ADMINISTRATION AGREEMENT
Exhibit 10.3
This Agreement (“Agreement”) is made as of [●], 2020, by and between Xxxxxx Creek Capital Corporation, a Maryland corporation (the “Company”), and Xxxxxx Creek Investment Management LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Administrator”).
WHEREAS, the Company is a newly organized closed-end management investment fund that intends to elect to be treated as a business development company (“BDC”) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”);
WHEREAS, the Company desires to retain the Administrator to provide administrative services to the Company in the manner and on the terms hereinafter set forth; and
WHEREAS, the Administrator is willing to provide administrative services to the Company on the terms and conditions hereafter set forth.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the covenants hereinafter contained and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and adequacy of which is hereby acknowledged, the Company and the Administrator hereby agree as follows:
1. Duties of the Administrator
(a) Engagement of Administrator. The Company hereby retains the Administrator to act as administrator of the Company, and to furnish or arrange for others to furnish the administrative services, personnel and facilities described below, subject to review by and the overall control of the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”), for the period and on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement. The Administrator hereby accepts such retention and agrees during such period to render, or arrange for the rendering of, such services and to assume the obligations herein set forth subject to the reimbursement of costs and expenses provided for below. The Administrator, and any others with whom the Administrator subcontracts to provide the services set forth herein, shall for all purposes herein be deemed to be independent contractors of the Company and shall, unless otherwise expressly provided or authorized herein or in another contract with the Company, have no authority to act for or represent the Company in any way or otherwise be deemed agents of the Company.
(b) Services. The Administrator shall perform (or oversee, or arrange for, the performance of) the administrative services necessary for the operation of the Company. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Administrator shall provide the Company with office facilities, equipment, clerical, bookkeeping, compliance, and recordkeeping services at such facilities and such other services as the Administrator, subject to review by the Board, shall from time to time determine to be necessary or useful to perform its obligations under this Agreement. The Administrator shall also, on behalf of the Company, conduct relations with custodians, depositories, transfer agents, dividend disbursing agents, other stockholder servicing agents, accountants, attorneys, underwriters, brokers and dealers, corporate fiduciaries, insurers, banks, and other persons in any other capacity deemed by the Administrator to be necessary or desirable. The Administrator shall make reports to the Board of its performance of its obligations hereunder and shall furnish advice and recommendations with respect to such other aspects of the business and affairs of the Company as it shall determine to be desirable; provided, however, nothing herein shall be construed to require the Administrator to, and the Administrator shall not, provide any advice or recommendation relating to the securities and other assets that the Company should purchase, retain or sell or provide any other investment advisory services to the Company pursuant to this Agreement. The Administrator shall be responsible for the financial and other records that the Company is required to maintain, and under the Investment Company Act, shall prepare, print and disseminate reports to stockholders, and reports and other materials filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). The Administrator will also provide on the Company’s behalf managerial assistance to the Company’s portfolio companies to which the Company is required to provide such assistance. In addition, the Administrator shall assist the Company in determining and publishing the Company’s net asset value, oversee the preparation and filing of the Company’s tax returns, and the printing and dissemination of reports to stockholders of the Company, and generally overseeing the payment of the Company’s expenses and the performance of administrative and professional services rendered to the Company by others.
(c) For the avoidance of any doubt, the parties agree that the Administrator is authorized, but not required, to enter into such sub-administration agreements as the Administrator may determine to be necessary or desirable in order to carry out the services set forth in paragraph 1(b) of this Agreement.
