PRIVATE PLACEMENT AGENT AGREEMENT
Exhibit
H
AGREEMENT
made as of the ___ day of ______ 2009, by and between Partners Group Private Equity,
LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Fund”) and Foreside Fund Services, LLC, a Delaware
limited liability company, with its principal office and place of business at Three Xxxxx Xxxxx,
Xxxxxxxx, Xxxxx 00000 (“Foreside” or the “Placement Agent”).
WHEREAS, units in the Fund (“Units”) have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933
(as amended, the “Act”) and it is intended that Units shall not be required to be registered under
the Act by virtue of the exemption afforded by Section 4(2) thereof and Rule 506 under Regulation D
thereunder;
WHEREAS, the Fund has been registered as a closed-end management investment company under the
Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”);
WHEREAS, Partners Group (USA) Inc. (the “Investment Adviser”) serves as investment adviser to
Partners Group Private Equity (Master Fund), LLC (the “Master Fund”);
WHEREAS, investments in the Fund will be made upon the terms and subject to the conditions set
forth in the Private Placement Memorandum of the Fund (as amended from time to time, the “Offering
Memorandum”);
WHEREAS, the Fund desires to retain Foreside to advise, consult with and assist the Fund with
the private placement of Units; and
WHEREAS, this Agreement sets forth the terms and conditions upon which Foreside will serve as
private placement agent for the Fund;
NOW, THEREFORE, for and in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements contained
herein, the parties agree as follows:
SECTION 1. OFFERING OF UNITS; FORESIDE’S DUTIES
(a) Foreside is hereby authorized, as the Fund’s private placement agent to sell the Units
during the term of this Agreement and subject to the rules and regulations of the Securities and
Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and the laws governing the sale of securities in the various states
(the “Blue Sky Laws”). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, only officers
or employees of the Investment Adviser shall solicit potential investors, distribute marketing
materials, subscription and other materials to potential investors, or otherwise service or assist
in the offering of the Units during the term of this Agreement. The Placement Agent shall use
commercially reasonable efforts to identify U.S.-domiciled “Institutional Investors” (as defined in
Section 2211(a)(3) of the Rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”)) and
certain qualified investors, who are “U.S. Persons” (as defined in Rule 902(k) under the Act),
“accredited investors” (as defined in Rule 501(a) under the Act), and meet other eligibility
standards set forth in the Offering Memorandum, as amended or supplemented from time to time
(investors meeting all of the foregoing qualifications, “Eligible Investors”). The provisions of
this paragraph do not obligate Foreside to register as a
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broker or dealer under the Blue Sky Laws of any jurisdiction when it determines it would be
uneconomical for it to do so or to maintain its registration in any jurisdiction in which it is now
registered or obligate Foreside to sell any particular number of Units.
(b) Subject to applicable law and as requested by the Fund, the Placement Agent shall enter
into agreements (“Sub-Placement Agent Agreements”) with financial intermediaries (each a “Financial
Intermediary” and collectively, “Financial Intermediaries”).
(c) The Placement Agent shall devote such time and personnel as it, in its discretion, deems
appropriate, and shall not be required to devote any minimum amount of time or personnel, or raise
any minimum amount of funds, in connection with its services hereunder.
(d) The Placement Agent agrees to review all proposed advertising materials and sales
literature for compliance with applicable laws and regulations, and, if required by law and/or
regulation, shall file with appropriate regulators such advertising materials and sales literature.
The Placement Agent agrees to furnish to the Client any comments provided by regulators with
respect to such materials.
(e) This Agreement shall not be deemed to restrict or limit the ability of the Placement Agent
and its affiliates to provide other services to the Fund or its affiliates or to receive
compensation for such services.
(f) All subscriptions for Units obtained by Foreside shall be directed to the Fund for
acceptance and shall not be binding on the Fund until accepted by it. The Fund shall have the
right to accept or reject any subscription in accordance with the terms of its governing documents
and its Offering Memorandum. The Fund shall give notice of such determination to the individual
subscriber and the Placement Agent. No interest will be paid to subscribers on rejected
subscriptions.
(g) The Placement Agent shall be held harmless and shall incur no liability whatsoever in the
event that the purchase of Units under such subscription is not consummated due to any action or
omission of the subscriber, the Fund, or any other reason other than the willful misfeasance, bad
faith or gross negligence of the Placement Agent. The Placement Agent shall not have any
obligation to purchase any of the Units as principal under any circumstances.
