GLADSTONE CAPITAL CORPORATION 2,500,000 Common Shares $.001 Par Value Equity Underwriting Agreement
Exhibit 2.h.2
GLADSTONE CAPITAL CORPORATION
2,500,000 Common Shares
$.001 Par Value
Equity Underwriting Agreement
October 15, 2007
Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.
00 Xxxx Xxxxxx, 0xx Xxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Gladstone Capital Corporation, a Maryland corporation (the “Company”) proposes to sell to Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., (the “Underwriter”) an aggregate of 2,500,000 shares (the “Firm Shares”) of the Company’s common stock, $0.001 par value (the “Common Stock”). The Company also proposes to sell at the Underwriter’s option an aggregate of up to 375,000 additional shares of the Company’s Common Stock (the “Option Shares”) as set forth below. The Firm Shares and the Option Shares (to the extent the aforementioned option is exercised) are herein collectively called the “Shares.”
The Company has entered into an Amended and Restated Investment Advisory and Management Agreement, dated as of October 1, 2006 (the “Investment Advisory Agreement”), with Gladstone Management Corporation, a Delaware corporation registered as an investment adviser (the “Adviser”) under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the “Advisers Act”). The Company has entered into an Administration Agreement, dated as of October 1, 2006 (the “Administration Agreement”), with Gladstone Administration, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Administrator”).
In consideration of the mutual agreements contained herein and of the interests of the parties in the transactions contemplated hereby, the parties hereto agree as follows:
1. Representations and Warranties of the Company.
The Company and the Adviser jointly and severally represent and warrant to the Underwriter as follows:
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(a) A registration statement on Form N-2 File No. 333-143027 with respect to the Shares has been prepared by the Company in conformity with the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), and the rules and regulations (the “Rules and Regulations”) of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) thereunder, has been filed with the Commission and has been declared effective. The Company meets the requirements of and complies with the conditions for the use of Form N-2 under the Act. Copies of such registration statement, including any amendments thereto, the preliminary prospectuses (meeting the requirements of the Rules and Regulations) contained therein and the exhibits, financial statements and schedules, as finally amended and revised, have heretofore been delivered by the Company to you. Such registration statement, together with any registration statement filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Act, is herein referred to as the “Registration Statement,” which shall be deemed to include all information omitted therefrom in reliance upon Rules 430A, 430B or 430C under the Act and contained in the Base Prospectus or Prospectus Supplement referred to below, has become effective under the Act. “Base Prospectus” means the prospectus included in the Registration Statement at the time the Registration Statement was declared effective by the Commission. “Preliminary Prospectus Supplement” means the preliminary prospectus supplement used in connection with the offer of the Shares and filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 497 prior to execution and delivery of this Agreement. “Final Prospectus Supplement” means the prospectus supplement containing all information omitted from the Base Prospectus and Preliminary Prospectus Supplement pursuant to Rules 430B or 430C and filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 497. “Prospectus” means collectively, the Base Prospectus and Final Prospectus Supplement. Any reference herein to the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement or to the Final Prospectus Supplement shall be deemed to refer to and include any documents incorporated by reference therein, and any supplements or amendments thereto, filed with the Commission after the date of filing of the Final Prospectus Supplement under Rule 497 under the Act, and prior to the termination of the offering of the Shares by the Underwriter. The Company filed a Form N-54A “Notification of Election to be Subject to Sections 55 through 65 of the 1940 Act Filed Pursuant to Section 54(a) of the 1940 Act” (File No. 814-00237) with the Commission on August 23, 2001, under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (collectively, the “1940 Act”).
(b) As of the Applicable Time (as defined below) the Base Prospectus and the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement and the information included on Schedule IV hereto, all considered together (collectively, the “General Disclosure Package”) did not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that the Company makes no representations or warranties as to information contained in or omitted from the General Disclosure Package in reliance upon, and in conformity with, written information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of the Underwriter specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information is that described in Section 14 herein. As of the Closing Date (defined below) and as of the Option Closing Date (defined below), the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus Supplement will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that the Company makes no representations or warranties as to information contained in or omitted from the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure
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Package or the Final Prospectus Supplement in reliance upon, and in conformity with, written information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of the Underwriter specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information is that described in Section 14 herein. As used in this subsection and elsewhere in this Agreement, the term “Applicable Time” means 5:00 p.m. (New York time) on the date of this Agreement or such other time as agreed to by the Company and the Underwriter.
(c) The Company has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Maryland, with corporate power and authority to own or lease its properties and conduct its business as currently carried on and described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus Supplement. Each of the Company’s subsidiaries (collectively, the “Subsidiaries”) has been duly organized and is validly existing as a limited liability company or corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization, with all requisite power and authority to own or lease its properties and conduct its business as currently carried on and described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus Supplement, except where the Company’s or the Subsidiaries’ failure to be so qualified would not (i) have, individually or in the aggregate, a material adverse effect on the earnings, business, properties, assets, rights, operations, condition (financial or otherwise) or prospects of the Company and the Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or (ii) prevent the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby (the occurrence of any such effect or any such prevention described in the foregoing clauses (i) and (ii) being referred to as a “Material Adverse Effect”). The Company and each of the Subsidiaries are duly qualified to transact business in all jurisdictions in which the conduct of their business requires such qualification. The outstanding shares of capital stock of each of the Subsidiaries have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and are owned by the Company or another Subsidiary free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and equities and claims; and no options, warrants or other rights to purchase, agreements or other obligations to issue or other rights to convert any obligations into shares of capital stock or ownership interests in the Subsidiaries are outstanding. As of June 30, 2007, the Company did not own, directly or indirectly, any shares of stock or any other equity or long-term debt securities of any corporation or other entity other than those corporations or other entities described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus Supplement under the caption “Portfolio Companies” (each a “Portfolio Company” and collectively, the “Portfolio Companies”) and the Subsidiaries listed in Item 28 of the Registration Statement. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus Supplement, the Company does not control (as such term is defined in Section 2(a)(9) of the 0000 Xxx) any of the Portfolio Companies.
(d) The outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable; the Shares to be issued and sold by the Company have been duly authorized and when issued and paid for as contemplated herein will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable; and no preemptive rights of stockholders exist with respect to any of the Shares or the issue and sale thereof. Neither the filing of the Registration Statement nor the offering or sale of the Shares as contemplated by this Agreement gives rise to any rights, other than those which have been waived or satisfied, for or relating to the registration of any shares of Common Stock.
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(e) The information set forth under the caption “Capitalization” in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus Supplement is true and correct. All of the Shares conform to the description thereof contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus Supplement. The form of certificates for the Shares conforms to the corporate law of the jurisdiction of the Company’s incorporation and to any requirements of the Company’s organizational documents. The description of the Company’s stock option, stock bonus and other stock plans or arrangements, if any, and the options or other rights granted thereunder, set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus Supplement accurately and fairly presents the information required to be shown with respect to such plans, arrangements, options and rights. All stock option, stock bonus and other stock-based compensation plans, or arrangements comply in all material respects with the provisions of the 1940 Act. Subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus Supplement, except as otherwise specifically stated therein or in this Agreement, the Company has not: (i) issued any securities or incurred any liability or obligation, direct or contingent, for borrowed money; or (ii) declared or paid any dividend or made any other distribution on or in respect to its capital stock.
