FORM OF AMENDED AND RESTATED INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AGREEMENT ] AMENDED AND RESTATED INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AGREEMENT BETWEEN KEATING CAPITAL, INC. AND KEATING INVESTMENTS, LLC
Exhibit
(g)
ADMINISTRATIVE
SERVICES
AGREEMENT
]
AMENDED
AND RESTATED INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND
ADMINISTRATIVE
SERVICES AGREEMENT
BETWEEN
XXXXXXX
CAPITAL, INC.
AND
XXXXXXX
INVESTMENTS, LLC
This
Agreement (the “Agreement”)
made this ____ day of _____, 2009, by and between XXXXXXX CAPITAL, INC, a
Maryland corporation (the “Company”),
and XXXXXXX INVESTMENTS, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Adviser”).
WHEREAS,
the Company is a recently organized non-diversified, closed-end management
investment company that has elected to be regulated as a business development
company (“BDC”)
under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment
Company Act”); and
WHEREAS,
the Adviser is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers
Act of 1940, as amended (the “Advisers
Act”); and
WHEREAS,
the Company desires to retain the Adviser to furnish investment advisory
services to the Company and to provide for the administrative services necessary
for the operation of the Company on the terms and conditions hereinafter set
forth, and the Adviser wishes to be retained to provide such
services;
NOW,
THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and for other good and valuable
consideration, the parties hereby agree as follows:
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Duties of the
Adviser.
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(a) Retention of
Adviser. The Company hereby employs the Adviser to act as the
investment adviser to the Company and to manage the investment and reinvestment
of the assets of the Company, subject to the supervision of the Board of
Directors of the Company (the “Board”),
for the period and upon the terms herein set forth:
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(i)
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In
accordance with the investment objective, policies and restrictions that
are set forth in the Company’s Registration Statement on Form N-2 filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”),
on February 10, 2009, as amended or supplemented from time to time (the
“Registration
Statement”); and
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(ii)
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During
the term of this Agreement in accordance with all applicable federal and
state laws, rules and regulations, and the Company’s articles of
incorporation and bylaws, in each case as amended from time to time (the
“Charter
Documents”),
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(b) Responsibilities of
Adviser. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the
Adviser shall, during the term and subject to the provisions of this
Agreement:
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(i)
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Determine
the composition and allocation of the portfolio of the Company, the nature
and timing of the changes therein and the manner of implementing such
changes;
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(ii)
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Identify,
evaluate and negotiate the structure of the investments made by the
Company;
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(iii)
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Execute,
monitor and service the Company’s
investments;
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(iv)
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Determine
the securities and other assets that the Company purchases, retains, or
sells; and
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(v)
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Provide
the Company with such other investment advisory, research and related
services as the Company may, from time to time, reasonably require for the
investment of its funds.
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(c) Power and Authority.
To facilitate the Adviser’s performance of these undertakings, but subject to
the restrictions contained herein, the Company hereby delegates to the Adviser,
and the Adviser hereby accepts, the power and authority on behalf of the Company
to effectuate its investment decisions for the Company, including the execution
and delivery of all documents relating to the Company’s investments and the
placing of orders for other purchase or sale transactions on behalf of the
Company. In the event that the Company determines to acquire debt
financing, the Adviser shall arrange for such financing on the Company’s behalf,
subject to the oversight and approval of the Board.
(d) Administrative
Services. Subject to the supervision, direction and control of
the Board, the provisions of the Charter Documents, and applicable federal and
state law, the Adviser shall perform, or cause to be performed by other persons,
all administrative services in connection with the operation of the
Company. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the
Adviser shall provide the Company with office facilities, equipment, clerical,
bookkeeping and record keeping services at such facilities and such other
services as the Adviser, subject to review by the Board of the Company, shall
from time to time determine to be necessary or useful to perform its obligations
under this Agreement. The Adviser 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 such other persons in any such other capacity deemed to be necessary
or desirable. The Adviser shall make reports to the Board of its
performance of obligations hereunder and 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. The Adviser shall be responsible for
the financial and other records that the Company is required to maintain and
shall prepare reports to stockholders, and reports and other materials filed
with the SEC. In addition, the Adviser will assist the Company in
determining and publishing the Company’s net asset value, overseeing 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.
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(e) Acceptance of
Employment. The Adviser hereby accepts such employment and
agrees during the term hereof to render the services described herein for the
compensation provided herein, subject to the limitations contained
herein.
(f) Sub-Advisers. The
Adviser is hereby authorized to enter into one or more sub-advisory agreements
with other investment advisers (each, a “Sub-Adviser”)
pursuant to which the Adviser may obtain the services of the Sub-Adviser(s) to
assist the Adviser in fulfilling its responsibilities
hereunder. Specifically, the Adviser may retain a Sub-Adviser to
recommend specific securities or other investments based upon the Company’s
investment objective, policies and restrictions, and work, along with the
Adviser, in sourcing, structuring, negotiating, arranging or effecting the
acquisition or disposition of such investments and monitoring investments on
behalf of the Company, subject to the oversight of the Adviser and the
Company.
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(i)
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The
Adviser and not the Company shall be responsible for any compensation
payable to any Sub-Adviser.
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(ii)
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Any
sub-advisory agreement entered into by the Adviser shall be in accordance
with the requirements of the Investment Company Act, including without
limitation the requirements relating to Board and Company shareholder
approval thereunder, and other applicable federal and state
law.