2. Records
The Administrator agrees to maintain and keep all books, accounts and other records of the Company that relate to activities performed by the Administrator hereunder and shall maintain and keep such books, accounts and records in accordance with the Investment Company Act. In compliance with the requirements of Rule 31a-3 under the Investment Company Act, the Administrator agrees that all records which it maintains for the Company shall at all times remain the property of the Company, shall be readily accessible during normal business hours, and shall be promptly surrendered upon the termination of this Agreement or otherwise on written request. The Administrator further agrees that all records which it maintains for the Company pursuant to Rule 31a-1 under the Investment Company Act shall be preserved for the periods prescribed by Rule 31a-2 under the Investment Company Act unless any such records are earlier surrendered as provided above. Records shall be surrendered in usable machine-readable form. The Administrator shall have the right to retain copies of such records subject to observance of its confidentiality obligations under this Agreement.
3. Confidentiality
The parties hereto agree that each shall treat confidentially the terms and conditions of this Agreement and all information provided by each party to the other regarding its business and operations. All confidential information provided by a party hereto, including nonpublic personal information (regulated pursuant to Regulation S-P), shall be used by any other party hereto solely for the purpose of rendering services pursuant to this Agreement and, except as may be required in carrying out this Agreement, shall not be disclosed to any third party, without the prior consent of such providing party. The foregoing shall not be applicable to any information that is publicly available when provided or thereafter becomes publicly available other than through a breach of this Agreement, or that is required to be disclosed by any regulatory authority, any authority or legal counsel of the parties hereto, by judicial or administrative process, or otherwise by applicable law or regulation.
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4. Compensation; Allocation of Costs and Expenses
(a) In full consideration for the provision of the services provided by the Administrator under this Agreement, the Company will reimburse the Administrator for its costs and expenses incurred by the Administrator in performing its obligations and providing services hereunder, including the allocable portion of the Administrator’s overhead in performing its obligations under this Agreement. Reimbursement permitted to be made by the Company to the Administrator shall include, but is not limited to the allocable portion of rent and the compensation paid to, or compensatory distributions received by, the Company’s officers (including the chief compliance officer and chief financial officer) and any of their respective staff who provide services to the Company, operations staff who provide services to the Company, and internal audit staff, if any, to the extent internal audit performs a role in the Company’s Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx internal control assessment.
(b) The Company shall bear all costs and expenses that are incurred in its operation, administration and in the execution of its transactions and are not specifically assumed by Xxxxxx Creek Investment Management LLC (the “Adviser”) pursuant to that certain Investment Advisory Agreement, dated as of [●], 2020 (the “Investment Advisory Agreement”), by and between the Company and the Adviser. Costs and expenses to be borne by the Company include, but are not limited to, those relating to:
(i) the Company’s initial organization costs and operating costs incurred prior to the filing of its election to be treated as a BDC;
(ii) the costs of effecting sales and repurchase of shares of the Company’s common stock and other securities;
(iii) costs incurred in calculating the Company’s net asset value (including the cost and expenses of any third-party valuation services);
(iv) distribution and shareholder servicing fees payable to the Company’s dealer manager and financial intermediaries;
(v) fees payable to third parties, including consultants or other advisors, relating to making investments, including the Adviser’s or its affiliates’ travel expenses, research costs and out-of-pocket fees and expenses associated with performing due diligence and reviews of prospective investments;
(vi) the Company’s allocable share of costs associated with technology-related expenses, including any computer software or hardware, electronic equipment or purchased information technology services from third-party vendors or affiliates of the Adviser that is used for the Company, technology service providers and related software/hardware utilized in connection with the Company’s investment and operational activities;
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(vii) interest expense and other costs associated with the Company’s indebtedness;
(viii) transfer agent and custodial fees;
(ix) out-of-pocket fees and expenses associated with marketing efforts;
(x) federal and state registration fees and any stock exchange listing fees;
(xi) U.S. federal, state, and local taxes; fees and expenses associated with the independent directors of the Board;
(xii) brokerage commissions and markups;
(xiii) fidelity bond, directors’ and officers’ liability insurance and other insurance premiums;
(xiv) direct costs, such as printing, mailing, long distance telephone and staff;
(xv) fees and expenses associated with independent audits and outside legal costs;
(xvi) costs associated with the Company’s reporting and compliance obligations under the Investment Company Act and other applicable U.S. federal and state securities laws; and
(xvii) other expenses incurred by the Administrator or the Company in connection with administering the Company’s business, including payments under this agreement that will be based upon the Company’s allocable portion of overhead costs, including rent and the allocable portion of the cost of the Corporation’s chief compliance officer and chief financial officer and their respective staffs.
