Form of Underwriting Agreement] 2,800,000 Shares FULL CIRCLE CAPITAL CORPORATION Common Stock, $0.01 par value per Share UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
Exhibit
h
[Form of
Underwriting Agreement]
2,800,000
Shares
FULL
CIRCLE CAPITAL CORPORATION
Common
Stock, $0.01 par value per Share
August
[●],
2010
August
[●],
0000
Xxxxxxxxx
Xxxxxxxx & Co. Inc.
As
Representative of the several
Underwriters
named in Schedule
I attached hereto,
x/x
Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx & Co. Inc.
000
Xxxxxxx, 0xx
Xxxxx
Xxx Xxxx,
Xxx Xxxx 00000
Ladies
and Gentlemen:
Full
Circle Capital Corporation, a corporation incorporated under the laws of the
State of Maryland (the “Fund”), is a non-diversified
closed-end management investment company that has elected to be treated as a
business development company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as
amended (the “Investment
Company Act”). The Fund proposes to issue and sell to the
several Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto
(the “Underwriters”)
[●]shares of
common stock, $0.01 par value per share (the “Firm Shares”). The
Fund also proposes to sell to the several Underwriters not more than an
additional [●]shares of common
stock, $0.01 par value per share (the “Additional Shares”) if and to
the extent that Landenburg Xxxxxxxx & Co. Inc., as the representative of the
Underwriters in the offering (the “Representative”), shall have
determined to exercise, on behalf of the Underwriters, the right to purchase
such shares granted to the Underwriters in Section 3 hereof. The Firm
Shares and the Additional Shares are hereinafter collectively referred to as the
“Shares.” The common
stock, $0.01 par value per share, of the Fund is hereinafter referred to as the
“Common
Stock.”
Full
Circle Advisors, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Investment Adviser”), acts as
the Fund’s investment adviser pursuant to an Investment Advisory Agreement
between the Investment Adviser and the Fund (the “Investment Advisory
Agreement”). Full Circle Service Company, LLC, a Delaware
limited liability company (the “Administrator”), acts as the
Fund’s administrator pursuant to an Administration Agreement between the
Administrator and the Fund (the “Administration Agreement”).
The Fund has also entered into a License Agreement with the Investment Adviser,
dated as of _________, 2010 (the “License
Agreement”).
Effective
________, 2010, the Fund acquired a portfolio of investments (the “Legacy Portfolio”) from two
existing private funds, Full Circle Partners, LP (“FCP”) and Full Circle Fund,
Ltd. (“FCF”), each of
which is managed by an affiliate of the Investment Adviser (the “Acquisition”), pursuant to a
purchase and sale agreement, dated as of ____________, 2010 (the “Acquisition
Agreement”).
In
connection with the Acquisition and in accordance with the terms of the
Acquisition Agreement, an aggregate of (i) _____ shares of Common Stock and (ii)
$_______ in principal amount of senior unsecured notes (the “Notes”) were issued to the
holders of equity interests in FCP and FCF without being registered under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), in reliance upon an
exemption therefrom. The terms of the Notes are set forth in a Note
Agreement, dated as of __________, 2010, to which the Fund is a party (the
“Note
Agreement”). Collectively, the Acquisition Agreement, the Note
Agreement, the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Administration Agreement and
the License Agreement are hereinafter referred to as the “Fund
Agreements.”
1
The
Investment Company Act and the Securities Act are hereinafter referred to
collectively as the “Acts,” and the rules and
regulations of the Commission under the Acts and under the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) are hereinafter
referred to collectively as the “Rules and
Regulations.”
The Fund
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a notification of
intention to elect to be regulated as a business development company under the
Investment Company Act on Form N-6F (File No. 814-00809) (the “Notification of Intent”) on
April 26, 2010, and a notification of election to be regulated as a business
development company under the Investment Company Act on Form N-54A (File No.
814-00809) (the “Notification
of Election”) on [ ], 2010. In
addition, the Fund has prepared and filed a registration statement on Form N-2
(File No. 333-166302), including a related preliminary prospectus, for
registration of the offer and sale of the Shares under the Securities Act, which
registration statement was declared effective by the Commission on __________,
2010. Such registration statement, as amended as of the Applicable
Time (as defined below), including exhibits and financial statements and any
prospectus supplement relating to the Shares that is filed with the Commission
pursuant to Rule 497 of the Rules and Regulations (“Rule 497”) and deemed part of
such registration statement as of its effective date pursuant to Rule 430A of
the Rules and Regulations (“Rule 430A”), and, in the event
any post-effective amendment thereto or any registration statement filed
pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act (a “Rule 462(b) Registration
Statement”) becomes effective prior to the Closing Date (as defined
below) (and, if any Additional Shares are purchased, at the Option Closing Date
(as defined below)), such registration statement as so amended or such Rule
462(b) Registration Statement, as the case may be, is hereinafter referred to as
the “Registration
Statement.” The preliminary prospectus, dated as of
___________, 2010, which was included in the Registration Statement as of the
date and time it became effective under the Securities Act, is hereinafter
referred to as the “Preliminary
Prospectus.” The final prospectus, dated as of _________,
2010, to be filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 497 and which shall
contain the pricing and related information permitted to be omitted from the
Registration Statement as of its effective date in accordance with Rule 430A
(the “Rule 430A
Information”), is hereinafter referred to as the “Prospectus,” except that if
any revised prospectus or prospectus supplement shall be provided to the
Underwriters by the Fund for use in connection with the sale of the Shares which
differs from the Prospectus, the term “Prospectus” shall also refer to such
revised prospectus or prospectus supplement, as the case may be, from and after
the time it is first provided to the Underwriters for such use. All
references in this Agreement to the Registration Statement, the Rule 462(b)
Registration Statement, a Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, or any
amendments or supplements to any of the foregoing shall be deemed to include any
copy thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data
Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System (“XXXXX”)
system.
2
For
purposes of this Agreement, “Omitting Prospectus” means any
written advertisement used with the written consent of the Fund in the public
offering of the Shares and filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 482 of the
Rules and Regulations (“Rule
482”). “Time
of Sale Prospectus” means, as of the Applicable Time (as defined below),
the Preliminary Prospectus, together with the information set forth on Schedule II hereto
(which information the Underwriters have informed the Fund is being conveyed
orally by the Underwriters to prospective purchasers at or prior to the
Underwriters’ confirmation of sales of the Shares in the
offering). As used herein, the terms “Registration Statement,”
“Preliminary Prospectus,” “Time of Sale Prospectus” and “Prospectus” shall
include the documents, if any, incorporated by reference therein.
“Applicable Time” means [●]
p.m. (Eastern Time) on _______ [●], 2010 or such other time as agreed by the
Fund and the Representative.
1.
|
Representations
and Warranties.
|
Representations and Warranties of
the Fund. The Fund represents and warrants to each of the Underwriters as
of the date hereof, the Applicable Time and the Closing Date as
follows:
(a) The
Registration Statement has been filed with, and declared effective by, the
Commission; no notice of objection of the Commission to the use of such
Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto has been received
by the Fund; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration
Statement is in effect, and no proceedings for such purpose are pending before
or, to the knowledge of the Fund, threatened by the Commission. The
Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus delivered to the Underwriters for use
in connection with this offering was identical in all material respects to the
electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to
XXXXX, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T. If a Rule
462(b) Registration Statement is required in connection with the offering and
sale of the Shares, the Fund has complied or will comply with the requirements
of Rule 111 of the Rules and Regulations relating to the payment of filing fees
thereof. At the time of filing the Registration Statement, any 462(b)
Registration Statement and any post-effective amendments thereto, and at the
date hereof, the Fund was not and is not an “ineligible issuer,” as defined in
Rule 405 of the Rules and Regulations.
(b) At
the respective times the Registration Statement, any Rule 462(b) Registration
Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto (filed before the Closing
Date) became effective and at the Closing Date (and, if any Additional Shares
are purchased, at the Option Closing Date), the Registration Statement, any
post-effective amendment thereto, and any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement
complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the
Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations and did not and will not contain an
untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to
be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not
misleading. Neither the Prospectus nor any amendment or supplement
thereto, as of the respective dates thereof and at the Closing Date (and, if any
Additional Shares are purchased, at the Option Closing Date), contained or will
contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or will omit to state
a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the
statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were
made, not misleading. The Time of Sale Prospectus, at the Applicable
Time, did not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a
material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements
therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not
misleading. The representations and warranties in this paragraph do
not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement, the
Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus made solely in reliance upon and in
conformity with written information furnished to the Fund by the Representative
on behalf of any Underwriter for use in the Registration Statement, the Time of
Sale Prospectus or Prospectus.