(f) The Commission has not issued an order preventing or suspending the use of the Base Prospectus, the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement or the Final Prospectus Supplement relating to the proposed offering of the Shares, and no proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Act has been instituted or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened by the Commission. The Registration Statement contains, and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto contain and will contain, all statements which are required to be stated therein by, and conform and will conform to, the requirements of the Act and the Rules and Regulations. The Registration Statement and any amendment thereto do not contain, and will not contain, any untrue statement of a material fact and do not omit, and will not omit, to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The Prospectus and any amendments and supplements thereto do not contain, and will not contain, any untrue statement of a material fact; and do not omit, and will not omit, to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that the Company makes no representations or warranties as to information contained in or omitted from the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or any such amendment or supplement, in reliance upon, and in conformity with, written information furnished to the Company by the Underwriter, specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information is that described in Section 14 herein.
(g) The Company has duly authorized, executed and delivered and currently is a party to or payee with respect to the promissory notes and other agreements evidencing the investments described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus Supplement under the caption “Portfolio Companies” (each a “Portfolio Company Agreement”). Except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus Supplement, and to the Company’s knowledge, each Portfolio Company is current in all material respects with all its obligations under the applicable Portfolio
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Company Agreements, no event of default (or a default which with the giving of notice or the passage of time would become an event of default) has occurred under such agreements, except to the extent that any such failure to be current in its obligations and any such default would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(h) The Company has not, directly or indirectly, distributed and will not distribute any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares other than the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus Supplement or other materials, if any, permitted by the Act or the 1940 Act.
(i) [Reserved.]
(j) The consolidated financial statements of the Company and the Subsidiaries, together with related notes and schedules as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus Supplement, present fairly the financial position and the results of operations and cash flows of the Company and the consolidated Subsidiaries, at the indicated dates and for the indicated periods. Such financial statements and related schedules have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted principles of accounting (“GAAP”), consistently applied throughout the periods involved, except as disclosed therein, and all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of results for such periods have been made. The summary and selected consolidated financial and statistical data included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus Supplement presents fairly the information shown therein and such data has been compiled on a basis consistent with the financial statements presented therein and the books and records of the Company. All disclosures contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus Supplement regarding “non-GAAP financial measures” (as such term is defined by the Rules and Regulations) comply with Regulation G of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) and Item 10 of Regulation S-K under the Act, to the extent applicable. The Company and the Subsidiaries do not have any material liabilities or obligations, direct or contingent (including any off-balance sheet obligations or any “variable interest entities” within the meaning of Financial Accounting Standards Board Interpretation No. 46), not disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus Supplement. There are no financial statements (historical or pro forma) that are required to be included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus that are not included as required.
(k) PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP, who have certified certain of the financial statements filed with the Commission as part of the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus Supplement, is an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the Company and the Subsidiaries within the meaning of the Act and the applicable Rules and Regulations and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (the “PCAOB”).
(l) Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus Supplement, neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries is aware of (i) any material weakness in its internal control over financial reporting or (ii) change in
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internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
(m) Solely to the extent that the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act of 2002, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated by the Commission and the Nasdaq Global Select Market thereunder (the “Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act”) has been applicable to the Company, there is and has been no failure on the part of the Company to comply in all material respects with any applicable provision of the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act that would have a Material Adverse Effect.
(n) There is no action, suit, claim or proceeding pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against the Company or any of the Subsidiaries before any court or administrative agency or otherwise which if determined adversely to the Company or any of the Subsidiaries would have a Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus Supplement.
(o) The Company and the Subsidiaries have good and marketable title to all of the properties and assets reflected in the consolidated financial statements hereinabove described or described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus Supplement, subject to no lien, mortgage, pledge, charge or encumbrance of any kind except those reflected in such financial statements or described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus Supplement or which are not material in amount. The Company and the Subsidiaries are not party to any leases.
(p) The Company and the Subsidiaries have filed all Federal, State, local and foreign tax returns which have been required to be filed and have paid all taxes indicated by such returns and all assessments received by them or any of them to the extent that such taxes have become due and are not being contested in good faith and for which an adequate reserve for accrual has been established in accordance with GAAP, other than as set forth or contemplated in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus Supplement, and except where the failure to so file or pay would not have a Material Adverse Effect. All tax liabilities have been adequately provided for in the financial statements of the Company, and the Company does not know of any actual or proposed additional material tax assessments.
(q) Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus Supplement, as each may be amended or supplemented, there has not been any material adverse change or any development that is reasonably likely to involve a prospective material adverse change in or affecting the earnings, business, management, properties, assets, rights, operations, condition (financial or otherwise), or prospects of the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole, whether or not occurring in the ordinary course of business, and there has not been any material transaction entered into or any material transaction that is probable of being entered into by the Company or the Subsidiaries, other than transactions in the ordinary course of business and changes and transactions described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus Supplement, as each may be amended or supplemented. The Company and the Subsidiaries have no material contingent obligations which are not disclosed in the Company’s financial statements which are
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included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus Supplement.
(r) Neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries is or with the giving of notice or lapse of time or both, will be, (i) in violation of its certificate or articles of incorporation, by-laws, certificate of formation, limited liability agreement, partnership agreement or other organizational documents or (ii) in violation of or in default under any agreement, lease, contract, indenture or other instrument or obligation to which it is a party or by which it, or any of its properties, is bound and, solely with respect to this clause (ii), which violation or default would have a Material Adverse Effect. The execution and delivery of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions herein contemplated and the fulfillment of the terms hereof will not conflict with or result in a breach of (i) any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party or by which the Company or any Subsidiary or any of their respective properties is bound, which conflict or breach would have a Material Adverse Effect, (ii) or of the certificate or articles of incorporation or by-laws of the Company or (iii) any law, order, rule or regulation judgment, order, writ or decree applicable to the Company or any Subsidiary of any court or of any government, regulatory body or administrative agency or other governmental body having jurisdiction, except for such conflicts, breaches, defaults or violations as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
(s) The execution and delivery of, and the performance by the Company and the Adviser of their obligations under, this Agreement has been duly and validly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of the Company and the Adviser, and this Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Company and the Adviser.
(t) Each approval, consent, order, authorization, designation, declaration or filing by or with any regulatory, administrative or other governmental body necessary in connection with the execution and delivery by the Company of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions herein contemplated (except such additional steps as may be required by the Commission, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) or such additional steps as may be necessary to qualify the Shares for public offering by the Underwriter under state securities or Blue Sky laws) has been obtained or made and is in full force and effect.
(u) The Company, the Adviser and each of the Subsidiaries hold all material licenses, certificates and permits from governmental authorities which are necessary to the conduct of their businesses as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus Supplement, except where the failure to hold such licenses, certificates or permits would not have a Material Adverse Effect; the Company, the Adviser and the Subsidiaries each own or possess rights to use all patents, patent rights, trademarks, trade names, service marks, service names, copyrights, license rights, know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures) and other intellectual property rights (“Intellectual Property”) necessary to carry on their businesses as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus Supplement in all material respects; neither the Company, the Adviser nor any of the Subsidiaries has infringed, and none of the Company, the Adviser or the Subsidiaries has received notice of
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conflict with, any Intellectual Property of any other person or entity. None of the technology employed by the Company or the Adviser has been obtained or is being used by the Company or the Adviser in violation of any contractual obligation binding on the Adviser, the Company or any of its officers, directors or employees or otherwise in violation of the rights of any persons; the Company or the Adviser has not received any written or oral communications alleging that the Company has violated, infringed or conflicted with, or, by conducting its business as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus Supplement, would violate, infringe or conflict with, any of the Intellectual Property of any other person or entity, except for such violations, infringements or conflicts that would not have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company or the Adviser knows of no infringement by others of Intellectual Property owned by or licensed to the Company or the Adviser.