(h) Foreside is authorized to rely, without investigation, on any representation,
certification, averment or other statement made by the Fund, the Investment Adviser, a Financial
Intermediary selected by the Investment Adviser and/or the applicable investor in or in connection
with any request for a Subscription Agreement (or similar document) or otherwise in connection with
a subscription for Units, including (without limitation) with respect to (i) whether the
prospective investor is qualified and eligible to invest in the Fund, (ii) whether any entity
acting as an “underwriter” (as such term is defined in the Act) for the Fund, including any
Financial Intermediary, has a pre-existing relationship with such prospective investor, and (iii)
whether the prospective investor is purchasing the Units with the intention not to re-sell such
Units. Foreside agrees that it will not conduct, and will not authorize or permit its registered
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representatives to conduct, a general solicitation or general advertising (as such terms are
defined in Regulation D) with respect to the Units.
(i) The activities that are conducted by Foreside with respect to the Fund shall be undertaken
only in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth in the Offering Memorandum, applicable
laws and regulations, and the terms of this Agreement. Each prospective Eligible Investor will be
required to execute and deliver a Subscription Agreement to the Fund in connection with their
initial subscription for Units. The Fund shall furnish copies of the Offering Memorandum and the
Subscription Agreement to Foreside under separate cover and further additional copies will be sent
to Foreside in reasonable quantities upon Foreside’s request. Foreside shall have no obligation to
engage in any activities under this Agreement until final copies of the Offering Memorandum are
delivered and approved by Foreside, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed.
(j) Foreside and its registered representatives shall offer the Units only to Eligible
Investors, and Foreside agrees not to offer any Units, or enter any arrangement regarding the
purchase of any Units in any jurisdiction in which the Fund is not permitted to offer its Units,
provided that the Fund or the Investment Adviser has provided Foreside in advance with a list of
jurisdictions in which such offering may not be made.
SECTION 2. COMPLIANCE WITH APPLICABLE SECURITIES LAWS
(a) With respect to their respective activities under this Agreement, Foreside and the Fund
each agree that it will comply with the applicable requirements of (i) the Act (including
Regulation D), (ii) the 1940 Act, (iii) the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934
Act”) (including all regulations, rules and releases under all such statutes), (iv) the Blue Sky
Laws of the state or jurisdiction in which such sale is made and (v) with respect to Foreside, with
all applicable rules and regulations of FINRA. In connection with the foregoing, Foreside agrees
to comply with such procedures as may be necessary in order that no act or omission to act by
Foreside in connection with the Fund’s offering of Units shall cause to become unavailable the
exemption from registration of the Units under the Act provided by Section 4(2) thereof and Rule
506 of Regulation D thereunder.
Neither Foreside nor its registered representatives will give any information or make any
representation other than those contained in (i) the Offering Memorandum or (ii) any sales
literature, performance reports, financial statements and other written materials provided by or on
behalf of the Fund in connection with the placement of Units (all such materials except the
Offering Memorandum being collectively referred to as “Related Offering Materials”).
(b) Units in the Fund will be offered on a private placement basis to Eligible Investors only.
Neither the Fund nor any person acting on its behalf, shall offer or sell Units by any form of
general solicitation or general advertising, including, without limitation, the methods described
in Rule 502(c) of Regulation D under the Act.
(c) The Fund shall prepare the Offering Memorandum and the application for Units to be used in
connection with all subscriptions (the “Subscription Application”). During the
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continuous offering, the Fund will deliver to the Placement Agent, without charge, at its
principal place of business, as many copies of the foregoing documents as the Placement Agent may
reasonably request.
(d) The Fund shall extend to prospective investors an opportunity, prior to purchase of any
Units, to ask questions and receive answers concerning the Fund and the terms and conditions of the
offering, and to obtain such additional information as the prospective investor may consider
necessary in making an informed investment decision.
(e) The Placement Agent may rely upon advice given by the Fund and the Fund’s counsel, from
time to time, as to the legality of, and any restrictions placed on, the offer or sale of Units in
jurisdictions where Units are or may be offered. Subject to the foregoing and other provisions of
this Agreement, the Placement Agent is responsible for complying with all applicable U.S. federal
and state laws, rules and regulations directly applicable to the Placement Agent in offering and
selling Units in any U.S. jurisdiction, including applicable rules of the FINRA.
(f) The Fund agrees that no Units shall be offered in any jurisdiction outside of the United
States (a “Foreign Jurisdiction”) unless
(i) The Fund obtains prior written approval from Foreside.
(ii) The Fund notifies Foreside in writing of any contemplated offering in a Foreign
Jurisdiction, in each case setting forth the following information: (A) name of the Fund;
(B) the applicable Foreign Jurisdiction; (C) whether, and, if so, with which regulatory
authorities the Fund may need to be registered; (D) to whom Units in the Fund are proposed
to be offered; (E) the location(s) from which the offering activities are proposed to be
conducted and the scope of such activities; (F) whether the Fund will be offered or sold to
investors or intended investors through agents that are licensed to do the same in the
applicable Foreign Jurisdiction; and (G) such other information, including legal analysis,
as Foreside may reasonably deem relevant.