3
(c) The
Notification of Intent was filed with the
Commission on _______, 2010 under the Investment Company Act and the
Notification of Election was filed with the Commission on _______________, 2010
under the Investment Company Act.
(d) The
Fund has been duly incorporated and is validly existing in good standing as a
corporation under the laws of the State of Maryland. The Fund has
full power and authority to own its property and to conduct its business as
described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and enter into this Agreement and the
other Fund Agreements and is in good standing and is duly qualified to transact
business in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its
ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification, except to the
extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not have
a material adverse effect on the condition, financial or otherwise, or on the
earnings, business or operations of the Fund (a “Fund Material Adverse
Effect”). The Fund has no consolidated
subsidiaries.
(e) The
Fund has duly elected to be treated by the Commission under the Investment
Company Act as a “business development company” (the “BDC Election”) and the Fund
has not filed with the Commission any notice of withdrawal of the BDC Election
pursuant to Section 54(c) of the Investment Company Act, and no order of
suspension or revocation of such BDC Election has been issued or proceedings
therefor initiated or, to the knowledge of the Fund, threatened by the
Commission.
(f) The
Fund is, and at all times through the completion of the transactions
contemplated hereby will be, in compliance in all material respects with the
applicable terms and conditions of the Act, the Investment Company Act and the
Rules and Regulations. No person is serving or acting as an officer
or director of, or investment adviser to, the Fund except in accordance with the
provisions of the Investment Company Act and the Investment Advisers Act of
1940, as amended (the “Advisers
Act”). Except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration
Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, to the knowledge of
the Fund, based on information provided to the Fund by directors of the Fund, no
director of the Fund is an “interested person” of the Fund or an “affiliated
person” of any Underwriter (each as defined in the Investment Company
Act).
4
(g) Each
of this Agreement and the Fund Agreements has been duly authorized by the Fund.
Each Fund Agreement complies with all applicable provisions of the Acts, the
Advisers Act and the applicable Rules and Regulations. The Fund has
adopted a Dividend Reinvestment Plan (the “Plan”). Each Fund
Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Fund and (assuming the due
and valid authorization, execution and delivery by the other parties thereto)
represents a valid and binding agreement of the Fund, enforceable against the
Fund in accordance with its terms, except (a) as rights to indemnity and
contribution may be limited by federal or state securities laws or principles of
public policy and subject to the qualification that the enforceability of the
Fund’s obligations thereunder may be limited by bankruptcy, fraudulent
conveyance, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, and other laws relating to
or affecting creditors’ rights generally and by general equitable principles
whether enforcement is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law, and (b)
in the case of the Investment Advisory Agreement, with respect to termination
under the Investment Company Act or the reasonableness or fairness of
compensation payable thereunder.
(h) None
of (1) the execution and delivery by the Fund of, and the performance by the
Fund of its obligations under, this Agreement and each Fund Agreement, or (2)
the issue and sale by the Fund of the Shares as contemplated by this Agreement
conflicts with or will conflict with, result in, or constitute a
violation, breach of, default under, (x) the articles of incorporation of the
Fund, as amended to date (the “Charter”) or the bylaws of the
Fund, as amended to date (the “Bylaws”)(y) any agreement,
indenture, note, bond, license, lease or other instrument or obligation binding
upon the Fund that is material to the Fund, or (z) any law, rule or regulation
applicable to the Fund or any judgment, order or decree of any governmental
body, agency or court having jurisdiction over the Fund, whether foreign or
domestic; except, with respect to clauses (y) or (z), any contravention which
would have neither (i) a Fund Material Adverse Effect or (ii) a material adverse
effect on the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement;
provided that no
representation or warranty is made with respect to compliance with the laws of
any jurisdiction outside of the United States in connection with the offer or
sale of the Shares in such jurisdiction by any Underwriter.
(i)
No consent, approval,
authorization, order or permit of, license from, or qualification with, any
governmental body, agency or authority, self-regulatory organization or court or
other tribunal, whether foreign or domestic, is required to be obtained by the
Fund prior to the Closing Date for the performance by the Fund of its
obligations under this Agreement or the Fund Agreements, except such
as have been obtained and as may be required by (i) the Acts, the Advisers Act,
the Exchange Act, or the applicable Rules and Regulations, (ii) the rules and
regulations of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) or the Nasdaq Stock
Market (“Nasdaq”), (iii)
by the securities or “blue sky laws” of the various states and foreign
jurisdictions in connection with the offer and sale of the Shares or (iv) such
as which the failure to obtain would have neither (i) a Fund Material Adverse
Effect or (ii) a material adverse effect on the consummation of the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement.
(j)
The authorized, issued and outstanding capital stock of
the Fund conforms in all material respects to the description thereof under the
heading “Description of Securities” in each of the Time of Sale Prospectus and
the Prospectus, and this Agreement, the Charter, the Bylaws, the Fund Agreements
and the Plan conform in all material respects to the descriptions thereof
contained in each of the Time of Sale Prospectus and the
Prospectus.
5
(k) This
Agreement, the Charter and the Bylaws, the Fund Agreements and the Plan comply
with all applicable provisions of the Acts and the applicable Rules and
Regulations, and all approvals of such documents required under the Investment
Company Act by the Fund’s shareholders and Board of Directors have been obtained
and are in full force and effect.
(l) The
Fund Agreements are in full force and effect and neither the Fund nor, to the
knowledge of the Fund, any other party to any such agreement is in default
thereunder, and no event has occurred which with the passage of time or the
giving of notice or both would constitute a default by the Fund thereunder, and
the Fund is not currently in breach of, or in default under, any other written
agreement or instrument to which it or its property is bound or affected, the
default under or breach of which could reasonably be expected to have a material
adverse effect on the Fund.
(m) The
shares of Common Stock outstanding prior to the issuance of the Firm Shares have
been duly authorized and are validly issued, fully paid and
non-assessable. None of the outstanding shares of Common Stock of the
Fund was issued in violation of the preemptive or other similar rights of any
securityholder of the Fund. Other than as contemplated in the Time of
Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, no options, warrants or other rights to
purchase, agreements or other obligations to issue, or rights to convert any
obligations into or exchange any securities for, shares of capital stock of or
ownership interests in the Fund are outstanding.
(n) The
Shares have been duly authorized and, when issued and delivered in accordance
with the terms of this Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and
non-assessable, and the issuance of the Shares will not be subject to any
preemptive or similar rights. The Shares conform to the description
thereof under the heading “Description of Securities” contained in the Time of
Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus and such description conforms in all material
respects to the rights set forth in the instruments defining the
same. The certificates for the Shares are in valid and legal
form.
(o) The
Shares have been approved for listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market, subject to
official notice of issuance.
(p) Each
Omitting Prospectus (i) complies in all material respects with the requirements
of Rule 482, (ii) does not contain an untrue statement of a material fact and
(iii) complied and will comply in all material respects with the Acts, the Rules
and Regulations and the rules and regulations of the FINRA. Except
for the Omitting Prospectuses identified on Schedule III hereto,
the Fund has not prepared, used or referred to and will not, without your prior
consent, prepare, use or refer to any Omitting Prospectus.
(q) There
has not occurred any material adverse change, or any development reasonably
likely to involve a prospective material adverse change, in the condition,
financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business or operations of the Fund
from that set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus, and there have been no
transactions entered into by the Fund which are material to the Fund other than
those in the ordinary course of its business or as described in the Time of Sale
Prospectus.
6
(r) There
are no legal or governmental proceedings pending or, to the knowledge of the
Fund, threatened to which the Fund is a party or to which any of the properties
of the Fund is subject (i) other than proceedings accurately described in all
material respects in the Time of Sale Prospectus and proceedings that would not
have a material adverse effect on the Fund, or on the power or ability of the
Fund to perform its obligations under this Agreement or to consummate the
transactions contemplated by the Time of Sale Prospectus or (ii) that are
required to be described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale
Prospectuses or the Prospectus and are not so described.
(s) The
statements in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus under the
headings “Summary – Operating and Regulatory Structure”, “Investment Advisory
Agreement”, “Administration Agreement”, “License Agreement”, “Regulation as a
Business Development Company”, “Dividend Reinvestment Plan”, “Material U.S.
Federal Income Tax Considerations”, “Description of Securities” and “Shares
Eligible for Future Sale”, insofar as such statements summarize legal matters,
agreements, documents or proceedings discussed therein, are accurate and fair
summaries of such legal matters, agreements, documents or
proceedings.