(v) Neither the Company, nor to the Company’s knowledge, any of its affiliates, has taken or may take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or result in, or which has constituted or which might reasonably be expected to constitute, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of the shares of Common Stock to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares. The Company acknowledges that the Underwriter may engage in passive market making transactions in the Shares on the Nasdaq Global Select Market in accordance with Regulation M under the Exchange Act.
(w) The terms of the Investment Advisory Agreement, including compensation terms, comply in all material respects with all applicable provisions of the 1940 Act and the Advisers Act and the approvals by the board of directors and the Company’s stockholders, as applicable, of the Investment Advisory Agreement have been obtained in accordance with the requirements of Section 15 of the 1940 Act applicable to companies that have elected to be regulated as business development companies under the 0000 Xxx.
(x) The Company and each of its Subsidiaries maintains a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain accountability for assets; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.
(y) The Company has established and maintains “disclosure controls and procedures” (as defined in Rules 13a-14(c) and 15d-14(c) under the Exchange Act); the Company’s “disclosure controls and procedures” are reasonably designed to ensure that all material information (both financial and non-financial) required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the rules and regulations of the Exchange Act, and that all such information is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure and to make the certifications of the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Company required under the Exchange Act with respect to such reports.
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(z) The statistical, industry-related and market-related data included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus Supplement are based on or derived from sources which the Company reasonably and in good faith believes are reliable and accurate, and such data agree with the sources from which they are derived.
(aa) The operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial record-keeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, applicable money laundering statutes and applicable rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”), and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any or its subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened.
(bb) Neither the Company nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company is currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department (“OFAC”); and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity, for the purpose of financing the activities of any person currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by OFAC.
(cc) The Company and each of the Subsidiaries carry, or are covered by, insurance in such amounts and covering such risks as is adequate for the conduct of their respective business and the value of their respective properties and as is customary for companies engaged in similar businesses.
(dd) The Company, the Adviser and each Subsidiary is in compliance in all material respects with all presently applicable provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, including the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (“ERISA”); no “reportable event” (as defined in ERISA) has occurred with respect to any “pension plan” (as defined in ERISA) for which the Company and each Subsidiary would have any liability; the Company and each Subsidiary has not incurred and does not expect to incur liability under (i) Title IV of ERISA with respect to termination of, or withdrawal from, any “pension plan” or (ii) Sections 412 or 4971 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, including the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (the “Code”); and each “pension plan” for which the Company or any Subsidiary would have any liability that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code is so qualified in all material respects and nothing has occurred, whether by action or by failure to act, which would reasonably be expected to cause the loss of such qualification.
(ee) To the Company’s knowledge, there are no affiliations or associations between any member of FINRA and any of the Company’s officers, directors or 5% or greater securityholders, except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus Supplement.
(ff) [Reserved.]
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(gg) The Shares are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act and have been approved for quotation on the Nasdaq Global Select Market (“NASDAQ”) upon notice of issuance, and the Company has taken no action designed to, or likely to have the effect of, terminating the registration of the Shares under the Exchange Act or delisting the Shares from the NASDAQ, nor has the Company received any notification that the Commission or FINRA is contemplating terminating such registration or listing. The Company has continued to satisfy, in all material respects, all requirements for listing the Shares for trading on the NASDAQ.
(hh) There are no relationships or related-party transactions involving the Company or any of the Subsidiaries or any other person required to be described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Final Prospectus Supplement which have not been described as required.
(ii) Neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries has made any contribution or other payment to any official of, or candidate for, any federal, state or foreign office in violation of any law which violation is required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus Supplement.
(jj) As of the date of the initial filing of the registration statement referred to in Section 1(a), there were no outstanding personal loans made, directly or indirectly, by the Company to any director or executive officer of the Company, except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, and the Final Prospectus Supplement or the Company’s Proxy Statement relating to the 2007 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.
(kk) Any advertising, sales literature or other promotional material (including “prospectus wrappers,” “broker kits,” “road show slides” and “road show scripts” and “electronic road show presentations”) authorized in writing by or prepared by the Company used in connection with the public offering of the Shares (collectively, “Sales Material”) does not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein in light of the circumstances under which they were made not misleading. Moreover, all Sales Material complied and will comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Act, the 1940 Act, and the rules and interpretations of FINRA (except that this representation and warranty does not apply to statements in or omissions from the Sales Material made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to the Underwriter furnished to the Company by the Underwriter expressly for use therein).
(ll) No Subsidiary of the Company, other than Gladstone Business Loan LLC, is currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, from paying any dividends to the Company, from making any other distribution on such Subsidiary’s capital stock, from repaying to the Company any loans or advances to such subsidiary from the Company or from transferring any of such Subsidiary’s property or assets to the Company or any other Subsidiary of the Company.
(mm) Neither the Adviser, the Company, nor any of its Subsidiaries nor, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is aware of or has taken any action, directly or indirectly, that would result in a violation by such Persons of the
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Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (the “FCPA”), including, without limitation, making use of the mails or any means or instrumentality of interstate commerce corruptly in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay or authorization of the payment of any money, or other property, gift, promise to give, or authorization of the giving of anything of value to any “foreign official” (as such term is defined in the FCPA) or any foreign political party or official thereof or any candidate for foreign political office, in contravention of the FCPA and the Adviser, the Company, its subsidiaries and its affiliates have conducted their businesses in compliance with the FCPA and have instituted and maintain policies and procedures designed to ensure, and which are reasonably expected to continue to ensure, continued compliance therewith.
(nn) [Reserved.]
(oo) The Company and its Subsidiaries are (i) in compliance with any and all applicable foreign, federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to the protection of human health and safety, access for disabled persons, the environment or hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants (“Environmental Laws”), (ii) have received and are in compliance with all permits, licenses or other approvals required of them under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses and (iii) have not received notice of any actual or potential liability under any Environmental Laws, except where such non-compliance with Environmental Laws, failure to receive required permits, licenses or other approvals, or liability would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, and the Final Prospectus Supplement. Except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus Supplement, neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries has been named as a “potentially responsible party” under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, as amended.
(pp) [Reserved.]
(qq) [Reserved.]
(rr) The Company has elected to be regulated as a business development company under the 1940 Act and has filed with the Commission, pursuant to Section 54(a) of the 1940 Act, a duly completed and executed Form N-54A (the “Company BDC Election”); the Company has not filed with the Commission any notice of withdrawal of the Company BDC Election pursuant to Section 54(c) of the 1940 Act; the Company BDC Election remains in full force and effect, and, to the Company’s actual knowledge, no order of suspension or revocation of such election under the 1940 Act has been issued or proceedings therefore initiated or threatened by the Commission. The operations of the Company are in compliance with the provisions of the 1940 Act applicable to business development companies and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder applicable to business development companies, except where such non-compliance would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(ss) The Company is currently organized and operates in compliance in all material respects with the requirements to be taxed as, and has duly elected to be taxed as (which election
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has not been revoked), a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code. The Company intends to direct the investment of the net proceeds received by it from the sale of the Shares in the manner specified in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus Supplement under the caption “Use of Proceeds” and in such a manner as to continue to comply with the requirements of Subchapter M of the Code.
(tt) There are no contracts or documents that are required to be described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus Supplement or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement by the Act, the 1940 Act or by the rules and regulations thereunder that have not been so described and filed as required. All descriptions of contracts or documents described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus Supplement are accurate and complete in all material respects. Notwithstanding the foregoing, as of the date hereof, the Company has not filed certain contracts and documents as exhibits to the Registration Statement, although all such exhibits will be filed by post-effective amendment pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Act within twenty-four (24) hours of the execution of this Agreement.
(uu) [Reserved.]