The presence of an item in or its absence from the foregoing list, on the one hand, and the list of Company expenses set forth in Section 2(b) of Investment Advisory Agreement, on the other, shall in no way be construed to limit the responsibility of the Company for such expense under either Agreement.
For avoidance of doubt, it is agreed and understood that, from time to time, the Administrator or its affiliates may pay amounts or bear costs properly constituting Company expenses as set forth herein or otherwise and that the Company shall reimburse the Administrator or its affiliates for all such costs and expenses that have been paid by the Administrator or its affiliates on behalf of the Company.
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5. Limitation of Liability of the Administrator; Indemnification
(a) The Administrator (and its officers, managers, partners, agents, employees, controlling persons, members and any other person or entity affiliated with the Administrator or the Adviser to the extent that it is providing services for or otherwise acting on behalf of the Administrator, Adviser or the Company) shall not be liable to the Company for any action taken or omitted to be taken by the Administrator or such other person in connection with the performance of any of the Administrator’s duties or obligations under this Agreement or otherwise as administrator for the Company, and the Company shall indemnify, defend and protect the Administrator (and its officers, managers, partners, agents, employees, controlling persons, members and any other person or entity affiliated with the Administrator or the Adviser, each of whom shall be deemed a third party beneficiary hereof) (each, individually, an “Indemnified Party” and collectively, the “Indemnified Parties”) and hold each of them harmless from and against all damages, liabilities, costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and amounts reasonably paid in settlement) incurred by any of them in or by reason of any pending, threatened or completed action, suit, investigation or other proceeding (including an action or suit by or in the right of the Company or its security holders) arising out of or otherwise based upon the performance in good faith of any of the Administrator’s duties or obligations under this Agreement or otherwise as administrator for the Company. The Company’s indemnification of Indemnified Parties shall, to the extent not in conflict with such insurance policy, be secondary to any and all payment to which any Indemnified Party is entitled from any relevant insurance policy issued to or for the benefit of the Company and its affiliates or any Indemnified Party. The Company’s indemnification of the Indemnified Parties shall also be secondary to any payment pursuant to any other indemnification obligation of any other relevant entity or person, including under any insurance policy issued to or for the benefit of such other entity or person, in all cases, to the extent not in conflict with the applicable other indemnification or insurance contract. In the event of payment by the Company under this Agreement and pursuant to its indemnification obligations, the Company shall be subrogated to the extent of such payment to all of the rights of recovery of the Indemnified Parties, including the rights of any Indemnified Party under any insurance policies.
(b) For any claims indemnified by the Company under Section 5(a) above, to the fullest extent permitted by and subject to the applicable conditions of law, the Company shall promptly pay expenses (including legal fees and expenses) incurred by any Indemnified Party in appearing at, participating in or defending any action, suit, claim, demand or proceeding in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit, claim, demand or proceeding, including appeals, within 30 days after receipt by the Company of a statement or statements from the Indemnified Party requesting such advance or advances from time to time. Each Indemnified Party hereby undertakes to repay any amounts advanced on its behalf (without interest) to the extent that it is ultimately determined that the Indemnified Party is not entitled under this Agreement to be indemnified by the Company. Such undertaking shall be unsecured and accepted without reference to the financial ability of the Indemnified Parties to make repayment and without regard to the Indemnified Parties’ ultimate entitlement to indemnification under the other provisions of this Agreement. No other form of undertaking shall be required of the Indemnified Parties other than the execution of this Agreement.