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(iii)
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Any
Sub-Adviser shall be subject to the same fiduciary duties imposed on the
Adviser pursuant to this Agreement, the Investment Company Act and the
Advisers Act, as well as other applicable federal and state
law.
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(g) Independent Contractor
Status. The Adviser shall, for all purposes herein provided,
be deemed to be an independent contractor and, except as expressly provided or
authorized herein, shall have no authority to act for or represent the Company
in any way or otherwise be deemed an agent of the Company.
(h) Record Retention.
Subject to review by and the overall control of the Board, the Adviser
shall keep and preserve for the period required by the Investment Company Act
any books and records relevant to the provision of its investment advisory
services to the Company and shall specifically maintain all books and records
with respect to the Company’s portfolio transactions and shall render to the
Board such periodic and special reports as the Board may reasonably request or
as may be required under applicable federal and state law, and shall make such
records available for inspection by the Board and its authorized agents, at any
time and from time to time during normal business hours. The Adviser
agrees that all records that it maintains for the Company are the property of
the Company and shall surrender promptly to the Company any such records upon
the Company’s request and upon termination of this Agreement pursuant to Section
8, provided that the Adviser may retain a copy of such records.
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(i) Administrator. Subject
to Section 1(k) below, the Adviser shall, upon by request by an official or
agency administering the securities laws of a state, province, or commonwealth
(an “Administrator”),
submit to such Administrator the reports and statements required to be
distributed to Company stockholders pursuant to this Agreement, the Registration
Statement and applicable federal and state law.
(j) Fiduciary
Duty. Subject to Section 1(k) below, it is acknowledged
that:
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(i)
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The
Adviser shall have a fiduciary responsibility for the safekeeping and use
of all funds and assets of the Company, whether or not in the Adviser’s
immediate possession or control. The Adviser shall not employ,
or permit another to employ, such funds or assets in any manner except for
the exclusive benefit of the Company. The Adviser shall not, by
entry into an agreement with any stockholder of the Company or otherwise,
contract away the fiduciary obligation owed to the Company and the Company
stockholders under common law.
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(ii)
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The
Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer of the Adviser shall
have at least three years’ relevant experience demonstrating the knowledge
and experience to acquire and manage the type of assets being acquired and
shall have not less than four years relevant experience in the kind of
services being rendered or otherwise must demonstrate sufficient knowledge
and experience to perform the services proposed. The Board of
Directors shall determine whether any successor Adviser possesses
sufficient qualifications to perform the advisory function for the Company
and whether compensation provided for in its content with the Company is
justified.
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(k) Applicability. Sections
1(i) and (j) above shall not apply, and shall be of no force or effect, if and
to the extent the shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.001 per
share (the “Common
Stock”), are qualified as “covered securities,” within the meaning of
Section 18 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities
Act”).
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Company’s
Responsibilities and Expenses Payable by the
Company.
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(a) Adviser
Personnel. All personnel of the Adviser, when and to the
extent engaged in providing investment advisory services hereunder, and the
compensation and routine overhead expenses of such personnel allocable to such
services, shall be provided and paid for by the Adviser, and not by the
Company.
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(b) Costs. Subject
to the limitations on reimbursement set forth in Section 2(c) below, to the
extent applicable, the Company, either directly or through reimbursement to the
Adviser, shall bear all other costs and expenses of its operations and
transactions, including (without limitation) fees and expenses relating to: expenses deemed to be
“organization and offering expenses” of the Company for purposes of Conduct Rule
2810(a)(12) of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (for purposes of this
Agreement, such expenses, exclusive of commissions, the dealer manager fee and
any discounts, are hereinafter referred to as “Organization and
Offering Expenses”); amounts paid to third parties for administrative
services; the investigation and monitoring of the Company’s investments; the
cost of calculating the Company’s net asset value; the cost of effecting sales
and repurchases of shares of the Company’s common stock and other securities;
management and incentive fees payable pursuant to the investment advisory
agreement; fees payable to third parties relating to, or associated with, making
investments and valuing investments (including third-party valuation firms),
transfer agent and custodial fees, fees and expenses associated with marketing
efforts (including attendance at investment conferences and similar events); the
salary, bonus and benefits payable to the Company’s Chief Financial Officer,
Chief Compliance Officer, and administrative support staff; federal and state
registration fees; all costs of registration and listing the Company’s shares on
any securities exchange, including any exchange listing fees; federal, state and
local taxes; Independent Directors’ fees and expenses; brokerage commissions;
costs of proxy statements; stockholders’ reports and notices; costs of preparing
government filings, including periodic and current reports with the SEC;
fidelity bond, directors and officers/errors and omissions liability insurance
and any other insurance premiums; direct costs such as printing, mailing, long
distance telephone, staff, independent accountants and outside legal costs; and
all other expenses incurred by the Company in connection with administering the
Company’s business, including the Company’s allocable portion of
rent.
Notwithstanding
the foregoing, the Adviser shall reimburse the Company for any portion of the
aggregate Organizational and Offering Expenses associated with an offering of
securities by the Company that, together with any sales loads, dealer manager
fees or commissions paid in connection with such offering, exceeds fifteen
percent (15%) of the aggregate gross proceeds of such offering, as measured upon
completion of such offering; provided, that no
reimbursement shall be payable by the Adviser to the Company hereunder to the
extent the Company elects not to proceed with a proposed offering after expenses
have been incurred in connection therewith.