(vv) Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus Supplement (i) no person is serving or acting as an officer, director or investment adviser of the Company, except in accordance with the provisions of the 1940 Act and the Advisers Act, and (ii) to the knowledge of the Company, no director of the Company is an “interested person” (as defined in the 0000 Xxx) of the Company or an “affiliated person” (as defined in the 0000 Xxx) of the Underwriter.
Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company or the Adviser and delivered to the Underwriter or counsel for the Underwriter in connection with the offering of the Shares shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company or the Adviser as to matters covered thereby, to the Underwriter.
2. Representations and Warranties of the Adviser.
The Adviser represents and warrants to the Underwriter as follows:
(a) Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus Supplement, except as otherwise stated therein, there has been no material adverse change in the financial condition, or in the earnings, business affairs, operations or regulatory status of the Adviser or any of its subsidiaries, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, that would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, or would otherwise reasonably be expected to prevent the Adviser from carrying out its obligations under the Investment Advisory Agreement (an “Adviser Material Adverse Change” or an “Adviser Material Adverse Effect,” where the context so requires).
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(b) The Adviser and each of its subsidiaries has been duly organized and is validly existing corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware, and has the corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus Supplement and to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement; the Adviser has the corporate power and authority to execute and deliver and perform its obligations under the Investment Advisory Agreement; and each of the Adviser and its subsidiaries is duly qualified to transact business as a foreign entity and is in good standing in each other jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of ownership or leasing of its property or the conduct of business, except where the failure to qualify or be in good standing would not otherwise reasonably be expected to result in an Adviser Material Adverse Effect.
(c) The Adviser is duly registered with the Commission as an investment adviser under the Advisers Act and is not prohibited by the Advisers Act or the 1940 Act from acting under the Investment Advisory Agreement for the Company as contemplated by the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus Supplement. There does not exist any proceeding or, to the Adviser’s knowledge, any facts or circumstances the existence of which could reasonably be expected to lead to any proceeding, which might adversely affect the registration of the Adviser with the Commission.
(d) There is no action, suit or proceeding or, to the knowledge of the Adviser or any of its subsidiaries, inquiry or investigation before or brought by any court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign, now pending, or, to the knowledge of the Adviser, threatened, against or affecting the Adviser which is required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement (other than as disclosed therein), or which would reasonably be expected to result in an Adviser Material Adverse Effect, or which would reasonably be expected to materially and adversely affect the consummation of the transactions contemplated in this Agreement, the Investment Advisory Agreement or the Administration Agreement; the aggregate of all pending legal or governmental proceedings to which the Adviser is a party or of which any of their respective property or assets is the subject which are not described in the Registration Statement the General Disclosure Package and/or the Final Prospectus Supplement, including ordinary routine litigation incidental to their business, would not reasonably be expected to result in an Adviser Material Adverse Effect.
(e) Neither the Adviser nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of its certificate of incorporation or in default in the performance or observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit agreement, note, lease or other agreement or instrument to which the Adviser is a party or by which it or any of them may be bound, or to which any of the property or assets of the Adviser is subject (collectively, the “Adviser Agreements and Instruments”), or in violation of any law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order or decree except for such violations or defaults that would not reasonably be expected to result in an Adviser Material Adverse Effect; and the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement, the Investment Advisory Agreement and the Administration Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein and therein and in the Registration Statement (including the issuance and sale of the Shares and the use of the proceeds from the sale of the Shares as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus Supplement under the caption “Use of Proceeds”) and compliance
13
by the Adviser with their respective obligations hereunder and under the Investment Advisory Agreement and the Administration Agreement do not and will not, whether with or without the giving of notice or passage of time or both, conflict with or constitute a breach of, or default under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Adviser pursuant to the Adviser Agreements except for such violations or defaults that would not reasonably be expected to result in an Adviser Material Adverse Effect, nor will such action result in any violation of the provisions of the limited liability company operating agreement of the Adviser or Administrator, respectively; nor will such action result in any violation of any applicable law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any government, government instrumentality or court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Adviser or any of its assets, properties or operations except for such violations that would not reasonably be expected to result in an Adviser Material Adverse Effect.
(f) This Agreement, the Investment Advisory Agreement and the Administration Agreement have been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Adviser or the Administrator, as applicable. This Agreement, the Investment Advisory Agreement and the Administration Agreement are valid and binding obligations of the Adviser or the Administrator, as applicable, enforceable against them in accordance with their terms, except as the enforcement thereof may be subject to (i) bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws now or thereafter in effect relating to creditors’ rights generally and (ii) general principles of equity and the discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefore may be brought.
(g) No filing with, or authorization, approval, consent, license, order, registration, qualification or decree of, any court or governmental authority or agency is necessary or required for the performance by the Adviser of its obligations hereunder, in connection with the offering, issuance or sale of the Shares hereunder or the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, (including the use of the proceeds from the sale of the Shares as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus Supplement under the caption “Use of Proceeds”), except such as have been already obtained under the Act and the 1940 Act.
(h) The description of the Adviser contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus Supplement does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances in which they were made, not misleading.
(i) The Adviser possesses such licenses issued by the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign regulatory agencies or bodies necessary to conduct the business now operated by it (“Governmental Licenses”), except where the failure so to possess would not reasonably be expected to, singly or in the aggregate, result in an Adviser Material Adverse Effect; the Adviser is in compliance with the terms and conditions of all such Governmental Licenses, except where the failure so to comply would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in an Adviser Material Adverse Effect; all of the Governmental Licenses are valid and in full force and effect, except when the invalidity of such Governmental Licenses or the failure of such Governmental Licenses to be in full force and effect would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in an Adviser Material Adverse Effect; and the Adviser has not received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or
14
modification of any such Governmental Licenses which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would reasonably be expected to result in an Adviser Material Adverse Effect.
(j) The Adviser is not aware that (i) any executive, key employee or significant group of employees of the Company, if any, the Adviser or the Administrator, as applicable, plans to terminate employment with the Company, the Adviser or the Administrator or (ii) any such executive or key employee is subject to any non-compete, nondisclosure, confidentiality, employment, consulting or similar agreement that would be violated by the present or proposed business activities of the Company or the Adviser except where such termination or violation would not reasonably be expected to have an Adviser Material Adverse Effect.
3. PURCHASE, SALE AND DELIVERY OF THE FIRM SHARES.
(a) On the basis of the representations, warranties and covenants herein contained, and subject to the conditions herein set forth, the Company agrees to sell to the Underwriter and the Underwriter agrees, to purchase, at a price of $17.67 per share (representing a public offering price of $18.70 per share, less an underwriting discount of $1.03 per share), an aggregate of 2,500,000 Firm Shares.
(b) Payment for the Firm Shares to be sold hereunder is to be made in Federal (same day) funds against delivery of certificates therefor to the Underwriter. Such payment and delivery are to be made through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company, New York, New York at 10:00 a.m., New York time, on the third business day after the date of this Agreement or at such other time and date not later than five business days thereafter as you and the Company shall agree upon, such time and date being herein referred to as the “Closing Date.” (As used herein, “business day” means a day on which the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading and on which banks in New York are open for business and are not permitted by law or executive order to be closed.)