(iii) The Fund shall certify to Foreside that, based on the activity of registered
representatives employed by the Investment Adviser in the applicable foreign jurisdiction,
the Fund has taken all necessary action to comply with the laws and regulations of such
foreign jurisdiction (“Foreign Laws and Regulations”) to offer and sell its Units in the
applicable foreign jurisdiction including registration of such Units, if required. The Fund
must also provide Foreside with written confirmation from outside counsel stating that,
provided that Fund has complied with the applicable Foreign Laws and Regulations, such
Foreign Laws and Regulations do not require registration or any other action by Foreside
with respect to that foreign jurisdiction.
(iv) Foreside reserves the right to restrict or prohibit any offering in a Foreign
Jurisdiction as Foreside reasonably deems necessary, in consultation with the Fund, to
comply with applicable law.
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(v) The Fund represents that it has in place policies and procedures to comply with the
laws, rules and regulations of any Foreign Jurisdiction governing private offerings of the
Fund.
SECTION 3. STATE BLUE SKY QUALIFICATION
The Fund will be responsible for ensuring that any notices or filings, that are necessary for
the purposes of achieving an exemption from registration of the Units under the Blue Sky Laws as
may be applicable in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, are made,
including the filing of documents with the SEC and relevant states. The Fund will furnish any
required consent to service of process in connection therewith.
The Fund or the Investment Adviser shall advise Foreside from time to time concerning the
states and other jurisdictions in which solicitations of Eligible Investors by or on behalf of the
Fund may be made under the applicable Blue Sky Laws. Upon request by Foreside, the Fund or the
Investment Adviser shall provide evidence of qualification of Units in each applicable state or
jurisdiction. The Fund shall ensure that any individual who solicits Eligible Investors in the
Fund is either (i) registered with Foreside or (ii) otherwise appropriately licensed or registered
in the appropriate jurisdictions before any solicitation is made in such jurisdiction.
SECTION 4. INDEPENDENT AGENT
In performing its duties hereunder, Foreside shall be regarded as an independent agent.
Except as specifically contemplated by Section 1(b) of this Agreement, Foreside shall not have any
right or authority to create any obligations of any kind on behalf of either the Fund or the
Investment Adviser and shall make no representation to any third party to the contrary. Foreside
may provide services similar to those provided under this Agreement for any other person or entity
on such terms as may be arranged with such person or entity, and Foreside shall not be required to
disclose to the Fund or the Investment Adviser any fact or thing that may come to the knowledge of
Foreside in the course of so doing.
SECTION 5. CONFIDENTIALITY
(a) Foreside agrees to treat all records and other information related to the Fund (including
but not limited to that described in Section 5(b) below) as proprietary information of the Fund
and, on behalf of itself and its employees, to keep confidential all such information, except that,
to the extent consistent with applicable law and regulation, Foreside may (i) provide information
to Foreside’s counsel and to persons engaged by the Fund or the Investment Adviser to provide
services with respect to the Fund; (ii) identify, if approved in writing by the Investment Adviser,
the Investment Adviser as a client of Foreside for Foreside’s sales and marketing purposes; and
(iii) release information as approved in writing by the Fund or its authorized agents,
provided, however, that Foreside may release information without such approval if
such information is requested pursuant to, or required by, law, regulation, legal process or
regulatory authority; provided, further, however, that, in such
event, Foreside shall endeavor promptly to advise the Fund of such request or requirement, to the
extent practicable in advance of any actual release of information.
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(b) Without limitation of the obligations of Foreside under Section 5(a) above, Foreside
acknowledges that any Unitholder list and all information related to investors or prospective
investors furnished to or assembled by Foreside in connection with this Agreement constitutes
proprietary information of substantial value to the Fund and the Investment Adviser. Foreside
agrees to treat, and to require its employees to treat, all such information as proprietary to the
Fund and the Investment Adviser and further agrees that it shall not divulge any such information
to any person or organization except as may be directed in writing by the Fund.
(c) Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, for purposes of this
Section 5 the following information shall not be deemed confidential information: (i) information
that was known to Foreside before receipt thereof from or on behalf of the Fund; (ii) information
that is disclosed to Foreside by a third person whom Foreside reasonably believes has a right to
make such disclosure without any obligation of confidentiality to the Fund; (iii) information that
becomes generally available to the public without violation of this Agreement by Foreside; or (iv)
information that is independently developed by Foreside, or those of its employees or affiliates to
whom such information was not disclosed, and without reference to the Fund’s information.
SECTION 6. TERMINATION
(a) This Agreement shall become effective as of the date first set forth above and shall
remain in effect until the second anniversary thereof. Thereafter, this Agreement shall continue
in effect from year to year, provided that each such continuance is approved by the Board of
Managers, including the vote of a majority of the Board of Managers who are not “interested
persons,” as defined by the 1940 Act and the rules thereunder, of the Fund.