(t)
The Fund has all necessary consents, authorizations,
approvals, orders (including exemptive orders), licenses, certificates, permits,
qualifications and registrations of and from, and has made all declarations and
filings with, all governmental authorities, self-regulatory organizations and
courts and other tribunals, whether foreign or domestic, to own and use its
assets and to conduct its business in the manner described in the Time of Sale
Prospectus and the Prospectus, except to the extent that the failure to obtain
or file the foregoing would not result in a Fund Material Adverse
Effect.
(u) Each
of the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, as of the respective dates
thereof, and the Time of Sale Prospectus, as of the Applicable Time, complied in
all material respects with the Securities Act and the applicable Rules and
Regulations.
(v) When
the Notification of Election and any amendment or supplement thereto were filed
with the Commission, it (i) contained all statements required to be stated
therein in accordance with, and complied in all material respects with the
requirements of, the Investment Company Act and the Investment Company Act Rules
and Regulations, as applicable to business development companies, and (ii) did
not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material
fact necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. The
Fund has duly elected to be treated by the Commission under the Investment
Company Act as a “business development company” (the “BDC Election”) and the Fund
has not filed with the Commission any notice of withdrawal of the BDC Election
pursuant to Section 54(c) of the Investment Company Act. The BDC
Election is effective, and no order of suspension or revocation of such election
has been issued or proceedings therefor initiated or, to the Fund’s knowledge,
threatened by the Commission.
7
(w) Except
as otherwise contemplated in the Time of Sale Prospects and the Prospectus, the
schedule of investments included in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale
Prospectus and the Prospectus, together with the related notes thereto A
(collectively, the “Fund
Financial Statements”), present fairly the investments comprising the
Legacy Portfolio as of the date indicated and said Fund Financial Statements
comply as to form with the requirements of Regulation S-X under the Securities
Act and have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting
principles (“GAAP”). The
supporting schedules to such Fund Financial Statements, if any, present fairly
in accordance with GAAP the information required to be stated
therein. Xxxxxxxxx, Kass & Co, P.C., whose report appears in the
Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus and who have certified the Fund
Financial Statements and supporting schedules, if any, included in the
Registration Statement, is an independent registered public accounting firm as
required by the Acts and the applicable Rules and Regulations.
(x) There
are no material restrictions, limitations or regulations with respect to the
ability of the Fund to invest its assets as described in the Time of Sale
Prospectus and the Prospectus, other than as described therein.
(y) Neither
the Fund nor any of its agents or representatives (other than the Underwriters
in their capacity as such) has prepared, made, used, authorized, approved or
referred to any written communication that constitutes an offer to sell or
solicitation of an offer to buy the Shares other than (i) the Registration
Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, and any amendment or
supplement to any of the foregoing, and (ii) the Omitting Prospectuses, if any,
identified on Schedule III hereto. All other promotional material
(including “road show slides” or “road show scripts”) prepared by the Fund, the
Investment Adviser or the Administrator for use in connection with the offering
and sale of the Shares (“Road
Show Material”) is not inconsistent with the Registration Statement, the
Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, and when taken together with the Time
of Sale Prospectus, at the Applicable Time, did not contain any untrue statement
of a material fact or omitted or omits to state a material fact necessary in
order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which
they were made, not misleading.
(z) There
are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the Fund and any person
granting such person the right to require the Fund to file a registration
statement under the Securities Act with respect to any securities of the Fund or
to require the Fund to include such securities with the Shares registered
pursuant to the Registration Statement.
(aa) The
expense summary information set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the
Prospectus in the “Fees and Expenses” Table has been prepared in accordance with
the requirements of Form N-2 and any fee projections or estimates, if
applicable, are reasonably based and comply in all material respects with the
requirements of Form N-2.
(bb) Subsequent
to the respective dates as of which information is given in each of the
Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, (i) the
Fund has not incurred any material liability or obligation, direct or
contingent, nor entered into any material transaction; (ii) the Fund has not
purchased any of its outstanding capital stock, nor declared, paid or otherwise
made any dividend or distribution of any kind on its capital stock, other than
ordinary and customary dividends; and (iii) there has not been any material
change in the capital stock, short-term debt or long-term debt of the Fund,
except in each case as contemplated in the Registration Statement, the Time of
Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, respectively.
8
(cc) The
Fund owns or possesses, or can acquire on reasonable terms, all material
patents, patent rights, licenses, inventions, copyrights, know-how (including
trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or
confidential information, systems or procedures), trademarks, service marks and
trade names currently employed by them in connection with the business now
operated by it, and the Fund has not received any notice of infringement of or
conflict with asserted rights of others with respect to any of the foregoing
which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision,
ruling or finding, would have a material adverse effect on the
Fund.
(dd) The
Fund maintains a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide
reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with
management’s general or specific authorizations and with the applicable
requirements of the Acts; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit
preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted
accounting principles and to maintain asset accountability and compliance with
the books and records requirements under the Acts; (iii) access to assets is
permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific
authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with
the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with
respect to any differences. Since the date of the Fund’s most recent
audited financial statements included in the Prospectus, there has been (i) no
material weakness in the Fund’s internal control over financial reporting
(whether or not remediated) and (ii) no change in the Fund’s internal control
over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely
to materially affect, the Fund’s internal control over financial
reporting.
(ee) The
Fund maintains “disclosure controls and procedures” (as such term is defined in
Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) of the Rules and Regulations); such disclosure
controls and procedures are effective; and the Fund is not aware of any material
weakness in such controls and procedures.
(ff) Neither
the Fund nor, to the knowledge of the Fund, any employee nor agent of the Fund
has made any payment of funds of the Fund or received or retained any funds,
which payment, receipt or retention is of a character to be disclosed in the
Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the
Prospectus.
(gg) Any
statistical and market-related data included in the Registration Statement, the
Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources
that the Fund believes to be reliable and accurate.
(hh) The
Fund has obtained for the benefit of the Underwriters the agreement (a “Lock-Up Agreement”), in the
form requested by the Representative, of those individuals set forth on Schedule IV
hereto.
9
(ii) There
are no contracts or documents which are required to be described in the
Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus (or the
documents incorporated by reference therein) or to be filed as exhibits thereto
by the Securities Act or by the Rules and Regulations which have not been so
described and filed as required.
(jj) The
operations of the Fund are and have been conducted at all times in compliance
with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements and the money
laundering statutes and the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or
similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by
any governmental agency (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”) and no
action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency,
authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Fund with respect to the Money
Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Fund,
threatened.
(kk) Neither
the Fund, the Adviser nor the Administrator nor, to the knowledge of the Fund,
any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Fund, the Adviser or
the Administrator is aware of or has taken any action, directly or indirectly,
that would result in a violation by such persons of the Foreign Corruption
Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder
(“FCPA”), including,
without limitation, making use of the mails or any means or instrumentality of
interstate commerce corruptly in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to
pay or authorization of the payment of any money, or other property, gift,
promise to give, or authorization of the giving of anything of value to any
“foreign official” (as such term is defined in FCPA) or any foreign political
party or official thereof or any candidate for foreign political office, in
contravention of the FCPA and the Fund, the Adviser or the Administrator, and to
the knowledge of the Fund, the Adviser or the Administrator, its affiliates have
conducted their businesses in compliance with the FCPA and have instituted and
maintain policies and procedures designed to ensure, and which are reasonably
expected to continue to ensure, continued compliance therewith.
(ll) Neither
the Fund, the Adviser or the Administrator nor, to the knowledge of the Fund,
any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Fund, the Adviser or
the Administrator is currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by the
Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasure Department (“OFAC”) and neither the Fund,
the Adviser or the Administrator will directly or indirectly use the proceeds of
the offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to
any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity, for the purpose
of financing the activities of any person currently subject to any U.S.
sanctions administered by OFAC.
(mm) The
Acquisition has been consummated in a manner consistent in all material respects
with the description thereof in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus
and the Legacy Portfolio has been acquired by the Fund pursuant to the terms of
the Acquisition Agreement.
10
(nn) The
Fund is insured by insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such
losses and risks and in such amounts as are prudent and customary in the
businesses in which it is engaged; all policies of insurance insuring the Fund
or its business, assets, employees, officers and directors, including the Fund’s
directors and officers errors and omissions insurance policy and its fidelity
bond required by Rule 17g-1 of the Rules and Regulations, are in full force and
effect the Fund is in compliance with the terms of such policies and fidelity
bond in all material respects; and there are no claims by the Fund under any
such policies or fidelity bond as to which any insurance company is denying
liability or defending under a reservation of rights clause; the Fund has not
been refused any insurance coverage sought or applied for; and the Fund has no
reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance
coverage and fidelity bond as and then such coverage and fidelity bond expires
or to obtain similar coverage and fidelity bond from similar insurers as may be
necessary to continue its business at a cost that would not result in a Fund
Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in or contemplated in the
Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus
(exclusive of any supplement thereto).