(c) In addition, on the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company hereby grants an option to the Underwriter to purchase the Option Shares at the price per share as set forth in the first paragraph of this Section 3. The option granted hereby may be exercised in whole or in part by giving written notice (i) at any time before the Closing Date and (ii) only once thereafter within 30 days after the date of this Agreement, by the Underwriter, to the Company setting forth the number of Option Shares as to which the Underwriter is exercising the option and the time and date at which such certificates are to be delivered. The time and date at which certificates for Option Shares are to be delivered shall be determined by the Underwriter but shall not be earlier than three nor later than 10 full business days after the exercise of such option, nor in any event prior to the Closing Date (such time and date being herein referred to as the “Option Closing Date”). If the date of exercise of the option is three or more days before the Closing Date, the notice of exercise shall set the Closing Date as the Option Closing Date. The number of Option Shares to be purchased by the Underwriter shall be in the same proportion to the total number of Option Shares being purchased as the number of Firm Shares being purchased by the Underwriter bears to the total number of Firm Shares, adjusted by the Underwriter in such manner as to avoid fractional shares. The option with respect to the Option Shares granted hereunder may be exercised only to cover over-allotments in the sale of the Firm Shares by the Underwriter. The Underwriter may cancel such option at any time prior to
15
its expiration by giving written notice of such cancellation to the Company. To the extent, if any, that the option is exercised, payment for the Option Shares shall be made on the Option Closing Date in Federal (same day funds) through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company in New York, New York drawn to the order of the Company.
4. OFFERING BY THE UNDERWRITER.
It is understood that the Underwriter is to make a public offering of the Firm Shares as soon as the Underwriter deems it advisable to do so. The Firm Shares are to be initially offered to the public at the price set forth in the Prospectus. The Underwriter may from time to time thereafter change the offering price and other selling terms.
5. COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY.
The Company covenants and agrees with the Underwriter that:
(a) The Company will comply with the requirements of Rule 430B and 430C under the Act and will notify the Underwriter immediately, and confirm the notice in writing, of (i) the effectiveness of any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or any new registration statement relating to the Shares or the filing of any supplement or amendment to the Prospectus, (ii) the receipt of any comments from the Commission, (iii) any request by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration Statement or the filing of a new registration statement or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus or for additional information, (iv) the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or such new registration statement or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus, or of the suspension of the qualification of the Shares for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or of the initiation or threatening of any proceedings for any of such purposes or of any examination pursuant to Section 8(e) of the Act concerning the Registration Statement and (v) if the Company becomes the subject of a proceeding under Section 8A of the Act in connection with the offering of the Shares. The Company will promptly effect the filings required under Rule 497, in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 497, notify the Underwriter of the filing thereof, and take such steps as it deems necessary to ascertain promptly whether the Prospectus transmitted for filing under Rule 497 was received for filing by the Commission and, in the event that it was not, it will promptly file the Prospectus. The Company will make every reasonable effort to prevent the issuance of any stop order and, if any stop order is issued, to obtain the lifting thereof at the earliest possible moment.
(b) If at any time when the Prospectus is required by the Act or the Exchange Act to be delivered in connection with sales of the Shares, any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which it is necessary, in the reasonable opinion of outside counsel to the Underwriter or for the Company, to amend the Registration Statement in order that the Registration Statement will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or to amend or supplement the Prospectus in order that the Prospectus will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances existing at the time it is delivered to a purchaser, or if it shall be
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necessary, in the reasonable opinion of such outside counsel, at any such time to amend the Registration Statement, to file a new registration statement, or to amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to comply with the requirements of the Act, the Company will (i) promptly prepare and file with the Commission, subject to Section 5(s) such amendment, supplement or new registration statement as may be necessary to correct such statement or omission or to comply with such requirements, (ii) use its best efforts to have such amendment or new registration statement declared effective as soon as practicable, and (iii) furnish to the Underwriter, without charge, such number of copies of such amendment, supplement or new registration statement as the Underwriter may reasonably request.
(c) [Reserved].
(d) [Reserved].
(e) The Company will cooperate with the Underwriter in endeavoring to qualify the Shares for sale under the securities laws of such jurisdictions as the Underwriter may reasonably have designated in writing and will make such applications, file such documents, and furnish such information as may be reasonably required for that purpose, provided the Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to file a general consent to service of process in any jurisdiction where it is not now so qualified or required to file such a consent. The Company will, from time to time, prepare and file such statements, reports, and other documents, as are or may be required to continue such qualifications in effect for so long a period as the Underwriter may reasonably request for distribution of the Shares.
(f) The Company will deliver to, or upon the order of, the Underwriter, from time to time, as many copies of any Preliminary Prospectus as the Underwriter may reasonably request. The Company will deliver to, or upon the order of, the Underwriter during the period when delivery of a Prospectus (or, in lieu thereof, the notice referred to under Rule 173(a) under the Act) is required under the Act, as many copies of the Prospectus in final form, or as thereafter amended or supplemented, as the Underwriter may reasonably request. The Company will deliver to the Underwriter at or before the Closing Date, four signed copies of the Registration Statement and all amendments thereto including all exhibits filed therewith, and will deliver to the Underwriter such number of copies of the Registration Statement (including such number of copies of the exhibits filed therewith that may reasonably be requested) and of all amendments thereto, as the Underwriter may reasonably request.
(g) The Company will comply with the Act and the Rules and Regulations, and the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the Shares as contemplated in this Agreement and the Prospectus.
(h) If the General Disclosure Package is being used to solicit offers to buy the Shares at a time when the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers and any event shall occur as a result of which, in the judgment of the Company or in the reasonable opinion of the Underwriter, it becomes necessary to amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances, under which they were made, not misleading, or to make the statements therein not conflict with the information contained in the
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Registration Statement then on file, or if it is necessary at any time to amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package to comply with any law, the Company promptly will prepare, file with the Commission (if required) and furnish to the Underwriter and any dealers an appropriate amendment or supplement to the General Disclosure Package.
(i) The Company will make generally available to its security holders, as soon as it is practicable to do so, an earnings statement or statements (which need not be audited), which shall satisfy the requirements of Section 11(a) of the Act and Rule 158 under the Act and will advise you in writing when such statement has been so made available.
(j) Prior to the Closing Date, the Company will furnish to the Underwriter, as soon as they have been prepared by or are available to the Company, a copy of any unaudited interim financial statements of the Company for any period subsequent to the period covered by the most recent financial statements appearing in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus Supplement.
(k) No offering, sale, short sale or other disposition of any shares of Common Stock of the Company or other securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for shares of Common Stock or derivative of Common Stock (or agreement for such) will be made for a period of 60 days after the date of the Prospectus, directly or indirectly, by the Company otherwise than hereunder or with the prior written consent of the Underwriter. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if (1) during the last 17 days of the 60-day restricted period, the Company issues an earnings release or material news or a material event relating to the Company occurs; or (2) prior to the expiration of the 60-day restricted period, the Company announces that it will release earnings results during the 16-day period following the last day of the 60-day restricted period, then in each case the restrictions imposed by this Agreement shall continue to apply until the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the date of the release of the earnings results or the occurrence of material news or a material event relating to the Company, as the case may be, unless the Underwriter waives, in writing, such extension.
(l) [Reserved].
(m) The Company has caused certain of its executive officers of the Company to furnish to you, on or prior to the date of this agreement, a letter or letters, substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A (the “Lockup Agreement”).
(n) The Company shall apply the net proceeds of its sale of the Shares as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus Supplement.
(o) [Reserved].
(p) The Company will maintain a transfer agent and, if necessary under the jurisdiction of incorporation of the Company, a registrar for the Common Stock.
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(q) The Company will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or result in, or that has constituted or might reasonably be expected to constitute, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any securities of the Company.
(r) [Reserved.]
(s) The Company, during the period when the Prospectus is required to be delivered under the Act, will file all documents required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to the Act, the 1940 Act and the Exchange Act within the time periods required by such act, rule or regulation. To the extent the distribution of Shares has been completed, the Company will not be required to provide the Underwriter with reports it is required to file with the Commission under the Exchange Act.
