situations such as where there is a classified board and members of the appropriate committee are not up for re-election or the appropriate committee is comprised of the entire board) for the below reasons. New nominees will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Extreme cases may warrant a vote against the entire board.

 

   

Material failures of governance, stewardship, or fiduciary responsibilities at the company including but not limited to violations of global norms principles and/or other significant global standards;

 

   

Failure to disclose material environmental, social and governance information;

 

   

Egregious actions related to the director(s)’ service on other boards that raise substantial doubt about his or her ability to effectively oversee management and serve the best interests of shareholders at any company;

 

   

The board failed to act on a shareholder proposal that received approval of the majority of shares cast for the previous two consecutive years (a management proposal with other than a FOR recommendation by management will not be considered as sufficient action taken); an adopted proposal that is substantially similar to the original shareholder proposal will be deemed sufficient; (vote against members of the committee of the board that is responsible for the issue under consideration). If we did not support the shareholder proposal in both years, we will still vote against the committee member(s).

 

   

The company’s poison pill has a dead-hand or modified dead-hand feature for two or more years. Vote against/withhold every year until this feature is removed; however, vote against the poison pill if there is one on the ballot with this feature rather than the director;

 

   

The board adopts or renews a poison pill without shareholder approval, does not commit to putting it to shareholder vote within 12 months of adoption (or in the case of a newly public company, does not commit to put the pill to a shareholder vote within 12 months following the IPO), or reneges on a commitment to put the pill to a vote, and has not yet received a withhold/against recommendation for this issue;

 

   

The board failed to act on takeover offers where the majority of the shareholders tendered their shares;

 

   

The company does not disclose various components of current emissions, a proxy for a company’s dependency on fossil fuels and other sources of greenhouse gasses (Scope 1, Scope 2, Scope 3 emissions), material to the company’s business

 

   

If in an extreme situation the board lacks accountability and oversight, coupled with sustained poor performance relative to peers.

Committee Responsibilities and Expectations

Companies should establish committees to oversee areas such as audit, executive and non-executive compensation, director nominations and ESG oversight. The responsibilities of the committees should be publicly disclosed.

Audit Committee

Vote AGAINST or WITHHOLD from the members of the Audit Committee if:

 

   

The non-audit fees paid to the auditor are excessive (generally over 50% or more of the audit fees);

 

   

The company receives an adverse opinion on the company’s financial statements from its auditor and there is not clear evidence that the situation has been remedied;

 

   

There is excessive pledging or hedging of stock by executives;

 

   

There is persuasive evidence that the Audit Committee entered into an inappropriate indemnification agreement with its auditor that limits the ability of the company, or its shareholders, to pursue legitimate legal recourse against the audit firm; or

 

   

No members of the Audit Committee hold sufficient financial expertise.

 

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Vote CASE-BY-CASE on members of the Audit Committee and/or the full board if poor accounting practices, which rise to a level of serious concern are identified, such as fraud, misapplication of GAAP and material weaknesses identified in Section 404 disclosures.

Examine the severity, breadth, chronological sequence and duration, as well as the company’s efforts at remediation or corrective actions, in determining whether negative vote recommendations are warranted against the members of the Audit Committee who are responsible for the poor accounting practices, or the entire board.

Compensation Committee

See section 3 on Executive and Non-Executive compensation for reasons to withhold from members of the Compensation Committee.

Nominating/Governance Committee

Generally vote AGAINST or WITHHOLD from the members of the Nominating/Governance Committee if:

 

   

A company maintains a classified board structure without a sunset provision, has opted into, or failed to opt out of, state laws requiring a classified board structure or has a capital structure with unequal voting rights

 

   

At the previous board election, any director received more than 50% withhold/against votes of the shares cast and the company has failed to address the underlying issue(s) that caused the high withhold/against vote;

 

   

The board does not meet our diversity expectations;

 

   

The board amends the company’s bylaws or charter without shareholder approval in a manner that materially diminishes shareholders’ rights or could adversely impact shareholders.

Voting on Director Nominees in Contested Elections

Vote on a CASE-BY-CASE basis in contested elections of directors, e.g., the election of shareholder nominees or the dismissal of incumbent directors, determining which directors are best suited to add value for shareholders.

The analysis will generally be based on, but not limited to, the following major decision factors:

 

   

Company performance relative to its peers;

 

   

Strategy of the incumbents versus the dissidents;

 

   

Independence of board candidates;

 

   

Experience and skills of board candidates;

 

   

Governance profile of the company;

 

   

Evidence of management entrenchment;

 

   

Responsiveness to shareholders;

 

   

Whether a takeover offer has been rebuffed; and

 

   

Whether minority or majority representation is being sought.

Proxy Access

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on shareholder or management proposals asking for proxy access.

We may support proxy access as an important right for shareholders and as an alternative to costly proxy contests and as a method for us to vote for directors on an individual basis, as appropriate, rather than voting on one slate or the other. While this could be an important shareholder right, the following factors will be taken into account when evaluating the shareholder proposals:

 

   

The ownership thresholds, percentage and duration proposed (we generally will not support if the ownership threshold is less than 3%);

 

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The maximum proportion of directors that shareholders may nominate each year (we generally will not support if the proportion of directors is greater than 25%); and

 

   

Other restricting factors that when taken in combination could serve to materially limit the proxy access provision.

We will take the above factors into account when evaluating proposals proactively adopted by the company or in response to a shareholder proposal to adopt or amend the right. A vote against governance committee members could result if provisions exist that materially limit the right to proxy access.

Reimbursing Proxy Solicitation Expenses

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on proposals to reimburse proxy solicitation expenses. When voting in conjunction with support of a dissident slate, vote FOR the reimbursement of all appropriate proxy solicitation expenses associated with the election.

Other Board Related Proposals (Management and Shareholder)

Independent Board Chair (for applicable markets)

We will generally vote AGAINST shareholder proposals requiring that the chairman’s position be filled by an independent director, if the company satisfies 3 of the 4 following criteria:

 

   

Two-thirds independent board, or majority in countries where employee representation is common practice;

 

   

A designated, or a rotating, lead director, elected by and from the independent board members with clearly delineated and comprehensive duties;

 

   

Fully independent key committees; and/or

 

   

Established, publicly disclosed, governance guidelines and director biographies/profiles.

Shareholder Proposals Regarding Board Declassification

We will generally vote FOR proposals requesting that the board adopt a declassified board structure.

Majority Vote Shareholder Proposals

We will vote FOR proposals requesting that the board adopt majority voting in the election of directors provided it does not conflict with the state law where the company is incorporated. We also look for companies to adopt a post-election policy outlining how the company will address the situation of a holdover director.

Cumulative Vote Shareholder Proposals

We will generally vote FOR shareholder proposals to restore or provide cumulative unless:

 

   

The company has adopted (i) majority vote standard with a carve-out for plurality voting in situations where there are more nominees than seats and (ii) a director resignation policy to address failed elections.

 

3.

Executive and Non- Executive Compensation

Pay Practices

Good pay practices should align management’s interests with long-term shareholder value creation. Detailed disclosure of compensation criteria is preferred; proof that companies follow the criteria should be evident and retroactive performance target changes without proper disclosure is not viewed favorably. Compensation practices should allow a company to attract and retain proven talent. Some examples of poor pay practices include: abnormally large bonus payouts without justifiable performance linkage or proper disclosure, egregious employment contracts, excessive severance and/or change in control provisions, repricing or replacing of underwater stock options/stock appreciation rights without prior shareholder approval, and excessive perquisites. A company should also have an appropriate balance of short-term vs. long-term metrics and the metrics should be aligned with business goals and objectives.

 

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If the company maintains problematic or poor pay practices, generally vote:

 

   

AGAINST Management Say on Pay (MSOP) Proposals; or

 

   

AGAINST an equity-based incentive plan proposal if excessive non-performance-based equity awards are the major contributor to a pay-for-performance misalignment.

 

   

If no MSOP or equity-based incentive plan proposal item is on the ballot, vote AGAINST/WITHHOLD from compensation committee members.

Equity Compensation Plans

We will generally vote FOR management proposals on equity-based compensation plans. Evaluation takes into account potential plan cost, plan features and grant practices. While a negative combination of these factors could cause a vote AGAINST, other reasons to vote AGAINST the equity plan could include the following factors:

 

   

The plan permits the repricing of stock options/stock appreciation rights (SARs) without prior shareholder approval; or

 

   

There is more than one problematic material feature of the plan, which could include one of the following: unfavorable change-in-control features, presence of gross ups and options reload.

Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation (Say-on-Pay, MSOP) Management Proposals

Vote FOR annual frequency and AGAINST all proposals asking for any frequency less than annual.

We will generally vote FOR management proposals for an advisory vote on executive compensation considering the context of each company’s specific circumstances and the board’s disclosed rationale for its practices.

Pay practices that may result in a vote AGAINST management proposals for an advisory vote on executive compensation may include:

 

   

A disconnect between pay and performance based on a quantitative assessment of the following: pay vs TSR (“Total Shareholder Return”) and company disclosed peers;

 

   

Lack of transparent disclosure of compensation philosophy and goals and targets, including details on short-term and long-term performance incentives;

 

   

Long term incentive awards consisting of less than 50% performance-based awards;

 

   

Long term incentive awards evaluated over a time period of less than three years;

 

   

The Board used discretion without sufficient disclosure;

 

   

The Board changed the targets and/or performance metrics during the pay period;

 

   

The Board awarded a multi-year guaranteed cash bonus or non-performance equity award;

 

   

The Board retested performance goals or awarded a pay for failure pay plan;

 

   

Lack of the Board’s response to failed MSOP vote the previous year;

 

   

The plan allows for the single trigger acceleration of unvested equity awards and/or provides excise tax gross ups;

 

   

Abnormally large bonus payouts without justifiable performance linkage or proper disclosure;

 

   

Egregious employment or retention contracts;

 

   

Excessive perquisites or excessive severance and/or change in control provisions;

 

   

Repricing or replacing of underwater stock options without prior shareholder approval;

 

   

Egregious pension/SERP (supplemental executive retirement plan) payouts;

 

   

Extraordinary relocation benefits;

 

   

Internal pay disparity; and

 

   

The Board has adopted other pay practices that may increase risk to shareholders.

 

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Other Compensation Proposals and Policies

Employee Stock Purchase Plans — Non-Qualified Plans

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on nonqualified employee stock purchase plans taking into account the following factors:

 

   

Broad-based participation;

 

   

Limits on employee contributions;

 

   

Company matching contributions; and

 

   

Presence of a discount on the stock price on the date of purchase.

Option Exchange Programs/Repricing Options

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on management proposals seeking approval to exchange/reprice options, taking into consideration:

 

   

Historic trading patterns—the stock price should not be so volatile that the options are likely to be back “in-the-money” over the near term;

 

   

Rationale for the re-pricing;

 

   

If it is a value-for-value exchange;

 

   

If surrendered stock options are added back to the plan reserve;

 

   

Option vesting;

 

   

Term of the option—the term should remain the same as that of the replaced option;

 

   

Exercise price—should be set at fair market or a premium to market;

 

   

Participants—executive officers and directors should be excluded.

Vote FOR shareholder proposals to put option repricings to a shareholder vote.

Stock Retention Holding Period

Vote FOR shareholder proposals asking for a policy requiring that senior executives retain a significant percentage of shares acquired through equity compensation programs if the policy requests retention for two years or less following the termination of their employment (through retirement or otherwise) and a holding threshold percentage of 50% or less.

Also consider whether the company has any holding period, retention ratio, or officer ownership requirements in place and the terms/provisions of awards already granted.

Elimination of Accelerated Vesting in the Event of a Change in Control

Vote AGAINST shareholder proposals seeking a policy eliminating the accelerated vesting of time-based equity awards in the event of a change-in-control.

Performance-based Equity Awards and Pay-for-Superior-Performance Proposals

Generally vote FOR unless there is sufficient evidence that the current compensation structure is already substantially performance-based. We consider performance-based awards to include awards that are tied to shareholder return or other metrics that are relevant to the business.

Say on Supplemental Executive Retirement Plans (SERP)

Generally vote AGAINST proposals asking for shareholder votes on SERP.

Compensation Committee

Vote AGAINST or WITHHOLD from the members of the Compensation Committee if:

 

   

We voted against the company’s MSOP in the previous year, the company’s previous MSOP received significant opposition of votes cast and we are voting against this year’s MSOP;

 

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The board implements a MSOP on a less frequent basis than the frequency that received the plurality of votes cast

 

4.

Shareholders Rights and Defenses

Shareholder Ability to Act by Written Consent

Generally vote FOR shareholder proposals that provide shareholders with the ability to act by written consent, unless:

 

   

The company already gives shareholders the right to call special meetings at a threshold of 25% or lower; and

 

   

The company has a history of strong governance practices.

Special Meetings Arrangements

Generally vote FOR management proposals that provide shareholders with the ability to call special meetings.

Generally vote FOR shareholder proposals that provide shareholders with the ability to call special meetings at a threshold of 25% or lower if the company currently does not give shareholders the right to call special meetings. However, if a company already gives shareholders the right to call special meetings at a threshold of at least 25%, vote AGAINST shareholder proposals to further reduce the threshold.

Generally vote AGAINST management proposals seeking shareholder approval for the company to hold special meetings with 14 days notice unless the company offers shareholders the ability to vote by electronic means and a proposal to reduce the period of notice to not less than 14 days has received majority support.

Advance Notice Requirements for Shareholder Proposals/Nominations

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on advance notice proposals, giving support to proposals that allow shareholders to submit proposals/nominations reasonably close to the meeting date and within the broadest window possible, recognizing the need to allow sufficient notice for company, regulatory and shareholder review.

Shareholder Voting Requirements

Vote AGAINST proposals to require a supermajority shareholder vote. Generally vote FOR management and shareholder proposals to reduce supermajority vote requirements.

Poison Pills

Vote FOR shareholder proposals requesting that the company submit its poison pill to a shareholder vote or redeem it, unless the company has:

 

   

a shareholder-approved poison pill in place; or

 

   

adopted a policy concerning the adoption of a pill in the future specifying certain shareholder friendly provisions.

Vote FOR shareholder proposals calling for poison pills to be put to a vote within a time period of less than one year after adoption.

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on management proposals on poison pill ratification, focusing on the features of the shareholder rights plan.

In addition, the rationale for adopting the pill should be thoroughly explained by the company. In examining the request for the pill, take into consideration the company’s existing governance structure, including: board independence, existing takeover defenses, and any problematic governance concerns.

 

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5.

Strategic Transactions and Capital Structures

Reorganizations/Restructurings

Vote reorganizations and restructurings on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Mergers and Acquisitions

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on mergers and acquisitions taking into account the following based on publicly available information:

 

   

Valuation;

 

   

Market reaction;

 

   

Strategic rationale;

 

   

Management’s track record of successful integration of historical acquisitions;

 

   

Presence of conflicts of interest; and

 

   

Governance profile of the combined company.

Dual Class Structures

Vote FOR resolutions that seek to maintain or convert to a one-share, one-vote capital structure.

Vote AGAINST requests for the creation or continuation of dual-class capital structures or the creation of new or additional super voting shares.

Share Issuance Requests

General Issuances:

Vote FOR issuance requests with preemptive rights to a maximum of 100% over currently issued capital or any stricter limit set in local best practice recommendations or law.

Vote FOR issuance requests without preemptive rights to a maximum of 20% of currently issued capital or any stricter limit set in local best practice recommendations or law.

Specific Issuances:

Vote on a CASE-BY-CASE basis on all requests, with or without preemptive rights.

Increases in Authorized Capital

Vote FOR non-specific proposals to increase authorized capital up to 100% over the current authorization unless the increase would leave the company with less than 30% of its new authorization outstanding, or any stricter limit set in local best practice recommendations or law.

Vote FOR specific proposals to increase authorized capital to any amount, unless:

 

   

The specific purpose of the increase (such as a share-based acquisition or merger) does not meet guidelines for the purpose being proposed; or

 

   

The increase would leave the company with less than 30% of its new authorization outstanding after adjusting for all proposed issuances or any stricter limit set in local best practice recommendations or law.

Vote AGAINST proposals to adopt unlimited capital authorizations.

 

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Reduction of Capital

Vote FOR proposals to reduce capital for routine accounting purposes unless the terms are unfavorable to shareholders.

Vote proposals to reduce capital in connection with corporate restructuring on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Preferred Stock

Vote FOR the creation of a new class of preferred stock or for issuances of preferred stock up to 50% of issued capital unless the terms of the preferred stock would adversely affect the rights of existing shareholders.

Vote FOR the creation/issuance of convertible preferred stock as long as the maximum number of common shares that could be issued upon conversion meets guidelines on equity issuance requests.

Vote AGAINST the creation of a new class of preference shares that would carry superior voting rights to the common shares.

Vote AGAINST the creation of blank check preferred stock unless the board clearly states that the authorization will not be used to thwart a takeover bid.

Vote proposals to increase blank check preferred authorizations on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Debt Issuance Requests

Vote non-convertible debt issuance requests on a CASE-BY-CASE basis, with or without preemptive rights.

Vote FOR the creation/issuance of convertible debt instruments as long as the maximum number of common shares that could be issued upon conversion meets guidelines on equity issuance requests.

Vote FOR proposals to restructure existing debt arrangements unless the terms of the restructuring would adversely affect the rights of shareholders.

Increase in Borrowing Powers

Vote proposals to approve increases in a company’s borrowing powers on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Share Repurchase Plans

We will generally recommend FOR share repurchase programs taking into account whether:

 

   

The share repurchase program can be used as a takeover defense;

 

   

There is clear evidence of historical abuse;

 

   

There is no safeguard in the share repurchase program against selective buybacks;

 

   

Pricing provisions and safeguards in the share repurchase program are deemed to be unreasonable in light of market practice.

Reissuance of Repurchased Shares

Vote FOR requests to reissue any repurchased shares unless there is clear evidence of abuse of this authority in the past.

Capitalization of Reserves for Bonus Issues/Increase in Par Value

Vote FOR requests to capitalize reserves for bonus issues of shares or to increase par value.

 

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Reorganizations/Restructurings

Vote reorganizations and restructurings on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Reincorporation Proposals

Vote reincorporation proposals on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Related-Party Transactions

Vote related-party transactions on a CASE-BY-CASE basis, considering factors including, but not limited to, the following:

 

   

The parties on either side of the transaction;

 

   

The nature of the asset to be transferred/service to be provided;

 

   

The pricing of the transaction (and any associated professional valuation);

 

   

The views of independent directors (where provided);

 

   

The views of an independent financial adviser (where appointed);

 

   

Whether any entities party to the transaction (including advisers) is conflicted; and

 

   

The stated rationale for the transaction, including discussions of timing

Common and Preferred Stock Authorization

Generally vote FOR proposals to increase the number of shares of common stock authorized for issuance.

Generally vote FOR proposals to increase the number of shares of preferred stock, as long as there is a commitment to not use the shares for anti-takeover purposes.

 

6.

Environmental and Social Issues

Overall Approach

Proposals considered under this category could include, among others, requests that a company:

 

   

Publish a report or additional information related to the company’s business and impact on stakeholders;

 

   

Disclose policies related to specific business practices and/or services;

 

   

Conduct third party audits, reports or studies related to the company’s business practices, services and/or impact on stakeholders

When evaluating environmental and social shareholder proposals, the following factors are generally considered:

 

   

Whether the subject of the proposal is considered to be material;

 

   

The company’s current level of publicly available disclosure, including if the company already discloses similar information through existing reports or policies;

 

   

The proponent of the proposal;

 

   

If the company has implemented or formally committed to the implementation of a reporting program based on the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board’s (SASB) materiality standards, the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosure’s (TCFD) recommendations, or a similar standard;

 

   

Whether adoption of the proposal is likely to enhance or protect shareholder value;

 

   

Whether the information requested concerns business issues that relate to a meaningful percentage of the company’s business;

 

   

The degree to which the company’s stated position on the issues raised in the proposal could affect its reputation or sales, or leave it vulnerable to a boycott or selective purchasing;

 

   

Whether the company has already responded in some appropriate manner to the request embodied in the proposal;

 

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What other companies in the relevant industry have done in response to the issue addressed in the proposal;

 

   

Whether the proposal itself is well framed and the cost of preparing the report and/or the implementation is reasonable;

 

   

Whether the subject of the proposal is best left to the discretion of the board;

 

   

Whether the company has material fines or violations in the area and if so, if appropriate actions have already been taken to remedy going forward;

 

   

Whether providing this information would reveal proprietary or confidential information that would place the company at a competitive disadvantage.

Environmental Issues

Climate Transition Plans

Generally vote CASE-BY-CASE on management proposed climate transition plans. When evaluating management proposed plans, the following factors are generally considered:

 

   

If the company has detailed disclosure of the governance, strategy, risk mitigation efforts, and metrics and targets based on the TCFD’s recommendations, or a similar standard;

 

   

If the company has detailed disclosure of their current emissions data based on the SASB materiality framework; and

 

   

If the company has detailed disclosure in line with Paris Agreement goals.

Generally vote CASE-BY-CASE on shareholder proposals requesting climate transition plans. When evaluating these shareholder proposals, the following factors are generally considered:

 

   

The company’s current level of publicly available disclosure including if the company already discloses similar information through existing reports or policies;

 

   

If the proposal asks for detailed disclosure according to the TCFD’s recommendations;

 

   

If the proposal asks for detailed disclosure of the company’s current emissions data based on the SASB materiality framework;

 

   

If the proposal asks for long-term targets, as well as short and medium term milestones;

 

   

If the proposal asks for targets to be aligned to a globally accepted framework, such as Paris Aligned or Net Zero;

 

   

If the proposal asks for targets to be approved by the Science Based Target Initiative (“SBTi”);

 

   

If the proposal seeks to add reasonable transparency and is not onerous or overly prescriptive; and

 

   

Whether the proposal is binding or non-binding.

Environmental Sustainability Reporting

Generally vote FOR shareholders proposals requesting the company to report on its policies, initiatives and oversight mechanisms related to environmental sustainability, including the impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss. The following factors will be considered:

 

   

The company’s current level of publicly available disclosure including if the company already discloses similar information through existing reports or policies;

 

   

If the company has formally committed to the implementation of a reporting program based on the SASB materiality standards, the TCFD’s recommendations, or a similar standard within a specified time frame;

 

   

If the company’s current level of disclosure is comparable to that of its industry peers; and

 

   

If there are significant controversies, fines, penalties, or litigation associated with the company’s environmental performance.

 

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Other Environmental Proposals

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on the following shareholder proposals if relevant to the company:

 

   

Seeking information on the financial, physical, or regulatory risks a company faces related to climate change on its operations and investment, or on how the company identifies, measures and manages such risks;

 

   

Calling for the reduction of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions;

 

   

Seeking reports on responses to regulatory and public pressures surrounding climate change, and for disclosure of research that aided in setting company policies around climate change;

 

   

Requesting an action plan including science based targets and a commitment to net zero emissions by 2050 or earlier;

 

   

Requesting a report/disclosure of goals on GHG emissions from company operations and/or products;

 

   

Requesting a company report on its energy efficiency policies; and

 

   

Requesting reports on the feasibility of developing renewable energy resources.

Social Issues

Board and Workforce Demographics

A company should have a clear, public Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) statement and/or diversity policy. Generally vote FOR proposals seeking to amend a company’s EEO statement or diversity policies to additionally prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity.

Generally vote FOR proposals requesting reports on a company’s efforts to diversify the board, unless:

 

   

The gender and racial minority representation of the company’s board is reasonably inclusive in relation to companies of similar size and business; and

 

   

The board already reports on its nominating procedures and gender and racial minority initiatives on the board.

Gender Pay Gap

Generally vote CASE-BY-CASE on proposals requesting reports on a company’s pay data by gender, or a report on a company’s policies and goals to reduce any gender pay gap, taking into account:

 

   

The company’s current policies and disclosure related to both its diversity and inclusion policies and practices and its compensation philosophy and fair and equitable compensation practices;

 

   

Whether the company has been the subject of recent controversy, litigation or regulatory actions related to gender pay gap issues; and

 

   

Whether the company’s reporting regarding gender pay gap policies or initiatives is lagging its peers.

Labor, Human and Animal Rights Standards

Generally vote FOR proposals requesting a report on company or company supplier labor, human, and/or animal rights standards and policies, or on the impact of its operations on society, unless such information is already publicly disclosed considering:

 

   

The degree to which existing relevant policies and practices are disclosed;

 

   

Whether or not existing relevant policies are consistent with internationally recognized standards;

 

   

Whether company facilities and those of its suppliers are monitored and how;

 

   

Company participation in fair labor organizations or other internationally recognized human rights initiatives;

 

   

Scope and nature of business conducted in markets known to have higher risk of workplace labor/human rights abuse;

 

   

Recent, significant company controversies, fines, or litigation regarding human rights at the company or its suppliers;

 

   

The scope of the request; and

 

   

Deviation from industry sector peer company standards and practices.

 

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Generally vote CASE-BY-CASE on shareholder proposals requesting reports about a company’s use of mandatory arbitrations in employment claims, taking into account the company’s existing policies and disclosures of policies.

Generally vote CASE-BY-CASE on shareholder proposals requesting reports on the actions taken by a company to prevent sexual and other forms of harassment or on the risks posed by the company’s failure to take such actions, taking into account the company’s existing policies and disclosures of policies.

Racial Equity Audit

Generally vote CASE-BY-CASE on shareholder proposals requesting the board oversee a racial equity audit. While we believe the decision to initiate an independent audit is best left to management judgment under the oversight of the board of directors, the following factors are generally considered:

 

   

The degree to which existing relevant policies and practices are disclosed;

 

   

Recent, significant company controversies, fines, or litigation regarding human rights at the company or its suppliers; and

 

   

Whether the gender and racial minority representation of the company’s board is reasonably inclusive in relation to companies of similar size and business.

Political Contributions and Trade Association Spending/Lobbying Expenditures and Initiatives

We generally believe that it is the role of boards and management to determine the appropriate level of disclosure of all types of corporate political activity. When evaluating these proposals, we consider the prescriptive nature of the proposal and the overall benefit to shareholders along with a company’s current disclosure of policies, practices and oversight.

Generally vote AGAINST proposals asking the company to affirm political nonpartisanship in the workplace so long as:

 

   

There are no recent, significant controversies, fines or litigation regarding the company’s political contributions or trade association spending; and

 

   

The company has procedures in place to ensure that employee contributions to company-sponsored political action committees (PACs) are strictly voluntary and prohibits coercion.

Generally vote AGAINST proposals requesting increased disclosure of a company’s policies with respect to political contributions, lobbying and trade association spending as long as:

 

   

There is no significant potential threat or actual harm to shareholders’ interests;

 

   

There are no recent significant controversies or litigation related to the company’s political contributions or governmental affairs; and

 

   

There is publicly available information to assess the company’s oversight related to such expenditures of corporate assets.

We generally will vote AGAINST proposals asking for detailed disclosure of political contributions or trade association or lobbying expenditures.

We generally will vote AGAINST proposals barring the company from making political contributions. Businesses are affected by legislation at the federal, state, and local level and barring political contributions can put the company at a competitive disadvantage.

 

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Region: Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Proxy Items

The following section is a broad summary of the Guidelines, which form the basis of the Policy with respect to EMEA public equity investments of operating and/or holding companies. Applying these guidelines is subject to certain regional and country-specific exceptions and modifications and is not inclusive of all considerations in each market.

 

1.

Business Items

Financial Results/Director and Auditor Reports

Vote FOR approval of financial statements and director and auditor reports, unless:

 

   

There are serious concerns about the accounts presented, audit procedures used or audit opinion rendered; or

 

   

The company is not responsive to shareholder questions about specific items that should be publicly disclosed.

Appointment of Auditors and Auditor Fees

Vote FOR the re-election of auditors and proposals authorizing the board to fix auditor fees unless:

 

   

There are serious concerns about the accounts presented, audit procedures used or audit opinion rendered;

 

   

There is reason to believe that the auditor has rendered an opinion that is neither accurate nor indicative of the company’s financial position;

 

   

Name of the proposed auditor has not been published;

 

   

The auditors are being changed without explanation;

 

   

Non-audit-related fees are substantial, or are in excess of standard annual audit-related fees, or in excess of permitted local limits and guidelines; or

 

   

The appointment of external auditors if they have previously served the company in an executive capacity or can otherwise be considered affiliated with the company.

Appointment of Internal Statutory Auditors

Vote FOR the appointment or re-election of statutory auditors, unless:

 

   

There are serious concerns about the statutory reports presented or the audit procedures used;

 

   

Questions exist concerning any of the statutory auditors being appointed; or

 

   

The auditors have previously served the company in an executive capacity or can otherwise be considered affiliated with the company.

Reincorporation Proposals

Vote reincorporation proposals on a CASE-BY-CASE basis

Allocation of Income

Vote FOR approval of the allocation of income, unless:

 

   

The dividend payout ratio has been consistently low without adequate explanation; or

 

   

The payout is excessive given the company’s financial position.

 

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Stock (Scrip) Dividend Alternative

Vote FOR most stock (scrip) dividend proposals.

Vote AGAINST proposals that do not allow for a cash option unless management demonstrates that the cash option is harmful to shareholder value.

Amendments to Articles of Association

Vote amendments to the articles of association on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Change in Company Fiscal Term

Vote FOR resolutions to change a company’s fiscal term unless a company’s motivation for the change is to postpone its annual general meeting.

Lower Disclosure Threshold for Stock Ownership

Vote AGAINST resolutions to lower the stock ownership disclosure threshold below 5% unless specific reasons exist to implement a lower threshold.

Amend Quorum Requirements

Vote proposals to amend quorum requirements for shareholder meetings on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Virtual Meetings

Generally vote FOR proposals allowing for the convening of hybrid* shareholder meetings if it is clear that it is not the intention to hold virtual-only AGMs. Generally vote AGAINST proposals allowing for the convening of virtual-only* shareholder meetings.

 

*

The phrase “virtual-only shareholder meeting” refers to a meeting of shareholders that is held exclusively through the use of online technology without a corresponding in-person meeting. The term “hybrid shareholder meeting” refers to an in-person, or physical, meeting in which shareholders are permitted to participate online.

Public Benefit Corporation Proposals

Generally vote FOR management proposals and CASE-BY-CASE on shareholder proposals related to the conversion of the company into a public benefit corporation.

Transact Other Business

Vote AGAINST other business when it appears as a voting item.

Administrative Requests

Generally vote FOR non-contentious administrative management requests.

 

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2.

Board of Directors

The board of directors should promote the interests of shareholders by acting in an oversight and/or advisory role; should consist of a majority of independent directors and / or meet local best practice expectations; and should be held accountable for actions and results related to their responsibilities.

Voting on Director Nominees in Uncontested Elections

Vote on director nominees should be determined on a CASE-BY-CASE basis taking into consideration the following:

 

   

Adequate disclosure has not been provided in a timely manner; or

 

   

There are clear concerns over questionable finances or restatements; or

 

   

There have been questionable transactions or conflicts of interest; or

 

   

There are any records of abuses against minority shareholder interests; or

 

   

The board fails to meet minimum corporate governance standards; or

 

   

There are reservations about:

 

   

Director terms

 

   

Bundling of proposals to elect directors

 

   

Board independence

 

   

Disclosure of named nominees

 

   

Combined Chairman/CEO

 

   

Election of former CEO as Chairman of the board

 

   

Overboarded directors

 

   

Composition of committees

 

   

Director independence

 

   

Number of directors on the board

 

   

Lack of gender diversity on the board

 

   

Specific concerns about the individual or company, such as criminal wrongdoing or breach of fiduciary responsibilities; or

 

   

There are other considerations which may include sanction from government or authority, violations of laws and regulations, or other issues relate to improper business practice, failure to replace management, or egregious actions related to service on other boards.

Board Composition

We generally believe diverse teams have the potential to outperform and we expect the companies that we invest in to focus on the importance of diversity. When evaluating board composition, we believe a diversity of ethnicity, gender and experience is an important consideration. We encourage companies to disclose the composition of their board in the proxy statement and may vote against members of the board without disclosure. See below how we execute our vote at companies that do not meet our diversity expectations.

Vote AGAINST members of the Nominating Committee:

 

   

At companies if the board does not have at least 10% women directors, or does not meet the requirements of local listing rules or corporate governance codes or national targets;

 

   

At companies in the FTSE100 if the board composition does not align with the Parker review guidelines.

Employee and /or Labor Representatives

Vote FOR employee and/or labor representatives if they sit on either the audit or compensation committee and are required by law to be on those committees.

Vote AGAINST employee and/or labor representatives if they sit on either the audit or compensation committee, if they are not required to be on those committees.

 

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Director Independence

Classification of Directors

Executive Director

 

   

Employee or executive of the company;

 

   

Any director who is classified as a non-executive, but receives salary, fees, bonus, and/or other benefits that are in line with the highest-paid executives of the company.

Non-Independent Non-Executive Director (NED)

 

   

Any director who is attested by the board to be a non-independent NED;

 

   

Any director specifically designated as a representative of a significant shareholder of the company;

 

   

Any director who is also an employee or executive of a significant shareholder of the company;

 

   

Beneficial owner (direct or indirect) of at least 10% of the company’s stock, either in economic terms or in voting rights (this may be aggregated if voting power is distributed among more than one member of a defined group, e.g., family members who beneficially own less than 10% individually, but collectively own more than 10%), unless market best practice dictates a lower ownership and/or disclosure threshold (and in other special market-specific circumstances);

 

   

Government representative;

 

   

Currently provides (or a relative provides) professional services to the company, to an affiliate of the company, or to an individual officer of the company or of one of its affiliates in excess of $10,000 per year;

 

   

Represents customer, supplier, creditor, banker, or other entity with which company maintains transactional/commercial relationship (unless company discloses information to apply a materiality test);

 

   

Any director who has conflicting or cross-directorships with executive directors or the chairman of the company;

 

   

Relative of a current employee of the company or its affiliates;

 

   

Relative of a former executive of the company or its affiliates;

 

   

A new appointee elected other than by a formal process through the General Meeting (such as a contractual appointment by a substantial shareholder);

 

   

Founder/co-founder/member of founding family but not currently an employee;

 

   

Former executive (a cooling off period may be applied);

 

   

Years of service is generally not a determining factor unless it is recommended best practice in a market and/or in extreme circumstances, in which case it may be considered; and

 

   

Any additional relationship or principle considered to compromise independence under local corporate governance best practice guidance.

Independent NED

 

   

No material connection, either directly or indirectly, to the company other than a board seat.

Employee Representative

 

   

Represents employees or employee shareholders of the company (classified as “employee representative” but considered a non-independent NED).

Director Accountability

Vote AGAINST individual directors who attend less than 75% of the board and committee meetings without a disclosed valid excuse.

Generally, vote FOR the bundled election of management nominees, unless adequate disclosures of the nominees have not been provided in a timely manner or if one or more of the nominees does not meet the expectation of our policy.

Other items considered for an AGAINST vote include specific concerns about the individual or the company, such as criminal wrongdoing or breach of fiduciary responsibilities, sanctions from government or authority, violations of laws and regulations, the presence of inappropriate related party transactions, or other issues related to improper business practices

 

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Vote AGAINST members of the full board or appropriate committee (or only the independent chairman or lead director as may be appropriate in situations such as where there is a classified board and members of the appropriate committee are not up for re-election or the appropriate committee is comprised of the entire board) for the below reasons. New nominees will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Extreme cases may warrant a vote against the entire board.

 

   

Material failures of governance, stewardship, or fiduciary responsibilities at the company, including but not limited to violations of global norms principles and/or other significant global standards;

 

   

Failure to disclose material environmental, social and governance information;

 

   

Egregious actions related to the director(s)’ service on other boards that raise substantial doubt about his or her ability to effectively oversee management and serve the best interests of shareholders at any company;

 

   

The board failed to act on a shareholder proposal that received approval of the majority of shares cast for the previous two consecutive years (a management proposal with other than a FOR recommendation by management will not be considered as sufficient action taken); an adopted proposal that is substantially similar to the original shareholder proposal will be deemed sufficient; (vote against members of the committee of the board that is responsible for the issue under consideration). If we did not support the shareholder proposal in both years, we will still vote against the committee member(s).

 

   

The board failed to act on takeover offers where the majority of the shareholders tendered their shares;

 

   

The company does not disclose various components of current emissions, a proxy for a company’s dependency on fossil fuels and other sources of greenhouse gasses (Scope 1, Scope 2, Scope 3 emissions), material to the company’s business;

 

   

If in an extreme situation the board lacks accountability and oversight, coupled with sustained poor performance relative to peers.

Discharge of Directors

Generally vote FOR the discharge of directors, including members of the management board and/or supervisory board, unless there is reliable information about significant and compelling controversies that the board is not fulfilling its fiduciary duties warranted by:

 

   

A lack of oversight or actions by board members which invoke shareholder distrust related to malfeasance or poor supervision, such as operating in private or company interest rather than in shareholder interest; or

 

   

Any legal issues (e.g., civil/criminal) aiming to hold the board responsible for breach of trust in the past or related to currently alleged actions yet to be confirmed (and not only the fiscal year in question), such as price fixing, insider trading, bribery, fraud, and other illegal actions; or

 

   

Other egregious governance issues where shareholders may bring legal action against the company or its directors; or

 

   

Vote on a CASE-BY-CASE basis where a vote against other agenda items are deemed inappropriate.

Committee Responsibilities and Expectations

Companies should establish committees to oversee areas such as audit, executive and non-executive compensation, director nominations and ESG oversight. The responsibilities of the committees should be publicly disclosed.

 

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Audit Committee

Vote AGAINST members of the Audit Committee if:

 

   

Non-audit-related fees are substantial, or are in excess of standard annual audit-related fees, or in excess of permitted local limits and guidelines.

 

   

The company receives an adverse opinion on the company’s financial statements from its auditor and there is not clear evidence that the situation has been remedied;

 

   

There is excessive pledging or hedging of stock by executives;

 

   

There is persuasive evidence that the Audit Committee entered into an inappropriate indemnification agreement with its auditor that limits the ability of the company, or its shareholders, to pursue legitimate legal recourse against the audit firm; or

 

   

No members of the Audit Committee hold sufficient financial expertise.

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on members of the Audit Committee and/or the full board if poor accounting practices, which rise to a level of serious concern are identified, such as fraud, misapplication of accounting principles and material weaknesses identified in audit-related disclosures.

Examine the severity, breadth, chronological sequence and duration, as well as the company’s efforts at remediation or corrective actions, in determining whether negative vote recommendations are warranted against the members of the Audit Committee who are responsible for the poor accounting practices, or the entire board.

Remuneration Committee

See section 3 on Remuneration for reasons to vote against members of the Remuneration Committee.

Nominating/Governance Committee

Vote AGAINST members of the Nominating/Governance Committee if:

 

   

At the previous board election, any director received more than 50% withhold/against votes of the shares cast and the company has failed to address the underlying issue(s) that caused the high withhold/against vote;

 

   

The board does not meet our diversity expectations;

 

   

The board amends the company’s bylaws or charter without shareholder approval in a manner that materially diminishes shareholders’ rights or could adversely impact shareholders

Voting on Director Nominees in Contested Elections

Vote on a CASE-BY-CASE basis in contested elections of directors, e.g., the election of shareholder nominees or the dismissal of incumbent directors, determining which directors are best suited to add value for shareholders.

The analysis will generally be based on, but not limited to, the following major decision factors:

 

   

Company performance relative to its peers;

 

   

Strategy of the incumbents versus the dissidents;

 

   

Independence of board candidates;

 

   

Experience and skills of board candidates;

 

   

Governance profile of the company;

 

   

Evidence of management entrenchment;

 

   

Responsiveness to shareholders;

 

   

Whether a takeover offer has been rebuffed; and

 

   

Whether minority or majority representation is being sought.

Other Board Related Proposals (Management and Shareholder)

Vote AGAINST the introduction of classified boards and mandatory retirement ages for directors.

 

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Vote AGAINST proposals to alter board structure or size in the context of a fight for control of the company or the board.

Independent Board Chair (for applicable markets)

We will generally vote AGAINST shareholder proposals requiring that the chairman’s position be filled by an independent director, if the company satisfies 3 of the 4 following criteria:

 

   

Two-thirds independent board, or majority in countries where employee representation is common practice;

 

   

A designated, or a rotating, lead director, elected by and from the independent board members with clearly delineated and comprehensive duties;

 

   

Fully independent key committees; and/or

 

   

Established, publicly disclosed, governance guidelines and director biographies/profiles.

 

3.

Remuneration

Pay Practices

Good pay practices should align management’s interests with long-term shareholder value creation. Detailed disclosure of remuneration criteria is preferred; proof that companies follow the criteria should be evident and retroactive performance target changes without proper disclosure is not viewed favorably. Remuneration practices should allow a company to attract and retain proven talent. Some examples of poor pay practices include: abnormally large bonus payouts without justifiable performance linkage or proper disclosure, egregious employment contracts, excessive severance and/or change in control provisions, repricing or replacing of underwater stock options/stock appreciation rights without prior shareholder approval, and excessive perquisites. A company should also have an appropriate balance of short-term vs. long-term metrics and the metrics should be aligned with business goals and objectives.

If the company maintains problematic or poor pay practices, generally vote:

 

   

AGAINST Management Say on Pay (MSOP) Proposals, Remuneration Reports; or

 

   

AGAINST an equity-based incentive plan proposal if excessive non-performance-based equity awards are the major contributor to a pay-for-performance misalignment.

 

   

If no MSOP or equity-based incentive plan proposal item is on the ballot, vote AGAINST from Remuneration Committee members.

Remuneration Plans

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on management proposals for a vote on executive remuneration, considering the following factors in the context of each company’s specific circumstances and the board’s disclosed rationale for its practices.

Factors considered may include:

 

   

Pay for Performance Disconnect;

 

   

We will consider there to be a disconnect based on a quantitative assessment of the following: CEO pay vs. TSR (“Total Shareholder Return”) and peers, CEO pay as a percentage of the median peer group or CEO pay vs. shareholder return over time.

 

   

Long-term equity-based compensation is 100% time-based;

 

   

Board’s responsiveness if company received low shareholder support in the previous year’s MSOP or remuneration vote;

 

   

Abnormally large bonus payouts without justifiable performance linkage or proper disclosure;

 

   

Egregious employment contracts;

 

   

Excessive perquisites or excessive severance and/or change in control provisions;

 

   

Repricing or replacing of underwater stock options without prior shareholder approval;

 

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Egregious pension/SERP (supplemental executive retirement plan) payouts;

 

   

Extraordinary relocation benefits;

 

   

Internal pay disparity; and

 

   

Lack of transparent disclosure of compensation philosophy and goals and targets, including details on short-term and long-term performance incentives.

Non-Executive Director Compensation

Vote FOR proposals to award cash fees to non-executive directors unless the amounts are excessive relative to other companies in the country or industry.

Vote non-executive director compensation proposals that include both cash and share-based components on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Vote proposals that bundle compensation for both non-executive and executive directors into a single resolution on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Vote AGAINST proposals to introduce retirement benefits for non-executive directors.

Director, Officer, and Auditor Indemnification and Liability Provisions

Vote proposals seeking indemnification and liability protection for directors and officers on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Vote AGAINST proposals to indemnify auditors.

Other Remuneration Related Proposals

Vote on other remuneration related proposals on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Remuneration Committee

When voting for members of the Remuneration Committee, factors considered may include:

 

   

We voted against the company’s MSOP in the previous year, the company’s previous MSOP received significant opposition of votes cast and we are voting against this year’s MSOP; and

 

   

The board implements a MSOP on a less frequent basis than the frequency that received the plurality of votes cast

 

   

Remuneration structure is widely inconsistent with local market best practices or regulations

 

4.

Shareholder Rights and Defenses

Antitakeover Mechanisms

Generally vote AGAINST all antitakeover proposals, unless they are structured in such a way that they give shareholders the ultimate decision on any proposal or offer.

For the Netherlands, vote recommendations regarding management proposals to approve protective preference shares will be determined on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

For French companies listed on a regulated market, generally VOTE AGAINST any general authorities impacting the share capital (i.e. authorities for share repurchase plans and any general share issuances with or without preemptive rights) if they can be used for antitakeover purposes without shareholders’ prior explicit approval.

 

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5.

Strategic Transactions, Capital Structures and other Business Considerations

Reorganizations/Restructurings

Vote reorganizations and restructurings on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Mergers and Acquisitions

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on mergers and acquisitions taking into account the following based on publicly available information:

 

   

Valuation;

 

   

Market reaction;

 

   

Strategic rationale;

 

   

Management’s track record of successful integration of historical acquisitions;

 

   

Presence of conflicts of interest; and

 

   

Governance profile of the combined company.

Dual Class Structures

Vote FOR resolutions that seek to maintain or convert to a one-share, one-vote capital structure.

Vote AGAINST requests for the creation or continuation of dual-class capital structures or the creation of new or additional super voting shares.

Share Issuance Requests

General Issuances:

Vote FOR issuance requests with preemptive rights to a maximum of 100% over currently issued capital or any stricter limit set in local best practice recommendations or law.

Vote FOR issuance requests without preemptive rights to a maximum of 20% of currently issued capital or any stricter limit set in local best practice recommendations or law.

Specific Issuances:

Vote on a CASE-BY-CASE basis on all requests, with or without preemptive rights.

Increases in Authorized Capital

Vote FOR non-specific proposals to increase authorized capital up to 100% over the current authorization unless the increase would leave the company with less than 30% of its new authorization outstanding, or any stricter limit set in local best practice recommendations or law.

Vote FOR specific proposals to increase authorized capital to any amount, unless:

 

   

The specific purpose of the increase (such as a share-based acquisition or merger) does not meet guidelines for the purpose being proposed; or

 

   

The increase would leave the company with less than 30% of its new authorization outstanding after adjusting for all proposed issuances or any stricter limit set in local best practice recommendations or law.

Vote AGAINST proposals to adopt unlimited capital authorizations.

 

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Reduction of Capital

Vote FOR proposals to reduce capital for routine accounting purposes unless the terms are unfavorable to shareholders.

Vote proposals to reduce capital in connection with corporate restructuring on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Preferred Stock

Vote FOR the creation of a new class of preferred stock or for issuances of preferred stock up to 50% of issued capital unless the terms of the preferred stock would adversely affect the rights of existing shareholders.

Vote FOR the creation/issuance of convertible preferred stock as long as the maximum number of common shares that could be issued upon conversion meets guidelines on equity issuance requests.

Vote AGAINST the creation of a new class of preference shares that would carry superior voting rights to the common shares.

Vote AGAINST the creation of blank check preferred stock unless the board clearly states that the authorization will not be used to thwart a takeover bid.

Vote proposals to increase blank check preferred authorizations on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Debt Issuance Requests

Vote non-convertible debt issuance requests on a CASE-BY-CASE basis, with or without preemptive rights.

Vote FOR the creation/issuance of convertible debt instruments as long as the maximum number of common shares that could be issued upon conversion meets guidelines on equity issuance requests.

Vote FOR proposals to restructure existing debt arrangements unless the terms of the restructuring would adversely affect the rights of shareholders.

Increase in Borrowing Powers

Vote proposals to approve increases in a company’s borrowing powers on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Share Repurchase Plans

We will generally recommend FOR share repurchase programs taking into account whether:

 

   

The share repurchase program can be used as a takeover defense;

 

   

There is clear evidence of historical abuse;

 

   

There is no safeguard in the share repurchase program against selective buybacks;

 

   

Pricing provisions and safeguards in the share repurchase program are deemed to be unreasonable in light of market practice.

Reissuance of Repurchased Shares

Vote FOR requests to reissue any repurchased shares unless there is clear evidence of abuse of this authority in the past.

 

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Capitalization of Reserves for Bonus Issues/Increase in Par Value

Vote FOR requests to capitalize reserves for bonus issues of shares or to increase par value.

Reorganizations/Restructurings

Vote reorganizations and restructurings on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Reincorporation Proposals

Vote reincorporation proposals on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Related-Party Transactions

Vote related-party transactions on a CASE-BY-CASE basis, considering factors including, but not limited to, the following:

 

   

The parties on either side of the transaction;

 

   

The nature of the asset to be transferred/service to be provided;

 

   

The pricing of the transaction (and any associated professional valuation);

 

   

The views of independent directors (where provided);

 

   

The views of an independent financial adviser (where appointed);

 

   

Whether any entities party to the transaction (including advisers) is conflicted; and

 

   

The stated rationale for the transaction, including discussions of timing

 

6.

Environmental and Social Issues

Overall Approach

Proposals considered under this category could include, among others, requests that a company:

 

   

Publish a report or additional information related to the company’s business and impact on stakeholders;

 

   

Disclose policies related to specific business practices and/or services;

 

   

Conduct third party audits, reports or studies related to the company’s business practices, services and/or impact on stakeholders

When evaluating environmental and social shareholder proposals, the following factors are generally considered:

 

   

Whether the subject of the proposal is considered to be material;

 

   

The company’s current level of publicly available disclosure, including if the company already discloses similar information through existing reports or policies;

 

   

The proponent of the proposal;

 

   

If the company has implemented or formally committed to the implementation of a reporting program based on the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board’s (SASB) materiality standards, the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosure’s (TCFD) recommendations, or a similar standard;

 

   

Whether adoption of the proposal is likely to enhance or protect shareholder value;

 

   

Whether the information requested concerns business issues that relate to a meaningful percentage of the company’s business;

 

   

The degree to which the company’s stated position on the issues raised in the proposal could affect its reputation or sales, or leave it vulnerable to a boycott or selective purchasing;

 

   

Whether the company has already responded in some appropriate manner to the request embodied in the proposal;

 

   

What other companies in the relevant industry have done in response to the issue addressed in the proposal;

 

   

Whether the proposal itself is well framed and the cost of preparing the report and/or the implementation is reasonable ;

 

   

Whether the subject of the proposal is best left to the discretion of the board;

 

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Whether the company has material fines or violations in the area and if so, if appropriate actions have already been taken to remedy going forward;

 

   

Whether providing this information would reveal proprietary or confidential information that would place the company at a competitive disadvantage.

Environmental Issues

Climate Transition Plans

Generally vote CASE-BY-CASE on management proposed climate transition plans. When evaluating management proposed plans, the following factors are generally considered:

 

   

If the company has detailed disclosure of the governance, strategy, risk mitigation efforts, and metrics and targets based on the TCFD’s recommendations, or a similar standard;

 

   

If the company has detailed disclosure of their current emissions data based on the SASB materiality framework; and

 

   

If the company has detailed disclosure in line with Paris Agreement goals.

Generally vote CASE-BY-CASE on shareholder proposals requesting climate transition plans. When evaluating these shareholder proposals, the following factors are generally considered:

 

   

The company’s current level of publicly available disclosure including if the company already discloses similar information through existing reports or policies;

 

   

If the proposal asks for detailed disclosure according to the TCFD’s recommendations;

 

   

If the proposal asks for detailed disclosure of the company’s current emissions data based on the SASB materiality framework;

 

   

If the proposal asks for long-term targets, as well as short and medium term milestones;

 

   

If the proposal asks for targets to be aligned to a globally accepted framework, such as Paris Aligned or Net Zero;

 

   

If the proposal asks for targets to be approved by the Science Based Target Initiative (“SBTi”);

 

   

If the proposal seeks to add reasonable transparency and is not onerous or overly prescriptive; and

 

   

Whether the proposal is binding or non-binding.

Environmental Sustainability Reporting

Generally vote FOR shareholders proposals requesting the company to report on its policies, initiatives and oversight mechanisms related to environmental sustainability, including the impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss. The following factors will be considered:

 

   

The company’s current level of publicly available disclosure including if the company already discloses similar information through existing reports or policies;

 

   

If the company has formally committed to the implementation of a reporting program based on the SASB materiality standards, the TCFD’s recommendations, or a similar standard within a specified time frame;

 

   

If the company’s current level of disclosure is comparable to that of its industry peers; and

 

   

If there are significant controversies, fines, penalties, or litigation associated with the company’s environmental performance.

 

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Other Environmental Proposals

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on the following shareholder proposals if relevant to the company:

 

   

Seeking information on the financial, physical, or regulatory risks a company faces related to climate change on its operations and investment, or on how the company identifies, measures and manages such risks;

 

   

Calling for the reduction of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions;

 

   

Seeking reports on responses to regulatory and public pressures surrounding climate change, and for disclosure of research that aided in setting company policies around climate change;

 

   

Requesting an action plan including science based targets and a commitment to net zero emissions by 2050 or earlier;

 

   

Requesting a report/disclosure of goals on GHG emissions from company operations and/or products;

 

   

Requesting a company report on its energy efficiency policies; and

 

   

Requesting reports on the feasibility of developing renewable energy resources.

Social Issues

Board and Workforce Demographics

A company should have a clear, public Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) statement and/or diversity policy. Generally vote FOR proposals seeking to amend a company’s EEO statement or diversity policies to additionally prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity.

Generally vote FOR proposals requesting reports on a company’s efforts to diversify the board, unless:

 

   

The gender and racial minority representation of the company’s board is reasonably inclusive in relation to companies of similar size and business; and

 

   

The board already reports on its nominating procedures and gender and racial minority initiatives on the board.

Gender Pay Gap

Generally vote CASE-BY-CASE on proposals requesting reports on a company’s pay data by gender, or a report on a company’s policies and goals to reduce any gender pay gap, taking into account:

 

   

The company’s current policies and disclosure related to both its diversity and inclusion policies and practices and its compensation philosophy and fair and equitable compensation practices;

 

   

Whether the company has been the subject of recent controversy, litigation or regulatory actions related to gender pay gap issues; and

 

   

Whether the company’s reporting regarding gender pay gap policies or initiatives is lagging its peers.

Labor, Human and Animal Rights Standards

Generally vote FOR proposals requesting a report on company or company supplier labor, human, and/or animal rights standards and policies, or on the impact of its operations on society, unless such information is already publicly disclosed considering:

 

   

The degree to which existing relevant policies and practices are disclosed;

 

   

Whether or not existing relevant policies are consistent with internationally recognized standards;

 

   

Whether company facilities and those of its suppliers are monitored and how;

 

   

Company participation in fair labor organizations or other internationally recognized human rights initiatives;

 

   

Scope and nature of business conducted in markets known to have higher risk of workplace labor/human rights abuse;

 

   

Recent, significant company controversies, fines, or litigation regarding human rights at the company or its suppliers;

 

   

The scope of the request; and

 

   

Deviation from industry sector peer company standards and practices.

 

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Generally vote CASE-BY-CASE on shareholder proposals requesting reports about a company’s use of mandatory arbitrations in employment claims, taking into account the company’s existing policies and disclosures of policies.

Generally vote CASE-BY-CASE on shareholder proposals requesting reports on the actions taken by a company to prevent sexual and other forms of harassment or on the risks posed by the company’s failure to take such actions, taking into account the company’s existing policies and disclosures of policies.

Racial Equity Audit

 

   

Generally vote CASE-BY-CASE on shareholder proposals requesting the board oversee a racial equity audit. While we believe the decision to initiate an independent audit is best left to management judgment under the oversight of the board of directors, the following factors are generally considered:

 

   

The degree to which existing relevant policies and practices are disclosed;

 

   

Recent, significant company controversies, fines, or litigation regarding human rights at the company or its suppliers; and

 

   

Whether the gender and racial minority representation of the company’s board is reasonably inclusive in relation to companies of similar size and business.

Political Contributions and Trade Association Spending/Lobbying Expenditures and Initiatives

We generally believe that it is the role of boards and management to determine the appropriate level of disclosure of all types of corporate political activity. When evaluating these proposals, we consider the prescriptive nature of the proposal and the overall benefit to shareholders along with a company’s current disclosure of policies, practices and oversight.

Generally vote AGAINST proposals asking the company to affirm political nonpartisanship in the workplace so long as:

 

   

There are no recent, significant controversies, fines or litigation regarding the company’s political contributions or trade association spending; and

 

   

The company has procedures in place to ensure that employee contributions to company-sponsored political action committees (PACs) are strictly voluntary and prohibits coercion.

Generally vote AGAINST proposals requesting increased disclosure of a company’s policies with respect to political contributions, lobbying and trade association spending as long as:

 

   

There is no significant potential threat or actual harm to shareholders’ interests;

 

   

There are no recent significant controversies or litigation related to the company’s political contributions or governmental affairs; and

 

   

There is publicly available information to assess the company’s oversight related to such expenditures of corporate assets.

We generally will vote AGAINST proposals asking for detailed disclosure of political contributions or trade association or lobbying expenditures.

We generally will vote AGAINST proposals barring the company from making political contributions. Businesses are affected by legislation at the federal, state, and local level and barring political contributions can put the company at a competitive disadvantage.

 

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Region: Asia Pacific (APAC) Proxy Items

The following section is a broad summary of the Guidelines, which form the basis of the Policy with respect to APAC public equity investments of operating and/or holding companies. Applying these guidelines is subject to certain regional and country-specific exceptions and modifications and is not inclusive of all considerations in each market. For Japan-specific policies, see the Japan Proxy Items section.

 

1.

Business Items

Financial Results/Director and Auditor Reports

Vote FOR approval of financial statements and director and auditor reports, unless:

 

   

There are serious concerns about the accounts presented, audit procedures used or audit opinion rendered; or

 

   

The company is not responsive to shareholder questions about specific items that should be publicly disclosed.

Appointment of Auditors and Auditor Fees

Vote FOR the re-election of auditors and proposals authorizing the board to fix auditor fees unless:

 

   

There are serious concerns about the accounts presented, audit procedures used or audit opinion rendered;

 

   

There is reason to believe that the auditor has rendered an opinion that is neither accurate nor indicative of the company’s financial position;

 

   

Name of the proposed auditor has not been published;

 

   

The auditors are being changed without explanation;

 

   

Non-audit-related fees are substantial, or are in excess of standard annual audit-related fees, or in excess of permitted local limits and guidelines; or

 

   

The appointment of external auditors if they have previously served the company in an executive capacity or can otherwise be considered affiliated with the company.

Appointment of Internal Statutory Auditors

Vote FOR the appointment or re-election of statutory auditors, unless:

 

   

There are serious concerns about the statutory reports presented or the audit procedures used;

 

   

Questions exist concerning any of the statutory auditors being appointed; or

 

   

The auditors have previously served the company in an executive capacity or can otherwise be considered affiliated with the company.

Reincorporation Proposals

Vote reincorporation proposals on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Allocation of Income

Vote FOR approval of the allocation of income, unless:

 

   

The dividend payout ratio has been consistently low without adequate explanation; or

 

   

The payout is excessive given the company’s financial position.

 

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Stock (Scrip) Dividend Alternative

Vote FOR most stock (scrip) dividend proposals.

Vote AGAINST proposals that do not allow for a cash option unless management demonstrates that the cash option is harmful to shareholder value.

Amendments to Articles of Association

Vote amendments to the articles of association on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Change in Company Fiscal Term

Vote FOR resolutions to change a company’s fiscal term unless a company’s motivation for the change is to postpone its annual general meeting.

Lower Disclosure Threshold for Stock Ownership

Vote AGAINST resolutions to lower the stock ownership disclosure threshold below 5% unless specific reasons exist to implement a lower threshold.

Amend Quorum Requirements

Vote proposals to amend quorum requirements for shareholder meetings on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Virtual Meetings

Generally vote FOR proposals allowing for the convening of hybrid* shareholder meetings if it is clear that it is not the intention to hold virtual-only AGMs. Generally vote AGAINST proposals allowing for the convening of virtual-only* shareholder meetings.

 

*

The phrase “virtual-only shareholder meeting” refers to a meeting of shareholders that is held exclusively through the use of online technology without a corresponding in-person meeting. The term “hybrid shareholder meeting” refers to an in-person, or physical, meeting in which shareholders are permitted to participate online.

Transact Other Business

Vote AGAINST other business when it appears as a voting item.

Administrative Requests

Generally vote FOR non-contentious administrative management requests.

 

2.

Board of Directors

The board of directors should promote the interests of shareholders by acting in an oversight and/or advisory role; should consist of a majority of independent directors and / or meet local best practice expectations; and should be held accountable for actions and results related to their responsibilities.

Voting on Director Nominees in Uncontested Elections

Vote on director nominees should be determined on a CASE-BY-CASE basis taking into consideration the following:

 

   

Adequate disclosure has not been provided in a timely manner; or

 

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There are clear concerns over questionable finances or restatements; or

 

   

There have been questionable transactions or conflicts of interest; or

 

   

There are any records of abuses against minority shareholder interests; or

 

   

The board fails to meet minimum corporate governance standards; or

 

   

There are reservations about:

 

   

Director terms

 

   

Bundling of proposals to elect directors

 

   

Board independence

 

   

Disclosure of named nominees

 

   

Combined Chairman/CEO

 

   

Election of former CEO as Chairman of the board

 

   

Overboarded directors

 

   

Composition of committees

 

   

Director independence

 

   

Number of directors on the board

 

   

Lack of gender diversity on the board

 

   

Specific concerns about the individual or company, such as criminal wrongdoing or breach of fiduciary responsibilities; or

 

   

There are other considerations which may include sanction from government or authority, violations of laws and regulations, or other issues relate to improper business practice, failure to replace management, or egregious actions related to service on other boards.

Board Composition

We generally believe diverse teams have the potential to outperform and we expect the companies that we invest in to focus on the importance of diversity. When evaluating board composition, we believe a diversity of ethnicity, gender and experience is an important consideration. We encourage companies to disclose the composition of their board in the proxy statement and may vote against members of the board without disclosure. See below how we execute our vote at companies that do not meet our diversity expectations.

Vote AGAINST members of the Nominating Committee:

 

   

At companies if the board does not have at least 10% women directors, or does not meet the requirements of local listing rules or corporate governance codes or national targets;

Employee and /or Labor Representatives

Vote FOR employee and/or labor representatives if they sit on either the audit or compensation committee and are required by law to be on those committees.

Vote AGAINST employee and/or labor representatives if they sit on either the audit or compensation committee, if they are not required to be on those committees.

Director Independence

Classification of Directors

Executive Director

 

   

Employee or executive of the company;

 

   

Any director who is classified as a non-executive, but receives salary, fees, bonus, and/or other benefits that are in line with the highest-paid executives of the company.

 

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Non-Independent Non-Executive Director (NED)

 

   

Any director who is attested by the board to be a non-independent NED;

 

   

Any director specifically designated as a representative of a significant shareholder of the company;

 

   

Any director who is also an employee or executive of a significant shareholder of the company;

 

   

Beneficial owner (direct or indirect) of at least 10% of the company’s stock, either in economic terms or in voting rights (this may be aggregated if voting power is distributed among more than one member of a defined group, e.g., family members who beneficially own less than 10% individually, but collectively own more than 10%), unless market best practice dictates a lower ownership and/or disclosure threshold (and in other special market-specific circumstances);

 

   

Government representative;

 

   

Currently provides (or a relative provides) professional services to the company, to an affiliate of the company, or to an individual officer of the company or of one of its affiliates in excess of $10,000 per year;

 

   

Represents customer, supplier, creditor, banker, or other entity with which company maintains transactional/commercial relationship (unless company discloses information to apply a materiality test);

 

   

Any director who has conflicting or cross-directorships with executive directors or the chairman of the company;

 

   

Relative of a current employee of the company or its affiliates;

 

   

Relative of a former executive of the company or its affiliates;

 

   

A new appointee elected other than by a formal process through the General Meeting (such as a contractual appointment by a substantial shareholder);

 

   

Founder/co-founder/member of founding family but not currently an employee;

 

   

Former executive (a cooling off period may be applied);

 

   

Years of service is generally not a determining factor unless it is recommended best practice in a market and/or in extreme circumstances, in which case it may be considered; and

 

   

Any additional relationship or principle considered to compromise independence under local corporate governance best practice guidance.

Independent NED

 

   

No material connection, either directly or indirectly, to the company other than a board seat.

Employee Representative

 

   

Represents employees or employee shareholders of the company (classified as “employee representative” but considered a non-independent NED).

Director Accountability

Vote AGAINST individual directors who attend less than 75% of the board and committee meetings without a disclosed valid excuse.

Generally, vote FOR the bundled election of management nominees, unless adequate disclosures of the nominees have not been provided in a timely manner or if one or more of the nominees does not meet the expectation of our policy.

Other items considered for an AGAINST vote include specific concerns about the individual or the company, such as criminal wrongdoing or breach of fiduciary responsibilities, sanctions from government or authority, violations of laws and regulations, the presence of inappropriate related party transactions, or other issues related to improper business practices

Vote AGAINST members of the full board or appropriate committee (or only the independent chairman or lead director as may be appropriate in situations such as where there is a classified board and members of the appropriate committee are not up for re-election or the appropriate committee is comprised of the entire board) for the below reasons. New nominees will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Extreme cases may warrant a vote against the entire board.

 

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Material failures of governance, stewardship, or fiduciary responsibilities at the company, including but not limited to violations of global norms principles and/or other significant global standards;

 

   

Failure to disclose material environmental, social and governance information;

 

   

Egregious actions related to the director(s)’ service on other boards that raise substantial doubt about his or her ability to effectively oversee management and serve the best interests of shareholders at any company;

 

   

The board failed to act on a shareholder proposal that received approval of the majority of shares cast for the previous two consecutive years (a management proposal with other than a FOR recommendation by management will not be considered as sufficient action taken); an adopted proposal that is substantially similar to the original shareholder proposal will be deemed sufficient; (vote against members of the committee of the board that is responsible for the issue under consideration). If we did not support the shareholder proposal in both years, we will still vote against the committee member(s).

 

   

The board failed to act on takeover offers where the majority of the shareholders tendered their shares;

 

   

The company does not disclose various components of current emissions, a proxy for a company’s dependency on fossil fuels and other sources of greenhouse gasses (Scope 1, Scope 2, Scope 3 emissions), material to the company’s business;

 

   

If in an extreme situation the board lacks accountability and oversight, coupled with sustained poor performance relative to peers.

Discharge of Directors

Generally vote FOR the discharge of directors, including members of the management board and/or supervisory board, unless there is reliable information about significant and compelling controversies that the board is not fulfilling its fiduciary duties warranted by:

 

   

A lack of oversight or actions by board members which invoke shareholder distrust related to malfeasance or poor supervision, such as operating in private or company interest rather than in shareholder interest; or

 

   

Any legal issues (e.g., civil/criminal) aiming to hold the board responsible for breach of trust in the past or related to currently alleged actions yet to be confirmed (and not only the fiscal year in question), such as price fixing, insider trading, bribery, fraud, and other illegal actions; or

 

   

Other egregious governance issues where shareholders may bring legal action against the company or its directors; or

 

   

Vote on a CASE-BY-CASE basis where a vote against other agenda items are deemed inappropriate.

Committee Responsibilities and Expectations

Companies should establish committees to oversee areas such as audit, executive and non-executive compensation, director nominations and ESG oversight. The responsibilities of the committees should be publicly disclosed.

Audit Committee

Vote AGAINST members of the Audit Committee if:

 

   

Non-audit-related fees are substantial, or are in excess of standard annual audit-related fees, or in excess of permitted local limits and guidelines.

 

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The company receives an adverse opinion on the company’s financial statements from its auditor and there is not clear evidence that the situation has been remedied;

 

   

There is excessive pledging or hedging of stock by executives;

 

   

There is persuasive evidence that the Audit Committee entered into an inappropriate indemnification agreement with its auditor that limits the ability of the company, or its shareholders, to pursue legitimate legal recourse against the audit firm; or

 

   

No members of the Audit Committee hold sufficient financial expertise.

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on members of the Audit Committee and/or the full board if poor accounting practices, which rise to a level of serious concern are identified, such as fraud, misapplication of accounting principles and material weaknesses identified in audit-related disclosures.

Examine the severity, breadth, chronological sequence and duration, as well as the company’s efforts at remediation or corrective actions, in determining whether negative vote recommendations are warranted against the members of the Audit Committee who are responsible for the poor accounting practices, or the entire board.

Remuneration Committee

See section 3 on Remuneration for reasons to vote against members of the Remuneration Committee.

Nominating/Governance Committee

Vote AGAINST members of the Nominating/Governance Committee if:

 

   

At the previous board election, any director received more than 50% withhold/against votes of the shares cast and the company has failed to address the underlying issue(s) that caused the high withhold/against vote;

 

   

The board does not meet our diversity expectations;

 

   

The board amends the company’s bylaws or charter without shareholder approval in a manner that materially diminishes shareholders’ rights or could adversely impact shareholders

Voting on Director Nominees in Contested Elections

Vote on a CASE-BY-CASE basis in contested elections of directors, e.g., the election of shareholder nominees or the dismissal of incumbent directors, determining which directors are best suited to add value for shareholders.

The analysis will generally be based on, but not limited to, the following major decision factors:

 

   

Company performance relative to its peers;

 

   

Strategy of the incumbents versus the dissidents;

 

   

Independence of board candidates;

 

   

Experience and skills of board candidates;

 

   

Governance profile of the company;

 

   

Evidence of management entrenchment;

 

   

Responsiveness to shareholders;

 

   

Whether a takeover offer has been rebuffed; and

 

   

Whether minority or majority representation is being sought.

Other Board Related Proposals (Management and Shareholder)

Vote AGAINST the introduction of classified boards and mandatory retirement ages for directors.

Vote AGAINST proposals to alter board structure or size in the context of a fight for control of the company or the board.

 

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Independent Board Chair (for applicable markets)

We will generally vote AGAINST shareholder proposals requiring that the chairman’s position be filled by an independent director, if the company satisfies 3 of the 4 following criteria:

 

   

Two-thirds independent board, or majority in countries where employee representation is common practice;

 

   

A designated, or a rotating, lead director, elected by and from the independent board members with clearly delineated and comprehensive duties;

 

   

Fully independent key committees; and/or

 

   

Established, publicly disclosed, governance guidelines and director biographies/profiles.

 

3.

Remuneration

Pay Practices

Good pay practices should align management’s interests with long-term shareholder value creation. Detailed disclosure of remuneration criteria is preferred; proof that companies follow the criteria should be evident and retroactive performance target changes without proper disclosure is not viewed favorably. Remuneration practices should allow a company to attract and retain proven talent. Some examples of poor pay practices include: abnormally large bonus payouts without justifiable performance linkage or proper disclosure, egregious employment contracts, excessive severance and/or change in control provisions, repricing or replacing of underwater stock options/stock appreciation rights without prior shareholder approval, and excessive perquisites. A company should also have an appropriate balance of short-term vs. long-term metrics and the metrics should be aligned with business goals and objectives.

If the company maintains problematic or poor pay practices, generally vote:

 

   

AGAINST Management Say on Pay (MSOP) Proposals, Remuneration Reports; or

 

   

AGAINST an equity-based incentive plan proposal if excessive non-performance-based equity awards are the major contributor to a pay-for-performance misalignment.

 

   

If no MSOP or equity-based incentive plan proposal item is on the ballot, vote AGAINST from Remuneration Committee members.

Remuneration Plans

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on management proposals for a vote on executive remuneration, considering the following factors in the context of each company’s specific circumstances and the board’s disclosed rationale for its practices.

Factors considered may include:

 

   

Pay for Performance Disconnect;

 

   

We will consider there to be a disconnect based on a quantitative assessment of the following: CEO pay vs. TSR (“Total Shareholder Return”) and peers, CEO pay as a percentage of the median peer group or CEO pay vs. shareholder return over time.

 

   

Long-term equity-based compensation is 100% time-based;

 

   

Board’s responsiveness if company received low shareholder support in the previous year’s MSOP or remuneration vote;

 

   

Abnormally large bonus payouts without justifiable performance linkage or proper disclosure;

 

   

Egregious employment contracts;

 

   

Excessive perquisites or excessive severance and/or change in control provisions;

 

   

Repricing or replacing of underwater stock options without prior shareholder approval;

 

   

Egregious pension/SERP (supplemental executive retirement plan) payouts;

 

   

Extraordinary relocation benefits;

 

   

Internal pay disparity; and

 

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Lack of transparent disclosure of compensation philosophy and goals and targets, including details on short-term and long-term performance incentives.

Non-Executive Director Compensation

Vote FOR proposals to award cash fees to non-executive directors unless the amounts are excessive relative to other companies in the country or industry.

Vote non-executive director compensation proposals that include both cash and share-based components on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Vote proposals that bundle compensation for both non-executive and executive directors into a single resolution on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Vote AGAINST proposals to introduce retirement benefits for non-executive directors.

Director, Officer, and Auditor Indemnification and Liability Provisions

Vote proposals seeking indemnification and liability protection for directors and officers on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Vote AGAINST proposals to indemnify auditors.

Other Remuneration Related Proposals

Vote on other remuneration related proposals on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Remuneration Committee

When voting for members of the Remuneration Committee, factors considered may include:

 

   

We voted against the company’s MSOP in the previous year, the company’s previous MSOP received significant opposition of votes cast and we are voting against this year’s MSOP; and

 

   

The board implements a MSOP on a less frequent basis than the frequency that received the plurality of votes cast

 

   

Remuneration structure is widely inconsistent with local market best practices or regulations

 

4.

Shareholder Rights and Defenses

Antitakeover Mechanisms

Generally vote AGAINST all antitakeover proposals, unless they are structured in such a way that they give shareholders the ultimate decision on any proposal or offer.

 

5.

Strategic Transactions, Capital Structures and other Business Considerations

Reorganizations/Restructurings

Vote reorganizations and restructurings on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

 

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Mergers and Acquisitions

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on mergers and acquisitions taking into account the following based on publicly available information:

 

   

Valuation;

 

   

Market reaction;

 

   

Strategic rationale;

 

   

Management’s track record of successful integration of historical acquisitions;

 

   

Presence of conflicts of interest; and

 

   

Governance profile of the combined company.

Dual Class Structures

Vote FOR resolutions that seek to maintain or convert to a one-share, one-vote capital structure.

Vote AGAINST requests for the creation or continuation of dual-class capital structures or the creation of new or additional super voting shares.

Share Issuance Requests

General Issuances:

Vote FOR issuance requests with preemptive rights to a maximum of 100% over currently issued capital or any stricter limit set in local best practice recommendations or law.

Vote FOR issuance requests without preemptive rights to a maximum of 20% of currently issued capital or any stricter limit set in local best practice recommendations or law. At companies in India, vote FOR issuance requests without preemptive rights to a maximum of 25% of currently issued capital.

Specific Issuances:

Vote on a CASE-BY-CASE basis on all requests, with or without preemptive rights.

Increases in Authorized Capital

Vote FOR non-specific proposals to increase authorized capital up to 100% over the current authorization unless the increase would leave the company with less than 30% of its new authorization outstanding, or any stricter limit set in local best practice recommendations or law.

Vote FOR specific proposals to increase authorized capital to any amount, unless:

 

   

The specific purpose of the increase (such as a share-based acquisition or merger) does not meet guidelines for the purpose being proposed; or

 

   

The increase would leave the company with less than 30% of its new authorization outstanding after adjusting for all proposed issuances, or any stricter limit set in local best practice recommendations or law

Vote AGAINST proposals to adopt unlimited capital authorizations.

Reduction of Capital

Vote FOR proposals to reduce capital for routine accounting purposes unless the terms are unfavorable to shareholders.

Vote proposals to reduce capital in connection with corporate restructuring on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

 

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Preferred Stock

Vote FOR the creation of a new class of preferred stock or for issuances of preferred stock up to 50% of issued capital unless the terms of the preferred stock would adversely affect the rights of existing shareholders.

Vote FOR the creation/issuance of convertible preferred stock as long as the maximum number of common shares that could be issued upon conversion meets guidelines on equity issuance requests.

Vote AGAINST the creation of a new class of preference shares that would carry superior voting rights to the common shares.

Vote AGAINST the creation of blank check preferred stock unless the board clearly states that the authorization will not be used to thwart a takeover bid.

Vote proposals to increase blank check preferred authorizations on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Debt Issuance Requests

Vote non-convertible debt issuance requests on a CASE-BY-CASE basis, with or without preemptive rights.

Vote FOR the creation/issuance of convertible debt instruments as long as the maximum number of common shares that could be issued upon conversion meets guidelines on equity issuance requests.

Vote FOR proposals to restructure existing debt arrangements unless the terms of the restructuring would adversely affect the rights of shareholders.

Increase in Borrowing Powers

Vote proposals to approve increases in a company’s borrowing powers on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Share Repurchase Plans

We will generally recommend FOR share repurchase programs taking into account whether:

 

   

The share repurchase program can be used as a takeover defense;

 

   

There is clear evidence of historical abuse;

 

   

There is no safeguard in the share repurchase program against selective buybacks;

 

   

Pricing provisions and safeguards in the share repurchase program are deemed to be unreasonable in light of market practice.

Reissuance of Repurchased Shares

Vote FOR requests to reissue any repurchased shares unless there is clear evidence of abuse of this authority in the past.

Capitalization of Reserves for Bonus Issues/Increase in Par Value

Vote FOR requests to capitalize reserves for bonus issues of shares or to increase par value.

Reorganizations/Restructurings

Vote reorganizations and restructurings on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Reincorporation Proposals

Vote reincorporation proposals on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

 

 

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Related-Party Transactions

Vote related-party transactions on a CASE-BY-CASE basis, considering factors including, but not limited to, the following:

 

   

The parties on either side of the transaction;

 

   

The nature of the asset to be transferred/service to be provided;

 

   

The pricing of the transaction (and any associated professional valuation);

 

   

The views of independent directors (where provided);

 

   

The views of an independent financial adviser (where appointed);

 

   

Whether any entities party to the transaction (including advisers) is conflicted; and The stated rationale for the transaction, including discussions of timing

 

6.

Environmental and Social Issues

 

Overall

Approach

Proposals considered under this category could include, among others, requests that a company:

 

   

Publish a report or additional information related to the company’s business and impact on stakeholders;

 

   

Disclose policies related to specific business practices and/or services;

 

   

Conduct third party audits, reports or studies related to the company’s business practices, services and/or impact on stakeholders

When evaluating environmental and social shareholder proposals, the following factors are generally considered:

 

   

Whether the subject of the proposal is considered to be material;

 

   

The company’s current level of publicly available disclosure, including if the company already discloses similar information through existing reports or policies;

 

   

The proponent of the proposal;

 

   

If the company has implemented or formally committed to the implementation of a reporting program based on the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board’s (SASB) materiality standards, the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosure’s (TCFD) recommendations, or a similar standard;

 

   

Whether adoption of the proposal is likely to enhance or protect shareholder value;

 

   

Whether the information requested concerns business issues that relate to a meaningful percentage of the company’s business;

 

   

The degree to which the company’s stated position on the issues raised in the proposal could affect its reputation or sales, or leave it vulnerable to a boycott or selective purchasing;

 

   

Whether the company has already responded in some appropriate manner to the request embodied in the proposal;

 

   

What other companies in the relevant industry have done in response to the issue addressed in the proposal;

 

   

Whether the proposal itself is well framed and the cost of preparing the report and/or the implementation is reasonable;

 

   

Whether the subject of the proposal is best left to the discretion of the board;

 

   

Whether the company has material fines or violations in the area and if so, if appropriate actions have already been taken to remedy going forward;

 

   

Whether providing this information would reveal proprietary or confidential information that would place the company at a competitive disadvantage.

 

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Environmental Issues

Climate Transition Plans

Generally vote CASE-BY-CASE on management proposed climate transition plans. When evaluating management proposed plans, the following factors are generally considered:

 

   

If the company has detailed disclosure of the governance, strategy, risk mitigation efforts, and metrics and targets based on the TCFD’s recommendations, or a similar standard;

 

   

If the company has detailed disclosure of their current emissions data based on the SASB materiality framework; and

 

   

If the company has detailed disclosure in line with Paris Agreement goals.

Generally vote CASE-BY-CASE on shareholder proposals requesting climate transition plans. When evaluating these shareholder proposals, the following factors are generally considered:

 

   

The company’s current level of publicly available disclosure including if the company already discloses similar information through existing reports or policies;

 

   

If the proposal asks for detailed disclosure according to the TCFD’s recommendations;

 

   

If the proposal asks for detailed disclosure of the company’s current emissions data based on the SASB materiality framework;

 

   

If the proposal asks for long-term targets, as well as short and medium term milestones;

 

   

If the proposal asks for targets to be aligned to a globally accepted framework, such as Paris Aligned or Net Zero;

 

   

If the proposal asks for targets to be approved by the Science Based Target Initiative (“SBTi”);

 

   

If the proposal seeks to add reasonable transparency and is not onerous or overly prescriptive; and

 

   

Whether the proposal is binding or non-binding.

Environmental Sustainability Reporting

Generally vote FOR shareholders proposals requesting the company to report on its policies, initiatives and oversight mechanisms related to environmental sustainability, including the impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss. The following factors will be considered:

 

   

The company’s current level of publicly available disclosure including if the company already discloses similar information through existing reports or policies;

 

   

If the company has formally committed to the implementation of a reporting program based on the SASB materiality standards, the TCFD’s recommendations, or a similar standard within a specified time frame;

 

   

If the company’s current level of disclosure is comparable to that of its industry peers; and

 

   

If there are significant controversies, fines, penalties, or litigation associated with the company’s environmental performance.

Other Environmental Proposals

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on the following shareholder proposals if relevant to the company:

 

   

Seeking information on the financial, physical, or regulatory risks a company faces related to climate change on its operations and investment, or on how the company identifies, measures and manages such risks;

 

   

Calling for the reduction of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions;

 

   

Seeking reports on responses to regulatory and public pressures surrounding climate change, and for disclosure of research that aided in setting company policies around climate change;

 

   

Requesting an action plan including science based targets and a commitment to net zero emissions by 2050 or earlier;

 

   

Requesting a report/disclosure of goals on GHG emissions from company operations and/or products;

 

   

Requesting a company report on its energy efficiency policies; and

 

   

Requesting reports on the feasibility of developing renewable energy resources.

 

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Social Issues

Board and Workforce Demographics

A company should have a clear, public Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) statement and/or diversity policy. Generally vote FOR proposals seeking to amend a company’s EEO statement or diversity policies to additionally prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity.

Generally vote FOR proposals requesting reports on a company’s efforts to diversify the board, unless:

 

   

The gender and racial minority representation of the company’s board is reasonably inclusive in relation to companies of similar size and business; and

 

   

The board already reports on its nominating procedures and gender and racial minority initiatives on the board.

Gender Pay Gap

Generally vote CASE-BY-CASE on proposals requesting reports on a company’s pay data by gender, or a report on a company’s policies and goals to reduce any gender pay gap, taking into account:

 

   

The company’s current policies and disclosure related to both its diversity and inclusion policies and practices and its compensation philosophy and fair and equitable compensation practices;

 

   

Whether the company has been the subject of recent controversy, litigation or regulatory actions related to gender pay gap issues; and

 

   

Whether the company’s reporting regarding gender pay gap policies or initiatives is lagging its peers.

Labor, Human and Animal Rights Standards

Generally vote FOR proposals requesting a report on company or company supplier labor, human, and/or animal rights standards and policies, or on the impact of its operations on society, unless such information is already publicly disclosed considering:

 

   

The degree to which existing relevant policies and practices are disclosed;

 

   

Whether or not existing relevant policies are consistent with internationally recognized standards;

 

   

Whether company facilities and those of its suppliers are monitored and how;

 

   

Company participation in fair labor organizations or other internationally recognized human rights initiatives;

 

   

Scope and nature of business conducted in markets known to have higher risk of workplace labor/human rights abuse;

 

   

Recent, significant company controversies, fines, or litigation regarding human rights at the company or its suppliers;

 

   

The scope of the request; and

 

   

Deviation from industry sector peer company standards and practices.

Generally vote CASE-BY-CASE on shareholder proposals requesting reports about a company’s use of mandatory arbitrations in employment claims, taking into account the company’s existing policies and disclosures of policies.

Generally vote CASE-BY-CASE on shareholder proposals requesting reports on the actions taken by a company to prevent sexual and other forms of harassment or on the risks posed by the company’s failure to take such actions, taking into account the company’s existing policies and disclosures of policies.

 

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Racial Equity Audit

 

   

Generally vote CASE-BY-CASE on shareholder proposals requesting the board oversee a racial equity audit. While we believe the decision to initiate an independent audit is best left to management judgment under the oversight of the board of directors, the following factors are generally considered:

 

   

The degree to which existing relevant policies and practices are disclosed;

 

   

Recent, significant company controversies, fines, or litigation regarding human rights at the company or its suppliers; and

 

   

Whether the gender and racial minority representation of the company’s board is reasonably inclusive in relation to companies of similar size and business.

Political Contributions and Trade Association Spending/Lobbying Expenditures and Initiatives

We generally believe that it is the role of boards and management to determine the appropriate level of disclosure of all types of corporate political activity. When evaluating these proposals, we consider the prescriptive nature of the proposal and the overall benefit to shareholders along with a company’s current disclosure of policies, practices and oversight.

Generally vote AGAINST proposals asking the company to affirm political nonpartisanship in the workplace so long as:

 

   

There are no recent, significant controversies, fines or litigation regarding the company’s political contributions or trade association spending; and

 

   

The company has procedures in place to ensure that employee contributions to company-sponsored political action committees (PACs) are strictly voluntary and prohibits coercion.

Generally vote AGAINST proposals requesting increased disclosure of a company’s policies with respect to political contributions, lobbying and trade association spending as long as:

 

   

There is no significant potential threat or actual harm to shareholders’ interests;

 

   

There are no recent significant controversies or litigation related to the company’s political contributions or governmental affairs; and

 

   

There is publicly available information to assess the company’s oversight related to such expenditures of corporate assets.

We generally will vote AGAINST proposals asking for detailed disclosure of political contributions or trade association or lobbying expenditures.

We generally will vote AGAINST proposals barring the company from making political contributions. Businesses are affected by legislation at the federal, state, and local level and barring political contributions can put the company at a competitive disadvantage.

 

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Region: Japan Proxy Items

The following section is a broad summary of the Guidelines, which form the basis of the Policy with respect to Japanese public equity investments of operating and/or holding companies. Applying these guidelines is not inclusive of all considerations in the Japanese market.

 

1.

Operational Items

Financial Results/Director and Auditor Reports

Vote FOR approval of financial statements and director and auditor reports, unless:

 

   

There are concerns about the accounts presented or audit procedures used; or

 

   

The company is not responsive to shareholder questions about specific items that should be publicly disclosed.

Appointment of Auditors and Auditor Fees

Vote FOR the re-election of auditors and proposals authorizing the board to fix auditor fees, unless:

 

   

There are serious concerns about the accounts presented, audit procedures used or audit opinion rendered;

 

   

There is reason to believe that the auditor has rendered an opinion that is neither accurate nor indicative of the company’s financial position;

 

   

Name of the proposed auditor has not been published;

 

   

The auditors are being changed without explanation;

 

   

Non-audit-related fees are substantial or are in excess of standard annual audit-related fees; or

 

   

The appointment of external auditors if they have previously served the company in an executive capacity or can otherwise be considered affiliated with the company.

Reincorporation Proposals

Vote reincorporation proposals on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Allocation of Income

Vote FOR approval of the allocation of income, unless:

 

   

The dividend payout ratio has been consistently low without adequate explanation; or

 

   

The payout is excessive given the company’s financial position;

Amendments to Articles of Association

Vote amendments to the articles of association on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Change in Company Fiscal Term

Vote FOR resolutions to change a company’s fiscal term unless a company’s motivation for the change is to postpone its annual general meeting.

Amend Quorum Requirements

Vote proposals to amend quorum requirements for shareholder meetings on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Virtual Meetings

Generally vote AGAINST proposals allowing for the convening of virtual-only* shareholder meetings.

 

*

The phrase “virtual-only shareholder meeting” refers to a meeting of shareholders that is held exclusively through the use of online technology without a corresponding in-person meeting. The term “hybrid shareholder meeting” refers to an in-person, or physical, meeting in which shareholders are permitted to participate online.

 

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2.

Board of Directors and Statutory Auditors

The board of directors should promote the interests of shareholders by acting in an oversight and/or advisory role; should have independent oversight of management; and should be held accountable for actions and results related to their responsibilities.

Voting on Director Nominees in Uncontested Elections

Vote on director nominees should be determined on a CASE-BY-CASE basis taking into consideration the following:.

 

   

The company’s committee structure: statutory auditor board structure, U.S.-type three committee structure, or audit committee structure; or

 

   

Adequate disclosure has not been provided in a timely manner; or

 

   

There are clear concerns over questionable finances or restatements; or

 

   

There have been questionable transactions or conflicts of interest; or

 

   

There are any records of abuses against minority shareholder interests; or

 

   

The board fails to meet minimum corporate governance standards; or

 

   

There are reservations about:

 

   

Director terms

 

   

Bundling of proposals to elect directors

 

   

Board independence

 

   

Disclosure of named nominees

 

   

Combined Chairman/CEO

 

   

Election of former CEO as Chairman of the board

 

   

Overboarded directors

 

   

Composition of committees

 

   

Director independence

 

   

Number of directors on the board

 

   

Lack of gender diversity on the board

 

   

Specific concerns about the individual or company, such as criminal wrongdoing or breach of fiduciary responsibilities; or

 

   

There are other considerations which may include sanctions from government or authority, violations of laws and regulations, or other issues related to improper business practice, failure to replace management, or egregious actions related to service on other boards.

Vote AGAINST top executives when the company has an excessive amount of strategic shareholdings.

Vote AGAINST top executives when the company has posted average return on equity (ROE) of less than five percent over the last five fiscal years.

Vote AGAINST top executives when the company does not disclose various components of current emissions, a proxy for a company’s dependency on fossil fuels and other sources of greenhouse gasses (such as Scope 1, Scope 2, Scope 3 emissions), material to the company’s business. For companies with 3-committee structure boards, vote AGAINST the Audit Committee Chair.

Board Composition

We generally believe diverse teams have the potential to outperform and we expect the companies that we invest in to focus on the importance of diversity. When evaluating board composition, we believe a diversity of ethnicity, gender and experience is an important consideration. We encourage companies to disclose the composition of their board in the proxy statement and may vote against members of the board without disclosure. See below how we execute our vote at companies that do not meet our diversity expectations.

 

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Vote AGAINST members of the Nominating Committee if the Board does not have at least 10% women directors. For Japanese boards with statutory auditors or audit committee structure, vote AGAINST top executives.

Director Independence

Classification of Directors

Inside Director

 

   

Employee or executive of the company;

 

   

Any director who is not classified as an outside director of the company.

Non-Independent Non-Executive Director (affiliated outsider)

 

   

Any director specifically designated as a representative of a significant shareholder of the company;

 

   

Any director who is/was also an employee or executive of a significant shareholder of the company;

 

   

Beneficial owner (direct or indirect) of at least 10% of the company’s stock, or one of the top 10 shareholders, either in economic terms or in voting rights (this may be aggregated if voting power is distributed among more than one member of a defined group, e.g., family members who beneficially own less than 10% individually, but collectively own more than 10%)

 

   

Government representative;

 

   

Currently provides or previously provided professional services to the company or to an affiliate of the company;

 

   

Represents customer, supplier, creditor, banker, or other entity with which company maintains

 

   

transactional/commercial relationship (unless company discloses information to apply a materiality test);

 

   

Any director who worked at the company’s external audit firm (auditor).

 

   

Any director who has conflicting or cross-directorships with executive directors or the chairman of the company;

 

   

Relative of a current employee of the company or its affiliates;

 

   

Any director who works or has worked at a company whose shares are held by the company in question as strategic shareholdings (i.e. “cross-shareholdings”)

 

   

Former executive;

 

   

Any director who has served at a company as an outside director for 12 years or more;

 

   

Any additional relationship or principle considered to compromise independence under local corporate governance best practice guidance.

 

   

“Cooling off period” for former employees or executives’ representation of significant shareholders and other stakeholders, as well as professional services is considered based on the market best practices and liquidity of executive labor market.

Independent Non-Executive Directors (independent outsider)

 

   

No material connection, either directly or indirectly, to the company other than a board seat.

At companies adopting a board with a statutory auditor committee structure or an audit committee structure, vote AGAINST top executives when the board consists of fewer than two outside directors or less than 1/3 of the board consists of outside directors.

At companies adopting an audit committee structure, vote AGAINST affiliated outside directors who are audit committee members.

 

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At companies adopting a U.S.-type three committee structure, vote AGAINST members of Nominating Committee when the board consists of fewer than two outside directors or less than 1/3 of the board consists of outside directors.

At companies adopting a U.S.-type three committee structure, vote AGAINST affiliated outside directors when less than a majority of the board consists of independent outside directors.

At controlled companies adopting board with a statutory auditor structure or an audit committee structure, vote AGAINST top executives if the board does not consist of majority independent outside directors.

Director Accountability

Vote AGAINST individual outside directors who attend less than 75% of the board and/or committee meetings without a disclosed valid excuse.

Other items considered for an AGAINST vote include specific concerns about the individual or the company, such as criminal wrongdoing or breach of fiduciary responsibilities, sanctions from government or authority, violations of laws and regulations, the presence of inappropriate related party transactions, or other issues related to improper business practices

Vote AGAINST members of the full board or appropriate committee (or only the independent chairman or lead director as may be appropriate in situations such as where there is a classified board and members of the appropriate committee are not up for re-election or the appropriate committee is comprised of the entire board) for the below reasons. New nominees will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Extreme cases may warrant a vote against the entire board.

 

   

Material failures of governance, stewardship, or fiduciary responsibilities at the company, including but not limited to violations of global norms principles and/or other significant global standards;

 

   

Failure to disclose material environmental, social and governance information;

 

   

Egregious actions related to the director(s)’ service on other boards that raise substantial doubt about his or her ability to effectively oversee management and serve the best interests of shareholders at any company;

 

   

The board adopts or renews a poison pill without shareholder approval, does not commit to putting it to shareholder vote within 12 months of adoption (or in the case of a newly public company, does not commit to put the pill to a shareholder vote within 12 months following the IPO), or reneges on a commitment to put the pill to a vote, and has not yet received a withhold/against recommendation for this issue;

 

   

The board failed to act on takeover offers where the majority of the shareholders tendered their shares;

 

   

If in an extreme situation the board lacks accountability and oversight, coupled with sustained poor performance relative to peers.

Voting on Director Nominees in Contested Elections

Vote on a CASE-BY-CASE basis in contested elections of directors, e.g., the election of shareholder nominees or the dismissal of incumbent directors, determining which directors are best suited to add value for shareholders.

The analysis will generally be based on, but not limited to, the following major decision factors:

 

   

Company performance relative to its peers;

 

   

Strategy of the incumbents versus the dissidents;

 

   

Independence of board candidates;

 

   

Experience and skills of board candidates;

 

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Governance profile of the company;

 

   

Evidence of management entrenchment;

 

   

Responsiveness to shareholders;

 

   

Whether a takeover offer has been rebuffed;

 

   

Whether minority or majority representation is being sought.

Other Board Related Proposals (Management and Shareholder)

Vote AGAINST the introduction of classified boards and mandatory retirement ages for directors.

Vote AGAINST proposals to alter board structure or size in the context of a fight for control of the company or the board.

Independent Board Chair

We will generally vote AGAINST shareholder proposals requiring that the chairman’s position be filled by an independent director, if the company satisfies 3 of the 4 following criteria:

 

   

Two-thirds independent board;

 

   

A designated, or a rotating, lead director, elected by and from the independent board members with clearly delineated and comprehensive duties;

 

   

Fully independent key committees; and/or

 

   

Established, publicly disclosed, governance guidelines and director biographies/profiles.

Statutory Auditor Elections

Statutory Auditor Independence

Vote AGAINST affiliated outside statutory auditors.

For definition of affiliated outsiders, see “Classification of Directors

Statutory Auditor Appointment

Vote FOR management nominees taking into consideration the following:

 

   

Adequate disclosure has not been provided in a timely manner; or

 

   

There are clear concerns over questionable finances or restatements; or

 

   

There have been questionable transactions or conflicts of interest; or

 

   

There are any records of abuses against minority shareholder interests; or

 

   

The board fails to meet minimum corporate governance standards; or

 

   

Specific concerns about the individual or company, such as criminal wrongdoing or breach of fiduciary responsibilities; or

 

   

Outside statutory auditor’s attendance at less than 75% of the board and statutory auditor meetings without a disclosed valid excuse; or

 

   

Unless there are other considerations which may include sanctions from government or authority, violations of laws and regulations, or other issues related to improper business practice, failure to replace management, or egregious actions related to service on other boards.

 

3.

Compensation

Director Compensation

Vote FOR proposals to award cash fees to non-executive directors unless the amounts are excessive relative to other companies in the country or industry.

 

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Vote non-executive director compensation proposals that include both cash and share-based components on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Vote proposals that bundle compensation for both non-executive and executive directors into a single resolution on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Vote AGAINST proposals to introduce retirement bonuses for outside directors and/or outside statutory auditors, unless the amounts are disclosed and are not excessive relative to other companies in the country or industry.

Compensation Plans

Vote compensation plans on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Director, Officer, and Auditor Indemnification and Liability Provisions

Vote proposals seeking indemnification and liability protection for directors and statutory auditors on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Vote AGAINST proposals to indemnify auditors.

 

4.

Shareholder Rights and Defenses

Antitakeover Mechanisms

Generally vote AGAINST all antitakeover proposals, unless certain conditions are met to ensure the proposal is intended to enhance shareholder value, including consideration of the company’s governance structure, the anti-takeover defense duration, the trigger mechanism and governance, and the intended purpose of the antitakeover defense.