(oo) Except
as set forth in or contemplated in the Preliminary Prospectus and the
Prospectus, the Fund (i) does not have any material lending or other
relationship with any bank or lending affiliate of the Representative (the
description of such arrangements and outstanding indebtedness thereunder is
true, accurate and complete in all respects) and (ii) does not intend to use any
of the proceeds from the sale of the Shares hereunder to repay any outstanding
debt owed to any affiliate of the Representative.
(pp) The
description of the Legacy Portfolio in the Registration Statement, the Time of
Sale Prospectus and Prospectus are true, accurate and complete in all material
respects.
(qq) There
are no business relationships or related-party transactions involving the Fund
or any other person required to be described in the Registration Statement, the
Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus which have not been described as
required, it being understood and agreed that the Fund, the Investment Adviser
and the Administrator make no representation or warranty with respect to such
relationships involving any Underwriter or any affiliate and any other person
that have not been disclosed to the Fund by the relevant Underwriter in
connection with this offering.
(rr) None
of the Fund, the Investment Adviser, the Administrator nor any of their
affiliates has taken, directly or indirectly, any action which constitutes or is
designed to cause or result in, or which could reasonably be expected to
constitute, cause or result in, the stabilization or manipulation of the price
of any security to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares.
(ss) The
fund owns, leases or has rights to use all such properties as are necessary to
the conduct of its operations as presently conducted.
(tt) No
director or officer of the Fund or Investment Adviser is subject to any
non-competition agreement or non-solicitation agreement with any employer or
prior employer which could materially affect his ability to be and act in his
respective capacity of the Fund or Investment Adviser or have a material adverse
effect on the Fund.
Any
certificate signed by or on behalf of the Fund and delivered to the
Representative or counsel for the Underwriters in connection with the offering
of the Shares shall be deemed to a representation and warranty by the Fund as to
the matters covered therein to each Underwriter.
11
2. Representations and Warranties of
the Investment Adviser and the Administrator. The Investment
Adviser and the Administrator represent and warrant to and agree with each of
the Underwriters as of the date hereof as follows:
(a) Each
of the Investment Adviser and the Administrator has been duly formed and is
validly existing as a limited liability company in good standing under the laws
of the State of Delaware, with the corporate power and authority to own its
property and to conduct its business as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus
and enter into this Agreement and the other Fund Agreements to which the
Investment Adviser or the Administrator is a party, as the case may be, and is
duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction
in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property
requires such qualification, except to the extent that the failure to be so
qualified or be in good standing would not have a material adverse effect on the
condition, financial or otherwise, or on the earnings, business or operations of
the Investment Adviser or the Administrator, as the case may be (an “Adviser/Administrator Material
Adverse Effect”). Each of the Investment Adviser and
Administrator has no subsidiaries.
(b) The
Investment Adviser is duly registered as an investment adviser under the
Advisers Act, and is not prohibited by the Advisers Act or the Investment
Company Act from acting under the Investment Advisory Agreement as an investment
adviser to the Fund as contemplated by the Registration Statement, the Time of
Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, and no order of suspension or revocation of
such registration has been issued or proceedings therefor initiated or, to the
knowledge of the Investment Adviser, threatened by the Commission.
(c) Each
of this Agreement and the Fund Agreements to which the Investment Adviser or the
Administrator is a party, as the case may be, has been duly authorized by the
Investment Adviser and/or the Administrator, as applicable. Each Fund
Agreement to which the Investment Adviser or the Administrator is a party,
complies with the applicable provisions of the Acts, the Advisers Act and the
applicable Rules and Regulations. Each Fund Agreement to which the
Investment Adviser or the Administrator is a party has been duly executed and
delivered by the Investment Adviser or the Administrator, as applicable and
(assuming the due and valid authorization, execution and delivery by the other
parties thereto) represents a valid and binding agreement of the Investment
Adviser or the Administrator, as applicable, enforceable against the Investment
Adviser or the Administrator, as applicable, in accordance with its terms,
except (a) as rights to indemnity and contribution may be limited by federal or
state securities laws or principles of public policy and subject to the
qualification that the enforceability of the Investment Adviser’s or the
Administrator’s obligations thereunder, as applicable, may be limited by
bankruptcy, fraudulent conveyance, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, and
other laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally and by general
equitable principles whether enforcement is considered in a proceeding in equity
or at law, and (b) in the case of the Investment Advisory Agreement, with
respect to termination under the Investment Company Act or the reasonableness or
fairness of compensation payable thereunder.
12
(d) The
execution and delivery by the Investment Adviser and/or the Administrator, as
applicable, of, and the performance by the Investment Adviser and/or the
Administrator, as applicable, of its obligations under, this Agreement and each
Fund Agreement to which the Investment Adviser or the Administrator is a party,
respectively, does not conflict with or will conflict with, result in, or
constitute a violation, breach of, default under, (x) the limited liability
company operating agreement of the Investment Adviser and/or the Administrator,
as applicable (y) any agreement, indenture, note, bond, license, lease or other
instrument or obligation binding upon the Investment Adviser and/or the
Administrator, as applicable, that is material to the Investment Adviser and/or
the Administrator, as applicable, or (z) any law, rule or regulation applicable
to the Investment Adviser and/or the Administrator, as applicable, or any
judgment, order or decree of any governmental body, agency or court having
jurisdiction over the Investment Adviser and/or the Administrator, whether
foreign or domestic; except, with respect to clauses (y) or (z), any
contravention which would have neither (i) an Adviser/Administrator Material
Adverse Effect or (ii) a material adverse effect on the consummation of the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement; provided that no
representation or warranty is made with respect to compliance with the laws of
any jurisdiction outside of the United States in connection with the offer or
sale of the Shares in such jurisdiction by any Underwriter.
(e) No
consent, approval, authorization, order or permit of, license from, or
qualification or registration with any governmental body, agency or authority,
self-regulatory organization or court or other tribunal, whether foreign or
domestic, is required to be obtained by the Investment Adviser and/or the
Administrator, as applicable, prior to the Closing Date for the performance by
the Investment Adviser and/or the Administrator, as applicable, of its
obligations under this Agreement or any Fund Agreement to which it is a party,
except such as have been obtained and as may be required by (i) the Acts, the
Advisers Act, the Exchange Act, or the applicable Rules and Regulations, (ii)
the rules and regulations of the FINRA or Nasdaq, (iii) by the securities or
“blue sky laws” of the various states and foreign jurisdictions in connection
with the offer and sale of the Shares or (iv) such as which the failure to
obtain would have neither (i) an Adviser/Administrator Material Adverse Effect
or (ii) a material adverse effect on the consummation of the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement.
(f) There
are no legal or governmental proceedings pending or, to the knowledge of the
Investment Adviser and the Administrator, threatened to which the Investment
Adviser and/or the Administrator is a party or to which any of the properties of
the Investment Adviser and/or the Administrator is subject (i) other than
proceedings accurately described in all material respects in the Time of Sale
Prospectus and proceedings that would not have a material adverse effect on the
Investment Adviser and/or the Administrator, as applicable, or on the power or
ability of the Investment Adviser and/or the Administrator, as applicable, to
perform its obligations under this Agreement or to consummate the transactions
contemplated by the Time of Sale Prospectus or (ii) that are required to be
described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectuses or the
Prospectus and are not so described.
(g) There
are no contracts or documents which are required to be described in the
Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus (or the
documents incorporated by reference therein) or to be filed as exhibits thereto
by the Securities Act or by the Rules and Regulations which have not been so
described and filed as required.
13
(h) Each
of the Investment Adviser and the Administrator has all necessary consents,
authorizations, approvals, orders (including exemptive orders), licenses,
certificates, permits, qualifications and registrations of and from, and has
made all declarations and filings with, all governmental authorities,
self-regulatory organizations and courts and other tribunals, whether foreign or
domestic, to own and use its assets and to conduct its business in the manner
described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, except to the
extent that the failure to obtain or file the foregoing would not result in an
Adviser/Administrator Material Adverse Effect.
(i)
Each of the
Investment Adviser and Administrator has the financial resources available to it
necessary for the performance of its services and obligations as contemplated in
the Time of Sale Prospectus and by this Agreement and each Fund Agreement to
which it is a party.