The Company and Underwriter covenant to one another as follows:
(t) The Company and the Underwriter agree to use their best efforts to obtain a no objection letter from FINRA regarding the fairness and reasonableness of the underwriting terms and arrangements.
6. COSTS AND EXPENSES.
The Company will pay all costs, expenses and fees incident to the performance of the obligations of the Company under this Agreement, including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the following: accounting fees of the Company; the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company; any roadshow expenses; the cost of printing and delivering to, or as requested by, the Underwriter copies of the Registration Statement, Preliminary Prospectus Supplement, the Prospectus, this Agreement, filing fees of the Commission; the filing fees and expenses (including legal fees and disbursements) incident to securing any required review by FINRA of the terms of the sale of the Shares; the costs and expenses (including without limitation any damages or other amounts payable in connection with legal or contractual liability) associated with the reforming of any contracts for sale of the Shares made by the Underwriter caused by a breach of the representation in Section 1; and the expenses, including the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriter, incurred in connection with the qualification of the Shares under State securities or Blue Sky laws. The Company shall not, however, be required to pay for any of the Underwriter’s expenses (other than those related to qualification under FINRA regulation and State securities or Blue Sky laws) except that, if this Agreement shall not be consummated because the conditions in Section 7 hereof are not satisfied, or because this Agreement is terminated by the Underwriter pursuant to Section 12 hereof, or by reason of any failure, refusal or inability on the part of the Company or the Adviser to perform any undertaking or satisfy any condition of this Agreement or to comply with any of the terms hereof on its part to be performed, unless such failure, refusal or inability is due primarily to the default or omission of the Underwriter, the Company shall reimburse the Underwriter for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses, including fees and disbursements of counsel, reasonably incurred in connection with investigating, marketing and proposing to market the Shares or in contemplation of performing their obligations hereunder; but the Company shall not in any event be liable to the Underwriter for damages on account of loss of anticipated profits from the sale by them of the Shares.
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7. CONDITIONS OF OBLIGATIONS OF THE UNDERWRITER.
The obligations of the Underwriter to purchase the Firm Shares on the Closing Date and the Option Shares, if any, on the Option Closing Date are subject to the accuracy, as of the Applicable Time, the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, of the representations and warranties of the Company and the Adviser contained herein, and to the performance by the Company of its covenants and obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions:
(a) The Registration Statement and all post-effective amendments thereto shall have become effective and the Prospectus shall have been filed as required by Rules 430A, 430B, 430C or 497 under the Act, as applicable, within the time period prescribed by, and in compliance with, the Rules and Regulations, and any request of the Commission for additional information (to be included in the Registration Statement or otherwise) shall have been disclosed to the Underwriter and complied with to its reasonable satisfaction. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, as amended from time to time, shall have been issued and no proceedings for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A under the Act shall have been taken or, to the knowledge of the Company, shall be contemplated or threatened by the Commission and no injunction, restraining order or order of any nature by a Federal or state court of competent jurisdiction shall have been issued as of the Closing Date which would prevent the issuance of the Shares.
(b) The Underwriter shall have received on the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, the opinions and negative assurance of Xxxxxx Godward Kronish, LLP, counsel for the Company, dated the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, addressed to the Underwriter (and stating that it may be relied upon by counsel to the Underwriter) substantially in the form attached as Exhibit B hereto.
(c) The Underwriter shall have received from Bass, Xxxxx & Xxxx, PLC, counsel for the Underwriter, an opinion dated the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, addressed to the Underwriter, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Underwriter.
(d) The Underwriter shall have received from Xxxxxxxxxxx & Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxx Xxxxx Xxxxx, PLC, counsel for the Company and the Adviser, and Xxxxxx Godward Kronish LLP, counsel for the Company and the Adviser, an opinion dated the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, addressed to the Underwriter, regarding 1940 Act matters, matters relating to the Advisers Act and other matters relating to the Adviser in form and substance reasonably acceptable to the Underwriter and its counsel.
(e) The Underwriter shall have received, on each of the date hereof, the Closing Date and, if applicable, the Option Closing Date, a letter dated the date hereof, the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, in form and substance satisfactory to you, of PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP, confirming that they are an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the Company and the Subsidiaries within the meaning of the Act and the applicable Rules and Regulations and the PCAOB and stating that in their opinion the financial statements and schedules examined by them and included in the Registration Statement,
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the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus Supplement comply in form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Act and the related Rules and Regulations; and containing such other statements and information as is ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to the Underwriter with respect to the financial statements and certain financial and statistical information contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus Supplement.
(f) The Company and the Adviser shall have furnished to the Underwriter, on the Closing Date and, if applicable, the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, a certificate or certificates of the Chairman of the Board or the President and the principal financial or accounting officer of the Company to the effect that, as of the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, each of them severally represents as follows:
(i) The Registration Statement has become effective under the Act and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or no order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus Supplement or the Prospectus has been issued, and no proceedings for such purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Act have been taken or are, to his or her knowledge, contemplated or threatened by the Commission;
(ii) The representations and warranties of the Company and the Adviser contained in Section 1 and Section 2 hereof are true and correct as of the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be;
(iii) All filings required to have been made pursuant to Rules 430A, 430B, 430C or 497 under the Act have been made as and when required by such rules;
(iv) He or she has carefully examined the General Disclosure Package and, in his or her opinion, as of the Applicable Time, the statements contained in the General Disclosure Package did not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;
(v) He or she has carefully examined the Registration Statement and, in his or her opinion, as of the effective date of the Registration Statement, the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto did not contain any untrue statement of a material fact and did not omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading, and since the effective date of the Registration Statement, no event has occurred which should have been set forth in a supplement to or an amendment of the Prospectus which has not been so set forth in such supplement or amendment;
(vi) He or she has carefully examined the Final Prospectus Supplement and, in his or her opinion, as of its date and the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, the Final Prospectus Supplement and any amendments and supplements thereto did not contain any untrue statement of a material fact and did not omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and
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(vii) Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus Supplement, there has not been any material adverse change or any development involving a prospective material adverse change in or affecting the business, management, properties, assets, rights, operations, condition (financial or otherwise) or prospects of the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business.
(g) [Reserved.]
(h) [Reserved.]
(i) The Company shall have furnished to the Underwriter such further certificates and documents confirming the representations and warranties, covenants and conditions contained herein and related matters as the Underwriter may reasonably have requested.
(j) The Firm Shares and Option Shares, if any, have been approved for quotation upon notice of issuance on the Nasdaq Global Select Market.
(k) The Lockup Agreements described in Section 5(k) and (m) are in full force and effect.
The opinions and certificates mentioned in this Agreement shall be deemed to be in compliance with the provisions hereof only if they are in all material respects satisfactory to the Underwriter and to Bass, Xxxxx & Xxxx, PLC, counsel for the Underwriter.
If any of the conditions hereinabove provided for in this Section 7 shall not have been fulfilled when and as required by this Agreement to be fulfilled, the obligations of the Underwriter hereunder may be terminated by the Underwriter by notifying the Company of such termination in writing or by telegram at or prior to the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be.
In such event, the Company and the Underwriter shall not be under any obligation to each other (except to the extent provided in Sections 6 and 9 hereof).
8. Conditions of the Obligations of the Company.
The obligations of the Company to sell and deliver the portion of the Shares required to be delivered as and when specified in this Agreement are subject to the conditions that at the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued and in effect or proceedings therefor initiated or threatened.