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(c) Notwithstanding the above provisions of Section 5 of this Agreement, nothing contained herein shall protect or be deemed to protect the Indemnified Parties against or entitle or be deemed to entitle the Indemnified Parties to indemnification in respect of, any liability to the Company or its security holders to which the Indemnified Parties would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of the Administrator’s duties or by reason of the reckless disregard of the Administrator’s duties and obligations under this Agreement (to the extent applicable, as the same shall be determined in accordance with the Investment Company Act and any interpretations or guidance by the SEC or its staff thereunder).
6. Activities of the Administrator
The services of the Administrator to the Company are not to be deemed to be exclusive, and the Administrator and each affiliate is free to render services to others. It is understood that directors, officers, employees and stockholders of the Company are or may become interested in the Administrator and its affiliates, as directors, officers, members, managers, employees, partners, stockholders or otherwise, and that the Administrator and directors, officers, members, managers, employees, partners and stockholders of the Administrator and its affiliates are or may become similarly interested in the Company as stockholders or otherwise.
7. Duration and Termination of this Agreement
(a) This Agreement shall become effective as of the first date above written. The provisions of Section 5 of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect, and the Administrator shall remain entitled to the benefits thereof, notwithstanding any termination of this Agreement. Further, notwithstanding the termination or expiration of this Agreement as aforesaid, the Administrator shall be entitled to any amounts owed under Section 4 through the date of termination or expiration, and Section 3 and Section 9 shall continue in force and effect following such termination. This Agreement shall continue in effect for two years from the date hereof, and thereafter shall continue automatically for successive annual periods, provided, that, such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by:
(i) the vote of the Board, or by the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Company; and
(ii) the vote of a majority of the members of the Company’s Board who are not parties to this Agreement or “interested persons” (as such term is defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the Investment Company Act) of any such party, in accordance with the requirements of the Investment Company Act.
(b) The Agreement may be terminated at any time, without the payment of any penalty, upon 60 days’ written notice to the other party, by the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Company, or by the vote of the Board or by the Administrator.
(c) This Agreement may not be assigned by a party without the consent of the other party; provided, however, that the rights and obligations of the Company under this Agreement shall not be deemed to be assigned to a newly formed entity in the event of the merger of the Company into, or conveyance of all of the assets of the Company to, such newly formed entity; provided further, however, that the sole purpose of that merger or conveyance is to effect a mere change in the Company’s legal form into another limited liability entity.
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8. Amendments of this Agreement
This Agreement may be amended pursuant to a written instrument by mutual consent of the parties.
9. Governing Law
This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with laws of the State of Maryland. For so long as the Company is regulated as a business development company under the Investment Company Act, this Agreement shall also be construed in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Investment Company Act. In such case, to the extent the applicable laws of the State of Maryland or any of the provisions herein conflict with the provisions of the Investment Company Act, the latter shall control.
10. Entire Agreement
This Agreement contains the entire agreement of the parties and supersedes all prior agreements, understandings and arrangements with respect to the subject matter hereof.
11. Notices
Any notice under this Agreement shall be given in writing, addressed and delivered or mailed, postage prepaid, to the other party at its principal office.
12. Third Party Beneficiaries
Except for any Indemnified Party (with respect to Section 5), the Indemnified Parties being intended beneficiaries of Section 5, this Agreement is for the sole benefit of the parties hereto and their permitted assigns and nothing herein express or implied will give or be construed to give any person, other than the parties hereto and such assigns, any legal or equitable rights hereunder.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed and delivered this Agreement as of the date first above written.
| XXXXXX CREEK CAPITAL CORPORATION | |||
| By: | |||
| Name: | Xxxxx Xxxxx | ||
| Title: | Chief Compliance Officer | ||
| XXXXXX CREEK INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT LLC | |||
| By: | |||
| Name: | Xxxxx Xxxxx | ||
| Title: | Chief Investment Officer | ||
[Signature Page to Administration Agreement]