(b) After this Agreement is effective, any party may terminate it (with or without cause) by
at least thirty (30) days’ advance written notice to the other parties. Without limiting the
generality of the foregoing, Foreside’s exclusion from or suspension by FINRA will automatically
terminate this Agreement without notice. The provisions of Sections 5, 9, 10 and 11 shall survive
any termination of this Agreement. This Agreement shall terminate automatically in the event of its
“assignment” as such term is defined by the 1940 Act and the rules thereunder.
SECTION
7. REPRESENTATIONS OF FORESIDE
Foreside represents and warrants to the Fund that:
(a) It is a limited liability company duly organized and existing and in good standing under
the laws of the State of Delaware and it is duly qualified to carry on its business in the State of
Maine;
(b) It is empowered under applicable laws and by its organizational documents to enter into
this Agreement and perform its duties under this Agreement;
(c) All requisite limited liability company actions have been taken to authorize it to enter
into and perform this Agreement;
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(d) It has and will continue to have access to the necessary facilities, equipment and
personnel to perform its duties and obligations under this Agreement;
(e) This Agreement, when executed and delivered, will constitute a legal, valid and binding
obligation of Foreside, enforceable against Foreside in accordance with its terms, subject to
bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general application affecting
the rights and remedies of creditors and secured parties; and
(f) It is registered under the 1934 Act with the SEC as a broker-dealer, it is a member in
good standing of FINRA, it will abide by all applicable laws, rules and regulations, including
without limitation the rules and regulations of FINRA and the SEC, and it will immediately notify
the Fund if any regulatory actions are instituted against it by the SEC, any state or FINRA, or its
membership in FINRA or registration in any state is terminated or suspended. It is registered
pursuant to the Blue Sky Laws of all States and territories of the United States to the extent
necessary to permit it to offer Units in all such States and territories.
SECTION 8. DUTIES AND REPRESENTATIONS OF THE FUND
(a) The Fund shall furnish to Foreside copies of the Offering Memorandum, the Subscription
Agreement, and supplements or amendments thereto, and all financial statements and other documents
to be delivered to Unitholders or investors at least three business days prior to such delivery and
shall otherwise cooperate with reasonable requests for documents or other information by Foreside
in connection with its activities hereunder. The Fund shall make available to Foreside the number
of copies of such materials as Foreside shall reasonably request. The Fund recognizes and confirms
that in performing the services contemplated by this Agreement, Foreside does not assume
responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of the documents described herein, and Foreside
will not make an appraisal of any of the assets owned or managed by the Fund or the Investment
Adviser.
(b) The Fund represents and warrants to Foreside that:
(i) It is organized and existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of
its organization;
(ii) It is empowered under applicable laws and by its organizational documents to enter into
and perform this Agreement;
(iii) All proceedings required by its organizational documents have been taken to authorize
it to enter into and perform its duties under this Agreement;
(iv) Pursuant to its organizational documents, the Fund is authorized to issue an unlimited
number of Units in the Fund. The liability of each holder of Units in the Fund for the
losses, debts and obligations of the Fund, whether arising in contract, tort or otherwise,
shall generally be limited to the holder’s capital contribution to the Fund.
(v) This Agreement, when executed and delivered, will constitute a legal, valid and binding
obligation of the Fund, enforceable against the Fund in accordance with its terms,
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subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general
application affecting the rights and remedies of creditors and secured parties;
(vi) The Units have not been and will not be registered under the Act or the Blue Sky Laws
of any state of the United States or any other jurisdiction. The Units have been authorized
for sale as contemplated by the Offering Memorandum. Once payment is received, the Units
issued will conform to the description contained in the Offering Memorandum, as amended or
supplemented. The offer and sale of the Units in the manner contemplated by this Agreement
and the Offering Memorandum will be exempt from the registration requirements of the Act
pursuant to Section 4(2) thereof and Regulation D thereunder. All statements of fact
contained or to be contained in the Offering Memorandum are or will be true and correct in
all material respects at the time indicated and the Offering Memorandum will not at any time
include 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 to a purchaser
of Units;
(vii) The Fund has policies, procedures and internal controls in place that are reasonably
designed to comply with anti-money laundering laws and regulations, including a customer
identification program, and the regulations administered by the U.S. Department of the
Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control;
(viii) The Units will not be offered in jurisdictions outside of the United States, except
as permitted under Section 2(f) of this Agreement; and
(ix) The Units will be offered and sold only to Eligible Investors.
(c) The Fund shall, at its expense, amend or supplement the Offering Memorandum if, at any
time, an amendment or supplement is necessary to comply with applicable laws, or is necessary to
correct any materially untrue statement in the Offering Memorandum or to eliminate any material
omission therein or any omission therein which makes any of the statements therein materially
misleading. The Fund shall notify Foreside promptly (i) upon discovery of any untrue statement of a
material fact in the Offering Memorandum or an omission to state therein a material fact required
or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and/or (ii) of the occurrence of any
event or change in circumstances, of which the Fund is aware or should be aware, that results in
the Offering Memorandum containing an untrue statement of a material fact or omitting to state
therein a material fact required or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.
