AMENDMENT AGREEMENT NO. 9
AMENDMENT AGREEMENT NO. 9
This AMENDMENT AGREEMENT NO. 9 (this “Amendment”) is made as of October 26, 2023, by and among BARON SELECT FUNDS, a Delaware statutory trust (the “Trust”), on behalf of its series BARON PARTNERS FUND (the “Fund”; the Trust acting on behalf of the Fund being hereinafter referred to as the “Borrower”), the lending institutions listed on the signature pages hereof (collectively, the “Banks”) and STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY, as operations agent for itself and the other Banks (in such capacity, the “Operations Agent”).
WHEREAS, the Borrower, the Banks and the Operations Agent are parties to that certain Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement dated as of November 5, 2015 (as amended and in effect from time to time prior to the date hereof, the “Existing Credit Agreement”; the Existing Credit Agreement as amended by this Amendment and as may be further amended from time to time is referred to as the “Credit Agreement”); and
WHEREAS, The Bank of Nova Scotia, Houston Branch has elected not to extend its Commitment under the Credit Agreement;
WHEREAS, the parties hereto wish to amend the Existing Credit Agreement as more fully set forth herein;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of these premises and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto hereby agree as follows:
§1. Definitions. Capitalized terms which are used herein without definition and which are defined in the Credit Agreement shall have the same meanings herein as in the Credit Agreement.
§2. Amendment to the Credit Agreement. The Existing Credit Agreement is hereby amended as follows:
(a) the Existing Credit Agreement (excluding the Exhibits and Schedules thereto, which, except as expressly set forth in clause (b) hereof, shall continue to be the Exhibits and Schedules under the Credit Agreement) is hereby amended in the form of Exhibit A hereto.
(b) Each of Schedule 1, Exhibit B and Exhibit C to the Existing Credit Agreement is hereby amended by deleting each of Schedule 1, Exhibit B and Exhibit C in its entirety and substituting in place thereof the Schedule 1, Exhibit B and Exhibit C attached hereto as Exhibit B.
§3. Representations and Warranties. The Borrower hereby represents and warrants as follows:
(a) Representations and Warranties in Credit Agreement. The representations and warranties of the Borrower contained in the Credit Agreement were true and correct as of the date made and are also true on and as of the date hereof and with the same force and effect 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).
(b) No Default. No Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing.
(c) Authority, Etc. The execution and delivery by the Borrower of this Amendment and the Borrower’s performance of this Amendment and the Credit Agreement as amended hereby (as so amended, the “Amended Agreement”) (i) are within the Borrower’s trust powers, (ii) have been duly authorized by all necessary action on the part of the Borrower, (iii) require no authorization or action by or in respect of, or filing with, any governmental body, agency or official or any shareholder or creditor of the Borrower, (iv) do not contravene, or constitute a default under, any provision of (A) any Applicable Law, (B) the Charter Documents of the Borrower, (C) any agreement, judgment, injunction, order, decree or other instrument binding upon the Borrower, or (D) the most recent Prospectus and (v) do not result in the creation or imposition of any Lien on any asset of the Borrower (other than Xxxxx in favor of the Operations Agent to secure the Obligations).
(d) Enforceability of Obligations. This Amendment has been duly executed and delivered by the Borrower. Each of this Amendment and the Amended Agreement constitutes the valid and legally binding agreement of the Borrower, in each case enforceable in accordance with their terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforcement is sought in equity or at law).