(c) Limitations on Reimbursement
of Expenses.
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(i)
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In
addition to the compensation paid to the Adviser pursuant to Section 3,
the Company shall reimburse the Adviser for all expenses of the Company
incurred by the Adviser as well as the actual cost of goods and services
used for or by the Company and obtained from entities not affiliated with
the Adviser. The Adviser may be reimbursed for the
administrative services performed by it on behalf of the Company;
provided, however, the reimbursement shall be an amount equal to the lower
of the Adviser’s actual cost or the amount the Company would be required
to pay third parties for the provision of comparable administrative
services in the same geographic location; and provided, further, that such
costs are reasonably allocated to the Company on the basis of assets,
revenues, time records or other method conforming with generally accepted
accounting principles. No reimbursement shall be permitted for
services for which the Adviser is entitled to compensation by way of a
separate fee. Excluded from the allowable reimbursement shall
be:
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(A)
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Rent
or depreciation, utilities, capital equipment, and other administrative
items solely of the Adviser; and
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(B)
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Salaries,
fringe benefits, travel expenses and other administrative items incurred
or allocated to any executive officer or board member of the Adviser (or
any individual performing such services) or a holder of ten percent (10%)
or greater equity interest in the Adviser (or any person having the power
to direct or cause the direction of the Adviser, whether by ownership of
voting securities, by contract or otherwise) for services rendered solely
to the Adviser.
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(ii)
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Section
2(c)(i) above shall not apply, and shall be of no force or effect, if and
to the extent the shares of the Company’s Common Stock are qualified as
“covered securities,” within the meaning of Section 18 of the Securities
Act.
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(d) Periodic
Reimbursement. Expenses incurred by the Adviser on behalf of
the Company and payable pursuant to this Section 2 shall be reimbursed
periodically but no less than quarterly to the Adviser. The Adviser
shall prepare a statement documenting the expenses of the Company and the
calculation of the reimbursement and shall deliver such statement to the Company
prior to full reimbursement.
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Compensation of the
Adviser.
The
Company agrees to pay, and the Adviser agrees to accept, as compensation for the
investment advisory services provided by the Adviser hereunder, a base
management fee (“Base Management
Fee”) and an incentive fee (“Incentive
Fee”) as hereinafter set forth. The Adviser may agree to
temporarily or permanently waive, in whole or in part, the Base Management Fee
and/or the Incentive Fee. See Appendix A for examples of how the
Incentive Fees are calculated.
(a) Base Management
Fee. The Base Management Fee shall be calculated at an annual
rate of two percent (2%) of the Company’s gross assets. The Base
Management Fee shall be payable monthly in arrears, and shall be calculated
based on the value of the Company’s gross assets at the end of the most recently
completed calendar quarter and appropriately adjusted for any equity capital
raises or repurchases during the current calendar quarter. The Base
Management Fee for any partial month or quarter shall be appropriately pro
rated. The Base Management Fee shall begin accruing on the day
immediately following the final closing of the sale of the Company’s
securities under the Registration Statement.
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(b) Incentive
Fee. The Incentive Fee shall be determined and payable in
arrears as of the end of each calendar year (and upon termination of this
Agreement, as set forth below), commencing with the calendar year ending
December 31, 2008.
The
Incentive Fee for a calendar year shall be an amount equal to twenty percent
(20%) of the Company’s realized capital gains, if any, on a cumulative basis
from inception through the end of each calendar year, computed net of all
realized capital losses and unrealized capital depreciation on a cumulative
basis, less the aggregate amount of any previously paid Incentive Fees, with
respect to each of the investments in the Company’s portfolio; provided that the
Incentive Fee determined as of December 31, 2008 will be calculated for a
period of shorter than twelve calendar months to take into account any realized
capital gains computed net of all realized capital losses and unrealized capital
depreciation from inception. In the event that this Agreement shall terminate as
of a date that is not a calendar year end, the termination date shall be treated
as though it were a calendar year end for purposes of calculating and paying the
Incentive Fee.
An example
setting forth the operation of the Incentive Fee is attached as Appendix
A.
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Brokerage Commissions,
Limitations on Front End Fees; Period of Offering;
Assessments
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(a) Brokerage
Commissions. The Adviser is hereby authorized, to the fullest
extent now or hereafter permitted by law, to cause the Company to pay a member
of a national securities exchange, broker or dealer an amount of commission for
effecting a securities transaction in excess of the amount of commission another
member of such exchange, broker or dealer would have charged for effecting that
transaction, if the Adviser determines in good faith, taking into account such
factors as price (including the applicable brokerage commission or dealer
spread), size of order, difficulty of execution, and operational facilities of
the firm and the firm’s risk and skill in positioning blocks of securities, that
such amount of commission is reasonable in relation to the value of the
brokerage and/or research services provided by such member, broker or dealer,
viewed in terms of either that particular transaction or its overall
responsibilities with respect to the Company’s portfolio, and constitutes the
best net results for the Company.