The Fund shall not amend the Offering Memorandum without giving Foreside notice reasonably in
advance of its effectiveness; provided, however, that nothing contained in this
Agreement shall, in any way limit the Fund’s right to amend the Offering Memorandum as the Fund may
deem advisable.
(d) The Fund shall advise Foreside promptly: (i) of any request by the SEC or any state
securities examiner for amendments to the Offering Memorandum or for additional information related
to the Fund; (ii) in the event of the issuance by the SEC or any state securities examiner of any
stop order suspending the use of the Offering Memorandum or the
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initiation of any proceedings for that purpose; (iii) of the happening of any material event,
of which the Fund is aware or should be aware, that makes untrue any statement made in the Fund’s
then current Offering Memorandum or which requires the making of a change in such document(s) in
order to make the statements therein not misleading; (iv) of all action of the SEC or any state
securities examiner with respect to any amendments to the Fund; and (v) any litigation or written
threat of litigation, of which the Fund is aware or should be aware, by any person relating to the
offering of Units.
(e) Subject to the duties assigned to Foreside under this Agreement, the Fund shall bear full
responsibility for conducting its operations and affairs (including the preparation of the Fund’s
governing documents, the Offering Memorandum, the Subscription Application, and all Related
Offering Materials) in compliance with applicable laws, including (i) those governing the private
placement of Units in accordance with Regulation D under the Act; (ii) the 1940 Act, and rules
thereunder, (iii) any relevant provisions of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the
“Advisers Act”) and the rules thereunder, and (iv) other applicable laws, rules and exemptions,
such as (if applicable) Rule 4.5 under the Commodity Exchange Act, as amended. All restrictions
relevant to the offering of Units as may be necessary or appropriate in light of the foregoing at
any time shall be set forth in the most recent version of the Offering Memorandum provided to
Foreside by the Fund.
(f) Except as otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement, Foreside shall be under no duty
to comply with or take any action as a result of any amendment to the Fund’s governing documents,
the Offering Memorandum, the Subscription Application, any Related Offering Materials or any Fund
policy. No such amendment that is materially adverse to or imposes materially different or
additional duties upon the Placement Agent may be made unless Foreside expressly consents thereto
in advance in writing. The Fund will submit to Foreside for approval prior to use, the Offering
Memorandum, any amendment or supplement thereto, and any other Related Offering Materials or
documents distributed to Fund investors or potential investors (whether or not as part of the
Placement) in which Foreside is mentioned.
SECTION 9. STANDARD OF CARE
(a) Foreside shall be under no duty to take any action under this Agreement except as
specifically set forth herein or as may be specifically agreed to by Foreside in a written
amendment to this Agreement.
(b) Neither Foreside nor any other Foreside Indemnitee (as defined in Section 10) shall be
liable for any action taken or for any failure to take an action based on reasonable reliance upon:
(i) the written instructions of the Fund (including an officer of the Fund), or of counsel
to the Fund; for purposes of this clause, procedures adopted by Foreside related to the
implementation by Foreside of its obligations hereunder and the other activities
contemplated to be taken by Foreside hereunder (acting individually or through its
registered representatives) that have been reviewed and approved by the Fund or counsel to
the Fund shall be deemed to be written instructions of the Fund or counsel to the Fund;
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(ii) any written instruction or certified copy of any resolution of the Board of directors,
trustees or managers of the Investment Adviser or the Fund, and Foreside may rely upon the
genuineness of any such document or copy thereof reasonably believed by Foreside to have
been validly executed; or
(iii) any signature, instruction, request, letter of transmittal, certificate, opinion of
counsel, statement, instrument, report, notice, consent, order, or other document reasonably
believed by Foreside to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the Investment
Adviser or the Fund or other proper party or parties;
and Foreside shall not be under any duty or obligation to inquire into the validity or invalidity
or authority or lack thereof of any statement, written instruction, resolution, signature, request,
letter of transmittal, certificate, opinion of counsel, instrument, report, notice, consent, order,
or any other document or instrument which Foreside reasonably believes to be genuine.
(c) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, Foreside shall be liable to
the Fund and any of the Fund’s Unitholders only for any damages arising out of Foreside’s failure
to perform its duties under this Agreement to the extent such damages were caused by Foreside’s
willful misfeasance, gross negligence or reckless disregard in the performance of such duties.
(d) Foreside shall not be liable for the delays or errors of other service providers to the
Fund, including the failure by any such service provider to provide information to Foreside when
they have a duty to do so (irrespective of whether that duty is owed specifically to Foreside or a
third party).