 

5.

Strategic Transactions and Capital Structures

 

Reorganizations/Restructurings

Vote reorganizations and restructurings on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Mergers and Acquisitions

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on mergers and acquisitions taking into account the following based on publicly available information:

 

   

Valuation;

 

   

Market reaction;

 

   

Strategic rationale;

 

   

Management’s track record of successful integration of historical acquisitions;

 

   

Presence of conflicts of interest; and

 

   

Governance profile of the combined company.

Dual Class Structures

Vote FOR resolutions that seek to maintain or convert to a one-share, one-vote capital structure.

Vote AGAINST requests for the creation or continuation of dual-class capital structures or the creation of new or additional super voting shares.

 

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Share Issuance Requests

General Issuances:

Vote FOR issuance requests with preemptive rights to a maximum of 100% over currently issued capital. Vote FOR issuance requests without preemptive rights to a maximum of 20% of currently issued capital.

Specific Issuances:

Vote on a CASE-BY-CASE basis on all requests, with or without preemptive rights.

Increases in Authorized Capital

Vote FOR non-specific proposals to increase authorized capital up to 100% over the current authorization unless the increase would leave the company with less than 30% of its new authorization outstanding.

Vote FOR specific proposals to increase authorized capital to any amount, unless:

 

   

The specific purpose of the increase (such as a share-based acquisition or merger) does not meet guidelines for the purpose being proposed.

Vote AGAINST proposals to adopt unlimited capital authorizations.

Reduction of Capital

Vote FOR proposals to reduce capital for routine accounting purposes unless the terms are unfavorable to shareholders.

Vote proposals to reduce capital in connection with corporate restructuring on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Preferred Stock

Vote FOR the creation of a new class of preferred stock or for issuances of preferred stock up to 50% of issued capital unless the terms of the preferred stock would adversely affect the rights of existing shareholders.

Vote FOR the creation/issuance of convertible preferred stock as long as the maximum number of common shares that could be issued upon conversion meets guidelines on equity issuance requests.

Vote AGAINST the creation of a new class of preference shares that would carry superior voting rights to the common shares.

Vote AGAINST the creation of blank check preferred stock unless the board clearly states that the authorization will not be used to thwart a takeover bid.

Vote proposals to increase blank check preferred authorizations on a CASE-BY-CASE basis.

Share Repurchase Plans

We will generally recommend FOR share repurchase programs taking into account whether:

 

   

The share repurchase program can be used as a takeover defense;

 

   

There is clear evidence of historical abuse;

 

   

There is no safeguard in the share repurchase program against selective buybacks;

 

   

Pricing provisions and safeguards in the share repurchase program are deemed to be unreasonable in light of market practice.

 

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Related-Party Transactions

Vote related-party transactions on a CASE-BY-CASE basis, considering factors including, but not limited to, the following:

 

   

The parties on either side of the transaction;

 

   

The nature of the asset to be transferred/service to be provided;

 

   

The pricing of the transaction (and any associated professional valuation);

 

   

The views of independent directors (where provided);

 

   

The views of an independent financial adviser (where appointed);

 

   

Whether any entities party to the transaction (including advisers) is conflicted; and

 

   

The stated rationale for the transaction, including discussions of timing.

 

6.

Environmental and Social Issues

Overall Approach

Proposals considered under this category could include, among others, requests that a company:

 

   

Publish a report or additional information related to the company’s business and impact on stakeholders;

 

   

Disclose policies related to specific business practices and/or services;

 

   

Conduct third party audits, reports or studies related to the company’s business practices, services and/or impact on stakeholders

When evaluating environmental and social shareholder proposals, the following factors are generally considered:

 

   

Whether the subject of the proposal is considered to be material;

 

   

The company’s current level of publicly available disclosure, including if the company already discloses similar information through existing reports or policies;

 

   

The proponent of the proposal;

 

   

If the company has implemented or formally committed to the implementation of a reporting program based on the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board’s (SASB) materiality standards, the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosure’s (TCFD) recommendations, or a similar standard;

 

   

Whether adoption of the proposal is likely to enhance or protect shareholder value;

 

   

Whether the information requested concerns business issues that relate to a meaningful percentage of the company’s business;

 

   

The degree to which the company’s stated position on the issues raised in the proposal could affect its reputation or sales, or leave it vulnerable to a boycott or selective purchasing;

 

   

Whether the company has already responded in some appropriate manner to the request embodied in the proposal;

 

   

What other companies in the relevant industry have done in response to the issue addressed in the proposal;

 

   

Whether the proposal itself is well framed and the cost of preparing the report and/or the implementation is reasonable;

 

   

Whether the subject of the proposal is best left to the discretion of the board;

 

   

Whether the company has material fines or violations in the area and if so, if appropriate actions have already been taken to remedy going forward;

 

   

Whether providing this information would reveal proprietary or confidential information that would place the company at a competitive disadvantage.

 

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Environmental Issues

Climate Transition Plans

Generally vote CASE-BY-CASE on management proposed climate transition plans. When evaluating management proposed plans, the following factors are generally considered:

 

   

If the company has detailed disclosure of the governance, strategy, risk mitigation efforts, and metrics and targets based on the TCFD’s recommendations, or a similar standard;

 

   

If the company has detailed disclosure of their current emissions data based on the SASB materiality framework; and

 

   

If the company has detailed disclosure in line with Paris Agreement goals.

Generally vote CASE-BY-CASE on shareholder proposals requesting climate transition plans. When evaluating these shareholder proposals, the following factors are generally considered:

 

   

The company’s current level of publicly available disclosure including if the company already discloses similar information through existing reports or policies;

 

   

If the proposal asks for detailed disclosure according to the TCFD’s recommendations;

 

   

If the proposal asks for detailed disclosure of the company’s current emissions data based on the SASB materiality framework;

 

   

If the proposal asks for long-term targets, as well as short and medium term milestones;

 

   

If the proposal asks for targets to be aligned to a globally accepted framework, such as Paris Aligned or Net Zero;

 

   

If the proposal asks for targets to be approved by the Science Based Target Initiative (“SBTi”);

 

   

If the proposal seeks to add reasonable transparency and is not onerous or overly prescriptive; and

 

   

Whether the proposal is binding or non-binding.

Environmental Sustainability Reporting

Generally vote FOR shareholders proposals requesting the company to report on its policies, initiatives and oversight mechanisms related to environmental sustainability, including the impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss. The following factors will be considered:

 

   

The company’s current level of publicly available disclosure including if the company already discloses similar information through existing reports or policies;

 

   

If the company has formally committed to the implementation of a reporting program based on the SASB materiality standards, the TCFD’s recommendations, or a similar standard within a specified time frame;

 

   

If the company’s current level of disclosure is comparable to that of its industry peers; and

 

   

If there are significant controversies, fines, penalties, or litigation associated with the company’s environmental performance.

Other Environmental Proposals

Vote CASE-BY-CASE on the following shareholder proposals if relevant to the company:

 

   

Seeking information on the financial, physical, or regulatory risks a company faces related to climate change on its operations and investment, or on how the company identifies, measures and manages such risks;

 

   

Calling for the reduction of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions;

 

   

Seeking reports on responses to regulatory and public pressures surrounding climate change, and for disclosure of research that aided in setting company policies around climate change;

 

   

Requesting an action plan including science based targets and a commitment to net zero emissions by 2050 or earlier;

 

   

Requesting a report/disclosure of goals on GHG emissions from company operations and/or products;

 

   

Requesting a company report on its energy efficiency policies; and

 

   

Requesting reports on the feasibility of developing renewable energy resources.

 

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Social Issues

Board and Workforce Demographics

A company should have a clear, public Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) statement and/or diversity policy. Generally vote FOR proposals seeking to amend a company’s EEO statement or diversity policies to additionally prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity.

Generally vote FOR proposals requesting reports on a company’s efforts to diversify the board, unless:

 

   

The gender and racial minority representation of the company’s board is reasonably inclusive in relation to companies of similar size and business; and

 

   

The board already reports on its nominating procedures and gender and racial minority initiatives on the board.

Gender Pay Gap

Generally vote CASE-BY-CASE on proposals requesting reports on a company’s pay data by gender, or a report on a company’s policies and goals to reduce any gender pay gap, taking into account:

 

   

The company’s current policies and disclosure related to both its diversity and inclusion policies and practices and its compensation philosophy and fair and equitable compensation practices;

 

   

Whether the company has been the subject of recent controversy, litigation or regulatory actions related to gender pay gap issues; and

 

   

Whether the company’s reporting regarding gender pay gap policies or initiatives is lagging its peers.

Labor, Human and Animal Rights Standards

Generally vote FOR proposals requesting a report on company or company supplier labor, human, and/or animal rights standards and policies, or on the impact of its operations on society, unless such information is already publicly disclosed considering:

 

   

The degree to which existing relevant policies and practices are disclosed;

 

   

Whether or not existing relevant policies are consistent with internationally recognized standards;

 

   

Whether company facilities and those of its suppliers are monitored and how;

 

   

Company participation in fair labor organizations or other internationally recognized human rights initiatives;

 

   

Scope and nature of business conducted in markets known to have higher risk of workplace labor/human rights abuse;

 

   

Recent, significant company controversies, fines, or litigation regarding human rights at the company or its suppliers;

 

   

The scope of the request; and

 

   

Deviation from industry sector peer company standards and practices.

Generally vote CASE-BY-CASE on shareholder proposals requesting reports about a company’s use of mandatory arbitrations in employment claims, taking into account the company’s existing policies and disclosures of policies.

Generally vote CASE-BY-CASE on shareholder proposals requesting reports on the actions taken by a company to prevent sexual and other forms of harassment or on the risks posed by the company’s failure to take such actions, taking into account the company’s existing policies and disclosures of policies.

 

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Racial Equity Audit

 

   

Generally vote CASE-BY-CASE on shareholder proposals requesting the board oversee a racial equity audit. While we believe the decision to initiate an independent audit is best left to management judgment under the oversight of the board of directors, the following factors are generally considered:

 

   

The degree to which existing relevant policies and practices are disclosed;

 

   

Recent, significant company controversies, fines, or litigation regarding human rights at the company or its suppliers; and

 

   

Whether the gender and racial minority representation of the company’s board is reasonably inclusive in relation to companies of similar size and business.

Political Contributions and Trade Association Spending/Lobbying Expenditures and Initiatives

We generally believe that it is the role of boards and management to determine the appropriate level of disclosure of all types of corporate political activity. When evaluating these proposals, we consider the prescriptive nature of the proposal and the overall benefit to shareholders along with a company’s current disclosure of policies, practices and oversight.

Generally vote AGAINST proposals asking the company to affirm political nonpartisanship in the workplace so long as:

 

   

There are no recent, significant controversies, fines or litigation regarding the company’s political contributions or trade association spending; and

 

   

The company has procedures in place to ensure that employee contributions to company-sponsored political action committees (PACs) are strictly voluntary and prohibits coercion.

Generally vote AGAINST proposals requesting increased disclosure of a company’s policies with respect to political contributions, lobbying and trade association spending as long as:

 

   

There is no significant potential threat or actual harm to shareholders’ interests;

 

   

There are no recent significant controversies or litigation related to the company’s political contributions or governmental affairs; and

 

   

There is publicly available information to assess the company’s oversight related to such expenditures of corporate assets.

We generally will vote AGAINST proposals asking for detailed disclosure of political contributions or trade association or lobbying expenditures.

We generally will vote AGAINST proposals barring the company from making political contributions. Businesses are affected by legislation at the federal, state, and local level and barring political contributions can put the company at a competitive disadvantage.

 

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EX-99.(3)(1) 2 d410243dex9931.htm FORM OF CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION Form of Certificate of Incorporation

Exhibit 3.1

CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

OF

GOLDMAN SACHS PRIVATE CREDIT CORP.

I, the undersigned, being the Incorporator for purposes of incorporating and organizing a corporation under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, do make, file and record this Certificate of Incorporation and do hereby certify as follows:

ARTICLE I.

NAME

The name of the corporation is Goldman Sachs Private Credit Corp. (the “Corporation”).

ARTICLE II.

REGISTERED OFFICE AND AGENT

The address of the registered office of the Corporation in the State of Delaware is Corporation Trust Center, 1209 Orange Street in the City of Wilmington, County of New Castle, 19801. The name of the registered agent of the Corporation in the State of Delaware at such address is The Corporation Trust Company.

ARTICLE III.

PURPOSE

The purpose of the Corporation is to engage in any lawful act or activity for which corporations may be organized under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”) and to possess and exercise all of the powers and privileges granted by such law and any other law of the State of Delaware.

ARTICLE IV.

DEFINITIONS

As used in this Certificate of Incorporation, the following terms shall have the following meanings unless the context otherwise requires:

Acquisition Expenses” means expenses, including but not limited to legal fees and expenses, travel and communication expenses, costs regarding determination of creditworthiness and due diligence on prospective portfolio holding companies, non-refundable option payments on assets not acquired, accounting fees and expenses, and miscellaneous expenses relating to the purchase or acquisition of assets, whether or not acquired.


Acquisition Fees” means any and all fees and commissions, exclusive of Acquisition Expenses, paid by any Person to any other Person (including any fees or commissions paid by or to any Affiliate of the Corporation or the Adviser) in connection with the initial purchase or acquisition of assets by the Corporation. Included in the computation of such fees or commissions shall be any commission, selection fee, supervision fee, financing fee, non-recurring management fee or any fee of a similar nature, however designated.

Additional Preferred Directors” has the meaning ascribed to it in Section G of Article XI hereof.

Administrator” means State Street Bank and Trust Company, any Person to whom the Administrator subcontracts any and all such services and any successor to an Administrator who enters into an administrative services agreement with the Corporation or who subcontracts with a successor Administrator.

Adviser” means Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P., or an affiliated successor in interest thereto, any Person to whom the Adviser subcontracts substantially all such services pursuant to a sub-advisory agreement and any successor to an Adviser who enters into an Advisory Agreement with the Corporation or who subcontracts with a successor Adviser.

Advisers Act” means the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended from time to time, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

Advisory Agreement” means that certain investment advisory agreement between the Corporation and the Adviser named therein pursuant to which the Adviser will act as the adviser to the Corporation and provide investment advisory, investment management and other specified services to the Corporation, including any sub-advisory agreement.

Affiliate” or “Affiliated” means (subject to the limits under the Investment Company Act or an exemptive order from the SEC, as each may be applicable) with respect to any specified Person:

(a) any other Person directly or indirectly owning, controlling or holding, with the power to vote, ten percent (10%) or more of the outstanding voting securities of such specified Person;

(b) any other Person ten percent (10%) or more of whose outstanding voting securities are directly or indirectly owned, controlled or held, with the power to vote, by such specified Person;

(c) any other Person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by or under common control with such specified Person;

(d) any officer, director, trustee, partner, copartner or employee of such specified Person; and

(e) if such specified Person is an investment company, any investment adviser thereof or any member of an advisory board thereof.

 

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Assessment” means an additional amount of capital that may be mandatorily required of, or paid voluntarily by, a Stockholder beyond his, her or its subscription commitment excluding deferred payments.

Benefit Plan Investor” means a benefit plan investor as defined in the Plan Asset Regulations.

Board of Directors” means the Corporation’s board of directors, as of any particular time.

Bylaws” has the meaning ascribed to it in Section B of Article XVI hereof.

“capital contribution” means the total investment, including the original investment and amounts reinvested pursuant to a distribution reinvestment plan in a program by a participant, or by all participants, as the case may be. Unless otherwise specified, capital contributions shall be deemed to include principal amounts to be received on account of deferred payments.

cash available for distribution” means Cash Flow plus cash funds available for distribution from Corporation reserves less amounts set aside for restoration or creation of reserves.

Cash Flow” means Corporation cash funds provided from operations, without deduction for depreciation, but after deducting cash funds used to pay all other expenses, debt payments, capital improvements and replacements. Cash withdrawn from reserves is not Cash Flow.

Class D Conversion Rate” means the fraction, the numerator of which is the Class D NAV Per Share and the denominator of which is the Class I NAV Per Share.

Class D NAV Per Share” means the net asset value of the Corporation allocable to the Class D Shares (including any reduction for Stockholder Servicing Fees as described in the Prospectus, determined as described in the Prospectus, divided by the number of outstanding Class D Shares).

Class D Shares” has the meaning ascribed to it in Section A of Article V hereof.

Class I NAV Per Share” means the net asset value of the Corporation allocable to the Class I Shares, determined as described in the Prospectus, divided by the number of outstanding Class I Shares.

Class I Shares” has the meaning ascribed to it in Section A of Article V hereof.

Class S Conversion Rate” means the fraction, the numerator of which is the Class S NAV Per Share and the denominator of which is the Class I NAV Per Share.

Class S NAV Per Share” means the net asset value of the Corporation allocable to the Class S Shares (including any reduction for Stockholder Servicing Fees as described in the Prospectus, determined as described in the Prospectus, divided by the number of outstanding Class S Shares).

 

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Class S Shares” has the meaning ascribed to it in Section A of Article V hereof.

Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time, or any successor statute thereto. Reference to any provision of the Code shall mean such provision as in effect from time to time, as the same may be amended, and any successor provision thereto, as interpreted by any applicable regulations as in effect from time to time.

Commencement of the Initial Public Offering” means the date that the SEC declares effective the registration statement filed under the Securities Act for the Initial Public Offering.

Common Stock” has the meaning ascribed to it in Section A of Article V hereof.

Controlling Person” means (subject to the limits under the Investment Company Act or an exemptive order from the SEC, as each may be applicable), all Persons, whatever their titles, who perform functions for the Sponsor similar to those of: (a) chairman or member of the board of directors; (b) executive officers; and (c) those holding ten percent or more equity interest in the Sponsor or a Person having the power to direct or cause the direction of the Sponsor, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract, or otherwise.

Corporation” has the meaning ascribed to it in Article I hereof.

DGCL” has the meaning ascribed to it in Article III hereof.

ERISA” means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended.

ERISA Controlling Person” means a Person (other than a Benefit Plan Investor) who has discretionary authority or control with respect to the assets of the Corporation or who provides investment advice for a fee (direct or indirect) with respect to such assets, or any affiliate of such a Person within the meaning of 29 C.F.R. § 2510.3-101(f)(3).

Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

Exemptive Order” means an exemptive order issued by the SEC that permits the Corporation to offer and issue multiple classes of Shares of Common Stock.

Front End Fees” means fees and expenses paid by any party for any services rendered to organize the Corporation and to acquire assets for the Corporation, including Organization and Offering Expenses, Acquisition Fees, Acquisition Expenses, and any other similar fees, however designated by the Sponsor.

GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles as in effect in the United States of America from time to time or such other accounting basis mandated by the SEC.

Gross Proceeds” means the aggregate purchase price of all Shares sold for the account of the Corporation through an Offering without deduction for Selling Commissions. Solely for the purpose of computing Gross Proceeds in Section H(iii) of Article V hereof, the purchase price of any Class S Shares shall be deemed to be the full, non-discounted offering price at the time of purchase of each such Class S Share.

 

4


Independent Director” means a member of the Board of Directors who is not an Interested Person.

Independent Expert” means a Person with no material current or prior business or personal relationship with the Sponsor who is engaged to a substantial extent in the business of rendering opinions regarding the value of assets of the type held by the Corporation, and who is qualified to perform such work.

Initial Public Offering” means the first Offering pursuant to an effective registration statement filed under the Securities Act, in which the Shares offered and sold thereunder are registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Exchange Act and the Corporation is subject to the Omnibus Guidelines.

Interested Person” means a Person who is an “interested person” as that term is defined under Section 2(a)(19) of the Investment Company Act.

Investment in Program Assets” means the amount of capital contributions actually paid or allocated to the purchase or development of assets acquired by the Corporation (including working capital reserves allocable thereto, except that working capital reserves in excess of three percent shall not be included) and other cash payments such as interest and taxes but excluding Front End Fees.

Investment Company Act” means the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended from time to time, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

Liquidity Event” means a Listing or any merger, reorganization, business combination, share exchange, acquisition by any Person or related group of Persons of beneficial ownership of all or substantially all of the Shares of the Corporation in one or more related transactions, or similar transaction involving the Corporation pursuant to which the Stockholders receive for their Shares, as full or partial consideration, cash, Listed or non-Listed equity Securities or combination thereof: (a) a Listing; (b) a sale or merger in a transaction that provides Stockholders with cash and/or securities of a publicly traded company; or (c) a sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the Corporation for cash or other consideration.

Listing” means the listing of the Common Stock (or any successor thereof), including any class or series of Common Stock, on a national securities exchange or national securities association registered with the SEC or the receipt by the Stockholders of Securities that are approved for trading on a national securities exchange or national securities association registered with the SEC in exchange for the Common Stock. The term “Listed” shall have the correlative meaning. With regard to the Common Stock, upon commencement of trading of the Common Stock on a national securities exchange or national securities association registered with the SEC, the Common Stock shall be deemed Listed.

 

5


Net Worth” means the excess of total assets over total liabilities as determined by GAAP.

Non-Compliant Tender Offer” has the meaning as provided in Section L of Article IX hereof.

Offering” means any offering and sale of Shares for the account of the Corporation.

Omnibus Guidelines” means the Omnibus Guidelines Statement of Policy adopted by the North American Securities Administrators Association on March 29, 1992, and as amended on May 7, 2007, and from time to time.

Organization and Offering Expenses” means any and all costs and expenses incurred by the Corporation and to be paid from the assets of the Corporation in connection with and in preparing the formation of the Corporation and the qualification and registration of an Offering, and the marketing and distribution of Shares, including, without limitation, total underwriting and brokerage discounts and commissions (including fees of the underwriters’ attorneys), expenses for printing, engraving and amending registration statements or supplementing prospectuses, mailing and distributing costs, salaries of employees while engaged in sales activity, telephone and other telecommunications costs, all advertising and marketing expenses (including the costs related to investor and broker-dealer sales meetings), charges of transfer agents, registrars, trustees, escrow agents or holders, depositories, experts, fees, expenses and taxes related to the filing, registration and qualification of the sale of Shares under federal and state laws, including taxes and fees and accountants’ and attorneys’ fees. For the avoidance of doubt, Organization and Offering Expenses do not include selling commissions, managing dealer fees and other similar expenses paid by investors at the time of the sale of the stock of the Corporation.

Person” means an individual, corporation, partnership, estate, trust joint venture, limited liability company or other entity or association.

Placement Agent” means the entity serving as the placement agent of an Offering of the Corporation that is exempt from or otherwise not subject to the registration requirements of the Securities Act.

Plan Asset Regulation” means 29 C.F.R. § 2510.3-101, as modified by section 3(42) of ERISA.

Preferred Stock” has the meaning ascribed to it in Section A of Article V hereof.

Prospectus” shall have the meaning as provided in Section 2(a)(10) of the Securities Act, including a preliminary prospectus, an offering circular as described in Rule 256 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Securities Act or, in the case of an intrastate offering, any document by whatever name known, utilized for the purpose of offering and selling Shares to the public.

Publicly Offered Securities” means publicly offered securities as defined in 29 C.F.R. § 2510.3-101(b)(2) or any successor regulation thereto.

 

6


Reinvestment Plan” shall have the meaning provided in Section L of Article V hereof.

Reinvestment Proceeds” means, with respect to any Share issued pursuant to a Reinvestment Plan, the Class S NAV Per Share or Class D NAV Per Share, as applicable, of such Share at the time of issuance.

Roll-Up Entity” means a partnership, trust, corporation, or similar entity that would be created or would survive after the successful completion of a proposed Roll-Up Transaction.

Roll-Up Transaction” means a transaction involving the acquisition, merger, conversion or consolidation either directly or indirectly of the Corporation and the issuance of securities of a Roll-Up Entity to the Stockholders. Such term does not include:

(a) a transaction involving securities of the Corporation that have been Listed for at least twelve (12) months; or

(b) a transaction involving the conversion to another corporate form or to a trust or association form of only the Corporation, if, as a consequence of the transaction, there will be no significant adverse change in any of the following:

(i) Stockholders’ voting rights;

(ii) the term of existence of the Corporation;

(iii) Adviser compensation; or

(iv) the Corporation’s investment objective.

SEC” means the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

Securities” means Common Stock, any other Shares or other evidences of equity or beneficial or other interests, voting trust certificates, bonds, debentures, notes or other evidences of indebtedness, secured or unsecured, convertible, subordinated or otherwise, or in general any instruments commonly known as “securities” or any certificates of interest, shares or participations in, temporary or interim certificates for, receipts for, guarantees of, or warrants, options or rights to subscribe to, purchase or acquire, any of the foregoing if and only if any such item is treated as a “security” under the Exchange Act, or applicable state securities laws.

Selling Commissions” means any and all up-front fees and commissions payable to underwriters, managing dealer or other broker-dealers in connection with the sale of Shares, including, without limitation, up-front fees or commissions payable to the Placement Agent or Managing Dealer, as applicable.

Stockholder List” shall have the meaning as provided in Section E of Article IX hereof.

Stockholders” means the registered holders of the Corporation’s Shares.

 

7


Stockholder Servicing Fee” means the stockholder servicing fee payable to the Placement Agent or Managing Dealer, as applicable, and reallowable to participating dealers with respect to Class S Shares and Class D Shares and described in the Prospectus.

Shares” means shares of stock of the Corporation of any class or series, including shares of Common Stock or Preferred Stock.

Sponsor” means any person directly or indirectly instrumental in organizing, wholly or in part, a program or any person who will control, manage or participate in the management of a program, and any affiliate of such person. Not included is any person whose only relation with the program is that of an independent manager of a portion of program assets, and whose only compensation is as such. “Sponsor” does not include wholly independent third parties such as attorneys, accountants, and underwriters whose only compensation is for professional services rendered in connection with the offering of program interests. A person may also be deemed a Sponsor of the program by:

(a) taking the initiative, directly or indirectly, in founding or organizing the business or enterprise of the program, either alone or in conjunction with one or more other persons;

(b) receiving a material participation in the program in connection with the founding or organizing of the business of the program, in consideration of services or property, or both services and property;

(c) having a substantial number of relationships and contacts with the program;

(d) possessing significant rights to control program properties;

(e) receiving fees for providing services to the program which are paid on a basis that is not customary in the industry; or

(f) providing goods or services to the program on a basis which was not negotiated at arm’s length with the program.

Total Corporation-Level Underwriting Compensation” means all underwriting compensation paid or incurred with respect to an Offering from all sources, determined pursuant to the rules and guidance of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc., including Stockholder Servicing Fees and Selling Commissions.

ARTICLE V.

CAPITAL STOCK

A The total number of shares of all classes of stock that the Corporation shall have authority to issue is 3,001,000,000 Shares, initially consisting of 3,000,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share (“Common Stock”), 1,000,000,000 shares of which are classified as Class D common stock (“Class D Shares”), 1,000,000,000 shares of which are

 

8


classified as Class I common stock (“Class I Shares”) and 1,000,000,000 shares of which are classified as Class S common stock (“Class S Shares”), and 1,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share (“Preferred Stock”). All Shares shall be fully paid and non-assessable when issued. Effective upon the Commencement of the Initial Public Offering and until the earlier of a Liquidity Event or the date the Corporation is no longer subject to the Omnibus Guidelines, and only to the extent required under the Omnibus Guidelines, the Corporation shall not make any mandatory Assessments against any Stockholder beyond such Stockholder’s subscription commitment.

B Upon the effectiveness of the filing of the Certificate of Conversion of Goldman Sachs Private Credit Fund LLC (the “LLC”) to the Corporation and this Certificate of Incorporation (the “Effective Time”), all limited liability company interests in the LLC outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time shall, without any further action on the part of the Corporation or the former holder of such limited liability company interests, be converted into the consideration set forth in the Plan of Conversion of the LLC to the Corporation, a copy of which is included in the books and records of the Corporation.

C To the extent permitted by the Investment Company Act, the Board of Directors is hereby expressly authorized, by resolution or resolutions, to provide, out of the unissued shares of Preferred Stock, for one or more series of Preferred Stock and, with respect to each such series, to fix, without further stockholder approval, powers (including voting powers), preferences and relative, participating, optional and other special rights, and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, of each series of Preferred Stock and the number of shares of the series, as may be permitted by the DGCL. Unless otherwise provided in this Certificate of Incorporation, the powers, preferences and relative, participating, optional and other special rights, and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, of each series of Preferred Stock, if any, may differ from those of any and all other series of Preferred Stock at any time outstanding. Except as otherwise required by law, holders of Preferred Stock shall be entitled to only such voting rights and powers, if any, as shall expressly be granted thereto by this Certificate of Incorporation (including any certificate of designation relating to any series of Preferred Stock). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth herein or in any certificate of designation relating to any series of Preferred Stock, if one or more series of Preferred Stock is entitled, either separately or together with the holders of one or more other such series, to elect one or more directors, all series of Preferred Stock shall be entitled to participate in the vote to elect such directors, voting as a single class.

D Each holder of record of Common Stock, as such, shall have one vote for each share of Common Stock which is outstanding in his, her or its name on the books of the Corporation as of the record date for voting on all matters on which stockholders are entitled to vote generally. Except as otherwise required by law, holders of record of Common Stock shall not be entitled to vote on any amendment to this Certificate of Incorporation (including any certificate of designation relating to any series of Preferred Stock) that relates solely to the terms of one or more outstanding series of Preferred Stock if the holders of such affected series are entitled, either separately or together with the holders of one or more other such series, to vote thereon pursuant to this Certificate of Incorporation (including any certificate of designation relating to any series of Preferred Stock) or pursuant to the DGCL.

 

9


E Subject to applicable law and the rights, if any, of the holders of any outstanding series of Preferred Stock or any class or series of stock having a preference over or the right to participate with the Common Stock with respect to the payment of dividends, dividends may be declared and paid ratably on the Common Stock out of the assets of the Corporation which are legally available for this purpose at such times and in such amounts as the Board of Directors in its discretion shall determine.

F Upon the dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the Corporation, after payment or provision for payment of the debts and other liabilities of the Corporation and subject to the rights, if any, of the holders of any outstanding series of Preferred Stock or any class or series of stock having a preference over or the right to participate with the Common Stock with respect to the distribution of assets of the Corporation upon such dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the Corporation, the holders of Common Stock shall be entitled to receive the remaining assets of the Corporation available for distribution to its stockholders ratably in proportion to the number of shares held by them. Immediately before any dissolution, liquidation or winding up, or any distribution of the assets of the Corporation pursuant to a plan of liquidation, dissolution or winding up, Class S Shares will automatically be converted to Class I Shares at the Class S Conversion Rate, and Class D Shares will automatically be converted to Class I Shares at the Class D Conversion Rate. Following such conversion, the aggregate assets of the Corporation available for distribution to holders of the Common Stock, or the proceeds therefrom, shall be distributed to each holder of Class I Shares, ratably with each other holder of Class I Shares, which will include all converted Class S Shares and Class D Shares, in such proportion as the number of outstanding Class I Shares held by such holder bears to the total number of outstanding Class I Shares then outstanding. For the avoidance of doubt, a merger or consolidation of the Corporation with or into any other corporation or other entity, or a sale or conveyance of all or any part of the assets of the Corporation (which shall not in fact result in the liquidation of the Corporation and the distribution of assets to its stockholders) shall not be deemed to be a voluntary or involuntary liquidation or dissolution or winding up of the Corporation.

G The number of authorized shares of Preferred Stock or Common Stock may be increased or decreased (but not below the number of shares thereof then outstanding) by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority in voting power of the stock of the Corporation entitled to vote thereon irrespective of the provisions of Section 242(b)(2) of the DGCL (or any successor provision thereto), and no vote of the holders of any of the Common Stock or the Preferred Stock voting separately as a class shall be required therefor, unless a vote of any such holder is required pursuant to the terms of any certificate of designation designating a series of Preferred Stock.

H Effective upon the issuance of multiple classes of Shares of Common Stock by the Corporation pursuant to the Exemptive Order and to the extent required under such Exemptive Order, each Class S Share and Class D Share held in a Stockholder’s account shall automatically and without any action on the part of the holder thereof convert into a number of Class I Shares equal to the Class S Conversion Rate or Class D Conversion Rate, respectively, on the earliest of (i) a Listing of Class I Shares, (ii) a merger or consolidation of the Corporation with or into another entity, or the sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of the Corporation’s assets, (iii) the end of the month in which the Placement Agent in conjunction with

 

10


the Corporation’s transfer agent determines that total Selling Commissions and Stockholder Servicing Fees paid with respect to the Shares held by such Stockholder within such account would exceed, in the aggregate, ten percent (10%) of the sum of the Gross Proceeds from the sale of Shares and the aggregate Reinvestment Proceeds of any Shares issued under a Reinvestment Plan with respect to such Shares, and (iv) after termination of the Offering in which such Class S Shares and Class D Shares were sold, the end of the month in which the Corporation, with the assistance of the Placement Agent or Managing Dealer, as applicable, determines that Total Corporation-Level Underwriting Compensation paid with respect to the primary portion of such Offering is equal to ten percent (10%) of the Gross Proceeds of the primary portion of such Offering.

I This Section I shall be effective upon the Commencement of the Initial Public Offering and until the earlier of a Liquidity Event or the date the Corporation is no longer subject to the Omnibus Guidelines, and only to the extent required under the Omnibus Guidelines. The Corporation shall not have authority to make arrangements for deferred payments on account of the purchase price of Shares unless all of the following conditions are met: (a) such arrangements are warranted by the Corporation’s investment objectives; (b) the period of deferred payments coincides with the anticipated cash needs of the Corporation; (c) the deferred payments shall be evidenced by a promissory note of the Stockholder, which note shall be with recourse, shall not be negotiable, shall be assignable only subject to defenses of the maker and shall not contain a provision authorizing a confession of judgment; and (d) selling commissions and Front End Fees paid upon deferred payments are payable when payment is made on the note. The Corporation shall not sell or assign the deferred obligation notes at a discount. In the event of default in the payment of deferred payments by a Stockholder, the Stockholder may be subjected to a reasonable penalty.

J Effective upon the Commencement of the Initial Public Offering and until the earlier of a Liquidity Event or the date the Corporation is no longer subject to the Omnibus Guidelines, the Corporation and those selling shares of Common Stock on its behalf shall, with respect to share offers and sales in which they are broker of record, assure that such shares are offered and sold pursuant only to prospective investors who, in each case, meet the income and Net Worth “Suitability Standards” as specified in the Corporation’s Prospectus for such shares (as the same may be amended or supplemented from time to time) and the Omnibus Guidelines.

1. The Sponsor or each Person selling shares of Common Stock on behalf of the Corporation shall make this determination on the basis of information it has obtained from a prospective Stockholder. Relevant information for this purpose will include at least the age, investment objectives, investment experience, income, net worth, financial situation and other investments of the prospective Stockholder, as well as any other pertinent factors.

2. The Sponsor or each Person selling shares of Common Stock on behalf of the Corporation shall maintain records of the information used to determine that an investment in shares of Common Stock is suitable and appropriate for a Stockholder. The Sponsor or each Person selling shares of Common Stock on behalf of the Corporation shall maintain these records for at least six years.

 

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K The Board of Directors may establish, from time to time, a program or programs by which the Corporation voluntarily repurchases Shares from the Stockholders; provided, however, that such repurchase does not impair the capital or operations of the Corporation.

L This Section L shall be effective upon the Commencement of the Initial Public Offering and until the earlier of a Liquidity Event or the date the Corporation is no longer subject to the Omnibus Guidelines, and only to the extent required under the Omnibus Guidelines. Any distribution reinvestment plan of the Corporation (a “Reinvestment Plan”) must be operated in accordance with applicable federal and state securities laws. No Selling Commissions may be deducted directly or indirectly from reinvested funds by the Corporation. The reinvestment funds must be invested into Common Stock of the Corporation. Where required by law, investors must receive a Prospectus which is current as of the date of each reinvestment. The participants in the Reinvestment Plan will be free to elect or revoke reinstatement within a reasonable time, and such right be will fully disclosed in the Prospectus. The participating dealers must assume responsibility for blue sky compliance and performance of due diligence responsibilities and must contact investors to ascertain whether the investors continue to meet the applicable state’s suitability standards.

ARTICLE VI.

ADVISER AND ADMINISTRATOR

This Article VI shall be effective upon the Commencement of the Initial Public Offering and until the earlier of a Liquidity Event or the date the Corporation is no longer subject to the Omnibus Guidelines, and only to the extent required under the Omnibus Guidelines.

A Subject to the requirements of the Investment Company Act, the Board of Directors may exercise broad discretion in allowing the Adviser and, if applicable, an Administrator, to administer and regulate the operations of the Corporation, to act as agent for the Corporation, to execute documents on behalf of the Corporation and to make executive decisions that conform to general policies and principles established by the Board. The Board shall monitor the Adviser, or if any, the Administrator, to assure that the administrative procedures, operations and programs of the Corporation are in the best interests of the Stockholders and are fulfilled and that (i) the expenses incurred are reasonable in light of the investment performance of the Corporation, its net assets and its net income, (ii) all Front End Fees shall be reasonable and shall not exceed eighteen percent (18%) of the Gross Proceeds of any Offering, regardless of the source of payment, and (iii) the percentage of Gross Proceeds of any Offering committed to Investment in Program Assets shall be at least eighty-two percent (82%). All items of compensation to underwriters or dealers, including, but not limited to, selling commissions, expenses, rights of first refusal, consulting fees, finders’ fees and all other items of compensation of any kind or description paid by the Corporation, directly or indirectly, shall be taken into consideration in computing the amount of allowable Front End Fees.

B The Board of Directors is responsible for determining that compensation paid to the Adviser is reasonable in relation to the nature and quality of services performed and the investment performance of the Corporation and that the provisions of the Advisory Agreement are being carried out. The Board of Directors may consider all factors that they deem relevant in making these determinations. So long as the Corporation is a business development company under the Investment Company Act, compensation to the Adviser shall be considered presumptively reasonable if the incentive fee is limited to the participation in net gains allowed by the Investment Company Act or the Advisers Act, as appropriate.

 

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C The Advisory Agreement shall provide that the Adviser has a fiduciary responsibility for the safekeeping and use of all funds and assets of the Corporation, whether or not in the Adviser’s immediate possession or control, and that the Adviser shall not employ, or permit another to employ, such funds or assets in any manner except for the exclusive benefit of the Corporation. The Corporation shall not permit any Stockholder to contract away any fiduciary obligation owed by the Adviser under common law.

D The Board of Directors shall determine the sufficiency and adequacy of the relevant experience and qualifications for the officers of the Corporation given the business objective of the Corporation. The Board shall determine whether any Adviser possesses sufficient qualifications to perform the advisory function for the Corporation and whether the compensation provided for in its contract with the Corporation is justified.

E The Advisory Agreement shall provide that it is terminable (a) by the Corporation upon sixty (60) days’ written notice to the Adviser: (i) upon the affirmative vote of holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Corporation entitled to vote on the matter (as “majority” is defined in Section 2(a)(42) of the Investment Company Act) or (ii) by the vote of the Independent Directors; or (b) by the Adviser upon not less than one hundred twenty (120) days’ written notice to the Corporation, in each case without cause or penalty. In the event of termination, the Adviser will cooperate with the Corporation and the Board of Directors in making an orderly transition of the advisory function. In addition, if the Corporation elects to continue its operations following termination of the Advisory Agreement by the Adviser, the Adviser shall pay all direct expenses incurred as a direct result of its withdrawal. Upon termination of the Advisory Agreement, the Corporation shall pay the Adviser all amounts then accrued but unpaid to the Adviser. The method of payment must be fair and protect the solvency and liquidity of the Corporation. When the termination is voluntary, the method of payment will be presumed to be fair if it provides for a non-interest bearing unsecured promissory note with principal payable, if at all, from distributions which the terminated Adviser otherwise would have received under the applicable agreements among the parties had the Adviser not been terminated. When the termination is involuntary, the method of payment will be presumed to be fair if it provides for an interest bearing promissory note maturing in not more than five years with equal installment each year

F Unless otherwise provided in any resolution adopted by the Board of Directors, the Corporation shall reimburse the Adviser and its Affiliates for Organization and Offering Expenses incurred by the Adviser or its Affiliates; provided, however, that the total amount of all Organization and Offering Expenses shall be reasonable, as determined by the Board of Directors, and shall be included in Front End Fees for purposes of the limit on such Front End Fees set forth in Section A of this Article VI.

 

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G The Corporation may pay the Adviser and/or its Affiliates fees for the review and evaluation of potential investments; provided, however, that the Board of Directors shall conclude that the total of all Acquisition Fees and Acquisition Expenses shall be reasonable.

H The Corporation shall not reimburse the Adviser or its Affiliates for services for which the Adviser or its Affiliates are entitled to compensation in the form of a separate fee. Excluded from the allowable reimbursement shall be: (a) rent or depreciation, utilities, capital equipment, other administrative items of the Adviser; and (b) salaries, fringe benefits, travel expenses and other administrative items incurred or allocated to any Controlling Person of the Adviser.

I In the event the Corporation executes an agreement for the provision of administrative services, the Corporation may reimburse the Administrator, at the end of each fiscal quarter, for all expenses of the Corporation incurred by the Administrator as well as the actual cost of goods and services used for or by the Corporation and obtained from entities not Affiliated with the Corporation. Notwithstanding any other provision in this Certificate of Incorporation, the Administrator may be reimbursed for the administrative services necessary for the prudent operation of the Corporation performed by it on behalf of the Corporation; provided, however, the reimbursement shall be an amount equal to the lower of the Administrator’s actual cost or the amount the Corporation would be required to pay third parties for the provision of comparable administrative services in the same geographic location; and provided, further, that such costs are reasonably allocated to the Corporation on the basis of assets, revenues, time records or other method conforming with generally accepted accounting principles. Except as otherwise provided herein, no reimbursement shall be permitted for services for which the Administrator is entitled to compensation by way of a separate fee.

ARTICLE VII.

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES AND LIMITATIONS; BORROWING AND LEVERAGE

This Article VII shall be effective upon the Commencement of the Initial Public Offering and until the earlier of a Liquidity Event or the date the Corporation is no longer subject to the Omnibus Guidelines, and only to the extent required under the Omnibus Guidelines.

A The Corporation’s investment objective is to generate current income and, to a lesser extent, long-term capital appreciation. The Board of Directors shall have power with respect to the Corporation to manage, conduct, operate and carry on the business of a business development company. The Independent Directors shall review the investment policies of the Corporation with sufficient frequency (not less often than annually) to determine that the policies being followed by the Corporation are in the best interests of the Corporation.

B All transactions entered into by the Corporation shall be consistent with the investment permissions and limitations as established for business development companies under the Investment Company Act, including any applicable exemptive orders that have been or may be issued in the future by the SEC.

 

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C For purposes of this Section C, “Program” shall be defined as a limited or general partnership, joint venture, unincorporated association or similar organization, other than a corporation, formed and operated for the primary purpose of investment in and the operation of or gain from and interest in the assets to be acquired by such entity. A Program shall not include (and nothing in this Certificate of Incorporation shall prevent) investments by the Corporation directly in a master fund in a master/feeder fund structure permissible under the Investment Company Act. A Program shall not include an Eligible Portfolio Company as defined by the Investment Company Act.

1. The Corporation shall not invest in Programs with non-Affiliates that own and operate specific assets, unless the Corporation, alone or together with any publicly registered Affiliate of the Corporation meeting the requirements of Subsection 2 below, acquires a controlling interest in such a Program, but in no event shall the Adviser be entitled to duplicate fees; provided, however that the foregoing is not intended to prevent the Corporation from carrying out its business of investing and reinvesting its assets in Securities of other issuers. For purposes of this Section, “controlling interest” means an equity interest possessing the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of the Program, including the authority to: (i) review all contracts entered into by the Program that will have a material effect on its business or assets; (ii) cause a sale or refinancing of the assets or its interest therein subject, in certain cases where required by the Program agreement, to limits as to time, minimum amounts and/or a right of first refusal by the Program or consent of the Program; (iii) approve budgets and major capital expenditures, subject to a stated minimum amount; (iv) veto any sale or refinancing of the assets, or alternatively, to receive a specified preference on sale or refinancing proceeds; and (v) exercise a right of first refusal on any desired sale or refinancing by the Program of its interest in the assets, except for transfer to an Affiliate of the Program.

2. The Corporation shall have the authority to invest in Programs with other publicly registered Affiliates of the Corporation if all of the following conditions are met: (i) the Affiliate and the Corporation have substantially identical investment objectives; (ii) there are no duplicate fees to the Adviser; (iii) the compensation payable by the Program to the Adviser in each Corporation that invests in such Program is substantially identical; (iv) each of the Corporation and the Affiliate has a right of first refusal to buy if the other party wishes to sell assets held in the joint venture; (v) the investment of each of the Corporation and its Affiliate is on substantially the same terms and conditions; and (vi) any Prospectus of the Corporation in use or proposed to be used when such an investment has been made or is contemplated discloses the potential risk of impasse on joint venture decisions since neither the Corporation nor its Affiliate controls the Program, and the potential risk that while the Corporation or its Affiliate may have the right to buy the assets from the Program, it may not have the resources to do so.

3. The Corporation shall have the authority to invest in Programs with Affiliates other than publicly registered Affiliates of the Corporation only if all of the following conditions are met: (i) the investment is necessary to relieve the Adviser from any commitment to purchase the assets entered into in compliance with Section A of Article VIII prior to the closing of the offering period of the Corporation; (ii) there are no duplicate fees to the Adviser; (iii) the investment of each entity is on substantially the same terms and conditions; (iv) the Corporation has a right of first refusal to buy if the Adviser wishes to sell assets held in the joint venture; and (v) any Prospectus of the Corporation in use or proposed to be used when such an investment has been made or is contemplated discloses the potential risk of impasse on joint venture decisions.

 

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4. The Corporation may be structured to conduct operations through separate single-purpose entities managed by the Adviser (multi-tier arrangements); provided, that the terms of any such arrangements do not result in the circumvention of any of the requirements or prohibitions contained herein or under applicable federal or state securities laws, or, to the extent applicable and required thereunder, the Omnibus Guidelines. Any agreements regarding such arrangements shall accompany any Prospectus of the Corporation, if such agreement is then available, and the terms of such agreement shall contain provisions assuring that all of the following restrictions apply: (i) there will be no duplication or increase in Organization and Offering Expenses, fees payable to the Adviser, program expenses or other fees and costs; (ii) there will be no substantive alteration in the fiduciary and contractual relationship between the Adviser, the Corporation and the Stockholders; and (iii) there will be no diminishment in the voting rights of the Stockholders.

5. Other than as specifically permitted in Subsections 2, 3 and 4 above, the Corporation shall not invest in Programs with Affiliates.

6. Unless otherwise permitted by the Investment Company Act or applicable guidance or exemptive relief of the SEC, the Corporation shall be permitted to invest in general partnership interests of limited partnership Programs only if the Corporation, alone or together with any publicly registered Affiliate of the Corporation meeting the requirements of Subsection 2 above, acquires a “controlling interest” as defined in Subsection 1 above, the Adviser is not entitled to any duplicate fees, no additional compensation beyond that permitted under applicable law is paid to the Adviser, and the limited partnership Program agreement or other applicable agreement complies with this Section C.

D The Corporation may accept other goods or other services provided by the Adviser in connection with the operation of assets, provided that: (i) the Adviser determines such self-dealing arrangement is in the best interest of the Corporation; (ii) the terms pursuant to which all such goods or services are provided to the Corporation by the Adviser shall be embodied in a written contract, the material terms of which must be fully disclosed to the Stockholders; (iii) the written contract may only be modified by vote of a majority of then outstanding Shares and (iv) the contract shall contain a clause allowing termination without penalty on sixty (60) days’ prior notice. Without limitation to the foregoing, arrangements to provide such goods or other services must meet all of the following criteria: (x) the Adviser must be independently engaged in the business of providing such goods or services to Persons other than its Affiliates and at least thirty-three percent (33%) of the Adviser’s associated gross revenues must come from Persons other than its Affiliates; (y) the compensation, price or fee charged for providing such goods or services must be comparable and competitive with the compensation, price or fee charged by Persons other than the Adviser in the same geographic location who provide comparable goods or services which could reasonably be made available to the Corporation; and (z) except in extraordinary circumstances, the compensation and other material terms of the arrangement must be fully disclosed to the Stockholders. Extraordinary circumstances are limited to instances when immediate action is required and the goods or services are not immediately available from Persons other than the Adviser.

 

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E Notwithstanding the foregoing Section D of this Article VII, if the Adviser is not engaged in the business to the extent required by such clause, the Adviser may provide to the Corporation other goods or other services if all of the following additional conditions are met: (i) the Adviser can demonstrate the capacity and capability to provide such goods or services on a competitive basis; (ii) the goods or services are provided at the lesser of cost or the competitive rate charged by Persons other than the Adviser in the same geographic location who are in the business of providing comparable goods or services; (iii) the cost is limited to the reasonable necessary and actual expenses incurred by the Adviser on behalf of the Corporation in providing such goods or services, exclusive of expenses of the type which may not be reimbursed under applicable federal or state securities laws, or, to the extent applicable and required thereunder, the Omnibus Guidelines; and (iv) expenses are allocated in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and are made subject to any special audit required by applicable federal and state securities laws.

F The Board of Directors shall have the power to cause the Corporation to borrow money or otherwise obtain credit or utilize leverage to the maximum extent permitted by law or regulation as such may be needed from time to time and to secure the same by mortgaging, pledging or otherwise subjecting as security the assets of the Corporation, including the lending of portfolio securities, and to endorse, guarantee, or undertake the performance of any obligation, contract or engagement of any other person, firm, association or corporation. In addition and notwithstanding any other provision of this Certificate of Incorporation, the Corporation is hereby authorized to borrow funds, incur indebtedness and guarantee obligations of any Person, and in connection therewith, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the Board of Directors, on behalf of the Corporation, are hereby authorized to pledge, hypothecate, mortgage, assign, transfer or grant security interests in or other liens on (i) the Stockholders’ subscription agreements and the Stockholders’ obligations to make capital contributions thereunder and hereunder, and (ii) any other assets, rights or remedies of the Corporation or of the Board of Directors hereunder or under the subscription agreements, including without limitation, the right to issue capital call notices and to exercise remedies upon a default by a Stockholder in the payment of its capital contributions and the right to receive capital contributions and other payments, subject to the terms hereof and thereof. Notwithstanding any provision in this Certificate of Incorporation, (i) the Corporation may borrow funds, incur indebtedness and enter into guarantees together with one or more Persons on a joint and several basis or on any other basis that the Board of Directors, in its sole discretion, determines is fair and reasonable to the Corporation, and (ii) in connection with any borrowing, indebtedness or guarantee by the Corporation, all capital contributions shall be payable to the account of the Corporation designated by the Board of Directors, which may be pledged to any lender or other credit party of the Corporation. All rights granted to a lender pursuant to this Section F shall apply to its agents and its successors and permitted assigns.

 

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ARTICLE VIII.

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

This Article VIII shall be effective upon the Commencement of the Initial Public Offering and until the earlier of a Liquidity Event or the date the Corporation is no longer subject to the Omnibus Guidelines, and only to the extent required under the Omnibus Guidelines.

A Unless otherwise permitted by the Investment Company Act or applicable guidance or exemptive relief of the SEC, the Corporation shall not purchase or lease assets in which the Adviser or any Affiliate thereof has an interest unless all of the following conditions are met: (a) the transaction is fully disclosed to the Stockholders either in a Prospectus or periodic report filed with the SEC or otherwise; and (b) the assets are sold or leased upon terms that are reasonable to the Corporation and at a price not to exceed the lesser of cost or fair market value as determined by an Independent Expert. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section A, the Adviser may purchase assets in its own name (and assume loans in connection therewith) and temporarily hold title thereto, for the purposes of facilitating the acquisition of the assets, the borrowing of money, obtaining financing for the Corporation, or the completion of construction of the assets, provided that all of the following conditions are met: (i) the assets are purchased by the Corporation at a price no greater than the cost of the assets to the Adviser; (ii) all income generated by, and the expenses associated with, the assets so acquired shall be treated as belonging to the Corporation; and (iii) there are no other benefits arising out of such transaction to the Adviser apart from compensation otherwise permitted by the Omnibus Guidelines.

B Unless otherwise permitted by the Investment Company Act or applicable guidance or exemptive relief of the SEC, the Corporation shall not sell assets to the Adviser or any Affiliate thereof unless such sale is duly approved by the Stockholders entitled to cast a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast on the matter. The Corporation shall not lease assets to the Adviser or any director of the Corporation or Affiliate thereof unless all of the following conditions are met: (i) the transaction is fully disclosed to the Stockholders in either a Prospectus or periodic report filed with the SEC or otherwise; and (ii) the terms of the transaction are fair and reasonable to the Corporation.

C Unless otherwise permitted by the Investment Company Act or applicable guidance or exemptive relief of the SEC and except for the advancement of funds pursuant to Article XII, no loans, credit facilities, credit agreements or otherwise shall be made by the Corporation to the Adviser or any Affiliate thereof.

D Unless otherwise permitted by the Investment Company Act or applicable guidance or exemptive relief of the SEC, the Corporation shall not pay, directly or indirectly, a commission or fee to the Adviser or any Affiliate thereof (except as otherwise specified in this Article VIII and by Section A of Article VI) in connection with the reinvestment of cash available for distribution and available reserves or of the proceeds of the resale, exchange or refinancing of assets.

 

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E The Corporation shall cause the Adviser to agree that it shall not receive or accept any rebate or give-ups or similar arrangement that is prohibited under applicable federal or state securities laws, or, to the extent applicable and required thereunder, the Omnibus Guidelines. The Corporation shall cause the Adviser to agree that it shall not participate in any reciprocal business arrangement that would circumvent provisions of applicable federal or state securities laws, or, to the extent applicable and required thereunder, the Omnibus Guidelines governing conflicts of interest or investment restrictions, or enter into any agreement, arrangement or understanding that would circumvent the restrictions against dealing with affiliates or promoters under applicable federal or state securities laws, or, to the extent applicable and required thereunder, the Omnibus Guidelines. The Corporation shall cause the Adviser to agree that it shall not directly or indirectly pay or award any fees or commissions or other compensation to any Person engaged to sell Shares or give investment advice to a potential Stockholder; provided, however, that this Section E shall not prohibit the payment to a registered broker-dealer or other properly licensed agent of properly disclosed sales commissions or other compensation (including cash compensation and non-cash compensation (as such terms are defined under FINRA Rule 2310)) for selling or distributing Shares, including out of the Adviser’s own assets, including those amounts paid to the Adviser under the Advisory Agreement.

F The Corporation may not acquire assets in exchange for Shares of the Corporation without approval of a majority of the Board of Directors, including a majority of the Independent Directors with consideration to an independent appraisal of such assets.

G The funds of the Corporation shall not be commingled with the funds of any other Person. Nothing in this Section G shall prohibit the Adviser from establishing a master fiduciary account pursuant to which separate sub-trust accounts are established for the benefit of affiliated programs, provided that the Corporation’s funds are protected from the claims of other programs and creditors of such programs.

H Unless otherwise permitted by the Investment Company Act or applicable guidance or exemptive relief of the SEC, the Corporation shall not engage in any other transaction with the Adviser or a director of the Corporation or Affiliate thereof unless: (a) such transaction complies with all applicable law and (b) a majority of the Board of Directors (including a majority of the Independent Directors) not otherwise interested in such transaction approve such transaction as fair and reasonable to the Corporation and on terms and conditions not less favorable to the Corporation than those available from non-Affiliated third parties.

I On financings made available to the Corporation by the Adviser, the Adviser may not receive interest in excess of the lesser of the Adviser’s cost of funds or the amounts that would be charged by unrelated lending institutions on comparable loans for the same purpose. The Adviser shall not impose a prepayment charge or penalty in connection with such financings and the Adviser shall not receive points or other financing charges. The Adviser shall be prohibited from providing permanent financing for the Corporation. For purposes of this Section I, “permanent financing” shall mean any financing with a term in excess of twelve (12) months.

J The Corporation shall not grant or entitle the Adviser to an exclusive right to sell or exclusive employment to sell assets for the Corporation.

 

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ARTICLE IX.

SHARHOLDERS

Sections A through I of this Article IX shall be effective upon the Commencement of the Initial Public Offering and until the earlier of a Liquidity Event or the date the Corporation is no longer subject to the Omnibus Guidelines, and only to the extent required under the Omnibus Guidelines.

A Subject to the provisions of any class or series of Shares then outstanding and the mandatory provisions of any applicable laws or regulations and subject to the other provisions of this Certificate of Incorporation, the Stockholders may, without the necessity of concurrence by the Board of Directors: (i) approve or disapprove an amendment of this Certificate of Incorporation in accordance with Article XVI hereof; (ii) approve or disapprove the dissolution of the Corporation; (iii) remove the Adviser and appoint a new Adviser pursuant to the procedures in Section E of Article VI; and (iv) approve or disapprove the sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the Corporation other than in the ordinary course of the Corporation’s business.

B Without the approval of Stockholders entitled to cast a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast on the matter, or such other approval as may be required under the mandatory provisions of any applicable laws or regulations, or other provisions of this Certificate of Incorporation, the Corporation shall not permit the Adviser to: (i) amend this Certificate of Incorporation except for amendments which do not adversely affect the rights of Stockholders; (ii) appoint a new Adviser (other than a sub-adviser pursuant to the terms of an Advisory Agreement and applicable law); (iii) sell all or substantially all of the Corporation’s assets other than in the ordinary course of the Corporation’s business or as otherwise permitted by law; or (iv) except as permitted under the Advisory Agreement, voluntarily withdraw as the Adviser unless such withdrawal would not affect the tax status of the Corporation and would not materially adversely affect the Stockholders

C With respect to shares owned by the Adviser, any director of the Corporation, or any of their respective Affiliates, neither the Adviser, nor such director(s), nor any of their Affiliates may vote or consent on matters submitted to the Stockholders regarding the removal of the Adviser, such director(s) or any of their Affiliates or any transaction between the Corporation and any of them. In determining the requisite percentage in interest of shares necessary to approve a matter on which the Adviser, such director(s) and any of their Affiliates may not vote or consent, any shares owned by any of them shall not be included.

D Any Stockholder may: (i) in person or by agent, on written request, inspect and copy at all reasonable times the books and records and ledger of the Corporation; (ii) present to any officer or resident agent of the Corporation a written request for a statement of its affairs; and (iii) in the event the Corporation does not maintain the original or a duplicate ledger at its principal office, present to any officer or resident agent of the Corporation a written request for the Stockholder List. As used in this Section E, the term “Stockholder List” means an alphabetical list of names, addresses and business telephone numbers of the Stockholders of the Corporation along with the number of equity shares held by each of them.

 

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1. A copy of the Stockholder List, requested in accordance with this Section E, shall be mailed within ten (10) days of the request and shall be printed in alphabetical order, on white paper, and in readily readable type size (no smaller than 10 point font). The Stockholder List shall be updated at least quarterly to reflect changes in the information contained therein.

2. The Corporation may impose a reasonable charge for expenses incurred in reproduction pursuant to the Stockholder request. A holder of Common Stock may request a copy of the Stockholder List in connection with matters relating to Stockholders’ voting rights, the exercise of Stockholder rights under federal proxy laws or for any other proper and legitimate purpose. Each Stockholder who receives a copy of the Stockholder List shall keep such list confidential and shall sign a confidentiality agreement to the effect that such Stockholder will keep the Stockholder List confidential and share such list only with its employees, representatives or agents who agree in writing to maintain the confidentiality of the Stockholder List.

3. If the Adviser or the Board of Directors neglects or refuses to exhibit, produce or mail a copy of the Stockholder List as requested, the Adviser and/or the Board of Directors shall be liable to any Stockholder requesting the list for the costs, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, incurred by that Stockholder for compelling the production of the Stockholder List, and for actual damages suffered by any Stockholder by reason of such refusal or neglect. It shall be a defense that the actual purpose and reason for the requests for inspection or for a copy of the Stockholder List is to secure such list of Stockholders or other information for the purpose of selling such list or copies thereof, or of using the same for a commercial purpose other than in the interest of the applicant as a Stockholder relative to the affairs of the Corporation. The Corporation may require the Stockholder requesting the Stockholder List to represent that the list is not requested for a commercial purpose unrelated to the Stockholder’s interest in the Corporation. The remedies provided hereunder to Stockholders requesting copies of the Stockholder List are in addition, to and shall not in any way limit, other remedies available to Stockholders under federal law, or the laws of any state, as applicable.

E The Corporation shall cause to be prepared and delivered or made available by any reasonable means, including an electronic medium, to each Stockholder as of a record date after the end of the fiscal year within one hundred twenty (120) days after the end of the fiscal year to which it relates an annual report for each fiscal year ending after the Commencement of the Initial Public Offering that shall include: (i) financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP that are audited and reported on by independent certified public accountants; (ii) a report of the material activities of the Corporation during the period covered by the report; (iii) where forecasts have been provided to the Stockholders, a table comparing the forecasts previously provided with the actual results during the period covered by the report; and (iv) a report setting forth distributions to Stockholders for the period covered thereby and separately identifying distributions from: (A) Cash Flow from operations during the period; (B) Cash Flow from operations during a prior period which have been held as reserves; (C) proceeds from disposition of assets of the Corporation; and (D) reserves from the Gross Proceeds. Such annual report must also contain a breakdown of the costs reimbursed to the Adviser.

 

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F The Corporation shall cause to be prepared and filed, as well as delivered or made available to Stockholders, within sixty (60) days after the end of each fiscal quarter of the Corporation, a Form 10-Q if required under the Exchange Act.

G The Corporation shall cause to be prepared and delivered or made available within seventy-five (75) days after the end of each fiscal year of the Corporation to each Person who was at any time during such fiscal year a Stockholder all information necessary for the preparation of the Stockholders’ federal income tax returns.

H If Shares have been purchased on a deferred payment basis, on which there remains an unpaid balance during any period covered by any report required by Sections F and G of this Article IX, then such report shall contain a detailed statement of the status of all deferred payments, actions taken by the Corporation in response to any defaults, and a discussion and analysis of the impact on capital requirements of the Corporation.

I The Corporation shall cause, upon request from any state official or agency or official administering the securities laws of such state (a “State Administrator”), to submit to such State Administrator the reports and statements required to be distributed to Stockholders pursuant to Sections E and F of this Article IX.

J Consistent with applicable law (including the Investment Company Act), the Corporation, the Adviser and/or Affiliates of the Adviser may negotiate agreements (“Side Letters”) with certain Stockholders that will result in different investment terms than the terms applicable to other Stockholders and that may have the effect of establishing rights under, or altering or supplementing the terms of, this Certificate of Incorporation or disclosure contained in any offering document of the Shares. As a result of such Side Letters, certain Stockholders may receive additional benefits which other Stockholders will not receive. Unless agreed otherwise in the Side Letter, in general, the Corporation, the Adviser and affiliates of the Adviser will not be required to notify any or all of the other Stockholders of any such Side Letters or any of the rights and/or terms or provisions thereof, nor will the Corporation, the Adviser or affiliates of the Adviser be required to offer such additional and/or different rights and/or terms to any or all of the other Stockholders. The Corporation, the Adviser and/or affiliates of the Adviser may enter into such Side Letters with any Stockholder as each may determine in its sole discretion at any time. The other Stockholders will have no recourse against the Corporation, the Board of Directors, the Adviser and/or any of their affiliates in the event certain investors receive additional and/or different rights and/or terms as a result of Side Letters. Any such exceptions or departures contained in any Side Letter with a Stockholder shall govern with respect to such Stockholder notwithstanding the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation (including with respect to amendments to this Certificate of Incorporation) or any applicable subscription agreements.

K If any Person makes a tender offer, including, without limitation, a “mini-tender” offer, such Person must comply with all of the provisions set forth in Regulation 14D of the Exchange Act, including, without limitation, disclosure and notice requirements, that would be applicable if the tender offer was for more than five percent of the outstanding Shares; provided, however, that, unless otherwise required by the Exchange Act, such documents are not required to be filed with the SEC. In addition, any such Person must provide notice to the Corporation at

 

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least ten (10) Business Days prior to initiating any such tender offer. No Stockholder may transfer any Shares held by such Stockholder to any Person who initiates a tender offer without complying with the provisions set forth above (a “Non-Compliant Tender Offer”) unless such Stockholder shall have first offered such Shares to the Corporation at the tender offer price offered in such Non-Compliant Tender Offer. In addition, any Person who makes a Non-Compliant Tender Offer shall be responsible for all expenses incurred by the Corporation in connection with the enforcement of the provisions of this Section L, including, without limitation, expenses incurred in connection with the review of all documents related to such tender offer. In addition to the remedies provided herein, the Corporation may seek injunctive relief, including, without limitation, a temporary or permanent restraining order, in connection with any Non-Compliant Tender Offer. This Section L shall be of no force or effect with respect to any Shares that are then Listed.

ARTICLE X.

CONSENT OF STOCKHOLDERS IN LIEU OF MEETING, ANNUAL AND SPECIAL

MEETINGS OF STOCKHOLDERS

A From and after the commencement of the Corporation’s operations, any action required or permitted to be taken by the stockholders of the Corporation must be effected at a duly called annual or special meeting of such holders and may not be effected by any consent in writing by such holders.

B An annual meeting of stockholders for the election of directors to succeed those whose terms expire and for the transaction of such other business as may properly come before the meeting, shall be held at such place, if any, on such date, and at such time as shall be fixed exclusively by resolution of the Board of Directors or a duly authorized committee thereof.

C Special meetings of the stockholders of the Corporation for any purpose or purposes may be called at any time only by or at the direction of the Board of Directors, the Chairman of the Board of Directors, or the Chief Executive Officer, and may not be called by any other person.

ARTICLE XI.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

A The business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed by or under the direction of the Board of Directors. The directors in their discretion may submit any contract or act for approval or ratification at any annual meeting of the stockholders or at any meeting of the stockholders called for the purpose of considering any such act or contract, and any contract or act that shall be approved or be ratified by a majority of the votes cast by stockholders present in person or by proxy at such meeting and entitled to vote thereat (provided that a lawful quorum of stockholders be there represented in person or by proxy), unless a higher vote is required by applicable law, shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be as valid and binding upon the Corporation and upon all the stockholders as though it had been approved or ratified by every stockholder of the Corporation, whether or not the contract or act would otherwise be open to legal attack because of directors’ interests, or for any other reason.

 

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B Except as otherwise provided by Section G of this Article XI, the total number of directors shall be determined from time to time exclusively by resolution adopted by the Board of Directors. Each director shall hold office until the next annual meeting for the election of directors (or, if applicable, the next election of the class of directors for which such director shall have been appointed or elected) and until his or her successor is elected and qualified, or until his or her earlier death, resignation, retirement, disqualification or removal.

C The directors shall be divided into three classes, designated Class I, Class II and Class III, and each class shall consist, as nearly as possible, of one-third of the total number of directors. The Board of Directors may assign members of the Board of Directors already in office to such classes at the time such classification becomes effective. Class I directors shall initially serve for a term expiring at the first annual meeting of stockholders following the commencement of the Corporation’s operations; Class II directors shall initially serve for a term expiring at the second annual meeting of stockholders following the commencement of the Corporation’s operations; and Class III directors shall initially serve for a term expiring at the third annual meeting of stockholders following the commencement of the Corporation’s operations. At each succeeding annual meeting, successors to the class of directors whose term expires at that annual meeting shall be elected for a term expiring at the third succeeding annual meeting of stockholders. If the number of directors so divided into classes is changed, any increase or decrease shall be apportioned among the classes so as to maintain the number of directors in each class as nearly equal as possible, and any such additional director of any class elected to fill a newly created directorship resulting from an increase in such class shall hold office for a term that shall coincide with the remaining term of that class, but in no case shall a decrease in the number of directors remove or shorten the term of any incumbent director.

D Except as otherwise provided by applicable law, including the Investment Company Act, or Section G of this Article XI, any newly created directorship on the Board of Directors that results from an increase in the number of directors, and any vacancy occurring in the Board of Directors that results from the death, resignation, retirement, disqualification or removal of a director or other cause, shall be filled exclusively by a majority of the directors then in office, although less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining director; provided, that whenever the holders of any class or classes of stock or series thereof are entitled to elect one or more directors by this Certificate of Incorporation (including any certificate of designation relating to any series of Preferred Stock), any such vacancies and newly created directorships of such class or classes or series may be filled by a majority of the directors elected by such class or classes or series thereof then in office, or by a sole remaining director so elected. Any director elected to fill a vacancy or newly created directorship shall hold office until the next annual meeting for the election of directors (or, if applicable, the next election of the class of directors for which such director shall have been appointed) and until his or her successor shall be elected and qualified, or until his or her earlier death, resignation, retirement, disqualification or removal.

E Following the time at which the Board of Directors is classified pursuant to Section C of this Article XI, any or all of the directors divided into classes may be removed only for cause and only by the affirmative vote of at least 66 2/3% in voting power of all the then-outstanding shares of stock of the Corporation entitled to vote thereon, voting together as a single class.

 

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F Elections of directors need not be by written ballot unless the Bylaws shall so provide.

G During any period when the holders of one or more series of Preferred Stock, due to the occurrence of an event or events, have the special right to elect additional directors who, together with the directors elected by the separate vote of the holders of one or more series of Preferred Stock prior to such event or events, constitute a majority of the total number of directors (the additional directors elected by the separate vote of such holders following such event, the “Additional Preferred Directors”), then upon commencement and for the duration of the period during which such right continues: (i) the then otherwise total authorized number of directors of the Corporation shall automatically be increased by such specified number of directors, and the holders of such Preferred Stock shall be entitled to elect the Additional Preferred Directors so provided for or fixed pursuant to said provisions, and (ii) each such Additional Preferred Director shall serve until the next meeting at which directors are elected and until his or her successor is duly elected and qualified, or until his or her right to hold such office terminates pursuant to said provisions, whichever occurs earlier, subject to his or her earlier death, resignation, retirement, disqualification or removal. Except as otherwise provided by the Board of Directors in the resolution or resolutions establishing such series, whenever the holders of any series of Preferred Stock having such right to elect Additional Preferred Directors are divested of such right pursuant to the provisions of such stock, the terms of office of all such additional directors elected by the holders of such stock, or elected to fill any vacancies resulting from the death, resignation, disqualification or removal of such additional directors, shall forthwith terminate, all such additional directors shall automatically cease to be qualified to serve as directors, and the total authorized number of directors of the Corporation shall be automatically reduced accordingly.

ARTICLE XII.

LIMITATION ON LIABILITY; INDEMNIFICATION

A No Stockholder shall be liable for any debt, claim, demand, judgment or obligation of any kind of, against or with respect to the Corporation by reason of being a Stockholder, nor shall any Stockholder be subject to any personal liability whatsoever, in tort, contract or otherwise, to any Person in connection with the Corporation’s assets or the affairs of the Corporation by reason of being a Stockholder.

B To the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL as it now exists or may hereafter be amended, a director of the Corporation shall not be personally liable to the Corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty owed to the Corporation or its stockholders. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, no director of the Corporation shall be liable to the Corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except for liability (i) for any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to the Corporation or its stockholders, (ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (iii) under Section 174 of the DGCL, or (iv) for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit. Neither the amendment nor repeal of this Section B of this Article XII, nor the adoption of any provision of this Certificate of Incorporation, nor, to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL,

 

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any modification of law shall eliminate, reduce or otherwise adversely affect any right or protection of a current or former director of the Corporation existing at the time of such amendment, repeal, adoption or modification. The Corporation may not incur the cost of that portion of liability insurance which insures the Adviser for any liability as to which the Adviser is prohibited from being indemnified.

C The Corporation, to the full extent permitted by Section 145 of the DGCL and subject to the limitations set forth in this Article XII, shall indemnify all persons whom it may indemnify pursuant thereto. Expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by an officer or director in defending any civil, criminal, administrative, or investigative action, suit or proceeding for which such officer or director may be entitled to indemnification hereunder shall be paid by the Corporation in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of such director or officer to repay such amount if it shall ultimately be determined that he or she is not entitled to be indemnified by the Corporation as authorized hereby. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth in this Section C of this Article XII, any indemnification or payment or reimbursement of expenses made pursuant to this Section C of this Article XII shall be subject to applicable requirements of the Investment Company Act and the limitations and/or conditions set forth in this Article XII. The provision of indemnification or advancement of expenses to any person entitled thereto under this Section C of this Article XII, or the entitlement of any such person to indemnification or advancement of expenses under this Section C of this Article XII, shall not limit or restrict in any way the power of the Corporation to indemnify or advance expenses to such person in any other way permitted by law or be deemed exclusive of, or invalidate, any right to which any person seeking indemnification or advancement of expenses and costs may be entitled under the Bylaws or any law, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise

D This Section D shall be effective upon the Commencement of the Initial Public Offering and until the earlier of a Liquidity Event or the date the Corporation is no longer subject to the Omnibus Guidelines, and only to the extent required under the Omnibus Guidelines. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Article XII, the Corporation shall not provide for any indemnification of an indemnitee pursuant to Section C of this Article XII, unless all of the following conditions are met:

1. The indemnitee has determined, in good faith, that any course of conduct of such indemnitee giving rise to the loss or liability was in the best interests of the Corporation.

2. The indemnitee was acting on behalf of or performing services for the Corporation.

3. Such liability or loss was not the result of (i) negligence or misconduct, in the case that the indemnitee is a director of the Corporation (other than an Independent Director), officer, employee, Controlling Person or agent of the Corporation, or (ii) gross negligence or willful misconduct, in the case that the indemnitee is an Independent Director.

4. Such indemnification or agreement to hold harmless is recoverable only out of the net assets of the Corporation and not from the Stockholders.

 

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E This Section E shall be effective upon the Commencement of the Initial Public Offering and until the earlier of a Liquidity Event or the date the Corporation is no longer subject to the Omnibus Guidelines, and only to the extent required under the Omnibus Guidelines. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Article XII, the Corporation shall not provide any indemnification to an indemnitee pursuant to Section C of this Article XII for any loss, liability or expense arising from or out of an alleged violation of federal or state securities laws by such indemnitee unless one or more of the following conditions are met: (i) there has been a successful adjudication on the merits of each count involving alleged material securities law violations as to the indemnitee; (ii) such claims have been dismissed with prejudice on the merits by a court of competent jurisdiction as to the indemnitee; or (iii) a court of competent jurisdiction approves a settlement of the claims against the indemnitee and finds that indemnification of the settlement and the related costs should be made, and the court considering the request for indemnification has been advised of the position of the SEC and of the published position of any state securities regulatory authority in which securities were offered or sold as to indemnification for violations of securities laws.

F This Section F shall be effective upon the Commencement of the Initial Public Offering and until the earlier of a Liquidity Event or the date the Corporation is no longer subject to the Omnibus Guidelines, and only to the extent required under the Omnibus Guidelines. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Article XII, the Corporation shall pay or reimburse reasonable legal expenses and other costs incurred by an indemnitee in advance of final disposition of a proceeding, pursuant to Section C of this Article XII, if all of the following are satisfied: (i) the proceeding relates to acts or omissions with respect to the performance of duties or services on behalf of the Corporation, (ii) the indemnitee provides the Corporation with written affirmation of the indemnitee’s good faith belief that the indemnitee has met the standard of conduct necessary for indemnification by the Corporation as authorized by Sections C, D and E of this Article XII, as applicable, (iii) the legal proceeding was initiated by a third party who is not a Stockholder or, if by a Stockholder of the Corporation acting in his or her capacity as such, a court of competent jurisdiction approves such advancement, and (iv) the indemnitee provides the Corporation with a written agreement to repay the amount paid or reimbursed by the Corporation, together with the applicable legal rate of interest thereon, if it is ultimately determined by final, non-appealable decision of a court of competent jurisdiction, that the indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification.

G This Section G shall be effective upon the Commencement of the Initial Public Offering and until the earlier of a Liquidity Event or the date the Corporation is no longer subject to the Omnibus Guidelines, and only to the extent required under the Omnibus Guidelines. Neither the Stockholders nor the directors of the Corporation, officers, employees or agents of the Corporation shall be liable under any written instrument creating an obligation of the Corporation by reason of their being Stockholders, directors, officers, employees or agents of the Corporation, and all Persons shall look solely to the Corporation’s net assets for the payment of any claim under or for the performance of that instrument. The omission of the foregoing exculpatory language from any instrument shall not affect the validity or enforceability of such instrument and shall not render any Stockholder, director, officer, employee or agent liable thereunder to any third party, nor shall the director or any officer, employee or agent of the Corporation be liable to anyone as a result of such omission.

 

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H The indemnification and advancement of expenses provided or authorized by this Article XII shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights, by indemnification or otherwise, to which any indemnitee may be entitled under the Bylaws, a resolution of the Stockholders or the Board of Directors, an agreement or otherwise.

I The provisions of this Article XII shall be subject to the limitations of the Investment Company Act.

J Neither the amendment nor repeal of this Article XII, nor the adoption or amendment of any other provision of this Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws inconsistent with this Article XII, shall apply to or affect in any respect the applicability of the preceding sections of this Article XII with respect to any act or failure to act which occurred prior to such amendment, repeal, or adoption.

ARTICLE XIII.

DGCL SECTION 203 AND BUSINESS COMBINATIONS

A The Corporation hereby expressly elects not to be governed by Section 203 of the DGCL.

B Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Corporation shall not engage in any business combination (as defined below), at any point in time at which the Common Stock is registered under Section 12(b) or 12(g) of the Exchange Act, with any interested stockholder (as defined below) for a period of three (3) years following the time that such stockholder became an interested stockholder, unless:

1. prior to such time, the Board of Directors approved either the business combination or the transaction which resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder;

2. upon consummation of the transaction which resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder, the interested stockholder owned at least 85% of the voting stock (as defined below) of the Corporation outstanding at the time the transaction commenced, excluding for purposes of determining the voting stock outstanding (but not the outstanding voting stock owned by the interested stockholder) those shares owned (i) by persons who are directors and also officers and (ii) employee stock plans in which employee participants do not have the right to determine confidentially whether shares held subject to the plan will be tendered in a tender or exchange offer; or

3. at or subsequent to such time, the business combination is approved by the Board of Directors and authorized at an annual or special meeting of stockholders, and not by written consent, by the affirmative vote of at least 66 2/3% of the outstanding voting stock of the Corporation which is not owned by the interested stockholder.

 

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C For purposes of this Article XIII, references to:

1. “affiliate” means a person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, or is controlled by, or is under common control with, another person.

2. “associate,” when used to indicate a relationship with any person, means: (i) any corporation, partnership, unincorporated association or other entity of which such person is a director, officer or partner or is, directly or indirectly, the owner of 20% or more of any class of voting stock; (ii) any trust or other estate in which such person has at least a 20% beneficial interest or as to which such person serves as trustee or in a similar fiduciary capacity; and (iii) any relative or spouse of such person, or any relative of such spouse, who has the same residence as such person.

3. “Goldman Direct Transferee” means any person that acquires (other than in a registered public offering) directly from The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P., Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC or any of their other subsidiaries or affiliates (collectively, “Goldman”) or their successors or any “group”, or any member of any such group, of which such persons are a party under Rule 13d-5 of the Exchange Act, beneficial ownership of 15% or more of the then outstanding voting stock of the Corporation.

4. “Goldman Indirect Transferee” means any person that acquires (other than in a registered public offering) directly from any Goldman Direct Transferee or any other Goldman Indirect Transferee beneficial ownership of 15% or more of the then outstanding voting stock of the Corporation.

5. “business combination,” when used in reference to the Corporation and any interested stockholder of the Corporation, means:

(i) any merger or consolidation of the Corporation or any direct or indirect majority-owned subsidiary of the Corporation (a) with the interested stockholder, or (b) with any other corporation, partnership, unincorporated association or other entity if the merger or consolidation is caused by the interested stockholder and as a result of such merger or consolidation Section B of this Article XIII is not applicable to the surviving entity;

(ii) any sale, lease, exchange, mortgage, pledge, transfer or other disposition (in one transaction or a series of transactions), except proportionately as a stockholder of the Corporation, to or with the interested stockholder, whether as part of a dissolution or otherwise, of assets of the Corporation or of any direct or indirect majority-owned subsidiary of the Corporation which assets have an aggregate market value equal to 10% or more of either the aggregate market value of all the assets of the Corporation determined on a consolidated basis or the aggregate market value of all the outstanding stock of the Corporation;

(iii) any transaction which results in the issuance or transfer by the Corporation or by any direct or indirect majority-owned subsidiary of the Corporation of any stock of the Corporation or of such subsidiary to the interested stockholder, except: (a) pursuant to the exercise, exchange or conversion of securities exercisable for, exchangeable for or convertible into stock of the Corporation or any such subsidiary

 

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which securities were outstanding prior to the time that the interested stockholder became such; (b) pursuant to a merger under Section 251 (g) of the DGCL; (c) pursuant to a dividend or distribution paid or made, or the exercise, exchange or conversion of securities exercisable for, exchangeable for or convertible into stock of the Corporation or any such subsidiary which security is distributed, pro rata to all holders of a class or series of stock of the Corporation subsequent to the time the interested stockholder became such; (d) pursuant to an exchange offer by the Corporation to purchase stock made on the same terms to all holders of said stock; or (e) any issuance or transfer of stock by the Corporation; provided, however, that in no case under items (c)-(e) of this subsection (iii) shall there be an increase in the interested stockholder’s proportionate share of the stock of any class or series of the Corporation or of the voting stock of the Corporation (except as a result of immaterial changes due to fractional share adjustments) or as a result of any purchase or redemption of any shares of stock not caused, directly or indirectly, by the interested stockholder);

(iv) any transaction involving the Corporation or any direct or indirect majority-owned subsidiary of the Corporation which has the effect, directly or indirectly, of increasing the proportionate share of the stock of any class or series, or securities convertible into the stock of any class or series, of the Corporation or of any such subsidiary which is owned by the interested stockholder, except as a result of immaterial changes due to fractional share adjustments or as a result of any purchase or redemption of any shares of stock not caused, directly or indirectly, by the interested stockholder; or

(v) any receipt by the interested stockholder of the benefit, directly or indirectly (except proportionately as a stockholder of the Corporation), of any loans, advances, guarantees, pledges, or other financial benefits (other than those expressly permitted in subsections (i)-(iv) above) provided by or through the Corporation or any direct or indirect majority-owned subsidiary.

6. “control,” including the terms “controlling,” “controlled by” and “under common control with,” means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of a person, whether through the ownership of voting stock, by contract, or otherwise. A person who is the owner of 20% or more of the outstanding voting stock of the Corporation, partnership, unincorporated association or other entity shall be presumed to have control of such entity, in the absence of proof by a preponderance of the evidence to the contrary. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a presumption of control shall not apply where such person holds voting stock, in good faith and not for the purpose of circumventing Sections B or C of this Article XIII, as an agent, bank, broker, nominee, custodian or trustee for one or more owners who do not individually or as a group have control of such entity.

7. “interested stockholder” means any person (other than the Corporation and any direct or indirect majority-owned subsidiary of the Corporation) that (i) is the owner of 15% or more of the outstanding voting stock of the Corporation, or (ii) is an affiliate or associate of the Corporation and was the owner of 15% or more of the outstanding voting stock of the Corporation at any time within the three (3) year period immediately prior to the date on which it is sought to be determined whether such person is an interested stockholder; and the affiliates

 

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and associates of such person; provided, however, that the term “interested stockholder” shall not include (a) Goldman, any Goldman Direct Transferee, any Goldman Indirect Transferee or any of their respective affiliates or successors or any “group”, or any member of any such group, to which such persons are a party under Rule 13d-5 of the Exchange Act, or (b) any person whose ownership of shares in excess of the 15% limitation set forth herein is the result of action taken solely by the Corporation, provided that such person described in this clause (b) shall be an interested stockholder if thereafter such person acquires additional shares of voting stock of the Corporation, except as a result of further corporate action not caused, directly or indirectly, by such person. For the purpose of determining whether a person is an interested stockholder, the voting stock of the Corporation deemed to be outstanding shall include stock deemed to be owned by the person through application of the definition of “owner” below but shall not include any other unissued stock of the Corporation which may be issuable pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding, or upon exercise of conversion rights, warrants or options, or otherwise.

8. “owner” including the terms “own” and “owned,” when used with respect to any stock, means a person that individually or with or through any of its affiliates or associates:

(i) beneficially owns such stock, directly or indirectly; or

(ii) has (a) the right to acquire such stock (whether such right is exercisable immediately or only after the passage of time) pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding, or upon the exercise of conversion rights, exchange rights, warrants or options, or otherwise; provided, however, that a person shall not be deemed the owner of stock tendered pursuant to a tender or exchange offer made by such person or any of such person’s affiliates or associates until such tendered stock is accepted for purchase or exchange; or (b) the right to vote such stock pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding; provided, however, that a person shall not be deemed the owner of any stock because of such person’s right to vote such stock if the agreement, arrangement or understanding to vote such stock arises solely from a revocable proxy or consent given in response to a proxy or consent solicitation made to ten (10) or more persons; or

(iii) has any agreement, arrangement or understanding for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting (except voting pursuant to a revocable proxy or consent as described in item (b) of subsection (ii) above), or disposing of such stock with any other person that beneficially owns, or whose affiliates or associates beneficially own, directly or indirectly, such stock.

9. “person” means any individual, corporation, partnership, unincorporated association or other entity.

10. “stock” means, with respect to any corporation, capital stock and, with respect to any other entity, any equity interest.

11. “voting stock” means stock of any class or series entitled to vote generally in the election of directors.

 

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ARTICLE XIV.

ERISA RESTRICTIONS

Notwithstanding any other provision herein, if and to the extent that any class of Shares do not constitute Publicly Offered Securities, in order to avoid the possibility that the underlying assets of the Corporation could be treated as assets of any Benefit Plan Investor pursuant to the Plan Asset Regulation, the Corporation, at the direction of the Board of Directors or any duly-authorized committee of the Board, or, if authorized by the Board of Directors, any officer of the Corporation or the Adviser on behalf of the Corporation, shall have the power to (1) require any Person proposing to acquire Shares to furnish such information as may be necessary to determine whether such person is (i) a Benefit Plan Investor, or (ii) an ERISA Controlling Person, (2) restrict or prohibit transfers of Shares to any Person, (3) exclude any Stockholder or potential Stockholder from purchasing our Shares, (4) prohibit any repurchase of Shares to any Person, and (5) repurchase any or all outstanding Shares held by a Stockholder for such price and on such other terms and conditions as may be determined by or at the direction of the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE XV.

ROLL-UP TRANSACTIONS

This Article XV shall be effective upon the Commencement of the Initial Public Offering and until the earlier of a Liquidity Event or the date the Corporation is no longer subject to the Omnibus Guidelines, and only to the extent required under the Omnibus Guidelines.

A In connection with any proposed Roll-Up Transaction, an appraisal of all of the Corporation’s assets shall be obtained from a competent Independent Expert. The Corporation’s assets shall be appraised on a consistent basis, and the appraisal shall be based on the evaluation of all relevant information and shall indicate the value of the assets as of a date immediately prior to the announcement of the proposed Roll-Up Transaction. The appraisal shall assume an orderly liquidation of the assets over a twelve-month period. The terms of the engagement of the Independent Expert shall clearly state that the engagement is for the benefit of the Corporation and the Stockholders. A summary of the appraisal, indicating all material assumptions underlying the appraisal, shall be included in a report to Stockholders in connection with a proposed Roll-Up Transaction. In connection with a proposed Roll-Up Transaction, the Person sponsoring the Roll-Up Transaction shall offer to holders of Common Stock who vote against the proposed Roll-Up Transaction the choice of:

(a) accepting the securities of a Roll-Up Entity offered in the proposed Roll-Up Transaction; or

 

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(b) one of the following:

(i) remaining as Stockholders and preserving their interests therein on the same terms and conditions as existed previously; or

(ii) receiving cash in an amount equal to the Stockholder’s pro rata share of the appraised value of the net assets of the Corporation.

B The Corporation is prohibited from participating in any proposed Roll-Up Transaction:

(a) that would result in the holders of Common Stock having voting rights in a Roll-Up Entity that are less than the voting rights provided for in Sections A, B and C of Article IX hereof or Article II of the Corporation’s Bylaws;

(b) that includes provisions that would operate as a material impediment to, or frustration of, the accumulation of capital stock by any purchaser of the securities of the Roll-Up Entity (except to the minimum extent necessary to preserve the tax status of the Roll-Up Entity), or which would limit the ability of an investor to exercise the voting rights of its securities of the Roll-Up Entity on the basis of the capital stock held by that investor;

(c) in which investor’s rights to access of records of the Roll-Up Entity will be less than those described in Sections D and E of Article IX hereof; or

(d) in which any of the costs of the Roll-Up Transaction would be borne by the Corporation if the Roll-Up Transaction is rejected by the holders of Common Stock.

ARTICLE XVI.

AMENDMENT OF THE CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION AND BYLAWS

A Notwithstanding anything contained in this Certificate of Incorporation to the contrary, but in addition to any other vote required by applicable law, the following provisions of this Certificate of Incorporation may be amended, altered or repealed, in whole or in part, or any provision inconsistent therewith or herewith may be adopted, only by the affirmative vote of at least 66 2/3% in voting power of all the then-outstanding shares of stock of the Corporation entitled to vote thereon, voting together as a single class: this Article XVI, Article X, Article XI, Article XII, and Article XIII.

B In furtherance and not in limitation of the powers conferred by the DGCL, the Board of Directors, acting by the affirmative vote of directors constituting a majority of the total number of directors, is expressly authorized to make, repeal, alter, amend and rescind, in whole or in part, the bylaws of the Corporation (as in effect from time to time, the “Bylaws”) without the assent or vote of the stockholders in any manner not inconsistent with the laws of the State of Delaware or this Certificate of Incorporation. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Certificate of Incorporation or any provision of law which might otherwise permit a lesser vote of the stockholders, but in addition to any other vote of the holders of any class or series of capital stock of the Corporation required herein or by law, the affirmative vote of at least 66 2/3% in voting power of all the then-outstanding shares of stock of the Corporation entitled to vote thereon, voting together as a single class, shall be required in order for the stockholders of the Corporation to alter, amend, repeal or rescind, in whole or in part, any provision of the Bylaws or to adopt any provision inconsistent therewith.

 

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ARTICLE XVII.

POWERS OF INCORPORATOR; INITIAL DIRECTORS

The Incorporator of the Corporation is David Pessah, whose mailing address is c/o Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P., 200 West Street, New York, New York 10282. The powers of the Incorporator shall terminate upon the filing of this Certificate of Incorporation with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware. The names and addresses of the initial members of the Board of Directors are as follows:

Katherine (“Kaysie”) P. Uniacke

c/o Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P.

200 West Street

New York, New York 10282

Jaime Ardila

c/o Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P.

200 West Street

New York, New York 10282

Carlos E. Evans

c/o Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P.

200 West Street

New York, New York 10282

Ross J. Kari

c/o Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P.

200 West Street

New York, New York 10282

Timothy J. Leach

c/o Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P.

200 West Street

New York, New York 10282

Richard A. Mark

c/o Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P.

200 West Street

New York, New York 10282

Susan B. McGee

c/o Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P.

200 West Street

New York, New York 10282

 

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ARTICLE XVIII.

MISCELLANEOUS

If any provision or provisions of this Certificate of Incorporation shall be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable as applied to any circumstance for any reason whatsoever: (i) the validity, legality and enforceability of such provisions in any other circumstance and of the remaining provisions of this Certificate of Incorporation (including, without limitation, each portion of any paragraph of this Certificate of Incorporation containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable that is not itself held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby and (ii) to the fullest extent possible, the provisions of this Certificate of Incorporation (including, without limitation, each such portion of any paragraph of this Certificate of Incorporation containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall be construed so as to permit the Corporation to protect its directors, officers, employees and agents from personal liability in respect of their good faith service or for the benefit of the Corporation to the fullest extent permitted by law.

* * *

This Certificate of Incorporation shall become effective on April 6, 2023 at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time.

[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned Incorporator hereby acknowledges that the foregoing Certificate of Incorporation is his act and deed as of April 5, 2023.

 

By:

 

/s/ David Pessah

Name:

 

David Pessah

Title:

 

Incorporator

 

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EX-99.(3)(2) 3 d410243dex9932.htm FORM OF CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATION OF 12.0% SERIES A CUMULATIVE PREFERRED STOCK Form of Certificate of Designation of 12.0% Series A Cumulative Preferred Stock

Exhibit 3.2

CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATION

OF

12.0% SERIES A CUMULATIVE PREFERRED STOCK

OF

GOLDMAN SACHS PRIVATE CREDIT CORP.

Goldman Sachs Private Credit Corp., a corporation organized and existing under the State of Delaware (the “Corporation”), hereby certifies that, pursuant to authority conferred upon the Corporation’s Board of Directors (which term as used herein shall include any duly authorized committee of the Board of Directors, the “Board”) by the Corporation’s Certificate of Incorporation (the “Certificate of Incorporation”) and pursuant to Section 151 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”), the Board has duly approved and adopted the following resolution:

RESOLVED, that the Corporation is authorized under Article V of the Certificate of Incorporation to issue 1,000,000 shares of preferred stock, $0.001 par value per share (the “Preferred Stock”). Pursuant to the authority vested in the Board by the Certificate of Incorporation and as set forth in Section 151 of the DGCL, the Board does hereby approve the designation of 515 authorized but unissued shares of Preferred Stock as the Series A Preferred Stock (as defined below), which shall have the following designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional and other special rights:

ARTICLE I

NUMBER OF SHARES; RANKING

1.1 Designation and Number. A series of Preferred Stock, designated the “12.0% Series A Cumulative Preferred Stock” (the “Series A Preferred Stock”), is hereby established. The total number of authorized shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall be five hundred fifteen (515). The Series A Preferred Stock shall initially be uncertificated, unless and until otherwise determined by the Board.

1.2 Rank. The Series A Preferred Stock shall, with respect to dividend and redemption rights and rights upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, rank senior to all classes or series of shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share, of the Corporation (“Common Stock”) and will rank on parity with any other class or series of Preferred Stock, whether such class or series is now existing or is created in the future; provided, however that the consent of the holders of a majority of the outstanding Preferred Stock, including the Series A Preferred Stock, voting as a separate class, shall be required for the authorization or issuance of any class or series of Preferred Stock ranking on parity with the Series A Preferred Stock, as further described in Section 5.3 below.

ARTICLE II

Dividends

2.1 Payment of Dividends. Each holder of the then outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive, when and as authorized by the Board, out of funds legally available for the payment of dividends, cumulative preferential cash dividends at the rate of 12.0% per annum of the total of $1,000.00 per share plus all accumulated and unpaid dividends thereon. Such dividends shall accrue on a daily basis and be cumulative from the earlier of (1) the


first date on which any Series A Preferred Stock is issued or (2) May 1, 2023, which may occur prior to the first date on which any Series A Preferred Stock is issued. Upon written instruction from the Corporation (via email being sufficient), REIT Funding, LLC (“REIT Funding”) will instruct REIT Funding’s escrow agent for custody of subscription funds to remit to the Corporation all subscription funds in exchange for the issuance of the Series A Preferred Stock, such issuance to be contemporaneous with the receipt by the Corporation of subscription funds. Dividends on the Series A Preferred Stock shall be payable semi-annually in arrears on or before June 30 and December 31 of each year (each a “Dividend Payment Date”); provided, however, that if any Dividend Payment Date is not a business day, then the dividend which would otherwise have been payable on such Dividend Payment Date may be paid on the preceding business day or the following business day with the same force and effect as if paid on such Dividend Payment Date. Any dividend payable on the Series A Preferred Stock for any partial dividend period will be computed on the basis of a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months. A “dividend period” shall mean, with respect to the first “dividend period,” the period from and including the earlier of (1) the first date on which any Series A Preferred Stock is issued or (2) May 1, 2023, to and including the first Dividend Payment Date, and with respect to each subsequent “dividend period,” the period from but excluding a Dividend Payment Date to and including the next succeeding Dividend Payment Date or other date as of which accrued dividends are to be calculated. Dividends will be payable to holders of record as they appear in the share records of the Corporation at the close of business on the applicable record date, which shall be the fifteenth day of the calendar month in which the applicable Dividend Payment Date falls or on such other date designated by the Board for the payment of dividends that is not more than 30 nor less than 10 days prior to such Dividend Payment Date (each, a “Dividend Record Date”).

2.2 Prohibition of Dividend. No dividends on shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall be declared by the Corporation or paid or set apart for payment by the Corporation at such time as the terms and provisions of any written agreement between the Corporation and any party that is not an affiliate of the Corporation, including any agreement relating to its indebtedness, prohibit such declaration, payment or setting apart for payment or provide that such declaration, payment or setting apart for payment would constitute a breach thereof or a default thereunder, or if such declaration or payment shall be restricted or prohibited by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), the DGCL or any other applicable law. For purposes of this Certificate of Designation, “affiliate” shall mean any party that controls, is controlled by or is under common control with the Corporation.