9. Indemnification.
(a) The Company and the Adviser jointly and severally agree:
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(1) to indemnify and hold harmless the Underwriter, the directors and officers of the Underwriter and each person, if any, who controls the Underwriter within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which the Underwriter or any such controlling person may become subject under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus Supplement, the Final Prospectus Supplement or any amendment or supplement thereto, (ii) with respect to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement thereto, the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or (iii) with respect to any Preliminary Prospectus Supplement, the Final Prospectus Supplement or any amendment or supplement thereto, the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances under which they were made; provided, however, that the Company and the Adviser will not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement, or omission or alleged omission made in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus Supplement, the Final Prospectus Supplement, or such amendment or supplement, in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by or through the Underwriter specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by the Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 14 herein; and
(2) to reimburse the Underwriter, the Underwriter’s directors and officers, and each such controlling person upon demand for any legal or other out-of-pocket expenses reasonably incurred by the Underwriter or such controlling person in connection with investigating or defending any such loss, claim, damage or liability, action or proceeding or in responding to a subpoena or governmental inquiry related to the offering of the Shares, whether or not the Underwriter or controlling person is a party to any action or proceeding. In the event that it is finally judicially determined that the Underwriter was not entitled to receive payments for legal and other expenses pursuant to this subparagraph, the Underwriter will promptly return all sums that had been advanced pursuant hereto.
(b) [Reserved.]
(c) The Underwriter will indemnify and hold harmless the Adviser, the Company, each of its directors, each of its officers who have signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company and the Adviser within the meaning of the Act, against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which the Adviser, the Company or any such director, officer or controlling person may become subject under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus Supplement, the Final Prospectus Supplement or any amendment or supplement thereto, (ii) with respect to the Registration Statement or any
23
amendment or supplement thereto, the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or (iii) with respect to any Preliminary Prospectus Supplement, the Final Prospectus Supplement or any amendment or supplement thereto, the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances under which they were made; and will reimburse any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by the Company and the Adviser or any such director, officer or controlling person in connection with investigating or defending any such loss, claim, damage, liability, action or proceeding; provided, however, that the Underwriter will be liable in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission has been made in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus Supplement, the Final Prospectus Supplement or such amendment or supplement, in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by or through the Underwriter specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by the Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 14 herein. This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability which the Underwriter may otherwise have.
(d) In case any proceeding (including any governmental investigation) shall be instituted involving any person in respect of which indemnity may be sought pursuant to Section 9 such person (the “indemnified party”) shall promptly notify the person against whom such indemnity may be sought (the “indemnifying party”) in writing. No indemnification provided for in Section 9 shall be available to any party who shall fail to give notice as provided in this Section 9(d) if the party to whom notice was not given was unaware of the proceeding to which such notice would have related and was materially prejudiced by the failure to give such notice, but the failure to give such notice shall not relieve the indemnifying party or parties from any liability which it or they may have to the indemnified party for contribution or otherwise than on account of the provisions of Section 9. In case any such proceeding shall be brought against any indemnified party and it shall notify the indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate therein and, to the extent that it shall wish, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense thereof, with counsel satisfactory to such indemnified party and shall pay as incurred the fees and disbursements of such counsel related to such proceeding. In any such proceeding, any indemnified party shall have the right to retain its own counsel at its own expense. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the indemnifying party shall pay as incurred (or within 30 days of presentation) the fees and expenses of the counsel retained by the indemnified party in the event (i) the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have mutually agreed to the retention of such counsel, (ii) the named parties to any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the indemnifying party and the indemnified party and representation of both parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them or (iii) the indemnifying party shall have failed to assume the defense and employ counsel acceptable to the indemnified party within a reasonable period of time after notice of commencement of the action. Such firm shall be designated in writing by you in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 9 and by the Company in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 9(c). The indemnifying party shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent but if settled with such consent or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff, the indemnifying party agrees to indemnify the indemnified party from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or judgment. In addition, the
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indemnifying party will not, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment in any pending or threatened claim, action or proceeding of which indemnification may be sought hereunder (whether or not any indemnified party is an actual or potential party to such claim, action or proceeding) unless such settlement, compromise or consent includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such claim, action or proceeding.
(e) [Reserved.]
(f) To the extent the indemnification provided for in this Section 9 is unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under Section 9(a), (b) or (c) above in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof) referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriter on the other from the offering of the Shares. If, however, the allocation provided by the immediately preceding sentence is not permitted by applicable law then each indemnifying party shall contribute to such amount paid or payable by such indemnified party in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only such relative benefits but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriter on the other in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof), as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriter on the other shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from the offering (before deducting expenses) received by the Company bear to the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriter, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover page of the Prospectus. The relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company on the one hand or the Underwriter on the other and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.
The Company and the Underwriter agree that it would not be just and equitable if contributions pursuant to this Section 9(f) were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriter was treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this Section 9(f). The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof) referred to above in this Section 9(f) shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection (f), (i) the Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the underwriting discounts and commissions applicable to the Shares purchased by the Underwriter and (ii) no person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.
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(g) In any proceeding relating to the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, or the Final Prospectus Supplement or any supplement or amendment thereto, each party against whom contribution may be sought under this Section 9 hereby consents to the jurisdiction of any court having jurisdiction over any other contributing party, agrees that process issuing from such court may be served upon it by any other contributing party and consents to the service of such process and agrees that any other contributing party may join it as an additional defendant in any such proceeding in which such other contributing party is a party.
(h) Any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses for which an indemnified party is entitled to indemnification or contribution under this Section 9 shall be paid by the indemnifying party to the indemnified party as such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses are incurred. The indemnity and contribution agreements contained in this Section 9 and the representations and warranties of the Company set forth in this Agreement shall remain operative and in full force and effect, regardless of (i) any investigation made by or on behalf of the Underwriter, its directors or officers or any person controlling the Underwriter, the Company, its directors or officers or any persons controlling the Company, (ii) acceptance of any Shares and payment therefor hereunder, and (iii) any termination of this Agreement. A successor to the Underwriter, its directors or officers or any person controlling the Underwriter, or to the Company, its directors or officers, or any person controlling the Company, shall be entitled to the benefits of the indemnity, contribution and reimbursement agreements contained in this Section 9.
10. [Reserved.]
11. Notices.
All communications hereunder shall be in writing and, except as otherwise provided herein, will be mailed, delivered, telecopied or telegraphed and confirmed as follows: if to the Underwriter, to Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., 00 Xxxx Xxxxxx, 0xx Xxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000; Attention: Syndicate Manager, with a copy to Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., 00 Xxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000, Attention: General Counsel, with a copy to Bass, Xxxxx & Xxxx PLC, The Tower of Peabody Place, 000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxx, Xxxxx 000, Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxx 00000, Attention: Xxxx X. Good; if to the Company, to Gladstone Capital Corporation 0000 Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxx, Xxxxx 000, XxXxxx, Xxxxxxxx 00000, Attention: Xxxxx Xxxxxxxxx, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, with a copy to Xxxxxx Godward Kronish LLP, One Freedom Square, Reston Town Center, 00000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxx, Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx 00000, Attention: Xxxxxx XxXxxxxxx.
12. Termination.
This Agreement may be terminated by you by notice to the Company (a) at any time prior to the Closing Date or any Option Closing Date (if different from the Closing Date and then only as to Option Shares) if any of the following has occurred: (i) since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus Supplement, any material adverse change or any development involving a prospective material adverse change in or affecting the earnings, business, properties, assets, rights, operations, condition (financial or otherwise) or prospects of the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, which you deem to
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materially impair the investment quality of the Shares, (ii) any outbreak or escalation of hostilities or declaration of war or national emergency or other national or international calamity or crisis (including, without limitation, an act of terrorism) or change in economic or political conditions, if the effect of such outbreak, escalation, declaration, emergency, calamity, crisis or change on the financial markets of the United States would, in your judgment, materially impair the investment quality of the Shares, (iii) suspension of trading in securities generally on the NASDAQ or limitation on prices (other than limitations on hours or numbers of days of trading), (iv) the declaration of a banking moratorium by United States or New York State authorities, (v) the suspension of trading of the Company’s common stock by the Nasdaq Global Select Market, the Commission, or any other governmental authority or, (vi) the taking of any action by any governmental body or agency in respect of its monetary or fiscal affairs which in your opinion has a material adverse effect on the securities markets in the United States; or
(b) as provided in Section 7 of this Agreement.