SECTION 10. INDEMNIFICATION
(a) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, Foreside shall not be
responsible for, and the Fund will indemnify, defend and hold Foreside, its employees, agents,
directors and officers and any person who controls Foreside within the meaning of section 15 of the
Act or section 20 of the 1934 Act (the “Foreside Indemnitees”) free and harmless from and against
any and all claims, demands, actions, suits, judgments, liabilities, losses, damages, costs,
charges, reasonable counsel fees and other expenses of every nature and character (including the
cost of investigating or defending such claims, demands, actions, suits or liabilities and any
reasonable counsel fees incurred in connection therewith) that any Foreside Indemnitee may incur,
under the Act, the 1940 Act, the 1934 Act or under common law or otherwise, arising out of or based
upon (collectively, “Foreside Claims”):
(i) any material action (or omission to act) of Foreside or its agents taken in connection
with this Agreement; provided that such action (or omission to act) is taken without
willful misfeasance, gross negligence or reckless disregard by Foreside of its duties and
obligations under this Agreement;
(ii) any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Offering
Memorandum or Related Offering Materials or any omission or alleged omission to state a
material fact required to be stated in the Offering Memorandum or Related Offering Materials
or necessary to make the statements in any the Offering Memorandum or
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Related Offering Materials not misleading, unless such statement or omission was made in
reliance upon, and in conformity with, information furnished in writing to the Fund in
connection with the preparation of such Fund’s Offering Memorandum or Related Offering
Materials by or on behalf of Foreside;
(iii) any material breach of the agreements, representations, warranties and covenants by
the Fund and the Investment Adviser in this Agreement; or
(iv) the reliance on or use by Foreside or its agents or subcontractors of information,
records, documents or services which have been prepared, maintained or performed by the Fund
or the Investment Adviser.
(b) The Fund may assume the defense of any suit brought to enforce any Foreside Claim and may
retain counsel of good standing chosen by such Fund and approved by the relevant Foreside
Indemnitee(s), which approval shall not be withheld unreasonably. The Fund shall advise the
Foreside Indemnitee(s) that it will assume the defense of the suit and retains counsel within ten
(10) days of receipt of the notice of the claim. If the Fund assumes the defense of any such suit
and retain counsel, the Foreside Indemnitee(s) shall bear the fees and expenses of any additional
counsel that they retain. If the Fund does not assume the defense of any such suit, or if the
Foreside Indemnitee(s) does not approve of counsel chosen by the Fund or has been advised that it
may have available defenses or claims that are not available to or conflict with those available to
the Fund, the Fund will reimburse any Foreside Indemnitee named as defendant in such suit for the
reasonable fees and expenses of any counsel that person retains. A Foreside Indemnitee shall not
settle or confess any claim without the prior written consent of the Fund, which consent shall not
be unreasonably withheld or delayed.
(c) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, the Fund shall not be
responsible for, and Foreside will indemnify, defend, and hold the Fund and its officers and
directors (collectively, the “Fund Indemnitees”), free and harmless from and against any and all
claims, demands, actions, suits, judgments, liabilities, losses, damages, costs, charges,
reasonable counsel fees and other expenses of every nature and character (including the cost of
investigating or defending such claims, demands, actions, suits or liabilities and any reasonable
counsel fees incurred in connection therewith) that any Fund Indemnitee may incur, under the Act,
the 1940 Act, the 1934 Act or under common law or otherwise, but only to the extent that such
claims, demands, actions, suits, judgments, liabilities, losses, damages, costs, charges,
reasonable counsel fees and other expenses result from, arise out of or are based upon
(collectively, “Fund Claims”):
(i) any material action (or omission to act) of Foreside or its agents taken in connection
with this Agreement; provided that such action (or omission to act) is the result of
willful misfeasance, gross negligence or reckless disregard by Foreside of its duties and
obligations under this Agreement;
(ii) any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Offering
Memorandum or Related Offering Materials or any omission or alleged omission to state a
material fact required to be stated in the Offering Memorandum or Related Offering Materials
or necessary to make the statements in any the Offering Memorandum or
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Related Offering Materials not misleading, if such statement or omission was made in
reliance upon, and in conformity with, information furnished to the Fund in writing by or on
behalf of Foreside in connection with the preparation of the Offering Memorandum or Related
Offering Materials; or
(iii) any material breach of the agreements, representations, warranties and covenants by
Foreside in this Agreement.
(d) Foreside may assume the defense of any suit brought to enforce any Fund Claim and may
retain counsel of good standing chosen by Foreside and approved by the relevant Fund Indemnitee(s),
which approval shall not be withheld unreasonably. Foreside shall advise the Fund Indemnitee(s)
that it will assume the defense of the suit and retain counsel within ten (10) days of receipt of
the notice of the claim. If Foreside assumes the defense of any such suit and retains counsel, the
Fund Indemnitee(s) shall bear the fees and expenses of any additional counsel that they retain. If
Foreside does not assume the defense of any such suit, or if the Fund Indemnitee(s) does not
approve of counsel chosen by Foreside or has been advised that it may have available defenses or
claims that are not available to or conflict with those available to Foreside, Foreside will
reimburse any Fund Indemnitee named as defendant in such suit for the reasonable fees and expenses
of any counsel that person retains. A Fund Indemnitee shall not settle or confess any claim
without the prior written consent of Foreside, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or
delayed.