(j)
The Investment Advisory
Agreement is in full force and effect and neither the Investment Adviser nor, to
the knowledge of the Investment Adviser, any other party to the Investment
Advisory Agreement is in default thereunder, and, no event has occurred which
with the passage of time or the giving of notice or both would constitute a
default by the Investment Adviser under such document.
(k) All
information furnished by the Investment Adviser for use in the Registration
Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and Prospectus, including, without
limitation, the description of the Investment Adviser (the “Investment Adviser
Information”) does not, and on the Closing Date will not, contain any
untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary
to make such information not misleading (in the case of the Time of Sale
Prospectus and the Prospectus, in light of the circumstances under which such
information is provided).
(l)
There has not occurred any
material adverse change, or any development reasonably likely to involve a
prospective material adverse change, in the condition, financial or otherwise,
or in the earnings, business or operations of the Investment Adviser from that
set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus, and there have been no transactions
entered into by the Investment Adviser which are material to the Investment
Adviser other than those in the ordinary course of its business or as described
in the Time of Sale Prospectus.
(m) Neither
the Investment Adviser nor the Administrator, nor any of their affiliates, has
taken, directly or indirectly, any action which constitutes or is designed to
cause or result in, or which could reasonably be expected to constitute, cause
or result in, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security to
facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares.
(n) The
operations of the Investment Adviser and the Administrator are and have been
conducted at all times in compliance with applicable Money Laundering Laws and
no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency,
authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Investment Adviser or the
Administrator with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the
knowledge of the Investment Adviser or the Administrator,
threatened.
14
(o) The
Investment Adviser maintains a system of internal controls sufficient to provide
reasonable assurance that (i) transactions effectuated by it under the
Investment Advisory Agreement are executed in accordance with its management’s
general or specific authorization and (ii) access to the Fund’s assets is
permitted only in accordance with its management’s general or specific
authorization.
(p) The
Administrator maintains a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to
provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions for which it has bookkeeping
and record keeping responsibility for under the Administration Agreement are
recorded as necessary to permit preparation of the Fund’s financial statements
in conformity with GAAP and to maintain accountability for the Fund’s assets and
(ii) the recorded accountability for such assets if compared with existing
assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to
any differences.
Any
certificate signed by or on behalf of the Investment Adviser or the
Administrator and delivered to the Representative or counsel for the
Underwriters in connection with the offering of the Shares shall be deemed to a
representation and warranty by the Investment Adviser or the Administrator, as
applicable, as to the matters covered therein to each Underwriter.
3. Agreements to Sell and
Purchase. The Fund hereby agrees to sell to the several
Underwriters, and each Underwriter, upon the basis of the representations and
warranties herein contained, but subject to the conditions hereinafter stated,
agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Fund the respective
numbers of Firm Shares set forth in Schedule I hereto
opposite its name at $[●] a share (the
“Purchase
Price”).
On the
basis of the representations and warranties contained in this Agreement, and
subject to its terms and conditions, the Fund agrees to sell to the Underwriters
the Additional Shares and the Underwriters shall have the right to purchase,
severally and not jointly, up to [●]Additional Shares
at the Purchase Price. The Representative may exercise this right on
behalf of the Underwriters in whole or from time to time in part by giving
written notice to the Fund not later than thirty (30) days after the date
of this Agreement. Any exercise notice shall specify the number of
Additional Shares to be purchased by the Underwriters and the date on which such
shares are to be purchased. Each purchase date must be at least one
business day after the written notice is given and may not be earlier than the
closing date for the Firm Shares not later than ten business days after the date
of such notice. Additional Shares may be purchased as provided in
Section 5 hereof solely for the purpose of covering over-allotments made in
connection with the offering of the Firm Shares. On each Option
Closing Date, if any, that Additional Shares are to be purchased, each
Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase the number of
Additional Shares (subject to such adjustments to eliminate fractional shares as
the Representative may determine) that bears the same proportion to the total
number of Additional Shares to be purchased on such Option Closing Date as the
number of Firm Shares set forth in Schedule I hereto opposite the name of such
Underwriter bears to the total number of Firm Shares.
15
The Fund
hereby agrees that, without the prior written consent of the Representative on
behalf of the Underwriters, it will not, during the period ending 180 days after
the date of the Prospectus, (1) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any
option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant
any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend, or otherwise transfer or dispose
of, directly or indirectly, any Common Stock or any securities convertible into
or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock or (2) enter into any swap or
other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the
economic consequences of ownership of the Common Stock, whether any such
transaction described in clause (1) or (2) above is to be settled by delivery of
Common Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise or (3) file any
registration statement with the Commission relating to the offering of any
Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable
for Common Stock. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if (1) during the
last 17 days of the 180-day restricted period, the Fund issues an earnings
release or material news or a material event relating to the Fund occurs; or (2)
prior to the expiration of the 60-day restricted period, the Fund announces that
it will release earnings results during the 16-day period following the last day
of the 180-day restricted period, then in each case the restrictions imposed by
this Agreement shall continue to apply until the expiration of the 18-day period
beginning on the date of the release of the earnings results or the occurrence
of material news or a material event relating to the Fund, as the case may be,
unless the Representative waives, in writing, such extension. The
agreements contained in this paragraph shall not apply to the Shares to be sold
hereunder or any Common Stock issued pursuant to the Plan.
4. Terms of Public
Offering. The Fund and the Investment Adviser each understands
that the Underwriters propose to make a public offering of their respective
portions of the Shares as soon as the Representative deems advisable after this
Agreement has been executed and delivered. The Fund and the
Investment Adviser each further understands that the Shares are to be offered to
the public initially at $[●] a share (the
“Public Offering
Price”), and to certain dealers selected by the Representative at a price
that represents a concession not in excess of $[●] a share under
the Public Offering Price.
5. Payment and
Delivery. Payment for the Firm Shares shall be made to the
Fund in Federal or other funds immediately available to a bank account
designated by the Fund against delivery of such Firm Shares for the respective
accounts of the several Underwriters at 10:00 A.M. (New York City time), on
____________ [●], 2010, or at
such other time on the same or such other date, not later than 10 business days
after the Closing Date, as shall be designated in writing by the
Representative. The time and date of such payment are herein referred
to as the “Closing
Date.”
Payment
for any Additional Shares shall be made to the Fund in Federal or other funds
immediately available to a bank account designated by the Fund against delivery
of such Additional Shares for the respective accounts of the several
Underwriters at 10:00 A.M. (New York City time), on the date specified in the
corresponding notice described in Section 3 or at such other time on the same or
on such other date, in any event not later than ________ [●], 2010, as shall
be designated in writing by the Representative. The time and date of
any such payment for Additional Shares are herein referred to as the “Option Closing
Date.”
The Firm
Shares and Additional Shares shall be registered in such names and in such
denominations as you shall request in writing not later than one full business
day prior to the Closing Date or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case
may be. The Firm Shares and Additional Shares shall be delivered to
you through the facilities of DTC on the Closing Date or an Option Closing Date,
as the case may be, for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters,
with any transfer taxes payable in connection with the transfer of the Shares to
the Underwriters duly paid, against payment of the Purchase Price
therefor.
16
6. Conditions to the Underwriters’
Obligations. The respective obligations of the Fund, the
Investment Adviser and the Administrator, and the several obligations of the
Underwriters, hereunder are subject to the condition that the Registration
Statement, including any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, has become
effective and at the Closing Date no stop order suspending the effectiveness of
the Registration Statement shall have been issued under the Securities Act and
no proceedings with respect thereto shall have been initiated or, to the Fund’s
knowledge, threatened by the Commission, and any request on the part of the
Commission for additional information shall have been complied with to the
reasonable satisfaction of counsel to the Underwriters. A prospectus
containing the Rule 430A Information shall have been filed with the Commission
in accordance with Rule 497 (or a post-effective amendment providing such
information shall have been filed and declared effective in accordance with the
requirements of Rule 430A under the Securities Act).
The
several obligations of the Underwriters are subject to the following further
conditions:
(a) Subsequent
to the execution and delivery of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date,
there shall not have occurred any change, or any development involving a
prospective change, in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the
earnings, business or operations of the Fund, the Investment Adviser or the
Administrator, from that set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus that, in the
Representative’s reasonable judgment, is material and adverse and that makes it,
in the Representative’s reasonable judgment, impracticable to market the Shares
on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Time of Sale
Prospectus.