§4. Effectiveness. This Amendment shall be effective as of the date first written above upon receipt by the Operations Agent of the following:
(a) this Amendment, duly executed and delivered by each of the Borrower, the Banks and the Operations Agent and the Third Amended and Restated Security Agreement between the Borrower and the Operations Agent, duly executed and delivered by each of the Borrower and the Operations Agent;
(b) as to the incumbency of, and bearing manual specimen signatures of, the officers and other representatives of the Borrower who are authorized to execute and take actions under this Amendment and the Loan Documents on behalf of the Borrower (or a certification that no changes have been made to the certification of incumbency contained in paragraph (h) of that Secretary’s Certificate dated as of October 27, 2022 (the “Eighth Amendment Certificate”) delivered to the Operations Agent by the Borrower on October 27, 2022 pursuant to Section 4(b) of the Amendment Agreement No. 8 dated as of October 27, 2022 (the “Eighth Amendment”) by and among the Borrower, the Banks and the Operations Agent) and the individuals set forth therein remain authorized to execute and take actions under the Amendment and the Loan Documents on behalf of the Borrower), and certifying and attaching copies of (i) the Charter Documents of the Borrower (or a certification that no changes have been made to the Charter Documents delivered to the Operations Agent by the Borrower on the Effective Date pursuant
to Section 3.01(f) of the Credit Agreement), (ii) the written resolutions of the Board of Trustees of the Borrower, authorizing the transactions contemplated hereby, (iii) the current Prospectus of the Borrower as then in effect (or a certification that no changes have been made to the Prospectus delivered to the Operations Agent by the Borrower on October 27, 2022 pursuant to Section 4(b) of the Eighth Amendment and attached as Exhibit A to the Eighth Amendment Certificate), (iv) the investment advisory agreement and any other investment management or submanagement agreements of the Borrower as currently in effect (or a certification that no changes have been made to such investment advisory agreement and any other investment management or submanagement agreements delivered to the Operations Agent by the Borrower on the Effective Date pursuant to Section 3.01(f)(i) of the Credit Agreement), and (v) the custodian agreement of the Borrower currently in effect (or a certification that no changes have been made to the custodian agreement delivered to the Operations Agent by the Borrower on the Effective Date pursuant to Section 3.01(f)(i) of the Credit Agreement);
(c) receipt by the Operations Agent of (i) a copy of the certificate of trust of the Trust, with all amendments, certified as of a recent date by the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware; and (ii) a legal existence and good standing certificate for the Trust issued by the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware, dated as of a recent date;
(d) a non-refundable upfront fee, payable in cash to the Operations Agent for the respective accounts of the Banks, of five (5) basis points on the Aggregate Commitment Amount; and
(e) all other fees payable to the Operations Agent pursuant to the terms of the Loan Documents, including any fee letter.
In addition, the parties hereto hereby agree that on the effective date of this Amendment, the Banks shall make all such necessary reallocations so that upon the occurrence of the effective date all outstanding Loans shall be held in accordance with the applicable Commitment Percentages set forth on Schedule 1 (as in effect after giving effect to this Amendment).
§5. Ratification of the Borrower. The Borrower ratifies and confirms in all respects all of its obligations to the Operations Agent and the Banks under the Credit Agreement and the other Loan Documents and hereby affirms its absolute and unconditional promise to pay to the Banks and the Operations Agent the Loans made to it and all other amounts due from it under the Credit Agreement as amended hereby. Each of the Credit Agreement and this Amendment shall be read and construed as a single agreement. All references in the Credit Agreement or any related agreement or instrument to the Credit Agreement shall hereafter refer to the Credit Agreement as amended hereby.
§6. Miscellaneous. This Amendment shall be a Loan Document for all purposes under the Credit Agreement. This Amendment shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York. Except as specifically amended by this Amendment, the Credit Agreement and all other agreements and instruments executed and delivered in connection with the Credit Agreement shall remain in full force and effect. This Amendment is limited specifically to the matters set forth herein and does not constitute directly or by implication an amendment or waiver of any other provision of the Credit
Agreement or any of the other Loan Documents. Nothing contained herein shall constitute a waiver of, impair or otherwise affect any Obligations, any other obligation of the Borrower or any rights of the Operations Agent and the Banks consequent thereon. This Amendment may be executed in several counterparts and by each party on a separate counterpart, each of which when so executed and delivered shall be an original, and all of which together shall constitute one instrument. In proving this Amendment it shall not be necessary to produce or account for more than one such counterpart signed by the party against whom enforcement is sought.
[Signature page follows.]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Amendment to be duly executed by their respective authorized officers as of the date first above written.
BARON SELECT FUNDS, on behalf of itself and its series BARON PARTNERS FUND | ||
By: |
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Name: Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx | ||
Title: Vice President, Secretary, and General Counsel | ||
STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY, as a Bank and as Operations Agent | ||
By: |
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Title: |
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Amendment to be duly executed by their respective authorized officers as of the date first above written.
BARON SELECT FUNDS, on behalf of itself and its series BARON PARTNERS FUND | ||
By: |
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Name: | ||
Title: | ||
STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY, as a Bank and as Operations Agent | ||
By: |
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Name: Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx | ||
Title: Vice President |