2.3 Accrual of Dividend. Notwithstanding the foregoing, dividends on the Series A Preferred Stock shall accrue whether or not the terms and provisions set forth in Section 2.2 hereof at any time prohibit the current payment of dividends, whether or not the Corporation has earnings, whether or not there are funds legally available for the payment of such dividends and whether or not such dividends are authorized or declared. Furthermore, dividends will be declared and paid when due in all events to the fullest extent permitted by law and except as provided in Section 2.2 above. Accrued but unpaid dividends on the Series A Preferred Stock will accumulate as of the Dividend Payment Date on which they first become payable.

2.4 No Dividends. Unless full cumulative dividends on all outstanding shares of Preferred Stock, including Series A Preferred Stock have been or contemporaneously are declared and paid or declared and a sum sufficient for the payment thereof is set apart for payment for all past dividend periods, no dividends (other than in shares of Common Stock) shall be declared or paid or set aside for payment nor shall any other distribution be declared or made upon any shares of Common Stock, nor shall any shares of Common Stock be redeemed, purchased or otherwise acquired for any consideration (or any moneys be paid to or made available for a sinking fund for

 

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the redemption of any such shares) by the Corporation (except by conversion into or exchange for other shares of Common Stock), provided, further, that the “asset coverage” (as defined under the 1940 Act) on the Preferred Stock, including Series A Preferred Stock, must be at least 150 per centum (or such other amount as provided under the 1940 Act), giving effect to any exemptive relief granted to the Corporation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, after deducting the amount of such dividend, distribution or purchase price.

2.5 Pro Rata Payment. When dividends are not paid in full (or a sum sufficient for such full payment is not set apart) on the Preferred Stock, including the Series A Preferred Stock, all dividends declared upon the Preferred Stock, including the Series A Preferred Stock, shall be declared and paid pro rata based on the number of shares of Preferred Stock, including Series A Preferred Stock, then outstanding.

2.6 Order of Payment. Any dividend payment made on shares of the Series A Preferred Stock shall first be credited against the earliest accrued but unpaid dividend due with respect to such shares which remains payable. Holders of the Series A Preferred Stock shall not be entitled to any dividend, whether payable in cash, property or shares, in excess of full cumulative dividends on the Series A Preferred Stock as described above.

2.7 Electronic Payment. Any dividend payment made on the Series A Preferred Stock may be made via check or electronic payment. Permissible forms of electronic payment pursuant to this paragraph shall include, without limitation, Automated Clearing House (“ACH”) transfers, direct deposits or wire transfers.

2.8 Appointment of the Paying Agent. The Corporation and the holders of the Series A Preferred Stock hereby authorize REIT Administration, LLC (“REIT Administration”) with an address at 1175 Peachtree Street, NE, Suite 2200, Atlanta, Georgia 30361-6206, to act as paying agent on behalf of the holders of Series A Preferred Stock. Any dividend payments received by REIT Administration shall be deemed paid to such holders of Series A Preferred Stock on the later of the date received by REIT Administration or the date declared for payment.

ARTICLE III

LIQUIDATION PREFERENCE

3.1 Liquidation Preference. Upon any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the affairs of the Corporation (each a “Liquidation Event”), the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock then outstanding are entitled to be paid, or have the Corporation declare and set aside for payment, out of the assets of the Corporation legally available for distribution to its shareholders, a liquidation preference equal to the sum of the following (collectively, the “Liquidation Preference”): (i) $1,000.00 per share, (ii) all accrued and unpaid dividends thereon through and including the date of payment, and (iii) if the Liquidation Event occurs before the Redemption Premium (as defined below) right expires, the per share Redemption Premium in effect on the date of payment of the Liquidation Preference, before any distribution of assets is made to holders of any Common Stock. In the event that the Corporation elects to set aside the Liquidation Preference for payment, the Series A Preferred Stock shall remain outstanding until the holders thereof are paid the full Liquidation Preference, which payment shall be made no later than immediately prior to the Corporation making its final liquidating distribution on the Common Stock. In the event that the Redemption Premium in effect on the payment date is less than the Redemption Premium on the date that the Liquidation Preference was set apart for payment, the Corporation may make a corresponding reduction to the funds set apart for payment of the Liquidation Preference.

 

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3.2 Pro Rata Distribution. If, upon any Liquidation Event, the available assets of the Corporation are insufficient to pay the full amount of the Liquidation Preference on all outstanding shares of Preferred Stock, including Series A Preferred Stock, then the holders of the Preferred Stock, including the Series A Preferred Stock, shall share ratably in any such distribution of assets in proportion to the full Liquidation Preference to which they would otherwise be respectively entitled.

3.3 No Right. After payment of the full amount of the Liquidation Preference to which they are entitled, the holders of Series A Preferred Stock will have no right or claim to any of the remaining assets of the Corporation.

3.4 Termination upon Redemption. Upon the Corporation’s provision of written notice as to the effective date of any such Liquidation Event, accompanied by a check or electronic payment in the amount of the full Liquidation Preference to which each record holder of the Series A Preferred Stock is entitled, the Series A Preferred Stock shall no longer be deemed outstanding shares of the Corporation and all rights of the holders of such shares will terminate. Such notice shall be given by first class mail, postage pre-paid, or via electronic mail to each record holder of the Series A Preferred Stock at the respective addresses of such holders as the same shall appear on the share transfer records of the Corporation. Permissible forms of electronic payment pursuant to this paragraph shall include, without limitation, ACH transfers, direct deposits or wire transfers, in each case to be initiated on or before the day on which the related notice is given.

3.5 Consolidation or Merger. The consolidation or merger of the Corporation with or into any other business enterprise or of any other business enterprise with or into the Corporation, or the sale, lease or conveyance of all or substantially all of the assets or business of the Corporation, shall not be deemed to constitute a Liquidation Event; provided, however that any such transaction which results in an amendment, restatement or replacement of the Certificate of Incorporation that has a material adverse effect on the rights and preferences of the Series A Preferred Stock, or that increases the number of authorized or issued shares of Series A Preferred Stock, shall be deemed a Liquidation Event for purposes of determining whether the Liquidation Preference is payable unless the right to receive payment is waived by holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock voting as a separate class.

ARTICLE IV

REDEMPTION

4.1 Right of Optional Redemption. The Corporation, at its option, may redeem shares of the Series A Preferred Stock, in whole or in part, at any time or from time to time, for cash at a redemption price (the “Redemption Price”) equal to $1,000.00 per share plus all accrued and unpaid dividends thereon to and including the date fixed for redemption (except as provided in Section 4.3 below), plus a redemption premium per share (each, a “Redemption Premium”) calculated as follows based on the date fixed for redemption: (i) until the date that is two (2) years from the date of original issuance of the Series A Preferred Stock, $100, and (ii) thereafter, no Redemption Premium. If less than all of the outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock are to be redeemed, the shares of Series A Preferred Stock to be redeemed may be selected by any equitable method determined by the Corporation provided that such method does not result in the creation of fractional shares.

 

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4.2 Limitations on Redemption. Unless full cumulative dividends on all shares of Preferred Stock, including Series A Preferred Stock, shall have been, or contemporaneously are, declared and paid or declared and a sum sufficient for the payment thereof set apart for payment for all past dividend periods, no shares of Preferred Stock, including Series A Preferred Stock, shall be redeemed or otherwise acquired, directly or indirectly, by the Corporation unless all outstanding shares of Preferred Stock, including Series A Preferred Stock, are simultaneously redeemed or acquired, and the Corporation shall not purchase or otherwise acquire, directly or indirectly, any shares of any Common Stock of the Corporation (except by exchange for shares of Common Stock).

4.3 Rights to Dividends on Shares Called for Redemption. Immediately prior to or upon any redemption of Series A Preferred Stock, the Corporation shall pay, in cash, any accumulated and unpaid dividends to and including the redemption date, unless a redemption date falls after a Dividend Record Date and prior to the corresponding Dividend Payment Date, in which case each holder of Series A Preferred Stock at the close of business on such Dividend Record Date shall be entitled to the dividend payable on such shares on the corresponding Dividend Payment Date notwithstanding the redemption of such shares before such Dividend Payment Date.

4.4 Procedures for Redemption

(a) Upon the Corporation’s provision of written notice as to the effective date of the redemption, accompanied by a check or electronic payment in the amount of the full Redemption Price through such effective date to which each record holder of Series A Preferred Stock is entitled, the Series A Preferred Stock shall be redeemed and shall no longer be deemed outstanding shares of the Corporation and all rights of the holders of such shares will terminate. Such notice shall be given by first class mail, postage pre-paid, or via electronic mail to each record holder of the Series A Preferred Stock at the respective addresses of such holders as the same shall appear on the share transfer records of the Corporation. No failure to give such notice or any defect therein or in the distribution thereof shall affect the validity of the proceedings for the redemption of any shares of Series A Preferred Stock except as to the holder to whom notice was defective or not given. Permissible forms of electronic payment pursuant to this paragraph shall include, without limitation, ACH transfers, direct deposits or wire transfers, in each case to be initiated on or before the day on which the related notice is given.

(b) In addition to any information required by law or by the applicable rules of any exchange upon which Series A Preferred Stock may be listed or admitted to trading, such notice shall state: (A) the redemption date; (B) the Redemption Price; (C) the number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock to be redeemed; (D) the place or places where the Series A Preferred Stock are to be surrendered (if so required in the notice) for payment of the Redemption Price (if not otherwise included with the notice); and (E) that dividends on the shares to be redeemed will cease to accrue on such redemption date. If less than all of the Series A Preferred Stock held by any holder is to be redeemed, the notice given to such holder shall also specify the number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock held by such holder to be redeemed.

 

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(c) If notice of redemption of any shares of Series A Preferred Stock has been given and if the funds necessary for such redemption have been set aside by the Corporation for the benefit of the holders of any shares of Series A Preferred Stock so called for redemption, then, from and after the redemption date, dividends will cease to accrue on such shares of Series A Preferred Stock, such shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall no longer be deemed outstanding and all rights of the holders of such shares will terminate, except the right to receive the Redemption Price. If the Corporation shall so require and the notice shall so state, holders of Series A Preferred Stock to be redeemed shall surrender the certificates evidencing such Series A Preferred Stock, to the extent that such shares are certificated, at the place designated in such notice and, upon surrender in accordance with said notice of the certificates for shares of Series A Preferred Stock so redeemed (properly endorsed or assigned for transfer, if the Corporation shall so require and the notice shall so state), such shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall be redeemed by the Corporation at the Redemption Price. In case less than all of the shares of Series A Preferred Stock evidenced by any such certificate are redeemed, a new certificate or certificates shall be issued evidencing the unredeemed shares of Series A Preferred Stock without cost to the holder thereof. In the event that the shares of Series A Preferred Stock to be redeemed are uncertificated, such shares shall be redeemed in accordance with the notice and no further action on the part of the holders of such shares shall be required.

(d) The deposit of funds with a bank or trust corporation for the purpose of redeeming Series A Preferred Stock shall be irrevocable except that:

i. the Corporation shall be entitled to receive from such bank or trust corporation the interest or other earnings, if any, earned on any money so deposited in trust, and the holders of any shares redeemed shall have no claim to such interest or other earnings; and

ii. any balance of monies so deposited by the Corporation and unclaimed by the holders of the Series A Preferred Stock entitled thereto at the expiration of two years from the applicable redemption dates shall be repaid, together with any interest or other earnings thereon, to the Corporation, and after any such repayment, the holders of the shares entitled to the funds so repaid to the Corporation shall look only to the Corporation for payment of the Redemption Price without interest or other earnings.

4.5 Status of Redeemed Shares. Any shares of Series A Preferred Stock that shall at any time have been redeemed or otherwise acquired by the Corporation shall, after such redemption or acquisition, have the status of authorized but unissued shares of Series A Preferred Stock which may be issued by the Board from time to time at its discretion.

ARTICLE V

VOTING RIGHTS

5.1 Except as otherwise provided in the Certificate of Incorporation or as otherwise required by law, (i) each holder of Series A Preferred Stock shall be entitled to one vote for each share of Series A Preferred Stock held by such holder on each matter submitted to a vote of stockholders of the Corporation, and (ii) the holders of outstanding shares of Preferred Stock, including Series A Preferred Stock, and of outstanding shares of Common Stock shall vote together as a single class; provided, however, that the holders of outstanding shares of Preferred Stock, including Series A Preferred Stock, shall be entitled, voting as a separate class, to elect two members of the Board (each, a “Director”) of the Corporation at all times.

 

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5.2 The holders of Preferred Stock, including Series A Preferred Stock, shall be entitled, voting as a separate class, to elect a majority of the Board:

(a) if, at the close of business on any Dividend Payment Date, dividends (whether or not declared) on outstanding shares of Preferred Stock, including Series A Preferred Stock, are unpaid in an amount equal to at least two (2) full years’ dividends on the Preferred Stock, including Series A Preferred Stock; or

(b) if at any time holders of shares of Preferred Stock, including Series A Preferred Stock, are otherwise entitled under the 1940 Act to elect a majority of the Board (any period in which one or more of the conditions in clauses 5.2(a) or 5.2(b) shall exist is referred to herein as the “Voting Period”).

Upon the termination of a Voting Period, the voting rights described in this Section 5.2 shall cease, subject always, however, to the revesting of such voting rights in the holders of shares of Preferred Stock, including Series A Preferred Stock, upon the further occurrence of any of the events described in this Section 5.2; provided further, that the Voting Period shall irrevocably terminate with respect to any holder whose shares of Series A Preferred Stock have been redeemed, including pursuant to Article IV hereof, or are otherwise no longer outstanding.

5.3 Holders of Preferred Stock, including Series A Preferred Stock, to Vote on Certain Matters.

(a) The consent of the holders of a majority of the outstanding Series A Preferred Stock, voting as a separate class, shall be required for (a) authorization or issuance of any equity security of the Corporation senior to or on a parity with the Series A Preferred Stock, (b) any amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation which has a material adverse effect on the rights and preferences of the Series A Preferred Stock or which increases the number of authorized or issued shares of Series A Preferred Stock, or (c) any reclassification of the Series A Preferred Stock. For purposes of the foregoing, no matter shall be deemed to have a material adverse effect on the rights and preferences of the Series A Preferred Stock unless such matter (i) alters or abolishes any preferential right of such Series A Preferred Stock, or (ii) creates, alters or abolishes with respect to the Series A Preferred Stock any right in respect of dividends or redemption or rights upon liquidation, dissolution, or winding up of the Corporation. The term “equity securities” shall not include convertible debt securities unless and until such securities are converted into equity securities of the Corporation.

(b) Unless a higher percentage is provided for in the Certificate of Incorporation, the affirmative vote of the holders of at least a “majority of the outstanding shares of Preferred Stock,” including Series A Preferred Stock, as determined in accordance with Section 2(a)(42) of the 1940 Act, voting as a separate class, shall be required (1) to approve any plan of reorganization (as defined in Section 2(a)(33) of the 1940 Act) adversely affecting such shares or (2) to the extent required under the 1940 Act, to approve any action requiring a vote of security holders as in Section 13(a) of the 1940 Act. For purposes of the foregoing, the vote of a “majority of the outstanding shares of Preferred Stock” means the vote at an annual or special meeting duly called of (i) sixty-seven percent (67%) or more of such shares present at a meeting, if the holders of more than fifty percent (50%) of such shares are present or represented by proxy at such meeting, or (ii) more than fifty percent (50%) of such shares, whichever is less.

5.4 Unless otherwise required by the 1940 Act or the Certificate of Incorporation, the holders of Series A Preferred Stock shall not have any relative voting rights or preferences or other special rights with respect to voting other than those expressly set forth in this ARTICLE V. Subject to the rights of the holders of the Preferred Stock, including Series A Preferred Stock described in ARTICLE II, in the event that the Corporation fails to declare or pay dividends on the Series A Preferred Stock on the Dividend Payment Date therefor, the exclusive remedy of the holders of the Series A Preferred Stock shall be the right to vote for Directors pursuant to the provisions of Section 5.2.

 

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5.5 The Corporation shall take such actions as may be necessary to effect the provisions of this ARTICLE V in accordance with the DGCL.

ARTICLE VI

CONVERSION

6.1 The shares of Series A Preferred Stock are not convertible into or exchangeable for any other property or securities of the Corporation.

ARTICLE VII

TRANSFER RESTRICTIONS

7.1 During the period (the “Restricted Period”) ending on the date of any listing of the shares of Series A Preferred Stock on a national securities exchange (a “Listing”), no holder of Series A Preferred Stock will, directly or indirectly, transfer, assign, sell or pledge all or any part of any shares of Series A Preferred Stock (or solicit any offers to buy, purchase or otherwise acquire or take a pledge of all or any part of such shares) (each, a “Transfer”) except in accordance with (i) the registration provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) or an exemption from such registration provisions and (ii) any applicable state or non-U.S. securities laws. During the Restricted Period, no Transfer of Series A Preferred Stock shall be made without (a) registration of the Transfer on the Corporation’s books and (b) the prior written consent of the Corporation, which may be given or withheld in its sole discretion for any reason or no reason except in the event of a request to Transfer Series A Preferred Stock necessitated by the death or divorce of a holder of Series A Preferred Stock, in which case, such consent of the Corporation shall not be required provided that certain certifications (via email being sufficient) are provided to the Corporation in advance of such Transfer, including, without limitation, that such Transfer would not violate the Securities Act or any state (or other jurisdiction) securities or “blue sky” laws applicable to the Corporation or the Transfer of such Series A Preferred Stock. Any purported Transfer of any shares of Series A Preferred Stock effected in violation of this ARTICLE VII shall be void ab initio and shall have no force or effect, and the Corporation shall not register or permit registration of (and shall direct its transfer agent, if any, not to register or permit registration of) any such purported Transfer on its books and records.

[SIGNATURE PAGE FOLLOWS]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Corporation has caused this Certificate of Designation to be duly executed in its name and on its behalf on this 6th day of April, 2023.

 

GOLDMAN SACHS PRIVATE CREDIT CORP.

By:

 

/s/ David Pessah

 

Name: David Pessah

 

Title: Chief Financial Officer

[Signature Page to Goldman Sachs Private Credit Corp. Certificate of Designation]

EX-99.(3)(3) 4 d410243dex9933.htm FORM OF BYLAWS Form of Bylaws

Exhibit 3.3

BYLAWS

OF

GOLDMAN SACHS PRIVATE CREDIT CORP.

Effective as of April 6, 2023

ARTICLE I

Offices

SECTION 1.01. Registered Office. The registered office and registered agent of Goldman Sachs Private Credit Corp., a Delaware corporation (the “Corporation”), shall be as set forth in the Corporation’s certificate of incorporation as then in effect (as the same may be amended and/or restated from time to time, the “Certificate of Incorporation”). The Corporation may also have offices in such other places in the United States or elsewhere (and may change the Corporation’s registered agent) as the board of directors of the Corporation (the “Board of Directors”) may, from time to time, determine or as the business of the Corporation may require.

ARTICLE II

Meetings of Stockholders

SECTION 2.01. Annual Meetings. Annual meetings of stockholders may be held at such place, if any, either within or without the State of Delaware, and at such time and date as the Board of Directors shall determine and state in the notice of meeting. The Board of Directors may, in its sole discretion, determine that the meeting shall not be held at any place, but may instead be held solely by means of remote communication as described in Section 2.10 of these Bylaws in accordance with Section 211(a)(2) of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”). The Board of Directors may postpone, adjourn, reschedule or cancel any annual meeting of stockholders previously scheduled by the Board of Directors.

SECTION 2.02. Special Meetings. Special meetings of stockholders may only be called by the Board of Directors, the Chairman of the Board or the Chief Executive Officer(s) and may be held either within or without the State of Delaware. The Board of Directors may, in its sole discretion, determine that the meeting shall not be held at any place, but may instead be held solely by means of remote communication as described in Section 2.10 of these Bylaws in accordance with Section 211(a)(2) of the DGCL. The Board of Directors may postpone, adjourn, reschedule or cancel any special meeting of stockholders previously scheduled by the Board of Directors, the Chairman of the Board or the Chief Executive Officer(s).

SECTION 2.03. Notice of Stockholder Business and Nominations. For each annual meeting of stockholders scheduled to be held on a date occurring prior to the date on which the Corporation commences operations, nominations of persons for election to the Board of Directors and the proposal of other business to be considered by the stockholders may be made at such meeting (a) pursuant to the Corporation’s notice of meeting (or any supplement thereto)


delivered pursuant to Section 2.04 of Article II of these Bylaws, (b) by or at the direction of the Board of Directors or any authorized committee thereof, or (c) by any stockholder of record as of the record date for notice and voting at the meeting who is entitled to vote at the meeting and who holds shares of stock entitled to vote at the meeting of record continuously through the date of the meeting, without regard to the provisions of paragraph (A) of this Section 2.03. For each annual meeting scheduled to be held on a date occurring on or after the date on which the Corporation commences operations, nominations of persons for election to the Board of Directors and the proposal of other business to be considered by the stockholders shall be subject to, and may only be made in compliance with, the provisions of paragraph (A) of this Section 2.03.

(A) Annual Meetings of Stockholders.

(1) Nominations of persons for election to the Board of Directors and the proposal of other business to be considered by the stockholders may be made at an annual meeting of stockholders only (a) pursuant to the Corporation’s notice of meeting (or any supplement thereto) delivered pursuant to Section 2.04 of Article II of these Bylaws, (b) by or at the direction of the Board of Directors or any authorized committee thereof or (c) by any stockholder of the Corporation who is entitled to vote at the meeting, who complied with the notice procedures set forth in paragraphs (A)(2) and (A)(3) of this Section 2.03 and who was a stockholder of record at the time such notice is delivered to a Secretary of the Corporation.

(2) For nominations or other business to be properly brought before an annual meeting by a stockholder pursuant to clause (c) of paragraph (A)(1) of this Section 2.03, the stockholder must have given timely notice thereof in writing to a Secretary of the Corporation, and, in the case of business other than nominations of persons for election to the Board of Directors, such other business must constitute a proper matter for stockholder action. To be timely, a stockholder’s notice shall be delivered to a Secretary of the Corporation at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not less than ninety (90) days nor more than one hundred and twenty (120) days prior to the first anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting; provided, however, that in the event that the date of the annual meeting is advanced by more than thirty (30) days, or delayed by more than seventy (70) days, from the anniversary date of the previous year’s meeting, or if no annual meeting was held in the preceding year, notice by the stockholder to be timely must be so delivered not earlier than one hundred and twenty (120) days prior to such annual meeting and not later than the close of business on the later of the ninetieth (90th) day prior to such annual meeting or the tenth (10th) day following the day on which public announcement of the date of such meeting is first made. Public announcement of an adjournment or postponement of an annual meeting shall not commence a new time period (or extend any time period) for the giving of a stockholder’s notice. Notwithstanding anything in this Section 2.03(A)(2) to the contrary, if the number of directors to be elected to the Board of Directors of the Corporation at an annual meeting is increased and there is no public announcement by the Corporation naming all of the nominees for director or specifying the size of the increased board of directors at least one hundred (100) calendar days prior to the first anniversary of the prior year’s annual meeting of stockholders, then a stockholder’s notice required by this Section shall be considered timely, but only with respect to nominees for any new positions created by such increase, if it is received by a Secretary of the Corporation not later than the close of business on the tenth (10th) calendar day following the day on which such public announcement is first made by the Corporation.

 

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(3) Such stockholder’s notice shall set forth (a) as to each person whom the stockholder proposes to nominate for election or re-election as a director, (i) all information relating to such person that is required to be disclosed in solicitations of proxies for election of directors in an election contest, or is otherwise required, in each case pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (the “Exchange Act”), including such person’s written consent to being named in the proxy statement as a nominee and to serving as a director if elected, and (ii) whether such stockholder believes such person is, or is not, an “interested person” of the Corporation, as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules promulgated thereunder (the “Investment Company Act”), and information regarding such person that is sufficient, in the discretion of the Board of Directors or any committee thereof or any authorized officer of the Corporation, to make such determination; (b) as to any other business that the stockholder proposes to bring before the meeting, a brief description of the business desired to be brought before the meeting, the text of the proposal or business (including the text of any resolutions proposed for consideration and, in the event that such business includes a proposal to amend these Bylaws of the Corporation, the language of the proposed amendment), the reasons for conducting such business at the meeting and any material interest in such business of such stockholder and the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the proposal is made; (c) as to the stockholder giving the notice and the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the nomination or proposal is made (i) the name and address of such stockholder, as they appear on the Corporation’s books and records, and of such beneficial owner, (ii) the class or series and number of shares of capital stock of the Corporation which are owned, directly or indirectly, beneficially and of record by such stockholder and such beneficial owner, (iii) a representation that the stockholder is a holder of record of the stock of the Corporation at the time of the giving of the notice, will be entitled to vote at such meeting and will appear in person or by proxy at the meeting to propose such business or nomination, (iv) a representation whether the stockholder or the beneficial owner, if any, will be or is part of a group which will (x) deliver a proxy statement and/or form of proxy to holders of at least the percentage of the voting power of the Corporation’s outstanding capital stock required to approve or adopt the proposal or elect the nominee and/or (y) otherwise to solicit proxies or votes from stockholders in support of such proposal or nomination, (v) a certification regarding whether such stockholder and beneficial owner, if any, have complied with all applicable federal, state and other legal requirements in connection with the stockholder’s and/or beneficial owner’s acquisition of shares of capital stock or other securities of the Corporation and/or the stockholder’s and/or beneficial owner’s acts or omissions as a stockholder of the Corporation and (vi) any other information relating to such stockholder and beneficial owner, if any, required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filings required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies for, as applicable, the proposal and/or for the election of directors in an election contest pursuant to and in accordance with Section 14(a) of the Exchange Act; (d) a description of any agreement,

 

3


arrangement or understanding with respect to the nomination or proposal and/or the voting of shares of any class or series of stock of the Corporation between or among the stockholder giving the notice, the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the nomination or proposal is made, any of their respective affiliates or associates and/or any others acting in concert with any of the foregoing (collectively, “proponent persons”); and (e) a description of any agreement, arrangement or understanding (including without limitation any contract to purchase or sell, acquisition or grant of any option, right or warrant to purchase or sell, swap or other instrument) to which any proponent person is a party, the intent or effect of which may be (i) to transfer to or from any proponent person, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of any security of the Corporation, (ii) to increase or decrease the voting power of any proponent person with respect to shares of any class or series of stock of the Corporation and/or (iii) to provide any proponent person, directly or indirectly, with the opportunity to profit or share in any profit derived from, or to otherwise benefit economically from, any increase or decrease in the value of any security of the Corporation. A stockholder providing notice of a proposed nomination for election to the Board of Directors or other business proposed to be brought before a meeting (whether given pursuant to this paragraph (A)(3) or paragraph (B) of this Section 2.03 of these Bylaws) shall update and supplement such notice from time to time to the extent necessary so that the information provided or required to be provided in such notice shall be true and correct (x) as of the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to notice of the meeting and (y) as of the date that is fifteen (15) days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof, provided that if the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting is less than fifteen (15) days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof, the information shall be supplemented and updated as of such later date. Any such update and supplement shall be delivered in writing to a Secretary of the Corporation at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not later than five (5) days after the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to notice of the meeting (in the case of any update and supplement required to be made as of the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to notice of the meeting), not later than ten (10) days prior to the date for the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof (in the case of any update or supplement required to be made as of fifteen (15) days prior to the meeting or adjournment or postponement thereof) and not later than five (5) days after the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting, but no later than the date prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof (in the case of any update and supplement required to be made as of a date less than fifteen (15) days prior the date of the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof). The Corporation may require any proposed nominee to furnish such other information as it may reasonably require to determine the eligibility of such proposed nominee to serve as a director of the Corporation and to determine the independence of such director under the Exchange Act, the Investment Company Act and applicable stock exchange rules.

 

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(B) Special Meetings of Stockholders. Only such business shall be conducted at a special meeting of stockholders as shall have been brought before the meeting pursuant to the Corporation’s notice of meeting. Nominations of persons for election to the Board of Directors may be made at a special meeting of stockholders at which directors are to be elected pursuant to the Corporation’s notice of meeting (1) by or at the direction of the Board of Directors or any committee thereof or (2) provided that the Board of Directors has determined that directors shall be elected at such meeting, by any stockholder of the Corporation who is entitled to vote at the meeting and, if the meeting is scheduled to occur on or after the date on which the Corporation commences operations, who complies with the notice procedures set forth in paragraphs (A) and (B) of this Section 2.03 and is a stockholder of record at the time such notice is delivered to a Secretary of the Corporation. In the event the Corporation calls a special meeting of stockholders for the purpose of electing one or more directors to the Board of Directors, which meeting is scheduled to occur on or after the date on which the Corporation commences operations, any such stockholder entitled to vote in such election of directors may nominate a person or persons (as the case may be) for election to such position(s) as specified in the Corporation’s notice of meeting if the stockholder’s notice as required by paragraph (A)(2) of this Section 2.03 shall be delivered to a Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not earlier than the close of business on the 120th day prior to such special meeting and not later than the close of business on the later of the 90th day prior to such special meeting or the 10th day following the day on which public announcement is first made of the date of the special meeting and of the nominees proposed by the Board of Directors to be elected at such meeting. In no event shall the public announcement of an adjournment or postponement of a special meeting commence a new time period (or extend any time period) for the giving of a stockholder’s notice as described above.

(C) General. (1) Only such persons who are nominated in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section 2.03 shall be eligible to serve as directors and only such business shall be conducted at an annual or special meeting of stockholders as shall have been brought before the meeting in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section. Except as otherwise provided by law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, the chairman of the meeting shall, in addition to making any other determination that may be appropriate for the conduct of the meeting, have the power and duty to determine whether a nomination or any business proposed to be brought before the meeting was made or proposed, as the case may be, in accordance with the procedures set forth in these Bylaws and, if any proposed nomination or business is not in compliance with these Bylaws, to declare that such defective proposal or nomination shall be disregarded. The date and time of the opening and the closing of the polls for each matter upon which the stockholders will vote at a meeting shall be announced at the meeting by the chairman of the meeting. The Board of Directors may adopt by resolution such rules and regulations for the conduct of the meeting of stockholders as it shall deem appropriate. Except to the extent inconsistent with such rules and regulations as adopted by the Board of Directors, the chairman of the meeting shall have the right and authority to convene and (for any or no reason) to recess and/or adjourn the meeting, to prescribe such rules, regulations and procedures and to do all such acts as, in the judgment of such chairman, are appropriate for the proper conduct of the meeting. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 2.03, unless otherwise required by law, if the stockholder (or a qualified representative of the stockholder) does not appear at the annual or special meeting of stockholders of the Corporation to present a nomination or business, such nomination shall be disregarded and such proposed business shall not be transacted, notwithstanding that proxies in respect of such vote may have been received by the Corporation. For purposes of this Section 2.03, to be considered a qualified representative of the stockholder, a person must be a duly authorized officer, manager or partner of such stockholder or must be authorized by a writing executed by such stockholder or an

 

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electronic transmission delivered by such stockholder to act for such stockholder as proxy at the meeting of stockholders and such person must produce such writing or electronic transmission, or a reliable reproduction of the writing or electronic transmission, at the meeting of stockholders. Unless and to the extent determined by the Board of Directors or the chairman of the meeting, meeting of stockholders shall not be required to be held in accordance with the rules of parliamentary procedure.

(2) Whenever used in these Bylaws, “public announcement” shall mean disclosure (a) in a press release released by the Corporation, provided such press release is released by the Corporation following its customary procedures, is reported by the Dow Jones News Service, Associated Press or comparable national news service, or is generally available on internet news sites, or (b) in a document publicly filed by the Corporation with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) pursuant to the Exchange Act or the Investment Company Act.

(3) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 2.03, from and after the date on which the Corporation commences operations, a stockholder shall also comply with all applicable requirements of the Exchange Act with respect to the matters set forth in this Section 2.03; provided, however, that, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any references in these Bylaws to the Exchange Act are not intended to and shall not limit any requirements applicable to nominations or proposals as to any other business to be considered pursuant to these Bylaws (including paragraphs (A)(1)(c) and (B) hereof), and compliance with paragraphs (A)(1 )(c) and (B) of this Section 2.03 of these Bylaws shall be the exclusive means for a stockholder to make nominations or submit other business. Nothing in these Bylaws shall be deemed to affect any special rights of the holders of any class or series of stock having a preference over the Common Stock as to dividends or upon liquidation to elect additional directors upon the occurrence of a specified event or events.

SECTION 2.04. Notice of Meetings. Whenever stockholders are required or permitted to take any action at a meeting, a timely notice in writing or by electronic transmission, in the manner provided in Section 232 of the DGCL, of the meeting, which shall state the place, if any, date and time of the meeting, the means of remote communications, if any, by which stockholders and proxyholders may be deemed to be present in person and vote at such meeting, the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting, if such date is different from the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of the meeting, and, in the case of a special meeting, the purposes for which the meeting is called, shall be mailed to or transmitted electronically by a Secretary of the Corporation to each stockholder of record entitled to vote thereat as of the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to notice of the meeting. Unless otherwise provided by law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, the notice of any meeting shall be given not less than ten (10) nor more than sixty (60) days before the date of the meeting to each stockholder entitled to vote at such meeting as of the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to notice of the meeting.

 

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SECTION 2.05. Quorum. Unless otherwise required by law, the Certificate of Incorporation or the rules of any stock exchange upon which the Corporation’s securities are listed, the holders of record of a majority of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote thereat, present in person or represented by proxy, shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at all meetings of stockholders; provided that where a separate vote by a class or classes or series of stock is required, the holders of a majority of all issued and outstanding stock of such class or classes or series, present in person or represented by proxy, shall constitute a quorum entitled to take action with respect to such matter. Abstentions will be treated as shares of capital stock of the Corporation that are present and entitled to vote for purposes of determining the number present and entitled to vote with respect to any particular proposal, but will not be counted as a vote in favor of such proposal. If a broker or nominee holding shares of capital stock of the Corporation in “street name” indicates on the proxy that it does not have discretionary authority to vote as to a particular proposal, those shares of capital stock of the Corporation will not be considered as present and entitled to vote with respect to such proposal. Once a quorum is present to organize a meeting, it shall not be broken by the subsequent withdrawal of any stockholders.

SECTION 2.06. Voting; Proxies. (A) Except as otherwise provided by or pursuant to the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation, each stockholder entitled to vote at any meeting of stockholders shall be entitled to one vote for each share of stock held by such stockholder which has voting power upon the matter in question. When a quorum is present or represented at any meeting, the vote of the holders of a majority of the shares of stock present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote on the subject matter shall decide any question (other than the election of directors) brought before such meeting, unless the question is one upon which, by express provision of applicable law, of the rules or regulations of any stock exchange applicable to the Corporation, of any regulation applicable to the Corporation or its securities, of the Certificate of Incorporation or of these Bylaws, a different vote is required, in which case such express provision shall govern and control the decision of such question.

(B) Except as otherwise provided by these Bylaws, each director shall be elected by the vote of the majority of the votes cast with respect to such director’s election at any meeting for the election of directors at which a quorum is present, provided that if, as of the tenth (10th) day preceding the date the Corporation first mails the notice of such meeting to the stockholders, the number of nominees for the directorships (or, if applicable, the directorships of a particular class of directors) exceeds the number of such directors to be elected (a “Contested Election”), such directors shall be elected by the vote of a plurality of the votes cast. For purposes of this Section 2.06, a majority of votes cast shall mean that the number of votes cast “for” a director’s election exceeds the number of votes cast “against” that director’s election (with “abstentions” and “broker non-votes” not counted as a vote cast either “for” or “against” that director’s election).

(C) Each stockholder entitled to vote at a meeting of stockholders may authorize another person or persons to act for such stockholder by proxy in any manner provided by applicable law, but no such proxy shall be voted or acted upon after three years from its date, unless the proxy provides for a longer period. A proxy shall be irrevocable if it states that it is irrevocable and if, and only as long as, it is coupled with an interest sufficient in law to support an irrevocable power. A stockholder may revoke any proxy which is not irrevocable by attending the meeting and voting in person or by delivering to a Secretary of the Corporation a revocation of the proxy or a new proxy bearing a later date. Unless required by the Certificate of Incorporation or applicable law, or determined by the chairman of the meeting to be advisable, the vote on any question need not be by ballot. On a vote by ballot, each ballot shall be signed by the stockholder voting, or by such stockholder’s proxy, if there be such proxy.

 

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SECTION 2.07. Chairman of Meetings. The Chairman of the Board, if one is elected, or, in his or her absence or disability, a Chief Executive Officer, or, in the absence of the Chairman of the Board and a Chief Executive Officer, a person designated by the Board of Directors, shall be the chairman of the meeting and, as such, preside at all meetings of the stockholders.

SECTION 2.08. Secretary of Meetings. A Secretary of the Corporation shall act as secretary at all meetings of the stockholders. In the absence or disability of such Secretary, the chairman of the meeting shall appoint a person to act as secretary at such meeting.

SECTION 2.09. Adjournment. At any meeting of stockholders of the Corporation, if less than a quorum be present or if an insufficient number of votes be present for the adoption of a matter at such meeting, the chairman of the meeting or stockholders holding a majority of the shares of stock of the Corporation, present in person or by proxy and entitled to vote thereat, shall have the power to adjourn the meeting from time to time without notice other than announcement at the meeting until a quorum shall be present. Any business may be transacted at the adjourned meeting that might have been transacted at the meeting originally noticed. If the adjournment is for more than thirty (30) days, a notice of the adjourned meeting shall be given to each stockholder of record entitled to vote at the meeting. If after the adjournment a new record date for determination of stockholders entitled to vote is fixed for the adjourned meeting, the Board of Directors shall fix as the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of such adjourned meeting the same or an earlier date as that fixed for determination of stockholders entitled to vote at the adjourned meeting, and shall give notice of the adjourned meeting to each stockholder of record entitled to vote at such adjourned meeting as of the record date so fixed for notice of such adjourned meeting.

SECTION 2.10. Remote Communication. If authorized by the Board of Directors in its sole discretion, and subject to such guidelines and procedures as the Board of Directors may adopt, stockholders and proxy holders not physically present at a meeting of stockholders may, by means of remote communication:

 

  (a)

participate in a meeting of stockholders; and

 

  (b)

be deemed present in person and vote at a meeting of stockholders whether such meeting is to be held at a designated place or solely by means of remote communication, provided, that

 

  (i)

the Corporation shall implement reasonable measures to verify that each person deemed present and permitted to vote at the meeting by means of remote communication is a stockholder or proxyholder;

 

  (ii)

the Corporation shall implement reasonable measures to provide such stockholders and proxyholders a reasonable opportunity to participate in the meeting and to vote on matters submitted to the stockholders, including an opportunity to read or hear the proceedings of the meeting substantially concurrently with such proceedings; and

 

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  (iii)

if any stockholder or proxyholder votes or takes other action on at the meeting by means of remote communication, a record of such vote or other action shall be maintained by the Corporation.

SECTION 2.11. Inspectors of Election. The Corporation may, and shall if required by law, in advance of any meeting of stockholders, appoint one or more inspectors of election to act at the meeting or any adjournment thereof and to make a written report thereof. The Corporation may designate one or more persons as alternate inspectors to replace any inspector who fails to act. In the event that no inspector so appointed or designated is able to act at a meeting of stockholders, the chairman of the meeting shall appoint one or more inspectors to act at the meeting. Each inspector, before entering upon the discharge of his or her duties, shall take and sign an oath to execute faithfully the duties of inspector with strict impartiality and according to the best of his or her ability. The inspector or inspectors so appointed or designated shall (i) ascertain the number of shares of capital stock of the Corporation outstanding and the voting power of each such share, (ii) determine the shares of capital stock of the corporation represented at the meeting and the validity of proxies and ballots, (iii) count all votes and ballots, (iv) determine and retain for a reasonable period a record of the disposition of any challenges made to any determination by the inspectors, and (v) certify their determination of the number of shares of capital stock of the Corporation represented at the meeting and such inspectors’ count of all votes and ballots. Such certification and report shall specify such other information as may be required by law. In determining the validity and counting of proxies and ballots cast at any meeting of stockholders of the Corporation, the inspectors may consider such information as is permitted by applicable law. No person who is a candidate for an office at an election may serve as an inspector at such election.

ARTICLE III

Board of Directors

SECTION 3.01. Powers. The business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed by or under the direction of its Board of Directors. The Board of Directors may exercise all such authority and powers of the Corporation and do all such lawful acts and things as are not by the DGCL or the Certificate of Incorporation directed or required to be exercised or done by the stockholders.

SECTION 3.02. Number and Term; Chairman. Subject to the Certificate of Incorporation, the number of directors shall be fixed exclusively by resolution of the Board of Directors. The term of each director shall be as set forth in the Certificate of Incorporation. Directors need not be stockholders. The Board of Directors shall elect a Chairman of the Board of Directors, who shall have the powers and perform such duties as provided in these Bylaws and as the Board of Directors may from time to time prescribe. The Chairman of the Board of Directors shall preside at all meetings of the Board of Directors at which he or she is present. If the Chairman of the Board of Directors is not present at a meeting of the Board of Directors, a Chief Executive Officer (if a director and not also the Chairman of the Board of Directors) shall preside at such meeting, and, if the Chief Executive Officer(s) is(are) not present at such meeting or is not a director, a majority of the directors present at such meeting shall elect one (1) of their members to preside.

 

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SECTION 3.03. Resignations. Any director may resign at any time upon notice given in writing or by electronic transmission to the Board of Directors, the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer(s) or a Secretary of the Corporation. The resignation shall take effect at the time specified therein, and if no time is specified, at the time of its receipt. The acceptance of a resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective unless otherwise expressly provided in the resignation.

SECTION 3.04. Removal. Directors of the Corporation may be removed only in the manner provided in the Certificate of Incorporation and applicable law.

SECTION 3.05. Vacancies and Newly Created Directorships. Vacancies occurring in any directorship (whether by death, resignation, retirement, disqualification, removal or other cause) and newly created directorships resulting from any increase in the number of directors shall be filled in accordance with the Certificate of Incorporation. Unless otherwise provided by the Certificate of Incorporation, any director elected to fill a vacancy or newly created directorship shall hold office until the next annual meeting for the election of directors (or, if applicable, the next meeting for the election of the class of directors for which such director shall have been appointed) and until his or her successor shall be elected and qualified, or until his or her earlier death, resignation, retirement, disqualification or removal.

SECTION 3.06. Meetings. Regular meetings of the Board of Directors may be held at such places and times as shall be determined from time to time by the Board of Directors. Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be called by the Chairman of the Board or the Chief Executive Officer(s), and shall be called by the Chief Executive Officer(s) or a Secretary if directed by a majority of the directors then in office, and shall be at such places and times as he, she or they shall fix. Notice need not be given of regular meetings of the Board of Directors. At least twenty four (24) hours, or three (3) days if notice is mailed, before each special meeting of the Board of Directors, either written notice, notice by electronic transmission or oral notice (either in person or by telephone) of the time, date and place of the meeting shall be given to each director. Unless otherwise indicated in the notice thereof, any and all business may be transacted at a special meeting.

SECTION 3.07. Quorum, Voting and Adjournment. A majority of the total number of directors shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. Except as otherwise provided by law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, the act of a majority of the directors present (including directors present by telephone or other electronic means, unless the Investment Company Act requires that a particular action be taken only at a meeting of the Board of Directors in person) at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of the Board of Directors. In the absence of a quorum, a majority of the directors present thereat may adjourn such meeting to another time and place. Notice of such adjourned meeting need not be given if the time and place of such adjourned meeting are announced at the meeting so adjourned.

SECTION 3.08. Committees; Committee Rules. The Board of Directors may designate one or more committees, including but not limited to an Audit Committee and a Governance and Nominating Committee, each such committee to consist of one or more of the directors of the Corporation. The Board of Directors may designate one or more directors as alternate members of any committee to replace any absent or disqualified member at any meeting

 

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of the committee. Any such committee, to the extent provided in the resolution of the Board of Directors establishing such committee, shall have and may exercise all the powers and authority of the Board of Directors in the management of the business and affairs of the Corporation, and may authorize the seal of the Corporation to be affixed to all papers which may require it; but no such committee shall have the power or authority in reference to the following matters: (a) approving or adopting, or recommending to the stockholders, any action or matter (other than the election or removal of directors) expressly required by the DGCL to be submitted to stockholders for approval or (b) adopting, amending or repealing any Bylaw of the Corporation. All committees of the Board of Directors shall keep minutes of their meetings and shall report their proceedings to the Board of Directors when requested or required by the Board of Directors. Each committee of the Board of Directors may fix its own rules of procedure and shall hold its meetings as provided by such rules, except as may otherwise be provided by a resolution of the Board of Directors designating such committee. Unless otherwise provided in such a resolution, the presence of the greater of one-third or two members of the committee shall be necessary to constitute a quorum unless the committee shall consist of one or two members, in which event one member shall constitute a quorum; and all matters shall be determined by a majority vote of the members present at a meeting of the committee at which a quorum is present. Unless otherwise provided in such a resolution, in the event that a member and that member’s alternate, if alternates are designated by the Board of Directors, of such committee is or are absent or disqualified, the member or members thereof present at any meeting and not disqualified from voting, whether or not such member or members constitute a quorum, may unanimously appoint another member of the Board of Directors to act at the meeting in place of any such absent or disqualified member.

SECTION 3.09. Action Without a Meeting. Unless otherwise restricted by the Certificate of Incorporation, any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the Board of Directors or of any committee thereof may be taken without a meeting if all members of the Board of Directors or any committee thereof, as the case may be, consent thereto in writing or by electronic transmission, and the writing or writings or electronic transmission or transmissions are filed in the minutes of proceedings of the Board of Directors; provided, however, that this Section 3.09 shall not apply to any action of the Board of Directors that requires the vote of the directors to be cast in person at a meeting pursuant to the Investment Company Act. Such filing shall be in paper form if the minutes are maintained in paper form or shall be in electronic form if the minutes are maintained in electronic form.

SECTION 3.10. Remote Meeting. Unless otherwise restricted by the Certificate of Incorporation, members of the Board of Directors, or any committee designated by the Board of Directors, may participate in a meeting by means of conference telephone or other communications equipment in which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other. Participation in a meeting by means of conference telephone or other communications equipment shall constitute presence in person at such meeting; provided, however, that this Section 3.10 shall not apply to any action of the Board of Directors that requires the vote of the directors to be cast in person at a meeting pursuant to the Investment Company Act.

SECTION 3.11. Compensation. The Board of Directors shall have the authority to fix the compensation, including fees and reimbursement of expenses, of directors for services to the Corporation in any capacity.

 

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SECTION 3.12. Reliance on Books and Records. A member of the Board of Directors, or a member of any committee designated by the Board of Directors shall, in the performance of such person’s duties, be fully protected in relying in good faith upon records of the Corporation and upon such information, opinions, reports or statements presented to the Corporation by any of the Corporation’s officers or employees, or committees of the Board of Directors, or by any other person as to matters the member reasonably believes are within such other person’s professional or expert competence and who has been selected with reasonable care by or on behalf of the Corporation.

ARTICLE IV

Officers

SECTION 4.01. Number. The officers of the Corporation may include one or more Chief Executive Officers, Presidents, Chief Financial Officers, Chief Compliance Officers, Chief Operating Officers, Treasurers and Secretaries, each of whom shall be elected by the Board of Directors and who shall hold office for such terms as shall be determined by the Board of Directors and until their successors are elected and qualify or until their earlier resignation or removal. In addition, the Board of Directors may elect one or more Vice Presidents, including one or more Executive Vice Presidents or Senior Vice Presidents, and one or more Assistant Treasurers or Assistant Secretaries, each of whom shall hold office for such terms and shall exercise such powers and perform such duties as shall be determined from time to time by the Board of Directors. Any number of offices may be held by the same person. In the event that there is more than one Chief Executive Officer, President, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Compliance Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Treasurer or Secretary, any person holding such office may, acting alone, take any action that such officer is permitted to take pursuant to these Bylaws, in each case unless the Board of Directors determines otherwise.

SECTION 4.02. Other Officers and Agents. The Board of Directors may appoint such other officers and agents as it deems advisable, who shall hold their office for such terms and shall exercise and perform such powers and duties as shall be determined from time to time by the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors may appoint one or more officers called a Vice Chairman, each of whom does not need to be a member of the Board of Directors.

SECTION 4.03. Chief Executive Officer(s)/President(s). The Chief Executive Officer(s), who may, if so determined by the Board of Directors, also be the President(s), shall have general executive charge, management, and control of the properties and operations of the Corporation in the ordinary course of its business, with all such powers with respect to such properties and operations as may be reasonably incident to such responsibilities. If the Board of Directors has not elected a Chairman of the Board or in the absence or inability to act as the Chairman of the Board, a Chief Executive Officer shall exercise all of the powers and discharge all of the duties of the Chairman of the Board, but only if any one of the Chief Executive Officer(s) is(are) a director of the Corporation.

SECTION 4.04. Vice Presidents. Each Vice President, if any are elected, of whom one or more may be designated an Executive Vice President or Senior Vice President, shall have such powers and shall perform such duties as shall be assigned to him by the Chief Executive Officer(s) or the Board of Directors.

 

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SECTION 4.05. Chief Compliance Officer(s). The Chief Compliance Officer(s) shall have general responsibility for the compliance matters of the Corporation and shall perform such other duties and exercise such other powers that are or from time to time may be delegated to him or her by the Board of Directors or these Bylaws, all in accordance with policies as established by and subject to oversight of the Board of Directors. Additionally, the Chief Compliance Officer(s) shall, no less than annually, (i) provide a written report to the Board of Directors, the content of which shall comply with Rule 38a1 of the Investment Company Act, and (ii) meet separately with the Corporation’s independent Directors.

SECTION 4.06. Treasurer(s). The Treasurer(s) shall have custody of the corporate funds, securities, evidences of indebtedness and other valuables of the Corporation and shall keep full and accurate accounts of receipts and disbursements in books belonging to the Corporation. The Treasurer(s) shall deposit all moneys and other valuables in the name and to the credit of the Corporation in such depositories as may be designated by the Board of Directors or its designees selected for such purposes. The Treasurer(s) shall disburse the funds of the Corporation, taking proper vouchers therefor. The Treasurer(s) shall render to the Chief Executive Officer(s) and the Board of Directors, upon their request, a report of the financial condition of the Corporation. If required by the Board of Directors, the Treasurer(s) shall give the Corporation a bond in such amount and with such surety as the Board of Directors shall prescribe for the faithful discharge of his or her duties and for the restoration to the Corporation, in case of his or her death, resignation, retirement or removal from office, of all books, papers, vouchers, money and other property of whatever kind in his or her possession or under his or her control belonging to the Corporation.

In addition, the Treasurer(s) shall have such further powers and perform such other duties incident to the office of Treasurer as from time to time are assigned to him by the Chief Executive Officer(s) or the Board of Directors.

SECTION 4.07. Secretary. A Secretary shall: (a) cause minutes of all meetings of stockholders and the Board of Directors (or any committee thereof) to be recorded and kept properly; (b) cause all notices required by these Bylaws or otherwise to be given properly; (c) see that the minute books, stock books, and other nonfinancial books, records and papers of the Corporation are kept properly; and (d) cause all reports, statements, returns, certificates and other documents to be prepared and filed when and as required. A Secretary shall have such further powers and perform such other duties as prescribed from time to time by the Chief Executive Officer(s) or the Board of Directors.

SECTION 4.08. Assistant Treasurers and Assistant Secretaries. Each Assistant Treasurer and each Assistant Secretary, if any are elected, shall be vested with all the powers and shall perform all the duties of the Treasurer(s) and Secretar(y/ies), respectively, in the absence or disability of such officer(s), unless or until the Chief Executive Officer(s) or the Board of Directors shall otherwise determine. In addition, Assistant Treasurers and Assistant Secretaries shall have such powers and shall perform such duties as shall be assigned to them by the Chief Executive Officer(s), the Board of Directors or the Treasurer(s) or Secretar(y/ies), respectively.

 

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SECTION 4.09. Corporate Funds and Checks. The funds of the Corporation shall be kept in such depositories as shall from time to time be prescribed by the Board of Directors or its designees selected for such purposes. All checks or other orders for the payment of money shall be signed by the Chief Executive Officer(s), a Vice President, the Treasurer(s) or a Secretary or such other person or agent as may from time to time be authorized and with such countersignature, if any, as may be required by the Board of Directors.

SECTION 4.10. Contracts and Other Documents. The Chief Executive Officer(s) and a Secretary, or such other officer or officers as may from time to time be authorized by the Board of Directors or any other committee given specific authority in the premises by the Board of Directors during the intervals between the meetings of the Board of Directors, shall have power to sign and execute on behalf of the Corporation deeds, conveyances and contracts, and any and all other documents requiring execution by the Corporation.

SECTION 4.11. Ownership of Stock of Another Corporation. Unless otherwise directed by the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer(s), a Vice President, the Treasurer(s) or a Secretary, or such other officer or agent as shall be authorized by the Board of Directors, shall have the power and authority, on behalf of the Corporation, to attend and to vote at any meeting of securityholders of any entity in which the Corporation holds securities or equity interests and may exercise, on behalf of the Corporation, any and all of the rights and powers incident to the ownership of such securities or equity interests at any such meeting, including the authority to execute and deliver proxies and consents on behalf of the Corporation.

SECTION 4.12. Delegation of Duties. In the absence, disability or refusal of any officer to exercise and perform his or her duties, the Board of Directors may delegate to another officer such powers or duties.

SECTION 4.13. Resignation and Removal. Any officer of the Corporation may be removed from office for or without cause at any time by the Board of Directors. Any officer may resign at any time in the same manner prescribed under Section 3.03 of these Bylaws.

SECTION 4.14. Vacancies. Subject to the requirements of the Investment Company Act, the Board of Directors shall have the power to fill vacancies occurring in any office.

ARTICLE V

Stock

SECTION 5.01. Shares With Certificates. The shares of stock of the Corporation shall be represented by certificates, provided that the Board of Directors may provide by resolution or resolutions that some or all of any or all classes or series of the Corporation’s stock shall be uncertificated shares. Any such resolution shall not apply to shares represented by a certificate until such certificate is surrendered to the Corporation. Every holder of stock in the Corporation represented by certificates shall be entitled to have a certificate signed by, or in the name of the Corporation by, the Chairman of the Board or the Vice Chairman of the Board, or the President(s) or a Vice President, and by the Treasurer(s) or an Assistant Treasurer or a Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Corporation, certifying the number and class of shares of stock of the Corporation owned by such holder. Any or all of the signatures on the certificate may be a facsimile. The Board of Directors shall have the power to appoint one or more transfer agents and/or registrars for the transfer or registration of certificates of stock of any class, and may require stock certificates to be countersigned or registered by one or more of such transfer agents and/or registrars.

 

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SECTION 5.02. Shares Without Certificates. If the Board of Directors chooses to issue shares of stock without certificates, the Corporation, if required by the DGCL, shall, within a reasonable time after the issue or transfer of shares without certificates, send the stockholder a written statement of the information required by the DGCL. The Corporation may adopt a system of issuance, recordation and transfer of its shares of stock by electronic or other means not involving the issuance of certificates, provided the use of such system by the Corporation is permitted in accordance with applicable law. The Board of Directors shall have the power to appoint one or more transfer agents and/or registrars for the recordation, transfer or registration of uncertificated shares of its stock.

SECTION 5.03. Transfer of Shares. Subject to any restrictions on transfer or ownership, including under the Certificate of Incorporation, any certificate of designation relating to any series of preferred stock of the Corporation, these Bylaws, any contract or agreement or applicable law or otherwise, shares of stock of the Corporation shall be transferable upon its books by the holders thereof, in person or by their duly authorized attorneys or legal representatives, upon surrender to the Corporation by delivery thereof to the person in charge of the stock and transfer books and ledgers. Certificates representing such shares, if any, shall be cancelled and new certificates, if the shares are to be certificated, shall thereupon be issued. Shares of capital stock of the Corporation that are not represented by a certificate shall be transferred in accordance with applicable law. A record shall be made of each transfer. Whenever any transfer of shares shall be made for collateral security, and not absolutely, it shall be so expressed in the entry of the transfer if, when the certificates are presented, both the transferor and transferee request the Corporation to do so. The Board of Directors shall have power and authority to make such rules and regulations as it may deem necessary or proper concerning the issue, transfer and registration of certificates for shares of stock of the Corporation.

SECTION 5.04. Lost, Stolen, Destroyed or Mutilated Certificates. A new certificate of stock or uncertificated shares may be issued in the place of any certificate previously issued by the Corporation alleged to have been lost, stolen or destroyed, and the Board of Directors may, in its discretion, require the owner of such lost, stolen or destroyed certificate, or his or her legal representative, to give the Corporation a bond, in such sum as the Board of Directors may direct, in order to indemnify the Corporation against any claims that may be made against it in connection therewith. A new certificate or uncertificated shares of stock may be issued in the place of any certificate previously issued by the Corporation that has become mutilated upon the surrender by such owner of such mutilated certificate and, if required by the Corporation, the posting of a bond by such owner in an amount sufficient to indemnify the Corporation against any claim that may be made against it in connection therewith.

 

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SECTION 5.05. List of Stockholders Entitled To Vote. The officer who has charge of the stock ledger of the Corporation shall prepare and make, no later than the tenth (10th) before each meeting of stockholders, a complete list of the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting (provided, however, if the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to vote is less than ten (10) days before the date of the meeting, the list shall reflect the stockholders entitled to vote as of the tenth day before the meeting date), arranged in alphabetical order, and showing the address of each stockholder and the number of shares registered in the name of each stockholder. Such list shall be open to the examination of any stockholder, for any purpose germane to the meeting for a period of ten (10) days ending on the day before the meeting date (a) on a reasonably accessible electronic network; provided that the information required to gain access to such list is provided with the notice of meeting or (b) during ordinary business hours at the principal place of business of the Corporation. In the event that the Corporation determines to make the list available on an electronic network, the Corporation may take reasonable steps to ensure that such information is available only to stockholders of the Corporation. Except as otherwise provided by law, the stock ledger shall be the only evidence as to who are the stockholders entitled to examine the list of stockholders required by this Section 5.05 or to vote in person or by proxy at any meeting of stockholders.

SECTION 5.06. Fixing Date for Determination of Stockholders of Record.

(A) In order that the Corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to notice of any meeting of stockholders or any adjournment thereof, the Board of Directors may fix a record date, which record date shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the Board of Directors, and which record date shall, unless otherwise required by law, not be more than sixty (60) nor less than ten (10) days before the date of such meeting. If the Board of Directors so fixes a date, such date shall also be the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to vote at such meeting unless the Board of Directors determines, at the time it fixes such record date, that a later date on or before the date of the meeting shall be the date for making such determination. If no record date is fixed by the Board of Directors, the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall be at the close of business on the day next preceding the day on which notice is given, or, if notice is waived, at the close of business on the day next preceding the day on which the meeting is held. A determination of stockholders of record entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall apply to any adjournment of the meeting; provided, however, that the Board of Directors may fix a new record date for determination of stockholders entitled to vote at the adjourned meeting, and in such case shall also fix as the record date for stockholders entitled to notice of such adjourned meeting the same or an earlier date as that fixed for determination of stockholders entitled to vote in accordance herewith at the adjourned meeting.

(B) In order that the Corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to receive payment of any dividend or other distribution or allotment of any rights, or entitled to exercise any rights in respect of any change, conversion or exchange of stock or for the purpose of any other lawful action, the Board of Directors may fix a record date, which record date shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted, and which record date shall not be more than sixty (60) days prior to such action. If no such record date is fixed, the record date for determining stockholders for any such purpose shall be at the close of business on the day on which the Board of Directors adopts the resolution relating thereto.

 

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SECTION 5.07. Registered Stockholders. Prior to the surrender to the Corporation of the certificate or certificates for a share or shares of stock or notification to the Corporation of the transfer of uncertificated shares with a request to record the transfer of such share or shares, the Corporation may treat the registered owner of such share or shares as the person entitled to receive dividends, to vote, to receive notifications and otherwise to exercise all the rights and powers of an owner of such share or shares. To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Corporation shall not be bound to recognize any equitable or other claim to or interest in such share or shares on the part of any other person, whether or not it shall have express or other notice thereof.

ARTICLE VI

Notice and Waiver of Notice

SECTION 6.01. Notice. If mailed, notice to stockholders shall be deemed given when deposited in the mail, postage prepaid, directed to the stockholder at such stockholder’s address as it appears on the records of the Corporation. Without limiting the manner by which notice otherwise may be given effectively to stockholders, any notice to stockholders may be given by electronic transmission in the manner provided in Section 232 of the DGCL.

SECTION 6.02. Waiver of Notice. A written waiver of any notice, signed by a stockholder or director, or waiver by electronic transmission by such person, whether given before or after the time of the event for which notice is to be given, shall be deemed equivalent to the notice required to be given to such person. Neither the business nor the purpose of any meeting need be specified in such a waiver. Attendance at any meeting (in person or by remote communication) shall constitute waiver of notice except attendance for the express purpose of objecting at the beginning of the meeting to the transaction of any business because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened.

ARTICLE VII

Indemnification

SECTION 7.01. Right to Indemnification. Each person who was or is made a party or is threatened to be made a party to or is otherwise involved in any action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (hereinafter a “proceeding”), by reason of the fact that he or she is or was a director or an officer of the Corporation or, while a director or officer of the Corporation, is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee, agent or trustee of another corporation or of a partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, including service with respect to an employee benefit plan (hereinafter an “indemnitee”), whether the basis of such proceeding is alleged action in an official capacity as a director, officer, employee, agent or trustee or in any other capacity while serving as a director, officer, employee, agent or trustee, shall be indemnified and held harmless by the Corporation to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law, as the same exists or may hereafter be amended (but, in the case of any such amendment, only to the extent that such amendment permits the Corporation to provide broader indemnification rights than such law permitted the Corporation to provide prior to such amendment), against all expense, liability and loss (including attorneys’

 

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fees, judgments, fines, ERISA excise taxes or penalties and amounts paid in settlement) reasonably incurred or suffered by such indemnitee in connection therewith; provided, however, that, except as provided in Section 7.03 with respect to proceedings to enforce rights to indemnification or advancement of expenses or with respect to any compulsory counterclaim brought by such indemnitee, the Corporation shall indemnify any such indemnitee in connection with a proceeding (or part thereof) initiated by such indemnitee only if such proceeding (or part thereof) was authorized by the Board of Directors. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth herein, any indemnification or payment or reimbursement of expenses made pursuant to this Article VII shall be subject to applicable requirements of the Investment Company Act.

SECTION 7.02. Right to Advancement of Expenses. In addition to the right to indemnification conferred in Section 7.01, an indemnitee shall also have the right to be paid by the Corporation the expenses (including attorney’s fees) incurred in appearing at, participating in or defending any such proceeding in advance of its final disposition or in connection with a proceeding brought to establish or enforce a right to indemnification or advancement of expenses under this Article VII (which shall be governed by Section 7.03) (hereinafter an “advancement of expenses”); provided, however, that, if the DGCL requires or in the case of an advance made in a proceeding brought to establish or enforce a right to indemnification or advancement, an advancement of expenses incurred by an indemnitee in his or her capacity as a director or officer shall be made solely upon delivery to the Corporation of an undertaking (hereinafter an “undertaking”), by or on behalf of such indemnitee, to repay all amounts so advanced if it shall ultimately be determined by final judicial decision from which there is no further right to appeal (hereinafter a “final adjudication”) that such indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified or entitled to advancement of expenses under Sections 7.01 and 7.02 or otherwise.

SECTION 7.03. Right of Indemnitee to Bring Suit. If a claim under Section 7.01 or 7.02 is not paid in full by the Corporation within (i) 60 days after a written claim for indemnification has been received by the Corporation or (ii) 20 days after a claim for an advancement of expenses has been received by the Corporation, the indemnitee may at any time thereafter bring suit against the Corporation to recover the unpaid amount of the claim or to obtain advancement of expenses, as applicable. To the fullest extent permitted by law, if successful in whole or in part in any such suit, or in a suit brought by the Corporation to recover an advancement of expenses pursuant to the terms of an undertaking, the indemnitee shall be entitled to be paid also the expense of prosecuting or defending such suit. In (i) any suit brought by the indemnitee to enforce a right to indemnification hereunder (but not in a suit brought by the indemnitee to enforce a right to an advancement of expenses) it shall be a defense that, and (ii) any suit brought by the Corporation to recover an advancement of expenses pursuant to the terms of an undertaking, the Corporation shall be entitled to recover such expenses upon a final adjudication that, the indemnitee has not met any applicable standard for indemnification set forth in the DGCL. Neither the failure of the Corporation (including its directors who are not parties to such action, a committee of such directors, independent legal counsel, or its stockholders) to have made a determination prior to the commencement of such suit that indemnification of the indemnitee is proper in the circumstances because the indemnitee has met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in the DGCL, nor an actual determination by the Corporation (including its directors who are not parties to such action, a committee of such directors, independent legal counsel, or its stockholders) that the indemnitee has not met such applicable standard of conduct, shall create a presumption that the indemnitee has not met the

 

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applicable standard of conduct or, in the case of such a suit brought by the indemnitee, be a defense to such suit. In any suit brought by the indemnitee to enforce a right to indemnification or to an advancement of expenses hereunder, or brought by the Corporation to recover an advancement of expenses pursuant to the terms of an undertaking, the burden of proving that the indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified, or to such advancement of expenses, under this Article VII or otherwise shall be on the Corporation.

SECTION 7.04. Indemnification Not Exclusive.

(A) The provision of indemnification to or the advancement of expenses and costs to any indemnitee under this Article VII, or the entitlement of any indemnitee to indemnification or advancement of expenses and costs under this Article VII, shall not limit or restrict in any way the power of the Corporation to indemnify or advance expenses and costs to such indemnitee in any other way permitted by law or be deemed exclusive of, or invalidate, any right to which any indemnitee seeking indemnification or advancement of expenses and costs may be entitled under any law, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise, both as to action in such indemnitee’s capacity as an officer, director, employee or agent of the Corporation and as to action in any other capacity.

(B) Given that certain jointly indemnifiable claims (as defined below) may arise due to the service of the indemnitee as a director of the Corporation at the request of the indemnitee-related entities (as defined below), the Corporation shall be fully and primarily responsible for the payment to the indemnitee in respect of indemnification or advancement of expenses in connection with any such jointly indemnifiable claims, pursuant to and in accordance with the terms of this Article VII, irrespective of any right of recovery the indemnitee may have from the indemnitee-related entities. Under no circumstance shall the Corporation be entitled to any right of subrogation or contribution by the indemnitee-related entities and no right of advancement or recovery the indemnitee may have from the indemnitee-related entities shall reduce or otherwise alter the rights of the indemnitee or the obligations of the Corporation hereunder. In the event that any of the indemnitee-related entities shall make any payment to the indemnitee in respect of indemnification or advancement of expenses with respect to any jointly indemnifiable claim, the indemnitee-related entity making such payment shall be subrogated to the extent of such payment to all of the rights of recovery of the indemnitee against the Corporation, and the indemnitee shall execute all papers reasonably required and shall do all things that may be reasonably necessary to secure such rights, including the execution of such documents as may be necessary to enable the indemnitee-related entities effectively to bring suit to enforce such rights. Each of the indemnitee-related entities shall be third-party beneficiaries with respect to this Section 7.04(B) of Article VII, entitled to enforce this Section 7.04(B) of Article VII.

 

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For purposes of this Section 7.04(B) of Article VII, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

(1) The term “indemnitee-related entities” means any corporation, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise (other than the Corporation or any other corporation, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise for which the indemnitee has agreed, on behalf of the Corporation or at the Corporation’s request, to serve as a director, officer, employee or agent and which service is covered by the indemnity described herein) from whom an indemnitee may be entitled to indemnification or advancement of expenses with respect to which, in whole or in part, the Corporation may also have an indemnification or advancement obligation.

(2) The term “jointly indemnifiable claims” shall be broadly construed and shall include, without limitation, any action, suit or proceeding for which the indemnitee shall be entitled to indemnification or advancement of expenses from both the indemnitee-related entities and the Corporation pursuant to Delaware law, any agreement or certificate of incorporation, bylaws, partnership agreement, operating agreement, certificate of formation, certificate of limited partnership or comparable organizational documents of the Corporation or the indemnitee-related entities, as applicable.

SECTION 7.05. Corporate Obligations; Reliance. The rights granted pursuant to the provisions of this Article VII shall vest at the time a person becomes a director or officer of the Corporation and shall be deemed to create a binding contractual obligation on the part of the Corporation to the persons who from time to time are elected as officers or directors of the Corporation, and such persons in acting in their capacities as officers or directors of the Corporation (including any officer or director of the Corporation acting at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee, agent or trustee of another corporation or of a partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, including service with respect to an employee benefit plan) shall be entitled to rely on such provisions of this Article VII without giving notice thereof to the Corporation.

SECTION 7.06. Nature of Rights. The rights conferred upon indemnitees in this Article VII shall be contract rights and such rights shall continue as to an indemnitee who has ceased to be a director or officer and shall inure to the benefit of the indemnitee’s heirs, executors and administrators. Any amendment, alteration or repeal of this Article VII that adversely affects any right of an indemnitee or its successors shall be prospective only and shall not limit, eliminate, or impair any such right with respect to any proceeding involving any occurrence or alleged occurrence of any action or omission to act that took place prior to such amendment or repeal.

SECTION 7.07. Insurance. The Corporation may maintain insurance, at its expense, to protect itself and any director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation or another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against any expense, liability or loss, whether or not the Corporation would have the power to indemnify such person against such expense, liability or loss under the DGCL; provided, however, that effective at such time that the Corporation is subject, and until such time that the Corporation is no longer subject, to the Omnibus Guidelines Statement of Policy adopted by the North American Securities Administrators Association (as amended from time to time, the “Omnibus Guidelines”), and only to the extent required thereunder, the Corporation may not incur the cost of that portion of liability insurance which insures the Corporation’s investment adviser for any liability as to which such investment adviser is prohibited from being indemnified.

 

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SECTION 7.08. Indemnification of Employees and Agents of the Corporation. The Corporation may, to the extent authorized from time to time by the Board of Directors, grant rights to indemnification and to the advancement of expenses to any employee or agent of the Corporation to the fullest extent of the provisions of this Article VII with respect to the indemnification and advancement of expenses of directors and officers of the Corporation. The approval by the Board of Directors of any agreement containing rights to indemnification or advancement of expenses to any employee or agent of the Corporation shall be deemed to constitute authorization of the grant of the rights to indemnification or advancement of expenses to such employee or agent as set forth therein.

SECTION 7.09. Conditions and Limitations on Indemnification and Advancement of Expenses.

This Section 7.09 shall be effective commencing at such time that the Corporation is subject, and until such time that the Corporation is no longer subject, to the Omnibus Guidelines, and only to the extent required under the Omnibus Guidelines.

(A) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this VII, the Corporation shall not provide for any indemnification of an indemnitee pursuant to this Article VII, unless all of the following conditions are met:

(1) The indemnitee has determined, in good faith, that any course of conduct of such indemnitee giving rise to the loss or liability was in the best interests of the Corporation.

(2) The indemnitee was acting on behalf of or performing services for the Corporation.

(3) Such liability or loss was not the result of (i) negligence or misconduct, in the case that the indemnitee is a director of the Corporation (other than an independent director), officer, employee, controlling person or agent of the Corporation, or (ii) gross negligence or willful misconduct, in the case that the indemnitee is an independent director.

(4) Such indemnification or agreement to hold harmless is recoverable only out of the net assets of the Corporation and not from the stockholders.

(B) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Article VII, the Corporation shall not provide any indemnification to an indemnitee pursuant this Article VII for any loss, liability or expense arising from or out of an alleged violation of federal or state securities laws by such indemnitee unless one or more of the following conditions are met: (i) there has been a successful adjudication on the merits of each count involving alleged material securities law violations as to the indemnitee; (ii) such claims have been dismissed with prejudice on the merits by a court of competent jurisdiction as to the indemnitee; or (iii) a court of competent jurisdiction approves a settlement of the claims against the indemnitee and finds that indemnification of the settlement and the related costs should be made, and the court considering the request for indemnification has been advised of the position of the SEC and of the published position of any state securities regulatory authority in which securities were offered or sold as to indemnification for violations of securities laws.

 

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(C) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Article VII, the Corporation shall pay or reimburse reasonable legal expenses and other costs incurred by an indemnitee in advance of final disposition of a proceeding, pursuant to this Article VII, if all of the following are satisfied: (i) the proceeding relates to acts or omissions with respect to the performance of duties or services on behalf of the Corporation, (ii) the indemnitee provides the Corporation with written affirmation of the indemnitee’s good faith belief that the indemnitee has met the standard of conduct necessary for indemnification by the Corporation as authorized by this Article VII, (iii) the legal proceeding was initiated by a third party who is not a stockholder of the Corporation or, if by a stockholder of the Corporation acting in his or her capacity as such, a court of competent jurisdiction approves such advancement, and (iv) the indemnitee provides the Corporation with a written agreement to repay the amount paid or reimbursed by the Corporation, together with the applicable legal rate of interest thereon, if it is ultimately determined by final, non-appealable decision of a court of competent jurisdiction, that the indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification.

ARTICLE VIII

Miscellaneous

SECTION 8.01. Electronic Transmission. For purposes of these Bylaws, “electronic transmission” means any form of communication, not directly involving the physical transmission of paper, that creates a record that may be retained, retrieved, and reviewed by a recipient thereof, and that may be directly reproduced in paper form by such a recipient through an automated process.

SECTION 8.02. Corporate Seal. The Board of Directors may provide a suitable seal, containing the name of the Corporation, which seal shall be in the charge of a Secretary. If and when so directed by the Board of Directors or a committee thereof, duplicates of the seal may be kept and used by the Treasurer(s) or by an Assistant Secretary or Assistant Treasurer.

SECTION 8.03. Fiscal Year. The fiscal year of the Corporation shall end on the last day of each year or such other day as the Board of Directors may designate.

SECTION 8.04. Loans. Subject to compliance with applicable law, the Corporation may lend money to, or guarantee any obligation of, or otherwise assist any officer or other employee of the Corporation or of its subsidiaries, including any officer or employee who is a director of the Corporation or its subsidiaries, whenever, in the judgment of the directors, such loan, guaranty or assistance may reasonably be expected to benefit the Corporation. The loan, guaranty or other assistance may be with or without interest, and may be unsecured, or secured in such manner as the Board of Directors shall approve, including, without limitation, a pledge of shares of stock of the Corporation. Nothing in this Section 8.04 shall be deemed to deny, limit or restrict the powers of guaranty or warranty of the Corporation at common law or under any statute.

 

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SECTION 8.05. Section Headings. Section headings in these Bylaws are for convenience of reference only and shall not be given any substantive effect in limiting or otherwise construing any provision herein.

SECTION 8.06. Inconsistent Provisions. In the event that any provision of these Bylaws is or becomes inconsistent with any provision of the Certificate of Incorporation, the DGCL or any other applicable law, such provision of these Bylaws shall not be given any effect to the extent of such inconsistency but shall otherwise be given full force and effect.

SECTION 8.07. Conflict with Investment Company Act. If and to the extent that any provision of the DGCL or any provision of these Bylaws shall conflict with any provision of the Investment Company Act, the applicable provision of the Investment Company Act shall control.

SECTION 8.08. Exclusive Forum. Unless the Corporation consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, a federal or state court located in the state of Delaware shall be the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Corporation, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer or other employee of the Corporation to the Corporation or the stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws or the securities, antifraud, unfair trade practices or similar laws of any international, national, state, provincial, territorial, local or other governmental or regulatory authority, including, in each case, the applicable rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, or (iv) any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine. This forum selection provision does not apply to claims brought under the federal securities laws, with the sole exception that any claim under Section 11 of the Securities Act must be brought in a federal court. This forum selection provision may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds convenient or favorable for disputes, which may discourage such lawsuits with respect to such claims and increase costs for a stockholder to pursue such claims. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of capital stock of the Corporation will be deemed, to the fullest extent permitted by law, to have notice of and consented to these exclusive forum provisions and to have irrevocably submitted to, and waived any objection to, the exclusive jurisdiction of such courts in connection with any such action or proceeding and consented to process being served in any such action or proceeding, without limitation, by U.S. mail addressed to the stockholder at the stockholder’s address as it appears on the records of the Corporation, with postage thereon prepaid.

ARTICLE IX

Amendments

SECTION 9.01. Amendments. The Board of Directors is authorized to make, repeal, alter, amend and rescind, in whole or in part, these Bylaws without the assent or vote of the stockholders in any manner not inconsistent with the laws of the State of Delaware or the Certificate of Incorporation. Notwithstanding any other provisions of these Bylaws or any provision of law which might otherwise permit a lesser vote of the stockholders, but in addition to any other vote of the holders of any class or series of capital stock of the Corporation required

 

23


by the Certificate of Incorporation or applicable law, the affirmative vote of at least 66 2/3% in voting power of all the then-outstanding shares of stock of the Corporation entitled to vote thereon, voting together as a single class, shall be required in order for the stockholders of the Corporation to alter, amend, repeal or rescind, in whole or in part, any provision of these Bylaws (including, without limitation, this Section 9.01) or to adopt any provision inconsistent with these Bylaws.

[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]

 

24

EX-99.(10)(8) 5 d410243dex99108.htm SENIOR SECURED REVOLVING CREDIT AGREEMENT Senior Secured Revolving Credit Agreement

Exhibit 10.8

 

 

 

SENIOR SECURED REVOLVING CREDIT AGREEMENT

dated as of

April 6, 2023,

between

GOLDMAN SACHS PRIVATE CREDIT CORP.

as Borrower

The LENDERS and ISSUING BANKS Party Hereto

and

TRUIST BANK

as Administrative Agent

$725,000,000

 

 

TRUIST SECURITIES, INC.

as Sole Book Runner and Joint Lead Arranger

HSBC BANK USA, N.A.

STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY

SUMITOMO MITSUI BANKING CORPORATION

as Joint Lead Arrangers and Syndication Agents

 

 

 


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

         Page  

ARTICLE I DEFINITIONS

     1  

SECTION 1.01.

  Defined Terms      1  

SECTION 1.02.

  Classification of Loans and Borrowings      52  

SECTION 1.03.

  Terms Generally      52  

SECTION 1.04.

  Accounting Terms; GAAP      53  

SECTION 1.05.

  Currencies; Currency Equivalents      54  

SECTION 1.06.

  Divisions      55  

SECTION 1.07.

  Issuers      55  

SECTION 1.08.

  Outstanding Indebtedness      55  

SECTION 1.09.

  Letter of Credit Amounts      55  

SECTION 1.10.

  Reclassification      56  

SECTION 1.11.

  Calculations      56  

SECTION 1.12.

  Rates      56  

ARTICLE II THE CREDITS

     57  

SECTION 2.01.

  The Commitments      57  

SECTION 2.02.

  Loans and Borrowings      57  

SECTION 2.03.

  Requests for Borrowings      58  

SECTION 2.04.

  Swingline Loans      60  

SECTION 2.05.

  Letters of Credit      62  

SECTION 2.06.

  Funding of Borrowings      68  

SECTION 2.07.

  Interest Elections      69  

SECTION 2.08.

  Termination, Reduction or Increase of the Commitments      70  

SECTION 2.09.

  Repayment of Loans; Evidence of Debt      73  

SECTION 2.10.

  Prepayment of Loans      75  

SECTION 2.11.

  Fees      80  

SECTION 2.12.

  Interest      81  

SECTION 2.13.

  Market Disruption and Alternate Rate of Interest      82  

SECTION 2.14.

  Increased Costs      86  

SECTION 2.15.

  Break Funding Payments      88  

SECTION 2.16.

  Taxes      88  

SECTION 2.17.

  Payments Generally; Pro Rata Treatment; Sharing of Set-offs      92  

SECTION 2.18.

  Defaulting Lenders      94  

SECTION 2.19.

  Mitigation Obligations; Replacement of Lenders      96  

SECTION 2.20.

  Illegality      97  

 

-i-


TABLE OF CONTENTS

(continued)

 

         Page  

ARTICLE III REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

     99  

SECTION 3.01.

  Organization; Powers      99  

SECTION 3.02.

  Authorization; Enforceability      99  

SECTION 3.03.

  Governmental Approvals; No Conflicts      99  

SECTION 3.04.

  Financial Condition; No Material Adverse Change      100  

SECTION 3.05.

  Litigation      100  

SECTION 3.06.

  Compliance with Laws and Agreements      100  

SECTION 3.07.

  Sanctions and Anti-Corruption Laws      101  

SECTION 3.08.

  Taxes      101  

SECTION 3.09.

  ERISA      101  

SECTION 3.10.

  Disclosure      101  

SECTION 3.11.

  Investment Company Act; Margin Regulations      101  

SECTION 3.12.

  Material Agreements and Liens      102  

SECTION 3.13.

  Subsidiaries and Investments      102  

SECTION 3.14.

  Properties      103  

SECTION 3.15.

  Affiliate Agreement      103  

SECTION 3.16.

  Security Documents      103  

SECTION 3.17.

  Affected Financial Institutions      104  

ARTICLE IV CONDITIONS

     104  

SECTION 4.01.

  Effective Date      104  

SECTION 4.02.

  Each Credit Event      105  

ARTICLE V AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS

     106  

SECTION 5.01.

  Financial Statements and Other Information      106  

SECTION 5.02.

  Notices of Material Events      108  

SECTION 5.03.

  Existence; Conduct of Business      109  

SECTION 5.04.

  Payment of Obligations      109  

SECTION 5.05.

  Maintenance of Properties; Insurance      109  

SECTION 5.06.

  Books and Records; Inspection Rights      110  

SECTION 5.07.

  Compliance with Laws; Anti-Corruption; Sanctions      110  

SECTION 5.08.

  Certain Obligations Respecting Subsidiaries; Further Assurances      110  

SECTION 5.09.

  Use of Proceeds      113  

SECTION 5.10.

  Status of RIC and BDC      113  

SECTION 5.11.

  Investment and Valuation Policies      113  

SECTION 5.12.

  Portfolio Valuation and Diversification, Etc.      113  

SECTION 5.13.

  Calculation of Borrowing Base      119  

 

-ii-


TABLE OF CONTENTS

(continued)

 

         Page  

ARTICLE VI NEGATIVE COVENANTS

     131  

SECTION 6.01.

  Indebtedness      131  

SECTION 6.02.

  Liens      133  

SECTION 6.03.

  Fundamental Changes and Dispositions of Assets      134  

SECTION 6.04.

  Investments      137  

SECTION 6.05.

  Restricted Payments      138  

SECTION 6.06.

  Certain Restrictions on Significant Subsidiaries      139  

SECTION 6.07.

  Certain Financial Covenants      140  

SECTION 6.08.

  Transactions with Affiliates      140  

SECTION 6.09.

  Lines of Business      141  

SECTION 6.10.

  No Further Negative Pledge      141  

SECTION 6.11.

  Modifications of Certain Documents      141  

SECTION 6.12.

  Payments of Other Indebtedness      142  

ARTICLE VII EVENTS OF DEFAULT

     143  

SECTION 7.01.

  Events of Default      143  

ARTICLE VIII THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT

     147  

SECTION 8.01.

  The Administrative Agent      147  

SECTION 8.02.

  Certain ERISA Matters      150  

SECTION 8.03.

  Erroneous Payments      151  

ARTICLE IX MISCELLANEOUS

     154  

SECTION 9.01.

  Notices; Electronic Communications      154  

SECTION 9.02.

  Waivers; Amendments      155  

SECTION 9.03.

  Expenses; Indemnity; Damage Waiver      158  

SECTION 9.04.

  Successors and Assigns      161  

SECTION 9.05.

  Survival      165  

SECTION 9.06.

  Counterparts; Integration; Effectiveness; Electronic Execution      165  

SECTION 9.07.

  Severability      166  

SECTION 9.08.

  Right of Setoff      166  

SECTION 9.09.

  Governing Law; Jurisdiction; Etc.      166  

SECTION 9.10.

  WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL      167  

SECTION 9.11.

  Judgment Currency      167  

 

-iii-


TABLE OF CONTENTS

(continued)

 

         Page  

SECTION 9.12.

  Headings      168  

SECTION 9.13.

  Treatment of Certain Information; Confidentiality      168  

SECTION 9.14.

  Certain Notices      169  

SECTION 9.15.

  Acknowledgment and Consent to Bail-In of Affected Financial Institutions      169  

SECTION 9.16.

  No Fiduciary Duty      170  

SECTION 9.17.

  Acknowledgment Regarding Any Supported QFCs      171  

SECTION 9.18.

  Termination      171  

SECTION 9.19.

  Limited Recourse      171  

SECTION 9.20.

  Interest Rate Limitation      171  

SECTION 9.21.

  Lender Information Reporting      172  

 

-iv-


TABLE OF CONTENTS

(continued)

 

SCHEDULES

  

SCHEDULE I

   Commitments

SCHEDULE II

   Material Agreements; Liens

SCHEDULE III

   Effective Date Participation Interests

SCHEDULE IV

   Subsidiaries; Investments

SCHEDULE V

   Transactions with Affiliates

SCHEDULE VI

   Industry Classification Groups

SCHEDULE VII

   Approved Dealer; Approved Pricing Services

SCHEDULE VIII

   Excluded Assets

SCHEDULE IX

   Swingline Lenders and Issuing Banks

EXHIBITS

  

EXHIBIT A

   Form of Assignment and Assumption

EXHIBIT B

   Form of Borrowing Base Certificate

EXHIBIT C

   Form of Borrowing Request

EXHIBIT D

   Form of Interest Election Request

EXHIBIT E

   Form of Promissory Note

 

 

-v-


SENIOR SECURED REVOLVING CREDIT AGREEMENT dated as of April 6, 2023 (this “Agreement”), among GOLDMAN SACHS PRIVATE CREDIT CORP. (the “Borrower”), the LENDERS and ISSUING BANKS party hereto, and TRUIST BANK, as Administrative Agent.

The Borrower has requested that the Lenders provide the credit facilities described herein under this Agreement on the terms specified herein to, inter alia, extend credit to the Borrower in an initial aggregate principal or face amount not exceeding $725,000,000 at any one time outstanding. The Lenders are prepared to extend credit on the terms and conditions hereof, and, accordingly, the parties hereto agree as follows:

ARTICLE I

DEFINITIONS

SECTION 1.01. Defined Terms. As used in this Agreement, the following terms have the meanings specified below:

ABR”, when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether such Loan is, or the Loans constituting such Borrowing are, denominated in Dollars and bearing interest at a rate determined by reference to the Alternate Base Rate.

Adjusted Covered Debt Balance” means, on any date, the aggregate Covered Debt Amount on such date minus the aggregate amount of Cash and Cash Equivalents included in the Portfolio Investments held by the Obligors (provided that Cash Collateral for outstanding Letters of Credit shall not be treated as a portion of the Portfolio Investments).

Adjusted EURIBO Rate” means with respect to any Term Benchmark Borrowing denominated in Euro for any Interest Period, an interest rate per annum (rounded upwards, if necessary, to the next 1/100 of 1.00%) equal to the product of (a) the EURIBO Rate for Euros for such Interest Period multiplied by (b) the Statutory Reserve Rate; provided, that, if the Adjusted EURIBO Rate shall be less than zero (0.00%), such rate shall be deemed to be zero (0.00%) for purposes of this Agreement.

Adjusted Gross Borrowing Base” means (i) the Gross Borrowing Base plus (ii) the amount of any cash held in any “collection” (or similar) account of any Excluded Asset that is reflected on a “payment date schedule” or similar distribution statement (in each case, which may be a draft so long as the amount to be distributed has been finalized) to be irrevocably distributed or permitted under a waterfall to be irrevocably distributed within thirty (30) days from the date of such schedule or statement, directly or indirectly, to an Obligor on the next payment date or similar distribution date for such Excluded Asset.

Administrative Agent” means Truist Bank, in its capacity as administrative agent for the Lenders hereunder.

Administrative Agent’s Account” means, for each Currency, an account in respect of such Currency designated by the Administrative Agent in a notice to the Borrower and the Lenders.


Administrative Questionnaire” means an Administrative Questionnaire in a form supplied by the Administrative Agent.

Advance Rate” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 5.13.

Advisor” means Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P. or any of its Affiliates that are organized under the laws of a jurisdiction located in the United States of America and in the business of managing or advising clients.

Affected Financial Institution” means (a) any EEA Financial Institution or (b) any UK Financial Institution.

Affiliate” means, with respect to a specified Person at any time, another Person that at such time directly, or indirectly through one (1) or more intermediaries, Controls or is Controlled by or is under common Control with the Person specified at such time. Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, the term “Affiliate” shall not include any Person that constitutes an Investment held by such specified Person in the ordinary course of business.

Affiliate Agreements” means the Investment Management Agreement, dated as of March 20, 2023, by and between the Borrower and Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P.

Agreed Foreign Currency” means, at any time, any of CAD, GBP and EUR, and, with the agreement of each Multicurrency Lender and Multicurrency Issuing Bank, any other Foreign Currency, so long as, in respect of any such specified Foreign Currency or other Foreign Currency, at such time (a) such Foreign Currency is dealt with in the relevant local market for obtaining quotations, and (b) no central bank or other governmental authorization in the country of issue of such Foreign Currency (including, in the case of the Euro, any authorization by the European Central Bank) is required to permit use of such Foreign Currency by any Multicurrency Lender for making any Revolving Loan hereunder or to permit any Issuing Bank to issue (or to make payment under) any Letter of Credit denominated in such Foreign Currency and/or to permit the Borrower to borrow and repay the principal thereof and to pay the interest thereon (or to repay any LC Disbursement under a Letter of Credit denominated in such Foreign Currency), unless such authorization has been obtained and is in full force and effect.

Alternate Base Rate” means, for any day, a rate per annum equal to the greatest of (a) the Prime Rate in effect on such day, (b) the Federal Funds Effective Rate in effect on such day plus 1/2 of 1.00% and (c) the rate per annum equal to Term SOFR for an interest period of one (1) month plus 1.00%. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Alternate Base Rate, determined as set forth above, shall be less than 1.00%, such rate shall be deemed to be 1.00% for purposes of this Agreement. Any change in the Alternate Base Rate due to a change in the Prime Rate, the Federal Funds Effective Rate or Term SOFR (or successor therefore) shall be effective from and including the effective date of such change in the Prime Rate, the Federal Funds Effective Rate or Term SOFR (or successor therefore), respectively. If for any reason the Administrative Agent shall have determined (which determination shall be conclusive absent manifest error) that it is unable to ascertain the Federal Funds Effective Rate for any reason, including the inability or failure of the Administrative Agent to obtain a quotation in accordance with the terms thereof, the Alternate Base Rate shall be determined without regard to clause (b) of the first sentence of this definition until the circumstances giving rise to such inability no longer exist. If the Alternate Base Rate is being used as an alternate rate of interest pursuant to Section 2.14, then the Alternate Base Rate shall be determined without reference to clause (c) above.

 

2


Anti-Corruption Laws” means all laws, rules, and regulations of any jurisdiction applicable to the Borrower or its Subsidiaries from time to time concerning or relating to money laundering, bribery or corruption.

Applicable Currencies” means Dollars and each Agreed Foreign Currency.

Applicable Dollar Percentage” means, with respect to any Dollar Lender, the percentage of the total Dollar Commitments represented by such Lender’s Dollar Commitment. If the Dollar Commitments have terminated or expired, the Applicable Dollar Percentages shall be determined based upon the Dollar Commitments most recently in effect, giving effect to any assignments.

Applicable Margin” means: (a) with respect to any ABR Loan, 1.00% per annum, (b) with respect to any Term Benchmark Loan, 2.00% per annum and (c) with respect to any RFR Loan, 2.00% per annum; provided that if the Gross Borrowing Base (as of the most recently delivered Borrowing Base Certificate) is greater than or equal to the product of 1.60 and the Combined Debt Amount, (i) with respect to any ABR Loan, 0.75% per annum, (ii) with respect to any Term Benchmark Loan, 1.75% per annum and (iii) with respect to any RFR Loan, 1.75% per annum.

Applicable Multicurrency Percentage” means, with respect to any Multicurrency Lender, the percentage of the total Multicurrency Commitments represented by such Lender’s Multicurrency Commitment. If the Multicurrency Commitments have terminated or expired, the Applicable Multicurrency Percentages shall be determined based upon the Multicurrency Commitments most recently in effect, giving effect to any assignments.

Applicable Percentage” means, with respect to any Lender, the percentage of the total Revolving Commitments of such Lender. If the Revolving Commitments have terminated or expired, the Applicable Percentages previously based on such Revolving Commitments shall be determined based upon the existing Revolving Credit Exposure.

Approved Dealer” means (a) in the case of any Portfolio Investment that is not a U.S. Government Security, a bank or a broker-dealer registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 of nationally recognized standing or an Affiliate thereof, (b) in the case of a U.S. Government Security, any primary dealer in U.S. Government Securities, and (c) in the case of any foreign Portfolio Investment, any foreign bank or broker-dealer of internationally recognized standing or an Affiliate thereof, in the case of each of clauses (a), (b) and (c) above, as set forth on Schedule VII or any other bank or broker-dealer or Affiliate thereof acceptable to the Administrative Agent in its reasonable determination.

Approved Pricing Service” means a pricing or quotation service as set forth in Schedule VII or any other pricing or quotation service approved by the Advisor (so long as it has the necessary delegated authority) or the board of directors (or the appropriate committee thereof with the necessary delegated authority) of the Borrower and designated in writing to the Administrative Agent (which designation, if approved by the board of directors of the Borrower, shall be accompanied by a copy of a resolution of the board of directors of the Borrower (or the appropriate committee thereof with the necessary delegated authority) that such pricing or quotation service has been approved by the Borrower).

 

3


Approved Third-Party Appraiser” means each of (a) Murray, Devine & Co., (b) Houlihan Lokey Howard & Zukin Inc., (c) Lincoln International LLC (formerly known as Lincoln Partners LLC), (d) Duff & Phelps Corporation, (e) Valuation Research Corporation, (f) Alvarez & Marsal, (g) Citrin Cooperman and (h) any other third party appraiser selected by the Borrower in its reasonable discretion.

Asset Coverage Ratio” means the ratio, determined on a consolidated basis, without duplication, in accordance with GAAP, of (a) the value of total assets of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, less all liabilities and indebtedness not represented by Senior Securities, to (b) the aggregate amount of Senior Securities representing indebtedness in each case, of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries (all as determined pursuant to the Investment Company Act and any orders, declarations, opinions, relief or letters issued by the SEC or any other government or regulatory authority). The calculation of the Asset Coverage Ratio shall be made in accordance with any exemptive relief or order granted or issued by the SEC with respect to the Indebtedness of any SBIC Subsidiary from the definition of Senior Securities only so long as (a) such order is in effect, and (b) no obligations have become due and owing pursuant to the terms of any Permitted SBIC Guarantee to which the Borrower or any other Obligor is a party. The outstanding utilized notional amount of any Credit Default Swap where an Obligor is a protection seller, in each case, less the value of the margin posted by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries thereunder at such time shall be treated as a Senior Security of the Borrower for the purposes of calculating the Asset Coverage Ratio.

Assignment and Assumption” means an Assignment and Assumption entered into by a Lender and an assignee (with the consent of any party whose consent is required by Section 9.04), and accepted by the Administrative Agent, in the form of Exhibit A or such other form as is reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent and the Borrower.

Assuming Lender” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.08(e).

Availability Period” means, with respect to any Revolving Commitments, the period from and including the Effective Date to but excluding the earlier of the Commitment Termination Date and the date of termination of such Revolving Commitments.

Available Tenor” means, as of any date of determination and with respect to the then-current Benchmark for any Applicable Currency, as applicable, (x) if such Benchmark is a term rate, any tenor for such Benchmark (or component thereof) that is or may be used for determining the length of an interest period pursuant to this Agreement or (y) otherwise, any payment period for interest calculated with reference to such Benchmark (or component thereof) that is or may be used for determining any frequency of making payments of interest calculated with reference to such Benchmark pursuant to this Agreement, in each case, as of such date and not including, for the avoidance of doubt, any tenor for such Benchmark that is then-removed from the definition of “Interest Period” pursuant to Section 2.13(e).

 

4


Bail-In Action” means the exercise of any Write-Down and Conversion Powers by the applicable Resolution Authority in respect of any liability of an Affected Financial Institution.

Bail-In Legislation” means (a) with respect to any EEA Member Country implementing Article 55 of Directive 2014/59/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of the European Union, the implementing law, regulation, rule or requirement for such EEA Member Country from time to time which is described in the EU Bail-In Legislation Schedule and (b) with respect to the United Kingdom, Part I of the United Kingdom Banking Act of 2009 (as amended from time to time) and any other law, regulation or rule applicable in the United Kingdom relating to the resolution of unsound or failing banks, investment firms or other financial institutions or their affiliates (other than through liquidation, administration or other insolvency proceedings).

Base Rate Term SOFR Determination Day” has the meaning set forth in the definition of “Term SOFR”.

Basel III” means the agreements on capital requirements, leverage ratio and liquidity standards contained in “Basel III: A global regulatory framework for more resilient banks and banking systems”, “Basel III: International framework for liquidity risk measurement, standards and monitoring” and “Guidance for national authorities operating the countercyclical capital buffer” published by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision on 16 December 2010, each as amended, supplemented or restated.