(b) The
Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date a certificate, dated the
Closing Date and signed by an executive officer of the Fund, to the effect that
the representations and warranties of the Fund and contained in this Agreement
are true and correct as of the Closing Date and that the Fund has complied with
all of the agreements and satisfied all of the conditions on its part to be
performed or satisfied hereunder on or before the Closing Date. The
Underwriters shall also have received on the Closing Date a certificate, dated
the Closing Date and signed by an executive officer of the Investment Adviser,
to the effect that the representations and warranties of the Investment Adviser
and contained in this Agreement are true and correct as of the Closing Date and
that the Investment Adviser has complied with all of the agreements and
satisfied all of the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied
hereunder on or before the Closing Date. The Underwriters shall also
have received on the Closing Date a certificate, dated the Closing Date and
signed by an executive officer of the Administrator, to the effect that the
representations and warranties of the Administrator and contained in this
Agreement are true and correct as of the Closing Date and that the Administrator
has complied with all of the agreements and satisfied all of the conditions on
its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder on or before the Closing
Date.
17
Each
officer signing and delivering such a certificate may rely upon his or her
knowledge as to proceedings threatened.
(c) Each
of the Investment Adviser, the Administrator and the Fund shall have performed
all of their respective obligations to be performed hereunder on or prior to the
Closing Date.
(d) The
Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion and negative
assurance letter of Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx & Xxxxxxx LLP, counsel for the Fund,
the Investment Adviser and the Administrator, dated the Closing Date,
satisfactory to the Representative and counsel for the Underwriters in form and
substance, to the effect set forth in Exhibit A
hereto.
(e) The
Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date the favorable opinion of
Blank Rome LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, dated the Closing Date, and
covering such matters as the Underwriters shall reasonably request.
The
opinion of Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx & Xxxxxxx LLP described in Section 6(d) above
shall be rendered to the Underwriters at the request of the Fund, the Investment
Adviser and the Administrator, as applicable, and shall so state
therein. Such opinion shall include a statement to the effort that it
may be relied upon by counsel for the Underwriters as to the laws of the State
of Maryland in any opinion delivered to the Underwriters.
(f)
The
Underwriters shall have received, on each of the date hereof and the Closing
Date, a letter dated the date hereof or the Closing Date, as the case may be, in
form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters, from Xxxxxxxxx, Kass &
Co., P.C., independent registered public accountants, containing statements and
information of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to
underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial
information contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus
and the Prospectus, provided that the letter
delivered on the Closing Date shall use a “cut-off date” not earlier than the
date hereof.
(g) All
filings, applications and proceedings taken by the Fund, the Investment Adviser
and the Administrator in connection with the registration of the Shares under
the Securities Act and the applicable Rules and Regulations shall be
satisfactory in form and substance to you and counsel for the
Underwriters.
(h) No
action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation shall have been instituted or
threatened by the Commission which would adversely affect the Fund’s standing as
a business development company under the Investment Company Act or the standing
of the Investment Adviser as a registered investment adviser under the Advisers
Act.
(i)
The Shares shall
have been duly authorized for listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market, subject only
to official notice of issuance thereof.
(j)
Each
securityholder of the Fund named under the caption “Full Circle Portfolio
Acquisition – Subsequent Payment Obligation” of the Prospectus shall have
delivered to the Underwriters a certificate in form and substance reasonably
satisfactory to the Representative and counsel for the
Underwriters.
18
The
several obligations of the Underwriters to purchase Additional Shares hereunder
are subject to the delivery to you on the applicable Option Closing Date of such
documents as you may reasonably request with respect to the good standing of the
Fund, the Investment Adviser and the Administrator, the due authorization and
issuance of the Additional Shares to be sold on such Option Closing Date and
other matters related to the issuance of such Additional Shares, and officers’
certificates, opinions of Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx & Xxxxxxx L.L.P. to the effect
set forth above, and comfort letters of Xxxxxxxxx, Kass & Co., P.C. to the
effect set forth above, except that such certificates, opinions and comfort
letters shall be dated as of the applicable Option Closing Date and statements
and opinions above contemplated to be given as of the Closing Date shall instead
be made and given as of such Option Closing Date.
7. Covenants of the Fund, the
Investment Adviser and the Administrator. In further
consideration of the agreements of the Underwriters herein contained, the Fund
covenants and agrees, and the Investment Adviser and the Administrator, covenant
and agree with the Underwriters as follows:
(a) To
notify the Underwriters as soon as practicable, and confirm such notice in
writing, of the happening of any event during the period mentioned in Section
7(h) below which in the judgment of the Fund makes any statement in the
Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any Omitting Prospectus or
the Prospectus untrue in any material respect or which requires the making of
any change in or addition to the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale
Prospectus, any Omitting Prospectus or the Prospectus in order to make the
statements therein not misleading in any material respect. If at any
time the Commission shall issue any order suspending the effectiveness of the
Registration Statement, the Fund will use its best efforts to obtain the
withdrawal of such order at the earliest possible moment.
(b) To
furnish to the Representative in New York City, without charge, prior to 10:00
A.M. (New York City time) on the business day next succeeding the date of this
Agreement and during the period mentioned in Section 7(h) below, as many copies
of the Preliminary Prospectus, Prospectus and any supplements and amendments
thereto or to the Registration Statement as the Representative may reasonably
request.
(c) Before
amending or supplementing the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus
or the Prospectus, to furnish to the Representative a copy of each such proposed
amendment or supplement and not to file any such proposed amendment or
supplement to which you reasonably object, and to file with the Commission
within the applicable period specified in Rule 497 under the Securities Act any
prospectus required to be filed pursuant thereto.
(d) To
furnish to the Representative a copy of each proposed Omitting Prospectus to be
prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Fund and not to use
or refer to any proposed Omitting Prospectus to which the Representative
reasonably objects.
19
(e) If
the Time of Sale Prospectus is being used to solicit offers to buy the Shares at
a time when the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers and
any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which it is necessary to
amend or supplement the Time of Sale Prospectus in order to make the statements
therein, in the light of the circumstances, not misleading, or if any event
shall occur or condition exist as a result of which the Time of Sale Prospectus
materially conflicts with the information contained in the Registration
Statement then on file, or if, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters,
it is necessary to amend or supplement the Time of Sale Prospectus to comply
with applicable law, forthwith to prepare, file with the Commission and furnish,
at its own expense, to the Underwriters and to any dealer upon request, either
amendments or supplements to the Time of Sale Prospectus so that the statements
in the Time of Sale Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not, in the
light of the circumstances when delivered to a prospective purchaser, be
misleading or so that the Time of Sale Prospectus, as amended or supplemented,
will no longer materially conflict with the Registration Statement, or so that
the Time of Sale Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will comply with
applicable law, as applicable.
(f)
The Fund will use the net proceeds received by it from the sale of the
Shares in the manner specified in the Time of Sale Prospectus.
(g) The
Fund and the Investment Adviser will not take any action designed to cause or
result in the manipulation of the price of any security of the Fund to
facilitate the sale of Shares in violation of the Acts or the Exchange Act and
the applicable Rules and Regulations, or the securities or “blue sky” laws of
the various states and foreign jurisdictions in connection with the offer and
sale of Shares.
(h) If,
during such period after the first date of the public offering of the Shares as
in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters the Prospectus is required by law
to be delivered in connection with sales by an Underwriter or dealer, any event
shall occur or condition exist as a result of which it is necessary to amend or
supplement the Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in the light
of the circumstances when the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, not
misleading, or if, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters, it is
necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with applicable law,
forthwith to prepare, file with the Commission and furnish, at its own expense,
to the Underwriters and to the dealers (whose names and addresses you will
furnish to the Fund) to which Shares may have been sold by you on behalf of the
Underwriters and to any other dealers upon request, either amendments or
supplements to the Prospectus so that the statements in the Prospectus as so
amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances when the
Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, be misleading or so that the Prospectus,
as amended or supplemented, will comply with law, as applicable.
(i)
To endeavor to qualify the Shares for offer and sale under the securities
or “blue sky” laws of such jurisdictions as the Underwriters shall reasonably
request.