(b) Limitations. Subject
to Section 4(c) below, notwithstanding anything herein to the
contrary:
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(i)
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All
fees and expenses paid by any party for any services rendered to organize
the Company and to acquire assets for the Company, including Organization
and Offering Expenses, Acquisition Fees, and Acquisition Expenses, as
defined in the Charter Documents (“Front End
Fees”), shall be reasonable and shall not exceed eighteen percent
(18%) of the gross offering proceeds, regardless of the source of
payment. Any reimbursement to the Adviser or any other person
for deferred Organization and Offering Expenses, including interest
thereon, if any, will be included within this eighteen percent (18%)
limitation.
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(ii)
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The
Adviser shall commit at least eighty-two percent (82%) of the gross
offering proceeds towards the investment or reinvestment of assets and
reserves as set forth in Section 5(d) below on behalf of the
Company. The remaining proceeds may be used to pay Front End
Fees.
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(iii)
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All
items of compensation to underwriters or dealers, including, but not
limited to, selling commissions, expenses, rights of first refusal,
consulting fees, finders’ fees and all other items of compensation of any
kind or description paid by the Company, directly or indirectly, shall be
taken into consideration in computing the amount of allowable Front End
Fees.
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(c) Applicability. Section
4(b) above shall not apply, and shall be of no force or effect, if and to the
extent the shares of the Company’s Common Stock are qualified as “covered
securities,” within the meaning of Section 18 of the Securities
Act.
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Covenants of the
Adviser
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(a) Adviser
Status. The Adviser covenants that it has registered as an
investment adviser under the Advisers Act and will maintain such
registration. The Adviser agrees that its activities will at all
times be in compliance in all material respects with all applicable federal and
state laws governing its operations and investments.
(b) Reports to
Stockholders. Subject to Section 5(g) below, the Adviser shall
prepare or shall cause to be prepared and distributed to stockholders during
each year the following reports of the Company (either included in a periodic
report filed with the SEC or distributed in a separate report):
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(i)
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Quarterly
Reports. Within 60 days of the end of each quarter, a
report containing the same financial information contained in the
Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed by the Company under the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended.
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(ii)
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Annual
Report. Within 120 days after the end of the Company’s
fiscal year, an annual report
containing:
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(A)
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A
balance sheet as of the end of each fiscal year and statements of income,
equity, and cash flow, for the year then ended, all of which shall be
prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principals and
accompanied by an auditor’s report containing an opinion of an independent
certified public accountant;
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(B)
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A
report of the activities of the Company during the period covered by the
report;
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(C)
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Where
forecasts have been provided to the Company’s shareholders, a table
comparing the forecasts previously provided with the actual results during
the period covered by the report;
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(D)
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A
report setting forth distributions by the Company for the period covered
thereby and separately identifying distributions from (i) cash flow from
operations during the period; (ii) cash flow from operations during a
prior period which have been held as reserves; (iii) proceeds from
disposition of Company assets; and (iv) reserves from the gross proceeds
of the offering originally obtained from the
stockholders.
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(iii)
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Deferred
Payments. If stock has been purchased on a deferred
payment basis, on which there remains an unpaid balance during any period
covered by any report required by subsections (i) and (ii) above; then
such report shall contain a detailed statement of the status of all
deferred payments, actions taken by the Company in response to any
defaults, and a discussion and analysis of the impact on capital
requirements of the Company.
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(iv)
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Previous Reimbursement
Reports. The Adviser shall prepare or shall cause to be
prepared a report, prepared in accordance with the American Institute of
Certified Public Accountants United States Auditing Standards relating to
special reports, and distributed to stockholders not less than annually,
containing an itemized list of the costs reimbursed to the Adviser
pursuant to Section 2(c) for the previous fiscal year. The
special report shall at a minimum
provide:
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(A)
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A
review of the time records of individual employees, the costs of whose
services were reimbursed; and
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(B)
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A
review of the specific nature of the work performed by each such
employee.
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(v)
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Proposed Reimbursement
Reports. The Adviser shall prepare or shall cause to be
prepared a report containing an itemized estimate of all proposed expenses
for which it shall receive reimbursements pursuant to Section 2(c) of this
Agreement for the next fiscal year, together with a breakdown by year of
such expenses reimbursed in each of the last five public programs formed
by the Adviser.
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(c) Reports to
Administrators. Subject to Section 5(g) below, the Adviser
shall, upon written request of any Administrator, submit any of the reports and
statements to be prepared and distributed by it pursuant to this Section (b) to such Administrator.
(d) Reserves. Subject
to Section 5(g) below, in performing its duties hereunder, the Adviser shall
cause the Company to provide for adequate reserves for normal replacements and
contingencies (but not for payment of fees payable to the Adviser hereunder) by
causing the Company to retain a reasonable percentage of not less than one
percent (1%) of the proceeds from offerings and revenues.
(e) Recommendations Regarding
Reviews. Subject to Section 5(g) below, from time to time and
not less than quarterly, the Adviser must review the Company’s accounts to
determine whether cash distributions are appropriate. The Company may, subject
to authorization by the Board of Directors, distribute pro rata to the
stockholders funds received by the Company which the Adviser deems unnecessary
to retain in the Company. The Board of Directors may authorize the Company to
declare and pay to stockholders such distributions in cash or other assets of
the Company or in securities of the Company or from any other source as the
Board of Directors in its discretion shall determine. In no event, however,
shall funds be advanced or borrowed for the purpose of distributions, if the
amount of such distributions would exceed the Company’s accrued and received
revenues for the previous four quarters, less paid and accrued operating costs.