(e) Each party’s obligations to provide indemnification under this Section are conditioned
upon that party receiving notice of any action brought against a Foreside Indemnitee or Fund
Indemnitee, respectively, by the person against whom such action is brought within twenty (20)
business days after the summons or other first legal process is served. Such notice shall refer to
the person or persons against whom the action is brought. The failure to provide such notice shall
not relieve the party entitled to such notice of any liability that it may have to any Foreside
Indemnitee or Fund Indemnitee except to the extent that the ability of the party entitled to such
notice to defend such action has been materially adversely affected by the failure to provide
notice.
(f) The provisions of this Section and the parties’ representations and warranties in this
Agreement shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made
by or on behalf of any Foreside Indemnitee or Fund Indemnitee and shall survive the sale and
redemption of any Units made pursuant to subscriptions obtained by Foreside and the termination of
this Agreement. The indemnification provisions of this Section will inure exclusively to the
benefit of each person that may be a Foreside Indemnitee or Fund Indemnitee at any time and their
respective successors and assigns (it being intended that such persons be deemed to be third party
beneficiaries under this Agreement).
(g) Each party agrees promptly to notify the other party of the commencement of any litigation
or proceeding of which it becomes aware arising out of or in any way connected with the issuance or
sale of Units.
(h) Nothing contained herein shall require the Fund to take any action contrary to any
provision of its Offering Memorandum or any applicable statute or regulation or shall require
12
Foreside to take any action contrary to any provision of its governing documents or any
applicable statute or regulation; provided, however, that neither the Fund nor Foreside may amend
the Offering Memorandum or Related Offering Materials or their respective governing documents in
any manner that would result in a violation of a representation or warranty made in this Agreement.
(i) No party hereto shall be liable for any consequential, special or indirect losses or
damages suffered by another party hereto, whether or not the likelihood of such losses or damages
was known by the party.
SECTION 11. COMPENSATION AND EXPENSES
(a) The Fund acknowledges that Foreside will enter into a separate services agreement with the
Investment Adviser pursuant to which the Investment Adviser will compensate Foreside and reimburse
certain expenses of Foreside in consideration of services provided by Foreside to the Investment
Adviser with respect to the Fund.
(b) Foreside may receive a placement fee from the Fund in connection with the sale of Units by
Financial Intermediaries, which fee shall be paid to such Financial Intermediaries pursuant to a
Sub-Placement Agent Agreement entered into by and between Foreside and each Financial Intermediary.
(c) The Fund will pay, or will cause to be paid, all costs and expenses relating to (i) the
preparation and photocopying or printing of its Offering Memorandum, and all amendments and
supplements thereto, and Related Offering Materials; (ii) the exemption from registration or
qualification of Units for offer and sale under Regulation D and under all relevant Blue Sky Laws;
(iii) the furnishing to Foreside of copies of the Fund’s Offering Memorandum and all amendments or
supplements thereto and of Related Offering Materials and other documents reasonably requested by
Foreside, in such quantities as may be reasonably requested by Foreside, including costs of
shipping and mailing; (iv) fees and disbursements of counsel to the Fund in connection with the
organization and maintenance of the Fund and the transactions contemplated by this Agreement; and
(v) all other expenses of the Fund which are not the express obligations of Foreside as set forth
in this Agreement.
(d) As between Foreside and the Fund, Foreside shall pay all expenses relating to its
broker-dealer qualification.
SECTION 12. MISCELLANEOUS
(a) No provisions of this Agreement may be amended or modified in any manner except by a
written agreement properly authorized and executed by all parties hereto.
(b) This Agreement shall be governed by, and the provisions of this Agreement shall be
construed and interpreted under and in accordance with, the laws of the State of Delaware, without
giving effect to the conflicts of laws, principles and rules thereof.
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(c) This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties hereto and supersedes
any prior agreement with respect to the subject matter hereof, whether oral or written.
(d) The liability and obligation of the Fund under or in connection with this Agreement is
several (and not joint), whether or not so stated elsewhere.
(e) This Agreement may be executed by the parties hereto on any number of counterparts, and
all of the counterparts taken together shall be deemed to constitute one and the same instrument.
(f) If any part, term or provision of this Agreement is held to be illegal, in conflict with
any law or otherwise invalid, the remaining portion or portions shall be considered severable and
not be affected, and the rights and obligations of the parties shall be construed and enforced as
if the Agreement did not contain the particular part, term or provision held to be illegal or
invalid. This Agreement shall be construed as if drafted jointly by all parties and no
presumptions shall arise favoring any party by virtue of authorship of any provision of this
Agreement.