13. Successors.
This Agreement has been and is made solely for the benefit of the Underwriter, the Company and their respective successors, executors, administrators, heirs and assigns, and the officers, directors and controlling persons referred to herein, and no other person will have any right or obligation hereunder. No purchaser of any of the Shares from the Underwriter shall be deemed a successor or assign merely because of such purchase.
14. Information Provided by Underwriter.
The Company and the Underwriter acknowledge and agree that the only information furnished or to be furnished by the Underwriter to the Company for inclusion in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement or the Final Prospectus Supplement consists of the information set forth in the paragraphs under the caption “Underwriting” in the Prospectus.
15. Miscellaneous.
The reimbursement, indemnification and contribution agreements contained in this Agreement and the representations, warranties and covenants in this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect regardless of (a) any termination of this Agreement, (b) any investigation made by or on behalf of the Underwriter or controlling person thereof, or by or on behalf of the Company or its directors or officers and (c) delivery of and payment for the Shares under this Agreement.
The Company acknowledges and agrees that the Underwriter in providing investment banking services to the Company in connection with the offering, including in acting pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, has acted and is acting as an independent contractor and not as a fiduciary and the Company does not intend the Underwriter to act in any capacity other than as an independent contractor, including as a fiduciary or in any other position of higher trust.
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This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.
The section headings used herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.
This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the law of the State of New York, including, without limitation, Section 5-1401 of the New York General Obligations Law.
The Underwriter, on the one hand, and the Company (on its own behalf and, to the extent permitted by law, on behalf of its stockholders), on the other hand, waive any right to trial by jury in any action, claim, suit or proceeding with respect to the engagement as underwriter or your role in connection herewith.
If the foregoing letter is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to us the enclosed duplicates hereof, whereupon it will become a binding agreement among the Company and the Underwriter in accordance with its terms.
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GLADSTONE CAPITAL CORPORATION |
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Chairman and CEO |
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GLADSTONE MANAGEMENT CORPORATION |
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By: |
/s/ Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx III |
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Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx III |
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President |
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The foregoing Underwriting Agreement
is hereby confirmed and accepted as
of the date first above written.
DEUTSCHE BANK SECURITIES INC.
By: Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. |
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By: |
/s/ Xxxxx XxXxxx |
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Name: |
Xxxxx XxXxxx |
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Title: |
Managing Director |
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By |
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Name: |
Xxxx Xxxxxxx |
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Title: |
Managing Director |
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SCHEDULE I
Reserved.
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SCHEDULE II
Reserved.
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SCHEDULE III
Reserved.
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SCHEDULE IV
[Price and other terms of the offering conveyed orally]
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EXHIBIT A
LOCK-UP AGREEMENT
October 15, 2007
Gladstone Capital Corporation
Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.
00 Xxxx Xxxxxx, 0xx Xxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
Ladies and Gentlemen:
The undersigned understands that Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., the underwriter (the “Underwriter”), proposes to enter into an Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with Gladstone Capital Corporation (the “Company”), providing for the public offering by the Underwriter, of common stock, par value $.001 (the “Common Stock”), of the Company (the “Public Offering”).
To induce the Underwriter that may participate in the Public Offering to continue its efforts in connection with the Public Offering, the undersigned agrees that, without the prior written consent of the Underwriter, the undersigned will not, directly or indirectly, offer, sell, pledge, contract to sell (including any short sale), grant any option to purchase or otherwise dispose of any shares of Common Stock (including, without limitation, shares of Common Stock of the Company which may be deemed to be beneficially owned by the undersigned on the date hereof in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission, shares of Common Stock which may be issued upon exercise of a stock option or warrant and any other security convertible into or exchangeable for Common Stock) or enter into any Hedging Transaction (as defined below) relating to the Common Stock (each of the foregoing referred to as a “Disposition”) during the period specified in the following paragraph (the “Lock-Up Period”). The foregoing restriction is expressly intended to preclude the undersigned from engaging in any Hedging Transaction or other transaction which is designed to or reasonably expected to lead to or result in a Disposition during the Lock-Up Period even if the securities would be disposed of by someone other than the undersigned. “Hedging Transaction” means any short sale (whether or not against the box) or any purchase, sale or grant of any right (including, without limitation, any put or call option) with respect to any security (other than a broad-based market basket or index) that includes, relates to or derives any significant part of its value from the Common Stock.
The initial Lock-Up Period will commence on the date hereof and continue until, and include, the date that is 60 days after the date of the final prospectus relating to the Public Offering
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(the “Initial Lock-Up Period”); provided, however, that if (1) during the last 17 days of the Initial Lock-Up Period, (A) the Company releases earnings results or (B) material news or a material event relating to the Company occurs, or (2) prior to the expiration of the Initial Lock-Up Period, the Company announces that it will release earnings results during the 16-day period following the last day of the Initial Lock-Up Period, then in each case the Lock-Up Period will be extended until the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the date of the release of the earnings results or the occurrence of material news or a material event relating to the Company, as the case may be, unless the Underwriter waives in writing, such extension.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the undersigned may transfer (a) shares of Common Stock acquired in open market transactions by the undersigned after the completion of the Public Offering, and (b) any or all of the shares of Common Stock or other Company securities if the transfer is by (i) gift, will or intestacy, or (ii) distribution to partners, members or shareholders of the undersigned; provided, however, that in the case of a transfer pursuant to clause (b) above, it shall be a condition to the transfer that the transferee execute an agreement stating that the transferee is receiving and holding the securities subject to the provisions of this Lock-Up Agreement.
The undersigned agrees that the Company may, and that the undersigned will, (i) with respect to any shares of Common Stock or other Company securities for which the undersigned is the record holder, cause the transfer agent for the Company to note stop transfer instructions with respect to such securities on the transfer books and records of the Company and (ii) with respect to any shares of Common Stock or other Company securities for which the undersigned is the beneficial holder but not the record holder, cause the record holder of such securities to cause the transfer agent for the Company to note stop transfer instructions with respect to such securities on the transfer books and records of the Company.
In addition, the undersigned hereby waives any and all notice requirements and rights with respect to registration of securities pursuant to any agreement, understanding or otherwise setting forth the terms of any security of the Company held by the undersigned, including any registration rights agreement to which the undersigned and the Company may be party; provided that such waiver shall apply only to the proposed Public Offering, and any other action taken by the Company in connection with the proposed Public Offering.
The undersigned hereby agrees that, to the extent that the terms of this Lock-Up Agreement conflict with or are in any way inconsistent with any registration rights agreement to which the undersigned and the Company may be a party, this Lock-Up Agreement supersedes such registration rights agreement.
The undersigned hereby represents and warrants that the undersigned has full power and authority to enter into this Lock-Up Agreement. All authority herein conferred or agreed to be conferred shall survive the death or incapacity of the undersigned and any obligations of the undersigned shall be binding upon the heirs, personal representatives, successors and assigns of the undersigned.
Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, if the closing of the Public Offering has not occurred prior to November 15, 2007, this agreement shall be of no further force or effect.
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EXHIBIT B
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