Distributions in kind shall not be permitted, except for distributions of
readily marketable securities, distributions of beneficial interests in a
liquidating trust established for the dissolution of the Company and the
liquidation of its assets in accordance with the terms of the charter or
distributions in which (i) the Board of Directors advises each stockholder of
the risks associated with direct ownership of the property, (ii) the Board of
Directors offers each stockholder the election of receiving such in-kind
distributions, and (iii) in-kind distributions are made only to those
stockholders that accept such offer.
(f) Temporary
Investments. Subject to Section 5(g) below, the investment
adviser shall, in its sole discretion, temporarily place proceeds from offerings
by the Company into short term, highly liquid investments which, in its
reasonable judgment, afford appropriate safety of principal during such time as
it is determining the composition and allocation of the portfolio of the Company
and the nature, timing and implementation of any changes thereto pursuant to
Section 1(b); provided however, that the Investment adviser shall be under no
fiduciary obligation to select any such short-term, highly liquid investment
based solely on any yield or return of such investment. The
Investment adviser shall cause any proceeds of the offering of Company
securities not committed for investment within the later of two years from the
date of effectiveness of the Registration Statement or one year from termination
of the offering, unless a longer period is permitted by the applicable
Administrator, to be paid as a distribution to the stockholders of the Company
as a return of capital without deduction of Front End Fees.
(g) Applicability.
Sections 5(b), (c), (d), (e) and (f) above shall not apply, and shall be of no
force or effect, if and to the extent the shares of the Company’s Common Stock
are qualified as “covered securities,” within the meaning of Section 18 of the
Securities Act.
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Other Activities of
the Adviser.
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The
services of the Adviser to the Company are not exclusive, and the Adviser may
engage in any other business or render similar or different services to others
including, without limitation, the direct or indirect sponsorship or management
of other investment based accounts or commingled pools of capital, however
structured, having investment objectives similar to those of the Company, so
long as its services to the Company hereunder are not impaired thereby, and
nothing in this Agreement shall limit or restrict the right of any manager,
partner, member (including its members and the owners of its members), officer
or employee of the Adviser to engage in any other business or to devote his time
and attention in part to any other business, whether of a similar or dissimilar
nature, or to receive any fees or compensation in connection therewith
(including fees for serving as a director of, or providing consulting services
to, one or more of the Company’s portfolio companies, subject to applicable
law). The Adviser assumes no responsibility under this Agreement
other than to render the services called for hereunder. It is understood that
Directors, officers, and stockholders of the Company are or may become
interested in the Adviser and its affiliates, as Directors, officers, employees,
partners, stockholders, members, managers or otherwise, and that the Adviser and
Directors, officers, employees, partners, stockholders, members and managers of
the Adviser and its affiliates are or may become similarly interested in the
Company as stockholders or otherwise.
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Responsibility of Dual
Directors, Officers and/or
Employees.
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If any
person who is a manager, partner, member, officer or employee of the Adviser is
or becomes a director, officer and/or employee of the Company and acts as such
in any business of the Company, then such manager, partner, member, officer
and/or employee of the Adviser shall be deemed to be acting in such capacity
solely for the Company, and not as a manager, partner, member, officer or
employee of the Adviser or under the control or direction of the Adviser, even
if paid by the Adviser.
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Indemnification.
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(a) Indemnification. The
Adviser (and its officers, managers, agents, employees, controlling persons,
members and any other person or entity affiliated with the Adviser)
(collectively, the “Indemnified
Parties”) shall not be liable to the Company for any action taken or
omitted to be taken by the Adviser in connection with the performance of any of
its duties or obligations under this Agreement or otherwise as an investment
adviser of the Company, except to the extent specified in Section 36(b) of the
Investment Company Act concerning loss resulting from a breach of fiduciary duty
with respect to the receipt of compensation for services, and the Company shall
indemnify the Indemnified Parties and hold them harmless from and against all
damages, liabilities, costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees
and amounts reasonably paid in settlement) incurred by the Indemnified Parties
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 of any of the Adviser’s duties or obligations under this
Agreement or otherwise as an investment adviser of the
Company. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence of this Section 8 to
the contrary, 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 Adviser’s duties or by reason of the reckless disregard of the Adviser’s
duties and obligations under this Agreement.
11
(b) Limitations on
Indemnification. Subject to Section 8(d) below,
notwithstanding Section 8(a) to the contrary, the Company shall not provide for
indemnification of the Indemnified Parties for any liability or loss suffered by
the Indemnified Parties, nor shall the Company provide that any of the
Indemnified Parties be held harmless for any loss or liability suffered by the
Company, unless all of the following conditions are met:
|
(i)
|
The
Indemnified Party has determined, in good faith, that the course of
conduct which caused the loss or liability was in the best interests of
the Company;
|
|
(ii)
|
The
Indemnified Party was acting on behalf of or performing services for the
Company;
|
|
(iii)
|
Such
liability or loss was not the result of negligence or misconduct by the
Indemnified Party; and
|
|
(iv)
|
Such
indemnification or agreement to hold harmless is recoverable only out of
the Company’s net assets and not from
stockholders.