Benchmark” means, initially, with respect to any Loans denominated in (a) Dollars, the Term SOFR Reference Rate, (b) GBP, the Daily Simple RFR, and (c) any other Applicable Currency, the Relevant Rate for such Currency; provided that if a Benchmark Transition Event and its related Benchmark Replacement Date has occurred with respect to the Term SOFR Reference Rate, the Daily Simple RFR or such Relevant Rate, as applicable, then “Benchmark” shall mean the applicable Benchmark Replacement for such Applicable Currency to the extent that such Benchmark Replacement has replaced such prior benchmark rate pursuant to Section 2.13(b).

Benchmark Replacement” means, with respect to any Benchmark Transition Event for any then-current Benchmark, the first alternative set forth in the order below that can be determined by the Administrative Agent for the applicable Benchmark Replacement Date; provided that, other than in the case of the Term SOFR Reference Rate, such alternative shall be the alternative set forth in clause (2) below:

(1) the sum of: (a) Daily Simple SOFR and (b) 0.10%; and

(2) the sum of: (a) the alternate benchmark rate that has been selected by the Administrative Agent and the Borrower as the replacement for the then-current Benchmark for the Applicable Currency giving due consideration to (i) any selection or recommendation of a replacement benchmark rate or the mechanism for determining such a rate by the Relevant Governmental Body or (ii) any evolving or then-prevailing market convention for determining a benchmark rate as a replacement for the then-current Benchmark for syndicated credit facilities denominated in the Applicable Currency at such time and (b) the related Benchmark Replacement Adjustment.

 

5


If the Benchmark Replacement as determined pursuant to clause (1) or (2) above would be less than the Floor, the Benchmark Replacement will be deemed to be the Floor for the purposes of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents.

Benchmark Replacement Adjustment” means, with respect to any replacement of the then current Benchmark for an Applicable Currency with an Unadjusted Benchmark Replacement for any applicable Interest Period and Available Tenor for any setting of such Unadjusted Benchmark Replacement, the spread adjustment, or method for calculating or determining such spread adjustment (which may be a positive or negative value or zero) that has been selected by the Administrative Agent and the Borrower for the Applicable Currency giving due consideration to (i) any selection or recommendation of a spread adjustment, or method for calculating or determining such spread adjustment, for the replacement of such Benchmark with the applicable Unadjusted Benchmark Replacement by the Relevant Governmental Body on the applicable Benchmark Replacement Date or (ii) any evolving or then-prevailing market convention for determining a spread adjustment, or method for calculating or determining such spread adjustment, for the replacement of such Benchmark with the applicable Unadjusted Benchmark Replacement for syndicated credit facilities denominated in the Applicable Currency in the U.S. syndicated loan market at such time.

Benchmark Replacement Date” means, (x) with respect to any Benchmark (other than the Term SOFR Reference Rate), the earliest to occur of the following events with respect to such then-current Benchmark and (y) with respect to the Term SOFR Reference Rate, a date and time determined by the Administrative Agent in its reasonable discretion, which date shall be no later than the earliest to occur of the following events with respect to such then-current Benchmark:

(1) in the case of clause (1) or (2) of the definition of “Benchmark Transition Event,” the later of (a) the date of the public statement or publication of information referenced therein and (b) the date on which the administrator of such Benchmark (or the published component used in the calculation thereof) permanently or indefinitely ceases to provide all Available Tenors of such Benchmark (or such component thereof); or

(2) in the case of clause (3) of the definition of “Benchmark Transition Event,” the first date on which such Benchmark (or the published component used in the calculation thereof) has been determined and announced by the regulatory supervisor for the administrator of such Benchmark (or such component thereof) to be non-representative; provided that such non-representativeness will be determined by reference to the most recent statement or publication referenced in such clause (3) and even if any Available Tenor of such Benchmark (or such component thereof) continues to be provided on such date.

For the avoidance of doubt, the “Benchmark Replacement Date” will be deemed to have occurred in the case of clause (1) or (2) with respect to any Benchmark upon the occurrence of the applicable event or events set forth therein with respect to all then-current Available Tenors of such Benchmark (or the published component used in the calculation thereof).

 

6


Benchmark Transition Event” means, with respect to any then-current Benchmark, the occurrence of one or more of the following events with respect to such Benchmark:

(1) a public statement or publication of information by or on behalf of the administrator of such Benchmark (or the published component used in the calculation thereof) announcing that such administrator has ceased or will cease to provide all Available Tenors of such Benchmark (or such component thereof), permanently or indefinitely; provided that, at the time of such statement or publication, there is no successor administrator that will continue to provide any Available Tenor of such Benchmark (or such component thereof);

(2) a public statement or publication of information by the regulatory supervisor for the administrator of such Benchmark (or the published component used in the calculation thereof), including the Board or the NYFRB, as applicable, an insolvency official with jurisdiction over the administrator for such Benchmark (or such component), a resolution authority with jurisdiction over the administrator for such Benchmark (or such component) or a court or an entity with similar insolvency or resolution authority over the administrator for such Benchmark (or such component), which states that the administrator of such Benchmark (or such component) has ceased or will cease to provide all Available Tenors of such Benchmark (or such component thereof) permanently or indefinitely; provided that, at the time of such statement or publication, there is no successor administrator that will continue to provide any Available Tenor of such Benchmark (or such component thereof); or

(3) a public statement or publication of information by the regulatory supervisor for the administrator of such Benchmark (or the published component used in the calculation thereof) announcing that all Available Tenors of such Benchmark (or such component thereof) are not, or as of a specified future date will not be, representative.

For the avoidance of doubt, a “Benchmark Transition Event” will be deemed to have occurred with respect to any Benchmark if a public statement or publication of information set forth above has occurred with respect to each then-current Available Tenor of such Benchmark (or the published component used in the calculation thereof).

Benchmark Unavailability Period” means, with respect to any then-current Benchmark, the period (if any) (x) beginning at the time that a Benchmark Replacement Date has occurred if, at such time, no Benchmark Replacement has replaced such then-current Benchmark for all purposes hereunder and under any Loan Document in accordance with Section 2.13 and (y) ending at the time that a Benchmark Replacement has replaced such then-current Benchmark for all purposes hereunder and under any Loan Document in accordance with Section 2.13.

Beneficial Ownership Certification” means, for a “legal entity customer” (as such term is defined in the Beneficial Ownership Regulation), a certification regarding beneficial ownership or control to the extent required by the Beneficial Ownership Regulation.

Beneficial Ownership Regulation” means 31 C.F.R. § 1010.230.

Benefit Plan” means any of (a) an “employee benefit plan” (as defined in Section 3(3) of ERISA) that is subject to Title I of ERISA, (b) a “plan” as defined in Section 4975 of the Code to which Section 4975 of the Code applies, and (c) any Person whose assets include (for purposes of the Plan Asset Regulations or otherwise for purposes of Title I of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code) the assets of any such “employee benefit plan” or “plan”.

 

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BHC Act Affiliate” of a party means an “affiliate” (as such term is defined under, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 U.S.C. 1841(k)) of such party.

Board” means the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System of the United States of America.

Borrower” has the meaning assigned to such term in the preamble of this Agreement.

Borrowing” means (a) all ABR Loans of the same Class and Type made, converted or continued on the same date, (b) all Term Benchmark Loans of the same Class and Type denominated in the same Currency that have the same Interest Period, (c) all RFR Loans of the same Class and Type, (d) a Pro-Rata Borrowing and/or (e) a Swingline Loan, as applicable.

Borrowing Base” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 5.13.

Borrowing Base Certificate” means a certificate of a Financial Officer of the Borrower, substantially in the form of Exhibit B or such other form as is reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent and appropriately completed.

Borrowing Base Deficiency” means, at any date on which the same is determined, the amount, if any, that (a) the aggregate Covered Debt Amount as of such date exceeds (b) the Borrowing Base as of such date.

Borrowing Request” means a request by the Borrower for a Borrowing in accordance with Section 2.03 substantially in the form of Exhibit C or such other form as is reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent.

Borrowing Value” means, as of any date, the sum of the products obtained by multiplying (i) the Value of each Portfolio Investment in the Borrowing Base and (ii) the applicable Advance Rate for such Portfolio Investment. With respect to any limitation set forth in Section 5.13 that is based on Borrowing Value, such Borrowing Value shall be determined after giving effect to the portfolio limitations and valuation criteria specified in Section 5.13 (other than any adjustment required pursuant to paragraphs (d), (e) and (h) thereof). For the avoidance of doubt, (a) to avoid double-counting of excess concentrations, any Advance Rate reductions set forth in Section 5.13 shall be without duplication of any other such Advance Rate reductions and (b) to the extent the Borrowing Value is required to be reduced to comply with Section 5.13, the Borrower shall be permitted to choose the Portfolio Investments to be excluded from the Borrowing Value to effect such reduction.

Business Day” means any day that is not a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks in New York City are authorized or required by law to remain closed; provided that (a) when used in relation to Term Benchmark Loans or any interest rate settings, fundings, disbursements, settlements or payments of any such Term Benchmark Loan, or any other dealings in the applicable Currency of such Term Benchmark Loan, the term “Business Day” shall also exclude any day that is not a Term Benchmark Banking Day for such Currency and (b) when used in relation to RFR Loans or any interest rate settings, fundings, disbursements, settlements or payments of any such RFR Loan, or any other dealings in GBP, the term “Business Day” shall also exclude any day that is not a RFR Business Day.

 

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CAD” and “C$” denote the lawful currency of Canada.

CAD Screen Rate” has the meaning assigned to such term in the definition of “CDO Rate”.

Calculation Amount” means, as of the end of any Testing Period, an amount equal to the greater of: (a) (i) 125% of the Adjusted Covered Debt Balance (as of the end of such Testing Period) minus (ii) the aggregate Value of all Quoted Investments (including, without duplication, Market Value Investments) included in the Borrowing Base (as of the end of such Testing Period) and (b) 10% of the aggregate Value of all Unquoted Investments included in the Borrowing Base (as of the end of such Testing Period); provided that in no event shall more than 25% (or, if clause (b) applies, 10%, or as near thereto as reasonably practicable) of the aggregate Value of the Unquoted Investments in the Borrowing Base be tested by the Independent Valuation Provider in respect of any applicable Testing Period; and provided, further, that notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, Market Value Investments shall be deemed to be Quoted Investments for purposes of this definition.

Canadian Prime Rate” means, on any day, the rate determined by the Administrative Agent to be the higher of (i) the rate equal to the PRIMCAN Index rate that appears on the Bloomberg screen at 10:15 a.m. Toronto time on such day (or, in the event that the PRIMCAN Index is not published by Bloomberg, any other information services that publishes such index from time to time, as selected by the Administrative Agent in its reasonable discretion) and (ii) the average rate for thirty (30) day CAD bankers’ acceptances that appears on the Reuters Screen CDOR Page (or, in the event such rate does not appear on such page or screen, on any successor or substitute page or screen that displays such rate, or on the appropriate page of such other information service that publishes such rate from time to time, as selected by the Administrative Agent in its reasonable discretion) at 10:15 a.m. Toronto time on such day, plus 1% per annum; provided, that if any of the above rates shall be less than 1%, such rate shall be deemed to be 1% for purposes of this Agreement. Any change in the Canadian Prime Rate due to a change in the PRIMCAN Index or CDOR shall be effective from and including the effective date of such change in the PRIMCAN Index or CDOR, respectively.

Capital Lease Obligations” of any Person means the obligations of such Person to pay rent or other amounts under any lease of (or other arrangement conveying the right to use) real or personal property, or a combination thereof, which obligations are required to be classified and accounted for as capital leases on a balance sheet of such Person under GAAP, and the amount of such obligations shall be the capitalized amount thereof determined in accordance with GAAP. Notwithstanding any other provision contained herein, any change in GAAP after December 15, 2018 that would require an operating lease to be treated similar to a capital lease shall not be given effect hereunder.

Cash” means any immediately available funds in Dollars or in any currency other than Dollars which is a freely convertible currency.

 

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Cash Equivalents” means investments (other than Cash) that are one (1) or more of the following obligations:

(a) U.S. Government Securities, in each case maturing within one (1) year from the date of acquisition thereof;

(b) investments in commercial paper or other short-term corporate obligations maturing within two hundred seventy (270) days from the date of acquisition thereof and having, at such date of acquisition, a credit rating of at least A-1 from S&P and at least P-1 from Moody’s (or if only one of S&P or Moody’s provides such rating, such investment shall also have an equivalent credit rating from any other rating agency);

(c) investments in certificates of deposit, banker’s acceptances and time deposits maturing within one hundred eighty (180) days from the date of acquisition thereof (i) issued or guaranteed by or placed with, and money market deposit accounts issued or offered by, any domestic office of any commercial bank organized under the laws of the United States of America or any State thereof or under the laws of the jurisdiction or any constituent jurisdiction thereof in which the Principal Financial Center in respect of any Agreed Foreign Currency is located; provided that such certificates of deposit, banker’s acceptances and time deposits are held in a securities account (as defined in the Uniform Commercial Code) through which the Collateral Agent can perfect a security interest therein and (ii) having, at such date of acquisition, a credit rating of at least A-1 from S&P and at least P-1 from Moody’s (or if only one of S&P or Moody’s provides such rating, such investment shall also have an equivalent credit rating from any other rating agency);

(d) fully collateralized repurchase agreements with a term of not more than thirty (30) days from the date of acquisition thereof for U.S. Government Securities and entered into with (i) a financial institution satisfying the criteria described in clause (c) of this definition or (ii) an Approved Dealer having (or being a member of a consolidated group having) at such date of acquisition, a credit rating of at least A-1 from S&P and at least P-1 from Moody’s (or if only one of S&P or Moody’s provides such rating, such Approved Dealer shall also have an equivalent credit rating from any other rating agency);

(e) investments in (x) money market funds that invest and which are restricted by their respective charters to invest, substantially all of their assets in investments of the type described in the immediately preceding clauses (a) through (d) above (including as to credit quality and maturity), and (y) without limiting the immediately preceding clause (x), Goldman Financial Square Government Fund, Goldman Sachs Financial Square Prime Obligations Fund, Goldman Sachs Financial Square Treasury Obligations Fund and Goldman Sachs Financial Square Federal Fund, in each case rated no lower than the then-current rating of the federal government of the United States;

(f) a Reinvestment Agreement;

(g) money market funds that have, at all times, credit ratings of “Aaa” and “MR1+” by Moody’s and “AAAm” or “Aam-G” by S&P, respectively; and

(h) any of the following offered by the Custodian (or any successor custodian or other entity acting in a similar capacity with respect to the Borrower) (I) money market deposit accounts, (II) eurodollar time deposits, (III) commercial eurodollar sweep services or (IV) open commercial paper services, in each case having, at such date of acquisition, a credit rating of at least A-1 from S&P and at least P-1 from Moody’s and maturing not later than two hundred seventy (270) days from the date of acquisition thereof;

 

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provided, that (i) in no event shall Cash Equivalents include any obligation that provides for the payment of interest alone (for example, interest-only securities or “IOs”); (ii) if any of Moody’s or S&P changes its rating system, then any ratings included in this definition shall be deemed to be an equivalent rating in a successor rating category of Moody’s or S&P, as the case may be; (iii) Cash Equivalents (other than U.S. Government Securities, certificates of deposit, repurchase agreements or the money market funds described in clause (e) of this definition of “Cash Equivalents”) shall not include any such investment representing more than 10% of total assets of the Obligors in any single issuer; and (iv) in no event shall Cash Equivalents include any obligation that is not denominated in Dollars or an Agreed Foreign Currency.

CDO Rate” means, on any day, the annual rate of interest that is the rate based on an average rate applicable to CAD bankers’ acceptances for a term equal to the term of the relevant Interest Period appearing on the applicable Bloomberg screen page (or, in the event such rate does not appear on a page of the Bloomberg screen, on the appropriate page of such other information service that publishes such rate as shall be selected by the Administrative Agent from time to time in its reasonable discretion) at approximately 10:00 a.m. (Toronto time), on such date, or if such date is not a Business Day, on the immediately preceding Business Day (the “CAD Screen Rate”); provided that, if such rate shall be less than zero (0.00%), such rate shall be deemed to be zero (0.00%).

Central Bank Rate” means the greater of (A) the sum of (i) for any Loan denominated in (x) GBP, the Bank of England (or any successor thereto)’s “Bank Rate” as published by the Bank of England (or any successor thereto) from time to time, (y) Euro, one of the following three rates as may be selected by the Administrative Agent in its reasonable discretion: (1) the fixed rate for the main refinancing operations of the European Central Bank (or any successor thereto), or, if that rate is not published, the minimum bid rate for the main refinancing operations of the European Central Bank (or any successor thereto), each as published by the European Central Bank (or any successor thereto) from time to time, (2) the rate for the marginal lending facility of the European Central Bank (or any successor thereto), as published by the European Central Bank (or any successor thereto) from time to time or (3) the rate for the deposit facility of the central banking system of the Participating Member States, as published by the European Central Bank (or any successor thereto) from time to time or (z) any other Agreed Foreign Currency, a central bank rate as determined by the Administrative Agent in its reasonable discretion; plus (ii) the applicable Central Bank Rate Adjustment and (B) 0%.

Central Bank Rate Adjustment” means, for any date, for any Loan denominated in (A) GBP, a rate equal to the difference (which may be a positive or negative value or zero) of (i) the average of SONIA for the five most recent RFR Business Days preceding such day for which SONIA was available (excluding, from such averaging, the highest and the lowest SONIA applicable during such period of five RFR Business Days) minus (ii) the Central Bank Rate in respect of GBP in effect on the last RFR Business Day in such period, (B) Euros, a rate equal to the difference (which may be a positive or negative value or zero) of (i) the average of the EURIBO Rate for the five most recent Term Benchmark Banking Days for Euro preceding such day for

 

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which the EURIBO Screen Rate was available (excluding, from such averaging, the highest and the lowest EURIBO Screen Rate applicable during such period of five Term Benchmark Banking Days for Euro) minus (ii) the Central Bank Rate in respect of Euro in effect on the last Term Benchmark Banking Day for Euro in such period and (C) any other Agreed Foreign Currency, a Central Bank Rate Adjustment as determined by the Administrative Agent in its reasonable discretion. For the purposes of this definition, (x) the term “Central Bank Rate” shall be determined disregarding clause (A)(ii) of the definition of such term and (y) each of the EURIBO Rate on any day shall be based on the EURIBO Screen Rate, on such day at approximately the time referred to in the definition of such term for deposits in the applicable Foreign Currency for a maturity of one month.

Change in Control” means the Advisor ceases to be the investment advisor for the Borrower.

Change in Law” means (a) the adoption of any law, rule or regulation after the Effective Date, (b) any change in any law, rule or regulation or in the interpretation or application thereof by any Governmental Authority after the Effective Date or (c) compliance by any Lender or any Issuing Bank (or, for purposes of Section 2.14(b), by any lending office of such Lender or by such Lender’s or such Issuing Bank’s holding company, if any) with any request, guideline or directive (whether or not having the force of law) of any Governmental Authority made or issued after the Effective Date; provided that, notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, (i) the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and all requests, rules, guidelines, requirements or directives thereunder or issued in connection therewith or in implementation thereof and (ii) all requests, rules, guidelines, requirements or directives promulgated by the Bank for International Settlements, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (or any successor or similar authority) or the United States or foreign regulatory authorities, in each case pursuant to Basel III, shall in each case be deemed to be a “Change in Law”, regardless of the date enacted, adopted or issued.

Class”, when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to in the case of a Revolving Loan, whether such Loan is a, or the Loans constituting such Borrowing are, Dollar Loan(s), Multicurrency Loan(s) or Swingline Loan(s), as applicable; in the case of any Revolving Lender, whether such Lender is a Dollar Lender or a Multicurrency Lender; and, when used in reference to any Commitment, refers to whether such Commitment is a Dollar Commitment or a Multicurrency Commitment and, when used in reference to any LC Exposure, refers to whether such LC Exposure is a Dollar LC Exposure or a Multicurrency LC Exposure.

CLO Securities” means debt securities, mezzanine securities, equity securities, residual interests or composite or combination securities (i.e. securities consisting of a combination of debt and equity securities that are issued in effect as a unit) including synthetic securities that provide synthetic credit exposure to debt securities, mezzanine securities, equity securities, residual interests or composite or combination securities (or other investments, including any interests held to comply with applicable risk retention requirements, that similarly represent an investment in underlying pools of leveraged portfolios), that, in each case, entitle the holders thereof to receive payments that (i) depend on the cash flow from a portfolio consisting primarily of ownership interests in debt securities, corporate loans or asset-backed securities or (ii) are subject to losses owing to credit events (howsoever defined) under credit derivative transactions with respect to debt securities, corporate loans or asset-backed securities.

 

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Code” means the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time.

Collateral” has the meaning assigned to such term in the Guarantee and Security Agreement.

Collateral Agent” means Truist Bank, in its capacity as Collateral Agent under the Guarantee and Security Agreement, and includes any successor Collateral Agent thereunder.

Collateral Pool” means, at any time, each Portfolio Investment that has been Delivered (as defined in the Guarantee and Security Agreement) to the Collateral Agent and is subject to the Lien of the Guarantee and Security Agreement, and then only for so long as such Portfolio Investment continues to be Delivered as contemplated therein and in which the Collateral Agent has a first-priority perfected Lien as security for the Secured Obligations (subject to any Lien permitted by Section 6.02 hereof with respect to such Portfolio Investment), provided that in the case of any Portfolio Investment in which the Collateral Agent has a first-priority perfected (subject to Permitted Liens under clause (g) of the definition thereof) security interest pursuant to a valid Uniform Commercial Code filing, such Portfolio Investment may be included in the Collateral Pool so long as all remaining actions to complete “Delivery” are satisfied in full within the longest period of (i) seven (7) days of such inclusion and (ii) as the Collateral Agent may agree in its reasonable discretion.

Combined Debt Amount” means, as of any date, (i) the aggregate principal amount of Revolving Commitments as of such date (or, if greater, the Revolving Credit Exposures of all Lenders as of such date) plus (ii) the aggregate principal amount of outstanding Designated Indebtedness and, without duplication, unused Designated Indebtedness Commitments (as defined in the Guarantee and Security Agreement) that have not expired or been terminated.

Commitment” means, collectively, the Revolving Commitments.

Commitment Increase” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.08(e).

Commitment Increase Date” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.08(e).

Commitment Termination Date” means April 6, 2027.

Commodity Exchange Act” means the Commodity Exchange Act (7 U.S.C. § 1 et seq.), as amended from time to time, and any successor statute.

Concurrent Transactions” means, with respect to any proposed action or transaction hereunder, (a) any acquisition or sale of Portfolio Investments or other property or assets, (b) any payment of outstanding Loans, cash collateralization of Letters of Credit as contemplated by Section 2.04(l), or payment of other Indebtedness that is included in the Covered Debt Amount, (c) any return of capital or other distribution or receipt of cash from any Investment, (d) any incurrence of Indebtedness and the use of proceeds thereof, (e) any sale of Equity Interests of the Borrower, and (f) any pro forma adjustments related to any of the actions or transactions described in the foregoing clauses (a) through (e), in each case, (x) that occurs substantially simultaneously with such proposed action or transaction and (y) is evidenced by a current Borrowing Base Certificate delivered by the Borrower (which may include any activities permitted to be included under clause (x) above).

 

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Conforming Changes” means with respect to the use, administration, adoption or implementation of any Benchmark Replacement, any technical, administrative or operational changes (including changes to the definition of “Relevant Rate”, the definition of “Alternate Base Rate”, the definition of “Business Day”, the definition of “Term Benchmark Banking Day”, the definition of “U.S. Government Securities Business Day”, the definition of “Interest Period”, the definition of “Daily Simple RFR”, the definition of “RFR”, the definition of “RFR Business Day”, the definition of “RFR Interest Day”, the definition of “RFR Reference Day”, the definition of or any similar or analogous definition, timing and frequency of determining rates and making payments of interest, timing and borrowing requests or prepayment, conversion or continuation notices, the applicability and length of lookback periods, the applicability of Section 2.15 and other technical, administrative or operational matters) that the Administrative Agent (after consultation with the Borrower) decides in its reasonable discretion may be appropriate or reflect the adoption and implementation of any such rate or to permit the use and administration thereof by the Administrative Agent in a manner substantially consistent with market practice (or, if the Administrative Agent decides that adoption of any portion of such market practice is not administratively feasible or if the Administrative Agent (after consultation with the Borrower) determines that no market practice for the administration of any such rate exists, in such other manner of administration as the Administrative Agent decides is reasonably necessary in connection with the administration of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents).

Consolidated Group” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 5.13(a).

Contingent Borrowing Base Deficiency” means, at any time that any Contingent Secured Indebtedness is outstanding, if the inclusion of all such Contingent Secured Indebtedness and the Portfolio Investments subject to the underlying repurchase transactions in the Covered Debt Amount and the Borrowing Base, respectively, would result in a Borrowing Base Deficiency.

Contingent Secured Indebtedness” means, on any date, Indebtedness of an Obligor (which may be guaranteed by one or more other Obligors) that (a) is incurred pursuant to one or more repurchase arrangements, (b) has a maturity at issuance of no more than 180 days (or, in the case of any renewal or extension thereof, 180 days after the then-current expiration date of such Contingent Secured Indebtedness) and (c) is not secured by any Collateral (other than by (x) any Portfolio Investment to the extent otherwise permitted to be transferred to an Excluded Asset hereunder, (y) the participation interest such Obligor sells in the underlying asset for such repurchase agreement(s) and such underlying asset or (z) any note or security issued by a Subsidiary of an Obligor that such Obligor sells or purports to sell, which economically represents the underlying asset for such repurchase agreement).

Control” means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of a Person, whether through the ability to exercise voting power, by contract or otherwise. “Controlling” and “Controlled” have meanings correlative thereto; provided, however, “Control” shall not include “negative” control or “blocking” rights that constitute “protective rights” whereby action cannot be taken without the vote or consent of any Person.

 

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Control Agreement” has the meaning assigned to such term in the Guarantee and Security Agreement.

Controlled Foreign Corporation” means any Subsidiary which is (i) a “controlled foreign corporation” (within the meaning of Section 957 of the Code), (ii) a subsidiary substantially all the assets of which consist of debt or equity in Subsidiaries described in clause (i) of this definition, or (iii) an entity treated as disregarded for U.S. federal income tax purposes that owns more than 65% of the voting stock of a Subsidiary described in clause (i) or (ii) of this definition.

Covered Debt Amount” means, on any date, without duplication, (a) all of the Credit Exposures of all Lenders on such date plus (b) the aggregate principal amount of outstanding Permitted Indebtedness, Shorter Term Secured Indebtedness, Special Longer Term Unsecured Indebtedness, all Indebtedness incurred pursuant to Section 6.01(m) and all Indebtedness incurred pursuant to Section 6.01(n) on such date plus (c) the aggregate principal amount of outstanding Indebtedness on such date incurred pursuant to Section 6.01(i) minus (d) the LC Exposures fully cash collateralized on such date pursuant to Section 2.05(l) or otherwise backstopped in a manner satisfactory to the relevant Issuing Bank in its sole discretion; provided that the aggregate principal amount (whether incurred pursuant to Section 6.01(m), Section 6.01(n) or otherwise) of all such Permitted Indebtedness consisting of Unsecured Indebtedness, Special Longer Term Unsecured Indebtedness (other than Excess Special Longer Term Unsecured Indebtedness) (whether incurred pursuant to Section 6.01(m), Section 6.01(n) or otherwise), and 50% of all such Shorter Term Unsecured Indebtedness (including, for the avoidance of doubt, any Excess Special Longer Term Unsecured Indebtedness) (whether incurred pursuant to Section 6.01(m), Section 6.01(n) or otherwise) shall be excluded from the calculation of the Covered Debt Amount, in each case, to the extent then outstanding, until the date that is nine (9) months prior to the scheduled maturity date of such Unsecured Indebtedness, Special Longer Term Unsecured Indebtedness, or Shorter Term Unsecured Indebtedness (including, for the avoidance of doubt, any Excess Special Longer Term Unsecured Indebtedness), as applicable; provided that to the extent, but only to the extent, any portion of such Unsecured Indebtedness, Special Longer Term Unsecured Indebtedness, or Shorter Term Unsecured Indebtedness (including, for the avoidance of doubt, any Excess Special Longer Term Unsecured Indebtedness) is subject to a contractually scheduled amortization payment, other mandatory principal payment or mandatory redemption (other than any conversion into Permitted Equity Interests) earlier than six (6) months after the Maturity Date (in the case of Unsecured Indebtedness) or earlier than the original final maturity date of such Indebtedness (in the case of Special Longer Term Unsecured Indebtedness, or Shorter Term Unsecured Indebtedness (including, for the avoidance of doubt, any Excess Special Longer Term Unsecured Indebtedness)), such portion of such Indebtedness, to the extent then outstanding, but only to the extent of such portion, shall be included in the calculation of the Covered Debt Amount beginning upon the date that is the later of (i) nine (9) months prior to such scheduled amortization payment, other mandatory principal payment or mandatory redemption and (ii) the date the Borrower becomes aware that such Indebtedness is required to be paid or redeemed. For the avoidance of doubt, for purposes of calculating the Covered Debt Amount, any convertible securities that constitute Indebtedness that is required to be included in the “Covered Debt Amount” will be included at the then outstanding principal balance thereof and in no event shall any Contingent Secured Indebtedness (whether incurred pursuant to Section 6.01(m), Section 6.01(n) or otherwise) be included in the Covered Debt Amount other than for purposes of determining whether a Contingent Borrowing Base Deficiency has occurred or is continuing.

 

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Covered Entity” means any of the following:

(i) a “covered entity” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 252.82(b);

(ii) a “covered bank” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 47.3(b); or

(iii) a “covered FSI” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 382.2(b).

Covered Party” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 9.17.

Credit Default Swap” means any credit default swap entered into as a means to (i) invest in bonds, notes, loans, debentures or securities on a leveraged basis (including, without limitation, total return swaps) or (ii) hedge the default risk of bonds, notes, loans, debentures or securities.

Credit Exposure” means, with respect to any Lender at any time, such Lender’s Revolving Credit Exposure at such time.

Currency” means Dollars or any Foreign Currency.

Custodian” means State Street Bank and Trust Company, or any other financial institution mutually agreeable to the Collateral Agent and the Borrower, as custodian holding documentation for Portfolio Investments, and accounts of the Borrower and/or other Obligors holding Portfolio Investments, on behalf of the Borrower and/or such other Obligors or any successor in such capacity pursuant to a Custodian Agreement. The term “Custodian” includes any agent or sub-custodian acting on behalf of the Custodian.

Custodian Agreement” means (a) the Amended and Restated Custodian Contract, dated as of January 26, 2023, by and between, inter alia, the Borrower and Custodian and (b) any other custodian agreement by and among the applicable Obligor, the Custodian and any other parties from time to time party thereto in form and substance substantially similar to the Custodian Agreement described in clause (a) or otherwise reasonably acceptable to the Collateral Agent.

Daily Simple RFR means, for any day (an “RFR Interest Day”), an interest rate per annum equal to the greater of (a) SONIA for the day (the “RFR Reference Day”) that is five RFR Business Days prior to (i) if such RFR Interest Day is a RFR Business Day, such RFR Interest Day or (ii) if such RFR Interest Day is not a RFR Business Day, the RFR Business Day immediately preceding such RFR Interest Day, in each case, plus the applicable RFR Applicable Credit Adjustment Spread for the Interest Period in which such RFR Interest Day occurs, and (b) 0.00%. If by 5:00 p.m. (London time), on the second Business Day immediately following any RFR Reference Day, the applicable RFR Rate in respect of such RFR Reference Day has not been published on the SONIA Administrator’s Website and a Benchmark Replacement Date with respect to the applicable Daily Simple RFR has not occurred, then the RFR Rate for such RFR Reference Day will be the RFR Rate as published in respect of the first preceding RFR Business Day for which such RFR Rate was published on the SONIA Administrator’s Website; provided that any RFR Rate as determined pursuant to this sentence shall be utilized for purposes of calculating the Daily Simple RFR for no more than three consecutive RFR Interest Days. Any change in Daily Simple RFR due to a change in the applicable RFR Rate shall be effective from and including the effective date of such change in such RFR Rate without notice to the Borrower.

 

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Daily Simple SOFR” means, for any day (a “SOFR Rate Day”), a rate per annum equal to SOFR for the day (such day “SOFR Determination Date”) that is five (5) U.S. Government Securities Business Days prior to (i) if such SOFR Rate Day is a U.S. Government Securities Business Day, such SOFR Rate Day or (ii) if such SOFR Rate Day is not an U.S. Government Securities Business Day, the U.S. Government Securities Business Day immediately preceding such SOFR Rate Day, in each case, as such SOFR is published by the SOFR Administrator on the SOFR Administrator’s Website. If by 5:00 p.m. (New York City time) on the second (2nd) U.S. Government Securities Business Day immediately following any SOFR Determination Date, the SOFR in respect of such SOFR Determination Date has not been published on the SOFR Administrator’s Website and a Benchmark Replacement Date with respect to the Daily Simple SOFR has not occurred, then the SOFR for such SOFR Determination Date will be the SOFR as published in respect of the first preceding U.S. Government Securities Business Day for which such SOFR was published on the SOFR Administrator’s Website; provided that any SOFR determined pursuant to this sentence shall be utilized for purposes of the calculation of Daily Simple SOFR for no more than three (3) consecutive SOFR Rate Days. Any change in Daily Simple SOFR due to a change in SOFR shall be effective from and including the effective date of such change in SOFR without notice to the Borrower.

Default” means any event or condition which constitutes an Event of Default or which upon notice, lapse of time or both would, unless cured or waived, become an Event of Default.

Default Right” has the meaning assigned to that term in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. §§ 252.81, 47.2 or 382.1, as applicable.

Defaulting Lender” means any Lender, as determined by the Administrative Agent, that has (a) failed to fund any portion of its Loans or participations in Letters of Credit or Swingline Loans within two (2) Business Days of the date required to be funded by it hereunder, unless, in the case of any Loan, such Lender notifies the Administrative Agent and the Borrower in writing that such Lender’s failure is based on such Lender’s reasonable determination that the conditions precedent to funding such Loan under this Agreement have not been met, such conditions have not otherwise been waived in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and such Lender has advised the Administrative Agent and the Borrower in writing (with reasonable detail of those conditions that have not been satisfied) prior to the time at which such funding was to have been made, (b) notified the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, any Issuing Bank, Swingline Lender or any Lender in writing that it does not intend to comply with any of its funding obligations under this Agreement or has made a public statement to the effect that it does not intend to comply with its funding obligations under this Agreement or generally under other agreements in which it commits to extend credit (unless such writing or public statement relates to such Lender’s obligation to fund a Loan hereunder and states that such position is based on such Lender’s commercially reasonable determination that a condition precedent to funding or extension of credit (which condition precedent, together with the applicable default, if any, shall be specifically identified in such writing or public statement) cannot be satisfied), (c) failed, within two (2) Business Days after request by the Administrative Agent or the Borrower, to confirm in writing to

 

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the Administrative Agent and the Borrower that it will comply with the terms of this Agreement relating to its obligations to fund prospective Loans and participations in then outstanding Letters of Credit (provided that such Lender shall cease to be a Defaulting Lender pursuant to this clause (c) upon receipt of such written confirmation by the Administrative Agent and the Borrower), (d) otherwise failed to pay over to the Administrative Agent or any other Lender any other amount required to be paid by it hereunder within two (2) Business Days of the date when due, unless the subject of a good faith dispute, (e) (i) become or is insolvent or has a parent company that has become or is insolvent or (ii) become the subject of a bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding, or has had a receiver, conservator, trustee, administrator, assignee for the benefit of creditors or similar Person charged with reorganization or liquidation of its business or custodian, appointed for it, or has taken any action in furtherance of, or indicating its consent to, approval of or acquiescence in any such proceeding or appointment or has a parent company that has become the subject of a bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding, or has had a receiver, conservator, trustee, administrator, assignee for the benefit of creditors or similar Person charged with reorganization or liquidation of its business or custodian appointed for it, or has taken any action in furtherance of, or indicating its consent to, approval of or acquiescence in any such proceeding or appointment, or (f) become the subject of a Bail-In Action or has a parent company that has become the subject of a Bail-In Action; provided that a Lender shall not be a Defaulting Lender solely by virtue of the ownership or acquisition of any Equity Interest in that Lender or any direct or indirect parent company thereof by a Governmental Authority so long as such ownership interest does not result in or provide such Lender with immunity from the jurisdiction of courts within the United States or from the enforcement of judgments or writs of attachment on its assets or permit such Lender (or such Governmental Authority) to reject, repudiate, disavow or disaffirm any contracts or agreements made with such Lender.

Designated Indebtedness” has the meaning assigned to such term in the Guarantee and Security Agreement.

Designated Subsidiary” means:

1. An SBIC Subsidiary; or

2. (a) a direct or indirect Subsidiary of the Borrower or any other Obligor designated by the Borrower as a “Designated Subsidiary” which meets the following criteria:

(i) to which any Obligor sells, conveys or otherwise transfers (whether directly or indirectly) Investments, which engages in no material activities other than in connection with the purchasing, holding, transferring and financing of one (1) or more assets;

(ii) no portion of the Indebtedness or any other obligations (contingent or otherwise) of such Subsidiary (A) is Guaranteed by any Obligor (other than Guarantees in respect of Standard Securitization Undertakings), (B) is recourse to or obligates any Obligor in any way other than pursuant to Standard Securitization Undertakings or (C) subjects any property of any Obligor (other than property that has been contributed or sold, purported to be sold or otherwise transferred to such Subsidiary or any equity of such Subsidiary), directly or indirectly, contingently or otherwise, to the satisfaction thereof, other than pursuant to Standard Securitization Undertakings or any Guarantee thereof;

 

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(iii) with which no Obligor has any material contract, agreement, arrangement or understanding other than on terms, taken as a whole, not materially less favorable to such Obligor (excluding customary sale and contribution agreements and master participation agreements) than those that might be obtained at the time from Persons that are not Affiliates of any Obligor, other than fees payable in the ordinary course of business in connection with servicing receivables or financial assets and pursuant to any Standard Securitization Undertakings; and

(iv) to which no Obligor has any obligation to maintain or preserve such entity’s financial condition or cause such entity to achieve certain levels of operating results, other than pursuant to Standard Securitization Undertakings; or

(b) a direct or indirect Subsidiary of the Borrower designated by the Borrower as a “Designated Subsidiary” and which meets the following criteria:

(i) such Subsidiary is the direct parent of any Designated Subsidiary referred to in clause (a) and meets the criteria set forth in clause (a)(ii);

(ii) such Subsidiary engages in no activities and has no assets (other than in connection with the transfer of assets to and from any Designated Subsidiary referred to in clause (a), its ownership of all of the Equity Interests of any Designated Subsidiary referred to in clause (a), any contracts, agreements, arrangements or arrangements not prohibited by clause (iii) below and Standard Securitization Undertakings) or liabilities (other than in connection with any contracts, agreements, arrangements or arrangements not prohibited by clause (iii) below and Standard Securitization Undertakings);

(iii) no Obligor has any material contract, agreement, arrangement or understanding with such holding company other than on terms, taken as a whole, not materially less favorable to such Obligor than those that might be obtained at the time from Persons that are not Affiliates of any Obligor, other than fees payable in the ordinary course of business in connection with servicing receivables or financial assets and pursuant to any Standard Securitization Undertakings; and

(iv) no Obligor has any obligation to maintain or preserve such holding company’s financial condition or cause such entity to achieve certain levels of operating results, other than pursuant to Standard Securitization Undertakings.

Any such designation under clauses (2)(a) and 2(b) by the Borrower shall be effected pursuant to a certificate of a Financial Officer delivered to the Administrative Agent, which certificate shall include a statement to the effect that, to the best of such officer’s knowledge, such designation complied with the foregoing conditions set forth in clauses (2)(a) or (2)(b). For the avoidance of doubt, in the case of clause (2)(a), no Subsidiary Guarantor shall be designated as a Designated Subsidiary unless the Borrower shall be in compliance with Section 6.03(d) immediately after giving effect to any such designation. Each Subsidiary of a Designated Subsidiary shall be deemed to be a Designated Subsidiary and shall comply with the foregoing requirements of this definition. The parties hereby agree that the Subsidiaries identified as Designated Subsidiaries on Schedule IV hereto, shall each constitute a Designated Subsidiary so long as they comply with the foregoing requirements of this definition.

 

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Disposition” or “Dispose” means the sale, transfer, license, lease or other disposition (including any sale and leaseback transaction) of any property by any Person (or the granting of any option or other right to do any of the foregoing), including any sale, assignment, transfer or other disposal, with or without recourse, of any notes or accounts receivable or any rights and claims associated therewith; provided that the term “Disposition” or “Dispose” shall not include the disposition of Investments originated by the Borrower and immediately transferred to a Designated Subsidiary pursuant to a transaction not prohibited hereunder or any disposition of a Portfolio Investment received from an Excluded Asset and promptly transferred to another Excluded Asset pursuant to the terms of Section 6.03(i).

Disqualified Equity Interests” means any Equity Interests of the Borrower that after issuance are subject to any agreement between the holder of such Equity Interests and the Borrower whereby the Borrower is required to purchase, redeem, retire, acquire, cancel or terminate all such Equity Interests at any time prior to the first anniversary of the Maturity Date, other than (x) as a result of a change of control or asset sale, or (y) in connection with any purchase, redemption, retirement, acquisition, cancellation or termination with, or in exchange for, shares of Equity Interests that are not Disqualified Equity Interests.

Disqualified Lender” means (i) those Persons that have been identified by the Borrower in writing to the Administrative Agent on or prior to the Effective Date, (ii) any Person that is identified by the Borrower in writing to the Administrative Agent and approved by the Administrative Agent (such approval not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed) and (iii) Affiliates of any Person identified in clauses (i) or (ii) above that are either identified in writing to the Administrative Agent by the Borrower from time to time or readily identifiable solely based on the similarity of such Affiliate’s name. The identification of a Disqualified Lender after the Effective Date shall not apply to retroactively disqualify any Person that has previously acquired an assignment or participation interest in any Loan or Commitment (or any Person that, prior to such identification, has entered into a bona fide and binding trade for either of the foregoing and has not yet acquired such assignment or participation); provided, that any designation of a Person as a Disqualified Lender shall not be effective until the Business Day after written notice thereof by the Borrower to the Administrative Agent and approval by the Administrative Agent to the extent required in clause (ii) above. The Administrative Agent shall have the right, and the Borrower hereby expressly authorizes the Administrative Agent, to provide the list of Disqualified Lenders to each Lender requesting the same (so long as such Lender agrees to keep such list confidential in accordance with Section 9.13).

Dollar Commitment” means, with respect to each Dollar Lender, the commitment of such Dollar Lender to make Revolving Loans denominated in Dollars hereunder, expressed as an amount representing the maximum aggregate amount of such Lender’s Revolving Dollar Credit Exposure permitted hereunder, as such commitment may be (a) reduced from time to time pursuant to Section 2.08, (b) increased from time to time pursuant to Section 2.08 and (c) reduced or increased from time to time pursuant to assignments by or to such Lender pursuant to Section 9.04. The initial amount of each Lender’s Dollar Commitment as of the Effective Date is set forth on Schedule I or in the Assignment and Assumption or Incremental Assumption Agreement pursuant to which such Lender shall have assumed its Dollar Commitment, as applicable. The aggregate amount of the Lenders’ Dollar Commitments as of the Effective Date is $125,000,000.

 

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Dollar Equivalent” means, for any amount, at the time of determination thereof, (a) if such amount is expressed in Dollars, such amount, and (b) if such amount is expressed in a Foreign Currency, the equivalent of such amount in Dollars determined at such time on the basis of the Exchange Rate for the purchase of Dollars with such Foreign Currency at such time.

Dollar Issuing Bank” means any Issuing Bank identified in Schedule IX (as amended from time to time pursuant to Section 2.08), and its successors in such capacity as provided in Section 2.05(j), that has agreed to issue Letters of Credit under its respective Dollar Commitment.

Dollar LC Exposure” means a Dollar Lender’s LC Exposure under its Dollar Commitment.

Dollar Lender” means the Persons listed on Schedule I as having Dollar Commitments and any other Person that shall have become a party hereto pursuant to an Assignment and Assumption or Incremental Assumption Agreement that provides for it to assume a Dollar Commitment or to acquire Revolving Dollar Credit Exposure, other than any such Person that ceases to be a party hereto pursuant to an Assignment and Assumption or Incremental Assumption Agreement or otherwise in accordance with the terms hereof.

Dollar Loan” means a Revolving Loan made pursuant to the Dollar Commitments.

Dollars” or “$” refers to lawful money of the United States of America.

Domestic Subsidiary” means, with respect to any Person, any Subsidiary of such Person other than a Controlled Foreign Corporation.

EBITDA” means the consolidated net income of the applicable Person (excluding extraordinary, unusual or non-recurring gains and extraordinary losses (but solely to the extent excluded in the definition of “EBITDA” (or similar defined term used for the purposes contemplated herein) in the relevant agreement relating to the applicable Portfolio Investment)) for the relevant period plus, without duplication, the following to the extent deducted in calculating such consolidated net income in the relevant agreement relating to the applicable Portfolio Investment for such period: (i) consolidated interest charges for such period, (ii) the provision for federal, state, local and foreign income taxes payable for such period, (iii) depreciation and amortization expense for such period, and (iv) such other adjustments included in the definition of “EBITDA” (or similar defined term used for the purposes contemplated herein) in the relevant agreement relating to the applicable Portfolio Investment, provided that such adjustments are usual and customary and substantially comparable to market terms for substantially similar debt of other similarly situated borrowers at the time such relevant agreements are entered into as reasonably determined in good faith by the Borrower.

EEA Financial Institution” means (a) any credit institution or investment firm established in any EEA Member Country which is subject to the supervision of an EEA Resolution Authority, (b) any entity established in an EEA Member Country which is a parent of an institution described in clause (a) of this definition, or (c) any financial institution established in an EEA Member Country which is a subsidiary of an institution described in clause (a) or (b) of this definition and is subject to consolidated supervision with its parent.

 

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EEA Member Country” means any of the member states of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway.

EEA Resolution Authority” means any public administrative authority or any Person entrusted with public administrative authority of any EEA Member Country (including any delegee) having responsibility for the resolution of any EEA Financial Institution.

Effective Date” means the date on which the conditions specified in Section 4.01 are satisfied (or waived in accordance with Section 9.02).

Equity Interests” means shares of capital stock, partnership interests, membership interests in a limited liability company, beneficial interests in a trust or other equity ownership interests or equivalents (however designated, including any instrument treated as equity for U.S. federal income tax purposes) in a Person, and any warrants, options or other rights entitling the holder thereof to purchase or acquire any such Equity Interest. As used in this Agreement, “Equity Interests” shall not include convertible debt unless and until such debt has been converted to capital stock or other Equity Interests.

ERISA” means the U.S. Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended from time to time and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

ERISA Affiliate” means any trade or business (whether or not incorporated) that, together with the Borrower, is treated as a single employer under Section 414(b) or (c) of the Code, or, solely for purposes of Section 302 of ERISA and Section 412 of the Code, is treated as a single employer under Section 414 of the Code.

ERISA Event” means (a) any “reportable event”, as defined in Section 4043(c) of ERISA or the regulations issued thereunder with respect to a Plan (other than an event for which the 30-day notice period is waived); (b) any failure by any Plan to satisfy the minimum funding standard (within the meaning of Sections 412 and 430 of the Code or Sections 302 and 303 of ERISA) applicable to such Plan; (c) the filing pursuant to Section 412(c) of the Code or Section 302(c) of ERISA of an application for a waiver of the minimum funding standard with respect to any Plan; (d) the incurrence by the Borrower or any of its ERISA Affiliates of any liability under Title IV of ERISA with respect to the termination of any Plan; (e) the receipt by the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate from the PBGC or a plan administrator of any notice relating to an intention to terminate any Plan under Section 4041 of ERISA or to appoint a trustee to administer any Plan under Section 4042 of ERISA; (f) the incurrence by the Borrower or any of its ERISA Affiliates of any liability with respect to a withdrawal from a Plan subject to Section 4063 of ERISA during a plan year in which it was a “substantial employer” (as defined in Section 4001(a)(2) of ERISA) or a cessation of operations that is treated as such a withdrawal under Section 4062(e) of ERISA, or a complete withdrawal or partial withdrawal (within the meanings of Sections 4203 and 4205 of ERISA) from any Multiemployer Plan; or (g) the receipt by the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate of any notice from any Multiemployer Plan concerning the imposition of Withdrawal Liability on the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate or a determination that a Multiemployer Plan is insolvent (within the meaning of Section 4245 of ERISA).

Erroneous Payment” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 8.03(a).

 

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Erroneous Payment Deficiency Assignment” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 8.03(d).

Erroneous Payment Impacted Class” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 8.03(d).

Erroneous Payment Return Deficiency” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 8.03(d).

Erroneous Payment Subrogation Rights” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 8.03(d).

EU Bail-In Legislation Schedule” means the EU Bail-In Legislation Schedule published by the Loan Market Association (or any successor Person), as in effect from time to time.

EUR”, “” and “Euro” denote the single currency of the Participating Member States.

EURIBO Rate” means, for any Interest Period, in the case of any Term Benchmark Borrowing denominated in Euro, the Euro interbank offered rate administered by the European Money Markets Institute (or any other Person that takes over the administration of such rate) for a term equal to the term of the relevant Interest Period appearing on the Bloomberg screen page (currently EURIBOR01) (or, in the event such rate does not appear on a page of the Bloomberg screen, on the appropriate page of such other information service that publishes such rate as shall be selected by the Administrative Agent from time to time in its reasonable discretion) at approximately 11:00 a.m. (Brussels time), on such date, or if such date is not a Business Day, on the immediately preceding Business Day (the “EURIBO Screen Rate”).

EURIBO Screen Rate” has the meaning assigned to such term in the definition of “EURIBO Rate”.

Event of Default” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 7.01.

Excess Special Longer Term Unsecured Indebtedness” means any Special Longer Term Unsecured Indebtedness in excess of $300,000,000 at any one time outstanding.

Exchange Rate” means, on any day, for purposes of determining the Dollar Equivalent of any amount denominated in a currency other than Dollars, the rate at which such other currency may be exchanged into Dollars at approximately 11:00 a.m. London time on such day as set forth on the Bloomberg World Currency Value Page for such currency. In the event that such rate does not appear on such Bloomberg Page (or on any successor or substitute page), the Exchange Rate shall be determined by reference to such other publicly available information service for displaying exchange rates as may be agreed upon by the Administrative Agent and the Borrower, or, in the absence of such an agreement, the Exchange Rate shall instead be the arithmetic average of the spot rates of exchange of the Administrative Agent in the market where its foreign currency exchange operations in respect of such currency are then being conducted, at or about 10:00 a.m. New York City time on such date for the purchase of Dollars with such currency for delivery two (2) Business Days later; provided that if at the time of any such determination, for any reason, no such spot rate is being quoted, the Administrative Agent may use any reasonable method it deems appropriate to determine such rate, and such determination shall be conclusive absent manifest error.

 

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Excluded Asset Lien” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 6.02(e).

Excluded Assets” means the entities identified as Excluded Assets in Schedule VIII hereto, any Permitted CLO Issuer and finance lease obligations, and each Designated Subsidiary, and any similar assets or entities in which any Obligor holds an interest on or after the Effective Date, and, in each case, their respective Subsidiaries, unless, in the case of any such asset or entity, the Borrower designates in writing to the Collateral Agent that such asset or entity is not to be an Excluded Asset.

Excluded Swap Obligation” means, with respect to any Subsidiary Guarantor, any Swap Obligation if, and to the extent that, all or a portion of the Guarantee of such Subsidiary Guarantor of, or the grant by such Subsidiary Guarantor of a security interest to secure, such Swap Obligation (or any Guarantee thereof) is or becomes illegal under the Commodity Exchange Act or any rule, regulation or order of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (or the application or official interpretation of any thereof) by virtue of such Subsidiary Guarantor’s failure for any reason to constitute an “eligible contract participant” as defined in the Commodity Exchange Act and the regulations thereunder at the time the Guarantee of such Subsidiary Guarantor (determined after giving effect to Section 3.11 of the Guarantee and Security Agreement and any other “Keepwell, support or other agreement” for the benefit of such Subsidiary Guarantor) or the grant of such security interest becomes effective with respect to such Swap Obligation. If a Swap Obligation arises under a master agreement governing more than one (1) swap, such exclusion shall apply only to the portion of such Swap Obligation that is attributable to swaps for which such Guarantee or security interest is or becomes illegal.

Excluded Taxes” means, with respect to the Administrative Agent, any Lender, any Issuing Bank or any other recipient of any payment to be made by or on account of any obligation of the Borrower hereunder, (a) Taxes imposed on or measured by net income (however denominated), branch profits Taxes, and franchise Taxes, in each case, (i) imposed by the United States of America, or by the jurisdiction (or any political subdivision thereof) under the laws of which such recipient is organized or in which its principal office is located or, in the case of any Lender, in which its applicable lending office is located or (ii) that are Other Connection Taxes, (b) in the case of a Lender or any Issuing Bank, any United States withholding tax that is imposed on amounts payable to or on account of such Lender or Issuing Bank with respect to an applicable interest in a Loan or Commitment pursuant to a law in effect on the date (i) such Lender or Issuing Bank becomes a party to this Agreement (other than pursuant to an assignment request by the Borrower under Section 2.19(b) or 9.02(d)) or (ii) such Lender or Issuing Bank designates a new lending office, except to the extent that such Lender or Issuing Bank (or its assignor, if any) was entitled, at the time of designation of a new lending office (or assignment), to receive additional amounts from the Borrower with respect to such withholding tax pursuant to Section 2.16(a), (c) Taxes attributable to such Lender or Issuing Bank’s failure to comply with Section 2.16(f), (g) or (h), and (d) any United States federal withholding Taxes imposed under FATCA.

 

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Extraordinary Receipts” means any cash received by or paid to any Obligor on account of any foreign, United States, state or local tax refunds, pension plan reversions, judgments, proceeds of settlements or other consideration of any kind in connection with any cause of action, condemnation awards (and payments in lieu thereof), indemnity payments received not in the ordinary course of business and any purchase price adjustment received not in the ordinary course of business in connection with any purchase agreement and proceeds of insurance (excluding, however, for the avoidance of doubt, proceeds of any issuance of Equity Interests and issuances of Indebtedness by any Obligor); provided that Extraordinary Receipts shall not include any (v) amounts that the Borrower receives from the Administrative Agent or any Lender pursuant to Section 2.16(i), (w) cash receipts to the extent received from proceeds of insurance, condemnation awards (or payments in lieu thereof), indemnity payments or payments in respect of judgments or settlements of claims, litigation or proceedings to the extent that such proceeds, awards or payments are received by any Person in respect of any unaffiliated third party claim against or loss by such Person and applied to pay (or to reimburse such Person for its prior payment of) such claim or loss and the costs and expenses of such Person with respect thereto, (x) taxes paid or reasonably estimated to be payable by the Borrower or such other Obligor as a result of such cash receipts (after taking into account any available tax credits or deductions); provided that, if the amount of any estimated taxes pursuant to clause (x) exceeds the amount of taxes actually required to be paid in cash in respect of any such event, the aggregate amount of such excess shall constitute Extraordinary Receipts (as of the date the Borrower determines such excess exists), (y) any costs, fees, commissions, premiums and expenses incurred by the Borrower or such other Obligor directly incidental to such cash receipts, including reasonable legal fees and expenses or (z) proceeds of business interruption insurance to the extent such proceeds constitute compensation for lost earnings.

Facility Termination Date” means the first date on which (a) the Commitments have expired or been terminated, (b) the principal of and accrued interest on each Loan and all fees and other amounts payable hereunder (other than Unasserted Contingent Obligations) shall have been paid in full in cash, (c) all Letters of Credit shall have (w) expired, (x) terminated, (y) been cash collateralized in the manner required by Section 2.05(k) or (z) otherwise been backstopped in a manner satisfactory to the relevant Issuing Bank in its sole discretion and (d) all LC Disbursements then outstanding shall have been reimbursed.

FATCA” means Sections 1471 through 1474 of the Code, as of the date of this Agreement (or any amended or successor version that is substantively comparable and not materially more onerous to comply with), any current or future regulations or official interpretations thereof and any agreements entered into pursuant to Section 1471(b)(1) of the Code and any fiscal or regulatory legislation, rules or practices adopted pursuant to any intergovernmental agreement, treaty or convention among Governmental Authorities and implementing such Sections of the Code.

Federal Funds Effective Rate” means, for any day, the weighted average (rounded upwards, if necessary, to the next 1/100 of 1.00%) of the rates on overnight Federal funds transactions with members of the Federal Reserve System, as published on the next succeeding Business Day by the NYFRB, or, if such rate is not so published for any day that is a Business Day, the average (rounded upwards, if necessary, to the next 1/100 of 1.00%) of the quotations for such day for such transactions received by the Administrative Agent from three (3) Federal funds brokers of recognized standing selected by it. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Federal Funds Effective Rate, as determined as provided above, would otherwise be less than zero (0.00%), then the Federal Funds Effective Rate shall be deemed to be zero (0.00%) for purposes of this Agreement.

 

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Financial Officer” means the chief executive officer, president, chief financial officer, principal accounting officer, chief accounting officer, treasurer, assistant treasurer, controller or assistant controller of the Borrower.

Floor” means zero percent (0.00%).

Foreign Currency” means at any time any Currency other than Dollars.

Foreign Currency Equivalent” means, with respect to any amount in Dollars, the amount of any Foreign Currency that could be purchased with such amount of Dollars using the reciprocal of the foreign exchange rate(s) specified in the definition of the term “Dollar Equivalent”, as reasonably determined by the Administrative Agent.

Foreign Lender” means any Lender or any Issuing Bank that is organized under the laws of a jurisdiction other than that in which the Borrower is located. For purposes of this definition, the United States of America, each State thereof and the District of Columbia shall be deemed to constitute a single jurisdiction.

GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America.

GBP”, “£” and “sterling” denote the lawful currency of the United Kingdom.

GICS” means, as of any date, the most recently published Global Industry Classification Standard.

GICS Industry Group Classification” means any industry group classification within GICS, as updated and amended from time to time.

Governmental Authority” means the government of the United States of America, or of any other nation, or any political subdivision thereof, whether state or local, and any agency, authority, instrumentality, regulatory body, court, central bank or other entity exercising executive, legislative, judicial, taxing, regulatory or administrative powers or functions of or pertaining to government, including any supra-national body exercising such powers or functions (such as the European Union or the European Central Bank).

Gross Borrowing Base” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 5.13(h).

Guarantee” of or by any Person (the “guarantor”) means any obligation, contingent or otherwise, of the guarantor guaranteeing or having the economic effect of guaranteeing any Indebtedness or other obligation of any other Person (the “primary obligor”) in any manner, whether directly or indirectly, and including any obligation of the guarantor, direct or indirect, (a) to purchase or pay (or advance or supply funds for the purchase or payment of) such Indebtedness or other obligation or to purchase (or to advance or supply funds for the purchase of) any security for the payment thereof, (b) to purchase or lease property, securities or services for the purpose of assuring the owner of such Indebtedness or other obligation of the payment thereof,

 

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(c) to maintain working capital, equity capital or any other financial statement condition or liquidity of the primary obligor so as to enable the primary obligor to pay such Indebtedness or other obligation or (d) as an account party in respect of any letter of credit or letter of guaranty issued to support such Indebtedness or obligation; provided, that the term Guarantee shall not include endorsements for collection or deposit in the ordinary course of business or customary indemnification agreements entered into in the ordinary course of business in connection with obligations that do not constitute Indebtedness. The amount of any Guarantee at any time shall be deemed to be an amount equal to the maximum stated or determinable amount of the primary obligation in respect of which such Guarantee is incurred, unless the terms of such Guarantee expressly provide that the maximum amount for which such Person may be liable thereunder is a lesser amount (in which case the amount of such Guarantee shall be deemed to be an amount equal to such lesser amount).

Guarantee and Security Agreement” means that certain Guarantee and Security Agreement dated as of the Effective Date among the Borrower, the Subsidiary Guarantors, the Administrative Agent, each holder (or a representative or trustee therefor) from time to time of any Designated Indebtedness, and the Collateral Agent.

Guarantee Assumption Agreement” means a Guarantee Assumption Agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit B to the Guarantee and Security Agreement (or such other form as is reasonably acceptable to the Collateral Agent) between the Collateral Agent and an entity that, pursuant to Section 5.08 is required to become a “Subsidiary Guarantor” under the Guarantee and Security Agreement (with such changes as the Collateral Agent shall request, consistent with the requirements of Section 5.08).

Hedging Agreement” means any interest rate protection agreement, foreign currency exchange protection agreement, commodity price protection agreement or other interest or currency exchange rate or commodity price hedging arrangement.

Immaterial Subsidiaries” means those Subsidiaries of the Borrower that are “designated” as Immaterial Subsidiaries by the Borrower from time to time (it being understood that the Borrower may at any time change any such designation); provided that such designated Immaterial Subsidiaries shall collectively meet all of the following criteria as of the date of the most recent balance sheet required to be delivered pursuant to Section 5.01: (a) the aggregate assets of such Subsidiaries and their Subsidiaries (on a consolidated basis) as of such date do not exceed an amount equal to 5% of the consolidated assets of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as of such date; and (b) the aggregate revenues of such Subsidiaries and their Subsidiaries (on a consolidated basis) for the fiscal quarter ending on such date do not exceed an amount equal to 5% of the consolidated revenues of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for such period.

Increasing Lender” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.08(e)(i).

Incremental Assumption Agreement” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.08(e)(ii)(B).

 

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Indebtedness” of any Person means, without duplication, (a) (i) all obligations of such Person for borrowed money or (ii) with respect to deposits or advances of any kind that are required to be to accounted for under GAAP as a liability on the financial statements of such Person (other than deposits received in connection with a portfolio investment (including Portfolio Investments) of such Person in the ordinary course of such Person’s business (including, but not limited to, any deposits or advances in connection with expense reimbursement, prepaid agency fees, other fees, indemnification, work fees, tax distributions or purchase price adjustments)), (b) all obligations of such Person evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes or similar debt instruments, (c) all obligations of such Person under conditional sale or other title retention agreements relating to property acquired by such Person (excluding accounts payable and accrued expenses and trade accounts incurred in the ordinary course of business), (d) all obligations of such Person in respect of the deferred purchase price of property or services (excluding accounts payable and accrued expenses and trade accounts incurred in the ordinary course of business), (e) all Indebtedness of others secured by any Lien (other than a Lien permitted by Section 6.02(c)) on property owned or acquired by such Person, whether or not the Indebtedness secured thereby has been assumed (with the amount of such Indebtedness being the lower of the outstanding amount of such debt and the fair market value of the property subject to such Lien), (f) all Guarantees by such Person of Indebtedness of others, (g) all Capital Lease Obligations of such Person, (h) all obligations, contingent or otherwise, of such Person as an account party in respect of letters of credit and letters of guaranty, (i) all obligations, contingent or otherwise, of such Person in respect of bankers’ acceptances and (j) all Disqualified Equity Interests. The Indebtedness of any Person shall include the Indebtedness of any other entity (including any partnership in which such Person is a general partner) to the extent such Person is liable therefor as a result of such Person’s ownership interest in or other relationship with such entity, except to the extent the terms of such Indebtedness provide that such Person is not liable therefor. Notwithstanding the foregoing “Indebtedness” shall not include (s) uncalled capital or other commitments of an Obligor in any joint venture, as well as any letter or agreement requiring any Obligor to provide capital to a joint venture or a lender to a joint venture, (t) [reserved], (u) any non-recourse liabilities for participations sold by any Person in any Bank Loans, (v) indebtedness of such Person on account of the sale by such Person of the first out tranche of any First Lien Bank Loan (as defined in Section 5.13) that arises solely as an accounting matter under ASC 860, (w) escrows or purchase price holdbacks arising in the ordinary course of business in respect of a portion of the purchase price of an asset or Investment to satisfy unperformed obligations of the seller of such asset or Investment, (x) a commitment arising in the ordinary course of business to make a future portfolio investment (including Portfolio Investments) or fund the delayed draw, revolver, letter of credit or other unfunded portion of any existing portfolio investment (including Portfolio Investments), (y) any accrued incentive, management or other fees to an investment manager or its affiliates (regardless of any deferral in payment thereof), or (z) non-recourse liabilities for participations sold by any Person in any Bank Loan.

Indemnified Taxes” means Taxes, other than Excluded Taxes, imposed on or with respect to any payment made by or on account of any obligation of any Obligor under any Loan Document.

Independent Valuation Provider” means an independent valuation provider selected by the Administrative Agent and reasonably acceptable to the Borrower.

 

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Industry Classification Group” means (a) any GICS Industry Group Classification set forth in Schedule VI hereto, together with any such group classifications that may be subsequently established by GICS and provided by the Borrower to the Administrative Agent and (b) up to three (3) additional industry group classifications established by the Borrower pursuant to Section 5.12.

Initial Participation Interests” has the meaning specified in the definition of “Participation Interests”.

Interest Election Request” means a request by the Borrower to convert or continue a Borrowing in accordance with Section 2.07 substantially in the form of Exhibit D or such other form as is reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent.

Interest Payment Date” means (a) with respect to any ABR Loan, each Quarterly Date, (b) with respect to any Term Benchmark Loan or RFR Loan, the last day of each Interest Period therefor and (c) with respect to any Swingline Loan, the day that such Loan is required to be repaid.

Interest Period” means, for any Term Benchmark Loan or Borrowing or any RFR Loan or Borrowing, the period commencing on the date of such Loan or Borrowing and ending on the numerically corresponding day in the calendar month that is one (1) month or three (3) months thereafter or, with respect to such portion of any Term Benchmark Loan, RFR Loan or Borrowing denominated in a Foreign Currency that is scheduled to be repaid on the Maturity Date, a period of less than one month’s duration commencing on the date of such Loan or Borrowing and ending on the Maturity Date, as specified in the applicable Borrowing Request or Interest Election Request, provided, that (i) if any Interest Period would end on a day other than a Business Day, such Interest Period shall be extended to the next succeeding Business Day unless such next succeeding Business Day would fall in the next calendar month, in which case such Interest Period shall end on the next preceding Business Day, (ii) any Interest Period (other than an Interest Period pertaining to a Term Benchmark Borrowing or RFR Borrowing denominated in a Foreign Currency that ends on the Maturity Date that is permitted to be of less than one month’s duration as provided in this definition) that commences on the last Business Day of a calendar month (or on a day for which there is no numerically corresponding day in the last calendar month of such Interest Period) shall end on the last Business Day of the last calendar month of such Interest Period and (iii) no tenor that has been removed from this definition pursuant to Section 2.13(e) shall be available unless or until it is reinstated pursuant to Section 2.13(e). For purposes hereof, the date of a Loan initially shall be the date on which such Loan is made and thereafter shall be the effective date of the most recent conversion or continuation of such Loan, and the date of a Borrowing comprising Loans that have been converted or continued shall be the effective date of the most recent conversion or continuation of such Loans.

Investment” means, for any Person: (a) Equity Interests, bonds, notes, debentures or other securities of any other Person or any agreement to acquire any Equity Interests, bonds, notes, debentures or other securities of any other Person (including any “short sale” or any sale of any securities at a time when such securities are not owned by the Person entering into such sale); (b) deposits, advances, loans or other extensions of credit made to any other Person (including purchases of property from another Person subject to an understanding or agreement, contingent or otherwise, to resell such property to such Person); or (c) Hedging Agreements and Credit Default Swaps.

 

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Investment Company Act” means the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended from time to time.

Investment Policies” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 3.11(c).

Issuing Banks” means Truist Bank and each additional Issuing Bank designated pursuant to Section 2.05(k), in their capacity as issuer of Letters of Credit hereunder, and their successors in such capacity as provided in Section 2.05(j).

Joint Lead Arrangers” means Truist Securities, Inc., HSBC Bank USA, N.A., State Street Bank and Trust Company, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation and any other Person who becomes a Joint Lead Arranger hereunder with the written consent of the Administrative Agent and the Borrower.

LC Disbursement” means a payment made by any Issuing Bank pursuant to a Letter of Credit.

LC Exposure” means, at any time, the sum of (a) the aggregate undrawn amount of all outstanding Letters of Credit at such time (including any Letter of Credit for which a draft has been presented but not yet honored by any Issuing Bank) plus (b) the aggregate amount of all LC Disbursements in respect of such Letters of Credit that have not yet been reimbursed by or on behalf of the Borrower at such time. The LC Exposure of any Multicurrency Lender at any time shall be its Applicable Multicurrency Percentage of the total Multicurrency LC Exposure at such time and the LC Exposure of any Dollar Lender at any time shall be its Applicable Dollar Percentage of the total Dollar LC Exposure at such time.

Lenders” means, collectively, the Dollar Lenders and the Multicurrency Lenders. Unless otherwise indicated, the term “Lenders” includes each Swingline Lender.

Letter of Credit” means any letter of credit issued pursuant to this Agreement.

Letter of Credit Collateral Account” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.05(l).

Letter of Credit Documents” means, with respect to any Letter of Credit, collectively, any application therefor and any other agreements, instruments, guarantees or other documents (whether general in application or applicable only to such Letter of Credit) governing or providing for (a) the rights and obligations of the parties concerned or at risk with respect to such Letter of Credit or (b) any collateral security for any of such obligations, each as the same may be modified and supplemented and in effect from time to time.

Lien” means, with respect to any asset, (a) any mortgage, deed of trust, lien, pledge, hypothecation, encumbrance (other than any customary contractual limitation set forth in any agreement that is not prohibited from being entered into hereunder), charge or security interest in, on or of such asset, (b) the interest of a vendor or a lessor under any conditional sale agreement, capital lease or title retention agreement (or any financing lease having substantially the same economic effect as any of the foregoing) relating to such asset and (c) in the case of securities, any purchase option, call or similar right of a third party with respect to such securities (other than on

 

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market terms at fair value so long as in the case of any portfolio investment (including Portfolio Investments), the Value used in determining the Borrowing Base is not greater than the call price), except in favor of the issuer thereof (and, for the avoidance of doubt, in the case of Investments that are loans or other debt obligations, restrictions on assignments or transfers, buyout rights, voting rights, right of first offer or refusal thereof pursuant to the underlying documentation of such Investment shall not be deemed to be a “Lien” and, in the case of portfolio investments (including Portfolio Investments) that are equity securities, excluding customary drag along, tag along, buyout rights, voting rights, right of first offer or refusal, restrictions on assignments or transfers and other similar rights in favor of other equity holders of the same issuer).

Loan Documents” means, collectively, this Agreement, the Letter of Credit Documents and the Security Documents.

Loans” means the loans of any Class made hereunder, including the Revolving Loans.

Margin Stock” means “margin stock” within the meaning of Regulations T, U and X of the Board.

Market Value Investments” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 5.12(b)(ii)(B)(z).

Material Adverse Effect” means a material adverse effect on (a) the business, Portfolio Investments and other assets, liabilities and financial condition of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries (other than Excluded Assets) taken as a whole (excluding in any case a decline in the net asset value of the Borrower or its Subsidiaries (other than Excluded Assets), a change in general market conditions or values of the Investments of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries (other than Excluded Assets) taken as a whole), or (b) the validity or enforceability of any of the Loan Documents or the rights or remedies of the Collateral Agent, the Administrative Agent and the Lenders thereunder.

Material Indebtedness” means (a) Indebtedness (other than the Loans, Letters of Credit, Hedging Agreements and Credit Default Swaps), of any one (1) or more of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in an aggregate outstanding principal amount exceeding $20,000,000, (b) obligations in respect of one (1) or more Hedging Agreements under which the maximum aggregate amount (giving effect to any netting agreements) that the Borrower and its Subsidiaries would be required to pay if such Hedging Agreement(s) were terminated at such time would exceed $20,000,000 and (c) obligations in respect of one (1) or more Credit Default Swaps of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries under which the notional amount less any collateral posted in support of such Credit Default Swaps would exceed $20,000,000.

Maturity Date” means the earliest to occur of (a) April 6, 2028 and (b) the date on which all Commitments have been terminated and the aggregate amount of Loans outstanding has been repaid in full and all other obligations of the Borrower hereunder have been indefeasibly paid in full (other than any Unasserted Contingent Obligations that survive the termination of this Agreement).

Maximum Rate” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 9.20.

 

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Modification Offer” means, to the extent required by the definition of Permitted Advisor Loan, Other Secured Indebtedness or Unsecured Indebtedness, an obligation that will be satisfied if at least ten (10) Business Days (or, such shorter period if ten (10) Business Days is not practicable) prior to the incurrence of such Permitted Advisor Loan, Other Secured Indebtedness or Unsecured Indebtedness, the Borrower shall have provided notice to the Administrative Agent of the terms thereof that do not satisfy the requirements for such type of Indebtedness set forth in the respective definitions herein, which notice shall contain reasonable detail of the terms thereof and an unconditional offer by the Borrower to amend this Agreement to the extent necessary to satisfy the definition of “Permitted Advisor Loan”, “Other Secured Indebtedness” or “Unsecured Indebtedness”, as applicable, to be incurred. If any such Modification Offer is accepted by the Required Lenders within ten (10) Business Days of receipt of such offer, this Agreement shall be deemed automatically amended (and, upon the request of the Administrative Agent or the Required Lenders, the Borrower shall promptly enter into a written amendment evidencing such amendment), mutatis mutandis, solely to reflect all or some of such more restrictive financial covenants or events of default, as elected by the Required Lenders. Notwithstanding the foregoing any provision in a Modification Offer (including any associated cure or grace period) incorporated into this Agreement pursuant to the definition of “Permitted Advisor Loan”, “Other Secured Indebtedness” or “Unsecured Indebtedness”, as applicable, shall be deleted from this Agreement pursuant to an amendment entered into by the Administrative Agent and the Borrower following such time as the terms of such other Indebtedness are permanently amended so that such provision no longer applies or the applicable Permitted Advisor Loan, Other Secured Indebtedness or Unsecured Indebtedness is terminated or otherwise no longer in effect if (x) the Borrower provides the Administrative Agent and each Lender with written notice of such permanent amendment or termination and (y) within ten (10) Business Days of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders receiving such written notice from the Borrower, the Required Lenders have not provided written notice to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent objecting to the removal of such provision from this Agreement. Any amendment entered into between the Administrative Agent and the Borrower pursuant to this definition shall be at the Borrower’s sole cost and expense.

Moody’s” means Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or any successor thereto.

Multicurrency Commitment” means, with respect to each Multicurrency Lender, the commitment of such Multicurrency Lender to make Revolving Loans, and to acquire participations in Letters of Credit, denominated in Dollars and in Agreed Foreign Currencies hereunder, expressed as an amount representing the maximum aggregate amount of the Dollar Equivalent of such Lender’s Revolving Multicurrency Credit Exposure permitted hereunder, as such commitment may be (a) reduced from time to time pursuant to Section 2.08, (b) increased from time to time pursuant to Section 2.08 and (c) reduced or increased from time to time pursuant to assignments by or to such Lender pursuant to Section 9.04. The aggregate amount of each Lender’s Multicurrency Commitment as of the Effective Date is set forth on Schedule I, or in the Assignment and Assumption or Incremental Assumption Agreement pursuant to which such Lender shall have assumed its Multicurrency Commitment, as applicable. The aggregate amount of the Lenders’ Multicurrency Commitments as of the Effective Date is $600,000,000.

 

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Multicurrency Issuing Bank” means any Issuing Bank identified in Schedule IX (as amended from time to time pursuant to Section 2.08), and its successors in such capacity as provided in Section 2.05(j), that has agreed to issue Letters of Credit under its respective Multicurrency Commitment. In the case of any Letter of Credit to be issued in an Agreed Foreign Currency, such Issuing Bank may designate any of its affiliates with credit ratings at least as good as such Issuing Bank, as the “Multicurrency Issuing Bank” for purposes of such Letter of Credit.

Multicurrency LC Exposure” means a Multicurrency Lender’s LC Exposure under its Multicurrency Commitment.

Multicurrency Lender” means the Persons listed on Schedule I as having Multicurrency Commitments and any other Person that shall have become a party hereto pursuant to an Assignment and Assumption or Incremental Assumption Agreement that provides for it to assume a Multicurrency Commitment or to acquire Revolving Multicurrency Credit Exposure, other than any such Person that ceases to be a party hereto pursuant to an Assignment and Assumption or Incremental Assumption Agreement or otherwise in accordance with the terms hereof.

Multicurrency Loan” means any Revolving Loan made pursuant to the Multicurrency Commitments.

Multiemployer Plan” means a “multiemployer plan” as defined in Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA in respect of which the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate makes any contributions.

National Currency” means the currency, other than the Euro, of a Participating Member State.

Net Cash Proceeds” means:

(a) with respect to any Disposition by the Borrower or any other Obligor, or any Extraordinary Receipt received or paid to the account of the Borrower or any other Obligor, an amount equal to (a) the sum of cash and Cash Equivalents received by an Obligor in connection with such transaction (including any cash or Cash Equivalents received by way of deferred payment pursuant to, or by monetization of, a note receivable or otherwise, but only as and when so received) minus (b) the sum of (i) the principal amount of any Indebtedness that is secured by the applicable asset and that is required to be repaid in connection with such transaction (other than Indebtedness under the Loan Documents), (ii) the reasonable out-of-pocket fees, costs and expenses incurred by the Borrower or such other Obligor in connection with such transaction, (iii) the taxes paid or reasonably estimated to be actually payable within two years of the date of the relevant transaction in connection with such transaction; provided that, if the amount of any estimated taxes pursuant to clause (iii) exceeds the amount of taxes actually required to be paid in cash in respect of such Disposition, the aggregate amount of such excess shall constitute Net Cash Proceeds (as of the date the Borrower determines such excess exists), (iv) any reasonable costs, fees, commissions, premiums and expenses incurred by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries in connection with such Disposition, and (v) reserves for indemnification, purchase price adjustments or analogous arrangements either (x) required by underlying documentation for such Disposition or (y) reasonably estimated by the Borrower or the relevant Subsidiary in connection with such Disposition; provided that, if the amount of any estimated reserves pursuant to this clause (v) exceeds the amount actually required to be paid in cash in respect of indemnification, purchase price adjustments or analogous arrangements for such Disposition, the aggregate amount of such excess shall constitute Net Cash Proceeds (as of the date the Borrower determines such excess exists); and

 

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(b) with respect to the sale or issuance of any Equity Interest by the Borrower or any other Obligor (including, for the avoidance of doubt, cash received by the Borrower or any other Obligor for the sale by the Borrower or such Obligor of any Equity Interest of a Subsidiary, but specifically excluding any sale of any Equity Interest by a Subsidiary that is not an Obligor or cash received by a Subsidiary that is not an Obligor), or the incurrence or issuance of any Indebtedness by the Borrower or any other Obligor, an amount equal to (i) the sum of the cash and Cash Equivalents received in connection with such transaction minus (ii) the sum of (1) reasonable out-of-pocket fees, costs and expenses, incurred by the Borrower or such Obligor in connection therewith plus (2) any reasonable costs, fees, commissions, premiums, expenses, or underwriting discounts or commissions incurred by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries in connection with such sale or issuance.

NYFRB” means the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

Obligor” means, collectively, the Borrower and the Subsidiary Guarantors.

Other Connection Taxes” means, with respect to any recipient of any payment to be made by or on account of any obligation of the Borrower hereunder, Taxes imposed as a result of a present or former connection between such recipient and the jurisdiction imposing such Tax (other than connections arising from such recipient having executed, delivered, become a party to, performed its obligations under, received payments under, received or perfected a security interest under, engaged in any other transaction pursuant to or enforced any Loan Document, or sold or assigned an interest in any Loan or Loan Document).

Other Permitted Indebtedness” means (a) Indebtedness (other than Indebtedness for borrowed money), including Guarantees of such Indebtedness, arising in connection with transactions in the ordinary course of any Obligor’s business in connection with its purchasing of securities, loans, derivatives transactions, repurchase agreements or dollar rolls to the extent such transactions are permitted under the Investment Company Act and the Investment Policies, provided that such Indebtedness in connection with repurchase agreements or dollar rolls does not arise in connection with the purchase of Portfolio Investments other than Cash Equivalents and U.S. Government Securities and (b) Indebtedness in respect of judgments or awards so long as such judgments or awards do not constitute an Event of Default under Section 7.01(l).

Other Secured Indebtedness” means, as at any date, Indebtedness (other than Indebtedness hereunder) of an Obligor (which may be Guaranteed by one (1) or more other Obligors) that:

(i) (a) has no scheduled amortization prior to (other than for amortization in an amount not greater than 1% of the aggregate initial principal amount of such Indebtedness per annum, provided that amortization in excess of 1% per annum shall be permitted so long as the amount of such amortization in excess of 1% is permitted to be incurred pursuant to Section 6.01(m) or Section 6.01(n) hereof) and has a final maturity date not earlier than, six (6) months after the Maturity Date (it being understood that (x) none of: (i) the conversion features into Permitted Equity Interests under convertible notes, (ii) the

 

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triggering and/or settlement thereof solely with Permitted Equity Interests, except in the case of interest expense or fractional shares (which may be payable in cash), (iii) any customary voluntary prepayment provisions permitted by the terms thereof, (iv) any customary mandatory prepayment provisions required by the terms thereof or (v) any mandatory prepayment provisions as a result of any borrowing base or collateral base deficiency, in any case shall constitute “amortization” for the purposes of this definition, provided that if any mandatory prepayment is required under such Other Secured Indebtedness constituting a term loan that is not required pursuant to Section 2.10(c) hereof, the Borrower shall offer to repay Loans (and/or provide cover for LC Exposure as specified in Section 2.05(l)) in an amount at least equal to the aggregate Revolving Credit Exposure’s ratable share (such ratable share being determined based on the outstanding principal amount of the Revolving Credit Exposures as compared to the Other Secured Indebtedness being paid), provided the Borrower shall only be required to make an offer to repay the Loans (or provide cover for LC Exposure) to the extent of any amounts that the Borrower would not be permitted to borrow as a new Loan hereunder at such time) and (y) any mandatory amortization that is contingent upon the happening of an event that is not certain to occur (including, without limitation, a change of control or bankruptcy) shall not in and of itself be deemed to disqualify such Indebtedness under this clause (a); provided, with respect to this clause (a), the Borrower acknowledges that any payment prior to the Maturity Date in respect of any such obligation or right shall only be made to the extent permitted by Section 6.12,

(b) has terms that, taken as a whole, are not materially more restrictive than market terms for substantially similar debt of other similarly situated borrowers as determined by the Borrower in good faith or, if such transaction is not one in which there are market terms for substantially similar debt of other similarly situated borrowers, on terms that are negotiated in good faith on an arm’s length basis (except, in each case, other than financial covenants and events of default (other than events of default customary in indentures or similar instruments that have no analogous provisions in this Agreement or credit agreements generally), which shall be not materially more burdensome upon the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, while any Loans or Commitments are outstanding, than those set forth in the Loan Documents) (provided that, the Obligors may incur any Other Secured Indebtedness that otherwise would not meet the requirements set forth in this parenthetical of this clause (b) if it has duly made a Modification Offer (whether or not it is accepted by the Required Lenders) (it being understood that put rights or repurchase or redemption obligations (x) in the case of convertible securities, in connection with the suspension or delisting of the capital stock of the Borrower or the failure of the Borrower to satisfy a continued listing rule with respect to its capital stock or (y) arising out of circumstances that would constitute a “fundamental change” (as such term is customarily defined in convertible note offerings) or an Event of Default under this Agreement shall not be deemed to be more restrictive for purposes of this definition)), and

(c) is not secured by any assets of any Obligor other than pursuant to the Security Documents and the holders of which, or the agent, trustee or representative of such holders have agreed, by executing the joinder attached as Exhibit C to the Guarantee and Security Agreement or otherwise in a manner reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and the Collateral Agent, to be bound by the provisions of the Security Documents, or

 

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(ii) is permitted pursuant to Section 6.01(m) or Section 6.01(n) hereof and that has been designated by the Borrower as “Designated Indebtedness” in accordance with the requirements of Section 6.01 of the Guarantee and Security Agreement. “Other Secured Indebtedness” shall not include any indebtedness arising under any Hedging Agreement.

Other Taxes” means any and all present or future stamp or documentary taxes or any similar charges or levies arising from any payment made under any Loan Document or from the execution, delivery or enforcement of, or otherwise with respect to, any Loan Document, except any such Taxes that are Other Connection Taxes imposed with respect to an assignment.

Participating Member State” means any member state of the European Community that adopts or has adopted the Euro as its lawful currency in accordance with the legislation of the European Union relating to the European Monetary Union.

Participation Interest” means (a) any participation interest listed on Schedule III hereto (such participation interests, collectively, the “Initial Participation Interests”); provided that the Initial Participation Interests shall satisfy clauses (b)(i), (b)(iii) and (b)(iv) below, and (b) any participation interest (excluding any sub-participation interests) in an investment that at the time of acquisition by an Obligor satisfies each of the following criteria: (i) the underlying investment would constitute a Portfolio Investment were it acquired directly by such Obligor, (ii) the seller of the participation is an Excluded Asset, (iii) the entire purchase price for such participation is paid in full at the time of its acquisition and (iv) the participation provides the participant all of the economic benefit and risk of the whole or part of such portfolio investment that is the subject of such participation.

Payment Recipient” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 8.03(a).

PBGC” means the U.S. Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation referred to and defined in ERISA and any successor entity performing similar functions.

Periodic Term SOFR Determination Day” has the meaning specified in the definition of “Term SOFR”.

Permitted Advisor Loan” means any Indebtedness for borrowed money of any Obligor that (a) is owed to the Advisor or any Affiliate thereof, (b) has no mandatory amortization prior to, and a final maturity date not earlier than, six months after the Maturity Date, (c) is permitted by the Investment Company Act, (d) is not secured by any property or assets (whether of any Obligor or any other Person), (e) is on terms and conditions not materially less favorable to such Obligor than could be obtained on an arm’s-length basis from unrelated third parties, (f) is on terms and conditions that are not materially more restrictive upon such Obligor, while any Commitments or Loans are outstanding hereunder, than those set forth in this Agreement with respect to such Obligor; provided that, such Obligor may incur any Permitted Advisor Loan that otherwise would not meet the requirements set forth in this clause (f) if it has duly made a Modification Offer (whether or not it is accepted by the Required Lenders) and (g) the Borrower has elected to treat as a Permitted Advisor Loan by giving written notice of such election to the Administrative Agent.

 

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Permitted CLO Issuer” means any issuer of CLO Securities (or such entity’s parent, general partner or other managing entity) that is an Affiliate of the Borrower and has acquired any Investments from an Obligor; provided that:

(i) no portion of the Indebtedness or any other obligations (contingent or otherwise) of such issuer (i) is Guaranteed by any Obligor (other than Guarantees in respect of Standard Securitization Undertakings), (ii) is recourse to or obligates any Obligor in any way other than pursuant to Standard Securitization Undertakings or (iii) subjects any property of any Obligor (other than property that has been contributed or sold, purported to be sold or otherwise transferred to such Subsidiary), directly or indirectly, contingently or otherwise, to the satisfaction thereof, other than pursuant to Standard Securitization Undertakings or any Guarantee thereof,

(ii) no Obligor has any material contract, agreement, arrangement or understanding with such issuer (excluding customary sale and contribution agreements) other than on terms, taken as a whole, not materially less favorable to such Obligor than those that might be obtained at the time from Persons that are not Affiliates of any Obligor, other than fees payable in the ordinary course of business in connection with servicing receivables or financial assets and pursuant to Standard Securitization Undertakings, and

(iii) to which no Obligor has any obligation to maintain or preserve such issuer’s financial condition or cause such entity to achieve certain levels of operating results.

Permitted Equity Interests” means any Equity Interest of the Borrower that is not a Disqualified Equity Interest.

Permitted Indebtedness” means, collectively, Other Secured Indebtedness and Unsecured Indebtedness.

Permitted Liens” means: (a) Liens imposed by any Governmental Authority for taxes, assessments or charges not yet due or that are being contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings if adequate reserves with respect thereto are maintained on the books of the Borrower or any other Obligor in accordance with GAAP; (b) Liens of clearing agencies, broker-dealers and similar Liens incurred in the ordinary course of business, provided that such Liens (i) attach only to the securities (or proceeds) being purchased or sold and (ii) secure only obligations incurred in connection with such purchase or sale, and not any obligation in connection with margin financing; (c) Liens imposed by law, such as materialmen’s, mechanics’, carriers’, workmens’, landlord, storage and repairmen’s Liens and other similar Liens arising in the ordinary course of business and securing obligations (other than Indebtedness for borrowed money); (d) Liens incurred or pledges or deposits made to secure obligations incurred in the ordinary course of business under workers’ compensation laws, unemployment insurance or other similar social security legislation (other than Liens in respect of employee benefit plans arising under ERISA) or to secure public or statutory obligations; (e) Liens securing the performance of, or payment in respect of, bids, insurance premiums, deductibles or co-insured amounts, tenders, government or utility contracts (other than for the repayment of borrowed money), surety, stay, customs and appeal bonds and other obligations of a similar nature incurred in the ordinary course of business, provided that all Liens on any Collateral included in the Borrowing Base that are permitted pursuant to this

 

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clause (e) shall have a priority that is junior to the Liens under the Security Documents; (f) Liens arising out of judgments or awards so long as such judgments or awards do not constitute an Event of Default under Section 7.01(l); (g) customary rights of setoff, banker’s lien, security interest or other like right upon (i) deposits of cash in favor of banks or other depository institutions in which such cash is maintained in the ordinary course of business, (ii) cash and financial assets held in securities accounts in favor of banks and other financial institutions with which such accounts are maintained in the ordinary course of business and (iii) assets held by a custodian in favor of such custodian in the ordinary course of business securing payment of fees, indemnities, charges for returning items and other similar obligations; provided that, to the extent that any cash or financial assets described in clauses (i) and (ii) constitute Portfolio Investments, Cash or Cash Equivalents that are included in the Borrowing Base, such rights are subordinated to the Lien of the Collateral Agent pursuant to the terms of a Control Agreement; (h) Liens arising solely from precautionary filings of financing statements under the Uniform Commercial Code of the applicable jurisdictions in respect of operating leases entered into by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business or in respect of assets sold or otherwise disposed of to a non-Obligor in a transaction permitted by this Agreement; (i) deposits of money that are not Collateral securing leases to which an Obligor is a party as the lessee made in the ordinary course of business; (j) easements, rights of way, zoning restrictions and similar encumbrances on real property and minor irregularities in the title thereto that do not interfere with or affect in any material respect the ordinary course conduct of the business of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries; (k) Liens in favor of any escrow agent solely on and in respect of any cash earnest money deposits made by any Obligor in connection with any letter of intent or purchase agreement (to the extent that the acquisition or disposition with respect thereto is otherwise not prohibited hereunder); (l) precautionary Liens, and filings of financing statements under the Uniform Commercial Code, covering assets purported to be sold or contributed to any Person not prohibited hereunder; and (m) any restrictions on the sale or disposition of assets arising from a loan sale agreement between or among one or more Obligors with one or more Designated Subsidiaries or Permitted CLO Issuers; provided such restrictions with respect to this clause (m) do not adversely affect the enforceability of the Collateral Agent’s first-priority security interest on any Collateral.

Permitted SBIC Guarantee” means a guarantee by one (1) or more Obligors of Indebtedness of an SBIC Subsidiary on the SBA’s then applicable form (or the applicable form at the time such guarantee was entered into).

Person” means any natural person, corporation, limited liability company, trust, joint venture, association, company, partnership, Governmental Authority or other entity.

Plan” means any “employee pension benefit plan” (as defined in Section 3(2) of ERISA), other than a Multiemployer Plan, that is subject to the provisions of Title IV of ERISA or Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA, and in respect of which the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate is (or, if such plan were terminated, would under Section 4069 of ERISA be deemed to be) an “employer” as defined in Section 3(5) of ERISA.

Plan Asset Regulations” means U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) regulation 29 C.F.R. § 2510.3-101, as modified by Section 3(42) of ERISA.

 

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Portfolio Investment” means any Investment (including a Participation Interest) held by the Obligors in their asset portfolio (and solely for purposes of determining the Borrowing Base, and of Sections 6.02(d) and 6.04(d) and Section 7.01(p), Cash and Cash Equivalents, excluding Cash pledged as cash collateral for Letters of Credit). Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, it is understood and agreed that (A) any Portfolio Investments that have been contributed or sold, purported to be contributed or sold or otherwise transferred to any Excluded Asset, or held by any Immaterial Subsidiary or Controlled Foreign Corporation that is not a Subsidiary Guarantor, shall not be treated as Portfolio Investments, and (B) any Investment in which any Obligor has sold a participation therein to a Person that is not an Obligor shall not be treated as a Portfolio Investment to the extent of such participation. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing herein shall limit the provisions of Section 5.12(b)(i), which provides that, for purposes of this Agreement, all determinations of whether an investment is to be included as a Portfolio Investment shall be determined on a settlement-date basis (meaning that any investment that has been purchased will not be treated as a Portfolio Investment until such purchase has settled, and any Portfolio Investment which has been sold will not be excluded as a Portfolio Investment until such sale has settled), provided that no such investment shall be included as a Portfolio Investment to the extent it has not been paid for in full.

Prime Rate” means the rate which is quoted as the “prime rate” in the print edition of The Wall Street Journal, Money Rates Section. Each change in the Prime Rate shall be effective from and including the date such change is publicly announced as being effective.

Principal Financial Center” means, in the case of any Currency, the principal financial center where such Currency is cleared and settled, as determined by the Administrative Agent.

Pro-Rata Borrowing” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.03(a).

Pro-Rata Dollar Portion” means, in connection with any Pro-Rata Borrowing, an amount equal to (i) the aggregate amount of such Pro-Rata Borrowing multiplied by (ii) the aggregate Dollar Commitments of all Dollar Lenders at such time divided by (iii) the aggregate Revolving Commitments of all Lenders at such time.

Pro-Rata Multicurrency Portion” means, in connection with any Pro-Rata Borrowing, an amount equal to (i) the aggregate amount of such Pro-Rata Borrowing multiplied by (ii) the aggregate Multicurrency Commitments of all Multicurrency Lenders at such time divided by (iii) the aggregate Revolving Commitments of all Lenders at such time.

PTE” means a prohibited transaction class exemption issued by the U.S. Department of Labor, as any such exemption may be amended from time to time.

QFC” has the meaning assigned to the term “qualified financial contract” in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 U.S.C. 5390(c)(8)(D).

Quarterly Dates” means the last Business Day of March, June, September and December in each year, commencing on June 30, 2023, unless otherwise specified.

Quoted Investments” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 5.12(b)(ii)(A).

 

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Redemption Amount” means, for each quarterly period, the lesser of: (y) the actual amount of Equity Interests of the Borrower redeemed, bought back or purchased during such period (other than amounts of common stock purchased in connection with a tender offer), and (z) the excess (if any) of (1) the net cash proceeds of the sale of Equity Interests of the Borrower (other than proceeds of any distribution or dividend reinvestment plan) issued in such quarterly period minus (2) the aggregate amount paid or distributed by the Borrower to purchase its shares of common stock in connection with a tender offer in such quarterly period.

Register” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 9.04(c).

Regulations T, U and X” means, respectively, Regulations T, U and X of the Board, as the same may be modified and supplemented and in effect from time to time.

Reinvestment Agreement” means a guaranteed reinvestment agreement from a bank, insurance company or other corporation or entity, in each case, at the date of such acquisition having a credit rating of at least A-1 from S&P and at least P-1 from Moody’s; provided that such agreement provides that it is terminable by the purchaser, without penalty, if the rating assigned to such agreement by either S&P or Moody’s is at any time lower than such ratings.

Related Parties” means, with respect to any specified Person, such Person’s Affiliates and the respective directors, officers, partners, trustees, administrators, employees, agents and advisors of such Person and of such Person’s Affiliates.

Relevant Asset Coverage Ratio” means, as of any date, the Asset Coverage Ratio as of the most recent Quarterly Date.

Relevant Governmental Body” means (a) with respect to a Benchmark Replacement in respect of Secured Obligations, interest, fees, commissions or other amounts denominated in, or calculated with respect to, Dollars, the Board or the NYFRB, or a committee officially endorsed or convened by the Board or the NYFRB, or any successor thereto, (b) with respect to a Benchmark Replacement in respect of Secured Obligations, interest, fees, commissions or other amounts denominated in, or calculated with respect to, GBP, the Bank of England, or a committee officially endorsed or convened by the Bank of England or, in each case, any successor thereto, (c) with respect to a Benchmark Replacement in respect of Secured Obligations, interest, fees, commissions or other amounts denominated in, or calculated with respect to, Euro, the European Central Bank, or a committee officially endorsed or convened by the European Central Bank or, in each case, any successor thereto and (d) with respect to a Benchmark Replacement in respect of Secured Obligations, interest, fees, commissions or other amounts denominated in, or calculated with respect to, any Agreed Foreign Currency (other than GBP or Euro), (1) the central bank for the Currency in which such Secured Obligations, interest, fees, commissions or other amounts are denominated, or calculated with respect to, or any central bank or other supervisor which is responsible for supervising either (A) such Benchmark Replacement or (B) the administrator of such Benchmark Replacement or (2) any working group or committee officially endorsed or convened by (A) the central bank for the Currency in which such Secured Obligations, interest, fees, commissions or other amounts are denominated, or calculated with respect to, (B) any central bank or other supervisor that is responsible for supervising either (i) such Benchmark Replacement or (ii) the administrator of such Benchmark Replacement, (C) a group of those central banks or other supervisors or (D) the Financial Stability Board or any part thereof.