(g) Section and paragraph headings in this Agreement are included for convenience only and are
not to be used to construe or interpret this Agreement.
(h) Material Notices. Notices to the Fund relating to termination of the Agreement,
breaches of contractual duties, initiation of legal proceedings, complaints in relation to services
provided hereunder or any other material notices under the Agreement, other than notices given in
the ordinary course of business (a “Material Notice”), must be given in writing (either by way of
facsimile or registered mail). A notice sent by facsimile shall be deemed to have been served at
the close of business on the day upon which the other party confirms receipt . A notice sent by
registered mail shall be deemed to have been served at the close of business on the day upon which
it is delivered. Material Notices shall be sent as follows, or to such other address as the parties
may agree from time to time:
If to Foreside:
Foreside Fund Services, LLC
Xxxxx Xxxxx Xxxxx, Xxxxx 000
Xxxxxxxx, Xxxxx 00000
Attn: Counsel
Fax: (000) 000-0000
Xxxxx Xxxxx Xxxxx, Xxxxx 000
Xxxxxxxx, Xxxxx 00000
Attn: Counsel
Fax: (000) 000-0000
14
If to the Fund:
Partners Group Private Equity, LLC
c/o Partners Group (USA), Inc.
000 Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, 00xx xxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000
Attention: Executive Office
Re: Material Notice, Partners Group Private Equity, LLC
Facsimile: (000) 000 0000
Telephone: (000) 000 0000
c/o Partners Group (USA), Inc.
000 Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, 00xx xxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000
Attention: Executive Office
Re: Material Notice, Partners Group Private Equity, LLC
Facsimile: (000) 000 0000
Telephone: (000) 000 0000
with a copy to:
Partners Group
Xxxxxxxxxxxx 00
XX-0000 Xxxx-Xxx, Xxxxxxxxxxx
Attention: Executive Office
Re: Material Notice, Partners Group Private Equity, LLC
Facsimile: x00 00 000 00 00
Telephone: x00 00 000 00 00
Xxxxxxxxxxxx 00
XX-0000 Xxxx-Xxx, Xxxxxxxxxxx
Attention: Executive Office
Re: Material Notice, Partners Group Private Equity, LLC
Facsimile: x00 00 000 00 00
Telephone: x00 00 000 00 00
(i) Ordinary Notices.
(i) As to the Fund, notices, requests, instructions and other writings given in the ordinary
course of business may be delivered to 000 Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, 00xx Xxxxx, Xxx
Xxxx, XX 00000, Attn: Chief Compliance Officer, postage prepaid, or to such other address as
the Fund may have designated to the Placement Agent in writing, shall be deemed to have been
properly delivered or given to the Fund.
(ii) As to the Placement Agent, notices, requests, instructions and other writings given in
the ordinary course of business may be delivered to Foreside Fund Services, LLC, Three Xxxxx
Xxxxx, Xxxxx 000, Xxxxxxxx, Xxxxx 00000, Attn: Chief Compliance Officer, Fax: (000)
000-0000, postage prepaid, or to such other addresses as the Placement Agent may have
designated to the Fund in writing, shall be deemed to have been properly delivered or given
to the Placement Agent hereunder.
(j) Each of the undersigned expressly warrants and represents that they have full power and
authority to sign this Agreement on behalf of the party indicated and that their signature will
bind the party indicated to the terms hereof and each party hereto warrants and represents that
this Agreement, when executed and delivered, will constitute a legal, valid and binding obligation
of the party, enforceable against the party in accordance with its terms, subject to bankruptcy,
insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general applicability.
(k) Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, neither this Agreement nor any rights or
obligations under this Agreement may be assigned by either party without the written
15
consent of the other parties. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding
upon the parties and their respective permitted successors and assigns.
(l) No party to this Agreement shall be responsible or liable for any failure or delay in
performance of its obligations under this Agreement arising out of or caused, directly or
indirectly, by circumstances beyond its reasonable control including, without limitation, acts of
civil or military authority, national emergencies, labor difficulties, fire, mechanical breakdowns,
flood or catastrophe, acts of God, insurrection, war, acts of terrorism, riots or failure of the
mails or any transportation medium, communication system or power supply; provided, however, that
in each specific case such circumstance shall be beyond the reasonable control of the party seeking
to apply this force majeure clause.
[Balance of Page Intentionally Blank; Signature Page Follows]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed in their
names and on their behalf by and through their duly authorized persons, as of the day and year
first above written.
PARTNERS GROUP PRIVATE EQUITY, LLC |
||||
By: | ||||
Name: | ||||
Title: | ||||
By: | ||||
Name: | ||||
Title: | ||||
FORESIDE FUND SERVICES, LLC |
||||
By: | ||||
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx | ||||
Vice President | ||||
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