|
Furthermore,
the Indemnified Party shall not be indemnified for any losses, liabilities or
expenses arising from or out of an alleged violation of federal or state
securities laws unless one or more of the following conditions are
met:
|
(i)
|
There
has been a successful adjudication on the merits of each count involving
alleged securities law violations as to the particular
indemnitee;
|
|
(ii)
|
Such
claims have been dismissed with prejudice on the merits by a court of
competent jurisdiction as to the particular indemnitee;
or
|
|
(iii)
|
A
court of competent jurisdiction approves a settlement of the claims
against a particular indemnitee and finds that indemnification of the
settlement and related costs should be made, and the court of law
considering the request for indemnification has been advised of the
position of the SEC and the published position of any state securities
regulatory authority in which securities of the Company were offered or
sold as to indemnification for violations of securities
laws.
|
(c) Advancement of
Funds. Subject to Section 8(d) below, the Company shall be
permitted to advance funds to the Indemnified Party for legal expenses and other
costs incurred as a result of any legal action for which indemnification is
being sought only if all of the following conditions are met:
12
|
(i)
|
The
legal action relates to acts or omissions with respect to the performance
of duties or services on behalf of the
Company;
|
|
(ii)
|
The
legal action is initiated by a third party who is not a Company
stockholder, or the legal action is initiated by a Company stockholder and
a court of competent jurisdiction specifically approves such advancement;
and
|
|
(iii)
|
The
Indemnified Party undertakes to repay the advanced funds to the Company,
together with the applicable legal rate of interest thereon, in cases in
which the Indemnified Party is not found to be entitled to
indemnification.
|
(d) Applicability.
Sections 8(b) and (c) above shall not apply, and shall be of no force or effect,
if and to the extent the shares of the Company’s Common Stock are qualified as
“covered securities,” within the meaning of Section 18 of the Securities
Act.
9
|
Effectiveness,
Duration and Termination of
Agreement.
|
(a) Term and
Effectiveness. This Agreement shall become effective as of the
date above written. This Agreement shall remain in effect for two
years, 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 Company’s Directors 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) Termination. This
Agreement may be terminated at any time, without the payment of any penalty, by
(a) the Company upon 60 days’ written notice to the Adviser, (i) upon the vote
of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Company, or (ii) by
the vote of the Company’s Independent Directors; or (b) by the Adviser upon 120
days’ written notice to the Company. If the Adviser voluntarily
terminates the Agreement, it shall be responsible for all expenses incurred as a
result of its withdrawal. This Agreement shall automatically terminate in the
event of its “assignment” (as such term is defined for purposes of Section
15(a)(4) of the Investment Company Act). The provisions of Section 8
of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect, and the Adviser shall
remain entitled to the benefits thereof, notwithstanding any termination of this
Agreement.
(c) Payments to and Duties of
Adviser Upon Termination.
|
(i)
|
After
the termination of this Agreement, the Adviser shall not be entitled to
compensation for further services provided hereunder except that it shall
be entitled to receive from the Company within 30 days after the effective
date of such termination all unpaid reimbursements and all earned but
unpaid fees payable to the Adviser prior to termination of this
Agreement.
|
13
|
(ii)
|
The
investment adviser shall promptly upon
termination:
|
|
(A)
|
Deliver
to the Board a full accounting, including a statement showing all payments
collected by it and a statement of all money held by it, covering the
period following the date of the last accounting furnished to the
Board;
|
|
(B)
|
Deliver
to the Board all assets and documents of the Company then in custody of
the investment adviser; and
|
|
(C)
|
Cooperate
with the Company to provide an orderly management
transition.
|
(d) Other
Matters. Subject to Section 9(e) below, without the approval
of holders of a majority of the shares entitled to vote on the matter, the
Adviser shall not: (i) amend the Investment Advisory Agreement except for
amendments that do not adversely affect the interests of the stockholders; (ii)
voluntarily withdraw as the Adviser unless such withdrawal would not affect the
tax status of the Company and would not materially adversely affect the
stockholders; (iii) appoint a new Adviser; (iv) sell all or substantially all of
the Company’s assets other than in the ordinary course of the Company’s
business; or (v) cause the merger or other reorganization of the
Company.
(e) Applicability. Section
9(d) above shall not apply, and shall be of no force or effect, if and to the
extent the shares of the Company’s Common Stock are qualified as “covered
securities,” within the meaning of Section 18 of the Securities
Act.
10
|
Conflicts of
Interests
and Prohibited Activities.
|
(a) Sales and Leases to
Company. Subject to Section 10(j) below, the Company shall not
purchase or lease assets in which the Adviser or any Affiliate, as that term is
defined in Section 11(c) below, thereof has an interest unless all of the
following conditions are met: (i) the transaction is fully disclosed to the
stockholders either in a periodic report filed with the SEC or otherwise; and
(ii) the assets are sold or leased upon terms that are reasonable to the Company
and at a price not to exceed the lesser of cost or fair market value as
determined by an independent expert. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in
this Section 10(a), the Adviser may purchase assets in its own name
(and assume loans in connection therewith) and temporarily hold title thereto,
for the purposes of facilitating the acquisition of the assets, the borrowing of
money, obtaining financing for the Company, or the completion of construction of
the assets, provided that all of the following conditions are met: (i) the
assets are purchased by the Company at a price no greater than the cost of the
assets to the Adviser; (ii) all income generated by, and the expenses
associated with, the assets so acquired shall be treated as belonging to the
Company; and (iii) there are no other benefits arising out of such
transaction to the Adviser apart from compensation otherwise provided for in
this Agreement.