20
(j)
Whether or not the
transactions contemplated in this Agreement are consummated or this Agreement is
terminated, to pay or cause to be paid all expenses incident to the performance
of the obligations of the Fund and the Investment Adviser under this Agreement,
including: (i) the fees, disbursements and expenses of the Fund’s counsel and
the Fund’s accountants in connection with the registration and delivery of the
Shares under the Securities Act and all other fees or expenses in connection
with the preparation and filing of the Notification of Intent, the Notification
of Election, the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of
Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus, and any Omitting Prospectus prepared by or on
behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Fund and amendments and supplements to
any of the foregoing, including all printing costs associated therewith, and the
mailing and delivering of copies thereof to the Underwriters and dealers, in the
quantities hereinabove specified, (ii) all costs and expenses related to the
transfer and delivery of the Shares to the Underwriters, including any transfer
or other taxes payable thereon, (iii) the cost of printing or producing any
”blue sky” memorandum in connection with the offer and sale of the Shares under
state securities laws and all expenses in connection with the qualification of
the Shares for offer and sale under state securities laws as provided in Section
7(i) hereof, including filing fees and the reasonable fees and disbursements of
counsel for the Underwriters in connection with such qualification and in
connection with the Blue Sky memorandum, (iv) all filing fees and the reasonable
disbursements of counsel to the Underwriters incurred in connection with the
review and qualification of the offering of the Shares by the FINRA, (v) all
costs and expenses incident to listing the Shares on the Nasdaq Capital Market,
(vi) the cost of printing certificates representing the Shares, (vii) the costs
and charges of any transfer agent, registrar or depositary, (viii) the costs and
expenses of the Fund relating to investor presentations on any “road show”
undertaken in connection with the marketing of the offering of the Shares,
including, without limitation, expenses associated with the preparation or
dissemination of any electronic road show, expenses associated with production
of road show slides and graphics, the reasonable fees and expenses of any
consultants engaged in connection with the road show presentations with the
prior approval of the Fund, and the travel and lodging expenses of the
representatives and officers of the Fund and any such consultants, (ix) the
document production charges and expenses associated with printing this Agreement
and (x) all other costs and expenses incident to the performance of the
obligations of the Fund hereunder for which provision is not otherwise made in
this Section 8(j). It is understood, however, that except as provided
in this Section, Section 8 entitled “Indemnity and Contribution” and the last
paragraph of Section 10 below, the Underwriters will pay all of their costs and
expenses, including fees and disbursements of their counsel, stock transfer
taxes payable on resale of any of the Shares by them, the travel and
lodging expenses of the representatives of the Underwriters in connection with
any road show presentations, and any advertising expenses connected with any
offers they may make.
(k) At
the Applicable Time, the Fund will obtain for the benefit of the Underwriters,
the Lock-Up Agreements.
(l)
The Fund will comply with all applicable
securities and other applicable laws, rules and regulation, including, without
limitation, the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act, and will use reasonable efforts to cause the
Fund’s directors and officers, in their capabilities, as such, to comply with
such laws, rules and regulations, including, without limitation, the provisions
of Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act.
21
(m) The
Fund will use reasonable best efforts to maintain its status as a “business
development company” under the 1940 Act, provided, however, that the Fund may
change the nature of its business so as to cease to be, or withdraw its election
to be treated as, a business development company with the approval of its Board
of Directors and a vote of shareholders to the extent required by Xxxxxxx 00 xx
xxx 0000 Xxx.
(x) The
Fund will use reasonable best efforts to comply with the requirements of
Subchapter M of the Code to qualify as a regulated investment company under the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), with respect to any
fiscal year in which the Fund is a business development company.
(o) The
Fund, the Adviser and the Administrator will use their reasonable efforts to
perform all of the agreements required of them by this Agreement and discharge
all conditions of theirs to closing as set forth in this Agreement.
(p) Before
using, approving or referring to any Road Show Material, the Fund will furnish
to the Representative and counsel to the Underwriters a copy of such material
for review and will not make, prepare, use authorize, approve or refer to any
such material to which the Representative reasonably objects.
(q) As
soon as practicable, the Fund will make generally available to its security
holders and to the Representatives an earnings statement or statements of the
Fund which will satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Act and Rule 158
under the Act.
(r) The
Fund shall cause all Selling Securityholders to deliver a Selling Securityholder
Certificate on or prior to the Applicable Time.
8. Indemnity and
Contribution. (a) The Fund, the Investment Adviser
and the Administrator, jointly and severally, agree to indemnify and hold
harmless each Underwriter, each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter
within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of
the Exchange Act and each partner, director, officer, trustee, manager, member
and shareholder of any Underwriter within the meaning of Rule 405 under the
Securities Act (each, an “Underwriter Indemnified
Party”) from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and
liabilities (including, without limitation, any legal or other expenses
reasonably incurred in connection with defending or investigating any such
action or claim), caused by, arising out of, related to or based upon any untrue
statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the
Registration Statement or any amendment thereof, any preliminary prospectus, any
Omitting Prospectus, any Road Show Material, the Time of Sale Prospectus, or the
Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, or caused by any omission or
alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein
or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, except insofar as
such losses, claims, damages or liabilities are caused by any such untrue
statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission based upon written
information furnished to the Fund by the Representative on behalf of any
Underwriter expressly for use therein.
22
(b) Each
Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless
each of the Fund, the Investment Adviser and the Administrator, and each of
their respective partners, directors, trustees, managers, members and
shareholders (as the case may be), and each officer of the Fund who signs the
Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Fund, the
Investment Adviser and/or the Administrator within the meaning of either Section
15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act (each, a “Fund Indemnified Party”) to
the same extent as the foregoing indemnity from the Fund, the Investment Adviser
and the Administrator to such Underwriter, but only with reference to written
information relating to the Underwriters furnished to the Fund by the
Representative on behalf of any Underwriter expressly for use in the
Registration Statement, as originally filed with the Commission, or any
amendment thereof, any preliminary prospectus, any Omitting Prospectus, any Road
Show Material, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus or any amendment or
supplement thereto.
(c) In
case any proceeding (including any governmental investigation) shall be
instituted involving any person in respect of which indemnity may be sought
pursuant to Section 8(a) or 8(b), such person (the “indemnified party”) shall
promptly notify the person against whom such indemnity may be sought (the “indemnifying party”) in
writing and the indemnifying party, upon request of the indemnified party, shall
retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party to represent the
indemnified party and any others the indemnifying party may designate in such
proceeding and shall pay the fees and disbursements reasonably incurred of such
counsel related to such proceeding. In any such proceeding, any
indemnified party shall have the right to retain its own counsel, but the fees
and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such indemnified party
unless (i) the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have mutually
agreed to the retention of such counsel, (ii) the use of counsel chosen by the
indemnifying party to represent the indemnified party would present such counsel
with an actual conflict of interest, or (iii) the named parties to any such
proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the indemnifying party
and the indemnified party and the indemnified party shall have reasonably
concluded that there may be legal defenses available to it and/or other
indemnified parties which are different from or additional to those available to
the indemnifying party. It is understood that the indemnifying party
shall not, in respect of the legal expenses of any indemnified party in
connection with any proceeding or related proceedings in the same jurisdiction,
be liable for (i) the fees and expenses reasonably incurred of more than one
separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for all Underwriter Indemnified
Parties, collectively, and (ii) the fees and expenses reasonably incurred of
more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for all Fund
Indemnified Parties, collectively. In the case of any such separate
firm for the Underwriter Indemnified Parties, such firm shall be designated in
writing by the Representative. In the case of any such separate firm
for the Fund Indemnified Parties, such firm shall be designated in writing by
the Fund. The indemnifying party shall not be liable for any
settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent, but if
settled with such consent or if there is a final judgment for the plaintiff, the
indemnifying party agrees to indemnify the indemnified party from and against
any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or
judgment. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at any time an
indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the
indemnified party for the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel as
contemplated by the second and third sentences of this Section 8(c), the
indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of any
proceeding effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is
entered into more than 30 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the
aforesaid request, (ii) such indemnifying party shall have received notice of
the material terms of such settlement at least 30 days prior to such settlement
being entered into, and (ii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed
the indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such
settlement. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written
consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement of any pending or
threatened proceeding in respect of which any indemnified party is or could have
been a party and indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such indemnified
party, unless such settlement includes an unconditional release of such
indemnified party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of
such proceeding.
23
(d) To
the extent the indemnification provided for in Section 8(a) or 8(b) is
unavailable to an indemnified party or insufficient in respect of any losses,
claims, damages or liabilities referred to therein, then each indemnifying party
under such paragraph, in lieu of indemnifying such indemnified party thereunder,
shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a
result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (i) in such proportion as
is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Fund, the
Investment Adviser and/or the Administrator on the one hand and the Underwriters
on the other hand from the offering of the Shares or (ii) if the allocation
provided by clause 8(d)(i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such
proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred
to in clause 8(d)(i) above but also the relative fault of the Fund, the
Investment Adviser and/or the Administrator on the one hand and of the
Underwriters on the other hand in connection with the statements or omissions
that resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities, as well as any
other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits
received by the Fund, the Investment Adviser and/or the Administrator on the one
hand and the Underwriters on the other hand in connection with the offering of
the Shares shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the net
proceeds from the offering of the Shares (before deducting expenses) received by
the Fund and the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the
Underwriters, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover of the
Prospectus, bear to the aggregate Public Offering Price of the
Shares. The relative fault of the Fund, the Investment Adviser and/or
the Administrator on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand shall
be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged
untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state
a material fact relates to information supplied by the Fund, the Investment
Adviser or the Administrator or by the Underwriters and the parties’ relative
intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent
such statement or omission. The Underwriters’ respective obligations
to contribute pursuant to this Section 8 are several in proportion to the
respective number of Shares they have purchased hereunder, and not
joint.