 

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Relevant Rate” means (a) with respect to any Term Benchmark Borrowing denominated in Dollars, Term SOFR, (b) with respect to any Term Benchmark Borrowing denominated in CAD, the CDO Rate and (c) with respect to any Term Benchmark Borrowing denominated in Euro, the Adjusted EURIBO Rate.

Relevant Screen Rate” means (a) with respect to any Borrowing denominated in Dollars, the Term SOFR Screen Rate, (b) with respect to any Borrowing denominated in CAD, the CAD Screen Rate and (c) with respect to any Borrowing denominated in Euros, the EURIBO Screen Rate.

Required Lenders” means, at any time, Lenders having Credit Exposures and unused Commitments representing more than 50% of the sum of the total Credit Exposures and unused Commitments at such time; provided that the Credit Exposure and unused Commitments of any Defaulting Lender shall be disregarded in the determination of Required Lenders. The Required Lenders of a Class (which shall include the terms “Required Dollar Lenders” and “Required Multicurrency Lenders”) means Lenders having Credit Exposures and unused Commitments of such Class representing more than 50% of the sum of the total Credit Exposures and unused Commitments of such Class at such time. For purposes of this definition, the Swingline Exposure of any Revolving Lender that is a Swingline Lender shall be deemed to exclude that portion of its Swingline Exposure that exceeds its Applicable Dollar Percentage or Applicable Multicurrency Percentage, as applicable, of all outstanding Swingline Loans under its Class of Commitments, and the unused Commitments of any such Revolving Lender shall be determined without regard to any such excess amount.

Resolution Authority” means an EEA Resolution Authority or, with respect to any UK Financial Institution, a UK Resolution Authority.

Restricted Payment” means any dividend or other distribution (whether in cash, securities or other property) with respect to any shares of any class of capital stock of the Borrower or any other Obligor, or any payment (whether in cash, securities or other property), including any sinking fund or similar deposit, on account of the purchase, redemption, retirement, acquisition, cancellation or termination of any such shares of capital stock of the Borrower or any option, warrant or other right to acquire any such shares of capital stock of the Borrower, provided, for the avoidance of doubt, neither the conversion or settlement of convertible debt into capital stock nor the purchase, redemption, retirement, acquisition, cancellation or termination of convertible debt made solely with capital stock (other than interest or expenses or fractional shares, which may be payable in cash) shall be a Restricted Payment hereunder.

Return of Capital” means (a) any net cash amount received by any Obligor in respect of the outstanding principal of any Portfolio Investment (whether at stated maturity, by acceleration or otherwise), but not including any prepayment of a revolver that does not permanently reduce the related commitments, (b) without duplication of amounts received under clause (a), any net cash proceeds received by any Obligor from the sale of any property or assets pledged as collateral in respect of any Portfolio Investment to the extent such net cash proceeds are less than or equal

 

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to the outstanding principal balance of such Portfolio Investment, (c) any net cash amount received by any Obligor in respect of any Portfolio Investment that is an Equity Interest (x) upon the liquidation or dissolution of the issuer of such Portfolio Investment, (y) as a distribution of capital made on or in respect of such Portfolio Investment, or (z) pursuant to the recapitalization or reclassification of the capital of the issuer of such Portfolio Investment or pursuant to the reorganization of such issuer or (d) any similar return of capital received by any Obligor in cash in respect of any Portfolio Investment (in the case of clauses (a), (b), (c) and (d), net of any fees, costs, commissions, premiums, expenses and taxes payable or reasonably estimated to be payable with respect thereto (including reasonable legal fees and expenses)).

Revaluation Date” means (a) with respect to any Loan denominated in an Agreed Foreign Currency, each of the following: (i) each date of a Borrowing of a Loan, (ii) each date of a continuation of a Term Benchmark Loan, (iii) with respect to any RFR Loan, each date that is on the numerically corresponding day in each calendar month that is three months after the Borrowing of such Loan (or, if there is no such numerically corresponding day in such month, then the last day of such month), and (iv) such additional dates as the Administrative Agent shall reasonably and in good faith determine or the Required Lenders shall reasonably and in good faith require; provided that such determination or requirement under this subclause (iv) with respect to any Loan denominated in any Agreed Foreign Currency, shall not result in the occurrence of a Revaluation Date more frequently than once within any rolling three month period; and (b) with respect to any Letter of Credit denominated in an Agreed Foreign Currency, each of the following: (i) each date of issuance of a Letter of Credit, (ii) each date of an amendment of any Letter of Credit denominated in an Agreed Foreign Currency having the effect of increasing the amount thereof, (iii) each date of any payment by the applicable Issuing Bank under any Letter of Credit denominated in an Agreed Foreign Currency, and (iv) such additional dates as the Administrative Agent or the applicable Issuing Bank shall reasonably and in good faith determine or the Required Lenders shall reasonably and in good faith require; provided that such determination or requirement under this subclause (iv) shall not result in the occurrence of a Revaluation Date more frequently than once within any rolling three month period.

Revolving Commitments” means, collectively, the Dollar Commitments and the Multicurrency Commitments.

Revolving Credit Exposure” means, with respect to any Lender at any time, the sum of such Lender’s Revolving Dollar Credit Exposure and Revolving Multicurrency Credit Exposure at such time.

Revolving Dollar Credit Exposure” means, with respect to any Lender at any time, the sum of such Lender’s Dollar LC Exposure, such Lender’s Swingline Exposure and the outstanding principal amount of such Lender’s Loans, at such time made or incurred under the Dollar Commitments.

Revolving Lenders” means the Dollar Lenders and the Multicurrency Lenders.

Revolving Loans” means the revolving loans made by the Lenders to the Borrower pursuant to Section 2.01(a) or (b).

 

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Revolving Multicurrency Credit Exposure” means, with respect to any Lender at any time, the sum of such Lender’s Multicurrency LC Exposure, such Lender’s Swingline Exposure and the outstanding principal amount of such Lender’s Loans, at such time made or incurred under the Multicurrency Commitments.

RFR”, when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether such Loan is, or the Loans constituting such Borrowing are, bearing interest at a rate determined by reference to Daily Simple RFR.

RFR Applicable Credit Adjustment Spread” means, with respect to RFR Loans, (a) with an Interest Period of one month, 0.0326%, and (b) with an Interest Period of three months, 0.1193%.

RFR Business Day” means any day except for (a) a Saturday or a Sunday and (b) a day on which banks are closed for general business in London.

RFR Interest Day” has the meaning specified in the definition of “Daily Simple RFR”.

RFR Rate” means, for any Loans, Borrowings, interest, fees, commissions or other amounts denominated in, or calculated with respect to SONIA.

RFR Reference Day” has the meaning specified in the definition of “Daily Simple RFR”.

RIC” means a person qualifying for treatment as a “regulated investment company” under the Code.

S&P” means S&P Global Ratings, a division of S&P Global Inc., a New York corporation, or any successor thereto.

Sanctioned Country” means, at any time, a country, region or territory which is itself the subject or target of comprehensive Sanctions (as of the Effective Date, Cuba, the Crimea region of Ukraine, the so-called Donetsk and so-called Luhansk regions of Ukraine, the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson Regions of Ukraine, Iran, North Korea and Syria).

Sanctioned Person” means, at any time, (a) any Person listed in any Sanctions-related list of designated Persons maintained by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the U.S. Department of State, the United Nations Security Council, the European Union or any European Union member state, His Majesty’s Treasury of the United Kingdom or any other relevant sanctions authority, (b) any Person organized or resident in a Sanctioned Country or (c) any Person owned or controlled by any such Person or Persons described in the foregoing clause (a) or (b). For purposes of this definition, “Person” shall include a vessel.

Sanctions” means all economic or financial sanctions or trade embargoes imposed, administered or enforced from time to time by the United States of America (including the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the U.S. Department of State), the United Nations Security Council, the European Union or any member state thereof, His Majesty’s Treasury of the United Kingdom, Japan or any other relevant sanctions authority having jurisdiction over the Borrower or its Subsidiaries or any Lender.

 

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SBA” means the United States Small Business Administration or any Governmental Authority succeeding to any or all of the functions thereof.

SBIC Equity Commitment” means a commitment by any Obligor to make one (1) or more capital contributions to an SBIC Subsidiary.

SBIC Subsidiary” means (i) any direct or indirect Subsidiary (including such Subsidiary’s general partner or managing entity to the extent that the only material asset of such general partner or managing entity is its Equity Interest in the SBIC Subsidiary) of any Obligor licensed as a small business investment company under the Small Business Investment Act of 1958, as amended (or that has applied for such a license and is actively pursuing the granting thereof by appropriate proceedings promptly instituted and diligently conducted), or (ii) any direct or indirect Subsidiary of an entity referred to in clause (i) of this definition, and which is designated by the Borrower (pursuant to a certificate of a Financial Officer delivered to the Administrative Agent) as an SBIC Subsidiary.

SEC” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

Secured Obligations” has the meaning assigned to such term in the Guarantee and Security Agreement. The Secured Obligations shall include, without duplication of the primary rights and interests of the applicable Secured Parties, Erroneous Payment Subrogation Rights and Collateral Agent Erroneous Payment Subrogation Rights (as defined in the Guarantee and Security Agreement) but exclude Excluded Swap Obligations.

Secured Party” has the meaning assigned to such term in the Guarantee and Security Agreement.

Security Documents” means, collectively, the Guarantee and Security Agreement and all other assignments, pledge agreements, security agreements, intercreditor agreements, control agreements and other instruments, in each case, executed and delivered at any time by any of the Obligors pursuant to the Guarantee and Security Agreement or otherwise providing or relating to any collateral security for any of the Secured Obligations.

Senior Securities” means senior securities (as such term is defined and determined pursuant to the Investment Company Act and any orders of the SEC issued to the Borrower thereunder).

Shareholders’ Equity” means, at any date, the amount determined on a consolidated basis, without duplication, in accordance with GAAP, of shareholders’ equity for the Borrower and its Subsidiaries at such date.

Shorter Term Secured Indebtedness” means, collectively, (a) any Indebtedness of an Obligor (which may be Guaranteed by any other Obligor) that is not secured by any assets of any Obligor other than pursuant to this Agreement or the Security Documents and the holders of which (or an authorized agent, representative or trustee of such holders) have either executed (i) a joinder agreement to the Guarantee and Security Agreement or (ii) such other document or agreement, in a form reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and the Collateral Agent, pursuant to which the holders (or an authorized agent, representative or trustee of such holders) of such Shorter

 

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Term Secured Indebtedness shall have become a party to the Guarantee and Security Agreement and assumed the obligations of a Financing Agent or Designated Indebtedness Holder (in each case, as defined in the Guarantee and Security Agreement) and (b) any Indebtedness that is designated as “Shorter Term Secured Indebtedness” by the Borrower. “Shorter Term Secured Indebtedness” shall not include any Indebtedness arising under any Hedging Agreement.

Shorter Term Unsecured Indebtedness” means (a) all unsecured Indebtedness of an Obligor (which may be guaranteed by one (1) or more other Obligors) issued after the Effective Date that has (i) a maturity date earlier than six (6) months after the Maturity Date except to the extent such unsecured indebtedness constitutes Special Longer Term Unsecured Indebtedness, and (ii) an initial term of at least 3 years from the date of the initial issuance (or, so long as such date is no more than ten (10) Business Days earlier than such issuance date, the initial pricing date) of such Indebtedness, and (b) any Excess Special Longer Term Unsecured Indebtedness.

Significant Subsidiary” means (a) any Obligor or (b) any other Subsidiary that, on a consolidated basis with its Subsidiaries, has aggregate assets or aggregate revenues greater than the greater of $10,000,000 and 5% of the aggregate assets or aggregate revenues of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, as of the end of the most recent fiscal quarter in respect of which financial statements have been delivered pursuant to Section 5.01(a) or (b), as applicable.

SOFR” means a rate per annum equal to the secured overnight financing rate as administered by the SOFR Administrator.

SOFR Administrator” means the NYFRB (or a successor administrator of the secured overnight financing rate).

SOFR Administrator’s Website” means the website of the NYFRB, currently at http://www.newyorkfed.org, or any successor source for the secured overnight financing rate identified as such by the SOFR Administrator from time to time.

SONIA” means a rate equal to the Sterling Overnight Index Average as administered by the SONIA Administrator.

SONIA Administrator” means the Bank of England (or any successor administrator of the sterling overnight index average).

SONIA Administrator’s Website” means the Bank of England’s website, currently at http://www.bankofengland.co.uk, or any successor source for the sterling overnight index average identified as such by the SONIA Administrator from time to time.

SPE Subsidiary Recourse Obligation” has the meaning assigned to such term in the definition of “Standard Securitization Undertakings”.

Special Equity Interest” means any Equity Interest that is subject to a Lien in favor of creditors of the issuer or such issuer’s affiliates of such Equity Interest, provided that (a) such Lien was created to secure Indebtedness owing by such issuer to such creditors, (b) such Indebtedness was (i) in existence at the time the Obligors acquired such Equity Interest, (ii) incurred or assumed by such issuer substantially contemporaneously with such acquisition or (iii) already subject to a Lien granted to such creditors and (c) unless such Equity Interest is not intended to be included in the Collateral, the documentation creating or governing such Lien does not prohibit the inclusion of such Equity Interest in the Collateral.

 

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Special Longer Term Unsecured Indebtedness” means indebtedness issued after the Effective Date that is Indebtedness (which may be Guaranteed by one (1) or more other Obligors) that satisfies all of the criteria specified in the definition of “Unsecured Indebtedness” other than clause (a) thereof so long as such Indebtedness has a final maturity date at least four years from the date of the initial issuance (or, so long as such date is no more than ten (10) Business Days earlier than such issuance date, the initial pricing date) of such Indebtedness and occurs after the Maturity Date.

Specified Default” means any Default that the Borrower has knowledge is in violation of this Agreement (other than a Contingent Borrowing Base Deficiency for which the grace and/or cure period in Section 2.10(c)(ii) has not expired).

Specified Purchase” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.08(e)(i)(E).

Specified Purchase Agreement Representations” means such of the representations made by or with respect to a Specified Target, its Subsidiaries and their respective businesses in the definitive documentation governing the applicable Specified Purchase (the “Specified Purchase Agreement”) as are material to the interests of the Lenders, but only to the extent that the Borrower or its Affiliates shall have the right to terminate its obligations under the applicable Specified Purchase Agreement as a result of a breach of such representations in the applicable Specified Purchase Agreement without expense (as determined without regard to any notice requirement and without giving effect to any waiver, amendment or other modification thereto that is materially adverse to the interests of the Lenders (as reasonably determined by the Administrative Agent), unless the Administrative Agent shall have consented thereto (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld, delayed or conditioned)).

Specified Representations” means the representations and warranties of the Borrower set forth in Section 3.01 (relating to corporate existence and corporate power and authority of the Obligors); Section 3.02 (relating to enforceability of the Loan Documents); Section 3.03(b) (relating to no conflicts with organizational documents (limited to the execution, delivery and performance of the Loan Documents, incurrence of Indebtedness thereunder and the granting of guarantees and security interests in respect thereof)); Section 3.07; Section 3.11; and Section 3.16.

Specified Target” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.08(e)(i)(E).

Standard Securitization Undertakings” means, collectively, (a) customary arms-length servicing obligations (together with any related performance guarantees), (b) obligations (together with any related performance guarantees) to refund the purchase price or grant purchase price credits for dilutive events or misrepresentations (in each case unrelated to the collectability of the assets sold or the creditworthiness of the associated account debtors), (c) representations, warranties, covenants and indemnities (together with any related performance guarantees) of a type that are reasonably customary in middle market, broadly syndicated or commercial loan market accounts receivable securitizations, securitizations of financial assets, collateralized loan

 

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obligations, loans to special purpose vehicles, including those owed to customary third-party service providers in connection with such transactions, such as rating agencies and accountants, (d) obligations (together with any related performance guarantees) under any customary bad boy guarantee and (e) solely to the extent permitted to be incurred pursuant to Section 6.01(n), obligations under any guarantee of any make-whole premium or any other guarantee; provided, however, that any such guarantee described in this clause (e) shall not exceed 10% of the aggregate unfunded commitments plus the outstanding principal amount under the applicable loan (any such guarantee described in this clause (e), a “SPE Subsidiary Recourse Obligation”).

Statutory Reserve Rate” means a fraction (expressed as a decimal), the numerator of which is the number one (1) and the denominator of which is the number one (1) minus the aggregate of the maximum reserve percentages (including any marginal, special, emergency or supplemental reserves) expressed as a decimal established by the Board to which the Administrative Agent is subject for eurocurrency funding (currently referred to as “Eurocurrency Liabilities” in Regulation D of the Board). Such reserve percentages shall include those imposed pursuant to such Regulation D. Term Benchmark Loans denominated in Euros shall be deemed to constitute eurocurrency funding and to be subject to such reserve requirements without benefit of or credit for proration, exemptions or offsets that may be available from time to time to any Lender under such Regulation D or any comparable regulation. The Statutory Reserve Rate shall be adjusted automatically on and as of the effective date of any change in any reserve percentage.

Subsidiary” means, with respect to any Person (the “parent”) at any date, any corporation, limited liability company, partnership, association or other entity the accounts of which would be consolidated with those of the parent in the parent’s consolidated financial statements if such financial statements were prepared in accordance with GAAP as of such date, as well as any other corporation, limited liability company, partnership, association or other entity (a) of which securities or other ownership interests representing more than 50% of the equity or more than 50% of the ordinary voting power or, in the case of a partnership, more than 50% of the general partnership interests are, as of such date, owned, controlled or held, or (b) that is, as of such date, otherwise Controlled, by the parent or one (1) or more subsidiaries of the parent or by the parent and one (1) or more subsidiaries of the parent. Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, the term “Subsidiary” shall not include any Person that constitutes an Investment held by any Obligor in the ordinary course of business and that is not, under GAAP (as in effect on the Effective Date), consolidated on the financial statements of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries. Unless otherwise specified, “Subsidiary” means a Subsidiary of the Borrower.

Subsidiary Guarantor” means any Domestic Subsidiary of the Borrower that is a Subsidiary Guarantor under the Guarantee and Security Agreement. It is understood and agreed that Excluded Assets, Immaterial Subsidiaries and Controlled Foreign Corporations shall not be required to be Subsidiary Guarantors.

Supported QFC” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 9.17.

Swap Obligation” means, with respect to any Subsidiary Guarantor, any obligation to pay or perform under any Hedging Agreement that constitutes a “swap” within the meaning of Section 1a(47) of the Commodity Exchange Act.

 

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Swingline Exposure” means, at any time, the aggregate principal amount of all Swingline Loans outstanding at such time. The Swingline Exposure of any Lender at any time shall be the sum of (a)(i) in the case of any Dollar Lender, its Applicable Dollar Percentage of the total Swingline Exposure incurred under the Dollar Commitments at such time or (ii) in the case of any Multicurrency Lender, its Applicable Multicurrency Percentage of the total Swingline Exposure incurred under the Multicurrency Commitments at such time (excluding, for purpose of this clause (a), in the case of any Lender that is a Swingline Lender, Swingline Loans made by it that are outstanding at such time to the extent that the other Lenders under such Lender’s Class of Commitments shall not have funded their participations in such Swingline Loans), adjusted, in each case, to give effect to any reallocation under Section 2.18 of the Swingline Exposure of Defaulting Lenders in effect at such time, plus (b) in the case of any Lender that is a Swingline Lender, the aggregate principal amount of all Swingline Loans made by such Lender outstanding at such time, less the amount of participations funded by the other Lenders under such Lender’s Class of Commitments in such Swingline Loans.

Swingline Lender” means Truist Bank, HSBC Bank USA, N.A., State Street Bank and Trust Company, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation and each additional Swingline Lender designated pursuant to Section 2.04(e), each in its capacity as lender of Swingline Loans hereunder and its successors in such capacity as provided in Section 2.04(d).

Swingline Loan” means a Loan made pursuant to Section 2.04.

TARGET Day” means any day on which the Trans-European Automated Real-time Gross Settlement Express Transfer payment system (or any successor settlement system as determined by the Administrative Agent to be a suitable replacement) is open for the settlement of payments in Euro.

Taxes” means any and all present or future taxes, levies, imposts, duties, deductions, charges or withholdings (including backup withholding), assessments or fees imposed by any Governmental Authority, including any interest, additions to tax or penalties applicable thereto.

Term Benchmark”, when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether such Loan is, or the Loans constituting such Borrowing are, bearing interest at a rate determined by reference to Term SOFR, the CDO Rate or the Adjusted EURIBO Rate.

Term Benchmark Banking Day” means for Term Benchmark Loans, Term Benchmark Borrowings, interest, fees, commissions or other amounts denominated in, or calculated with respect to:

(a) Dollars, a U.S. Government Securities Business Day;

(b) Euro, a TARGET Day; or

(c) CAD, any day (other than a Saturday or Sunday) on which banks are open for business in Toronto, Canada.

Term SOFR” means,

 

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(a) for any calculation with respect to a Term Benchmark Loan for any Interest Period, the sum of (i) Term SOFR Credit Adjustment Spread and (ii) the Term SOFR Reference Rate for a tenor comparable to the applicable Interest Period on the day (such day, the “Periodic Term SOFR Determination Day”) that is two (2) U.S. Government Securities Business Days prior to the first day of such Interest Period, as such rate is published by the Term SOFR Administrator (the “Term SOFR Screen Rate”); provided, that if as of 5:00 p.m. (New York City time) on any Periodic Term SOFR Determination Day the Term SOFR Reference Rate for the applicable tenor has not been published by the Term SOFR Administrator and a Benchmark Replacement Date with respect to the Term SOFR Reference Rate has not occurred, then Term SOFR will be the Term SOFR Reference Rate for such tenor as published by the Term SOFR Administrator on the first preceding U.S. Government Securities Business Day for which such Term SOFR Reference Rate for such tenor was published by the Term SOFR Administrator so long as such first preceding U.S. Government Securities Business Day is not more than three (3) U.S. Government Securities Business Days prior to such Periodic Term SOFR Determination Day, and

(b) for any calculation with respect to an ABR Loan on any day, the sum of (i) Term SOFR Credit Adjustment Spread and (ii) the Term SOFR Reference Rate for a tenor of one month on the day (such day, the “Base Rate Term SOFR Determination Day”) that is two (2) U.S. Government Securities Business Days prior to such day, as such rate is published by the Term SOFR Administrator; provided that if as of 5:00 p.m. on any Base Rate Term SOFR Determination Day the Term SOFR Reference Rate for the applicable tenor has not been published by the Term SOFR Administrator and a Benchmark Replacement Date with respect to the Term SOFR Reference Rate has not occurred, then Term SOFR will be the Term SOFR Reference Rate for such tenor as published by the Term SOFR Administrator on the first preceding U.S. Government Securities Business Day for which such Term SOFR Reference Rate for such tenor was published by the Term SOFR Administrator so long as such first preceding U.S. Government Securities Business Day is not more than three (3) U.S. Government Securities Business Days prior to such Base Rate Term SOFR Determination Day;

provided, that if Term SOFR determined as provided above (including pursuant to the proviso under clause (a) or (b) above) shall ever be less than zero, then Term SOFR shall be deemed to be zero.

Term SOFR Administrator” means CME Group Benchmark Administration Limited (CBA) (or a successor administrator of the Term SOFR Reference Rate selected by the Administrative Agent in its reasonable discretion).

Term SOFR Credit Adjustment Spread” means 0.10%.

Term SOFR Reference Rate” means the forward-looking term rate based on SOFR.

Term SOFR Screen Rate” has the meaning specified in the definition of “Term SOFR”.

Transactions” means the execution, delivery and performance by the Borrower of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, the borrowing of Loans, the use of the proceeds thereof and the issuance of Letters of Credit hereunder.

Transferred Assets” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 6.03(i).

 

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Type”, when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether the rate of interest on such Loan, or on the Loans constituting such Borrowing, is determined by reference to the Alternate Base Rate, the Daily Simple RFR, Term SOFR, the CDO Rate or the Adjusted EURIBO Rate.

UK Financial Institution” means any BRRD Undertaking (as such term is defined under the PRA Rulebook (as amended from time to time) promulgated by the United Kingdom Prudential Regulation Authority) or any person falling within IFPRU 11.6 of the FCA Handbook (as amended from time to time) promulgated by the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority, which includes certain credit institutions and investment firms, and certain affiliates of such credit institutions or investment firms.

UK Resolution Authority” means the Bank of England or any other public administrative authority having responsibility for the resolution of any UK Financial Institution.

Unadjusted Benchmark Replacement” means the applicable Benchmark Replacement excluding the related Benchmark Replacement Adjustment.

Unasserted Contingent Obligations” means all (i) unasserted contingent indemnification obligations not then due and payable and (ii) unasserted expense reimbursement obligations not then due and payable. For the avoidance of doubt, “Unasserted Contingent Obligations” shall not include any reimbursement obligations in respect of any Letter of Credit.

Uniform Commercial Code” means the Uniform Commercial Code as in effect from time to time in the State of New York.

Unquoted Investments” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 5.12(b)(ii)(B).

Unsecured Indebtedness” means, as of any date, (1) any Permitted Advisor Loan (which may be Guaranteed by one or more other Obligors) and (2) Indebtedness of an Obligor (which may be Guaranteed by one (1) or more other Obligors) that:

(a) has no scheduled amortization prior to (other than for amortization in an amount not greater than 1% of the aggregate initial principal amount of such Indebtedness per annum, provided that amortization in excess of 1% per annum shall be permitted so long as the amount of such amortization in excess of 1% is permitted to be incurred pursuant to Section 6.01(b), 6.01(i), 6.01(m) or 6.01(n) hereof), and a final maturity date not earlier than, six (6) months after the Maturity Date (it being understood that (i) none of (w) the conversion features into Permitted Equity Interests under convertible notes, (x) the triggering and/or settlement thereof solely with Permitted Equity Interests, except in the case of interest expense or fractional shares (which may be payable in cash), (y) any customary mandatory prepayment provisions required by the terms thereof or (z) any customary voluntary prepayment provisions permitted by the terms thereof, shall constitute “amortization” for the purposes of this definition and (ii) any mandatory amortization that is contingent upon the happening of an event that is not certain to occur (including, without limitation, a change of control or bankruptcy) shall not in and of itself be deemed to disqualify such Indebtedness under this clause (a); provided, with respect to this clause (ii), the Borrower acknowledges that any payment prior to the Maturity Date in respect of any such obligation or right shall only be made to the extent permitted by Section 6.12 and immediately upon such contingent event occurring the amount of such mandatory amortization shall be included in the Covered Debt Amount);

 

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(b) is incurred pursuant to terms that are substantially comparable to (or more favorable to the Borrower than) market terms for substantially similar debt of other similarly situated borrowers as reasonably determined by the Borrower in good faith or, if such transaction is not one in which there are market terms for substantially similar debt of other similarly situated borrowers, on terms that are negotiated in good faith on an arm’s length basis (except, in each case, other than financial covenants and events of default (other than events of default customary in indentures or similar instruments that have no analogous provisions in this Agreement or credit agreements generally), which shall be not materially more burdensome upon the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, while any Loans or Commitments are outstanding, than those set forth in the Loan Documents); provided that, the Obligors may incur any Unsecured Indebtedness that otherwise would not meet the requirements set forth in this clause (b) if it has duly made a Modification Offer (whether or not it is accepted by the Required Lenders) (it being understood that put rights or repurchase or redemption obligations (i) in the case of convertible securities, in connection with the suspension or delisting of the capital stock of the Borrower or the failure of the Borrower to satisfy a continued listing rule with respect to its capital stock or (ii) arising out of circumstances that would constitute a “fundamental change” (as such term is customarily defined in convertible note offerings) or an Event of Default under this Agreement shall not be deemed to be more restrictive for purposes of this definition); and

(c) is not secured by any assets of any Obligor.

For the avoidance of doubt, Unsecured Indebtedness shall also include any refinancing, refunding, renewal or extension of any Unsecured Indebtedness so long as such refinanced, refunded, renewed or extended Indebtedness continues to satisfy the requirements of this definition. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the term Unsecured Indebtedness shall include any Disqualified Equity Interests so long as the Borrower is not permitted or required to purchase, redeem, retire, acquire, cancel or terminate any such Equity Interest (other than (x) as a result of a change of control or asset sale or (y) in connection with any purchase, redemption, retirement, acquisition, cancellation or termination with, or in exchange for, Equity Interest) prior to the date that is six months after the Maturity Date.

U.S. Government Securities” means securities that are direct obligations of, and obligations the timely payment of principal and interest on which is fully guaranteed by, the United States or any agency or instrumentality of the United States the obligations of which are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States and in the form of conventional bills, bonds, and notes.

U.S. Government Securities Business Day” shall mean any day except for (i) a Saturday, (ii) a Sunday or (iii) a day on which the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association recommends that the fixed income departments of its members be closed for the entire day for purposes of trading in United States government securities.

 

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U.S. Special Resolution Regime” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 9.17.

USA Patriot Act” means the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001.

Valuation Policy” means the Borrower’s valuation policy, as the same may be amended, supplemented, waived, or otherwise modified from time to time consistent with industry practice for business development companies and in a manner not prohibited by this Agreement.

Value” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 5.13.

Withdrawal Liability” means liability to a Multiemployer Plan as a result of a “complete withdrawal” or “partial withdrawal” from such Multiemployer Plan, as such terms are defined in Sections 4203 and 4205 of ERISA.

Write-Down and Conversion Powers” means, (a) with respect to any EEA Resolution Authority, the write-down and conversion powers of such EEA Resolution Authority from time to time under the Bail-In Legislation for the applicable EEA Member Country, which write-down and conversion powers are described in the EU Bail-In Legislation Schedule, and (b) with respect to the United Kingdom, any powers of the applicable Resolution Authority under the Bail-In Legislation to cancel, reduce, modify or change the form of a liability of any UK Financial Institution or any contract or instrument under which that liability arises, to convert all or part of that liability into shares, securities or obligations of that person or any other person, to provide that any such contract or instrument is to have effect as if a right had been exercised under it or to suspend any obligation in respect of that liability or any of the powers under that Bail-In Legislation that are related to or ancillary to any of those powers.

SECTION 1.02. Classification of Loans and Borrowings. For purposes of this Agreement, Loans, Letters of Credit and LC Exposure may be classified and referred to by Class (e.g., a “Revolving Loan”), by Type (e.g., an “ABR Loan”) or by Class and Type (e.g., a “Revolving Term Benchmark Loan”). Borrowings also may be classified and referred to by Class (e.g., a “Revolving Borrowing”), by Type (e.g., an “ABR Borrowing”) or by Class and Type (e.g., a “Multicurrency Term Benchmark Borrowing”). Loans and Borrowings may also be identified as “Multicurrency” or “Dollar” or otherwise by Currency.

SECTION 1.03. Terms Generally. The definitions of terms herein shall apply equally to the singular and plural forms of the terms defined. Whenever the context may require, any pronoun shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine and neuter forms. The words “include”, “includes” and “including” shall be deemed to be followed by the phrase “without limitation”. The word “will” shall be construed to have the same meaning and effect as the word “shall”. Unless the context requires otherwise (a) any definition of or reference to any agreement, instrument or other document herein shall be construed as referring to such agreement, instrument or other document as from time to time amended, restated, amended and restated, supplemented, renewed or otherwise modified (subject to any restrictions on such amendments, supplements, renewals or modifications set forth herein or therein), (b) any reference herein to any Person shall be construed to include such Person’s successors and assigns (subject to any restrictions on such successors and assigns set forth herein or therein), (c) the words “herein”, “hereof” and

 

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“hereunder”, and words of similar import, shall be construed to refer to this Agreement in its entirety and not to any particular provision hereof, (d) all references herein to Articles, Sections, Exhibits and Schedules shall be construed to refer to Articles and Sections of, and Exhibits and Schedules to, this Agreement and (e) the words “asset” and “property” shall be construed to have the same meaning and effect and to refer to any and all tangible and intangible assets and properties, including cash, securities, accounts and contract rights. Solely for purposes of this Agreement, any references to “principal amount” or “obligations” owed by any Person under any (x) Hedging Agreement shall refer to the amount that would be required to be paid by such Person if such Hedging Agreement (other than Credit Default Swaps) were terminated at such time (after giving effect to any netting agreement) less any collateral posted in support thereof and (y) Credit Default Swap shall refer to the notional amount thereof less any collateral posted in support thereof.

SECTION 1.04. Accounting Terms; GAAP. Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, all terms of an accounting or financial nature shall be construed in accordance with GAAP, as in effect from time to time; provided that, if the Borrower notifies the Administrative Agent that the Borrower requests an amendment to any provision hereof to eliminate the effect of any change occurring after the Effective Date in GAAP or in the application thereof on the operation of such provision (or if the Administrative Agent notifies the Borrower that the Required Lenders request an amendment to any provision hereof for such purpose), regardless of whether any such notice is given before or after such change in GAAP or in the application thereof, then the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and Lenders agree to enter into negotiations in good faith in order to amend such provisions of this Agreement so as to equitably reflect such change to comply with GAAP with the desired result that the criteria for evaluating the Borrower’s financial condition shall be the same after such change to comply with GAAP as if such change had not been made; provided, however, until such amendments to equitably reflect such changes are effective and agreed to by the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and the Required Lenders (or until such notice shall have been withdrawn), the Borrower’s compliance with such financial covenants shall be determined on the basis of GAAP as in effect and applied immediately before such change in GAAP becomes effective. Notwithstanding the foregoing or anything herein to the contrary, the Borrower covenants and agrees with the Lenders that whether or not the Borrower may at any time adopt Financial Accounting Standard Board Accounting Standards Codification 820 or 825-10 (or, in each case, any other Financial Accounting Standard having a similar result or effect) or accounts for liabilities acquired in an acquisition on a fair value basis pursuant to Financial Accounting Standard No. 141(R) (or successor standard solely as it relates to fair valuing liabilities), all determinations of compliance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement shall be made on the basis that the Borrower has not adopted Financial Accounting Standard Board Accounting Standards Codification 820 or 825-10 (or, in each case, any other Financial Accounting Standard having a similar result or effect) or, in the case of liabilities acquired in an acquisition, Financial Accounting Standard No. 141(R) (or such successor standard solely as it relates to fair valuing liabilities).

 

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SECTION 1.05. Currencies; Currency Equivalents.

(a) Currencies Generally. At any time, any reference in the definition of the term “Agreed Foreign Currency” or in any other provision of this Agreement to the Currency of any particular nation means the lawful currency of such nation at such time whether or not the name of such Currency is the same as it was on the Effective Date. Except as provided in Section 2.10(b) and the last sentence of Section 2.17(a), for purposes of determining (i) whether the amount of any Borrowing or Letter of Credit under the Multicurrency Commitments, together with all other Borrowings and Letters of Credit under the Multicurrency Commitments then outstanding or to be borrowed at the same time as such Borrowing, would exceed the aggregate amount of the Multicurrency Commitments, (ii) the aggregate unutilized amount of the Multicurrency Commitments, (iii) the Revolving Multicurrency Credit Exposure, (iv) the Multicurrency LC Exposure, (v) the Covered Debt Amount and (vi) the Borrowing Base or the Value of any Portfolio Investment, the outstanding principal amount of any Borrowing or Letter of Credit that is denominated in any Foreign Currency or the Value of any Portfolio Investment that is denominated in any Foreign Currency shall be deemed to be the Dollar Equivalent of the amount of the Foreign Currency of such Borrowing, Letter of Credit or the Portfolio Investment, as the case may be, determined as of the most recent Revaluation Date or, in the case of a Portfolio Investment, the date of valuation of such Portfolio Investment. Wherever in this Agreement in connection with a Borrowing, conversion, continuation or prepayment of a Term Benchmark Loan or RFR Loan or the issuance, amendment or extension of a Letter of Credit, an amount, such as a required minimum or multiple amount, is expressed in Dollars, but such Borrowing, Loan or Letter of Credit is denominated in a Foreign Currency, such amount shall be the relevant Foreign Currency Equivalent of such Dollar amount (rounded to the nearest 1,000 units of such Foreign Currency). Notwithstanding the foregoing, for purposes of determining compliance with any basket in Section 6.01(e)(ii), 6.01(i), 6.01(n), 6.03(h), 6.04(i) or 6.04(j) of this Agreement, in no event shall the Borrower or any Obligor be deemed to not be in compliance with any such basket solely as a result of a change in exchange rates.

The Administrative Agent shall determine the Exchange Rate for any Foreign Currency as of each Revaluation Date to be used for calculating the Dollar Equivalent amounts of Loans, Letters of Credit and Revolving Credit Exposure denominated in such Foreign Currency. Such Exchange Rate shall become effective as of such Revaluation Date and shall be the Exchange Rate employed in converting any amounts between the applicable currencies until the next Revaluation Date to occur. Except for purposes of financial statements delivered pursuant to Section 5.01 or except as otherwise provided herein, the applicable amount of any currency (other than Dollars) for purposes of the Loan Documents shall be such Dollar Equivalent amount as so determined by the Administrative Agent. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, for purposes of determining compliance with any basket in this Agreement, in no event shall any Obligor be deemed to not be in compliance with any such basket solely as a result of a change in Exchange Rates.

(b) Special Provisions Relating to Euro. Each obligation hereunder of any party hereto that is denominated in the National Currency of a state that is not a Participating Member State on the Effective Date shall, effective from the date on which such state becomes a Participating Member State, be redenominated in Euro in accordance with the legislation of the European Union applicable to the European Monetary Union; provided that, if and to the extent that any such legislation provides that any such obligation of any such party payable within such Participating Member State by crediting an account of the creditor can be paid by the debtor either in Euro or such National Currency, such party shall be entitled to pay or repay such amount either in Euro or in such National Currency. If the basis of accrual of interest or fees expressed in this Agreement with respect to an Agreed Foreign Currency of any country that becomes a Participating Member

 

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State after the date on which such currency becomes an Agreed Foreign Currency shall be inconsistent with any convention or practice in the interbank market for the basis of accrual of interest or fees in respect of the Euro, such convention or practice shall replace such expressed basis effective as of and from the date on which such state becomes a Participating Member State; provided that, with respect to any Borrowing denominated in such currency that is outstanding immediately prior to such date, such replacement shall take effect at the end of the Interest Period therefor.

Without prejudice to the respective liabilities of the Borrower to the Lenders and the Lenders to the Borrower under or pursuant to this Agreement, each provision of this Agreement shall be subject to such reasonable changes of construction as the Administrative Agent may from time to time, in consultation with the Borrower, reasonably specify to be necessary or appropriate to reflect the introduction or changeover to the Euro in any country that becomes a Participating Member State after the Effective Date; provided that the Administrative Agent shall provide the Borrower and the Lenders with prior notice of the proposed change with an explanation of such change in sufficient time to permit the Borrower and the Lenders an opportunity to respond to such proposed change.

SECTION 1.06. Divisions. For all purposes under the Loan Documents, in connection with any division or plan of division under Delaware law (or any comparable event under a different jurisdiction’s laws): (a) if any asset, right, obligation or liability of any Person becomes the asset, right, obligation or liability of a different Person, then it shall be deemed to have been transferred from the original Person to the subsequent Person, and (b) if any new Person comes into existence, such new Person shall be deemed to have been organized or acquired on the first date of its existence by the holders of its Equity Interests at such time.

SECTION 1.07. Issuers. For all purposes of this Agreement, all issuers of Portfolio Investments that are Affiliates of one another shall be treated as a single issuer, unless such issuers are Affiliates of one another solely because they are under the common Control of the same private equity sponsor or similar sponsor.

SECTION 1.08. Outstanding Indebtedness. For the avoidance of doubt, to the extent that any Indebtedness is repaid, redeemed, repurchased, defeased or otherwise acquired, retired or discharged, in each case, in accordance with the terms of the documentation governing such Indebtedness, such Indebtedness shall be deemed to be paid off and not to be outstanding for any purpose hereunder to the extent of the amount of such repayment, redemption, repurchase, defeasance, retirement or discharge.

SECTION 1.09. Letter of Credit Amounts. Unless otherwise specified herein, the amount of a Letter of Credit at any time shall be the amount of such Letter of Credit available to be drawn at such time; provided that with respect to any Letter of Credit that, by its terms, provides for one or more automatic (subject only to the passage of time) increases in the available amount thereof prior to the earlier of the then-applicable expiration date of such Letter of Credit (without giving effect to any renewal or extension) and twelve (12) months after the later of the (i) initial date of issuance of such Letter of Credit and (ii) most recent date of renewal or extension of such Letter of Credit, the amount of such Letter of Credit shall be deemed to be the maximum amount of such Letter of Credit after giving effect to all such increases, whether or not such maximum amount is available to be drawn at such time.

 

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SECTION 1.10. Reclassification. For purposes of determining compliance with the provisions in Article VI, in the event that a proposed transaction or other action meets the criteria of more than one of the categories described therein, the Borrower, in its sole discretion, will be permitted to classify such transaction or other action on the date it is consummated or otherwise taken or later reclassify such transaction or other action, in any manner that complies with each applicable provision of Article VI, so long as such transaction or other action is permitted to be consummated or otherwise taken pursuant to each applicable provision of Article VI at the time of reclassification.

SECTION 1.11. Calculations. For purposes of categorization of each Portfolio Investment in accordance with Section 5.13, the amount of “first lien debt”, “aggregate first lien debt” and “EBITDA” with respect to any Portfolio Investment may be calculated by the Borrower in good faith using information from and calculations consistent with the relevant financial models, pro forma financial statements, compliance certificates and financial reporting packages provided by the relevant obligor or issuer as per the requirements of and all in the manner set forth in the relevant agreement governing such Portfolio Investment.

SECTION 1.12. Rates. The Administrative Agent does not warrant or accept responsibility for, and shall not have any liability with respect to (a) the continuation of, administration of, submission of, calculation of or any other matter related to the Alternate Base Rate, the Daily Simple RFR, Term SOFR, the CDO Rate or the Adjusted EURIBO Rate or any component definition thereof or rates referred to in the definition thereof, or any alternative, successor or replacement rate thereto (including any Benchmark Replacement), including whether the composition or characteristics of any such alternative, successor or replacement rate (including any Benchmark Replacement) will be similar to, or produce the same value or economic equivalence of, or have the same volume or liquidity as, the Alternate Base Rate, the Daily Simple RFR, Term SOFR, the CDO Rate, the Adjusted EURIBO Rate or any other Benchmark prior to its discontinuance or unavailability, or (b) the effect, implementation or composition of any Conforming Changes. The Administrative Agent and its affiliates or other related entities may engage in transactions that affect the calculation of the Alternate Base Rate, the Daily Simple RFR, Term SOFR, the CDO Rate, the Adjusted EURIBO Rate or any alternative, successor or replacement rate (including any Benchmark Replacement) or any relevant adjustments thereto, in each case, in a manner adverse to the Borrower. The Administrative Agent may select information sources or services in its reasonable discretion to ascertain the Alternate Base Rate, the Daily Simple RFR, Term SOFR, the CDO Rate, the Adjusted EURIBO Rate or any other Benchmark, in each case pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, and shall have no liability to the Borrower, any Lender or any other person or entity for damages of any kind, including direct or indirect, special, punitive, incidental or consequential damages, costs, losses or expenses (whether in tort, contract or otherwise and whether at law or in equity), for any error or calculation of any such rate (or component thereof) by any such information source or service.

 

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ARTICLE II

THE CREDITS

SECTION 2.01. The Commitments.

Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein:

(a) each Dollar Lender severally agrees to make Revolving Loans in Dollars to the Borrower from time to time during the Availability Period in an aggregate principal amount that will not result in (i) such Lender’s Revolving Dollar Credit Exposure exceeding such Lender’s Dollar Commitment, (ii) the aggregate Revolving Dollar Credit Exposure of all of the Lenders exceeding the Dollar Commitments, or (iii) the total Covered Debt Amount exceeding the Borrowing Base then in effect; and

(b) each Multicurrency Lender severally agrees to make Revolving Loans in Dollars or in any Agreed Foreign Currency to the Borrower from time to time during the Availability Period in an aggregate principal amount that will not result in (i) such Lender’s Revolving Multicurrency Credit Exposure exceeding such Lender’s Multicurrency Commitment, (ii) the aggregate Revolving Multicurrency Credit Exposure of all of the Lenders exceeding the Multicurrency Commitments, or (iii) the total Covered Debt Amount exceeding the Borrowing Base then in effect.

Within the foregoing limits and subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Borrower may borrow, prepay and reborrow Revolving Loans.

SECTION 2.02. Loans and Borrowings.

(a) Obligations of Lenders. Each Loan shall be made as part of a Borrowing consisting of Loans of the same Class, Currency and Type made by the applicable Lenders ratably in accordance with their respective Commitments of the same Class. The failure of any Lender to make any Loan required to be made by it shall not relieve any other Lender of its obligations hereunder; provided that the Commitments of the Lenders are several and no Lender shall be responsible for any other Lender’s failure to make Loans as required.

(b) Type of Loans. Subject to Section 2.13, (i) each Borrowing of a Class shall be constituted entirely of ABR Loans, of RFR Loans or of Term Benchmark Loans of such Class denominated in a single Currency as the Borrower may request in accordance herewith. Each ABR Loan shall be denominated in Dollars and (ii) each Pro-Rata Borrowing shall be constituted entirely of ABR Loans or of Term Benchmark Loans denominated in Dollars. Each Term Benchmark Loan shall be denominated in an Agreed Foreign Currency (other than GBP) or Dollars. Each Daily Simple RFR Loan shall be denominated in GBP. Each Lender at its option may make any RFR Loan or Term Benchmark Loan by causing any domestic or foreign branch or Affiliate of such Lender to make such Loan; provided that (i) any exercise of such option shall not affect the obligation of the Borrower to repay such Loan in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and (ii) in exercising such option, such Lender shall use commercially reasonable efforts to minimize any increased costs to the Borrower resulting therefrom (which obligation of the Lender shall not require it to take, or refrain from taking, actions that it determines would result in increased costs for which it will not be compensated hereunder or that it determines would be otherwise disadvantageous to it and in the event of such request for costs for which compensation is provided under this Agreement, the provisions of Sections 2.14 and 2.19 shall apply).

 

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(c) Minimum Amounts. Each Borrowing (whether Term Benchmark, RFR, ABR or Swingline) shall be in an aggregate principal amount of $250,000 or a whole multiple of $100,000 in excess thereof (or, in each case, such smaller amount as may be agreed to by the Administrative Agent) or, with respect to any Agreed Foreign Currency, such smaller minimum amount as may be agreed to by the Administrative Agent; provided that (i) an ABR Borrowing of a Class may be in an aggregate principal amount that is equal to the entire unused balance of the total Commitments of such Class or that is required to finance the reimbursement of an LC Disbursement of such Class as contemplated by Section 2.05(f) and (ii) any Pro-Rata Borrowing may be in an aggregate principal amount of $250,000 or a whole multiple of $100,000 in excess thereof (or, in each case, such smaller amount as may be agreed to by the Administrative Agent). Borrowings of more than one (1) Class, Currency and Type may be outstanding at the same time.

(d) Limitations on Interest Periods. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the Borrower shall not be entitled to request (or to elect to convert to or continue as a Term Benchmark Borrowing or RFR Borrowing) any Borrowing if the Interest Period requested therefor would end after the Maturity Date.

SECTION 2.03. Requests for Borrowings.

(a) Notice by the Borrower. To request a Borrowing (other than a Swingline Loan), the Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent of such request by electronic communication (i) in the case of a Term Benchmark Borrowing denominated in Dollars, not later than 12:00 p.m., New York City time, three (3) Business Days before the date of the proposed Borrowing, (ii) in the case of a Term Benchmark Borrowing denominated in a Foreign Currency, not later than 12:00 p.m., New York City time, three (3) Business Days before the date of the proposed Borrowing, (iii) in the case of an ABR Borrowing, not later than 11:00 a.m., New York City time, on the date of the proposed Borrowing or (iv) in the case of an RFR Borrowing, not later than 12:00 p.m., New York City time, three (3) Business Days before the date of the proposed Borrowing. Each such telephonic Borrowing Request shall be irrevocable and shall be confirmed promptly by hand delivery, telecopy or electronic mail to the Administrative Agent of a written Borrowing Request in a form approved by the Administrative Agent and signed by the Borrower. Notwithstanding the other provisions of this Agreement, in the case of any Revolving Borrowing denominated in Dollars, the Borrower may request that such Borrowing be split into a Dollar Loan in an aggregate principal amount equal to the Pro-Rata Dollar Portion and a Multicurrency Loan in an aggregate amount equal to the Pro-Rata Multicurrency Portion (any such Borrowing, a “Pro-Rata Borrowing”). Except as expressly set forth in this Agreement, a Pro-Rata Borrowing shall be treated as being comprised of two (2) separate Borrowings, a Dollar Borrowing under the Dollar Commitments and a Multicurrency Borrowing under the Multicurrency Commitments.

(b) Content of Borrowing Requests. Each such telephonic and written Borrowing Request shall specify the following information in compliance with Section 2.02:

(i) whether such Borrowing is to be made under the Dollar Commitments or the Multicurrency Commitments or as a Pro-Rata Borrowing;

 

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(ii) in the case of a Revolving Borrowing, if such Borrowing is a Pro-Rata Borrowing, the Pro-Rata Dollar Portion and the Pro-Rata Multicurrency Portion;

(iii) in the case of a Revolving Borrowing, the aggregate amount and Currency of the requested Borrowing;

(iv) the date of such Borrowing, which shall be a Business Day;

(v) in the case of any Revolving Borrowing denominated in Dollars, whether such Borrowing is to be an ABR Borrowing or a Term Benchmark Borrowing;

(vi) in the case of a Term Benchmark Borrowing or RFR Borrowing, the Interest Period therefor, which shall be a period contemplated by the definition of the term “Interest Period” and permitted under Section 2.02(d); and

(vii) the location and number of the Borrower’s account (or such other account(s) as the Borrower may designate in a written Borrowing Request accompanied by information reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent as to the identity and purpose of such other account(s)) to which funds are to be disbursed or, in the case of any ABR Borrowing requested to finance the reimbursement of an LC Disbursement provided in Section 2.05(f), the identity of the Issuing Bank that made such LC Disbursement.

(c) Notice by the Administrative Agent to the Lenders. Promptly following receipt of a Borrowing Request in accordance with this Section 2.03, the Administrative Agent shall advise each applicable Lender of the details thereof and of the amounts of such Lender’s Loan to be made as part of the requested Borrowing.

(d) Failure to Elect. If no election as to the Class of a Revolving Borrowing is specified in a Borrowing Request, then the requested Borrowing shall be denominated in Dollars and shall be a Pro-Rata Borrowing. If no election as to the Currency of a Revolving Borrowing is specified in a Borrowing Request, then the requested Borrowing shall be denominated in Dollars. If no election as to the Type or Currency of a Borrowing is specified in a Borrowing Request, then the requested Borrowing shall be a Term Benchmark Borrowing denominated in Dollars having an Interest Period of one (1) month and, if an Agreed Foreign Currency has been specified, the requested Borrowing shall be a Term Benchmark Borrowing or RFR Borrowing, as applicable denominated in such Agreed Foreign Currency and having an Interest Period of one (1) month. If a Borrowing (other than an ABR Borrowing) is requested but no Interest Period is specified, (i) if the Currency specified for such Borrowing is Dollars (or if no Currency has been so specified), the requested Borrowing shall be a Term Benchmark Borrowing denominated in Dollars having an Interest Period of one (1) month’s duration, and (ii) if the Currency specified for such Borrowing is an Agreed Foreign Currency, the Borrower shall be deemed to have selected an Interest Period of one (1) month’s duration.

(e) Notice by Borrower for Initial Borrowing. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein and the notice requirements set forth in Section 2.03(a), to request a Borrowing to be made on the Effective Date, the Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent of such request by telephone (confirmed by telecopy or electronic communication) not later than 12:00 p.m., New York City time, one (1) Business Day before the date of the proposed Effective Date (or such later time as reasonably agreed by the Administrative Agent). For the avoidance of doubt, such notice shall not affect any future obligations of the Borrower to comply with the obligations of Section 2.03(a) in connection with any Borrowing Request.

 

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SECTION 2.04. Swingline Loans.

(a) Agreement to Make Swingline Loans. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, each Swingline Lender severally agrees to make Swingline Loans under each Commitment to the Borrower from time to time during the Availability Period, in Dollars, in an aggregate principal amount at any time outstanding that will not result in (i) the aggregate principal amount of outstanding Swingline Loans exceeding $50,000,000 or any Swingline Lender’s outstanding Swingline Loans exceeding the amount set forth opposite the name of such Swingline Lender on Schedule IX, (ii) the sum of any Swingline Lender’s outstanding Dollar Loans, its Dollar LC Exposure and its outstanding Swingline Loans exceeding its Dollar Commitment, (iii) the sum of any Swingline Lender’s outstanding Multicurrency Loans, its Multicurrency LC Exposure and its outstanding Swingline Loans exceeding its Multicurrency Commitment, (iv) the total Revolving Dollar Credit Exposures exceeding the aggregate Dollar Commitments, (v) the total Revolving Multicurrency Credit Exposures exceeding the aggregate Multicurrency Commitments or (vi) the total Covered Debt Amount exceeding the Borrowing Base then in effect; provided that no Swingline Lender shall be required to make a Swingline Loan to refinance an outstanding Swingline Loan. Within the foregoing limits and subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Borrower may borrow, repay, prepay and reborrow Swingline Loans.

(b) Notice of Swingline Loans by the Borrower. To request a Swingline Loan, the Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent and each Swingline Lender of such request by telephone (confirmed by telecopy or electronic communication) not later than 1:00 p.m., New York City time, on the day of such proposed Swingline Loan. Each such notice shall be irrevocable and shall specify the Swingline Lender from which such Swingline Loan shall be made, the requested date (which shall be a Business Day) and the amount of the requested Swingline Loan (which (x) in the case of any Swingline Lender that is a Dollar Lender, shall be made under the Dollar Commitments and (y) in the case of any Swingline Lender that is a Multicurrency Lender, shall be made under the Multicurrency Commitments). The Administrative Agent will promptly advise the applicable Swingline Lender of any such notice received from the Borrower. Each Swingline Lender shall make each applicable Swingline Loan available to the Borrower by means of a credit to the Borrower’s account specified in Section 2.03(b)(vii) (or, in the case of a Swingline Loan made to finance the reimbursement of an LC Disbursement as provided in Section 2.05(f), by remittance to the Administrative Agent for remittance to the applicable Issuing Bank) by 3:00 p.m., New York City time, on the requested date of such Swingline Loan.

(c) Participations by Lenders in Swingline Loans. Any Swingline Lender may by written notice given to the Administrative Agent not later than 10:00 a.m., New York City time on any Business Day, require (x) the Multicurrency Lenders in the case of any Swingline Loan made under the Multicurrency Commitments and (y) the Dollar Lenders in the case of any Swingline Loan made under the Dollar Commitments, in each case, to acquire participations on such Business Day in all or a portion of such Swingline Loans, and the applicable Lenders shall participate in such Swingline Loans (and in the event any such Swingline Loan is not repaid within five (5)

 

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Business Days and the Borrower has submitted a Borrowing Request in accordance with Section 2.03, such Swingline Loan shall be converted to a Term Benchmark Loan denominated in Dollars having an Interest Period of one (1) month’s duration made ratably by the applicable Lenders and shall no longer constitute a Swingline Loan). Such notice to the Administrative Agent shall specify the aggregate amount of Swingline Loans in which the applicable Lenders will participate. Promptly upon receipt of such notice, the Administrative Agent will give notice thereof to each Dollar Lender or Multicurrency Lender, as applicable, specifying in such notice such Lender’s Applicable Dollar Percentage or Applicable Multicurrency Percentage, as applicable, of such Swingline Loan or Loans. Each Lender hereby absolutely and unconditionally agrees, upon receipt of notice as provided above in this paragraph, to pay to the Administrative Agent, for account of any applicable Swingline Lender, such Lender’s Applicable Dollar Percentage or Applicable Multicurrency Percentage, as applicable, of the applicable Swingline Loan or Loans made under such Lender’s Class of Commitments.

Subject to the foregoing, each Lender acknowledges and agrees that its obligation to acquire participations in Swingline Loans pursuant to this paragraph (c) is absolute and unconditional and shall not be affected by any circumstance whatsoever, including the occurrence and continuance of a Default or reduction or termination of the Commitments of the respective Class, and that each such payment shall be made without any offset, abatement, withholding or reduction whatsoever. Each Lender shall comply with its obligation under this paragraph by wire transfer of immediately available funds, in the same manner as provided in Section 2.06 with respect to Loans made by such Lender (and Section 2.06 shall apply, mutatis mutandis, to the payment obligations of the Lenders), and the Administrative Agent shall promptly pay to the applicable Swingline Lender the amounts so received by it from the Lenders. The Administrative Agent shall notify the Borrower of any participations in any Swingline Loan acquired pursuant to this paragraph, and thereafter payments in respect of such Swingline Loan shall be made to the Administrative Agent and not to the applicable Swingline Lender. Any amounts received by a Swingline Lender from the Borrower (or other party on behalf of the Borrower) in respect of a Swingline Loan after receipt by such Swingline Lender of the proceeds of a sale of participations therein shall be promptly remitted to the Administrative Agent; any such amounts received by the Administrative Agent shall be promptly remitted by the Administrative Agent to the Lenders that shall have made their payments pursuant to this paragraph and to the applicable Swingline Lender, as their interests may appear. The purchase of participations in a Swingline Loan pursuant to this paragraph shall not relieve the Borrower of any default in the payment thereof.

(d) Replacement of Any Swingline Lender. Any Swingline Lender may be replaced at any time by written agreement among the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, the replaced Swingline Lender and the successor Swingline Lender. The Administrative Agent shall notify the Lenders of any such resignation and replacement of any Swingline Lender. In addition, if any Swingline Lender, in its capacity as a Lender, assigns all of its Loans and Commitments in connection with the terms of this Agreement, such Swingline Lender shall be deemed to have automatically resigned as a Swingline Lender hereunder. The Administrative Agent shall notify the Lenders of any such replacement of any Swingline Lender. At the time any such replacement or resignation shall become effective, the Borrower shall pay all unpaid fees accrued for the account of the replaced or resigning Swingline Lender pursuant to Section 2.11. From and after the effective date of any such replacement, (i) the successor Swingline Lender shall have all the rights and obligations of the replaced Swingline Lender under this Agreement with respect to

 

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Swingline Loans to be made thereafter and (ii) references herein to the term “Swingline Lender” and/or “Swingline Lenders” shall be deemed to refer to such successor or successors (and the other current Swingline Lenders, if applicable) or to any previous Swingline Lender, or to such successor or successors (and all other current Swingline Lenders) and all previous Swingline Lenders, as the context shall require. After the replacement or resignation of a Swingline Lender hereunder, the replaced or resigning Swingline Lender shall have no obligation to make additional Swingline Loans.

(e) Designation of Additional Swingline Lenders. The Borrower may, at any time and from time to time, with the consent of the Administrative Agent (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld), designate as additional Swingline Lenders one (1) or more Lenders that agree to serve in such capacity as provided below. The acceptance by a Lender of an appointment as a Swingline Lender hereunder shall be evidenced by an agreement, which shall be in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent, executed by the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and such designated Lender and, from and after the effective date of such agreement, (i) such Lender shall have all the rights and obligations of a Swingline Lender under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents and (ii) references herein or therein to the term “Swingline Lender” shall be deemed to include such Lender in its capacity as a maker of Swingline Loans hereunder.

SECTION 2.05. Letters of Credit.

(a) General. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, in addition to the Loans provided for in Section 2.01, the Borrower may request any Issuing Bank to issue, and each Issuing Bank severally agrees to issue, at any time and from time to time during the Availability Period, Letters of Credit denominated in Dollars or in any Agreed Foreign Currency for its own account or the account of its designee (provided the Borrower shall remain primarily liable to the Lenders hereunder for payment and reimbursement of all amounts payable in respect of such Letter of Credit hereunder) in such form as is acceptable to such Issuing Bank and such named beneficiary or beneficiaries as are specified by the Borrower, each in its reasonable determination, and for the benefit of such named beneficiary or beneficiaries as are specified by the Borrower. Letters of Credit issued hereunder shall constitute utilization of the Multicurrency Commitments or the Dollar Commitments, as applicable, up to the aggregate amount then available to be drawn thereunder. Without limiting any rights of an Issuing Bank under this Section 2.05, no Issuing Bank shall be obligated to issue, amend, renew or extend any Letter of Credit (i) denominated in any Foreign Currency if at the time of such issuance, such Issuing Bank, in its capacity as a Lender, would not be required to make Loans in such Foreign Currency hereunder or (ii) if, immediately after giving effect to such issuance, amendment, renewal or extension, the sum of such Issuing Bank’s outstanding Revolving Loans, LC Exposure and Swingline Exposure (if any) would exceed such Issuing Bank’s Dollar Commitment or Multicurrency Commitment, as the case may be.

This Section 2.05 shall not be construed to impose an obligation upon any Issuing Bank to issue, amend, renew or extend any Letter of Credit if (i) any order, judgment or decree of any Governmental Authority shall by its terms purport to enjoin or restrain such Issuing Bank from issuing, amending or extending such Letter of Credit, or any law applicable to such Issuing Bank or any request or directive (whether or not having the force of law) from any Governmental Authority with jurisdiction over such Issuing Bank shall prohibit, or request that such Issuing Bank

 

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refrain from, the issuance of letters of credit generally or such Letter of Credit in particular or shall impose upon such Issuing Bank with respect to such Letter of Credit any restriction, reserve or capital requirement (for which such Issuing Bank is not otherwise compensated hereunder) not in effect on the Effective Date, or shall impose upon such Issuing Bank any unreimbursed loss, cost or expense which was not applicable on the Effective Date and which such Issuing Bank in good faith deems material to it or (ii) the issuance of such Letter of Credit would violate one or more policies of such Issuing Bank applicable to letters of credit generally.

(b) Notice of Issuance, Amendment, Renewal or Extension. To request the issuance of a Letter of Credit (or the amendment, renewal or extension of an outstanding Letter of Credit), the Borrower shall hand deliver or telecopy (or transmit by electronic communication, if arrangements for doing so have been approved by such Issuing Bank) to any Issuing Bank and the Administrative Agent (reasonably in advance of, which shall not be required to exceed five Business Days in advance of, the requested date of issuance, amendment, renewal or extension) a notice requesting the issuance of a Letter of Credit, or identifying the Letter of Credit to be amended, renewed or extended, and specifying the date of issuance, amendment, renewal or extension (which shall be a Business Day), the date on which such Letter of Credit is to expire (which shall comply with paragraph (d) of this Section 2.05), the amount, Class and Currency of such Letter of Credit, stating that such Letter of Credit is to be issued under the Multicurrency Commitments or Dollar Commitments, as applicable, the name and address of the beneficiary thereof and such other information as shall be necessary to prepare, amend, renew or extend such Letter of Credit. The Administrative Agent will promptly notify the Lenders following the issuance of any Letter of Credit. If requested by the applicable Issuing Bank, the Borrower also shall submit a letter of credit application on such Issuing Bank’s standard form in connection with any request for a Letter of Credit. In the event of any inconsistency between the terms and conditions of this Agreement and the terms and conditions of any form of letter of credit application or other agreement submitted by the Borrower to, or entered into by the Borrower with, any Issuing Bank relating to any Letter of Credit, the terms and conditions of this Agreement shall control.

(c) Limitations on Amounts. A Letter of Credit shall be issued, amended, renewed or extended only if (and upon issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of each Letter of Credit the Borrower shall be deemed to represent and warrant that), after giving effect to such issuance, amendment, renewal or extension (i) the aggregate LC Exposure at such time of the Issuing Banks (determined for these purposes without giving effect to the participations therein of the Lenders pursuant to paragraph (e) of this Section 2.05) shall not exceed $50,000,000, and the LC Exposure at such time of any Issuing Bank (determined for these purposes without giving effect to the participations therein of the Lenders pursuant to paragraph (e) of this Section 2.05) shall not exceed the amount set forth opposite the name of such Issuing Bank on Schedule IX (or such greater amount as may be agreed between the Borrower and such Issuing Bank from time to time), (ii) the total Revolving Multicurrency Credit Exposures shall not exceed the aggregate Multicurrency Commitments and the total Revolving Dollar Credit Exposure shall not exceed the aggregate Dollar Commitments, (iii) with respect to each Issuing Bank, the sum of such Issuing Bank’s outstanding Revolving Loans, LC Exposure and Swingline Exposure (if any) of such Class shall not exceed its Commitment of such Class and (iv) the total Covered Debt Amount shall not exceed the Borrowing Base then in effect.

 

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(d) Expiration Date. Each Letter of Credit shall expire at or prior to the close of business on the date twelve (12) months after the date of the issuance of such Letter of Credit (or, in the case of any renewal or extension thereof, twelve (12) months after the then-current expiration date of such Letter of Credit, so long as such renewal or extension occurs within three (3) months of such then-current expiration date); provided that any Letter of Credit with a one (1) year term may provide for the renewal thereof for additional one (1) year periods; provided further, that (x) in no event shall a Letter of Credit expire after the Commitment Termination Date unless the Borrower (1) either (A) deposits, no later than five (5) Business Days prior to the Commitment Termination Date, into the Letter of Credit Collateral Account, Cash in an amount equal to 100% of the undrawn face amount of all Letters of Credit that remain outstanding as of the close of business on the Commitment Termination Date or (B) supports such Letter of Credit with another letter of credit pursuant to arrangements reasonably satisfactory to the Issuing Bank and the Administrative Agent, and (2) pays in full, on or prior to the Commitment Termination Date, all commissions required to be paid with respect to any such Letter of Credit through the then-current expiration date of such Letter of Credit and (y) no Letter of Credit shall have an expiry date after the Maturity Date.

(e) Participations. By the issuance of a Letter of Credit (or an amendment to a Letter of Credit increasing the amount thereof) by an Issuing Bank, and without any further action on the part of the Issuing Banks or the Lenders, (i) in the case of a Multicurrency Issuing Bank, such Multicurrency Issuing Bank hereby grants to each Multicurrency Lender, and each Multicurrency Lender hereby acquires from such Multicurrency Issuing Bank, a participation in such Letter of Credit equal to such Lender’s Applicable Multicurrency Percentage of the aggregate amount available to be drawn under such Letter of Credit and (ii) in the case of a Dollar Issuing Bank, such Dollar Issuing Bank hereby grants to each Dollar Lender, and each Dollar Lender hereby acquires from such Dollar Issuing Bank, a participation in such Letter of Credit equal to such Lender’s Applicable Dollar Percentage of the aggregate amount available to be drawn under such Letter of Credit. Each Lender acknowledges and agrees that its obligation to acquire participations pursuant to this paragraph in respect of Letters of Credit is absolute and unconditional and shall not be affected by any circumstance whatsoever, including any amendment, renewal or extension of any Letter of Credit or the occurrence and continuance of a Default or reduction or termination of the applicable Class of Commitments.

In consideration and in furtherance of the foregoing, (x) each Multicurrency Lender hereby absolutely and unconditionally agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent, for the account of each Multicurrency Issuing Bank, such Lender’s Applicable Multicurrency Percentage of each LC Disbursement made by each such Multicurrency Issuing Bank and (y) each Dollar Lender hereby absolutely and unconditionally agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent, for the account of each Dollar Issuing Bank, such Lender’s Applicable Dollar Percentage of each LC Disbursement made by each such Dollar Issuing Bank, in each case, in respect of Letters of Credit promptly upon the request of each such Issuing Bank (which such request shall be made by such Issuing Bank in accordance with the notice requirements applicable to the Borrower with respect to a request for Loans in Section 2.03) at any time from the time of such LC Disbursement until such LC Disbursement is reimbursed by the Borrower or at any time after any reimbursement payment is required to be refunded to the Borrower for any reason. Such payment shall be made without any offset, abatement, withholding or reduction whatsoever. Each such payment shall be made in the same manner as provided in Section 2.06 with respect to Loans made by such Lender (and

 

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Section 2.06 shall apply, mutatis mutandis, to the payment obligations of the Lenders), and the Administrative Agent shall promptly pay to such Issuing Bank the amounts so received by it from the Lenders. Promptly following receipt by the Administrative Agent of any payment from the Borrower pursuant to Section 2.05(f), the Administrative Agent shall distribute such payment to the applicable Issuing Bank or, to the extent that the Lenders have made payments pursuant to this paragraph to reimburse an Issuing Bank, then to such Lenders and such Issuing Banks as their interests may appear. Any payment made by a Lender pursuant to this paragraph to reimburse an Issuing Bank for any LC Disbursement shall not constitute a Loan and shall not relieve the Borrower of its obligation to reimburse such LC Disbursement.

(f) Reimbursement. If an Issuing Bank shall make any LC Disbursement in respect of a Letter of Credit, the Borrower shall reimburse such Issuing Bank in respect of such LC Disbursement by paying to the Administrative Agent an amount equal to such LC Disbursement not later than 3:00 p.m., New York City time, on (i) the Business Day that the Borrower receives notice of such LC Disbursement, if such notice is received prior to 10:00 a.m., New York City time, or (ii) the Business Day immediately following the day that the Borrower receives such notice, if such notice is not received prior to such time, provided that, if such LC Disbursement is not less than $250,000 (or such smaller amount as may be agreed to by the Administrative Agent) and is denominated in Dollars, the Borrower may, subject to the conditions to borrowing set forth herein, request in accordance with Section 2.03 or 2.04 that such payment be financed with an ABR Borrowing or a Swingline Loan of the respective Class in an equivalent amount and, to the extent so financed, the Borrower’s obligation to make such payment shall be discharged and replaced by the resulting ABR Borrowing or Swingline Loan.

If the Borrower fails to make such payment when due, the Administrative Agent shall notify each affected Revolving Lender of the applicable LC Disbursement, the payment then due from the Borrower in respect thereof and such Revolving Lender’s Applicable Multicurrency Percentage or Applicable Dollar Percentage, as applicable, thereof.

(g) Obligations Absolute. The Borrower’s obligation to reimburse LC Disbursements as provided in paragraph (f) of this Section 2.05 shall be absolute, unconditional and irrevocable, and shall be performed strictly in accordance with the terms of this Agreement under any and all circumstances whatsoever and irrespective of (i) any lack of validity or enforceability of any Letter of Credit, or any term or provision therein, (ii) any draft or other document presented under a Letter of Credit proving to be forged, fraudulent or invalid in any respect or any statement therein being untrue or inaccurate in any respect, (iii) payment by an Issuing Bank under a Letter of Credit against presentation of a draft or other document that does not comply strictly with the terms of such Letter of Credit, and (iv) any other event or circumstance whatsoever, whether or not similar to any of the foregoing, that might, but for the provisions of this Section 2.05, constitute a legal or equitable discharge of the Borrower’s obligations hereunder.

None of the Administrative Agent, the Lenders, the Issuing Banks, or any of their respective Related Parties, shall have any liability or responsibility by reason of or in connection with the issuance or transfer of any Letter of Credit by the Issuing Banks or any payment or failure to make any payment thereunder (irrespective of any of the circumstances referred to in the preceding sentence), or any error, omission, interruption, loss or delay in transmission or delivery of any draft, notice or other communication under or relating to any Letter of Credit (including

 

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any document required to make a drawing thereunder), any error in interpretation of technical terms or any consequence arising from causes beyond the control of the Issuing Banks; provided that the foregoing shall not be construed to excuse any Issuing Bank from liability to the Borrower to the extent of any direct damages (as opposed to consequential damages, claims in respect of which are hereby waived by the Borrower to the extent permitted by applicable law) suffered by the Borrower that are caused by any Issuing Bank’s fraud, gross negligence or willful misconduct when determining whether drafts and other documents presented under a Letter of Credit comply with the terms thereof as determined by a final, non-appealable judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction. The parties hereto expressly agree that:

(i) the Issuing Banks may accept documents that appear on their face to be in substantial compliance with the terms of a Letter of Credit without responsibility for further investigation, regardless of any notice or information to the contrary, and may make payment upon presentation of documents that appear on their face to be in substantial compliance with the terms of such Letter of Credit;

(ii) the Issuing Banks shall have the right, in their sole discretion, to decline to accept such documents and to make such payment if such documents are not in strict compliance with the terms of such Letter of Credit; and

(iii) this sentence shall establish the standard of care to be exercised by the Issuing Banks when determining whether drafts and other documents presented under a Letter of Credit comply with the terms thereof (and the parties hereto hereby waive, to the extent permitted by applicable law, any standard of care inconsistent with the foregoing).

(h) Disbursement Procedures. Each Issuing Bank shall, within a reasonable time following its receipt thereof, examine all documents purporting to represent a demand for payment under a Letter of Credit. Each Issuing Bank shall promptly after such examination notify the Administrative Agent and the Borrower by telephone (confirmed by telecopy or electronic communication) of such demand for payment and whether such Issuing Bank has made or will make an LC Disbursement thereunder; provided that any failure to give or delay in giving such notice shall not relieve the Borrower of its obligation to reimburse the applicable Issuing Bank and the applicable Lenders with respect to any such LC Disbursement.

(i) Interim Interest. If any Issuing Bank shall make any LC Disbursement, then, unless the Borrower shall reimburse such LC Disbursement in full on the date such LC Disbursement is made, the unpaid amount thereof shall bear interest, for each day from and including the date such LC Disbursement is made to but excluding the date that the Borrower reimburses such LC Disbursement, at the rate per annum then applicable to ABR Loans; provided that, if the Borrower fails to reimburse such LC Disbursement within two (2) Business Days following the date when due pursuant to paragraph (f) of this Section 2.05, then the provisions of Section 2.12(d) shall apply. Interest accrued pursuant to this paragraph shall be for the account of the applicable Issuing Bank, except that interest accrued on and after the date of payment by any Lender pursuant to paragraph (f) of this Section 2.05 to reimburse an Issuing Bank shall be for the account of such Lender to the extent of such payment.

 

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(j) Resignation or Replacement of an Issuing Bank. Any Issuing Bank may be replaced at any time by written agreement among the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, the replaced Issuing Bank and the successor Issuing Bank. In addition, any Issuing Bank may resign as an Issuing Bank hereunder upon not less than three (3) Business Days prior written notice to the Administrative Agent and the Borrower; provided further that if any Issuing Bank, in its capacity as a Lender, assigns all of its Loans and Commitments in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, such Issuing Bank shall be deemed to have automatically resigned as an Issuing Bank. The Administrative Agent shall notify the Lenders of any such replacement or resignation of an Issuing Bank. At the time any such replacement or resignation shall become effective, the Borrower shall pay all unpaid fees accrued for the account of the replaced or resigning Issuing Bank pursuant to Section 2.11(b). From and after the effective date of any such replacement, (i) the successor Issuing Bank shall have all the rights and obligations of the replaced Issuing Bank under this Agreement with respect to Letters of Credit to be issued thereafter and (ii) references herein to the term “Issuing Bank” and/or “Issuing Banks” shall be deemed to refer to such successor or successors (and the other current Issuing Banks, if applicable) or to any previous Issuing Bank, or to such successor or successors (and all other current Issuing Banks) and all previous Issuing Banks, as the context shall require. After the replacement or resignation of an Issuing Bank hereunder, the replaced or resigning Issuing Bank shall remain a party hereto and shall continue to have all the rights and obligations of an Issuing Bank under this Agreement with respect to Letters of Credit issued by it prior to such replacement or resignation, but shall not be required to issue additional Letters of Credit.

(k) Designation of Additional Issuing Banks. The Borrower may, at any time and from time to time, with the consent of the Administrative Agent (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld), designate as additional Issuing Banks one (1) or more Lenders that agree to serve in such capacity as provided below. The acceptance by a Lender of an appointment as an Issuing Bank hereunder shall be evidenced by an agreement, which shall be in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent, executed by the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and such designated Lender and, from and after the effective date of such agreement, (i) such Lender shall have all the rights and obligations of an Issuing Bank under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents and (ii) references herein or therein to the term “Issuing Bank” shall be deemed to include such Lender in its capacity as an issuer of Letters of Credit hereunder.

(l) Cash Collateralization. If the Borrower shall be required to provide cover for LC Exposure of a Class pursuant to Section 2.09(a), Section 2.10(c), Section 2.10(d), Section 2.18(c)(ii) or the last paragraph of Section 7.01, the Borrower shall immediately (or in accordance with the time periods specified in the applicable section) deposit into a segregated collateral account or accounts (herein, collectively, the “Letter of Credit Collateral Account”) in the name and under the dominion and control of the Administrative Agent, Cash denominated in the Currency of the Letter of Credit under which such LC Exposure arises in an amount equal to the amount required under Section 2.09(a), Section 2.10(c), Section 2.10(d), Section 2.18(c)(ii) or the last paragraph of Section 7.01, as applicable. Such deposit shall be held by the Administrative Agent as collateral in the first instance for the LC Exposure under this Agreement and thereafter for the payment of the Secured Obligations, and for these purposes the Borrower hereby grants a security interest to the Administrative Agent for the benefit of the Lenders in the Letter of Credit Collateral Account and in any financial assets (as defined in the Uniform Commercial Code) or other property held therein. If the Borrower is required to provide cash collateral hereunder as a

 

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result of the occurrence of an Event of Default, such cash collateral (to the extent not applied as set forth in this Section 2.05(l)) shall be returned to the Borrower within three (3) Business Days after all Events of Default have been cured or waived. If the Borrower is required to provide cash collateral hereunder pursuant to Section 2.10(b)(ii), such cash collateral (to the extent not applied as set forth in this Section 2.05(l)) shall be returned to the Borrower as and to the extent that, after giving effect to such return, the aggregate Credit Exposures would not exceed the aggregate Commitments and no Specified Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing.

SECTION 2.06. Funding of Borrowings.

(a) Funding by Lenders. Each Lender shall make each Loan to be made by it hereunder on the proposed date thereof by wire transfer of immediately available funds by (i) in the case of any Loan (other than an ABR Borrowing), 11:00 a.m. New York City time, and (ii) in the case of any Loan that is an ABR Borrowing, 1:00 p.m., New York City time, to the account of the Administrative Agent most recently designated by it for such purpose, in each case, by notice to the Lenders; provided that Swingline Loans shall be made as provided in Section 2.04. The Administrative Agent will make such Loans available to the Borrower by promptly crediting the amounts so received, in like funds, to an account of the Borrower designated by the Borrower in the applicable Borrowing Request; provided that Borrowings made to finance the reimbursement of an LC Disbursement as provided in Section 2.05(f) shall be remitted by the Administrative Agent to the applicable Issuing Bank.

(b) Presumption by the Administrative Agent. Unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from a Lender prior to the proposed date of any Borrowing that such Lender will not make available to the Administrative Agent such Lender’s share of such Borrowing, the Administrative Agent may assume that such Lender has made such share available on such date in accordance with paragraph (a) of this Section 2.06 and may, in reliance upon such assumption, make available to the Borrower a corresponding amount. In such event, if a Lender has not in fact made its share of the applicable Borrowing available to the Administrative Agent, then the applicable Lender and the Borrower severally agree to pay to the Administrative Agent forthwith on demand such corresponding amount in the corresponding Currency with interest thereon, for each day from and including the date such amount is made available to the Borrower to but excluding the date of payment to the Administrative Agent, at (i) in the case of such Lender, the Federal Funds Effective Rate or (ii) in the case of the Borrower, the interest rate applicable at the time to ABR Loans in the case of a Dollar Borrowing or the interest rate applicable to such Borrowing in the case of a Multicurrency Borrowing. If such Lender pays such amount to the Administrative Agent, then such amount shall constitute such Lender’s Loan included in such Borrowing. Nothing in this paragraph shall relieve any Lender of its obligation to fulfill its commitments hereunder, and shall be without prejudice to any claim the Borrower may have against a Lender that shall have failed to make such payment to the Administrative Agent.

 

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SECTION 2.07. Interest Elections.

(a) Elections by the Borrower for Borrowings. Subject to Section 2.03(d), the Loans constituting each Borrowing initially shall be of the Type specified in the applicable Borrowing Request and, in the case of a Term Benchmark Borrowing, shall have the Interest Period specified in such Borrowing Request. Thereafter, the Borrower may elect to convert such Borrowing to a Borrowing of a different Type or to continue such Borrowing as a Borrowing of the same Type and, in the case of a Term Benchmark Borrowing, may elect the Interest Period therefor, all as provided in this Section 2.07; provided, however, that (i) a Borrowing of a Class may only be continued or converted into a Borrowing of the same Class, (ii) a Borrowing denominated in one Currency may not be continued as, or converted to, a Borrowing in a different Currency, (iii) no Term Benchmark Borrowing denominated in a Foreign Currency or RFR Borrowing may be continued if, after giving effect thereto, the aggregate Revolving Multicurrency Credit Exposures would exceed the aggregate Multicurrency Commitments, and (iv) a Term Benchmark Borrowing denominated in a Foreign Currency or RFR Borrowing may not be converted to a Borrowing of a different Type. The Borrower may elect different options with respect to different portions of the affected Borrowing, in which case each such portion shall be allocated ratably among the Lenders of the respective Class holding the Loans constituting such Borrowing, and the Loans constituting each such portion shall be considered a separate Borrowing. For the avoidance of doubt, this Section 2.07(a) shall not apply to Swingline Borrowings, which may not be converted or continued except in accordance with Section 2.04(c).

(b) Notice of Elections. To make an election pursuant to this Section 2.07, the Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent of such election by telephone (confirmed by telecopy or electronic communication) by the time that a Borrowing Request would be required under Section 2.03 if the Borrower were requesting a Borrowing of the Type resulting from such election to be made on the effective date of such election. Each such telephonic Interest Election Request shall be irrevocable and shall be confirmed promptly (but no later than the close of business on the date of such request) by hand delivery, telecopy or electronic communication to the Administrative Agent of a written Interest Election Request signed by the Borrower.

(c) Content of Interest Election Requests. Each telephonic and written Interest Election Request shall specify the following information in compliance with Section 2.02:

(i) the Borrowing (including the Class) to which such Interest Election Request applies and, if different options are being elected with respect to different portions thereof, the portions thereof to be allocated to each resulting Borrowing (in which case the information to be specified pursuant to clauses (iii) and (iv) of this paragraph shall be specified for each resulting Borrowing);

(ii) the effective date of the election made pursuant to such Interest Election Request, which shall be a Business Day;

(iii) whether, in the case of a Borrowing denominated in Dollars, the resulting Borrowing is to be an ABR Borrowing or a Term Benchmark Borrowing; and

(iv) if the resulting Borrowing is a Term Benchmark Borrowing or RFR Borrowing, the Interest Period therefor after giving effect to such election, which shall be a period contemplated by the definition of the term “Interest Period” and permitted under Section 2.02(d).

 

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(d) Notice by the Administrative Agent to the Lenders. Promptly following receipt of an Interest Election Request, the Administrative Agent shall advise each applicable Lender of the details thereof and of such Lender’s portion of each resulting Borrowing.

(e) Failure to Elect; Events of Default. If the Borrower fails to deliver a timely and complete Interest Election Request with respect to a Term Benchmark Borrowing prior to the end of the Interest Period therefor, then, unless such Borrowing is repaid as provided herein, (i) if such Borrowing is denominated in Dollars, at the end of such Interest Period such Borrowing shall be converted to a Term Benchmark Borrowing of the same Class having an Interest Period of one (1) month’s duration, and (ii) if such Borrowing is denominated in a Foreign Currency, the Borrower shall be deemed to have selected an Interest Period of one (1) month’s duration. Notwithstanding any contrary provision hereof, if an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing and the Administrative Agent, at the request of the Required Lenders, so notifies the Borrower, then, so long as an Event of Default is continuing no outstanding Term Benchmark Borrowing or RFR Borrowing denominated in a Foreign Currency may have an Interest Period of more than one (1) month’s duration.

SECTION 2.08. Termination, Reduction or Increase of the Commitments.

(a) Scheduled Termination. Unless previously terminated in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, the Revolving Commitments of each Class shall terminate on the Commitment Termination Date.

(b) Voluntary Termination or Reduction. The Borrower may at any time without premium or penalty terminate, or from time to time reduce, the Commitments ratably among (and within) each Class; provided that (i) each reduction of the Commitments shall be in an amount that is $5,000,000 (or, if less, the entire remaining amount of the Commitments of any Class) or a larger multiple of $1,000,000 in excess thereof (or the entire amount of the Commitments of such Class) and (ii) the Borrower shall not terminate or reduce the Revolving Commitments if, immediately after giving effect to any concurrent prepayment of the Loans of any Class in accordance with Section 2.10, the total Revolving Credit Exposures of such Class would exceed the total Commitments of such Class. Any such reduction of the Commitments below the aggregate principal amount of the Swingline Loans permitted under Section 2.04(a)(i) and the aggregate amount of Letters of Credit permitted under Section 2.05(c)(i) shall result in a dollar-for-dollar reduction of such amounts as applicable.

(c) Notice of Voluntary Termination or Reduction. The Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent of any election to terminate or reduce the Commitments under paragraph (b) of this Section 2.08 at least three (3) Business Days prior to the effective date of such termination or reduction, specifying such election and the effective date thereof. Promptly following receipt of any notice, the Administrative Agent shall advise the applicable Lenders of the contents thereof. Each notice delivered by the Borrower pursuant to this Section 2.08(c) shall be irrevocable; provided that a notice of termination or reduction of the Commitments of a Class delivered by the Borrower may state that such notice is conditioned upon the effectiveness of other events, in which case such notice may be revoked by the Borrower (by notice to the Administrative Agent on or prior to the specified effective date) if such condition is not satisfied.

 

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(d) Effect of Termination or Reduction. Any termination or reduction of the Commitments of a Class pursuant to clause (b) shall be permanent. Each reduction of the Commitments pursuant to clause (b) shall be made ratably between the Multicurrency Commitments and the Dollar Commitments and ratably among the Lenders in accordance with their respective Commitments of each Class.

(e) Increase of the Commitments.

(i) Requests for Increase by Borrower. The Borrower shall have the right, at any time on or after the Effective Date but prior to the Commitment Termination Date, to propose that the Commitments of a Class hereunder be increased (each such proposed increase being a “Commitment Increase”) by notice to the Administrative Agent, specifying each existing Lender (each an “Increasing Lender”) and/or each additional lender (each an “Assuming Lender”) that shall have agreed to an additional Commitment and the date on which such increase is to be effective (the “Commitment Increase Date”), which shall be a Business Day at least three (3) Business Days (or such lesser period as the Administrative Agent may reasonably agree) after delivery of such notice and at least thirty (30) days prior to the Commitment Termination Date; provided that no Lender shall be obligated to provide any increased Commitment; provided, further that:

(A) each increase shall be in a minimum amount of at least $10,000,000 or a larger multiple of $5,000,000 in excess thereof (or such lesser amount as the Administrative Agent may reasonably agree);

(B) the aggregate amount of all Commitments, including Commitment Increases effected pursuant to this Section 2.08(e), shall not exceed $1,450,000,000;

(C) in the case of a Commitment Increase under the Revolving Commitments, each Assuming Lender shall be consented to by the Administrative Agent and the Issuing Banks (in each case, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed);

(D) in the case of any Commitment Increase (other than a Commitment Increase used in connection with a Specified Purchase), no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing on such Commitment Increase Date; and

(E) (1) in the case of a Commitment Increase used in connection with a merger or consolidation with, or acquisition of all or substantially all of the assets of, any other business development company advised by the Advisor by an Obligor permitted under Section 6.03 (such Person, a “Specified Target” and such merger, consolidation or acquisition a “Specified Purchase”), the Specified Representations (immediately after giving effect to such merger, consolidation or acquisition) and the Specified Purchase Agreement Representations (immediately prior to giving effect to such merger, consolidation or acquisition) shall be true and correct in all material respects on and as of such Commitment Increase Date, or (2) in the case of any other Commitment Increase, the representations and warranties made by the Borrower and/or its Significant Subsidiaries, as applicable, contained in this Agreement shall be true and correct in all material respects (or, in the case of any portion of the representations and warranties already subject to a materiality qualifier, true and correct in all respects) on and as of the Commitment Increase Date as if made on and as of such date (or, if any such representation or warranty is expressly stated to have been made as of a specific date, as of such specific date).

 

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(ii) Effectiveness of Commitment Increase by Borrower. The Assuming Lender, if any, shall become a Lender hereunder as of such Commitment Increase Date with the Commitment in the amount set forth in the applicable Incremental Assumption Agreement, and the Commitment of the respective Class of any Increasing Lender part of such Commitment Increase, and such Assuming Lender shall be increased as of such Commitment Increase Date to the amount set forth in the applicable Incremental Assumption Agreement; provided that:

(A) the Administrative Agent shall have received a certificate of a duly authorized officer of the Borrower stating that each of the applicable conditions to such Commitment Increase set forth in the foregoing paragraph (i) has been satisfied; and

(B) each Assuming Lender or Increasing Lender shall have delivered to the Administrative Agent, on or prior to such Commitment Increase Date, an agreement (an “Incremental Assumption Agreement”), in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent, pursuant to which such Lender shall, effective as of such Commitment Increase Date, undertake a Commitment or an increase of Commitment in each case of the respective Class, duly executed by such Assuming Lender or Increasing Lender, as applicable, and the Borrower and acknowledged by the Administrative Agent.

(iii) Recordation into Register. Upon its receipt of an agreement referred to in clause (ii)(B) above executed by an Assuming Lender or an Increasing Lender, together with the certificate referred to in clause (ii)(A) above, the Administrative Agent shall, if such agreement has been completed, (x) accept such agreement, (y) record the information contained therein in the Register and (z) give prompt notice thereof to the Borrower.

(iv) Adjustments of Borrowings upon Effectiveness of Increase. In the case of a Commitment Increase under the Revolving Commitments, on each Commitment Increase Date, the Borrower shall (A) prepay the outstanding Revolving Loans (if any) of the affected Class in full, (B) simultaneously borrow new Revolving Loans of such Class hereunder in an amount equal to such prepayment (in the case of Term Benchmark Loans, with Relevant Rates equal to the outstanding Relevant Rates and with Interest Period(s) ending on the date(s) of any then outstanding Interest Period(s); provided that for any outstanding Interest Period of less than one (1) month, the Interest Period will be deemed equal to one (1) month), as applicable (as modified hereby); provided that with respect to subclauses (A) and (B), (x) the prepayment to, and borrowing from, any existing Revolving Lender shall be effected by book entry to the extent that any portion of the amount prepaid to such Revolving Lender will be subsequently borrowed from such Revolving Lender and (y) the existing Revolving Lenders, the Increasing Lenders and the Assuming Lenders shall make and receive payments among themselves, in a manner acceptable to the Administrative Agent, so that, after giving effect thereto, the Revolving

 

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Loans of such Class are held ratably by the Revolving Lenders of such Class in accordance with the respective Revolving Commitments of such Class of such Revolving Lenders (after giving effect to such Commitment Increase) and (C) pay to the Revolving Lenders of such Class the amounts, if any, payable under Section 2.15 as a result of any such prepayment. Concurrently therewith, the Revolving Lenders of such Class shall be deemed to have adjusted their participation interests in any outstanding Swingline Loans and Letters of Credit of such Class so that such interests are held ratably in accordance with their Revolving Commitments of such Class as so increased.

(v) Terms of Loans Issued on the Commitment Increase Date. The terms and provisions of any new Loans issued by any Assuming Lender or Increasing Lender, and the Commitment Increase of any Assuming Lender or Increasing Lender, in the case of a Commitment Increase under the Revolving Commitments, shall be identical to the terms and provisions of Loans issued by, and the Commitments of, the Revolving Lenders immediately prior to the applicable Commitment Increase Date (except that any upfront or similar one-time fee may be different).

SECTION 2.09. Repayment of Loans; Evidence of Debt.

(a) Repayment. The Borrower hereby unconditionally promises to repay the Loans of each Class as follows:

(i) to the Administrative Agent for the account of the applicable Lenders the outstanding principal amount of each Class of the Loans on the Maturity Date; and

(ii) to the applicable Swingline Lender the then unpaid principal amount of each Swingline Loan made by such Swingline Lender, on the earlier of the Commitment Termination Date and the first date after such Swingline Loan is made that is the 15th or last day of a calendar month and is at least ten (10) Business Days after such Swingline Loan is made; provided that any Swingline Loan that is not repaid timely in accordance with this clause (ii) shall be automatically converted to a Term Benchmark Loan in accordance with Section 2.04(c); provided further that on each date that a Borrowing of such Class is made, the Borrower shall repay all Swingline Loans of such Class then outstanding.

In addition, on the Maturity Date, to the extent any Letter of Credit is outstanding (notwithstanding the requirements of Section 2.05(d)), the Borrower shall deposit into the Letter of Credit Collateral Account, Cash in an amount equal to 100% of the undrawn face amount of all Letters of Credit outstanding on the close of business on the Maturity Date, such deposit to be held by the Administrative Agent as collateral security for the LC Exposure under this Agreement in respect of the undrawn portion of such Letters of Credit.

(b) Manner of Payment. Subject to Section 2.10(d), prior to any repayment or prepayment of any Borrowings hereunder, the Borrower shall select the Borrowing or Borrowings to be paid and shall notify the Administrative Agent by telephone (confirmed by telecopy or electronic communication) of such selection not later than the time set forth in Section 2.10(e) prior to the scheduled date of such repayment; provided that, each repayment of Borrowings to

 

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any Lenders of a Class shall be applied to repay or prepay any outstanding ABR Borrowings of such Class before any other Borrowings of such Class. If the Borrower fails to make a timely selection of the Borrowing or Borrowings to be repaid or prepaid, such payment shall be applied, first, solely in the case of any payment of a Borrowing denominated in Dollars, to pay any outstanding ABR Borrowings pro rata between any outstanding Dollar ABR Borrowings and outstanding Multicurrency ABR Borrowings, second, if no Class is specified and such payment relates to a Borrowing denominated in Dollars, to any Pro-Rata Borrowings in the order of the remaining duration of their respective Interest Periods (the Pro-Rata Borrowing with the shortest remaining Interest Period to be repaid or prepaid first) and, third, within each Class, to any remaining Borrowings in the order of the remaining duration of their respective Interest Periods (the Borrowing with the shortest remaining Interest Period to be repaid or prepaid first). Each payment of a Pro-Rata Borrowing shall be applied ratably between the Dollar Loans and Multicurrency Loans included in such Pro-Rata Borrowing. Each payment of a Borrowing of a Class shall be applied ratably to the Loans of such Class included in such Borrowing. If the repayment or prepayment amount is denominated in Dollars and the Class to be repaid or prepaid is not specified, the Borrower shall repay or prepay such amount pro rata between any outstanding ABR Borrowings of the Dollar Lenders and the Multicurrency Lenders, and thereafter repay or prepay the remaining Borrowings denominated in Dollars in the order of the remaining duration of their respective Interest Periods, commencing with such Borrowings with the shortest remaining Interest Period. If the repayment or prepayment is denominated in an Agreed Foreign Currency (including as a result of the Borrower’s receipt of proceeds from a prepayment event in such Agreed Foreign Currency), the Borrower may, at its option, repay or prepay any outstanding Borrowings in such Currency ratably among just the Multicurrency Lenders in the order of the remaining duration of their respective Interest Periods, commencing with such Borrowings with the shortest remaining Interest Period, and, if after such payment, the balance of the Borrowings denominated in such Currency is zero (0), then if there are any remaining proceeds, the Borrower shall repay or prepay the Loans (or provide cover for outstanding Letters of Credit as contemplated by Section 2.05(l)) on a pro-rata basis between each outstanding Class of Revolving Credit Exposure in the order of the remaining duration of their respective Interest Periods, commencing with such Borrowings with the shortest remaining Interest Period.

(c) Maintenance of Records by Lenders. Each Lender shall maintain in accordance with its usual practice records evidencing the indebtedness of the Borrower to such Lender resulting from each Loan made by such Lender, including the amounts and Currency of principal and interest payable and paid to such Lender from time to time hereunder.

(d) Maintenance of Records by the Administrative Agent. The Administrative Agent shall maintain records in which it shall record (i) the amount and Currency of each Loan made hereunder, the Class and Type thereof and each Interest Period therefor, (ii) the amount and Currency of any principal or interest due and payable or to become due and payable from the Borrower to each Lender of such Class hereunder and (iii) the amount and Currency of any sum received by the Administrative Agent hereunder for the account of the Lenders and each Lender’s share thereof.