14
(b) Sales and Leases to the
Adviser, Directors or Affiliates. Subject to Section 10(j)
below, the Company shall not sell assets to the Adviser or any Affiliate thereof
unless such sale is duly approved by the holders of a majority of the
outstanding voting securities of the Company. The Company shall not
lease assets to the Adviser or any director or Affiliate thereof unless all of
the following conditions are met: (i) the transaction is fully disclosed to the
stockholders either in a periodic report filed with the SEC or otherwise; and
(ii) the terms of the transaction are fair and reasonable to the
Company.
(c) Loans. Subject
to Section 10(j) below, except for the advancement of funds pursuant to Sections
8(b) and 8(c) above, no loans, credit facilities, credit agreements or otherwise
shall be made by the Company to the Adviser or any Affiliate
thereof.
(d) Commissions on Financing,
Refinancing or Reinvestment. Subject to Section 10(j) below,
except as provided in this Agreement, the Company shall not pay, directly or
indirectly, a commission or fee to the Adviser or any Affiliate thereof (except
as otherwise specified in this Section 10) in connection with the reinvestment
of cash flow from operations and available reserves or of the proceeds of the
resale, exchange or refinancing of assets.
(e) Other
Transactions. Subject to Section 10(j) below, the Company
shall not engage in any other transaction with the Adviser or a director or
Affiliate thereof unless (i) such transaction complies with the North American
Securities Administrators Association Omnibus Guidelines and all applicable law;
and (ii) a majority of the Directors (including a majority of the Independent
Directors) not otherwise interested in such transaction approve such transaction
as fair and reasonable to the Company and on terms and conditions not less
favorable to the Company than those available from non-Affiliated third
parties.
(f) Lending
Practices. Subject to Section 10(j) below, on financing made
available to the Company by the Adviser, the Adviser may not receive interest in
excess of the lesser of the Adviser’s cost of funds or the amounts that would be
charged by unrelated lending institutions on comparable loans for the same
purpose. The Adviser shall not impose a prepayment charge or penalty
in connection with such financing and the Adviser shall not receive points or
other financing charges. The Adviser shall be prohibited from
providing permanent financing for the Company. For purposes of this
Section 10(f), “permanent financing” shall mean any financing with a term in
excess of 12 months.
(g) No Exclusive
Agreement. Subject to Section 10(j) below, the Adviser is not
hereby granted or entitled to an exclusive right to sell or exclusive employment
to sell assets for the Company.
(h) Rebates, Kickbacks and
Reciprocal Arrangements. Subject to Section 10(j) below,
|
(i)
|
The
Adviser agrees that it shall not:
|
15
|
(A)
|
Receive
or accept any rebate, give-up or similar arrangement that is prohibited
under applicable federal or state securities
laws;
|
|
(B)
|
Participate
in any reciprocal business arrangement that would circumvent provisions of
applicable federal or state securities laws governing conflicts of
interest or investment restrictions;
or
|
|
(C)
|
Enter
into any agreement, arrangement or understanding that would circumvent the
restrictions against dealing with affiliates or promoters under applicable
federal or state securities laws.
|
|
(ii)
|
The
Adviser agrees that it shall not directly or indirectly pay or award any
fees or commissions or other compensation to any person or entity engaged
to sell the Company’s stock or give investment advice to a potential
stockholder; provided, however, that this subsection shall not prohibit
the payment of a registered broker-dealer or other properly licensed agent
from sales commissions for selling or distributing the Company’s common
stock.
|
(i) Commingling. Subject
to Section 10(j) below, the Adviser covenants that it shall not permit or cause
to be permitted the Company’s funds from being commingled with the funds of any
other entity. Nothing in this Subsection (j) shall prohibit the
Adviser from establishing a master fiduciary account pursuant to which separate
sub-trust accounts are established for the benefit of affiliated programs,
provided that the Company’s funds are protected from the claims of other
programs and creditors of such programs.
(j) Applicability.
Sections 10(a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (f), (g), (h) and (i) above shall not apply,
and shall be of no force or effect, if and to the extent the shares of the
Company’s Common Stock are qualified as “covered securities,” within the meaning
of Section 18 of the Securities Act.
11
|
Other Goods and
Services.
|
(a) Provision
of Services. In addition to the services to be provided under
the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Company may accept goods or other
services provided by the Adviser in connection with the operation of assets,
provided that (i) the Adviser, as a fiduciary, determines such self-dealing
arrangement is in the best interest of the Company; (ii) the terms pursuant to
which all such goods or services are provided to the Company by the Adviser
shall be embodied in a written contract, the material terms of which must be
fully disclosed to the stockholders; (iii) the contract may only be modified
with approval of holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of
the Company; and (iv) the contract shall contain a clause allowing termination
without penalty on 60 days’ notice. Without limitation to the
foregoing, arrangements to provide such goods or other services must meet all of
the following criteria: (i) the Adviser must be independently engaged in the
business of providing such goods or services to persons other than its
Affiliates and at least thirty-three percent (33%) of the Adviser’s associated
gross revenues must come from persons other than its Affiliates; (ii) the
compensation, price or fee charged for providing such goods or services must be
comparable and competitive with the compensation, price or fee charged by
persons other than the Adviser and its Affiliates in the same geographic
location who provide comparable goods or services which could reasonably be made
available to the Company; and (iii) except in extraordinary circumstances, the
compensation and other material terms of the arrangement must be fully disclosed
to the stockholders. Extraordinary circumstances are limited to
instances when immediate action is required and the goods or services are not
immediately available from persons other than the Adviser and its
Affiliates.