24
(e) The
Fund, the Investment Adviser, the Administrator and the Underwriters agree that
it would not be just or equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 8
were determined by pro
rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for
such purpose) or by any other method of allocation that does not take account of
the equitable considerations referred to in Section 8(d). The amount
paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims,
damages and liabilities referred to in Section 8(d) shall be deemed to include,
subject to the limitations set forth above, any legal or other expenses
reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating
or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions
of this Section 8, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in
excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Shares underwritten
by it and distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the
amount of any damages that such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay
by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged
omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within
the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to
contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent
misrepresentation. The remedies provided for in this Section 8 are
not exclusive and shall not limit any rights or remedies which may otherwise be
available to any indemnified party at law or in equity.
(f)
The indemnity and contribution provisions contained in this
Section 8 and the representations, warranties and other statements of the Fund,
the Investment Adviser and the Administrator contained in this Agreement shall
remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i) any termination
of this Agreement, (ii) any investigation made by or on behalf of any
Underwriter Indemnified Party or by or on behalf of any Fund Indemnified Party
and (iii) acceptance of and payment for any of the Shares.
(g) No
party shall be entitled to indemnification under this Section 8 if such
indemnification of such party would violate Section 17(i) of the Investment
Company Act.
9. Termination. The
Underwriters may terminate this Agreement by notice given by the Representative
to the Fund, if after the execution and delivery of this Agreement and prior to
the Closing Date (i) trading generally shall have been suspended or materially
limited on, or by, as the case may be, any of the New York Stock Exchange, the
NYSE Amex LLC, the NASDAQ Stock Market, the Chicago Board of Options Exchange,
the Chicago Mercantile Exchange or the Chicago Board of Trade, (ii) trading of
any securities of the Fund shall have been suspended on any exchange or in any
over-the-counter market, (iii) a material disruption in securities settlement,
payment or clearance services in the United States shall have occurred, (iv) any
moratorium on commercial banking activities shall have been declared by Federal
or New York State authorities or (v) there shall have occurred any outbreak or
escalation of hostilities, or any change in financial markets or any calamity or
crisis that, in the Representative’s judgment, is material and adverse and
which, singly or together with any other event specified in this clause (v),
makes it, in your judgment, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the
offer, sale or delivery of the Shares on the terms and in the manner
contemplated in the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus.
10. Effectiveness; Defaulting
Underwriters. This Agreement shall become effective upon the
execution and delivery hereof by the parties hereto.
25
If, on
the Closing Date or an Option Closing Date, as the case may be, any one or more
of the Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Shares that it has or they
have agreed to purchase hereunder on such date, and the aggregate number of
Shares which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or
refused to purchase is not more than one-tenth of the aggregate number of the
Shares to be purchased on such date, the other Underwriters shall be obligated
severally in the proportions that the number of Firm Shares set forth opposite
their respective names in Schedule I bears to
the aggregate number of Firm Shares set forth opposite the names of all such
non-defaulting Underwriters, or in such other proportions as you may specify, to
purchase the Shares which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but
failed or refused to purchase on such date; provided that in no event shall the
number of Shares that any Underwriter has agreed to purchase pursuant to this
Agreement be increased pursuant to this Section 10 by an amount in excess of
one-ninth of such number of Shares without the written consent of such
Underwriter. If, on the Closing Date, any Underwriter or Underwriters
shall fail or refuse to purchase Firm Shares and the aggregate number of Firm
Shares with respect to which such default occurs is more than one-tenth of the
aggregate number of Firm Shares to be purchased on such date, and arrangements
satisfactory to the Representative and the Fund for the purchase of such Firm
Shares are not made within 36 hours after such default, this Agreement shall
terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting
Underwriter. In any such case either the Representative or the Fund
shall have the right to postpone the Closing Date, but in no event for longer
than seven days, in order that the required changes, if any, in the Registration
Statement, in the Time of Sale Prospectus, in the Prospectus or in any other
documents or arrangements may be affected. If, on an Option Closing
Date, any Underwriter or Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase
Additional Shares and the aggregate number of Additional Shares with respect to
which such default occurs is more than one-tenth of the aggregate number of
Additional Shares to be purchased on such Option Closing Date, the
non-defaulting Underwriters shall have the option to (i) terminate their
obligation hereunder to purchase the Additional Shares to be sold on such Option
Closing Date or (ii) purchase not less than the number of Additional Shares that
such non-defaulting Underwriters would have been obligated to purchase in the
absence of such default. Any action taken under this paragraph shall
not relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of any default
of such Underwriter under this Agreement.
If this
Agreement shall be terminated by the Underwriters because of any failure or
refusal on the part of the Fund, the Investment Adviser or the Administrator to
comply with the terms or to fulfill any of the conditions of this Agreement, or
if for any reason the Fund, the Investment Adviser or the Administrator shall be
unable to perform its obligations under this Agreement, the Fund, the Investment
Adviser and the Administrator, jointly and severally, will reimburse the
Underwriters, severally, for all out-of-pocket accountable expenses (including
the reasonable fees and disbursements of their counsel) actually incurred by the
Underwriters in connection with this Agreement or the offering contemplated
hereunder.
11. Entire
Agreement. (a) This Agreement supersedes all prior
agreements and understandings (whether written or oral) between and among the
Fund, the Investment Adviser, the Administrator and the Underwriters, or any of
them, with respect to the subject matter hereof.
(b) The
Fund, the Investment Adviser and the Administrator acknowledge that in
connection with the offering of the Shares: (i) the Underwriters have acted at
arms length, are not agents of, and owe no fiduciary duties to, the Fund, the
Investment Adviser, the Administrator or any other person, (ii) the Underwriters
owe the Fund, the Investment Adviser and the Administrator only those duties and
obligations set forth in this Agreement and prior written agreements (to the
extent not superseded by this Agreement), if any, and (iii) the Underwriters may
have interests that differ from those of the Fund, the Investment Adviser and
the Administrator. Each of the Fund, the Investment Adviser and the
Administrator agree that it will not claim that the Underwriters owe an agency,
fiduciary or similar duty to the Fund, the Investment Adviser or the
Administrator in connection with offer or sale of the Shares or the process
leading thereto.
26
12. Counterparts. This
Agreement may be signed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be an
original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon
the same instrument.
13. Applicable
Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in
accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York applicable to
contracts made and to be performed within the State of New York.
14. Headings. The
headings of the sections of this Agreement have been inserted for convenience of
reference only and shall not be deemed a part of this Agreement.
15. Notices. All
communications hereunder shall be in writing and effective only upon receipt and
(A) if to the Underwriters, shall be sufficient in all respects if delivered,
mailed or sent to the Representative in care of Ladenburg Xxxxxxxx & Co.
Inc., 000 Xxxxxxx, 0xx Xxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000, Attention: Equity
Syndicate Desk (facsimile no. (xxx) xxx-xxxx), with a copy to the Legal
Department; and (B) if to the Fund, the Investment Adviser or the Administrator,
shall be sufficient in all respects if delivered, mailed or sent to the Fund,
the Investment Adviser or the Administrator, as applicable, at the offices of
the Fund at 000 Xxxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx X-000, Xxx Xxxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000,
Attention: Xxxx X. Xxxxxx (facsimile no. (xxx) xxx-xxxx), with a copy to
Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx & Xxxxxxx, LLP, 0000 Xxxxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, XX, Xxxxxxxxxx,
XX 00000, Attention: Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx (facsimile no. (000)
000-0000).
[Signature page
follows.]
27
Very
truly yours,
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FULL
CIRCLE CAPITAL CORPORATION
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By:
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||
Title:
|
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FULL
CIRCLE ADVISORS, LLC
|
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By:
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||
Title:
|
||
FULL
CIRCLE SERVICE COMPANY, LLC
|
||
By:
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Title:
|
Accepted
as of the date hereof
Ladenburg
Xxxxxxxx & Co. Inc.
Acting on
behalf of itself and
the
several Underwriters named in
Schedule
I hereto
By:
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Ladenburg
Xxxxxxxx & Co. Inc.
|
By:
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Name:
|
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Title:
|
IV