 

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(e) Effect of Entries. The entries made in the records maintained pursuant to paragraph (c) or (d) of this Section 2.09 shall be prima facie evidence, absent manifest error, of the existence and amounts of the obligations recorded therein; provided that the failure of any Lender or the Administrative Agent to maintain such records or any error therein shall not in any manner affect the obligation of the Borrower to repay the Loans in accordance with the terms of this Agreement. In the event of any conflict between the accounts and records maintained by any Lender and the accounts and records maintained by the Administrative Agent in respect of such matters, the accounts and records of the Administrative Agent shall control in the absence of manifest error. In the event of any conflict between the Register and any other accounts and records maintained by the Administrative Agent, the Register shall control in the absence of manifest error.

(f) Promissory Notes. Any Lender may request that Loans made by it be evidenced by a promissory note (or, in the case of any Lender having Commitments of different Classes, by separate promissory notes in respect of each Class of Commitments). In such event, the Borrower shall prepare, execute and deliver to such Lender a promissory note payable to such Lender (or, if requested by such Lender, to such Lender and its permitted registered assigns) in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit E or in such other form as shall be reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent. Thereafter, the Loans evidenced by such promissory note and interest thereon shall at all times (including after assignment pursuant to Section 9.04) be represented by one (1) or more promissory notes in such form payable to the payee named therein (or, if such promissory note is a registered note, to such payee and its permitted registered assigns).

SECTION 2.10. Prepayment of Loans.

(a) Optional Prepayments. The Borrower shall have the right at any time and from time to time to prepay any Borrowing in whole or in part, without premium or penalty except for payments under Section 2.15, subject to the requirements of this Section 2.10.

(b) Mandatory Prepayments due to Changes in Exchange Rates.

(i) Determination of Amount Outstanding. On each Revaluation Date, the Administrative Agent shall determine the aggregate Revolving Multicurrency Credit Exposure. For the purpose of this determination, the outstanding principal amount of any Loan or LC Exposure that is denominated in any Foreign Currency shall be deemed to be the Dollar Equivalent of the amount in the Foreign Currency of such Loan or LC Exposure, determined as of such Revaluation Date. Upon making such determination, the Administrative Agent shall promptly notify the Multicurrency Lenders and the Borrower thereof.

(ii) Prepayment.

(A) If, on the date of such determination the aggregate Revolving Multicurrency Credit Exposure minus the Multicurrency LC Exposure fully cash collateralized pursuant to Section 2.05(l) on such date exceeds 105% of the aggregate amount of the Multicurrency Commitments as then in effect, the Borrower shall, if requested by the Required Multicurrency Lenders (through the Administrative Agent) prepay the Multicurrency Loans and Swingline Loans (and/or provide cover for Multicurrency LC Exposure as specified in Section 2.05(l)) within fifteen (15) Business Days following the date the Borrower receives such request in such amounts, if any, as

 

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shall be necessary so that after giving effect thereto and the determination of the aggregate Revolving Multicurrency Credit Exposure as of such date, the aggregate Revolving Multicurrency Credit Exposure does not exceed the Multicurrency Commitments. Any prepayment pursuant to this paragraph shall be applied, first, to Swingline Loans, second, to Multicurrency Loans, and third, as cover for Multicurrency LC Exposure.

(B) If, on the date of such determination the aggregate Revolving Dollar Credit Exposure minus the Dollar LC Exposure fully cash collateralized pursuant to Section 2.05(l) on such date exceeds the aggregate amount of the Dollar Commitments as then in effect, the Borrower shall, if requested by the Required Dollar Lenders (through the Administrative Agent), prepay the Dollar Loans (and/or provide cover for Dollar LC Exposure as specified in Section 2.05(l)) within fifteen (15) Business Days following the date the Borrower receives such request in such amounts, if any, as shall be necessary so that after giving effect thereto and the determination of the aggregate Revolving Dollar Credit Exposure as of such date, the aggregate Revolving Dollar Credit Exposure does not exceed the Dollar Commitments. Any prepayment pursuant to this paragraph shall be applied, first, to Dollar Loans outstanding and second, as cover for Dollar LC Exposure.

(c) Mandatory Prepayments due to Borrowing Base Deficiency or Contingent Borrowing Base Deficiency.

(i) In the event that at any time, but only for so long as, any Borrowing Base Deficiency shall exist, the Borrower shall, within five (5) Business Days after delivery of the applicable Borrowing Base Certificate, prepay the Revolving Loans (and/or provide cover for Letters of Credit as contemplated by Section 2.05(l)), include additional Portfolio Investments that are in the Collateral Pool in the Borrowing Base, or reduce its other Indebtedness that is included in the Covered Debt Amount in such amounts as shall be necessary so that such Borrowing Base Deficiency is promptly cured; provided that (i) the aggregate amount of such prepayment of Revolving Loans (and cover for Letters of Credit) shall be at least equal to the Revolving Credit Exposure’s ratable share (such ratable share being determined based on the outstanding principal amount of the Revolving Credit Exposures as compared to its other Indebtedness that is included in the Covered Debt Amount) of the aggregate prepayment and reduction of its other Indebtedness that is included in the Covered Debt Amount, (ii) any payment or repayment of Revolving Loans denominated in Dollars shall be made and applied ratably (based on the aggregate outstanding principal amounts of such Revolving Loans denominated in Dollars) between Dollar Lenders and Multicurrency Lenders and (iii) if, within five (5) Business Days after delivery of a Borrowing Base Certificate demonstrating such Borrowing Base Deficiency (and/or at such other times as the Borrower has knowledge of such Borrowing Base Deficiency), the Borrower shall present the Administrative Agent with a reasonably feasible plan to enable such Borrowing Base Deficiency to be cured within thirty (30) Business Days (which thirty (30) Business Day period shall (A) include the five (5) Business Days permitted for delivery of such plan and (B) be subject to extension beyond 30 Business Days with the consent of the Administrative Agent in its sole discretion), then such prepayment (and/or cash collateralization), reduction or addition of assets to the Borrowing Base shall not be required to be effected immediately but may be effected in accordance with such plan (with such modifications as the Borrower may reasonably

 

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determine), so long as such Borrowing Base Deficiency is cured within such thirty (30) Business Day period (or any extended period consented to by the Administrative Agent in its sole discretion); provided, further, that solely to the extent such Borrowing Base Deficiency is due to a failure to satisfy the requirements of Section 5.13(h) as a consequence of a change in either (x) the ratio of the Gross Borrowing Base to the Senior Debt Amount or (y) the Relevant Asset Coverage Ratio from one (1) quarterly period to the next, such thirty (30) Business Day period shall be extended to a forty-five (45) Business Day period (or any extended period consented to by the Administrative Agent in its sole discretion) solely with respect to compliance with Section 5.13(h).

(ii) In the event that at any time, but only for so long as, any Contingent Borrowing Base Deficiency shall exist, the Borrower shall, within five (5) Business Days after delivery of the applicable Borrowing Base Certificate, prepay the Revolving Loans (and/or provide cover for Letters of Credit as contemplated by Section 2.05(l)), include additional Portfolio Investments that are in the Collateral Pool in the Borrowing Base or reduce its other Indebtedness that is included in the Covered Debt Amount or otherwise remedy the Contingent Borrowing Base Deficiency in such amounts as shall be necessary so that such Contingent Borrowing Base Deficiency is promptly cured; provided that (i) the aggregate amount of such prepayment of Revolving Loans (and cover for Letters of Credit) shall be at least equal to the Revolving Credit Exposure’s ratable share (such ratable share being determined based on the outstanding principal amount of the Revolving Credit Exposures as compared to its other Indebtedness that is included in the Covered Debt Amount and Contingent Secured Indebtedness) of the aggregate prepayment and reduction of its other Indebtedness that is included in the Covered Debt Amount and Contingent Secured Indebtedness, (ii) any payment or repayment of Revolving Loans denominated in Dollars shall be made and applied ratably (based on the aggregate outstanding principal amounts of such Revolving Loans denominated in Dollars) between Dollar Lenders and Multicurrency Lenders and (iii) if, within five (5) Business Days after delivery of a Borrowing Base Certificate demonstrating such Contingent Borrowing Base Deficiency (and/or at such other times as the Borrower has knowledge of such Contingent Borrowing Base Deficiency), the Borrower shall present the Administrative Agent with a reasonably feasible plan to enable such Contingent Borrowing Base Deficiency to be cured within thirty (30) Business Days (which thirty (30) Business Day period shall (A) include the five (5) Business Days permitted for delivery of such plan and (B) be subject to extension beyond 30 Business Days with the consent of the Administrative Agent in its sole discretion), then such prepayment (and/or cash collateralization), reduction or addition of assets to the Borrowing Base shall not be required to be effected immediately but may be effected in accordance with such plan (with such modifications as the Borrower may reasonably determine), so long as such Contingent Borrowing Base Deficiency is cured within such thirty (30) Business Day period (or any extended period consented to by the Administrative Agent in its sole discretion); provided, further, that solely to the extent such Contingent Borrowing Base Deficiency is due to a failure to satisfy the requirements of Section 5.13(h) as a consequence of a change in either (x) the ratio of the Gross Borrowing Base to the Senior Debt Amount or (y) the Relevant Asset Coverage Ratio from one (1) quarterly period to the next, such thirty (30) Business Day period shall be extended to a forty-five (45) Business Day period (or any extended period consented to by the Administrative Agent in its sole discretion) solely with respect to compliance with Section 5.13(h).

 

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(d) Mandatory Prepayments During Amortization Period. During the period commencing on the date immediately following the Commitment Termination Date and ending on the Maturity Date:

(i) Asset Disposition. If the Borrower or any other Obligor receives any Net Cash Proceeds in excess of $2,000,000 in the aggregate for any single disposition or series of dispositions, the Borrower shall prepay an aggregate principal amount of Loans equal to 100% of such Net Cash Proceeds of a Disposition no later than the fifth Business Day following the receipt of such Net Cash Proceeds (such prepayments to be applied as set forth in Section 2.09(b)).

(ii) Equity Issuance. Upon the receipt by the Borrower or any other Obligor of any Net Cash Proceeds of the issuance of any Equity Interests (other than pursuant to any distribution or dividend reinvestment plan), the Borrower shall prepay an aggregate principal amount of Loans equal to 75% of all Net Cash Proceeds received therefrom no later than the fifth Business Day following the receipt of such Net Cash Proceeds (such prepayments to be applied as set forth in Section 2.09(b)).

(iii) Indebtedness. Upon the incurrence or issuance by the Borrower or any other Obligor of any Indebtedness for borrowed money (excluding any Permitted Advisor Loan) by such Borrower or such other Obligor, as applicable, the Borrower shall prepay an aggregate principal amount of Loans equal to 100% of all Net Cash Proceeds received therefrom no later than the fifth Business Day following the receipt of such Net Cash Proceeds (such prepayments to be applied as set forth in Section 2.09(b)).

(iv) Extraordinary Receipt. Upon any Extraordinary Receipt (which, when taken with all other Extraordinary Receipts received after the Commitment Termination Date, exceeds $5,000,000 in the aggregate) received by or paid to or for the account of the Borrower or any other Obligor, and not otherwise included in clauses (i), (ii) or (iii) of this Section 2.10(d), the Borrower shall prepay an aggregate principal amount of Loans equal to 100% of all Net Cash Proceeds received therefrom no later than the fifth Business Day following the receipt of such Net Cash Proceeds (such prepayments to be applied as set forth in Section 2.09(b)).

(v) Return of Capital. If any Obligor shall receive any Return of Capital and is not otherwise included in clauses (i), (ii), (iii) or (iv) of this Section 2.10(d) (other than from any Designated Subsidiary), the Borrower shall prepay an aggregate principal amount of Loans equal to 90% of such Return of Capital (excluding amounts payable by the Borrower pursuant to Section 2.15) no later than the fifth Business Day following the receipt of such Return of Capital (such prepayments to be applied as set forth in Section 2.09(b)).

 

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Notwithstanding the foregoing, (I) Net Cash Proceeds and Return of Capital required to be applied to the prepayment of the Loans pursuant to this Section 2.10(d) shall (A) be applied in accordance with the Guarantee and Security Agreement and (B) exclude the amount estimated in good faith by the Borrower to be necessary for the Borrower to make distributions sufficient in amount to achieve the objectives set forth in Section 6.05(b) hereof (subject to any limitations set forth therein), and (II) if the Loans to be prepaid pursuant to this Section 2.10(d) are Term Benchmark Loans, the Borrower may defer such prepayment until the last day of the Interest Period applicable to such Loans, so long as the Borrower deposits an amount equal to such Net Cash Proceeds, no later than the fifth Business Day following the receipt of such Net Cash Proceeds, into a segregated collateral account in the name and under the dominion and control of the Administrative Agent, pending application of such amount to the prepayment of the Loans on the last day of such Interest Period; provided, further, that the Administrative Agent may direct the application of such deposits as set forth in Section 2.09(b) at any time and if the Administrative Agent does so, no amounts will be payable by the Borrower pursuant to Section 2.15.

(e) Notices, Etc. The Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent (and, in the case of prepayment of a Swingline Loan, the applicable Swingline Lender) by telephone (confirmed by telecopy or electronic communication) of any prepayment hereunder (i) in the case of prepayment of a Term Benchmark Loan denominated in Dollars (other than in the case of a prepayment pursuant to Section 2.10(d)), not later than 12:00 p.m., New York City time, three (3) Business Days before the date of prepayment, (ii) in the case of prepayment of an ABR Borrowing, not later than 12:00 p.m., New York City time, on the date of prepayment, (iii) in the case of prepayment of a Swingline Loan, not later than 12:00 p.m., New York City time, on the date of prepayment, (iv) in the case of prepayment of an RFR Borrowing (other than in the case of a prepayment pursuant to Section 2.10(d)), not later than 12:00 p.m., London time, three (3) Business Days before the date of prepayment, (v) in the case of a prepayment of a Term Benchmark Borrowing denominated in a Foreign Currency (other than in the case of a prepayment pursuant to Section 2.10(d)), not later than 12:00 p.m., New York time, three (3) Business Days before the date of prepayment, or (vi) in the case of any prepayment pursuant to Section 2.10(d), not later than 12:00 p.m., New York City time, one Business Day before the date of prepayment or, in each case of the notice periods described in this paragraph (e), such lesser period as the Administrative Agent may reasonably agree. Each such notice shall be irrevocable and shall specify the prepayment date, the principal amount of each Borrowing or portion thereof to be prepaid and, in the case of a mandatory prepayment, a reasonably detailed calculation of the amount of such prepayment; provided that, if (i) a notice of prepayment is given in connection with a conditional notice of termination or reduction of the Commitments of a Class as contemplated by Section 2.08, then such notice of prepayment may be revoked if such notice of termination or reduction is revoked in accordance with Section 2.08 and (ii) any notice given in connection with Section 2.10(d) may be conditioned on the consummation of the applicable transaction contemplated by such Section and the receipt by the Borrower or any such Subsidiary (other than a Designated Subsidiary) of Net Cash Proceeds. Promptly following receipt of any such notice relating to a Borrowing, the Administrative Agent shall advise the affected Lenders of the contents thereof. Each partial prepayment of any Borrowing shall be in an amount that would be permitted in the case of a Borrowing of the same Type as provided in Section 2.02, except as necessary to apply fully the required amount of a mandatory prepayment or scheduled payment. Each prepayment of a Borrowing of a Class shall be applied ratably to the Loans of such Class included in the prepaid Borrowing. Prepayments shall be accompanied by accrued interest to the extent required by Section 2.12 and shall be made in the manner specified in Section 2.09(b). In the event the Borrower is required to make any concurrent prepayments under both paragraph (c) and also any other paragraph of this Section 2.10, the prepayment pursuant to such other paragraph of this Section 2.10 shall be made prior to any prepayment required to be made pursuant to paragraph (c) and the amount of the payment required pursuant to paragraph (c) (if any) shall be determined immediately after giving effect to the prepayment made (or to be made) under such other paragraph of this Section 2.10.

 

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SECTION 2.11. Fees.

(a) Commitment Fee. The Borrower agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of each Revolving Lender a commitment fee, which shall accrue at a rate per annum equal to 0.375% on the daily unused amount of the Dollar Commitment and Multicurrency Commitment, as applicable, of such Lender during the period from and including the Effective Date to but excluding the earlier of the date such Commitment terminates and the Commitment Termination Date. Accrued commitment fees shall be payable in arrears on the sixth (6th) Business Day after each Quarterly Date, commencing on June 30, 2023, and on the earlier of the date the Commitments of the respective Class terminate and the Commitment Termination Date. All commitment fees shall be computed on the basis of a year of three hundred sixty (360) days and shall be payable for the actual number of days elapsed (including the first day but excluding the last day). For purposes of computing commitment fees, (i) the daily unused amount of the applicable Commitment shall be determined as of the end of each day and (ii) the Commitment of any Class of a Lender shall be deemed to be used to the extent of the outstanding Loans and LC Exposure of such Class of such Lender (and the Swingline Exposure of such Class of such Lender shall be disregarded for such purpose).

(b) Letter of Credit Fees. The Borrower agrees to pay (i) to the Administrative Agent for the account of each Lender a participation fee with respect to its participations in Letters of Credit, which shall accrue at a rate per annum equal to the Applicable Margin applicable to interest on Term Benchmark Loans (or, if such Letter of Credit is denominated in GBP, RFR Loans) on the daily maximum amount of such Lender’s LC Exposure (excluding any portion thereof attributable to unreimbursed LC Disbursements) during the period from and including the Effective Date to but excluding the later of the date on which such Lender’s Commitment of the applicable Class terminates and the date on which such Lender ceases to have any LC Exposure of such Class, and (ii) to each Issuing Bank a fronting fee, which shall accrue at the rate of 0.25% per annum on the daily maximum amount of the LC Exposure (excluding any portion thereof attributable to unreimbursed LC Disbursements) applicable to Letters of Credit issued by such Issuing Bank during the period from and including the Effective Date to but excluding the later of the date of termination of the Commitments and the date on which there ceases to be any LC Exposure, as well as each Issuing Bank’s standard fees with respect to the issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of any Letter of Credit or processing of drawings thereunder. Participation fees and fronting fees accrued through and including each Quarterly Date shall be payable in arrears on the sixth (6th) Business Day following such Quarterly Date, commencing on June 30, 2023; provided that, all such fees with respect to the Letters of Credit shall be payable on the date on which the Commitments of the applicable Class terminate (the “termination date”), the Borrower shall pay any such fees that have accrued and that are unpaid on the termination date and, in the event any Letters of Credit shall be outstanding that have expiration dates after the termination date, the Borrower shall prepay on the termination date the full amount of the participation and fronting fees that will accrue on such Letters of Credit subsequent to the

 

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termination date through but not including the date such outstanding Letters of Credit are scheduled to expire (and in that connection, the Lenders agree not later than the date two (2) Business Days after the date upon which the last such Letter of Credit shall expire or be terminated to rebate to the Borrower the excess, if any, of the aggregate participation and fronting fees that have been prepaid by the Borrower over the amount of such fees that ultimately accrue through the date of such expiration or termination). Any other fees payable to the Issuing Banks pursuant to this paragraph shall be payable within ten (10) Business Days after demand. All participation fees and fronting fees shall be computed on the basis of a year of three hundred sixty (360) days and shall be payable for the actual number of days elapsed (including the first day but excluding the last day).

(c) Administrative Agent Fees. The Borrower agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent, for its own account, fees payable in the amounts and at the times as set forth in the Administrative Agent Fee Letter dated as of the Effective Date between the Borrower and the Administrative Agent.

(d) Payment of Fees. All fees payable hereunder shall be paid on the dates due, in Dollars (or, at the election of the Borrower, with respect to any fees payable to an Issuing Bank on account of Letters of Credit issued by such Issuing Bank in any Foreign Currency, in such Foreign Currency) and immediately available funds, to the Administrative Agent (or to the Issuing Banks, in the case of fees payable to them) for distribution, in the case of commitment fees and participation fees, to the Lenders entitled thereto. Fees paid shall not be refundable under any circumstances absent manifest error.

SECTION 2.12. Interest.

(a) ABR Loans. The Loans constituting each ABR Borrowing (including each Swingline Loan) shall bear interest at a rate per annum equal to the Alternate Base Rate plus the Applicable Margin.

(b) Term Benchmark Loans. The Loans constituting each Term Benchmark Borrowing shall bear interest at a rate per annum equal to the Relevant Rate applicable to such Borrowing for the related Interest Period plus the Applicable Margin.

(c) RFR Loans. The Loans constituting each RFR Borrowing shall bear interest at a rate per annum equal to the Daily Simple RFR plus the Applicable Margin.

(d) Default Interest. Notwithstanding the foregoing clauses (a) through (c), if any principal of or interest on any Loan or any fee or other amount payable by the Borrower hereunder is not paid when due (after giving effect to any grace or cure period), whether at stated maturity, upon acceleration, by mandatory prepayment or otherwise, such overdue amount shall bear interest, after as well as before judgment, at a rate per annum equal to (i) in the case of overdue principal of any Loan, 2% plus the rate otherwise applicable to such Loan as provided above or (ii) in the case of any other amount, 2% plus (x) if such other amount is denominated in Dollars, the rate applicable to ABR Loans as provided in paragraph (a) of this Section 2.12, (y) if such other amount is denominated in a Foreign Currency (other than GBP), the rate applicable to Term Benchmark Loans as provided in paragraph (b) of this Section 2.12 or (z) if such other amount is denominated in GBP, the rate applicable to RFR Loans as provided in paragraph (c) of this Section 2.12.

 

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(e) Payment of Interest. Accrued interest on each Loan shall be payable in arrears on each Interest Payment Date for such Loan in the Currency in which such Loan is denominated and upon the Maturity Date; provided that (i) interest accrued pursuant to paragraph (d) of this Section 2.12 shall be payable on demand, (ii) in the event of any repayment or prepayment of any Loan (other than a prepayment of an ABR Loan prior to the Maturity Date), accrued interest on the principal amount repaid or prepaid shall be payable on the date of such repayment or prepayment and (iii) in the event of any conversion of any Term Benchmark Loan denominated in Dollars prior to the end of the Interest Period therefor, accrued interest on such Borrowing shall be payable on the effective date of such conversion.

(f) Computation. All interest hereunder shall be computed on the basis of a year of three hundred sixty (360) days, except that interest computed by reference to the Alternate Base Rate at times when the Alternate Base Rate is based on the Prime Rate and interest on all Loans denominated in GBP shall be computed on the basis of a year of three hundred sixty five (365) days (or three hundred sixty six (366) days in a leap year), and in each case shall be payable for the actual number of days elapsed (including the first day but excluding the last day). The Alternate Base Rate, each Relevant Rate and the Daily Simple RFR shall be determined by the Administrative Agent, and such determination shall be conclusive absent manifest error.

SECTION 2.13. Market Disruption and Alternate Rate of Interest.

(a) Subject to Section 2.13(b) below, if:

(i) (A) prior to the commencement of any Interest Period for a Term Benchmark Borrowing in any Applicable Currency, the Administrative Agent determines (which determination shall be conclusive absent manifest error) that adequate and reasonable means do not exist for ascertaining Term SOFR, the CDO Rate or the Adjusted EURIBO Rate, as applicable (including, without limitation, because the Relevant Screen Rate for such Interest Period is not available or published on a current basis and such circumstances are unlikely to be temporary) for such Interest Period or (B) at any time, for an RFR Borrowing, the Administrative Agent determines that adequate and reasonable means do not exist for ascertaining the Daily Simple RFR (each determination under this clause (i) shall be made in good faith and shall be conclusive absent manifest error); or

(ii) (A) prior to the commencement of any Interest Period for a Term Benchmark Borrowing in any Applicable Currency, the Administrative Agent is advised by the Required Lenders of the applicable Class or, in the case of a Pro-Rata Borrowing, the Required Lenders, that Term SOFR, the CDO Rate or the Adjusted EURIBO Rate, as applicable, for a Loan in such Applicable Currency or for the applicable Interest Period will not adequately and fairly reflect the cost to such Lenders of making or maintaining the Loans included in such Borrowing for such Interest Period or (B) at any time, for an RFR Borrowing, the Administrative Agent is advised by Multicurrency Lenders constituting Required Lenders of such Class that the Daily Simple RFR will not adequately and fairly reflect the cost to such Lenders of making or maintaining the Loans included in such Borrowing;

 

 

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then the Administrative Agent shall give written notice thereof (or telephonic notice, promptly confirmed in writing) to the Borrower and the affected Lenders as promptly as practicable thereafter identifying the relevant provision above. Until the Administrative Agent shall notify the Borrower and the Lenders that the circumstances giving rise to such notice no longer exist, (i) any Interest Election Request that requests the conversion of any Borrowing to, or the continuation of any Borrowing as, a Term Benchmark Borrowing denominated in the affected Currency shall be ineffective and, if the affected Currency is Dollars, such Borrowing (unless prepaid) shall be continued as, or converted to, an ABR Borrowing at the end of the applicable Interest Period, (ii) if the affected Currency is Dollars and any Borrowing Request requests a Term Benchmark Borrowing denominated in Dollars, such Borrowing shall be made as an ABR Borrowing, (iii) if the affected Currency is a Foreign Currency other than CAD, (A) any Borrowing Request that requests a Term Benchmark Borrowing or RFR Borrowing denominated in the affected Currency shall be made as a Term Benchmark Borrowing with a Relevant Rate equal to the Central Bank Rate for the applicable Agreed Foreign Currency; provided, that if the Administrative Agent determines (which determination shall be conclusive and binding absent manifest error) that the Central Bank Rate for the applicable Agreed Foreign Currency cannot be determined, such Borrowing Request shall be ineffective, and (B) any outstanding Term Benchmark Borrowing or RFR Borrowing in the affected Currency, at the Borrower’s election shall either (1) be converted to a Term Benchmark Borrowing with a Relevant Rate equal to the Central Bank Rate for the applicable Agreed Foreign Currency; provided that, if the Administrative Agent determines (which determination shall be conclusive and binding absent manifest error) that the Central Bank Rate for the applicable Agreed Foreign Currency cannot be determined, such Borrowing shall be converted into an ABR Borrowing denominated in Dollars (in an amount equal to the Dollar Equivalent of such affected Currency) immediately in the case of an RFR Borrowing or, in the case of a Term Benchmark Borrowing, at the end of the applicable Interest Period, (2) be converted into an ABR Borrowing denominated in Dollars (in an amount equal to the Dollar Equivalent of such affected Currency) immediately in the case of an RFR Borrowing or, in the case of a Term Benchmark Borrowing, at the end of the applicable Interest Period, or (3) be prepaid in full immediately in the case of an RFR Borrowing or, in the case of a Term Benchmark Borrowing, at the end of the applicable Interest Period, and (iv) if the affected Currency is CAD, (A) any Borrowing Request that requests a Term Benchmark Borrowing denominated in CAD shall be made as a Term Benchmark Borrowing with a Relevant Rate equal to the Canadian Prime Rate; provided, that if the Administrative Agent determines (which determination shall be conclusive and binding absent manifest error) that the Canadian Prime Rate cannot be determined, such Borrowing Request shall be ineffective, and (B) any outstanding Term Benchmark Borrowing in CAD, at the Borrower’s election, shall either (1) be converted to a Term Benchmark Borrowing denominated in CAD with a Relevant Rate equal to the Canadian Prime Rate at the end of applicable Interest Period; provided that, if the Administrative Agent determines (which determination shall be conclusive and binding absent manifest error) that the Canadian Prime Rate cannot be determined, such Borrowing shall be converted into an ABR Borrowing denominated in Dollars (in an amount equal to the Dollar Equivalent of CAD) at the end of the applicable Interest Period, (2) be converted into an ABR Borrowing denominated in Dollars (in an amount equal to the Dollar Equivalent of such affected Currency) at the end of the applicable Interest Period, or (3) be prepaid in full at the end of the applicable Interest Period; provided that if no election is made by the Borrower by the date that is three Business Days after receipt by the Borrower of such notice or, in the case of a Term Benchmark Borrowing, the last day of the current Interest Period for the applicable Term Benchmark Loan, if earlier, the Borrower shall be deemed to have elected clause (iii)(B)(1) or (iv)(B)(1) above, as applicable.

 

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(b) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein or in any other Loan Document, if a Benchmark Transition Event and its related Benchmark Replacement Date have occurred prior to any setting of the then-current Benchmark for an Applicable Currency, then (x) if a Benchmark Replacement for the Term SOFR Reference Rate is determined in accordance with clause (1) of the definition of “Benchmark Replacement” for such Benchmark Replacement Date, such Benchmark Replacement will replace such Benchmark for all purposes hereunder and under any Loan Document in respect of such Benchmark setting and subsequent Benchmark settings without any amendment to, or further action or consent of any other party to, this Agreement or any other Loan Document and (y) if a Benchmark Replacement is determined in accordance with clause (2) of the definition of “Benchmark Replacement” for such Benchmark Replacement Date, such Benchmark Replacement will replace such Benchmark for such Applicable Currency for all purposes hereunder and under any Loan Document in respect of any Benchmark setting at or after 5:00 p.m. (New York City time) on the fifth (5th) Business Day after the date notice of such Benchmark Replacement is provided to the Lenders without any amendment to, or further action or consent of any other party to, this Agreement or any other Loan Document so long as the Administrative Agent has not received, by such time, written notice of objection to such Benchmark Replacement from Lenders comprising (x) in the case of a Benchmark Replacement for Dollars, the Required Lenders, and, (y) in the case of a Benchmark Replacement for any Foreign Currency, the Required Multicurrency Lenders. If the Benchmark Replacement is Daily Simple SOFR, all interest payments will be payable on a quarterly basis.

(c) In connection with the use, administration, adoption or implementation of a Benchmark Replacement, the Administrative Agent (after consulting with the Borrower) will have the right to make Conforming Changes from time to time and, notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein or in any other Loan Document, any amendments implementing such Conforming Changes will become effective without any further action or consent of any other party to this Agreement or any other Loan Document.

(d) The Administrative Agent will promptly notify the Borrower and the Lenders of (i) any occurrence of a Benchmark Transition Event, (ii) the implementation of any Benchmark Replacement, and (iii) the effectiveness of any Conforming Changes in connection with the use, administration, adoption or implementation of a Benchmark Replacement. The Administrative Agent will notify the Borrower of (x) the removal or reinstatement of any tenor of a Benchmark pursuant to clause (e) below and (y) the commencement of any Benchmark Unavailability Period. Any determination, decision or election that may be made by the Administrative Agent or, if applicable, any Lender (or group of Lenders) pursuant to this Section 2.13, including any determination with respect to a tenor, rate or adjustment or of the occurrence or non-occurrence of an event, circumstance or date and any decision to take or refrain from taking any action or any selection, will be conclusive and binding absent manifest error and may be made in its or their sole discretion and without consent from any other party to this Agreement or any other Loan Document, except, in each case, as expressly required pursuant to this Section 2.13.

 

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(e) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein or in any other Loan Document, at any time (including in connection with the implementation of a Benchmark Replacement), (i) if the then-current Benchmark for an Applicable Currency is a term rate (including the Term SOFR Reference Rate or the applicable Relevant Rate) and either (A) any tenor for such Benchmark for such Applicable Currency is not displayed on a screen or other information service that publishes such rate from time to time as selected by the Administrative Agent in its reasonable discretion or (B) the regulatory supervisor for the administrator of such Benchmark has provided a public statement or publication of information announcing that any tenor for such Benchmark for such Applicable Currency is not or will not be representative, then the Administrative Agent may modify the definition of “Interest Period” (or any similar or analogous definition) for any Benchmark settings for such Applicable Currency at or after such time to remove such unavailable or non-representative tenor and (ii) if a tenor that was removed pursuant to clause (i) above either (A) is subsequently displayed on a screen or information service for a Benchmark for such Applicable Currency (including a Benchmark Replacement) or (B) is not, or is no longer, subject to an announcement that it is not or will not be representative for a Benchmark for such Applicable Currency (including a Benchmark Replacement), then the Administrative Agent may modify the definition of “Interest Period” (or any similar or analogous definition) for all Benchmark settings for such Applicable Currency at or after such time to reinstate such previously removed tenor.

(f) Upon the Borrower’s receipt of notice of the commencement of a Benchmark Unavailability Period, the Borrower may revoke any pending request for a Term Benchmark Borrowing or RFR Borrowing of, conversion to or continuation of Term Benchmark Loans or RFR Loans in each affected Currency to be made, converted or continued during any Benchmark Unavailability Period and, failing that, (i) any Interest Election Request that requests the conversion of any Borrowing to, or the continuation of any Borrowing as, a Term Benchmark Borrowing denominated in the affected Applicable Currency shall be ineffective and, if the affected Applicable Currency is Dollars, such Borrowing (unless prepaid) shall be continued as, or converted to, an ABR Borrowing at the end of the applicable Interest Period, (ii) if the affected Applicable Currency is Dollars and any Borrowing Request requests a Term Benchmark Borrowing denominated in Dollars, such Borrowing shall be made as an ABR Borrowing, (iii) if the affected Applicable Currency is a Foreign Currency other than CAD, (A) any Borrowing Request that requests a Term Benchmark Borrowing or RFR Borrowing denominated in the affected Applicable Currency shall be made as a Term Benchmark Borrowing with a Relevant Rate equal to the Central Bank Rate for the applicable Agreed Foreign Currency; provided, that if the Administrative Agent determines (which determination shall be conclusive and binding absent manifest error) that the Central Bank Rate for the applicable Agreed Foreign Currency cannot be determined, such Borrowing Request shall be ineffective, and (B) any outstanding Term Benchmark Borrowing or RFR Borrowing in the affected Applicable Currency, at the Borrower’s election shall either (1) be converted to a Term Benchmark Borrowing with a Relevant Rate equal to the Central Bank Rate for the applicable Agreed Foreign Currency; provided that, if the Administrative Agent determines (which determination shall be conclusive and binding absent manifest error) that the Central Bank Rate for the applicable Agreed Foreign Currency cannot be determined, such Borrowing shall be converted into an ABR Borrowing denominated in Dollars (in an amount equal to the Dollar Equivalent of such affected Applicable Currency) immediately in the case of an RFR Borrowing or, in the case of a Term Benchmark Borrowing, at the end of the applicable Interest Period, (2) be converted into an ABR Borrowing denominated in Dollars (in an amount equal to the Dollar Equivalent of such affected Applicable Currency) immediately

 

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in the case of an RFR Borrowing or, in the case of a Term Benchmark Borrowing, at the end of the applicable Interest Period, or (3) be prepaid in full immediately in the case of an RFR Borrowing or, in the case of a Term Benchmark Borrowing, at the end of the applicable Interest Period, and (iv) if the affected Applicable Currency is CAD, (A) any Borrowing Request that requests a Term Benchmark Borrowing denominated in CAD shall be made as a Term Benchmark Borrowing with a Relevant Rate equal to the Canadian Prime Rate; provided, that if the Administrative Agent determines (which determination shall be conclusive and binding absent manifest error) that the Canadian Prime Rate cannot be determined, such Borrowing Request shall be ineffective, and (B) any outstanding Term Benchmark Borrowing in CAD, at the Borrower’s election, shall either (1) be converted to a Term Benchmark Borrowing denominated in CAD with a Relevant Rate equal to the Canadian Prime Rate at the end of applicable Interest Period; provided that, if the Administrative Agent determines (which determination shall be conclusive and binding absent manifest error) that the Canadian Prime Rate cannot be determined, such Borrowing shall be converted into an ABR Borrowing denominated in Dollars (in an amount equal to the Dollar Equivalent of CAD) at the end of the applicable Interest Period, (2) be converted into an ABR Borrowing denominated in Dollars (in an amount equal to the Dollar Equivalent of such affected Applicable Currency) at the end of the applicable Interest Period, or (3) be prepaid in full at the end of the applicable Interest Period; provided that if no election is made by the Borrower by the date that is three Business Days after receipt by the Borrower of such notice or, in the case of a Term Benchmark Borrowing, the last day of the current Interest Period for the applicable Term Benchmark Loan, if earlier, the Borrower shall be deemed to have elected clause (iii)(B)(1) or (iv)(B)(1) above, as applicable. During a Benchmark Unavailability Period or at any time that a tenor for the then-current Benchmark is not an Available Tenor, the component of the Alternate Base Rate based upon the then-current Benchmark or such tenor for such Benchmark, as applicable, will not be used in any determination of the Alternate Base Rate.

SECTION 2.14. Increased Costs.

(a) Increased Costs Generally. If any Change in Law shall:

(i) impose, modify or deem applicable any reserve (including pursuant to regulations issued from time to time by the Board for determining the maximum reserve requirement (including any emergency, special, supplemental, or other marginal reserve requirement) with respect to eurocurrency funding (currently referred to as “Eurocurrency liabilities” in Regulation D), compulsory loan, insurance charge, special deposit or similar requirement against assets of, deposits with or for the account of, or credit extended by, any Lender (except any such reserve requirement reflected in the Adjusted EURIBO Rate) or any Issuing Bank;

(ii) impose on any Lender or any Issuing Bank or the relevant interbank market for an Agreed Foreign Currency any other condition, cost or expense (other than Taxes), affecting this Agreement or Term Benchmark Loans or RFR Loans made by such Lender or any Letter of Credit issued by such Issuing Bank or participation by such Lender therein; or

(iii) subject any Lender, any Issuing Bank or the Administrative Agent to any Taxes (other than Indemnified Taxes and Excluded Taxes) on its loans, loan principal, letters of credit, commitments or other obligations, or its deposits, reserves, other liabilities or capital attributable thereto;

 

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and the result of any of the foregoing shall be to increase the cost to such Lender or the Administrative Agent of making, continuing, converting into or maintaining any Term Benchmark Loan or RFR Loan (or any Loan, if such increase is in respect of Taxes (other than Indemnified Taxes and Excluded Taxes)) (or of maintaining its obligation to make any such Loan) or to increase the cost to such Lender, such Issuing Bank or the Administrative Agent of participating in, issuing or maintaining any Letter of Credit or to reduce the amount of any sum received or receivable by such Lender, such Issuing Bank or the Administrative Agent hereunder (whether of principal, interest or otherwise), then, upon the request of such Lender, such Issuing Bank or the Administrative Agent, the Borrower will pay to such Lender, such Issuing Bank or the Administrative Agent, as the case may be, in Dollars, such additional amount or amounts as will compensate such Lender, such Issuing Bank or the Administrative Agent, as the case may be, for such additional costs incurred or reduction suffered; provided that no Lender will claim the payment of any of the amounts referred to in this paragraph (a) if not generally claiming similar compensation from its other similar customers in similar circumstances.

(b) Capital Requirements. If any Lender or any Issuing Bank determines that any Change in Law regarding capital or liquidity requirements has or would have the effect of reducing the rate of return on such Lender’s or such Issuing Bank’s capital or on the capital of such Lender’s or such Issuing Bank’s holding company, if any, as a consequence of this Agreement or the Loans made by, or participations in Swingline Loans and Letters of Credit held by, such Lender, or the Letters of Credit issued by such Issuing Bank, to a level below that which such Lender or such Issuing Bank or such Lender’s or such Issuing Bank’s holding company could have achieved but for such Change in Law (taking into consideration such Lender’s or such Issuing Bank’s policies and the policies of such Lender’s or such Issuing Bank’s holding company with respect to capital adequacy), by an amount deemed to be material by such Lender or such Issuing Bank, then, upon the request of such Lender or such Issuing Bank, the Borrower will pay to such Lender or such Issuing Bank, as the case may be, in Dollars, such additional amount or amounts as will compensate such Lender or such Issuing Bank or such Lender’s or such Issuing Bank’s holding company for any such reduction suffered; provided that no Lender will claim the payment of any of the amounts referred to in this paragraph (b) if not generally claiming similar compensation from its other similar customers in similar circumstances.

(c) Certificates from Lenders. A certificate of a Lender or an Issuing Bank (x) setting forth in reasonable detail the basis for and the calculation of the amount or amounts, in Dollars, necessary to compensate such Lender or such Issuing Bank or its holding company, as the case may be, as specified in paragraph (a) or (b) of this Section 2.14, (y) setting forth in reasonable detail the manner of determination of such amount or amounts and (z) certifying that such Lender or such Issuing Bank or its holding company, as the case may be, is generally claiming similar compensation from its other similar customers in similar circumstances, shall be promptly delivered to the Borrower and shall be conclusive absent manifest error. The Borrower shall pay such Lender or such Issuing Bank, as the case may be, the amount shown as due on any such certificate within ten (10) Business Days after receipt thereof.

 

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(d) Delay in Requests. Failure or delay on the part of any Lender or any Issuing Bank to demand compensation pursuant to this Section 2.14 shall not constitute a waiver of such Lender’s or such Issuing Bank’s right to demand such compensation; provided that the Borrower shall not be required to compensate a Lender or an Issuing Bank pursuant to this Section 2.14 for any increased costs or reductions incurred more than three (3) months prior to the date that such Lender or such Issuing Bank, as the case may be, notifies the Borrower of the Change in Law giving rise to such increased costs or reductions and of such Lender’s or such Issuing Bank’s intention to claim compensation therefor; provided further that, if the Change in Law giving rise to such increased costs or reductions is retroactive, then the three (3) month period referred to above shall be extended to include the period of retroactive effect thereof.

SECTION 2.15. Break Funding Payments(a) . (a) In the event of (i) the payment of any principal of any Term Benchmark Loan other than on the last day of an Interest Period therefor (including as a result of the occurrence of any Commitment Increase Date or an Event of Default), (ii) the conversion of any Term Benchmark Loan other than on the last day of an Interest Period therefor, (iii) the failure to borrow, convert, continue or prepay any Term Benchmark Loan on the date specified in any notice delivered pursuant hereto (including, in connection with any Commitment Increase Date, and regardless of whether such notice is permitted to be revocable under Section 2.10(f) and is revoked in accordance herewith), or (iv) the assignment as a result of a request by the Borrower pursuant to Section 2.19(b) of any Term Benchmark Loan other than on the last day of an Interest Period therefor, then, in any such event, the Borrower shall compensate each affected Lender for such Lender’s loss, cost and expense attributable to such event (excluding loss of anticipated profits).

(b) Payment under this Section 2.15 shall be made upon written request of a Lender delivered to the Borrower not later than ten (10) Business Days following the payment, conversion, or failure to borrow, convert, continue or prepay that gives rise to a claim under this Section 2.15 accompanied by a written certificate of such Lender setting forth in reasonable detail the amount or amounts that such Lender is entitled to receive pursuant to this Section 2.15 and the basis for and the manner of determination of such amount or amounts, which certificate shall be conclusive absent manifest error. The Borrower shall pay such Lender the amount shown as due on any such certificate within ten (10) Business Days after receipt thereof.

SECTION 2.16. Taxes.

(a) Payments Free of Taxes. Any and all payments by or on account of any obligation of the Borrower hereunder or under any other Loan Document shall be made free and clear of and without deduction or withholding for any Taxes, except as required by applicable law; provided that if the Borrower shall be required to deduct or withhold any Taxes from such payments, then (i) if such Tax is an Indemnified Tax or Other Tax, then the sum payable shall be increased as necessary so that after making all required deductions or withholdings (including deductions or withholdings applicable to additional sums payable under this Section 2.16) the Administrative Agent, Lender or Issuing Bank (as the case may be) receives an amount equal to the sum it would have received had no such deductions or withholdings been made, (ii) the Borrower shall make such deductions or withholdings and (iii) the Borrower shall pay the full amount deducted or withheld to the relevant Governmental Authority in accordance with applicable law.

 

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(b) Payment of Other Taxes by the Borrower. In addition, the Borrower shall pay any Other Taxes to the relevant Governmental Authority in accordance with applicable law.

(c) Indemnification by the Borrower. The Borrower shall indemnify the Administrative Agent, each Lender and each Issuing Bank for and, within thirty (30) Business Days after written demand therefor, pay the full amount of any Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes (including Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes imposed or asserted on or attributable to amounts payable under this Section 2.16) paid by the Administrative Agent, such Lender or such Issuing Bank, as the case may be, and any penalties, interest and reasonable expenses arising therefrom or with respect thereto, whether or not such Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes were correctly or legally imposed or asserted by the relevant Governmental Authority. A certificate as to the amount of such payment or liability delivered to the Borrower by a Lender or an Issuing Bank, or by the Administrative Agent on its own behalf or on behalf of a Lender or an Issuing Bank, shall be conclusive absent manifest error.

(d) Indemnification by the Lenders. Each Lender and each Issuing Bank shall severally indemnify the Administrative Agent, within thirty (30) days after demand thereof, for (i) any Indemnified Taxes attributable to such Lender or Issuing Bank (but only to the extent that a party to this Agreement has not already indemnified the Administrative Agent for such Indemnified Taxes and without limiting the obligation of any party to this Agreement to do so), (ii) any Taxes attributable to such Lender or Issuing Bank’s failure to comply with the provisions of Section 9.04(e) relating to the maintenance of a Participant Register and (iii) any Excluded Taxes attributable to such Lender or Issuing Bank, in each case that are payable or paid by the Administrative Agent in connection with this Agreement or any other Loan Document and any reasonable expenses arising therefrom or with respect thereto, whether or not such Taxes were correctly or legally imposed or asserted by the relevant Governmental Authority. A certificate as to the amount of such payment or liability delivered to any Lender or Issuing Bank by the Administrative Agent shall be conclusive absent manifest error. Each Lender and each Issuing Bank hereby authorize the Administrative Agent to set off and apply any and all amounts at any time owing to such Lender or Issuing Bank under this Agreement or any other Loan Document or otherwise payable by the Administrative Agent to such Lender or Issuing Bank from any other source against any amount due to the Administrative Agent under this paragraph.

(e) Evidence of Payments. As soon as practicable after any payment of Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes by the Borrower to a Governmental Authority, the Borrower shall deliver to the Administrative Agent the original or a certified copy of a receipt issued by such Governmental Authority evidencing such payment, a copy of the return reporting such payment or other evidence of such payment reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent.

(f) Foreign Lenders. Any Foreign Lender that is entitled to an exemption from or reduction of withholding Tax under the law of the jurisdiction in which the Borrower is located, or any treaty to which such jurisdiction is a party, with respect to payments under this Agreement shall deliver to the Borrower (with a copy to the Administrative Agent), at the time or times prescribed by applicable law or reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, such properly completed and executed documentation prescribed by applicable law as will permit such payments to be made without withholding or at a reduced rate.

 

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In addition, any Foreign Lender, if requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, shall deliver such other documentation prescribed by applicable law or reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent as will enable the Borrower or the Administrative Agent to determine whether or not such Foreign Lender is subject to backup withholding or information reporting requirements. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the preceding two (2) sentences, the completion, execution and delivery of such documentation (other than such documentation set forth in Sections 2.16(f)(i)-(iv) or Section 2.16(h)) shall not be required if in the Foreign Lender’s reasonable judgment such completion, execution or delivery would subject such Foreign Lender to any material unreimbursed cost or expense or would materially prejudice the legal or commercial position of such Foreign Lender.

Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, if the Borrower is resident for tax purposes in the United States, any Foreign Lender shall deliver to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent (in such number of copies as shall be requested by the recipient) on or prior to the date on which such Foreign Lender becomes a Lender under this Agreement (and from time to time thereafter upon the reasonable request of the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, but only if such Foreign Lender is legally entitled to do so), whichever of the following is applicable:

(i) duly completed copies of Internal Revenue Service Form W-8BEN or Internal Revenue Service Form W-8BEN-E claiming eligibility for benefits of an income tax treaty to which the United States is a party,

(ii) duly completed copies of Internal Revenue Service Form W-8ECI certifying that the income receivable pursuant to this Agreement is effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business in the United States,

(iii) in the case of a Foreign Lender claiming the benefits of the exemption for portfolio interest under Section 881(c) of the Code, (A) a certificate to the effect that such Foreign Lender is not (1) a “bank” within the meaning of Section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Code, (2) a “10 percent shareholder” of the Borrower within the meaning of Section 881(c)(3)(B) of the Code, or (3) a “controlled foreign corporation” described in Section 881(c)(3)(C) of the Code and (B) duly completed copies of Internal Revenue Service Form W-8BEN or Internal Revenue Service Form W-8BEN-E certifying that the Foreign Lender is not a United States Person, or

(iv) to the extent a Foreign Lender is not a beneficial owner, duly completed copies of Internal Revenue Service Form W-8IMY; together with an IRS Form W-9, IRS Form W-8ECI, IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E or any other supplementary documentation as may be prescribed by applicable law to permit the Borrower or the Administrative Agent to determine the withholding or deduction required to be made.

Each Foreign Lender shall promptly notify the Borrower and the Administrative Agent at any time the chief tax officer of such Foreign Lender becomes aware that it no longer satisfies the legal requirements to provide any previously delivered form or certificate to the Borrower.

 

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(g) United States Lenders. Each Lender and each Issuing Bank that is not a Foreign Lender shall deliver to the Borrower (with a copy to the Administrative Agent), prior to the date on which such Issuing Bank or Lender becomes a party to this Agreement, upon the expiration or invalidity of any forms previously delivered and at times reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, duly completed copies of Internal Revenue Service Form W-9 or any successor form, provided it is legally able to do so at the time. In addition, if requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, each Lender and each Issuing Bank shall deliver such other documentation prescribed by applicable law or reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent as will enable the Borrower or the Administrative Agent to determine whether or not such Lender or Issuing Bank is subject to backup withholding or information reporting requirements. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the preceding two (2) sentences, the completion, execution and delivery of such documentation (other than completed copies of Internal Revenue Service Form W-9 or documentation required under Section 2.16(h)) shall not be required if in the Lender or Issuing Bank’s reasonable judgment such completion, execution or delivery would subject such Lender or Issuing Bank to any material unreimbursed cost or expense or would materially prejudice the legal or commercial position of such Lender or Issuing Bank.

(h) FATCA. If a payment made to a Lender or Issuing Bank under any Loan Document would be subject to United States federal withholding Tax imposed by FATCA if such Lender or Issuing Bank were to fail to comply with the applicable reporting requirements of FATCA (including those contained in Section 1471(b) or 1472(b) of the Code, as applicable), such Lender or Issuing Bank shall deliver to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent at the time or times prescribed by law and at such time or times reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent such documentation prescribed by applicable law (including as prescribed by Section 1471(b)(3)(C)(i) of the Code) and such additional documentation reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent as may be necessary for the Borrower and the Administrative Agent to comply with their obligations under FATCA and to determine that such Lender or Issuing Bank has complied with such Lender or Issuing Bank’s obligations under FATCA or to determine the amount to deduct and withhold from such payment. Solely for purposes of this clause (h), “FATCA” shall include any amendments made to FATCA after the date of this Agreement. Each Lender and Issuing Bank agrees that if any form or certification it previously delivered under Section 2.16(f), (g) or (h) expires or becomes obsolete or inaccurate in any respect, it shall update such form or certification or promptly notify the Borrower and the Administrative Agent in writing of its legal inability to do so.

(i) Treatment of Certain Refunds. If the Administrative Agent, any Lender or any Issuing Bank determines, in its sole discretion, that it has received a refund (or credit in lieu of such refund) of any Taxes or Other Taxes as to which it has been indemnified by the Borrower or with respect to which the Borrower has paid additional amounts pursuant to this Section 2.16, it shall pay to the Borrower an amount equal to such refund or credit (but only to the extent of indemnity payments made, or additional amounts paid, by the Borrower under this Section 2.16 with respect to the Taxes or Other Taxes giving rise to such refund or credit), net of all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses (including Taxes) of the Administrative Agent, any Lender or any Issuing Bank, as the case may be, and without interest (other than any interest paid by the relevant Governmental Authority with respect to such refund or credit), provided that the Borrower, upon the request of the Administrative Agent, any Lender or any Issuing Bank, agrees to repay the amount paid over to the Borrower (plus any penalties, interest or other charges imposed by the relevant Governmental Authority) to the Administrative Agent, any Lender or any Issuing Bank

 

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in the event the Administrative Agent, any Lender or any Issuing Bank is required to repay such refund or credit to such Governmental Authority. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this paragraph (i), in no event will the Administrative Agent, any Lender or any Issuing Bank be required to pay any amount to the Borrower pursuant to this paragraph (i) the payment of which would place the Administrative Agent or such Lender in a less favorable net after-Tax position than the Administrative Agent, such Lender or such Issuing Bank would have been in if the indemnification payments or additional amounts giving rise to such refund had never been paid. This subsection shall not be construed to require the Administrative Agent, any Lender or any Issuing Bank to make available its tax returns or its books or records (or any other information relating to its taxes that it deems confidential) to the Borrower or any other Person.

(j) Each party’s obligations, agreements and waivers under this Section 2.16 shall survive the resignation or replacement of the Administrative Agent, any transfer of rights or obligations by, or the replacement of, a Lender or Issuing Bank, the termination of the Commitments and/or the repayment, satisfaction or discharge of all obligations under any Loan Document.

SECTION 2.17. Payments Generally; Pro Rata Treatment; Sharing of Set-offs.

(a) Payments by the Borrower. The Borrower shall make each payment required to be made by it hereunder (whether of principal, interest, fees or reimbursement of LC Disbursements, or under Section 2.14, 2.15 or 2.16, or otherwise) or under any other Loan Document (except to the extent otherwise provided therein) prior to 2:00 p.m., New York City time, on the date when due, in immediately available funds, without set-off or counterclaim. Any amounts received after such time on any date may, in the discretion of the Administrative Agent, be deemed to have been received on the next succeeding Business Day for purposes of calculating interest thereon. All such payments shall be made to the Administrative Agent at the Administrative Agent’s Account, except as otherwise expressly provided in the relevant Loan Document and except payments to be made directly to an Issuing Bank or a Swingline Lender as expressly provided herein and payments pursuant to Sections 2.14, 2.15, 2.16 and 9.03, which shall be made directly to the Persons entitled thereto. The Administrative Agent shall distribute any such payments received by it for the account of any other Person to the appropriate recipient promptly following receipt thereof. If any payment hereunder shall be due on a day that is not a Business Day, the date for payment shall be extended to the next succeeding Business Day and, in the case of any payment accruing interest, interest thereon shall be payable for the period of such extension. All amounts owing under this Agreement (including commitment fees, payments required under Section 2.14, and payments required under Section 2.15 relating to any Loan denominated in Dollars, but not including principal of, and interest on, any Loan denominated in any Foreign Currency or payments relating to any such Loan required under Section 2.15 or any reimbursement or cash collateralization of any LC Exposure denominated in any Foreign Currency, which are payable in such Foreign Currency) or under any other Loan Document (except to the extent otherwise provided therein) are payable in Dollars. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Borrower shall fail to pay any principal of any Loan when due (whether at stated maturity, by acceleration, by mandatory prepayment or otherwise), the unpaid portion of such Loan shall, if such Loan is not denominated in Dollars, automatically be redenominated in Dollars on the due date thereof (or, if such due date is a day other than the last day of the Interest Period therefor, on the last day of such Interest Period) in an amount equal to the Dollar Equivalent thereof on the date of such redenomination

 

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and such principal shall be payable on demand; and if the Borrower shall fail to pay any interest on any Loan that is not denominated in Dollars, such interest shall automatically be redenominated in Dollars on the due date therefor (or, if such due date is a day other than the last day of the Interest Period therefor, on the last day of such Interest Period) in an amount equal to the Dollar Equivalent thereof on the date of such redenomination and such interest shall be payable on demand.

(b) Application of Insufficient Payments. If at any time insufficient funds are received by and available to the Administrative Agent to pay fully all amounts of principal, unreimbursed LC Disbursements, interest and fees of a Class then due hereunder, such funds shall be applied (i) first, to pay interest and fees of such Class then due hereunder, ratably among the parties entitled thereto in accordance with the amounts of interest and fees of such Class then due to such parties, and (ii) second, to pay principal and unreimbursed LC Disbursements of such Class then due hereunder, ratably among the parties entitled thereto in accordance with the amounts of principal and unreimbursed LC Disbursements of such Class then due to such parties.

(c) Pro Rata Treatment. Except to the extent otherwise provided herein: (i) each Borrowing of a Class shall be made from the Lenders of such Class, and each termination or reduction of the amount of the Commitments of a Class under Section 2.08 shall be applied to the respective Commitments of the Lenders of such Class, pro rata according to the amounts of their respective Commitments of such Class; (ii) each Borrowing of a Class shall be allocated pro rata among the Lenders of such Class according to the amounts of their respective Commitments of such Class (in the case of the making of Loans) or their respective Loans of such Class that are to be included in such Borrowing (in the case of conversions and continuations of Loans); (iii) each payment of commitment fees under Section 2.11 shall be made for the account of the Lenders pro rata according to the average daily unused amounts of their respective Commitments; (iv) each payment or prepayment of principal of Loans of a Class by the Borrower shall be made for the account of the Lenders of such Class pro rata in accordance with the respective unpaid principal amounts of the Loans of such Class held by them; and (v) each payment of interest on Loans of a Class of Commitments or Maturity Date by the Borrower shall be made for the account of the Lenders of such Class pro rata in accordance with the amounts of interest on such Loans then due and payable to such Lenders.

(d) Sharing of Payments by Lenders. If any Lender of a Class shall, by exercising any right of set-off or counterclaim or otherwise, obtain payment in respect of any principal of or interest on any of its Loans, or participations in LC Disbursements or Swingline Loans, of such Class resulting in such Lender receiving payment of a greater proportion of the aggregate amount of its Loans, and participations in LC Disbursements and Swingline Loans, and accrued interest thereon of such Class then due than the proportion received by any other Lender of such Class, then the Lender receiving such greater proportion shall purchase (for cash at face value) participations in the Loans, and participations in LC Disbursements and Swingline Loans, of other Lenders of such Class to the extent necessary so that the benefit of all such payments shall be shared by the Lenders of such Class ratably in accordance with the aggregate amount of principal of and accrued interest on their respective Loans, and participations in LC Disbursements and Swingline Loans of such Class; provided that (i) if any such participations are purchased and all or any portion of the payment giving rise thereto is recovered, such participations shall be rescinded and the purchase price restored to the extent of such recovery, without interest, and

 

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(ii) the provisions of this paragraph shall not be construed to apply to any payment made by the Borrower pursuant to and in accordance with the express terms of this Agreement or any payment obtained by a Lender as consideration for the assignment of or sale of a participation in any of its Loans or participations in LC Disbursements to any assignee or participant, other than to the Borrower or any Subsidiary or Affiliate thereof (as to which the provisions of this paragraph shall apply). The Borrower consents to the foregoing and agrees, to the extent it may effectively do so under applicable law, that any Lender acquiring a participation pursuant to the foregoing arrangements may exercise against the Borrower rights of set-off and counterclaim with respect to such participation as fully as if such Lender were a direct creditor of the Borrower in the amount of such participation. For the avoidance of doubt, the Borrower may make a Borrowing under the Dollar Commitments or Multicurrency Commitments (if otherwise permitted hereunder) and may use the proceeds of such Borrowing (x) with Dollar Commitments to prepay the Multicurrency Loans (without making a ratable prepayment of the Dollar Loans) or (y) with Multicurrency Commitments to prepay the Dollar Loans (without making a ratable payment to the Multicurrency Loans).

(e) Presumptions of Payment. Unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from the Borrower prior to the date on which any payment is due to the Administrative Agent for the account of the Lenders or the Issuing Banks hereunder that the Borrower will not make such payment, the Administrative Agent may assume that the Borrower has made such payment on such date in accordance herewith and may, in reliance upon such assumption, distribute to the Lenders or the Issuing Banks, as the case may be, the amount due. In such event, if the Borrower has not in fact made such payment, then each of the Lenders or each of the Issuing Banks, as the case may be, severally agrees to repay to the Administrative Agent forthwith on demand the amount so distributed to such Lender or such Issuing Bank with interest thereon, for each day from and including the date such amount is distributed to it to but excluding the date of payment to the Administrative Agent, at the Federal Funds Effective Rate.

(f) Certain Deductions by the Administrative Agent. If any Lender shall fail to make any payment required to be made by it pursuant to Section 2.05(e), 2.06(a), 2.17(d) or 9.03(c), then the Administrative Agent may, in its discretion (notwithstanding any contrary provision hereof), apply any amounts thereafter received by the Administrative Agent for the account of such Lender to satisfy such Lender’s obligations under such Sections until all such unsatisfied obligations are fully paid.

SECTION 2.18. Defaulting Lenders.

Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, if any Lender becomes a Defaulting Lender, then the following provisions shall apply for so long as such Lender is a Defaulting Lender:

(a) commitment fees pursuant to Section 2.11(a) shall cease to accrue on the unfunded portion of the Revolving Commitment of such Defaulting Lender;

 

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(b) such Defaulting Lender shall not have any right to approve or disapprove any amendment, waiver or consent hereunder or any other Loan Documents and the Commitment and Credit Exposure of such Defaulting Lender shall not be included in determining whether two-thirds (2/3rds) of the Lenders, two-thirds (2/3rds) of the Lenders of a Class, the Required Lenders or the Required Lenders of a Class have taken or may take any action hereunder or any other Loan Documents, except that the Commitment of such Lender may not be increased or extended, and amounts payable to such Defaulting Lender hereunder may not be permanently reduced, without the consent of such Defaulting Lender (other than reductions in fees and interest in which such reduction does not disproportionately affect such Defaulting Lender);

(c) if any Swingline Exposure or LC Exposure exists at the time a Lender becomes a Defaulting Lender then:

(i) all or any part of such Swingline Exposure (other than the portion of such Swingline Exposure consisting of Swingline Loans made by such Defaulting Lender) and LC Exposure shall be reallocated among the non-Defaulting Lenders holding Commitments of the same Class as such Defaulting Lender in accordance with their respective Applicable Multicurrency Percentages or Applicable Dollar Percentages, as applicable, but only to the extent (x) in the case of a Defaulting Lender that holds Commitments of a particular Class, the sum of all non-Defaulting Lenders’ Revolving Credit Exposures of such Class plus such Defaulting Lender’s Swingline Exposure and LC Exposure of such Class does not exceed the total of all non-Defaulting Lenders’ Commitments of such Class, and (y) no non-Defaulting Lender’s Revolving Credit Exposure of the applicable Class will exceed such Lender’s Commitment of such Class;

(ii) if the reallocation described in clause (i) above cannot, or can only partially, be effected, the Borrower shall, without prejudice to any right or remedy available to it hereunder or under law, within three (3) Business Days following notice by the Administrative Agent (x) first, prepay such Defaulting Lender’s Swingline Exposure and (y) second, cash collateralize such Defaulting Lender’s LC Exposure (after giving effect to any partial reallocation pursuant to clause (i) above) in accordance with the procedures set forth in Section 2.05(l) for so long as such LC Exposure is outstanding;

(iii) if the Borrower cash collateralizes any portion of such Defaulting Lender’s LC Exposure pursuant to clause (ii) above, the Borrower shall not be required to pay any fees to such Defaulting Lender pursuant to Section 2.11(b) with respect to such Defaulting Lender’s LC Exposure during the period such Defaulting Lender’s LC Exposure is cash collateralized;

(iv) if the LC Exposure of the non-Defaulting Lenders of the same Class as such Defaulting Lender is reallocated pursuant to clause (i) above, then the fees payable to the Lenders pursuant to Section 2.11(a) and Section 2.11(b) shall be adjusted in accordance with such non-Defaulting Lenders’ Applicable Multicurrency Percentages or Applicable Dollar Percentages, as applicable, in effect immediately after giving effect to such reallocation; and

(v) if any Defaulting Lender’s LC Exposure is neither cash collateralized nor reallocated pursuant to this Section 2.18(c), then, without prejudice to any rights or remedies of any Issuing Bank or any Lender hereunder, all commitment fees that otherwise would have been payable to such Defaulting Lender (solely with respect to the portion of such Defaulting Lender’s Commitment that was utilized by such LC Exposure) and letter of credit fees payable under Section 2.11(b) with respect to such Defaulting Lender’s LC Exposure shall be payable to the applicable Issuing Bank until such LC Exposure is cash collateralized and/or reallocated; and

 

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(d) so long as any Lender is a Defaulting Lender, no Swingline Lenders of the same Class of such Defaulting Lender shall be required to fund any Swingline Loan of such Class and no Issuing Bank of the same Class or such Defaulting Lender shall be required to issue, amend or increase any Letter of Credit of such Class, unless it is satisfied that the related exposure will be 100% covered by the Commitments of the non-Defaulting Lenders of the applicable Class and/or cash collateral will be provided by the Borrower in accordance with Section 2.18(c), and Swingline Exposure related to any newly made Swingline Loan and participating interests in any such newly issued or increased Letter of Credit shall be allocated among non-Defaulting Lenders of such Class in a manner consistent with Section 2.18(c)(i) (and Defaulting Lenders shall not participate therein).

In the event that the Administrative Agent, the Borrower, the Swingline Lenders and the Issuing Banks (with respect to the Swingline Lenders and the Issuing Banks, only to the extent that such Swingline Lender or Issuing Bank acts in such capacity under the same Class of Commitments held by a Defaulting Lender) each agrees in writing that such Defaulting Lender has adequately remedied all matters that caused such Lender to be a Defaulting Lender, then on the date of such agreement, such Lender shall no longer be deemed a Defaulting Lender, the Borrower shall no longer be required to cash collateralize any portion of such Lender’s LC Exposure cash collateralized pursuant to Section 2.18(c)(ii) above and the Swingline Exposure and the LC Exposure of the Lenders of the affected Class shall be readjusted to reflect the inclusion of such Lender’s Commitment of such Class and on such date such Lender shall purchase at par such of the Loans of the other Lenders of such Class (other than Swingline Loans) as the Administrative Agent shall determine may be necessary in order for such Lender to hold such Loans in accordance with its Applicable Multicurrency Percentage or Applicable Dollar Percentage, as applicable, in effect immediately after giving effect to such agreement.

No reallocation hereunder shall constitute a waiver or release of any claim of any party hereunder against a Defaulting Lender arising from that Lender having become a Defaulting Lender, including any claim of a non-Defaulting Lender as a result of such non-Defaulting Lender’s increased exposure following such reallocation.

SECTION 2.19. Mitigation Obligations; Replacement of Lenders.

(a) Designation of a Different Lending Office. If any Lender requests compensation under Section 2.14, or if the Borrower is required to pay any additional amount to any Lender or any Governmental Authority for the account of any Lender pursuant to Section 2.16, then such Lender shall use reasonable efforts to designate a different lending office for funding or booking its Loans hereunder or to assign its rights and obligations hereunder to another of its offices, branches or affiliates, if, in the reasonable judgment of such Lender, such designation or assignment (i) would eliminate or reduce amounts payable pursuant to Section 2.14 or 2.16, as the case may be, in the future and (ii) would not subject such Lender to any cost or expense not required to be reimbursed by the Borrower and would not otherwise be disadvantageous to such Lender. The Borrower hereby agrees to pay all reasonable costs and expenses incurred by any Lender in connection with any such designation or assignment.

 

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(b) Replacement of Lenders. If any Lender requests compensation under Section 2.14, or if the Borrower is required to pay any additional amount to any Lender or any Governmental Authority for the account of any Lender pursuant to Section 2.16, or if any Lender becomes a Defaulting Lender or is a non-consenting Lender (as provided in Section 9.02(d)), then the Borrower may, at its sole expense and effort, upon notice to such Lender and the Administrative Agent, require such Lender to assign and delegate, without recourse (in accordance with and subject to the restrictions contained in Section 9.04), all its interests, rights and obligations under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents to an assignee that shall assume such obligations (which assignee may be another Lender, if a Lender accepts such assignment); provided that (i) the Borrower shall have received the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent (and, if a Revolving Commitment is being assigned, the Issuing Banks and the Swingline Lender), which consent shall not unreasonably be withheld, conditioned or delayed, (ii) such Lender shall have received payment of an amount equal to the outstanding principal of its Loans and participations in LC Disbursements and Swingline Loans, accrued interest thereon, accrued fees and all other amounts payable to it hereunder, from the assignee (to the extent of such outstanding principal and accrued interest and fees) or the Borrower (in the case of all other amounts then due and payable), and (iii) in the case of any such assignment resulting from a claim for compensation under Section 2.14 or payments required to be made pursuant to Section 2.16, such assignment will result in a reduction in such compensation or payments. A Lender shall not be required to make any such assignment and delegation if, prior thereto, as a result of a waiver by such Lender or otherwise, the circumstances entitling the Borrower to require such assignment and delegation cease to apply.

(c) Defaulting Lender. If any Lender shall fail to make any payment required to be made by it pursuant to Section 2.05(e), 2.06(a), 2.17(d) or 9.03(c), then the Administrative Agent may, in its discretion and notwithstanding any contrary provision hereof, (i) apply any amounts thereafter received by the Administrative Agent for the account of such Lender for the benefit of the Administrative Agent or the Issuing Banks to satisfy such Lender’s obligations under such Sections until all such unsatisfied obligations are fully paid, and/or (ii) hold any such amounts in a segregated account as cash collateral for, and application to, any future funding obligations of such Lender under such Sections; in the case of each of clauses (i) and (ii) above, in any order as determined by the Administrative Agent in its discretion.

SECTION 2.20. Illegality. If any Change in Law shall make it unlawful or impossible for any Lender to perform any of its obligations hereunder, to make, maintain or fund any RFR Loan or Term Benchmark Loan or to determine or charge interest rates based upon any applicable Daily Simple RFR or Relevant Rate and such Lender shall so notify the Administrative Agent, the Administrative Agent shall give written notice thereof (or telephonic notice, promptly confirmed in writing) to the Borrower and the other Lenders as promptly as practicable thereafter, whereupon until such Lender notifies the Administrative Agent and the Borrower that the circumstances giving rise to such notice no longer exist, (i) the Alternate Base Rate shall, if necessary to avoid such illegality, be determined by the Administrative Agent without reference to clause (iii) thereof, (ii) any Interest Election Request that requests the conversion of any Borrowing to, or the continuation of any Borrowing as, a Term Benchmark Borrowing denominated in the affected

 

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Currency shall be ineffective and, if the affected Currency is Dollars, such Borrowing (unless prepaid) shall be continued as, or converted to, an ABR Borrowing either (A) at the end of the applicable Interest Period if such Lender may lawfully continue to maintain such Loan to such date or (B) immediately if such Lender shall determine that it may not lawfully continue to maintain such Term Benchmark Loan to such date, (iii) if the affected Currency is Dollars and any Borrowing Request requests a Term Benchmark Borrowing denominated in Dollars, such Borrowing shall be made as an ABR Borrowing, (iv) if the affected Currency is a Foreign Currency other than CAD, (A) any Borrowing Request that requests a Term Benchmark Borrowing or RFR Borrowing denominated in the affected Currency shall be made as a Term Benchmark Borrowing with a Relevant Rate equal to the Central Bank Rate for the applicable Agreed Foreign Currency; provided, that if the Administrative Agent determines (which determination shall be conclusive and binding absent manifest error) that the Central Bank Rate for the applicable Agreed Foreign Currency cannot be determined, such Borrowing Request shall be ineffective, and (B) any outstanding Term Benchmark Borrowing or RFR Borrowing in the affected Currency, at the Borrower’s election shall either (1) be converted to a Term Benchmark Borrowing with a Relevant Rate equal to the Central Bank Rate for the applicable Agreed Foreign Currency; provided that, if the Administrative Agent determines (which determination shall be conclusive and binding absent manifest error) that the Central Bank Rate for the applicable Agreed Foreign Currency cannot be determined, such Borrowing shall be converted into an ABR Borrowing denominated in Dollars (in an amount equal to the Dollar Equivalent of such affected Currency) immediately in the case of an RFR Borrowing or, in the case of a Term Benchmark Borrowing, either (x) at the end of the applicable Interest Period if such Lender may lawfully continue to maintain such Loan to such date or (y) immediately if such Lender shall determine that it may not lawfully continue to maintain such Term Benchmark Loan to such date, (2) be converted into an ABR Borrowing denominated in Dollars (in an amount equal to the Dollar Equivalent of such affected Currency) immediately in the case of an RFR Borrowing or, in the case of a Term Benchmark Borrowing, either (x) at the end of the applicable Interest Period if such Lender may lawfully continue to maintain such Loan to such date or (y) immediately if such Lender shall determine that it may not lawfully continue to maintain such Term Benchmark Loan to such date, or (3) be prepaid in full immediately in the case of an RFR Borrowing or, in the case of a Term Benchmark Borrowing, either (x) at the end of the applicable Interest Period if such Lender may lawfully continue to maintain such Loan to such date or (y) immediately if such Lender shall determine that it may not lawfully continue to maintain such Term Benchmark Loan to such date, and (v) if the affected Currency is CAD, (A) any Borrowing Request that requests a Term Benchmark Borrowing denominated in CAD shall be made as a Term Benchmark Borrowing with a Relevant Rate equal to the Canadian Prime Rate; provided, that if the Administrative Agent determines (which determination shall be conclusive and binding absent manifest error) that the Canadian Prime Rate cannot be determined, such Borrowing Request shall be ineffective, and (B) any outstanding Term Benchmark Borrowing in CAD, at the Borrower’s election, shall either (1) be converted to a Term Benchmark Borrowing denominated in CAD with a Relevant Rate equal to the Canadian Prime Rate at the end of applicable Interest Period; provided that, if the Administrative Agent determines (which determination shall be conclusive and binding absent manifest error) that the Canadian Prime Rate cannot be determined, such Borrowing shall be converted into an ABR Borrowing denominated in Dollars (in an amount equal to the Dollar Equivalent of such affected Currency) either (x) at the end of the applicable Interest Period if such Lender may lawfully continue to maintain such Loan to such date or (y) immediately if such

 

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Lender shall determine that it may not lawfully continue to maintain such Term Benchmark Loan to such date, (2) be converted into an ABR Borrowing denominated in Dollars (in an amount equal to the Dollar Equivalent of such affected Currency) either (x) at the end of the applicable Interest Period if such Lender may lawfully continue to maintain such Loan to such date or (y) immediately if such Lender shall determine that it may not lawfully continue to maintain such Term Benchmark Loan to such date, or (3) be prepaid in full at the end of the applicable Interest Period; provided that if no election is made by the Borrower by the date that is three Business Days after receipt by the Borrower of such notice or, in the case of a Term Benchmark Borrowing, the last day of the current Interest Period for the applicable Term Benchmark Loan, if earlier, the Borrower shall be deemed to have elected clause (iv)(B)(1) or (v)(B)(1) above, as applicable. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the affected Lender shall, prior to giving such notice to the Administrative Agent, use reasonable efforts to designate a different lending office if such designation would avoid the need for giving such notice and if such designation would not otherwise be disadvantageous to such Lender in the good faith exercise of its discretion. Upon any such prepayment or conversion, the Borrower shall also pay accrued interest on the amount so prepaid or converted, together with any additional amounts required pursuant to Section 2.14.

ARTICLE III

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

The Borrower represents and warrants to the Lenders that:

SECTION 3.01. Organization; Powers. Each of the Borrower and its Significant Subsidiaries (a)(i) is duly organized and validly existing and (ii) in good standing, in each case, under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization, (b) has all requisite power and authority to carry on its business as now conducted and (c) is qualified to do business in, and is in good standing in, every jurisdiction where such qualification is required, except where the failure to comply with clauses (a) through (c), other than clause (a)(i) with respect to the Borrower, would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

SECTION 3.02. Authorization; Enforceability. The Transactions are within the Borrower’s corporate powers and have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate and, if required, by all necessary shareholder action. This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Borrower and constitutes, and each of the other Loan Documents when executed by each Obligor party thereto and delivered will constitute, a legal, valid and binding obligation of such Obligor, enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by (a) bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws of general applicability affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights and (b) the application of general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law).

SECTION 3.03. Governmental Approvals; No Conflicts. The Transactions (a) do not require any consent or approval of, registration or filing with, or any other action by, any Governmental Authority, except for (i) such as have been or will be obtained or made and are or will be in full force and effect, and (ii) filings and recordings in respect of the Liens created pursuant to the Security Documents, (b) will not violate any applicable law or regulation or the charter, by-laws or other organizational documents of the Borrower or any other Obligors, as

 

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applicable, or any order of any Governmental Authority, (c) will not violate or result in a default under any indenture, agreement or other instrument binding upon the Borrower or any other Obligor, as applicable, or assets, or give rise to a right thereunder to require any payment to be made by any such Person, in each case, except as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, and (d) except for the Liens created pursuant to the Security Documents, will not result in the creation or imposition of any Lien (other than Liens permitted by Section 6.02) on any asset of the Borrower or any other Obligors.

SECTION 3.04. Financial Condition; No Material Adverse Change.

(a) Financial Statements. The financial statements most recently delivered to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders by the Borrower pursuant to Section 4.01(d) or Section 5.01 present fairly, in all material respects, the consolidated financial position and results of operations and cash flows of the Borrower and its consolidated Subsidiaries as of such dates and for such periods in accordance with GAAP applied on a consistent basis, subject to, in the case of interim statements, year-end audit adjustments and the absence of footnotes.

(b) No Material Adverse Change. Since April 6, 2023 or, if later and so long as no Material Adverse Effect shall exist (regardless of when it occurred) immediately prior to the first delivery of annual financial statements of the Borrower pursuant to Section 5.01(a) after the Effective Date, the date of the annual financial statements first delivered pursuant to Section 5.01(a) after the Effective Date, there has not been any event, development or circumstance that has had or would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

SECTION 3.05. Litigation. Except, in each case, as disclosed to the Lenders and the Administrative Agent prior to the Effective Date, including as set forth in any report publicly filed with the SEC prior to the Effective Date, (i) there are no actions, suits, investigations or proceedings by or before any arbitrator or Governmental Authority now pending against or, to the knowledge of any Financial Officer of the Borrower, threatened in writing against or affecting the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries as to which there is a reasonable possibility of an adverse determination and that, if adversely determined, would reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Effect and (ii) there are no actions, suits, investigations or proceedings by or before any arbitrator or Governmental Authority now pending against or, to the knowledge of any Financial Officer of the Borrower, threatened in writing against or affecting the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries that directly involve this Agreement or the Transactions.

SECTION 3.06. Compliance with Laws and Agreements. Each of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries is in compliance with all laws, regulations and orders of any Governmental Authority applicable to it or its property and all indentures, agreements and other instruments binding upon it or its property, except where the failure to do so, individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. None of the Obligors is subject to any contract or other arrangement, the performance of which by them would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

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SECTION 3.07. Sanctions and Anti-Corruption Laws. The Borrower has implemented and maintains in effect policies and procedures designed to ensure compliance by the Borrower, its Subsidiaries and their respective directors, officers, employees and investment advisors with Anti-Corruption Laws and applicable Sanctions, and the Borrower, its Subsidiaries and their respective employees, officers and directors and, to the knowledge of the Borrower, Affiliates or agents of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, are in compliance in all material respects with Anti-Corruption Laws and applicable Sanctions. None of the Borrower or any Subsidiary or any director, officer, manager or, to the knowledge of the Borrower, agent or Affiliate of the Borrower or any Subsidiary is a Sanctioned Person and none of the Borrower or any Subsidiary or any director, officer, manager or agent of the Borrower or any Subsidiary is the subject of any Sanctions.

SECTION 3.08. Taxes. Each of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries has timely filed or caused to be filed all material Tax returns and reports required to have been filed and has paid or caused to be paid all material Taxes required to have been paid by it, except (a) Taxes that are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and for which such Person has set aside on its books adequate reserves or (b) to the extent that the failure to do so would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

SECTION 3.09. ERISA. No ERISA Event has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur that, when taken together with all other such ERISA Events for which liability is reasonably expected to occur, would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

SECTION 3.10. Disclosure. None of the written reports, financial statements, certificates or other written information (other than projections, other forward looking information, information of a general economic or industry specific nature or information relating to third parties) furnished by or on behalf of the Borrower to the Lenders in connection with the negotiation of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents or delivered hereunder or thereunder (as modified or supplemented by other information so furnished) when taken together with the Borrower’s public filings and as a whole contains any material misstatement of fact or omits to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not materially misleading at the time made; provided that, with respect to projected financial information, other forward looking information relating to third parties and information of a general economic or general industry nature, the Borrower represents only that such information was prepared in good faith based upon assumptions believed to be reasonable at the time of the preparation thereof (it being understood that projections are subject to significant and inherent uncertainties and contingencies which may be outside of the Borrower’s control and that no assurance can be given that projections will be realized, and are therefore not to be viewed as fact, and that actual results for the periods covered by projections may differ from the projected results set forth in such projections and that such differences may be material).

SECTION 3.11. Investment Company Act; Margin Regulations.

(a) Status as Business Development Company. The Borrower is a “closed-end fund” that has elected to be regulated as a “business development company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act and qualifies as a RIC.

 

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(b) Compliance with Investment Company Act. The business and other activities of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, including the making of the Loans hereunder, the application of the proceeds and repayment thereof by the Borrower and the consummation of the Transactions contemplated by the Loan Documents do not result in a violation or breach in any material respect of the applicable provisions of the Investment Company Act or any rules, regulations or orders issued by the SEC thereunder, in each case, that are applicable to the Borrower and its Subsidiaries.

(c) Investment Policies. The Borrower is in compliance with all written investment policies, restrictions and limitations for the Borrower delivered (to the extent not otherwise publicly filed with the SEC) to the Lenders prior to the Effective Date (as such investment policies have been amended, modified or supplemented in a manner not prohibited by Section 7.01(r), the “Investment Policies”), except to the extent that the failure to so comply would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(d) Use of Credit. Neither the Borrower nor any of its Significant Subsidiaries is engaged principally, or as one of its important activities, in the business of extending credit for the purpose, whether immediate, incidental or ultimate, of buying or carrying Margin Stock, and no part of the proceeds of any extension of credit hereunder will be used to buy or carry any Margin Stock in violation of Regulation U.

SECTION 3.12. Material Agreements and Liens.

(a) Material Agreements. Part A of Schedule II is a complete and correct list of each credit agreement, loan agreement, indenture, note purchase agreement, guarantee, letter of credit or other arrangement providing for or otherwise relating to any Indebtedness for borrowed money of or any extension of credit (or commitment for any extension of credit) to, or guarantee for borrowed money by, the Borrower or any other Obligor outstanding on the Effective Date (in each case, other than (x) Indebtedness hereunder or under any other Loan Document and (y) any such agreement or arrangement that is solely between or among two (2) or more Obligors), and the aggregate principal or face amount outstanding or that is or may become outstanding under each such arrangement in each case as of the Effective Date is correctly described in Part A of Schedule II.

(b) Liens. Part B of Schedule II is a complete and correct list of each Lien securing Indebtedness of any Person outstanding on the Effective Date (other than Indebtedness hereunder or under any other Loan Document) covering any property of the Borrower or any other Obligor, and the aggregate principal amount of such Indebtedness secured (or that may be secured) by each such Lien and the property covered by each such Lien as of the Effective Date is correctly described in Part B of Schedule II.

SECTION 3.13. Subsidiaries and Investments.

(a) Subsidiaries. Set forth in Part A of Schedule IV is a complete and correct list of all of the Subsidiaries of the Borrower on the Effective Date together with, for each such Subsidiary, (i) the jurisdiction of organization of such Subsidiary, (ii) each Person holding ownership interests in such Subsidiary, (iii) the nature of the ownership interests held by each such Person and the percentage of ownership of such Subsidiary represented by such ownership interests and (iv) whether such Subsidiary is a Designated Subsidiary or an Excluded Asset (other than a Designated Subsidiary). Except as disclosed in Part A of Schedule IV, as of the Effective Date, (x) the

 

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Borrower owns, free and clear of Liens (other than any lien permitted by Section 6.02 hereof), and has the unencumbered right to vote, all outstanding ownership interests in each Subsidiary shown to be held by it in Part A of Schedule IV, (y) all of the issued and outstanding capital stock of each such Subsidiary organized as a corporation is validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable (to the extent such concepts are applicable) and (z) there are no outstanding Equity Interests with respect to such Subsidiary. Each Subsidiary identified on said Part A of Schedule IV as a “Designated Subsidiary” qualifies as such under the definition of “Designated Subsidiary” set forth in Section 1.01.

(b) Investments. Set forth in Part B of Schedule IV is a complete and correct list of all Investments (other than Investments of the types referred to in clauses (a), (c) and (d) of Section 6.04) held by any of the Obligors in any Person on the Effective Date and, for each such Investment, (x) the identity of the Person or Persons holding such Investment and (y) the nature of such Investment. Except as disclosed in Part B of Schedule IV, each of the Borrower and such other Obligors owns, free and clear of all Liens (other than Permitted Liens or Liens created pursuant to the Security Documents), all such Investments.

SECTION 3.14. Properties.

(a) Title Generally. Each of the Borrower and the other Obligors has good title to, or valid leasehold interests in, all its real and personal property material to its business, taken as a whole, except for minor defects in title that do not interfere with its ability to conduct its business, taken as a whole, as currently conducted or to utilize such properties for their intended purposes, except where failure to have title or leasehold interests would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(b) Intellectual Property. Each of the Borrower and the other Obligors owns, or is licensed to use, all trademarks, tradenames, copyrights, patents and other intellectual property material to its business, taken as a whole, the use thereof by the Borrower and such other Obligor does not infringe upon the rights of any other Person, except for any such infringements that, individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

SECTION 3.15. Affiliate Agreement. As of the Effective Date, the Borrower has heretofore delivered (to the extent not otherwise publicly filed with the SEC) to the Administrative Agent true and complete copies of the Affiliate Agreement as in effect as of the Effective Date (including any amendments, supplements or waivers executed and delivered thereunder and any schedules and exhibits thereto). As of the Effective Date, the Affiliate Agreement is in full force and effect.

SECTION 3.16. Security Documents. The provisions of the Security Documents are effective to create in favor of the Collateral Agent for the benefit of the Secured Parties a legal, valid and enforceable first priority Lien (subject to Liens permitted by Section 6.02) on all right, title and interest of the respective Obligors in the Collateral described therein to secure the Secured Obligations, except for any failure that would not constitute an Event of Default under Section 7.01(p). Except for (a) filings and actions completed on or prior to the Effective Date and as contemplated hereby and by the Security Documents, and (b) the taking of possession or control by the Collateral Agent of the Collateral with respect to which a security interest may be perfected by possession or control, no filing or other action will be necessary to perfect such Liens to the extent required thereunder, except for the failure to make any filing or action that would not constitute an Event of Default under Section 7.01(p).

 

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SECTION 3.17. Affected Financial Institutions. No Obligor is an Affected Financial Institution.

ARTICLE IV

CONDITIONS

SECTION 4.01. Effective Date. This Agreement shall become effective on the date on which the following conditions precedent have been satisfied (or such condition shall have been waived in accordance with Section 9.02):

(a) Documents. The Administrative Agent shall have received each of the following documents, each of which shall be reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent (and to the extent specified below, to each Lender) in form and substance:

(i) Executed Counterparts. From each of the parties hereto, either (i) a counterpart of this Agreement signed on behalf of such party or (ii) written evidence satisfactory to the Administrative Agent (which may include telecopy or electronic transmission of a signed signature page to this Agreement) that such party has signed a counterpart of this Agreement.

(ii) Guarantee and Security Agreement. The Guarantee and Security Agreement, duly executed by each of the parties thereto.

(iii) Opinion of Counsel to the Obligors. A customary favorable written opinion (addressed to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders and dated the Effective Date) of Dechert LLP, New York counsel for the Obligors.

(iv) Corporate Documents. Such documents and certificates as the Administrative Agent or its counsel may reasonably request relating to the organization, existence and good standing of the Obligors, the authorization of the Transactions and any other legal matters relating to the Obligors, this Agreement or the Transactions.

(v) Officer’s Certificate. A certificate, dated the Effective Date and signed by the President, a Vice President, the Chief Executive Officer or a Financial Officer of the Borrower, confirming compliance with the conditions set forth in the lettered clauses of the first sentence of Sections 4.02(a), (b) and (c).

(vi) Control Agreements. Subject to Section 7.04 of the Guarantee and Security Agreement, a control agreement with respect to each of the Deposit Accounts and Securities Accounts (other than Excluded Accounts (as defined in the Guarantee and Security Agreement)) required to be delivered by the Guarantee and Security Agreement, duly executed by each of the parties thereto.

 

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(b) Fees and Expenses. The Administrative Agent shall have received evidence of the payment by the Borrower of all fees due and payable to the Lenders, the Administrative Agent, the Collateral Agent and the Joint Lead Arrangers on or prior to the Effective Date that the Borrower has agreed to pay in connection with this Agreement. The Borrower shall have paid all reasonable expenses (including the legal fees of Mayer Brown LLP) for which invoices have been presented prior to the Effective Date that the Borrower has agreed to pay in connection with this Agreement.

(c) Liens. Results of a recent lien search in each relevant jurisdiction with respect to each Obligor and such search shall reveal no liens on any of the assets of any Obligor except for liens permitted under Section 6.02 or liens to be discharged on or prior to the Effective Date pursuant to documentation reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent.

(d) [reserved].

(e) Know Your Customer Documentation. The Administrative Agent and the Lenders shall have received, (i) upon the reasonable request of the Lenders at least two (2) Business Days prior to the Effective Date, documentation and other information required by bank regulatory authorities under applicable “know your customer” and anti-money laundering rules and regulations, including the USA Patriot Act and (ii) to the extent that the Borrower qualifies as a “legal entity customer” under the requirements of the Beneficial Ownership Regulation, a Beneficial Ownership Certification in relation to the Borrower.

(f) Valuation Policy. A copy of the Valuation Policy.

(g) Other Documents. Such other documents as the Administrative Agent or any Lender or special New York counsel to Truist Bank may reasonably request.

(h) Committed Equity. The Borrower shall provide evidence of at least $200,000,000 in committed equity capital on or before the Effective Date.

The Administrative Agent shall notify the Borrower and the Lenders of the Effective Date, and such notice shall be conclusive and binding.

SECTION 4.02. Each Credit Event. The obligation of each Lender to make any Loan, and of each Issuing Bank to issue, amend, renew or extend any Letter of Credit, is additionally subject to the satisfaction of the following conditions:

(a) (i) in the case of a Loan made to pay the purchase price and related fees and expenses in respect of a Specified Purchase, the Specified Representations (immediately after giving effect to such merger, consolidation or acquisition) and the Specified Purchase Agreement Representations (immediately prior to giving effect to such merger, consolidation or acquisition) shall be true and correct in all material respects on and as of the date of such Loan, or (ii) in the case of any other Loan or issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of any Letter of Credit, the representations and warranties of the Borrower set forth in this Agreement and in the other Loan Documents shall be true and correct in all material respects (or, in the case of any portion of the representations and warranties already subject to a materiality qualifier, true and correct in all respects) on and as of the date of such Loan or the date of issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of such Letter of Credit, as applicable, or, as to any such representation or warranty that refers to a specific date, as of such specific date;

 

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(b) in the case of any Loan or issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of any Letter of Credit (other than a Loan made to pay the purchase price and related fees and expenses in respect of a Specified Purchase), at the time of and immediately after giving effect to such Loan or the issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of such Letter of Credit, as applicable, no Specified Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing;

(c) the aggregate Covered Debt Amount (immediately after giving effect to such extension of credit and any Concurrent Transaction) shall not exceed the Borrowing Base (immediately after giving effect to such extension of credit and any Concurrent Transaction), which shall be evidenced by a Borrowing Base Certificate (which, in the case of the initial making of a Loan or issuance of a Letter of Credit hereunder, as applicable, shall be as of a date not more than five (5) days prior to the date of such Loan or Letter of Credit and give pro forma effect to the Transactions, and thereafter, so long as it is still current, may be the Borrowing Base Certificate most recently delivered to the Administrative Agent);

(d) the Administrative Agent shall have received a request for the Borrowing or the issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of such Letter of Credit as required by Section 2.03, 2.04 or 2.05(b), as applicable; and

(e) with respect to the initial making of a Loan or issuance of a Letter of Credit hereunder, as applicable, the Administrative Agent shall have received (x) a copy of that certain Master Participation Agreement for Par/Near Par Trades, dated on or around April 10, 2023 by and among Macquarie Bank Limited and the Borrower (the “Master Participation Agreement”), duly executed by each of the parties thereto and (y) evidence reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent that the purchase price (other than any portion of the purchase price to be paid with the proceeds of a Loan made on the initial making of a Loan or issuance of a Letter of Credit hereunder) under the Master Participation Agreement has been paid in full on or before the initial making of a Loan or issuance of a Letter of Credit hereunder.

Each Borrowing (but not a continuation or conversion thereof) and each issuance, renewal or extension of a Letter of Credit shall be deemed to constitute a representation and warranty by the Borrower on the date thereof as to the matters specified in the preceding sentence.

ARTICLE V

AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS

Until the Facility Termination Date, the Borrower covenants and agrees with the Administrative Agent and the Lenders that:

SECTION 5.01. Financial Statements and Other Information. The Borrower will furnish to the Administrative Agent for distribution to each Lender:

 

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(a) within ninety (90) days after the end of each fiscal year of the Borrower (or such longer period permitted pursuant to any orders, declarations, laws, regulations or letters issued by the SEC or any other government or regulatory authority, not to exceed one hundred twenty (120) days after the end of each fiscal year of the Borrower), commencing with the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023, the audited consolidated statements of assets and liabilities, statements of operations, changes in net assets, cash flows and schedule of investments of the Borrower and its consolidated Subsidiaries as of the end of and for such year, setting forth in each case in comparative form the figures for the previous fiscal year, all reported on by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP or any other independent public accountants of recognized national standing to the effect that such consolidated financial statements present fairly in all material respects the financial condition and results of operations of the Borrower and its consolidated Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP consistently (except as disclosed therein) applied;

(b) within forty-five (45) days after the end of each of the first three (3) fiscal quarters of each fiscal year of the Borrower (or such longer period permitted pursuant to any orders, declarations, laws, regulations or letters issued by the SEC or any other government or regulatory authority, not to exceed seventy-five (75) days after the end of each of the first three (3) fiscal quarters of each fiscal year of the Borrower), commencing with the fiscal quarter ending June 30, 2023, the consolidated statements of assets and liabilities, statements of operations, changes in net assets, cash flows and schedule of investments of the Borrower and its consolidated Subsidiaries as of the end of and for such fiscal quarter and the then elapsed portion of the fiscal year, setting forth in each case in comparative form the figures for (or, in the case of the balance sheet, as of the end of) the corresponding period or periods of the previous fiscal year, all certified by a Financial Officer of the Borrower as presenting fairly in all material respects the financial condition and results of operations of the Borrower and its consolidated Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP consistently (except as disclosed therein) applied, subject to normal year-end audit adjustments, the absence of footnotes and as otherwise described therein;

(c) concurrently with any delivery of financial statements under clause (a) or (b) of this Section 5.01, a certificate of a Financial Officer of the Borrower (i) certifying as to whether the Borrower has knowledge that a Default has occurred and is continuing, specifying the details thereof and any action which the Borrower has taken or proposed to be taken with respect thereto, (ii) setting forth reasonably detailed calculations demonstrating compliance with Sections 6.01(b), 6.01(i), 6.01(l), 6.01(m), 6.01(n), 6.02(d), 6.02(e), 6.03(c), 6.03(d), 6.03(e), 6.03(h), 6.03(i), 6.04(d), 6.04(j), 6.05(b), 6.05(d), 6.07 and 6.12(c) or, if not in compliance, specifying the details thereof and any action taken or proposed to be taken with respect thereto, and (iii) to the extent not previously disclosed on a Form 10-K or Form 10-Q previously filed with the SEC, stating whether any change in GAAP as applied by (or in the application of GAAP by) the Borrower has occurred since the Effective Date (but only if the Borrower has not previously reported such change to the Administrative Agent and if such change has had a material effect on the financial statements) and, if any such change has occurred, specifying the effect (unless such effect has been previously reported) as determined by the Borrower of such change on the financial statements accompanying such certificate;

 

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(d) as soon as available and in any event not later than the last Business Day of the calendar month following each monthly accounting period (ending on the last day of each calendar month) of the Borrower, (1) a Borrowing Base Certificate as at the last day of such accounting period, (2) if during such monthly accounting period the Borrower has declared or made any Restricted Payment pursuant to Section 6.05(d), a certificate of a Financial Officer of the Borrower describing each such Restricted Payment and certifying that the conditions set forth in Section 6.05(d) were satisfied on the date of each such Restricted Payment and (3) the Borrower’s calculation of the ratio of the Gross Borrowing Base to the Combined Debt Amount (showing the components of the Gross Borrowing Base and the Combined Debt Amount, respectively);

(e) promptly but no later than five (5) Business Days after any Financial Officer of the Borrower shall at any time have knowledge that there is a Borrowing Base Deficiency, a Borrowing Base Certificate as at the date such Person has knowledge of such Borrowing Base Deficiency indicating the amount of such Borrowing Base Deficiency as at the date such Person obtained knowledge of such deficiency and the amount of such Borrowing Base Deficiency as of the date not earlier than one (1) Business Days prior to the date the Borrowing Base Certificate is delivered pursuant to this paragraph;

(f) promptly upon receipt thereof, copies of all significant written reports submitted to management or the board of directors of the Borrower by the Borrower’s independent public accountants in connection with each annual, interim or special audit or review of any type of the financial statements or related internal control systems of the Borrower or any of its Significant Subsidiaries delivered by such accountants to the management or board of directors of the Borrower (other than the periodic reports that the Borrower’s independent auditors provide, in the ordinary course, to the audit committee of the Borrower’s board of directors);

(g) promptly after (and only if) the same become publicly available, copies of all periodic and other reports, proxy statements and other materials sent to all stockholders or filed by any of the Obligors with the SEC, or any Governmental Authority succeeding to any or all of the functions of the SEC, or with any national securities exchange, as the case may be; and

(h) promptly following any request therefor, such other information regarding the operations, business affairs and financial condition of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, or compliance by the Borrower and the Obligors with the terms of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, or for purposes of compliance with applicable “know your customer” and anti-money laundering rules and regulations, including the USA Patriot Act and the Beneficial Ownership Regulation (to the extent applicable), as the Administrative Agent or any Lender (acting through the Administrative Agent) may reasonably request.