16
(b) Limitations. Notwithstanding
the foregoing clause (a), if the Adviser is not engaged in the business to the
extent required by such clause, the Adviser may provide to the Company other
goods and services if all of the following additional conditions are met: (i)
the Adviser can demonstrate the capacity and capability to provide such goods or
services on a competitive basis; (ii) the goods or services are provided at the
lesser of cost or the competitive rate charged by persons other than the Adviser
and its Affiliates in the same geographic location who are in the business of
providing comparable goods or services; (iii) the cost is limited to the
reasonable necessary and actual expenses incurred by the Adviser on behalf of
the Company in providing such goods or services, exclusive of expenses of the
type which may not be reimbursed under applicable federal or state securities
laws and (iv) expenses are allocated in accordance with generally accepted
accounting principles and are made subject to any special audit required by
applicable federal and state securities laws.
(c) The
term “Affiliate” shall mean, with respect to any Person, (i) any Person directly
or indirectly owning, controlling or holding, with the power to vote, ten
percent (10%) or more of the outstanding voting securities of such other Person;
(ii) any Person ten percent (10%) or more of whose outstanding voting securities
are directly or indirectly owned, controlled or held, with the power to vote, by
such other Person; (iii) any Person directly or indirectly controlling,
controlled by or under common control with such other Person; (iv) any executive
officer, director, trustee or general partner of such other Person; and (v) any
legal entity for which such Person acts as an executive officer, director,
trustee or general partner.
12
|
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.
13
|
Amendments.
|
This
Agreement may be amended by mutual consent, but the consent of the Company must
be obtained in conformity with the requirements of the Investment Company
Act.
17
14
|
Entire Agreement;
Governing Law.
|
This
Agreement contains the entire agreement of the parties and supersedes all prior
agreements, understandings and arrangements with respect to the subject matter
hereof. Notwithstanding the place where this Agreement may be
executed by any of the parties hereto, this Agreement shall be construed in
accordance with the laws of the State of New York. 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 New York, or any of the provisions herein,
conflict with the provisions of the Investment Company Act, the latter shall
control.
18
IN WITNESS
WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed on
the date above written.
XXXXXXX CAPITAL, INC. | |||
|
By:
|
||
Name: Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx | |||
Title:
President and Chief Executive Officer
|
|||
XXXXXXX INVESTMENTS, LLC | |||
|
By:
|
||
Name: Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx | |||
Title:
Managing Member
|
|||
19
APPENDIX
A
The
following table sets forth various examples of the calculation of the Incentive
Fee based on different levels of realized and unrealized gains and losses over a
period of years. These calculations are based on the different
assumptions set forth in the table:
Examples
of Annual Incentive Fee for Capital Gains (all dollar amounts in
millions)
|
|||
Example
1
|
|||
Year
|
Investment Description
|
Incentive Fee
|
Explanatory comments
|
1
|
Invested
$5 in Company A stock and $10 in Company B stock.
|
$0
|
No
incentive fee since as there are realized gains.
|
2
|
Sold
Company A stock for $15 ($10 realized gain). Fair value of
Company B stock at $20 ($10 unrealized gain)
|
$2.0
|
Incentive
fee equals 20% of $10 realized gains. Unrealized gains do not
affect calculation.
|
3
|
Fair
value of Company B stock at $8 ($2 unrealized loss).
|
$0
|
No
incentive fee as there are only unrealized loss in the
year.
|
4
|
Sold
Company B stock for $12 ($2 realized gain).
|
$0.4
|
Incentive
fee equals 20% of cumulative realized gains of $12, or $2.4, less
previously paid incentive fee of $2.
|
Example
2
|
|||
Year
|
Investment Description
|
Incentive Fee
|
Explanatory comments
|
1
|
Invested
$20 in Company A stock, $30 in Company B stock and $25 in Company C
stock
|
$0
|
No
incentive fee as there are no realized gains.
|
2
|
Sold
Company A stock for $50 (realized gain $30). Fair value of
Company B stock at $25 ($5 unrealized loss). Fair value of
Company C stock at $25 (no unrealized gain or loss).
|
$5.0
|
Incentive
fee equals 20% of $25 (which is the $30 realized gains less the $5
unrealized loss).
|
3
|
Sold
Company C stock for $30 ($5 realized gain). Fair value of
Company B stock at $27 ($3 unrealized loss)
|
$1.4
|
Incentive
fee equals 20% of $32 (which is the $35 of realized gains less the $3 of
unrealized losses), reduced by the $5 previously paid incentive
fee.
|
4
|
Fair
value of Company B stock at $35 ($5 unrealized gain).
|
$0
|
No
incentive fee as there are no realized gains in year.
|
5
|
Sold
Company B stock for $20 ($10 realized loss).
|
$0
|
No
incentive fee as the 20% incentive fee on $25 (which is the $35 cumulative
realized gains less the $10 realized losses) exceeds the $6.4
previously paid incentive
fee.
|
20