Notwithstanding anything in this Section 5.01 to the contrary, the Borrower shall be deemed to have satisfied the requirements of this Section 5.01 (other than Sections 5.01(c), (d), (e) and (h)) if the reports, documents and other information of the type otherwise so required thereby are publicly available when filed on EDGAR at the www.sec.gov website or any successor service provided by the SEC.

SECTION 5.02. Notices of Material Events. Promptly upon a responsible officer of the Borrower obtaining actual knowledge thereof, the Borrower will furnish to the Administrative Agent for distribution to each Lender written notice of the following:

(a) the occurrence of any Default (unless the Borrower first became aware of such Default from a notice delivered by the Administrative Agent); provided that if such Default is subsequently cured within the time periods set forth herein, the failure to provide notice of such Default shall not itself result in an Event of Default hereunder;

 

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(b) the filing or commencement of any action, suit or proceeding by or before any arbitrator or Governmental Authority against the Borrower or any of its Significant Subsidiaries that has a reasonable likelihood of being adversely determined and which, if adversely determined, would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect;

(c) the occurrence of any ERISA Event that, alone or together with any other ERISA Events that have occurred, would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect; and

(d) any other development (excluding matters of a general economic, financial or political nature to the extent that they would not reasonably be expected to have a disproportionate effect on the Borrower) that has resulted in, or would be likely to result in, a Material Adverse Effect.

Each notice delivered under this Section 5.02 shall be accompanied by a statement of a Financial Officer or other executive officer of the Borrower setting forth the details of the event or development requiring such notice and any action taken or proposed to be taken with respect thereto.

SECTION 5.03. Existence; Conduct of Business. The Borrower will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries (other than Immaterial Subsidiaries) to, do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve, renew and keep in full force and effect its legal existence and the rights, licenses, permits, privileges and franchises material to the conduct of the business of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole; provided that the foregoing shall not prohibit any merger, consolidation, liquidation or dissolution not prohibited under Section 6.03.

SECTION 5.04. Payment of Obligations. The Borrower will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries (other than Immaterial Subsidiaries) to, pay its obligations, including U.S. federal income Tax and any other material Tax liabilities and material contractual obligations before the same shall become delinquent or in default, except where (a) the validity or amount thereof is being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings, (b) the Borrower or such Subsidiary (other than Immaterial Subsidiaries) has set aside on its books adequate reserves with respect thereto in accordance with GAAP and (c) the failure to make payment pending such contest would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

SECTION 5.05. Maintenance of Properties; Insurance. The Borrower will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries (other than Immaterial Subsidiaries) to, (a) keep and maintain all property material to the conduct of the business of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, in good working order and condition, ordinary wear and tear excepted, except where failure to keep or maintain would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect; provided that the foregoing shall not prohibit any merger, consolidation, liquidation or dissolution not prohibited under Section 6.03, and (b) maintain, with financially sound and reputable insurance companies, insurance in such amounts and against such risks as are customarily maintained by companies engaged in the same or similar businesses.

 

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SECTION 5.06. Books and Records; Inspection Rights. The Borrower will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries (other than Immaterial Subsidiaries) to, keep books of record and account in accordance with GAAP in all material respects. The Borrower will, and will cause each other Obligor to, permit any representatives designated by the Administrative Agent or any Lender, upon reasonable prior notice to the Borrower, to visit and inspect its properties during normal business hours, to examine and make copies of its books and records (but only to the extent the Borrower is not prohibited from disclosing such information or providing access to such information, and any books, records and documents held by the Custodian), and to discuss its affairs, finances and condition with its officers and independent accountants, all at such reasonable times and as often as reasonably requested, in each case, to the extent such inspection or requests for such information are reasonable and such information can be provided or discussed without violation of law, rule, regulation or any contract such Obligor entered into with a third party that is not an Affiliate; provided that the Borrower shall be entitled to have its representatives and advisors present during any inspection of its books and records and during any discussion with its independent accountants or independent auditors; provided further that the Borrower shall not be responsible for the costs and expenses of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders for more than one (1) visit and inspection in any calendar year under this Section 5.06 and Section 7.01(b) of the Guarantee and Security Agreement unless an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing.

SECTION 5.07. Compliance with Laws; Anti-Corruption; Sanctions. The Borrower will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, comply with all laws, rules, regulations, including the Investment Company Act, any applicable rules, regulations or orders issued by the SEC thereunder (in each case, if applicable to such Person) and orders of any other Governmental Authority applicable to it or its property, except where the failure to do so, individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. The Borrower will maintain in effect and enforce policies and procedures designed to ensure compliance by the Borrower, its Subsidiaries and their respective directors, officers, employees and agents with Anti-Corruption Laws and applicable Sanctions in all material respects. The Borrower and its Subsidiaries will comply in all material respects with the Anti-Corruption Laws and applicable Sanctions.

SECTION 5.08. Certain Obligations Respecting Subsidiaries; Further Assurances.

(a) Subsidiary Guarantors. In the event that (1) any Obligor shall form or acquire any new Domestic Subsidiary (other than an Excluded Asset or Immaterial Subsidiary) or (2) any Excluded Asset or Immaterial Subsidiary that is a Domestic Subsidiary shall no longer constitute an “Excluded Asset” or “Immaterial Subsidiary”, as applicable, pursuant to the definition thereof (in which case such Person shall be deemed to be a “new” Domestic Subsidiary for purposes of this Section 5.08 as of such date), the Borrower will cause, within thirty (30) days (or such longer period as shall be reasonably agreed by the Administrative Agent) following such Person becoming a new Domestic Subsidiary, such new Domestic Subsidiary to become a “Subsidiary Guarantor” (and, thereby, an “Obligor”) under a Guarantee Assumption Agreement and to deliver such proof of corporate or other action, incumbency of officers, opinions of counsel (unless otherwise agreed by the Administrative Agent) and other documents as is consistent with those delivered by the Borrower pursuant to Section 4.01 upon the Effective Date or as the Administrative Agent shall have reasonably requested. For the avoidance of doubt, the Borrower

 

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may elect to cause any of its Excluded Assets or Immaterial Subsidiaries to become an Obligor by causing such Person to become a Subsidiary Guarantor and executing and delivering a Guarantee Assumption Agreement and other deliverables as required for a Subsidiary Guarantor under this Section 5.08(a) (at which point such Person shall be a Subsidiary Guarantor and shall no longer be an Excluded Asset or an Immaterial Subsidiary).

(b) Ownership of Subsidiaries. The Borrower will, and will cause each of its Significant Subsidiaries to, take such action from time to time as shall be necessary to ensure that each of its Significant Subsidiaries is a wholly owned Subsidiary (other than any Subsidiary that is an Excluded Asset); provided that the foregoing shall not prohibit any transaction permitted under Section 6.03 or 6.04, so long as immediately after giving effect to such permitted transaction each of the remaining Significant Subsidiaries is a wholly owned Subsidiary.

(c) Further Assurances. The Borrower will, and will cause each of the Subsidiary Guarantors to, take such action from time to time (including filing appropriate Uniform Commercial Code financing statements and executing and delivering such assignments, security agreements and other instruments) as shall be reasonably requested by the Administrative Agent to effectuate the purposes and objectives of this Agreement, including:

(i) to create, in favor of the Collateral Agent for the benefit of the Lenders (and any affiliate thereof that is a party to any Hedging Agreement entered into with such Obligor) and the holders of any Shorter Term Secured Indebtedness or Other Secured Indebtedness, perfected security interests and Liens in the Collateral; provided that any such security interest or Lien shall be subject to the relevant requirements of the Security Documents; provided further, that in the case of any Collateral consisting of voting stock of any Controlled Foreign Corporation, such security interest shall be limited to 65% of the issued and outstanding voting stock of such Controlled Foreign Corporation,

(ii) subject to Sections 7.01 and 7.04 of the Guarantee and Security Agreement, to cause any bank or securities intermediary (within the meaning of the Uniform Commercial Code) to enter into such arrangements with the Collateral Agent as shall be appropriate in order that the Collateral Agent has “control” over each deposit account or securities account of the Obligors (other than any Excluded Account), and in that connection, the Borrower agrees to cause all cash and other proceeds of Portfolio Investments received by any Obligor to be promptly deposited into such an account (or otherwise delivered to, or registered in the name of, the Collateral Agent) and, until such deposit, delivery or registration such cash and other proceeds shall be held in trust by the Borrower for the benefit of the Collateral Agent and shall not be commingled with any other funds or property of such Obligor or of any Designated Subsidiary or other Person (including with any money or financial assets of any Obligor in its capacity as “servicer” for any such Designated Subsidiary or any of its other Excluded Assets, or any money or financial assets of any Excluded Asset),

 

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(iii) in the case of any portfolio investment held by an Excluded Asset or an Immaterial Subsidiary, including any cash collection related thereto, ensure that such portfolio investment shall not be held in the account of any Obligor subject to a control agreement among such Obligor, the Collateral Agent and the Custodian delivered in connection with this Agreement or any other Loan Document; provided that, in the case of a participation interest held by any Excluded Asset or an Immaterial Subsidiary (other than a 100% participation interest held for more than ninety (90) days) that was acquired from an Obligor, such portfolio investment, including any cash collection related thereto, may be held in any account of any Obligor, so long as, in the case of cash, it is promptly distributed to such Excluded Asset or Immaterial Subsidiary,

(iv) in the case of any Portfolio Investment consisting of a Bank Loan that does not constitute all of the credit extended to the underlying borrower under the relevant underlying loan documents and an Excluded Asset or an Immaterial Subsidiary holds any interest in the loans or other extensions of credit under such loan documents, (x) cause such Excluded Asset or such Immaterial Subsidiary to be party to such underlying loan documents as a “lender” having a direct interest (or a participation interest acquired from any Person (including an Obligor)) in such underlying loan documents and the extensions of credit thereunder and (y) ensure that, subject to Section 5.08(c)(v) below, all amounts owing to such Obligor by the underlying borrower or other obligated party are remitted by such borrower or obligated party (or the applicable administrative agents, collateral agents or equivalent Person) directly to separate accounts of such Obligor and no other amounts owing by such underlying borrower or obligated party are remitted to the accounts of such Obligor,

(v) in the event that any Obligor is acting as an agent or administrative agent (or analogous capacity) under any loan documents with respect to any Bank Loan that does not constitute all of the credit extended to the underlying borrower under the relevant underlying loan documents, ensure that all funds held by such Obligor in such capacity as agent or administrative agent are segregated from all other funds of such Obligor and are clearly identified as being held in an agency capacity and

(vi) if an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, cause all credit or loan agreements, any notes and all assignment and assumption agreements relating to any Portfolio Investment constituting part of the Collateral to be held by (x) the Collateral Agent or (y) a Custodian pursuant to the terms of the applicable Custodian Agreement, or pursuant to an appropriate intercreditor agreement, so long as such Custodian has agreed to grant access to such loan and other documents to the Administrative Agent pursuant to an access or similar agreement between the Borrower and such Custodian in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent; provided that the Borrower’s obligation to deliver underlying documentation may be satisfied by delivery of copies of such agreements.

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, (1) nothing contained herein shall prevent an Obligor from having a Participation Interest in a portfolio investment held by an Excluded Asset and (2) if any instrument, promissory note, agreement, document or certificate held by the Custodian is destroyed or lost not as a result of any action of such Obligor, then any original of such instrument, promissory note, agreement, document or certificate shall be deemed held by the Custodian for all purposes hereunder; provided that, when such Obligor has actual knowledge of any such destroyed or lost instrument, promissory note, agreement, document or certificate, it shall use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain from the underlying borrower, and deliver to the Custodian, a replacement instrument, promissory note, agreement, document or certificate.

 

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SECTION 5.09. Use of Proceeds. The Borrower will use the proceeds of the Loans and the issuances of Letters of Credit only for general corporate purposes of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, including (a) purchasing shares of its common stock in connection with the redemption (or buyback) of its shares, (b) repaying outstanding Indebtedness not prohibited by the Loan Documents, (c) paying fees and expenses paid or payable in connection with this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, (d) making other distributions, contributions and investments and (e) acquiring and funding (either directly or through one (1) or more Subsidiaries) of leveraged loans, mezzanine loans, high-yield securities, convertible securities, preferred stock, common stock, Hedging Agreements, Credit Default Swaps and other Portfolio Investments; provided that neither the Administrative Agent nor any Lender shall have any responsibility as to the use of any of such proceeds. No part of the proceeds of any Loan or Letter of Credit will be used in violation of Sanctions or any other applicable law or, directly or indirectly, for the purpose, whether immediate, incidental or ultimate, of buying or carrying any Margin Stock in violation of Regulation U. Upon the request of any Lender, the Borrower shall furnish to such Lender a statement in conformity with the requirements of FR Form G-3 or FR Form U-1, as applicable, referred to in Regulation U. Without limiting the foregoing, no Obligor will directly or indirectly, use the proceeds of the Loans (A) in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay, or authorization of the payment or giving of money, or anything else of value, to any Person in violation of any Anti-Corruption Laws, (B) for the purpose of funding, financing or facilitating any activities, business or transaction of or with any Sanctioned Person, or in any Sanctioned Country, to the extent such activities, businesses or transaction would be prohibited by Sanctions if conducted by a corporation incorporated in the United States, or (C) in any manner that would result in the violation of any Sanctions applicable to any party hereto.

SECTION 5.10. Status of RIC and BDC. The Borrower shall at all times, subject to applicable grace periods set forth in the Code, maintain its status as a RIC under the Code, and as a “business development company” under the Investment Company Act.

SECTION 5.11. Investment and Valuation Policies. The Borrower shall promptly advise the Lenders and the Administrative Agent of any material change in either its Investment Policies or Valuation Policy.

SECTION 5.12. Portfolio Valuation and Diversification, Etc.

(a) Industry Classification Groups. For purposes of this Agreement, the Borrower, in its reasonable determination, shall assign each Portfolio Investment included in the Borrowing Base to an Industry Classification Group. To the extent that the Borrower reasonably determines that any Portfolio Investment included in the Borrowing Base is not adequately correlated with the risks of other Portfolio Investments in an Industry Classification Group, such Portfolio Investment may be assigned by the Borrower to an Industry Classification Group that is more closely correlated to such Portfolio Investment. In the absence of adequate correlation, the Borrower shall be permitted, upon notice to the Administrative Agent for distribution to each Lender, to create up to three (3) additional industry classification groups for purposes of this Agreement.

 

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(b) Portfolio Valuation Etc.

(i) Settlement Date Basis. For purposes of this Agreement, all determinations of whether an investment is to be included as a Portfolio Investment shall be determined on a settlement-date basis (meaning that any investment that has been purchased will not be treated as a Portfolio Investment until such purchase has settled, and any Portfolio Investment which has been sold will not be excluded as a Portfolio Investment until such sale has settled), provided that no such investment shall be included as a Portfolio Investment to the extent it has not been paid for in full.

(ii) Determination of Values. The Borrower will conduct reviews of the value to be assigned to each of its Portfolio Investments included in the Borrowing Base as follows:

(A) Quoted Investments—External Review. With respect to Portfolio Investments (including Cash Equivalents) for which market quotations are readily available and that are traded in an active and orderly market as determined by the Borrower (“Quoted Investments”), the Borrower shall value such Quoted Investments in accordance with its Valuation Policy and, solely with respect to Portfolio Investments included in the Borrowing Base, not less frequently than once each calendar week, determine the market value of such Quoted Investments which shall, in each case, be determined in accordance with one (1) of the following methodologies (as selected by the Borrower):

(w) in the case of public and 144A securities, the average of the bid prices as determined by at least two (2) Approved Dealers or Approved Pricing Services, in each case, selected by the Borrower,

(x) in the case of bank loans, the bid price as determined by at least one (1) Approved Dealer or Approved Pricing Service selected by the Borrower,

(y) in the case of any Quoted Investment traded on an exchange, the closing price for such Portfolio Investment most recently posted on such exchange, and

(z) in the case of any other Quoted Investment, the fair market value thereof as determined by an Approved Pricing Service selected by the Borrower; and

(B) Unquoted Investments—External Review. With respect to each Portfolio Investment included in the Borrowing Base for which market quotations are not readily available (each, an “Unquoted Investment”), as determined by the Borrower, the Borrower shall, commencing with the fiscal quarter ending June 30, 2023, value such Unquoted Investments quarterly in a manner consistent with its Valuation Policy and, solely with respect to Portfolio Investments in the Borrowing Base (other than any Portfolio Investments that the Administrative Agent has most recently notified the Borrower that it intends to have an Approved Third-Party Appraiser selected by the Administrative Agent value), request an Approved Third-Party Appraiser to assist the Advisor (so long as it has the necessary delegated authority) or the board of directors of the Borrower (or the

 

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appropriate committee thereof with the necessary delegated authority) in determining the fair market value of such Unquoted Investments (1) with respect to Unquoted Investments held for a full calendar year, as at the last day of two non-consecutive fiscal quarters each calendar year (or, with respect to the calendar year in which the Effective Date occurs, as at the last day of at least one fiscal quarter in such calendar year) and (2) with respect to Unquoted Investments held for less than one full calendar year but more than one full calendar quarter, as at the last day of at least one fiscal quarter in such calendar year, in each case, and with respect to each calendar year, as selected by the Borrower in its sole discretion (each, a “Testing Quarter”); provided that:

(x) the Value of any such Unquoted Investment acquired during a Testing Quarter shall be deemed to be equal to the cost of such Unquoted Investment until such time as the fair market value of such Unquoted Investment is determined in accordance with the foregoing provisions of this sub-clause (B) as at the last day of such Testing Quarter;

(y) notwithstanding the foregoing clause (B), the Advisor (so long as it has the necessary delegated authority) or the board of directors of the Borrower (or the appropriate committee thereof with the necessary delegated authority) may, without the assistance of an Approved Third-Party Appraiser, determine the Value of an Unquoted Investment so long as the aggregate Value thereof of all such Unquoted Investments so determined in reliance on this clause (y) does not at any time exceed 10% of the aggregate Borrowing Base for any Testing Quarter, except that the Value of any Unquoted Investment that has been determined without the assistance of an Approved Third-Party Appraiser in reliance on this clause (y) as at the last day of any Testing Quarter with respect to such Unquoted Investment shall be deemed to be zero as at the last day of the immediately succeeding Testing Quarter with respect to such Unquoted Investment (but effective upon the date upon which the Borrowing Base Certificate for such last day is required to be delivered hereunder) if an Approved Third-Party Appraiser has not assisted the Advisor (so long as it has the necessary delegated authority) or the board of directors of the Borrower (or the appropriate committee thereof with the necessary delegated authority), as applicable, in determining the fair market value of such Unquoted Investments, as at such date; and

(z) the Value, at the end of any fiscal quarter, of any such Unquoted Investment that was acquired within thirty (30) days of the end of such fiscal quarter (collectively, the “Market Value Investments”) shall be deemed to be equal to the cost of such Portfolio Investment.

(C) Internal Review. The Borrower shall conduct internal reviews of all Portfolio Investments included in the Borrowing Base at least once each calendar week which shall take into account any events of which any responsible officer of the Borrower has knowledge that materially and adversely affect the aggregate value of the Portfolio Investments included in the Borrowing Base (including the existence of any buyout right for any Portfolio Investment at a purchase price that is less than the value of any Portfolio Investment established under Sections 5.12(b)(ii)(A) or (B) above). If the value of any Portfolio Investment as most recently determined by the Borrower pursuant to this Section 5.12(b)(ii)(C) is lower than the value of such Portfolio Investment as most recently determined pursuant to Sections 5.12(b)(ii)(A) and (B), such lower value shall be deemed to be the “Value” of such Portfolio Investment for purposes hereof.

 

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(D) Failure to Determine Values. If the Borrower shall fail to determine the value of any Portfolio Investment as at any date pursuant to the requirements (but subject to the exclusions) of the foregoing subclauses (A) through (C), the “Value” of such Portfolio Investment as at such date shall be deemed to be zero (0) for purposes of the Borrowing Base until such time as the Value of such Portfolio Investment is otherwise determined or reviewed, as applicable, in accordance with this Agreement.

(E) Scheduled Testing of Values.

(1) For the second calendar month immediately following the end of each fiscal quarter (the last such period ended is referred to herein as, the “Testing Period”), commencing with the period ending on May 31, 2023, the Administrative Agent shall have the right to cause an Approved Third-Party Appraiser selected by the Administrative Agent to value such number of Unquoted Investments ((x) included in the Borrowing Base as of the end of such Testing Period or at any time between the end of such Testing Period and the end of the immediately preceding Testing Period, in each case, unless such Portfolio Investment is no longer in the Collateral Pool pursuant to a transaction permitted hereunder and (y) selected by the Administrative Agent) that collectively have an aggregate Value approximately equal to the Calculation Amount. The Administrative Agent agrees to notify the Borrower of the Unquoted Investments selected by the Administrative Agent to be tested in each Testing Period. If there is a difference between the Borrower’s valuation and the Approved Third-Party Appraiser’s valuation of any Unquoted Investment, the Value of such Unquoted Investment for Borrowing Base purposes shall be established as set forth in sub-clause (F) below.

(2) For the avoidance of doubt, the valuation of any Approved Third-Party Appraiser selected by the Administrative Agent would not be as of, or delivered at, the end of any fiscal quarter. Any such valuation would be as of the end of the second month immediately following any fiscal quarter and would be reflected in the Borrowing Base Certificate for such month (provided that such Approved Third-Party Appraiser delivers such valuation at least seven Business Days before the 20th day after the end of the applicable monthly accounting period and, if such valuation is delivered after such time, it shall be included in the Borrowing Base Certificate for the following monthly period and applied to the then applicable balance of the related Portfolio Investment). For illustrative purposes, if the given fiscal quarter is the first quarter ending on March 31, 2023, then (A) the Administrative Agent would initiate the testing of Values (using the March 31, 2023 Values for purposes of determining the scope of the testing under clause (E)(x) during the month of May with the anticipation of receiving the valuations from the applicable Approved Third-Party Appraiser(s) on or after May

 

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31, 2023) and (B) (x) if such valuations were received before the seventh Business Day before June 20, 2023, such valuations would be included in the June 20, 2023 Borrowing Base Certificate covering the month of May, or (y) if such valuations were received after such time, they would be included in the July 20, 2023 Borrowing Base Certificate for the month of June.

For the avoidance of doubt, all calculations of value pursuant to this Section 5.12(b)(ii)(E) shall be determined without application of the Advance Rates.

(F) Supplemental Testing of Values. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Administrative Agent shall at any time have the right to request, in its reasonable discretion, any Unquoted Investment included in the Borrowing Base with a value determined pursuant to Section 5.12(b)(ii) (other than, so long as no Event of Default exists, any Portfolio Investment included in the Borrowing Base tested pursuant to Section 5.12(b)(ii)(E) as of the most recent Testing Period) to be independently valued by an Approved Third-Party Appraiser selected by the Administrative Agent. There shall be no limit on the number of such appraisals requested by the Administrative Agent in its reasonable discretion; provided that, (i) any appraisal shall be conducted in a manner that is not disruptive to the Borrower’s business and (ii) the values determined by any appraisal shall be treated as confidential information by the Administrative Agent and the Lenders and shall be deemed to be “Information” hereunder and subject to Section 9.13 hereof. The reasonable and documented out-of-pocket costs of any such valuation shall be at the expense of the Borrower; provided that, so long as no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Borrower’s obligations to reimburse valuation costs incurred by the Administrative Agent pursuant to this Section 5.12(b)(ii)(F) (excluding any valuation costs and expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent as a result of a regulatory directive) shall be limited to an aggregate amount equal to $450,000 (the “IVP Supplemental Cap”) in any twelve month period. The Administrative Agent shall notify the Borrower of its receipt of results from an Approved Third-Party Appraiser of any appraisal and provide a copy of the results and any related reports to the Borrower. If the difference between the Borrower’s valuation pursuant to Section 5.12(b)(ii)(B) and the valuation of any Approved Third-Party Appraiser selected by the Administrative Agent pursuant to Section 5.12(b)(ii)(E) or (F) is (1) less than 5% of the Borrower’s value thereof, then the Borrower’s valuation shall be used, (2) between 5% and 20% of the Borrower’s value thereof, then the valuation of such Portfolio Investment shall be the average of the value determined by the Borrower and the value determined by the Approved Third-Party Appraiser retained by the Administrative Agent and (3) greater than 20% of the Borrower’s value thereof, then the Borrower and the Administrative Agent shall select an additional Approved Third-Party Appraiser and the valuation of such Portfolio Investment shall be the average of the three valuations (with the average of the Administrative Agent’s Approved Third-Party Appraiser’s valuation and the Borrower’s valuation to be used until the third valuation is obtained). For the avoidance of doubt, Portfolio Investments that are part of the Collateral but not included in the Borrowing Base as of the most recent Testing Period shall not be subject to testing under this Section 5.12(b)(ii)(F); provided that this sentence shall not limit the rights of the Administrative Agent set forth in Section 9.03(a)(iii) to be reimbursed for costs and expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent following the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default.

 

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(iii) Generally Applicable Valuation Provisions.

(A) Each Approved Third-Party Appraiser (whether selected by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent) shall apply a recognized valuation methodology that is commonly accepted in the Borrower’s industry for valuing Portfolio Investments of the type being valued and held by the Obligors. Other procedures relating to the valuation will be reasonably agreed upon by the Administrative Agent and the Borrower.

(B) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, from the Effective Date until the date when the first valuation report with respect to the applicable Portfolio Investment is required to be delivered under Section 5.12(b)(ii)(B) or (E), as applicable, the Value of any Portfolio Investment included in the Borrowing Base shall be the Value as delivered to the Collateral Agent on or prior to the Effective Date. For the avoidance of doubt, subject to Section 5.12(b)(ii)(B) the value of any Portfolio Investments determined in accordance with any provision of this Section 5.12 shall be the Value of such Portfolio Investment for purposes of this Agreement until a new Value for such Portfolio Investment is subsequently required to be determined in good faith in accordance with this Section 5.12.

(C) The Administrative Agent and each Lender acknowledges that it may be required to enter into a non-reliance letter, confidentiality agreement or similar agreement requested or required by a proposed appraiser to allow the Administrative Agent or such Lender to review any written valuation report. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, there shall be no requirement to disclose any portion of any report submitted by an Approved Third-Party Appraiser without such a non-reliance letter if such non-reliance letter is required by such Approved Third-Party Appraiser as a condition to such disclosure.

(iv) For the avoidance of doubt, any Values determined by the Independent Valuation Provider pursuant to Sections 5.12(b)(ii)(E) and (F) shall only be required to be used for purposes of calculating the Borrowing Base and shall not be required to be utilized for any other purpose, including, without limitation, the delivery of financial statements or valuations required under ASC 820 or the Investment Company Act.

(v) The Administrative Agent shall notify the Borrower of its receipt of the final results of any valuation performed by the Independent Valuation Provider promptly upon its receipt thereof and shall promptly provide a copy of such results and the related report to the Borrower upon the Borrower’s request.

(c) Investment Company Diversification Requirements. The Borrower will, and will cause its Subsidiaries (other than Subsidiaries that are exempt from the Investment Company Act) at all times to comply in all material respects with the portfolio diversification and similar requirements set forth in the Investment Company Act applicable to business development companies. The Borrower will at all times, subject to applicable grace or cure periods set forth in the Code, comply with the portfolio diversification and similar requirements set forth in the Code applicable to RICs, where applicable.

 

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(d) Participation Interests. The Value attributable to any Participation Interest shall be the Value determined with respect to the underlying portfolio investment related to such Participation Interest in accordance with this Section 5.12, provided any participation interest that does not satisfy the definition of Participation Interest shall have a Value of zero (0) for purposes of this Agreement.

SECTION 5.13. Calculation of Borrowing Base. For purposes of this Agreement, the “Borrowing Base” shall be determined, as at any date of determination, as the sum of the products obtained by multiplying (x) the Value of each Portfolio Investment in the Collateral Pool to the extent the Borrower elects to include such Portfolio Investment in the Borrowing Base (the aggregate Value of all such Portfolio Investments in this clause (x), the “Gross Eligible Borrowing Base”; provided that no Portfolio Investment will be deemed included in the Gross Eligible Borrowing Base unless such Portfolio Investment is eligible for a non-zero Advance Rate without regard to the limitations set forth in Sections 5.13(a) through (h)) and (y) the applicable Advance Rate for such Portfolio Investment, provided that:

(a) if, as of such date, the Relevant Asset Coverage Ratio is (i) greater than or equal to 2.00:1.00, the Advance Rate applicable to that portion of the aggregate Value of the Portfolio Investments included in the Gross Eligible Borrowing Base of all issuers in a consolidated group of corporations or other entities (collectively, a “Consolidated Group”) in accordance with GAAP exceeding 6% of the aggregate Value of all Portfolio Investments in the Gross Eligible Borrowing Base, shall be 50% of the otherwise applicable Advance Rate; (ii) less than 2.00:1.00 and greater than or equal to 1.75:1.00, the Advance Rate applicable to that portion of the aggregate Value of the Portfolio Investments included in the Gross Eligible Borrowing Base of all issuers in a Consolidated Group in accordance with GAAP exceeding 5% of the aggregate Value of all Portfolio Investments in the Gross Eligible Borrowing Base, shall be 50% of the otherwise applicable Advance Rate; or (iii) less than 1.75:1.00, the Advance Rate applicable to that portion of the aggregate Value of the Portfolio Investments included in the Gross Eligible Borrowing Base of all issuers in a Consolidated Group in accordance with GAAP exceeding 4% of the aggregate Value of all Portfolio Investments in the Gross Eligible Borrowing Base, shall be 50% of the otherwise applicable Advance Rate;

(b) if, as of such date, the Relevant Asset Coverage Ratio is (i) greater than or equal to 2.00:1.00, the Advance Rate applicable to that portion of the aggregate Value of the Portfolio Investments included in the Gross Eligible Borrowing Base of all issuers in a Consolidated Group in accordance with GAAP exceeding 12% of the aggregate Value of all Portfolio Investments in the Gross Eligible Borrowing Base, shall be 0%; (ii) less than 2.00:1.00 and greater than or equal to 1.75:1.00, the Advance Rate applicable to that portion of the aggregate Value of the Portfolio Investments included in the Gross Eligible Borrowing Base of all issuers in a Consolidated Group in accordance with GAAP exceeding 10% of the aggregate Value of all Portfolio Investments in the Gross Eligible Borrowing Base shall be 0%; or (iii) less than 1.75:1.00, the Advance Rate applicable to that portion of the aggregate Value of the Portfolio Investments included in the Gross Eligible Borrowing Base of all issuers in a Consolidated Group in accordance with GAAP exceeding 8% of the aggregate Value of all Portfolio Investments in the Gross Eligible Borrowing Base, shall be 0%;

 

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(c) if, as of such date, the Relevant Asset Coverage Ratio is (i) greater than or equal to 2.00:1.00, the Advance Rate applicable to that portion of the aggregate Value of the Portfolio Investments included in the Gross Eligible Borrowing Base in any single Industry Classification Group that exceeds 25% of the aggregate Value of all Portfolio Investments in the Gross Eligible Borrowing Base, shall be 0%, provided that, with respect to Portfolio Investments in a single Industry Classification Group from time to time designated by the Borrower to the Administrative Agent, such 25% figure shall be increased to 30%, (ii) less than 2.00:1.00 and greater than or equal to 1.75:1.00, the Advance Rate applicable to that portion of the aggregate Value of the Portfolio Investments included in the Gross Eligible Borrowing Base in any single Industry Classification Group that exceeds 20% of the aggregate Value of all Portfolio Investments in the Gross Eligible Borrowing Base, shall be 0%, provided that, with respect to Portfolio Investments in a single Industry Classification Group from time to time designated by the Borrower to the Administrative Agent, such 20% figure shall be increased to 25%, or (iii) less than 1.75:1.00, the Advance Rate applicable to that portion of the aggregate Value of the Portfolio Investments included in the Gross Eligible Borrowing Base in any single Industry Classification Group that exceeds 20% of the aggregate Value of all Portfolio Investments in the Gross Eligible Borrowing Base, shall be 0%;

(d) if, as of such date, the Relevant Asset Coverage Ratio is (i) greater than or equal to 2.00:1.00, the Advance Rate applicable to that portion of the Borrowing Value of Non-Core Investments shall be 0% to the extent necessary so that no more than 20% of the Borrowing Base is attributable to such investments, (ii) less than 2.00:1.00 and greater than or equal to 1.75:1.00, the Advance Rate applicable to that portion of the Borrowing Value of Non-Core Investments shall be 0% to the extent necessary so that no more than 10% of the Borrowing Base is attributable to such investments or (iii) less than 1.75:1.00, the Advance Rate applicable to that portion of the Borrowing Value of Non-Core Investments shall be 0% to the extent necessary so that no more than 5% of the Borrowing Base is attributable to such investments;

(e) if, as of such date, the Relevant Asset Coverage Ratio is (i) less than 2.00:1.00 and greater than or equal to 1.75:1.00, the Advance Rate applicable to that portion of the Borrowing Value of Junior Investments and Non-Core Investments shall be 0% to the extent necessary so that no more than 30% of the Borrowing Base is attributable to such investments; or (ii) less than 1.75:1.00, the Advance Rate applicable to the portion of the Borrowing Value of Junior Investments and Non-Core Investments shall be 0% to the extent necessary so that no more than 20% of the Borrowing Base is attributable to such investments;

(f) no Participation Interest may be included in the Borrowing Base for more than ninety (90) days; provided, however that such ninety (90) day period shall be reduced to thirty (30) days for the Initial Participation Interests;

(g) the Advance Rate applicable to CLO Securities (or other investments that similarly represent an investment in underlying levered portfolios), finance leases and investments in Excluded Assets shall be 0%; and

(h) if, as of such date, (i)(A) the Borrowing Base (without giving effect to any adjustment required pursuant to this paragraph (h), the “Gross Borrowing Base”) is less than 1.5 times the Senior Debt Amount and (B) the Relevant Asset Coverage Ratio is less than 2.00:1.00 and greater than or equal to 1.75:1.00, then the Borrowing Base shall be reduced to the extent

 

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necessary such that the contribution of Senior Investments to the Borrowing Base may not be less than 60% of the Covered Debt Amount, (ii)(A) the Gross Borrowing Base is less than 1.5 times the Senior Debt Amount and (B) the Relevant Asset Coverage Ratio is less than 1.75:1.00, then the Borrowing Base shall be reduced to the extent necessary such that the contribution of Senior Investments to the Borrowing Base may not be less than 75% of the Covered Debt Amount or (iii)(A) the Gross Borrowing Base is greater than or equal to 1.5 times the Senior Debt Amount and (B) the Relevant Asset Coverage Ratio is less than 1.75:1.00, then the Borrowing Base shall be reduced to the extent necessary such that the contribution of Senior Investments to the Borrowing Base may not be less than 25% of the Covered Debt Amount.

No Portfolio Investment may be included in the Borrowing Base until such time as such Portfolio Investment has been Delivered (as defined in the Guarantee and Security Agreement) to the Collateral Agent, and then only for so long as such Portfolio Investment continues to be Delivered as contemplated therein; provided that, notwithstanding the foregoing, in the case of any Portfolio Investment in which the Collateral Agent has a first-priority perfected security interest pursuant to a valid Uniform Commercial Code filing (and for which no other method of perfection with a higher priority is possible), such Portfolio Investment may be included in the Borrowing Base so long as all remaining actions to complete “Delivery” are satisfied within the longest period of (i) seven (7) days of such inclusion, (ii) as provided for herein or in the Guarantee and Security Agreement and (iii) such longer period as the Collateral Agent may agree in its reasonable discretion. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein or in any other Loan Document, the failure to Deliver (as defined in the Guarantee and Security Agreement) any Portfolio Investment or other Collateral shall not be a Default or Event of Default, except for any failure that would constitute an Event of Default under clause (p) of Article VII. Voting stock of any Controlled Foreign Corporation in excess of 65% of the issued and outstanding voting stock of such Controlled Foreign Corporation shall not be included as a Portfolio Investment for purposes of calculating the Borrowing Base.

The Borrower shall from time to time deliver a Borrowing Base Certificate to the Administrative Agent and each Lender as provided in Sections 4.01(a)(vii), 4.02(c)(i), 5.01(d), 5.01(e) and 6.05(d).

For the avoidance of doubt, (a) to avoid double-counting of excess concentrations, any Advance Rate reductions set forth under this Section 5.13 shall be without duplication of any other such Advance Rate reductions and (b) to the extent the Borrowing Base is required to be reduced to comply with this Section 5.13, the Borrower shall be permitted to choose the Portfolio Investments to be excluded from the Borrowing Base to effect such reduction.

As used herein, the following terms have the following meanings:

Advance Rate” means, as to any Portfolio Investment as of any date and subject to adjustment as provided in Sections 5.13(a) through (h), as applicable, and as provided below based on the Relevant Asset Coverage Ratio as of such date, the following percentages with respect to such Portfolio Investment:

 

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Relevant Asset
Coverage Ratio

2.00:1.00

   

2.00:1.00 >

Relevant Asset
Coverage Ratio

1.75:1.00

   

1.75:1.00 >

Relevant Asset
Coverage Ratio

1.50:1.00

 

Portfolio Investment (1)

   Quoted     Unquoted     Quoted     Unquoted     Quoted     Unquoted  

Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term U.S. Government Securities

     100     n.a.       100     n.a.       100     n.a.  

Long-Term U.S. Government Securities

     95     n.a.       95     n.a.       95     n.a.  

Performing Cash Pay First Lien Bank Loans

     85     75     85     75     85     75

Performing Cash Pay First Lien Unitranche Bank Loans

     85     75     80     70     75     65

Performing Cash Pay First Lien Last Out Bank Loans

     80     70     75     65     70     60

Performing Cash Pay Second Lien Bank Loans

     75     65     70     60     65     55

Performing Cash Pay High Yield Securities

     70     60     65     55     60     50

Performing Cash Pay Mezzanine Investments

     65     55     60     50     55     45

Performing Non-Cash Pay Bank Loans

     65     55     60     50     55     45

 

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     Relevant Asset
Coverage Ratio

2.00:1.00
    2.00:1.00 >
Relevant Asset
Coverage Ratio

1.75:1.00
    1.75:1.00 >
Relevant Asset
Coverage Ratio

1.50:1.00
 

Portfolio Investment (1)

   Quoted     Unquoted     Quoted     Unquoted     Quoted     Unquoted  

Performing Non-Cash Pay High Yield Securities

     60     50     55     45     50     40

Performing Non-Cash Pay Mezzanine Investments

     55     45     50     40     45     35

Performing Principal Finance Debt Assets

     55     45     50     40     45     35

Performing Preferred Equity

     55     45     50     40     45     35

Performing Principal Finance Preferred Equity Assets

     45     35     40     30     35     25

Performing DIP Loans

     40     35     35     30     30     25

Performing Common Equity Assets

     30     20     25     20     20     20

Performing Principal Finance Common Equity Assets

     30     20     25     20     20     20

Non-Performing First Lien Bank Loans

     45     45     40     40     35     35

 

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     Relevant Asset
Coverage Ratio

2.00:1.00
    2.00:1.00 >
Relevant Asset
Coverage Ratio

1.75:1.00
    1.75:1.00 >
Relevant Asset
Coverage Ratio

1.50:1.00
 

Portfolio Investment (1)

   Quoted     Unquoted     Quoted     Unquoted     Quoted     Unquoted  

Non-Performing First Lien Unitranche Loans

     45     45     40     40     35     35

Non-Performing First Lien Last Out Loans

     40     40     35     35     30     30

Non-Performing Second Lien Bank Loans

     40     30     35     25     30     20

Non-Performing High Yield Securities

     30     30     25     25     20     20

Non-Performing Mezzanine Investments

     30     25     25     20     20     20

Non-Performing Preferred Equity

     0     0     0     0     0     0

Non-Performing Common Equity

     0     0     0     0     0     0

Non-Performing Principal Finance Assets

     0     0     0     0     0     0

 

(1) For the avoidance of doubt, the above categories are intended to be indicative of the traditional investment types. All determinations of whether a particular Portfolio Investment belongs to one (1) category or another shall be made by the Borrower on a consistent basis with the definitions in Section 5.13.

Bank Loans” means debt obligations (including, without limitation, term loans, notes, revolving loans, debtor-in-possession financings, the funded and unfunded portion of revolving credit lines and letter of credit facilities and other similar loans and investments including interim loans, bridge loans and senior subordinated loans) which are generally documented under a loan or credit facility or pursuant to any loan agreement, note purchase agreement or other similar financing arrangement facility, whether or not syndicated.

 

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Bankruptcy Code” means the United States Bankruptcy Code, 11 U.S.C. Section 101 et seq.

Cash” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 1.01 of this Agreement.

Cash Equivalents” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 1.01 of this Agreement.

Cash Pay Bank Loans” means First Lien Bank Loans, First Lien Unitranche Bank Loans, First Lien Last Out Bank Loans and Second Lien Bank Loans as to which, at the time of determination, (x) not less than two-third (2/3rds) of the interest (including accretions and “pay-in-kind” interest) for the current period is payable in cash at least semi-annually or (y) (i) if such Bank Loan is a floating rate obligation, cash interest in an amount greater than or equal to 4.5% above the applicable benchmark rate is payable at least semi-annually or (ii) if such Bank Loan is a fixed rate obligation, cash interest in an amount greater than or equal to 8% per annum is payable at least semi-annually.

Equity Interests” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 1.01 of this Agreement.

First Lien Bank Loan” means a Bank Loan that is entitled to the benefit of a first lien and first priority perfected security interest (subject to any Permitted Prior Working Capital Lien, Liens for “ABL” revolvers and other customary encumbrances) on a substantial portion of the assets of the respective borrower and guarantors obligated in respect thereof, provided that (x) any First Lien Bank Loan that is also a First Lien Unitranche Bank Loan shall be treated for purposes of determining the applicable Advance Rate as a First Lien Unitranche Bank Loan and (y) any First Lien Bank Loan that is also a First Lien Last Out Bank Loan shall be treated for purposes of determining the applicable Advance Rate as a First Lien Last Out Bank Loan. For the avoidance of doubt, to the extent that, and only for so long as, any Permitted Prior Working Capital Lien exceeds the amount permitted under clause (iii) of the definition thereof, an Obligor’s investment in such applicable Bank Loan shall be treated as a Second Lien Bank Loan for purposes of determining the applicable Advance Rate for such Portfolio Investment under this Agreement.

First Lien Last Out Bank Loan” means a First Lien Bank Loan, a portion of which is, in effect, subject to debt subordination following an event of default and superpriority rights of other lenders (such portion, a “last out” portion); provided, that the aggregate principal amount of the “last out” portion of such Bank Loan is at least 50% of the aggregate principal amount of any “first out” portion of such Bank Loan; provided, further that the underlying obligor with respect to such Bank Loan shall have a ratio of first lien debt (including the “first out” portion of such Bank Loan, but excluding the “last out” portion of such Bank Loan, and, solely to the extent such amounts are netted from debt in the debt to EBITDA calculation in the underlying documentation for such First Lien Bank Loan, net of any cash and cash equivalents) to EBITDA that does not exceed 3.25:1.00 and a ratio of aggregate first lien debt (including both the “first out” portion and the “last out”

 

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portion of such Bank Loan, and, solely to the extent such amounts are netted from debt in the debt to EBITDA calculation in the underlying documentation for such First Lien Bank Loan, net of any cash and cash equivalents) to EBITDA that does not exceed 5.25:1.00. An Obligor’s investment in the “last out” portion of a First Lien Last Out Bank Loan shall be treated as a First Lien Last Out Bank Loan for purposes of determining the applicable Advance Rate for such Portfolio Investment under this Agreement. For the avoidance of doubt, an Obligor’s investment in the portion of such Bank Loan that is not the last out portion (the “first out” portion) shall be treated as a First Lien Bank Loan for purposes of determining the applicable Advance Rate for such Portfolio Investment under this Agreement and whether such Portfolio Investment constitutes a “Senior Investment” under this Agreement, and an Obligor’s investment in any “last out” portion of a First Lien Bank Loan that does not meet the foregoing criteria shall be treated as a Second Lien Bank Loan for purposes of determining the applicable Advance Rate for such Portfolio Investment under this Agreement and whether such Portfolio Investment constitutes a “Senior Investment” under this Agreement.

First Lien Unitranche Bank Loan” means a First Lien Bank Loan with a ratio of first lien debt (net of any cash and cash equivalents solely to the extent such amounts are netted from debt in the debt to EBITDA calculation in the underlying documentation for such First Lien Bank Loan) to EBITDA that exceeds 5.25:1.00, and where the underlying borrower does not also have a Second Lien Bank Loan outstanding.

High Yield Securities” means debt Securities and Preferred Equity, in each case, (a) issued by public or private issuers, (b) issued pursuant to an effective registration statement or pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act (or any successor provision thereunder) or other exemption to the Securities Act and (c) that are not Cash Equivalents, Mezzanine Investments (described under clause (i) of the definition thereof) or Bank Loans.

Junior Investments” means any Performing Cash Pay High Yield Securities and Performing Cash Pay Mezzanine Investments.

Long-Term U.S. Government Securities” means U.S. Government Securities maturing more than one (1) month from the applicable date of determination.

Mezzanine Investments” means (i) debt Securities (including convertible debt Securities (other than the “in-the-money” equity component thereof)) and Preferred Equity, in each case, that are (a) issued by public or private issuers, (b) issued without registration under the Securities Act, (c) not issued pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act (or any successor provision thereunder) or other exemption to the Securities Act, (d) not Cash Equivalents and (e) contractually subordinated in right of payment to other debt of the same issuer and (ii) a Bank Loan that is not a First Lien Bank Loan, First Lien Last Out Bank Loan, First Lien Unitranche Bank Loan, Second Lien Bank Loan or a High Yield Security.

Non-Core Investments” means, collectively, (a) Performing Common Equity, (b) Performing Preferred Equity, (c) Non-Performing Bank Loans, (d) Non-Performing High Yield Securities, (e) Non-Performing Mezzanine Investments, (f) Performing Non-Cash Pay Bank Loans, (g) Performing Non-Cash Pay High Yield Securities, (h) Performing Non-Cash Pay Mezzanine Investments, (i) Performing Principal Finance Assets and (j) Performing DIP Loans.

 

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Non-Performing Bank Loans” means, collectively, Non-Performing First Lien Bank Loans, Non-Performing First Lien Last Out Bank Loans, Non-Performing First Lien Unitranche Bank Loans and Non-Performing Second Lien Bank Loans.

Non-Performing Common Equity” means Equity Interests (other than Preferred Equity) and warrants of an issuer having any debt outstanding that is non-Performing.

Non-Performing First Lien Bank Loans” means First Lien Bank Loans other than Performing Cash Pay First Lien Bank Loans and Performing Non-Cash Pay First Lien Bank Loans.

Non-Performing First Lien Last Out Bank Loans” means First Lien Last Out Bank Loans other than Performing Cash Pay First Lien Last Out Bank Loans and Performing Non-Cash Pay First Lien Last Out Bank Loans.

Non-Performing First Lien Unitranche Bank Loans” means First Lien Unitranche Bank Loans other than Performing Cash Pay First Lien Unitranche Bank Loans and Performing Non-Cash Pay First Lien Unitranche Bank Loans.

Non-Performing High Yield Securities” means High Yield Securities other than Performing Cash Pay High Yield Securities and Performing Non-Cash Pay High Yield Securities.

Non-Performing Mezzanine Investments” means Mezzanine Investments other than Performing Cash Pay Mezzanine Investments and Performing Non-Cash Pay Mezzanine Investments.

Non-Performing Preferred Equity” means Preferred Equity other than Performing Preferred Equity.

Non-Performing Principal Finance Assets” means Principal Finance Assets other than Performing Principal Finance Assets.

Non-Performing Second Lien Bank Loans” means Second Lien Bank Loans other than Performing Cash Pay Second Lien Bank Loans and Performing Non-Cash Pay Second Lien Bank Loans.

Performing” means (a) with respect to any Portfolio Investment that is debt, the issuer of such Portfolio Investment is not then in default of any payment obligations outstanding with respect to accrued and unpaid interest or principal in respect thereof, after the expiration of any applicable grace or cure period, (b) with respect to any Portfolio Investment that is Preferred Equity, the issuer of such Portfolio Investment has not failed to meet any scheduled redemption obligations or to pay its latest declared cash dividend, after the expiration of any applicable grace or cure period, and (c) with respect to any Portfolio Investment that is a Principal Finance Asset, (x) each tranche of such Portfolio Investment or other investment that, in each case, is senior to such Portfolio Investment, in the issuer of such Portfolio Investment satisfies (to the extent applicable) the requirements of the immediately preceding clauses (a) and (b), and (y) to the extent applicable, the holders of such Portfolio Investment have received in cash all expected distributions of interest and other payments thereon and cash flows in respect thereof are not currently subject to any deferral or diversion for the benefit of the holders of any tranche or other investments that rank senior to such Portfolio Investment pursuant to any waterfall or similar structure.

 

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Performing Cash Pay First Lien Bank Loans” means First Lien Bank Loans (which are not Performing DIP Loans) which are (a) Performing and (b) Cash Pay Bank Loans.

Performing Cash Pay First Lien Last Out Bank Loans” means First Lien Last Out Bank Loans which are (a) Performing and (b) Cash Pay Bank Loans.

Performing Cash Pay First Lien Unitranche Bank Loans” means First Lien Unitranche Bank Loans which are (a) Performing and (b) Cash Pay Bank Loans.

Performing Cash Pay High Yield Securities” means High Yield Securities (a) as to which, at the time of determination, (x) not less than two-thirds (2/3rds) of the interest (including accretions and “pay-in-kind” interest) for the current monthly, quarterly, semi-annual or annual period (as applicable) is payable in cash or (y) (i) if such High Yield Security is a floating rate obligation, cash interest in an amount greater than or equal to 4.5% above the applicable benchmark rate is payable at least semi-annually or (ii) if such High Yield Security is a fixed rate obligation, cash interest in an amount greater than or equal to 8% per annum is payable at least semi-annually, and (b) which are Performing.

Performing Cash Pay Mezzanine Investments” means Mezzanine Investments (a) as to which, at the time of determination, (x) not less than two-thirds (2/3rds) of the interest (including accretions and “pay-in-kind” interest) for the current monthly, quarterly, semi-annual or annual period (as applicable) is payable in cash, or (y) (i) if such Mezzanine Investment is a floating rate obligation, cash interest in an amount greater than or equal to 4.5% above the applicable benchmark rate is payable at least semi-annually or (ii) if such Mezzanine Investment is a fixed rate obligation, cash interest in an amount greater than or equal to 8% per annum is payable at least semi-annually, and (b) which are Performing.

Performing Cash Pay Second Lien Bank Loans” means Second Lien Bank Loans (which are not Performing DIP Loans) which are (a) Performing and (b) Cash Pay Bank Loans.

Performing Common Equity” means Equity Interests (other than Preferred Equity) and warrants of an issuer all of whose outstanding debt is Performing.

Performing DIP Loans” means a loan made to a debtor-in-possession pursuant to Section 364 of the Bankruptcy Code having the priority allowed by either Section 364(c) or 364(d) of the Bankruptcy Code that is Performing.

Performing Non-Cash Pay Bank Loans” means First Lien Bank Loans, First Lien Unitranche Bank Loans, First Lien Last Out Bank Loans and Second Lien Bank Loans that are (a) Performing and (b) not Cash Pay Bank Loans.

Performing Non-Cash Pay First Lien Bank Loans” means First Lien Bank Loans (which are not Performing DIP Loans) which are (a) Performing and (b) not Cash Pay Bank Loans.

 

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Performing Non-Cash Pay First Lien Last Out Bank Loans” means First Lien Last Out Bank Loans which are (a) Performing and (b) not Cash Pay Bank Loans.

Performing Non-Cash Pay First Lien Unitranche Bank Loans” means First Lien Unitranche Bank Loans which are (a) Performing and (b) not Cash Pay Bank Loans.

Performing Non-Cash Pay High Yield Securities” means High Yield Securities other than Performing Cash Pay High Yield Securities that are Performing.

Performing Non-Cash Pay Mezzanine Investments” means Mezzanine Investments other than Performing Cash Pay Mezzanine Investments that are Performing.

Performing Non-Cash Pay Second Lien Bank Loans” means Second Lien Bank Loans (which are not Performing DIP Loans) which are (a) Performing and (b) not Cash Pay Bank Loans.

Performing Preferred Equity” means Preferred Equity that is Performing.

Performing Principal Finance Assets” means Principal Finance Assets which are Performing.

Performing Principal Finance Common Equity Assets” means Performing Principal Finance Assets which are Equity Interests (other than Preferred Equity).

Performing Principal Finance Debt Assets” means Performing Principal Finance Assets which are debt Portfolio Investments.

Performing Principal Finance Preferred Equity Assets” means Performing Principal Finance Assets which are Preferred Equity.

Permitted Prior Working Capital Lien” means, with respect to any borrower under a Bank Loan, a security interest to secure a senior facility for such borrower and/or any of its parents and/or subsidiaries; provided that (i) such Bank Loan has a second priority lien on the collateral that is subject to the first priority lien of such senior facility (or a pari passu lien on such collateral), (ii) such senior facility is not secured by any other assets (other than a pari passu lien or a second priority lien, subject to the pari passu or first priority lien of the Bank Loan) and does not benefit from any standstill rights or other agreements (other than customary rights) with respect to any other assets and (iii) the maximum outstanding principal amount of such senior facility is not greater than 15% of the aggregate enterprise value of such borrower (as determined at the time of closing of the transaction, and thereafter an enterprise value for such borrower determined in a manner consistent with the valuation methodology applied in the valuation for such borrower as determined by the Advisor (so long as it has the necessary delegated authority) or the Borrower’s board of directors (or the appropriate committee thereof with the necessary delegated authority) in a commercially reasonable manner, including the use of an Approved Third-Party Appraiser in the case of Unquoted Investments).

Preferred Equity” as applied to the Equity Interests of any Person, means Equity Interests of such Person of any class or classes (however designated) that ranks prior, as to the payment of dividends or as to the distribution of assets upon any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of such Person, to any shares (or other interests) of other Equity Interests of such Person, and shall include, without limitation, cumulative preferred, non-cumulative preferred, participating preferred and convertible preferred Equity Interests.

 

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Principal Finance Asset” means any Portfolio Investment, the repayment of which is primarily dependent upon cash flows generated from the creation, or the liquidation, of an underlying asset or pool of assets or other investments and which are not investments in CLO Securities; provided that, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, traditional asset-based or cash flow loans made directly or indirectly to an operating company, including, without limitation, loans with a borrowing base consisting of receivables and/or inventory, shall not be deemed to be Principal Finance Assets. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, a Principal Finance Asset shall not be treated as a Bank Loan, Mezzanine Investment, High Yield Security, Performing DIP Loan, Performing Preferred Equity or Performing Common Equity for any purpose under this Agreement.

Second Lien Bank Loan” means a Bank Loan (other than a First Lien Bank Loan) that is entitled to the benefit of a first and/or second lien and first and/or second priority perfected security interest (subject to customary encumbrances) on a substantial portion of the assets of the respective borrower and guarantors obligated in respect thereof.

Securities” means common and preferred stock, units and participations, member interests in limited liability companies, partnership interests in partnerships, notes, bonds, debentures, trust receipts and other obligations, instruments or evidences of indebtedness, including debt instruments of public and private issuers and tax-exempt securities (including warrants, rights, put and call options and other options relating thereto, representing rights, or any combination thereof) and other property or interests commonly regarded as securities or any form of interest or participation therein, but not including Bank Loans.

Securities Act” means the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

Senior Debt Amount” means, as of any date, the greater of (i) the Covered Debt Amount and (ii) the Combined Debt Amount.

Senior Investments” means Cash, Cash Equivalents, Short-Term U.S. Government Securities, Long-Term U.S. Government Securities, Performing Cash Pay First Lien Bank Loans, Performing Cash Pay First Lien Unitranche Bank Loans and Performing Cash Pay First Lien Last Out Bank Loans.

Short-Term U.S. Government Securities” means U.S. Government Securities maturing within one (1) month of the applicable date of determination.

U.S. Government Securities” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 1.01 of this Agreement.

Value” means, with respect to any Portfolio Investment, the most recent value as determined pursuant to Section 5.12.

 

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ARTICLE VI

NEGATIVE COVENANTS

Until the Facility Termination Date, the Borrower covenants and agrees with the Lenders that:

SECTION 6.01. Indebtedness. The Borrower will not, nor will it permit any other Obligor to, create, incur, assume or permit to exist any Indebtedness (for clarity, with respect to revolving loan facilities or staged advance loan facilities, “incurrence” shall be deemed to take place only at the time such facility is entered into or the aggregate commitments thereunder are increased or extended and, solely for purposes of satisfying the incurrence tests in this Section 6.01, shall be deemed to be fully drawn with respect to any commitments that have not expired or been terminated and are, subject to the satisfaction of customary credit event conditions, available to be drawn; provided that such commitments shall in no event include (i) any delayed draw portion that has not yet been funded (which delayed draw portion shall be “incurred” when funded) or (ii) any accordion capacity that has not yet been exercised), except:

(a) Indebtedness created hereunder or under any other Loan Document;

(b) Permitted Indebtedness and Special Longer Term Unsecured Indebtedness in an aggregate principal amount that, in each case, taken together with Indebtedness permitted under clauses (a), (e)(ii), (i), (m) and (n) of this Section 6.01, immediately after giving effect to its incurrence and any Concurrent Transaction, (1) does not exceed the amount required to comply with the provisions of Section 6.07(b), (2) no Borrowing Base Deficiency is continuing or would result therefrom and (3) so long as no Specified Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing immediately after giving effect to the incurrence of such Permitted Indebtedness or Special Longer Term Unsecured Indebtedness, as applicable; provided that, for the avoidance of doubt, for purposes of compliance with clause (2) hereof, Special Longer Term Unsecured Indebtedness and Excess Special Longer Term Unsecured Indebtedness shall only be included in the calculation of the Covered Debt Amount to the extent required under the definition of “Covered Debt Amount”;

(c) Other Permitted Indebtedness;

(d) (i) Indebtedness of the Borrower to or from any other Obligor, (ii) Indebtedness of an Obligor to or from another Obligor, (iii) if such Indebtedness is subject to subordination terms and conditions that are satisfactory to the Administrative Agent, Indebtedness of any Obligor owing to any other Subsidiary of the Borrower or (iv) Indebtedness of the Borrower or any other Obligor to a Designated Subsidiary or a Permitted CLO Issuer to the extent a court determines a transfer of assets (including participations) from such Obligor to such Designated Subsidiary or Permitted CLO Issuer did not constitute a true sale, provided, that with respect to this clause (iv), the holders of such Indebtedness have recourse only to the assets purported to be transferred (or in the case of participations, the portfolio investments that such participation interest relates to) to such Designated Subsidiary or Permitted CLO Issuer and to no other assets of the Obligors in connection with such Indebtedness;

 

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(e) (i) repurchase obligations arising in the ordinary course of business with respect to U.S. Government Securities and (ii) Contingent Secured Indebtedness in an aggregate principal amount not exceeding $200,000,000 at any one time outstanding so long as, in the case of this clause (ii), immediately after giving effect to the incurrence of such Contingent Secured Indebtedness and any Concurrent Transaction, (w) no Specified Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, (x) the Borrower is in pro forma compliance with Section 6.07(b), (y) the Covered Debt Amount does not exceed the Borrowing Base and (z) no Contingent Borrowing Base Deficiency shall have occurred and be continuing;

(f) obligations payable to clearing agencies, brokers or dealers in connection with the purchase or sale of securities in the ordinary course of business;

(g) Guarantees of Indebtedness otherwise permitted hereunder;

(h) obligations (including Guarantees) in respect of Standard Securitization Undertakings (other than SPE Subsidiary Recourse Obligations);

(i) Shorter Term Unsecured Indebtedness in an aggregate principal amount (determined at the time of the incurrence of such Indebtedness) not to exceed the greater of (x) $250,000,000 and (y) an amount equal to 22.5% of Shareholders’ Equity in any annual period, that, in each case, taken together with Indebtedness permitted under clauses (a), (b), (e)(ii), (m) and (n) of this Section 6.01, immediately after giving effect to its incurrence and any Concurrent Transaction, (1) does not exceed the amount required to comply with the provisions of Section 6.07(b), (2) no Borrowing Base Deficiency is continuing or would result therefrom and (3) so long as no Specified Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing immediately after giving effect to the incurrence of such Shorter Term Unsecured Indebtedness and any Concurrent Transaction;

(j) obligations of any Obligor under a Permitted SBIC Guarantee, any SBIC Equity Commitment and analogous commitments by such Obligor with respect to any of its SBIC Subsidiaries;

(k) obligations arising with respect to Hedging Agreements and Credit Default Swaps entered into pursuant to Section 6.04(c) or (i);

(l) [reserved];

(m) Shorter Term Secured Indebtedness and any other Indebtedness (which may include, for the avoidance of doubt, unsecured Guarantees by an Obligor of the Indebtedness of an issuer or obligor under any Portfolio Investment held by any Obligor, so long as such Guarantees are extended by such Obligor in accordance with the Investment Policies) so long as, immediately after giving effect to its incurrence and any Concurrent Transaction, (i) the aggregate principal amount of such Indebtedness does not exceed the greater of (x) $20,000,000 and (y) 5% of Shareholders’ Equity at the time of incurrence and, taken together with Indebtedness permitted under clauses (a), (b), (e)(ii), (i) and (n) of this Section 6.01, does not exceed the amount required to comply with the provisions of Section 6.07(b), (ii) no Borrowing Base Deficiency is continuing or would result therefrom, (iii) no Specified Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing immediately after giving effect to the incurrence of such Shorter Term Secured Indebtedness and any Concurrent Transaction and (iv) solely to the extent that such Indebtedness constitutes Contingent Secured Indebtedness, no Contingent Borrowing Base Deficiency shall have occurred and be continuing; and

 

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(n) other Indebtedness (which may include, for the avoidance of doubt, unsecured Guarantees by an Obligor of the Indebtedness of an issuer or obligor under any Portfolio Investment held by any Obligor, so long as such Guarantees are extended by such Obligor in accordance with the Investment Policies) at any time in an aggregate principal amount outstanding not to exceed $20,000,000; so long as, immediately after giving effect to its incurrence and any Concurrent Transaction, (i) the aggregate principal amount of such Indebtedness, taken together with Indebtedness permitted under clauses (a), (b), (e)(ii), (i) and (m) of this Section 6.01, does not exceed the amount required to comply with the provisions of Section 6.07(b) and (ii) no Borrowing Base Deficiency is continuing or would result therefrom, and (iii) solely to the extent that such Indebtedness constitutes Contingent Secured Indebtedness, no Contingent Borrowing Base Deficiency shall have occurred and be continuing.

SECTION 6.02. Liens. The Borrower will not, nor will it permit any other Obligor to, create, incur, assume or permit to exist any Lien on any property or asset now owned or hereafter acquired by it, or assign or sell any income or revenues (including accounts receivable) or rights in respect of any thereof (which, for the avoidance of doubt, shall not include participations in Investments to the extent that the portion of such Investment represented by such participation is not treated as a Portfolio Investment), except:

(a) any Lien on any property or asset of the Borrower or another Obligor existing on the Effective Date and set forth in Part B of Schedule II, provided that (i) no such Lien shall extend to any other property or asset of the Borrower or any Subsidiary Guarantors (other than proceeds thereof or accessions thereto) and (ii) any such Lien shall secure only those obligations which it secures on the Effective Date and extensions, renewals and replacements thereof that do not increase the outstanding principal amount thereof, except to the extent not prohibited hereunder;

(b) Liens created pursuant to the Security Documents;

(c) Liens on Special Equity Interests included in the Portfolio Investments but only to the extent securing obligations in the manner provided in the definition of “Special Equity Interests” in Section 1.01;

(d) Liens securing Indebtedness or other obligations, that, together with all then outstanding Indebtedness and other obligations secured by Liens incurred pursuant to (i) Section 6.01(m), does not exceed the greater of (x) $20,000,000 and (y) 5% of Shareholders’ Equity or (ii) Section 6.01(n), does not exceed $20,000,000, in each case, at the time of the granting of such Lien (which may cover Portfolio Investments, but only to the extent released from, or otherwise not covered by, the Lien in favor of the Collateral Agent in accordance with the requirements of Section 9.02(c) hereof and/or Section 10.03 of the Guarantee and Security Agreement, or, if designated by the Borrower as “Designated Indebtedness” under the Guarantee and Security Agreement, may be secured on a pari passu basis by the Lien of the Security Documents), so long as immediately after giving effect to its granting and any Concurrent Transactions, (i) the aggregate amount of Indebtedness of the Borrower does not exceed the amount required to comply with the provisions of Section 6.07(b) and (ii) the Covered Debt Amount does not exceed the Borrowing Base;

 

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(e) Liens on an Obligor’s direct ownership interests in Excluded Assets (“Excluded Asset Liens”) but only to the extent that at the time any such Lien is incurred, no more than 25% of the Value of all Obligors’ direct ownership interests in all Excluded Assets (calculated as of the most recently delivered financial statements) have become subject to an Excluded Asset Lien or have been transferred pursuant to Section 6.03(e);

(f) Permitted Liens;

(g) Liens on the direct ownership interest of any Obligor in an Excluded Asset to secure obligations owed to a creditor of such Excluded Asset;

(h) (i) Liens on assets not constituting Collateral securing Indebtedness permitted under Sections 6.01(e)(i) and (f) and (ii) Liens on Investments subject to a repurchase obligation permitted under Section 6.01(e)(ii), 6.01(m), 6.01(n) or otherwise solely to the extent such Lien only covers (A) such Investments that are subject to the repurchase obligation on the date such obligation was incurred under Section 6.01(e)(ii), 6.01(m) or 6.01(n) or (B) such other Investments (which, in the case of any Investments that secure Contingent Secured Indebtedness, are permitted to secure Contingent Secured Indebtedness pursuant to the definition thereof) so long as immediately after giving effect to the granting of such Lien on such other Investments and any Concurrent Transaction, (x) no Specified Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, (y) the Covered Debt Amount does not exceed the Borrowing Base and (z) no Contingent Borrowing Base Deficiency shall have occurred and be continuing);

(i) Liens created by posting of cash collateral in connection with (i) Hedging Agreements and Credit Default Swaps permitted under Section 6.04(c) and (ii) Credit Default Swaps permitted under Section 6.04(i) so long as, in the case of this clause (i)(ii), the Covered Debt Amount does not exceed the Borrowing Base immediately prior to the granting of such Lien and either (A) the amount by which the Borrowing Base exceeds the Covered Debt Amount immediately prior to the granting of any such Lien under this clause (i)(ii) is not diminished as a result of the granting of such Lien or (B) the Adjusted Gross Borrowing Base immediately after giving effect to the granting of any such Lien under this clause (ii) is at least 110% of the Covered Debt Amount; and

(j) Liens existing on any property or asset prior to the acquisition thereof by the Borrower or another Obligor (other than any Portfolio Investment); provided that (i) such Lien is not created in contemplation of or in connection with such acquisition and (ii) such Lien does not apply to any other property or assets (other than proceeds thereof or accessions thereto) of the Borrower or such Obligor.

SECTION 6.03. Fundamental Changes and Dispositions of Assets. The Borrower will not, nor will it permit any other Obligor to, enter into any transaction of merger or consolidation or amalgamation, or liquidate, wind up or dissolve itself (or suffer any liquidation or dissolution). The Borrower will not, nor will it permit any other Obligor to, acquire any business or property from, or capital stock of, or be a party to any acquisition of, any Person, except for purchases or

 

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acquisitions of Portfolio Investments and other assets in the normal course of the day-to-day business activities of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries and not in violation of the terms and conditions of this Agreement or any other Loan Document. The Borrower will not, nor will it permit any other Obligor to, convey, sell, lease, transfer or otherwise dispose of, in one (1) transaction or a series of transactions, any part of its assets, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, but excluding (w) any transaction permitted under Section 6.05 or 6.12, (x) assets sold or disposed of in the ordinary course of business (including to make expenditures of cash in the normal course of the day-to-day business activities of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries and the use of Cash and Cash Equivalents in the ordinary course of business) (other than the transfer of Portfolio Investments to Excluded Assets), (y) subject to the provisions of clause (d) below, the transfer or sale of Portfolio Investments to Excluded Assets or Immaterial Subsidiaries and (z) subject to the provisions of clauses (c) and (e) below, any Obligor’s ownership interest in any Excluded Asset or any Immaterial Subsidiary.

Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 6.03:

(a) any Subsidiary Guarantor of the Borrower may be merged or consolidated with or into the Borrower or any other Subsidiary Guarantor; provided that if any such transaction shall be between a Subsidiary Guarantor and a wholly owned Subsidiary Guarantor, the wholly owned Subsidiary Guarantor shall be the continuing or surviving corporation or such other Person that is the continuing or surviving entity in such transaction becomes a Subsidiary Guarantor and expressly assumes, in writing, all the obligations of a Subsidiary Guarantor under the Loan Documents;

(b) any Obligor may sell, lease, transfer or otherwise dispose of any or all of its assets (upon voluntary liquidation or otherwise) to the Borrower or any wholly owned Subsidiary Guarantor of the Borrower;

(c) the capital stock of any Subsidiary of any Obligor may be sold, transferred or otherwise disposed of (including by way of consolidation or merger) (i) to the Borrower or any wholly owned Subsidiary Guarantor of the Borrower or (ii) so long as such transaction results in an Obligor receiving the proceeds of such disposition, to any other Person (excluding any Affiliate of the Borrower that is not an Obligor at any time a Specified Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing); provided that in the case of this clause (ii), if such Subsidiary is a Subsidiary Guarantor or holds any Portfolio Investments, immediately after giving effect to such sale, transfer or disposition and any Concurrent Transactions, the Borrower is in pro forma compliance with Section 6.07(b), the Covered Debt Amount does not exceed the Borrowing Base and either (x) the amount of any excess availability under the Borrowing Base immediately prior to such disposition is not diminished as a result of such disposition or (y) the Adjusted Gross Borrowing Base immediately after giving effect to such disposition is at least 110% of the Covered Debt Amount; provided that sales of the ownership or economic interests in any Excluded Asset to a Subsidiary that is not an Obligor shall be subject to clause (e) below;

(d) the Obligors may (i) sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of Cash, Cash Equivalents and Portfolio Investments (other than the ownership or economic interests in any Excluded Asset, which shall be subject to clause (e) below) to an Excluded Asset or Immaterial Subsidiary or (ii) repurchase from any Excluded Asset (or a Subsidiary that was an Excluded Asset immediately

 

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prior to such disposition) any assets transferred or contributed, directly or indirectly, to such Excluded Asset (or a Subsidiary that was an Excluded Asset immediately prior to such disposition) pursuant to this Section 6.03, so long as, in each case of clause (i) or clause (ii), immediately after giving effect to such sale, transfer or disposition or such repurchase and any Concurrent Transactions, (x) the Covered Debt Amount does not exceed the Borrowing Base and (y) either (1) the amount of any excess availability under the Borrowing Base immediately prior to such sale, transfer or disposition is not diminished as a result of such sale, transfer, or disposition or (2) the Adjusted Gross Borrowing Base is at least 110% of the Covered Debt Amount; provided that, for the purposes of this clause (y) and in connection with the organization of any CLO Security, the Borrowing Base, the Adjusted Gross Borrowing Base and the Covered Debt Amount, as applicable, shall be tested as of the pricing date for such CLO Security;

(e) the Obligors may sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of direct ownership interests in any Excluded Asset to any Subsidiary that is not an Obligor, if immediately after giving effect to such sale, transfer or other disposition and any Concurrent Transactions, no more than 25% of the Value of all Obligors’ direct ownership interests in all Excluded Assets (calculated as of the date of the most recently delivered financial statements on or prior to the date of such sale, transfer or other disposition) are subject to Excluded Asset Liens or have been sold, transferred or otherwise disposed of to a Subsidiary that is not an Obligor pursuant to this clause (e); provided that, notwithstanding that a transfer may violate such 25% limitation, such transfer shall nevertheless be permitted if it is required by law, rule, regulation or interpretive position of the SEC;

(f) the Borrower may merge or consolidate with, or acquire all or substantially all of the assets of, any other Person so long as (i) the Borrower is the continuing or surviving entity in such transaction and (ii)(x) with respect to any Specified Purchase, as of the date of entering into the applicable agreement governing such merger, consolidation or acquisition or (y) with respect to any other merger, consolidation or acquisition at the time thereof, and, in each case, after giving pro forma effect thereto and any Concurrent Transaction, no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing;

(g) the Borrower or the other Obligors may dissolve or liquidate (i) any Immaterial Subsidiary or (ii) any other Subsidiary so long as, with respect to this clause (ii), (A) in connection with such dissolution or liquidation, any and all of the assets of such Subsidiary shall be distributed or otherwise transferred to an Obligor (or, if such Subsidiary is an Excluded Asset, to another Excluded Asset) and (B) such dissolution or liquidation is not materially adverse to the Lenders and the Borrower determines in good faith that such dissolution or liquidation is in its best interests;

(h) the Borrower and the other Obligors may sell, lease, transfer or otherwise dispose of equipment or other property or assets that do not consist of Portfolio Investments so long as the aggregate amount of all such sales, leases, transfer and dispositions does not exceed $10,000,000 in any fiscal year; and

(i) the Obligors may transfer assets that such Obligor would otherwise be permitted to own to an Excluded Asset for the sole purpose of facilitating the transfer of assets from one (1) Excluded Asset (or a Subsidiary that was an Excluded Asset immediately prior to such disposition) to another Excluded Asset, directly or indirectly through such Obligor (such assets, the “Transferred Assets”); provided that (i) no Event of Default exists and is continuing at such time

 

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or would result from any such transfer to or by such Obligor, (ii) immediately after giving effect to such transfer and any Concurrent Transaction, the Covered Debt Amount shall not exceed the Borrowing Base at such time, (iii) the Transferred Assets are transferred to such Obligor by the transferor Excluded Asset on the same Business Day that such assets are transferred by such Obligor to the transferee Excluded Asset, and (iv) following such transfer such Obligor has no liability, actual or contingent, with respect to the Transferred Assets other than Standard Securitization Undertakings (for the avoidance of doubt, in determining for the purposes of this Agreement whether any Obligor has received Net Cash Proceeds in respect of any transaction involving a Transferred Asset, the transfer of such Transferred Asset to and from such Obligor shall be deemed to be a single transaction);

provided that in no event shall the Borrower enter into any transaction of merger or consolidation or amalgamation, or effect any internal reorganization, if the surviving entity would be organized under any jurisdiction other than a jurisdiction of the United States.

SECTION 6.04. Investments. The Borrower will not, nor will it permit any other Obligor to, acquire, make or enter into, or hold, any Investments except:

(a) (i) Cash and Cash Equivalents, (ii) operating deposit accounts and securities accounts with banks, (iii) in the form of Guarantees permitted under Section 6.01 and (iv) mergers, consolidations or other acquisitions permitted under Section 6.03;

(b) Investments by the Borrower and the Subsidiary Guarantors in the Borrower and the Subsidiary Guarantors;

(c) Hedging Agreements and Credit Default Swaps entered into in the ordinary course of any Obligor’s business for financial planning and not for speculative purposes;

(d) Portfolio Investments (other than Credit Default Swaps) by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries (including investments in Excluded Assets) to the extent such Portfolio Investments are permitted under the Investment Company Act (if applicable) and in compliance in all material respects with the Borrower’s Investment Policies, in each case, as in effect as of the date such Portfolio Investments are acquired; provided that, if such Portfolio Investment is not included in the Collateral Pool (other than Portfolio Investments or Excluded Assets (but excluding Cash or Cash Equivalents) exchanged for Portfolio Investments made or received in connection with or as a result of a workout or restructuring), immediately after giving effect to such Investment and any Concurrent Transaction, then (i) the Covered Debt Amount does not exceed the Borrowing Base and (ii) either (x) the amount of any excess availability under the Borrowing Base immediately prior to such Portfolio Investment is not diminished as a result of such Portfolio Investment or (y) the Adjusted Gross Borrowing Base immediately after giving effect to such Portfolio Investment is at least 110% of the Covered Debt Amount; provided further that, in connection with a Specified Purchase, with respect to Portfolio Investments for which the Borrower and/or any of its Subsidiaries has entered into a binding commitment or is otherwise required in connection with such Specified Purchase to acquire, make or enter into, or hold, such Investment, this clause (d) shall be tested on a pro forma basis as of the date of entry into the definitive agreement for such commitment;

 

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(e) Investments in (or capital contribution to) Excluded Assets to the extent permitted by Section 6.03(d) or (i);

(f) Investments described on Schedule IV hereto;

(g) Investments in Controlled Foreign Corporations; provided that, if cash or other assets are being contributed or invested in any such Controlled Foreign Corporation, and such Investment is not included in the Collateral Pool, immediately after giving effect to such Investment and any Concurrent Transaction, then (i) the Covered Debt Amount does not exceed the Borrowing Base and (ii) either (x) the amount of any excess availability under the Borrowing Base immediately prior to such Investment is not diminished as a result of such Investment or (y) the Adjusted Gross Borrowing Base immediately after giving effect to such Investment is at least 110% of the Covered Debt Amount;

(h) Investments in Immaterial Subsidiaries; provided that, if cash or other assets are being contributed or invested in any such Immaterial Subsidiary, and such Investment is not included in the Collateral Pool, immediately after giving effect to such Investment and any Concurrent Transaction, then (i) the Covered Debt Amount does not exceed the Borrowing Base and (ii) either (x) the amount of any excess availability under the Borrowing Base immediately prior to such Investment is not diminished as a result of such Investment or (y) the Adjusted Gross Borrowing Base immediately after giving effect to such Investment is at least 110% of the Covered Debt Amount;

(i) Investments constituting Credit Default Swaps with an aggregate notional amount not to exceed 3% of the Borrower’s total assets; and

(j) additional Investments up to but not exceeding $10,000,000 in the aggregate at any time outstanding.

For purposes of clauses (e), (g) and (h) of this Section 6.04, the aggregate amount of an Investment at any time shall be deemed to be equal to (A) the aggregate amount of cash, together with the aggregate fair market value of property, loaned, advanced, contributed, transferred or otherwise invested that gives rise to such Investment (calculated at the time such Investment is made) minus (B) the aggregate amount of the return of capital and dividends, distributions or other payments received in cash in respect of such Investment and the values of other Investments received in respect of such Investment, provided that in no event shall the aggregate amount of such Investment be deemed to be less than zero (0); the amount of an Investment shall not in any event be reduced by reason of any write-off of such Investment nor increased by any increase in the amount of earnings retained in the Person in which such Investment is made that have not been dividended, distributed or otherwise paid out.

SECTION 6.05. Restricted Payments. The Borrower will not, nor will it permit any other Obligor to, declare or make, or agree to pay or make, directly or indirectly, any Restricted Payment, except that the Borrower may declare and pay:

(a) dividends with respect to the capital stock of the Borrower to the extent payable in additional shares of the Borrower’s common stock;

 

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(b) dividends and distributions in either case in cash or other property (excluding for this purpose the Borrower’s common stock) in or with respect to any taxable year (or any calendar year, as relevant) of the Borrower in amounts not to exceed 110% of the higher of (x) the net investment income of the Borrower for the applicable year determined in accordance with GAAP and as specified in the annual financial statements most recently delivered pursuant to Section 5.01(a) and (y) the amount that is estimated in good faith by the Borrower to allow the Borrower (i) to satisfy the minimum distribution requirements imposed by Section 852(a) of the Code (or any successor thereto) to maintain the Borrower’s eligibility to be taxed as a RIC for any such taxable year, (ii) to reduce to zero (0) for any such taxable year its liability for federal income taxes imposed on (A) its investment company taxable income pursuant to Section 852(b)(1) of the Code (or any successor thereto), and (B) its net capital gain pursuant to Section 852(b)(3) of the Code (or any successor thereto), and (iii) to reduce to zero (0) its liability for federal excise taxes for any calendar year imposed pursuant to Section 4982 of the Code (or any successor thereto);

(c) any settlement in respect of a conversion feature in any convertible security that may be issued by the Borrower to the extent made through the delivery of common stock (except in the case of interest (which may be payable in cash)); and

(d) other Restricted Payments so long as (i) immediately after giving effect thereto and any Concurrent Transaction, the Covered Debt Amount does not exceed either (A) 90% of the Adjusted Gross Borrowing Base or (B) the Borrowing Base and (ii) immediately after giving effect thereto and any Concurrent Transaction, no Specified Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing.

Solely for purposes of this Agreement, in calculating the amount of Restricted Payments made by the Borrower during any period referred to in paragraph (b) above, any Restricted Payments made by Designated Subsidiaries or any other Excluded Asset that is a Subsidiary during such period (other than any such Restricted Payments that are made directly or indirectly to Obligors) shall be treated as Restricted Payments made by the Borrower during such period.

Nothing herein shall be deemed to prohibit the payment of Restricted Payments by any Subsidiary Guarantor of the Borrower to the Borrower or to any other Subsidiary Guarantor.

For the avoidance of doubt, the Borrower shall not declare any dividend to the extent such declaration violates the provisions of the Investment Company Act applicable to it and the determination of the amounts referred to in paragraph (b) above shall be made separately for the taxable year and the calendar year and the limitation on dividends or distributions imposed by such paragraphs shall apply separately to the amounts so determined.

SECTION 6.06. Certain Restrictions on Significant Subsidiaries. The Borrower will not permit any of its Significant Subsidiaries (other than Excluded Assets) to enter into or suffer to exist any indenture, agreement, instrument or other arrangement (other than (a) the Loan Documents, (b) any indenture, agreement, instrument or other arrangement entered into in connection with Indebtedness permitted under Section 6.01 to the extent any such indenture, agreement, instrument or other arrangement does not prohibit or restrain, in each case in any material respect, or impose materially adverse conditions upon, the requirements applicable to the Significant Subsidiaries under the Loan Documents or (c) any agreement, instrument or other

 

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arrangement pertaining to any lease, sale or other disposition of any asset permitted by this Agreement so long as the applicable restrictions (x) only apply to such assets and (y) do not restrict prior to the consummation of such sale or disposition the creation or existence of the Liens in favor of the Collateral Agent pursuant to the Security Documents or otherwise required by this Agreement, or the incurrence or payment of Indebtedness under this Agreement or the ability of the Significant Subsidiaries to perform any other obligation under any of the Loan Documents) that prohibits or restrains, in each case in any material respect, or imposes materially adverse conditions upon, the incurrence or payment of Indebtedness, the granting of Liens, the declaration or payment of dividends, the making of loans, advances, guarantees or Investments or the sale, assignment, transfer or other disposition of property to the Borrower by any Significant Subsidiary (other than Excluded Assets).

SECTION 6.07. Certain Financial Covenants.

(a) Minimum Shareholders’ Equity. The Borrower will not permit its Shareholders’ Equity at the last day of any fiscal quarter to be less than the greater of (a) $163,800,000 and (b) the sum of (i) $163,800,000 plus (ii) 25% of the net cash proceeds of the sale of Equity Interests of the Borrower after the Effective Date (other than proceeds of any distribution or dividend reinvestment plan) minus (iii) the sum of (A) 25% of the aggregate amount paid or distributed by the Borrower to purchase its shares of common stock in connection with a tender offer after the Effective Date plus (B) 25% of the sum of the Redemption Amount for each quarterly period since the Effective Date.

(b) Asset Coverage Ratio. The Borrower will not permit the Asset Coverage Ratio to be less than 1.50 to 1 at any time.

SECTION 6.08. Transactions with Affiliates. The Borrower will not, and will not permit any other Obligors to enter into any transactions with any of its Affiliates, even if otherwise permitted under this Agreement, except (a) transactions at prices and on terms and conditions, taken as a whole, not materially less favorable to the Borrower or such other Obligor, as applicable, than in good faith is believed could be obtained on an arm’s-length basis from unrelated third parties, (b) transactions between or among the Borrower and its Subsidiaries not involving any other Affiliate, (c) transactions among the Borrower and/or its Subsidiaries pursuant to Section 6.03, Investments permitted by Section 6.04 and Restricted Payments permitted by Section 6.05, (d) the Affiliate Agreement and the transactions provided in the Affiliate Agreement (as such agreement is amended, modified or supplemented from time to time in a manner not materially adverse to the Lenders), (e) transactions described or referenced on Schedule V (as amended, supplemented, restated or otherwise modified by notice from the Borrower to the Administrative Agent so long as (x) in the aggregate, payments by the Borrower and its Obligors are not materially increased, or (y) such amendment, supplement, restatement or other modification is not materially adverse to the Lenders), (f) any Investment that results in the creation of an Affiliate, (g) transactions with one (1) or more Affiliates as permitted by any SEC exemptive order (as may be amended from time to time), exemptive rule or no action relief or as otherwise permitted by applicable law, rule or regulation and SEC staff interpretations thereof, (h) any co-investment transaction to the extent not in violation of applicable law, (i) the payment of compensation and reimbursement of expenses and indemnification to officers and directors in the ordinary course of business, (j) transactions between or among the Obligors and any Excluded

 

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Asset or any “downstream affiliate” (as such term is used under the rules promulgated under the Investment Company Act) company of an Obligor (i) at prices and on terms and conditions, taken as a whole, not materially less favorable to the Obligors than in good faith is believed could be obtained at the time on an arm’s-length basis from unrelated third parties, or (ii) arising from, in connection with or related to Standard Securitization Undertakings, (k) transactions approved by a majority of the independent members of the board of directors of the Borrower, (l) under or related to the Permitted Advisor Loan, (m) the Borrower may issue and sell Equity Interests to its Affiliates or (n) transactions with Goldman, Sachs & Co. or its Affiliates in accordance with clause (a) above whereby Goldman, Sachs & Co. or its Affiliates may act as a placement agent or an underwriter in any securities offering of the Borrower or its Affiliates.

SECTION 6.09. Lines of Business. The Borrower will not, nor will it permit any other Obligors to, engage in any business in a manner that would violate its Investment Policies in any material respect.

SECTION 6.10. No Further Negative Pledge. The Borrower will not, and will not permit any other Obligors to, enter into any agreement, instrument, deed or lease which prohibits or limits in any material respect the ability of any Obligor to create, incur, assume or suffer to exist any Lien upon any of its properties, assets or revenues, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, or which requires the grant of any security for an obligation if security is granted for another obligation, except the following: (a) this Agreement and the other Loan Documents; (b) covenants in documents creating Liens permitted by Section 6.02 (including covenants with respect to Designated Indebtedness Obligations or Designated Indebtedness Holders under the Guarantee and Security Agreement) prohibiting further Liens on the assets encumbered thereby; (c) customary restrictions contained in leases not subject to a waiver; (d) any agreement that imposes such restrictions only on Equity Interests in Excluded Assets; (e) the underlying governing agreements of any minority Equity Interest that impose such restrictions only on such Equity Interest; (f) any agreement with a financier to an Excluded Asset that imposes such restrictions only on ownership and economic interests in such Excluded Asset; and (g) any other agreement that does not restrict in any manner (directly or indirectly) Liens created pursuant to the Loan Documents on any Collateral securing the Secured Obligations and does not require (other than pursuant to a grant of a Lien under the Loan Documents) the direct or indirect granting of any Lien securing any Indebtedness or other obligation by virtue of the granting of Liens on or pledge of property of any Obligor to secure the Loans, or any Hedging Agreement.

SECTION 6.11. Modifications of Certain Documents. The Borrower will not consent to any modification, supplement or waiver of (a) any of the provisions of any agreement, instrument or other document evidencing or relating to any Permitted Indebtedness or Special Longer Term Unsecured Indebtedness that would result in such Permitted Indebtedness or Special Longer Term Unsecured Indebtedness not meeting the requirements of the definition of “Permitted Indebtedness” or “Special Longer Term Unsecured Indebtedness”, as applicable, set forth in Section 1.01 of this Agreement, unless following such amendment, modification or waiver, such Permitted Indebtedness or Special Longer Term Unsecured Indebtedness, as applicable, would otherwise be permitted under Section 6.01, or (b) the Affiliate Agreement, unless such modification, supplement or waiver is not materially less favorable to the Borrower than could be obtained on an arm’s-length basis from unrelated third parties, in each case, without the prior consent of the Administrative Agent (with the approval of the Required Lenders).

 

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Without limiting the foregoing, the Borrower may, at any time and from time to time, without the consent of the Administrative Agent or the Required Lenders, freely amend, restate, terminate, or otherwise modify any documents, instruments and agreements evidencing, securing or relating to Indebtedness permitted pursuant to Section 6.01(d), including increases in the principal amount thereof, modifications to the advance rates and/or modifications to the interest rate, fees or other pricing terms so long as following any such action such Indebtedness continues to be permitted under Section 6.01(d).

SECTION 6.12. Payments of Other Indebtedness. The Borrower will not, nor will it permit any other Obligor to, purchase, redeem, retire or otherwise acquire for value, or set apart any money for a sinking, defeasance or other analogous fund for the purchase, redemption, retirement or other acquisition of, or make any voluntary payment or prepayment of the principal of or interest on, or any other amount owing in respect of, any Permitted Indebtedness or any Indebtedness that is not then included in the Covered Debt Amount (other than (x) payments and prepayments under the Permitted Advisor Loan pursuant to Section 6.05(f) or (y) the refinancing of such Indebtedness with Indebtedness permitted under Section 6.01 (including, for the avoidance of doubt, as incurred by an Excluded Asset or other Subsidiary) or with the proceeds of any issuance of Equity Interests), except for:

(a) regularly scheduled payments, prepayments or redemptions of principal and interest in respect thereof required pursuant to the instruments evidencing such Indebtedness and the payment when due of the types of fees and expenses that are customarily paid in connection with such Indebtedness (it being understood that: (w) the conversion features into Permitted Equity Interests under convertible notes; (x) the triggering of such conversion and/or settlement thereof solely with Permitted Equity Interests; (y) any cash payment on account of interest, expenses or fractional shares on such convertible notes made in respect of such triggering and/or settlement thereof; and (z) any customary mandatory prepayment provisions required by the terms thereof, shall be permitted under this clause (a));

(b) payments and prepayments thereof required to comply with requirements of Section 2.10(c);

(c) any payments and prepayments with respect to any Permitted Advisor Loan so long as, at the time of and immediately after giving effect to such payment or prepayment, as applicable, and any Concurrent Transactions, (i) no Specified Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing and (ii) the Adjusted Gross Borrowing Base is at least 110% of the Covered Debt Amount;

(d) [reserved]; and

(e) other payments and prepayments (other than any payment or prepayment of any Permitted Advisor Loan) so long as immediately after giving effect to such payment or prepayment, as applicable, and any Concurrent Transaction, if such payment or prepayment were deemed a “Restricted Payment” for the purposes of determining compliance with Section 6.05(d), such payment or prepayment, as applicable, would be permitted to be made under Section 6.05(d);

 

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provided that, in the case of clauses (a) and (b) above, in no event shall any Obligor be permitted to prepay or settle (whether as a result of a mandatory redemption, conversion or otherwise) any such Indebtedness if immediately after giving effect thereto and to any Concurrent Transactions, the Covered Debt Amount would exceed the Borrowing Base.

ARTICLE VII

EVENTS OF DEFAULT

SECTION 7.01. Events of Default. Until the Facility Termination Date, if any of the following events (“Events of Default”) shall occur and be continuing:

(a) the Borrower shall (i) fail to pay any principal of any Loan or any reimbursement obligation in respect of any LC Disbursement when and as the same shall become due and payable, whether at the due date thereof or at a date fixed for prepayment thereof or otherwise or (ii) fail to deposit any amount into the Letter of Credit Collateral Account as required by Section 2.05(d) on the Commitment Termination Date;

(b) the Borrower shall fail to pay any interest on any Loan or any fee or any other amount (other than an amount referred to in clause (a) of this Article) payable under this Agreement or under any other Loan Document, when and as the same shall become due and payable, and such failure shall continue unremedied for a period of five (5) or more Business Days;

(c) any representation or warranty made (or deemed made pursuant to Section 4.02) by or on behalf of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries (other than Immaterial Subsidiaries) in or in connection with this Agreement or any other Loan Document or any amendment or modification hereof or thereof, or in any report, certificate, financial statement or other document furnished by or on behalf of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries (other than Immaterial Subsidiaries) pursuant to or in connection with this Agreement or any other Loan Document or any amendment or modification hereof or thereof, shall prove to have been incorrect when made or deemed made in any material respect and such failure shall continue unremedied for a period of thirty (30) or more days after the earlier of the Borrower obtaining actual knowledge thereof or receiving notice thereof from the Administrative Agent (given at the request of any Lender);

(d) the Borrower shall fail to observe or perform any covenant, condition or agreement contained in (i) Section 5.03 (with respect to the Borrower’s existence) or Sections 5.08(a) and (b) or in Article VI or any Obligor shall default in the performance of any of its obligations contained in Section 7 of the Guarantee and Security Agreement (other than Section 7.01 thereof) or (ii) Sections 5.01(d) and (e) or Section 5.02 and such failure shall continue unremedied for a period of five (5) or more Business Days after the earlier of the Borrower obtaining actual knowledge of such failure and that it has resulted in a Default hereunder or receiving notice thereof from the Administrative Agent (given at the request of any Lender); it being acknowledged and agreed that a failure of an Obligor to “Deliver” (as defined in the Guarantee and Security Agreement) any particular Investment to the extent required by Section 7.01 of the Guarantee and Security Agreement shall result in such Investment not being included in the Borrowing Base but shall not (in and of itself) be, or result in, a Default or an Event of Default under this clause (d);

 

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(e) a Borrowing Base Deficiency shall occur and continue unremedied for a period of five (5) or more Business Days after delivery of a Borrowing Base Certificate demonstrating such Borrowing Base Deficiency pursuant to Section 5.01(e); provided that it shall not be an Event of Default hereunder if the Borrower shall present the Administrative Agent with a reasonably feasible plan to cure such Borrowing Base Deficiency within thirty (30) Business Days (which thirty (30) Business Day period shall include the five (5) Business Days permitted for delivery of such plan), so long as such Borrowing Base Deficiency is cured within such thirty (30) Business Day period; provided further, such thirty (30) Business Day period shall be extended to a forty-five (45) Business Day period solely to the extent as provided in Section 2.10(c)(i) in order to cure any failure to satisfy Section 5.13(h);

(f) the Borrower or any other Obligor, as applicable, shall fail to observe or perform any covenant, condition or agreement contained in this Agreement (other than those specified in clause (a), (b), (d) or (e) of this Article) or any other Loan Document and such failure shall continue unremedied for a period of thirty (30) or more days after the earlier of the Borrower obtaining actual knowledge of such failure and that it has resulted in a Default hereunder or receiving notice thereof from the Administrative Agent (given at the request of any Lender);

(g) the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries shall fail to make any payment of principal or interest in respect of any Material Indebtedness, when and as the same shall become due and payable, taking into account (other than with respect to payments of principal) any applicable grace or cure period;

(h) any event or condition occurs (i) that results in any Material Indebtedness becoming due prior to its scheduled maturity or (ii) that shall continue unremedied for any applicable period of time sufficient to enable or permit the holder or holders of any Material Indebtedness or any trustee or agent on its or their behalf to cause any Material Indebtedness to become due, or to require the prepayment, repurchase, redemption or defeasance thereof, prior to its scheduled maturity (for the avoidance of doubt, other than as permitted under Section 6.12 and that is not a result of a breach, default or other violation or failure in respect of such Material Indebtedness by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries and, after giving effect to any applicable grace or cure period); provided that this clause (h) shall not apply to (1) secured Indebtedness that becomes due as a result of the voluntary sale or transfer of the property or assets securing such Indebtedness, (2) convertible debt that becomes due as a result of a conversion or redemption event, other than as a result of an “event of default” (as defined in the documents governing such convertible Material Indebtedness), (3) for the avoidance of doubt, other Indebtedness that is included in the Covered Debt Amount to the extent of required prepayment, repurchase, redemption or defeasance effected pursuant to Section 2.10(c); (4) any Indebtedness of a Designated Subsidiary that becomes due in part breach of an overcollateralization test or borrowing base deficiency, or a customary “change of control” put right in any indenture, or (5) in the case of clause (h)(ii), any Indebtedness of a Designated Subsidiary (x) to the extent the event or condition giving rise to the circumstances in clause (h)(ii) was not a payment or insolvency default or (y) so long as all Commitments have not been terminated and the Loans have not been declared due and payable in full, to the extent such event or condition is no longer continuing or has been waived in accordance with the terms of such Material Indebtedness such that the holder or holders thereof or any trustee or agent on its or their behalf are no longer enabled or permitted to cause such Material Indebtedness to become due, or to require the prepayment, repurchase, redemption or defeasance thereof, prior to its scheduled maturity;

 

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(i) an involuntary proceeding shall be commenced or an involuntary petition shall be filed seeking (i) liquidation, reorganization or other relief in respect of the Borrower or any of its Significant Subsidiaries (or group of Subsidiaries that if consolidated would constitute a Significant Subsidiary) or its debts, or of a substantial part of its assets, under any Federal, state or foreign bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership or similar law now or hereafter in effect or (ii) the appointment of a receiver, trustee, custodian, sequestrator, conservator or similar official for the Borrower or any of its Significant Subsidiaries (or group of Subsidiaries that if consolidated would constitute a Significant Subsidiary) or for a substantial part of its assets, and, in any such case, such proceeding or petition shall continue undismissed and unstayed for a period of sixty (60) or more days or an order or decree approving or ordering any of the foregoing shall be entered;

(j) the Borrower or any of its Significant Subsidiaries (or group of Subsidiaries that if consolidated would constitute a Significant Subsidiary) shall (i) voluntarily commence any proceeding or file any petition seeking liquidation, reorganization or other relief under any Federal, state or foreign bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership or similar law now or hereafter in effect, (ii) consent to the institution of, or fail to contest in a timely and appropriate manner, any proceeding or petition described in clause (i) of this Article, (iii) apply for or consent to the appointment of a receiver, trustee, custodian, sequestrator, conservator or similar official for the Borrower or any of its Significant Subsidiaries (or group of Subsidiaries that if consolidated would constitute a Significant Subsidiary) or for a substantial part of its assets, (iv) file an answer admitting the material allegations of a petition filed against it in any such proceeding, (v) make a general assignment for the benefit of creditors or (vi) take any action for the purpose of effecting any of the foregoing;

(k) the Borrower or any of its Significant Subsidiaries (or group of Subsidiaries that if consolidated would constitute a Significant Subsidiary) shall become unable, admit in writing its inability or fail generally to pay its debts as they become due;

(l) one (1) or more judgments for the payment of money in an aggregate amount in excess of $20,000,000 shall be rendered against the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries (other than Immaterial Subsidiaries) or any combination thereof and (i) if not covered by insurance, the same shall remain undischarged for a period of sixty (60) consecutive days following the entry of such judgment during which sixty (60) day period such judgment shall not have been vacated, stayed, discharged or bonded pending appeal, or (ii) any action shall be legally taken by a judgment creditor to attach or levy upon any assets of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries (other than Immaterial Subsidiaries) to enforce any such judgment;

(m) an ERISA Event shall have occurred that, in the opinion of the Required Lenders, when taken together with all other ERISA Events that have occurred, would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect;

(n) a Change in Control shall occur;

(o) [reserved];

 

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(p) the Liens created by the Security Documents shall, at any time with respect to Portfolio Investments included in the Collateral Pool having an aggregate Value in excess of 5% of the aggregate Value of all Portfolio Investments included in the Collateral Pool, not be valid and perfected (to the extent perfection by filing, registration, recordation, possession or control is required herein or therein) in favor of the Collateral Agent, free and clear of all other Liens (other than Liens permitted under Section 6.02 or under the respective Security Documents); provided that if such default is as a result of any action of the Administrative Agent or the Collateral Agent or a failure of the Administrative Agent or the Collateral Agent to take any action within its control, then there shall be no Default or Event of Default hereunder unless such default shall continue unremedied for a period of ten (10) consecutive Business Days after the Borrower receives written notice of such default thereof from the Administrative Agent unless the continuance thereof is a result of a failure of the Administrative Agent or the Collateral Agent to take an action within their control;

(q) except for expiration or termination in accordance with its terms, any of the Security Documents shall for whatever reason be terminated or cease to be in full force and effect in any material respect, or the enforceability thereof shall be contested by any Obligor;

(r) the Obligors shall at any time, without the consent of the Required Lenders, (i) modify, supplement or waive in any material respect the Investment Policies (other than any modification, supplement or waiver required by any applicable law, rule or regulation or Governmental Authority); provided that a modification, supplement or waiver shall not be deemed a modification in any material respect of the Investment Policies if the effect of such modification, supplement or waiver is that the permitted investment size of the Portfolio Investments proportionately increases as the size of the Borrower’s capital base changes, (ii) modify, supplement or waive in any material respect the Valuation Policy (other than any modification, supplement or waiver (w) required under GAAP, (x) required by any applicable law, rule or regulation or Governmental Authority, or (y) when taken as a whole is not materially adverse to the Lenders when compared to its Valuation Policy in effect as of the Effective Date), (iii) fail to comply with the Valuation Policy in any material respect, or (iv) fail to comply with the Investment Policies if such failure would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, and in the case of subclauses (iii) and (iv) of this clause (r), such failure shall continue unremedied for a period of thirty (30) or more days after the earlier of notice thereof by the Administrative Agent (given at the request of any Lender) to the Borrower or knowledge thereof by a Financial Officer;

then, and in every such event (other than an event with respect to the Borrower described in clause (i) or (j) of this Article), and at any time thereafter during the continuance of such event, the Administrative Agent may, and at the request of the Required Lenders shall, by notice to the Borrower, take either or both of the following actions, at the same or different times: (i) terminate the Commitments, and thereupon the Commitments shall terminate immediately, and (ii) declare the Loans then outstanding to be due and payable in whole (or in part, in which case any principal not so declared to be due and payable may thereafter be declared to be due and payable), and thereupon the principal of the Loans so declared to be due and payable, together with accrued interest thereon and all fees and other obligations of the Borrower accrued hereunder, shall become due and payable immediately, without presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, all of which are hereby waived by the Borrower; and in case of any event with respect to the Borrower described in clause (i) or (j) of this Article, the Commitments shall automatically terminate and the principal of the Loans then outstanding, together with accrued interest thereon and all fees and other obligations of the Borrower accrued hereunder, shall automatically become due and payable, without presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, all of which are hereby waived by the Borrower.

 

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In the event that the Loans shall be declared, or shall become, due and payable pursuant to the immediately preceding paragraph then, upon notice from the Administrative Agent or Lenders with LC Exposure representing more than 50% of the total LC Exposure of a Class of Commitments demanding the deposit of cash collateral pursuant to this paragraph, the Borrower shall promptly, but in any event within three (3) Business Days of receipt of notice, deposit into the Letter of Credit Collateral Account cash in an amount equal to the LC Exposure of such Class as of such date plus any accrued and unpaid interest thereon; provided that the obligation to deposit such cash shall become effective immediately, and such deposit shall become immediately due and payable, without demand or other notice of any kind, upon the occurrence of any Event of Default with respect to the Borrower described in clause (i) or (j) of this Article.

ARTICLE VIII

THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT

SECTION 8.01. The Administrative Agent.

Each of the Lenders and the Issuing Banks hereby irrevocably appoints the Administrative Agent as its agent hereunder and under the other Loan Documents and authorizes the Administrative Agent to take such actions on its behalf and to exercise such powers as are delegated to the Administrative Agent by the terms hereof or thereof, together with such actions and powers as are reasonably incidental thereto.

Each of the Lenders and the Issuing Banks hereby irrevocably appoints the Collateral Agent as the collateral agent hereunder and under the other Loan Documents and authorizes the Collateral Agent to have all the rights and benefits hereunder and thereunder (including Section 9 of the Guarantee and Security Agreement), and to take such actions on its behalf and to exercise such powers as are delegated to the Collateral Agent by the terms hereof or thereof, together with such actions and powers as are reasonably incidental thereto.

The Person serving as the Administrative Agent hereunder shall have the same rights and powers in its capacity as a Lender as any other Lender and may exercise the same as though it were not the Administrative Agent, and the term “Lender” or “Lenders” shall, unless the context otherwise indicates, include the Administrative Agent in its individual capacity. Such Person and its Affiliates may (without having to account therefor to any other Lender) accept deposits from, lend money to and generally engage in any kind of banking, trust or other business with any of the Obligors (or any Subsidiary or other Affiliate thereof) as if it were not the Administrative Agent hereunder, and such Person and its Affiliates may accept fees and other consideration from any of the Obligors or other Affiliate thereof for services in connection with this Agreement or otherwise without having to account for the same to the other Lenders.

The Administrative Agent shall not have any duties or obligations except those expressly set forth herein and in the other Loan Documents. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing,

 

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(a) the Administrative Agent shall not be subject to any fiduciary or other implied duties, regardless of whether a Default has occurred and is continuing, (b) the Administrative Agent shall not have any duty to take any discretionary action or exercise any discretionary powers, except discretionary rights and powers expressly contemplated hereby or by the other Loan Documents that the Administrative Agent is required to exercise in writing by the Required Lenders, and (c) except as expressly set forth herein and in the other Loan Documents, the Administrative Agent shall not have any duty to disclose, and shall not be liable for the failure to disclose, any information relating to the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries that is communicated to or obtained by the Person serving as Administrative Agent or any of its Affiliates in any capacity. The Administrative Agent shall not be liable to any Lender or Issuing Bank for any action taken or not taken by it with the consent or at the request of the Required Lenders (or such other number or percentage of the Lenders as shall be expressly provided for herein or in the other Loan Documents) or in the absence of its own fraud, gross negligence or willful misconduct. The Administrative Agent shall be deemed not to have knowledge of any Default unless and until written notice thereof is given to the Administrative Agent by the Borrower or a Lender, and the Administrative Agent shall not be responsible for or have any duty to ascertain or inquire into (i) any statement, warranty or representation made in or in connection with this Agreement or any other Loan Document, (ii) the contents of any certificate, report or other document delivered hereunder or thereunder or in connection herewith or therewith, (iii) the performance or observance of any of the covenants, agreements or other terms or conditions set forth herein or therein, (iv) the validity, enforceability, effectiveness or genuineness of this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any other agreement, instrument or document, or (v) the satisfaction of any condition set forth in Article IV or elsewhere herein or therein, other than to confirm receipt of items expressly required to be delivered to the Administrative Agent.

The Administrative Agent shall be entitled to rely upon, and shall not incur any liability for relying upon, any notice, request, certificate, consent, statement, instrument, document or other writing (including any electronic message, Internet or intranet website posting or other distribution) believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or sent by the proper Person. The Administrative Agent also may rely upon any statement made to it orally or by telephone and believed by it to be made by the proper Person, and shall not incur any liability for relying thereon. The Administrative Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may be counsel for the Borrower), independent accountants and other experts selected by it, and shall not be liable for any action taken or not taken by it in accordance with the advice of any such counsel, accountants or experts.

The Administrative Agent may perform any and all its duties and exercise its rights and powers by or through any one (1) or more sub-agents appointed by the Administrative Agent. The Administrative Agent and any such sub-agent may perform any and all its duties and exercise its rights and powers through their respective Related Parties. The exculpatory provisions of the preceding paragraphs shall apply to any such sub-agent and to the Related Parties of the Administrative Agent and any such sub-agent, and shall apply to their respective activities in connection with the syndication of the credit facilities provided for herein as well as activities as Administrative Agent. The Administrative Agent shall not be responsible for the negligence or misconduct of any sub-agents except to the extent that a court of competent jurisdiction determines in a final and non-appealable judgment that the Administrative Agent acted with fraud, gross negligence or willful misconduct in the selection of such sub-agents.

 

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The Administrative Agent may resign by providing not less than thirty (30) days advance written notice to the Lenders, the Issuing Banks and the Borrower. Upon any such notice of resignation, the Required Lenders shall have the right, with the consent of the Borrower not to be unreasonably withheld (or, if an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing in consultation with the Borrower), to appoint a successor, which is not a natural person, a Defaulting Lender or a Disqualified Lender. If no successor shall have been so appointed by the Required Lenders and shall have accepted such appointment within thirty (30) days after the retiring Administrative Agent gives notice of its resignation, then the retiring Administrative Agent’s resignation shall nonetheless become effective at the end of such thirty (30) days period (except that in the case of any collateral security held by the Administrative Agent on behalf of the Lenders or the Issuing Banks under any of the Loan Documents, the retiring or removed Administrative Agent shall continue to hold such collateral security until such time as a successor Administrative Agent is appointed) and (1) the retiring Administrative Agent shall be discharged from its duties and obligations hereunder and (2) the Required Lenders shall perform the duties of the Administrative Agent (and all payments and communications provided to be made by, to or through the Administrative Agent shall instead be made by or to each Lender directly) until such time as the Required Lenders appoint a successor agent as provided for above in this paragraph. Upon the acceptance of its appointment as Administrative Agent hereunder by a successor, such successor shall succeed to and become vested with all the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the retiring (or retired) Administrative Agent and the retiring Administrative Agent shall be discharged from its duties and obligations hereunder (if not already discharged therefrom as provided above in this paragraph). The fees payable by the Borrower to a successor Administrative Agent shall be the same as those payable to its predecessor unless otherwise agreed between the Borrower and such successor. After the Administrative Agent’s resignation hereunder, the provisions of this Article and Section 9.03 shall continue in effect for its benefit in respect of any actions taken or omitted to be taken by it while it was acting as Administrative Agent. Any resignation by Truist Bank as Administrative Agent pursuant to this Section shall also constitute its resignation as an Issuing Bank and a Swingline Lender. Upon the acceptance of a successor’s appointment as Administrative Agent hereunder, (a) such successor shall succeed to and become vested with all of the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the retiring Issuing Bank and Swingline Lender, (b) the retiring Issuing Bank and Swingline Lender shall be discharged from all of their respective duties and obligations hereunder or under the other Loan Documents, and (c) the successor Issuing Bank shall issue letters of credit in substitution for the Letters of Credit, if any, outstanding at the time of such succession or make other arrangements satisfactory to the retiring Issuing Bank to effectively assume the obligations of the retiring Issuing Bank with respect to such Letters of Credit.

Each Lender agrees that it has, independently and without reliance upon the Administrative Agent or any other Lender and based on such documents and information as it has deemed appropriate, made its own credit analysis and decision to enter into this Agreement and that it will, independently and without reliance upon the Administrative Agent or any other Lender and based on such documents and information as it shall from time to time deem appropriate, continue to make its own analysis and decisions in taking or not taking action under or based upon this Agreement and other Loan Documents to which it is a party.

 

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Except as otherwise provided in Section 9.02(b) or the Security Documents, the Administrative Agent may, with the prior consent of the Required Lenders (but not otherwise), consent to any modification, supplement or waiver under any of the Loan Documents, provided that, without the prior consent of each Lender and each Issuing Bank, the Administrative Agent shall not (except as provided herein or in the Security Documents) release all or substantially all of the Collateral or otherwise terminate all or substantially all of the Liens under any Security Document providing for collateral security, agree to additional obligations being secured by all or substantially all of such collateral security, or alter the relative priorities of the obligations entitled to the benefits of the Liens created under the Security Documents with respect to all or substantially all of the Collateral, except that no such consent shall be required, and the Administrative Agent is hereby authorized, to (1) release (which such release shall be automatic and require no further action from any party) any Lien covering property that is the subject of either a disposition of property (including, without limitation, any property subject to a participation or repurchase transaction) not prohibited hereunder or a disposition to which the Required Lenders have consented, (2) release from any Guarantee and Security Agreement any “Subsidiary Guarantor” (and any property of such Subsidiary Guarantor) in accordance with Section 9.02(c) hereof and Section 10.03 of the Guarantee and Security Agreement and (3) spread Liens to any Designated Indebtedness or Hedging Agreement Obligations (as such terms are defined in the Guarantee and Security Agreement) in accordance with the Guarantee and Security Agreement.

SECTION 8.02. Certain ERISA Matters. (a) Each Lender (x) represents and warrants, as of the date such Person became a Lender party hereto, to, and (y) covenants, from the date such Person became a Lender party hereto to the date such Person ceases being a Lender party hereto, for the benefit of, the Administrative Agent, and each Joint Lead Arranger and their respective Affiliates, and not, for the avoidance of doubt, to or for the benefit of the Borrower, that at least one (1) of the following is and will be true:

(i) such Lender is not using “plan assets” (within the meaning of Section 3(42) of ERISA or otherwise) of one (1) or more Benefit Plans with respect to such Lender’s entrance into, participation in, administration of and performance of the Loans, the Letters of Credit, the Commitments or this Agreement,

(ii) the transaction exemption set forth in one (1) or more PTEs, such as PTE 84-14 (a class exemption for certain transactions determined by independent qualified professional asset managers), PTE 95-60 (a class exemption for certain transactions involving insurance company general accounts), PTE 90-1 (a class exemption for certain transactions involving insurance company pooled separate accounts), PTE 91-38 (a class exemption for certain transactions involving bank collective investment funds) or PTE 96-23 (a class exemption for certain transactions determined by in-house asset managers), is applicable with respect to such Lender’s entrance into, participation in, administration of and performance of the Loans, the Letters of Credit, the Commitments and this Agreement,

(iii) (A) such Lender is an investment fund managed by a “Qualified Professional Asset Manager” (within the meaning of Part VI of PTE 84-14), (B) such Qualified Professional Asset Manager made the investment decision on behalf of such Lender to enter into, participate in, administer and perform the Loans, the Letters of Credit, the Commitments and this Agreement, (C) the entrance into, participation in, administration of and performance of the Loans, the Letters of Credit, the Commitments and this Agreement satisfies the requirements of subsections (b) through (g) of Part I of PTE 84-14 and (D) to the best knowledge of such Lender, the requirements of subsection (a) of Part I of PTE 84-14 are satisfied with respect to such Lender’s entrance into, participation in, administration of and performance of the Loans, the Letters of Credit, the Commitments and this Agreement, or

 

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(iv) such other representation, warranty and covenant as may be agreed in writing between the Administrative Agent, in its sole discretion, and such Lender.

(b) In addition, unless subclause (i) in the immediately preceding clause (a) is true with respect to a Lender or a Lender has not provided another representation, warranty and covenant as provided in subclause (iv) in the immediately preceding clause (a), such Lender further (x) represents and warrants, as of the date such Person became a Lender party hereto, to, and (y) covenants, from the date such Person became a Lender party hereto to the date such Person ceases being a Lender party hereto, for the benefit of, the Administrative Agent and each Joint Lead Arranger and their respective Affiliates, and not, for the avoidance of doubt, to or for the benefit of the Borrower, that none of the Administrative Agent, or any Joint Lead Arranger or any of their respective Affiliates is a fiduciary with respect to the assets of such Lender involved in such Lender’s entrance into, participation in, administration of and performance of the Loans, the Letters of Credit, the Commitments and this Agreement (including in connection with the reservation or exercise of any rights by the Administrative Agent under this Agreement, any Loan Document or any documents related hereto or thereto).

SECTION 8.03. Erroneous Payments.

(a) If the Administrative Agent notifies a Lender, Issuing Bank or Secured Party, or any Person who has received funds on behalf of a Lender, Issuing Bank or Secured Party (any such Lender, Issuing Bank, Secured Party or other recipient, a “Payment Recipient”) that the Administrative Agent has determined in its sole discretion (whether or not after receipt of any notice under the immediately succeeding clause (b)) that any funds received by such Payment Recipient from the Administrative Agent or any of its Affiliates were erroneously transmitted to, or otherwise erroneously or mistakenly received by, such Payment Recipient (whether or not known to such Lender, Issuing Bank, Secured Party or other Payment Recipient on its behalf) (any such funds, whether received as a payment, prepayment or repayment of principal, interest, fees, distribution or otherwise, individually and collectively, an “Erroneous Payment”) and demands the return of such Erroneous Payment (or a portion thereof), such Erroneous Payment shall at all times remain the property of the Administrative Agent and shall be segregated by the Payment Recipient and held in trust for the benefit of the Administrative Agent and such Lender, Issuing Bank or Secured Party shall (or, with respect to any Payment Recipient who received such funds on its behalf, shall cause such Payment Recipient to) promptly, but in no event later than two Business Days thereafter, return to the Administrative Agent the amount of any such Erroneous Payment (or portion thereof) as to which such a demand was made, in same day funds (in the currency so received), together with interest thereon in respect of each day from and including the date such Erroneous Payment (or portion thereof) was received by such Payment Recipient to the date such amount is repaid to the Administrative Agent in same day funds at the greater of the Federal Funds Effective Rate and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation from time to time in effect. A notice of the Administrative Agent to any Payment Recipient under this clause (a) shall be conclusive, absent manifest error.

 

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(b) Without limiting the immediately preceding clause (a), each Lender, Issuing Bank or Secured Party, or any other Payment Recipient who has received funds on behalf of a Lender, Issuing Bank or Secured Party, hereby further agrees that if it receives a payment, prepayment or repayment (whether received as a payment, prepayment or repayment of principal, interest, fees, distribution or otherwise) from the Administrative Agent (or any of its Affiliates) (x) that is in a different amount than, or on a different date from, that specified in a notice of payment, prepayment or repayment sent by the Administrative Agent (or any of its Affiliates) with respect to such payment, prepayment or repayment, (y) that was not preceded or accompanied by a notice of payment, prepayment or repayment sent by the Administrative Agent (or any of its Affiliates), or (z) that such Lender, Issuing Bank or Secured Party, or other such Payment Recipient, otherwise becomes aware was transmitted, or received, in error or by mistake (in whole or in part) in each case:

(i) (A) in the case of the immediately preceding clause (x) or (y), an error shall be presumed to have been made (absent written confirmation from the Administrative Agent to the contrary) or (B) in the case of the immediately preceding clause (z), an error has been made, in each case, with respect to such payment, prepayment or repayment; and

(ii) such Lender, Issuing Bank or Secured Party shall (and shall cause any Payment Recipient that receives funds on its respective behalf to) promptly (and, in all events, within one Business Day of its knowledge of such error) notify the Administrative Agent of its receipt of such payment, prepayment or repayment, the details thereof (in reasonable detail) and that it is so notifying the Administrative Agent pursuant to this Section 8.03(b).

(c) Each Lender, Issuing Bank or Secured Party hereby authorizes the Administrative Agent to set off, net and apply any and all amounts at any time owing to such Lender, Issuing Bank or Secured Party under any Loan Document, or otherwise payable or distributable by the Administrative Agent to such Lender, Issuing Bank or Secured Party from any source, against any amount due to the Administrative Agent under the immediately preceding clause (a) or under the indemnification provisions of this Agreement.

(d) In the event that an Erroneous Payment (or portion thereof) is not recovered by the Administrative Agent for any reason, after demand therefor by the Administrative Agent in accordance with the immediately preceding clause (a), from any Lender or Issuing Bank that has received such Erroneous Payment (or portion thereof) (and/or from any Payment Recipient who received such Erroneous Payment (or portion thereof) on its respective behalf) (such unrecovered amount, an “Erroneous Payment Return Deficiency”), upon the Administrative Agent’s notice to such Lender or Issuing Bank at any time, (i) such Lender or Issuing Bank shall be deemed to have assigned its Loans (but not its Commitments) of the relevant Class with respect to which such Erroneous Payment was made (the “Erroneous Payment Impacted Class”) in an amount equal to the Erroneous Payment Return Deficiency (or such lesser amount as the Administrative Agent may specify) (such assignment of the Loans (but not Commitments) of the Erroneous Payment Impacted Class, the “Erroneous Payment Deficiency Assignment”) at par plus any accrued and

 

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unpaid interest (with the assignment fee to be waived by the Administrative Agent in such instance), and is hereby (together with the Borrower) deemed to execute and deliver an Assignment and Assumption (or, to the extent applicable, an agreement incorporating an Assignment and Assumption by reference pursuant to an electronic transmission system to which the Administrative Agent and such parties are participants) with respect to such Erroneous Payment Deficiency Assignment, and such Lender or Issuing Bank shall deliver any promissory notes evidencing such Loans to the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, (ii) the Administrative Agent as the assignee Lender shall be deemed to acquire the Erroneous Payment Deficiency Assignment, (iii) upon such deemed acquisition, the Administrative Agent as the assignee Lender shall become a Lender or Issuing Bank, as applicable, hereunder with respect to such Erroneous Payment Deficiency Assignment and the assigning Lender or assigning Issuing Bank shall cease to be a Lender or Issuing Bank, as applicable, hereunder with respect to such Erroneous Payment Deficiency Assignment, excluding its obligations under the indemnification provisions of this Agreement and its applicable Commitments which shall survive as to such assigning Lender or assigning Issuing Bank, and (iv) the Administrative Agent may reflect in the Register its ownership interest in the Loans subject to the Erroneous Payment Deficiency Assignment. Subject to Section 9.04(b), the Administrative Agent may, in its discretion, sell any Loans acquired pursuant to an Erroneous Payment Deficiency Assignment, and, upon receipt of the proceeds of such sale, the Erroneous Payment Return Deficiency owing by the applicable Lender or Issuing Bank shall be reduced by the net proceeds of the sale of such Loan (or portion thereof), and the Administrative Agent shall retain all other rights, remedies and claims against such Lender or Issuing Bank (and/or against any Payment Recipient that receives funds on its respective behalf). No Erroneous Payment Deficiency Assignment will reduce the Commitments of any Lender or Issuing Bank and such Commitments shall remain available in accordance with the terms of this Agreement. In addition, each party hereto agrees that, except to the extent that the Administrative Agent has sold a Loan (or portion thereof) acquired pursuant to an Erroneous Payment Deficiency Assignment, and irrespective of whether the Administrative Agent may be equitably subrogated, the Administrative Agent shall be contractually subrogated to all the rights and interests of the applicable Lender, Issuing Bank or Secured Party under the Loan Documents with respect to each Erroneous Payment Return Deficiency (the “Erroneous Payment Subrogation Rights”).

(e) The parties hereto agree that an Erroneous Payment shall not pay, prepay, repay, discharge or otherwise satisfy any Secured Obligations owed by the Borrower or any other Obligor; provided that this Section 8.03 shall not be interpreted to increase (or accelerate the due date for), or have the effect of increasing (or accelerating the due date for), the Secured Obligations of the Borrower relative to the amount (and/or timing for payment) of the Secured Obligations that would have been payable had such Erroneous Payment not been made by the Administrative Agent; provided, further, that for the avoidance of doubt, Section 8.03(d) and this Section 8.03(e) shall not apply to the extent such Erroneous Payment is, and solely with respect to the amount of such Erroneous Payment that is, comprised of funds received by the Administrative Agent or applicable Lender, Issuing Bank or Secured Party from the Borrower or any other Obligor for the purpose of making payment in respect of the Secured Obligations.

(f) To the extent permitted by applicable law, no Payment Recipient shall assert any right or claim to an Erroneous Payment, and hereby waives, and is deemed to waive, any claim, counterclaim, defense or right of set-off or recoupment with respect to any demand, claim or counterclaim by the Administrative Agent for the return of any Erroneous Payment received, including, without limitation, waiver of any defense based on “discharge for value” or any similar doctrine.

 

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(g) Each party’s obligations, agreements and waivers under this Section 8.03 shall survive the resignation or replacement of the Administrative Agent, any transfer of rights or obligations by, or the replacement of, a Lender or Issuing Bank, the termination of the Commitments and/or the repayment, satisfaction or discharge of all Secured Obligations (or any portion thereof) (other than Unasserted Contingent Obligations) under any Loan Document.

ARTICLE IX

MISCELLANEOUS

SECTION 9.01. Notices; Electronic Communications.

(a) Notices Generally. Except in the case of notices and other communications expressly permitted to be given by telephone, all notices and other communications provided for herein shall be in writing and shall be delivered by hand or overnight courier service, mailed by certified or registered mail or sent by telecopy or e-mail, as follows:

(i) if to the Borrower, to it at Goldman Sachs Private Credit Corp., 200 West Street, New York, NY 10282, Attention of James Napolitano (Telephone No. (212) 902-9673; E-mail James.Napolitano@gs.com); with a copy, which shall not constitute notice, to Dechert LLP, 1095 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10036, Attention of Jay R. Alicandri, Esq. (Telephone No. (212) 698-3800; E-mail jay.alicandri@dechert.com);

(ii) if to the Administrative Agent, to Truist Bank, 3333 Peachtree Road, 8th Floor, Atlanta, Georgia 30326, Attention of Hays Wood (Telephone No. (404) 836-5879); Fax No. (404) 836-5879; with a copy to Truist Bank, Agency Services, 303 Peachtree Street, N.E., 25th Floor, Atlanta, Georgia 30308, Attention of Karen Weich, Email: agency.services@truist.com;

(iii) if to an Issuing Bank or a Swingline Lender, to it at its address (or telecopy number or e-mail address) set forth in its Administrative Questionnaire; and

(iv) if to any Lender, to it at its address (or telecopy number or e-mail address) set forth in its Administrative Questionnaire.

Any party hereto may change its address, telecopy number or e-mail address for notices and other communications hereunder by notice to the other parties hereto. All notices and other communications given to any party hereto in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed to have been given on the date of receipt. Notices delivered through electronic communications to the extent provided in paragraph (b) below, shall be effective as provided in said paragraph (b).

 

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(b) Electronic Communications. Notices and other communications to the Lenders and the Issuing Banks hereunder may be delivered or furnished by electronic communication (including e-mail and Internet or intranet websites) pursuant to procedures approved by the Administrative Agent, provided that the foregoing shall not apply to notices to any Lender or any Issuing Bank pursuant to Section 2.03 if such Lender or such Issuing Bank, as applicable, has notified the Administrative Agent that it is incapable of receiving notices under such Article by electronic communication. The Administrative Agent or the Borrower may, in its discretion, agree to accept notices and other communications to it hereunder by electronic communications pursuant to procedures approved by it, provided that approval of such procedures may be limited to particular notices or communications. Unless otherwise notified by the Administrative Agent to the Borrower, the Borrower may satisfy its obligation to deliver documents or notices to the Administrative Agent or the Lenders under Sections 5.01 and 5.12(a) by delivering an electronic copy to: hays.wood@truist.com with a copy to agency.services@truist.com (or such other e-mail address as provided to the Borrower in a notice from the Administrative Agent) (and the Administrative Agent shall promptly provide notice thereof to the Lenders).

Unless the Administrative Agent otherwise prescribes, (i) notices and other communications sent to an e-mail address shall be deemed received upon the sender’s receipt of an acknowledgement from the intended recipient (such as by the “return receipt requested” function, as available, return e-mail or other written acknowledgement), provided that if such notice or other communication is not sent during the normal business hours of the recipient, such notice or communication shall be deemed to have been sent at the opening of business on the next Business Day for the recipient, and (ii) notices or communications posted to an Internet or intranet website shall be deemed received upon the deemed receipt by the intended recipient at its e-mail address as described in the foregoing clause (i) of notification that such notice or communication is available and identifying the website address therefor.

In no event shall the Administrative Agent or any Lender have any liability to the Borrower or any other Person for damages of any kind (whether in tort contract or otherwise) arising out of any transmission of communications through the internet, except in the case of direct damages, to the extent such damages are determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by final and nonappealable judgment to have resulted from the bad faith, fraud, willful misconduct or gross negligence of such relevant Person.

(c) Documents to be Delivered under Sections 5.01 and 5.12(a). For so long as an Intralinks or equivalent website is available to each of the Lenders hereunder, the Borrower may satisfy its obligation to deliver documents to the Administrative Agent or the Lenders under Sections 5.01 and 5.12(a) by delivering either an electronic copy to: hays.wood@truist.com with a copy to agency.services@truist.com (as provided in clause (b) above) or a notice identifying the website where such information is located for posting by the Administrative Agent on Intralinks or such equivalent website, provided that the Administrative Agent shall have no responsibility to maintain access to Intralinks or an equivalent website.

SECTION 9.02. Waivers; Amendments.

(a) No Deemed Waivers; Remedies Cumulative. No failure or delay by the Administrative Agent, any Issuing Bank or any Lender in exercising any right or power hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise of any such right or power, or any abandonment or discontinuance of steps to enforce such a right or power, preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right or power. The rights and remedies of

 

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the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Banks and the Lenders hereunder are cumulative and are not exclusive of any rights or remedies that they would otherwise have. No waiver of any provision of this Agreement or consent to any departure by the Borrower therefrom shall in any event be effective unless the same shall be permitted by paragraph (b) of this Section 9.02, and then such waiver or consent shall be effective only in the specific instance and for the purpose for which given. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the making of a Loan or issuance of a Letter of Credit shall not be construed as a waiver of any Default, regardless of whether the Administrative Agent, any Lender or any Issuing Bank may have had notice or knowledge of such Default at the time.

(b) Amendments to this Agreement. Except as provided in Section 2.13(b) and the definition of “Modification Offer”, neither this Agreement nor any provision hereof may be waived, amended or modified except pursuant to an agreement or agreements in writing entered into by the Borrower and the Required Lenders or by the Borrower and the Administrative Agent with the consent of the Required Lenders; provided that no such agreement shall:

(i) increase the Commitment of any Lender without the written consent of such Lender,

(ii) reduce the principal amount of any Loan or LC Disbursement or reduce the rate of interest thereon (other than the application of any interest accrued pursuant to Section 2.12(d) or as specifically contemplated herein), or reduce any fees payable hereunder, without the written consent of each Lender directly and adversely affected thereby,

(iii) postpone the scheduled date of payment of the principal amount of any Loan or LC Disbursement, or any interest thereon, or any fees payable hereunder, or reduce the amount of, waive or excuse any such payment, or postpone the scheduled date of expiration of any Commitment, without the written consent of each Lender directly and adversely affected thereby,

(iv) change Section 2.17(b), (c) or (d) in a manner that would alter the pro rata sharing of payments required thereby without the written consent of each Lender directly and adversely affected thereby,

(v) change any of the provisions of this Section 9.02 or the definition of the term “Required Lenders” or any other provision hereof specifying the number or percentage of Lenders required to waive, amend or modify any rights hereunder or make any determination or grant any consent hereunder, without the written consent of each Lender directly affected thereby, or

(vi) contractually subordinate the Credit Agreement Obligations (as defined in the Guarantee and Security Agreement) to any other Indebtedness without the written consent of each Lender;

 

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provided further that (x) no such agreement shall amend, modify or otherwise affect the rights or duties of the Administrative Agent, any Issuing Bank or the Swingline Lender hereunder without the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent, such Issuing Bank or the Swingline Lender, as the case may be, (y) the consent of each Multicurrency Lender will be required for any change to the definition of “Agreed Foreign Currency” and (z) the consent of Lenders holding not less than two-thirds (2/3rds) of the Credit Exposure and unused Commitments will be required for (A) any adverse changes (from the Lenders’ perspective) affecting the provisions of this Agreement solely relating to the calculation of the Borrowing Base (excluding changes to the provisions of Section 5.12(b)(iii) or (iv), but including changes to the provisions of Section 5.12(c) and the definitions set forth in Section 5.13) unless otherwise expressly provided herein and (B) any release of material portions of the Collateral other than for fair value or as otherwise not prohibited hereunder or under the other Loan Documents.

For purposes of this Section 9.02, the “scheduled date of payment” of any amount shall refer to the date of payment of such amount specified in this Agreement, and shall not refer to a date or other event specified for the mandatory or optional prepayment of such amount. In addition, whenever a waiver, amendment or modification requires the consent of a Lender “affected” thereby, such waiver, amendment or modification shall, upon consent of such Lender, become effective as to such Lender whether or not it becomes effective as to any other Lender, so long as the Required Lenders consent to such waiver, amendment or modification as provided above.

Anything in this Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding (x) no waiver or modification of any provision of this Agreement or any other Loan Document that could reasonably be expected to adversely affect the Lenders of any Class in a manner that does not affect all Classes equally shall be effective against the Lenders of such Class unless the Required Lenders of such Class shall have concurred with such waiver, amendment or modification as provided above; provided, however, for the avoidance of doubt, in no other circumstances shall the concurrence of the Required Lenders of a particular Class be required for any waiver, amendment or modification of any provision of this Agreement or any other Loan Document; and (y) the Required Lenders may waive any condition precedent to an extension of credit under the Revolving Commitments (other than as required by Section 4.02) (which, for the avoidance of doubt, shall not constitute a waiver of any ongoing or resulting Default or Event of Default).

(c) Amendments to Security Documents. Except to the extent otherwise expressly set forth in the Guarantee and Security Agreement or the other Loan Documents, no Security Document nor any provision thereof may be waived, amended or modified, nor may the Liens granted under the Guarantee and Security Agreement be spread to secure any additional obligations (excluding (x) any increase in the Loans and Letters of Credit hereunder pursuant to a Commitment Increase under Section 2.08(e), (y) any increase in any Other Secured Indebtedness or Shorter Term Secured Indebtedness permitted hereunder and (z) the spreading of such Liens to any Designated Indebtedness or Hedging Agreement Obligations (as defined in the Guarantee and Security Agreement) as provided for in the Guarantee and Security Agreement), except pursuant to an agreement or agreements in writing entered into by the Borrower, and by the Collateral Agent with the consent of the Required Lenders; provided that, (i) except as otherwise expressly permitted by the Loan Documents, without the written consent of each Lender and each Issuing Bank, no such agreement shall release all or substantially all of the Obligors from their respective obligations under the Security Documents and (ii) except as otherwise expressly permitted by the Loan Documents, without the written consent of each Lender and each Issuing Bank, no such agreement shall release all or substantially all of the collateral security or otherwise terminate all

 

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or substantially all of the Liens under the Security Documents, alter the relative priorities of the obligations entitled to the Liens created under the Security Documents (except in connection with securing additional obligations equally and ratably with the Loans and other obligations hereunder) with respect to all or substantially all of the collateral security provided thereby, except that no such consent shall be required, and the Administrative Agent is hereby authorized (and so agrees with the Borrower) to direct the Collateral Agent under the Guarantee and Security Agreement to, and in addition to the rights of such parties under the Guarantee and Security Agreement, the Administrative Agent and the Collateral Agent under the Guarantee and Security Agreement may, (1) release any Lien covering property (and to release any such guarantor) that is the subject of either a disposition of property not prohibited hereunder (including, without limitation, any property subject to a participation or repurchase transaction) or a disposition to which the Required Lenders or the required number or percentage of Lenders have consented (and such Lien shall be released automatically (A) to the extent provided in Section 10.03 of the Guarantee and Security Agreement and (B) to the extent permitted hereunder in connection with any property becoming subject to a participation or repurchase transaction), and (2) release from the Guarantee and Security Agreement any “Subsidiary Guarantor” (and any property of such Subsidiary Guarantor) that is designated as a “Designated Subsidiary”, becomes an Excluded Asset or an Immaterial Subsidiary or is otherwise no longer required to be a “Subsidiary Guarantor” (including, without limitation, because it ceases to be consolidated on the Borrower’s financial statements).

(d) Replacement of Non-Consenting Lender. If, in connection with any proposed change, waiver, amendment, consent, discharge or termination to any of the provisions of this Agreement as contemplated by this Section 9.02, the consent of one (1) or more Lenders whose consent is required for such proposed change, waiver, amendment, consent, discharge or termination is not obtained, then (so long as no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing) the Borrower shall have the right, at its sole cost and expense, to replace each such non-consenting Lender or Lenders with one (1) or more replacement Lenders pursuant to Section 2.19(b) so long as at the time of such replacement, each such replacement Lender consents to the proposed change, waiver, discharge, termination or addition.

(e) If the Administrative Agent and the Borrower acting together identify any ambiguity, omission, mistake, typographical error or other defect in any provision of this Agreement or any other Loan Document, then the Administrative Agent and the Borrower shall be permitted to amend, modify or supplement such provision to cure such ambiguity, omission, mistake, typographical error or other defect, and such amendment shall become effective without any further action or consent of any other party to this Agreement.

SECTION 9.03. Expenses; Indemnity; Damage Waiver.

(a) Costs and Expenses. The Borrower shall pay (i) all reasonable and documented out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent and its Affiliates (with respect to legal fees, limited to the reasonable and documented out-of-pocket fees, charges and disbursements of one (1) outside counsel for the Administrative Agent and its Affiliates collectively plus, if necessary, one (1) single local counsel per appropriate jurisdiction), in connection with the syndication of the credit facilities provided for herein, the preparation and administration of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents or any amendments, modifications or waivers of the provisions hereof or thereof (whether or not the transactions

 

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contemplated hereby or thereby shall be consummated), subject to any limitation previously agreed in writing, (ii) all reasonable and documented out-of-pocket expenses incurred by any Issuing Bank in connection with the issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of any Letter of Credit or any demand for payment thereunder, (iii) all reasonable and documented out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent, any Issuing Bank or any Lender (with respect to legal fees, limited to the reasonable and documented out-of-pocket fees, charges and disbursements of one (1) outside legal counsel plus, if necessary, one (1) local counsel per appropriate jurisdiction plus, in the case of an actual or perceived conflict of interest or separate defenses available to indemnified parties that are different from those available to other indemnified parties, one (1) additional counsel per group of affected parties), in connection with the enforcement or protection of its rights in connection with this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, including its rights under this Section 9.03(a), or in connection with the Loans made or Letters of Credit issued hereunder, including all such documented out-of-pocket expenses incurred during any workout, restructuring or negotiations in respect of such Loans or Letters of Credit and (iv) all reasonable and documented out-of-pocket costs, expenses, taxes, assessments and other charges reasonably incurred in connection with any filing, registration, recording or perfection of any security interest contemplated by any Security Document or any other document referred to therein.

(b) Indemnification by the Borrower. The Borrower shall indemnify the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Banks, the Collateral Agent, the Joint Lead Arrangers and each Lender, and each Related Party of any of the foregoing Persons (each such Person being called an “Indemnitee”) against, and hold each Indemnitee harmless from, any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities, and related expenses (with respect to legal fees, limited to the reasonable and documented out-of-pocket fees, charges and disbursements of one (1) outside legal counsel plus, if necessary, one (1) local counsel per appropriate jurisdiction plus, in the case of an actual or perceived conflict of interest or separate defenses available to indemnified parties that are different from those available to the Borrower or other indemnified parties, one (1) additional counsel per group of affected parties), incurred by or asserted against any Indemnitee arising out of, in connection with, or as a result of (i) the execution or delivery of any Loan Document or any agreement or instrument contemplated thereby, the performance by the parties hereto of their respective obligations hereunder or the consummation of the Transactions or any other transactions contemplated hereby, (ii) any Loan or Letter of Credit or the use of the proceeds therefrom (including any refusal by any Issuing Bank to honor a demand for payment under a Letter of Credit if the documents presented in connection with such demand do not strictly comply with the terms of such Letter of Credit), (iii) any actual or prospective claim, litigation, investigation or proceeding relating to any of the foregoing, whether based on contract, tort or any other theory and regardless of whether any Indemnitee is a party thereto or (iv) any damages arising from the use by unintended recipients of any information or other materials distributed by it through telecommunications, electronic or other information transmission systems in connection with this Agreement or the other Loan Documents or the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby; provided that such indemnity shall not, as to any Indemnitee, be available to the extent that such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or related expenses are determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by final and nonappealable judgment to have resulted from (A) the fraud, willful misconduct or gross negligence of such Indemnitee, (B) a claim brought against such Indemnitee for material breach in bad faith of such Indemnitee’s obligations under this Agreement or the other Loan Documents, (C) a claim arising as a result of a dispute between Indemnitees (other than (1) any dispute involving claims against the Administrative Agent, the applicable Issuing Bank,

 

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any Joint Lead Arranger or any Lender, in each case in their respective capacities as such, and (2) claims arising out of any act or omission by the Borrower or its Affiliates), or (D) result from the settlement of any such claim, damage, loss, liability, cost or expense described above unless the Borrower has consented to such settlement (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed (provided that nothing in this clause (D) shall restrict the right of any person to settle any claim for which it has waived its right of indemnity by the Borrower)).

The Borrower shall not be liable to any Indemnitee for any special, indirect, consequential or punitive damages arising out of, in connection with, or as a result of the Transactions asserted by an Indemnitee against the Borrower or any other Obligor, provided that the foregoing limitation shall not be deemed to impair or affect the obligations of the Borrower under the preceding provisions of this subsection. Paragraph (b) of this Section shall not apply with respect to Taxes other than any Taxes that represent losses, claims, damages, etc. arising from any non-Tax claim.

(c) Reimbursement by Lenders. To the extent that the Borrower fails to pay any amount required to be paid by it to the Administrative Agent, any Issuing Bank or any Swingline Lender under paragraph (a) or (b) of this Section 9.03 (including, for the avoidance of doubt, fees, costs and expenses of the Approved Third-Party Appraiser incurred pursuant to Section 5.12(b)(ii)(F) hereof in excess of the IVP Supplemental Cap for any 12-month period (provided that prior to incurring expenses in excess of the IVP Supplemental Cap for any 12-month period at any time no Event of Default shall exist), the Administrative Agent shall have afforded the Lenders an opportunity to consult with the Administrative Agent regarding such expenses), (i) each Lender severally agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent and such Issuing Bank, as the case may be, such Lender’s Applicable Percentage (determined as of the time that the applicable unreimbursed expense or indemnity payment is sought) of such unpaid amount and (ii) each Multicurrency Lender severally agrees to pay to the applicable Swingline Lender such Lender’s Applicable Percentage (determined as of the time that the applicable unreimbursed expense or indemnity is sought); provided that the unreimbursed expense or indemnified loss, claim, damage, liability or related expense, as the case may be, was incurred by or asserted against the Administrative Agent, such Issuing Bank or such Swingline Lender in its capacity as such.

(d) Waiver of Consequential Damages, Etc. To the extent permitted by applicable law, no party hereto shall assert, and each party hereto hereby waives, any claim against any other party (or any Related Party to such party), on any theory of liability, for special, indirect, consequential or punitive damages (as opposed to direct or actual damages) arising out of, in connection with, or as a result of, this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any agreement or instrument contemplated hereby, the Transactions, any Loan or Letter of Credit or the use of the proceeds thereof; provided that nothing contained in this sentence shall limit the Borrower’s indemnification obligations under Section 9.03 to the extent such special, indirect consequential or punitive damages are included in any third party claim in connection with which any Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification thereunder.

(e) Payments. All amounts due under this Section 9.03 shall be payable promptly after written demand therefor.

 

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SECTION 9.04. Successors and Assigns.

(a) Assignments Generally. The provisions of this Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns permitted hereby (including any Affiliate of any Issuing Bank that issues any Letter of Credit), except that (i) the Borrower may not assign or otherwise transfer any of its rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent and each Lender (and any attempted assignment or transfer by the Borrower without such consent shall be null and void) and (ii) no Lender may assign or otherwise transfer its rights or obligations hereunder except in accordance with this Section 9.04 (and any attempted assignment or transfer by any Lender which is not in accordance with this Section 9.04 shall be treated as provided in the last sentence of Section 9.04(b)(iii)). Nothing in this Agreement, expressed or implied, shall be construed to confer upon any Person (other than the parties hereto, their respective successors and assigns permitted hereby (including any Affiliate of any Issuing Bank that issues any Letter of Credit) and, to the extent expressly contemplated hereby, the Related Parties of each of the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Banks and the Lenders) any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or by reason of this Agreement.

(b) Assignments by Lenders.

(i) Assignments Generally. Subject to the conditions set forth in clause (ii) below, any Lender may assign to one (1) or more assignees other than a Disqualified Lender all or a portion of its rights and obligations under this Agreement (including all or a portion of its Commitment and the Loans and LC Exposure at the time owing to it) with the prior written consent (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed) of:

(A) the Borrower, provided that the Borrower shall be deemed to have consented to any such assignment (other than to a Disqualified Lender) unless it has objected thereto by written notice to the Administrative Agent within ten (10) Business Days after receiving written notice thereof; provided further that no consent of the Borrower shall be required for an assignment to a Lender, an Affiliate of a Lender, or, if an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing under Section 7.01(a), (b), (i), (j), or (k), any other assignee; and

(B) the Administrative Agent, each Issuing Bank and each Swingline Lender; provided that no consent of the Administrative Agent, any Issuing Bank or any Swingline Lender shall be required for an assignment to a Lender or an Affiliate of a Lender.

(ii) Certain Conditions to Assignments. Assignments shall be subject to the following additional conditions:

(A) except in the case of an assignment to a Lender or an Affiliate of a Lender or an assignment of the entire remaining amount of the assigning Lender’s Commitment or Loans and LC Exposure of a Class, the amount of the Commitment or Loans and LC Exposure of such Class of the assigning Lender subject to each such assignment (determined as of the date the Assignment and Assumption with respect to such assignment is delivered to the Administrative Agent) shall not be less than U.S. $5,000,000 unless each of the Borrower and the Administrative Agent otherwise consent;

 

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(B) each partial assignment of any Class of Commitments or Loans and LC Exposure shall be made as an assignment of a proportionate part of all the assigning Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement in respect of such Class of Commitments, Loans and LC Exposure;

(C) the parties to each assignment shall execute and deliver to the Administrative Agent an Assignment and Assumption, together with a processing and recordation fee of U.S. $3,500 (which fee shall not be payable in connection with an assignment to a Lender or to an Affiliate of a Lender) (for which no Obligor shall be obligated);

(D) the assignee, if it shall not already be a Lender of the applicable Class, shall deliver to the Administrative Agent, an Administrative Questionnaire; and

(E) any assignment by a Multicurrency Lender shall (unless the Borrower otherwise consents in writing) be made only to an assignee that has agreed to make Loans pursuant to its Multicurrency Commitment and receive payments in the Agreed Foreign Currencies for which Loans may be made at the time of such proposed assignment.

(iii) Effectiveness of Assignments. Subject to acceptance and recording thereof pursuant to paragraph (c) of this Section 9.04, from and after the effective date specified in each Assignment and Assumption the assignee thereunder shall be a party hereto and, to the extent of the interest assigned by such Assignment and Assumption, have the rights and obligations of a Lender under this Agreement, and the assigning Lender thereunder shall, to the extent of the interest assigned by such Assignment and Assumption, be released from its obligations under this Agreement (and, in the case of an Assignment and Assumption covering all of the assigning Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement, such Lender shall cease to be a party hereto but shall continue to be entitled to the benefits of Sections 2.14, 2.15, 2.16 and 9.03 with respect to facts and circumstances occurring prior to the effective date of such assignment). Any assignment or transfer by a Lender of rights or obligations under this Agreement that does not comply with this Section 9.04 shall be treated for purposes of this Agreement as a sale by such Lender of a participation in such rights and obligations in accordance with paragraph (e) of this Section 9.04 (but only to the extent such assignment or other transfer otherwise complies with the provisions of such paragraph).

(c) Maintenance of Registers by Administrative Agent. The Administrative Agent, acting solely for this purpose as a non-fiduciary agent of the Borrower, shall maintain at one (1) of its offices in New York City a copy of each Assignment and Assumption delivered to it and a register for the recordation of the names and addresses of the Lenders, and the Commitments of, and principal amounts of the Loans and LC Disbursements owing to, each Lender pursuant to the terms hereof from time to time (the “Registers” and each individually, a “Register”). The entries in the Registers shall be conclusive absent manifest error, and the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Banks and the Lenders may treat each Person whose name is recorded in the Registers pursuant to the terms hereof as a Lender hereunder for all purposes of this Agreement, notwithstanding notice to the contrary. The Registers shall be available for inspection by the Borrower, any Issuing Bank and any Lender, at any reasonable time and from time to time upon reasonable prior notice.

 

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(d) Acceptance of Assignments by Administrative Agent. Upon its receipt of a duly completed Assignment and Assumption executed by an assigning Lender and an assignee, the assignee’s completed Administrative Questionnaire (unless the assignee shall already be a Lender hereunder), the processing and recordation fee referred to in paragraph (b) of this Section 9.04 and any written consent to such assignment required by paragraph (b) of this Section 9.04, the Administrative Agent shall accept such Assignment and Assumption and record the information contained therein in the Register. No assignment shall be effective for purposes of this Agreement unless it has been recorded in the Register as provided in this paragraph.

(e) Participations. Any Lender may, with the consent of the Borrower (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed), sell participations to one (1) or more banks or other entities other than a Disqualified Lender (which restriction to sell to Disqualified Lenders shall not apply only if the list of Disqualified Lenders has not been made available to such Lender selling participations within five (5) Business Days of written request by such Lender to the Administrative Agent and the Borrower) (a “Participant”) in all or a portion of such Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents (including all or a portion of its Commitments and the Loans and LC Disbursements owing to it); provided that (i) the Borrower shall be deemed to have consented to any such participation (other than to a Disqualified Lender) unless it has objected thereto by written notice to the Administrative Agent within ten (10) Business Days after receiving written notice thereof, (ii) no consent of the Borrower shall be required for a participation to a Lender, an Affiliate of a Lender with credit ratings at least as good as the participating Lender or, if an Event of Default under Section 7.01(a), (b), (i), (j), or (k) has occurred and is continuing, any other participant, (iii) such Lender’s obligations under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents shall remain unchanged, (iv) such Lender shall remain solely responsible to the other parties hereto for the performance of such obligations and (v) the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Banks and the other Lenders shall continue to deal solely and directly with such Lender in connection with such Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents. Any agreement or instrument pursuant to which a Lender sells such a participation shall provide that such Lender shall retain the sole right to enforce this Agreement and the other Loan Documents and to approve any amendment, modification or waiver of any provision of this Agreement or any other Loan Document; provided that such agreement or instrument may provide that such Lender will not, without the consent of the Participant, agree to any amendment, modification or waiver described in the first proviso to Section 9.02(b) that directly affects such Participant. Subject to paragraph (f) of this Section 9.04, the Borrower agrees that each Participant shall be entitled to the benefits of Sections 2.14, 2.15 and 2.16 to the same extent as if it were a Lender and had acquired its interest by assignment pursuant to paragraph (b) of this Section 9.04 (subject to the requirements and limitations therein, including the requirements under Sections 2.16(f), (g) and (h) (it being understood that the documentation required under these paragraphs shall be delivered to the participating Lender)); provided that (A) such Participant agrees to be subject to the provisions of Section 2.18 as if it were an assignee under paragraph (b) of this Section and (B) such Participant shall not be entitled to receive any greater payment under Sections 2.14, 2.15 or 2.16, with respect to any participation, than its participating Lender would have been entitled to receive, except (1) to the extent such entitlement to receive a greater payment results from a Change in Law that occurs after the

 

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Participant acquired the applicable participation or (2) the sale of the participation to such Participant is made with the Borrower’s prior written consent; provided, further, that no Participant shall be entitled to the benefits of Section 2.16 unless the Borrower is notified of the participation granted to such Participant and such Participant shall have complied with the requirements of Section 2.16 as if such Participant is a Lender. Each Lender that sells a participation agrees, at the Borrower’s request and expense, to use reasonable efforts to cooperate with the Borrower to effectuate the provisions of Section 2.19 with respect to any Participant. To the extent permitted by law, each Participant also shall be entitled to the benefits of Section 9.08 as though it were a Lender, provided such Participant agrees to be subject to Section 2.16(e) as though it were a Lender hereunder. Each Lender that sells a participation shall, acting solely for this purpose as a non-fiduciary agent of the Borrower, maintain a register on which it enters the name and address of each Participant and the principal amounts (and stated interest) of each Participant’s interest in the Commitments or other obligations under the Loan Documents (the “Participant Register”); provided that no Lender shall have any obligation to disclose all or any portion of the Participant Register (including the identity of any Participant or any information relating to a Participant’s interest in any commitments, loans or its other obligations under any Loan Document) to any Person except to the extent that such disclosure is necessary to establish that such commitment, loan or other obligation is in registered form under Section 5f.103-1(c) of the United States Treasury Regulations. The entries in the Participant Register shall be conclusive absent manifest error, and such Lender shall treat each Person whose name is recorded in the Participant Register as the owner of such participation for all purposes of this Agreement notwithstanding any notice to the contrary.

(f) Limitations on Rights of Participants. A Participant that would be a Foreign Lender if it were a Lender shall not be entitled to the benefits of Section 2.16 unless the Borrower is notified of the participation sold to such Participant and such Participant agrees, for the benefit of the Borrower, to comply with Section 2.16 as though it were a Lender and the applicable Lender shall provide the Borrower with satisfactory evidence that the participation is in registered form and shall permit the Borrower to review such register as reasonably needed for the Borrower to comply with its obligations under applicable laws and regulations. Each Participant agrees to be subject to the provisions of Section 2.19 as if it were an assignee under paragraph (b) of this Section 9.04.

(g) Certain Pledges. Any Lender may at any time pledge or assign a security interest in all or any portion of its rights under this Agreement to secure obligations of such Lender, including any such pledge or assignment to a Federal Reserve Bank or any other central bank having jurisdiction over such Lender, and this Section 9.04 shall not apply to any such pledge or assignment of a security interest; provided that no such pledge or assignment of a security interest shall release a Lender from any of its obligations hereunder or substitute any such assignee for such Lender as a party hereto.

(h) No Assignments to Natural Persons, the Borrower or Affiliates. Anything in this Section 9.04 to the contrary notwithstanding, no Lender may (i) assign or participate any interest in any Loan or LC Exposure held by it hereunder to any natural person (or a holding company, investment vehicle or trust for, or owned by and operated for the primary benefit of, a natural person) or to the Borrower or any of its Affiliates or Subsidiaries without the prior consent of each Lender or (ii) assign any interest in any Commitment, Loan or LC Exposure held by it hereunder to any Person known by such Lender at the time of such assignment to be a Defaulting Lender, a Subsidiary of a Defaulting Lender or a Person who, upon consummation of such assignment, would be a Defaulting Lender.

 

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SECTION 9.05. Survival. All covenants, agreements, representations and warranties made by the Borrower herein and in the certificates or other instruments delivered in connection with or pursuant to this Agreement shall be considered to have been relied upon by the other parties hereto and shall survive the execution and delivery of this Agreement and the making of any Loans and issuance of any Letters of Credit, regardless of any investigation made by any such other party or on its behalf and notwithstanding that the Administrative Agent, any Issuing Bank or any Lender may have had notice or knowledge of any Default or incorrect representation or warranty at the time any credit is extended hereunder, and shall continue in full force and effect as long as the principal of or any accrued interest on any Loan or any fee or any other amount payable under this Agreement is outstanding and unpaid or any Letter of Credit is outstanding and so long as the Commitments have not expired or terminated. The provisions of Sections 2.14, 2.15, 2.16 and 9.03 and Article VIII shall survive and remain in full force and effect regardless of the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, the repayment of the Loans, the expiration or termination of the Letters of Credit and the Commitments or the termination of this Agreement or any provision hereof.

SECTION 9.06. Counterparts; Integration; Effectiveness; Electronic Execution.

(a) Counterparts; Integration; Effectiveness. This Agreement may be executed in counterparts (and by different parties hereto on different counterparts), each of which shall constitute an original, but all of which when taken together shall constitute a single contract. This Agreement, the other Loan Documents and any separate letter agreements with respect to fees payable to the Administrative Agent constitute the entire contract between and among the parties relating to the subject matter hereof and supersede any and all previous agreements and understandings, oral or written, relating to the subject matter hereof. Except as provided in Section 4.01, this Agreement shall become effective when it shall have been executed by the Administrative Agent and when the Administrative Agent shall have received counterparts hereof which, when taken together, bear the signatures of each of the other parties hereto, and thereafter shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns. Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page to this Agreement by telecopy or electronic communication shall be effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart of this Agreement.

(b) Electronic Execution. The words “execution,” “execute”, “signed,” “signature,” and words of like import in or related to any document to be signed in connection with this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby (including without limitation Assignment and Assumptions, amendments or other Borrowing Requests, waivers and consents) shall be deemed to include electronic signatures, the electronic matching of assignment terms and contract formations on electronic platforms approved by the Administrative Agent (and, for the avoidance of doubt, electronic signatures utilizing the DocuSign platform shall be deemed approved), or the keeping of records in electronic form, each of which shall be of the same legal effect, validity or enforceability as a manually executed signature or the use of a paper-based recordkeeping system, as the case may be, to the extent and as provided for in any applicable law, including the Federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, the New York State Electronic Signatures and Records Act, or any other similar state laws based on the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act.

 

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SECTION 9.07. Severability. Any provision of this Agreement held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability without affecting the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions hereof; and the invalidity of a particular provision in a particular jurisdiction shall not invalidate such provision in any other jurisdiction.

SECTION 9.08. Right of Setoff. If an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, each Lender and each of its Affiliates is hereby authorized at any time and from time to time, to the fullest extent permitted by law, to set off and apply any and all deposits (general or special, time or demand, provisional or final) at any time held and other obligations at any time owing by such Lender or Affiliate to or for the credit or the account of the Borrower against any of and all the obligations of the Borrower now or hereafter existing under this Agreement held by such Lender, irrespective of whether or not such Lender shall have made any demand under this Agreement and although such obligations may be unmatured. The rights of each Lender under this Section 9.08 are in addition to other rights and remedies (including other rights of setoff) which such Lender may have; provided that in the event that any Defaulting Lender exercises any such right of setoff, (a) all amounts so set off will be paid over immediately to the Administrative Agent for further application in accordance with the provisions of Section 2.18 and, pending such payment, will be segregated by such Defaulting Lender from its other funds and deemed held in trust for the benefit of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders and (b) the Defaulting Lender will provide promptly to the Administrative Agent a statement describing in reasonable detail the obligations owing to such Defaulting Lender as to which it exercised such right of setoff. Each Lender agrees promptly to notify the Borrower after any such setoff and application made by such Lender; provided further, that the failure to give such notice shall not affect the validity of such setoff and application.

SECTION 9.09. Governing Law; Jurisdiction; Etc.

(a) Governing Law. This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the law of the State of New York.

(b) Submission to Jurisdiction. Each party to this Agreement hereby irrevocably and unconditionally submits, for itself and its property, to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of the State of New York sitting in New York County and of the United States District Court of the Southern District of New York sitting in New York County, and any appellate court from any thereof, in any action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the other Loan Documents, or for recognition or enforcement of any judgment, and each of the parties hereto hereby irrevocably and unconditionally agrees that all claims in respect of any such action or proceeding may be heard and determined in such New York State or, to the extent permitted by law, in such Federal court. Each of the parties hereto agrees that a final judgment in any such action or proceeding shall be conclusive and may be enforced in other jurisdictions by suit on the judgment or in any other manner provided by law. Nothing in this Agreement shall affect any right that the Administrative Agent, any Issuing Bank or any Lender may otherwise have to bring any action or proceeding relating to this Agreement against the Borrower or its properties in the courts of any jurisdiction.

 

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(c) Waiver of Venue. Each party to this Agreement hereby irrevocably and unconditionally waives, to the fullest extent it may legally and effectively do so, any objection which it may now or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement in any court referred to in paragraph (b) of this Section 9.09. Each of the parties hereto hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the defense of an inconvenient forum to the maintenance of such action or proceeding in any such court.

(d) Service of Process. Each party to this Agreement (i) irrevocably consents to service of process in the manner provided for notices in Section 9.01 and (ii) agrees to the extent permitted by applicable law that service as provided in the manner provided for notices in Section 9.01 is sufficient to confer personal jurisdiction over such party in any proceeding in any court and otherwise constitutes effective and binding service in every respect. Nothing in this Agreement will affect the right of any party to this Agreement to serve process in any other manner permitted by law.

SECTION 9.10. WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL. EACH PARTY HERETO HEREBY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY (WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT OR ANY OTHER THEORY). EACH PARTY HERETO (A) CERTIFIES THAT NO REPRESENTATIVE, AGENT OR ATTORNEY OF ANY OTHER PARTY HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, THAT SUCH OTHER PARTY WOULD NOT, IN THE EVENT OF LITIGATION, SEEK TO ENFORCE THE FOREGOING WAIVER AND (B) ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IT AND THE OTHER PARTIES HERETO HAVE BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT BY, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE MUTUAL WAIVERS AND CERTIFICATIONS IN THIS SECTION 9.10.

SECTION 9.11. Judgment Currency. This is an international loan transaction in which the specification of Dollars or any Foreign Currency, as the case may be (the “Specified Currency”), and payment in New York City or the country of the Specified Currency, as the case may be (the “Specified Place”), is of the essence, and the Specified Currency shall be the currency of account in all events relating to Loans denominated in the Specified Currency. The payment obligations of the Borrower under this Agreement shall not be discharged or satisfied by an amount paid in another currency or in another place, whether pursuant to a judgment or otherwise, to the extent that the amount so paid on conversion to the Specified Currency and transfer to the Specified Place under normal banking procedures does not yield the amount of the Specified Currency at the Specified Place due hereunder. If for the purpose of obtaining judgment in any court it is necessary to convert a sum due hereunder in the Specified Currency into another currency (the “Second Currency”), the rate of exchange that shall be applied shall be the rate at which in accordance with normal banking procedures the Administrative Agent could purchase the Specified Currency with the Second Currency on the Business Day next preceding the day on which such judgment is rendered. The obligation of the Borrower in respect of any such sum due from it to the

 

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Administrative Agent or any Lender hereunder or under any other Loan Document (in this Section 9.11 called an “Entitled Person”) shall, notwithstanding the rate of exchange actually applied in rendering such judgment, be discharged only to the extent that on the Business Day following receipt by such Entitled Person of any sum adjudged to be due by the Borrower hereunder in the Second Currency such Entitled Person may in accordance with normal banking procedures purchase and transfer to the Specified Place the Specified Currency with the amount of the Second Currency so adjudged to be due; and the Borrower hereby, as a separate obligation and notwithstanding any such judgment, agrees to indemnify such Entitled Person against, and to pay such Entitled Person on demand, in the Specified Currency, the amount (if any) by which the sum originally due by the Borrower to such Entitled Person in the Specified Currency hereunder exceeds the amount of the Specified Currency so purchased and transferred.

SECTION 9.12. Headings. Article and Section headings and the Table of Contents used herein are for convenience of reference only, are not part of this Agreement and shall not affect the construction of, or be taken into consideration in interpreting, this Agreement. None of the Joint Lead Arrangers shall have any responsibility under this Agreement.

SECTION 9.13. Treatment of Certain Information; Confidentiality.

(a) Treatment of Certain Information. The Borrower acknowledges that from time to time financial advisory, investment banking and other services may be offered or provided to the Borrower or one (1) or more of its Subsidiaries (in connection with this Agreement or otherwise) by any Lender or by one (1) or more subsidiaries or affiliates of such Lender and the Borrower hereby authorizes each Lender to share any information delivered to such Lender by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries pursuant to this Agreement, or in connection with the decision of such Lender to enter into this Agreement, to any such subsidiary or affiliate, it being understood that any such subsidiary or affiliate receiving such information shall be bound by the provisions of paragraph (b) of this Section 9.13 as if it were a Lender hereunder. Such authorization shall survive the repayment of the Loans, the expiration or termination of the Letters of Credit and the Commitments or the termination of this Agreement or any provision hereof.

(b) Confidentiality. Each of the Administrative Agent, the Collateral Agent, the Lenders, the Joint Lead Arrangers, the Swingline Lenders and the Issuing Banks agrees to maintain the confidentiality of the Information (as defined below), except that Information may be disclosed (i) to its Affiliates and to its and its Affiliates’ respective partners, directors, officers, employees, agents, insurers, advisors and other representatives who need to know such Information in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby (it being understood that (A) the Persons to whom such disclosure is made will be informed of the confidential nature of such Information and instructed to keep such Information confidential to the same extent as provided in this paragraph (b) and (B) it will be responsible for its Affiliates’ compliance with this paragraph), (ii) to the extent requested by any regulatory authority with competent jurisdiction over it or its Affiliates (including any self-regulatory authority), (iii) to the extent required by applicable laws or regulations or by any subpoena or similar legal process (provided that, except in the case of any ordinary course examination by a regulatory, self-regulatory or governmental agency, it will use its commercially reasonable efforts to notify the Borrower of any such disclosure prior to making such disclosure to the extent permitted by applicable law, rule or regulation), (iv) to any other party hereto or to any rating agency in connection with rating the Borrower or its Subsidiaries or the

 

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Loans made to the Borrower, (v) in connection with the exercise of any remedies hereunder or under any other Loan Document or any action or proceeding relating to this Agreement or any other Loan Document or the enforcement of rights hereunder or thereunder, (vi) subject to an agreement containing provisions substantially the same as those of this Section 9.13, to (x) any assignee of or Participant in, or any prospective assignee of or Participant in, any of its rights or obligations under this Agreement; provided that, (a) such Person would be permitted to be an assignee or participant pursuant to the terms hereof and such Person is not a Disqualified Lender, (y) any actual or prospective counterparty (or its advisors) to any swap or derivative transaction relating to the Borrower and its obligations or (z) any market data service, (vii) with the consent of the Borrower or (viii) to the extent such Information (x) becomes publicly available other than as a result of a breach of this Section 9.13 or (y) becomes available to the Administrative Agent, any Lender, any Issuing Bank or any of their respective Affiliates on a nonconfidential basis from a source other than the Borrower or its Affiliates and is not actually known by it to be in breach of any other Person’s confidentiality obligations to the Borrower. In addition, the Administrative Agent and each Lender may disclose the existence of this Agreement and information about this Agreement to market data collectors, similar service providers to the lending industry and service providers to the Administrative Agent or any Lender in connection with the administration or servicing of this Agreement, the other Loan Documents and the Commitments.

For purposes of this Section 9.13, “Information” means all information provided by the Advisor, the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries relating to the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or any of their respective businesses or any portfolio investment (including Portfolio Investments and including the Value of such Portfolio Investments), other than any such information that is available to the Administrative Agent, the Collateral Agent, any Lender, any Swingline Lender or any Issuing Bank on a nonconfidential basis prior to disclosure by the Advisor, the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries and is not actually known by it to be in breach of any other Person’s confidentiality obligations to the Borrower, provided that, in the case of information received from the Advisor, the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries after the Effective Date, such information shall be deemed to be confidential at the time of delivery unless clearly identified therein as nonconfidential. Any Person required to maintain the confidentiality of Information as provided in this Section 9.13 shall be considered to have complied with its obligation to do so if such Person has exercised the same degree of care to maintain the confidentiality of such Information as such Person would accord to its own confidential information.

SECTION 9.14. Certain Notices. Each Lender and the Administrative Agent (for itself and not on behalf of any Lender) hereby notifies the Borrower and each other Obligor that, pursuant to the requirements of the USA Patriot Act and the Beneficial Ownership Regulation, it is required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies the Borrower and each other Obligor, which information includes the name and address of each Obligor and other information that will allow such Lender or the Administrative Agent to identify the Obligors in accordance with the USA Patriot Act and the Beneficial Ownership Regulation.

SECTION 9.15. Acknowledgment and Consent to Bail-In of Affected Financial Institutions. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in any Loan Document or in any other agreement, arrangement or understanding among any such parties, each party hereto acknowledges that any liability of any Affected Financial Institution arising under any Loan Document may be subject to the write-down and conversion powers of the applicable Resolution Authority and agrees and consents to, and acknowledges and agrees to be bound by:

 

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(a) the application of any Write-Down and Conversion Powers by the applicable Resolution Authority to any such liabilities arising hereunder which may be payable to it by any party hereto that is an Affected Financial Institution; and

(b) the effects of any Bail-In Action on any such liability, including, if applicable:

(i) a reduction in full or in part or cancellation of any such liability;

(ii) a conversion of all, or a portion of, such liability into shares or other instruments of ownership in such Affected Financial Institution, its parent entity, or a bridge institution that may be issued to it or otherwise conferred on it, and that such shares or other instruments of ownership will be accepted by it in lieu of any rights with respect to any such liability under this Agreement or any other Loan Document; or

(iii) the variation of the terms of such liability in connection with the exercise of the write-down and conversion powers of the applicable Resolution Authority.

SECTION 9.16. No Fiduciary Duty. Each Lender and their Affiliates (collectively, solely for purposes of this paragraph, the “Lenders”), may have economic interests that conflict with those of the Obligors, their respective stockholders and/or their respective affiliates. Each Obligor agrees that nothing in this Agreement or the Loan Documents or otherwise will be deemed to create an advisory, fiduciary or agency relationship or fiduciary or other implied duty between any Lender, on the one hand, and such Obligor, its stockholders or its affiliates, on the other. The Obligors acknowledge and agree that (i) the transactions contemplated by the Loan Documents (including the exercise of rights and remedies hereunder and thereunder) are arm’s-length commercial transactions between the Lenders, on the one hand, and the Obligors, on the other, and (ii) solely in connection therewith and solely with the process leading thereto, (x) no Lender has assumed an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of any Obligor, its stockholders or its affiliates with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby (or the exercise of rights or remedies with respect thereto) or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether any Lender has advised, is currently advising or will advise any Obligor, its stockholders or its affiliates on other matters) or any other obligation to any Obligor except the obligations expressly set forth in the Loan Documents and (y) each Lender is acting hereunder solely as principal and not as the agent or fiduciary of any Obligor, its management, stockholders, creditors or any other Person. Each Obligor acknowledges and agrees that it has consulted its own legal and financial advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate and that it is responsible for making its own independent judgment with respect to the transactions contemplated by the Loan Documents and the process leading thereto. Each Obligor agrees that it will not claim that any Lender has rendered advisory services hereunder of any nature or respect, or owes a fiduciary or similar duty to such Obligor, solely in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Loan Documents or the process leading thereto.

 

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SECTION 9.17. Acknowledgment Regarding Any Supported QFCs. To the extent that the Loan Documents provide support, through a guarantee or otherwise, for Hedging Agreements or any other agreement or instrument that is a QFC (such support “QFC Credit Support” and each such QFC a “Supported QFC”), the parties acknowledge and agree as follows with respect to the resolution power of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation under the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and Title II of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (together with the regulations promulgated thereunder, the “U.S. Special Resolution Regimes”) in respect of such Supported QFC and QFC Credit Support (with the provisions below applicable notwithstanding that the Loan Documents and any Supported QFC may in fact be stated to be governed by the laws of the State of New York and/or of the United States or any other state of the United States).

In the event a Covered Entity that is party to a Supported QFC (each, a “Covered Party”) becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, the transfer of such Supported QFC and the benefit of such QFC Credit Support (and any interest and obligation in or under such Supported QFC and such QFC Credit Support, and any rights in property securing such Supported QFC or such QFC Credit Support) from such Covered Party will be effective to the same extent as the transfer would be effective under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if the Supported QFC and such QFC Credit Support (and any such interest, obligation and rights in property) were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States. In the event a Covered Party or a BHC Act Affiliate of a Covered Party becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, Default Rights under the Loan Documents that might otherwise apply to such Supported QFC or any QFC Credit Support that may be exercised against such Covered Party are permitted to be exercised to no greater extent than such Default Rights could be exercised under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if the Supported QFC and the Loan Documents were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States. Without limitation of the foregoing, it is understood and agreed that rights and remedies of the parties with respect to a Defaulting Lender shall in no event affect the rights of any Covered Party with respect to a Supported QFC or any QFC Credit Support.

SECTION 9.18. Termination. Promptly upon the Facility Termination Date, the Administrative Agent shall direct the Collateral Agent to, on behalf of the Administrative Agent, the Collateral Agent and the Lenders, deliver to the Borrower such termination statements and releases and other documents necessary or appropriate to evidence the release of the Borrower from this Agreement, the Loan Documents and each of the documents securing the obligations of the Borrower (and, in the case of the Facility Termination Date, with respect to each of the foregoing, the termination thereof) hereunder as the Borrower may reasonably request, all at the sale and cost and expense of the Borrower.

SECTION 9.19. Limited Recourse. Each of the Administrative Agent, the Collateral Agent and the Lenders acknowledges and agrees that this Agreement, the Loans, the Secured Obligations, each of the other Loan Documents and the other obligations hereunder and thereunder are only recourse to the Obligors.

SECTION 9.20. Interest Rate Limitation. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in any Loan Document, the interest paid or agreed to be paid under the Loan Documents shall not exceed the maximum rate of non-usurious interest permitted by applicable law (the “Maximum Rate”). If Administrative Agent or any Lender shall receive interest in an amount that exceeds the Maximum Rate, the excess interest shall be applied to the principal of the Loans or, if

 

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it exceeds such unpaid principal, refunded to the Borrower. In determining whether the interest contracted for, charged, or received by the Administrative Agent or a Lender exceeds the Maximum Rate, such Person may, to the extent permitted by applicable law, (a) characterize any payment that is not principal as an expense, fee, or premium rather than interest, (b) exclude voluntary prepayments and the effects thereof, and (c) amortize, prorate, allocate, and spread in equal or unequal parts the total amount of interest throughout the contemplated term of the obligations hereunder.

SECTION 9.21. Lender Information Reporting. The Administrative Agent shall use commercially reasonable efforts to deliver to the Borrower not later than one Business Day after the last day of each calendar month, a report summarizing in reasonable detail the amount of interest, fees and (if any) other expenses under this Agreement or the other Loan Documents accrued for the month then ended (and noting amounts paid / unpaid); provided that the failure of the Administrative Agent to deliver this report shall not excuse the Borrower from paying interest, fees and (if any) other expenses in accordance with the terms of this Agreement or the other Loan Documents.

[Signature Page Follows]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed by their respective authorized officers as of the day and year first above written.

 

GOLDMAN SACHS PRIVATE CREDIT CORP.,

as Borrower

By:

 

/s/ David Pessah

 

Name: David Pessah

 

Title: Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer,

 

and Principal Accounting Officer

[Signature Page to Senior Secured Revolving Credit Agreement]


TRUIST BANK, as Administrative Agent, a

Swingline Lender, an Issuing Bank and a Lender

By:

 

/s/ Andrew Silsbee

 

Name:

 

Andrew Silsbee

 

Title:

 

Vice President

[Signature Page to Senior Secured Revolving Credit Agreement]


SUMITOMO MITSUI BANKING

CORPORATION, as a Lender

By:

 

/s/ Brett Austin

 

Name:

 

Brett Austin

 

Title:

 

Managing Director

[Signature Page to Senior Secured Revolving Credit Agreement]


STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST

COMPANY, as a Swingline Lender and a Lender

By:

 

/s/ John Doherty

 

Name: John Doherty

 

Title: Vice President

[Signature Page to Senior Secured Revolving Credit Agreement]


HSBC Bank USA, N.A., as a Lender and Swingline

Lender

 

By:

 

/s/ Michael C. Flynn

 

Name: Michael C. Flynn

 

Title: Director

[Signature Page to Senior Secured Revolving Credit Agreement]


BNP Paribas, as a Lender

By:

 

/s/ Christopher Sharp

 

Name:  Christopher Sharp

 

Title:   Managing Director

By:

 

/s/ Joanna Bak

 

Name:  Joanna Bak

 

Title:   Vice President

[Signature Page to Senior Secured Revolving Credit Agreement]


WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as a Lender

By:

 

/s/ Jared Mizak

 

Name:  Jared Mizak

 

Title:   Vice President

[Signature Page to Senior Secured Revolving Credit Agreement]


BARCLAYS BANK PLC, as a Lender

By:

 

/s/ Craig J. Malloy

 

Name:  Craig J. Malloy

 

Title:   Director

[Signature Page to Senior Secured Revolving Credit Agreement]


THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON, as a Lender

By:

 

/s/ Gregg Scheuing

 

Name:  Gregg Scheuing

 

Title:   Director

[Signature Page to Senior Secured Revolving Credit Agreement]


MUFG Bank, Ltd., as a Lender

By:

 

/s/ Jacob Ulevich

 

Name:  Jacob Ulevich

 

Title:   Director

[Signature Page to Senior Secured Revolving Credit Agreement]


NATAXIS, NEW YORK BRANCH, as a Lender

By:

 

/s/ Ray Meyer

 

Name: Ray Meyer

 

Title: Head of Fund Finance Advisory & Origination

By:

 

/s/ Jordan Leung

 

Name:  Jordan Leung

 

Title:   Associate

[Signature Page to Senior Secured Revolving Credit Agreement]


U.S. Bank National Association, as a Lender

By:

 

/s/ William R. Mandaro

 

Name:  William R. Mandaro

 

Title:   Senior Vice President

[Signature Page to Senior Secured Revolving Credit Agreement]


Apple Bank for Savings, as a Lender

By:

 

/s/ Burt Feinberg

 

Name:  Burt Feinberg

 

Title:   Managing Director

[Signature Page to Senior Secured Revolving Credit Agreement]


EXHIBIT A

FORM OF ASSIGNMENT AND ASSUMPTION

This Assignment and Assumption (this “Assignment and Assumption”) is dated as of the Effective Date set forth below and is entered into by and between [Insert name of Assignor] (the “Assignor”) and [Insert name of Assignee] (the “Assignee”). Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Credit Agreement identified below (as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Credit Agreement”), receipt of a copy of which is hereby acknowledged by the Assignee. The Standard Terms and Conditions for Assignment and Assumption set forth in Annex I attached hereto are hereby agreed to and incorporated herein by reference and made a part of this Assignment and Assumption as if set forth herein in full.

For an agreed consideration, the Assignor hereby irrevocably sells and assigns to the Assignee, and the Assignee hereby irrevocably purchases and assumes from the Assignor, subject to and in accordance with the Standard Terms and Conditions for Assignment and Assumption and the Credit Agreement, as of the Effective Date inserted by the Administrative Agent as contemplated below: (i) all of the Assignor’s rights and obligations in its capacity as a Lender under the Credit Agreement and any other documents or instruments delivered pursuant thereto to the extent related to the amount and percentage interest identified below of all of such outstanding rights and obligations of the Assignor under the respective facilities identified below (including any Letters of Credit, Guarantees, and Swingline Loans included in such facilities) and (ii) to the extent permitted to be assigned under applicable law, all claims, suits, causes of action and any other right of the Assignor (in its capacity as a Lender) against any Person, whether known or unknown, arising under or in connection with the Credit Agreement, any other documents or instruments delivered pursuant thereto or the loan transactions governed thereby or in any way based on or related to any of the foregoing, including contract claims, tort claims, malpractice claims, statutory claims and all other claims at law or in equity related to the rights and obligations sold and assigned pursuant to clause (i) above (the rights and obligations sold and assigned pursuant to clauses (i) and (ii) above being referred to herein collectively as the “Assigned Interest”). Such sale and assignment is without recourse to the Assignor and, except as expressly provided in this Assignment and Assumption, without representation or warranty by the Assignor.

 

1.

Assignor:                                                                      

 

2.

Assignee:                                                                      

                         [and is an Affiliate of [identify Lender]1]

 

3.

Borrower:       Goldman Sachs Private Credit Corp.

 

4.

Administrative Agent: Truist Bank, as the administrative agent under the Credit Agreement.

 

1 

Select as applicable.

 

A-1


5.

Credit Agreement: Senior Secured Revolving Credit Agreement dated as of April 6, 2023, among the Borrower, the Lenders party thereto, the Issuing Banks party thereto and the Administrative Agent.

 

6.

Assigned Interest:

 

Class of

Commitments/

Loans Assigned2

   Aggregate Amount of
Commitment/Loans
for all Lenders
     Amount of
Commitment/
Loans Assigned
     Percentage Assigned of
Commitment/Loans3
 
   $        $          %  
   $        $          %  
   $        $          %  

Effective Date: _______________, 20__ [TO BE INSERTED BY ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT AND WHICH SHALL BE THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF RECORDATION OF TRANSFER IN THE REGISTER THEREFOR.]

The terms set forth in this Assignment and Assumption are hereby agreed to:

 

ASSIGNOR

[NAME OF ASSIGNOR]

By:

 

 

 

Title:

ASSIGNEE

[NAME OF ASSIGNEE]

By:

 

 

 

Title:

 

2 

Fill in the appropriate terminology for the types of facilities under the Credit Agreement that are being assigned under this Assignment (e.g. “Dollar Commitment”, “Multicurrency Commitment”, etc.).

3 

Set forth, to at least 9 decimals, as a percentage of the Commitment/Loans of all Lenders thereunder.

 

A-2


[Consented to and]4 Accepted:

TRUIST BANK, as

Administrative Agent

By:

 

 

Name:

 

Title:

 

[TRUIST BANK, as

Issuing Bank

By:

 

 

Name:

 

Title:]5

 

[Consented to:

GOLDMAN SACHS PRIVATE CREDIT CORP.

By:

 

 

Name:

 

Title:]6

 

ANNEX 1

  

 

4 

To be added only when the consent of the Administrative Agent and/or the Issuing Banks is required by the terms of the Credit Agreement.

5 

To be added only when the consent of the Issuing Banks is required by the terms of the Credit Agreement.

6 

To be added only when the consent of the Borrower is required by the terms of the Credit Agreement.

 

A-3


STANDARD TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR

ASSIGNMENT AND ASSUMPTION

1. Representations and Warranties.

1.1 Assignor. The Assignor (a) represents and warrants that (i) it is the legal and beneficial owner of the Assigned Interest, (ii) the Assigned Interest is free and clear of any lien, encumbrance or other adverse claim and (iii) it has full power and authority, and has taken all action necessary, to execute and deliver this Assignment and Assumption and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby; and (b) assumes no responsibility with respect to (i) any statements, warranties or representations made in or in connection with the Credit Agreement or any other Loan Document, (ii) the execution, legality, validity, enforceability, genuineness, sufficiency or value of the Loan Documents or any collateral thereunder, (iii) the financial condition of the Borrower, any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates or any other Person obligated in respect of any Loan Document or (iv) the performance or observance by the Borrower, any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates or any other Person of any of their respective obligations under any Loan Document.

1.2 Assignee. The Assignee (a) represents and warrants that (i) it has full power and authority, and has taken all action necessary, to execute and deliver this Assignment and Assumption and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby and to become a Lender under the Credit Agreement, (ii) it satisfies the requirements, if any, specified in the Credit Agreement that are required to be satisfied by it in order to acquire the Assigned Interest and become a Lender, (iii) from and after the Effective Date, it shall be bound by the provisions of the Credit Agreement as a Lender thereunder and, to the extent of the Assigned Interest, shall have the obligations of a Lender thereunder as if originally named as a Lender therein, (iv) it has received a copy of the Credit Agreement, together with copies of the most recent financial statements delivered pursuant to Section 5.01 thereof, as applicable, and such other documents and information as it has deemed appropriate to make its own credit analysis and decision to enter into this Assignment and Assumption and to purchase the Assigned Interest on the basis of which it has made such analysis and decision independently and without reliance on the Administrative Agent or any other Lender, (v) if it is a Foreign Lender, attached to the Assignment and Assumption is any documentation required to be delivered by it pursuant to the terms of the Credit Agreement, duly completed and executed by the Assignee, (vi) if this Assignment and Assumption is with respect to Multicurrency Commitments and/or Multicurrency Loans, it is able to fund and receive payments on account of each outstanding Agreed Foreign Currency as of the Effective Date without the need to obtain any authorization referred to in clause (b) of the definition of “Agreed Foreign Currency” in the Credit Agreement and (vii) it is not a Disqualified Lender; and (b) agrees that (i) it will, independently and without reliance on the Administrative Agent, the Assignor or any other Lender, and based on such documents and information as it shall deem appropriate at the time, continue to make its own credit decisions in taking or not taking action under the Loan Documents, and (ii) it will perform in accordance with their terms all of the obligations which by the terms of the Loan Documents are required to be performed by it as a Lender.

 

A-4


2. Payments. From and after the Effective Date, the Administrative Agent shall make all payments in respect of the Assigned Interest (including payments of principal, interest, fees and other amounts) to the Assignor for amounts which have accrued up to but excluding the Effective Date and to the Assignee for amounts which have accrued from and after the Effective Date.

3. General Provisions. This Assignment and Assumption shall be binding upon, and inure to the benefit of, the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns permitted under the Credit Agreement. This Assignment and Assumption may be executed in any number of counterparts, which together shall constitute one instrument. Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page of this Assignment and Assumption by telecopy, email or other electronic method of transmission shall be effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart of this Assignment and Assumption. This Assignment and Assumption shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the law of the State of New York.

 

A-5


EXHIBIT B

FORM OF BORROWING BASE CERTIFICATE

Monthly accounting period ended _______________, 20__

Reference is made to that certain Senior Secured Revolving Credit Agreement, dated as of April 6, 2023 (as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Credit Agreement”), by and among Goldman Sachs Private Credit Corp., a Delaware corporation (the “Borrower”), the financial institutions party thereto as Lenders and Issuing Banks, and Truist Bank, as the Administrative Agent. Capitalized terms used herein without definition are so used as defined in the Credit Agreement. The contents of this certificate are confidential and subject to Section 9.13(b) of the Credit Agreement.

[Pursuant to Section 5.01(d) of the Credit Agreement, the undersigned, the _________________ of the Borrower, and as such a Financial Officer of the Borrower, hereby certifies, represents and warrants on behalf of the Borrower, in the undersigned’s capacity as a Financial Officer of the Borrower and not in the undersigned’s individual capacity, that]7 (a) attached hereto as Annex 1 is (i) a complete and correct list as of the end of the monthly accounting period ended ______________, 20__ of all Portfolio Investment in the Collateral Pool that the Borrower has elected to include in the Borrowing Base and (ii) a true and correct calculation of the Borrowing Base as of the end of such monthly accounting period determined in accordance with the requirements of the Credit Agreement,8 and (b) without limiting the generality of the foregoing, all Portfolio Investments included in the calculation of the Borrowing Base herein have been Delivered (as defined in the Guarantee and Security Agreement) to the Collateral Agent.

 

7 

When a Borrowing Base Certificate is required to be delivered under Section 5.01(e), replace the bracketed language with the following: [Pursuant to Section 5.01(e) of the Credit Agreement, the undersigned, the ___ of the Borrower, and as such a Financial Officer of the Borrower, hereby certifies, represents and warrants on behalf of the Borrower, in the undersigned’s capacity as a Financial Officer of the Borrower and not in the undersigned’s individual capacity, that, as of the date hereof, there is a Borrowing Base Deficiency, and that]

8 

When a Borrowing Base Certificate is required to be delivered under Section 5.01(e), add a clause (iii) as follows: [ and (iii) the Borrower’s computation of the amount of such Borrowing Base Deficiency as at the date the Borrower obtained knowledge of such deficiency and the amount of such Borrowing Base Deficiency as of [insert the date not earlier than one (1) Business Days prior to the date this Borrowing Base Certificate is delivered]]

 

B-1


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused this certificate to be duly executed as of the ___________ day of _________________, 20__.

 

GOLDMAN SACHS PRIVATE CREDIT CORP.

By:

 

 

Name:

 

Title:

 

 

B-2


EXHIBIT C

FORM OF BORROWING REQUEST

Date:____________, _____

To: Truist Bank, as Administrative Agent

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Reference is made to that certain Senior Secured Revolving Credit Agreement, dated as of April 6, 2023 (as amended, restated, extended, supplemented or otherwise modified in writing from time to time, the “Credit Agreement”), among Goldman Sachs Private Credit Corp., a Delaware corporation (the “Borrower”), the financial institutions party thereto as Lenders and Issuing Banks, and Truist Bank, as the Administrative Agent. Capitalized terms used herein without definition are so used as defined in the Credit Agreement.

The Borrower hereby requests a Borrowing of Loans (the “Proposed Borrowing”) as specified below:

1. The Proposed Borrowing is to be made [under the [Dollar Commitments][Multicurrency Commitments]][as a Pro-Rata Borrowing].

2. If such Borrowing is a Pro-Rata Borrowing, the Pro-Rata Dollar Portion of the Proposed Borrowing shall be _________ and the Pro-Rata Multicurrency Portion of the Proposed Borrowing shall be _________.

3. The aggregate principal amount of the Proposed Borrowing shall be _________.

4. The Currency of the requested Borrowing is _________.

5. The date of the Proposed Borrowing shall be ________, 20__ (a Business Day).

6. If the Proposed Borrowing is denominated in Dollars, the Proposed Borrowing shall be [an ABR Borrowing] [a Term Benchmark Borrowing].

7. If the Proposed Borrowing is a Term Benchmark Borrowing or RFR Borrowing, the Interest Period therefore shall be ____ months (a period contemplated by the definition of the term “Interest Period” and permitted under Section 2.02(d) of the Credit Agreement).

6. To Borrower’s account number                              located at                             .

[Remainder of page intentionally left blank]

 

C-1


The Borrower has caused this Borrowing Request to be executed and delivered by its duly authorized officer as of the date first written above.

 

GOLDMAN SACHS PRIVATE CREDIT CORP.

By:

 

 

Name:

 

Title:

 

 

C-2


EXHIBIT D

FORM OF INTEREST ELECTION REQUEST

Date:____________, _____

To: Truist Bank, as Administrative Agent

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Reference is made to that certain Senior Secured Revolving Credit Agreement, dated as of April 6, 2023 (as amended, restated, extended, supplemented or otherwise modified in writing from time to time, the “Credit Agreement”), among Goldman Sachs Private Credit Corp., a Delaware corporation (the “Borrower”), the financial institutions party thereto as Lenders and Issuing Banks, and Truist Bank, as the Administrative Agent. Capitalized terms used herein without definition are so used as defined in the Credit Agreement.

The Borrower hereby provides the following information in compliance with Section 2.07 of the Credit Agreement:

1. This request applies to [________]1.

2. The effective date of the election shall be [____], 20__ (a Business Day).

3. In the case of a Borrowing denominated in Dollars, the resulting Borrowing is [an ABR Borrowing] [a Term Benchmark Borrowing].

4. If the resulting Borrowing is a Term Benchmark Borrowing or RFR Borrowing, Interest Period therefor shall be _______ months (a period contemplated by the definition of the term “Interest Period” and permitted under Section 2.02(d) of the Credit Agreement).

[Remainder of page intentionally left blank]

 

1 

The Borrowing (including the Class) to which this Interest Election Request applies.

 

D-1


The Borrower has caused this Interest Election Request to be executed and delivered by its duly authorized officer as of the date first written above.

 

GOLDMAN SACHS PRIVATE CREDIT CORP.

By:

 

 

Name:

 

Title:

 

 

D-2


EXHIBIT E

FORM OF PROMISSORY NOTE

 

[$]

  

[mm/dd/yy]

   New York, New York

For value received, GOLDMAN SACHS PRIVATE CREDIT CORP., a Delaware corporation (the “Borrower”), promises to pay [LENDER] (the “Payee”) or its registered assigns, on or before the Maturity Date, the lesser of (a) [Dollars] ($[______]) and (b) the aggregate unpaid principal amount of all Loans of the Payee to the Borrower outstanding under the Credit Agreement referred to below.

The Borrower also promises to pay interest on the unpaid principal amount of the Loan, from the date of such Loan until such Loan shall be paid in full, at the rates and at the times which shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of that certain Senior Secured Revolving Credit Agreement, dated as of April 6, 2023 (as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Credit Agreement”), by and among the Borrower, the financial institutions party thereto as Lenders and Issuing Banks, and Truist Bank, as Administrative Agent. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Credit Agreement.

This Promissory Note (this “Note”) is one of the promissory notes referred to in Section 2.09(f) of the Credit Agreement and is issued pursuant to and entitled to the benefits of the Credit Agreement, to which reference is hereby made for a more complete statement of the terms and conditions under which the Loans evidenced hereby were made and are to be repaid.

All payments of principal and interest in respect of this Note shall be made in lawful respective currencies of the Loans evidenced hereby in immediately available funds to the Administrative Agent’s Account or as otherwise required by the terms of the Credit Agreement. Unless and until an Assignment and Assumption effecting the assignment or transfer of the obligations evidenced hereby shall have been accepted by Administrative Agent and recorded in the Register, the Borrower, the Lenders and the Administrative Agent shall be entitled to deem and treat the Payee as the owner and holder of this Note and the obligations evidenced hereby. The Payee hereby agrees, by its acceptance hereof, that before disposing of this Note or any part hereof it will make a notation hereon of all principal payments previously made hereunder and of the date to which interest hereon has been paid; provided that, the failure to make a notation of any payment made on this Note shall not limit or otherwise affect the obligations of the Borrower hereunder with respect to payments of principal of or interest on this Note.

This Note is subject to mandatory prepayment and to prepayment at the option of the Borrower, each as provided in the Credit Agreement.

THIS NOTE SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAW OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

 

E-1


Upon the occurrence and continuation of an Event of Default that has not been waived or cured, the unpaid balance of the principal amount of this Note, together with all accrued and unpaid interest of the Loan, may become, or may be declared to be, due and payable in the manner, upon the conditions and with the effect provided in the Credit Agreement.

The terms of this Note are subject to amendment only in the manner provided in the Credit Agreement.

No reference herein to the Credit Agreement and no provision of this Note or the Credit Agreement shall alter or impair the obligations of the Borrower, which are absolute and unconditional, to pay the principal of and interest on this Note at the place, at the respective times, and in the currency herein prescribed.

The Borrower promises to pay all reasonable and documented out-of-pocket costs and expenses incurred, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, all as provided in (and subject to the limitations in) the Credit Agreement, incurred in connection with the collection and enforcement of this Note. The Borrower and any endorsers of this Note hereby consent to renewals and extensions of time at or after the maturity hereof, without notice, and hereby expressly waive diligence, presentment, demand of payment, protest, and all notices whatsoever, and, to the full extent permitted by law, the right to plead any statute of limitations as a defense to any demand hereunder.

Reference is hereby made to Sections 9.09(b), (c) and (d) and Section 9.10 of the Credit Agreement, the provisions of which are hereby incorporated by reference in this Note as if fully set forth herein, for the payment and performance of the Borrower’s obligations hereunder.

[Remainder of page intentionally left blank]

 

E-2


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Borrower has caused this Note to be duly executed and delivered by its officer thereunto duly authorized on the date and at the place first written above.

 

GOLDMAN SACHS PRIVATE CREDIT CORP.

By:

 

 

Name:

 

Title:

 

 

E-3

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